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Trump’s newfound opposition to a TikTok ban isn’t swaying Republicans

Former President Trump reversed course and now opposes a ban on social media giant TikTok. But his new stance — and a full-court press from TikTok and its millions of users — isn’t swaying his fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill. House GOP leaders are charging ahead with a vote Wednesday on legislation that would ban […]

5 Takeaways From Hur’s Testimony About the Biden Classified Documents Inquiry

Robert K. Hur, the former special counsel who investigated President Biden’s possession of classified documents after he left the vice presidency, testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. Republicans grilled Mr. Hur about his conclusion that the evidence was insufficient to charge Mr. Biden with a crime. Democrats, for their part, attacked him for […]

Aaron Rodgers and Jesse Ventura Top R.F.K. Jr.’s List for Running Mate

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has recently approached the N.F.L. quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the former Minnesota governor and professional wrestler Jesse Ventura about serving as his running mate on an independent presidential ticket, and both have welcomed the overtures, two people familiar with the discussions said. Mr. Kennedy confirmed on Tuesday that the two men […]

Donald Trump and Joe Biden Clinch Their Party Nominations

President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump on Tuesday secured the delegates necessary to clinch their parties’ presidential nominations, according to The Associated Press, cementing a general election rematch in November months in the making. Both men and their campaigns have long anticipated this moment. Mr. Biden faced only token opposition in the Democratic […]

StephCast T 3-12-24

Writer E. Jean Carroll Could Sue Trump For Defamation Again, Her Lawyer Suggests

An attorney representing E. Jean Carroll suggested the writer might again sue former President Donald Trump for defamation after he began to launch attacks against her once more, despite a recent $83.3 million judgment penalizing him for similar remarks. Roberta Kaplan, Carroll’s lead attorney, made the comments after Trump, at a campaign rally in Georgia, […]

Trump Asks Court To Delay Hush Money Trial Until SCOTUS Rules On Immunity Claims

Donald Trump is seeking to delay his March 25 hush money trial until the Supreme Court rules on the presidential immunity claims he raised in another of his criminal cases. The Republican former president’s lawyers on Monday asked Manhattan Judge Juan Manuel Merchan to adjourn the New York criminal trial indefinitely until Trump’s immunity claim […]

Republican National Committee senior staffers among employees terminated after Trump takeover

At least four senior staffers were among the Republican National Committee employees who were terminated Monday as the Trump campaign brass more formally took the reins of the RNC, according to two sources familiar with the matter. One of the key staffers to depart was Elliot Echols, the RNC’s political director. The RNC met in […]

Former Mar-a-Lago worker comes forward and describes moving materials in Trump classified docs case

A man who says he worked at Mar-a-Lago is going public with his recollection of events leading up to the FBI’s search of Donald Trump’s Florida residence over the former president’s alleged mishandling of classified documents. In a televised interview with CNN, Brian Butler said he helped Trump aide Walt Nauta load about 10 to […]

Charlie Pierce: I No Longer Believe The Republican Party Will Ever Return To Normalcy

In Wisconsin, the political class has finally emerged, blinking and staggering, out of the long, gerrymandered nightmare that began with the election of Scott Walker a decade or so ago, only to discover that, yes, once again, the experiment has gotten out of the lab. From the AP (via Politico): Supporters of the recall campaign […]

Harry Litman: For the second time in days, the Supreme Court helped make another Trump presidency possible

The Supreme Court held Monday that a single state such as Colorado can’t prohibit Donald Trump from running for president as an insurrectionist under the 14th Amendment. It was the second time in less than a week that the court provided a crucial boost to the former president’s campaign to return to the White House. […]

StephCast M 3-11-24

Dispute Over Gaza War Heats Up Between Biden and Netanyahu

A day after President Biden asserted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “hurting Israel more than helping Israel,” Mr. Netanyahu dismissed that contention as “wrong,” escalating the leaders’ increasingly public dispute. Mr. Netanyahu, in an interview with Politico that was to be aired on Sunday night, challenged Mr. Biden’s assessment of Israel’s military strategy in […]

Biden team brings in $10 million in the 24 hours after the State of the Union

President Joe Biden’s re-election machine brought in $10 million in the 24 hours following his State of the Union address on Thursday — a financial jolt as the campaign looks to build general election momentum off the speech. The sum, which was shared first with NBC News, is a record for Biden’s re-election effort, the […]

Sen. Katie Britt attempts to clean up her misleading State of the Union response

Alabama GOP Sen. Katie Britt on Sunday responded to allegations that her response to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address was misleading. The criticism centers on a story Britt told about a victim of human trafficking, which she implied happened during Biden’s tenure. Britt spoke in her Thursday-night speech about visiting the U.S.-Mexico […]

‘Oppenheimer’ dominates Oscars, collecting trio of major awards among its 7 wins

“Oppenheimer,” Christopher Nolan’s portrait of the father of the atomic bomb, won best picture Sunday at the 96th Academy Awards, along with six other awards. The movie dominated the night, earning honors for best director (Nolan), best actor (Cillian Murphy), best supporting actor (Robert Downey Jr.), best cinematography (Hoyte van Hoytema), best film editing (Jennifer […]

The Rude Pundit: The State of the Union is, Finally, “Eat Sh**, Republicans”

One of my greatest worries in Joe Biden becoming president was that he “believes that his capacity to forgive and forget with Republicans is an asset” and that he could “work in partnership with Republicans.” I said that back in 2019 as one reason that I didn’t support him in our innocent, pre-pandemic period. And […]

SM Happy Hour VideoCast with Barb McQuade & Brooklyn Dad Defiant – 3-8-24

StephCast F 3-8-24

Biden announces ’emergency’ US military mission to build pier off Gaza coast to deliver aid

During his State of the Union speech on Thursday night, President Joe Biden announced an “emergency” military mission to construct a port in the Mediterranean Sea on Gaza’s coast to get humanitarian aid in. “I’m directing the U.S. military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier in the Mediterranean on the Gaza […]

Marjorie Taylor Greene Dons MAGA Hat, Accosts Biden At State Of The Union

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) put on a red “Make America Great Again” hat as President Joe Biden entered the House chamber to give his State of the Union address on Thursday. Greene grabbed a seat near the center aisle so she could make a video of herself greeting Biden. She handed him a pin […]

Sen. Katie Britt’s ‘Deeply Weird’ Biden Response Is Freaking People Out

Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) found her name trending on social media on Thursday night, but perhaps not for reasons she may have wanted. Britt delivered the Republican rebuttal to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union addressfrom her kitchen with theatrical flourishes, such as taking a deep, dramatic breath after using the word “breathtaking.” In […]

‘Wake up’: Biden delivers fiery State of the Union — sparring with critics and swiping at Trump

President Joe Biden said he wanted to use his State of the Union to “wake up” Congress, but he was the one who seemed suddenly energized as he sparred with Republican hecklers and repeatedly criticized former President Donald Trump. Shaking off lackluster approval ratings and his own party’s anxiety about his political and physical health, […]

StephCast Th 3-7-24

SEXY LIBERAL PRE-SALE TICKETS GO ON SALE AT 10AM LOCAL TIME THIS MORNING

Pre-sale tickets for the Sexy Liberal “Save The World” Tour go on sale THIS MORNING at 10am local time… but only if you have the super-secret code: KEY The ONLY ticket links you should use are at SexyLiberal.com – DO NOT GOOGLE ANYTHING because you will get scalper and fake ticket links.  Only use the […]

Nikki Haley ends presidential campaign with ‘no regrets,’ ceding GOP nomination to Trump

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley dropped out of the 2024 presidential race Wednesday after losing every state but Vermont in Super Tuesday’s primary contests, ceding the Republican nomination to former President Donald Trump. Haley’s decision to end her campaign effectively kicks off the general election, with Trump and President Joe Biden taking unofficial command […]

Mitch McConnell Endorses Trump, Whom He Once Denounced

Three years after delivering a scorching denouncement of Donald J. Trump after the Jan. 6 riot, Senator Mitch McConnell endorsed him for president on Wednesday, illustrating Mr. Trump’s power to bend the Republican Party to his will as he marches to the G.O.P. nomination. Mr. McConnell, the Senate Republican minority leader, and Mr. Trump had […]

Biden Preps for the State of the Union Speech and Rowdy Republicans

Fueled by throat-soothing tea, guided by teleprompters and surrounded by six aides and one historian, President Biden spent hours at Camp David last weekend honing a State of the Union speech that will be watched by one of his biggest audiences before the November election. So the pressure is on. Mr. Biden, it should be […]

StephCast W 3-6-24

Surprise! Nikki Haley Beats Donald Trump In Vermont GOP Presidential Primary

Nikki Haley on Tuesday pulled out a surprise win against Donald Trump in the Republican presidential primary in Vermont. She was right on the edge of winning more than 50% of the vote late Tuesday, as a small percentage of remaining votes were still being tallied. If she does, she’ll net herself 17 delegates. If […]

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) Announces She Won’t Seek Reelection

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) announced on Tuesday she won’t be seeking reelection in November, ending months of speculation about her political future. In a video released by her office, Sinema complained about the death of civility and compromise in American politics.` “The only political victories that matter these days are symbolic, attacking your opponents on […]

Biden to launch task force to crack down on ‘unfair and illegal pricing’ amid rising inflation

President Joe Biden on Tuesday will launch a new task force to take on “unfair and illegal” corporate pricing, which Biden sees as a major reason why consumers are not yet feeling the impact of cooling inflation rates and a strong economy. The task force will be jointly led by the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice, two agencies at the […]

Five Super Tuesday takeaways on a big night for Biden and Trump

Primaries and caucuses in 16 states and American Samoa have brought further clarity to a presidential race that has been on a glide path to a rematch of the 2020 election.  But the Super Tuesday contests also have offered the first clues about down-ballot races that will help determine control of statehouses and Congress this […]

Malcolm Nance: Remember Them… Two People Who Deserve a Trumpless America This November

This story has been an extremely difficult one to write.  Because my heart is breaking as I do it. I returned from Israel a couple of weeks ago, and a pair of terrible personal events has placed me in a very dark mood, is illuminating how serious is the situation we face. First, a tragic […]

StephCast T 3-5-24

Amy Coney Barrett disagreed with the majority over Trump, but admonished the liberals instead

Justice Amy Coney Barrett packed two very different messages into her one-page opinion on Monday as the Supreme Court declared states could not toss former President Donald Trump off the ballot. She chastised her colleagues on the right for breaking significant – and in her mind unnecessary – ground in the breadth of their legal reasoning. But then […]

Will Super Tuesday be Haley’s last stand against Trump? It’s ‘all about how competitive we can be’

