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10 people dead, including police officer, after shooting at Colorado grocery store

Ten people are dead, including a police officer, after a shooting Monday at a Colorado grocery store that the governor called an “unspeakable tragedy.” The officer, Eric Talley, 51, an 11-year veteran of the Boulder police force, was the first officer to arrive at the King Soopers grocery store Monday afternoon, Police Chief Maris Herold […]

Charlie Pierce: The 60 Minutes Piece on January 6 Was the Sound of the Ante Being Upped

There are some things in our politics that make me more nervous than Louie Gohmert around a thesaurus. One is the nature of political prosecutions, and the other is prosecutors who ply the media with tales of dark doings and veiled cabals. That’s because I remember the bad old days of COINTELPRO, and the various […]

StephCast 3-22-21

Eric Boehlert: No more word games — it’s GOP “voter suppression,” period.

Scrambling in the wake of Joe Biden’s seven-million vote victory in November, Republicans continue to mount a powerful and unapologetic campaign to suppress voting. With so many state legislatures under GOP control, Republicans are sponsoring more than 250 bills aimed at drastically reducing ballot access in coming years. It’s being done under the phony banner […]

The Rude Pundit: The Real Culture War Is Over Vaccines

Yesterday, I was talking to a few people about COVID vaccines. Two of us were fully vaccinated, and another was scheduled to get his. One of our Zoom group, Sandy, a young woman, declared that she was not going to get the vaccine, even if required by her job. She insisted that “everything I’ve heard” […]

California among worst in getting vaccines to vulnerable populations, CDC report finds

About a quarter of California’s population has received one shot of the coronavirus vaccine so far, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, most of the shots so far appear to have gone to populations that are less vulnerable than others. State health officials say they are working to improve […]

Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY) apologizes after sexual misconduct claims, says he won’t run against Cuomo

Rep. Tom Reed, R-N.Y., on Sunday apologized to the woman who accused him of sexual misconduct last week and said that he will not seek to get elected for any office once his term ends. Nicolette Davis, who is currently an Army officer but was working as a lobbyist at the time of the alleged […]

DHS Chief: U.S.-Mexico Border Is Closed, But Unaccompanied Minors Accepted

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Sunday defended the Biden administration’s handling of a surge of migrants that have overwhelmed the nation’s immigration system, while also declaring that the U.S.-Mexico border “is closed” and only unaccompanied minors will be allowed in. “The message is quite clear: Do not come. The border is closed, the border […]

AstraZeneca says U.S. trial data shows its Covid-19 vaccine is 79 percent effective

AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine is safe and 79 percent effective against the disease, according to trial results released by the company Monday. AstraZeneca will now release its data for analysis by the scientific community in peer-review literature, and apply to the Food and Drugs Administration for emergency use approval. The Phase 3 trial, conducted in the […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 3-19-21 MeidasTouch

Stephcast 3-19-21

“No evidence” of Pa. postal worker voter fraud claims Trump cited — report – Axios

There is “no evidence” to support a Pennsylvania U.S. Postal Service worker’s claims highlighted by leading Republicans of mail-in ballot fraud, the inspector general has found.

House passes pair of immigration bills amid influx of migrants crossing US-Mexico border

(CNN) — House Democrats pushed ahead to approve two separate bills on immigrationThursday, marking the first time Congress has voted on a pathway for citizenship for undocumented immigrants since Democrats won slim majorities in both chambers of Congress with President Joe Biden in the White House. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

A nationwide horror: Witnesses, police paint a picture of a murderous rampage that took 8 lives

ATLANTA — Robert Aaron Long’s family had finally had it. Long, 21, was so obsessed with sex — watching hour upon hour of pornography online, visiting the kinds of spas where the customers bought “massages with happy endings” — that on Monday night, his parents kicked him out of the house, according to police and […]

January 6 Commission may not happen due to House Republicans: report

It’s unclear if House Republicans are attempting to sabotage the Jan. 6 Commission investigation, but they’ve done it successfully, CNN reported Thursday. Republicans are clashing with anyone brought before House committees to address the attack on the U.S. Capitol. Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) lashed out at Capitol security officials in closed-door meetings over the […]

Stephcast 3-18-21

12 Republicans Vote Against House Resolution Awarding Congressional Gold Medals to Capitol Police Who Responded to Riot

The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to award Congressional Gold Medals to Capitol police officers who responded to the riots on January 6th.The vast majority of Republicans voted along with Democrats on the resolution, but 12 Republicans opposed it — objecting to language of the resolution.The 12 Republicans were, per CNN, Matt Gaetz, […]

Suspect in deadly Atlanta-area spa shootings charged with 8 counts of murder

The man accused of killing eight people in three shootings at Atlanta-area spas was charged with eight counts of murder Wednesday. Four of the counts against the man, Robert Aaron Long, 21, of Woodstock, are related to shootings at two massage parlors in Atlanta. The four others are related to shootings at a massage parlor […]

Man arrested outside Vice President Kamala Harris’ official residence and had rifle and ammunition in car

(CNN)Washington, DC, police arrested a Texas man outside Vice President Kamala Harris’ official residence, the US Naval Observatory, in the nation’s capital on Wednesday and he’s now facing weapons and ammunition charges. A spokesperson for Washington’s Metropolitan Police said officers responded “at approximately 12:12 pm, to the 3400 block of Massachusetts Avenue, NW in reference […]

Reckless governors are threatening COVID-19 progress

As progress continues with the Biden-Harris administration’s vaccine effort, there’s much to be hopeful about: cases numbers have been driven down substantially from their January high, vaccination rates are among the fastest in the world and hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have plummeted. These facts alone have been enough to buoy the spirits of countless citizens […]

The Cop Who Said The Spa Shooter Had A “Bad Day” Previously Posted A Racist Shirt Blaming China For The Pandemic

The Georgia sheriff’s official who said the man accused of killing six Asian women and two others in shootings at spas in the Atlanta area had “a bad day” previously shared a photo of racist T-shirts on social media. In a Facebook post from April 2020, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Capt. Jay Baker shared an image […]

Stephcast 3-17-21

McConnell Threatens Retaliation for Filibuster Change as Idea Gains Strength

WASHINGTON — The fight over the filibuster escalated in the Senate on Tuesday as Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, threatened harsh reprisals if Democrats moved to weaken it, a prospect that appeared increasingly likely as President Biden’s allies on Capitol Hill began building a public case for its elimination.

Momentum of Capitol riot inquiries stalls amid partisan flare-ups

Momentum is stalling amid congressional efforts to swiftly investigate the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, threatened by logistical delays and deepening partisan disagreement about the scope of an independent inquiry advocated by Democrats.

Putin targeted people close to Trump in bid to influence 2020 election, U.S. intelligence says

Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials in Moscow sought to influence the 2020 election by spreading misleading information about Joe Biden through prominent individuals, some of whom were close to former president Donald Trump, the U.S. intelligence community said in a report Tuesday.

Army initially pushed to deny District’s request for National Guard before Jan. 6

The Army initially pushed to reject the D.C. government’s request for a modest National Guard presence ahead of the Jan. 6 rally that led to the Capitol riot, underscoring the deep reluctance of some higher-ups at the Pentagon to involve the military in security arrangements that day.

Stephcast 3-16-21

The Acquittal of Derek Chauvin Has Already Begun

Derek Chauvin is the Minneapolis police officer who killed George Floyd. I don’t have to say “allegedly” killed, because I saw it. Floyd was alive, and then, eight minutes and 46 seconds later, he was not, and the only intervening event that happened was Chauvin’s knee on his neck.Chauvin’s trial started this week, and soon […]

The Immune System Is Resolutely Apolitical, and So Is the Virus

Being in the immunological hammock between Dolly Shot I and Dolly Shot II, I have a little more time to despair of my fellow citizens, many of whom are, according to a new Monmouth poll, simply unreachable morons.   Partisanship remains the main distinguishing factor among those who want to avoid the vaccine altogether, with […]

Two arrested in assault on police officer Brian D. Sicknick, who died after Jan. 6 Capitol riot

U.S. authorities have arrested and charged two men with assaulting U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian D. Sicknick with bear spray during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot but have not determined whether the exposure caused his death. Julian Elie Khater, 32, of Pennsylvania, and George Pierre Tanios, 39 of Morgantown, W.Va., were arrested Sunday and are […]

Biden team begins cross-country tour to highlight benefits of Covid relief plan

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses are traveling around the country this week to speak directly to Americans about the benefits of the $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package.

Shot Chasers: How Officials in Trump’s Lame-Duck White House Scrambled to Score COVID-19 Vaccinations

In December and January, a long-planned effort to vaccinate essential federal workers was thrown into turmoil, breeding suspicion, infighting, and “shameless” attempts to crash the list.

More than 4,000 unaccompanied migrant children in Border Patrol custody

(CNN) — More than 4,000 unaccompanied migrant children are in Border Patrol custody, CNN has learned, marking yet another increase in the number of children held up in border facilities until officials can accommodate them in shelters that are suited for them. 

Stephcast 3-15-21

Good grief — New York Times credits Trump for Biden’s vaccine victory

In a wildly misguided attempt at Trump rehabilitation, the New York Times this week suggested Trump deserves credit for the extraordinary success the new Biden administration is having getting Americans vaccinated. Leaning hard into the Both Sides narrative, the Times generously headlined its piece, “Biden Got the Vaccine Rollout Humming, With Trump’s Help.” 

Random Observations on a Presidential Presidential Address

1. President Joe Biden’s speech to the nation last night could have been a giant victory lap. Having just signed the most significant anti-poverty legislation in at least two generations and leading a country that has gone from the worst rate of COVID deaths to the most vaccinations in the world since he’s been in office, no […]

Fauci says Trump should push supporters to get covid vaccine after ‘disturbing’ poll results show they won’t

Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, said in interviews Sunday that former president Donald Trump should be enlisted to encourage his supporters to get a coronavirus vaccine, after recent polling showed Republican men and Trump supporters have the highest rates of vaccine hesitancy. An NPR-PBS NewsHour-Marist poll released last week showed that nearly […]

Officials located December recording of Trump call in a trash folder on Georgia investigator’s device

(CNN) — Officials in the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office located a recently released recording of former President Donald Trump‘s call to a state investigator in a trash folder on her device, a state official familiar with the situation confirmed to CNN. The discovery of the call comes after state officials originally told CNN that […]

For Voting Rights Advocates, a ‘Once in a Generation Moment’ Looms

WASHINGTON — State and national voting-rights advocates are waging the most consequential political struggle over access to the ballot since the civil rights era, a fight increasingly focused on a far-reaching federal overhaul of election rules in a last-ditch bid to offset a wave of voting restrictions sweeping Republican-controlled state legislatures.

