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Trump Administration

Trump And The Dynasty Defense Industry

October 6, 2018 By Chuck Collins, Inequality.org , , ,
There is little that’s shocking in the latest New York Times expose, which revealed Donald Trump and his family were handed hundred million dollar inheritances as they schemed to avoid taxes. Despite Trump’s boast to being a self-made billionaire, he was “born on third base,” inheriting a real estate empire from his father along with connections and other forms of social capital. We can speculate as to how much of this self-made myth is self-deception, brand-building, or amnesia. Previous research shows that Trump benefited from loans and financial connections to his father’s real estate empire.

How Trump’s New Trade Deal Could Prolong His Pollution Legacy

October 5, 2018 Nicholas Kusnetz, Insideclimatenews.org , ,
President Donald Trump's new trade deal with Canada and Mexico makes no mention of climate change, but it's likely to have lasting implications for North America's energy future. In many ways, the deal extends features of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that environmentalists say promote fossil fuel development and polluting practices. But it also contains new provisions that could make it easier for corporations to challenge climate and environment regulations in the three countries even before they're adopted. In this way, the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) has the potential to enshrine the Trump administration's anti-regulatory agenda into one of the country's most important trade agreements, environmental advocates said.

California Judge Blocks Trump Administration Effort To End Protections For Some Immigrants

October 5, 2018 Robert Jablon and Sudhin Thanawala, AP.org , , ,
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A judge on Wednesday blocked the Trump administration from ending protections that allowed immigrants from four countries to live and work legally in the United States, saying the move would cause “irreparable harm and great hardship.” U.S. District Judge Edward Chen in San Francisco granted a request for a preliminary injunction against the administration’s decision to discontinue temporary protected status for people from Sudan, Nicaragua, Haiti and El Salvador. The judge said there is evidence that “President Trump harbors an animus against non-white, non-European aliens which influenced his ... decision to end the TPS designation.”

The UN Just Ordered Trump To Ease Sanctions On Iran

October 4, 2018 By Jessica Corbett, Mintpressnews.com , , ,
“The U.S. of course will disregard the ruling,” says Trita Parsi, “but Iran’s aim likely was to establish that it is the U.S., and not Iran, that is the rogue nation now.” The United Nations’ highest court on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to ease sanctions on Iran that are impacting humanitarian aid and aviation safety, ruling that U.S. assurances the economic limitations would not endanger both “were not adequate.” “Iran’s strategy of taking the U.S. to the international court has paid off,” responded Trita Parsi, founder and president of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC). “The U.S. of course will disregard the ruling, but Iran’s aim likely was to establish that it is the U.S., and not Iran, that is the rogue nation now.”

McConnell Vows GOP ‘Will Not Be Intimidated By Kavanough Protesters

October 4, 2018 By Jon Queally, Commondreams.org , , ,
An apparently perturbed Senate Majority Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) says that the loud, outraged, and determined constituents who have been letting Republican lawmakers know just how much they do not want Brett Kavanaugh confirmed to the Supreme Court will not be listened to or have an impact on his effort to ram the nominee through in the coming days. "There is no chance in the world they're going to scare us out of doing our duty," McConnell declared on the Senate floor Wednesday morning, after referencing lawmakers who have been confronted at airports, in their offices, or in Senate offices on Capitol Hill. "I don't care how many members they chase, how many people they harass here in the halls," McConnell continued, "I wanna make one thing perfectly clear: we will not be intimated by these people."

Trump’s New NAFTA Would Drive Up Drug Prices

October 3, 2018 Mike Ludwig, Truthout.org , , , , ,
On the campaign trail, Donald Trump set himself apart from fellow Republicans and even Hillary Clinton by advancing a protectionist trade agenda and promising to renegotiate or scrap the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico. So, the president celebrated on Monday after last-minute negotiations with Canada advanced a new version of NAFTA. “It’s an amazing deal for a lot of people,” Trump said during an address at the White House. However, critics say the current draft of the $1.2 trillion deal would not completely halt the outsourcing of US jobs to Mexico, and it imperils one of Trump’s other campaign promises: reducing the price of prescription drugs for US consumers.

Political Issues In The Senate Hearing On Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh

October 1, 2018 Eric London, Wsws.org , , ,
After nearly nine hours of Senate testimony by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, the public is no closer to knowing what did or did not happen over thirty years ago, when Ford alleges Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her. Kavanaugh’s future as the nominee now depends on the outcome of an FBI investigation to which Senate Republicans agreed on Friday. The allegations of sexual assault have become the sole issue in Kavanaugh’s confirmation, and the Democratic Party and the media have presented Kavanaugh’s guilt on this matter as a foregone conclusion. The focus of the proceedings reflects the political priorities of the Democratic Party and the interests of the affluent social layers to which it is appealing.

Washington’s Sanctions Machine

October 1, 2018 Philip B. Giraldi, Strategic-culture.org , , ,
Perhaps it is Donald Trump’s business background that leads him to believe that if you inflict enough economic pain on someone they will ultimately surrender and agree to do whatever you want. Though that approach might well work in New York real estate, it is not a certain path to success in international relations since countries are not as vulnerable to pressure as are individual investors or developers. Washington’s latest foray into the world of sanctions, directed against China, is astonishing even when considering the low bar that has been set by previous presidents going back to Bill Clinton. Beijing has already been pushing back over US sanctions imposed last week on its government-run Equipment Development Department of the Chinese Central Military Commission...

