The Onion has the scoop on Trump’s business

National

Well, it’s been another week of the Trump administration creating unprecedented chaos and havoc in Washington, and there seems no let up in sight.

[UNVERIFIED CONTENT] Dairy Queen,NJ
[UNVERIFIED CONTENT] Dairy Queen,NJ
So here’s a news brief that might almost be believable in the age of Trump — but it’s only from theOnion.com — America’s finest news source:

Subpoenaed Trump Organization Financial Documents Reveal Company’s Only Holding Is Single Dairy Queen In New Jersey

NEW YORK—Saying they are beginning to perceive the full scope of the secretive business dealings, investigators working for special counsel Robert Mueller announced Friday that subpoenaed Trump Organization financial records show the company’s only discrete holding is a Dairy Queen franchise in West Milford, NJ.

[…] Agent Maria Russo said that the investigation had not yet turned up definitive links to Russian money, but noted the job description for the Dairy Queen night manager included “at least three ‘ruble runs’ a week” to the currency exchange at the Newark Airport.

 

 

 

Enabling Donald’s TV news

Business, National, , ,

It’s not only Fox News that covers Trump’s back. Sinclair Broadcasting, the largest owner of local TV stations in the U.S., is widely known as a champion of right-wing GOP causes. During the presidential election Sinclair and the Trump campaign struck a deal in order to gain favorable media coverage .Recently they started a promotional campaign for their local news outlets to broadcast.

Now Sinclair has  tailored promotional spots for its almost 200 local news outlets that seem to mirror  parts of Trump’s oft repeated bogus “fake news” claims. Their corporate memo to local stations dictates the promo be scheduled “to create maximum reach and frequency.”

StateofTVOne of Sinclair’s local anchors — who remained anonymous for fear of retribution — told CNN: “I felt like a POW recording a message,” […] On its face, some of the language is not controversial. But that’s precisely why some staffers were so troubled by it. The promo script, they say, belies Sinclair management’s actual agenda to tilt reporting to the right.

CNN reports: The promos begin with one or two anchors introducing themselves and saying “I’m [we are] extremely proud of the quality, balanced journalism that [proper news brand name of local station] produces. But I’m [we are] concerned about the troubling trend of irresponsible, one sided news stories plaguing our country.”

Then the media bashing begins.

“The sharing of biased and false news has become all too common on social media,” the script says. “More alarming, national media outlets are publishing these same fake stories without checking facts first. Unfortunately, some members of the national media are using their platforms to push their own personal bias and agenda to control ‘exactly what people think’ … This is extremely dangerous to our democracy.”

Then the anchors are supposed to strike a more positive tone and say that their local station pursues the truth. “We understand Truth is neither politically ‘left or right.’ Our commitment to factual reporting is the foundation of our credibility, now more than ever.”

[…]At the end of the promo, viewers are encouraged to send in feedback “if you believe our coverage is unfair.” The instructions say that “corporate will monitor the comments and send replies to your audience on your behalf.” In other words, local stations are cut out of the interactions with viewers. Management will handle it instead.

Sinclair’s political bent has been a factor in its pending acquisition of Tribune Media. Sinclair is already the biggest owner of local television stations in the country — with 173 it either owns or operates — and Tribune will give it dozens more, furthering the company’s ambitions. Some analysts believe Sinclair wants to rival Fox News, although officials at Sinclair have rejected those suggestions.

Vermont’s own little TV station, WCAX, formerly locally owned and managed, was scooped up last year not by Sinclair but by Gray Television. The large Atlanta Georgia-based communication corporation  may not share Sinclair’s solid right wing reputation but they certainly have their sights set on New Hampshire’s  First-in-the–Nation© presidential primary’s  advertising profits. And not to be paranoid but it’s worth being watchful of our neighbor state’s media scene. Jacqueline Policastro, the Washington bureau chief for Gray Television, was among those at a special White House dinner after Trump addressed Congress last year. Attending the Trump administration’s effort to court and spark local TV news markets were reporters from Hearst, Scripps, Cox, Nexstar, and naturally, Sinclair.

Commenting in an interview early this year on how he thought President Trump might weather the Mueller investigation, former White House Counsel John Dean (of  Watergate notoriety) observed: “I think there’s more likelihood (Nixon) might have survived if there’d been a Fox News.”  The implication, of course, is that with the backing of Fox News — or another powerful national media propaganda outlet — even Richard Nixon, how ever damaged and corrupt as a leader, could have clung to power.