Trump’s ‘Crown Jewel’ Hotel Conjures Spooky Comparisons Amid Reports Of Struggle

Business at the Trump International Hotel in Washington hasn’t exactly been booming, according to reports.

SM Happy Hour Videocast 3-12-21 Margaret Cho & Rep. Jan Schakowsky

Stephcast 3-12-21

New York Assembly Launches Impeachment Probe Into Andrew Cuomo

New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie announced Thursday he is authorizing an impeachment investigation into Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), who’s facing multiple accusations of sexual misconduct.  “The reports of accusations concerning the governor are serious,” Heastie said in a statement. The Assembly Judiciary Committee leading the investigation “will have the authority to interview witnesses, […]

Tucker Carlson slammed by military leaders for mocking pregnant service members

Military leaders, veterans and veterans groups are slamming Fox News host Tucker Carlson after he attacked the notion of pregnant women serving in the armed forces. Carlson called women in “maternity flight suits” a mockery of the U.S. military, while also making a transphobic aside in his speech during a Tuesday night broadcast. His segment […]

Stimulus checks could hit some bank accounts as soon as this weekend, White House says

The next batch of stimulus checks will be deposited into some bank accounts this weekend, the White House said Thursday. “People can expect to start seeing direct deposits hit their bank accounts as early as this weekend,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a news briefing after President Joe Biden signed the American […]

Biden directs states to make all adults eligible for Covid vaccinations by May 1

President Joe Biden announced Thursday that he will direct states to make all adults eligible for coronavirus vaccinations no later than May 1, a move that he said could help the United States return to some sense of normalcy by Independence Day. In his address marking the anniversary of the coronavirus pandemic shutdowns, Biden offered […]

Stephcast 3-11-21

WSJ: Trump pressured Georgia investigator to find ‘the right answer’ in baseless fraud push

In a phone call to the Georgia secretary of state’s office in December, then-President Donald Trump urged a top investigator to find fraud in the 2020 presidential election, telling her that she would be “praised” for overturning results that were in favor of Joe Biden, according to newly reported audio of the call obtained by […]

GOP Senator Who Voted Against COVID-19 Relief Already Taking Credit For Bill’s Benefits

Shortly after Democrats in Congress passed President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief legislation, a Republican senator was already trying to take some credit for the popular bill ― even though he and every single other Republican voted against it.  Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) tweeted on Wednesday that independent restaurant operators were going to get […]

House Democrats pass $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, handing Biden major victory

House Democrats on Wednesday passed a massive $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill with the goal of having it on President Joe Biden’s desk by the end of the week, just days before key federal unemployment benefits start to expire for many workers on March 14. By a 220-211 vote — with no Republicans voting in […]

Biden’s 1st primetime speech to reflect on 1 year since pandemic shutdowns, challenges ahead

For the third time this year, President Joe Biden will mark a landmark moment in the COVID-19 pandemic, delivering his first primetime address Thursday night to recognize one year since widespread shutdowns began across the United States and to ask Americans to help with “what comes next.” “I’m gonna launch the next phase of the […]

Stephcast 3-10-21

Gov. Andrew Cuomo Faces Sixth Sexual Misconduct Allegation: Report

A sixth woman has reportedly accused New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of sexual misconduct, the latest among mounting claims against the high-profile Democrat over the past few weeks. The woman, who is a member of the governor’s Executive Chamber staff, said Cuomo inappropriately touched her late last year during an encounter at the governor’s mansion, […]

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) Blows Up At GOP In Fiery House Floor Speech: ‘Stop Talking About Dr. Seuss and start working with us’

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) erupted Tuesday on the House floor, imploring his Republican colleagues to stop their obsession with stoking culture wars and shift focus to helping Democrats pass legislation to aid Americans struggling through the coronavirus pandemic. “Stop talking about Dr. Seuss and start working with us on behalf of the American workers!” he […]

House Passes Labor Rights Expansion, but Senate Chances Are Slim

House Democrats on Tuesday approved the most significant expansion of labor rights since the New Deal, advancing legislation that would neutralize right-to-work laws in 27 states and bolster workers’ ability to organize after years of eroding clout. The bill — the Protecting the Right to Organize, or PRO, Act — would amend decades-old labor law […]

House set to vote on virus relief, Biden on cusp of triumph

Congress is poised to approve a landmark $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, placing President Joe Biden on the cusp of an early triumph that advances Democratic priorities and showcases the unity his party will need to forge future victories. The House was expected to give final congressional approval Wednesday to the package, which aims to […]

Stephcast 3-9-21

Man charged in Capitol riot is linked to Oath Keepers, seen with Roger Stone on Jan. 6, prosecutors say

A man linked by prosecutors to the Oath Keepers and Republican strategist Roger Stone was arrested Monday in New York and charged with criminal involvement in the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Roberto Minuta, 36, of Texas is accused of obstructing the formal counting of presidential election votes, trespassing and attempting to […]

Trump, RNC clash over using his name in fundraising

The Republican National Committee is defending its right to use former President Donald Trump‘s name in fundraising appeals after he demanded they put an end to the practice. In a Monday letter to Trump attorney Alex Cannon, RNC chief counsel J. Justin Riemer said the committee “has every right to refer to public figures as […]

Judge forcefully rejects QAnon shaman’s bid for release

The spear-wielding self-described shaman who stormed the Senate chamber on Jan. 6 will remain behind bars pending trial, a federal judge ruled on Monday. The decision by Jacob Chansley, an adherent of the QAnon conspiracy theory, to speak to CBS’ “60 Minutes+” and other media outlets appears to have backfired, as U.S. District Court Judge […]

New CDC Guidelines Allow Vaccinated Americans to taste freedom

At last, there’s some good news. Exactly one horrific, demoralizing and family-splitting year since darkness descended on America, top public health officials arrived at a (virtual) White House coronavirus strategy briefing on Monday armed with tangible hope.   In announcing new US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines on how fully vaccinated citizens can […]

Charlie Pierce: I Got My First Dose of Dolly Parton’s Little Miracle, and the World Got Bigger Again

I got my first dose of Dolly Parton’s Little Miracle this week. I have to admit that it was strange. I spent more time in the gym of the Thomas Menino YMCA in Hyde Park than I spent anywhere else in a year. I was just out there in the world with other humans. I […]

Stephcast 3-8-21

Governors defend easing statewide Covid restrictions as health officials warn Americans to stay vigilant

A number of governors on Sunday defended easing Covid-19 restrictions in their states against top health officials’ warnings that Americans should remain vigilant against highly transmissible variants and that the US could see another spike in cases. In some of the more extreme rollbacks, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, both Republicans, […]

Senate passes $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill. Here’s what’s next.

After more than 25 hours of debate and votes, Senate Democrats passed a sweeping $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill Saturday aimed at helping lower-income Americans, small businesses, schools, the hard-hit hospitality and tourism industries, as well as state and local governments — with aid also going to boost front-line pandemic work, vaccines, testing and tracing […]

Meghan tells Oprah royal life caused suicidal thoughts, palace worried how dark Archie’s skin might be

The pressure of being under the microscope drove Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, to thoughts of suicide, Prince Harry’s wife said Sunday in an explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey. She said she had been the victim of “character assassination” and that the pressure drove her to the point of self-harm. “Look, I was really ashamed […]

Eric Boehlert: “60 Minutes” plays nice with the QAnon Shaman

Arriving for the first jailhouse interview with the Trump insurrectionist known as the “QAnon Shaman,” 60 Minutes+ this week provided a surprisingly gentle and understanding forum for someone who helped terrorize members of Congress on Jan. 6, when a murderous mob ransacked the U.S. Capitol.  Along with interviewing Jacob Chansley (aka the Shaman), CBS’s Laurie Segall interviewed Chansley’s mother who insisted her […]

The Rude Pundit: Grappling with Andrew Cuomo’s Scandals

There is absolutely no reason to feel guilty or bad because you found comfort in New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s daily press briefings during the lockdown early in the coronavirus pandemic. While President Bumblefuck Magoo was prancing around and lying about the severity of the situation while shitting on anyone who would dare ask the […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 3-5-21 Kimberley Johnson & Frank Figliuzzi

Stephcast 3-5-21

Capitol Police Request That National Guard Extend Stay In Washington By 60 Days

The U.S. Capitol Police have reportedly requested that the National Guard extend its stay in the capital by two months amid renewed concerns about violent threats to the already-fortified Capitol complex. The Pentagon is currently reviewing the department’s request ― which The Associated Press first reported and other outlets later confirmed ― with the Guard beginning to solicit […]

Leaders and businesses say masks are essential protection as Texas and Mississippi lift Covid-19 restrictions

Leaders and businesses across the US are pushing back against states lifting mask mandates by doubling down on their commitment to enforcing Covid-19 precautions as variants continue to cause concern. This week, Texas and Mississippi joined the list of states expanding business capacity and lifting the mandates for residents to wear masks. A representative for […]

Top Cuomo Aides Altered COVID-19 Data To Lower New York Nursing Home Deaths: Reports

Senior aides to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) rewrote a troubling report about the number of pandemic-related nursing home deaths last year to include a much lower death toll, multiple media outlets reported Thursday. The Wall Street Journal first reported that top advisers in Cuomo’s office had intervened to alter drafts of the July […]

GOP Sen. Johnson delays Covid relief bill by forcing all 628 pages to be read out loud

A Republican senator severely delayed passage of a $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package Thursday by insisting that the entire 628-page bill be read out loud. In protest of the bill, which had been expected to pass after a marathon round of votes overnight Thursday, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., objected to waiving the reading of the […]

Stephcast 3-4-21

Capitol Police say intelligence shows militia group may be plotting to breach the Capitol today

The U.S. Capitol Police said Wednesday that they have information regarding a possible plot by a militant group to breach the Capitol on Thursday, a date that some followers of the QAnon extremist ideology falsely claim will mark former president Donald Trump’s return to the White House. The department declined to name the group or […]

NY Governor Cuomo issues public apology in wake of scandal, says he won’t resign

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday addressed the sexual harassment scandal he’s facing and apologized for his actions. “I want New Yorkers to hear from me directly on this: First, I fully support a woman’s right to come forward and I think it should be encouraged in every way,” Cuomo said. “I now understand […]