Nikki Haley has repeatedly promised to remain in the Republican primary raceagainst Donald Trump until Super Tuesday, which offers the last big chance for the former governor and ambassador to start catching up to the former president in delegates for their party’s 2024 nomination. But Haley has also repeatedly hedged on her plans after Tuesday, […]

Kamala Harris Meets Israeli Cabinet Official Despite Netanyahu’s Rebuke

Vice President Kamala Harris met on Monday with a member of Israel’s wartime Cabinet who came to Washington in defiance of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the Biden administration intensifies its efforts to push more humanitarian aid into war-battered Gaza. White House officials said Benny Gantz, a centrist political rival of Netanyahu, requested the […]

Supreme Court rules states can’t kick Trump off the ballot

The Supreme Court on Monday handed a sweeping win to former President Donald Trump by ruling that states cannot kick him off the ballot over his actions leading up to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol — bringing a swift end to a case with huge implications for the 2024 election. In an unsigned […]

Charlie Pierce: This Supreme Court Decision On The Colorado Ballot Is A Death Threat To The 14th Amendment

It turns out that there is gambling going on in here. From NBC News: The court in an unsigned ruling with no dissents reversed the Colorado Supreme Court, which determined that Trump could not serve again as president under section 3 of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment. The court said the Colorado Supreme Court had wrongly […]

StephCast M 3-4-24

The Rude Pundit: Democrats Should Go on the Offensive Against the Supreme Court

Look, the Supreme Court is not some super secret cabal of demigods who fly above the filthy, earthbound realm of politics. No, they are nine human being who shit and fart and fuck (one would hope), and you only need to look at the highly political negotiations behind the scenes when decisions are being made […]

Congressional leaders release 6 spending bills to avoid a partial shutdown

Congressional leaders on Sunday came out with a package of six bills setting full-year spending levels for some federal agencies, a step forward in a long overdue funding process beset by sharp political divisions between the two parties as well as infighting among House Republicans. The release of the text of legislation over the weekend […]

Nikki Haley Defeats Donald Trump In D.C. GOP Presidential Primary

Nikki Haley on Sunday defeated Donald Trump in the GOP presidential primary in Washington, D.C., her first win against the former president. It’s a relatively tiny victory, one Trump will almost certainly use to portray Haley as a creature of the D.C. swamp. D.C.’s 19 delegates will now cast their votes for her at the […]

Kamala Harris Calls On Hamas To Agree To Immediate 6-Week Cease-Fire

Vice President Kamala Harris called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza as Israel’s relentless bombardment of the region pushes forward. “The threat of Hamas poses to the people of Israel must be eliminated. And given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate cease-fire for at least the next six weeks, […]

Supreme Court to release decisions Monday, with Trump Colorado ruling a strong possibility

The Supreme Court has indicated it will issue rulings on Monday, one of which could be the highly anticipated decision on whether Colorado can kick former President Donald Trump off the primary ballot. The court noted on its website on Sunday afternoon that rulings are expected. Trump is currently set to appear on the state […]

StephCast F 3-1-24

SM Happy Hour VideoCast with JoJo From Jerz & Dean Obeidallah – 3-1-24

Biden Says North Gaza Killings At Aid Convoy Will Complicate Negotiations

President Joe Biden said on Thursday that he believes negotiations for a possible truce between Israel and Hamas will be complicated by an incident where Gaza officials say Israeli troops killed more than 100 starving Palestinians trying to access aid. Earlier that day, Israeli forces in Gaza City fired at a crowd of Palestinians after […]

Jack Smith Proposes July 8 Start Date For Donald Trump’s Classified Documents Trial

Special counsel Jack Smith proposed a July 8 start date for the trial into former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents, according to court filings on Thursday. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon is set to hold a hearing on the timing of the trial on Friday. If she agrees to Smith’s timeline, the former […]

Congress averts a government shutdown, sending a short-term funding bill to Biden

Congress sent a short-term funding bill to President Joe Biden’s desk Thursday, averting a partial government shutdown this weekend and buying lawmakers more time to fund federal agencies through September. The Senate passed the stopgap measure, known as a continuing resolution, or CR, on a 77-13 vote; 60 votes were needed for passage under an […]

Biden invites Trump to work together to lobby Congress on an immigration bill as both candidates visit border

Both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump visited the southern border Thursday in a dramatic split-screen moment as the 2024 presidential campaign ramps up over an issue that has confounded administrations of both parties for decades: immigration. Biden’s briefing from border officials here began just moments after Trump began his remarks in Eagle […]

StephCast Th 2-29-24

Dean Obeidallah: Michiganders voting “uncommitted” in the Democratic primary are sending a message Biden needs to hear

Let’s be clear: The focus of the  “Listen to Michigan” campaign where activists are urging Michiganders to vote “uncommitted” in Tuesday’s Democratic presidential primary is neither about defeating President Biden in the primary nor in November. It’s about sending a message to Biden –per the organizers–that “funding and supporting war and occupation against the Palestinian […]

Mitch McConnell to step down from GOP leadership position in the Senate

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will step down as GOP leader in November, the Kentucky Republican announced on the Senate floor Wednesday, marking the end of an era on Capitol Hill and setting up a high-stakes race for his successor. He will continue to serve in the US Senate but will allow “the next generation […]

Judge denies Trump request to post $100M bond instead of ‘impossible’ $464M penalty in N.Y. fraud case

A New York appeals court judge on Wednesday denied a request by former President Donald Trump’s attorneys to delay enforcement of the recent $464 million judgment against him, his sons and his company. Trump’s lawyers had asked the judge to instead allow him to post a $100 million bond instead of the statutorily required full […]

Illinois judge rules Trump ineligible for Republican primary ballot over Jan. 6 riot

An Illinois judge ruled Wednesday that former President Donald Trump should be taken off the ballot for the state’s primary election, citing the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Cook County Circuit Court Judge Tracie R. Porter put her order on pause in anticipation of an appeal. The primary is March 19. Porter’s ruling […]

Supreme Court agrees to consider Trump immunity claim in further delay of election interference trial

The Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to decide whether former President Donald Trump can claim presidential immunity over criminal election interference charges, adding a new hurdle to a trial taking place. The court said in a brief order it would hear arguments and issue a ruling on the immunity claim. In the meantime, the case is […]

StephCast W 2-28-24

Fulton County hearing: Wade’s ex-lawyer mum on when Willis relationship started

After more than two hours, Tuesday’s hearing concluded without providing any revelatory information about the timeline of the romantic relationship between Fulton County prosecutor Nathan Wade and DA Fani Willis, which the defense contends started before Wade was hired, in contrast to what both Wade and Willis have testified. Judge Scott McAfee said that he […]

Donald Trump Wins Michigan Republican Primary, with 30% Rejecting Him

a surprise to virtually nobody, former President Donald Trump won a decisive victory in the Republican presidential primary in Michigan on Tuesday. Trump defeated former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, his only remaining viable competitor for the GOP presidential nomination. Trump did not campaign heavily in Michigan, holding his last event in the state ― […]

Congress nears a partial spending deal, but ticking clock raises fears of a shutdown

Congress is running out of time to keep the government open, with senators in both parties warning that they will likely need to pass another short-term funding bill to prevent a partial shutdown this weekend. “We’ve just had obstacles every step of the way,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., a member of the Appropriations Committee, […]

Biden wins the Michigan Democratic presidential primary

President Joe Biden easily won Michigan’s Democratic primary Tuesday, NBC News projects, in a contest whose only real drama came from a grassroots effort to cast protest votes over his handling of the war in Gaza. A Biden victory over his rival, Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., was never in doubt. The only question was the […]

StephCast T 2-27-24

What to watch for in the Michigan presidential primaries

The Michigan primary on Tuesday will not only assess President Joe Biden’s strength in a key battleground state, but also serve as a litmus test on the president’s refusal to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. Biden’s ardent support for Israel – whose ongoing military campaign has killed roughly 30,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run […]

Supreme Court Seems Wary of State Laws Regulating Social Media Platforms

The Supreme Court seemed skeptical on Monday of laws in Florida and Texas that bar major social media companies from making editorial judgments about which messages to allow. The laws were enacted in an effort to shield conservative voices on the sites, but a decision by the court, expected by June, will almost certainly be […]

Here we go again: Congress faces looming government shutdown deadline Friday

Congress started to return to Washington on Monday facing a familiar predicament: its back against the wall as the clock ticks down to renew funding for several key government agencies before a Friday deadline. Absent action from both chambers, Congress is staring down a partial government shutdown at the end of the day Friday — […]

Biden says he hopes to see a cease-fire by next week in the Israel-Hamas war

President Joe Biden said Monday that he hopes there will be a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war by next week. “My hope is by next Monday we will have a cease-fire,” Biden said in response to a reporter’s question while he was in New York City. “My national security adviser tells me that we’re close, […]

Charlie Pierce: Republicans Are Scrambling Like, Well, Eggs Over This IVF Decision

Chief Justice Tom Parker of the Alabama Soo-preme Court has placed a lot of important Republican asses on a very hot griddle. For decades, they placated the fanatic fetus-fondlers in their political base with half-measures and platitudes. Then the U.S. Supremes dropped the Dobbs decision into their laps and, suddenly, there was no place for […]

StephCast M 2-26-24

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Admits She’s ‘Not Sure’ How Biden Will Fare Against Potential Protest Vote in Tuesday’s Michigan Primary

Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer admitted during an interview on Sunday that she is “not sure” how President Joe Biden will perform against a possible protest vote in her state’s primary on Tuesday. On Tuesday, Democrats are hosting a primary election in Michigan where Biden may face a potential protest vote from progressive activists opposing […]

Biden is summoning congressional leaders to the White House to talk Ukraine and government funding

President Joe Biden will convene the top four congressional leaders at the White House on Tuesday to press lawmakers on passing an emergency aid package for Ukraine and Israel, as well as averting a looming government shutdownnext month, according to a White House official. The top four leaders include House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Senate […]

Jake Sullivan: ‘Of course there are concerns’ about Russian election interference in 2024

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan acknowledged Sunday that “of course there are concerns” about possible Russian interference in the 2024 presidential election. “This is not about politics,” Sullivan told NBC News’ “Meet the Press.” “This is about national security. It is about a foreign country, a foreign adversary, seeking to manipulate the politics […]

Koch network says it will stop funding Nikki Haley’s presidential bid after her South Carolina loss on Saturday

The political network financed largely by billionaire Charles Koch announced Sunday that it will no longer spend funds to support Nikki Haley’s presidential bid. Former President Donald Trump on Saturday swept to victory over Haley in South Carolina, her home state, where she once served as governor. In an email obtained by NBC News, which was […]

