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Charlie Pierce: The Republican Frontrunner Is Copping Lines From Adolf F*cking Hitler

Where are the rest of them? Are there enough beds in Iowa and New Hampshire under which they can hide? Ron? Nikki? Chris Christie is at least trying to confront the peril, but that’s balanced out by Vivek Ramaswamy, who wants to be the legal ward and heir to the peril itself. But some of […]

StephCast M 12-18-23

Dean Obeidallah: It wasn’t just Giuliani, Trump also made the lives of Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss a nightmare

Indicted and soon to be disbarred lawyer Rudy Giuliani was ordered Friday by a federal jury to pay former Georgia election workers Shaye Moss and Ruby “Lady” Freeman nearly $150 million in damages for his repeated and false accusations against them after the 2020 election. As Lady Freeman said after the verdict, “Today is a […]

Trump says immigrants are ‘poisoning the blood of our country.’ Biden campaign likens comments to Hitler

Former President Donald Trump said immigrants coming to the U.S. are “poisoning the blood of our country,” a remark on Saturday that quickly drew a rebuke from his chief Democratic rival as President Joe Biden’s campaign likened the words to those of Adolf Hitler. “They let — I think the real number is 15, 16 […]

Florida Republican Party Suspends Chairman, Demands Resignation Amid Rape Investigation

The Republican Party of Florida suspended Chairman Christian Ziegler and demanded his resignation during an emergency meeting Sunday, adding to calls by Gov. Ron DeSantis and other top officials for him to step down as police investigate a rape accusation against him. Ziegler is accused of raping a woman with whom he and his wife, […]

Israel Faces New Calls For Truce After Killing Of Hostages Raises Alarm

Israel’s government faced calls for a cease-fire from some of its closest European allies on Sunday after a series of shootings, including the mistaken killing of three Israeli hostages, fueled global concerns about the conduct of the 10-week-old war in Gaza. Israeli protesters are urging their government to renew negotiations with Gaza’s Hamas rulers, whom […]

Biden unharmed after car strikes president’s motorcade in Delaware

A sedan smacked into a Secret Service vehicle that was part of President Joe Biden’s motorcade in Delaware on Sunday night. Following the crash, U.S. Secret Service agents whisked Biden into a vehicle. Agents quickly surrounded the sedan with guns drawn and aimed at its driver, who had his hands up. The cause of the […]

StephCast F 12-15-23

SM Happy Hour VideoCast with Wendy Davis & Jill Wine-Banks

Giuliani defamation trial: Jurors will continue deliberations on Friday

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is on trial in Washington, D.C., this week for defaming Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss in the aftermath of the 2020 election. Giuliani, acting on behalf of former President Donald Trump, accused the mother and daughter of committing election fraud while the two were […]

Both sides have rested their case in Trump’s civil fraud trial. What happens now?

The lights are out in Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial. After 44 days of testimony, the trial is set to resume in January with closing arguments. A final decision in the case is not expected until late January or early February, when Judge Arthur Engoron issues a written opinion. “We have oral arguments scheduled for […]

Apology Letters By Sidney Powell And Kenneth Chesebro In Georgia Election Case Are One Sentence Long

The apology letters that Donald Trump-allied lawyers Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro were required to write as a condition of their plea deals in the Georgia election interference case are just one sentence long. The letters, obtained Thursday by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution through an open records request, were hand-written and terse. Neither letter acknowledges the […]

As House adjourns, Senate delays holiday recess to work on immigration deal

As the House adjourned Thursday for Christmas recess with plans to return in the new year, the Senate decided to delay its holiday break and return next week to hammer out a deal on immigration and aid to Ukraine and Israel. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that shift on the floor Thursday afternoon, one […]

StephCast Th 12-14-23

Court grants special counsel’s request to expedite Trump’s immunity appeal in election interference case

A federal court on Wednesday granted special counsel Jack Smith’s request for an expedited appeal in the election interference case against former President Donald Trump. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit set several deadlines for prosecutors and the defense to file briefs laying out their positions on Trump’s argument that the case […]

Judge hits pause on Trump federal election case over presidential immunity appeal

The judge presiding over the federal election interference case against Donald Trump halted all proceedings in the criminal case on Wednesday pending the outcome of Trump’s appeal arguing he’s protected by presidential immunity. All pending deadlines and court dates in the case will be put on pause but not vacated, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan […]

Hunter Biden defies House Republican’s subpoena that he testify in private

Hunter Biden on Wednesday repeated his offer to appear at a public hearing on Capitol Hill, defying a House Republican-issued subpoena that called for him to testify instead at a closed-door deposition. President Joe Biden’s son lashed out at Republicans during brief remarks standing outside of the U.S. Capitol, saying, “I’m here today to make […]

House Republicans vote to authorize their impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden

The GOP-controlled House on Wednesday voted to authorize its impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden — a formal step Republicans believe will grant them the ability to better enforce their subpoenas in the courts. The 221-212 vote was along party lines, with all Republicans voting yes and all Democrats voting no. “The impeachment power resides […]

StephCast W 12-13-23

COP28 climate summit OK’s controversial “historic” pact to fight climate change

United Nations climate negotiators directed the world on Wednesday to transition away from planet-warming fossil fuels in a move the talks’ chief called “historic,” despite critics’ worries about loopholes. Within minutes of opening Wednesday’ session, COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber gaveled approval of the central document, which says how far the world is off-track its climate-fighting […]

Trump’s defense concludes its case in New York fraud trial

Lawyers for former President Donald Trump ended a month-long procession of more than a dozen witnesses Tuesday with testimony from a feisty, combative accounting professor named Eli Bartov, who proclaimed that New York Attorney General Letitia James’ case against Trump is “absurd.” Bartov’s appearance marked the end of the two sides’ core cases in the […]

Biden warns Netanyahu that Israel is losing support worldwide and its government must ‘change’

President Joe Biden appeared Tuesday to offer his harshest criticism yet of the Israeli government since Hamas’ terrorist attack on Oct. 7, saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a “tough decision to make.” Biden made the remarks at an off-camera campaign reception in Washington on Tuesday afternoon, suggesting that Netanyahu’s government is hindering a […]

Biden announces $200M in aid for Ukraine as Zelenskyy meets GOP skepticism in Congress

President Joe Biden announced $200 million in pre-approved aid for Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s marathon day of meetings here on Tuesday. The latest tranche of assistance came as the Ukrainian president visited the White House and Capitol Hill to make the case for additional U.S. support as an aid package with billions in funds […]

StephCast T 12-12-23

Special Counsel Jack Smith Plans To Use Trump’s Cell Phone Data At Trial

Special counsel Jack Smith plans to present former President Donald Trump’s cell phone data as evidence during his federal election interference trial, according to new court filings. Smith’s office filed a notice Monday saying prosecutors plan to call several expert witnesses during the trial to explain Trump’s cell phone use during and after the Jan. […]

Special counsel asks Supreme Court to immediately decide if Trump is immune from Jan. 6 prosecution

Special counsel Jack Smith on Monday asked the Supreme Court to immediately step in to decide whether former President Donald Trump has immunity from prosecution for his actions seeking to overturn the 2020 election. “This case presents a fundamental question at the heart of our democracy: whether a former President is absolutely immune from federal […]

George Santos is in plea negotiation talks, prosecutors say

Former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., is in plea negotiations with federal prosecutors over the criminal charges filed against him this year, according to a new court filing. “The parties are presently engaged in plea negotiations with the goal of resolving this matter without the need for a trial,” prosecutors wrote Monday in a document submitted […]

Texas Supreme Court rules against woman who sought abortion hours after she says she’ll travel out of state

A Texas woman whose fetus has a fatal diagnosis and who was awaiting a decision from the Texas Supreme Court about whether she would be allowed to get an abortion said Monday that she has decided to leave Texas to get the procedure. Kate Cox, a mother of two who is around 20 weeks pregnant, […]

Charlie Pierce: We Now Know What Jack Smith’s Case Against Trump Looks Like

Sometimes, within the blizzard of legal papers occasioned by the crimes and sedition of the former president*, you have to step back and filter all the filings and rulings and counter-filings to find the hidden significance of any single item. Over the weekend, special counsel Jack Smith filed what is officially titled a GOVERNMENT’S NOTICE […]

StephCast M 12-11-23

UPenn President Resigns Days After Backlash Over Comments About Antisemitism

University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill resigned from her position Saturday, following comments she made about antisemitism earlier this week. “It has been my privilege to serve as President of this remarkable institution,” Magill wrote in a statement. “It has been an honor to work with our faculty, students, staff, alumni, and community members to […]

Texas Supreme Court temporarily blocks ruling that allowed woman emergency abortion

The Texas Supreme Court temporarily blocked a historic lower court ruling on Friday that allowed a Texas woman to get an emergency abortion. The state’s attorney general asked the high court to reverse a judge’s decision granting a woman’s request for an abortion for a pregnancy with a severe anomaly. The Supreme Court said it […]

Biden invites Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to the White House on Tuesday

President Joe Biden invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the White House for a meeting on Tuesday and he has accepted, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and another White House official said Sunday. Biden intends to “underscore the United States’ unshakeable commitment to supporting the people of Ukraine” in its war against Russia, Jean-Pierre said. “As […]

In a reversal, Donald Trump says he won’t testify in his own defense in New York fraud trial

In an eleventh-hour reversal, former President Donald Trump announced Sunday he will not go back on the witness stand in the $250 million civil fraud trial against him and his company. “I have already testified to everything & have nothing more to say other than this is a complete & total election interference (Biden campaign!) […]

The Rude Pundit: The Republican Strategy… Make Everyone Think Democrats Are as Fucking Awful as They Are

There is one thing tying together a bunch of shit that Republicans are doing right now. They know that the GOP brand is tarnished with insurrection, hatefulness, and the stink of Trump. Rather than try to change or kick Donald Trump to the curb, which would be hard work involving convincing the idiot hordes of […]