‘Neanderthal thinking’: Biden criticizes Texas, Mississippi for lifting mask mandates

President Joe Biden criticized the decisions in Texas and Mississippi to roll back statewide mask mandates and other Covid-19 health guidelines as “Neanderthal thinking.” “I think it’s a big mistake. Look, I hope everybody realizes by now that masks make a big difference. We are on the cusp of being able to fundamentally change the […]

House passes sweeping voting rights, ethics bill

The House on Wednesday passed the For the People Act, a sweeping bill that seeks to change campaign finance, voting and ethics laws. The bill would expand access to the ballot box by creating automatic voter registration across the country, restoring the voting rights of the formerly incarcerated, expanding early voting and modernizing America’s voting […]

Dr. Irwin Redlener: Vaccinating educators now is key to reopening schools

There can be no doubt that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are committed to reopening America’s schools as rapidly as possible. As early as the first week in December, then-president-elect Biden announced that he planned to at least partly reopen most of the nation’s schools within the first 100 days of his […]

Stephcast 3-3-21

Biden says U.S. will have enough coronavirus vaccine doses for every adult by end of May

President Joe Biden said Tuesday the United States will have enough vaccines for every adult by the end of May, two months earlier than the administration had previously estimated. He said the U.S. was able to speed up the timeline under a deal with Johnson & Johnson to accelerate production of its single-dose vaccine, including […]

FBI director says domestic terrorism ‘metastasizing’ throughout U.S. as cases soar

FBI Director Christopher A. Wray on Tuesday defended the bureau’s handling of alarming intelligence leading up to the Jan. 6 mob attack on the U.S. Capitol, saying he has long warned about the rising tide of such threats as the domestic terrorism caseload roughly doubled over the past year. “We have significantly grown the number […]

Neera Tanden officially withdraws from being Biden’s OMB director

President Joe Biden has lost his first Cabinet-level pick. Neera Tanden, the embattled nominee for Biden’s Office of Management and Budget director, has officially withdrawn her nomination for the position after days of uncertainty over whether she had enough votes to be confirmed in the US Senate. “Unfortunately, it now seems clear that there is […]

Texas governor lifts mask mandate and allows businesses to open at 100% capacity, despite health officials’ warnings

Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday he’s lifting the mask mandate in Texas, even as health officials warn not to ease safety restrictions. Abbott made the announcement during a Lubbock Chamber of Commerce event where he issued an executive order rescinding most of his earlier executive orders like the mask mandate. Abbott said businesses of any […]

Stephcast 3-2-21

Charlie Pierce: Trump Was Bored By His Own Speech Until He Got to the Revenge List

He was very old and in the way, until he got to the hit list. The hit list energized him. It turned on all his lights. It was the pure, uncut evil juju that had been missing from his life for months and, generous demon from the depths of hell that he is, he shared […]

Donald and Melania Trump quietly got Covid vaccines last month, reports say

Donald and Melania Trump received the coronavirus vaccine before leaving the White House, according to multiple news reports on Monday. Citing unnamed advisers, the New York Times, CNN and other outlets reported that while other officials, including Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and the former vice-president Mike Pence, chose to get their shots publicly to encourage […]

Senate set to take up $1.9T Covid aid bill as soon as tomorrow

The Senate will move forward as soon as Wednesday on President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer predicting Monday that the chamber would face “some late nights” ahead this week. Democrats are racing to pass the Covid aid package into law before March 14, when boosted federal unemployment benefits […]

3rd woman comes forward with harassment allegations against Cuomo

A third woman has alleged unwanted advances by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Anna Ruch told the New York Times Monday that Cuomo placed his hands on her face during a wedding reception in New York City in September 2019 and “asked if he could kiss her.” A photo of the alleged incident was taken […]

Joe Manchin, Crucial Stimulus Vote, Pushes Senate Dems to Give Fewer People $1,400 Checks

Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia is using his crucial vote to push Democrats into lowering the income threshold of the $1,400 stimulus checks in President Joe Biden‘s $1.9 trillion relief package. Senator Jon Tester of Montana confirmed that a group of moderate Democrats met with Biden at the White House on Monday to discuss […]

Stephcast 3-1-21

Cuomo says he’s ‘truly sorry’ for workplace comments he says were ‘misinterpreted as an unwanted flirtation’ following sexual harassment claims

Faced with an escalating backlash following two allegations of sexual harassment in less than a week, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday acknowledged that some of his comments in the workplace “may have been insensitive or too personal” and said he was “truly sorry” to those who might have “misinterpreted (the remarks) as an […]

CDC recommends Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine, enabling inoculations to start this week

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending the nation’s third coronavirus vaccine for people 18 and older, paving the way for the easier-to-use, one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine to be administered starting this week. The action follows a unanimous vote Sunday by the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, which strongly endorsed the vaccine’s effectiveness […]

WH Press Secretary Defends Choice Not To Punish Saudi Prince For Khashoggi Murder

Defending President Joe Biden’s decision not to sanction Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the brutal 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday that the administration sees “more effective ways” to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for the murder. On Friday, the Biden administration released a […]

Trump CPAC speech revives ‘rigged’ election lie, declares political journey ‘far from over’

In a speech here Sunday to close out the Conservative Political Action Conference, former President Donald Trump teased his political future and repeated the lie that he won the 2020 election. “I stand before you today to declare that the incredible journey we began together four years ago is far from over,” the former president […]

Eric Boehlert: How the press keeps playing dumb about sexism, racism

The easiest way for the media to deal with the menacing role gender and race play in American politics, is to simply ignore the topics. We’re watching that dynamic play out this week as President Joe Biden’s nominee to become the director of the OMB, Neera Tanden, faces roadblocks from key U.S. senators who are […]

The Rude Pundit: Don’t Let Republicans Off the Hook on COVID Relief and the Minimum Wage

In Pennsylvania, 62% of voters in 2019 supported raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. That was consistent with polls from previous years. A poll this month showed that 59% of Pennsylvanians support the COVID relief bill currently being voted on, including the hike in minimum wage. The current minimum wage in Pennsylvania is […]

Covid-19: F.D.A. Panel Gives Green Light to Johnson & Johnson’s Vaccine

Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine was endorsed on Friday by a panel of experts advising the Food and Drug Administration, clearing the last hurdle before a formal authorization expected on Saturday, according to two people familiar with the agency’s plans. The nation’s first shipments will go out in the days after that. It will be […]

House passes $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill with $1,400 checks, vaccine funding

The House voted early Saturday to pass President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package, a step to implementing his vision for bringing the pandemic under control just days after the U.S. crossed the tragic milestone of 500,000 deaths. The Democratic-controlled House voted 219 to 212 to approve the bill, which includes $1,400 direct payments, […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 2-26-21 SistersInLaw

Stephcast 2-26-21

U.S. Carries Out Airstrike Against Iranian-Backed Militia Target In Syria, Officials Say

President Joe Biden on Thursday directed U.S. military airstrikes in eastern Syria against facilities belonging to what the Pentagon said were Iran-backed militia, in a calibrated response to rocket attacks against U.S. targets in Iraq. The strikes, which were first reported by Reuters, appeared to be limited in scope, potentially lowering the risk of escalation. […]

Capitol Police chief warns extremists ‘want to blow up the Capitol’ when Biden addresses Congress

U.S. Capitol Police plan to maintain their enhanced level of security around the Capitol at least through President Joe Biden’s first official address to Congress because intelligence suggests that extremists could be planning an attack, acting Chief Yogananda Pittman said Thursday. “We know that members of the militia groups that were present on January 6th […]

House to vote on Biden’s $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill with $1,400 checks

The House will vote on President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package Friday, just days after the U.S. crossed 500,000 deaths from the coronavirus. The Democratic-controlled House is expected to pass the sweeping bill, which includes $1,400 direct payments, a $400-a-week federal unemployment bonus, a per-child allowance of up to $3,600 for one year […]

Senate ruling says Democrats can’t put $15 minimum wage in Covid relief bill

A ruling in the Senate on Thursday dealt a severe blow to Democrats’ hopes of raising the minimum wage in the Covid-19 relief package, probably dooming the proposal in the legislation that is headed for a vote in Congress. The parliamentarian, the in-house referee, ruled that the provision was not compliant with rules governing the […]

Stephcast 2-25-21

Pentagon report reveals disturbing details about White supremacists in the ranks

A Pentagon report on extremism obtained by CNN gives disturbing insight into how White supremacists are active in the military and offers recommendations to better identify domestic extremists and prevent them from serving. It details an instance of a former National Guardsman who is a member of a dangerous neo-Nazi group bragging about openly discussing […]

‘No credible threat’: Capitol Police chief says intel warned of possible violence, but nothing the scale of riot

The acting chief of the U.S. Capitol Police told members of Congress on Thursday that while they knew armed extremists could commit violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6, intelligence collected in advance of the assault showed “no credible threat” of the size and scale of the riot that occurred. Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda […]

Trump’s tax returns handed over to Manhattan prosecutors

Former President Donald Trump’s tax returns and underlying tax documents are now in the hands of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance. The subpoena for Trump’s tax documents from Mazars USA was enforced on Monday and Vance’s office now has them, a spokesperson for Vance’s office, Danny Frost, told NBC News on Thursday. The subpoena was […]

Stephcast 2-24-21

Biden still sees ‘good shot’ at confirming Neera Tanden for OMB despite bipartisan opposition

President Joe Biden, while seeming to acknowledge it would take some effort, said Tuesday that he still sees a path forward for Neera Tanden to head up the Office of Management and Budget despite bipartisan pushback that has thrown her hopes for confirmation into question. “We’re going to push. I still think there’s a shot […]

Tiger Woods had rod put in leg, is ‘awake, responsive’ after rollover crash, reps say

Tiger Woods was “awake, responsive and recovering in his hospital room,” after having a rod put into his leg during surgery following a rollover car crash in the Los Angeles area, his team said in a statement Tuesday night. Woods, 45, “suffered significant orthopaedic injuries to his right lower extremity” that were treated in emergency […]

Coronavirus deaths fell by 20% last week from previous one, WHO says

Global deaths from the coronavirus fell by 20 percent last week compared with the week before, the World Health Organization said in a statement, part of a wider trend that also includes a decline in cases worldwide. The downturn in cases and deaths follows a winter surge in infections but also has coincided with an […]

Former Capitol security officials blame intelligence lapses for deadly Jan. 6 riot

Top officials responsible for security at the Capitol on Jan. 6 as it was overrun by a mob backing former president Donald Trump blamed wide-ranging intelligence failures for the deadly attack at a Senate hearing Tuesday, pointing to lapses that included a missed email warning of violence and a larger inability to recognize the threat […]