The Rude Pundit: Get Your Filthy Faith Out of Our Secular Legal System

One of the hopes and dreams for Jesus-fellating right-wingers and fascists who know how to manipulate the Jesus fellaters is that the 2024 election will hasten the establishment of a Christian nationalist government for this damned country. That means, among other scary shit, laws come directly from an invisible sky wizard or, you know, “God,” […]

JoJo From Jerz: Joe Biden doesn’t have to be your dream date

Look, I like Joe Biden a lot, confessedly, I like him more than a lot of people who like him like him. And even I don’t think he’s perfect. I don’t drift off to sleep imagining some scene out of Anne of Green Gables, where a fresh-faced Joe dressed in a Seersucker suit meets me […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast with Billy West & Elie Mystal – 2-23-24

StephCast F 2-23-24

Biden calls Alabama IVF ruling “outrageous and unacceptable”

President Biden on Thursday called the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos are considered children under the law “outrageous and unacceptable.”  “Make no mistake: this is a direct result of the overturning of Roe v. Wade,” Mr. Biden said in a statement, vowing to keep fighting for women’s reproductive rights “until we restore the […]

Private Lunar Lander Makes First U.S. Touchdown On The Moon In 50 Years

A private lander on Thursday made the first U.S. touchdown on the moon in more than 50 years, but managed just a weak signal back until flight controllers scrambled to gain better contact. Despite the spotty communication, Intuitive Machines, the company that built and managed the craft, confirmed that it had landed upright. But it […]

Trump moves to dismiss his classified documents indictment, citing presidential immunity

Former President Donald Trump on Thursday urged a federal judge to dismiss his classified documents case in Florida on the basis of presidential immunity, according to a court filing. “President Trump’s alleged decision to designate records as personal under the PRA and cause them to be removed from the White House—which underlies Counts 1 through […]

StephCast Th 2-22-24

Malcolm Nance: Two Weeks of Geopolitical Madness… Is the World About to Explode?

Well, the thing I’ve learned in the new year of 2024 is that one should not travel internationally and one should certainly not get sick. That’s because there’s so much mayhem and chaos in the world today that taking your eye off of one subject for just a split second will allow you to miss […]

Biden calls Putin a ‘crazy SOB’; the Kremlin says his comments debased America

Vladimir Putin is a “crazy SOB,” President Joe Biden said Wednesday — a direct stab at the Russian leader that drew a furious reaction from the Kremlin. In comments at a fundraiser in San Francisco, Biden also took aim at former President Donald Trump, ridiculing his likely opponent in the November presidential election for comparing […]

Bidens’ dog, Commander, bit Secret Service personnel in at least 24 incidents, records show

Commander Biden, President Joe Biden’s family dog, bit US Secret Service personnel in at least 24 incidents at the White House and other locations, according to new internal USSS documents obtained by CNN. That number does not include additional incidents CNN has previously reported involving executive residence staff and other White House workers. But the new documents, […]

Nikki Haley On Alabama’s IVF Ruling: ‘Embryos, To Me, Are Babies’

Republican presidential primary candidate Nikki Haley (R) is siding with the Alabama Supreme Court’s controversial ruling last week that legally equated embryos with children. “Embryos, to me, are babies,” the former South Carolina governor said in an interview with NBC News’ Ali Vitali published Wednesday. “When you talk about an embryo, you are talking about, […]

White House Weighing Executive Actions On The Border — With Immigration Powers Used By Trump

The White House is considering using provisions of federal immigration law repeatedly tapped by former President Donald Trump to unilaterally enact a sweeping crackdown at the southern border, according to three people familiar with the deliberations. The administration, stymied by Republican lawmakers who rejected a negotiated border billearlier this month, has been exploring options that […]

StephCast T 2-21-24

Tara Dublin: MSM… “Donald Trump is an adjudicated rapist. Here’s why that’s bad for Joe Biden”

OMFG JOE BIDEN IS FOUR YEARS OLDER THAN DONALD TRUMP, which is apparently a bajillion times worse than being arrested FOUR TIMES last year, having a prisoner number, and being an adjudicated rapist fraud with a court calendar longer than one of his dumb fucking red ties. Maureen Dowd, a spry young 72, wrote a […]

‘I Refuse To Quit’: Nikki Haley Vows To Stay In GOP Race Against Donald Trump

Nikki Haley, the last candidate standing between Donald Trump and the GOP nomination, doubled down on her commitment to stay in the presidential race beyond the primary in her home state this weekend, amid the latest round of negative polling for her campaign and a scathing new memo from Trump’s advisers. “Some of you, perhaps […]

Ex-FBI Informant Charged With Lying About Bidens Had Russian Intelligence Contacts, Prosecutors Say

A former FBI informant charged with making up a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden, his son Hunter and a Ukrainian energy company had contacts with Russian intelligence-affiliated officials, prosecutors said in a court paper Tuesday. Prosecutors revealed the alleged contact as they urged a judge to keep Alexander Smirnov behind bars while he […]

U.S. Vetoes U.N. Resolution Demanding Immediate Gaza Cease-Fire

The United States on Tuesday vetoed an Arab-backed and widely supported U.N. resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war in the embattled Gaza Strip, saying it would interfere with negotiations on a deal to free hostages abducted in Israel. The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 13-1 with the United Kingdom […]

Trump Compares Himself To The Late Putin Critic Alexei Navalny

Former President Donald Trump is back with another outlandish claim. Following a New York judge’s ruling in Trump’s fraud trial, which, in part, requires him to pay $355 million in fines, the former president effectively compared himself to Alexei Navalny, the late critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a town hall with Fox News […]

StephCast T 2-20-24

Trump compares Russian opposition leader Navalny’s death to his own legal woes

Former President Donald Trump on Monday compared the sudden death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a prison colonyto the legal peril he faces in the U.S., elevating a talking point in some right-wing circles linking the two in his first comments on Navalny’s death. “The sudden death of Alexei Navalny has made me […]

Biden campaign and allied Democratic groups raised $42 million in January

President Joe Biden raised a combined $42 million in January for committees supporting his re-election effort, fueled by seven-figure hauls from small-dollar donors in the days following Donald Trump’s victory in the leadoff Iowa GOP caucuses. The Biden campaign, the Democratic National Committee and other affiliated fundraising committees had $130 million in the bank at […]

Wisconsin’s Democratic Gov. Signs His Legislative Maps Into Law, Ending GOP Gerrymander

Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers signed new legislative district maps into law on Monday that he proposed and that the Republicans who control the Legislature passed to avoid having the liberal-controlled state Supreme Court draw the lines. Democrats hailed the signing as a major political victory in the swing state where the Legislature has been […]

Elie Mystal: Merrick Garland Must Go

As we wait to see if the Supreme Court will grant Donald Trump another delay in his criminal trial for obstruction of Congress, it is important to remember that Trump may succeed in pushing off proceedings until he can be reelected because of the slow-moving failure of a prosecutor who is otherwise known as Merrick […]

Charlie Pierce: Greg Abbott Thinks Texas Should Have Its Own Foreign Policy

Over the past month, Greg Abbott, the inexcusable governor of Texas, has adopted his own Articles of Confederation, defying the federal government while pursuing a ruthless campaign against migrants on the southern border. The enabling legislation for said campaign is Texas Senate Bill 4, due to activate on March 4. SB4 is as direct an […]

StephCast M 2-19-24

SM Happy Hour VideoCast with David Jolly & Paul Fitzgerald 2-16-24

StephCast F 2-16-24

Donald Trump faces another judgment day, this time in his $370 million civil fraud case

Donald Trump faces a possible nine-figure calamity Friday when a judge is expected to release his decision in the former president’s contentious New York civil fraud trial. New York Attorney General Letitia James is seeking $370 million in penalties after Judge Arthur Engoron ruled last year that Trump had over-inflated the value of his real […]

White House Clashed With Justice Dept. Over Special Counsel Report

The White House clashed with the Justice Department in the run-up to the release of a special counsel report last week about President Biden’s handling of classified information, previously undisclosed correspondence shows. The letters, obtained by The New York Times, show that a top Justice Department official rejected complaints from Mr. Biden’s lawyers about disparaging […]

FBI source charged for allegedly providing false info on Bidens, which was cited by Republicans

Special counsel David Weiss has indicted an FBI confidential source who provided derogatory information about President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden on felony false statement and obstruction charges. Weiss indicted Alexander Smirnov, 43, on one count of making a false statement and one count of creating a false and fictitious record related to […]

A defiant Fani Willis rebukes misconduct allegations in Trump election case

In a surprise turn, a defiant Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis took the stand Thursday in her misconduct hearing after a former friend disputed the timeline of her relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. The friend had described “hugging, kissing, just affection” as early as November 2021 between Willis and Wade, the lead prosecutor […]

StephCast Th 2-15-24

Special counsel Jack Smith urges Supreme Court to reject Trump bid to delay election trial

Special counsel Jack Smith asked the Supreme Court on Wednesday to reject an emergency application filed by Donald Trump that sought to further delay the former president’s criminal trial arising from efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Smith filed his response to Trump’s request six days ahead of the deadline imposed by the court. The […]

Rep. Jim Clyburn to step down from House Democratic leadership post

Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., announced Wednesday that he’s stepping down from his Democratic leadership position in the House, while a protégé signaled a desire to succeed him. “I have informed Leader Hakeem Jeffries of my intention to step down as Assistant Democratic Leader of the House Democratic Caucus,” Clyburn, 83, said in a statement.  “I […]

Russia’s pursuit of a space-based nuclear weapon raises national security concerns in Washington

Russia is developing a space-based nuclear weapondesigned to target U.S. satellites, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The weapon isn’t yet operational, the sources told NBC News, but Moscow’s pursuit of an advanced weapon that could jeopardize America’s vital satellite network has raised concern among U.S. officials, and it prompted the chair of […]

At least 1 killed in shooting at Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl celebration

At least one person was killed and as many as 21 other people were injured with gunshot wounds in a shooting in Kansas City, Missouri, after a rally Wednesday celebrating the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory, authorities said. Eight of the injured had “immediately life-threatening” injuries, seven had life-threatening injuries and six had minor injuries after […]

StephCast W 2-14-24

Verdict expected Friday in Trump’s $370 million civil fraud trial

State Judge Arthur Engoron, who presided over the $370 million civil fraud case in New York against former President Donald Trump and his company, is expected to issue his verdict in the trial by the end of the week, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told NBC News. “It is currently anticipated the […]

Biden calls Trump’s NATO remarks ‘un-American’

President Joe Biden rebuked former President Donald Trump on Tuesday for recently saying that he would encourage Russia to attack NATO nations that he thought had insufficiently spent on defense as part of the mutual protection agreement. “The former president has sent a dangerous, and shockingly, frankly, un-American signal to the world. Just a few […]

