msnbc--2020-12-16--There's a reason GOP attacks in Georgia are focused on Rev. Warnock — not Ossoff

The Black church has always played a pivotal role in the community , and in our fight for justice and equality .
It is where many of our great leaders emerged , where they organized , and where they pushed for change .
Decades earlier , Adam Clayton Powell Jr. built a powerhouse of mobilization as the pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem , New York .
He later went on to become the first African American to serve on the New York City Council , before spending 11 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives , fighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the marginalized .
The attacks against Powell are well-known , especially within New York ’ s Black community : his critics and enemies painted him as a radical , an extremist , a communist , a troublemaker and an overall threat to society .
Today , we are seeing similar refrains against Raphael Warnock , the senior pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta , and the Democratic candidate for one of Georgia ’ s two U.S. Senate seats .
As the Jan. 5 runoffs approach , and with control of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smears and vitriol against Warnock have only escalated .
It ’ s the same playbook we saw against Powell and the same playbook we see over and over again : racist attacks rooted in nothing but plain old bigotry .
During the Dec. 6 debate between Warnock and Sen. Kelly Loeffler , the Republican candidate referred to Warnock as a “ radical liberal ” 13 times .
That was no coincidence or a slip of the tongue .
Rather , it was an orchestrated strategy designed to tarnish Warnock 's image , play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgians fearful of the “ radical Black man.
” It ’ s tired ; it ’ s old ; and it ’ s the same vile fearmongering that was used against transformative changemakers like Powell and against Black men since the inception of this nation .
Loeffler knew exactly what she was doing .
She also took Warnock ’ s sermons out of context , trying to paint him as anti-military and a candidate who believes inthe so-called defund the police movement.None of this is true , of course .
But when you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alternative facts , ” it ’ s easy for its leaders like Loeffler and others to casually spew misleading statements and lies in order to galvanize its supporters .
Loeffler even attacked Warnock ’ s beliefs by claiming that he couldn ’ t be both an abortion rights supporter and a Christian at the same time — once again riling up the Republican base while simultaneously attacking his faith .
It is extremely ironic that her fellow Republicans are so quick to denounce attacking a person ’ s religion , but then turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black church has always been at the forefront of the civil rights movement .
In our long journey toward freedom and justice , it ’ s served as a home base for families to convene , share information , strategize , organize , tackle challenges and inspire one another .
That remains the case today .
It is why Republicans , including the current president , are so threatened by its organizing power , and are working overtime to attack Warnock .
U.S. Rep.-elect Madison Cawthorn even insinuated on Fox News on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You see this Warnock fella who 's coming down here and disguising himself as some moderate pastor from the South , '' Cawthorn said .
In reality , the 51-year-old Warnock , who was born in Savannah , Georgia , has done immense work at Ebenezer , such as participating for years in “ Souls to the Polls , ” an effort to encourage Black participation in the voting process .
Republicans fear what Warnock has accomplished and are doing everything to stop him from succeeding any further .
Sadly , they don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wheel ; they just have to use the same ugly tactics used against other Black leaders .
When Barack Obama was elected to the highest office in the land , it was as if the Band-Aid had been ripped off this nation .
Gun sales went up , self-proclaimed militia groups exponentially increased , and right-wing media unleashed a barrage of daily attacks against the first Black president .
Republicans at the time rallied their base by constantly painting Obama as the “ other , ” somehow un-American , a socialist , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Let us never forget Trump ’ s role in popularizing the so-called birther movement .
Now , Republicans have turned their focus on Warnock , because in our current political reality , control of the Senate means everything .
It ’ s no coincidence that they have zeroed in on him instead of on Jon Ossoff , the Democratic candidate in the race against Republican Sen. David Perdue .
As a result , they have chosen the same tired tropes and talking points used time and again against Black leaders , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is disgusting , it is dangerous , and it must be denounced immediately .
I ’ ve been a preacher my whole life and have witnessed the kind of bigotry and demonization directed at Warnock firsthand .
It comes with the territory , because when preachers speak truth to power , it often makes people uncomfortable – especially those who possess that power .
That is what people like Powell Jr. did in every sermon he delivered , every powerful word he spoke and every legislative action he took to advance priorities like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is what Warnock is doing today from the Ebenezer Baptist Church as he seeks to represent and fight on behalf of all Georgians in the Senate so that he , too , can deliver progressive results that help advance all Americans .
It ’ s no wonder Loeffler and the Republican Party are working overtime to try to discredit him .
Regardless of what the outcome is Jan. 5 , we will never forget what they ’ ve done to tear down a pillar of the Black church .

The Black church has always played a pivotal role in the community, and in our fight for justice and equality. It is where many of our great leaders emerged, where they organized, and where they pushed for change.
Decades earlier, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. built a powerhouse of mobilization as the pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York. He later went on to become the first African American to serve on the New York City Council, before spending 11 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, fighting to enact programs for the poor and the marginalized. The attacks against Powell are well-known, especially within New York’s Black community: his critics and enemies painted him as a radical, an extremist, a communist, a troublemaker and an overall threat to society.
It's same playbook we see over and over again: racist attacks rooted in nothing but plain old bigotry.
Today, we are seeing similar refrains against Raphael Warnock, the senior pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, and the Democratic candidate for one of Georgia’s two U.S. Senate seats. As the Jan. 5 runoffs approach, and with control of the Senate in the balance, the smears and vitriol against Warnock have only escalated. It’s the same playbook we saw against Powell and the same playbook we see over and over again: racist attacks rooted in nothing but plain old bigotry.
During the Dec. 6 debate between Warnock and Sen. Kelly Loeffler, the Republican candidate referred to Warnock as a “radical liberal” 13 times. That was no coincidence or a slip of the tongue. Rather, it was an orchestrated strategy designed to tarnish Warnock's image, play to the GOP base, and make Georgians fearful of the “radical Black man.” It’s tired; it’s old; and it’s the same vile fearmongering that was used against transformative changemakers like Powell and against Black men since the inception of this nation. Loeffler knew exactly what she was doing.
She also took Warnock’s sermons out of context, trying to paint him as anti-military and a candidate who believes inthe so-called defund the police movement.None of this is true, of course. But when you have a party that believes in “alternative facts,” it’s easy for its leaders like Loeffler and others to casually spew misleading statements and lies in order to galvanize its supporters.
Loeffler even attacked Warnock’s beliefs by claiming that he couldn’t be both an abortion rights supporter and a Christian at the same time — once again riling up the Republican base while simultaneously attacking his faith. It is extremely ironic that her fellow Republicans are so quick to denounce attacking a person’s religion, but then turn around and do exactly that.
The Black church has always been at the forefront of the civil rights movement. In our long journey toward freedom and justice, it’s served as a home base for families to convene, share information, strategize, organize, tackle challenges and inspire one another. That remains the case today.
It is why Republicans, including the current president, are so threatened by its organizing power, and are working overtime to attack Warnock. U.S. Rep.-elect Madison Cawthorn even insinuated on Fox News on Tuesday that Warnock was a carpetbagger. "You see this Warnock fella who's coming down here and disguising himself as some moderate pastor from the South," Cawthorn said.
"you see this warnock fella who's coming down here and disguising himself as some moderate pastor from the south"
warnock was born and raised in savannah, georgia and has been a pastor since the 1990s pic.twitter.com/86wwjhJq0p — Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) December 15, 2020
In reality, the 51-year-old Warnock, who was born in Savannah, Georgia, has done immense work at Ebenezer, such as participating for years in “Souls to the Polls,” an effort to encourage Black participation in the voting process. Republicans fear what Warnock has accomplished and are doing everything to stop him from succeeding any further. Sadly, they don’t even have to reinvent the wheel; they just have to use the same ugly tactics used against other Black leaders.
When Barack Obama was elected to the highest office in the land, it was as if the Band-Aid had been ripped off this nation. Gun sales went up, self-proclaimed militia groups exponentially increased, and right-wing media unleashed a barrage of daily attacks against the first Black president. Republicans at the time rallied their base by constantly painting Obama as the “other,” somehow un-American, a socialist, and yes, of course, a radical. Let us never forget Trump’s role in popularizing the so-called birther movement.
Now, Republicans have turned their focus on Warnock, because in our current political reality, control of the Senate means everything. It’s no coincidence that they have zeroed in on him instead of on Jon Ossoff, the Democratic candidate in the race against Republican Sen. David Perdue.
Ossoff’s whiteness makes for a less obvious target than Warnock’s Blackness.
As a result, they have chosen the same tired tropes and talking points used time and again against Black leaders, the Black church and our faith. It is disgusting, it is dangerous, and it must be denounced immediately.
I’ve been a preacher my whole life and have witnessed the kind of bigotry and demonization directed at Warnock firsthand. It comes with the territory, because when preachers speak truth to power, it often makes people uncomfortable – especially those who possess that power. That is what people like Powell Jr. did in every sermon he delivered, every powerful word he spoke and every legislative action he took to advance priorities like anti-poverty bills and so much more. It is what Warnock is doing today from the Ebenezer Baptist Church as he seeks to represent and fight on behalf of all Georgians in the Senate so that he, too, can deliver progressive results that help advance all Americans. It’s no wonder Loeffler and the Republican Party are working overtime to try to discredit him.
Regardless of what the outcome is Jan. 5, we will never forget what they’ve done to tear down a pillar of the Black church.


msnbc--2020-12-16--Pompeo invites over 900 guests to holiday party, but many skip

Most people will still have to wait weeks , months for Covid-19 vaccine

As the coronavirus pandemic continues despite the beginning of vaccinations, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his wife Susan invited more than 900 guests to an indoor holiday party, yet a small amount attended, according to reporting.Dec. 16, 2020


msnbc--2020-12-17--$900B coronavirus relief bill expected to be released Thursday

Senator says agreement has 'basically been reached ' on relief

Meacham: Pence probably saved the republic, but I don't always want to count on one person to do it 08:18


msnbc--2020-12-17--Sen. Paul claims without evidence 'in many ways' election was stolen


msnbc--2020-12-17--Kansas mayor 'embarrassed' by GOP, resigns over mask backlash

Joyce Warshaw, forced to resign as the Republican mayor of Dodge City, Kansas for supporting a mask mandate, tells Ali Velshi that she is “embarrassed by some of the behaviors from the Republican Party,” which contributed to the environment that pushed her out.Dec. 17, 2020


msnbc--2020-12-17--Congressional leaders near deal on Covid-19 relief with stimulus checks

Rep. Pramila Jayapal joins Ali Velshi to discuss the importance of House progressives demanding leadership include both direct stimulus checks and expanded unemployment benefits in the next Covid-19 relief bill despite the pushback from Republicans: “To just be so blind to what is happening to people across this country, refusing to give help, has been awful.”Dec. 17, 2020


msnbc--2020-12-17--If FKA twigs and Megan Thee Stallion aren't safe, how is any Black woman?