Stephcast 2-23-21

Johnson & Johnson says it can provide 20M vaccine doses by late March

Johnson & Johnson can deliver 20 million doses of its single-shot coronavirus vaccine to the U.S. government by the end of March, an executive will testify tomorrow. “Assuming necessary regulatory approvals relating to our manufacturing processes, our plan is to begin shipping immediately upon emergency use authorization, and deliver enough single-doses by the end of […]

Supreme Court rejects Trump attempt to shield taxes from Manhattan District Attorney’s Office

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected former President Donald Trump’s request to shield his taxes from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. The ruling clears the way for DA Cyrus Vance to enforce a grand jury subpoena for the records. At issue is whether the Trump Corporation artificially inflated the value of Trump’s properties to get […]

Garland pledges to make investigation into Jan. 6 attack his first priority as attorney general

Judge Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden’s nominee for attorney general, pledged Monday to make the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol his top priority if confirmed by the Senate. Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee at his confirmation hearing, Garland said in his opening statement that if confirmed, he would “supervise the prosecution of white […]

‘Find purpose’: Biden marks 500,000 Covid-19 deaths with poignant address to the nation

President Joe Biden marked the grim milestone of 500,000 lives lost to the Covid-19 pandemic in a brief but poignant address to the nation Monday evening, drawing on his own personal tragedies as a rhetorical salve for a country still combating the deadly disease. “That’s more Americans who’ve died in one year in this pandemic […]

Charlie Pierce: Donald Trump Is Now at the Mercy of a New York District Attorney

On the matter of the former president*’s taxes, the Supreme Court of the United States on Monday decided that it pretty much doesn’t want any part of the former president* of the United States, and it delivered the former president* up to the tender mercies of a New York District Attorney. From the Washington Post: […]

Stephcast 2-22-21

Laurie Garrett: Trump Is Guilty of Pandemicide

At long last, we see glimmers of hope. The COVID-19 epidemic in the United States has fallen below the numbers of daily new cases tallied on the eve of the presidential election, the point at which this viral nightmare soared. Using the New York Times’ coronavirus data tracker, on Nov. 1, 2020, there were 74,195 […]

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell Sued By Dominion Voting Systems for $1.3 BILLION

Dominion Voting Systems are suing MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell for $1.3 billion in damages by the electronic voting company alleging defamatory accusations related to the 2020 presidential election. Dominion had threatened legal action against Lindell as he continued to spread the baseless conspiracies that former President Donald Trump won the 2020 general election, a lie […]

United Airlines passengers, pedestrians recall horror of watching engine rain debris over Denver

Eyewitnesses in the air and on the ground said they watched in horror and shock as parts of a jet engine exploded and broke apart shortly after takeoff from Denver, raining debris over homes. Although there were no reported injuries or deaths during Saturday’s incident over Broomfield, Colorado, residents and passengers told ABC News they […]

Garland expected to face tough questions during confirmation hearing Monday to be Biden’s attorney general

Judge Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden’s nominee for attorney general, is expected to face questions Monday about how he would navigate some daunting challenges, including investigations of Biden’s son and the actions of former President Donald Trump and his close advisers. During a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Garland is likely to stress […]

Biden to Mourn 500,000 U.S. Covid Deaths With Candle Lighting Ceremony on Monday

President Joe Biden plans to honor the half a million American lives lost to Covid-19 with a candle lighting ceremony at the White House, according to a report by CNN. The exact date and time has not yet been announced, but could come as soon as Monday, depending on when the country passes that somber […]

Eric Boehlert: Defending Cancun Cruz, GOP media suddenly claim optics don’t matter

Ted Cruz slinked home from Mexico yesterday, starring in a controversy of his own making. While millions of Texans were without power, heat, and water and facing life-threatening condition as the Lone Star state struggled with a winter storm of epic proportions — for which the state’s Republican leaders seem completely incapable of managing — […]

The Rude Pundit: Texas Learns That Government Has to Do Something Other Than Restrict Abortion

In his State of the State address at the beginning of February, Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott laid out five “emergency items” that the legislature can vote on within 60 days of the start of the session. These included passing a weak bail reform measure, punishing cities that “defund the police,” protecting companies from lawsuits […]

6 million doses of vaccine delayed due to winter weather

The recent winter weather slamming the U.S. has delayed COVID-19 vaccine deliveries and forced vaccination sites to close. The unforeseen setbacks have impacted all 50 states and left a backlog of about 6 million doses of vaccine and 2,000 vaccination sites left without power, according to White House senior adviser Andy Slavitt. “We anticipate that […]

Dr. Fauci: Trump Let ‘Terrible Things’ Happen After Our COVID-19 Disagreements

Dr. Anthony Fauci continues to open up about his experiences working under the Trump administration, revealing the moment he began to lose influence with former President Donald Trump.  In a wide-ranging interview with The Telegraph, the infectious disease specialist recalled a marked shift in his professional relationship with Trump in April or May of last year, […]

President Biden declares major disaster for much of Texas following severe winter storm

President Joe Biden declared a major disaster for much of Texas as the state reels from a severe winter storm that left millions of people without power amid freezing temperatures. Biden’s action makes federal funding available to communities across 77 counties, including hard-hit Harris County, where Houston is located. Additional disaster designations may be made […]

As Texas deep freeze subsides, some households now face electricity bills as high as $10,000

As the Texas power grid collapsed under a historic winter storm, Jose Del Rio of Haltom City, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, saw the electricity bill on a vacant two-bedroom home he is trying to sell slowly creep up over the past two weeks. Typically, the bill is around $125 to $150 a month, he […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 2-19-21

Stephcast 2-19-21

NASA’s Perseverance successfully touches down on Mars

After a nerve-wracking seven-minute descent, NASA’s Perseverance rover successfully touched down on Mars on Thursday afternoon, as part of one of the agency’s most ambitious deep-space missions to search for signs of ancient life on the red planet. “What an amazing day,” a joyful Steve Jurczyk, NASA’s acting administrator, said shortly after the landing was […]

Biden privately tells governors: Minimum wage hike likely isn’t happening

When Joe Biden met with a group of mayors and governors last week he bluntly told them to get ready for a legislative defeat: his proposed minimum wage hike was unlikely to happen, he said, at least in the near term. “I really want this in there but it just doesn’t look like we can […]

6 Capitol Police Officers Suspended, Another 29 Investigated For Alleged Roles In Jan. 6 Riot

Six Capitol Police officers have been suspended with pay and 29 others are under investigation for their alleged roles in the riot last month, CNN and Fox News reported Thursday. “Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman has directed that any member of her department whose behavior is not in keeping with the Department’s Rules of Conduct will face […]

‘Obviously a mistake’: Sen. Ted Cruz says he regrets going to Cancún while Texans froze

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told reporters Thursday his decision to go on a family vacation to Cancún, Mexico, as Texans suffer without heat, water and power because of a historic winter storm was “a mistake” that he now regrets. “It was obviously a mistake, and in hindsight I wouldn’t have done it,” Cruz said outside his home […]

Stephcast 2-18-21

The Stephanie Miller Show Redeemed Talk Radio After Limbaugh Broke It

Rush Limbaugh has died at the age of 70 after being diagnosed with lung cancer in January 2020, his wife, Kathryn, announced on his eponymous radio show on Wednesday morning. The right-wing talk radio host will perhaps be most remembered for his long history of controversial provocations, insults, and hate speech (and/or his inexplicable beef with Game Of […]

Stephcast 2-17-21

‘Massive failure’: Why are millions in Texas in the dark amid rolling blackouts, winter weather?

Extreme energy demand and overloaded frozen utility plants amid an unprecedented deep freeze in Texas are among the factors that led to nearly 4.5 millions customer without power in the Lone Star State on Tuesday, experts say. Outages spread across Texas left millions in the dark and bitter cold amid single-degree temperatures and a winter storm that […]

Lawsuit accuses Donald Trump, Giuliani and others of conspiring to incite Capitol riot

Former President Trump, his attorney Rudy Giuliani, the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers conspired to violate the 1871 Ku Klux Klan Act, which prohibits any actions designed to prevent Congress from carrying out its duties, when they incited the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, a new lawsuit from the chairman of the House Homeland […]

Biden heads out of D.C. for town hall and first major presidential trip

President Biden arrived in Milwaukee on Tuesday for his first major trip since taking office, kicking off a new phase of his presidency that attempts to move past the impeachment of his predecessor and toward a more aggressive selling of his coronavirus relief plan. Speaking at a CNN town hall, Biden pledged that any American who […]

Trump Goes After Mitch McConnell, Calls The Republican Leader A ‘Political Hack’

Former President Donald Trump went after Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), calling the Senate minority leader “a dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack.”  In a lengthy statement on Tuesday, Trump said that McConnell was “destroying the Republican side of the Senate” and that the senator was ”one of the most unpopular politicians in the United States.” […]

Stephcast 2-16-21

Biden to take push for COVID relief plan outside Washington

Now that former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial is over, President Joe Biden is working this week to shift attention back to his ambitious agenda, with COVID-19 and his $2 trillion relief package taking center stage. As Biden continues to work to get at least some Senate Republicans on board, he’ll also take his […]

Poll: 58 percent of Americans believe Trump should have been convicted

Nearly 60 percent of Americans believe former President Donald Trump should have been convicted in his second impeachment trial, according to an ABC News/Ipsos poll released on Monday. While 58 percent of Americans overall believe the former president should have been convicted, the poll split largely along party lines. Eighty-eight percent of Democrats believe Trump […]

The US just saw its lowest Covid-19 daily case count since October… Experts urge caution

For the first time in a long time, the US is reporting encouraging Covid-19 trends. While more than 64,900 new infections were reported on Sunday, it was the country’s lowest case count since October. Just last month, reported infections were topping 200,000 a day.   And California, one of the states hit hardest by the […]

Pelosi Officially Announces House Will Form 9/11-Style Commission to Investigate Capitol Attack

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced on Monday that the House would be forming an “independent 9/11 type commission” to investigate the Jan. 6 violent insurrection at the Capitol, and requesting additional funding for security at the Capitol and for members of Congress. In a statement released by her office, Pelosi stated that it was “clear” […]

Elie Mystal: Republicans Won’t Convict Trump—Because They Won’t Convict Themselves

To Lindsey Graham, who said Donald Trump could “count me out” after the Capitol attack on January 6 but has spent the last month scurrying back to him, is apparently offended by the impeachment case presented by the House managers. “I think most Republicans found the presentation by the House Managers offensive and absurd,” he […]

Charlie Pierce: Ultimately, Donald Trump Beat the System. Again.

