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SMHH VideoCast with Jill Sobule & Wendie Malick – F 3-14-25

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SMHH VideoCast with Cliff Schecter & Frangela – 2-21-25

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Trump administration tries to bring back fired nuclear weapons workers

The Trump administration has halted the firings of hundreds of federal employees who were tasked with working on the nation’s nuclear weapons programs, in an about-face that has left workers confused and experts cautioning that DOGE’s blind cost cutting will put communities at risk. Three U.S. officials who spoke to The Associated Press said up […]

Elon Musk’s DOGE asks for access to IRS taxpayer data, sources say

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has requested access to an Internal Revenue Service system that retains the personal tax information of millions of Americans, two sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. The system, known as the Integrated Data Retrieval System, is used by IRS employees to review tax information, issue notices and […]

The Rude Pundit: The Simplest Explanation… They Are Evil

“Evil” is a hard concept to get your head around. We can get close to it when we say things like “The cruelty is the point,” but that was truly about the first Donald Trump administration, with its scattershot acts of savagery, many of them mitigated by courts and by stronger Democrats and even a […]

SMHH VideoCast with Pastor John Pavlovitz & Allison Gill – 2-14-25

StephCast F 2-14-25

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Trump says he could withhold aid from Jordan and Egypt if they reject his Gaza development plan

The Trump administration is gearing up for potentially contentious meetings with Arab power players this week as President Donald Trump continues to press his plan for what he calls U.S. “ownership” of Gaza, going so far as to threaten cutting off U.S. aid to Jordan and Egypt if they don’t go along. On Tuesday, Jordan’s […]

White House officials bristle as the courts throttle parts of Trump’s agenda

The nation may be edging closer to a constitutional crisis as senior White House officials bristle over a string of court orders stymieing President Donald Trump’s agenda, sparking fears that they may ignore judicial decisions. A federal judge in Rhode Island ruled Monday that the Trump administration failed to comply with his previous directive temporarily […]

StephCast M 2-10-25

Judge to decide fate of Trump’s federal buyout offer

A federal judge in Boston Monday will consider whether to block President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk from carrying out their unprecedented plan to buy out tens of thousands of federal employees. Three federal employee unions — with the support of 20 Democratic attorneys general — have argued that the Office of Personnel […]

Philadelphia Eagles demolish the Kansas City Chiefs to win their second Super Bowl

Fueled by a harassing defense, Philadelphia denied a Kansas City coronation in Super Bowl 59, dethroning the Chiefs in a rout that delivered the Eagles their second championship in seven seasons by a score of 40-22. Kansas City had won three Super Bowl titles in the last five years, including the last two, and it […]

Legal experts warn of ‘constitutional crisis’ as JD Vance and Elon Musk question judges’ authority over Trump

Legal and constitutional experts warned Sunday that the United States could be headed toward a “constitutional crisis” or a “breakdown of the system” after Vice President JD Vance suggested judges don’t have jurisdiction over President Donald Trump’s “legitimate power.” “If a judge tried to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, that would […]

Trump announces blanket tariffs on steel and aluminum, reciprocal tariffs on other countries

President Donald Trump said Sunday that he will announce reciprocal tariffs this week, as well as a 25% blanket tariff on steel and aluminum imports. “Any steel coming into the United States is going to have a 25% tariff,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One, adding that the same tariff would be applied to […]

The Rude Pundit: Democrats Need to Stop Being Afraid of Being Democrats

In Kamala Harris’s speech accepting the Democratic nomination for president in Chicago in August, one key word and its variations were conspicuously absent, and it’s a shame because she was speaking to a huge audience that needed to hear the words “Democrat” and “Democrats” and “Democratic Party.” The only reference was a worthless nod to […]

StephCast F 2-7-25

SMHH VideoCast with Trae Crowder & Brooklyn Dad Defiant 2-7-25

USAID to be reduced to about 290 foreign service officers and civil servants

The U.S. Agency of International Development is expected to be reduced to about 290 workers from the more than 5,000 foreign service officers, civil servants and personal service contractors it currently employs, according to two sources familiar with the plans. Most of the approximately 3,000 institutional support contractors have already been fired or furloughed. The […]

StephCast Th 2-6-25

Republicans block Musk from congressional subpoena as DOGE continues to access government data

As Elon Musk continues to dismantle government agencies, threaten workers with layoffs and gain access to government data, congressional Republicans on Wednesday blocked Democratic efforts to compel him to answer for his actions under oath. At the same time, protests demanding accountability continued. Musk, who has not made any public appearances since the inauguration, has […]

WORLD Trump’s plan for U.S. to “take over” Gaza amid Israel-Hamas ceasefire rejected by allies and adversaries

Allies and adversaries of the United States reacted with shock and disapproval Wednesday to President Trump’s announcement of plans for the United States to “take over” the Gaza Strip.  Mr. Trump’s suggestion that the Palestinian territory — part of the land that many people hope will eventually become an independent Palestinian state — be redeveloped […]

Former Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell Falls Again At The Capitol

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) fell twice on Wednesday ― once leaving the Senate chamber and again inside a closed-door Republican conference lunch just minutes later. The 82-year-old former Senate GOP leader, a childhood polio survivor, is using a wheelchair as a precautionary measure after the pair of spills at the U.S. Capitol. “Senator McConnell is […]

StephCast W 2-5-25

StephCast T 2-4-25

Robin Abcarian: No one polices men’s bodies the way we police women’s bodies

While we’ve been distracted by wildfire tragedies, and the dizzying stream of Project 2025-inspired directives flowing from the Oval Office, we cannot forget that the Republican-led war on women’s reproductive rights shows no signs of waning. In fact, it’s heating up again. Last week, a Democratic Mississippi state senator with a wry sense of humor […]

Charlie Pierce: Senator Brian Schatz Is Actually Doing Something (When Very Little Can Be Done)

This is how you do it when there really isn’t much you can do. From Reuters: U.S. Senator Brian Schatz said on Monday he would block Senate votes on President Donald Trump’s nominees for diplomatic positions in protest over moves to close the U.S. Agency for International Development and fold it into the State Department. […]

Frank Figliuzzi: Trump’s revenge campaign is eroding the FBI’s ability to protect America

A purge of experienced leaders is now underway at the FBI. Thousands of field agents are being threatened with dismissal. Here’s what we know so far, and why America is already less safe. At least eight of the most senior officials in the FBI, and multiple field office chiefs, have been forced out, despite the […]

Gabbard gains support from 2 key GOP senators ahead of confirmation vote

The Senate Intelligence Committee is expected to vote on former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination for Director of National Intelligence in a closed-door session Tuesday afternoon. The vote follows Gabbard’s at-times contentious confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill on Thursday, where she was grilled over her views on government secrets leaker Edward Snowden and her refusal to […]

Rubio Blames ‘Insubordination’ for Changes at USAID

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that he had taken over as acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, assuming control of an agency that had functioned largely independently for over 60 years and stoking fears about U.S. assistance around the world. Mr. Rubio’s announcement came after a week of drastic […]

Pause on Canada and Mexico Tariffs, China Swiftly Counters Trump’s Tariffs With a Flurry of Trade Curbs

Beijing responded swiftly on Tuesday to the tariffs President Trump had promised, announcing a fusillade of countermeasures targeting American companies and imports of critical products. Mr. Trump’s 10 percent tariff on all Chinese products went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, the result of an executive order issued over the weekend aimed at pressuring Beijing […]

StephCast M 2-3-25

Elon Musk’s DOGE commission gains access to sensitive Treasury payment systems

The Department of Government Efficiency, run by President Donald Trump’s billionaire adviser and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, has gained access to sensitive Treasury data including Social Security and Medicare customer payment systems, according to two people familiar with the situation. The move by DOGE, a Trump administration task force assigned to find ways to fire […]