And now, facing multiple investigations, President Trump can apparently count not only on Fox News nationally but on Sinclair Broadcasting to cover his troubled a … ah, backside at the local level, while all three entities fart  on democracy.

ICE out time in Vermont

local/regional, National, , , , ,

The non-profit investigative journalism organization ProPublica is asking for help through crowd-sourcing: enlisting members of the public in keeping an eye out for ICE — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.

VTICEout

 

Specifically, ProPublica is looking for people to report where ICE and the CBP are seen to be  operating, especially those places that might be considered sensitive: Officially, both U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection say they “generally” avoid arrests, interviews or surveillance related to immigration enforcement at “sensitive locations,” which include places of worship, hospitals, schools, weddings, funerals and public demonstrations.

But there are some pretty large exceptions to the policy: Courthouses and workplaces do not have any special protection from immigration enforcement activities. Ambulances pass through immigration checkpoints in border cities. And while certain buildings are considered off limits, nothing keeps agents from intercepting people as they leave. Immigration agents are also allowed to conduct enforcement actions at sensitive locations with approval from a supervisor, or in “exigent circumstances.”

We have seen that immigration sweeps have grown more frequent nationally since Trump has been in office. An ICE raid in Vermont and the arrest of 14 construction workers in Colchester this January brought home to us in Vermont the immigration enforcement crack-down.

ICE says arrests at sensitive locations are “exceedingly rare,” yet Trump’s enforcement agencies don’t keep track of how, or how often, “exigent circumstances” occur.

To document if these enforcement location exceptions are actually rare or not ProPublica has teamed up with Univison News (the American Spanish language news organization) to offer a mechanism for people to confidentially report where, when and how these operations are taking place, and how the sweeps or raids are affecting them.

Has an immigration enforcement action impacted you or someone you know? Have you changed a habit or stopped going somewhere because of ICE or CBP activities? Tell us  [the ProPublica website asks in an online reporting form].  A note about our commitment to your privacy: ProPublica and Univision News are gathering these stories for the purposes of our reporting, and will not voluntarily share your information with third parties without your express permission.

Vermonters might want to help: after all it is mud season in Vermont, and tradition dictates we watch for when ICE is out.

After Parkland shooting Congress takes action: funds bulletproof vests…for themselves

National, Uncategorized,

A Congressional committee has voted to expand funding that provides bulletproof vests and other safety measures for fellow members even while speaker Ryan rules out gun control.

At a news conference after recently meeting with students representing victims of the Parkland high school shooting, House Speaker Paul Ryan said: Republicans would focus on law enforcement failures, not tighter gun control, in the wake of the latest mass shooting, which left 17 children and educators dead at a Florida school Feb. 14. 

The House did attach incentives for better sharing of gun crime data through the existing National Instant Criminal Background Check System, NICS, to a bill passed last December called “Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act.” But Senate Democrats considered the NRA-promoted expanded concealed-carry act a non-starter and the bill remained in the House.

But ‘ in-House’ safety concerns come first it seems. The Hill.com reports that nine members of the Congressional Committee on House Administration (six Republicans and three Democrats) by voice vote, have arranged to spend more money to keep themselves and their colleagues safe from gun violence.vested interest

The Committee on House Administration passed the measure by voice vote, amending the Members’ Congressional Handbook to define bulletproof vests for members as a “reimbursable” expense.

The amendment allows members to use taxpayer dollars to hire security personnel for events like town halls, to accompany them “during the performance of their official duties” or to be stationed at their district offices.

This increase in personal-safety funds comes on top of a previous increase they granted themselves following the shooting and wounding of Congressman Steve Scalise at a GOP baseball practice last summer. That measure provided each member an extra $25,000 for office and public-event security.

Maybe when they have provided themselves enough-bullet proof vests and security guard funding to feel safe they could schedule the time and courage to tackle the issue of gun violence for everyone else — you know, high school students and the general public, their constituents. Or, they could recycle some 1960s PSA’s advising the rest of us to just “duck and cover.”