SM Happy Hour VideoCast with Joyce Vance & Politics Girl – 12-8-23

StephCast F 12-8-23

StephCast Th 12-7-23

StephCast W 12-6-23

Tuberville Drops Blockade of Most Military Promotions

Senator Tommy Tuberville, Republican of Alabama, on Tuesday lifted his blockade of nearly all the military promotions he had delayed for almost a year in protest of a Pentagon policy ensuring abortion access for service members, saying he would continue to hold up only the most senior generals. Hours after Mr. Tuberville said he would […]

Republicans storm out of briefing as Congress battles over Israel and Ukraine aid package

A classified briefing for senators on the White House‘s request for aid for Israel and Ukraine became “heated” Tuesday, with Republican members storming out of the meeting. The briefing, led by the secretaries of defense and state, as well as the director of national intelligence and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was […]

Biden says that ‘if Trump wasn’t running, I’m not sure I’d be running’

President Joe Biden said Tuesday that his re-election campaign was prompted in part by Donald Trump’s decision to run for president again and an effort to block his predecessor from reclaiming the White House. “If Trump wasn’t running, I’m not sure I’d be running,” Biden said at a campaign event in Boston, adding that he […]

Trump says he won’t be a dictator if elected, ‘except for Day One’

Former President Donald Trump said at a Fox News town hall Tuesday that he would not be a dictator “except for Day One” if he is elected president next year. Trump’s comments at the taped event in Iowa came in response to host Sean Hannity’s asking him whether he would abuse the power of the […]

StephCast T 12-5-23

Charlie Pierce: Gone Fishin’

For some time, looking out my left eye has been like looking through a damn ice cube. So, on Tuesday, I’m having a cataract removed. (I would like to have a calendar year without surgery. Am I asking for the moon?) Due to this eventuality, I will be hors de blogging for a couple of […]

Trump fraud trial: Trump likely to attend trial Thursday

Former President Donald Trump will likely attend his civil fraud trial on Thursday, according to sources familiar with the matter. He is not expected to be in attendance on Wednesday when his son Eric testifies. Trump last attended the trial on Nov. 6 when he testified as the last state witness. In total, the former […]

White House Warns Ukraine Aid Is Running Out, Pressing Congress for More

The White House warned congressional leaders on Monday that the United States would run out of money to send weapons to Ukraine by year’s end, severely jeopardizing Kyiv’s ability to defend itself against Russia if lawmakers fail to approve emergency military aid soon. The urgent warning from President Biden’s top budget official, delivered in a […]

Fetterman commissions George Santos to record Cameo message for indicted Sen. Bob Menendez

Sen. John Fetterman commissioned expelled Rep. George Santos to unwittingly make a video on the celebrity video message platform Cameo telling Sen. Bob Menendez – whom Fetterman has called on to resign over charges he acted as a foreign agent to Egypt – to “stay strong.” “I thought my ethically-challenged colleague @BobMenendezNJ could use some […]

House Oversight Republicans flaunt payments made by Hunter Biden to his dad; documents say they were for a car

Republicans on the House Oversight Committee released a document showing payment from Hunter Biden’s business entity, Owasco PC, to President Joe Biden when he was not in office, but neglected to include evidence that the president’s son was repaying his father for a car. The redacted document provided to CNN shows that an account affiliated […]

StephCast M 12-4-23

James Comer Claims GOP House Moderates Will Now Vote to Impeach Biden Because Constituents They Met at Walmart Want it

Representative James Comer (KY) claimed his fellow House Republicans have enough votes to advance their impeachment inquiry into President Joe Bidenbecause — as he put it — the Walmart shoppers have spoken. The House Oversight Committee chairman joined Maria Bartiromo for Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, where they spoke about when and if Republicans would […]

Florida Republican chairman won’t resign over rape allegation, saying he is innocent

The chair of Florida’s Republican Party says he will not resign over a woman’s allegation that he raped her, saying in an email to supporters that he is innocent. He did not address any specifics of the accusation that has roiled the state’s conservative politics. Christian Ziegler sent the statement to state Republicans on Saturday, […]

Israel expands Gaza ground offensive, says efforts in south will carry “no less strength” than in north

The Israeli military said Sunday its ground offensive had expanded to every part of Gaza, and it ordered more evacuations in the crowded south while vowing that operations there against Hamas would carry “no less strength” than its shattering ones in the north. Heavy bombardment followed evacuation orders, and Palestinians said they were running out […]

Ousted George Santos Plots Revenge Against Ex-House Colleagues In Online Tear

Now-former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) was expelled from Congress on Friday, but he didn’t take the night off. Instead, the disgraced Republican ― who was kicked out of the House after a committee alleged that he spent campaign funds on Botox and other personal expenses, which Santos has called a “politicized smear” ― kicked off […]

The Rude Pundit: Stop Normalizing Trump-Inspired Death Threats

Over on the online version of the conservative magazine American Spectator (motto: “We’re batshit right-wingers but also pretentious as all fuck”), Jeffrey Lord, who is what you picture when you think,  “Soon-to-be-extinct kind of old white man,” wrote a thing last month titled, “The Trump Gag Order: Corrupt Judge Assaults Free Speech.” It’s an attack on […]

SM Happy Hour VideoCast with Allison Gill & Rob Reiner – 12-1-23

StephCast F 12-1-23

Trump fraud trial: Judge says he’ll ‘rigorously’ enforce reinstated gag order

Former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York in a $250 million civil lawsuit that could alter the personal fortune and real estate empire that helped propel Trump to the White House. Trump, his sons Eric Trump and and Donald Trump Jr., and other top Trump Organization executives are accused by New York […]

Israel Was Aware of Hamas’s Attack Plan More Than a Year Ago

Israeli officials obtained Hamas’s battle plan for the Oct. 7 terrorist attack more than a year before it happened, documents, emails and interviews show. But Israeli military and intelligence officials dismissed the plan as aspirational, considering it too difficult for Hamas to carry out. The approximately 40-page document, which the Israeli authorities code-named “Jericho Wall,” […]

Israel resumes Gaza military operation after cease-fire with Hamas ends

Israel renewed its assault on the Gaza Strip on Friday after the end of a weeklong deal with Hamas to pause the fighting and release more than 100 hostages as well as Palestinian prisoners. Israel’s military said it had “resumed combat” shortly after the truce deal was due to expire at 7 a.m. Friday local […]

Gavin Newsom and Ron DeSantis debate abortion, taxes, crime and who’s the bigger bully

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and California Gov. Gavin Newsom duked it out in a roughly two-hour debate Thursday that was heavy on contrasts between their leadership of two of the nation’s largest states but lighter on references to the ongoing presidential primaries — the race one of the men is currently running in. “There are […]

StephCast Th 11-30-23

Attorney warned Trump ‘it’s going to be a crime’ if he didn’t comply with subpoena for classified docs: Sources

One of former president Donald Trump’s current attorneys told special counsel Jack Smith’s team that, within days of the Justice Department issuing a subpoena last year for all classified documents at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, she “very clearly” warned Trump that if he failed to fully comply — but then swore he did — “it’s going […]

Israel And Hamas Extend Ceasefire For Another Day As Captive Exchanges Continue

Israel and Hamas agreed to extend a temporary truce by another day minutes before it was set to expire, said Qatar, which has been mediating between the two sides. The truce was set to expire Thursday morning. Negotiations on extending it came down to the wire, with last-minute disagreements over the hostages to be freed […]

Elon Musk claims advertisers are trying to ‘blackmail’ him, says ‘Go f— yourself’

Speaking at the 2023 DealBook Summit in New York on Wednesday, Elon Musk, the owner of social media site X (formerly Twitter), scoffed at advertisers leaving the platform because of antisemitic posts he amplified there. “If somebody’s gonna try to blackmail me with advertising? Blackmail me with money? Go f—yourself. Go. F—. Yourself. Is that clear?” […]

Henry Kissinger, former secretary of state who shaped decades of U.S. policy, dies at 100

Henry Kissinger, the toweringly influential former secretary of state who earned a reputation as a sagacious diplomat but drew international condemnation and accusations of war crimes for his key role in widening the American presence in Vietnam and the U.S. bombing of Cambodia, died Wednesday. He was 100. Kissinger’s consulting firm announced his death, saying […]

StephCast W 11-29-23

Malcolm Nance: Hostage Warfare – Did HAMAS’s Strategy Work?

At 06:30 AM on October 7, 2023. HAMAS launched Operation al-Aqsa Storm.  The attack on 10-7 appeared to have two tactical goals. Number one, cross the Israeli fence border and execute the orders of HAMAS High Command:  That was to kill every living man, woman and child in Israel until the last fighter died at […]

Charlie Pierce: Over the Weekend, Nikki Haley Topped What We Previously Considered Her Worst Idea

Nikki Haley is no bargain. First of all, she’s a Republican in 2023, which makes her prima facie a fringe candidate. Second, at least judging by her campaign rhetoric, she’s a bit too dedicated to the proposition that performative belligerence constitutes a foreign policy. And finally, she is a veritable fount of terrible ideas. A […]

Israel and Hamas discuss a broader hostage deal, but a renewed assault still looms

The gunfire, bombardment and cries of anguished relatives have for days now largely been replaced by the relief and joy of hostages reunited with loved ones and growing diplomatic murmurs of an extended cease-fire. But while the U.S. and others push for a broader deal, government rhetoric and public opinion in Israel seem unequivocal: Sooner […]

Anti-Trump network backed by Charles Koch endorses Nikki Haley in loss for Ron DeSantis

The political network financed largely by billionaire Charles Koch is endorsing former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley in the Republican primary, affording her new support against her Republican rivals in the fight to be the alternative to Donald Trump. The announcement was made in a memo to grassroots activists via the network’s […]

Pence Briefly Considered Not Presiding Over Jan. 6 Vote Certification

Former Vice President Mike Pence briefly considered not presiding over the ceremony that formalized his coup-attempting boss’s 2020 election loss, once again raising questions about the contemporaneous scheming about Iowa’s Chuck Grassley presiding in his stead. In his daily planner, in which he also took journal-like notes, Pence on Christmas Eve in 2020 wrote it […]

