crooksandliars--2020-04-29--Trump May Lose A Portion Of His Elderly Base If He Continues To Ignore Their Pandemic Fears

This seems like another misstep .
White House aiming for Trump pivot from virus to economy After two months of frantic response to the coronavirus , the White House is planning to shift President Donald Trump ’ s public focus to the burgeoning efforts aimed at easing the economic devastation caused by the pandemic .
... Trump is expected to begin to highlight his administration ’ s work in helping businesses and employees .
Aides said the president would hold more frequent roundtables with CEOs , business owners and beneficiaries of the trillions of dollars in federal aid already approved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what he hopes to see in a future recovery package .
We all know that Trump 's poll numbers have been slipping , and he was not impressing voters even before Disinfectantgate .
But why this , when polls continue to show that voters are more afraid of the coronavirus 's health effects than they are of the virus 's economic impact ?
I know that having meet-and-greets with CEOs is easy , while overseeing a nationwide crash program to increase testing and tracking would be hard .
I know that Trump would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a difficult task .
But I keep thinking about the big blue number in the lower right-hand corner of this chart : In polls , Joe Biden is running 15 points better against Trump than Hillary Clinton did among voters 65 and older .
Why would that be ?
I 'm 61 .
I 'm in good health -- but I have no idea what would happen to me if I contracted the virus .
Maybe Donald Trump assumes he 'll never die , but I do n't .
Until now , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while .
I do n't know if that 's a reasonable assumption anymore .
Of course older people are worried .
But Trump , the Power of Positive Thinking guy , does n't want people to worry .
He wants them to go back to work and shopping , because that 's what his rich donors want .
He wants a roaring economy again , because it never occurs to him that presidents can get reelected in tough times , if they 're seen as doing all they can to minimize the pain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- especially the worried elderly -- to ignore the pain .
Ignore the danger .
Ignore their own completely understandable fear of death .
Trump really might lose a portion of his elderly base in November if he continues to pretend this fear is n't real .
Posted with permission from No More Mr. Nice Blog

This seems like another misstep.
White House aiming for Trump pivot from virus to economy After two months of frantic response to the coronavirus, the White House is planning to shift President Donald Trump’s public focus to the burgeoning efforts aimed at easing the economic devastation caused by the pandemic. ... Trump is expected to begin to highlight his administration’s work in helping businesses and employees. Aides said the president would hold more frequent roundtables with CEOs, business owners and beneficiaries of the trillions of dollars in federal aid already approved by Congress, and begin to outline what he hopes to see in a future recovery package.
We all know that Trump's poll numbers have been slipping, and he was not impressing voters even before Disinfectantgate. But why this, when polls continue to show that voters are more afraid of the coronavirus's health effects than they are of the virus's economic impact?
I know that having meet-and-greets with CEOs is easy, while overseeing a nationwide crash program to increase testing and tracking would be hard. I know that Trump would rather project a positive image than perform a difficult task.
But I keep thinking about the big blue number in the lower right-hand corner of this chart:
In polls, Joe Biden is running 15 points better against Trump than Hillary Clinton did among voters 65 and older. Why would that be?
I'm 61. I'm in good health -- but I have no idea what would happen to me if I contracted the virus. Maybe Donald Trump assumes he'll never die, but I don't. Until now, I assumed it wouldn't happen for a while. I don't know if that's a reasonable assumption anymore.
Of course older people are worried. But Trump, the Power of Positive Thinking guy, doesn't want people to worry. He wants them to go back to work and shopping, because that's what his rich donors want. He wants a roaring economy again, because it never occurs to him that presidents can get reelected in tough times, if they're seen as doing all they can to minimize the pain. Instead, Trump is telling Americans -- especially the worried elderly -- to ignore the pain. Ignore the danger. Ignore their own completely understandable fear of death.
Trump really might lose a portion of his elderly base in November if he continues to pretend this fear isn't real.
Posted with permission from No More Mr. Nice Blog


crooksandliars--2020-03-19--'Sycophant' OANN Reporter Schooled After Asking Trump If 'Chinese Food' Is Racist

OANN correspondent Chanel Rion asked Donald Trump on Thursday if the term “ Chinese food ” is racist .
The @ @ @ @ @ White House press briefing , where Rion seemed to be equating the “ Chinese food @ @ @ @ @ , ” which has been criticized as a racist term to refer to COVID-19 .
@ @ @ @ @ Rion had tweeted that she was not offended by White House officials who call the @ @ @ @ @ viewers were shocked by the question .
Watch the video above .
Some of the @ @ @ @ @ .
Ed .
Note : Just a tidbit on who Chanel Rion is :

OANN correspondent Chanel Rion asked Donald Trump on Thursday if the term “Chinese food” is racist.
The question came up at a White House press briefing, where Rion seemed to be equating the “Chinese food” to “Chinese virus,” which has been criticized as a racist term to refer to COVID-19.
Earlier in the week, Rion had tweeted that she was not offended by White House officials who call the virus “Chinese.”
“I’m Asian. Facts don’t offend,” she wrote.
Unbelievable SPIN.
Media attacking @KellyannePolls on Pres. Trump's use of "ChinaVirus" - insisting offense; omitting the fact China's propaganda machine is currently BLAMING the US for THEIR virus.
Prepare for 11:30am fireworks watch @OANN
P.S. I'm Asian. Facts don't offend. — Chanel Rion OAN (@ChanelRion) March 18, 2020
But viewers were shocked by the question.
Watch the video above. Some of the responses from Twitter are below.
Odd reality from today’s WH presser: propagandist working for media that supports a racist because they were afraid of a ‘taco truck on every corner’ asks racist if the term ‘Chinese food’ is racist.
Reality 2020. — Mike Prater (@emsprater1) March 19, 2020
the OAN chinese food question is every bit as stupid PBS's yamiche alcindor taking yesterday's briefing down the "kung flu" rabbit hole. funny part is that only one of these questions has journos all upset and calling for a group to have its credentials stripped. — 𝚒'𝚖 𝚊 𝚑𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚜𝚊𝚛 (@BecketAdams) March 19, 2020
No longer PC to say Chinese food, please say Corona food instead. — Rogin Kim (@roginkim) March 19, 2020
Just watched trump press conference. A young woman asked if he thought the term Chinese food was racist. He said no, she said liberals are calling trump racist bc he called the virus Chinese, etc Trump ranted about fake news & what a good job he’s doing. A plant? Who is she? — Think Twyce (@ThinkTwyce) March 19, 2020
Thank you OANN. Next question is from Baba Booey from The Howard Stern show. Baba? — EBP (@EvanPallotta) March 19, 2020
Go fuck yourself @OANN - no seriously, in the middle of a #pandemic you send some idiot reporter to ask a conspiracy-based question that allows trump say the media is siding with China...we need real info, not bullshit. #OANN — Dr. Lexus 🤦♂ (@DrLexus_StGods) March 19, 2020
To the people comparing Chinese Food and Chinese Virus...
Let's do this.
I'm going to guess most of you believe in God.
If you do, this is very simple:
- People make food
- God makes viruses
If you want to blame something blame God. You do it for all sorts of other things — chris mandra (@kataStatik) March 19, 2020
I’ve never self-isolated in fear of consuming Chinese food. Make your jokes, but that OAN reporter is just dangerous. — John Bordeaux (@jbordeaux) March 19, 2020
According to the press in this conference right now, the term "chinese food" is racist. My god — Andrew Contrucci (@AndrewContrucci) March 19, 2020
OMG who let this @OANN lady in with her "left wing media" rant and her "State propaganda" Alex Jones Deep State lunacy.
And she opened the door for Trump to give a ten minute rant about #FakeNews. — Victoria Brownworth ☣ #FlattenTheCurve #StayInNow (@VABVOX) March 19, 2020
Re: POTUS press conference
Comparing phrases “Chinese food” to “Chinese virus” is the definition of false equivalency. — Jordan Pollard (@JojoPollard) March 19, 2020
Unlike coronavirus, Chinese food (from your local restaurant) typicaly aren’t recipes or items started in China. — Marcus (@MarcusHUSA) March 19, 2020
Fox News: We’re gonna be the most propaganda-y for the President.
OANN: Hold my hood. — Michael Kent (@michaelkent) March 19, 2020
https://twitter.com/grantmichaels/status/1240683466758524928'
Ed. Note: Just a tidbit on who Chanel Rion is:
Chanel Rion, the OANN personality who just asked Trump whether criticizing his COVID-19 response is equivalent to siding with the Chinese Communist Party, is a Seth Rich conspiracy theorist who has called on "armed Americans" to fight the left. https://t.co/vwAisvsVhT — Will Sommer (@willsommer) March 19, 2020


crooksandliars--2020-03-19--Sen. John Cornyn: China Is To Blame For Coronavirus Because 'They Eat Bats, Snakes, And Dogs'

You 'd think by now these sycophants would wise up to the fact that justifying every racist , xenophobic thing that comes out Trump 's face is just a mug 's game .
But no , they keep doing it , like Sen. John Cornyn ( R-TX ) today .
As President Donald Trump receives backlash for comments Wednesday about the coronavirus outbreak that were widely perceived as xenophobic , his allies in Congress have risen to his defense — with one senator in particular embracing his rhetoric .
“ China is to blame , ” Sen. John Cornyn , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which was first identified in Wuhan , China .
“ Because the culture where people eat bats and snakes and dogs and things like that.
” He proceeded to identify the consumption of such animals as the source of the virus , echoing a since debunked myth that the outbreak began with a woman eating bat soup .
The origins of the virus remain a mystery to health officials , even as it continues to spread globally .
The senator also incorrectly cited China as the birthplace of two other previous outbreaks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or MERS , and the swine flu pandemic .
“ China has been the source of a lot of these viruses like SARS , like MERS , the swine flu and now the coronavirus , ” he said .
“ So I think they have a fundamental problem , and I don ’ t object to geographically identifying where it ’ s coming from.
” But MERS was first detected in Saudi Arabia in 2012 , and the swine flu was discovered in the United States back in 2009 .