Democrat Tom Suozzi wins N.Y. special election to replace George Santos

Democratic former Rep. Tom Suozzi is heading back to Congress after he won the special election in New York’s 3rd District to replace former GOP Rep. George Santos, NBC News projects. Suozzi’s victory Tuesday over Republican Mazi Pilip cuts Republicans’ already razor-thin House majority by one seat, making legislating even more difficult moving forward. And […]

Republicans impeach Alejandro Mayorkas over the border after failing to last week

House Republicans on Tuesday night muscled through a vote to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the border, exactly one week after their first attempt to impeach him collapsed spectacularly on the floor. The vote was 214-213, with three Republicans again opposing the impeachment. Mayorkas is just the second Cabinet secretary […]

StephCast T 2-13-24

House Speaker Mike Johnson Throws Cold Water On Senate Foreign Aid Bill

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) suggested Monday that the House would not vote on a foreign aid bill working its way through the Senate this week. Johnson complained in a statement from his office that the Senate legislation, which would provide billions of dollars in aid for Israel and Ukraine, did not have any provisions […]

Trump endorses Michael Whatley to lead RNC, with Lara Trump as co-chair

Former President Donald Trump on Monday endorsed Michael Whatley to be the next head of the Republican National Committee and backed his daughter-in-law Lara Trump for co-chair. Trump had indicated that it was time for RNC chair Ronna McDaniel to step aside, but he has also said he would make recommendations about changes at the […]

Judge in Trump election case says it’s ‘possible’ D.A. Fani Willis could be disqualified over misconduct allegations

The Georgia judge presiding over the election interference case against former President Donald Trump gave the green light Monday for a hearing this week involving misconduct allegations against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and said her disqualification from the case is “possible.” Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee made the remarks at a hearing where […]

Trump seeks Supreme Court intervention in election subversion case

Former President Donald Trump on Monday filed a last-ditch request at the Supreme Court seeking to prevent his prosecution for attempting to overturn the 2020 election from moving closer to trial. Trump asked the justices to put on hold an appeals court ruling that rejected his broad claim of presidential immunity in relation to events […]

Charlie Pierce: Despite What You’ve Read In the New York Times, Trump Actually Looks Terrible

By now, I hope all shebeen regulars have taken note of the single worst passage to appear in the New York Times since the days when Walter Duranty was writing about how high-on-the-hog Ukrainians were living under the enlightened rule of Joseph Stalin. If you somehow missed it, or if you never finished it because […]

StephCast M 2-12-24

The Rude Pundit: Completely Batsh** Things from a Trump Speech That Won’t Get as Much Coverage as Biden’s Age

This week, everyone in the media apparently decided that Joe Biden is too old to be president again. One report from a Trump-appointed former US Attorney that has a few lines simping for MAGA cred by dissing Biden’s memory for shit that happened years ago, and it’s like we have to act like Biden’s crumbling […]

Donald Trump: Taylor Swift Is ‘Disloyal’ If She Endorses President Biden

Mr. Trump, feeling a little delicate? Former president Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Super Bowl Sunday to complain about pop star Taylor Swift and rumors she may endorse President Joe Biden this election cycle. Always happy to take credit for others’ success, the real estate mogul-turned-reality star claimed Swift should be grateful to […]

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin hospitalized for a bladder issue; duties transferred to deputy defense secretary

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was admitted to a critical care unit Sunday evening after being hospitalized earlier for a bladder issue, top doctors at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center said. The change in care was prompted after he underwent tests and evaluations for the “emergent bladder issue” that prompted his hospitalization Sunday afternoon, they […]

Trump says he’d let Russia do ‘whatever the hell they want’ to NATO countries that don’t pay enough

Former President Donald Trump said Saturday he would encourage Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” if it attacked a NATO country that didn’t pay enough for defense. His comments drew fierce backlash from some Republicans, the White House and leading Western officials, with the head of the trans-Atlantic alliance suggesting they could put […]

Kansas City Chiefs win thrilling Super Bowl in overtime, beating 49ers 25-22

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers, capping off a thriller in Las Vegas that saw several lead changes in the second half before ending in just the second Super Bowl to go to overtime. The Chiefs will bring home the Vince Lombardi Trophy for the second year in a row and the […]

SM Happy Hour VideoCast with Frank Figliuzzi & Kelly Carlin – 2-9-24

StephCast F 2-9-24

Defiant Biden Slams Special Counsel For Suggesting He Forgot When Son Died

In surprise remarks delivered from the White House on Thursday evening, President Joe Biden scolded special counsel Robert Hur for suggesting in his report on the handling of classified documents that the president had forgotten when his son Beau died. “There’s even reference that I don’t remember when my son died. How in the hell […]

Supreme Court signals unlikely to let Colorado kick Trump off ballot

The Supreme Court on Thursday signaled deep skepticism that Colorado had the power to remove former President Donald Trump from the Republican primary ballot because of his actions trying to overturn the 2020 election results. A majority of the justices appeared to think during the two-hour argument that states do not have a role in […]

Trump wins the Nevada Republican caucuses, continuing his march to the nomination

Former President Donald Trump easily won the Nevada caucuses on Thursday, NBC News projects, the fourth contest he has captured on his march to the GOP nomination. It was a glide path for Trump, who faced no major competition in the caucuses after most of his opponents dropped out of the race and the last […]

Biden won’t be charged in classified docs case; special counsel cites instances of ‘poor memory’

Special counsel Robert Hur has declined to prosecute President Joe Biden for his handling of classified documents but said in a report released Thursday that Biden’s practices “present serious risks to national security” and added that part of the reason he wouldn’t charge Biden was that the president could portray himself as an “elderly man […]

StephCast Th 2-8-24

Marianne Williamson ends long-shot presidential bid as Democratic challenger

Marianne Williamson ended her 2024 bid for the Democratic presidential nomination Wednesday after poor showings in the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries. “I read a quote the other day that said that sunsets are proof that endings can be beautiful, too,” Williamson said in a video on YouTube. “And so today, even though it […]

The Biden administration is considering executive action to deter illegal migration at the southern border

The Biden administration is considering taking executive action to deter illegal migration across the southern border, according to two U.S. officials. As passing legislation on border security in Congress appears unlikely, the plans under consideration signal that the White House wants to take action before numbers at the border, which have dropped in the past […]

Senate Republicans sink border bill as Schumer eyes a separate Israel and Ukraine aid vote

Senate Republicans blocked a bipartisan border security and foreign aid bill Wednesday, leaving the path for additional U.S. aid for allies Ukraine and Israel unclear. The Senate voted 49-50 to shoot down the border bill Wednesday afternoon with Republicans voting en masse to filibuster the agreement they had demanded, arguing that it wouldn’t do enough […]

Will Trump stay on the ballot? What to expect at the Supreme Court today.

The Supreme Court on Thursday will confront the critical question of Donald Trump’s eligibility to return to the White House, hearing arguments in an unprecedented case that gives the justices a central role in charting the course of a presidential election for the first time in nearly a quarter-century. The justices will decide whether Colorado’s […]

StephCast W 2-7-24

Federal Appeals Court Rejects Trump’s Claim of Absolute Immunity

A federal appeals court on Tuesday rejected former President Donald J. Trump’s claim that he was immune from prosecution on charges of plotting to subvert the results of the 2020 election, ruling that he must go to trial on a criminal indictment accusing him of seeking to overturn his loss to President Biden. The unanimous […]

Ronna McDaniel, R.N.C. Chairwoman, Plans to Step Down

The chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, Ronna McDaniel, has told former President Donald J. Trump she is planning to step down shortly after the South Carolina primary on Feb. 24, according to two people familiar with the plans. Mr. Trump is then likely to promote the chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, Michael […]

Nikki Haley loses to ‘none of these candidates’ in the Nevada GOP primary

Nikki Haley faced no major challenger Tuesday in Nevada’s presidential primary.  She still lost, according to NBC News projections.  Nevada voters in the state-run primary had a choice to reject all the candidates on the ballot, and they did just that — with more people choosing to vote for “none of these candidates” than for […]

House Republicans fail to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas

A monthslong GOP campaign to oust Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas collapsed in the House on Tuesday after Democrats and a trio of skeptical Republicans voted to reject a resolution to impeach him over his handling of the southern border. The vote was 214-216, making a stunning blow for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and House […]

StephCast T 2-6-24

Glenn Kirschner on “The Stephanie Miller Show”: Supreme Court ‘Likely’ to Allow Donald Trump Removal From Ballot

Former federal prosecutor and legal analyst Glenn Kirschner said Friday that the U.S. Supreme Courtis “likely” to allow Donald Trump to be removed from state ballots ahead of the 2024 election. Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, faces legal challenges that seek to remove him from the ballot in several states, with […]

Charlie Pierce: I’m Starting to Think Republicans Don’t Actually Want to Fix the Border Issue

Politico ran a story over the weekend about some Europeans who came over here to lobby for more aid to Ukraine and came away severely doubting the wisdom of the Founders. Take Anders Fogh Rasmussen, a conservative former prime minister of Denmark. He talked to them about his devotion to small government and how he’d […]

Mudslides, drowned highways, upended homes: Scenes from Southern California’s atmospheric river

Enriqueta Lima stood beside her car in Studio City, holding a puffer jacket over her head as a cold, steady rain fell Monday morning. Lima, 49, had parked near Fryman Road, a street in a wooded canyon lined with million-dollar homes. She cleans a house there and was trying to figure out if it was […]

Trump indicates it’s time for RNC chair Ronna McDaniel to step down

Former President Donald Trump indicated Monday that Ronna McDaniel should leave her post as head of the Republican National Committee in a shift from his past praise for her. During a Newsmax interview at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump was asked whether he thinks McDaniel should step aside. He responded affirmatively, saying: “Well, I […]

Procedure for an enlarged prostate led to King Charles’ cancer diagnosis

King Charles III was diagnosed with cancer after he underwent a procedure for an enlarged prostate, Buckingham Palace said Monday, but it did not say what kind of cancer it was or how serious the condition is. “During The King’s recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted. Subsequent […]

Senate Republicans threaten to block border security bill they negotiated

In a striking turn of events, Senate Republicans threatened Monday to block a major bipartisan package of border security measures and asylum restrictions, just one day after their chief negotiator signed off on it. GOP senators left a special closed-door meeting in the evening predicting that their party would not provide enough votes to move […]

StephCast M 2-5-24

The Rude Pundit: JD Vance Proves Again What a Vile Motherf***er He Is

You think sometimes that you’re inured to the blithe madness and the constant stream of fuckery from people in the Trump Party (formerly known as the “Republican Party”). You can hear a compliant little bitch like House Speaker Mike Johnson, who always looks like he really wants to tell you about the boy he keeps […]