Liz Cheney’s new book blasts GOP as ‘enablers and collaborators’ of Trump, whom one member called ‘Orange Jesus’

In her new book, former Rep. Liz Cheney paints a scathing portrait of the Republican Party, condemning her former colleagues and party leaders as “enablers and collaborators,” who after the 2020 election were “willing to violate their oath to the Constitution out of political expediency and loyalty to Donald Trump.” The book, “Oath and Honor,” which was obtained exclusively by CNN ahead of its Dec. 5 […]

StephCast T 11-28-23

11 more hostages, including 2 toddlers, released by Hamas

Eleven more hostages who were abducted from Israel on Oct. 7 have been released and are in the custody of the Red Cross, an Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson said.Read More The 11 hostages released from Gaza Monday were dual citizens — from Israel as well as France, Germany and Argentina — while the 33 released […]

Jimmy Carter is in Atlanta, expected to attend services for former first lady Rosalynn Carter

Former President Jimmy Carter is in Atlanta, expected to attend services Monday and Tuesday honoring the late first lady Rosalynn Carter, according to a source with knowledge of his whereabouts. The former president is expected to attend a ceremony on Monday at the Carter Center as well as services on Tuesday at Emory University, but […]

Rep. George Santos could face expulsion from the House this week

The George Santos saga could soon come to an end on Capitol Hill, though his legal troubles will continue well into 2024. As soon as this week, the House could vote to expel Santos, the indicted New York Republican congressman, after a blistering Ethics Committee report concluded he had used his campaign funds to pay […]

Judge denies Trump’s ‘fishing expedition’ to subpoena Jan. 6 committee records

The federal judge overseeing Donald Trump’s upcoming election interference trial said in a ruling Monday that the former president’s attempt to subpoena what his legal team dubbed “missing” records from the House Jan. 6 committee appeared to be a “fishing expedition” that was not in good faith. Last month, Trump’s team said it wanted to […]

StephCast M 11-27-23

Donald Trump Greeted by Loud Boos at South Carolina Football Game

Former President Donald Trump was met with loud boos as he arrived at Williams-Brice Stadium in South Carolina on Saturday ahead of the Palmetto Bowl. Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential primary, was in Columbia to watch the Palmetto Bowl college football game between the University of South Carolina’s Gamecocks […]

Israel and Hamas have expressed interest in potentially extending the truce, as it enters its last day

As the truce between Hamas and Israel enters its fourth and final day Monday, both parties have discussed the possibility of extending it, a move which has the support of key nations, including the US and Qatar. In a statement released Sunday evening, Hamas said it wants “to extend the truce after the four-day period […]

Suspect arrested in shooting of 3 students of Palestinian descent in Vermont, police say

A 48-year-old man was arrested on Sunday in connection with the shootings of three college students of Palestinian descent in Burlington, Vermont, on Saturday night, police said. Jason J. Eaton was detained midday Sunday near the site of the shooting, the Burlington Police Department said in a press release. Police then searched his home and […]

Trump rages about judge and law clerk while gag order is paused in New York fraud trial

Donald Trump renewed his attacks on the judge overseeing his civil fraud trial in New York and the judge’s law clerk, baselessly accusing them both of political bias in a Thanksgiving Day social media post. Trump had repeatedly raged against Judge Arthur Engoron and his clerk, leading the judge to impose a gag order last […]

American girl who turned 4 while held hostage freed by Hamas

An American girl who spent her fourth birthday held captive by Hamas was freed by the militant group Sunday as a part of the cease-fire and hostage exchange agreement between Israel and the militant group.  Abigail Mor Edan was among 17 hostages freed on the third day of the fragile truce, which has seen Israel […]

The Rude Pundit: A Poem for Thanksgiving from Indigenous America

For Calling The Spirit Back From Wandering The Earth In Its Human Feet by Joy Harjo, who is from the Muscogee (Creek) Nation   Put down that bag of potato chips, that white bread, that bottle of pop.   Turn off that cellphone, computer, and remote control.   Open the door, then close it behind […]

SM Happy Hour VideoCast with Alonzo Bodden & Paula Poundstone – 11-24-23

StephCast W 11-22-23

Georgia judge declines to send Trump co-defendant in election fraud case to jail over social media posts

The judge overseeing the Fulton County election racketeering case declined Tuesday to send one of Donald Trump’s co-defendants to jail over recent social media posts and other comments he made targeting witnesses. Judge Scott McAfee said that while the defendant, Harrison Floyd, made “technical violations” of his bond agreement, “not every violation compels revocation.” The […]

Former Trump Org. controller breaks down in tears on witness stand in fraud trial

After four days of testimony and two trips to the witness stand, former Trump Organization controller Jeff McConney broke down in tears on Tuesday, telling the court the toll of the numerous investigations and accusations of misconduct drove him to leave the company he loved working for after 35 years. “I just couldn’t do it […]

Colorado Supreme Court to take up appeals in Trump ballot case

The Colorado Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to hear appeals related to a judge’s ruling against an effort to keep former President Donald Trump off the state’s ballot in 2024. The appeals were filed by both Trump and the Colorado voters arguing he is ineligible to hold office. Trump took issue with the state judge’s finding that he “engaged in […]

Israel and Hamas reach deal to release 50 hostages and pause fighting for 4 days in Gaza

A deal has been reached to release some of the hostages kidnapped during last month’s deadly Hamas terrorist attack in Israel — the most significant diplomatic breakthrough since Oct. 7. Fifty women and children who have been held captive for more than a month will be released first over four days in exchange for Israeli-held Palestinian […]

StephCast T 11-21-23

Charlie Pierce: The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals Just Walloped What Was Left of the Voting Rights Act

The poor old Voting Rights Act, one of the few pieces of legislation that people actually died trying to pass, has been limping along on one leg since the Supreme Court took a chainsaw to it in 2013. On Monday, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals may have struck the first blow in the coup […]

Negotiators near deal with Hamas to release hostages

Negotiators are getting closer to an agreement with Hamas to release an initial 50 civilians in exchange for Israel allowing in more aid including fuel, coinciding with a limited pause in fighting, multiple sources told CBS News. More civilian hostage releases could potentially follow. At this stage, there is no firm deal in hand but […]

Federal Court Moves to Drastically Weaken Voting Rights Act

A federal appeals court moved on Monday to drastically weaken the Voting Rights Act, issuing a ruling that would effectively bar private citizens and civil rights groups from filing lawsuits under a central provision of the landmark civil rights law. The ruling, made by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, found that […]

House Speaker Johnson meets with Trump at Mar-a-Lago

House Speaker Mike Johnson met with former President Donald TrumpMonday night at Mar-a-Lago, according to a GOP source familiar with the meeting. The meeting at the former president’s Florida resort comes nearly a week after the newly minted speaker publicly endorsed Trump’s 2024 bid for the White House, becoming the highest-ranking Republican so far to do […]

Elon Musk’s X Sues Watchdog Group Media Matters For Defamation

Elon Musk’s X sued the watchdog group Media Matters for America for defamation on Monday after the nonprofit published a report about ads for major brands appearing alongside posts touting Nazism. Media Matters first published details Thursday about the spread of Nazi-related content on the social media platform, formerly known as Twitter, saying X had […]

StephCast M 11-20-23

The Rude Pundit: The Media Won’t Make Republicans Own Trump’s Fascist Rhetoric

You are never gonna put a stake in the heart of Trumpism in this country. That bullshit is here to stay until its followers die of some illness they could have gotten vaccinated for, or from shooting themselves with one of their dozens of guns, or of old age, alone with a red hat faded […]

Trump visits Texas near US-Mexico border as he escalates anti-immigrant rhetoric

Former President Donald Trump on Sunday visited Texas near the US-Mexico border as he escalates his anti-immigrant rhetoric and campaigns on hard-line immigration policy proposals. During the visit, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination received the endorsement of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. “We need Donald J. Trump back as our president of the […]

Congressional leaders are aiming to pass Ukraine and Israel supplemental aid before Christmas

Congressional leaders are hoping to muster a supplemental package to aid the war efforts in Ukraine and Israel, as well as make improvements to the U.S. immigration system, by the end of the year, according to multiple people involved in discussions. The ambitious timeline would mean striking a deal that satisfies the funding requested by […]

U.S., Israel, Hamas Reportedly Near Deal To Pause Fighting, Free Hostages

The U.S., Israel and Hamas are nearing a tentative deal that could result in the freeing of dozens of hostages held in Gaza, sources told The Washington Post on Saturday. Under this U.S.-brokered agreement, Israel and Hamas will be expected to freeze all combat operations for five days while about 50 hostages are released every […]

Rosalynn Carter, mental health activist, humanitarian and former first lady, dies at 96

Rosalynn Carter, who as first lady worked tirelessly on behalf of mental health reform and professionalized the role of the president’s spouse, died Sunday at the age of 96, according to The Carter Center. Rosalynn Carter passed away peacefully with family by her side at her home in Plains, Georgia, the center said in a […]

SM Happy Hour VideoCast with Tristan Snell & Joe Madison 11-17-23

StephCast F 11-17-23

Israel says soldiers recovered the body of a hostage near Al-Shifa Hospital

Israeli soldiers have recovered the body of one of the hostages kidnapped during the Hamas-led attack on Israel last month from a building next to the Al-Shifa Hospital complex in Gaza City, the Israeli military said on Thursday night. The body of Yehudit Weiss, 65, a resident of Be’eri, a kibbutz near the border with […]

David DePape found guilty in Paul Pelosi hammer attack case

A federal jury on Thursday convicted the man who attacked Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, with a hammer during a break-in last year at the couple’s San Francisco home. David DePape looked down and showed no emotion as the panel found him guilty of attempted kidnapping of a federal official […]

Donald Trump Posts Tirade Against Judge, Court Clerk Hours After Gag Order Paused

Former President Donald Trump went on a tirade against the judge overseeing his civil fraud trial on Thursday, just hours after an appeals court paused a gag order against him that limited what he could say about court staff. A New York Appellate Division judge issued a stay on the gag order after finding it […]

Rep. George Santos won’t seek re-election following scathing House Ethics report

Embattled Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., said Thursday he will not seek re-election next year after the House Ethics Committee released a scathing report that concluded there is “substantial evidence” he “violated federal criminal laws,” including using campaign funds for personal purposes and filing false campaign reports. “I will continue on my mission to serve my […]

StephCast Th 11-16-23

Chip Roy Goes Ballistic On Fellow Republicans in Fiery Speech: ‘Give Me One Thing I Can Go Campaign On and Say We Did!’