Musical artist FKA twigs filed a lawsuit on Dec. 11 that detailed the “ relentless ” abuse she experienced in her public romantic relationship with actor Shia LaBeouf .
The 16-page complaint chronicles what the British artist , born Tahliah Debrett Barnett , referred to as “ a living nightmare ” outlined by actions both unmistakable — violent attacks and homicidal threats — and obscured by the insidious — closely-measured kiss quotas and intentional exposure to a sexually transmitted disease .
And yet , like many survivors of domestic abuse , Barnett did not report LaBeouf to the police , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about harming his career , and later because she thought her account would not be taken seriously , and it would be futile , ” according to The New York Times .
“ I just thought to myself , no one is ever going to believe me , ” she explained in her interview with The Times .
“ I ’ m unconventional .
And I ’ m a person of color who is a female.
” ( Her biological father is Black Jamaican and her mother is a white Englishwoman of partly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , I immediately thought of another Black woman artist whose violent assault had also recently gone viral .
In July , Megan Pete , famously known as the chart-topping “ Savage ” and “ WAP ” rapper Megan Thee Stallion , was allegedly shot twice in the foot by Tory Lanez , a Black male rapper with no romantic ties to her , as she walked away from him .
Like Barnett , Pete doubted the police would believe and protect her because of her race .
“ I didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then because I didn ’ t want to die , ” she admitted in a candid Instagram Live , referring to her initial claims of injury by broken glass and citing the recent police shootings that sparked the Black Lives Matter protests this summer .
“ I don ’ t want the police to shoot because it ’ s a n**** with a gun in the car.
” And like Barnett , Pete doubted anyone would believe her specifically because of her race and gender .
Confirmation came in the form of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media , so much so that the 25-year-old posted a photo on Instagram of her severely gashed foot covered in bruises and stitches as proof .
As both of these parallel events of violent abuse prove , not believing Black women decreases the avenues for them to seek protection .
Even when they ’ re rich .
Even when they ’ re famous .
Even when they have the No .
1 song in the country .
Even when they identify as mixed-race .
Both artists have since named the men who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experiences in the hopes of supporting and protecting women .
Barnett dedicated her case to “ all those women that LaBeouf has mistreated in the past ” and vowed to donate a significant portion of any money received to charities for “ victims of domestic abuse.
” Pete penned an unapologetic op-ed for The New York Times titled “ Why I Speak Up for Black Women.
” “ The way people have publicly questioned and debated whether I played a role in my own violent assault proves that my fears about discussing what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Pete wrote .
Their courageous advocacy echoes the centuries-old legacy of Black women fighting for the human rights of their fellow Black sisters and subsequently other disenfranchised and marginalized groups , particularly women of color , as well as white women .
But it ’ s 2020 , the year that Black women ’ s voter turnout and advocacy saved the entirety of North America , and the end of a decade that ushered in unprecedented international reckonings of sexism and racism by way of the Black women-founded and led # MeToo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lives Matter movement ( Alicia Garza , Opal Tometi , and Patrisse Cullors . )
Performative platitudes regurgitated to us with the very same campaigns and hashtags that we created — # ProtectBlackWomen , # BelieveBlackWomen — are not enough .
Acceptance speeches sprinkled with long-overdue praise delivered by the president elect and vice president-elect for whom 91 percent of us voted and many flipped states , amidst a surge of coronavirus cases and white supremacist terrorism , are not enough .
Picking individual Black women for cabinet positions ( particularly less-senior positions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has proven that none of the elected presidents and their respective administrations have ever done enough to serve and protect Black women .
Not even the first Black president , who in 2014 launched My Brother ’ s Keeper , a historic initiative compromised by its refusal to acknowledge that the same systemic racism impacting Black boys was also uniquely and disproportionately impacting Black girls , sometimes even more so .
A letter by the African American Policy Forum that critiqued the initiative ’ s exclusion of Black girls garnered 1,000 signatures before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adviser to President Barack Obama .
Jarrett said in response , “ I think the flaw in the logic is not understanding that this is not either/or , this is both/and .
The president ’ s approach is to create a society where nobody gets left behind , and right now are young boys of color are falling farther and farther behind than everybody.
” The Obama administration should have believed the 1,000 women who signed that letter — especially because Kimberlé Crenshaw , co-founder of the AAPF , is also the mind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intersectionality .
They should have heeded Crenshaw ’ s warning , which echoes the cries of so many Black women before her .
“ Clearly American society continues to be a toxic environment for many of our young people , ” read the 2014 letter .
“ Yet male-exclusive initiatives seem to lose sight of the implications of the canary ’ s distress : it is not a signal that only male canaries are suffering .
It makes no sense to equip the canary with a mentor , a gas mask and or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mine as it is and expecting the females to fend for themselves .
If the air is toxic , it is toxic for everyone forced to breathe it.
” So , to the incoming president and vice president who claim to want to heal America , please believe Black women like Crenshaw and Pete and Barnett .
And make damn sure to believe those of us without fame or fortunes or access or resources .
Believe Black women like Anjanette Young , a 50-year-old who was getting ready for bed when Chicago police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , naked , during a botched raid .
Believe Black transgender women like Iyanna Dior , a 20-year-old beaten by a mob outside of a convenience store , the owner of which refused to call the police or help .
Believe Black expectant mothers like Amber Isaac , a 26-year-old who tried to tell her doctors something wasn ’ t right before dying from treatable pregnancy complications hours after the birth of her first-born child .
And believe Black girls , like Skhylur Davis , an 11-year-old who informed a 38-year-old white woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her grandmother ’ s , only to be accused of theft and then assaulted .
Believe all Black women .
Because to believe Black women is to protect Black women , and to protect Black women is to save us all .