Grammy Awards: A Night For Women and Kendrick Lamar

Beyoncé won album of the year for “Cowboy Carter” at the 2025 Grammys, delivering her — at last — the show’s elusive top award. The superstar, who is both the most awarded and nominated artist in Grammys history, had been nominated in the category four times before and many felt she had been snubbed by […]

Elon Musk says he and Trump are shutting down USAID

Tech billionaire Elon Musk said Monday that he and President Donald Trump were in the process of shutting down the U.S. Agency for International Development, escalating their war on the federal bureaucracy and defying the constitutional power of Congress to determine how money is spent.  Musk, the head of Trump’s government efficiency initiative, announced the […]

Dow futures drop more than 650 points after Trump hits U.S. trading partners with tariffs

Stock futures tumbled early Monday to kick off a new trading month, as investors weighed new U.S. tariffs on goods from key trade partners and their potential impact on the economy and corporate profits. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 546 points, or 1.22%. S&P 500 futures dropped 1.4%, while Nasdaq-100 futures lost 1.7%. President Donald Trump […]

The Rude Pundit: Note to Democrats… We’re Freaking the Fuck Out and You’re Not Helping Us Enough

I know so many people who are scared to death or freaking the fuck out about all of the ways that the administration of Donald Trump (aka “Elon’s Meat Puppet”) is fucking with their lives like a deranged child pulling the wings off moths. In just the last week: – A dear friend with a […]

StephCast F 1-31-25

Trump baselessly blames diversity program for fatal air collision

First responders were still recovering bodies from the Potomac River on Thursday when President Donald Trump told the nation that his predecessors, Democrats and diversity were to blame for Wednesday night’s fatal collision of an Army helicopter and an American Airlines passenger plane landing at Reagan National Airport. Within five minutes of asking for a […]

Control tower at National Airport understaffed before deadly collision

The air traffic control tower at Reagan National Airport was understaffed on Wednesday evening when a passenger plane and a military helicopter collided in midair, according to a government report about the circumstances surrounding the disaster that killed 67 people and sparked renewed debate around the airport’s crowded airspace. According to the report, described to […]

5 takeaways from the confirmation hearings for RFK Jr., Gabbard and Patel

In a crucial day for President Donald Trump’s nominees, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel descended on Capitol Hill for confirmation hearings Thursday. Kennedy, the nominee for health and human services secretary; Gabbard, chosen for director of national intelligence; and Patel, selected for FBI director, have all generated controversy for a similar […]

StephCast Th 1-30-25

StephCast W 1-29-25

StephCast T 1-28-25

Trump signs executive orders for military, focusing on transgender service members, COVID, diversity

President Trump signed multiple executive orders Monday night that could reshape the management and composition of the military, with provisions addressing diversity measures, transgender service members, and troops who were discharged for refusing COVID vaccinations. He also signed an executive order to establish a process to develop what the administration is calling an American Iron […]

CNN Donald Trump-Baiting Anchor Jim Acosta ‘Expected To Exit’ Network, Says Ex-Colleague

Jim Acosta is reportedly heading for the doors at CNN. The anchor has “signaled to associates in private conversations over the weekend that he intends to depart the network after its chief executive, Mark Thompson, booted him from the morning programming lineup,” reported Status News’ Oliver Darcy on Monday. Acosta is “expected to exit CNN,” […]

ICE makes close to 1,200 arrests in one day

Immigration authorities made close to 1,200 arrests in just one day, and nearly half of those detained don’t have criminal records, according to a senior Trump administration official. Data first obtained by NBC News shows that Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a total of 1,179 people on Sunday, which is more than the 956 arrests […]

Trump administration fires DOJ officials who worked on criminal investigations of the president

The Justice Department said Monday that it fired several career lawyers involved in prosecuting Donald Trump, escalating the president’s campaign of retribution against his perceived enemies. The employees worked on special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation that led to now-dismissed indictments against Trump over his handling of classified documents and his efforts to overturn his 2020 […]

StephCast M 1-27-25

Democratic lawmakers slam Trump for not making good on promise to ‘immediately’ lower food prices amid egg shortage

Donald Trump vowed to slash grocery prices as soon as he took office, yet he has barely addressed the cost of food in the whirlwind of executive orders he signed in his first week, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and other Democratic lawmakers wrote in a searing letter. The letter, addressed to Trump, accuses the president of […]

Sen. Adam Schiff says Trump ‘broke the law’ by firing 18 inspectors general

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., on Sunday blasted President Donald Trump for his decision to fire 18 inspectors general late Friday night and accused the president of breaking the law. “To write off this clear violation of law by saying, ‘Well,’ that ‘technically, he broke law.’ Yeah, he broke the law,” Schiff told NBC News’ “Meet […]

Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles advance to the Super Bowl

The Kansas City Chiefs advanced to their fifth Super Bowl in six years Sunday, defeating the Buffalo Bills 32-39 in the AFC championship game. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs on an eight-play, 51-yard drive late in the fourth quarter to set up the go-ahead field goal. Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen threw incomplete on fourth-and-5 […]

White House says Colombia agreed to Trump’s deportation terms after tariff standoff

The White House said Sunday that Colombia has agreed to all of President Donald Trump’s terms after Trump threatened to impose sweeping retaliatory measures against it, including tariffs and visa sanctions, after it denied entry to two U.S. military deportation flights. “The Government of Colombia has agreed to all of President Trump’s terms, including the […]

StephCast F 1-24-25

SMHH VideoCast with Steven Beschloss & Officer Harry Dunn – 1-24-25

Trump says he will ‘demand’ lower interest rates

President Donald Trump on Thursday said he will call for a lowering of U.S. interest rates, exerting pressure on the Federal Reserve despite a longstanding norm of political independence at the central bank. During a virtual address to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump demanded a drop in interest rates after calling for […]

Hegseth moves closer to confirmation after clearing key Senate vote

Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump’s contentious pick for defense secretary, narrowly cleared a key procedural hurdle in the Senate on Thursday, as Republicans demonstrated en masse that they are undeterred by the allegations of misconduct that have clouded his nomination. The full Senate voted 51 to 49 to advance Hegseth’s nomination toward a final confirmation […]

Trump Officials Move to Quickly Expel Migrants Biden Allowed In Temporarily

The Trump administration is giving Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials the power to quickly deport migrants who were allowed into the country temporarily under Biden-era programs, according to an internal government memo obtained by The New York Times. The memo, signed Thursday night by the acting head of the Homeland Security Department, offers ICE officials […]

Federal district court judge temporarily blocks Trump’s birthright citizenship order

A federal district court judge on Thursday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at limiting birthright citizenship — the first skirmish in what promises to be a protracted legal battle over the new administration’s agenda. Senior U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour heard 25 minutes of arguments and then issued an order from the […]

StephCast Th 1-23-25

Bishop Mariann Budde defends plea directed at Trump during inaugural prayer service

Rev. Mariann Budde the Episcopal Bishop of Washington on Wednesday defended a plea for mercy she made to President Donald Trump on behalf of immigrants and others during an inaugural prayer service a day before. “We’re in a particularly harsh moment now when it comes to conversations around immigrant populations in our midst, and so […]

House passes Laken Riley Act, sending the first bill to Trump to sign into law

The Republican-led House on Wednesday passed the Laken Riley Act, a strict immigration detention measure named for a 22-year-old Georgia nursing school student who was murdered last year by an undocumented immigrant. The legislation, aimed at clamping down on people in the U.S. illegally who commit nonviolent crimes like theft, is expected to be the first bill […]

Thousands told to evacuate after two new blazes start in Los Angeles County

Evacuation orders and warnings were issued to more than 31,000 people in the vicinity of two new wildfires north of Los Angeles on Wednesday. The Hughes fire near Castaic Lake in northern Los Angeles County began Wednesday morning and now covers more than 10,000 acres or 15 square miles. It was only 10% contained at […]

Federal employees are told to name colleagues who work in DEI roles or risk ‘adverse consequences’

Federal employees received emails Wednesday warning that they could face repercussions if they do not report on co-workers who work in diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility positions that might have gone unnoticed by government supervisors. “We are aware of efforts by some in government to disguise these programs by using coded or imprecise language,” said […]

StephCast W 1-22-25

Steven Beschloss: The Urgency of Now

I know there are many among us who see today as an endpoint. The demise of democracy. The failure of our electorate to commit to self-governance. The willingness to let the richest among us grab power, with the foolish assumption that they would advance the well-being of working people rather than further enrich themselves. Let’s […]

Malcolm Nance: America is Now Under a Tyranny!