You'd think by now these sycophants would wise up to the fact that justifying every racist, xenophobic thing that comes out Trump's face is just a mug's game. But no, they keep doing it, like Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) today.
Source: NBC News
As President Donald Trump receives backlash for comments Wednesday about the coronavirus outbreak that were widely perceived as xenophobic, his allies in Congress have risen to his defense — with one senator in particular embracing his rhetoric.
“China is to blame,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said Wednesday of the virus, which was first identified in Wuhan, China. “Because the culture where people eat bats and snakes and dogs and things like that.”
He proceeded to identify the consumption of such animals as the source of the virus, echoing a since debunked myth that the outbreak began with a woman eating bat soup. The origins of the virus remain a mystery to health officials, even as it continues to spread globally.
The senator also incorrectly cited China as the birthplace of two other previous outbreaks: the Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS, and the swine flu pandemic.
“China has been the source of a lot of these viruses like SARS, like MERS, the swine flu and now the coronavirus,” he said. “So I think they have a fundamental problem, and I don’t object to geographically identifying where it’s coming from.”
But MERS was first detected in Saudi Arabia in 2012, and the swine flu was discovered in the United States back in 2009.


crooksandliars--2020-02-18--American Companies Now Feeling Ripple Effect From Deadly Coronavirus

Here 's some not-so-cheery news today , via Mika Brzezinski on Morning Joe : '' Officials from China suggest the coronavirus is 20 times dead deadlier than the seasonal flu , '' she said .
`` According to the Chinese CDC , the outbreak is 2.3 % higher than mortality rate for seasonal flu , which in the U.S. is around 0.1 % .
Meanwhile , more than 300 Americans evacuated from a contaminated cruise ship in Japan , including 14 who tested positive for the coronavirus , at the last minute were flown home to military bases in California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two weeks of already being under quarantine off Japan .
The U.S. government decided to let the infected evacuees who were n't exhibiting symptoms board flights after consulting with health experts .
The number of confirmed cases in China surged past 73,000 , with the death toll now standing at nearly 1900 cases .
We 'll be talking a lot more about that .
`` CNBC 's Dominic Chu is following the continued economic fallout from the virus outbreak .
Dom , what 's the latest ? ''
`` Mika , what we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the list of companies that said there will be a big impact on their business due to spread of the deadly coronavirus , as you pointed out .
They said they do not expect to meet financial targets and goals for the current quarter because of the coronavirus , saying there 's a , quote , slower return to normal conditions than we had anticipated , '' Chu said .
`` It is a big deal because China at least provides an estimated 15 % of total sales at Apple , gets that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places like Taiwan , Hong Kong .
Moody 's is lowering the forecast for this year , it is having wide ranging ripple effects , Apple is the latest company . ''

Here's some not-so-cheery news today, via Mika Brzezinski on Morning Joe:
"Officials from China suggest the coronavirus is 20 times dead deadlier than the seasonal flu," she said.
"According to the Chinese CDC, the outbreak is 2.3% higher than mortality rate for seasonal flu, which in the U.S. is around 0.1%. Meanwhile, more than 300 Americans evacuated from a contaminated cruise ship in Japan, including 14 who tested positive for the coronavirus, at the last minute were flown home to military bases in California and Texas for a two-week quarantine after two weeks of already being under quarantine off Japan. The U.S. government decided to let the infected evacuees who weren't exhibiting symptoms board flights after consulting with health experts. The number of confirmed cases in China surged past 73,000, with the death toll now standing at nearly 1900 cases. We'll be talking a lot more about that.
"CNBC's Dominic Chu is following the continued economic fallout from the virus outbreak. Dom, what's the latest?"
"Mika, what we have is Apple. Add them to the list of companies that said there will be a big impact on their business due to spread of the deadly coronavirus, as you pointed out. They said they do not expect to meet financial targets and goals for the current quarter because of the coronavirus, saying there's a, quote, slower return to normal conditions than we had anticipated," Chu said.
"It is a big deal because China at least provides an estimated 15% of total sales at Apple, gets that from the greater China region, including places like Taiwan, Hong Kong. Moody's is lowering the forecast for this year, it is having wide ranging ripple effects, Apple is the latest company."


crooksandliars--2020-05-28--Mike's Blog Round Up

Mike's Blog Round Up

By the time you read this , America will have lost over 100,000 souls and later today we will know the latest unemployment numbers as Corporate America and small businesses close down in the wake of the incomprehensible damage from Covid-19 and the negligence and incompetence of that golfing fool , Prznint Stupid .
Today we look at the Miracle of the Trump Economy , from the number of closed businesses to the gig workers eking out an existence , to systemic economic injustice .
Let 's put on our masks and go shopping !
Crazy Eddie 's Motie 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retail .
Angry Bear addresses small business and advises us to not confuse social justice with equally distributed injustice .
Bonus Track : We can still have nice things : Open Culture tells us that JKRowling is publishing her new children 's novel free online , and one chapter per day !
Round-up by Tengrain who blogs at Mock , Paper , Scissors .
You can follow Tengrain on the Twitters , too .
Send tips , requests , and suggestions to mbru @ crooksandliars.com ( with For MBRU in the subject line @ @

By the time you read this, America will have lost over 100,000 souls and later today we will know the latest unemployment numbers as Corporate America and small businesses close down in the wake of the incomprehensible damage from Covid-19 and the negligence and incompetence of that golfing fool, Prznint Stupid. Today we look at the Miracle of the Trump Economy, from the number of closed businesses to the gig workers eking out an existence, to systemic economic injustice. Let's put on our masks and go shopping!
Crazy Eddie's Motie's News tells us about the death of retail.
Angry Bear addresses small business and advises us to not confuse social justice with equally distributed injustice.
Longreads has a long read on Instacart.
Progressive Eruptions makes a modest proposal. I second it!
Bonus Track: We can still have nice things: Open Culture tells us that JKRowling is publishing her new children's novel free online, and one chapter per day!
Round-up by Tengrain who blogs at Mock, Paper, Scissors. You can follow Tengrain on the Twitters, too. Send tips, requests, and suggestions to mbru@crooksandliars.com (with For MBRU in the subject line).


crooksandliars--2020-05-28--White Supremacists Thrive, Organize And Recruit On Facebook

If it feels as though white supremacists are coming out of the woodwork everywhere these days , particularly on social media , you ’ re not alone—and it ’ s not a figment of your imagination .
On Facebook particularly , they are thriving , organizing , and recruiting , and it ’ s unlikely to slow down anytime soon .
A report this week from the Tech Transparency Project ( TTP ) examining the numbers of designated hate groups with a presence on Facebook turned up some disturbing results .
Foremost among them : Over half of the 221 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center ( SPLC ) and the Anti-Defamation League ( ADL ) as hate groups have a continuing and active presence on Facebook , with even previously banned outfits managing to worm their way back onto the platform .
The trend , as the report ’ s authors explain , is acutely worrying in the midst of a pandemic that is enabling or requiring millions of people to spend most of their time online—which is where nearly all white supremacist organizing and recruitment now occurs .
“ With millions of people now quarantining at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to exploit people ’ s fears and resentments about COVID-19 , Facebook ’ s failure to remove white supremacist groups could give these organizations fertile new ground to attract followers , ” the report observes .
TTP ’ s researchers found that 113 of those 221 organizations were on Facebook and were involved in a total of 153 Facebook pages and four Facebook groups .
It found that 34 of the groups had two or more such pages .
Some of these pages have been active for more than a decade .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itself , auto-generated as business pages when someone listed them as their employer in their Facebook account .
• Facebook ’ s “ Related Pages ” feature often directed users visiting white supremacist pages to other extremist or far-right content , raising concerns that the platform is contributing to radicalization .
• One of Facebook ’ s strategies for combatting extremism—redirecting users who search for terms associated with white supremacy or hate groups to the page for “ Life After Hate , ” an organization that promotes tolerance—only worked in 6 % ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white supremacist organizations .
• In addition to the hate groups designated by SPLC and ADL , TTP found white supremacist organizations that Facebook had explicitly banned in the past .
One known as “ Right Wing Death Squad ” had at least three pages on Facebook , all created prior to Facebook ’ s ban .
After TTP issued its report on Thursday , Facebook apparently began removing a number of the pages it had identified as white supremacist .
Following queries from HuffPost reporter Christopher Mathias , TTP researchers said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups named in its report had been taken down .
“ We are making progress keeping this activity off our platform and are reviewing content in this report , ” a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement to HuffPost , adding that the company has “ banned over 250 white supremacist organizations and removed 4.7 million pieces of content tied to organized hate globally in the first quarter of 2020 , over 96 % of which we found before someone reported it.
” The Facebook spokesperson added that the company has a team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violent extremists under its “ Dangerous Individual and Organizations ” policy , which bans hate and terror groups .
However , the issue the TTP report raises has more to do with what comprises Facebook ’ s standards for defining “ hate and terror ” groups , and how Facebook prioritizes its enforcement .
Neither are clear , and there are indications that its underlying standards are badly skewed regarding the realities of terrorism and extremism .
Facebook ’ s response so far is reminiscent of its approach to dealing with the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Namely , to kick off a few high-profile cases by applying its standards less than rigorously while acting as though the problem has been dispatched and the site ’ s policies and algorithms resolved all its previous and ongoing failings .
Facebook ’ s algorithms are the keys to its profitability , and the company guards them zealously , producing a remarkably laissez-faire approach to violent and hateful content that is now the subject of international concern due to numerous violent acts—such as the March 2019 terror attacks in Christchurch , New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ livestreamed on their platform .
Facebook was , after all , one of the signees to the Christchurch Call ( an international initiative—which was ignored by the United States—to focus efforts on rooting out violent extremism and its spread on social media ) .
“ Facebook 's algorithms are set up to keep users on their platform for the maximum amount of time possible , therefore allowing the company to profit off of additional ad views , ” said Daniel E. Stevens , executive director of TTP ’ s Campaign for Accountability .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ best way to keep users on the site is to know what content might interest them and serve up similar content that will keep users coming back .
“ Even though Facebook may not be making money directly from each ‘ related-pages ’ click , they still make money from other , non-extremist ads when their users spend more time on the site in general .
Facebook could address many of these content issues by using additional human moderators instead of algorithms , but it is more profitable for them to rely on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of increasing their payroll.
” All of the major social media platforms—including Twitter , YouTube , Google , and others—build their revenue-generating operations around “ engagement , ” which means getting their users to remain on their platforms for as long as possible .
As multiple studies have shown , this not only produces perverse incentives to retain violent and hateful content , but also for the algorithms of these websites to create feedback loops that deepen and enhance the online radicalization of a broad range of extremists .
“ Facebook can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Stevens added .
“ It was only after our report was made public that Facebook removed dozens of these pages , a clear example of the company being reactive rather than proactive .
Facebook can not be left to its own devices .
”