Musical artist FKA twigs filed a lawsuit on Dec. 11 that detailed the “relentless” abuse she experienced in her public romantic relationship with actor Shia LaBeouf. The 16-page complaint chronicles what the British artist, born Tahliah Debrett Barnett, referred to as “a living nightmare” outlined by actions both unmistakable — violent attacks and homicidal threats — and obscured by the insidious — closely-measured kiss quotas and intentional exposure to a sexually transmitted disease.
And yet, like many survivors of domestic abuse, Barnett did not report LaBeouf to the police, “first out of a misguided concern about harming his career, and later because she thought her account would not be taken seriously, and it would be futile,” according to The New York Times.
“I just thought to myself, no one is ever going to believe me,” she explained in her interview with The Times. “I’m unconventional. And I’m a person of color who is a female.” (Her biological father is Black Jamaican and her mother is a white Englishwoman of partly Spanish descent.)
When I read that, I immediately thought of another Black woman artist whose violent assault had also recently gone viral. In July, Megan Pete, famously known as the chart-topping “Savage” and “WAP” rapper Megan Thee Stallion, was allegedly shot twice in the foot by Tory Lanez, a Black male rapper with no romantic ties to her, as she walked away from him.
Like Barnett, Pete doubted anyone would believe her specifically because of her race and gender.
Like Barnett, Pete doubted the police would believe and protect her because of her race. “I didn’t tell the police what happened immediately right then because I didn’t want to die,” she admitted in a candid Instagram Live, referring to her initial claims of injury by broken glass and citing the recent police shootings that sparked the Black Lives Matter protests this summer. “I don’t want the police to shoot because it’s a n**** with a gun in the car.”
And like Barnett, Pete doubted anyone would believe her specifically because of her race and gender. Confirmation came in the form of people voicing their disbelief and ridiculing Pete on social media, so much so that the 25-year-old posted a photo on Instagram of her severely gashed foot covered in bruises and stitches as proof.
“I’m incredibly grateful to be alive and that I’m expected to make a full recovery.” Megan Thee Stallion revealed that she suffered gunshot wounds over the weekend. https://t.co/PhYIscHcwT — Twitter Moments (@TwitterMoments) July 15, 2020
As both of these parallel events of violent abuse prove, not believing Black women decreases the avenues for them to seek protection. Even when they’re rich. Even when they’re famous. Even when they have the No. 1 song in the country. Even when they identify as mixed-race.
Both artists have since named the men who abused them and spoken out about their experiences in the hopes of supporting and protecting women. Barnett dedicated her case to “all those women that LaBeouf has mistreated in the past” and vowed to donate a significant portion of any money received to charities for “victims of domestic abuse.” Pete penned an unapologetic op-ed for The New York Times titled “Why I Speak Up for Black Women.”
“The way people have publicly questioned and debated whether I played a role in my own violent assault proves that my fears about discussing what happened were, unfortunately, warranted,” Pete wrote.
Their courageous advocacy echoes the centuries-old legacy of Black women fighting for the human rights of their fellow Black sisters and subsequently other disenfranchised and marginalized groups, particularly women of color, as well as white women.
Performative platitudes regurgitated to us with the very same campaigns and hashtags that we created — #ProtectBlackWomen, #BelieveBlackWomen — are not enough.
But it’s 2020, the year that Black women’s voter turnout and advocacy saved the entirety of North America, and the end of a decade that ushered in unprecedented international reckonings of sexism and racism by way of the Black women-founded and led #MeToo movement (Tarana Burke) and Black Lives Matter movement (Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi, and Patrisse Cullors.)
Performative platitudes regurgitated to us with the very same campaigns and hashtags that we created — #ProtectBlackWomen, #BelieveBlackWomen — are not enough.
Acceptance speeches sprinkled with long-overdue praise delivered by the president elect and vice president-elect for whom 91 percent of us voted and many flipped states, amidst a surge of coronavirus cases and white supremacist terrorism, are not enough.
Picking individual Black women for cabinet positions (particularly less-senior positions) is not enough.
American history has proven that none of the elected presidents and their respective administrations have ever done enough to serve and protect Black women. Not even the first Black president, who in 2014 launched My Brother’s Keeper, a historic initiative compromised by its refusal to acknowledge that the same systemic racism impacting Black boys was also uniquely and disproportionately impacting Black girls, sometimes even more so.
A letter by the African American Policy Forum that critiqued the initiative’s exclusion of Black girls garnered 1,000 signatures before it reached Valerie Jarrett, the then-senior adviser to President Barack Obama. Jarrett said in response, “I think the flaw in the logic is not understanding that this is not either/or, this is both/and. The president’s approach is to create a society where nobody gets left behind, and right now are young boys of color are falling farther and farther behind than everybody.”
The Obama administration should have believed the 1,000 women who signed that letter — especially because Kimberlé Crenshaw, co-founder of the AAPF, is also the mind behind the revolutionary theoretical framework that is intersectionality. They should have heeded Crenshaw’s warning, which echoes the cries of so many Black women before her.
“Clearly American society continues to be a toxic environment for many of our young people,” read the 2014 letter. “Yet male-exclusive initiatives seem to lose sight of the implications of the canary’s distress: it is not a signal that only male canaries are suffering. It makes no sense to equip the canary with a mentor, a gas mask and or some other individual-level support while leaving the mine as it is and expecting the females to fend for themselves. If the air is toxic, it is toxic for everyone forced to breathe it.”
So, to the incoming president and vice president who claim to want to heal America, please believe Black women like Crenshaw and Pete and Barnett. And make damn sure to believe those of us without fame or fortunes or access or resources.
Believe Black women like Anjanette Young, a 50-year-old who was getting ready for bed when Chicago police barged into her home and handcuffed her, naked, during a botched raid. Believe Black transgender women like Iyanna Dior, a 20-year-old beaten by a mob outside of a convenience store, the owner of which refused to call the police or help. Believe Black expectant mothers like Amber Isaac, a 26-year-old who tried to tell her doctors something wasn’t right before dying from treatable pregnancy complications hours after the birth of her first-born child. And believe Black girls, like Skhylur Davis, an 11-year-old who informed a 38-year-old white woman that the mail in her hand was her grandmother’s, only to be accused of theft and then assaulted.
Believe all Black women. Because to believe Black women is to protect Black women, and to protect Black women is to save us all.


msnbc--2020-12-17--Biden adviser believes general population will start to get vaccine in the summer and early fall

Vets call for Crenshaw to resign for alleged role in smear of sexual assault victim

Biden adviser believes general population will start to get vaccine in the summer and early fall
Dr. Celine Gounder, infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist, discusses struggles with vaccine distribution and when we should all expect to see Covid vaccines readily availableDec. 17, 2020


msnbc--2020-12-17--Neal Katyal calls it ‘absolutely outrageous’ for Republicans to insist on a special counsel to inves

Neal Katyal calls it ‘absolutely outrageous’ for Republicans to insist on a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden
Former acting solicitor general Neal Katyal on the fact that the call for the DOJ to appoint a special counsel to probe Hunter Biden is a call for Joe Biden’s attorney general to makeDec. 17, 2020


msnbc--2020-12-18--Reports: Nuclear weapons agency breached amid massive cyberattack

“What we’re looking at now is not just an attack that is ongoing, that is not just highly sophisticated, but also we cannot trust the supply chain. We can no longer trust that any third-party application in these systems has not been compromised by Russia,” says NYT’s Nicole Perlroth.Dec. 18, 2020


msnbc--2020-12-18--GOP suddenly outraged by foul language, silent on Trump’s vulgarity from the past four years

We’re introducing a new segment on The ReidOut: 'What The Duck?!' We're documenting what lame duck Trump and his Republican 'lemmings' do on the way out of the door. Tonight, Republicans are suddenly outraged by foul language. But they should check a president from the past 4 years.Dec. 18, 2020


msnbc--2020-12-18--Vets call for Crenshaw to resign for alleged role in smear of sexual assault victim

Chris Hayes on Rep. Dan Crenshaw: “When you come across him from now on, you should add ‘implicated in smearing a sexual harassment whistleblower’ to the list of things that come to mind.”Dec. 18, 2020


msnbc--2020-12-17--Sen. Dick Durbin: I am shocked by ‘silence of the White House’ regarding the Russian hacks

Sen. Dick Durbin: I am shocked by ‘silence of the White House’ regarding the Russian hacks
Illinois Senator and Democratic Whip Dick Durbin joins Nicolle Wallace to discuss the Russian hack on the DOE and the new Covid-19 stimulus billDec. 17, 2020


msnbc--2020-12-18--Mar-a-Lago neighbors to Trump: We don’t want you living here

Trump has planned on moving into what he’s dubbed the “Winter White House” after he leaves office, but some of his Mar-a-Lago neighbors have different plans. A letter submitted to the Palm Beach mayor and the Secret Service reminds Trump of a 1993 agreement he signed when he converted the estate into a private club that prevents anyone from living on the property. Palm Beach Post political reporter Christine Stapleton discusses the controversy and the likelihood Trump will end settling down at the estate.Dec. 18, 2020


msnbc--2020-12-18--Rev. William Barber on Covid-19 relief: This is going to require long term, fundamental transformati

Rev. William Barber on Covid-19 relief: This is going to require long term, fundamental transformation
On the need for more stimulus checks and Covid relief, Rev. William Barber says he’s calling for a 14 point plan, and that tackling the many problems will require ‘long term, fundamental transformation.’Dec. 18, 2020


msnbc--2020-12-17--Admiral Brett Giroir: ‘Need to restore trust in the institutions’ after leaked HHS emails

Admiral Brett Giroir: ‘Need to restore trust in the institutions’ after leaked HHS emails
White House Testing Czar, Admiral Brett Giroir responds to leaked HHS emails about herd immunity, says "it would have been a catastrophe of unbelievable proportions" if that was the policy.Dec. 17, 2020


msnbc--2020-12-17--China is reportedly forcing its Muslim minorities to pick cotton