Let me dispense right at the beginning that the verdict of history doesn’t interest me in the least. First of all, Americans have the attention span of fruit flies and, to far too many of them, history is whatever came in over their iPhones 10 minutes ago. Second, I am now of a sufficient age […]

Stephcast 2-15-21

COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations continue massive drop since January peak

Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations have been on a major decline since their peak numbers from the middle of January, according to the COVID Tracking Project. There were 71,844 new cases reported on Sunday, a nearly 19,000 drop from the number of cases reported on Saturday, according to the tracking project. In January, the number of […]

Biden calls on Congress to ban assault weapons and institute other gun restrictions

On the third anniversary of the Parkland school shooting, President Joe Biden called on Congress to pass stricter gun laws, including banning assault weapons. In a statement from the White House, Mr. Biden on Sunday asked Congress to pass laws requiring background checks on all gun sales, banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and eliminating immunity […]

Biden Takes Center Stage With Ambitious Agenda as Trump’s Trial Ends

President Biden’s allies say that with the distraction of the impeachment trial of his predecessor now over, he will quickly press for passage of his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan before moving on to an even bigger agenda in Congress that includes infrastructure, immigration, criminal justice reform, climate change and health care. Mr. Biden has […]

Senators and impeachment managers: The trial is over but the work isn’t done

Senators may disagree on the validity of former President Donald Trump’s impeachment, but they seem on the same page about one thing: This chapter hasn’t closed quite yet. Speaking on a host of Sunday shows, senators from both parties agreed that there should be a 9/11-style investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol riots and that […]

Eric Boehlert: Media won’t tell the truth about GOP’s impeachment cowardice

Following a day of gut-wrenching surveillance videos depicting a violent, deadly mob teeming into the U.S. Capitol on January 6, some journalists covering Trump’s impeachment trial expressed bewilderment at how Republican senators serving as jurors would be able to vote to dismiss the charges.  “How will they justify acquitting the man who sent a mob […]

The Rude Pundit: Democrats Are Trying to Save the Republicans’ Souls, But the GOP Prefers Damnation

In their presentation of the ironclad case against Donald Trump, Democrats are offering Republicans that rarest of things in this time of wanton condemnation and belligerent tribalism: a chance at redemption. By cataloging Trump’s sins against democracy and the stability of the nation, enabled and cheered on by most Republican senators and nearly all of […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 2-12-21 Glenn Kirschner & David Jolly

StephCast – F 2-12-21

Trump’s defense team faces a heavy burden, but loyalty to former President hangs over trial

Donald Trump’s defense lawyers face a daunting mission Friday in refuting a devastating impeachment case that the former President is a dangerous tyrant who turned his mob on his fellow Americans. But after they huddled Thursday with three of Trump’s top supporters — Sens. Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham and Mike Lee — who are supposed […]

Biden announces deal for 200 million more COVID-19 doses

President Biden announced Thursday his administration has finalized an order for 200 million more doses of COVID-19 vaccine to be delivered by July 2021, adding to the 400 million doses that the Trump administration had already ordered from Pfizer and Moderna by that date. The two drug companies both produce a two-shot regimen, so the […]

Trump’s Covid-19 condition was so concerning that doctors considered putting him on a ventilator, source confirms

Former President Donald Trump’s condition after testing positive for Covid-19 became so concerning last October that there was talk of putting him on a ventilator, according to what Trump told one person at the time. The detail raises questions about whether the former President’s condition was worse than officials were willing to publicly acknowledge, a […]

The Most Important Revelations So Far From Trump’s Second Impeachment Trial

When rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, the attack was well-documented. Many of the insurrectionists livestreamed it or posted photos on social media. The Capitol itself was full of journalists, who reported what happened. And numerous charging documents in the weeks since the insurrection have exposed even more.  Still, there were several key […]

StephCast – 2-11-21

Biden admin asks SCOTUS to uphold Obamacare, reversing Trump support for lawsuit

The Biden administration is withdrawing the federal government’s support for a challenge to Obamacare, telling the Supreme Court that the law should remain on the books. The move by the Justice Department follows speculation on whether Biden would try to withdraw from the high-profile red state lawsuit — fully supported by the Trump administration — […]

Republicans Unswayed By Overwhelming Evidence Trump ‘Incited’ Mob Against U.S. Capitol

Despite Democratic impeachment managers laying out a methodical case on Wednesday, Senate Republicans seem intent as ever on acquitting Donald Trump over his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. House Democrats spent hours Wednesday showing how Trump, in their words, summoned, assembled and incited the mob to storm the Capitol. The […]

The C.D.C. says tight-fit masks or double masking with cloth and surgical masks increases protection

Wearing a mask — any mask — reduces the risk of infection with the coronavirus, but wearing a more tightly fitted surgical mask, or layering a cloth mask atop a surgical mask, can vastly increase protections to the wearer and others, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Wednesday. New research by the […]

House Lays Out Case Against Trump, Branding Him the ‘Inciter in Chief’

The House impeachment managers opened their prosecution of Donald J. Trump on Wednesday with a meticulous account of his campaign to overturn the election and goad supporters to join him, bringing its most violent spasms to life with never-before-seen security footage from the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Filling the Senate chamber with the profane screams […]

StephCast – 2-10-21

Raskin recounts his family’s terror on Jan. 6: ‘I don’t want to come back to the Capitol’

His daughter asked him not to go. “It was the day after we buried her brother, our son Tommy, the saddest day of our lives,” said Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Md.), the lead House impeachment manager. But Raskin knew he couldn’t stay home on Jan. 6, he explained on the Senate floor Tuesday afternoon. And […]

Democrats begin impeachment trial with stunning riot video

Lead impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) plays a video montage of the riots at the US Capitol on January 6 and argues that former President Trump’s words inspired the attack. See the video at CNN

Trump unhappy with his impeachment attorney’s performance, sources say

Former President Donald Trump was unhappy with his impeachment lawyer Bruce Castor’s opening argument on the Senate floor Tuesday, two people familiar with his reaction told CNN. Castor, who is representing Trump alongside attorney David Schoen, delivered a meandering argument during the first day of the Senate impeachment trial, including praise for the House impeachment […]

Senate votes Trump trial is constitutional after emotional first day

The Senate voted on Tuesday to uphold the Senate’s authority to put Donald Trump on trial for the House’s charge that he incited the Jan. 6 insurrection, sidelining the former president’s primary defense against the House’s impeachment article. The vote came after a dramatic first day of the trial, which featured a montage of harrowing […]

StephCast – 2-9-21

Georgia secretary of state’s office opens inquiry into Trump phone call

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office has opened an investigation into former President Donald Trump’s Jan. 2 phone callurging Raffensperger to overturn the state’s election results. “All I want to do is this: I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state,” Trump told […]

Buttigieg: Officials consider negative COVID-19 test requirement on domestic flights

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that officials are considering a requirement that passengers provide a negative COVID-19 test ahead of domestic flights, according to an interview published on Sunday. One of President Biden‘s first confirmed Cabinet members told “Axios on HBO” that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is engaged in “an active conversation” on whether to […]

Trump’s second impeachment trial begins today

The second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump begins in the Senate on Tuesday, where senators will be confronted with the violent events of the January 6 riots and whether Trump is culpable for inciting the insurrectionists that attacked the Capitol and placed their lives in danger. The historic trial has a number of […]

Biden’s Justice Department to ask nearly all Trump-era U.S. attorneys to resign

The Biden administration will begin removing all Senate-confirmed U.S. attorneys appointed during the Trump administration, with two exceptions, a senior Justice Department official said. The process, which is not uncommon, could start as early as Tuesday. They will be asked to resign. John Durham will remain in place to investigate the origins of the Russia […]

Charlie Pierce: Trump’s Impeachment Defense Is One Last Act of Nihilistic Audacity

We got a look at the strategy with which the lawyers hired on by the former president* will be engaging his second trial before the Senate. All things being relative, the constitutional question of whether or not a former president* can be convicted of an impeachable offense after he leaves office is the most serious […]

StephCast – M 2-8-21

Fauci looking ahead to more vaccines in March, April

The demand for Covid-19 vaccine doses may outpace supply at the moment, but availability is already looking better for the months ahead, Anthony Fauci said Sunday morning. “The demand clearly outstrips the supply right now,” Fauci told NBC’s Chuck Todd. “If you look at the escalation of availability of doses purely on the ability and […]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers win Super Bowl, dethroning Kansas City Chiefs

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers capped the strangest season in pro football history Sunday night by staging a familiar scene: Tom Brady hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Brady threw three touchdown passes, two to longtime teammate Rob Gronkowski, as Tampa Bay defeated the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs, 31-9, in Super Bowl LV at Raymond James […]

Woman arrested over Capitol riot allowed to take trip to Mexico, judge rules

A woman arrested in connection with the attack on the U.S. Capitol will be able to go on a prepaid trip to Mexico this month, after a judge granted her request Friday. Jenny Cudd, a flower shop owner in Midland, Texas, initially faced two misdemeanor charges — entering a restricted building and violent or disorderly […]

Majority of Americans say Trump should be convicted, barred from holding federal office in impeachment trial

With his impeachment trial set to begin this week, a narrow majority of Americans say they support the Senate convicting former President Donald Trump and barring him from holding federal office again, according to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll released Sunday. Compared to public attitudes in the early days of his first impeachment trial, support […]

Eric Boehlert: Fox News flipped its 7 p.m. from news to opinion — it’s a ratings flop

Desperate to stave off its 2021 ratings slide, as disaffected Fox News viewers turn elsewhere for their right-wing misinformation following Trump’s election defeat, Rupert Murdoch’s channel made a key programming switch last month. Its 7 p.m. anchor, Martha MacCallum, who hosted what Fox identified as one of its serious “news side” programs, was demoted and […]

The Rude Pundit: Republicans Want to Ignore the Trauma of the Capitol Riot Because Most of Them Are Guilty of Inciting It

I’ve told this story before, but I’ll tell it again. I’ve had guns pointed at me multiple times. I’ve been in fights. I’ve done some weird shit that was dumb and dangerous. None of that made much of an impression on my psyche because I was fairly certain each time that I wasn’t going to […]

