 |
| News Trustworthiness - Pew |
Take Action
Four rules for making protests work || What's next for the anti-Trump protesters? || More than protest || How to take action and stay sane || 10 Ways to Fight a Trump Presidency in Liberal California || What can blue states do? || A Guide to Action for Democracy & Human Rights || Senate Maneuver for Dems: Withhold Consent
Call your Representatives (daily)
Make sure you state your name and zip code to ensure your comments are recorded!
Some To-Do Lists:
It's Time to Fight
Tell All Your Friends
What Do I Do About Trump?
5 Calls
What Do I Do About Trump?
5 Calls
Re:Act
Alternative Facts & The War on Truth & Science
We are living in strange times, where more and more people seem to think they can re-write objective truth by calling lies "alternative facts." Likewise, they think that by labeling something "fake news" this alone makes it untrue.
Why Nobody Cares that the President is Lying
"The point of modern propaganda isn't only to misinform or push an agenda. It is to exhaust your critical thinking. To annihilate truth." - Gary Kasparaov, Russian dissident
Is Trump's Behavior Authoritarian?
America Becomes a Stan
President Trump's Media Attacks: Ego-Driven or Cool Calculation?
Trump sparks fears of war on science
Canadian Scientists Warn of what may happen under Trump
The growing case against Scott Pruitt to head the EPA
President Bannon's Amazing First Week in Office
Steve Bannon's Major Play is a Full Blown Fiasco
Trump's popularity has taken a nose-dive since his inauguration. According to a Gallup poll, the majority of Americans disapproved of him after just 8 days in office, while it took the previous five presidents at least a year, in some cases two or three, to reach that unpleasant benchmark. He is also facing more than 50 lawsuits.
His chaotic beginning has Democrats and Republicans fumbling to respond.
Meanwhile, Republicans lined up several Obama regulations to rollback.
Behind the Scenes
Resistance from Within: Federal workers push back
The leaks coming out of the White House are bananas.
Empty Grandstands: On the ground at the inauguration
White Supremacy in the White House
As we all know, Steve Bannon (the former exec of Breitbart News) is now President Trump's chief strategist and right-hand man in the White House. Bannon has called himself an "economic nationalist" not a "white nationalist" but he has also proudly called Breitbart News a "platform for the alt-right" -- a movement of anti-feminists and overt racists, and former colleagues say he is known for going on racist tirades himself. Tellingly, Bannon's appointment as White House adviser was praised by white supremacists. Bannon is not the only unsavory character who was part of Trump's campaign. Critics have long been calling for Bannon's removal from the White House.
But he's not gone, and he seems to be gaining power and influence.
What does this all mean?
First and foremost, we must be hyper-vigilant about any signs of white supremacy and discrimination coming from the White House in any form (Executive Orders, department restructurings, press releases, etc).
"The racist, facist extreme right is represented footsteps from the Oval Office," tweeted John Weaver, a GOP strategist for John McCain and John Kasich. "Be very vigilant, America."
Further Reading: Steve Bannon and the Alt-Right: A Primer - CBS || What is the Alt-Right? A Refresher - LA Times (w/links to Breitbart's own definitions) || List of Bannon Quotes ||
So what have we seen from the White House so far?
President Bannon
Unfortunately, from the looks of things, it seems that not only is white supremacy there, but it already beginning to permeate everything -- prompting many to wonder if we've elected not President Trump, but in fact President Bannon.
And President Bannon has had a good first week.
As Time magazine put it, "his fingerprints were suddenly everywhere" -- unsurprising since, according to a insider, Bannon and Trump "sat down before the election and made a list of things they wanted to do in office right away" (quote from TIME article). Bannon seems to have "rapidly amassed power" and according to some appears to be "calling the shots." His influence is evident in many of the EOs and other actions and responses of the administration: from the inauguration speech, to the Travel Ban (which is turning out to be a legal fiasco and he had a particular hand in its extension to ban greencard holders and other permanent residents) to labeling the free press as "the opposition" which should "keep its mouth shut" (is the new regime wanting to abandon the First Amendment??) -- Bannon appears to be influencing everything.
However, there are signs that President Trump may not appreciate the attention that "President Bannon" is getting in the media, and is perhaps a little leery of the amount of power Bannon has amassed. After all, Trump likes to be the producer of his own epic film, where everything centers on him. After Bannon's TIME magazine cover, and a trending hashtag #StopPresidentBannon, Trump may be getting angrier. According to administration officials, Trump recently assembled his key advisers and reprimanded them -- demanding that everything go through his other right-hand-man: chief of staff Reince Priebus.
If true, this may have revealed one of the most effective ways of siphoning power away from Bannon: Trump does not like to see headlines stolen from him. How long will he tolerate it?
Bannon Added To National Security Council
In an unprecedented move, Steve Bannon was invited to sit on the National Security Council. The move has been decried by many. Senator John McCain and the former director of the CIA and NSA expressed worry that Bannon was a "radical departure" and would "inject politics and his ideological brand of policy" into the meetings. While he will not be setting the agenda of the meetings, he can certainly exert his influence in one of the most powerful councils in Washington.
Legislation has been introduced - including a bill by Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) which currently has 74 co-sponsors - that would prevent Bannon from sitting on the National Security Council.
No Paper Trail
Even before his appointment to the council, an insider warned that Bannon seems to be deliberately making sure "there is no paper trail" of meetings and decisions, and that the executive orders were developed "outside the normal construct" with tighter than normal restrictions as to who could review them. This apparently largely cut out the National Security Council.
"America First" & No Mention of Jewish People on Holocaust Remembrance Day
The new administration set the tone with its inauguration speech, which was written in part by Steve Bannon. "America First" it said, ignoring ongoing pleas to stop using the phrase which was originally the mantra of Nazi-sympathizers.