If it feels as though white supremacists are coming out of the woodwork everywhere these days, particularly on social media, you’re not alone—and it’s not a figment of your imagination. On Facebook particularly, they are thriving, organizing, and recruiting, and it’s unlikely to slow down anytime soon.
A report this week from the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) examining the numbers of designated hate groups with a presence on Facebook turned up some disturbing results. Foremost among them: Over half of the 221 organizations identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) as hate groups have a continuing and active presence on Facebook, with even previously banned outfits managing to worm their way back onto the platform.
The trend, as the report’s authors explain, is acutely worrying in the midst of a pandemic that is enabling or requiring millions of people to spend most of their time online—which is where nearly all white supremacist organizing and recruitment now occurs.
“With millions of people now quarantining at home and vulnerable to ideologies that seek to exploit people’s fears and resentments about COVID-19, Facebook’s failure to remove white supremacist groups could give these organizations fertile new ground to attract followers,” the report observes.
TTP’s researchers found that 113 of those 221 organizations were on Facebook and were involved in a total of 153 Facebook pages and four Facebook groups. It found that 34 of the groups had two or more such pages.
Some of these pages have been active for more than a decade. A number of them were created by Facebook itself, auto-generated as business pages when someone listed them as their employer in their Facebook account.
The report also found:
Facebook’s “Related Pages” feature often directed users visiting white supremacist pages to other extremist or far-right content, raising concerns that the platform is contributing to radicalization.
One of Facebook’s strategies for combatting extremism—redirecting users who search for terms associated with white supremacy or hate groups to the page for “Life After Hate,” an organization that promotes tolerance—only worked in 6% (14) of the 221 searches for white supremacist organizations.
In addition to the hate groups designated by SPLC and ADL, TTP found white supremacist organizations that Facebook had explicitly banned in the past. One known as “Right Wing Death Squad” had at least three pages on Facebook, all created prior to Facebook’s ban.
After TTP issued its report on Thursday, Facebook apparently began removing a number of the pages it had identified as white supremacist. Following queries from HuffPost reporter Christopher Mathias, TTP researchers said they noticed that pages for 55 white supremacist groups named in its report had been taken down.
“We are making progress keeping this activity off our platform and are reviewing content in this report,” a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement to HuffPost, adding that the company has “banned over 250 white supremacist organizations and removed 4.7 million pieces of content tied to organized hate globally in the first quarter of 2020, over 96% of which we found before someone reported it.”
The Facebook spokesperson added that the company has a team of 350 people devoted to rooting out violent extremists under its “Dangerous Individual and Organizations” policy, which bans hate and terror groups.
However, the issue the TTP report raises has more to do with what comprises Facebook’s standards for defining “hate and terror” groups, and how Facebook prioritizes its enforcement. Neither are clear, and there are indications that its underlying standards are badly skewed regarding the realities of terrorism and extremism.
Facebook’s response so far is reminiscent of its approach to dealing with the spread of cultish QAnon conspiracism on its platform: Namely, to kick off a few high-profile cases by applying its standards less than rigorously while acting as though the problem has been dispatched and the site’s policies and algorithms resolved all its previous and ongoing failings.
Facebook’s algorithms are the keys to its profitability, and the company guards them zealously, producing a remarkably laissez-faire approach to violent and hateful content that is now the subject of international concern due to numerous violent acts—such as the March 2019 terror attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand—being planned, announced, and even livestreamed on their platform. Facebook was, after all, one of the signees to the Christchurch Call (an international initiative—which was ignored by the United States—to focus efforts on rooting out violent extremism and its spread on social media).
“Facebook's algorithms are set up to keep users on their platform for the maximum amount of time possible, therefore allowing the company to profit off of additional ad views,” said Daniel E. Stevens, executive director of TTP’s Campaign for Accountability. “Facebook has figured out that the best way to keep users on the site is to know what content might interest them and serve up similar content that will keep users coming back.
“Even though Facebook may not be making money directly from each ‘related-pages’ click, they still make money from other, non-extremist ads when their users spend more time on the site in general. Facebook could address many of these content issues by using additional human moderators instead of algorithms, but it is more profitable for them to rely on software they’ve already developed instead of increasing their payroll.”
All of the major social media platforms—including Twitter, YouTube, Google, and others—build their revenue-generating operations around “engagement,” which means getting their users to remain on their platforms for as long as possible. As multiple studies have shown, this not only produces perverse incentives to retain violent and hateful content, but also for the algorithms of these websites to create feedback loops that deepen and enhance the online radicalization of a broad range of extremists.
“Facebook cannot be trusted to regulate its own platform,” Stevens added. “It was only after our report was made public that Facebook removed dozens of these pages, a clear example of the company being reactive rather than proactive. Facebook cannot be left to its own devices.”
Published with permission of Daily Kos


crooksandliars--2020-05-28--WATCH: Dem's Epic Rant As GOP Rep HIDES His Positive Covid Status

Rep. Brian Sims , a Philadelphia Democrat , went on Twitter and Facebook last night to share some shocking news .
He says a Republican colleague tested positive for COVID-19 -- and no one told the Democrats who worked on the same committee .
Via MetroWeekly : Sims , a member of the State Government Committee , specifically called for the resignation of , and the possible prosecution of , the member who allegedly tested positive , whom he identified as Rep. Russ Diamond ( R-Annville ) , as well as Speaker Mike Turzai ( R-Marshall Township ) and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conceal the fact that GOP lawmakers had tested positive for COVID-19 .
Sims claims that Turzai and Republican House leaders failed to inform Democratic House members about their potential risk of exposure until Wednesday , even though Republican colleagues were aware that a member had tested positive and took steps to quarantine themselves so as not to infect their own families , without extending the same courtesy to Democrats .
Spokespeople for Diamond and Turzai were not immediately available for comment .
In his Facebook Live broadcast , Sims eviscerated Republicans for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test , and for their hypocrisy in pushing to reopen government and public spaces while knowing at least one , if not several , of their members were infected with COVID-19 .

Rep. Brian Sims, a Philadelphia Democrat, went on Twitter and Facebook last night to share some shocking news. He says a Republican colleague tested positive for COVID-19 -- and no one told the Democrats who worked on the same committee. Via MetroWeekly:
Sims, a member of the State Government Committee, specifically called for the resignation of, and the possible prosecution of, the member who allegedly tested positive, whom he identified as Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Annville), as well as Speaker Mike Turzai (R-Marshall Township) and other Republican leaders, for allegedly conspiring to conceal the fact that GOP lawmakers had tested positive for COVID-19.
Sims claims that Turzai and Republican House leaders failed to inform Democratic House members about their potential risk of exposure until Wednesday, even though Republican colleagues were aware that a member had tested positive and took steps to quarantine themselves so as not to infect their own families, without extending the same courtesy to Democrats.
Spokespeople for Diamond and Turzai were not immediately available for comment.
In his Facebook Live broadcast, Sims eviscerated Republicans for their response to the news of a positive test, and for their hypocrisy in pushing to reopen government and public spaces while knowing at least one, if not several, of their members were infected with COVID-19.


crooksandliars--2020-03-09--As Market Tanks, Fox Guest Has Advice: ‘Buy Stocks Today! You’re Going To Love It In Five Years!’