The tyranny of the Trump dictatorship descended upon America today. Worse is that it made me violate my pledge to IGNORE Trump and his spectacle … However, soon after I made this video Elon Musk spoke at a Trump rally and made the NAZI SALUTE … TWICE! He also praised how MAGA has saved the […]

Hegseth Ex-Sister-in-Law Tells Senators He Was ‘Abusive’ to Second Wife

An ex-sister-in-law of Pete Hegseth’s submitted a sworn statement to senators on Tuesday that accused Mr. Hegseth, President Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, of being so “abusive” toward his second wife that she once hid in a closet from him and had a safe word to call for help if she needed to get […]

Snow falls in Houston and New Orleans as rare storm sweeps Gulf Coast

A “bitterly cold airmass” will grip much of the South and Eastern United States for much of the week, the National Weather Service warned. Four deaths are suspected to have been caused by the weather: Two in Austin of suspected hypothermia; one person in Georgia; and one person Sunday in Milwaukee, according to authorities. Both […]

Trump defends Jan. 6 pardons of violent criminals

President Donald Trump on Tuesday defended the pardons and commutations of roughly 1,500 defendants charged with crimes connected to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, including some convicted of assaulting police officers. Trump, in one of the first presidential acts of his second term, commuted the sentences of 14 prisoners and pardoned all others […]

Trump orders all federal diversity, equity and inclusion employees placed on paid leave starting Wednesday

The Trump administration is ordering all federal employees in diversity, equity and inclusion roles placed on paid leave by Wednesday evening, according to a new memo from the Office of Personnel Management. The memo, issued Tuesday to heads of departments and agencies, sets a deadline of no later than 5 p.m. ET Wednesday to inform […]

StephCast T 1-21-25

Trump will pull U.S. out of Paris climate agreement

President Donald Trump will pull the United States out of the Paris climate agreement, according to an executive order he signed Monday as one of his first acts after he took office. Under the Paris Agreement, signed in 2016, participating nations vowed to work together to keep global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees […]

Biden issues pre-emptive pardons for members of his family in one of his final acts as president

Just minutes before he left office, Joe Biden announced a set of sweeping pre-emptive pardons for members of his family, including his two brothers and his sister, after some on the right suggested they should face prosecution. The announcement — a move Biden once said would not be indicative of his administration — came ahead […]

Senate votes to confirm Marco Rubio as Trump’s secretary of state

The Republican-led Senate hit the ground running Monday with newly inaugurated President Donald Trump’s nominations, confirming Marco Rubio as secretary of state. With cooperation from Democrats, GOP leaders moved quickly to bring Rubio, currently a senator from Florida, to the floor for a vote after he was unanimously reported out the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. […]

Trump pardons roughly 1,500 criminal defendants charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack

President Donald Trump on Monday issued roughly 1,500 pardons and commuted the sentences of 14 of his supporters in connection with the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when thousands of them stormed the building amid his false claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged against him. Trump commuted the sentences […]

Charlie Pierce: Who’s Laughing at Donald Trump Now?

In 2017, I sat with a few journo pals below the podium on the west front of the Capitol and watched Donald Trump be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. After taking the oath of office, which he took approximately as seriously as he did contracts he’d signed with workmen in […]

StephCast M 1-20-25

One day, two men and the many ways people will honor MLK as Trump is sworn in

Some will spend the day in silent reflection, meditating. Others will pass the hours volunteering, feeding the hungry or cleaning up their small piece of the earth. Houses of worship are planning to hold day-long prayer vigils. In these quiet ways — and others — people across the Washington region will honor Martin Luther King […]

Polar vortex maps show where arctic blast is set to freeze the U.S. as far as the Deep South

With the Northern Hemisphere well into the winter months, it may seem like temperatures are cold enough already. However, a deep freeze, thanks to the polar vortex dipping down from Siberia, is about to bring even harsher arctic blast to nearly 300 million Americans starting this weekend. Maps show where and when the cold front […]

Trump promises to deliver a spate of executive orders, including action on Jan. 6 defendants

President-elect Donald Trump promised a spate of executive orders when he takes office as president Monday, suggesting at a Sunday rally in Washington, D.C., that among them will be action on the Jan. 6 rioters. “Everybody in this very large arena will be very happy with my decision on the J6 hostages,” he said of […]

Gaza ceasefire begins with dramatic release of 3 Israeli hostages

After 15 months of war, a ceasefire in the Gaza Striptook effect Sunday morning, paving the way for a dramatic day that saw Hamas free the first of 33 Israeli hostages — three women who had languished in captivity for 471 days. In exchange, Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners, all of them women and children, […]

Dean Obeidallah: Democratic leaders… Either step up and take the fight to Trump or Step Aside

“Dear Democratic leaders: We need you to take the FIGHT to Donald Trump and the oligarchy he is ushering in to power. Stop being silent–or worse–looking for “common ground” with a convicted felon, adjudicated rapist who attempted a coup and incited the Jan. 6 terrorist attack. If you can’t do that, then step aside because […]

The Rude Pundit: Informing Ourselves to Death… Trump’s Win and American Stupidity (Part 2)

We’ve seen definite signs of the abject stupidity of the American voter in 2024 in so many ways. There are the states where voters put abortion rights in their constitutions but voted for senators who want a national ban. The fact (and it is a fact) that searches for “Did Biden drop out?” spiked on […]

StephCast F 1-17-25

SM Happy Hour VideoCast with Tristan Snell & Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) – F 1-17-25

Biden Reiterates He’s Worried ‘How Fragile Democracy Is’ In Final Interview

President Joe Biden said Thursday he is worried about the fragility of American democracy in the last interview of his presidency. The president spoke with MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell, a day after he addressed the nation from the Oval Office to warn about the concentration of power and wealth in government and the reshaping of an […]

Biden Won’t Enforce TikTok Ban, Leaving Fate Of App To Trump

President Joe Biden won’t enforce a ban on the social media app TikTok that is set to take effect a day before he leaves office on Monday, a U.S. official said Thursday, leaving its fate in the hands of President-elect Donald Trump. Congress last year, in a law signed by Biden, required that TikTok’s China-based […]

Confirmation hearings day 3 highlights: Doug Burgum, Scott Bessent and other Cabinet picks face Senate questions

Four of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks testified before Senate committees at their confirmation hearings today. Senate Finance Committee members pressed Scott Bessent, a hedge fund executive whom Trump selected for treasury secretary, on inflation, tax cuts and wages. Bessent, who was also a top fundraiser for Trump’s campaign, also defended the president-elect’s threats to […]

Israel-Hamas ceasefire: Israel Cabinet set to vote on deal after agreement on hostage release is reached

Israel and Hamas have hammered out agreements on the deal to release the hostages, Netanyahu said in a statement early Friday. The deal will be sent to Israel’s security Cabinet for approval later in the day and then to the full Cabinet for approval, he said in a statement, although it was not clear when […]