Now things have gone a step further. Six of Trump's campaign aides have started an "America First Policies" non-profit. That this is the mantra of David Duke of the KKK, and use of the phrase further energizes white supremacists should be more than a bit troubling.
February 27th was Holocaust Remembrance Day, but the statement released by the White House did not mention Jewish people, an omission decried by Jewish Republicans. and cheered on by the neo-Nazi website DailyStormer. While this isn't the first time this has happened, the omission adds more worry about the direction this administration is going.
Jeff Sessions
Many worry that the nationalist principles that are shaping the current administration's agenda have another supporter in Jeff Sessions. In addition to a spotty civil rights and voting rights record, his nomination for an earlier federal position was denied on allegations of racism.
See Also: 8 Reasons the Senate needs to reject Jeff Sessions ||
Defending White Nationalist Milo Yiannopolous
When white supremacist Milo Yiannopolous' talk was cancelled at Berkeley due to rioting, President Trump immediately responded by tweeting that Berkeley's funding should be cut (see also here).
Trump's Radio Silence on Quebec Massacre by Right-Wing Extremist
Despite his frequent tweeting, including his defense of the white supremacist, and sharing his condolences for the (non-lethal) stabbing attempt near the Louvre, Trump has been silent on social media and in the press regarding the massacre that claimed the lives of six Muslim men in Quebec.
For a man so bent on eliminating terror, this doesn't make sense. Are acts of terror perpetuated by right-wing extremists not acts of terror?
Apparently Trump thinks not (see below):
Cutting Funding for Countering Right-Wing Terror?
White House sources say that the new administration has plans to re-design a counter-extremism program so that its sole focus is Islamic extremism.
Not only would this send the wrong message to Muslims across the globe, but it also would eliminate efforts to counter right-wing terrorists (i.e., white supremacists like Dylann Roof), despite the fact that according to a 2013 report from the U.S. Military, right-wing extremists were responsible for an average of 337 attacks in the U.S. per year from 2001-2011. (preliminary report here. full report here).
Though there are other programs in place that study domestic terrorism (for example in the FBI), the potential program cut would be a troubling step toward further enabling white supremacists, some of whom who have already voiced their support of the change on social media (see this article).
The move away from investigating white supremacists is hardly a new one, however.
In 2009, the Department of Homeland Security released a report revealing that white supremacists had infiltrated the Department of Defense and police departments. The response? Rather than confront the inconvenient truth that some members of the military and police might be right-wing extremists, the report (text here) was disavowed by the GOP, and the DHS branch responsible for studying domestic extremism was gutted (Read more at NYT, Washington Post, Politico, and The SPL Center).
But surely we know better by now. Did Charleston teach us nothing?
White supremacist extremism is alive and well in North America. And with white nationalist Steve Bannon seemingly calling many of the shots in the new administration, we have to be more watchful than ever before.
More here: Right-Wing Terror || Would we know if white supremacists infiltrated our police departments? || FBI warned of white supremacists -- PBS || Southern Poverty Law Center - Hatewatch
Horrific Quebec Attack Initially Mis-portrayed by Conservative Media & White House
On Sunday night, January 29th, a white supremacist entered a Quebec City mosque and open fired on those attending evening prayers. When it was all over, six were dead and eight more were wounded. It was an event that shocked Canada, and exposed the dangerous right-wing fringe there.
Some conservative news outlets were quick to assume a different story.
As the first news reports rolled in, I checked to see how the headlines and lead paragraphs differed between more liberal and more conservative media sources. A quick check confirmed what I've seen time and time again: After a shooting conservative media often posts headlines and lead paragraphs that suggest that the shooting could be a radical jihadist terror attack ... even before the evidence is in.
This time was no exception. Because the shooting involved a mosque, conservative media was quick to depict the suspect as a "Moroccan Muslim" who had yelled "Allahu akbar" during the shooting. The problem? This was quickly determined to be flat out wrong. The shooter was white and the Moroccan man was the hero who called 911.
The Fox News headline read: "Suspect in Quebec mosque terror attack was Moroccan in origin, reports say" and tweeted the same. After being called out on the mis-reporting by many, they amended the headline. As of this writing (2/1/2017), The Conservative Review still has the headline "Quebec Terror Attack: 5 things you need to know" and goes on in the first paragraph to highlight that someone screamed "Allahu akbar" during the shooting. President Trump's Press Secretary Sean Spicier was quick to jump on this angle, stating that the attack was a "reminder of why the president is being proactive not reactive" in regards to national security (ie. the recent travel ban imposed by the executive order).
This is an ongoing problem with conservative news sources, and serves to fan the flames of xenophobia in the North America. Here's a video from Al Jazeera showing how it played out in this incident.
The Muslim Travel Ban
The Impact
I wrote a lot about this last week. To sum up? Trump's Executive Order banning legal immigrants and refugees from 7 Muslim-majority countries has been ... a fiasco. An estimated 100-200 of those impacted were in-flight when the EO was signed (and many more were turned away at their point-of-origin), and as a result were detained or deported when they reached the U.S. This impacted college students returning the the U.S. after the holidays, those who worked for the U.S. Government (watch Cory Booker talking about this), separated husbands and wives, parents from their sons and daughters, sent a 12 year-old girl back to warn-torn Yemen, and in some cases impacted family of Trump voters. And a single day of travel barely scratches the surface of those impacted: An estimated 60,000-100,000 people had their visas revoked but were not flying at the time. A 4-month-old baby was scheduled to come to the U.S. to receive a life-saving heart operation.Under the initial order, her family had to postpone, but lawyers fought and she will now be able to get her visa. If the ban persists, many other incoming hospital patients will be affected too.
Even the former Prime Minister of Norway was held, despite having a diplomatic passport.
