“In a deposition under oath taken in 1993, one of Donald Trump’s lawyers said they always tried to meet with him in pairs “because Donald says certain things and then has a lack of memory.” More …
While You Were Watching Comey Say ‘Lordy,’ the GOP Held a Secret Meeting to Gut Obamacare
“While a distracted nation continues to sift through what Comey said—and what it actually meant—Republicans have been meeting in secret to nail down their plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act… On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., invoked Senate Rule 14, which allows a bill to bypass committee consideration and be brought to the floor for a vote. That means no hearings and no debate, and improves the prospect of a vote before the Senate leaves Washington for its August recess.” More …
Study Reveals Texas Has Highest Maternal Mortality Rate in Developed World
“Lawmakers in Texas largely failed to take any significant action to address the state’s skyrocketing rate of pregnancy-related deaths just months after researchers found it to be the highest in not only the U.S., but the developed world.” More …
Saudis Take 100% Control of America’s Largest Oil Refinery
“Saudi Aramco, the kingdom’s state-owned oil behemoth, took 100% control of the sprawling Port Arthur refinery in Texas… Port Arthur is considered the crown jewel of the US refinery system. The Gulf Coast facility can process 600,000 barrels of oil per day, making it the largest refinery in North America.” More …
Peter Thiel & Palantir Go from Pentagon Outsider to Mattis’ Inner Circle
“At least three members of the Defense secretary’s inner circle worked, lobbied or consulted for the Silicon Valley company… It represents a sharp rise in prominence for the company, which just months ago could barely get a meeting in the Pentagon. Last year, Palantir even had to go to court to force its way into a competition for a lucrative Army contract.” More …
The $110 Billion Arms Deal to Saudi Arabia Is Fake News
“Last month, President Trump visited Saudi Arabia and his administration announced that he had concluded a $110 billion arms deal with the kingdom. Only problem is that there is no deal. It’s fake news.” More …
Job Creation in the Manufacturing Revival, May 2017
From the Congressional Research Service: “The past few years have seen important changes in the nature of manufacturing work. A steadily smaller proportion of manufacturing workers is involved in physical production processes, while larger shares are engaged in managerial and professional work. These changes are reflected in increasing skill requirements for manufacturing workers and severely diminished opportunities for workers without education beyond high school. Even if increased manufacturing output leads to additional employment in the manufacturing sector, it is likely to generate little of the routine production work historically performed by workers with lower education levels.” More …
Leaked Regulation: Trump Plans to Roll Back Obamacare Birth Control Mandate
“The Trump administration is apparently preparing to overhaul Obamacare’s birth control mandate, purportedly allowing any employer to seek a moral or religious exemption from the requirement, according to a draft regulation obtained by Vox.” More …
Trump’s Tweets ‘a Gold Mine’ for Mueller Probe
“The president’s running public commentary gives investigators real-time insight into the intent behind his actions – and could create problems for him or his aides.” More …
Top-Secret NSA Report Details Russian Hacking Effort Days Before 2016 Election
“Russian Military Intelligence executed a cyberattack on at least one U.S. voting software supplier and sent spear-phishing emails to more than 100 local election officials just days before last November’s presidential election, according to a highly classified intelligence report obtained by The Intercept.” More …