StephCast Th 1-16-25

Dr. Irwin Redlener: LA FIRE DISASTER… PROTECTING CHILDREN IN PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HARM’S WAY

The massive fire catastrophe in LA will be remembered as one of the most devastating disasters in modern U.S. history. Having worked on the prevention of, response to, and recovery from megadisasters for many years, I have watched how the devastation of such events impacts communities and people, especially people with important vulnerabilities like chronic […]

7 takeaways from a jam-packed day of confirmation hearings for Trump’s nominees

Six of President-elect Donald Trump’s big-office nominees faced Senate confirmation hearings Wednesday, previewing a parade of policy and political fights that will define his second term. The picks — Pam Bondi for attorney general, Marco Rubio for secretary of state, Sean Duffy for transportation secretary, John Ratcliffe for CIA director, Chris Wright for energy secretary […]

Electrical tower a focus as Eaton Fire’s potential origin after video clues emerge

When the first flashes of fire and billows of smoke grabbed the attention of people living in the foothills of Eaton Canyon in Los Angeles County, residents recorded videos of the same cluster of transmission towers high on the chaparral-covered hillside, illuminated by flames. California fire officials pinpointed the start of the Eaton Fire on […]

Israel and Hamas reach deal on Gaza ceasefire and hostage release

A ceasefire deal was reached Wednesday to end 15 months of fighting in the Gaza Strip, according to President Joe Biden, Qatar’s prime minister and Hamas officials. The hard-won agreement will also free dozens of hostages held in Gaza, as well as Palestinians in Israeli jails, bringing the first real break in violence since a weeklong truce […]

In farewell speech, Biden warns an ‘oligarchy’ in America is threatening democracy

President Joe Biden‘s farewell address Wednesday came with a series of warnings for the future of the country, among them that a rising “oligarchy taking shape” threatens American democracy. “Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms and […]

StephCast W 1-15-25

Jack Smith says Trump has used ‘intimidation and harassment’ to get his way

In November, as Donald Trump and his transition team worked to line up support for his cabinet nominees ahead of the confirmation hearings that began Tuesday with defense secretary pick Pete Hegseth, Team Trump had a message for lawmakers: Support us or else. ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl reported that one senior Trump […]

LA fires live updates: At least 25 fire-related deaths, medical examiner says

At least 25 people have died as multiple wildfires, fueled by severe drought conditions and strong winds, rage across the Los Angeles area. Thousands of firefighters are battling wildfires across 45 square miles of densely populated Los Angeles County. About 88,000 people remain under mandatory evacuation orders and another 84,000 are under evacuation warnings. Read […]

‘If you want to take it outside …’: Rep. Nancy Mace challenges Rep. Jasmine Crockett at House hearing

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, got into a heated exchange at a House hearing Tuesday that culminated with Mace challenging Crockett by asking whether she wanted to “take it outside.” The war of words came during a discussion of civil rights and transgender rights, with Crockett calling for re-establishing a subcommittee […]

Trump Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth pitches himself as a ‘change agent’ as he faces tense grilling in Senate hearing

Pete Hegseth pitched himself as a “change agent” to lead the Defense Department while Democrats excoriated him as unfit for any military leadership post in the first confirmation hearing for President-elect Donald Trump incoming Cabinet nominees on Tuesday. The Senate Armed Services Committee has typically been one of the least partisan on Capitol Hill. But […]

Malcolm Nance: JANUARY SIX WARNING… THE LAS VEGAS TERRORIST WANTED CIVIL WAR

The New Year’s Day terrorist attack carried out on the Trump International hotel in Las Vegas, using a rented Tesla cyber truck almost immediately dropped off of the radar of news media in the wake of the deaths of 15 innocent people in New Orleans. In the early morning hours of New Year’s Day, former […]

StephCast T 1-14-25

Charlie Pierce: I Didn’t Expect to Find Myself Agreeing with Steve Bannon on Something

Oh, my. MAGAworld may be coming apart at the seams, and I feel like collateral damage, because, somehow, Steve Bannon and I agree on the malevolent influence of Elon Musk, whom we both believe should be sent back to the veldt where he was spawned. “Why do we have South Africans, the most racist people […]

Democrats Say F.B.I. Did Not Interview Critical Witnesses About Pete Hegseth

Senate Democrats on Monday said that an F.B.I. background check on Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon, omitted key details on major allegations against him, in part because it did not include interviews with critical witnesses. One missed opportunity came when the bureau did not interview one of Mr. Hegseth’s […]

Jack Smith pens biting defense of Jan. 6 probe, says jury would have convicted Trump

President-elect Donald Trump “inspired his supporters to commit acts of physical violence” on Jan. 6 and knowingly spread an objectively false narrative about election fraud in the 2020 election, special counsel Jack Smith said in a report defending his investigation made public early Tuesday. The 170-page report summarized Smith’s investigation into Trump’s efforts to maintain […]

Senate braces for ‘train wreck’ as hearings kick off today for Trump Cabinet picks

The Republican-led Senate is set to hold a dozen hearings this week for President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks, with the hope of confirming them quickly after he’s inaugurated next Monday. The selections coming before the Senate range from those who are expected to have smooth paths to confirmation, like Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., for secretary […]

Displaced Los Angeles-area residents face spiking rents as authorities warn of price gouging

Joe Thompson’s desperate post-wildfire scramble to find a new place for his family to live led him Saturday to a five-bedroom home in Santa Monica, California, that had been put on the market the day before for $28,000 a month — more than double the rent posted a year ago. The agent was asking for […]

StephCast M 1-13-24

Special counsel Jack Smith resigns

Special counsel Jack Smith has resigned from the Justice Department, officials said in a court filing Saturday. The move was expected ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. Smith’s report on Trump’s alleged involvement in 2020 election interference is expected to be released soon. Trump has denied the allegations. “The Special Counsel completed his work and submitted […]

JD Vance says violent Jan. 6 rioters shouldn’t receive pardons

Vice President-elect JD Vance said Sunday who he thinks should and shouldn’t receive presidential pardons for their actions during the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. “If you protested peacefully on Jan. 6 and you’ve had [Attorney General] Merrick Garland’s Department of Justice treat you like a gang member, you should be pardoned,” […]

Newsom says California wildfires will be one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history

California Gov. Gavin Newsom told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” Saturday that the Los Angeles-area wildfires will be one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history and called for an independent investigation into the local water supply. “I think it will be in terms of just the costs associated with it, in terms of […]

Firefighters Rush to Contain L.A. Blazes as Death Toll Rises to 24

The blazes tearing through Los Angeles have killed at least 24 people, officials said on Sunday, as forecasters issued a rare red flag warning for strong winds expected to hit the area from late Monday through Wednesday. Over the weekend, firefighters tried to take advantage of calmer winds, which allowed them to make progress against […]

The Rude Pundit: Informing Ourselves to Death… Another Explanation of Why Harris Lost (Part 1)

We keep getting “deep dives” into why Kamala Harris lost and Donald Trump won. They can be big reasons, like racism and sexism, or the ability of Trump’s campaign to exploit the anti-incumbent zeitgeist through bro podcasts and transphobia, or Harris and the Democrats courting anti-Trump Republicans while taking other Democratic voters for granted.    But […]

StephCast F 1-10-25

SM Happy Hour VideoCast with Frank Figliuzzi & Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) – 1-10-25

LAPD Says Arson Suspect Is In Custody

The Los Angeles Police Department said it apprehended a suspect attempting to set a fire in the Woodland Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles on Thursday. Police say the man was taken into custody around 4:30 after locals held him down until authorities arrived. Officials have yet to confirm whether the man was responsible for the […]

President Jimmy Carter honored with a state funeral at Washington National Cathedral