(For more of the stories and faces of the travel ban see The Guardian, CBS, NYT, Washington Post Video, CNN, ACLU, The Atlanta Black Star).
In addition to backtracking about its position on green card holders (they are now exempt from the ban), Trump also said that Christian refugees would receive priority treatment -- another sign that this is not a travel ban but a Muslim ban (which, if so, could possibly be found unconstitutional - read more about this debate at Politico, Bloomberg, The New York Times, and Yale Daily News). Critics also point out that the USA has an extremely stringent refugee vetting process -- so stringent in fact, that it takes 18-24 months to be granted refugee status. (See also Refugees are already rigorously vetted. I know because I vetted them, and this video of Senator McCaskill)
Lawsuits have been filed across the nation, by the ACLU and others. President Trump is now involved in over 50 lawsuits: that's more lawsuits in the first two weeks than the previous three Presidents combined. Several major companies have condemned the ban, including Coca-Cola, Facebook, Nike, Lyft (and after pressure from #DeleteUber, Uber), Chobani, Google (who pledged $4 million to refugee organizations), Starbucks (who pledged to hire 10,000 refugees over the next 5 years (read also this), AirBnB (who offered to house refugees for free), Amazon, and Expedia (who backed a lawsuit against the order). Across New York, there was a #BodegaStrike
The UN called the ban a breach of the USA's international human rights obligations.
Churches and Christian leaders across the country have spoken out against the ban, including the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church, and many leaders in the Catholic Church.
Meanwhile, lawmakers have also spoken out against the ban (see table of statements/comments), as have other conservatives. One of the devastating unintended consequences of the ban is that it will provide ISIS with more recruitment material
Acting Attorney General Sally Yates has been dubbed a hero for asking the DOJ not to defend the travel ban. (read the memo ). She was subsequently, and swiftly fired by Pres. Trump. The Acting Director of Immigration Enforcement was demoted.
Trump Defending the Ban: Fact vs. Alternative-Fact
President Trump tried to defend the Travel Ban by stating it was similar to a ban Obama had instituted in 2011. However as Politifact points out, the differences are striking. First, whereas Obama had been responding to a specific, immediate threat (discovery that the current refugee/visa processing program had admitted an Iraqi bombmaker), in the case of Trump's travel ban, there was no specific threat. Second, Obama's served to slow down Iraqi visa processing -- it didn't ban people from entering the country outright.
Where the comparison does match up is in regards to the list of countries selected. However, in the case of Obama's change, this was a change to the visa waiver program for dual citizens -- dual citizens from these seven countries had previously not needed a visa to enter the U.S. -- after Obama's change, they did. Trump is attempting to compare his outright freeze of entry to Obama simply requiring visas but these things are enormously different (read more at Factcheck, Foreign Policy, and The Week).
So where do we stand now?
A Seattle judge has ruled to overturn the ban, and the State Department has begun reversing visas cancelled as a result. People are being allowed back on planes. Trump lashed out, calling Judge Robart a "so-called-judge." Actually he is a highly-regarded GOP appointee -- he was nominated by George W. Bush in 2004 and the Senate voted unanimously 99-0 to confirm him. In 2016, he also declared in a ruling regarding police reforms that "Black Lives Matter!" -- this was apparently the first time a judge had mentioned this in court -- which gives him more bonus points in my book. (see also: 5 things to know about the judge who blocked the travel ban. Also see: Who is Judge Robart?).
Trump has argued that he will move swiftly to reverse the reversal.
What Can Congress Do?
Vote NO on Sessions (or delay his vote) -- The ACLU notes that Trump's nominee for Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, has been silent as to his stance on the current Travel Ban, as well as his potential involvement in crafting it.
Sponsor, Co-sponsor, or otherwise Support Legislation to Overturn the Travel Ban (caveat: these bills, even if they passed the House and Senate, would be open to veto by Pres. Trump)
Withhold Consent -- this is a blocking maneuver that, while it wouldn't impact the Executive Order directly, would effectively slow down all other legislation in the Senate until Trump agrees to reverse the order -- making it difficult for the Republican-led Senate and the President to work toward their agenda until it's overturned.
Here are some scripts for Senate and Representative calls
Attacks on the Free Press
Because of Trump's ongoing attacks on the free press, news outlets have had to instruct their reporters to report the way they do in countries with authoritarian regimes: Covering Trump the Reuters Way
What American Journalists Can Learn From Reporting Under Putin
Winter is Coming for the American Press: Part One || Part Two
Memo to the Media: Stop Giving Trump the Headlines He Wants
How to Report under Authoritarianism
Water Protectors / #NoDAPL
Lakota Teen locks herself to pipeline equipment in Texas
Lawmakers: Army Corps To Clear Obstacles to Dakota Access Pipeline
For Protesters, it's back to Pipeline Purgatory
Voting Rights & Fairness
Democracy wins as court strikes a blow against Gerrymandering
The power that gerrymandering has brought the Republicans
Ballot access and voting rights at risk
Why Voting Rights Advocates are worried about Trump (and Jeff Sessions)
A Dream Undone: Inside the 50-year campaign to roll back the Voting Rights Act.
2016: The First Presidential Election since the rollback of the Voting Rights Act
Rise in Hate Speech and Hate Crimes
Remember: The Holocaust began with Words
Southern Poverty Law Center - Hatewatch
Protester Rights
Across the U.S., states are trying to pass bills which could increase the cost of protests, and heighten penalties for protesters.
Running over protestors could soon be legal in North Dakota. (see also this from CNN)
The Border Wall
Why Trump's Border Wall is an Example of Bad Leadership
Hill Republicans revolt over Trump's plans to build a border wall
Russia
President Trump said that he respects Putin in a Fox News interview, when Bill O'Reilly rightfully called Putin "a killer."
