Open Thread For July 16, 2017
Serious Infighting Over Ogletown Land Deal. Some of our favorite elected officials sniping at each other. Depressing. Meet Cheryl Stanton: Trump's Choice To Enforce Federal Wage Laws. Yes, she's stiffed…
"Let us not forget why we're having this hearing--your predecessor James Comey was not even at the half-way point of his 10-year term as FBI director when President Trump abruptly fired him without cause and without warning...so now more than ever, I believe it to be crucial that our next FBI director be prepared to be steadfastly independent," said Coons.It sounds like Coons did a fair job. He got Wray on record stating that the investigations into Russian interference in the election is not a "witch hunt" contrary to the views of President Dumbfuck. Read more at WDEL.
NEW YORK ― Republicans are trying to find a way to defund Planned Parenthood as part of an overall effort to limit abortion in America. But doing so had the opposite effect in Texas, according to a new study based on research from Texas A&M University. The study, conducted by economics professor Analisa Packham (now at Miami University), shows that in the first three years after Texas Republicans slashed the family planning budget in 2011 and shut down more than 80 women’s health clinics, the abortion rate among teenagers in the state rose 3 percent over what it would have been had the clinics remained open. After cutting Planned Parenthood out of the state’s subsidized women’s health program, then-Gov. Rick Perry (R) said his “goal” was to “ensure abortions are as rare as possible under existing law.” But the move actually interfered with an overall downward trend in abortions in Texas. “This certainly isn’t the way to have fewer abortions,” said Dr. Diane Horvath-Cosper, an OB-GYN in Maryland and an advocate with Physicians for Reproductive Health. “The abortion rates nationally have decreased and are at a historic low. So for Texans to see an increase in adolescent abortions is really telling ― it seemed to have followed the national trend until these clinics were defunded.”
Donald Trump Jr. began this engagement with Rob Goldstone on the basis of this message. “This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump.” At a minimum Don Jr. and likely (though this is as yet unproven) all high level members of the Trump team knew about this more than a year ago. Ergo, all the total and aggressive denials about Russia’s role supporting Trump, law-breaking for Trump, etc. etc were all the most total and abject lies.