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) gave a lengthy floor speech on Wednesday blasting Democrats and Republicans over what he sees as the failed leadership of the country, particularly on the issues of cutting spending and standing up to adversaries like China and Iran. After throwing an elbow at Nikki Haley for her comment that anonymous online […]

Biden says ‘real progress’ made after meeting with China’s Xi Jinping

President Joe Biden met face to face with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on Wednesday and said afterward they had agreed to revive dormant military communication channels, crack down on fentanyl trafficking and work jointly to address rapid advances in artificial intelligence. The four-hour summit broke a yearlong silence marked by rising tensions that have […]

Police and pro-Palestinian demonstrators clash at DNC headquarters

Police said they evacuated the area around the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in Washington, D.C., after making arrests at a chaotic pro-Palestinian rally Wednesday night. U.S. Capitol Police said on X that a “large group of illegal protesters…have cleared out, but USCP officers will stay on scene out of an abundance of caution.” […]

Senate sends funding bill to Biden’s desk, averting a government shutdown

The Senate passed a stopgap funding bill Wednesday night, punting the GOP’s spending fight and the threat of a government shutdown until after the holidays. The bipartisan vote was 87-11, with 10 Republicans and one Democrat — Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado — voting against the bill. “Because of bipartisan cooperation, we are keeping the government open […]

StephCast W 11-15-23

Malcolm Nance: The Israel-HAMAs war is AWASH in disinformation. This interview is enlightening.

I think Roland Martin, the African-American commentator and host of the Roland Martin Unfiltered Show, is one of the underrated news interviewers out there. When the African-American perspective is needed, his gathers information at the street level, and his usual brace of experts provide an enlightening point of view. This interview I do with him […]

House passes a stopgap bill to avert a government shutdown

House lawmakers on Tuesday passed Speaker Mike Johnson’s stopgap funding bill to avert a government shutdown, most likely punting the GOP’s spending fight until after the holidays. The vote was 336-95, with 209 Democrats and 127 Republicans voting to support it. Ninety-three Republicans voted against it, more than voted against the last government funding bill […]

‘Stand your butt up’: Fistfight nearly breaks out during Senate hearing until Bernie Sanders steps in

Tensions erupted on Capitol Hill on Tuesday after a fistfight nearly broke out in a Senate hearing and a Republican congressman accused former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of assaulting him. At a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing, an argument almost turned into a fistfight between GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma and […]

Republican Tim Burchett Says Kevin McCarthy Elbowed Him In The Back

Reps. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) and Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) got into a physical altercation Tuesday inside the Capitol basement. As the two were leaving a Republican meeting ahead of a key government funding vote in the afternoon, McCarthy passed Burchett and, according to the Tennessee lawmaker, elbowed him square in the back. “I can still feel […]

Israeli Military Says Its Forces Have Entered Gaza Hospital

The Israeli military entered Gaza’s largest hospital early Wednesday, conducting what it called a “precise and targeted operation against Hamas in a specified area” of the facility, which has been the site of a standoff with the militant group. The army surrounded the facility as part of its ground offensive against Hamas. Israeli authorities claim […]

StephCast T 11-14-23

Democrats Signal Openness to Plan to Avert Shutdown as Republicans Balk

Speaker Mike Johnson’s proposal to avert a government shutdown at the end of the week ran into increasing opposition on Monday from hard-line Republicans. But with Democratic opposition softening, it appeared the plan could be headed toward bipartisan approval within days. The shifting alliances came as the House planned to take its first action on […]

‘The boss is not going to leave’: Proffer videos show ex-Trump lawyers telling Georgia prosecutors about efforts to overturn 2020 election

As part of a plea deal, one of former President Donald Trump’s attorneys has told prosecutors in Georgia that she was informed in the wake of the 2020 election that Donald Trump was “not going to leave” the White House — despite the fact that he had already lost the election and most of his […]

Paul Pelosi testifies about moments after hammer-wielding attacker burst into his room

The husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., recalled Monday being bludgeoned by a hammer-wielding assailant and waking up in a pool of his own blood. Paul Pelosi, 83, took the witness stand to testify against the man accused of attacking him with a hammer in a politically motivated attack on Oct. 28, 2022. […]

Supreme Court adopts code of conduct amid ethics scrutiny

The Supreme Court on Monday announced it has formally adopted what it called a new code of conduct following allegations of ethics lapses, although its impact is likely to be limited because the justices are left to enforce it themselves. The court issued a 14-page document that included five canons of conduct on issues such […]

Charlie Pierce: The Reptile House Is An Uproar Again and the Country Is Running Out of Money

The United States government runs out of money this week unless Congress gives the president something to sign. And we can all be grateful that the Republican majority in the House of Representatives has things in the proper perspective. From the Washington Post: “People want to give Mike grace to be able to move forward. […]

StephCast M 11-13-23

Operating rooms are completely out of service at Gaza’s largest hospital, director says

None of the operating rooms at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza are functioning due to lack of electricity, the medical center’s director told Al-Araby TV on Sunday. “The operating rooms are completely out of service, and now the wounded come to us and we cannot give them anything other than first aid,” Dr. Muhammad Abu Salmiya […]

Government shutdown looms as new speaker struggles to control hardliners

New House Speaker Mike Johnson may already be losing his first big clash with the hard-right lawmakers who are making the Republican majority and the nation ungovernable as time races down to yet another federal funding cut-off. The Louisiana conservative, who was just lifted from obscurity to second in line to the presidency, may soon […]

Donald Trump Jr. to headline defense’s case today in $250 million civil fraud trial

After the New York attorney general last week rested her $250 million civil fraud caseagainst Donald Trump and top Trump Organization executives, lawyers for the former president will present the defense’s case beginning Monday with new testimony from Trump’s eldest son and co-defendant. Donald Trump Jr. faced questions from a state attorney in the trial […]

Tim Scott drops out of the 2024 presidential race

Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina announced Sunday night that he is dropping out of the 2024 Republican presidential campaign, shocking a TV interviewer and even his own campaign staff with an abrupt departure from the race. “When I go back to Iowa, it will not be as a presidential candidate. I am suspending my […]

Dean Obeidallah: Why Democrats shouldn’t despair over concerning new polls about Biden

There’s no other way to put this: New poll results from The New York Times and Siena College that show President Joe Biden trailing former President Donald Trump in most of six battleground states tested are bad. In fact, these polls about a hypothetical matchup between the two are alarming and a bit distressing. But they should not cause panic. […]

The Rude Pundit: Democrats Win Just About Everything Everywhere All at Once

In last night’s absolute ass-reaming of Republicans, Democrats proved that the best strategy is just to be fucking Democrats. That means supporting abortion rights without any of the bullshit equivocating that gives credence to anti-choice arguments. That means calling out the culture war shit for the plain idiocy that it is. And it means that […]

StephCast F 11-10-23

SM Happy Hour VideoCast with Victor Shi & David Jolly – 11-10-23

Israel agrees to maintain daily pauses in fighting in northern Gaza, U.S. says

Israel will implement four-hour pauses in fighting in parts of the northern Gaza Strip each day, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Thursday. Already, tens of thousands of people have fled from northern Gaza to the south in recent days as Israeli forces held brief battle pauses amid their bombardment of the […]

Suspicious letters sent to election offices being investigated by federal law enforcement

Federal law enforcement officials are investigating reports of suspicious letters sent to public officials, a Justice Department spokesperson said Thursday. “We are aware of the reports and the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating this matter,” the department spokesperson said in response to an inquiry from CNN. Public officials in California, Georgia, Nevada, […]

Senate Democrat Joe Manchin says he will not seek reelection

Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) announced Thursday he would not seek reelection in 2024, setting back Democrats’ plans to hold onto their Senate majority in 2024 and raising their fears that he could get involved in the presidential race as a third-party candidate. “After months of deliberation and long conversations with my family, I believe […]

StephCast Th 11-9-23

Ivanka Trump Testifies She Wasn’t ‘Privy to’ Father’s Finances

Her father went on the attack. Her brothers backed away. And on Wednesday, Ivanka Trump calmly sidestepped accusations that her family’s business prospered thanks to a lie. Ms. Trump, the fourth member of her family to take the witness stand in the civil fraud case brought by the New York attorney general, was questioned for […]

Blinken Lays Out Possible Endgame in Gaza Under Palestinian Authority

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said Wednesday that Gaza should be unified with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority once the war is over, offering a strong signal about what the United States sees as its preferred endgame in the fight between Israel and Hamas. The message, delivered during a meeting of foreign […]

SAG-AFTRA and Hollywood studios reach a tentative agreement to resolve the strike

Hollywood actors are heading back to work. SAG-AFTRA, the union representing more than 150,000 film and television performers, reached a tentative deal on a new contract with the entertainment world’s top studios Wednesday — a major step that would revive an industry that has been virtually paralyzed for months. “In a unanimous vote this afternoon, […]

Grappling with Trump and abortion losses: Six key takeaways from the Republican debate

On his home turf at the Republican presidential debate in Miami, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sharpened his case against front-runner Donald Trump and tussled with former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley as she looked to build on her momentum. Five candidates met on stage Wednesday night, just over two months before voting begins: DeSantis, Haley, […]

StephCast W 11-8-23

Rep. James Comer expected to subpoena Biden family members this week: Sources

Republican Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer is planning to issue multiple subpoenas aimed at President Joe Biden’s family, which are expected to start being issued as soon as Wednesday, sources tell ABC News. The move would mark an attempt by Republicans to ramp up their impeachment inquiry into President Biden, which had faced delays during […]

