Daily Archives: June 26, 2017

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Trump travel ban injunction partly lifted by top US court BBC News US President Donald Trump has welcomed a Supreme Court ruling allowing his travel ban to be partly reinstated as a "victory for our national security". America's highest court also granted a White House request allowing part of its refugee ban to go ... Donald Trump Declares Clear Victory As Supreme Court Partially Allows Travel BanDeadline Supreme Court allows parts of travel ban to take effectCNN Supreme Court Reinstates Much of Trump's Travel Ban, Will Hear Case in FallNBCNews.com KGO-TV -AOL -New York Magazine all 1,355 news articles »

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Trump travel ban injunction partly lifted by top US court - BBC News

Donald Trump's presidency has been a disaster, but he has succeeded beyond his wildest expectations in one key way: getting attention attention that fills the void where the rest of us have a soul.

Trump's victory exposed the party establishment as utterly broken now Dems hope to rebuild in time for a 2018 comeback

The bad news for the rest of us is Trump isn't going away anytime soon. But the good news is that it's not only possible but crucial to pay less attention to the president. That's because fighting back against Trumpism doesn't begin at the top, with Trump himself. It begins with winning back the state legislatures that draw electoral maps and make the rules that shape elections.

Yes, state legislatures are a tough topic to get excited about. Most voters cannot even name their state reps. Yet when we think about some of the worst developments in modern politics voter suppression, purged voter rolls, ruthless gerrymandering, abortion restrictions, Neanderthal educational policies, brutal sentencing and policing "reforms" they emanate not from D.C., but from state capitols. Right now Democrats control 31 of 98 partisan state legislative chambers nationwide.

Read that again. That's less than one in three. That's not lagging behind that's getting blown the hell out.

Of course the most regressive parts of the right-wing agenda will become reality when Republicans control state legislatures this lopsidedly. Trump is increasingly the focal point of politics on the left, but he is not the one who stacked the deck in favor of the right over the past two decades. Republican success at every level is built upon control of state legislatures that dictate essential aspects of elections.

How long is the early voting period? Will mail-in or absentee ballots be easy to acquire? How strict is the voter ID requirement? When is the registration deadline? Can felons and ex-felons vote? Are voting locations convenient, and do they have sufficient equipment? How will votes be counted and verified? Don't look to Trump or Congress for answers to any of these critical questions. The GOP uses state-level power to answer them, and has effectively suppressed the vote in recent elections.

Then there's the matter of redistricting. The 2010 Republican victory was both overwhelming and well-timed for the party. Between 2010 and 2012, GOP-dominated redistricting tilted the electoral landscape in Republicans' favor. Redistricting after 2020 will follow the same lamentable trajectory if Democrats cannot make inroads in state houses. In the era of Big Data and geographic information systems, redistricting is a precise science, not an art. The party that controls the process can put its thumb on the scale for a decade.

Institutions matter more than policy in the short run, but it's worth remembering that loosening the GOP stranglehold on state legislatures will also produce policy benefits in areas like education, the administration and distribution of social programs (food stamps, unemployment benefits, public health programs) and criminal justice issues.Some of the things coming out of state legislatures make Paul Ryan look like Trotsky. These are not abstractions, but matters of life and death for many people.

So what can be done?

The payoff of being politically active simply is greater in down-ballot races. House and Senate races are of course important, but the marginal benefit of adding one more volunteer to those campaigns is small compared to what an activist can contribute to a local race. Throwing your donation and evening volunteering hours into the miasma of money and noise that is a modern congressional race is like spitting into the ocean. In a local race, the time and money you can donate will be much more impactful. Knocking on doors and speaking to a few hundred voters on behalf of an unknown candidate in a state assembly primary could make a real difference.

It goes without saying, of course, that Trump matters. His nihilistic brand of politics is a real threat to millions of Americans. Resisting his dangerous agenda remains essential. However, there is a downside to paying so much attention to Trump and so little to less sensational parts of the system. So maybe today, instead of reading a 50th story about Trumpian antics (spoiler alert: He did a stupid thing because he is a stupid person), research who's running or considering running in your state Senate and House elections. Is there a progressive challenger you could support in the primaries? Turnout in midterm election primaries is very low. Getting involved at that stage can make a real difference.

The"midterm loss" phenomenon and the colossal embarrassment that the Trump presidency has been suggest that Democratic candidates will have the wind at their backs in 2018. The timing is perfect to get serious about down-ballot races and start chipping away at the dominant position Republicans hold in state capitols across the country.

Donald Trump is not the problem with the GOP; he is the symptom of the party's top-to-bottom absence of principles and willingness to manipulate rules. If progressives focus exclusively on Trump, that makes it easier it is for Republicans at other levels to push their loathsome agenda forward. So give it a shot: Try paying a bit less attention to the loud-mouthed clown and a lot more to the low-key races that will determine control of America's electoral future. The country will be better off for it.

