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EvC Forum Side Orders Coffee House The Trump Presidency

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Author Topic:   The Trump Presidency
JonF
Member (Idle past 168 days)
Posts: 6174
Joined: 06-23-2003


Message 3286 of 4573 (862563)
09-06-2019 2:39 PM


Oh, this is going to work really well
Trump’s new ‘Middle East envoy’ exposed as a totally unqualified Jared Kushner crony
quote:
"Who is Avi Berkowitz? He’s a 29-year-old Jared Kushner friend who graduated from law school in 2016, Chait writes.
Most of Berkowitz’s experience in government has been helping Kushner with daily logistics, according to Business Insider Eliza Relman, who also claims that Berkowitz’s job within the White House was primarily administrative.
Despite this, it seems that Trump has decided that Berkowitz is the man who should be in charge of his administration’s efforts to hammer out a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians..
Of course Trump and Kushner have already screwed the pooch, but just to make absolutely sure.

  
JonF
Member (Idle past 168 days)
Posts: 6174
Joined: 06-23-2003


Message 3287 of 4573 (862575)
09-06-2019 8:54 PM


Perseverating much?

This is all he's thinking about.

Replies to this message:
 Message 3289 by RAZD, posted 09-07-2019 12:08 PM JonF has replied

  
Chiroptera
Inactive Member


(1)
Message 3288 of 4573 (862590)
09-07-2019 10:30 AM


Trump: Good for business... if you're a grifter
From the New York Times:
Justice Dept. Investigates California Emissions Pact That Embarrassed Trump
The Trump Administration is opening an anti-trust investigation into the four auto makers that signed a deal with California to continue to follow that state's auto emissions standards, which are stricter than the Trump Administration's Climate Catastrophe Clusterfuck. The intent is obviously to pressure business to follow Trump's lead. It seems to be partly working:
The investigation appears to have already had an effect. Another auto company, Mercedes-Benz, had been poised to join the California agreement. But after the German government learned of the federal investigation into the other companies that had signed on, it warned Mercedes not to join, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke anonymously about it because of the sensitivity of the negotiations.
Paul Krugman's column yesterday has something to say about Trump's anti-business policies:
Trumpism Is Bad for Business
His take is that Trump's inconsistency and unpredictability makes it hard for real business to plan.
The big complaint business has about Trump’s trade war isn’t just that tariffs raise costs and prices, while foreign retaliation is cutting off access to important markets. It is that businesses can’t make plans when policy zigzags in response to the president’s whims. They don’t want to invest in anything that relies on a global supply chain, because that supply chain might unravel with Trump’s next tweet. But they can’t invest on the assumption that Trump’s tariffs will be permanent, either; you never know when or whether he’ll declare victory and surrender.
Environmental policy, it turns out, is similar. Business leaders aren’t do-gooders, but they are realists. Most of them understand that climate change is happening, that it’s dangerous, and that we’ll eventually have to transition to a low-emissions economy. They want to spend now to secure their place in that future economy; they know that investments that worsen climate change are bound to be long-run losers. But they’ll hold off on investing in our energy future as long as conspiracy theorists who consider global warming a gigantic hoax and/or vindictive politicians determined to erase Obama’s achievements keep rewriting the rules.
The types of businesses that do well with Trump economic "policies" are those
predatory companies with short term plans to mine vulenable communities:
To be fair, however, some kinds of business do thrive under Trumpism namely, businesses that aren’t in it for the long run, operations whose strategy is to take the money and run. These are good times for mining companies that rush in to extract whatever they can, leaving a poisoned landscape behind; for real estate speculators sponsoring dubious ventures that take advantage of newly created tax loopholes; for for-profit colleges that leave their students with worthless degrees and crippling debt.
In other words, under Trump it’s springtime for grifters.