There ’ s something about cotton .
The backbreaking crop that powered the antebellum South is etched in the psyche of every Black American .
And centuries later , it remains one of the clearest symbols of the horror of the enslaved experience .
That racial memory is why a new report from the BBC published Monday stopped me cold when it crossed my Twitter feed .
It turns out that halfway around the world , there are still minorities being forced to spend their days harvesting cotton — and it is part of a program based in racist denigration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a people whom their overseers have deemed backwards .
About 20 percent of the world ’ s cotton comes from the Xinjiang region of China .
It ’ s the homeland of the Uighurs , a mostly Muslim ethnic group that for the last decade has been subjected to brutal repression and a concerted effort directed from Beijing to erase their culture and bring the northwestern province entirely to heel .
And according to Chinese government documents and media reports , over 500,000 Uighurs have been mobilized to labor in the cotton fields @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Previous reports have showed evidence of forced labor in Xinjiang ’ s textile factories — these newly reported documents show that the oppression goes all the way to the cotton fields .
Taken together , they ’ re the clearest evidence yet that more than 150 years after the end of the U.S. Civil War , the cotton market is once again a center of human rights abuses .
It ’ s a case where Beijing ’ s economic and political goals appear to have intertwined .
President Xi Jinping has made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goal .
Among the more controversial tactics local officials have taken to hit that goal include relocating people from rural areas to urban centers , sometimes leaving them stranded in new cities , and forcing citizens to download an app that strongly encourages donations to the impoverished .
Those efforts are at the heart of most of the documents the BBC cites , which trumpet efforts to get the Uighurs working for wages instead of traditional sustenance farming or raising families .
In the process , hundreds of thousands of Uighurs have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for up to three months at a time during the harvest season .
But the Xinjiang cotton scheme goes beyond just relieving poverty .
A policy document from the Aksu prefecture , dated October 2020 , notes that groups of cotton-pickers are accompanied by officials who “ eat , live , study and work with them , actively implementing thought education during cotton picking.
” The re-education efforts the documents mention mirror those seen inside the much more infamous detention centers that Beijing has secretly constructed around Xinjiang .
While China has said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ centers , the few former detainees who have emerged and agreed to speak out say the true goal is the sublimation of Uighur culture and religion , through a program of abuse , deprivation and force-fed propaganda .
We don ’ t know for sure how many Uighurs have been funneled through the camps , or how many remain , but estimates tend to put the number at over 1 million .
It seems like the detention centers are separate from this particular forced labor scheme .
But the same security state apparatus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ camps also powers the surveillance apparatus that has deployed 1 million government officials to live in Uighur homes to monitor the population .
And the government seems unwilling to accept any refusals to perform the difficult work offered under it ’ s “ labor export ” scheme .
A report from Jiashi county notes that in a village where after a door-to-door recruiting program locals were “ unwilling to go out to work , ” officials went back to their homes to “ eliminate the villagers ’ ideological concerns.
” Twenty people were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with another 60 due to be transferred in the near future .
Baked within this program are a series of assumptions about Uighurs that are downright racist .
China is dominated by the majority Han ethnic group and in Xi ’ s time in office , the Chinese Communist Party has overseen a deepening of Han nationalism .
China scholar James Millward detailed this suppression of minority cultures in 2019 , noting that “ rather than celebrating the uniqueness of individual cultures , the C.C.P .
increasingly promotes a unitary category called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pan-Chinese identity .
Though supposedly all-inclusive , the customs and characteristics of ‘ zhonghua ’ are practically identical to those of the Han.
” The increase in local Uighur workers has coincided with a reduced need to import Han Chinese laborers to the region .
In freeing Han from this menial work , the government simultaneously sees itself as breaking the Uighurs of the “ old-fashioned , unenlightened , and lazy thoughts ” that plague them .
The heavy-handed recruitment to pick cotton is necessary in communities where “ the idea of laziness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims .
The idea that only through hard work can an indolent , backwards people modernize and become valued members of society is a familiar refrain to my Black ears .
Supposed testimonials from Uighurs happy to have been put to work drip with the same honeyed poison as Jim Crow minstrel caricatures .
One man is quoted in local state-run media as saying : “ In the past , my lazy thoughts of ‘ waiting , relying , and asking ’ were serious .
I only knew how to ask for things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But with the support of the party , he now knows that the best thing in life “ is to use the money I earn with my hard-working hands and my sweat.
” I can almost see the dead-eyed look on his face as he mouths the words he knows his oppressors want to hear .
The documents which form the basis of the BBC ’ s reporting were obtained and compiled by Dr. Adrian Zenz .
Zenz , a senior fellow at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation , a Washington-based nonprofit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normally wouldn ’ t cite .
And the report he compiled , from which many of the translated quotes in this essay are sourced , is thorough — but was first published at a tiny , recently established think-tank based in a small for-profit college in Virginia .
Nonetheless , the documents he draws from are credible and track with what news outlets have reported about the conditions in Xinjiang .
Earlier this year , activists began organizing to get clothing brands end the use of Xinjiang cotton in their garments .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on certain products from Xinjiang , citing alleged forced labor concerns .
And on Dec. 2 , the U.S. banned cotton imports from the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps , a state-owned paramilitary group that functions as Beijing ’ s arm in Xinjiang .
But that still leaves two-thirds of Xinjiang ’ s cotton free to enter the American market .
That could change though in the near future : A bill that would ban imports from Xinjiang produced with forced labor is currently waiting in the Senate after passing the House overwhelmingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business groups are reportedly trying to water down the provisions of the bill to keep their supply chains steady .
It ’ s disappointing , but not surprising — since when have businesses let a little thing like human suffering get in the way of their profits ?
I can only hope that the senators of today have a different view on the supremacy of King Cotton and other business interests than their predecessors once held .

There’s something about cotton. The backbreaking crop that powered the antebellum South is etched in the psyche of every Black American. And centuries later, it remains one of the clearest symbols of the horror of the enslaved experience.
According to Chinese government documents and media reports, over 500,000 Uighurs have been mobilized to labor in the cotton fields, fueling China’s textile industry.
That racial memory is why a new report from the BBC published Monday stopped me cold when it crossed my Twitter feed. It turns out that halfway around the world, there are still minorities being forced to spend their days harvesting cotton — and it is part of a program based in racist denigration, an attempt to “better” a people whom their overseers have deemed backwards.
About 20 percent of the world’s cotton comes from the Xinjiang region of China. It’s the homeland of the Uighurs, a mostly Muslim ethnic group that for the last decade has been subjected to brutal repression and a concerted effort directed from Beijing to erase their culture and bring the northwestern province entirely to heel. And according to Chinese government documents and media reports, over 500,000 Uighurs have been mobilized to labor in the cotton fields, fueling China’s textile industry.
Previous reports have showed evidence of forced labor in Xinjiang’s textile factories — these newly reported documents show that the oppression goes all the way to the cotton fields. Taken together, they’re the clearest evidence yet that more than 150 years after the end of the U.S. Civil War, the cotton market is once again a center of human rights abuses.
It’s a case where Beijing’s economic and political goals appear to have intertwined. President Xi Jinping has made erasing poverty in China a key strategic goal. Among the more controversial tactics local officials have taken to hit that goal include relocating people from rural areas to urban centers, sometimes leaving them stranded in new cities, and forcing citizens to download an app that strongly encourages donations to the impoverished.
Those efforts are at the heart of most of the documents the BBC cites, which trumpet efforts to get the Uighurs working for wages instead of traditional sustenance farming or raising families. In the process, hundreds of thousands of Uighurs have been recruited to be shipped away from home for up to three months at a time during the harvest season. But the Xinjiang cotton scheme goes beyond just relieving poverty. A policy document from the Aksu prefecture, dated October 2020, notes that groups of cotton-pickers are accompanied by officials who “eat, live, study and work with them, actively implementing thought education during cotton picking.”
The re-education efforts the documents mention mirror those seen inside the much more infamous detention centers that Beijing has secretly constructed around Xinjiang. While China has said that the camps are merely vocational training centers, the few former detainees who have emerged and agreed to speak out say the true goal is the sublimation of Uighur culture and religion, through a program of abuse, deprivation and force-fed propaganda. We don’t know for sure how many Uighurs have been funneled through the camps, or how many remain, but estimates tend to put the number at over 1 million.
It seems like the detention centers are separate from this particular forced labor scheme. But the same security state apparatus that provides targets to send to the camps also powers the surveillance apparatus that has deployed 1 million government officials to live in Uighur homes to monitor the population. And the government seems unwilling to accept any refusals to perform the difficult work offered under it’s “labor export” scheme. A report from Jiashi county notes that in a village where after a door-to-door recruiting program locals were “unwilling to go out to work,” officials went back to their homes to “eliminate the villagers’ ideological concerns.” Twenty people were shipped out afterwards, the report declares, with another 60 due to be transferred in the near future.
Baked within this program are a series of assumptions about Uighurs that are downright racist.
Baked within this program are a series of assumptions about Uighurs that are downright racist. China is dominated by the majority Han ethnic group and in Xi’s time in office, the Chinese Communist Party has overseen a deepening of Han nationalism. China scholar James Millward detailed this suppression of minority cultures in 2019, noting that “rather than celebrating the uniqueness of individual cultures, the C.C.P. increasingly promotes a unitary category called ‘zhonghua,’ a kind of pan-Chinese identity. Though supposedly all-inclusive, the customs and characteristics of ‘zhonghua’ are practically identical to those of the Han.”
The increase in local Uighur workers has coincided with a reduced need to import Han Chinese laborers to the region. In freeing Han from this menial work, the government simultaneously sees itself as breaking the Uighurs of the “old-fashioned, unenlightened, and lazy thoughts” that plague them. The heavy-handed recruitment to pick cotton is necessary in communities where “the idea of laziness is deeply rooted,” one report claims. The idea that only through hard work can an indolent, backwards people modernize and become valued members of society is a familiar refrain to my Black ears.
Supposed testimonials from Uighurs happy to have been put to work drip with the same honeyed poison as Jim Crow minstrel caricatures. One man is quoted in local state-run media as saying: “In the past, my lazy thoughts of ‘waiting, relying, and asking’ were serious. I only knew how to ask for things from the party and the government.” But with the support of the party, he now knows that the best thing in life “is to use the money I earn with my hard-working hands and my sweat.” I can almost see the dead-eyed look on his face as he mouths the words he knows his oppressors want to hear.
The documents which form the basis of the BBC’s reporting were obtained and compiled by Dr. Adrian Zenz. Zenz, a senior fellow at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, a Washington-based nonprofit that I, in all honestly, normally wouldn’t cite. And the report he compiled, from which many of the translated quotes in this essay are sourced, is thorough — but was first published at a tiny, recently established think-tank based in a small for-profit college in Virginia. Nonetheless, the documents he draws from are credible and track with what news outlets have reported about the conditions in Xinjiang.
It’s disappointing, but not surprising — since when have businesses let a little thing like human suffering get in the way of their profits?
Earlier this year, activists began organizing to get clothing brands end the use of Xinjiang cotton in their garments. The U.S. government meanwhile has begun restricting imports on certain products from Xinjiang, citing alleged forced labor concerns. And on Dec. 2, the U.S. banned cotton imports from the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, a state-owned paramilitary group that functions as Beijing’s arm in Xinjiang. But that still leaves two-thirds of Xinjiang’s cotton free to enter the American market.
That could change though in the near future: A bill that would ban imports from Xinjiang produced with forced labor is currently waiting in the Senate after passing the House overwhelmingly in September. Several major companies and business groups are reportedly trying to water down the provisions of the bill to keep their supply chains steady. It’s disappointing, but not surprising — since when have businesses let a little thing like human suffering get in the way of their profits? I can only hope that the senators of today have a different view on the supremacy of King Cotton and other business interests than their predecessors once held.


msnbc--2020-12-18--Several states notified of reduction in planned vaccine shipments, raising questions

Dr. Vin Gupta on what it 's like to get a Covid-19 vaccine

Rachel Maddow reports on many states being told by the federal government that he number of coronavirus vaccine doses they were told to expect in their next shipment is being drastically cut. Pfizer says there are no problems with its production and HHS Secretary Alex Azar does not have a clear explanation.Dec. 18, 2020


msnbc--2020-12-18--'Grave risk' from suspected Russian hacking, officials say

The suspected Russian hacking campaign that has torn through the U.S. government zeroed in on more than 40 organizations, Microsoft’s president said Thursday. The campaign, which U.S. officials believe is the work of Russian intelligence, began at least as early as March.Dec. 18, 2020


msnbc--2020-12-18--Watts: If China were accused of hack, Trump would be ranting

MSNBC National Security Analyst Clint Watts reacts to the massive cyberattack on the U.S. government - believed to have come from Russia - and the fact the president has said so far said nothing about it.Dec. 18, 2020


msnbc--2020-12-18--Robert Reich: ‘This is a human tragedy that is unfolding.’