Thursday , Trump loyalist and failed nominee for the Federal Reserve , Stephen Moore , visited Fox News with some happy talk about the stock market , even as it was crashing amid coronavirus fears .
As the screen showed the market diving more than 800 points , Moore took a pause to “ rejoice over this amazing jobs report today .
I mean , this was one hell of a blockbuster report .
It shows how healthy the economy was on the eve of this virus .
I mean it shows that Trump tax cut and trade policies and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Even Moore had to agree the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) “ is certainly a danger to the economy.
” But he told host Bill Hemmer , `` It ’ s not the virus that ’ s hurting the economy , it is the fear of the virus .
People , in my opinion , are over-reacting .
I ’ m not saying that this isn ’ t serious but this idea , Bill , that every sports event is going to get canceled and people can ’ t gather , you know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t go out and everybody ’ s going to hibernate in their caves – that ’ s ridiculous.
” I am not one who ’ s panicking .
In fact I drafted this post at my local public library , a germ incubator if ever there was one .
But I prefer my economists not to accuse others of over-reacting to an epidemic that has been deadly for thousands worldwide and for 19 right here in the U.S. Austan Goolsbee , an economist and member of President Barack Obama ’ s cabinet was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more cautious .
“ We ’ ve had a tale of two economies , ” he said , meaning that trade and manufacturing have been “ pretty lousy ” while “ the great strength ” has been the consumer and the record-high consumer confidence .
But “ If the coronavirus undermines consumer confidence , ” he added , “ we could have problems.
” Hemmer quickly interjected to prompt some Trump cheerleading : “ It seems as if the White House is saying that we were built for this slowdown , Stephen .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
Moore , assured us the glories of Trump ’ s economies are untarnished , despite the fact “ there ’ s no question , Bill , people are going to lose jobs and we ’ re gon na see some layoffs in March and probably in April.
” He also acknowledged that businesses have hit “ a brick wall ” lately .
But those are molehills in the landscape of Trump ’ s glories !
Moore continued , “ Look at the construction numbers , they ’ ve been fantastic .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biggest housing booms in the country ’ s history .
Technology is doing fantastic , ” Moore gushed .
He claimed the economy ’ s “ in very sturdy shape to deal with [ COVID-19 ] . ''
Hemmer asked Goolsbee if the market goes back to “ the big old days ” once the epidemic is over .
“ I hope so , ” Goolsbee said , but it depends on how long it lasts .
If it ’ s just a few months , he predicted the market would “ come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in China , “ a lot of service sector businesses have actually started going broke because they couldn ’ t survive having their business all dry up for a short period.
” If the virus causes a financial crisis , “ the recession from it would potentially be longer lived , ” he said .
“ So , you ’ re putting a period of one to two months , ” Hemmer replied , which is so not what Goolsbee said .
Moore admitted , “ We really don ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he predicted , not surprisingly , that once the situation is stabilized , “ the economy ’ s going to boom back to life.
” But that was not enough cheerleading for Moore .
“ By the way , Bill , I ’ m not a stock adviser , ” he began , “ but I love the stock market right now with these depressed prices .
If you ’ re in the market , Bill , you know , for your retirement funds , or for five or ten or 20 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re going to love it in five years from now .
That ’ s my advice !
” Goolsbee was horrified .
“ I wish you wouldn ’ t say that , ” he interrupted .
But Hemmer tried to validate Moore .
“ Up 12 or 14 % - is this a buy , Austan , quickly – yes or no.
” “ Look , they need to stop saying stuff like that , ” Goolsbee responded .
“ The White House getting up and saying , oh , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , all you can do is make yourself look bad and destroy your whole credibility by saying things where there are such big uncertainties.
” Moore interrupted .
“ All I ’ m saying is that , yeah , if you ’ re investing for six months or a year , you may want to stay clear of the market .
What I ’ m saying Austan - you know this Austan , it ’ s stocks for the long run.
” I 'm no expert on the stock market or on epidemics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ average age of Fox viewers is 65 .
That means they are not likely in a position to be speculating with their retirement funds .
You can watch the irresponsible shilling above , from the March 5 , 2020 Bill Hemmer Reports .

Thursday, Trump loyalist and failed nominee for the Federal Reserve, Stephen Moore, visited Fox News with some happy talk about the stock market, even as it was crashing amid coronavirus fears.
As the screen showed the market diving more than 800 points, Moore took a pause to “rejoice over this amazing jobs report today. I mean, this was one hell of a blockbuster report. It shows how healthy the economy was on the eve of this virus. I mean it shows that Trump tax cut and trade policies and deregulations have been working like a charm.”
Even Moore had to agree the coronavirus (COVID-19) “is certainly a danger to the economy.” But he told host Bill Hemmer, "It’s not the virus that’s hurting the economy, it is the fear of the virus. People, in my opinion, are over-reacting. I’m not saying that this isn’t serious but this idea, Bill, that every sports event is going to get canceled and people can’t gather, you know, for dinner and you can’t go out and everybody’s going to hibernate in their caves – that’s ridiculous.”
I am not one who’s panicking. In fact I drafted this post at my local public library, a germ incubator if ever there was one. But I prefer my economists not to accuse others of over-reacting to an epidemic that has been deadly for thousands worldwide and for 19 right here in the U.S.
Austan Goolsbee, an economist and member of President Barack Obama’s cabinet was the other guest. He was much more cautious. “We’ve had a tale of two economies,” he said, meaning that trade and manufacturing have been “pretty lousy” while “the great strength” has been the consumer and the record-high consumer confidence. But “If the coronavirus undermines consumer confidence,” he added, “we could have problems.”
Hemmer quickly interjected to prompt some Trump cheerleading: “It seems as if the White House is saying that we were built for this slowdown, Stephen. Are we?”
Why, surprise! Moore, assured us the glories of Trump’s economies are untarnished, despite the fact “there’s no question, Bill, people are going to lose jobs and we’re gonna see some layoffs in March and probably in April.” He also acknowledged that businesses have hit “a brick wall” lately.
But those are molehills in the landscape of Trump’s glories! Moore continued, “Look at the construction numbers, they’ve been fantastic. We’ve been in one of the biggest housing booms in the country’s history. Technology is doing fantastic,” Moore gushed. He claimed the economy’s “in very sturdy shape to deal with [COVID-19]."
Hemmer asked Goolsbee if the market goes back to “the big old days” once the epidemic is over.
“I hope so,” Goolsbee said, but it depends on how long it lasts. If it’s just a few months, he predicted the market would “come booming back.” But, he warned, in China, “a lot of service sector businesses have actually started going broke because they couldn’t survive having their business all dry up for a short period.” If the virus causes a financial crisis, “the recession from it would potentially be longer lived,” he said.
“So, you’re putting a period of one to two months,” Hemmer replied, which is so not what Goolsbee said.
Moore admitted, “We really don’t know how long this will last.” But he predicted, not surprisingly, that once the situation is stabilized, “the economy’s going to boom back to life.”
But that was not enough cheerleading for Moore. “By the way, Bill, I’m not a stock adviser,” he began, “but I love the stock market right now with these depressed prices. If you’re in the market, Bill, you know, for your retirement funds, or for five or ten or 20 years, you buy stocks today, you’re going to love it in five years from now. That’s my advice!”
Goolsbee was horrified. “I wish you wouldn’t say that,” he interrupted.
But Hemmer tried to validate Moore. “Up 12 or 14 % - is this a buy, Austan, quickly – yes or no.”
“Look, they need to stop saying stuff like that,” Goolsbee responded. “The White House getting up and saying, oh, it’s a time to buy. Look, all you can do is make yourself look bad and destroy your whole credibility by saying things where there are such big uncertainties.”
Moore interrupted. “All I’m saying is that, yeah, if you’re investing for six months or a year, you may want to stay clear of the market. What I’m saying Austan - you know this Austan, it’s stocks for the long run.”
I'm no expert on the stock market or on epidemics. But I do know that the average age of Fox viewers is 65. That means they are not likely in a position to be speculating with their retirement funds.
You can watch the irresponsible shilling above, from the March 5, 2020 Bill Hemmer Reports.
Posted with permission from News Hounds.


crooksandliars--2020-04-11--If Trump Was President Of A Foreign Country, U.S. Press Would Label Him Authoritarian