SM Happy Hour Podcast 2-5-21 Nadya Tolokonnikova & Laurie Garrett

StephCast – 2-5-21

Trump rejects Dems’ request to testify at impeachment trial

House Democrats asked Donald Trump to testify under oath for his Senate impeachment trial, challenging him to respond to their charge that he incited a violent mob to storm the Capitol. A Trump adviser said the former president won’t testify. Although Democrats might not have the power to force Trump’s testimony, the request from House […]

Smartmatic Voting Machine Company Sues Fox News and Top Hosts For $2.7 Billion

Smartmatic, one of the voting systems companies subjected to a torrent of conspiracy theories regarding the 2020 election, has filed a massive $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News, top Fox stars Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo and Jeanine Pirro, as well as pro-Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell. The suit accuses Fox News, its […]

Johnson & Johnson applies for emergency authorization; FDA expected to greenlight in coming weeks

Johnson & Johnson applied to the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday for emergency use authorization for its experimental Covid-19 vaccine. The FDA could grant the authorization within weeks. If it is authorized, Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine would be the third approved in the U.S., joining the vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. “Today’s submission for […]

House votes to remove GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from committees

The House voted Thursday to remove Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., from the Budget Committee and the Education and Labor Committee after her social media posts revealed her spreading dangerous and racist conspiracy theories. The House voted 230-199, with 11 Republicans joining every Democrat who voted. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., had rebuked Republican leaders for […]

StephCast 2-4-21

U.S. infection rates are dropping, now just ‘lay low and cool it’ during Super Bowl, says Fauci

The numbers of new coronavirus infections, deaths and hospitalizations have been falling for the past week in a tentative sign that the situation is improving in the United States, but experts caution against renewed mingling — such as during Sunday’s Super Bowl. Past improvements have been derailed by gatherings for holidays such as Thanksgiving and […]

Biden tells House Democrats he’s “flexible” on some numbers in COVID-19 relief bill

President Biden told House Democrats in a phone call Wednesday that he’s still committed to pursuing a large COVID relief package even as Senate Republicans are pushing him for a much smaller, more targeted relief bill, but he also expressed a willingness to negotiate. “You have my back, I’ll have yours,” the president said, according […]

Liz Cheney holds on to House GOP leadership position amid furor over impeachment vote

Liz Cheney, the third-highest-ranking Republican in the House, held on to her title as House GOP conference chair during a secret ballot Wednesday. Three sources said the vote among Republican House members was 145-61. Cheney refused to apologize for voting to impeach former President Donald Trump during the closed-door meeting with her GOP conference Wednesday […]

House Democrats to vote today on punishing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene after GOP fails to act

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Wednesday that the House would vote Thursday on whether to strip embattled Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., of her committee assignments after Republican leader Kevin McCarthy failed to take action against her. “I spoke to Leader McCarthy this morning, and it is clear there is no alternative to holding […]

StephCast 2-3-21

Democrats look to barrel ahead with ‘big, bold’ Covid-19 relief plan

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said President Joe Biden told Senate Democrats at lunch Tuesday that he wants a “big, bold package” on Covid-19 relief and that he told Senate Republicans that their $600 billion proposal is “way too small.” It was a point White House press secretary Jen Psaki reiterated during her briefing — […]

House Republicans weigh stripping Greene from committee assignments as GOP senators repudiate her views

The fate of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene‘s future is now in the hands of a group of House Republicans who are deliberating whether to punish the Georgia congresswoman for extreme comments she made before winning her seat, as a growing number of Senate Republicans say she shouldn’t be welcome in the party. House Minority Leader […]

House charges Trump is ‘singularly responsible’ for inciting insurrection as ex-president’s team claims he’s protected by 1st Amendment

The House impeachment managers charged Tuesday that former President Donald Trump is “singularly responsible” for inciting the insurrection at the US Capitol last month, while Trump’s legal team argued his speech was protected by the First Amendment and a Senate conviction would be unconstitutional. The dueling pretrial legal briefs from the House managers and Trump’s […]

President Biden pays respects as fallen Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick lies in honor

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden paid respects Tuesday night to Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died from injuries suffered during last month’s violent siege on the U.S. Capitol, as he lies in honor at the Capitol Rotunda. The first couple walked up to the memorial to Sicknick, and the president placed […]

StephCast – 2-2-21

Dems deliver GOP ultimatum over Marjorie Taylor Greene

Top House Democrats are moving to force Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene off multiple committees this week — with or without Kevin McCarthy’s help. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer delivered an ultimatum to McCarthy on Monday: Either Republicans move on their own to strip Greene (R-Ga.) of her committee assignments within 72 hours, or Democrats will […]

White House Reaffirms Commitment To $1,400 Relief Payments

The White House reiterated its commitment to delivering $1,400 relief checks to the vast majority of American households, following a report detailing disagreement over the dollar amount and eligibility requirements among senior aides to President Joe Biden. “The president’s proposal is to finish the job on $2,000 checks by delivering 1,400 additional dollars in direct […]

A ‘Cancer’: Mitch McConnell Excoriates Marjorie Taylor Greene For Conspiracy Theories

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s support for dangerous conspiracy theories a “cancer” on the Republican Party, a blunt castigation of the freshman lawmaker by one of her own party’s leaders. “Somebody who’s suggested that perhaps no airplane hit the Pentagon on 9/11, that horrifying school shootings were pre-staged […]

Biden to sign immigration executive orders and establish task force to reunite separated families

President Joe Biden will sign three executive orders Tuesday that take aim at his predecessor’s hardline immigration policies and try to rectify the consequences of those policies, including by establishing a task force designed to reunite families separated at the US-Mexico border, according to senior administration officials. The latest orders build upon the actions taken […]

Charlie Pierce: Look at These Cheap Bastards With Their Miserable Plan to Take Your Relief Money

So it seems that 10 Republicans are visiting the White House today so that the president can tell them that they’re all miserable skinflints who want their fellow citizens to die gasping and broke. That’s how it seems to me, anyway. From the AP: The Republican group’s proposal focuses on the pandemic’s health effects rather […]

StephCast – 2-1-21

WI Pharmacist Who Sabotaged COVID-19 Vaccines Allegedly Believed Sky Was Shield to Stop People from Seeing God: FBI

Look up in the sky. What do you see? A former Wisconsin pharmacist allegedly believed the sky was a shield to stop people from seeing God. The recently released FBI search warrant application on defendant Steven R. Brandenburg, 46, reveals more context around the alleged motivations and mindset that fueled him sabotaging 570 doses of […]

GOP Senator Calls For ‘Strong Response’ To Marjorie Taylor Greene Rhetoric

Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) said Sunday that Republican leadership should take a stand against “totally unacceptable” behavior from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), and suggested it could be appropriate to strip her of her committee assignments. Portman, who recently announced he will not seek reelection in 2022, was asked in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash […]

Trump announces new legal team for Senate impeachment trial after previous legal team leaves him

Former President Donald Trump on Sunday announced the legal team that will handle his second impeachment trial in the Senate. The announcement that lawyers David Schoen and Bruce Castor will lead Trump’s defense team came after a “mutual decision” to part ways with two South Carolina lawyers, Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier, who had been […]

Biden, GOP senators to discuss slimmed-down Covid relief bill pitch

President Joe Biden has agreed to meet a group of 10 Republican senators who have proposed a slimmed-down coronavirus relief plan that they say can win bipartisan support. The Republicans’ proposed package is much smaller than Biden’s $1.9 trillion proposal, and includes $160 billion for vaccines, $4 billion for health and substance abuse services, the […]

Eric Boehlert: Memo to media… the GOP’s Trump “reckoning” is never coming

In a move that should have surprised nobody, yet seemed to catch the D.C. press off guard, the Republican Party rallied to Trump’s defense this week, voting overwhelmingly in favor of shutting down an impeachment trial before it even begins in the U.S. Senate. Casting aside the fact that he incited a murderous mob that […]

The Rude Pundit: The Terrorists Are in the House. Let’s Unify Over Getting Rid of Them.

Let’s do this together, shall we? Let’s take hands and peer over into the abyss and hope that it doesn’t peer back. Okay, into the mouth of madness we go… Here’s what we know that Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene believes just from things she has said, written, or responded to positively, more or less […]

2 Proud Boys face federal conspiracy charges in Capitol riot

Two men identified as members of the Proud Boys have been indicted on federal conspiracy and other charges in the Capitol riot as prosecutors raise the stakes in some of the slew of cases stemming from the Jan. 6 insurrection. Dominic Pezzola, a former Marine who authorities say was seen on video smashing a Capitol […]

Trump Loses Lead Impeachment Lawyers A Week Before Trial

Former President Donald Trump has parted ways with his lead impeachment lawyers just over a week before his Senate trial is set to begin, two people familiar with the situation said Saturday. Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier, both South Carolina lawyers, are no longer with Trump’s defense team. One of the people described the parting […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 1-29-21 Rosanna Arquette

Exclusive Free Stephcast 1-29-21

Today’s guests were Glenn Kirschner, John Fugelsang, and Frangela https://www.stephaniemiller.com/podcast/2021_0129.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

Stephcast 1-29-21

Dominion Spox Confirms to MSNBC That Voting Company Has Drafted Letter for Trump Over Election Fraud Defamation

Dominion Voting Systems spokesperson Michael Steel offered a thorough rebuttal to former president’s “big lie” about its machines engaging in election fraud and confirmed his company had drafted a demand letter to Trump in case it pursues a lawsuit against him. Steel, who was previously the chief press secretary for GOP House Speaker John Boehner, told Deadline: White House host Nicolle Wallace that […]

Biden Moves to Expand Health Coverage in Pandemic Economy

President Biden on Thursday ordered the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplaces reopened to give people throttled by the pandemic economy a new chance to obtain coverage, and he took steps to restore coverage mandates that had been undermined by his predecessor, including protecting those with pre-existing medical conditions. Thursday’s orders also took aim at […]

First known cases of Covid variant from South Africa identified in the U.S.