White House says Israel should not reoccupy Gaza, after Netanyahu remarks

The White House on Tuesday repeated its opposition to an Israeli reoccupation of Gaza after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told ABC News “World News Tonight” anchor David Muir he believed Israel will oversee Gaza’s security for “an indefinite period.” On Monday, Netanyahu, in his first U.S. media interview since the conflict erupted following the deadly […]

House Censures Rep. Rashida Tlaib Over Israel Criticism

Lawmakers censured Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) on Tuesday evening over what they claim is her antisemitic criticism of Israel. The House approved a censure resolution against Tlaib by a vote of 234 to 188, with 22 Democrats joining all but four Republicans in opposition. The resolution by Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.) accuses Tlaib, the only […]

Abortion rights advocates win major victories in Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia

Abortion rights advocates won major victories Tuesday as voters in conservative-leaning Ohio decisively passed a constitutional amendment guaranteeing access to abortion, while those in ruby-red Kentucky reelected a Democratic governor who aggressively attacked his opponent for supporting the state’s near-total ban on the procedure. In Virginia, a battleground state where Republicans pushed a proposal to […]

Malcolm Nance: HAMAS Needs Children to Die

Palestinian Children are HAMAS’s secret weapon The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) led by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) is world renown for delivering punishing blows to terrorist enemies.  They often use such devastating fire power, in the dense urban forest of the Gaza Strip, that civilians regularly suffer. In the smoke and dust from a […]

StephCast T 11-7-23

Charlie Pierce: I Don’t Believe This Weekend’s Scary Poll Numbers

A week after Halloween and the scary monsters are still abroad in the land. Scary polls! Scary plans! Boogedy, boogedy! It was a great weekend for intellectual doomscrolling, to say nothing of galloping paranoia. First, The New York Times comes out with a poll that shows the president is trailing Fulton County (Ga.) Inmate No. […]

‘This Really Was a Debacle’: CNN Legal Analyst Says Trump ‘Made Important Concessions’ in His ‘Inherently Contradictory’ Testimony

CNN chief legal analyst Elie Honig was unimpressed with former President Donald Trump’s testimony in his civil fraud trial in New York on Monday. Trump was questioned by state attorneys about the valuations of his assets, which Attorney General Letitia James says he and the Trump Organization inflated to defraud banks and insurance companies. In […]

Israel closes in on Gaza City; Blinken leaves region without combat pause

Israeli forces advanced deeper into Gaza on Monday after a night of devastating airstrikes and another communications blackout, leaving the battered enclave struggling to assess the damage as a U.S.-backed humanitarian pause remained out of reach. The airstrikes and ground attacks focused on the northern half of the Strip, cut off by the Israeli military […]

5 key races to watch on Election Day today

Voters across the country will be heading to the polls Tuesday to weigh in on a slew of statewide and local races, which could provide clues about the national mood ahead of 2024.   In Kentucky and Mississippi, voters will weigh whether to give Govs. Andy Beshear (D) and Tate Reeves (R), respectively, a second […]

A combative Donald Trump testifies in $250 million civil fraud trial, blasting judge and state AG’s office

An often-irate former President Donald Trump testified Monday in the high-stakes $250 million civil fraud trial in New York that could lead to the dismantling of his sprawling business empire, and used his time on the stand to engage in several blistering attacks against the judge and lawyers in the case whom he maintained were […]

StephCast M 11-6-23

Poll: Trump Leads Biden In 5 Swing States, Biden Leads In Wisconsin

More voters in five key swing states say that they would vote for former President Donald Trump (R) over President Joe Biden (D) in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup, according to New York Times/Siena College polls released on Sunday. Trump, the unrivaled front-runner in the GOP primary to take on Biden, leads Biden 52% to 41% […]

Donald Trump set to testify today in his own $250 million civil fraud trial

When Donald Trump enters court on Monday, the former president will swap his chair next to his lawyers for a seat on the witness stand — sitting to the left of a judge he has called a wacko, feet from a clerk he has called biased, and directly across from a state attorney general he […]

Tuesday’s Virginia elections offer the most important test for both parties heading into 2024

If you’re like most Americans, you couldn’t care less about elections held the year before a presidential contest. Only a few states – all with relatively small populations – have statewide contests for elective offices this year. Virginia and New Jersey are holding elections for their state legislatures. Ohio voters will decide on two ballot […]

Trump Calls Chris Christie ‘A Fat Pig’ At Florida Freedom Conference: ‘I Heard They Booed Him Off The Stage’

Former President Donald Trump mocked former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie by claiming he was not calling “a fat pig” during a GOP conference in Florida. The Republican frontrunner gave his speech at the Florida GOP Freedom Conference on Saturday where he directed his aim at Christie, one of his most vocal opponents in the […]

Blinken seeks to contain Israel-Hamas war; meets with Middle East leaders in Jordan

Arab leaders decrying the deaths of thousands of Palestinian civilians in the Israel-Hamas war pushed for an immediate cease-fire even as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned in meetings in Amman, Jordan, on Saturday that such a move would be counterproductive and could encourage more violence by the militant group. After an afternoon of […]

The Rude Pundit: Speaker of the House Mike Johnson Hates Nearly All of Us

Liquor laws in Louisiana are a clusterfuck. Because of a state supreme court decision decades ago, they are subject to the whims of a community vote whenever someone can get it on the ballot. So a town can allow alcohol sales in, say, restaurants for a while and then, whenever some opportunistic Christian dickflea gets […]

SMHH VideoCast with Frank Figliuzzi & Billy West 11-3-23

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SM Happy Hour Videocast with Ben Gleib & Brooklyn Dad Defiant – 10-27-23

StephCast F 10-27-23

After Biden meeting, new Speaker Johnson says GOP won’t abandon Ukraine but will aid Israel first

President Joe Biden met with new House Speaker Mike Johnsonand Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries at the White House on Thursday to discuss his request for nearly $106 billion for Israel, Ukraine and other national security needs. Johnson, a staunch conservative allied with Donald Trump, has shown little interest in providing additional money from Congress to […]

Maine mass shooting leaves 18 dead; shelter-in-place orders extended as manhunt expands

When a man with an assault rifle stormed into Schemengees Bar & Grille in Maine, Joseph Walker grabbed a long-bladed knife. He wanted to save lives. He didn’t stand a chance. Moments later, he was dead. Seventeen others would also die in a mass shooting that unfolded in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday night, prompting extended […]

US strikes back at Iranian-backed groups that attacked troops in Iraq and Syria: Pentagon

U.S. military aircraft have carried out strikes in eastern Syria against facilities associated with Iranian-backed militant groups believed to be responsible for more than a dozen rocket and drone attacks on American troops in Iraq and Syria that injured 21 service members, the military said Thursday night. “Today, at President Biden’s direction, U.S. military forces […]

Maine Democrat calls his earlier opposition to an assault weapons ban a mistake after Lewiston shootings

In a reversal, Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine said he now supports a ban on assault-style rifles following shootings this week in his home state that left at least 18 people dead. During a news conference Thursday, Golden discussed his previous stance on legislation largely backed by fellow Democrats that would prohibit assault weapons […]

StephCast Th 10-26-23

Trump Told to Pay $10,000 in New Punishment for Breaking Gag Order

A Manhattan judge on Wednesday ordered Donald J. Trump to the witness stand, questioned him personally, found that his answers were not believable and fined him $10,000. The judge, Arthur F. Engoron, who is presiding over Mr. Trump’s civil fraud trial, issued the punishment after determining that Mr. Trump had violated an order against discussing […]

Rep. Mike Johnson elected 56th speaker of the House, after weeks of GOP chaos

House lawmakers on Wednesday elected little-known Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana as the 56th speaker of the House, capping more than three weeks of dysfunction and chaos on Capitol Hill. It’s a stunning rise for the conservative Donald Trump ally and low-ranking member of the GOP leadership team who is now second in line to […]

‘Mountains of Evidence!’ AG Letitia James Hits Back At Trump Attacks on Witness After Fireworks at Fraud Trial

New York Attorney General Letitia James hit back at former President Donald Trump after a day of fireworks that included attacks on former Trump fixer-turned-star fraud trial witness Michael Cohen. Trump was in court once again Wednesday for his trial in the fraud case brought by AG James. Several times throughout the day, Trump held court with […]

Maine mass shooting: At least 16 dead, dozens injured; manhunt underway

At least 20 people are believed to be dead from a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday evening, according to multiple sources briefed on the situation. Dozens of other people were injured, sources said. The person of interest is still at large and has been on the run for hours, law enforcement said. The […]

StephCast W 10-25-23

Jenna Ellis, Former Trump Lawyer, Pleads Guilty in Georgia Election Case

Jenna Ellis, a pro-Trump lawyer who amplified former President Donald J. Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud as part of what she called a legal “elite strike force team,” pleaded guilty on Tuesday as part of a deal with prosecutors in Georgia. Addressing a judge in an Atlanta courtroom, she tearfully expressed regret for taking […]

Michael Cohen Denounces Trump During Courtroom Face-Off

For five years, Michael D. Cohen has waged battle with Donald J. Trump from afar: on social media, on cable television and in the pages of his books. But on Tuesday, Mr. Cohen confronted his onetime boss from the witness stand in a Manhattan courtroom, attacking the former president as a criminal and a cheat […]

Republicans nominate Mike Johnson for House speaker in latest attempt to break GOP impasse

Rep. Mike Johnson, a relatively little-known Louisiana Republican and low-ranking member of the GOP leadership team, became the party’s latest nominee for House speaker Tuesday night after three other hopefuls fizzled out. He was nominated just hours after Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., beat Johnson and six other candidates to seize the nomination, only to […]

Mark Meadows Granted Immunity In Justice Department Case Against Trump: Reports

Mark Meadows, former President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, has reportedly been granted immunity to testify under oath in the Department of Justice case against Trump and his allies regarding their efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Meadows had spoken with special counsel Jack Smith’s team at least three times this year — including before […]