A deadly surge of violence in Eastern Ukraine
Meanwhile, in Russia, a prominent Russian government critic has once again suffered a mysterious organ failure. This doesn't have anything to do with speaking out against the regime, does it?
SCOTUS
I'm on the fence about Neil Gorsuch. On the one hand, Republicans viciously blocked Merrick Garland's appointment. On the other hand, I think we could do worse than Gorsuch, and attempts to block him could backfire, giving Republicans more power going forward.
Pelosi on Gorsuch
Nuclear Option
Trying to Understand Trump Supporters
I'll be honest guys, I don't get it. I still don't. After months and months of reading rationales and stories, I still don't understand why someone would vote for Trump. But I'm not going to stop trying. Here are some of their stories:
An Evangelical Christian Defends Trump's First Week in Office
A Third of Americans Think Trump's Travel Ban Will Make Them Safer
Why The Arizona Republic broke party lines and supported a Democrat
Red State, Blue City
Trump Supporters in NYC
Why Did You Vote for Trump? (See Comments section for responses)
Looking Forward to 2018
How to Save Red State Democrats
Op-Eds & Things to Consider
The Immigration Ban is a Headfake, and We're Falling For It
Trial Balloon for a Coup?
How to Build an Autocracy
Are Shock Events used to Destabilize and Divide?
Forget Protest: Trump's Actions Warrant a National Strike
The Simple Psychological Trick to Political Persuasion
A Fortnight of Trump
Is it 1984, or Brave New World?
Winter is Coming for the American Press: Part One || Part Two
Other News
The EU declares Trump a Threat
U.S. - China War An Increasing Reality
John McCain: Trump's Nemesis in the Senate
Trump's disastrous first military strike had been rejected by Obama
Obviously, military strikes are not always going to go as planned, but the fact that Trump's campaign went on and on about Benghazi, and then this is their first military maneuver? (see also)
Millions in campaign funds went to Trump firms
Wikileaks says it will release Donald Trump's tax returns
Circular Arguments
Sexist, vulgar posts about women's march rebound on officials
5 things Trump attacked Clinton for, but is currently doing himself
Trump White House senior staff using private email accounts
Trump rolling back restrictions on Wall Street
How much racist violence has to happen for it be okay to punch Nazis / blockade their speeches?
Tips for Calling:
Reminder: DON'T Call Members of Congress from other states
It clogs up phone lines, and takes up valuable voicemail-box space.
It clogs up phone lines, and takes up valuable voicemail-box space.
If you're not local, your comments won't be recorded.
Talk about President Bannon
It seems ridiculous y'all, but the more buzz there is about Steve Bannon in news and social media, the more chance there is that Trump will take away some of his power, and that is a very good thing.
Get Involved in a Local Group
Talk about President Bannon
It seems ridiculous y'all, but the more buzz there is about Steve Bannon in news and social media, the more chance there is that Trump will take away some of his power, and that is a very good thing.
Get Involved in a Local Group
Indivisible
Join a Protest
Immigrant & Refugee Marches (many of these, you'll have to look up local ones)
Calendar of Upcoming Marches
Not My President's Day - Feb 20
Tax March - April 15
March for Science - April 22
Boycott
GrabYourWallet
BoycottTrump App
... the boycotts may be having an effect
Support &/or Donate
Immigrant & Refugee Marches (many of these, you'll have to look up local ones)
Calendar of Upcoming Marches
Not My President's Day - Feb 20
Tax March - April 15
March for Science - April 22
Boycott
GrabYourWallet
BoycottTrump App
... the boycotts may be having an effect
Support &/or Donate
Local Businesses
A List of Organizations that will Need Support
Resist Trump, support these worth Seattle orgs
Good News
Every week, The Week has a roundup of Good News!
Due to pushback, the White House adjusted its executive order so that the travel ban no longer affects green card holders. And Judge James Robart (of Washington State) granted a restraining order, blocking it!
The ACLU received a record 24 million in donations over a single weekend - an outpouring of support from over 350,000 individual donors who wanted to back the ACLU lawyers fighting against the Travel Ban.
The Capitol has been inundated with calls -- an estimated 1.5 million per week -- a volume at least one senator has dubbed the busiest in Capitol switchboard history.
Is this the beginning of the Herbal Tea Party?
This Picture.
In Praise of Slacktivism
Tough Week? Here's 7 awesome things that happened.
Apparently Ivanka Trump stopped an Executive Order that would have repealed LGBTQIA+ Rights
Comic Relief
Facebook users mark themselves "Safe" from Kellyanne Conway's imaginary "Bowling Green Massacre" (read more also here)
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer retweeted a post about himself ... from The Onion
.... I still can't stop giggling about this one.
Trump's Voter Fraud Expert Registered in Three States
Okay tbh, I don't know if this meme is funny or just scary: "But Her Emails" Also this one
Trump vs Obama: Remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast -- again, not sure if I want to laugh or just cry ... a lot. (Trump's 2017 Transcript // Obama's Transcript 2016, 2009)
Live in an Alternate Twitterverse where Hillary became President: @IfHillaryHad
Or, see what Trump Draws
Swedish Climate Law signing photo trolls Trump
George H.W.: Two Weeks After the Inauguration
A List of Organizations that will Need Support
Resist Trump, support these worth Seattle orgs
Good News
Every week, The Week has a roundup of Good News!
Due to pushback, the White House adjusted its executive order so that the travel ban no longer affects green card holders. And Judge James Robart (of Washington State) granted a restraining order, blocking it!
The ACLU received a record 24 million in donations over a single weekend - an outpouring of support from over 350,000 individual donors who wanted to back the ACLU lawyers fighting against the Travel Ban.
The Capitol has been inundated with calls -- an estimated 1.5 million per week -- a volume at least one senator has dubbed the busiest in Capitol switchboard history.