At Las Vegas Rally, Biden Promotes Promises Kept

Fresh off an overwhelming victory in South Carolina’s Democratic primary, President Biden rallied supporters on Sunday in Nevada, saying that he had kept his promises to the Black and Hispanic voters who helped elect him. Mr. Biden spoke at a community center in the historic Westside neighborhood of Las Vegas, home to an African American […]

Here’s Everything You Might Have Missed At The 2024 Grammy Awards

Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Miley Cyrus and Victoria Monét won the night’s top honors, with Swift becoming the first person to win Album of the Year four times, this year for her record “Midnights.” Eilish, who wrote “What Was I Made For?” for the “Barbie” soundtrack with her brother and writing partner Finneas, won Song […]

Senators unveil $118.28 billion bipartisan bill to overhaul immigration system along with Israel, Ukraine aid

A bipartisan group of senators has released the text of a proposal of a bill that would tie billions of dollars in new foreign aid to the first major overhaul of the country’s immigration system in years. Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., hammered out an agreement that would beef […]

Potentially life-threatening storm system begins pounding California

An “extremely dangerous situation” was unfolding in the Hollywood Hills area and around the Santa Monica Mountains early Monday, as a powerful, slow-moving storm triggered mudflows and debris flows that damaged some homes and forced residents to evacuate. “Life-threatening landslides and additional flash flooding expected overnight,” the National Weather Service warned on social media. “Avoid […]

SM Happy Hour VideoCast with Rachel Bitecofer & Tristan Snell 2-2-24

StephCast F 2-2-24

Trump D.C. trial drops off court’s March calendar, clearing way for N.Y. case

Former president Donald Trump’s March 4 trial date on charges of plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 election has been dropped from the public calendar of the federal court in Washington, a sign of what has long been anticipated — that his claim of presidential immunity from criminal prosecution would delay his trial […]

Schumer Plans Vote Next Week on Border and Ukraine Deal, but Prospects Are in Doubt

Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, said on Thursday that he would set up a test vote next week on a measure pairing an immigration crackdown with tens of billions of dollars in military assistance to Ukraine and Israel, but the package is facing a rough road with Republican resistance […]

Trump’s Former Finance Chief in Negotiations to Plead Guilty to Perjury

Allen H. Weisselberg, a longtime lieutenant to Donald J. Trump, is negotiating a deal with Manhattan prosecutors that would require him to plead guilty to perjury, people with knowledge of the matter said. As part of the potential agreement with the Manhattan district attorney’s office, Mr. Weisselberg would have to admit that he lied on […]

FBI Agents Reportedly Missed ‘Hidden Room’ While Searching Mar-a-Lago for Government Documents

Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team questioned multiple witnesses about a closet and a “hidden room” that FBI agents did not enter while executing a search warrant at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in August 2022, according to ABC News. Smith is prosecuting Trump over his retention of government documents after leaving the White House. […]

StephCast Th 2-1-24

Biden holds early cash edge, Trump’s legal bills mount and other takeaways from new campaign finance reports

President Joe Biden entered the election year with an early financial edge over Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, new filings show – a bright spot for an incumbent with low approval ratings who is girding for a bruising general election rematch with his 2020 foe. Biden had nearly $46 million in cash on hand, compared with $33 […]

FBI director warns that Chinese hackers are preparing to ‘wreak havoc’ on US critical infrastructure

FBI Director Christopher Wray on Wednesday warned that Chinese hackersare preparing to “wreak havoc and cause real-world harm” to the US. “China’s hackers are positioning on American infrastructure in preparation to wreak havoc and cause real-world harm to American citizens and communities, if or when China decides the time has come to strike,” Wray told the House […]

Chuck Grassley Signals Opposition to Bill Because It ‘Makes the President Look Good’

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) indicated he may oppose a bipartisan tax bill because he said it would make President Joe Biden “look good” in an election year. The $78 billion package includes an enhanced child tax credit for low-income families and the extension of some tax benefits for businesses that were enacted in 2017. Additionally, […]

Mark Zuckerberg apologizes to parents at online child safety hearing

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologized Wednesday to parents in the audience of a Senate online child safety hearing who say Instagram contributed to their children’s suicides or exploitation. “I’m sorry for everything you’ve all gone through,” Zuckerberg said after Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., pressed him about whether he would apologize to the parents directly. “It’s […]

StephCast W 1-31-24

Dem Lawmaker Rips GOP Reps To Their Faces: ‘You Bend The Knee To The Orange Jesus’

A Democratic lawmaker slammed his Republican colleagues over their fealty to Donald Trump on Tuesday night during a marathon 15-hour session on impeachment charges against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over border security issues. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-NJ) said the House Homeland Security Committee has held 17 hearings on the border, but zero full committee […]

Trump lawyer Alina Habba makes, then backs off, ‘conflict’ allegation against E. Jean Carroll judge

Former President Donald Trump’s attorney Alina Habba on Tuesday backed off of a conflict of interest claim against the judge who presided over the E. Jean Carroll defamation trial after Carroll’s lawyer threatened to pursue sanctions. Habba on Monday filed a letter with the court citing a New York Post story that said U.S. District […]

House Republicans hold hearing on impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas

Members of the House Homeland Security Committee are meeting Tuesday to discuss the Republican-led impeachment articles against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. House Republicans accuse Mayorkas and the Biden administration of disregarding federal laws on immigration and seek to make Mayorkas the second Cabinet official to be impeached in U.S. history. Tuesday’s hearing is another […]

Biden says he has decided on response to deaths of U.S. soldiers in Jordan

President Joe Biden said Tuesday that he has made a decision on how to respond to the drone attack that killed three U.S. soldiers and injured dozens of others at a base in northeast Jordan. As Biden departed the White House on Tuesday morning, a reporter asked him whether he had made a decision in response to the […]

Malcolm Nance: A Lethal Attack in Jordan… Time to Punish Iran

Since the start of the Israeli counteroffensive operation, Swords of Iron, Iranian-backed guerilla groups in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq have been peppering US forces in the Middle East with Shahid–136 drones and ballistic missiles.  US forces have defended themselves from over 160 drone and cruise missile attacks but over 100 soldiers were wounded. Today […]

StephCast T 1-30-24

E. Jean Carroll on jury’s $83 million Trump ruling: “They said ‘enough'”

E. Jean Carroll, a writer who accused former President Donald Trump of sexual assault and was awarded $83.3 million in damages on Friday for defamatory statements, says she believes the jury was sending a message with their verdict.  “I think they said ‘enough,’” Carroll said in an interview on “CBS Mornings” on Monday. “Enough saying […]

Enemy drone that hit US base in Jordan possibly confused with American drone

An enemy drone was probably able to slip past defenses at a U.S. base in Jordan because American personnel mistook the enemy drone for one of their own returning from a surveillance mission, two U.S. officials confirmed Monday. The officials say that the explosive-laden attack drone approached the base at a low altitude and hit […]

‘This is truly a joke’: Trump lawyer blasts independent monitor’s report ahead of fraud trial ruling

Trump attorney Clifford Robert on Monday blasted a report issued last week by the former judge appointed to monitor the Trump Organization as an inaccurate depiction of the firm’s finances intended to justify the continued oversight of the company. Robert criticized the report in a scathing letter to the judge overseeing Trump’s civil fraud trial, […]

Republicans Who Screamed About A Crisis On The Border Now Oppose A Plan To Fix It

For months, Republicans have shouted from the rooftops about a migrant crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border and how President Joe Biden needs to act to address it, insisting the flow of migrants is an urgent national security threat. Now many on the right are urging their party to reject the very same things they said […]

Charlie Pierce: Could There Be a More Cursed Phrase Than ‘President Joe Manchin’?

As we know, a dream is a wish your heart makes. “President Joe Manchin” is a dream that makes your heart throw up. From CNN: Privately, the West Virginia Democrat has told people that a Joe Biden health scare or a Donald Trump conviction could give him an opening to run as an independent this […]

StephCast M 1-29-24

Dean Obeidallah: Jon Stewart returning to The Daily Show will help us win in 2024—No joke!

Jon Stewart is back! At least every Monday night that is, as Stewart returns to host Comedy Central’s The Daily Show starting Feb 12. However, Stewart will also serve as the executive producer of the show for all episodes, meaning his comedic fingerprints will be everywhere. That is great for us—and bad for Donald Trump. […]

The Rude Pundit: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Border Bullsh** Depends on Federal Funding

Many things gall the fuck out of me about Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who always looks like he’s smiling in satisfaction because a migrant child is drowning in front of him, and his completely dickish border politics to ramp up anger at President Biden and the Democrats. It’s not just his abuse of power in […]

Chiefs, 49ers in 2024 Super Bowl after Lions, Ravens losses

Christian McCaffrey scored two touchdowns and Brock Purdy threw for another score as the San Francisco 49ers rallied to a 34-31 victory over the Detroit Lions in the NFC title game Sunday, earning a Super Bowl date with the Kansas City Chiefs. Earlier in the day, defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City went to Baltimore […]

Jury Orders Trump to Pay Carroll $83.3 Million After Years of Insults

Former President Donald J. Trump was ordered by a Manhattan jury on Friday to pay $83.3 million to the writer E. Jean Carroll for defaming her in 2019 after she accused him of a decades-old rape, attacks he continued in social media posts, at news conferences and even in the midst of the trial itself. […]

Joe Biden Pokes ‘Loser’ Donald Trump’s Sore Spot In Fiery Campaign Speech

President Joe Biden on Saturday slammed former President Donald Trump as a “loser” as he called out his predecessor’s derogatory comments about America’s war dead. Biden, during his address at South Carolina’s First in the Nation Dinner, ripped Trump over reports that during his presidency he referred to American service members who died in World […]

Biden Says 3 Americans Killed, ‘Many’ Wounded In Drone Attack In Jordan

Three American service members were killed and “many” were wounded in a drone strike in Jordan, President Joe Biden said in a statement Sunday. He attributed the attack to Iran-backed militia groups. They were the first U.S. fatalities in months of strikes against American forces across the Middle East by Iranian-backed militias amid the Israel-Hamas […]

SM Happy Hour VideoCast with Victor Shi & Jill Wine-Banks 1-26-24

StephCast F 1-26-24

Alabama inmate Kenneth Smith put to death in first U.S. nitrogen gas execution

An Alabama man was put to death using nitrogen gas Thursday evening in a first-of-its-kind execution that could influence states in pursuit of a viable alternative to lethal injection. Kenneth Eugene Smith, 58, was executed by nitrogen hypoxia, in which he was strapped to a gurney and made to breathe nitrogen gas through a mask […]

‘Immoral’: Some Republicans rebuke efforts to kill immigration deal to help Trump

Tempers flared Thursday as Republicans battled among themselves over whether to accept or reject a deal for tougher immigration laws, with some pushing back on colleagues who want to bow to former President Donald Trump’s wishes and kill it. “The border is a very important issue for Donald Trump. And the fact that he would […]