Hard as it is to fathom, Mr President, just because you’re the leader of the free world doesn’t entitle you to a free pass. Unfortunately, just a free press. -- Neil Cavuto

  
RAZD
Member (Idle past 1405 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


Message 3289 of 4573 (862593)
09-07-2019 12:08 PM
Reply to: Message 3287 by JonF
09-06-2019 8:54 PM


Perverse Perseverating much?
This is all he's thinking about.
And it gets worse ...
quote:
Agency reverses course on Trump's Alabama hurricane claim
WASHINGTON (AP) A federal agency reversed course Friday on the question of whether President Donald Trump tweeted stale information about Hurricane Dorian potentially hitting Alabama, upsetting meteorologists around the country.
On Sunday, Trump had warned that Alabama, along with the Carolinas and Georgia, was "most likely to be hit (much) harder than anticipated."
The National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama, tweeted in response: "Alabama will NOT see any impacts from #Dorian. We repeat, no impacts from Hurricane #Dorian will be felt across Alabama. The system will remain too far east."
But the president has been adamant throughout the week that he was correct, and the White House has deployed government resources and staff to back him.
The latest defense came out Friday evening, when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a statement from an unidentified spokesman stating that information provided by NOAA and the National Hurricane Center to the president had demonstrated that "tropical-storm-force winds from Hurricane Dorian could impact Alabama." The advisories were dated from last Wednesday, Aug. 28, through Monday, the statement read.
Alabama was not mentioned in any of the 75 forecast advisories the hurricane center sent out between Aug. 27 and Sept. 2. Nor was any Alabama city mentioned in the charts that listed percentage chances of tropical storm force winds or hurricane force winds. Every state along the U.S. East Coast as well as Canada and inland places like Washington, D.C. was mentioned in those charts, but not Alabama.
Dan Sobien, president of the union representing weather service employees, tweeted Friday, "Let me assure you the hard working employees of the NWS had nothing to do with the utterly disgusting and disingenuous tweet sent out by NOAA management tonight."
Ludicrous that a (purportedly) grown man goes to such lengths.
Enjoy

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This message is a reply to:
 Message 3287 by JonF, posted 09-06-2019 8:54 PM JonF has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 3292 by JonF, posted 09-07-2019 4:56 PM RAZD has seen this message but not replied

  
JonF
Member (Idle past 168 days)
Posts: 6174
Joined: 06-23-2003


Message 3290 of 4573 (862612)
09-07-2019 4:25 PM


The most blatant grift ever
I turned my ad blocker off, tried and failed to register. So the link is indirect. #ITMFA | Mock Paper Scissors
quote:
The publicly-owned Prestwick Airport has received more than 9m from Donald Trump’s administration in the past two years to refuel hundreds of US Armed Forces aircraft, an investigation by The Scotsman can reveal.
The loss making state-owned hub, which was put up for sale earlier this month by the Scottish Government, has received close to 650 orders since October 2017 for jet fuel.
[snip]
The lucrative deal with the US military is now the beleaguered airport’s single biggest revenue stream by some considerable distance. In the first three months of 2019, for instance, the DLA authorised payments to Prestwick worth 1.4m. That is more than twice the revenue generated via passenger services in the entirety of 2017/18.
This is the first I have seen that explicitly said many aircraft.
The US military is keeping a Scottish civilian airport in business. For Trump's personal enrichment. Gosh, it's obviously just coincidence that the military is spending more for gas than they would at any of the many available military site and the little-known fact that the Prestwick airport is by far the closest one to Trump’s money-losing Terberry golf club.
Next week he will go on Fox & Friends to announce he's going to have the grift transferred directly from the Treasury to his personal account.

Replies to this message:
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PaulK
Member
Posts: 17822
Joined: 01-10-2003
Member Rating: 2.2


Message 3291 of 4573 (862614)
09-07-2019 4:38 PM
Reply to: Message 3290 by JonF
09-07-2019 4:25 PM


Re: The most blatant grift ever
The BBC also has the story.
They link to documents hosted on Politico
Also alleged
...certain military personnel have been offered "cut-price rooms" and free rounds of golf at the Trump Turnberry resort.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 3290 by JonF, posted 09-07-2019 4:25 PM JonF has not replied

  
JonF
Member (Idle past 168 days)
Posts: 6174
Joined: 06-23-2003


Message 3292 of 4573 (862615)
09-07-2019 4:56 PM
Reply to: Message 3289 by RAZD
09-07-2019 12:08 PM


Re: Perverse Perseverating much?
Trump tweets that CNN said Alabama would be hit... on Wednesday. Thereby confirming how stupid he is.