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The Case for Paying Less Attention to Donald Trump - RollingStone.com

WASHINGTON PresidentDonald Trump on Monday hailed the Supreme Courts decision to consider his travel ban as a clear victory after the court said it will allow a watered-down version of the ban to say in place until it hears the case in October.

Todays unanimous Supreme Court decision is a clear victory for our national security. It allows the travel suspension for the six terror-prone countries and the refugee suspension to become largely effective, Trump said in a statement. As President, I cannot allow people into our country who want to do us harm. I want people who can love the United States and all of its citizens, and who will be hardworking and productive.

My number one responsibility as Commander in Chief is to keep the American people safe. Todays ruling allows me to use an important tool for protecting our Nations homeland. I am also particularly gratified that the Supreme Courts decision was 9-0.

Trump again incorrectly emphasized the 9-0 decision in a celebratory tweet on Monday afternoon.

Several federal courts have halted enforcement of the ban because they determined it unlawfully discriminates against Muslims.

In the interim, the court will allow a watered-down version of the ban to go into effect. People witha bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States will not be subject to the ban. That group includes people coming to visit their family or students coming to study.

Trumps celebratory statement incorrectly stated that the justicesdecision Monday was 9-0. The decision was per curiam, meaning that it was unsigned by any particular justices.

Justice Clarence Thomas, joined by fellow conservatives Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch, wrote a separate opinion, agreeing with the overall decision but arguing that the ban should be reinstated in full.

Trump has frequently lashed out against the independent judiciaryin response to multiple lower court decisions that ruled against his administration.

On Monday, Trumps eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., attacked the activism of the Ninth Circuit Court, one of the federal courts which halted the ban nationwide.

Read more about the courts announcement here.

This article has been updated with Trumps tweet from Monday afternoon.

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Donald Trump Responds To Supreme Court's Travel Ban Announcement - HuffPost

The European Tour is considering hosting the 2019 Scottish Open at President Donald Trumps golf course, according to reports, a decision that is expected to be met with resistance.

According to The Guardian, Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeen, Scotland, is the favored venue for Aberdeen Asset Management,sponsorof the 2019 Scottish Open.

On Thursday, the tour revealed that Gullane Golf Club in East Lothian, Scotland,would host next years tournament. An announcement for the following year is not expected anytime soon, but the report says Trumps course is the favorite to host.

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Donald Trump at Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeen, Scotland, on June 25. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty

Trump International Golf Linksopened in 2012, with European Tour officials said to have made several visits to the site to consider the viability of holding the event there.

A spokesperson for the European Tour told The Guardian: No decision on future venues of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open has been taken beyond 2018. Our focus is on delivering a successful championship, with its strongest field to date, at Dundonald Links next month, followed by our return to Gullane next year.

The Donald Trump Organization is currently being run by his sons Donald and Eric, but Trump has indicated how keen he is to see the Tour travel to his course.

In 2015, he said, The Scottish Open is coming. The Scottish Open wants to be here forever, they think this is the best course theyve ever seen.

Next months U.S. Womens Open isbeing held atthe Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey, and there have been protests against the venue.

Trump is a longtime golf fan and competitor, and his time in officehas notquelled his interest. On Saturday, The Independent reported that Trump spent the30th day of his presidency visiting one of his golf courses.

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Donald Trump's Golf Club in Scotland May Cause Even More Problems for President - Newsweek

CNNs announcement of new publishing restrictions on articles about President Donald Trump and Russia, as reported by Buzzfeed, has delightedright-wing media.

Populist website Breitbart reported that the very fake news scandal was consuming the network, while Fox News host Sean Hannity taunted CNN's Jeff Zucker on Twitter.

CNN has long been accused of liberal bias by criticsand has been one of the key focuses of President Donald Trumps relentless rhetorical assaultsagainst what he has branded the fake news media.

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A sign reading "CNN SUCKS" is held up as President-elect Donald Trump speaks at the Dow Chemical Hangar on December 9, 2016, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Trump aimed barbs at the network during his 2016 election campaign; White House press secretary Sean Spiceraccused it of spreading unsubstantiated rumoursin a bid to attract viewers. In his first press conference as president, Trump shouted down CNNs Jim Acostaafter denouncing the news network from the podium.

The following month, CNN was one of several media organizations denied access to an off-camera press briefing with Spicer, while handpicked reporters from conservative websites were invited. A pro-Trump Political Action Committee (PAC)even tried to run an ad on CNNin which the words "fake news"were superimposed on an image of networkanchors.

Another factor in CNN's nervousness is likely to be the declining faith in traditional news outlets, with a September 2016 Gallup poll finding that confidence in mass media to "report the news fully, accurately and fairly" had dropped to the lowest level recorded by the pollster, with only 32 percentsaying the media had their trust.

In such an environment, it is hardly surprising that CNN is taking care to make sure the fake news label does not stick, and tightening its coverage of Trump's alleged Russia ties, where key devel0pments have been leaked to media by officials on condition of anonymity.

CNNs retracted story, which allegedthat the Senate Intelligence Committee was probing claims that the chief of a $10 billion Russian investment fund had met with a member of Trumps transition team days before the presidents inauguration,was based on a single unnamed source.