Is this the beginning of the Herbal Tea Party?
This Picture.
In Praise of Slacktivism
Tough Week? Here's 7 awesome things that happened.
Apparently Ivanka Trump stopped an Executive Order that would have repealed LGBTQIA+ Rights
Comic Relief
Facebook users mark themselves "Safe" from Kellyanne Conway's imaginary "Bowling Green Massacre" (read more also here)
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer retweeted a post about himself ... from The Onion
.... I still can't stop giggling about this one.
Trump's Voter Fraud Expert Registered in Three States
Okay tbh, I don't know if this meme is funny or just scary: "But Her Emails" Also this one
Trump vs Obama: Remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast -- again, not sure if I want to laugh or just cry ... a lot. (Trump's 2017 Transcript // Obama's Transcript 2016, 2009)
Live in an Alternate Twitterverse where Hillary became President: @IfHillaryHad
Or, see what Trump Draws
Swedish Climate Law signing photo trolls Trump
George H.W.: Two Weeks After the Inauguration
Alternative Facts & The War on Truth & Science
We are living in strange times, where more and more people seem to think they can re-write objective truth by calling lies "alternative facts." Likewise, they think that by labeling something "fake news" this alone makes it untrue.
Why Nobody Cares that the President is Lying
"The point of modern propaganda isn't only to misinform or push an agenda. It is to exhaust your critical thinking. To annihilate truth." - Gary Kasparaov, Russian dissident
Is Trump's Behavior Authoritarian?
America Becomes a Stan
President Trump's Media Attacks: Ego-Driven or Cool Calculation?
Trump sparks fears of war on science
Canadian Scientists Warn of what may happen under Trump
The growing case against Scott Pruitt to head the EPA
With all this in mind, this is why it becomes more important than ever for all of us to be checking our facts.
Fact Checking
Is it a reputable media outlet? Do they cite their primary sources?
A lot of us have been consuming and sharing more media in the past year than we have in a long time. We've also seen a rise in less reliable and responsible journalism, and "fake news" sources.
We also need to be mindful that even major news outlets are not accepted as sources by those across the party aisle. Knowing which have broader appeal is important.
The interwebs are a blessing and a curse. There is so much information thrown at us it can be tiresome to fact-check it before we share. But even a 30-second Google can debunk something that seemed too good to be true, and with truth under attack, we have to.
You guys. We got this.
To Share or Not to Share? || How to Spot Fake News || List of Fake News Sites || Fake News Alert Browser Plugin || Fake News Detection || Fake News Starts to Lean Left Under Trump || 10 Journalism Brands With Real Facts
1. Is it a major news outlet? -- Share!
2. If in doubt, Google it. Are the findings being reported by other, reputable news sources? -- Share those instead!
3. If not, be wary: it's time to fact-check:
Snopes || Politifact || Fact Check || Washington Post Fact Checker
4. Also be aware of the political leanings of your audience. What sources will they trust?
Trust of News Sources by Ideological Group || Media Bias & Fact Check ||
Political Polarization & Media Habits
See also this, on the use of Rep vs. Dem morals to make more persuasive political arguments
And this, on a fundamental difference in how (some) Dems vs. Reps view people
5. If it's an opinion piece? Say that when you share it. I always forget to do this!
First Weeks in Office: Summing Up
Is it a reputable media outlet? Do they cite their primary sources?
A lot of us have been consuming and sharing more media in the past year than we have in a long time. We've also seen a rise in less reliable and responsible journalism, and "fake news" sources.
We also need to be mindful that even major news outlets are not accepted as sources by those across the party aisle. Knowing which have broader appeal is important.
The interwebs are a blessing and a curse. There is so much information thrown at us it can be tiresome to fact-check it before we share. But even a 30-second Google can debunk something that seemed too good to be true, and with truth under attack, we have to.
You guys. We got this.
To Share or Not to Share? || How to Spot Fake News || List of Fake News Sites || Fake News Alert Browser Plugin || Fake News Detection || Fake News Starts to Lean Left Under Trump || 10 Journalism Brands With Real Facts
1. Is it a major news outlet? -- Share!
2. If in doubt, Google it. Are the findings being reported by other, reputable news sources? -- Share those instead!
3. If not, be wary: it's time to fact-check:
Snopes || Politifact || Fact Check || Washington Post Fact Checker
4. Also be aware of the political leanings of your audience. What sources will they trust?
Trust of News Sources by Ideological Group || Media Bias & Fact Check ||
Political Polarization & Media Habits
See also this, on the use of Rep vs. Dem morals to make more persuasive political arguments
And this, on a fundamental difference in how (some) Dems vs. Reps view people
5. If it's an opinion piece? Say that when you share it. I always forget to do this!
First Weeks in Office: Summing Up
President Bannon's Amazing First Week in Office
Steve Bannon's Major Play is a Full Blown Fiasco
Trump's popularity has taken a nose-dive since his inauguration. According to a Gallup poll, the majority of Americans disapproved of him after just 8 days in office, while it took the previous five presidents at least a year, in some cases two or three, to reach that unpleasant benchmark. He is also facing more than 50 lawsuits.
His chaotic beginning has Democrats and Republicans fumbling to respond.
Meanwhile, Republicans lined up several Obama regulations to rollback.
Behind the Scenes
Resistance from Within: Federal workers push back
The leaks coming out of the White House are bananas.
Empty Grandstands: On the ground at the inauguration
White Supremacy in the White House
As we all know, Steve Bannon (the former exec of Breitbart News) is now President Trump's chief strategist and right-hand man in the White House. Bannon has called himself an "economic nationalist" not a "white nationalist" but he has also proudly called Breitbart News a "platform for the alt-right" -- a movement of anti-feminists and overt racists, and former colleagues say he is known for going on racist tirades himself. Tellingly, Bannon's appointment as White House adviser was praised by white supremacists. Bannon is not the only unsavory character who was part of Trump's campaign. Critics have long been calling for Bannon's removal from the White House.