StephCast T 10-24-23

Two elderly hostages freed by Hamas, but families ache for others held

Some of the first images of freed hostage Yocheved Lifshitz show the frail 85-year-old grandmother walking to a waiting ambulance, more than two weeks after she was snatched by Hamas militants from her home in kibbutz Nir Oz. Hamas released Lifshitz and her neighbor and friend Nurit Cooper, 79, on Monday, and later they were […]

Trump compares himself to Nelson Mandela as he rails against criminal charges against him

Former President Donald Trump on Monday compared himself to Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years in South African prisons before emerging to lead the nation out of decades of apartheid rule, as he railed against the numerous criminal charges against him. Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, sought to paint himself as […]

Court will decide if Trump has presidential immunity against E. Jean Carroll’s 2019 damage claims

A three-judge panel will consider whether former President Donald Trump can claim presidential immunity against damages sought by the writer E. Jean Carroll for remarks he made about her in 2019. Carroll, a former Elle magazine columnist, sued Trump in November 2019 over comments he made shortly after Carroll publicly accused him of raping her […]

House Republicans embark on electing third speaker nominee as Trump looms

House Republicans will regroup and again try to elect a speaker of the House this week, a usually simple task that has proved nearly impossible in a divided and wounded Republican conference that has for three weeks been unable to choose a leader. Eight candidates from across the Republican ideological spectrum presented their pitch to […]

StephCast M 10-23-23

Trump: Sidney Powell Was ‘Never’ My Lawyer, But She’s Right About ‘Rigged’ Election

Donald Trump continued to push lies about a stolen election while reacting to lawyer Sidney Powell’s decision to accept a plea deal from Georgia prosecutors trying Trump and associates with racketeering and conspiracy. In a Sunday morning post on Truth Social, the former president straddled the line between defending Powell and trying to distance himself […]

Mitch McConnell Supports Biden’s $106 Billion Request For Israel-Ukraine Aid

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Sunday offered his strong support of President Joe Biden’s proposal to bundle $106 billion in aid for both Israel and Ukraine. When asked about Republicans who resist the joint aid during an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation,” McConnell said he viewed Ukraine and Israel as “interconnected.” “I […]

Mitch McConnell Says He Is ‘Completely Recovered’ After Freezing Episodes

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Sunday he has “completely recovered” following a series of troubling incidents where he froze and was unable to speak in front of reporters this summer. “I’m fine. I’m completely recovered, and I’m just fine,” McConnell, 81, told CBS “Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennan. “I’m in good shape, […]

These 9 candidates have joined the House speaker race after Jim Jordan dropped out

House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik said Sunday that nine candidates have joined the race for speaker after Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, dropped his bid last week. Stefanik, R-N.Y., noted on X that the deadline to announce speaker bids was noon ET Sunday. The GOP candidate forum is set for 6:30 p.m. ET Monday. Then, […]

The Rude Pundit: Jim Jordan’s Combover Can’t Hide the Truth About Who He Is

It’s one of those questions you get when you’re a man and men around you are going bald: Would you ever do a combover? The question is usually phrased with a sarcastic tone, as in, “You’re not so pathetic and insecure that you’d do something so fucking dumb if you started to go bald, would […]

SM Happy Hour VideoCast with Glenn Kirschner, John Fuglesang & Frangela – 10-20-23

StephCast F 10-20-23

CNN Airs Chilling Voicemail Sent To Wife Of Anti-Jim Jordan Republican

CNN’s Jake Tapper on Thursday aired a chilling voicemail that was received by the wife of a Republican lawmaker who opposed Rep. Jim Jordan’s (R-Ohio) faltering bid for the House speaker role. “This is pretty ugly stuff,” Tapper warned viewers before playing the audio that was sent to the GOP lawmaker, who he did not […]

In the latest sign of House chaos, the temporary speaker is threatening to quit

In a closed-door meeting Thursday, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., told GOP colleagues he might resign as speaker pro tempore if Republicans push him to try to move legislation on the floor without an explicit vote to expand his powers, according to multiple lawmakers in the room. “If you guys try to do that, you’ll figure […]

Ex-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell pleads guilty in Georgia election interference case

Former Trump attorney Sidney Powell pleaded guilty Thursday morning in the Georgia election interference case just a day before jury selection in her trial alongside co-defendant Kenneth Chesebro was set to begin. Powell pleaded guilty to six misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to commit election interference in Fulton County Superior Court as part of a deal reached […]

Biden urges aid for Israel and Ukraine and calls on Israel ‘not to be blinded by rage’

President Joe Biden spoke to the nation in a rare prime-time address Thursday, explaining why he believes it’s crucial for Israel and Ukraine to win the respective wars they’re fighting, as he looks to build support for a hefty aid package aimed at strengthening both countries. Though Israel endured a horrifying attack from Hamas militants […]

StephCast Th 10-19-23

Trump’s frustration builds at New York civil fraud trial as lawyer asks witness if he lied

Shaking his head, throwing his hands in the air, whispering, former President Donald Trump appeared frustrated Wednesday in a New York City courtroom during his ongoing civil trial. Trump has already been found liable for fraud, but the trial is proceeding on several other accusations, including falsification of business records and conspiracy. The state is […]

House remains without leader as Jordan fails a second time to win speaker gavel

For a second time in two days, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, fell short of the 217 votes needed to be elected speaker, another serious blow to the Donald Trump-backed candidate’s chances of seizing the prized gavel. Jordan, the GOP’s latest nominee for speaker, received 199 votes; that was one net vote fewer than he received […]

Hardball tactics by Jim Jordan allies are backfiring with detractors in House speaker’s race

An aggressive campaign by Rep. Jim Jordan‘s supporters is sparking backlash from Republican holdouts, making it harder for him to become the next House speaker. Several GOP lawmakers, as well as one member’s spouse, have reported a barrage of calls and messages pushing them to back Jordan, R-Ohio, in his struggling candidacy. One even said […]

Biden to deliver a prime-time foreign policy address tonight

President Joe Biden will deliver a prime-time foreign policy speech to the country on Thursday night, White House officials said Wednesday. The Oval Office address is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET and will address the administration’s response to Hamas’ terrorist attacks against Israel and Russia’s war in Ukraine. It comes after Biden flew to Tel […]

StephCast W 10-18-23

Jim Jordan Loses First Vote For Speaker’s Gavel As Moderates Hold Firm

Rep. Jim Jordan’s (R-Ohio) bid to become the next speaker of the House appeared to be on life support Tuesday night following a big loss on his first floor vote and a decision to put off another vote until Wednesday. “We’re going to keep going,” Jordan told reporters late Tuesday. “We had great conversations with, […]

Biden Says He Is ‘Outraged’ After Blast At Gaza City Hospital

President Joe Biden said he was outraged following an explosion at a hospital in Gaza Citythat killed hundreds of people, saying the United States would continue to investigate to determine “what exactly happened.” The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said the blast ripped through the Al Ahli Arab hospital on Tuesday night, where thousands of […]

Fox News Host Caught On Hot Mic Insulting ‘Dumbass’ Republican Lawmaker

Fox News host Brian Kilmeade was caught on a hot mic on Tuesday apparently insulting a Republican congressman who didn’t vote for Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) for speaker. The right-wing network carried live footage of the roll-call vote on the House floor. When Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) was called upon, he cast his vote for […]

Biden Arrives in Israel as Region Reels From Hospital Explosion in Gaza

President Biden landed in Israel on Wednesday, making an audacious visit to a region seething with anger and recriminations after a blast at a hospital in the Gaza Strip that Palestinian officials said killed hundreds of people, and left Palestinians and Israelis trading blame. Protests broke out in cities across the Middle East in response […]

StephCast T 10-17-23

Judge issues partial gag order in Trump federal election interference case

The judge overseeing the federal election interference case on Monday issued a partial gag order forbidding former President Donald Trump from making statements about potential witnesses or disparaging comments about the prosecutors. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said she would not impose restrictions on Trump’s statements about Washington, D.C., and its residents, nor on statements […]

Vulnerable Republicans face a moment of reckoning with Jim Jordan speaker vote

Centrist and politically vulnerable Republicans face a moment of reckoning as the House is expected to vote on whether to elect Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio as the next speaker. Jordan is a right-wing firebrand and fierce Donald Trump ally, a Freedom Caucus co-founder who worked his way up to be Judiciary Committee chairman and […]

Biden Joins Trump’s Truth Social Site ‘Because We Thought It Would Be Very Funny’

It looks President Joe Biden may be able to do something Donald Trump couldn’t: get people to join the former president’s Truth Social platform. Biden’s presidential campaign announced Monday that it would be joining Truth Social in order to “[meet] voters where they are,” a Biden campaign official told Fox News. The spokesperson added: “Republicans […]

Biden To Travel To Israel Amid Concern That Israel-Hamas Conflict Could Expand

President Joe Biden will travel to Israel on Wednesday to show support for the U.S. ally as concerns increase that the raging Israel-Hamas war could expand into a larger regional conflict. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Biden’s travel to Israel as the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip grows more dire and as […]

Stephcast M 10-16-23

SM Happy Hour VideoCast with Malcolm Nance – 10-13-23

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Interim Speaker McHenry effectively powerless on Israel matters, experts say

The global crisis unfolding in Israel is putting renewed scrutiny on Congress, which has been without a permanent House speaker since Kevin McCarthy was ousted last week. Hamas on Saturday launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, killing hundreds of people and escalating a decadeslong conflict in the region. President Joe Biden said that U.S. support for Israel […]

Sen. Tommy Tuberville won’t lift his military blockade amid Israel-Hamas conflict

The office of Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said he isn’t backing down on his monthslong blockade on hundreds of military promotions, even amid Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel, a close U.S ally. “The Pentagon clearly thinks forcing taxpayers to facilitate abortion is more important than confirming their top nominees wit Sen. Tommy Tuberville won’t lift […]

Music festival revelers in the Israeli desert were massacred by Hamas militants

As thousands of people danced at a music festival in an Israeli desert area in the early hours of Saturday, Hamas militants from Gaza descended upon the revelry. Videos show young Israelis dancing to trance music under a giant Buddha statue and prayer flags around dawn — right around when festivalgoer Eliav Klein said he […]