In a rare show of unity in these tumultuous times, every living American president filed into pews together Thursday to honor one of their own at the funeral for President Jimmy Carter at Washington National Cathedral on Thursday. Carter, who died late last month at 100 years old, is being remembered as a compassionate Christian […]

Supreme Court allows Trump’s sentencing in New York hush money case

The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected President-elect Donald Trump’s request to block criminal proceedings in his hush money case in New York, meaning a sentencing hearing scheduled for Friday can go ahead. The decision on a 5-4 vote with four conservatives dissenting meant the conservative-majority court changed course after having previously handed Trump two big […]

10 dead, more than 9,000 homes, structures damaged or destroyed in L.A. County fires

Ten people have died, more than 9,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed, and at least 130,000 residents are under evacuation orders. Experts say L.A. is not out of danger yet and that these fires have the potential to be the costliest wildfire disaster in American history. Read the rest of the story at The […]

StephCast Th 1-9-25

Elon Musk says DOGE probably won’t find $2 trillion in federal budget cuts

Tech billionaire Elon Musk said Wednesday that his budget-cutting effort on behalf of President-elect Donald Trump would most likely not find $2 trillion in savings, backtracking on a goal he set earlier as co-head of a new advisory body, the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.  Musk told political strategist Mark Penn in an interview […]

Biden cancels Rome visit with Pope Francis to focus on federal response to California wildfires

President Joe Biden has canceled a trip to Rome to meet with Pope Francis so he can instead focus on federal response to the rapidly moving wildfires that are tearing through the Los Angeles area, the White House said Wednesday. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement Wednesday that Biden made the decision after he […]

‘Can’t Even Respond’: Gavin Newsom Reacts To Trump’s Los Angeles Wildfires Attack

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) swiftly dismissed Donald Trump’s efforts to “play politics” on Wednesday after the president-elect blamed him for the devastating Los Angeles wildfires that have killed at least five people. “One can’t even respond to it,” said Newsom in an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooperas the two stood in front of a […]

Staggering losses from L.A. firestorm: 5 dead, 2,000 structures destroyed or damaged

More than 2,000 homes, businesses and other buildings have been damaged or destroyed and at least five people are dead in wildfires scorching communities across Los Angeles County, making this one of the most destructive firestorms to hit the region in memory. The five bodies were found in three structures in Altadena, where the Eaton […]

StephCast W 1-8-25

Trump suggests he could use military force to acquire Panama Canal and Greenland and ‘economic force’ to annex Canada

President-elect Donald Trump suggested Tuesday he would consider using military force to gain control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, and “economic force” to acquire Canada. During a free-wheeling news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump was asked by a reporter if he could assure the public that he would not use military […]

Facebook/Instagram/Threads is ending its fact-checking program in favor of a ‘community notes’ system similar to X’s

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced a series of major changes to the company’s moderation policies and practices Tuesday, citing a shifting political and social landscape and a desire to embrace free speech. Zuckerberg said Meta will end its fact-checking program with trusted partners and replace it with a community-driven system similar to X’s Community Notes. […]

Jimmy Carter lies in state at U.S. Capitol after eulogies by Kamala Harris and Republican leaders

Former President Jimmy Carter arrived at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday to lie in state after a memorial service attended by his family, Vice President Kamala Harris, members of Congress and other officials. Congressional leaders eulogized Carter, the 39th president, praising his work in office, faith and volunteerism. “Jimmy Carter was that all too rare […]

Fires grow around Los Angeles in ‘unprecedented’ disaster with winds worsening

High winds up to 60 mph have helped fan at least three wildfires burning in the Los Angeles area, prompting evacuations and a huge firefighter response. Palisades Fire has burned through almost 3,000 acres, while millions of people across Southern California are under a red flag warning. The others are the Eaton Fire, at 1,000 […]

StephCast T 1-7-25

Joe Biden Meets With Victims’ Families In New Orleans After Deadly Attack

President Joe Biden met with grieving families, attended a prayer service and stopped at a makeshift memorial in New Orleans on Monday in honor of the victims of last week’s deadly New Year’s attack in the city’s historic French Quarter. Biden and first lady Jill Biden made their first stop in the city at a […]

Judge finds Rudy Giuliani in contempt of court in defamation case

A federal judge in New York has found former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani in contempt of court for not complying with orders to turn over information about his assets to a pair of former Georgia election workers he defamed. U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman made the contempt finding Monday afternoon after Giuliani testified over two […]

With an intent stare, a wide smile and a simple declaration, Harris certifies her loss to Trump

Upon entering the Senate chamber on Monday, Vice President Kamala Harris issued a simple declaration when NBC News asked her about presiding over the certification of the 2024 election: “Democracy prevails.”  Minutes later, Harris carried through, steering Congress’ collective endorsement of the electoral vote that she lost and affirming Donald Trump’s return to the White […]

Canada’s embattled PM Justin Trudeau announces he will step down

Justin Trudeau said Monday that he will resign as the leader of Canada’s ruling Liberal Party, an announcement that will fire the starting gun on a contest to replace him as prime minister. Trudeau said it was clear that he could not “be the leader during the next elections due to internal battles,” later citing […]

Charlie Pierce: Speaker Moses, These Are Not the Words of a Christ-Infused Political Leader…

The universe’s Department of Metaphor never sleeps. This week the Congress certifies the election of someone who, later this week, will be sentenced—albeit gently—on 34 felony counts. While we mark the week of the anniversary of an armed insurrection, the president continues to float pardons for the insurrectionists. The Department of Metaphor marked these surreal […]

StephCast M 1-6-25

Rep. Mike Johnson tells House Republicans Trump wants them to pass a single reconciliation bill

At a closed-door House Republican retreat Saturday morning, newly re-elected House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said President-elect Donald Trump was in favor of passing a single reconciliation bill that would address his priorities, including border security, energy and an extension of his signature 2017 tax law, two sources with direct knowledge told NBC News. Since […]

New Orleans attacker recorded visits to city weeks earlier, wore Meta smart glasses during attack

The New Orleans terrorist attacker visited the city twice in the weeks before the attack and recorded video of the area using Meta smart glasses, the FBI revealed Sunday. Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, stayed at a rental home in New Orleans at the end of October and again in November, just weeks before his attack on Bourbon […]

The Heaviest Snowfall In A Decade Is Possible As A Wintery Blast Roils Parts Of The U.S.

A blast of snow, ice, wind and plunging temperatures stirred up dangerous travel conditions in parts of the central U.S. on Sunday, as a disruptive winter storm brought the possibility of the “heaviest snowfall in a decade” to some areas. Snow and ice blanketed major roadways in nearly all of Kansas, western Nebraska and parts […]

Biden Rips Efforts To ‘Erase’ History Of Jan. 6 Riot, Says There Won’t Be A Repeat This Time

President Joe Biden is decrying what he calls an “unrelenting effort” to downplay a mob of Donald Trump supporters overrunning the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to block certification of the 2020 election — seeking to contrast that day’s chaos with what he promises will be an orderly transition returning Trump to power for a […]

The Rude Pundit: To Make It Through the Next Four Years, Stop Hoping Someone Saves Us

Even though I’ve bailed on Uncle Elroy’s Phantasmagorical Hellscape of Incel Nazis and Rapey Transphobes, I keep my ear to the social media wall over on BlueSky and Threads. And one thing that’s bubbled up lately amid the shitting-oneself despair about the incoming Trump administration is a vague sense of hope because of the not […]

Trump Hotel In Las Vegas Evacuated After Cybertruck Ignites Outside Lobby

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is investigating after a vehicle caught fire Wednesday morning at the entryway to the Trump International Hotel. Video shared by spectators on social media appeared to show a Tesla Cybertruck engulfed in flames just outside the hotel lobby. A spokesperson for the Clark County Fire Department told HuffPost the […]

At Least 10 Killed as Man Drives Truck Into New Orleans Crowd

At least 30 more people were injured when a man intentionally drove a pickup truck into crowds on Bourbon Street early Wednesday, officials said. The man died after a shootout with the police, two law enforcement officials said. Read the rest of the story and see the live updates at The New York Times

Jimmy Carter’s journey home: Mapping the funeral plans for the coming days

Former President Jimmy Carter died Dec. 29 in his home at age 100 in the southwest Georgia town of Plains, where he and Rosalynn, his wife of 77 years, resided for most of their lives. State funeral activities will begin at 10:15 a.m. Jan. 4 at a hospital in nearby Americus, Georgia, when current and […]

SMHH VideoCast with Max Burns & Donna Halper – F 12-20-24

StephCast F 12-20-24

Dean Obeidallah: Finally, someone has the courage to stand up to Trump!