Nikki Haley ramps up attacks on Trump ahead of South Carolina showdown

Nikki Haley has ramped up her criticism of Donald Trump over the course of the 2024 presidential campaign. But she’s taking the attacks and the back-and-forth to a new level as she digs into a month of campaigning in South Carolina before the state’s Feb. 24 primary. She was greeted in her home state by […]

Trump briefly testifies in E. Jean Carroll damages trial, clashes with judge

Former President Donald Trump took the witness stand in a federal courthouse Thursday in New York City, where he testified for just under five minutes after he clashed with the judge in the damages trial in E. Jean Carroll’s defamation case against him. Trump, who returned to court after his victory in Tuesday’s GOP presidential […]

StephCast Th 1-25-24

House Ethics Probe into Matt Gaetz Heats Up as Committee Requests Info from DOJ Investigation

An ethics investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and his alleged involvement with a teenage girl appeared to be ramping up, according to CNN reporter Paula Reid. Reid told Jake Tapper Wednesday, “We’ve learned that the House Ethics Committee investigating Congressman Gaetz has done a new round of outreach to potential witnesses, including a woman […]

Donald Trump Has Midnight Meltdown Over E. Jean Carroll As Trial Resumes

Donald Trump repeatedly attacked his accuser E. Jean Carroll on his Truth Social platformovernight Wednesday, just hours before the writer’s second defamation trial against him was set to resume in a New York courtroom. Trump shared a mix of 37 videos, tweets, news articles and rants over two hours. It followed a similar pattern to […]

Nikki Haley Taunts Trump Over ‘Temper Tantrum’ After He Won New Hampshire

GOP presidential candidate and second-place finisher in New Hampshire’s primary Nikki Haley blasted former President Donald Trump on Wednesday, saying his anger over her performance reflected his insecurity with her own strength in the Republican nominating contest. Trump handily won the New Hampshire race on Tuesday, bolstering his bid for the Republican nomination and prompting […]

Trump Privately Pressuring GOP Senators To ‘Kill’ Border Deal To Deny Biden A Win

Donald Trump on Wednesday privately pressured Senate Republicans to “kill” a bipartisan deal to secure the U.S. border because he doesn’t want President Joe Biden to chalk up a win ahead of the 2024 presidential election, according to a source familiar with the tenuous negotiations on the package. Trump directly reached out to several GOP […]

StephCast W 1-24-24

Malcolm Nance: Mission Middle East… What May Be Israel in Your Head, Is Likely Not Israel in Real Life.

Over the last 40 years, I have visited Israel numerous times. My first visit came in the middle of September 1983. The ship I was on had just finished taking part in a massive bombardment of the Lebanese Chouf mountains in support of the fledgling Lebanese army offensive against the the Walid Jumblatt-run PFP, the […]

Most shocking snubs and surprises from Oscar nominations

Oscar has spoken, doling out its golden-ticket nominations this morning, not ignoring the Barbenheimer phenom that ignited the box office, though skimping on the “Barbie” side of the equation. “Barbie” garnered eight nominations to a field-leading 13 for “Oppenheimer.” Once again giving the short end of the stick to comedy. But, hey, snubs and surprises […]

Biden Wins New Hampshire Primary Without Being On The Ballot

President Joe Biden won the Democratic primary in New Hampshire on Tuesday, securing a symbolic victory in spite of his absence from the ballot and the state’s irrelevance to the official nominating process. Enough New Hampshirites wrote in Biden’s name on the ballot for him to triumph over U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), self-help author […]

Donald Trump Fumes At Nikki Haley: ‘I Don’t Get Too Angry, I Get Even’

Ex-President Donald Trump fumed at former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley on Tuesday despite his victory in the New Hampshire GOP presidential primary. Delivering remarks at his election victory party in Nashua, Trump seemed peeved that Haley decided to stay in the GOP presidential race despite finishing second in the Granite State. “Who the hell was […]

Trump wins the New Hampshire Republican primary, as Nikki Haley vows to fight on

Former President Donald Trump leapt closer to the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday, defeating his lone remaining rival, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley, in New Hampshire’s primary, NBC News projects. In doing so, he put one of the final pieces in place for a long-anticipated rematch with President Joe Biden in November. The victory made the former […]

StephCast T 1-23-24

Supreme Court Backs Biden in Dispute With Texas Over Border Barrier

The Supreme Court sided with the Biden administration on Monday, allowing federal officials to cut or remove parts of a concertina-wire barrier along the Mexican border that Texas erected to keep migrants from crossing into the state. The ruling, by a 5-to-4 vote, was a victory for the administration in the increasingly bitter dispute between […]

Kamala Harris Says Trump Is ‘Proud That Women Are Silently Suffering’

Vice President Kamala Harris condemned former President Donald Trump for taking pride and credit for the reversal of Roe v. Wade, according to an exclusive CNN interviewpublished Monday. “The previous president expressed his intentions quite clearly. And fast forward to just recently, says he’s proud of what he did,” Harris told CNN journalist Laura Coates […]

Trump, Haley make their final pitches before today’s New Hampshire primary

The first six ballots of the 2024 primary season were cast at midnight today in the small town of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire. Trump received no votes and Haley received all six. Four of the voters were registered Republicans, while two were undeclared. “A great start to a great day in New Hampshire,” Haley said […]

Fake Joe Biden robocall tells New Hampshire Democrats not to vote Tuesday

The New Hampshire attorney general’s office says it is investigating what appears to be an “unlawful attempt” at voter suppression after NBC News reported on a robocall impersonating President Joe Biden that told recipients not to vote in Tuesday’s presidential primary. “Although the voice in the robocall sounds like the voice of President Biden, this […]

Charlie Pierce: Ron DeSantis Picked a Fight He Couldn’t Win

A dream is a wish your heart makes, quoth Disney’s Cinderella. Dreams do come true, if only we wish hard enough, quoth J.M. Barrie’s (and Disney’s) Peter Pan. Ron DeSantis will now return to his regular day job of misruling Florida full in the knowledge that his presidential campaign will be reckoned among history’s worst […]

StephCast M 1-22-24

The Rude Pundit: No One Hates America More Than Trump and the MAGA Cretins

Believe it or not, the election of 2020, up to and through Election Day, was pretty much a triumph of the American electoral system at all levels. At the height of a global pandemic, with hospitals overwhelmed, with corpses being kept in trailers, with supply chains fucked, we held a presidential election and that motherfucker […]

‘I Had to Follow My Compass’: Ex-Trump Lawyer Tells MSNBC Why He Bailed Just One Day Before E. Jean Carroll Trial

Joe Tacopina, a lawyer who represented former President Donald Trump, sat down for his first interview since bailing on Trump’s legal team on the eve of the E. Jean Carroll defamation trial. Saturday on MSNBC, Tacopina spoke with Rev. Al Sharpton in what he said would be his “first and only interview” addressing his 11th […]

Nikki Haley Suggests Trump Is ‘Not As Sharp’ As He ‘Used To Be’ In Response To Jan. 6 Gaffe

Nikki Haley questioned Donald Trump’s mental fitness while campaigning in New Hampshire on Saturday, where she suggested the 77-year-old former president is “not as sharp” as he “used to be.” Haley asked Republican voters to consider Trump’s age after he appeared to mix her up with Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) during a campaign speech in […]

DOJ seeks 6-month prison term for former Trump adviser convicted of contempt of Congress

The Justice Department wants former Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro to spend six months behind bars after being convicted of criminal contempt of Congress for ignoring a subpoena. Federal prosecutors said in a court filing Thursday that Navarro “deserves severe punishment” that includes a $200,000 fine in addition to prison time. He is scheduled […]

Ron DeSantis suspends his presidential bid and endorses Trump

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, once seen as the most formidable opponent to Donald Trump in the Republican presidential primary, suspended his campaign Sunday and endorsed the former president. The move comes two days before the New Hampshire primary. DeSantis made the announcement in a video on X — the same social media platform where he […]

SM Happy Hour VideoCast with Lawrence O’Donnell & Barb McQuade – 1-19-24

StephCast F 1-19-24

Trump For The First Time Concedes That His Actions May Have Been Illegal

In a middle-of-the-night, all-caps social media post, Donald Trump for the first time appears to have conceded that his actions leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol may have broken the law. “EVEN EVENTS THAT ‘CROSS THE LINE’ MUST FALL UNDER TOTAL IMMUNITY, OR IT WILL BE YEARS OF TRAUMA TRYING […]

Nikki Haley Says Pardoning A Convicted Donald Trump Would Be ‘Healing’ For The Country

Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley said it would be bad for America to see Donald Trump“sitting in a jail cell” should he be convicted in any of the multitude of legal cases against him, but added she would not preemptively pardon him. “For me, the last thing we need is an 80-year-old president sitting in […]

Congress passes stopgap bill to prevent a shutdown until March, sending it to Biden

Congress passed a bill on Thursday that would prevent a partial government shutdown this weekend and keep federal funds flowing through March 1 and March 8. The Democratic-led Senate voted 77-18 on final passage after considering a few amendments. The Republican-led House soon followed suit, passing it by a vote of 314-108. The bill now […]

Trump lawyers tell Supreme Court that removing him from ballots would unleash ‘chaos and bedlam’

Former President Donald Trump on Thursday pleaded with the Supreme Court to allow him to remain on the Republican primary ballot in Colorado as he seeks to overturn a state ruling that found him ineligible because of his role leading up to the Jan. 6. attack on the Capitol. Trump’s lawyers filed a brief laying […]

StephCast Th 1-18-24

Johnson gets squeezed by Biden, Senate GOP on Ukraine, border

(JOE BIDEN) President Biden and congressional leaders in both parties are ramping up pressure on Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to accept an expected deal on Ukraine funding and border security, warning national security is at risk without action by Congress. Security experts at a White House meeting Wednesday briefed Johnson and other leaders about the dire […]

Trump Savages Judge After Emerging from Courtroom: ‘That’s a Nasty Man’

Fresh off his contentious court appearance Wednesday, former President Donald Trump had some harsh words for Judge Lewis Kaplan, whom he called “a nasty man.” Trump was not required to be in court for Wednesday’s proceedings in E. Jean Carroll defamation’s case against him, but he said he will attend “all days.” Last year, a […]

Maine court pauses order that excluded Trump from primary ballot, pending Supreme Court ruling

The Maine Superior Court on Wednesday cleared the way for former President Donald Trump to appear on the state’s Republican presidential primary ballot for now, sending a dispute over his eligibility for a second term back to the secretary of state for further proceedings once the U.S. Supreme Court issues a ruling in a similar […]