Lauren Hierl Becomes VCV Political Director

local/regional,

I am so pleased to report that Lauren Hierl, Political Director of Vermont Conservation Voters since 2014, has now become its Executive Director. I had the pleasure of serving on VCV’s Board of Directors at the time Lauren first joined the organization and can say she brought new dynamism and communication skills to the group that has for so many years ably carried the banner for progressive policy in Vermont.

Here follows VCV’s press announcement:

Montpelier – The Vermont Conservation Voters (VCV) Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Lauren Hierl has been named Executive Director. Hierl has served as the VCV Political Director since 2014. Prior to that, Hierl worked as Environmental Health Advocate at Vermont Public Interest Research Group, as an environmental advocate in Washington, D.C. at National Audubon Society and Alaska Wilderness League, and as a researcher in Kruger National Park, South Africa and San Diego.

“Lauren has demonstrated strong leadership while Political Director, helping build Vermont Conservation Voters into a thriving and respected organization,” said VCV Board Chair Kinny Perot. “The Board decided to restructure the organization and name Lauren as Executive Director to reflect her demonstrated success as a highly effective advocate and influential player in recent elections.”

Founded in 1982, VCV works to elect environmentally-friendly candidates to public office, advocates for strong environmental laws, and holds elected officials accountable for the decisions they make affecting our air, water, communities, land, and wildlife.

“In my role as political director, I’ve had the opportunity to work on campaigns critical to protecting Vermonters’ health and our communities, including stronger policies to promote clean water, action on climate change, safeguarding our forests, and protecting people from toxic chemicals,” said Lauren Hierl. “I’m proud to be a part of VCV and am excited to continue to work with our board and supporters to build a bright future for VCV and Vermont’s environment.”

In addition to campaign and election work, VCV publishes an annual Environmental Common Agenda, which highlights the top legislative priorities of Vermont’s environmental community each year. VCV also produces an Environmental Scorecard, and works to inform voters about their elected officials’ leadership or opposition to environmental goals. VCV endorses candidates, and actively works to help elect environmental champions.

While VCV maintains a strategic partnership with the Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC), it is a separate organization with its own board of directors, and is governed by separate bylaws. “We’re excited to see Lauren named Executive Director of VCV,” said Brian Shupe, VNRC executive director. “She is a strong and strategic advocate who ensures that Vermonters’ environmental concerns are top-of-mind for our elected leaders.” Shupe will continue to oversee the strategic partnership between the two organizations.

Net neutrality race: Phil Scott follows Montana, New York and New Jersey’s lead

Business, local/regional, National, ,

In a press release on Thursday Republican Governor Scott announced he issued an executive order requiring that state contractors comply with net neutrality standards — thus following the lead of Democratic governors in Montana and New York and New Jersey who first signed similar orders back in January.scottmoves1

Vtdigger.com: The governor’s order directs the Agency of Administration to amend its procedures to ensure that internet providers who contract with the state comply with net neutrality standards, according to a news release from the Scott administration

The governor’s executive order would prevent internet companies who contract with the state from blocking content, engaging in paid prioritization of internet services or acting to “throttle, impair or degrade lawful Internet traffic on the basis of Internet content, application, or service.”

Scott’s order came after a state senate committee passed legislation (S.289) aimed at the same goal: to stop FCC chairman Ajit Pai’s repeal of Obama-era rules that had prohibited broadband providers from blocking or slowing websites or charging for higher-quality content and service. Similar legislation is under consideration in the Vermont House.

Other challenges to the Trump-era FCC rule change out ahead of Scott’s Thursday order include one by Vermont AG T.J. Donovan. He earlier joined attorneys general in twenty-one states in a lawsuit against the FCC to keep net neutrality. And nationally our entire congressional delegation has opposed Chairman Pai’s rule change from the start.

Governor Scott did include an exclusion — perhaps a regulatory loophole: “Waivers to these Procedures may be granted by the Secretary only upon receipt of a written justification from a State Agency and a finding by the Secretary [that] a waiver would serve a legitimate and significant interest of the State,” the order says.

In fairness, it must be noted that the Senate version of the bill as of our reading has a similar passage: The Secretary of Administration may waive the prohibition on paid prioritization and preferential treatment under subdivision (b)(1)(C) of this section if the Internet service provider demonstrates and the Secretary finds that the practice would serve a legitimate and significant public interest and would not harm the open nature of the Internet in Vermont.