Robert Reich tells Ali Velshi that the U.S. is experiencing the “worst unemployment crisis” since the Great Depression as new jobless claims continue to rise and millions of Americans have fallen into poverty, adding that Congress needs to act now to help struggling families get “disaster relief so that they can actually survive over the next several months.”Dec. 18, 2020


msnbc--2020-12-18--Trump allies Gorka and Giuliani selling fish oil and cigars on TV

Meacham: Pence probably saved the republic, but I don't always want to count on one person to do it


msnbc--2020-12-18--Anti-vaccine conspiracies aren't good television

It 's been a rough couple of years to be a journalist , especially for those who work in local markets , where 2,100 newspapers have shut down since 2005 .
In 2020 alone , 16,000 journalists lost their jobs across the industry .
At the same time , one bright spot has been local TV news stations , which have comparatively thrived .
But they 're going to have to do a lot better if they 're going to be the vital information sources their communities need .
With that in mind , I say this with the greatest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters : You can not keep letting yourselves get played , especially by the anti-vaccine movement .
Hopefully it is n't too shocking that I 've always had a beef with the people who 've screamed the loudest about the supposed dangers of vaccines .
As hard as I try to understand them , their fears , what makes them think that their children 's safety is more important than that of anyone else 's children , I struggle .
Especially when the desire to safeguard your children is being short-circuited as you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would n't contract if you 'd had them vaccinated .
( I wo n't even get into the ableism at play in their misguided fear that vaccines cause autism . )
Thankfully , social media platforms where they 've done the most harm lately , like Facebook and YouTube , are finally pushing back against their misinformation .
Granted , it 's mostly collateral damage — the platforms are specifically going after conspiracy theories about the Covid-19 vaccine as it 's being rolled out around the U.S. Others have gotten rolled up because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delusion , which has found a welcome home in the anti-vaccine movement .
Still , I 'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth .
But NBC News ' Brandy Zadrozny reported Thursday that the movement has figured out a different avenue to audiences : local TV news coverage .
By logging off and holding good , old-fashioned demonstrations , complete with large handmade signs , it has learned how to entice news outlets to amplify its message .
`` From California to Maine , local news stations that had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been highlighting the anti-vaccination movement 's response to Covid-19 restrictions and solutions by covering their protests and giving activists a microphone to spread misinformation , '' Zadrozny wrote .
And at one level , I get the instinct to give airtime to these people and their rinky-dink protests .
For one , not a lot is happening at the local level in a lot of places as the pandemic rages on — either your community has restrictions that are tamping down on a lot of the stories that interest your viewers or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not much else to cover .
But now , here you have conflict , drama , passion — the elements of television worth watching .
On a less cynical level , too , I understand the desire to accurately reflect what 's going on in your community .
If people in your town have enough concerns about the Covid-19 vaccine to stand outside and protest , then surely their views deserve to be covered .
It 's a nice sentiment , but one that has major consequences .
There 's been a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media at the national level as we move toward the post-Trump era and whether we should serve as `` gatekeepers '' for information .
Ben Smith , the media columnist at The New York Times , raised the question when writing about The Wall Street Journal 's decision not to publish materials meant to smear Joe Biden 's son Hunter .
During the rise of digital media outlets like BuzzFeed — where Smith was once my boss ' boss — the instinct was often to publish what 's out there , whether or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giants like The Times approved .
It was a more radical version of traditional publications ' instincts to offer up both sides of an issue , trusting that informed readers would come to their own conclusions .
After four years of constant lies from President Donald Trump and his hangers-on , the ascent of the QAnon movement and a general poisoning of the digital well with targeted disinformation , neither feels like a winning model anymore .
I 'm glad that the `` some issues do n't have two sides '' idea is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a cliché — and that reporters are more skeptical and wary of sharing things bouncing around the internet than before .
Journalists at all levels need to be willing to do their reporting , speak to experts and present their findings to the public — and given the freedom to shoot down lies and disinformation .
That 's as true at The Wall Street Journal as it is at local TV stations , which , according to the Pew Research Center , is still the most common place for Americans to get their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position where their viewers are starved for dependable news that they can trust .
They owe it to their communities to provide the fact checks nobody else can provide .

It's been a rough couple of years to be a journalist, especially for those who work in local markets, where 2,100 newspapers have shut down since 2005. In 2020 alone, 16,000 journalists lost their jobs across the industry. At the same time, one bright spot has been local TV news stations, which have comparatively thrived. But they're going to have to do a lot better if they're going to be the vital information sources their communities need.
With that in mind, I say this with the greatest respect and admiration for local TV news reporters: You cannot keep letting yourselves get played, especially by the anti-vaccine movement.
Hopefully it isn't too shocking that I've always had a beef with the people who've screamed the loudest about the supposed dangers of vaccines. As hard as I try to understand them, their fears, what makes them think that their children's safety is more important than that of anyone else's children, I struggle. Especially when the desire to safeguard your children is being short-circuited as you leave them open to diseases that they wouldn't contract if you'd had them vaccinated. (I won't even get into the ableism at play in their misguided fear that vaccines cause autism.)
Thankfully, social media platforms where they've done the most harm lately, like Facebook and YouTube, are finally pushing back against their misinformation. Granted, it's mostly collateral damage — the platforms are specifically going after conspiracy theories about the Covid-19 vaccine as it's being rolled out around the U.S. Others have gotten rolled up because of their ties to the QAnon mass delusion, which has found a welcome home in the anti-vaccine movement. Still, I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
But NBC News' Brandy Zadrozny reported Thursday that the movement has figured out a different avenue to audiences: local TV news coverage. By logging off and holding good, old-fashioned demonstrations, complete with large handmade signs, it has learned how to entice news outlets to amplify its message.
"From California to Maine, local news stations that had largely stopped covering childhood immunization opponents have been highlighting the anti-vaccination movement's response to Covid-19 restrictions and solutions by covering their protests and giving activists a microphone to spread misinformation," Zadrozny wrote.
Journalists at all levels need to be willing to do their reporting, speak to experts and present their findings to the public — and given the freedom to shoot down lies and disinformation.
And at one level, I get the instinct to give airtime to these people and their rinky-dink protests. For one, not a lot is happening at the local level in a lot of places as the pandemic rages on — either your community has restrictions that are tamping down on a lot of the stories that interest your viewers or the spread is intense enough that there's not much else to cover. But now, here you have conflict, drama, passion — the elements of television worth watching.
On a less cynical level, too, I understand the desire to accurately reflect what's going on in your community. If people in your town have enough concerns about the Covid-19 vaccine to stand outside and protest, then surely their views deserve to be covered. It's a nice sentiment, but one that has major consequences.
There's been a lot of discussion about the role of the media at the national level as we move toward the post-Trump era and whether we should serve as "gatekeepers" for information. Ben Smith, the media columnist at The New York Times, raised the question when writing about The Wall Street Journal's decision not to publish materials meant to smear Joe Biden's son Hunter. During the rise of digital media outlets like BuzzFeed — where Smith was once my boss' boss — the instinct was often to publish what's out there, whether or not the old-school gatekeepers at the print giants like The Times approved. It was a more radical version of traditional publications' instincts to offer up both sides of an issue, trusting that informed readers would come to their own conclusions.
After four years of constant lies from President Donald Trump and his hangers-on, the ascent of the QAnon movement and a general poisoning of the digital well with targeted disinformation, neither feels like a winning model anymore. I'm glad that the "some issues don't have two sides" idea is so widespread now that it's almost a cliché — and that reporters are more skeptical and wary of sharing things bouncing around the internet than before.
Journalists at all levels need to be willing to do their reporting, speak to experts and present their findings to the public — and given the freedom to shoot down lies and disinformation. That's as true at The Wall Street Journal as it is at local TV stations, which, according to the Pew Research Center, is still the most common place for Americans to get their news.
Local reporters are in a position where their viewers are starved for dependable news that they can trust. They owe it to their communities to provide the fact checks nobody else can provide.


msnbc--2020-12-18--Fmr. CIA and Pentagon Chief of Staff: This is an epic national security crisis

Sen. Chris Coons : It 's time for both parties 'to reach reasonable compromises ' on Covid relief

Former CIA and Pentagon Chief of Staff Jeremy Bash joins Peter Baker and Andrea Mitchell to comment on the Russian hack of federal agencies. "We have not had a cybersecurity breach like this in a long time, maybe even in our history," Bash stated. Regarding President Trump's silence, Peter Baker added that "this administration has taken a number of actions against Russia in the past; it's expelled diplomats, imposed sanctions. What it's not done is have the President...actually give voice to these kinds of actions. He does not criticize Russia.”Dec. 18, 2020


msnbc--2020-12-19--Trump's latest 'con': Ripping off MAGA fans after losing

New reporting from Business Insider reveals Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner helped create a Trump campaign shell company that secretly paid the president’s family members and spent $617 million in reelection cash. This news comes as Trump has been soliciting his supporters for donations under the guise the money will go toward the Official Election Defense Fund, when in reality it’s just lining Trump’s pockets.Dec. 19, 2020


msnbc--2020-12-19--FDA grants emergency authorization to Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine

The Food and Drug Administration authorized Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use Friday, adding a second vaccine to the country's arsenal to fight the pandemic.Dec. 19, 2020


msnbc--2020-12-19--Rupert Murdoch gets vaccinated as his media outlets spread lies, attack essential workers

After getting vaccinated, Rupert Murdoch strongly encouraged people to get the vaccine and thanked essential workers. Meanwhile, his minions at Fox News and the New York Post are spreading lies about the coronavirus and bullying health care workers.Dec. 19, 2020


msnbc--2020-12-18--Elizabeth Neumann: Trump and Putin’s unique relationship ‘doesn’t smell right’ to me

IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.


msnbc--2020-12-19--‘The vaccination is broadly safe’: Dr. Vin Gupta debunks GOP conspiracy theories on the vaccine

Dr. Vin Gupta joins The ReidOut to debunk false claims by Tucker Carlson and Sen. Ted Cruz on the effectiveness of the vaccine. He says, "This vaccine is broadly safe, and this vaccine keeps people out of ICUs. Sen. Ted Cruz, Tucker Carlson, and those propagating this myth ... they haven't cared for patients in the ICU."Dec. 19, 2020


msnbc--2020-12-19--Rep. Ayanna Pressley on covid relief: ‘These are not stimulus checks, these are survival checks’

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley talked about the need for covid relief amid another wave of coronavirus cases: "At this point, these are not even stimulus checks. These are survival checks. My constituents need these monies to remain safely housed. We are looking at an eviction tsunami. $600 does not even cover 1 month's rent."Dec. 19, 2020


msnbc--2020-12-18--Supreme Court dismisses challenge over effort to exclude undocumented immigrants from census

The Supreme Court has voted to dismiss a challenge to the Trump administration's efforts to exclude undocumented immigrants from the 2020 census. NBC's Pete Williams has details on the decision and arguments made on both sides.Dec. 18, 2020


msnbc--2020-12-18--Rep. Riggleman compares hunt for Bigfoot to political conspiracy theories

Rep. Denver Riggleman, R-Va., discusses how he compares his past hunt for Bigfoot and believers of his existence to conspiracy theorists like the QAnon movement. He warned against "dissemination of disinformation" and that these theories show "insanity being weaponized and monetized."Dec. 18, 2020


msnbc--2020-12-18--This white-only church embodies the extreme politics Trump has emboldened

In 2015 , the Asatru Folk Assembly , a religious group devoted to the worship of the Norse pantheon , opened its first physical house of worship in Brownsville , California , calling it Odinshof — the `` Temple of Odin . ''
In a celebratory post on the AFA 's Facebook page , Odinshof is revealed to be a red building adorned with Nordic runes and flanked by a celebratory , posing crowd — every single one of whom is white , the California sun shining through their sheaves of blond hair .
The triumph is punctuated with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fascism : `` Hail the Gods !
Hail the Folk !
Hail the AFA ! ''
Much like the crowd pictured in the Facebook post , the `` folk '' being hailed by the AFA are unambiguously white .
On its website , the religious group declares itself to be `` a solid spiritual force for our ethnic European folk '' and exhorts `` traditionally-minded sons or daughters of Europe '' to join .
The group has sought to dramatically expand its operations this year , and , amid a contentious anonymous City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Murdock has found itself playing reluctant host to a new hof , having leased a vacant church building to the group — offering an enclave to a religion explicitly premised on white separatism .
Originally founded in the 1970s as the Viking Brotherhood , the AFA has morphed from a romantic celebration of Viking myths to an explicitly racist endeavor : what the religious scholar Matthias Gardell calls the `` biologization of spirituality , '' the notion that `` gods and goddesses are encoded in the DNA of the ancestors of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` mixed blood . ''
The AFA is representative of a militant strain of Norse paganism that makes a religion of whiteness itself , an ethnoreligious separatism whose boundaries are explicitly racial .
The organization 's founder , Stephen McNallen , has repeatedly embraced the racist slogan known as the `` 14 words '' : `` We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children , '' first promulgated by the white supremacist terrorist David Lane .
The group 's current leader , Matthew Flavel , has spoken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American Nazi Party founder George Lincoln Rockwell 's birth and at a racist conference whose other guests have included Holocaust deniers , according to the West Central Tribune newspaper of Willmar , Minnesota .
The founder of modern Asatru in the United States , Else Christiansen — a Danish weaver and National Socialist for whom the AFA held a Day of Remembrance in May — envisioned Norse worship as a way to reclaim the blood heritage of whiteness and achieve `` Aryan spiritual liberation '' through the establishment of separatist , white-only tribal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dissent in Murdock against these white supremacist interlopers — the Murdock Alliance Against Hate spoke out against the conditional use permit for the church before it was granted , and the antiracist group Heathens Against Hate has offered support — but the AFA 's new expansion is just one small part of a broader tide of white separatism , explicit and implied , sweeping the country in the chaotic wake of the Trump era .
As a national struggle over the legitimacy of the 2020 election staggers limply on — rebuffed by state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Electoral College — white separatist movements have made their sentiments known in the fight .
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a quixotic bid this month to overturn the election results in Michigan , Georgia , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin in the Supreme Court .
Seventeen Republican state attorneys general and 126 Republican members of Congress signed on to the case , which the court summarily rejected , but among the many appellants filing amicus briefs were two states that , by current law , do not exist .
The `` states '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both far-right secession movements that seek to separate rural areas from broader polities — argued that California 's and Nevada 's same-day voter registration policies and acceptance of mail-in ballots were violations of the Constitution .
New California State premises its desire to secede on a Martin Luther-esque list of `` 95 grievances , '' composed in 2018 and posted on the movement 's website ; they are rife with thinly veiled racism , denouncing the state for an `` invasion of illegal foreign nationals '' and the subjugation of `` natural born @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which declared its independence from Nevada in January 2018 , is even blunter .
Remixing one of Nevada 's state nicknames , `` Battle Born , '' its slogan is `` Battle Born — Again , '' and it directly proposes that rural Nevada secede from Clark County , the state 's most populous county , where 43 percent of the population is Black or Hispanic .
Functionally , these movements serve as agitation for white separatism , using an idea of the Constitution that amounts to a kind of religious worship .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ undergirding an extreme politics of tribalist whiteness .
New Nevada State 's primary grievances are taxation and the notion that Nevada 's Democratic governor has caused a `` Constitutional violation by infringing upon the citizens ' right to keep and bear arms as provided in the 2nd Amendment of the U.S .
Constitution . ''
The Constitution has become something of a watchword for far-right movements , both a justification for violent organizing and a panacea for all ills .
This crosses a broad spectrum that might be called the MAGA coalition : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though composed primarily of illegal paramilitary groups , sees itself as the inheritor to the Constitution 's `` well-regulated militia , '' to `` sovereign citizens , '' QAnon adherents , white nationalists and superfans of President Donald Trump .
The far-right `` constitutional sheriffs '' movement , a group of sheriffs across the United States who claim to derive their authority from the Constitution alone and not from state governments or voters , has refused to enforce Covid-19 lockdowns and gun laws this year .
No article or clause is necessary to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evoked as a general symbol of narrow , fanatical patriotism , a malleable document whose readers can derive from pure air and bile what is legal and illegal , legitimate and illegitimate .
For the white separatists of New Nevada and New California , the constitutional sheriffs movement , and other members of the extreme right , `` constitutional '' principles outline a vision of law and order just as racialized — and just as extreme — as the dreams of Asatru adherents in their Temple of Odin .
Arcane and politically convenient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mainstay of Trump 's slew of unsuccessful lawsuits , furthered by the far-right , conspiracy-friendly lawyers Sidney Powell and L. Lin Wood .
Another member of Trump 's `` elite strike force '' election legal team , Jenna Ellis , argued in a 2015 book that the `` U.S. Constitution as Supreme Law is built upon the legitimate authority of Divine Law '' and that `` Divine Law is the only correct foundation for Constitutional interpretation . ''
This melding of Christianity and originalist worship of the Constitution laid the groundwork for Ellis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earnest legal effort to overturn the will of 81 million Biden voters .
The lawsuits , and the conspiracy theories swirling around the Trumposphere , have targeted heavily Black areas for the wildest allegations of fraud : Milwaukee , Detroit and Philadelphia have been the targets of ceaseless opprobrium .
The mantra of those who cling to a Trump re-election is that `` every legal vote must be counted '' — and every `` illegal '' vote thrown out .
In fixating on minority-heavy areas , the motley crew of remaining Trumpists makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considered `` illegal '' and whose should count .
It has made it clear that political opposition is itself illegitimate .
And this week , Republicans in numerous states that voted for Joe Biden put forward slates of `` alternate electors '' to the Electoral College , a group with no legal standing — representing not America as it is but as a nation within a nation , a Trumpistan of the mind .
The country of Trumpistan is built on a faith that seems unshakable , even as the ungainly workings of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ built on a ripening of indignation that shows itself in `` Stop the Steal '' marches on state capitals and in Washington , D.C. , where white nationalist leaders and street-fighting gangs showed up last weekend to denounce the election results as illegitimate ; where armed crowds gather at the homes of election officials , while others get death and rape threats ; where supporters of Trump shoot their political opponents in the street .
The vision of Asatru presented by the Asatru Folk Assembly relies on the notion of a `` folk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of worshippers .
The gods and goddesses are embedded in their European genes , a holy heritage of their racial past .
It is an article of faith that only those in possession of the right white genes can offer sacrifices and libations .
It 's tempting to believe that this white supremacist religion is foreign , alien to mainstream America , with its Germanic terms and rites of worship .
But the truth is that one church in a Minnesota town used for the worship of whiteness is little compared to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent of Republicans — who have lost their faith in democracy and replaced it with a faith in Trump .
Pundits like Rush Limbaugh and political leaders like Texas Republican Party Chair Allen West have suggested that the time is ripe for secession by Trump voters .
`` Perhaps law-abiding states should bond together and form a Union of states that will abide by the Constitution , '' West wrote in response to the Supreme Court 's Dec. 11 decision to reject the election case .
The Constitution served again as the inspiration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the domination of Christian whiteness , the uncompromising , fractious and fanatical nation within the nation that will neither secede nor disappear .