Over the past month, we have witnessed a pathetic parade of cowards who have bent a knee to Donald Trump from corporate media figures to CEOs of companies to even some Democratic officeholders who are now looking for “common ground” with the fascist. And the last few days have featured a pitiful level of surrendering […]

F.A.A. Bans Drone Flights Near Key Sites in New York

The Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday temporarily banned drone flights over parts of New York State, including sections of Brooklyn, Queens and two communities on Long Island. The regions include “some of New York’s critical infrastructure sites,” Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York said in a statement. “This action is purely precautionary,” she said. “There […]

Luigi Mangione Extradited To New York In UnitedHealthcare CEO Shooting

Luigi Mangione was extradited to New York on Thursday where he faces state and now also federal charges in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The 26-year-old was taken to Manhattan after waving his right to an extradition hearing during a morning court appearance in Pennsylvania, the state where he was arrested on […]

Hakeem Jeffries Slams GOP For Bending To The Will Of Billionaire ‘Puppeteers’

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) criticized Republicans for tanking a bipartisan government funding agreement, saying the party was bending to the will of wealthy backers and “puppeteers.” The lawmaker’s remarks were a direct attack on billionaire Elon Musk, whose displeasure with the spending bill — aired on X, the social media site he owns […]

House votes down Republican bill to avert shutdown on eve of the deadline

The House rejected a bill Thursday to keep the government funded temporarily after Republican leaders reneged on an earlier bipartisan deal and made modifications to appease President-elect Donald Trump, billionaire Elon Musk and an internal GOP revolt. The vote was 174-235, with one Democrat voting present, falling far short of the two-thirds majority needed to […]

StephCast Th 12-19-24

House Ethics Committee to release report on its Matt Gaetz investigation

The House Ethics Committee has voted to publicly release a report detailing the findings of an investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., two sources familiar with the matter told NBC News — a reversal from last month when the panel deadlockedon whether to publish the report. The report is expected to be made public […]

Federal prosecutors considering charges against Luigi Mangione in insurance CEO’s death

Federal prosecutors are looking into whether to charge Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of United Healthcare’s CEO, two sources familiar with the matter told NBC News on Wednesday. If federal charges are filed, the New York state murder case against Mangione would have priority, the sources said. Mangione, 26, was indicted Tuesday on […]

Stocks plunge following Fed inflation projections

Major stock indices plunged Wednesday after the Federal Reserve signaled a slower pace of interest rate cuts for 2025 than previously forecast, renewing concerns about how fast inflation would fall. The S&P 500 lost 2.4% and the Nasdaq Composite shed nearly 3%, with losses intensifying as markets closed for the day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled more […]

Government Shutdown Grows Closer as Trump Tells G.O.P. to Kill Spending Deal

A bipartisan spending deal to avert a shutdown was on life support on Wednesday after President-elect Donald J. Trump condemned it, leaving lawmakers without a strategy to fund the government past a Friday night deadline. Mr. Trump issued a scathing statement ordering Republicans not to support the sprawling bill, piling on to a barrage of […]

StephCast W 12-18-24

Malcolm Nance: FREEDOM! The Syrian Dictator Falls and Takes Iran & Tulsi Gabbard with Him

“Freedom! We are free of the Dictator!” said a released prisoner from Bashar al-Assad’s Saydnya Prison, a house of horrors that was the last stop for tens of thousands including many of the corpses discovered on the site. What happened in Syria is nothing less than the final leg of a revolution that started in […]

Abundant Life Christian School shooting latest: Local schools report ‘false threats’

Police are investigating the online footprint of 15-year-old Abundant Life Christian School shooting suspect Natalie Rupnow — who went by Samantha — as they piece together the course of events that left three people dead, Rupnow among them. Meanwhile, numerous schools in the Madison Metropolitan School District “were targeted by false threats often known as […]

Donald Trump Sues Iowa Newspaper, Veteran Pollster Over ‘Deceptive’ Poll

President-elect Donald Trump filed suit Monday night against the Des Moines Register newspaper and veteran Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer over a pre-election poll that showed Vice President Kamala Harris beating Trump in a state he easily carried just days later. Trump is alleging the Nov. 2 poll that had Harris 3 percentage points ahead […]

Luigi Mangione indicted on first-degree murder charge in UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killing

Luigi Mangione was indicted on first-degree murder and other charges in the ambush killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson this month, the Manhattan district attorney’s office announced Tuesday. The indictment on first-murder degree in furtherance of terrorism elevates the case against Mangione, 26, in Thompson’s killing outside a Manhattan hotel on Dec. 4. The New […]

Congress releases short-term funding bill as deadline nears to avert a holiday shutdown

Congressional leaders on Tuesday evening released the text of a short-term bill to keep the federal government open until March 14, rolling it out just days ahead of a key deadline to prevent a shutdown and after numerous delays. Funding expires at the end of Friday, when the House and the Senate hope to adjourn […]

StephCast T 12-17-24

In his first postelection news conference, Trump boasts of his popularity with CEOs

President-elect Donald Trump was upbeat at his first postelection news conference Monday, saying there was a big difference from when he took office in 2016: Some of his former adversaries are now being nice to him. “Everybody wants to be my friend,” he said about how he’s being treated by CEOs of major technology companies, […]

Judge in Trump’s hush money case denies bid to toss out guilty verdict

The New York judge who presided over Donald Trump’s hush money trial denied the president-elect’s bid to vacate his guilty verdict on presidential immunity grounds. “Defendant’s motion to dismiss the indictment and verdict is denied,” Judge Juan Merchan wrote in a ruling Monday. Merchan handed down the decision after he also denied Trump’s argument that he’s […]

‘Something strange is going on’: Trump calls for more information about N.J. drone sightings

President-elect Donald Trump said Monday that the government should disclose more information about the recent drone sightings in New Jersey. At his first press conference since winning the presidency, Trump criticized the Biden administration for not sharing more information on the drones, which were first spotted in New Jersey in November and have since become […]

What we know so far about the Abundant Life Christian School shooting in Wisconsin

A teacher and a student were killed at a private school in Wisconsin on Monday after a person authorities identified as a teenage student at Abundant Life Christian School opened fire. Six people were injured, and the suspected shooter, a 15-year-old female student, was killed, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes told reporters. Here’s what we […]

Charlie Pierce: The Curious Case of Trump And ABC News

That stirring in the earth that you felt over the weekend was the result of a man named Robert Goodloe Harper spinning at a velocity that may have rendered him invisible. Harper volunteered in a cavalry unit of the Continental Army when he was 15, and he also served in the War of 1812. In […]

StephCast M 12-16-24

Chuck Schumer requests drone detection system for New York, New Jersey as mysterious devices litter the skies

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has requested that a drone detection system be sent to New York and New Jersey after a series of mysterious drones disrupted the skies in recent weeks, even prompting a temporary shutdown at an airport over the weekend. Schumer made the request to the Department of Homeland Security on Sunday, […]