This message is a reply to:
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Tanypteryx
Member
Posts: 4344
From: Oregon, USA
Joined: 08-27-2006
Member Rating: 5.9


(1)
Message 3293 of 4573 (862627)
09-08-2019 1:08 PM


NOAA staff warned in Sept. 1 directive against contradicting Trump
NOAA staff warned in Sept. 1 directive against contradicting Trump
quote:
Nearly a week before the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration publicly backed President Trump over its own scientists, a top NOAA official warned its staff against contradicting the president.
In an agencywide directive sent Sept. 1 to National Weather Service personnel, hours after Trump asserted, with no evidence, that Alabama would most likely be hit (much) harder than anticipated, staff was told to only stick with official National Hurricane Center forecasts if questions arise from some national level social media posts which hit the news this afternoon.
They were also told not to provide any opinion, according to a copy of the email obtained by The Washington Post.
quote:
The Birmingham office sent the tweet after receiving a flurry of phone calls from concerned residents following Trump’s message.
The agency sent a similar message warning scientists and meteorologists not to speak out on Sept. 4, after Trump showed a hurricane map from Aug. 29 modified with a hand-drawn, half-circle in black Sharpie around Alabama.
quote:
Late Friday afternoon, NOAA officials further angered scientists within and beyond the agency by releasing a statement, attributed to an unnamed agency spokesperson, supporting Trump’s claims on Alabama and chastising the agency’s Birmingham meteorologists for speaking in absolutes.
That statement set off a firestorm among scientists, who attacked NOAA officials for bending to Trump’s will.
quote:
In 2018, a survey of scientists at 16 federal agencies found a culture of fear and self-censorship in an administration that has sidelined scientific evidence, especially as it related to climate change, in favor of political expediency.
Keith Seitter, executive director of the American Meteorological Society, said in a statement that the criticism of the Birmingham forecast office is unwarranted; rather they should have been commended for their quick action based on science in clearly communicating the lack of threat to the citizens of Alabama.
Trump and Republicans continue their attacks on science and scientists.

What if Eleanor Roosevelt had wings? -- Monty Python
One important characteristic of a theory is that is has survived repeated attempts to falsify it. Contrary to your understanding, all available evidence confirms it. --Subbie
If evolution is shown to be false, it will be at the hands of things that are true, not made up. --percy
The reason that we have the scientific method is because common sense isn't reliable. -- Taq

Replies to this message:
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JonF
Member (Idle past 168 days)
Posts: 6174
Joined: 06-23-2003


(2)
Message 3294 of 4573 (862662)
09-09-2019 2:58 PM
Reply to: Message 3293 by Tanypteryx
09-08-2019 1:08 PM


Re: NOAA staff warned in Sept. 1 directive against contradicting Trump
Citing ‘danger to public safety,’ chief NOAA scientist launches probe into agency decision to side with Trump over its own experts on Dorian
quote:
The acting chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration informed colleagues in an email Sunday that he is launching an investigation into the agency’s decision to side with President Donald Trump over its own scientists by issuing an unsigned statement backing Trump’s claim that Hurricane Dorian posed a serious threat to Alabama.
Craig McLean told NOAA staff that the agency’s decision to contradict the National Weather Service (NWS)which corrected the president’s erroneous assertion just 20 minutes after he first tweeted it last Sundaywas political, a danger to public safety, and possibly a violation of NOAA’s ethics rules.
Politics must be kept out of science, and science must play a role in good policy. This is a step toward restoring that balance after the Trump administration has tried, relentlessly, to destroy it.
Peter Gleick, climate scientist
...
Dan Sobien, president of the National Weather Service Employees Organization, the union that represents 4,000 NOAA employees, said Friday that his members were left shocked, stunned, and irate by the agency’s statement.
Never ever before has their management thrown them under the bus like this, Sobien told The Daily Beast. These are the people risking their lives flying into hurricanes and putting out forecasts that save lives. Never before has their management undercut their scientifically sound reasoning and forecasts.
Edited by JonF, : No reason given.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 3293 by Tanypteryx, posted 09-08-2019 1:08 PM Tanypteryx has seen this message but not replied

  
JonF
Member (Idle past 168 days)
Posts: 6174
Joined: 06-23-2003


Message 3295 of 4573 (862666)
09-09-2019 4:03 PM


Sharpiegate continues
Report: Wilbur Ross Threatened To Fire NOAA Employees After Birmingham Statement
quote:
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross called acting NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs from Greece to threaten him and top officials with termination if they didn’t contradict a statement from the Birmingham, Alabama office undermining President Donald Trump’s bogus Hurricane Dorian meteorology.
According to the New York Times, Ross called Jacobs two days after Trump wielded his infamous Sharpie map to undergird his baseless conviction that Alabama was originally projected to be hit by Hurricane Dorian.
Ross demanded that Jacobs fix the Birmingham office’s contradiction of the President’s statements. When Jacobs refused, Ross said that the political staff would be fired otherwise. Those members of NOAA are not scientists but administration appointees.
Edited by JonF, : No reason given.