Published with permission of Press Run , Eric Boehlert ’ s new must-read media newsletter .
Subscribe here .
The telltale signs of autocratic rule are not difficult to identify .
And for American news outlets , they 're often quick to tag authoritarian leaders around the world , as they move to curb liberties , skirt existing laws , and curtail press freedoms .
Why is it so many of those same news outlets refuse to use the `` A '' word to describe Trump , even as he mimics the actions of authoritarian rulers here at home ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Republican president that way , when the description is apt and informative ?
It 's likely because the press does n't want to fend off cries of `` liberal media bias , ” and because the press doesn ’ t want to break protocol with its presidential coverage .
In the process they ’ re allowing the unthinkable to become commonplace .
Trump often flaunts his anti-democratic tendencies , knowing the media wo n't hold him accountable by using accurate language .
Trump 's presidency has featured authoritarian moves from the beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in order to to grab billions to build a border wall , trying to obliterate the country 's checks and balances system of government , and attacking the validity of the free press with relentless , false about the news media .
The tactics often mirror today 's radical Republican Party .
That disturbing pattern has escalated in recent days , amidst a global pandemic , when Trump fired an inspector general who reviewed the whistle-blower complaint that led to his impeachment , arbitrarily removed the lead watchdog overseeing the $ 2 trillion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general who criticized virus testing shortages .
The extraordinary power grabs came the same week the Republican-controlled United States Supreme Court essentially threw out thousands of votes in Wisconsin when , in a stunning 5-4 decision that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said `` boggles the mind , '' the Court refused to postpone Wisconsin 's primary election vote , despite the fact that the state 's largest city is gripped by the coronavirus pandemic and scores of polling places there were shut down due to lack of polling workers .
As a result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the rain on Tuesday to cast a ballot in an election the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel called `` the most undemocratic in the state 's history . ''
( It 's all part of the GOP 's autocratic commitment to making it harder for Americans to vote . )
In addition , Trump this week launched a campaign of lies about the security of mail-in ballots , which will likely have to be used this year as the country struggles with social effects of the coronavirus , and the need to keep social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic itself has sparked more authoritarian moves by Trump .
Like undemocratic leaders in China and Russia , Trump 's first response to the health crisis was to recklessly downplay the problem , to silence scientists , lie about the government 's aid and response , and to lash out at critics .
Note that Hungary ’ s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán , whom Trump has praised in the past , moved to establish emergency executive powers that effectively disbanded parliament , dispersing the country 's nascent democracy .
Trump is not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but his recent autocratic moves are unprecedented in our modern American democracy .
And the maneuvers this month come after his February purges of officials who testified in the impeachment trial and Trump ’ s attempts to meddle in the sentencing of friends and political allies convicted of crimes .
These are the type of disturbing actions that the United States traditionally condemned when they occurred in other countries , particularly among emerging democracies .
Now they 're happening here .
As for the Beltway press , you do n't hear many warning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news coverage .
( That seems relegated to the opinion section . )
Instead , his undemocratic consolidations are watered down and made to sound almost normal .
Here 's how the New York Times described Trump 's stunning decision to sack an inspector general for purely political reasons : `` The move came at a time when the president has been reasserting authority over the executive branch and signaling impatience with independent voices within the government that he considers disloyal . ''
Kneecapping domestic oversight = `` impatience with independent voices '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Note that foreign journalists and commentators seem to have a better understanding of Trump 's authoritarian streak , since they ’ ve seen more examples of leaders like that in their own regions .
They also seem to have little hesitation in calling it out— they 're not afraid of the GOP jabs .
`` Trump has repeatedly shown that he anyway believes that there are no legal or constitutional limits on presidential authority , '' warned Andrew Gawthorpe , a history professor who teaches in the Netherlands , just as the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And from Russia 's Garry Kasparov , surveying the wreckage of Trump 's pandemic response : `` It ’ s been compounded by another autocratic tendency in the Trump administration , incompetence and nepotism . ''
Trump 's the most radical president this country has ever seen .
Journalists need to break free from the culture of Beltway timidity and start describing him accurately .
They have no problem labeling authoritarians overseas .
So why not the ones here at home ?

Published with permission of Press Run, Eric Boehlert’s new must-read media newsletter. Subscribe here.
The telltale signs of autocratic rule are not difficult to identify. And for American news outlets, they're often quick to tag authoritarian leaders around the world, as they move to curb liberties, skirt existing laws, and curtail press freedoms. Why is it so many of those same news outlets refuse to use the "A" word to describe Trump, even as he mimics the actions of authoritarian rulers here at home? Why is it considered ttaboo to describe a Republican president that way, when the description is apt and informative? It's likely because the press doesn't want to fend off cries of "liberal media bias,” and because the press doesn’t want to break protocol with its presidential coverage. In the process they’re allowing the unthinkable to become commonplace.
Trump often flaunts his anti-democratic tendencies, knowing the media won't hold him accountable by using accurate language. Trump's presidency has featured authoritarian moves from the beginning, like declaring a phony national emergency in order to to grab billions to build a border wall, trying to obliterate the country's checks and balances system of government, and attacking the validity of the free press with relentless, false about the news media. The tactics often mirror today's radical Republican Party.
That disturbing pattern has escalated in recent days, amidst a global pandemic, when Trump fired an inspector general who reviewed the whistle-blower complaint that led to his impeachment, arbitrarily removed the lead watchdog overseeing the $2 trillion coronavirus package, and attacked another inspector general who criticized virus testing shortages.
The extraordinary power grabs came the same week the Republican-controlled United States Supreme Court essentially threw out thousands of votes in Wisconsin when, in a stunning 5-4 decision that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said "boggles the mind," the Court refused to postpone Wisconsin's primary election vote, despite the fact that the state's largest city is gripped by the coronavirus pandemic and scores of polling places there were shut down due to lack of polling workers.
As a result, Milwaukee voters had to wait hours in the rain on Tuesday to cast a ballot in an election the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel called "the most undemocratic in the state's history." (It's all part of the GOP's autocratic commitment to making it harder for Americans to vote.) In addition, Trump this week launched a campaign of lies about the security of mail-in ballots, which will likely have to be used this year as the country struggles with social effects of the coronavirus, and the need to keep social distancing in public.
Indeed, the pandemic itself has sparked more authoritarian moves by Trump. Like undemocratic leaders in China and Russia, Trump's first response to the health crisis was to recklessly downplay the problem, to silence scientists, lie about the government's aid and response, and to lash out at critics. Note that Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whom Trump has praised in the past, moved to establish emergency executive powers that effectively disbanded parliament, dispersing the country's nascent democracy.
Trump is not a dictator and cannot disband Congress, but his recent autocratic moves are unprecedented in our modern American democracy. And the maneuvers this month come after his February purges of officials who testified in the impeachment trial and Trump’s attempts to meddle in the sentencing of friends and political allies convicted of crimes. These are the type of disturbing actions that the United States traditionally condemned when they occurred in other countries, particularly among emerging democracies. Now they're happening here.
As for the Beltway press, you don't hear many warning about Trump's authoritarian ways in the news coverage. (That seems relegated to the opinion section.) Instead, his undemocratic consolidations are watered down and made to sound almost normal. Here's how the New York Times described Trump's stunning decision to sack an inspector general for purely political reasons: "The move came at a time when the president has been reasserting authority over the executive branch and signaling impatience with independent voices within the government that he considers disloyal."
Kneecapping domestic oversight = "impatience with independent voices"? That's quite a stretch.
Note that foreign journalists and commentators seem to have a better understanding of Trump's authoritarian streak, since they’ve seen more examples of leaders like that in their own regions. They also seem to have little hesitation in calling it out— they're not afraid of the GOP jabs. "Trump has repeatedly shown that he anyway believes that there are no legal or constitutional limits on presidential authority," warned Andrew Gawthorpe, a history professor who teaches in the Netherlands, just as the pandemic began to take shape in the U.S.
And from Russia's Garry Kasparov, surveying the wreckage of Trump's pandemic response: "It’s been compounded by another autocratic tendency in the Trump administration, incompetence and nepotism."
Trump's the most radical president this country has ever seen. Journalists need to break free from the culture of Beltway timidity and start describing him accurately. They have no problem labeling authoritarians overseas. So why not the ones here at home?


crooksandliars--2020-04-11--Republicans Engineered Federal Reserve Cover-Up For $450 Billion Corporate Bailout Fund

Democratic leaders had a lot of good reason to slap down Mitch McConnell 's latest `` urgent '' attempt to railroad them into passing emergency coronavirus stimulus legislation .
We 're just learning now the things that were somehow , mysteriously slipped into the last rushed bill .
Like another end-run around oversight and accountability , this time with the Federal Reserve and the $ 450 billion corporate bailout fund .
The law allows the Federal Reserve to set up its bailouts in secret , exempting it from its long-standing rule that it has to give at least one day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who 's getting billions in taxpayer dollars and from having to keep records about these decisions .
It 's not clear where the changes came from ; Politico says they `` appear to have been inserted into the 880-page bill by sympathetic senators during the scramble to get it approved . ''
Gee , sympathetic senators would n't be the McConnell Republicans who tried to railroad through $ 500 billion in giveaways to corporations while tossing $ 1,200 in one-time cash payments to the plebes , now would they ?
In addition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they 'll be meeting to dole out all these billions , the law sets aside the rule that the board has to keep minutes of closed-door meetings .
It only has to keep a record of its votes , not its deliberations , and they do n't have to even make those votes public during the crisis .
`` We may never know what terms are being given to banks , what collateral is being offered , what repayment methods and duties banks and other financial institutions may have , '' said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ represented Bloomberg News in a public records lawsuit against the Fed after the 2008 financial crisis told Politico .
`` And these are important questions . ''
He says the new provision in this law `` is written too broadly and allows the Federal Reserve to avoid its responsibilities of public disclosure as the courts have described them . ''
This is on top of Trump 's stonewalling every effort at oversight and accountability .
But this one is on Mitch McConnell and his Republicans—the virus vultures in the Senate who used their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming not to prepare to avoid mass deaths in the populace , but to make a few million in stock trades .
So there 's one more thing that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer have to get into the next bill .
They need to slap those rules right back on the Fed and be loud and clear about why they 're doing it so McConnell ca n't stop them .