But, it’s good that Governor Scott has finally decided to enter the already-underway race to save net neutrality, however late his start. Because, you know, the internet just won’t run right when blocked, slowed, and throttled.

St. Valentine’s Day Massacre 2018

National, Uncategorized, , ,

“St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” has a whole new meaning this year. Was the connection  intentional for the shooter who killed seventeen people and wounded fifteen others in one of the worst school shootings in history?  We’re already learning of a white supremacist association with the shooter,  so who knows what else is in his pathology?

Perhaps Donald Trump thinks its sufficient to opine on the shooter’s mental health and skirt the issue of gun control altogether, but I believe that says more about the Presidents’ own mental fitness than anything else.  After all, the shooter’s white nationalist ties make him one of the President’s peeps.

What is wrong with this country? For years now, the disfunction has been apparent to people all over the world. We Americans simply will not do anything about the availability of “weapons of mass destruction” in our own communities.

There are several possible reasons why foreign enrollment in U.S. colleges is trending downward, not the least of which is the poisonous quasi-official attitude toward non-white foreigners emanating from the White House, and the decline in government support for education in general. But compounding the problem must surely be the steady stream of horrific gun violence stories peppering the news. What parent wouldn’t think twice before allowing their child to study abroad in a country wracked with senseless violence?

The NRA has such a stranglehold over the GOP that even with a “normal” Republican president and congress, there would be absolutely no hope of any action on sensible gun control. They won’t even discuss it; and Donald Trump, always more of an instigator than a leader, is scared to even mention the word “gun” in his response to the horrific shootings…
quaking-in-his-boots scared.

In the absence of courage to discuss the obvious remedy, he and others in his party lay down a bunch of platitudes about mental health; but even that is a sham because the whole mess of them has been hell-bent on defunding every aspect of health and the social safety net at their first opportunity. We’re left with nothing but meaningless words.

Donald Trump wants a military parade and a useless wall: to hell with funding for social services and mental health initiatives.

Law enforcement’s big idea is to increase surveillance of all citizens in order to spot possible perps and presumably do a mental health intervention. Isn’t this a movie plot?

What happens when, inevitably, some future Donald Trump decides those interventions should not just happen to people who say they are going to kill somebody, but extrapolates the legal argument to people who express opinions against government policies or make art lampooning “Dear Leader?”

It’s the damndest slippery slope, but those who hug the second amendment couldn’t give a fig about the first.

Rational gun control isn’t rocket science. Strict permitting requirements should limit access to weapons like that AR-15, and the so-called “bump stock” modifications we heard so much about recently, to security professionals and sportsmen who have passed rigorous safety and mental health screening checks. All firearms should, at minimum, be registered every time they change hands. Why should the most lethal of our constitutional rights also give the broadest license to abusers?

 
I am disgusted.

Climate news quiz: What’s the difference?

International, National, , , ,

Short two part news quiz:whatsdif3

What follows are two recent quotes about climate change that were in the news.

Step one: simply match the quote to one of these two prominent national Republicans: Vermont Governor Phil Scott or EPA Director Scott Pruitt. Part one should be easy if you have been following the news.

Quote # 1.) “We know humans have most flourished during times of what, warming trends. So I think there’s assumptions made that because the climate is warming, that that necessarily is a bad thing. Do we really know what the ideal surface temperature should be in the year 2100, in the year 2018? ”*

Quote #2.) “Climate change could be in some ways beneficial […] when we’re seeing some of the activity in California today, with the wildfires and so forth, and lack of water in some regions of the country, if we protect our resources we could use this as an economic boon, in some respects,” **

And- Step two of the test,explain: What’s the Difference?

 They both have staff that scrub and edited out references to climate change language from official documents. Both Governor Scott and EPA head Scott Pruitt have evolved the more skeptical language they  used about the issue. And now, by suggesting climate change might be beneficial, or even an “economic boon” for some and not a disaster for the planet, the threat seems not as threatening and the need to take action less immediate.

So what is the difference between them?

* Quote # 1.) source

** Quote #2.) source

Better than dying on Mars: can Vermont beat that one?

Business, National, , , , , ,

In hopes of building the labor force and boosting currently-static population growth, Governor Phil Scott proposed spending $3.2 million on a glorified ad campaign to woo people permanently to the state. The multi-faceted promotional plan, if enacted, would include digital marketing, financial incentives and would enlist the state-owned Vermont Life magazine into the act.