The first two U.S. cases of the emerging Covid-19 variant first identified in South Africa were detected in South Carolina, state public health officials said Thursday. Although no evidence suggests it causes more severe disease, the variant first identified in South Africa is known to be more resistant to current vaccines and may spread more […]

AOC demands Ted Cruz resign over Capitol riot: ‘You almost had me murdered’

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., on Thursday accused Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, of “trying to get me killed” by challenging the election results in the lead up to the Capitol riot and demanded that he resign. The progressive lawmaker criticized Cruz after he said he agreed with her call for an investigation into why personal trading […]

Stephcast 1-28-21

It will “be months” before all Americans can get vaccines, White House Covid-19 adviser says

Andy Slavitt, senior adviser to the White House Covid-19 Response Team, said it will “be months” before all Americans who want a Covid-19 vaccine can get one.  “I want to level with the public that we’re facing two constraining factors. The first is getting enough supply quickly enough, and the second is the ability to administer the vaccines quickly once they’re produced […]

Video surfaces of Marjorie Taylor Greene confronting Parkland shooting survivor with baseless claims

Video of Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene confronting Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg before she was elected to Congress went viral Wednesday amid an uproar over newly reported comments she made in 2018 and 2019. In the video from March 2019, Greene follows Hogg as he walks toward the US Capitol. She can be heard […]

Department of Homeland Security issues terrorism advisory bulletin after Capitol assault

Department of Homeland Security Secretary David Pekoske has issued a National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) bulletin warning the public of a “heightened threat environment” across the United States following last week’s presidential inauguration. The advisory, which comes after the violent assault on the Capitol on January 6, runs through the end of April.  “Information suggests […]

“It’s time to act”: Biden rolls out new actions on climate change

President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed a series of executive actions aimed at combating climate change, building on unilateral action the president took his first day in office and heightening the federal government’s focus on the issue, which took a back seat under former President Donald Trump’s administration. Joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, special […]

StephCast 1-27-21

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) “Liked” Posts Calling For Killing Democratic Politicians: Reports

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) repeatedly supported disturbing conspiracy theories and liked social media posts that suggested executing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and FBI agents, among others, according to several media reports published Tuesday. Media Matters for America, a progressive watchdog group, first reported that Greene, a far-right firebrand who was recently elected to Congress, […]

Biden Justice Department officially rescinds Trump ‘zero tolerance’ migrant family separation policy

In a letter to all U.S. attorneys Tuesday, President Joe Biden‘s acting attorney general, Monty Wilkinson, officially rescinded the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” program, which led to the separation of over 3,000 migrant families, according to a copy of the letter obtained by NBC News. Although it is largely symbolic, the move officially removes the […]

Nearly all GOP senators vote to declare impeachment trial against Trump unconstitutional

All but five Republican senators backed former president Donald Trump on Tuesday in a key test vote ahead of his impeachment trial, signaling that the proceedings are likely to end with Trump’s acquittal on the charge that he incited the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The vote also demonstrated the continued sway Trump holds over GOP […]

Biden administration to buy 200 million more doses of Covid vaccine

The Biden administration is planning to purchase an additional 200 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine, marking a stepped-up effort to vaccinate the vast majority of Americans this year. Federal officials negotiating for the new supply expect to receive 100 million doses each from Moderna and Pfizer, in deals set to boost the nation’s total vaccine […]

Stephcast 1-26-21

Mitch McConnell Backs Down In Fight Over Filibuster

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) agreed to move forward with a power-sharing agreement on Monday that will allow Democrats to take full control of the Senate after two Democratic senators reiterated their support for the filibuster. The Kentucky Republican had previously demanded that Democrats pledge to preserve the filibuster, the chamber’s supermajority requirement for […]

Biden ups vaccine goal to 1.5 million shots a day, says vaccine to be widely available by spring

President Joe Biden said he expects anyone who wants a coronavirus vaccination to be able to get one by the spring, and he upped his vaccination goal for his first 100 days in office. Biden said Monday that he now believes the country can administer 1.5 million shots a day in the coming weeks and […]

Janet Yellen confirmed as first female treasury secretary in U.S. history

Former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen was confirmed as treasury secretary Monday, with the Senate voting 84-15 to make her the first woman to lead the department. Yellen steps into the role with some advantages: She is well known and well respected among lawmakers of both parties, and she has experience with enormous economic challenges. […]

House managers deliver impeachment article against Trump, kicking off trial preparations

The House delivered its article of impeachment against former President Donald Trump to the Senate on Monday, kicking off preparations for the coming trial. House impeachment managers held a ceremonial procession through National Statuary Hall and the Capitol Rotunda to the Senate on Monday evening to present the article of impeachment to the secretary of […]

Charlie Pierce: Trump Really Meant to Become the American Erdogan. That’s Clearer By the Day.

One recent addition to democracy’s glittering array of regular attractions is going to be with us for a little longer. It seems Fascism Fridays has become very popular at all of our locations. Up until last week, it usually was marked by the previous administration*’s release of authoritarian information that the administration* hoped would elude […]

StephCast 1-25-21

Bernie Sanders: Dems will use reconciliation to pass Covid relief ‘as soon as we possibly can’

Sen. Bernie Sanders on Sunday said Senate Democrats would pass a Covid-19 relief bill as soon as possible through budget reconciliation, which would allow the package to pass with a simple majority vote rather than with the support of 60 senators. “We are going to use reconciliation, that is 50 votes in the Senate plus […]

Alleged Capitol rioter’s brother is a Secret Service agent who once led Michelle Obama’s detail

The brother of an alleged US Capitol rioter is a US Secret Service agent who once led former first lady Michelle Obama’s detail, CNN has learned. Preston Fairlamb III, the brother of Scott Fairlamb — a man who faces five charges connected to his alleged role in the Capitol insurrection — is a member of […]

Democrats press ahead with second impeachment trial today, as GOP is divided on how to defend Trump

Democratic members of Congress are pressing ahead with preparations for the second impeachment trial of former president Donald Trump, saying there is a “compelling” case for Trump to be convicted of inciting an insurrection and arguing that moving forward with a trial is imperative for the country’s healing. Meanwhile, the fractures within the Republican Party […]

Biden set to sign ‘Made in America’ executive order

President Joe Biden is set to sign a “Made in America” executive order Monday, fulfilling a long-time campaign promise to increase the amount of federal spending that goes to American companies. The announcement comes at a time when the government is set to spend expansively on efforts to defeat COVID-19, and after a period during […]

Capitol Rioter Charged With Threatening to Kill AOC, Capitol Police Officer: ‘Assassinate AOC,’ It’s ‘Hunting Season’

Garrett Miller, a Texas man who participated in the insurrection at the Capitol, is facing serious federal charges for allegedly threatening to assassinate Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and a Capitol Police officer. CNN’s Jessica Schneider told anchor Ana Cabrera that Miller was facing five charges related to his actions during the riot and for the […]

Trump considered naming new AG to help push baseless claims of voter fraud

Then-President Donald Trump considered replacing acting attorney general Jeffrey Rosen in January with Justice Department lawyer Jeffrey Clark, who was willing to help Trump push his claims of widespread voter fraud in order to overturn the election results, according to a Justice Department official. Trump ultimately decided against firing Rosen out of fear that it […]

U.S. Passes 25 Million Confirmed Cases Of COVID-19

The United States has surpassed 25 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. The new milestone, reported Sunday by Johns Hopkins University, is a grim reminder of the coronavirus’ wide reach in the U.S., which has seen far more confirmed cases and deaths than any other country in the world. The U.S. accounts […]

Elie Mystal: Twitter and Facebook Just Proved That Deplatforming Works

We now have evidence that the biggest threat to American democracy was not the violent rioters who stormed the Capitol on January 6, but the bad-faith Republicans who work at the Capitol and spent two months fueling the Big Lie that the election was stolen in the first place. We also have evidence that ex-president […]

Eric Boehlert: Fox News “purge” confirms network shouldn’t have White House credentials

Moving to eliminate any remaining vestiges of a news operation, Rupert Murdoch’s Fox network summarily fired two political newsroom veterans this week. The heavy-handed move was seen as punishment for when the channel angered Trump loyalists on Election Night by correctly calling Arizona for Joe Biden. Out are senior vice president and D.C. managing editor […]

The Rude Pundit: “Unity” Is Another Word for “Clean Up the F***ing Mess Republicans Made”

Republicans are returning to dickish form with the speed of a rabid chipmunk that got into the meth stash. It was to be expected. They should feel chastened, humbled even, by the events of the last few weeks. They should be offering a hand to Democrats, you know, the party that’s not responsible for attempting […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 1-23-21 Sarah Kendzior & Dr. Irwin Redlener

Stephcast 1-22-21

Biden executive order takes steps to require federal contractors pay $15 minimum wage

President Joe Biden plans to sign a pair of executive orders Friday aimed at expanding food assistance for tens of millions of Americans and launching a process that will require federal contractors to pay their workers a $15 minimum wage and provide emergency paid leave. The moves come on Biden’s second full day in office, […]

Dr. Anthony Fauci says he feels liberated to speak freely about science, risk of Covid under Biden

Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the government’s top public health experts, signaled that he feels free to speak honestly about Covid-19 now that former President Donald Trump is out of office. In his first news briefing since President Joe Biden was sworn in, Fauci said that the new administration was committed to being “completely transparent, […]

McConnell wants to push Trump’s Senate impeachment trial to mid-February

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has proposed to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer that former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial should start in mid-February, timing he laid out during a conference call with Republican colleagues Thursday, multiple sources on the call said. Included in McConnell’s proposal is a deal to begin the Senate proceedings in February […]

Biden lays out COVID-19 strategy on first full day in office

President Joe Biden laid out his to plan to combat the coronavirus pandemic on his first full day in office, warning Americans that the worst is still to come. “Let me be clear,” Mr. Biden said during the event at the White House. “Things are going to continue to get worse before they get better.” The president […]

Stephcast 1-21-21

Biden is inheriting a nonexistent Covid-19 vaccine plan from Trump administration, sources say

Newly sworn in President Joe Biden and his advisers are inheriting no coronavirus vaccine distribution plan to speak of from the Trump administration, sources tell CNN, posing a significant challenge for the new White House. The Biden administration has promised to try to turn the Covid-19 pandemic around and drastically speed up the pace of […]

‘Celebrating America’: Biden’s presidential inauguration special featured Bruce Springsteen, John Legend and Katy Perry

Every four years, thousands throng to Washington for a whirl of Inauguration Day balls and concerts. But as the coronavirus pandemic continues to force most big-ticket national events to scale down, President Joe Biden’s inaugural committee decided to take the festivities to TV screens. “Celebrating America,” a 90-minute special that aired across several networks Wednesday […]

Senate confirms Avril Haines as director of national intelligence, the first Biden Cabinet nominee confirmed

The Senate confirmed President Joe Biden’s first Cabinet nominee Wednesday evening, voting to approve his pick for director of national intelligence, Avril Haines, on his first day in office Haines’ confirmation as the first woman to lead the US intelligence community, which was approved in the Senate by 84 to 10, continues a recent Senate […]