In 2015, the Asatru Folk Assembly, a religious group devoted to the worship of the Norse pantheon, opened its first physical house of worship in Brownsville, California, calling it Odinshof — the "Temple of Odin." In a celebratory post on the AFA's Facebook page, Odinshof is revealed to be a red building adorned with Nordic runes and flanked by a celebratory, posing crowd — every single one of whom is white, the California sun shining through their sheaves of blond hair.
The vision presented by the Asatru Folk Assembly relies on the notion of a "folk" — a racially pure white body of worshippers.
The triumph is punctuated with a curious imprecation, with a tint of fascism: "Hail the Gods! Hail the Folk! Hail the AFA!" Much like the crowd pictured in the Facebook post, the "folk" being hailed by the AFA are unambiguously white. On its website, the religious group declares itself to be "a solid spiritual force for our ethnic European folk" and exhorts "traditionally-minded sons or daughters of Europe" to join.
The group has sought to dramatically expand its operations this year, and, amid a contentious anonymous City Council vote, the small Minnesota town of Murdock has found itself playing reluctant host to a new hof, having leased a vacant church building to the group — offering an enclave to a religion explicitly premised on white separatism.
Originally founded in the 1970s as the Viking Brotherhood, the AFA has morphed from a romantic celebration of Viking myths to an explicitly racist endeavor: what the religious scholar Matthias Gardell calls the "biologization of spirituality," the notion that "gods and goddesses are encoded in the DNA of the ancestors of the ancients" — and an abhorrence of "mixed blood." The AFA is representative of a militant strain of Norse paganism that makes a religion of whiteness itself, an ethnoreligious separatism whose boundaries are explicitly racial.
The organization's founder, Stephen McNallen, has repeatedly embraced the racist slogan known as the "14 words": "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children," first promulgated by the white supremacist terrorist David Lane. The group's current leader, Matthew Flavel, has spoken at a celebration of the centennial of American Nazi Party founder George Lincoln Rockwell's birth and at a racist conference whose other guests have included Holocaust deniers, according to the West Central Tribune newspaper of Willmar, Minnesota.
The founder of modern Asatru in the United States, Else Christiansen — a Danish weaver and National Socialist for whom the AFA held a Day of Remembrance in May — envisioned Norse worship as a way to reclaim the blood heritage of whiteness and achieve "Aryan spiritual liberation" through the establishment of separatist, white-only tribal societies.
There have been rumblings of dissent in Murdock against these white supremacist interlopers — the Murdock Alliance Against Hate spoke out against the conditional use permit for the church before it was granted, and the antiracist group Heathens Against Hate has offered support — but the AFA's new expansion is just one small part of a broader tide of white separatism, explicit and implied, sweeping the country in the chaotic wake of the Trump era.
The Constitution has become something of a watchword for far-right movements, both a justification for violent organizing and a panacea for all ills.
As a national struggle over the legitimacy of the 2020 election staggers limply on — rebuffed by state and federal courts and this week by the Electoral College — white separatist movements have made their sentiments known in the fight. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a quixotic bid this month to overturn the election results in Michigan, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin in the Supreme Court. Seventeen Republican state attorneys general and 126 Republican members of Congress signed on to the case, which the court summarily rejected, but among the many appellants filing amicus briefs were two states that, by current law, do not exist.
The "states" of New California and New Nevada — both far-right secession movements that seek to separate rural areas from broader polities — argued that California's and Nevada's same-day voter registration policies and acceptance of mail-in ballots were violations of the Constitution. New California State premises its desire to secede on a Martin Luther-esque list of "95 grievances," composed in 2018 and posted on the movement's website; they are rife with thinly veiled racism, denouncing the state for an "invasion of illegal foreign nationals" and the subjugation of "natural born citizens." New Nevada State, which declared its independence from Nevada in January 2018, is even blunter.
Remixing one of Nevada's state nicknames, "Battle Born," its slogan is "Battle Born — Again," and it directly proposes that rural Nevada secede from Clark County, the state's most populous county, where 43 percent of the population is Black or Hispanic. Functionally, these movements serve as agitation for white separatism, using an idea of the Constitution that amounts to a kind of religious worship.
The document is sacralized, a catechism undergirding an extreme politics of tribalist whiteness. New Nevada State's primary grievances are taxation and the notion that Nevada's Democratic governor has caused a "Constitutional violation by infringing upon the citizens' right to keep and bear arms as provided in the 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution."
The Constitution has become something of a watchword for far-right movements, both a justification for violent organizing and a panacea for all ills. This crosses a broad spectrum that might be called the MAGA coalition: from the militia movement, which, though composed primarily of illegal paramilitary groups, sees itself as the inheritor to the Constitution's "well-regulated militia," to "sovereign citizens," QAnon adherents, white nationalists and superfans of President Donald Trump.
Functionally, these movements serve as agitation for white separatism, using an idea of the Constitution that amounts to a kind of religious worship.
The far-right "constitutional sheriffs" movement, a group of sheriffs across the United States who claim to derive their authority from the Constitution alone and not from state governments or voters, has refused to enforce Covid-19 lockdowns and gun laws this year. No article or clause is necessary to cite in specifics; the Constitution is evoked as a general symbol of narrow, fanatical patriotism, a malleable document whose readers can derive from pure air and bile what is legal and illegal, legitimate and illegitimate. For the white separatists of New Nevada and New California, the constitutional sheriffs movement, and other members of the extreme right, "constitutional" principles outline a vision of law and order just as racialized — and just as extreme — as the dreams of Asatru adherents in their Temple of Odin.
Arcane and politically convenient interpretations of the Constitution have been the mainstay of Trump's slew of unsuccessful lawsuits, furthered by the far-right, conspiracy-friendly lawyers Sidney Powell and L. Lin Wood. Another member of Trump's "elite strike force" election legal team, Jenna Ellis, argued in a 2015 book that the "U.S. Constitution as Supreme Law is built upon the legitimate authority of Divine Law" and that "Divine Law is the only correct foundation for Constitutional interpretation."
This melding of Christianity and originalist worship of the Constitution laid the groundwork for Ellis to participate in the haphazard if deadly earnest legal effort to overturn the will of 81 million Biden voters.
The lawsuits, and the conspiracy theories swirling around the Trumposphere, have targeted heavily Black areas for the wildest allegations of fraud: Milwaukee, Detroit and Philadelphia have been the targets of ceaseless opprobrium. The mantra of those who cling to a Trump re-election is that "every legal vote must be counted" — and every "illegal" vote thrown out. In fixating on minority-heavy areas, the motley crew of remaining Trumpists makes it clear precisely whose votes should be considered "illegal" and whose should count. It has made it clear that political opposition is itself illegitimate.
And this week, Republicans in numerous states that voted for Joe Biden put forward slates of "alternate electors" to the Electoral College, a group with no legal standing — representing not America as it is but as a nation within a nation, a Trumpistan of the mind.
The country of Trumpistan is built on a faith that seems unshakable, even as the ungainly workings of democracy plod into place. It's built on a ripening of indignation that shows itself in "Stop the Steal" marches on state capitals and in Washington, D.C., where white nationalist leaders and street-fighting gangs showed up last weekend to denounce the election results as illegitimate; where armed crowds gather at the homes of election officials, while others get death and rape threats; where supporters of Trump shoot their political opponents in the street.
The vision of Asatru presented by the Asatru Folk Assembly relies on the notion of a "folk" — a racially pure white body of worshippers. The gods and goddesses are embedded in their European genes, a holy heritage of their racial past. It is an article of faith that only those in possession of the right white genes can offer sacrifices and libations.
It's tempting to believe that this white supremacist religion is foreign, alien to mainstream America, with its Germanic terms and rites of worship. But the truth is that one church in a Minnesota town used for the worship of whiteness is little compared to a whole swath of the country — 76 percent of Republicans — who have lost their faith in democracy and replaced it with a faith in Trump.
Pundits like Rush Limbaugh and political leaders like Texas Republican Party Chair Allen West have suggested that the time is ripe for secession by Trump voters. "Perhaps law-abiding states should bond together and form a Union of states that will abide by the Constitution," West wrote in response to the Supreme Court's Dec. 11 decision to reject the election case. The Constitution served again as the inspiration for a separatist faith — one in the domination of Christian whiteness, the uncompromising, fractious and fanatical nation within the nation that will neither secede nor disappear.


msnbc--2020-12-19--Trump's team was too busy fighting the last cyberattack to stop Russia's latest hack