News organizations generally rely on multiple, independent sources to verify key claims.

To avoidanother such situation,stories involving Trump and Russia now requirethe approval of senior executives before publication. The network is aiming to bolster its credibility in the face of unprecedented White House attacksand rising public skepticism about its integrity.

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Why Is CNN Getting Nervous About Its Coverage of the Donald Trump-Russia Investigation? - Newsweek

Making a final push, President Donald Trump said he doesn't think congressional Republicans are "that far off" on a health overhaul to replace "the dead carcass of Obamacare."

Expressing frustration, he complained about "the level of hostility" in government and wondered why both parties can't work together on the Senate bill as GOP critics expressed doubt over a successful vote this week.

It was the latest signs of high-stakes maneuvering over a key campaign promise, and the president signaled a willingness to deal.

"We have a very good plan," Trump said in an interview broadcast Sunday. Referring to Republican senators opposed to the bill, he added: "They want to get some points, I think they'll get some points."

Trump's comments come amid the public opposition of five Republican senators so far to the Senate GOP plan that would scuttle much of former President Barack Obama's health law.

Unless those holdouts can be swayed, their numbers are more than enough to torpedo the measure developed in private by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and deliver a bitter defeat for the president. That's because unanimous opposition is expected from Democrats in a chamber in which Republicans hold a narrow 52-48 majority.

Trump bemoaned the lack of bipartisanship in Washington, having belittled prominent Democrats himself.

"It would be so great if the Democrats and Republicans could get together, wrap their arms around it and come up with something that everybody's happy with," the president said. "And I'm open arms; but, I don't see that happening. They fight each other. The level of hostility."

Trump has denigrated Democrats on numerous occasions, including a jab at Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren in the same interview: "She's a hopeless case. I call her Pocahontas and that's an insult to Pocahontas."

Warren, a leading liberal and defender of the Affordable Care Act, has opposed efforts to pass a bill to replace the law. The Democrat reiterated her opposition in a statement to The Associated Press on Sunday, saying the health care bill being pushed by Senate Republicans is a "monstrosity."

In a tweet last week after Georgia's special House election, Trump also criticized House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. "I certainly hope the Democrats do not force Nancy P out. That would be very bad for the Republican Party and please let Cryin' Chuck stay!" he wrote.

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Trump: Not 'that far off' from passing health overhaul - CNBC

Donald Trump's presidency has caused stress and anxiety in Americans across the country, many of whom have opted to offset their worries with an extra glass of wine or two or shots of whiskey from time to time. But as it turns out, the majority of citizens say they would quit drinking alcohol tomorrow if it meant the president would be impeached.

Nearly 73 percent of Democrats and 17 percent of Republicans said they would abstain from alcohol for the rest of their lives if they could see the official political process begin to remove Trump, according to a Detox.net survey of 1,013 men and women nationwide. The latest data set showing support for Trumps impeachmentan exhaustive political process that includes no definite promise of his removalcomes at a time when multiple Democratic lawmakers are drafting articles of impeachment and at some point could bringthem to the floor of Congress.

Related: Heres how Donald Trump could actually be impeached

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Meanwhile, more than 30 percent of Republicans surveyed said theyd quit drinking in order to have the media stop writing negative articles about Trump, compared to 6.5 percent of Democrats.

73 percent of Democrats and 17 percent of Republicans would quit drinking forever if it meant Trump would be impeached tomorrow. Detox

Texas RepresentativeAl Green was the first Democrat on Capitol Hill to demand Trumps impeachment, claiming the presidents words are enough to prove he obstructed justice (an impeachable offense) in firing James Comey, the former FBI director who was conducting a federal probe into the Trump campaigns alleged collusion with the Kremlin during the 2016 presidential election.

"The president is not only intimidating the former FBI director, but any other person that might become FBI director and persons who are working on this case,"Green said in an interview with ThinkProgress. "He is demonstrating that he has the power to dismiss people summarily, with impunity, unless hes impeached."

Donald Trump drinking water during the Presidential Debate at Hofstra University on September 26, 2016 in Hempstead, New York. Drew Angerer, Getty

Other Trump critics say the president could also beimpeached for his business dealings around the world, as well as for profiting off the presidency at his luxury properties like Mar-A-Lago, where hes hosted world leaders like Japanese President Shinzo Abe. Experts say there are numerous negotiations and deals that could ultimately spur Trump's removal from office, from his properties advertising his surprise appearances at large events, to global business expansion plans and issues with his blind trust (or lack thereof).

Realistically, though, it would take a total shift in the Republican-controlled Congress and Senate in order for Trump to be impeached. The latest polls revealnearly 43 percent of voters support beginning the removal process, while Trump's approval ratings hovered in the high-30s throughout most of June.

All that is to say, Trump's impeachment isn't likely to happen as soon as some may have hoped for. Better order another round.

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Majority of Americans Would Give Up Alcohol to See Donald Trump Impeached, Survey Says - Newsweek