Agitated Trump says ‘I would love it’ after judge threatens to boot him from E. Jean Carroll defamation trial

The judge presiding over E. Jean Carroll’s damages trial in New York federal court warned former President Donald Trump on Wednesday that he might bar him from the courtroom for grousing loudly and animatedly to his lawyer during Carroll’s testimony about how he repeatedly defamed her. “Mr. Trump has the right to be present here. […]

StephCast W 1-17-24

Malcolm Nance: Special Mission… Observing the Israel-HAMAS War from on the Ground

Every once in a while, somebody sends me a message that says Boy-Howdy, it sure looks like Malcolm is dropped off the grid again. Is he on another special mission to get right to the heart of explaining away something insanely complex? Well, in this particular instance, you would be correct.  I have traveled back […]

Charlie Pierce: Let’s Look at the Iowa Results With a Cold Eye

Let us be completely honest. There is no silver lining to the results of Monday’s Iowa caucuses. What coverage I watched on TV—truth be told, I watched far more of Baker Mayfield than of Steve Kornacki on Monday night—seemed focused on desperate crawling toward a mirage of hope through a democratic republic turned into some […]

SHOCK POLL: Haley Tied with Trump in New Hampshire

Nikki Haley (R-SC) is tied with Donald Trump in New Hampshire, according to a surprising new poll. American Research Group, Inc. showed Trump and Haley tied at 40% of likely Republican primary voters in the Granite State. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) was tied at 4% with Vivek Ramaswamy (R), who dropped out of the race […]

ABC Calls Off Next GOP Debate After Nikki Haley Says She Won’t Appear Without Trump

ABC News called off its Republican primary debate in New Hampshire on Thursday after former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley said she would no longer participate if former President Donald Trump failed to show up. “Our intent was to host a debate coming out of the Iowa caucuses, but we always knew that would be contingent […]

House Republicans hit pause on effort to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress

The House has stopped moving forward with a resolution to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress after Biden’s lawyers and the House Judiciary and Oversight committees renewed their conversations about scheduling a date for the president’s son to appear and testify. The two Republican-led committees voted last week to recommend that the full House […]

Trump damages trial gets underway in E. Jean Carroll defamation case with former president in courtroom

Former President Donald Trump attended his defamation damages trial in New York on Tuesday, sitting roughly 10 feet away from E. Jean Carroll, the writer whom a civil jury last year said he was responsible for sexually abusing in the 1990s. Trump was in the courtroom for jury selection but left before opening statements began […]

StephCast T 1-16-24

Trump plans to attend start of new E. Jean Carroll trial after Iowa caucuses

Former President Donald Trump intends to attend the start of the new E. Jean Carroll civil damages trial on Tuesday, according to two sources with direct knowledge of his plans. Trump plans to travel from Des Moines, Iowa, to New York City following the state’s caucuses that NBC News projected he won on Monday night, […]

‘Succession’ nabs Emmy for best drama series, ‘The Bear’ and ‘Beef’ win big

Emmys: Full winners list NBC News Drama series: “Succession”  Comedy series: “The Bear” Drama lead actress: Sarah Snook (“Succession”) Drama lead actor: Kieran Culkin (“Succession”) Limited or anthology series: “Beef” Limited/movie lead actress: Ali Wong (“Beef”)  Limited/movie lead actor: Steven Yeun (“Beef”) Variety special (live): “Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium” Read the rest of the list at […]

Vivek Ramaswamy drops out of the 2024 presidential race, endorses Trump

Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy dropped out of the 2024 presidential race Monday night after a disappointing showing in the Iowa caucuses and endorsed former President Donald Trump. Ramaswamy finished fourth in Iowa, NBC News projects, coming in well behind Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. Ramaswamy had 8% of the GOP […]

Trump easily wins the Iowa caucuses, Ron Desantis far behind in 2nd place

Donald Trump has won the Iowa caucuses, NBC News projects, cementing his firm status as the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination. Trump, who is aiming to be the first former president since Grover Cleveland in the 1890s to return to office after losing re-election to a second consecutive term, scored a record-breaking showing Monday […]

StephCast M 1-15-24

The Rude Pundit: Trump’s Silence on Death Threats Is Evidence Against Him

I remember, as I’m sure you do, in the years after the 9/11 attacks, that every time some violence was committed by someone who was Muslim, the entire Muslim community in the United States was expected, if not forced, by the right and by the media to make a statement condemning the violence. It’s always […]

Arctic blast hits US bringing life-threatening cold, South braces for snowstorm

A record-breaking Arctic cold snap is sweeping across much of the United States as the Great Lakes deal with heavy snow and the South prepares for a significant winter storm. Saturday brought record-breaking cold to much of the northern Plains, with Montana feeling the deepest chill. Chester, Montana, clocked in as the coldest spot in […]

Nikki Haley Moves Into Second In Final Iowa Poll, Trump Still Reigns

Nikki Haley rose into second place in a final Iowa poll while former President Donald Trump’s support among likely caucus-goers still makes him the overwhelming favorite to win the GOP’s first presidential nominating contest on Monday. The poll reinforced Trump’s projected strength in Iowa, while also underscoring Haley’s slow consolidation of the GOP field and […]

Trump Promises Voters Vengeance In His Final Pitch Before Iowa Caucus

Donald Trump implored his supporters Sunday to brave frigid temperatures and deliver him a decisive victory in Monday’s Iowa caucuses, saying their vote would help bring to Washington the retribution he has repeatedly promised if he returns to the White House. The former president has set sky-high expectations for his own performance in the first […]

What to Watch For in Today’s 2024 Iowa Caucuses

The coldest Iowa caucuses in history arrive Monday night amid expectations that Republicans in the state will put former President Donald J. Trump on the march to a third G.O.P. presidential nomination. The battle for second place, hard-fought between Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, will anoint […]

StephCast F 1-12-24

SMHH VideoCast with Steve Marmel & Harry Dunn 1-12-24

Trump says he’s already picked his VP and ‘can’t tell you,’ but his campaign backtracks

Former President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he’s decided who his vice presidential pick will be if he wins the 2024 Republican nomination — but his campaign quickly downplayed that claim, saying the issue hasn’t been discussed in “any great detail.” “I know who it’s going to be,” Trump told Fox News’ Bret Baier […]

Hunter Biden Pleads Not Guilty To Federal Tax Charges

President Joe Biden’s son pleaded not guilty Thursday to federal tax charges filed after the collapse of a plea deal that could have spared him the spectacle of a criminal trial during the 2024 campaign. Hunter Biden has been accused of nine felony and misdemeanor tax offenses. The charges stem from what federal prosecutors say […]

U.S. Missiles Strike Targets in Yemen Linked to the Houthi Militia

The United States and five of its allies on Thursday carried out military strikes against more than a dozen targets in Yemen controlled by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia, in an expansion of the war in the Middle East that the Biden administration had sought to avoid for the past three months. The American-led air and […]

Trump rants that New York civil trial is a ‘fraud on me’ after judge allows him to speak during closing arguments

An angry Donald Trump told the judge presiding over his New York civil fraud trial Thursday that the case is “a fraud on me,” while lawyers from the state attorney general’s office painted the former president as a remorseless fraudster who intentionally lied about his net worth in a successful scheme to line his pockets […]

StephCast Th 1-11-24

‘You Have No Balls’: House Committee Descends Into Chaos As Hunter Biden Crashes Contempt Vote

President Joe Biden’s son made a surprise appearance Wednesday at a House Oversight Committee hearing where Republicans approved a resolution holding him in contempt of Congress. Hunter Biden’s arrival served as a reminder that he has offered to testify in response to Republicans’ subpoena for his testimony ― but only in public. Republicans have insisted […]

Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley use a few key themes to bludgeon each other in debate

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley tore into each other in Wednesday night’s Republican presidential primary debate in Iowa. The rivals leaned on a few key themes to hit each other throughout the CNN debate, suggesting the other is fundamentally unfit for the job instead of merely being wrong on […]

Judge in New York fraud trial won’t allow Trump to deliver part of closing arguments himself

The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s civil fraud case will not allow the former president to speak during closing arguments in the trial Thursday after Trump refused to say he would stick to the facts of the case and not engage in any attacks. Trump had asked to deliver part of the arguments himself, said a […]

Chris Christie drops out of the 2024 presidential race

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced Wednesday that he is getting out of the 2024 presidential campaign — as his main competition for moderate votes in the New Hampshire primary, Nikki Haley, gains on Donald Trump in the state. “It’s clear to me tonight that there isn’t a path for me to win the […]

Dr. Irwin Redlener: Children In War, Lessons From Ukraine

In the history of war, civilians rarely get a pass. Noncombatants, including children, are inevitably in harm’s way. It doesn’t matter whether the conflict is centered around raw conquest and expansionism, religious dominance, fighting evil, insurgencies, or misinformation. Civilian innocence is rarely a consideration in the pursuit of security, power, riches, or hegemony. So it is now with the ongoing […]

StephCast W 1-10-24

Trump fraud trial: Trump intends to deliver part of closing argument on Thursday himself, say sources

Former President Trump intends to personally deliver part of the defense’s closing argument at the conclusion of his civil fraud trial in New York on Thursday, sources familiar with the former president’s strategy tell ABC News. The defendants in the case — Trump, his two eldest sons and two former Trump Organization executives — are […]

Biden Learned About Lloyd Austin’s Prostate Cancer YESTERDAY MORNING — Eight Days After He Was Hospitalized

National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirbyrevealed that President Joe Biden only found out that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had been diagnosed with cancer on Tuesday morning, two weeks after Austin underwent a procedure pertaining to that diagnoisis, eight days after Austin entered the hospital for a prolonged stay, and five days […]

‘Utter Disgrace’: Trump Slammed After Admitting He Hopes Economy Crashes This Year

Critics are calling out Donald Trump for saying he’s hoping for an economic crash this year. Stocks are surging, unemployment is near historic lows and the nation appears to have avoided a predicted recession. Yet Trump claimed on Monday that the economy is “fragile” and running on “fumes” as he warned of a crash. “And […]

Judges skeptical of Trump’s immunity appeal at court hearing in 2020 election interference case

Federal appeals court judges on Tuesday questioned former President Donald Trump’s broad claim of immunity from prosecution for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election that resulted in a chain of events that culminated in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The all-woman three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for […]

StephCast T 1-9-24

Charlie Pierce: Jack Smith’s Latest Filing Is More Proof Trump Did F*ck All to Stop the Goons on January 6

Every president swears to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and every printed copy of said Constitution says that one of its original purposes is to “insure domestic tranquility.” “All of us here today do not want to see our election victory stolen by emboldened radical-left Democrats, which is what they’re […]

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin leaves intensive care amid growing scrutiny of Pentagon secrecy