A similar promotional effort run for years in South Dakota  — now known as  “Dakota Roots” — is cited by both Secretary of Commerce Michael Schirling and special assistant to the Governor and executive director of workforce expansion Dustin Degree* as a model for the success  of the plan they hope to implement.

* Possibly the longest job title in VT state government — and a heavy burden (or the illusion thereof: straw disguised as iron)  for a former Franklin County state Senator sometimes referred to as “Do-nothing Dustin” and “Do-little Degree.”

So what’s this template for Vermont look like? Well, in 2015 after months of study and input from focus groups, South Dakota premiered a promotional video featuring testimonials for the state. It began: “South Dakota. Progressive. Productive. And abundant in oxygen. Why die on Mars when you can live in South Dakota?”

It closed with the tagline: “South Dakota. Plenty of jobs. Plenty of air.”

The media noted at the time that at long last there was alternative to dying on Mars.LifemarsVT2

SevenDays.com contacted South Dakota’s secretary of labor and regulation Marcia Hultman who told them they have had “really good results” and data shows the state welcomed 4,770 new workers since the program started in 2006. But she didn’t respond to subsequent questions about how the state determines whether the new residents came because of its efforts.

Since their economy has been booming it really is too bad some sort of data documenting the campaign “success” at luring workers wasn’t available. How can they prove the job growth wouldn’t have happened anyway with a healthy economy? It’s like the rooster that believes the sun comes up only when he crows.

Ironically South Dakota’s success rests on some things our GOP Governor might quickly oppose should they be suggested for Vermont. For instance the wind power industry has thrived in S.D., reportedly providing billions of dollars of investment, and thus millions in tax revenue and thousands of jobs.

And the state’s huge agriculture sector — err, make that CORN sector — is largely supported by federal ethanol subsidies and government mandates. The state has 15 ethanol-making facilities. Opposition to ethanol subsidies is more in Congressman Welch’s bailiwick since it’s a federal issue, but most snow-machine, small-engine owners, and (generally speaking) gear-heads hate the destructive ethanol-added fuel.

And how about a wage increase? You know, make life a little more affordable for thousands of S.D. workers by putting more money in their paychecks. In successful ballot measures sponsored by Democrats and labor unions and opposed by the state’s GOP, South Dakota has steadily increased its minimum wage over the years.

There is one feature of  the S.D. economy our own laissez-faire GOP governor might admire: big national banks are thriving out there. South Dakota’s $3.2 billion in bank assets are the most of any state and represent nearly one-fifth of all bank assets in the U.S.

How did they get all those assets? Back in 1980’s the state loosened historically stringent lending interest-rate regulations. As a result, credit card banking moved in — check the return address on your Citibank bill. Thanks to GOP Gov. Bill Jankolow’s regulatory accommodation, big national banks that relocated there have for years been able to charge what many consider exorbitant — almost usurious — rates on credit balances.

Okay let’s give the S.D. welcoming PR-campaign the benefit of the doubt; let’s say it isn’t so much the massive government-subsidized agriculture sector or the booming wind power industry or regular boosts to the minimum wage that is attracting people to the state. I suppose it could be the result of their 2015 “Hey, at least we’re not Mars” video.

If Scott’s promo plan goes ahead here in Vermont, we may get to see just what Sec.of Commerce Shirling, workforce genie Dustin Degree, and $3.2 million dollars can dream up to beat the  “Mars” bar promo South Dakota laid down.  Come on, THINK!Vermont.

Time to shout: THIS IS NOT NORMAL!

National

In a speech at a manufacturing plant in Ohio today the Republican President of the United States accused Democrats of treason for the crime of not applauding during his recent State of the Union.

In part Donald said:“They [Democrats] were like death and un-American. Un-American. Somebody said, ‘treasonous.’ I mean, Yeah, I guess why not? Can we call that treason? Why not? I mean they certainly didn’t seem to love our country that much.”

Just about un-freaking real.

Autocracy rules for survival #4: Be outraged. If you follow Rule #1 Believe the autocrat. He means what he says, you will not be surprised. But in the face of the impulse to normalize, it is essential to maintain one’s capacity for shock. This will lead people to call you unreasonable and hysterical, and to accuse you of overreacting. It is no fun to be the only hysterical person in the room. Prepare yourself.