Democratic leaders had a lot of good reason to slap down Mitch McConnell's latest "urgent" attempt to railroad them into passing emergency coronavirus stimulus legislation. We're just learning now the things that were somehow, mysteriously slipped into the last rushed bill. Like another end-run around oversight and accountability, this time with the Federal Reserve and the $450 billion corporate bailout fund. The law allows the Federal Reserve to set up its bailouts in secret, exempting it from its long-standing rule that it has to give at least one day's notice before it meets to decide who's getting billions in taxpayer dollars and from having to keep records about these decisions.
It's not clear where the changes came from; Politico says they "appear to have been inserted into the 880-page bill by sympathetic senators during the scramble to get it approved." Gee, sympathetic senators wouldn't be the McConnell Republicans who tried to railroad through $500 billion in giveaways to corporations while tossing $1,200 in one-time cash payments to the plebes, now would they?
In addition to not having to announce to the world when they'll be meeting to dole out all these billions, the law sets aside the rule that the board has to keep minutes of closed-door meetings. It only has to keep a record of its votes, not its deliberations, and they don't have to even make those votes public during the crisis. "We may never know what terms are being given to banks, what collateral is being offered, what repayment methods and duties banks and other financial institutions may have," said Charles Glasser, a media attorney who represented Bloomberg News in a public records lawsuit against the Fed after the 2008 financial crisis told Politico. "And these are important questions." He says the new provision in this law "is written too broadly and allows the Federal Reserve to avoid its responsibilities of public disclosure as the courts have described them."
This is on top of Trump's stonewalling every effort at oversight and accountability. But this one is on Mitch McConnell and his Republicans—the virus vultures in the Senate who used their advanced knowledge of the horror that was coming not to prepare to avoid mass deaths in the populace, but to make a few million in stock trades.
So there's one more thing that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer have to get into the next bill. They need to slap those rules right back on the Fed and be loud and clear about why they're doing it so McConnell can't stop them.
Posted with permission from Daily Kos.


crooksandliars--2020-04-11--Nativists Reveal Their Inhumanity By Opposing Immigrant Detainees' Release Amid Pandemic

In times of national crisis and fast-spreading tragedy like the novel coronavirus pandemic , you can always count on the people who promote sociopathic political worldviews to reveal their awful , deeply inhuman natures for all the world to see—and they don ’ t come much more sociopathic than immigrant-hating Nativists .
Sure enough , the leaders and spokesmen of key Nativist hate groups—notably the Federation for American Immigration Reform ( FAIR ) and the Center for Immigration Studies ( CIS ) , both designated hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center—have taken the lead in opposing any release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the United States despite the spread of COVID-19 in these facilities , as Michael Edison Hayden reports at Hatewatch .
The need to act is growing daily .
Four people at an ICE facility in Batavia , New York , recently tested positive .
Across the country , some 35 detainees have tested positive at various facilities around the country , the agency reports .
A hunger strike at a York County , Pa. , ICE facility first drew attention to the detainees ’ precarious situation .
As a result , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the York immigrants deemed susceptible to the virus due to health conditions to be released , saying their detainment was “ unconscionable and possibly barbaric.
” Authorities elsewhere are taking similar measures for general prison populations .
USA Today reported that “ Attorney General William Barr has ordered the release of some medically vulnerable inmates from federal prisons and sheriffs have released thousands of jail inmates to minimize the risk of COVID-19 outbreaks.
” In Washington state , the state Supreme Court ordered Gov .
Jay Inslee to “ take all necessary steps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic ; Inslee earlier indicated he was considering early release for some nonviolent prisoners .
So ICE is considering releasing around 600 people scattered around the country in its facilities , all of whom “ may be vulnerable ” to the disease .
That , in turn , has inspired pushback from Nativist hate groups—even though the release is only temporary , and their detention will resume after they have sheltered with family until the pandemic eventually relents .
As Hayden reported , the first to oppose the measure was CIS .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first case of a detainee testing positive for coronavirus than the Center began receiving calls and emails from media types asking if we agree that it now makes sense to release ‘ vulnerable ’ detainees , ” wrote former ICE official Dan Cadman in a piece titled “ ICE Should Continue to Detain Removable Aliens ” on the CIS website .
“ The answer was no before this latest development , and I have not reconsidered.
” Another writer at CIS ’ s website , Andrew Arthur , argued : “ Releasing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facility where sanitary protections are readily available , testing is accessible , quarantine can be accomplished , and treatment is guaranteed .
If that is not joining forces with the current pestilence , I am not sure what is .
Detention is the best resistance to pestilence.
” FAIR ’ s website carried a similar attack by writer David Jaroslav : “ Across the country , many organizations pushing open borders have rapidly latched on to the COVID-19 pandemic as an another excuse to try to get illegal aliens awaiting deportation out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Its Facebook page promoted Jaroslav ’ s piece by claiming : “ Across the country , many organizations pushing open borders have rapidly latched on to the COVID-19 pandemic as an another excuse to try to get illegal aliens awaiting deportation out of custody and back into American communities.
” Another FAIR writer sneered at a plea to get children detainees away from the facilities as a “ blatantly transparent attempt to capitalize on a global health crisis by opportunistically playing on Americans ’ heartstrings to achieve a political objectives that the pro-illegal-alien @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nativists generally oppose any assistance to immigrants during the pandemic .
The anti-Muslim hate group ACT For America posted an attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota after she announced her support for a coronavirus-relief plan that would include aid for mixed-status communities .
Its tweet claimed : Meanwhile , the ACLU and the SPLC have filed lawsuits in California and in Louisiana seeking emergency injunctions for the release of some detainees , including asylum seekers , who as ProPublic reported recently are being turned away by ICE at the border entirely , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international asylum law .
“ People in congregate environments—places where people live , eat , and sleep in close proximity—face increased risk of contracting COVID-19 , as already evidenced by the rapid spread of the virus in cruise ships , nursing homes , and jails , ” the ACLU lawsuit demanding the release of vulnerable detainees in California reads .
These conditions , plaintiffs said , “ are tinderboxes for rapid widespread infection within and beyond the facilities .
”

In times of national crisis and fast-spreading tragedy like the novel coronavirus pandemic, you can always count on the people who promote sociopathic political worldviews to reveal their awful, deeply inhuman natures for all the world to see—and they don’t come much more sociopathic than immigrant-hating Nativists.
Sure enough, the leaders and spokesmen of key Nativist hate groups—notably the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) and the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), both designated hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center—have taken the lead in opposing any release of immigrants currently held in detention centers around the United States despite the spread of COVID-19 in these facilities, as Michael Edison Hayden reports at Hatewatch.
The need to act is growing daily. Four people at an ICE facility in Batavia, New York, recently tested positive. Across the country, some 35 detainees have tested positive at various facilities around the country, the agency reports.
A hunger strike at a York County, Pa., ICE facility first drew attention to the detainees’ precarious situation. As a result, a federal judge last month ordered 10 of the York immigrants deemed susceptible to the virus due to health conditions to be released, saying their detainment was “unconscionable and possibly barbaric.”
Authorities elsewhere are taking similar measures for general prison populations. USA Today reported that “Attorney General William Barr has ordered the release of some medically vulnerable inmates from federal prisons and sheriffs have released thousands of jail inmates to minimize the risk of COVID-19 outbreaks.” In Washington state, the state Supreme Court ordered Gov. Jay Inslee to “take all necessary steps” to protect prison inmates from the pandemic; Inslee earlier indicated he was considering early release for some nonviolent prisoners.
So ICE is considering releasing around 600 people scattered around the country in its facilities, all of whom “may be vulnerable” to the disease. That, in turn, has inspired pushback from Nativist hate groups—even though the release is only temporary, and their detention will resume after they have sheltered with family until the pandemic eventually relents.
As Hayden reported, the first to oppose the measure was CIS. “No sooner had [ICE] announced the first case of a detainee testing positive for coronavirus than the Center began receiving calls and emails from media types asking if we agree that it now makes sense to release ‘vulnerable’ detainees,” wrote former ICE official Dan Cadman in a piece titled “ICE Should Continue to Detain Removable Aliens” on the CIS website. “The answer was no before this latest development, and I have not reconsidered.”
Another writer at CIS’s website, Andrew Arthur, argued: “Releasing ICE detainees takes them out of a facility where sanitary protections are readily available, testing is accessible, quarantine can be accomplished, and treatment is guaranteed. If that is not joining forces with the current pestilence, I am not sure what is. Detention is the best resistance to pestilence.”
FAIR’s website carried a similar attack by writer David Jaroslav: “Across the country, many organizations pushing open borders have rapidly latched on to the COVID-19 pandemic as an another excuse to try to get illegal aliens awaiting deportation out of custody and back into American communities.”
Its Facebook page promoted Jaroslav’s piece by claiming: “Across the country, many organizations pushing open borders have rapidly latched on to the COVID-19 pandemic as an another excuse to try to get illegal aliens awaiting deportation out of custody and back into American communities.”
Another FAIR writer sneered at a plea to get children detainees away from the facilities as a “blatantly transparent attempt to capitalize on a global health crisis by opportunistically playing on Americans’ heartstrings to achieve a political objectives that the pro-illegal-alien lobby has been promoting all along.”
Nativists generally oppose any assistance to immigrants during the pandemic. The anti-Muslim hate group ACT For America posted an attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota after she announced her support for a coronavirus-relief plan that would include aid for mixed-status communities. Its tweet claimed:
Ilhan Omar supports illegal immigrants BEFORE Americans! A sitting member of congress spends more time advocating for illegal immigrants instead of Americans. Truly despicable!
Meanwhile, the ACLU and the SPLC have filed lawsuits in California and in Louisiana seeking emergency injunctions for the release of some detainees, including asylum seekers, who as ProPublic reported recently are being turned away by ICE at the border entirely, with the pandemic as justification, ignoring international asylum law.
“People in congregate environments—places where people live, eat, and sleep in close proximity—face increased risk of contracting COVID-19, as already evidenced by the rapid spread of the virus in cruise ships, nursing homes, and jails,” the ACLU lawsuit demanding the release of vulnerable detainees in California reads. These conditions, plaintiffs said, “are tinderboxes for rapid widespread infection within and beyond the facilities.”
Posted with permission from Daily Kos.


crooksandliars--2020-03-16--Stuart Varney Sings Kumbaya: We Are 'All Sharing A Unique Experience' With COVID19

Fox Business host and uber-Trump supporter Stuart Varney opened his show by trying to claim the coronavirus is bringing us all together in the `` great shut down . ''
It was like he was handing out beads , asking us to join hands and sing songs together .
It was glorious .
`` This is a Monday like no other , '' Stuart said .
He continued , `` For many of us daily life is anything but normal .
For the first time , tens of millions will be working from home .
For the first time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can go .
Whole industries shutting down . ''
`` This is extreme social distancing .
We are staying apart , yes , but also sharing a unique experience , '' Varney said .
Tears were streaming out of my eyes and down my cheeks .
( Okay , they were n't ) '' We have never seen anything like this before and we are all in it together .
It is the great shutdown . ''
Can you imagine how he would have opened if Obama was still president and the markets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reaction to his actions ?
As President Obama was trying to dig us out of George Bush 's financial collapse , these muppets were screaming against injecting a Congressional stimulus package into the economy and wanted the free markets to figure it all out .
Now , of course , it 's the exact opposite since Trump is in office .
His inaction as well as actions have hurt this country in a horrific fashion .
He dismantled the pandemic response team in 2018 and then waited weeks before taking action on this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hogging every press conference on the Coronavirus and spreading disinformation and lies .
But as Varney says , let 's glorify this `` shared experience . ''
UPDATE : Did n't take long for Varney to snap out of it and blame immigration .
Wow .