Death Toll Passes 1,100 in Israel and Gaza

Israel’s military acknowledged on Monday that it was still battling to drive Palestinian militants out of southern towns near the Gaza Strip and that more militants could still be crossing through breaches in the border fence, two days after an invasion that has killed hundreds and provoked furious retaliatory strikes by Israel. “We are still […]

SM Happy Hour VideoCast with Jen Kirkman & Hal Sparks – 10-6-23

StephCast F 10-6-23

Trump Asks For Jan. 6 Dismissal Because Coup Attempt Was Part Of His Official Duties

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump is asking a federal judge to dismiss criminal charges against him based on his actions leading up to his Jan. 6, 2021, coup attempt because, as president, that coup attempt should be considered part of his presidential duties. Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and John Lauro, in Thursday’s 52-page filing to U.S. […]

Why Biden claims he has no choice but to build more of Trump’s border wall

President Joe Biden on Thursday said his administration had no choice but to build about 20 miles more southern border wall — after he’s long dismissed Donald Trump‘s wall as a waste of money that doesn’t work to stop illegal immigration. “Money was appropriated for the border wall,” Biden told reporters, referring to congressional action […]

Trump Said to Have Revealed Nuclear Submarine Secrets to Australian Businessman

Shortly after he left office, former President Donald J. Trump shared apparently classified information about American nuclear submarines with an Australian businessman during an evening of conversation at Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence in Florida, according to two people familiar with the matter. The businessman, Anthony Pratt, a billionaire member of Mar-a-Lago who runs […]

Trump Endorses Jim Jordan in Race for House Speaker

The two leading candidates to become the next Republican speaker of the House worked the phones and the halls of the Capitol on Thursday, vying for support from within their party’s fractured ranks as the chamber remained in a state of paralysis after the ouster of Representative Kevin McCarthy of California. Representatives Steve Scalise, the […]

Trump Endorses Jim Jordan in Race for House Speaker

The two leading candidates to become the next Republican speaker of the House worked the phones and the halls of the Capitol on Thursday, vying for support from within their party’s fractured ranks as the chamber remained in a state of paralysis after the ouster of Representative Kevin McCarthy of California. Representatives Steve Scalise, the […]

StephCast Th 10-5-23

Jim Jordan And Steve Scalise Are Running For House Speaker

Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Steve Scalise (R-La.) are the first Republicans to declare their candidacies for speaker of the House after the shocking ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Tuesday. Both men asked their Republican colleagues for support on Wednesday in letters lambasting federal spending and the supposed persecution of former President Donald […]

Letitia James Says The ‘Trump Show Is Over,’ Calls His Attacks On Her ‘Race-Baiting’

New York Attorney General Letitia James said Wednesday that Donald Trump’s appearances at his business fraud trial were merely a “political stunt” but declared that justice would be served and that would not be “bullied” by the former president. Trump has spent the last three days in court as part of a $250 million lawsuit […]

Biden touts efforts to ease student debt, including $9B more in loan forgiveness

President Joe Biden on Wednesday touted his administration’s efforts to address student debt, including an additional $9 billion in relief that the White House announced. The additional relief, set to help about 125,000 Americans, brings the Biden administration’s total approved debt cancellation to $127 billion for nearly 3.6 million Americans, Biden said in remarks at […]

Sen. Bob Menendez’s wife struck and killed a pedestrian with her car in 2018, police records show

Sen. Bob Menendez‘s then-girlfriend, now his wife, struck and killed a pedestrian in December 2018, newly revealed police records show. Four months after the incident, Nadine Arslanian and Menendez, D-N.J., were allegedly given a new Mercedes as a gift as part of what federal prosecutors have described as a bribery conspiracy to cash in on […]

StephCast W 10-4-23

‘Petty S**t’: Acting GOP Speaker Slammed For ‘Despicable’ Move Against Pelosi

House Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) had a curious choice for one of his very first orders of business: He booted Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) from the hideaway office she has in the Capitol. “Please vacate the space tomorrow, the room will be re-keyed,” a top aide on the Republican-controlled House Administration Committee wrote […]

N.Y. judge orders Trump to delete ‘disparaging’ post about his law clerk and threatens sanctions

The judge presiding over Donald Trump’s $250 million civil fraud trial in New York issued a partial gag order Tuesday after the former president trashed his law clerk on social media. “Personal attacks on members of my court staff are unacceptable, inappropriate and I won’t tolerate it,” an angry Judge Arthur Engoron said following Trump’s […]

Kevin McCarthy’s ‘original sin’: What drove the House speaker’s historic downfall

Last Wednesday, three days before a widely feared government shutdown, far-right Rep. Matt Gaetz stood on the steps of the U.S. Capitol and issued a categorical threat. If House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., relied on Democrats to keep the government open, said Gaetz, R-Fla., there would “very likely” be “a motion to vacate that the […]

What happens next now that Kevin McCarthy has been ousted as speaker

The House voted Tuesday to oust Kevin McCarthy from the speaker’s chair, with Rep. Matt Gaetz and seven other conservatives joining all Democrats present to remove him. What happens next? First, a temporary speaker takes over The Office of the Speaker has been declared vacant. This does not immediately trigger a new speaker election, however, […]

StephCast T 10-3-23

Yes, Trump Made All Those Awful Remarks About Veterans, John Kelly Says

John Kelly, who served as former President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, unleashed a blistering attack against his former boss on Monday, confirming on the record that many of Trump’s critical remarks about veterans and injured service members were true. “What can I add that has not already been said?” Kelly told CNN in an […]

Trump grows angry, rails outside courtroom where New York AG began presenting civil fraud case

Donald Trump was in the courtroom Monday for the beginning of the New York attorney general’s $250 million civil fraud trial against him, his company and two of his children — a case that could have widespread implications for the former president’s businesses. Trump, who was not required to attend the trial, sat with his […]

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) is the victim of an armed carjacking in Washington, D.C.

Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, was carjacked Monday night about a mile from the Capitol. His chief of staff confirmed the incident in a statement and said he was not injured. “As Congressman Cuellar was parking his car this evening, 3 armed assailants approached the Congressman and stole his vehicle. Luckily, he was not harmed and […]

Rep. Matt Gaetz triggers vote to oust Kevin McCarthy from speaker’s office

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., the Donald Trump ally and conservative bomb-thrower who has been a nagging thorn in leadership’s side, filed a resolution Monday to force a vote to overthrow his political nemesis, Kevin McCarthy, as speaker of the House. The House must now vote on whether to keep McCarthy on as speaker. It has […]

StephCast M 10-2-23

Trump says he’ll appear at civil fraud trial in New York on Monday

Former President Donald Trump said he will go to court in New York for his civil fraud trial on Monday. “I’m going to Court tomorrow morning to fight for my name and reputation,” he posted on Truth Social Sunday evening. Trump had been expected to attend, and law enforcement and court employees had already been […]

Matt Gaetz says he is planning a vote to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy over government funding bill

Matt Gaetz said Sunday that he plans a vote this week to try and remove Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his role as punishment for McCarthy backing a bipartisan stopgap funding bill to stave off a partial government shutdown. In an interview with ABC “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl, Gaetz, a longtime McCarthy critic, savaged the […]

House Democrats averted shutdown amid GOP’s ‘brinkmanship,’ Biden’s budget director says

It was Democrats in the House who helped avert a partial government shutdown this weekend, in the final hours before funding ran out amid “brinkmanship” and “theater” by hard-line conservatives, President Joe Biden’s budget director argued on Sunday. “I will tell you, if I’m sick of it, I can only imagine what the American people […]

Newsom Appoints Laphonza Butler To Finish Dianne Feinstein’s Senate Term

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced he’s appointing EMILY’s List President Laphonza Butler to finish out the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s Senate term, making good on his promise to fill the vacancy with a Black woman. The swift appointment (D) was essential for Democrats’ power in the Senate, where they have a slim 50-49 majority […]

SM Happy Hour VideoCast with Cliff Schechter & Fernand Amandi

StephCast F 9-29-23

Trump is on the witness list for $250 million civil fraud trial starting next week

Donald Trump and his sons Don Jr. and Eric will be among the witnesses in next week’s $250 million civil fraud trial against the former president and his companies, new court filings show. Trump and his two oldest sons — both senior executives at his company, the Trump Organization — were named on witness lists […]

Congress races against time to avert a shutdown in 3 days, facing bleak prospects

Congress is hurtling toward a government shutdown, with money set to run out in a little more than two days and no sign of a short-term funding deal between the Republican-led House and Democratic-controlled Senate. With time running short, the two chambers are moving in different directions and remain far from converging on a path […]

Trump drops bid to move Georgia election case to federal court

Attorneys for Donald Trump have notified a Fulton County court that the former president will not seek to have his Georgia election interference case removed to federal court. The move comes three weeks after a judge denied a bid by co-defendant Mark Meadows, Trump’s former chief of staff, to have his case moved. Meadows had […]

Democrats call Biden impeachment inquiry ‘about nothing,’ GOP chair struggles to keep control

House Republicans on Thursday held the first public hearing of their impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. Republicans say their House Oversight Committee inquiry is focused on whether Biden was involved in or benefitted from his family’s foreign business dealings, among other issues. But so far, they have yet to release evidence that Biden profited […]

StephCast Th 9-28-23

Shutdown looks more likely, as House GOP leaders reject Senate plan

A federal government shutdown this weekend looks increasingly likely, as House Republicans indicated Wednesday they would not consider a bipartisan Senate plan to fund the government past the weekend deadline. In light of the standoff in Congress, the White House Office of Management and Budget told federal agencies Wednesday to be prepared to notify their […]

Judge Tanya Chutkan won’t recuse herself in Trump’s election interference case

The federal judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s election interference case in Washington has denied his request that she recuse herself because of her comments in criminal cases against other Jan. 6 defendants. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan wrote in her opinion that her comments in other Jan. 6 cases, which Trump’s team took issue […]

Trump In Michigan: Union Negotiations ‘Don’t Mean As Much As You Think’