ABC News agrees to contribute $15 million to Trump presidential foundation to settle defamation suit

ABC News agreed to contribute $15 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s presidential foundation and museum to settle a defamation lawsuit brought by Trump against the network, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court on Saturday.  Trump had accused ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos of acting “with actual malice or with a reckless disregard for […]

RFK Jr. heading to Capitol Hill today for meetings ahead of confirmation hearings

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, is set to head to Capitol Hill next week for meetings with multiple senators, Kennedy’s spokesperson says. Kennedy transition spokesperson Katie Miller told ABC News that Kennedy will be on the Hill for four consecutive days for marathon […]

Nancy Pelosi ‘On The Mend’ After Hip Replacement

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) had a hip replacement after sustaining an injury while travelingearlier this week, according to a statement from her office. “Earlier this morning, Speaker Emerita Pelosi underwent a successful hip replacement and is well on the mend,” spokesperson Ian Krager said in a statement sent to HuffPost on Saturday. The statement added […]

The Rude Pundit: Sorry, CNN and MSNBC, But It’s Not Us. It’s You

I haven’t watched CNN or MSNBC for a single second in the month since the 2024 presidential election. I’ve been a loyal viewer of CNN pretty much since it started, through the bullshit times of enforced patriotism, like the first Gulf War or after 9/11, and through the transition from being a news channel to […]

StephCast F 12-13-24

SMHH VideoCast with Harry Litman & Frank Figliuzzi – F 12-13-24

Biden Commutes 1,500 Sentences, Pardons 39 People In Biggest Single-Day Act Of Clemency

President Joe Biden is commuting the sentences of roughly 1,500 people who were released from prison and placed on home confinement during the coronavirus pandemic and is pardoning 39 Americans convicted of nonviolent crimes. It’s the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history. The commutations announced Thursday are for people who have served out […]

Suspect in CEO’s killing wasn’t insured by UnitedHealthcare, company says

Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the ambush killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, was not insured by the company, the overarching business that owns it said. There is no record that Mangione, 26, was ever insured by the company, UnitedHealth Group said. Mangione is the suspect in the fatal shooting of CEO Brian Thompson on a New […]

Meta donates $1M to Trump’s inaugural fund after Zuckerberg Mar-a-Lago meeting

Meta, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, said Thursday it had donated $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural fund.  A spokesperson for the company confirmed the donation, which The Wall Street Journal reported late Wednesday.  The donation is the latest swing in the up-and-down relationship between Trump and CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s company. […]

Trump says it will be ‘hard’ to bring down grocery prices, pins hopes on lower energy costs and better supply chains

President-elect Donald Trump is acknowledging it may be difficult to bring down grocery prices, despite making it a key tenet of his presidential campaign. In an interview with Time magazine, which named him person of the year for 2024, Trump said he nevertheless believes it’ll happen through lower energy costs and supply chain improvements. Asked […]

StephCast Th 12-12-24

Mitch McConnell Says Trump Win Puts Americans In A ‘Very Dangerous World’

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) reportedly said that President-elect Donald Trump’s victory puts Americans in “a very, very dangerous world,” stressing that he plans to spend his final two years in the Senate pushing back against the growing Trump-fueled isolationism within the GOP. The 82-year-old Kentucky Republican, who last month stepped down from his role as […]

On Reddit account linked to Luigi Mangione, posts describe back pain and spinal surgery

The man charged with killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson posted online in recent years about undergoing spinal surgery and struggling with chronic back pain, numbness and restless sleep, according to what appears to be an archived version of his deleted Reddit account. Luigi Mangione, 26, was charged Monday in New York with one count of […]

Iranian ‘mothership’ isn’t behind drone sightings over New Jersey, Pentagon says

Federal officials Wednesday rejected claims the mysterious drones spotted in New Jersey are coming from an Iranian “mothership.” Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., said Wednesday on Fox News that the unidentified flying objects in his state’s skies are coming from an Iranian vessel off the East Coast — a claim the Defense Department flatly denied. […]

FBI Director Christopher Wray says he’ll resign as Donald Trump takes office

FBI Director Christopher Wray plans to resign at the end of the Biden administration, as President-elect Donald Trump takes office, Wray told bureau employees on Wednesday. “After weeks of careful thought, I’ve decided the right thing for the Bureau is for me to serve until the end of the current Administration in January and then […]

StephCast W 12-11-24

Bob Cesca: No Political Capital For Donald

As I write this, Pete Hegseth’s Mom is calling aroundtrying to convince U.S. senators to let him run the Pentagon. You know, like all alpha males. By the time you read this, it’s quite possible Hegseth will have withdrawn his nomination. Set aside his alleged sexual abuse, serial cheating… Read the rest of Bob Cesca’s […]

Pete Hegseth, Trump’s embattled Pentagon pick, appears to be gaining GOP support

President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks were back on Capitol Hill on Tuesday looking to shore up support among Republican senators, including Pete Hegseth, his embattled choice for defense secretary. Hegseth last week faced significant headwinds after new allegations of financial mismanagement, sexual impropriety and other disqualifying behavior were reported by the New Yorker. ABC News […]

Sen. Mitch McConnell says he’s ‘feeling good’ after falling and spraining his wrist

Outgoing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 82, is recovering from minor injuries after he fell following Senate Republicans’ weekly lunch Tuesday, his office said. “Leader McConnell tripped following lunch. He sustained a minor cut to the face and sprained his wrist. He has been cleared to resume his schedule,” a spokesperson said in a statement. […]

Bankruptcy judge rejects The Onion’s bid to buy Alex Jones’ Infowars

A bankruptcy judge on Tuesday rejected a bid by The Onion’s parent company to buy Alex Jones’ far-right media empire, including the website Infowars, ruling that the auction process was unfair.  U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez said after a two-day hearing that The Onion’s parent company, Global Tetrahedron, had not submitted the best bid and […]

UnitedHealthcare Shooting Suspect Has Outburst Before Hearing On Move To New York

The suspect charged with killing a health insurance executive had a brief on-camera outburst ahead of a hearing Tuesday. Luigi Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday in connection with the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan. The 26-year-old appeared at the Blair County courthouse for a hearing on his extradition […]

StephCast T 12-10-24

What We Know About The Suspect In The UnitedHealthcare CEO Shooting

The man arrested as a person of interest in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson appears to have left a digital footprint that showed scattered political beliefs and an embrace of extreme measures — including a comment about Ted Kaczynski, the domestic terrorist known as the “Unabomber.” Authorities have identified the arrested man as […]

Sen. Joni Ernst, Under MAGA Pressure, Signals Backing for Hegseth’s Pentagon Bid

Senator Joni Ernst, Republican of Iowa, signaled on Monday that she would not oppose Pete Hegseth’s bid for defense secretary, hinting at a turnabout after days of hectoring and threats by President-elect Donald J. Trump’s hard-right supporters who threatened political retribution if she failed to fall into line. Only days after emerging from a private […]

Trump picks for FBI director, defense secretary and more face pointed questions on Capitol Hill

President-elect Donald Trump‘s picks for top jobs in his administration were making the rounds on Capitol Hill on Monday ahead of potential confirmation hearings next month. Some of the choices come with controversy and face pointed questions from Republican senators. Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth has had to deal with multiple allegations of misconduct and sexual […]

Luigi Mangione has been charged with murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO

Luigi Mangione faces a second-degree murder charge in New York in connection with the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, according to an online court docket filed Monday. The 26-year-old was also charged with possession of a loaded firearm, possession of a forged instrument and criminal possession of a weapon, according to the docket. The […]

Charlie Pierce: RFK Jr.’s Nomination is Growing More Worrisome

I continue to be fascinated by speculation of what Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. may do when he’s in charge of the country’s public health systems-if, by “fascinated”, you mean running down the middle of the street, screaming like Kevin McCarthy in Invasion of the Body Snatchers. And this story, from Forbes, prompted several city blocks […]