  
JonF
Member (Idle past 168 days)
Posts: 6174
Joined: 06-23-2003


Message 3296 of 4573 (862672)
09-09-2019 7:48 PM



Trump Defends Visa Requirement, Baselessly Claims Gang Members Coming From Bahamas
Is there anything he won't sink to?
quote:
President Donald Trump defended on Monday the policy requiring Bahamian evacuees to have U.S. visas by claiming without evidence that gang members and drug dealers were trying to get into the country with the evacuees.
Echoing the same racist rhetoric he’s previously employed about immigrants and Mexicans, Trump said he doesn’t want to allow people that weren’t supposed to be in the Bahamas to come into the United States, including some very bad people and some very bad gang members and some very, very bad drug dealers.
Everybody needs totally proper documentation, Trump told reporters.
His comments contradict those of acting Customs and Border Patrol Commissioner Mark Morgan, who said several hours earlier that evacuees from the Bahamas would be allowed to enter the U.S. whether you have travel documents or not.
Hurricane survivors on a ferry destined for Florida on Sunday were ordered to disembark if they did not have a U.S. visa.

Replies to this message:
 Message 3297 by Tanypteryx, posted 09-09-2019 8:53 PM JonF has not replied

  
Tanypteryx
Member
Posts: 4344
From: Oregon, USA
Joined: 08-27-2006
Member Rating: 5.9


(3)
Message 3297 of 4573 (862673)
09-09-2019 8:53 PM
Reply to: Message 3296 by JonF
09-09-2019 7:48 PM


Is there anything he won't sink to?
It's like every scumbag in this scumbag administration is in a scumbag contest with every other scumbag in this scumbag administration and they are all winning!!
These criminals are breaking all records of past corrupt administrations.
(As I sat here thinking I could have written a 20 page rant, easily, but it would not make me feel better or safer. I have been shooting images almost continuously since I got home from my road trip and it has been extremely fulfilling...better use of my time right now)

What if Eleanor Roosevelt had wings? -- Monty Python
One important characteristic of a theory is that is has survived repeated attempts to falsify it. Contrary to your understanding, all available evidence confirms it. --Subbie
If evolution is shown to be false, it will be at the hands of things that are true, not made up. --percy
The reason that we have the scientific method is because common sense isn't reliable. -- Taq

This message is a reply to:
 Message 3296 by JonF, posted 09-09-2019 7:48 PM JonF has not replied

  
vimesey
Member
Posts: 1398
From: Birmingham, England
Joined: 09-21-2011


(1)
Message 3298 of 4573 (862675)
09-10-2019 2:22 AM


A well drawn sketch.
Don’t know if this one’s been posted before, but it’s well written and hits the highlights.
If You Still Support Donald Trump Today, I Instantly Know 8 Things About You | by Matthew's Place | Matthew’s Place | Medium

Could there be any greater conceit, than for someone to believe that the universe has to be simple enough for them to be able to understand it ?

  
PaulK
Member
Posts: 17822
Joined: 01-10-2003
Member Rating: 2.2


Message 3299 of 4573 (862698)
09-10-2019 1:35 PM


Bolton is out
BBC
Surprise, surprise there are differing stories about his exit.
There were disagreements with Trump so it isn’t surprising. One o& the things Bolton opposed was Trump’s negotiations with the Taliban - that Trump abruptly cancelled.

Replies to this message:
 Message 3300 by caffeine, posted 09-10-2019 3:02 PM PaulK has not replied
 Message 3301 by jar, posted 09-10-2019 4:43 PM PaulK has not replied

  
caffeine
Member (Idle past 1024 days)
Posts: 1800
From: Prague, Czech Republic
Joined: 10-22-2008


(1)
Message 3300 of 4573 (862700)
09-10-2019 3:02 PM
Reply to: Message 3299 by PaulK
09-10-2019 1:35 PM


Re: Bolton is out
Surprise, surprise there are differing stories about his exit.
The funniest thing about this, is that his own White House staff announced this morning that John Bolton would be appearing at a press conference with Mike Pompeo and Steven Mnuchin. This was a last minute addition to the day's schedule. Half an hour later Trump announces that he'd asked for Bolton's resignation the day before.
I've had similar managers.

This message is a reply to:
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