But he's not gone, and he seems to be gaining power and influence.
What does this all mean?
First and foremost, we must be hyper-vigilant about any signs of white supremacy and discrimination coming from the White House in any form (Executive Orders, department restructurings, press releases, etc).
"The racist, facist extreme right is represented footsteps from the Oval Office," tweeted John Weaver, a GOP strategist for John McCain and John Kasich. "Be very vigilant, America."
Further Reading: Steve Bannon and the Alt-Right: A Primer - CBS || What is the Alt-Right? A Refresher - LA Times (w/links to Breitbart's own definitions) || List of Bannon Quotes ||
So what have we seen from the White House so far?
President Bannon
Unfortunately, from the looks of things, it seems that not only is white supremacy there, but it already beginning to permeate everything -- prompting many to wonder if we've elected not President Trump, but in fact President Bannon.
And President Bannon has had a good first week.
As Time magazine put it, "his fingerprints were suddenly everywhere" -- unsurprising since, according to a insider, Bannon and Trump "sat down before the election and made a list of things they wanted to do in office right away" (quote from TIME article). Bannon seems to have "rapidly amassed power" and according to some appears to be "calling the shots." His influence is evident in many of the EOs and other actions and responses of the administration: from the inauguration speech, to the Travel Ban (which is turning out to be a legal fiasco and he had a particular hand in its extension to ban greencard holders and other permanent residents) to labeling the free press as "the opposition" which should "keep its mouth shut" (is the new regime wanting to abandon the First Amendment??) -- Bannon appears to be influencing everything.
However, there are signs that President Trump may not appreciate the attention that "President Bannon" is getting in the media, and is perhaps a little leery of the amount of power Bannon has amassed. After all, Trump likes to be the producer of his own epic film, where everything centers on him. After Bannon's TIME magazine cover, and a trending hashtag #StopPresidentBannon, Trump may be getting angrier. According to administration officials, Trump recently assembled his key advisers and reprimanded them -- demanding that everything go through his other right-hand-man: chief of staff Reince Priebus.
If true, this may have revealed one of the most effective ways of siphoning power away from Bannon: Trump does not like to see headlines stolen from him. How long will he tolerate it?
Bannon Added To National Security Council
In an unprecedented move, Steve Bannon was invited to sit on the National Security Council. The move has been decried by many. Senator John McCain and the former director of the CIA and NSA expressed worry that Bannon was a "radical departure" and would "inject politics and his ideological brand of policy" into the meetings. While he will not be setting the agenda of the meetings, he can certainly exert his influence in one of the most powerful councils in Washington.
Legislation has been introduced - including a bill by Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) which currently has 74 co-sponsors - that would prevent Bannon from sitting on the National Security Council.
No Paper Trail
Even before his appointment to the council, an insider warned that Bannon seems to be deliberately making sure "there is no paper trail" of meetings and decisions, and that the executive orders were developed "outside the normal construct" with tighter than normal restrictions as to who could review them. This apparently largely cut out the National Security Council.
"America First" & No Mention of Jewish People on Holocaust Remembrance Day
The new administration set the tone with its inauguration speech, which was written in part by Steve Bannon. "America First" it said, ignoring ongoing pleas to stop using the phrase which was originally the mantra of Nazi-sympathizers.
Now things have gone a step further. Six of Trump's campaign aides have started an "America First Policies" non-profit. That this is the mantra of David Duke of the KKK, and use of the phrase further energizes white supremacists should be more than a bit troubling.
February 27th was Holocaust Remembrance Day, but the statement released by the White House did not mention Jewish people, an omission decried by Jewish Republicans. and cheered on by the neo-Nazi website DailyStormer. While this isn't the first time this has happened, the omission adds more worry about the direction this administration is going.
Jeff Sessions
Many worry that the nationalist principles that are shaping the current administration's agenda have another supporter in Jeff Sessions. In addition to a spotty civil rights and voting rights record, his nomination for an earlier federal position was denied on allegations of racism.
See Also: 8 Reasons the Senate needs to reject Jeff Sessions ||
Defending White Nationalist Milo Yiannopolous
When white supremacist Milo Yiannopolous' talk was cancelled at Berkeley due to rioting, President Trump immediately responded by tweeting that Berkeley's funding should be cut (see also here).
Trump's Radio Silence on Quebec Massacre by Right-Wing Extremist
Despite his frequent tweeting, including his defense of the white supremacist, and sharing his condolences for the (non-lethal) stabbing attempt near the Louvre, Trump has been silent on social media and in the press regarding the massacre that claimed the lives of six Muslim men in Quebec.
For a man so bent on eliminating terror, this doesn't make sense. Are acts of terror perpetuated by right-wing extremists not acts of terror?
Apparently Trump thinks not (see below):
Cutting Funding for Countering Right-Wing Terror?
White House sources say that the new administration has plans to re-design a counter-extremism program so that its sole focus is Islamic extremism.
Not only would this send the wrong message to Muslims across the globe, but it also would eliminate efforts to counter right-wing terrorists (i.e., white supremacists like Dylann Roof), despite the fact that according to a 2013 report from the U.S. Military, right-wing extremists were responsible for an average of 337 attacks in the U.S. per year from 2001-2011. (preliminary report here. full report here).
Though there are other programs in place that study domestic terrorism (for example in the FBI), the potential program cut would be a troubling step toward further enabling white supremacists, some of whom who have already voiced their support of the change on social media (see this article).
The move away from investigating white supremacists is hardly a new one, however.