Donald Trump claimed he came to Michigan on Wednesday to show solidarity with striking autoworkers. Instead, he fearmongered about the transition to electric vehicles, told autoworkers they would be out of a job in two or three years even if they secured a contract with wage increases, then begged United Auto Workers leadership to endorse […]

G.O.P. Rivals Try to Shake Up Race With Frenzy of Attacks in 2nd Debate

As he sat in the spin room with the Fox News host Sean Hannity after the second Republican debate on Wednesday night, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida accurately summed up the spectacle he had just participated in. “If I was at home watching that,” Mr. DeSantis said, “I would have changed the channel.” The meandering […]

StephCast W 9-27-23

WGA strike to end Wednesday, members authorized to return to work

After 148 days, leaders of the Writers Guild of America have unanimously voted to lift its strike, allowing writers to return to work Wednesday, Sept. 27. “The WGAW Board and WGAE Council also voted unanimously to lift the restraining order and end the strike as of 12:01 am PT/3:01 am ET on Wednesday, September 27th. […]

Dem-led Senate introduces a bipartisan bill to keep the government open through Nov. 17

Senate leaders released a short-term funding billTuesday — with four days left to avert a government shutdown at the end of this month — to keep money flowing until Nov. 17 to give Congress more time to reach a larger agreement. The bipartisan bill, negotiated between leaders of the Democratic majority and the Republican minority, […]

Biden makes history by joining striking autoworkers on the picket line

President Joe Biden made history Tuesday when he visited a picket line in Michigan in a show of loyalty to autoworkers who are striking for higher wages and cost-of-living increases. Biden, who is looking to polish his pro-labor persona, is the first sitting president to appear on a picket line. Speaking through a bullhorn, he […]

New York judge rules Trump committed fraud and lied about his net worth for years

A New York judge ruled in the state attorney general’s $250 million lawsuit against Donald Trump and his company Tuesday that the former president committed repeated acts of fraud for years. According to the ruling, which allows the civil trial to begin next week, Trump lied to banks and insurers by both overvaluing and undervaluing […]

StephCast T 9-26-23

Charlie Pierce: This Weekend’s Additions to Trump’s List of Treasonous Foes: Mark Milley, NBC News

Ordinarily, we don’t jump every time a brushfire breaks out across the desiccated landscape of the former president*’s brain if, for no other reason than the fact that it would be all we did here in the shebeen, and life is too damn short. However, there was a general conflagration breaking out this weekend and […]

Ron DeSantis and Gavin Newsom will debate on Fox News in November

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and California Gov. Gavin Newsom will take part in a televised 90-minute debate moderated by Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Nov. 30, the network announced Monday. The debate will air on Hannity’s namesake show from Georgia, though a specific location in the key battleground state remains “to be determined,” Fox News […]

Asa Hutchinson misses out as seven candidates qualify for second GOP debate

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson fell short of qualifying for the second GOP presidential primary debate this week, but the seven other candidates who were there for the first debate in August will be back onstage Wednesday in California. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former […]

Two more Democratic senators call on Bob Menendez to resign

Two Democratic senators called for Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., to resign Monday, joining a growing chorus of lawmakers urging him to step down amid federal corruption charges. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio — chairman of the Banking Committee, where Menendez chairs a subcommittee — and Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont called on Menendez to leave […]

Trump breaks with McCarthy, pushing Republicans to shut down the government

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s attempts to avoid a government shutdown just became more complicated after former President Donald Trump stepped in to endorse the tactics of far-right House Republicans, who prefer to see a funding lapse than compromise with the Democratic-led Senate and White House. Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, who […]

StephCast M 9-25-23

Chris Christie rules out running for indicted New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez’s seat

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Sunday that he has “no interest” in running for the recently indicted Sen. Bob Menendez’s seat if his presidential run is unsuccessful. “No, I have no interest in being in the United States Senate,” Christie, who’s running for the 2024 GOP nomination, told NBC News’ Kristen Welker on […]

Biden warns against shutdown, makes case for second term with VP at Congressional Black Caucus dinner

One week ahead of a potential government shutdown, President Biden issued a stark warning that “America could be forced to pay the price” if Republicans in Congress fail to act. “Let’s be clear: if the government shuts down, that means members of the Congress — members of the U.S. military are going to have to […]

‘ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!’ Trump ‘Proudly’ Vows to Investigate NBC, MSNBC For ‘Country Threatening Treason’ If Elected

Former President Donald Trump spent his Sunday night on Truth Social raging at NBC News and MSNBC and pledging to have them investigating for “country-threatening treason.” Trump before and after leaving office has often deemed media outlets who do provide him favorable coverage as the “enemy of the people.” Now as the former president faces […]

Hollywood screenwriters and studios reach tentative deal to resolve strike

The Writers Guild of America and Hollywood’s top media companies reached a tentative agreement Sunday that could resolve the writers strike and bring a close to one of the longest walkouts in entertainment industry history. “WGA has reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP,” the guild said in a statement. “This was made possible by […]

The Rude Pundit: MAGAism Was Always Terrorism

In a forthcoming book by McKay Coppins, excerpted in The Atlantic, retiring Senator Mitt Romney, who, one should never forget, is an entirely shitty human being and a blithering dickhead, pointed out something that should have been patently obvious. He said that prior to January 6, 2021, “elected Republicans feared a political backlash from their […]

SM Happy Hour VideoCast with Brooklyn Dad Defiant & Trae Crowder – 9-22-23

StephCast F 9-22-23

‘Enjoy Your Weekend’: Biden Mocks House Republicans For Going Home For the Week Amid Looming Shutdown

President Joe Biden roasted congressional Republicans on Thursday, hours after it was announced they were calling it a week despite appearing to make no tangible progress toward legislation to potentially avoid a shutdown. Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was dealt yet another blow on Thursday by members of his conference. In an emblematic sign of dysfunction, […]

Two House Republicans say they might work with Democrats to fund government

As the Republican stalemate over government funding continues, two freshman GOP House members opened the door Thursday to end-running their party’s leadership and working with Democrats to fund the government. Reps. Marc Molinaro and Mike Lawler, two New York Republicans who represent Hudson Valley-area districts that voted for President Joe Biden in 2020, said they’re […]

Warren Says She’s ‘Glad’ Rupert Murdoch Is Retiring From ‘Hate-For-Profit Machine’

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said Thursday she’s glad Rupert Murdoch is stepping down from his empire, but blasted the media magnate for the “incalculable damage” he’s done to the country. Fox Corp and News Corp. announced Murdoch, 92, would pass the reins of the companiesto his son, Lachlan Murdoch ― a seismic shift in a […]

Trump Demands House GOP ‘Defund’ Criminal Cases Against Him Amid Shutdown Threat

Coup-attempting former President Donald Trump demanded that House Republicans use the looming threat of a government shutdown to “defund” the federal criminal prosecutions against him. “Republicans in Congress can and must defund all aspects of Crooked Joe Biden’s weaponized Government that refuses to close the Border, and treats half the Country as Enemies of the […]

StephCast Th 9-21-23

Trump Throws Wrench Into Negotiations By Demanding House Republicans ‘Defund These Political Persecutions Against Me’

Mere hours after some House Republicans reported progress on a proposal to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month, Donald Trumpdemanded they use the opportunity to “defund” Special Counsel Jack Smith and his team. Smith is prosecuting Trump in federal court in Florida and Washington, D.C., where the former president will stand […]

DeSantis Says Humanity ‘Safer Than Ever’ From Climate Change… Weeks After Major Hurricane

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said humans are “safer than ever” from the threat of climate change, and he blasted the Biden administration’s effort to address the phenomenon as he unveiled an oil- and gas-first energy plan on Wednesday. DeSantis, who is vying for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, made the comments during a speech […]

GOP Logjam On Spending Bills Shows Signs Of Finally Breaking

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said the House will vote again on whether to consider the bill to fund the Pentagon as House Republicans showed signs of breaking an intra-party logjam that threatens a government shutdown in 10 days. Talking to reporters after a lengthy party conference early Wednesday night, McCarthy said the House would […]

Former Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson alleges Rudy Giuliani groped her on Jan. 6

Cassidy Hutchinson, a former top aide to ex-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, said in a new book that she was groped by then-Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani at an event on Jan. 6, 2021. In excerpts of her book “Enough,” set to be released next week, Hutchinson said Giuliani was “like a wolf closing […]

StephCast W 9-20-23

McConnell Admonishes House GOP On Possible Shutdown: ‘A Loser For Republicans, Politically’

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued a warning to his Republican counterparts in the House on Tuesday, telling them a looming government shutdown will hurt the party. Unless Congress and the White House agree to a resolution to fund the federal government beyond Sept. 30, it will shut down on Oct. 1. The Republican-controlled […]

Ukraine’s Fight Is the World’s, Zelensky Tells U.N. Assembly

The entire world has a vested interest in helping defeat the Russian invasion of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine told the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, casting his appeal for more allies and aid as a matter of security — even survival — for many other nations. Delivering one of the most anticipated speeches […]

‘It’s A S**tshow’: House GOP In Open War With ‘Weak’ Speaker Kevin McCarthy

Republican infighting reached new heights this week as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy engaged in a war of words with conservative hard-liners on his right flank. Republicans in the Senate watched their counterparts in the House with dismay as internal squabbles over s/9pending put McCarthy’s future as speaker in doubt and increased the odds of a […]

Shutdown Prospects Grow As House GOP in Disarray Fumbles Defense Funding Bill

A small group of rebellious House Republicans sank the annual funding bill for the Pentagon in the House Tuesday, underlining how difficult it will be to keep the entire government open and the lights on after Sept. 30. The defense bill is usually the easiest for Republicans to vote in favor of, as it funds […]

StephCast T 9-19-23

Kamala Harris ‘Absolutely’ the Best Choice For Biden’s Running Mate, Gavin Newsom Tells CNN

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Vice President Kamala Harris was “absolutely” the best choice to be President Joe Biden’s running mate in 2024 and rejected concerns over Biden’s age during an interview with CNN on Monday. “New CBS News poll shows only one-third of American voters think that Joe Biden will stay in office through […]