Here ’ s what we know : The Russian government is suspected of pulling off a major intelligence penetration of American networks .
The U.S. government failed to prevent it or deter it .
As of Friday morning , President Donald Trump has yet to condemn it .
This is bad .
But it ’ s not , as Sen. Dick Durbin said , “ virtually a declaration of war.
” It ’ s also not a surprise — and there ’ s not much we can do to prevent it from happening again , at least in the near-term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back-end software to the U.S. government among other clients like Microsoft and Lockheed Martin , updated one of its core products , Orion , in March .
Orion helps its customers survey , and then visualize , activity on their systems , so the software has to have regular and unfettered access to a lot of their clients ' databases and other digital infrastructure .
Sometime before then , an “ advanced persistent threat ” — a technical term for a long-term cyber campaign , usually carried out by a nation , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way to hack into the updated server for Orion .
It used this access to add in an ingenious hidden program that would , upon execution , allow it to root around inside the systems served by Orion , gather all sorts of information and then quietly exfiltrate that information back to Russia .
This sort of hack was almost guaranteed to happen .
Managing supply chain risk has become a priority for the U.S. government , but the supply chain it currently manages was built before policymakers took the potential problems seriously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government relies on involves hundreds of commercial companies contracted to build , maintain , operate and secure its networks .
It ’ s a long , multibranched kluge , with millions of potential vulnerable access points , and has worried the cybersecurity community for several decades .
The U.S. intelligence community knows fully well how vulnerable the supply chain is — it exploits that weakness to break into foreign networks .
( One of the biggest covert operations in U.S. history was a supply chain hack of the Soviet Union .
Using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reagan administration tricked the KGB into buying gimmicked technology on the black market .
The sabotage disrupted legitimate economic activity — an oil pipeline exploded — along with covert Soviet efforts to make chemical weapons . )
In the digital age , hardware can be tampered with ; software can be manipulated at the point of purchase , or during testing , or during delivery .
Software specifications can be engineered to allow backdoor access .
In theory , companies ’ products have to be certified as secure before they can be purchased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ market and demand for these products incentivizes speed and efficiency over a careful consideration of how outside software might interact with programs developed entirely within the government ’ s bubble .
( It wasn ’ t until 2018 that the Pentagon added “ security ” to its acquisition standards . )
The tools the government has on hand to try to defend its systems weren ’ t prepared for this kind of attack .
Einstein , for example , is a system that was built to detect intrusions or nonintelligence community networks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ who protects networks at their front entrances , using a regularly updated list of people who are barred from entering .
But Einstein won ’ t be able to detect when data is being transmitted to a secret user outside the network until 2022 .
The NSA updates Einstein with “ signatures , ” the computer version of fingerprints , that it collects as it forages through foreign networks .
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has thousands of employees working to reduce the number of ways outsiders can get into the network @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their efforts are not scalable .
What ’ s worse , the Trump administration was too focused on fighting 2016 ’ s version of cyberconflict to see what Russia was really doing .
The National Security Agency and the U.S. Cyber Command have adopted a strategy they call “ defend forward.
” By penetrating adversaries ’ networks and implanting beacons of sorts to form an early warning network , the theory is that agents can detect potential attackers targeting the U.S. before attacks are executed .
Cyber Command has found some success with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of visibility into adversary networks , none of which set off any of the alarms it had set up — but there ’ s a logical fallacy here .
Silence doesn ’ t equal success .
What if the adversary uses a new group , new techniques , walls off its attackers from the rest of its intelligence services and doesn ’ t trigger the beacons ?
That appears to be what happened here .
So , is this war , as Durbin suggested ?
Not really — although it is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by nature , secret conflict .
It ’ s not war as conventionally conceived , but there is no good way to create a working mental model of cyber war .
I see it as part of the spectrum of conflict between nation-states .
But if it ’ s useful for politicians to use martial language to pass legislation and rally support for supply chain protections and better security , then we should allow them the indulgence .
That leaves the question : How do we deter Russia from doing this again ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the near-term .
We are past the point at which cyber deterrence might have worked .
Kicking out spies , retaliating with cyberattacks , even responding with physical-world weapon attacks , sanctions — all of these have been attempted .
They ’ ve failed .
What does work , then ?
Making it really , really hard to get into systems .
Making it costly — so costly that it ’ s not worth the effort , so costly that the effort to penetrate our systems this deeply would force Russia to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Other than that , short of a thaw between the two countries , there is no reliable method of deterrence .
We live , we learn and we wait for the next move .

Here’s what we know: The Russian government is suspected of pulling off a major intelligence penetration of American networks. The U.S. government failed to prevent it or deter it. As of Friday morning, President Donald Trump has yet to condemn it.
This sort of hack was almost guaranteed to happen.
This is bad. But it’s not, as Sen. Dick Durbin said, “virtually a declaration of war.” It’s also not a surprise — and there’s not much we can do to prevent it from happening again, at least in the near-term.
SolarWinds, a company that provides back-end software to the U.S. government among other clients like Microsoft and Lockheed Martin, updated one of its core products, Orion, in March. Orion helps its customers survey, and then visualize, activity on their systems, so the software has to have regular and unfettered access to a lot of their clients' databases and other digital infrastructure.
Sometime before then, an “advanced persistent threat” — a technical term for a long-term cyber campaign, usually carried out by a nation, in this case probably Russia — found a way to hack into the updated server for Orion. It used this access to add in an ingenious hidden program that would, upon execution, allow it to root around inside the systems served by Orion, gather all sorts of information and then quietly exfiltrate that information back to Russia.
This sort of hack was almost guaranteed to happen. Managing supply chain risk has become a priority for the U.S. government, but the supply chain it currently manages was built before policymakers took the potential problems seriously.
The resulting digital supply chain that the government relies on involves hundreds of commercial companies contracted to build, maintain, operate and secure its networks. It’s a long, multibranched kluge, with millions of potential vulnerable access points, and has worried the cybersecurity community for several decades.
The U.S. intelligence community knows fully well how vulnerable the supply chain is — it exploits that weakness to break into foreign networks. (One of the biggest covert operations in U.S. history was a supply chain hack of the Soviet Union. Using the pretext of export controls, the Reagan administration tricked the KGB into buying gimmicked technology on the black market. The sabotage disrupted legitimate economic activity — an oil pipeline exploded — along with covert Soviet efforts to make chemical weapons.)
In the digital age, hardware can be tampered with; software can be manipulated at the point of purchase, or during testing, or during delivery. Software specifications can be engineered to allow backdoor access.
The Trump administration was too focused on fighting 2016’s version of cyber-conflict to see what Russia was really doing.
In theory, companies’ products have to be certified as secure before they can be purchased by the government, but often the market and demand for these products incentivizes speed and efficiency over a careful consideration of how outside software might interact with programs developed entirely within the government’s bubble. (It wasn’t until 2018 that the Pentagon added “security” to its acquisition standards.)
The tools the government has on hand to try to defend its systems weren’t prepared for this kind of attack. Einstein, for example, is a system that was built to detect intrusions on nonintelligence community networks. Think of Einstein as a security guard who protects networks at their front entrances, using a regularly updated list of people who are barred from entering.
But Einstein won’t be able to detect when data is being transmitted to a secret user outside the network until 2022. The NSA updates Einstein with “signatures,” the computer version of fingerprints, that it collects as it forages through foreign networks. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has thousands of employees working to reduce the number of ways outsiders can get into the network and to speed system upgrades, but their efforts are not scalable.
What’s worse, the Trump administration was too focused on fighting 2016’s version of cyberconflict to see what Russia was really doing. The National Security Agency and the U.S. Cyber Command have adopted a strategy they call “defend forward.” By penetrating adversaries’ networks and implanting beacons of sorts to form an early warning network, the theory is that agents can detect potential attackers targeting the U.S. before attacks are executed.
Cyber Command has found some success with this strategy, because it has a lot of visibility into adversary networks, none of which set off any of the alarms it had set up — but there’s a logical fallacy here. Silence doesn’t equal success. What if the adversary uses a new group, new techniques, walls off its attackers from the rest of its intelligence services and doesn’t trigger the beacons? That appears to be what happened here.
We are past the point at which cyber deterrence might have worked.
So, is this war, as Durbin suggested? Not really — although it is the latest move in an endless and, by nature, secret conflict. It’s not war as conventionally conceived, but there is no good way to create a working mental model of cyber war. I see it as part of the spectrum of conflict between nation-states. But if it’s useful for politicians to use martial language to pass legislation and rally support for supply chain protections and better security, then we should allow them the indulgence.
That leaves the question: How do we deter Russia from doing this again? Well, we don’t, in the near-term.
We are past the point at which cyber deterrence might have worked. Kicking out spies, retaliating with cyberattacks, even responding with physical-world weapon attacks, sanctions — all of these have been attempted. They’ve failed.
What does work, then? Making it really, really hard to get into systems. Making it costly — so costly that it’s not worth the effort, so costly that the effort to penetrate our systems this deeply would force Russia to reveal too much about its own capabilities. Other than that, short of a thaw between the two countries, there is no reliable method of deterrence. We live, we learn and we wait for the next move.


msnbc--2020-12-19--Mehdi Hasan: ‘Where is Donald Trump?’

Mehdi Hasan: ‘Where is Donald Trump?’

Anand Giridharadas : ‘ Trump is not that different from autocrats ’

Lawrence: Trump's lawyers are too cowardly to quit or to tell Trump to shut up 08:15


msnbc--2020-12-19--Trump administration fails the first test of Covid vaccine distribution

Ali Velshi points out that even as HHS Secretary Alex Azar continues to offer excuses and explanations for why the amount of coronavirus vaccine many states were expecting to be delivered was suddenly slashed, the fact that so many states raised this issue, misunderstanding or not, shows a failure by the administration to adequately communicate crucial details of a literally life or death matter.Dec. 19, 2020


msnbc--2020-12-19--Democrats rally support in Georgia Senate race; Republicans rack up court losses


msnbc--2020-12-19--Local Florida Democratic party gets death threat after Trump election lies

A threatening note was found on the door of a Jacksonville, FL Democratic Party office. It read: “We want blood. You lost the election. Redress our grievances now or we will.” Mehdi Hasan speaks with the chair of the party, Daniel Henry, about that incident and other disturbing events across the country thanks to GOP conspiracies about the election and pandemic.Dec. 19, 2020