Trump At The UN: Lies, Damn Lies, & Statistics

September 29, 2018 Staff, Jackrasmus.com ,
This past week Donald Trump appeared before the United Nations Assembly in New York. In typical Trump style, he immediately launched into bragging about his accomplishments. Like most of his recent public appearances, it was a campaign speech directed to his political base. He proclaimed to the Assembly he had achieved more in his first two years than had any other president in a like period. The claim elicited laughs from the audience, which Trump would brush off later in a press conference saying ‘We were laughing together, they weren’t laughing at me”. Sure, Donald. That’s what happened! In the course of his over-the-top, self-congratulatory announcement he said the US economy had grown faster in his first two years at the presidential helm than in any administration before during a like period...

Brett Kavanaugh’s Testimony Was A Spectacle Of Angry Male Bonding

September 29, 2018 Claire Fallon, Huffingtonpost.com , ,
In the he hearing, Flake said he wanted a one-week delay for the FBI to investigate the allegations. A motion calling for an FBI investigation would very likely have passed 11-10 along party lines with Flake joining the Democrats. He said that was what he wanted but never made such a motion. Roll Call reported “Ranking member Dianne Feinstein could be heard on a still-hot microphone questioning whether they had voted on the Flake proposal. Grassley insisted, because of committee rules, ‘we had to be done with this by 2 [p.m.].’ Staff then cut the microphones.” Flake still could slow the nomination. On Friday afternoon it was reported that after a dramatic series of closed-door meetings with senators from both parties, he said that he would “only be comfortable” voting yes in the end after the FBI investigates a sexual assault allegation against Kavanaugh.

Trump Channels Netanyahu At The U.N., As His Top Policy-Makers Meet With Iran-War-Mongers

September 28, 2018 Philip Weiss, Mondoweiss.net , ,
There is an obvious reason Trump is parroting Netanyahu. Sheldon Adelson and his wife Miriam are the largest funders of Republicans, ponying up $55 million for the midterm elections. Trump needs Sheldon Adelson now more than ever, and Adelson has a simple agenda, Israel. Adelson backs Netanyahu, pushed the move of the US embassy to Jerusalem, opposes negotiations with Palestinians, and called on President Obama to nuke Iran. Adelson wanted Trump to tear up the Iran deal, and he did. The New York Times ran a good piece on Adelson’s influence last week, saying Sheldon and wife Miriam “have emerged as the biggest and potentially most influential contributors to Republicans in the midterm season,” and that the Adelsons have gotten “their most cherished priorities” from the “unflinchingly pro-Israel” Trump administration.

The Renegade President Brings His War To The United Nations

September 28, 2018 Benjamin Dangl, Atimes.com ,
When US President Donald Trump began his speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, he started out in true fashion by touting his own record, saying, “My administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country.” But the bravado backfired, drawing audible laughter from the audience. “I didn’t expect that reaction, but that’s OK,” the ruffled president said. The crowd’s response highlighted UN members’ opposition to the US president and his attacks on the UN and many of its core missions and institutions. Last year, before his first speech to the UN, Trump withdrew the US from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

CODEPINK’s Medea Benjamin Interrupts Trump Official’s Warmongering Iran Speech

September 21, 2018 By Jake Johnson, Commondreams.org , ,
"That is the most ridiculous thing I have seen. The world community wants to keep the Iran nuclear deal," Benjamin declared as she walked on stage at the small gathering, which was hosted by the right-wing Hudson Institute. Responding to Hook's remark that Iran must begin acting like a "normal" country, Benjamin said: "Let's talk about 'normal countries.' Let's talk about Saudi Arabia. Is that who our allies are?" "Do you think the sanctions are hurting the regime or are they hurting the Iranian people? They are hurting the Iranian people," Benjamin added. "You are making a case for war with Iran. How did the war with Iraq turn out? You're doing exactly the same thing we did in the case of Iraq. We don't want another war in the Middle East."

Doctrines Of Impunity: John Bolton And The ICC

September 17, 2018 Binoy Kampmark, Dissidentvoice.org , , ,
The Trump administration’s national security advisor John Bolton has never been a fan of international law, a concept he has found, at best, rubbery.  Any institution supposedly guided by its spirit was bound to draw the ire of both his temper and temperament.  Before members of the Federalist Society on Monday, Bolton took to the pulpit with a fury reserved for the unreflective patriot certain that his country, right or wrong, was above such matters.  “The United States will use any means necessary to protect our citizens and those of our allies from unjust prosecution by this illegitimate court.” The wicked body, in this instance, is the International Criminal Court, established by the Rome Statute to try instances of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, a “court of last resort” backed by 123 nations.

US Aggression In Latin America Is Causing International Resistance To US Imperialism

September 15, 2018 Alexander Main, Center for Economic and Policy Research , ,
In late spring of 2008, the prestigious Council on Foreign Relations published a report titled “U.S.-Latin America Relations: A New Direction for a New Reality.” Timed to influence the foreign policy agenda of the next U.S. administration, the report asserted: “the era of the U.S. as the dominant influence in Latin America is over.” At the Summit of the Americas in April the following year, President Barack Obama appeared to be on the same page as the report’s authors, promising Latin American leaders a “new era” of “equal partnership” and “mutual respect.” Four years later, Obama’s second secretary of state, John Kerry, went a step further, solemnly declaring before his regional counterparts at the Organization of American States (OAS) that the “era of the Monroe Doctrine is over.”
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