Fox Business host and uber-Trump supporter Stuart Varney opened his show by trying to claim the coronavirus is bringing us all together in the "great shut down."
It was like he was handing out beads, asking us to join hands and sing songs together. It was glorious.
"This is a Monday like no other," Stuart said.
He continued, "For many of us daily life is anything but normal. For the first time, tens of millions will be working from home. For the first time, there are severe restrictions on where we can go. Whole industries shutting down."
"This is extreme social distancing. We are staying apart, yes, but also sharing a unique experience," Varney said.
Tears were streaming out of my eyes and down my cheeks. (Okay, they weren't)
"We have never seen anything like this before and we are all in it together. It is the great shutdown."
Can you imagine how he would have opened if Obama was still president and the markets responded with a massive plunge as a reaction to his actions?
As President Obama was trying to dig us out of George Bush's financial collapse, these muppets were screaming against injecting a Congressional stimulus package into the economy and wanted the free markets to figure it all out.
Now, of course, it's the exact opposite since Trump is in office.
His inaction as well as actions have hurt this country in a horrific fashion. He dismantled the pandemic response team in 2018 and then waited weeks before taking action on this pandemic.
And he won't stop hogging every press conference on the Coronavirus and spreading disinformation and lies.
But as Varney says, let's glorify this "shared experience."
UPDATE: Didn't take long for Varney to snap out of it and blame immigration. Wow.


crooksandliars--2020-05-29--More Evidence That Florida's Low Number Of COVID Deaths Isn't Exactly A 'Miracle'

Back in April , it became clear that Florida was intentionally hiding a list of daily deaths that had previously been compiled by county medical examiners .
Since that time , those examiners , as well as hospitals and local officials , have complained that the number of COVID-19 deaths being reported in Governor Ron DeSantis regular updates , doesn ’ t match what they ’ re seeing in their areas .
Last week , the scientist behind Florida ’ s COVID-19 dashboard was fired after she says she refused to alter numbers as she was told .
With 52,600 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the top ten states when it comes to infections .
But the 2,300 recorded deaths is less than half of those from Michigan , a state with a similar number of cases .
Considering the number of elderly residents and retirement communities , Florida ’ s relatively light death toll seemed somewhat miraculous , and DeSantis has been bragging both about the “ success ” of his policies and sneering at pundits that warned of potential disaster from his refusal to enforce social distancing guidelines .
But there ’ s still more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t the right word .
The correct word is “ con.
” Because it looks like DeSantis has been taking COVID-19 deaths out of one column and inserting them into another .
Even before the state took what had always been public information and began to hide it behind a newfound concern for privacy , there was evidence that DeSantis was covering up COVID-19 in the “ Sunshine State.
” On April 17 , the Sun Sentinel warned that there was a spike in “ pneumonia deaths ” indicating that COVID-19 was already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a time when the official test results were showing a handful of cases .
Even though flu cases were winding down in mid-March , pneumonia deaths had continued to head straight up .
State Department of Health officials refused to comment on whether there was a connection between the soaring death count and the coronavirus , even as the official number of COVID-19 remained low .
As a infectious disease expert from George Mason University made clear , “ It is likely that they missed some COVID-19 deaths and reported them as respiratory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been possible that deaths in March and early April were missed simply because state officials weren ’ t keyed to look for COVID-19 deaths , that certainly wasn ’ t true after that day .
On May 7 , the Miami Herald called on DeSantis to stop hiding the true toll of deaths from the novel coronavirus .
In particular , that paper pointed out that DeSantis “ continues to keep Floridians in the dark about what is—and isn ’ t—happening in the state ’ s 3,800 nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat reported that in spite of DeSantis ’ claims about his actions in Florida , the “ whack-a-mole approach ” to dealing with nursing homes was failing .
Instead , the percentage of deaths in those facilities was continuing to grow along with a rising tide of new cases .
But DeSantis didn ’ t open up .
He didn ’ t open the list of deaths , or any other information .
As the firing of Dr. Rebekah Jones made clear , Florida has only continued to hide and alter more information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really was something to hide .
Multiple tweets have pointed out that Florida is one of several states where a particular category of deaths that have happened in 2020 represents a sharp increase over past years .
That category is deaths due to “ flu or pneumonia.
” As compiled by the CDC , in the first six months of 2020 , Florida has logged 5,248 deaths due to pneumonia .
Of those deaths , 960 were identified as being connected to COVID-19 .
That leaves 4,288 pneumonia deaths which were reported , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Looking at the period between 2014 and 2018 , Florida has averaged 2,870 deaths from pneumonia … over an entire year .
That leaves an excess of 1,418 deaths from pneumonia over past years .
If those numbers were added to Florida ’ s current COVID-19 total , the number of deaths would be 3,738 .
That would still leave Florida with a lower death toll due to COVID-19 than many other states , but it should certainly represent a bit of a stumble in DeSantis ’ self-congratulation tour … and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with which already lax social distancing rules are being dropped .
It ’ s also worth noting that Florida isn ’ t the only state with a spike in pneumonia cases not attributed to either flu or COVID-19 .
Across the country , the total number of deaths logged to COVID-19 , flu , or pneumonia was 139,925 on May 27 .

Back in April, it became clear that Florida was intentionally hiding a list of daily deaths that had previously been compiled by county medical examiners. Since that time, those examiners, as well as hospitals and local officials, have complained that the number of COVID-19 deaths being reported in Governor Ron DeSantis regular updates, doesn’t match what they’re seeing in their areas. Last week, the scientist behind Florida’s COVID-19 dashboard was fired after she says she refused to alter numbers as she was told.
With 52,600 confirmed cases of COVID-19, Florida is in the top ten states when it comes to infections. But the 2,300 recorded deaths is less than half of those from Michigan, a state with a similar number of cases. Considering the number of elderly residents and retirement communities, Florida’s relatively light death toll seemed somewhat miraculous, and DeSantis has been bragging both about the “success” of his policies and sneering at pundits that warned of potential disaster from his refusal to enforce social distancing guidelines.
But there’s still more evidence that “miracle” isn’t the right word. The correct word is “con.” Because it looks like DeSantis has been taking COVID-19 deaths out of one column and inserting them into another.
Even before the state took what had always been public information and began to hide it behind a newfound concern for privacy, there was evidence that DeSantis was covering up COVID-19 in the “Sunshine State.” On April 17, the Sun Sentinel warned that there was a spike in “pneumonia deaths” indicating that COVID-19 was already present and active in the state at a time when the official test results were showing a handful of cases. Even though flu cases were winding down in mid-March, pneumonia deaths had continued to head straight up. State Department of Health officials refused to comment on whether there was a connection between the soaring death count and the coronavirus, even as the official number of COVID-19 remained low.
As a infectious disease expert from George Mason University made clear, “It is likely that they missed some COVID-19 deaths and reported them as respiratory deaths.” However, while it might have been possible that deaths in March and early April were missed simply because state officials weren’t keyed to look for COVID-19 deaths, that certainly wasn’t true after that day.
On May 7, the Miami Herald called on DeSantis to stop hiding the true toll of deaths from the novel coronavirus. In particular, that paper pointed out that DeSantis “continues to keep Floridians in the dark about what is—and isn’t—happening in the state’s 3,800 nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.” And on Wednesday, the Tallahassee Democrat reported that in spite of DeSantis’ claims about his actions in Florida, the “whack-a-mole approach” to dealing with nursing homes was failing. Instead, the percentage of deaths in those facilities was continuing to grow along with a rising tide of new cases.
But DeSantis didn’t open up. He didn’t open the list of deaths, or any other information. As the firing of Dr. Rebekah Jones made clear, Florida has only continued to hide and alter more information over time.
And it seems there really was something to hide. Multiple tweets have pointed out that Florida is one of several states where a particular category of deaths that have happened in 2020 represents a sharp increase over past years. That category is deaths due to “flu or pneumonia.” As compiled by the CDC, in the first six months of 2020, Florida has logged 5,248 deaths due to pneumonia. Of those deaths, 960 were identified as being connected to COVID-19. That leaves 4,288 pneumonia deaths which were reported, but not logged against the COVID-19 deaths. Looking at the period between 2014 and 2018, Florida has averaged 2,870 deaths from pneumonia … over an entire year.
That leaves an excess of 1,418 deaths from pneumonia over past years. If those numbers were added to Florida’s current COVID-19 total, the number of deaths would be 3,738. That would still leave Florida with a lower death toll due to COVID-19 than many other states, but it should certainly represent a bit of a stumble in DeSantis’ self-congratulation tour … and a reason to think again about the speed with which already lax social distancing rules are being dropped.
It’s also worth noting that Florida isn’t the only state with a spike in pneumonia cases not attributed to either flu or COVID-19. Across the country, the total number of deaths logged to COVID-19, flu, or pneumonia was 139,925 on May 27.
Republished with permission from Daily Kos.