In 2009, the Department of Homeland Security released a report revealing that white supremacists had infiltrated the Department of Defense and police departments. The response? Rather than confront the inconvenient truth that some members of the military and police might be right-wing extremists, the report (text here) was disavowed by the GOP, and the DHS branch responsible for studying domestic extremism was gutted (Read more at NYT, Washington Post, Politico, and The SPL Center).
But surely we know better by now. Did Charleston teach us nothing?
White supremacist extremism is alive and well in North America. And with white nationalist Steve Bannon seemingly calling many of the shots in the new administration, we have to be more watchful than ever before.
More here: Right-Wing Terror || Would we know if white supremacists infiltrated our police departments? || FBI warned of white supremacists -- PBS || Southern Poverty Law Center - Hatewatch
Horrific Quebec Attack Initially Mis-portrayed by Conservative Media & White House
On Sunday night, January 29th, a white supremacist entered a Quebec City mosque and open fired on those attending evening prayers. When it was all over, six were dead and eight more were wounded. It was an event that shocked Canada, and exposed the dangerous right-wing fringe there.
Some conservative news outlets were quick to assume a different story.
As the first news reports rolled in, I checked to see how the headlines and lead paragraphs differed between more liberal and more conservative media sources. A quick check confirmed what I've seen time and time again: After a shooting conservative media often posts headlines and lead paragraphs that suggest that the shooting could be a radical jihadist terror attack ... even before the evidence is in.
This time was no exception. Because the shooting involved a mosque, conservative media was quick to depict the suspect as a "Moroccan Muslim" who had yelled "Allahu akbar" during the shooting. The problem? This was quickly determined to be flat out wrong. The shooter was white and the Moroccan man was the hero who called 911.
The Fox News headline read: "Suspect in Quebec mosque terror attack was Moroccan in origin, reports say" and tweeted the same. After being called out on the mis-reporting by many, they amended the headline. As of this writing (2/1/2017), The Conservative Review still has the headline "Quebec Terror Attack: 5 things you need to know" and goes on in the first paragraph to highlight that someone screamed "Allahu akbar" during the shooting. President Trump's Press Secretary Sean Spicier was quick to jump on this angle, stating that the attack was a "reminder of why the president is being proactive not reactive" in regards to national security (ie. the recent travel ban imposed by the executive order).
This is an ongoing problem with conservative news sources, and serves to fan the flames of xenophobia in the North America. Here's a video from Al Jazeera showing how it played out in this incident.
The Muslim Travel Ban
The Impact
I wrote a lot about this last week. To sum up? Trump's Executive Order banning legal immigrants and refugees from 7 Muslim-majority countries has been ... a fiasco. An estimated 100-200 of those impacted were in-flight when the EO was signed (and many more were turned away at their point-of-origin), and as a result were detained or deported when they reached the U.S. This impacted college students returning the the U.S. after the holidays, those who worked for the U.S. Government (watch Cory Booker talking about this), separated husbands and wives, parents from their sons and daughters, sent a 12 year-old girl back to warn-torn Yemen, and in some cases impacted family of Trump voters. And a single day of travel barely scratches the surface of those impacted: An estimated 60,000-100,000 people had their visas revoked but were not flying at the time. A 4-month-old baby was scheduled to come to the U.S. to receive a life-saving heart operation.Under the initial order, her family had to postpone, but lawyers fought and she will now be able to get her visa. If the ban persists, many other incoming hospital patients will be affected too.
Even the former Prime Minister of Norway was held, despite having a diplomatic passport.
(For more of the stories and faces of the travel ban see The Guardian, CBS, NYT, Washington Post Video, CNN, ACLU, The Atlanta Black Star).
In addition to backtracking about its position on green card holders (they are now exempt from the ban), Trump also said that Christian refugees would receive priority treatment -- another sign that this is not a travel ban but a Muslim ban (which, if so, could possibly be found unconstitutional - read more about this debate at Politico, Bloomberg, The New York Times, and Yale Daily News). Critics also point out that the USA has an extremely stringent refugee vetting process -- so stringent in fact, that it takes 18-24 months to be granted refugee status. (See also Refugees are already rigorously vetted. I know because I vetted them, and this video of Senator McCaskill)
Lawsuits have been filed across the nation, by the ACLU and others. President Trump is now involved in over 50 lawsuits: that's more lawsuits in the first two weeks than the previous three Presidents combined. Several major companies have condemned the ban, including Coca-Cola, Facebook, Nike, Lyft (and after pressure from #DeleteUber, Uber), Chobani, Google (who pledged $4 million to refugee organizations), Starbucks (who pledged to hire 10,000 refugees over the next 5 years (read also this), AirBnB (who offered to house refugees for free), Amazon, and Expedia (who backed a lawsuit against the order). Across New York, there was a #BodegaStrike
The UN called the ban a breach of the USA's international human rights obligations.
Churches and Christian leaders across the country have spoken out against the ban, including the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church, and many leaders in the Catholic Church.
Meanwhile, lawmakers have also spoken out against the ban (see table of statements/comments), as have other conservatives. One of the devastating unintended consequences of the ban is that it will provide ISIS with more recruitment material
Acting Attorney General Sally Yates has been dubbed a hero for asking the DOJ not to defend the travel ban. (read the memo ). She was subsequently, and swiftly fired by Pres. Trump. The Acting Director of Immigration Enforcement was demoted.
Trump Defending the Ban: Fact vs. Alternative-Fact
President Trump tried to defend the Travel Ban by stating it was similar to a ban Obama had instituted in 2011. However as Politifact points out, the differences are striking. First, whereas Obama had been responding to a specific, immediate threat (discovery that the current refugee/visa processing program had admitted an Iraqi bombmaker), in the case of Trump's travel ban, there was no specific threat. Second, Obama's served to slow down Iraqi visa processing -- it didn't ban people from entering the country outright.