Biden to sign executive orders on Covid vaccinations, pandemic response on 2nd day

On his second day in office, President Joe Biden will sign 10 executive orders to ramp up Covid-19 vaccinations, expand testing and reopen schools as he outlines a detailed plan to tackle the pandemic. The new administration will increase the number of vaccination sites by creating federal community vaccination centers in stadiums, gymnasiums and conference […]

Stephcast 1-20-21

Joseph R. Biden Jr. is sworn in as the 46th president of the United States

Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, taking office at a moment of profound economic, health and political crises with a promise to seek unity after a tumultuous four years that tore at the fabric of American society. With his hand on a five-inch-thick Bible […]

12 National Guard members removed from inauguration duty, including two for ‘inappropriate’ comments

Twelve National Guard members were removed from inauguration duty, including two for “inappropriate” comments or texts, a Pentagon spokesman told reporters in a phone briefing Tuesday. “We have two individuals that were identified as making inappropriate comments or texts,” said spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman. One was removed after fellow troops brought the member’s comments to the […]

Sen. Josh Hawley moves to block swift confirmation for Biden’s homeland security pick

Homeland security nominee Alejandro Mayorkas told senators he would carry out President-elect Joe Biden’s immigration overhaul while intensifying efforts to combat domestic extremism, during a hearing Tuesday that highlighted Republican opposition to his confirmation. Testifying before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Mayorkas wore a blue mask and listened impassively to questions about […]

Trump grants clemency to 143 people, including Steve Bannon and Li’l Wayne, in late-night pardon blast

President Trump on Tuesday granted clemency to 143 people, using a final act of presidential power to extend mercy to former White House strategist Stephen K. Bannon, well-connected celebrities and nonviolent drug offenders — but he did not preemptively pardon himself or his family. Among those who were pardoned or who had their sentences commuted […]

Biden takes office looking to turn the page, while rolling back Trump actions

At noon ET today, Joe Biden will take his oath of office to become the 46th president of the United States, a culminating moment for his nearly 50-year career in politics and lifetime of tragedy and triumph. But the pomp and circumstance surrounding Biden’s inauguration will look much different than years past, a result of […]

Stephcast 1-19-21

QAnon adherents discussed posing as National Guard to try to infiltrate inauguration, according to FBI intelligence briefing

The FBI privately warned law enforcement agencies Monday that far-right extremists have discussed posing as National Guard members in Washington and others have reviewed maps of vulnerable spots in the city — signs of potential efforts to disrupt Wednesday’s inauguration, according to an intelligence report obtained by The Washington Post. The document, a summary of […]

Biden’s DHS pick vows to prevent future attacks on U.S. institutions

President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security will pledge on Tuesday to do everything in his power to prevent attacks like the one that targeted the Capitol earlier this month, according to prepared remarks obtained by POLITICO. Alejandro Mayorkas, who will appear before the Senate Homeland Security Committee for his confirmation […]

Biden To Propose 8-Year Citizenship Path For Immigrants

President-elect Joe Biden plans to unveil a sweeping immigration bill on Day One of his administration, hoping to provide an eight-year path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million people living in the U.S. without legal status, a massive reversal from the Trump administration’s harsh immigration policies. The legislation puts Biden on track to deliver […]

Biden Planning to Lay Out ‘Positive, Optimistic’ Vision at Inauguration

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden is planning to lay out a “positive, optimistic” vision for the country in his inaugural address on Wednesday and “try to turn the page on the divisiveness, and the hatred of the last four years” under outgoing President Donald Trump, a key Biden aide said Sunday. Kate Bedingfield, Biden’s incoming communications […]

Trump Orders Lifting of Virus Travel Ban, but Biden Aides Vow to Block Move

President Trump on Monday ordered an end to the ban on travelers from Europe and Brazil that had been aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus to the United States, a move quickly rejected by aides to President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr., who said Mr. Biden will maintain the ban when he takes office […]

Charlie Pierce: Sorry, I Don’t Have the RAM in My Head to Process the MyPillow Guy’s Opinions on Martial Law

For most of Friday, I was exploring the supporting documentation developed by the FBI in its ongoing investigation into the thugs and hooligans who ransacked the Capitol on January 6. This was courtesy of a spectacular database being developed by the Program on Extremism at George Washington University. Some of the details are dizzyingly surreal; […]

Stephcast 1-18-21

New Yorker publishes stunning new video of Capitol riot

The New Yorker on Sunday published 12 minutes of new, surreal footage from inside the Capitol during the mob rampage that left five people dead earlier this month. See the video at Yahoo News

FBI investigates tip that a woman possibly stole a laptop from Pelosi’s office to potentially sell it to Russia

In a new criminal court case against a woman alleged to have entered the US Capitol on January 6, the FBI noted that a tipster raised the possibility of a laptop being stolen from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office to potentially sell to Russia. There’s no indication a laptop was actually taken from Pelosi’s office. […]

Trump Planning to Issue About 100 Pardons on Tuesday

President Donald Trump is planning to issue a massive pile of pardons on Tuesday, his last full day in office, according to a report by CNN. White House reporter Jeremy Diamond told The Situation Room anchor Wolf Blitzer that three sources familiar with Trump’s plans told him that the president intended to pardon about 100 […]

FBI vetting all 25,000 National Guard troops in DC amid fears of insider attack

U.S. defense officials say they are worried about an insider attack or other threat from service members involved in securing President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, prompting the FBI to vet all of the 25,000 National Guard troops coming into Washington for the event. The massive undertaking reflects the extraordinary security concerns that have gripped Washington following […]

Eric Boehlert: Politico’s Ben Shapiro debacle — zero lessons learned from the Trump era

On the morning after Trump made history by being impeached for the second time, Politico handed over its influential Beltway morning newsletter, Playbook, to Ben Shapiro a bigoted, bomb-throwing media defender of Trump. In his Politico contribution, Shapiro lied about Democrats in an effort to suggest they’re being hypocrites about impeachment. Shapiro also stressed that […]

The Rude Pundit: We Could Have Dealt With This Sh** Years Ago If Republicans Hadn’t Been Di**s About Their Extremists

I keep thinking about Janet Napolitano, the former governor of Arizona who became Barack Obama’s first Secretary of Homeland Security. In April 2009, Republicans and conservative groups were demanding that she resign because her department had so deeply insulted right-wing Americans. See, DHS’s Extremism and Radicalization Branch (Homeland Environment Threat Analysis Division) in coordination with […]

N.R.A. Declares Bankruptcy and Seeks to Exit New York

Seeking an end-run around an investigation by the New York attorney general, the National Rifle Association said Friday that it was declaring bankruptcy and would reincorporate in Texas. The gun group was set up in New York after the Civil War. The group’s effort to circumvent New York’s legal jurisdiction raised immediate questions from Letitia […]

Online Election Misinformation Plunges After Trump Twitter Ban

Online misinformation about the presidential election plunged an astonishing 73% after Twitter and other social media networks either banned or suspended Donald Trump and key supporters, according to new data analysis. Baseless claims of election fraud dropped from 2.5 million mentions to 688,000 mentions across several social media sites in the week after Trump was […]

Biden Outlines ‘Day One’ Agenda Of Executive Actions To Reverse Trump Decisions

In his first hours as president, Joe Biden plans to take executive action to roll back some of the most controversial decisions of his predecessor and to address the raging coronavirus pandemic, his incoming chief of staff said Saturday. The opening salvo would herald a 10-day blitz of executive actions as Biden seeks to act […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast 1-15-21 Rep. John Garamendi & Malcolm Nance

Stephcast 1-15-21

Capitol Rioters Meant To ‘Capture And Assassinate’ Officials, Court Filing Says

Federal prosecutors offered an ominous new assessment of last week’s siege of the U.S. Capitol by President Donald Trump’s supporters on Thursday, saying in a court filing that rioters intended “to capture and assassinate elected officials.” Prosecutors offered that view in a filing asking a judge to detain Jacob Chansley, the Arizona man and QAnon […]

Inside Trump’s Final Days: Aides Struggle To Contain An Angry, Isolated President

“We are going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue,” President Donald Trump exhorted his screaming supporters before they marched on the U.S. Capitol last week, saying he’d go with them. He did not – and what unfolded was a deadly breach of the citadel of American democracy that has left Trump’s world crumbling in the final […]

Retired firefighter accused of throwing extinguisher at police during Capitol riot is arrested

A Pennsylvania man accused of hurling a fire extinguisher at a group of police officers during last week’s Capitol riot has been arrested, authorities said. Robert Sanford, 55, a retired firefighter from the Chester Fire Department, has been charged with four federal counts, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia in Washington said. […]

Biden lays out $1.9 trillion Covid relief package with $1,400 stimulus checks

President-elect Joe Biden laid out his $1.9 trillion relief package in a prime-time address Thursday — focusing on a new round of stimulus checks to struggling Americans and an ambitious vaccine distribution plan to control the deadly pandemic. Biden will ask the new Democratic-controlled Congress to approve the “American Rescue Plan.” A chunk of the […]

Stephcast 1-14-21

U.S. Hits Record Coronavirus Deaths In A Single Day — Again

The coronavirus pandemic continues to worsen in the U.S. as the nation reported a record number of people dying from COVID-19 in a single day — again. More than 4,400 people across the country were reported dead from the virus on Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University’s count. The previous record for daily deaths was […]

Pelosi Says Lawmakers Who Skirt Metal Detectors May Soon Be Fined Up To $10,000

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Wednesday that any lawmaker who refuses to pass through new metal detectors installed in the U.S. Capitol may be hit with severe fines under a proposed rule change, a step she called “tragic” but “necessary” after several Republicans refused to do so. Pelosi said she would introduce a rule […]

Some House Democrats Have ‘Real Concern’ GOP Colleagues May Have Aided Capitol Attack

A growing number of House Democrats are calling for an investigation into whether their Republican colleagues aided President Trump’s supporters who violently stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 in an effort to overturn the results of last year’s election.  Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., told Yahoo News that many of his Democratic colleagues are discussing […]

House impeaches Trump for second time; Senate must now weigh conviction

The House impeached President Donald Trump on Wednesday for a second time, charging him with “incitement of insurrection” for his role in the violent riot by a pro-Trump mob in the U.S. Capitol that left five people dead and terrorized lawmakers as they sought to affirm President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. The vote to impeach passed […]

Dr. Irwin Redlener: Pramila Jayapal Is Second Democrat With Coronavirus After Hiding From Rioters With Maskless Republicans

Read Dr. Irwin Redlener’s story at The Daily Beast