crooksandliars--2020-05-09--Access Journalism Is Killing Us

Access Journalism Is Killing Us

Published with permission of PRESS RUN , Eric Boehlert ’ s new must-read media newsletter .
Subscribe here .
Finally emerging from his pandemic-era Fox News bunker , Trump sat for an interview with ABC News this week .
For weeks as the U.S. death toll skyrocketed and tens of millions of people lost their jobs , Trump had agreed only to answer pleasing , one-on-one questions from Fox News .
He did his best to create an alternate universe , where the deadly cornonavirus would soon `` wash away . ''
Agreeing to be interviewed by ABC , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exposing himself to tougher questions about his historically incompetent response to the public health crisis , and a mountain of evidence that he personally chose to do nothing to protect the country from a virus invasion .
In the end , the soft-as-a-pillow interview on ABC proved to be no risk .
And Trump probably knew that going in , because TV journalists , perhaps more concerned about access than answers , simply refuse to hold him accountable in-person .
Accustomed to blustering his way through TV Q & A 's and facing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an often-incoherent session with ABC , while lying relentlessly .
Yet Trump was never closely questioned by `` ABC World News Tonight '' anchor David Muir , even when the issues of the day include more than 70,000 dead Americans and 30 million lost jobs .
Incredibly , Muir failed to call Trump out on the pandemic-related lies he had been telling for weeks during his White House briefings .
Meaning , Muir likely knew in advance what Trump 's falsehoods would be , yet the anchor did nothing .
Content with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ landing a interview with Trump ) , Muir did his minimal best to hold the president accountable for what some experts see as the greatest single failure of leadership in the history of the United States presidents .
Muir did what so many journalists before him have done over the last five years — he let Trump get away with it .
And Muir did it at a time when America is so desperate for answers and accountability .
Can you imagine sitting down for a Q & A with Trump who complains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Barack Obama , even though coronavirus did not exist under Obama , and your response is to say nothing ?
As Daily Beast noted , Muir also failed to press Trump on : • His failure to invoke the emergency Defense Production Act to force private companies to mass-produce much-needed coronavirus tests and personal protection equipment .
• A new whistleblower complaint that the National Institutes of Health removed him from directing the government ’ s vaccine research after he questioned Trump 's unhinged Covid-19 treatment recommendations .
The ABC interview was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its failures , and how it 's literally killing us , as Americans fall prey to a deadly disease that the federal government failed to protect us from .
Worse , by urging states to `` reopen , '' Trump is actively adding to the death toll , as the virus spreads further to all corners of the country .
Viewers saw no accountability in the ABC interview .
They just saw two actors reading their assigned lines and going through the motions .
Muir 's role : To be mildly curious about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gently questioning him about contradictory Covid-19 statements , and to allow Trump to ramble on .
Trump 's role : To run out the clock by stringing together a series of nonsensical responses .
( `` Somebody said to me , like , everybody ’ s longing for the rallies .
We all have a lot of fun at my rallies . ''
) This is n't exclusive to Muir .
Virtually every television journalist who has sat down to interview Trump , and certainly the ones who work for ABC , CBS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same thing .
Three years into Trump 's presidency , and journalists who have access to him for one-on-one Q & A 's are not up to the challenge of interviewing a nonstop liar .
( Here was an awful CBS interview with Trump , and a weak NBC one . )
Afraid of curtailing future access , and afraid of offending red state viewers , the TV questioners are content to let Trump spout nonsense .
That 's not journalism .
When the United States is facing a once-in-century health crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news consumers deserve to get answers from the President of the United States .
The same style of access journalism plagues most of the Sunday morning talk shows , where booking the Republican administration ’ s guests now seems to be the paramount act of journalism .
That means Trump surrogates appear on the shows to promote his nonstop lies and are met with , at best , timid pushback .
Hosts seem to think their job in the Trump era is to provide the president and his top officials with comfortable forum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the pandemic spreads , access journalism is killing us .

Published with permission of PRESS RUN, Eric Boehlert’s new must-read media newsletter. Subscribe here.
Finally emerging from his pandemic-era Fox News bunker, Trump sat for an interview with ABC News this week. For weeks as the U.S. death toll skyrocketed and tens of millions of people lost their jobs, Trump had agreed only to answer pleasing, one-on-one questions from Fox News. He did his best to create an alternate universe, where the deadly cornonavirus would soon "wash away."
Agreeing to be interviewed by ABC, Trump appeared to be taking a risk by exposing himself to tougher questions about his historically incompetent response to the public health crisis, and a mountain of evidence that he personally chose to do nothing to protect the country from a virus invasion. In the end, the soft-as-a-pillow interview on ABC proved to be no risk. And Trump probably knew that going in, because TV journalists, perhaps more concerned about access than answers, simply refuse to hold him accountable in-person.
Accustomed to blustering his way through TV Q&A's and facing minimal pushback, Trump once again delivered an often-incoherent session with ABC, while lying relentlessly. Yet Trump was never closely questioned by "ABC World News Tonight" anchor David Muir, even when the issues of the day include more than 70,000 dead Americans and 30 million lost jobs. Incredibly, Muir failed to call Trump out on the pandemic-related lies he had been telling for weeks during his White House briefings. Meaning, Muir likely knew in advance what Trump's falsehoods would be, yet the anchor did nothing.
Content with the TV "get" (i.e. landing a interview with Trump), Muir did his minimal best to hold the president accountable for what some experts see as the greatest single failure of leadership in the history of the United States presidents. Muir did what so many journalists before him have done over the last five years — he let Trump get away with it. And Muir did it at a time when America is so desperate for answers and accountability.
Can you imagine sitting down for a Q&A with Trump who complains he inherited "broken" coronavirus test from Barack Obama, even though coronavirus did not exist under Obama, and your response is to say nothing?
As Daily Beast noted, Muir also failed to press Trump on:
His failure to invoke the emergency Defense Production Act to force private companies to mass-produce much-needed coronavirus tests and personal protection equipment.
A new whistleblower complaint that the National Institutes of Health removed him from directing the government’s vaccine research after he questioned Trump's unhinged Covid-19 treatment recommendations.
The complete absence of a comprehensive national testing strategy.
The ABC interview was a textbook example of access journalism, its failures, and how it's literally killing us, as Americans fall prey to a deadly disease that the federal government failed to protect us from. Worse, by urging states to "reopen," Trump is actively adding to the death toll, as the virus spreads further to all corners of the country.
Viewers saw no accountability in the ABC interview. They just saw two actors reading their assigned lines and going through the motions. Muir's role: To be mildly curious about Trump's handling of the pandemic, gently questioning him about contradictory Covid-19 statements, and to allow Trump to ramble on. Trump's role: To run out the clock by stringing together a series of nonsensical responses. ("Somebody said to me, like, everybody’s longing for the rallies. We all have a lot of fun at my rallies.")
This isn't exclusive to Muir. Virtually every television journalist who has sat down to interview Trump, and certainly the ones who work for ABC, CBS, and NBC, have all done the same thing. Three years into Trump's presidency, and journalists who have access to him for one-on-one Q&A's are not up to the challenge of interviewing a nonstop liar. (Here was an awful CBS interview with Trump, and a weak NBC one.)
Afraid of curtailing future access, and afraid of offending red state viewers, the TV questioners are content to let Trump spout nonsense. That's not journalism. When the United States is facing a once-in-century health crisis and being crippled by a pandemic, news consumers deserve to get answers from the President of the United States.
The same style of access journalism plagues most of the Sunday morning talk shows, where booking the Republican administration’s guests now seems to be the paramount act of journalism. That means Trump surrogates appear on the shows to promote his nonstop lies and are met with, at best, timid pushback. Hosts seem to think their job in the Trump era is to provide the president and his top officials with comfortable forum to tell more blatant untruths.
Now as the pandemic spreads, access journalism is killing us.


crooksandliars--2020-05-02--Mike's Blog Round Up

Mike's Blog Round Up

You Might Notice a Trend : Why America is reopening its doors for hell .
Lawyers , Guns and Money @ @ @ @ @ Democrats share Mitch McConnell ’ s principled commitment to transparency and good government ?
This @ @ @ @ @ tips to mbru AT crooksandliars DOT com .

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crooksandliars--2020-03-14--What's On Your Binge Watch List During 'Quarantine And Chill'?

Which shows are binge-worthy during the Coronavirus self-quarantine ?
Also , what movies are streaming that we may have missed @ @ @ @ @ I Am Not Okay With This '' on Netflix .
My daughter is streaming ALL @ @ @ @ @ ' And by the way , `` I Will Survive '' is a much better @ @ @ @ @ Birthday Twice . ''

Which shows are binge-worthy during the Coronavirus self-quarantine? Also, what movies are streaming that we may have missed?
I did like "I Am Not Okay With This" on Netflix. My daughter is streaming ALL of 'Game of Thrones.'
And by the way, "I Will Survive" is a much better handwashing song than "Happy Birthday Twice."
There's washing your hands and then there's washing your hands while you're Gloria Gaynor singing "I Will Survive". 🤣#coronapocalypse #QuarantineAndChill #fridayfeeling pic.twitter.com/wXj7a1j8V8 — Holly Figueroa O'Reilly (@AynRandPaulRyan) March 13, 2020
Open thread below...