Where the comparison does match up is in regards to the list of countries selected. However, in the case of Obama's change, this was a change to the visa waiver program for dual citizens -- dual citizens from these seven countries had previously not needed a visa to enter the U.S. -- after Obama's change, they did. Trump is attempting to compare his outright freeze of entry to Obama simply requiring visas but these things are enormously different (read more at Factcheck, Foreign Policy, and The Week).
So where do we stand now?
A Seattle judge has ruled to overturn the ban, and the State Department has begun reversing visas cancelled as a result. People are being allowed back on planes. Trump lashed out, calling Judge Robart a "so-called-judge." Actually he is a highly-regarded GOP appointee -- he was nominated by George W. Bush in 2004 and the Senate voted unanimously 99-0 to confirm him. In 2016, he also declared in a ruling regarding police reforms that "Black Lives Matter!" -- this was apparently the first time a judge had mentioned this in court -- which gives him more bonus points in my book. (see also: 5 things to know about the judge who blocked the travel ban. Also see: Who is Judge Robart?).
Trump has argued that he will move swiftly to reverse the reversal.
What Can Congress Do?
Vote NO on Sessions (or delay his vote) -- The ACLU notes that Trump's nominee for Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, has been silent as to his stance on the current Travel Ban, as well as his potential involvement in crafting it.
Sponsor, Co-sponsor, or otherwise Support Legislation to Overturn the Travel Ban (caveat: these bills, even if they passed the House and Senate, would be open to veto by Pres. Trump)
Withhold Consent -- this is a blocking maneuver that, while it wouldn't impact the Executive Order directly, would effectively slow down all other legislation in the Senate until Trump agrees to reverse the order -- making it difficult for the Republican-led Senate and the President to work toward their agenda until it's overturned.
Here are some scripts for Senate and Representative calls
Attacks on the Free Press
Because of Trump's ongoing attacks on the free press, news outlets have had to instruct their reporters to report the way they do in countries with authoritarian regimes: Covering Trump the Reuters Way
What American Journalists Can Learn From Reporting Under Putin
Winter is Coming for the American Press: Part One || Part Two
Memo to the Media: Stop Giving Trump the Headlines He Wants
How to Report under Authoritarianism
Water Protectors / #NoDAPL
Lakota Teen locks herself to pipeline equipment in Texas
Lawmakers: Army Corps To Clear Obstacles to Dakota Access Pipeline
For Protesters, it's back to Pipeline Purgatory
Voting Rights & Fairness
Democracy wins as court strikes a blow against Gerrymandering
The power that gerrymandering has brought the Republicans
Ballot access and voting rights at risk
Why Voting Rights Advocates are worried about Trump (and Jeff Sessions)
A Dream Undone: Inside the 50-year campaign to roll back the Voting Rights Act.
2016: The First Presidential Election since the rollback of the Voting Rights Act
Rise in Hate Speech and Hate Crimes
Remember: The Holocaust began with Words
Southern Poverty Law Center - Hatewatch
Protester Rights
Across the U.S., states are trying to pass bills which could increase the cost of protests, and heighten penalties for protesters.
Running over protestors could soon be legal in North Dakota. (see also this from CNN)
The Border Wall
Why Trump's Border Wall is an Example of Bad Leadership
Hill Republicans revolt over Trump's plans to build a border wall
Russia
President Trump said that he respects Putin in a Fox News interview, when Bill O'Reilly rightfully called Putin "a killer."
A deadly surge of violence in Eastern Ukraine
Meanwhile, in Russia, a prominent Russian government critic has once again suffered a mysterious organ failure. This doesn't have anything to do with speaking out against the regime, does it?
SCOTUS
I'm on the fence about Neil Gorsuch. On the one hand, Republicans viciously blocked Merrick Garland's appointment. On the other hand, I think we could do worse than Gorsuch, and attempts to block him could backfire, giving Republicans more power going forward.
Pelosi on Gorsuch
Nuclear Option
Trying to Understand Trump Supporters
I'll be honest guys, I don't get it. I still don't. After months and months of reading rationales and stories, I still don't understand why someone would vote for Trump. But I'm not going to stop trying. Here are some of their stories:
An Evangelical Christian Defends Trump's First Week in Office
A Third of Americans Think Trump's Travel Ban Will Make Them Safer
Why The Arizona Republic broke party lines and supported a Democrat
Red State, Blue City
Trump Supporters in NYC
Why Did You Vote for Trump? (See Comments section for responses)
Looking Forward to 2018
How to Save Red State Democrats
Op-Eds & Things to Consider
The Immigration Ban is a Headfake, and We're Falling For It
Trial Balloon for a Coup?
How to Build an Autocracy
Are Shock Events used to Destabilize and Divide?
Forget Protest: Trump's Actions Warrant a National Strike
The Simple Psychological Trick to Political Persuasion
A Fortnight of Trump
Is it 1984, or Brave New World?
Winter is Coming for the American Press: Part One || Part Two
Other News
The EU declares Trump a Threat
U.S. - China War An Increasing Reality
John McCain: Trump's Nemesis in the Senate
Trump's disastrous first military strike had been rejected by Obama
Obviously, military strikes are not always going to go as planned, but the fact that Trump's campaign went on and on about Benghazi, and then this is their first military maneuver? (see also)
Millions in campaign funds went to Trump firms
Wikileaks says it will release Donald Trump's tax returns
Circular Arguments
Sexist, vulgar posts about women's march rebound on officials
5 things Trump attacked Clinton for, but is currently doing himself
Trump White House senior staff using private email accounts
Trump rolling back restrictions on Wall Street
How much racist violence has to happen for it be okay to punch Nazis / blockade their speeches?
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