StephCast M 12-9-24

Lara Trump Steps Down As RNC Co-Chair, Considers Bid For Florida Senate Seat

Lara Trump will step down as co-chair of the Republican National Committee as she considers a number of potential options with her father-in-law, President-elect Donald Trump, set to return to the White House. Among those possibilities is replacing Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, whom Trump tapped to be the next secretary of state. If Rubio is […]

Tulsi Gabbard Trolled by Critics After Assad’s Regime Collapses in Syria

Former U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard, President-elect Donald Trump‘s pick for the director of national intelligence (DNI), was trolled by critics online after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad‘s regime collapsed Sunday. Gabbard, a Democratic 2020 presidential candidate turned Republican Trump ally, advocates for anti-interventionist foreign policy and has been criticized for her seemingly warm view of dictators. […]

Syrian rebels capture Damascus as President Assad flees the country

The Assad family’s decadeslong reign in Syria came to an abrupt end Sunday when rebel forces captured Damascus after a stunning lightning-strike rout across the country. Hassan Abdul-Ghani, senior commander of the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), claimed victory for the rebel forces that stormed across Syria in a matter of days and entered […]

Trump will ‘most likely’ pardon Capitol rioters on day one and says Jan. 6 committee members should be jailed

President-elect Donald Trump said he is looking to pardon his supporters involved in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as soon as his first day in office, saying those incarcerated are “living in hell.”  Trump made the comments, his most sweeping since he won the election, in an exclusive interview with […]

The Rude Pundit: Note to Democrats… We Have to See You Fight, Even If It’s a Losing Cause

Since the (re)election of Donald Trump, it’s natural that Democrats would engage in some self-reflection. Of course, it’s not like Republicans did that after Trump lost in 2020 and then tried to overthrow the election. But, you know, if you’re a rational group of humans, you reassess after you lost and think about what you […]

SMHH VideoCast with Brian Tyler Cohen & Greg Proops – F 12-6-24

StephCast F 12-6-24

Secret Service chief and GOP lawmaker get into screaming match at hearing

The final hearing of the House task force that investigated the assassination attempts against Donald Trump devolved into an explosive moment Thursday as the acting U.S. Secret Service director engaged in a screaming match with a GOP congressman. During the hearing on Capitol Hill, Rep. Pat Fallon, of Texas, began his line of questioning by […]

‘Deny,’ ‘defend,’ ‘depose’ written on shell casings where UnitedHealthcare CEO was killed, official says

Shell casings found at the scene where the UnitedHealthcare CEO was shot dead by a masked gunman in front of a busy New York City hotel had “deny,” “defend” and “depose” written on them, a senior New York City law enforcement official briefed on the investigation confirmed to NBC News on Thursday. Brian Thompson, 50, […]

Biden considering blanket preemptive pardons for perceived enemies of Trump

President Biden is considering blanket preemptive pardons for prominent critics of President-elect Donald Trump in both parties to shield them from possible “retribution” or legal prosecution by the incoming administration. Multiple people familiar with the ongoing discussions tell CBS News the president has debated with senior White House aides the possibility of issuing the preemptive […]

Key GOP Sen. Joni Ernst says she’s not ready to support Hegseth for defense secretary

Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst said Thursday she isn’t ready to support Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for defense secretary. “Well, I did have a very long, lengthy discussion with Pete yesterday, and I do appreciate his service to the nation. I also am a combat veteran. So, we talked about a number of […]

StephCast Th 12-5-24

French government collapsed after no-confidence vote. What happens now?

A no-confidence vote in the French Parliament on Wednesday triggered the collapse of the government, plunging the country into political chaos and stoking anxiety about the euro zone’s second-biggest economy. Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s administration becomes the shortest-serving government in the modern French republic and the first in six decades to be toppled by a […]

Hegseth’s history with alcohol shadows Pentagon selection

By Pete Hegseth’s account, his heavy drinking began after a brush with death when an RPG ricocheted off his vehicle but didn’t explode while serving in Iraq with an Army infantry unit. When he returned home to a Manhattan apartment after the deployment ended in 2006, disconnected from the people he served with while his […]

Supreme Court skeptical of challenge to Tennessee ban on transgender youth treatments

The conservative-majority Supreme Court on Wednesday leaned toward upholding a Tennessee law that restricts gender transition treatments for minors in a significant case about transgender rights. It did not appear based on a lengthy oral argument that conservative justices believed the law constitutes a form of sex discrimination that would mean courts have to give […]

UnitedHealthcare CEO fatally shot outside NYC hotel in ‘premeditated, preplanned targeted attack’

The CEO of UnitedHealthcare was fatally shot in what police said appears to be a “premeditated, preplanned targeted attack” outside the New York Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday morning. Brian Thompson, 50, was on his way to speak at UnitedHealth Group’s investor conference when the gunman approached from behind and “fired several rounds,” […]

StephCast W 12-4-24

South Korean lawmakers seek president’s impeachment after 6-hour martial law declaration

Opposition lawmakers in South Korea moved to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday after he shocked the East Asian democracy by declaring martial law only to lift the order hours later under intense pressure. Six opposition parties, led by the Democratic Party that controls the parliament, submitted articles of impeachment against Yoon on Wednesday […]

Trump urges judge to toss hush money case, citing Hunter Biden pardon

Lawyers for President-elect Donald Trump urged the judge who presided over his conviction for falsifying business records to dismiss the indictment against him, citing the language President Joe Biden used when he announced he had pardoned his son. “Yesterday, in issuing a 10-year pardon to Hunter Biden that covers any and all crimes whether charged […]

Trump’s pick to lead the DEA withdraws from consideration

Chad Chronister, President-elect Donald Trump’s selection to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration, said Tuesday that he would withdraw from consideration. Chronister, who is the sheriff in Hillsborough County, Florida, said he would turn down Trump’s planned nomination to be the next DEA administrator just three days after Trump announced it. He is the second of […]

Trump considers replacing Hegseth with DeSantis to run Pentagon, WSJ reports

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is considering dropping his nominee to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, and nominating Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in his place, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the discussions. Hegseth’s nomination has run into trouble on Capitol Hill over allegations about his personal and professional life and […]

Malcolm Nance: Five Steps To Resist The Coming Tyranny

As you know, I have been a practitioner of intelligence collection and secret activities for over thirty years. But I have also been an ardent student of the World War Two French resistance in Nazi-occupied France. The American people can learn lessons from how French society stood firm in the face of tyranny. Why France […]

StephCast T 12-3-24

Michael Tomasky: Why Does No One Understand the Real Reason Trump Won?

I’ve had a lot of conversations since Tuesday revolving around the question of why Donald Trump won. The economy and inflation. Kamala Harris didn’t do this or that. Sexism and racism. The border. That trans-inmate ad that ran a jillion times. And so on. These conversations have usually proceeded along lines where people ask incredulously […]

Biden surges arms to Ukraine, fearing Trump will halt U.S. aid

The Biden administration is engaged in an 11th-hour scramble to provide Ukraine with billions of dollars in additional weaponry, a massive effort that is generating concerns internally about its potential to erode U.S. stockpiles and sap resources from other flash points, officials said. The lame-duck initiative was spurred in part by Russia’s battlefield momentum and […]

How Biden Changed His Mind on Pardoning Hunter: ‘Time to End All of This’

A dark sky had fallen over Nantucket, Mass., on Saturday evening when President Biden left church alongside his family after his final Thanksgiving as president. Inside a borrowed vacation compound earlier in the week, with its views of the Nantucket Harbor, Mr. Biden had met with his wife, Jill Biden, and his son Hunter Biden […]