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, whose failure to disclose his need for emergency hospitalization has ignited a firestorm, was moved out of intensive care on Monday, as Democrats and Republicans intensified their calls for accountability, and senior officials at the White House and Pentagon struggled to defuse the uproar. Austin, 70, remains under doctors’ supervision at […]

Trump Says He Hopes Economic ‘Crash’ He Predicted Happens in ‘Next 12 Months’

Former President Donald Trump predicted the country will face an economic crisis and he hopes it happens within the next year. On Monday night, President Joe Biden’s campaign posted a 10-second video on X/Twitter of the former president giving an interview on Lindell TV – a platform owned by Trump supporter and pillow magnate Mike […]

Trump Claims Presidential Immunity In Georgia Election Case

Donald Trump is once again claiming presidential immunity in one of the many legal challenges mounted against him, this time in his Georgia racketeering case. The former president’s lawyers filed the presidential immunity motion Monday in Georgia’s Fulton County Superior Court, where he’s facing 13 felony charges related to his attempts to overturn the state’s […]

Joe Biden in South Carolina Compares 2020 Election Deniers To Confederates After Civil War

Speaking to a predominantly Black audience on Monday at the site of the worst white supremacist terror attack in recent U.S. history, President Joe Biden compared the people who falsely assert that the 2020 election was stolen to defeated members of the Confederacy making spurious claims about the Civil War. Biden’s remarks from the pulpit […]

StephCast M 1-8-24

Mehdi Hasan Leaves MSNBC In Surprise Announcement At End Of Final Sunday Show

Mehdi Hasan signed off on Sunday evening’s final episode of MSNBC’s The Mehdi Hasan Show by announcing he is leaving the cable news network. “As we begin 2024, with an election coming, a war still ongoing, and too many Trump trials honestly to even keep track of, and with this show going away, I’ve decided […]

Congress reaches a deal on how much to spend for 2024 as shutdown deadline nears

House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced a deal Sunday on how much the U.S. government will spend in the new year, a significant step toward avoiding a shutdown. But while the agreement on a “topline” spending level breaks a logjam that had stalled the process, it doesn’t necessarily extinguish the […]

Trump Says ‘J6 Hostages’ Have ‘Suffered Enough’ On Anniversary Of Deadly Capitol Attack

Former President Donald Trump, campaigning in Iowa Saturday, marked the third anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol by casting the migrant surge on the southern border as the “real” insurrection. Just over a week before the Republican nomination process begins with Iowa’s kickoff caucuses, Trump did not explicitly acknowledge the […]

Supreme Court agrees to weigh whether Trump can be kicked off ballot in Colorado

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to consider whether former President Donald Trump could be deemed ineligible to run for federal office again because of his actions leading up to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol — a case that could have a seismic impact on the presidential election. The justices will review a […]

‘An Outrage!’ Pentagon Under Intense Fire For ‘Huge’ Failure To Disclose Def. Sec. Austin Hospitalized In Intensive Care — FIVE Days Ago

The Pentagon and President Joe Biden’s administration took intense heat on Friday and Saturday from politicos and journos alike after a Friday news dump from DOD revealed that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had been hospitalized — on Monday. And the criticism mounted from the Pentagon Press Association and others after learning he’d been in […]

‘F*cking Pedophiles!’ Watch Disturbing New Footage of Republican Congressmen Confronting Jan. 6 Rioters

New footage of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol was made public on Saturday, the three-year anniversary of the attack by Trump supporters that left multiple people dead and hundreds more wounded. The eight-minute video, which was filmed by Jan. 6 rioter Damon Beckley, was obtained and first reported by NBC News correspondent […]

The Rude Pundit: When You Say Trump Should Be Allowed to Run for Office, You Sound Like a F***ing Idiot

Jesus fuck, stop being such pedantic idiots about whether or not Donald Trump should be prohibited from holding public office. The fucking 14th Amendment is absolutely fucking clear that he shouldn’t be allowed near an election. And yet we keep having these pearl-clutching debates about what it means, how it’s the end of democracy, and […]

Trump Received Millions From Foreign Governments as President, Report Finds

Donald J. Trump’s businesses received at least $7.8 million from 20 foreign governments during his presidency, according to new documents released by House Democrats on Thursday that show how much he received from overseas transactions while he was in the White House, most of it from China. The transactions, detailed in a 156-page report called […]

SM Happy Hour Videocast with Olivia Troye & Barbara McQuade 12-22-23

StephCast F 12-22-23

Gunman kills 14 people and wounds 25 others at Prague university

A shooter killed at least 14 people and wounded 25 others at a university in Prague on Thursday in the deadliest mass shooting the Czech Republic has seen in decades. Authorities believe the gunman, a 24-year-old man, died by suicide, Czech Police Chief Martin Vondrášek said Thursday evening, but added it had not yet been confirmed. The […]

Rudy Giuliani Files For Bankruptcy

Rudy Giuliani filed for bankruptcy in New York on Thursday, court records show. In the filing, the former New York City mayor listed nearly $152 million in debts, including legal fees and unpaid taxes. He lists his assets at between $1 million and $10 million. The filing comes one day after Giuliani, Donald Trump’s former […]

Jack Smith To SCOTUS: Yes, There Absolutely Is A Reason To Rush Trump’s Case

Responding to Donald Trump’s claim to the Supreme Court that there was no reason to rush the proceedings in the Jan. 6 criminal case against him, special counsel Jack Smith on Thursday told the high court: Oh, yes, there is — the former president’s unprecedented attempt to remain in power despite losing his election. “The […]

Recording Shows Trump Pressed Michigan Republicans To Not Certify Election Results: Report

Former President Donald Trump was recorded pressing two Wayne County, Michigan, election canvassers to not certify the results of the 2020 presidential election, the Detroit News reported Thursday. According to four recordings listened to by the Detroit News, which were reportedly made by a person present during the conversation, the then-president and Ronna McDaniel, the […]

StephCast Th 12-21-23

Colorado Supreme Court justices face a flood of threats after disqualifying Trump from the ballot

In the 24 hours since the Colorado Supreme Court kicked former President Donald Trump off the state’s Republican primary ballot, social media outlets have been flooded with threats against the justices who ruled in the case, according to a report obtained by NBC News. Advance Democracy, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that conducts public interest research, […]

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott escalates border fight by chartering migrant flight to Chicago

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for the first time this week chartered a plane to fly migrants from his state to Chicago, marking an escalation after months of having bused migrants to Democratic-run cities to protest President Joe Biden‘s border policies. Abbott, a Republican, acted after Chicago began impounding buses carrying migrants. The city has said […]

CDC director says U.S. isn’t yet near peak Covid or flu levels for the season

Winter officially begins Thursday, and with the cold season comes an expected rise in rates of flu and Covid, said Dr. Mandy Cohen, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The U.S. is seeing a “sharp increase” in flu levels right now, particularly in the south, Cohen said Wednesday in an interview. […]

Trump urges Supreme Court not to intervene immediately on election interference immunity issue

Lawyers for Donald Trump on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to avoid deciding, for now, the key issue of whether the former president has broad immunity for actions he took challenging the 2020 presidential elections result. The court filing was in response to special counsel Jack Smith’s request last week asking the justices to circumvent […]

StephCast W 12-20-23

Malcolm Nance: A Fight to the Death… Can Israel Destroy HAMAS? Part 1

In 2004, the United States Army, Marines and Iraqi Army carried out Operation Phantom Fury, also known as al-Fajr “Dawn”.  The Iraqi city of Fallujah had a population of 300,000.  For over a year and had become a hotbed and safe haven for the Saddam’s fedayeen, a terrorist force formed by Saddam Hussein to oppose […]

Congress Abandons Ukraine Aid Until Next Year as Border Talks Continue

Congress gave up Tuesday on a last-ditch bid to speed through emergency military aid to Ukraine before the end of the year, as negotiators failed to cement a deal that Republicans have demanded tying the money to a crackdown on migration across the U.S. border with Mexico. “It is our hope that their efforts will […]

Judge orders Rep. Scott Perry to turn over nearly 1,700 cellphone records in Jan. 6 probe

Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., must disclose 1,659 documents to government investigators, a federal judge ruled Tuesday, finding that the communication records were not protected by the speech or debate clause of the Constitution. The court order is the latest twist in a Jan. 6-related investigation that has made its way through courts for months and […]

Trump doubles down on immigrant ‘blood’ remark, says he ‘never read Mein Kampf’

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday doubled down on his widely criticized comments about immigration by suggesting that people crossing the border illegally into the United States are “destroying the blood of our country.” “They dump them on the border, and they pour into our country, and nobody said to check them,” Trump said at […]

Colorado Supreme Court kicks Trump off the state’s 2024 primary ballot for violating the U.S. Constitution

In a bombshell decision, Colorado’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that former President Donald Trump‘s candidacy in the state’s primary next year is prohibited on constitutional grounds. The first-of-its kind ruling stems from a lawsuit that focused a little-known provision in the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Similar challenges in other states have proven […]

StephCast T 12-19-23

Texas Gov. Abbott signs bill to let police make immigration arrests

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed a measure Monday that gives law enforcement officials the power to arrest immigrants entering the state illegally from Mexico. The bill, known as S.B. 4, also gives Texas courts the power to issue orders to immigrants suspected to have entered the state illegally to return to the country through […]

Federal appeals court rejects Mark Meadows’ bid to move his Georgia election case to federal court

A federal appeals court in Georgia has rejected a bid by former Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to remove his Fulton County election interference case into federal court, affirming a lower court’s decision that left it in state court. In its opinion, the appeals court found that “the events giving rise to this criminal […]

Judge Rejects Trump’s Bid To Toss Fraud Lawsuit In Scathing New Ruling

Former President Donald Trump has lost his latest bid to end the business fraud lawsuit he faces in New York as he campaigns to reclaim the White House. Judge Arthur Engoron issued a written ruling Monday denying the Republican’s latest request for a verdict in his favor in a lawsuit brought by New York Attorney […]

Rudy Giuliani sued again by former election workers who now want a court order against further defamatory remarks

Days after being awarded $148 million in damages against Rudy Giuliani in a defamation suit, two former Georgia election workers have filed a new lawsuit against the former Trump lawyer over remarks he made about them immediately after Friday’s verdict. The new suit by Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss seeks a court order permanently barring […]

Harry Litman: How Jack Smith’s risky but clever maneuver in the Jan. 6 prosecution puts Trump in a bind

Special counsel Jack Smith’s petition Monday for expedited Supreme Court consideration of Donald Trump’s claim of immunity from prosecution was a rare, risky and masterly move. It’s likely to upend Trump’s chief strategy of delaying the federal Jan. 6 trial until next year’s election. Smith won on the immunity question in the trial court, where […]