Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Mary Papenfuss: Nancy Pelosi Demands The Suspension Of Mike Flynn Over Russia Ties (Huffington Post)
Reports about Flynn show a "mortifying coziness" between Trump and Putin.
DANIEL LIPPMAN: State-sponsored hackers targeting prominent journalists, Google warns (Politico)
Stanford professor Michael McFaul, the former U.S. ambassador to Russia, said he also received hacking warnings from Google. He added: "Given my background, one would have to guess that it's the Russians."
Natasha Korecki: States find new ways to troll Trump (Politico)
Lawmakers are getting creative in their attempts to mock, challenge and repudiate the president.
Sam Levine: Watch Constituents Flip Out On GOP Official For Claiming Obamacare Has Death Panels (Huffington Post)
He labeled the audience childish for calling him out on the lie.
Man booed after 'death panel' comment (YouTube)
Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R) fields questions at a healthcare reform listening session in New Port Richey, Florida. The false claim of 'death panels' in the ACA was PolitiFact's "Lie of the Year" in 2009.
Man to GOP rep: Obamacare saved my daughter (YouTube)
Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R) fields questions at a healthcare reform listening session in New Port Richey, Florida.
Saundra Sorenson: "You Heard Us Called 'Death Panels' (Here's The Truth)" (Cracked)
4. We're Not There To Pull The Plug On You
Christopher Bray: How Steven Spielberg ruined the movies (Spectator)
It's not his blockbusters that should worry Molly Haskell, but the way Spielberg has infantalised the movie audience.
Henry Rollins: I Am a Stoner at Heart (LA Weekly)
Watching Kellyanne rock the Sunday shows has become the weekly Orwell Goodtime Disinformation Hour. KellCon's got a lot to distract citizens from. Seany Spice takes over on Monday and the Elections Have Consequences Express keeps rattling down the tracks.
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took the day off.
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Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
Reader Contribution
Current Events
Linda >^..^<
We are all only temporarily able bodied.
Thanks, Linda!
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Reader Comment
Flooding in NorCal
So this is what happens when 4 "atmospheric storms" and random rain squalls in between, and the government has ignored dam maintenance.
I hope this doesn't happen and people are safe. Holy cow, how scary!
Deborah
Thanks, Deborah!
from Marc Perkel
Patriot Act
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
THE REAL BOWLING GREEN MASSACRE!
HUMPING FOR TRUMP!
"GRAB YOUR WALLET."
LIGHT A CANDLE.
THE RISE OF FASCISM IN AMERICA!
THE LYING LIARS AND THE LYING LIES THEY CONTINUE TO LIE!
"SEE YOU IN COURT."
WHO OWNS THE PRESIDENT?
Visit JD's site - Kitty Litter Music
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Sunny but on the cool side.
Expresses Concern
Al Franken
Al Franken says "a few" of his Republican colleagues in the Senate have expressed concern over President Trump's mental health.
"It's not the majority of them. It's a few," the Minnesota Democrat said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday. "In the way that we all have this suspicion that - you know, that he's not - he lies a lot. He says thing that aren't true. That's the same as lying, I guess."
Franken cited Trump's baseless claim that 3 million to 5 million people voted illegally in last year's presidential election as chief among Trump's alarming untruths.
"You know, that is not the norm for a president of the United States, or, actually, for a human being," Franken said.
"Some will say that he's not right mentally," Franken said on HBO's "Real Time With Bill Maher" on Friday night. "And then some are harsher."
Al Franken
Turmoil Grows
Correspondents' Dinner
It is supposed to be a light-hearted gathering of journalists, celebrities and the president, where differences are put aside for good-natured jibes.
But amid a bitter war of words between the Trump administration and the Fourth Estate, plans for the 2017 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in April have been thrown into turmoil.
After President Donald Trump's (R-Crooked) repeated barbs against the "dishonest media" and "fake news," some journalists and media outlets are thinking twice about their participation in the April 29 dinner, a tradition that dates back to 1921.
"How can media clink glasses with a White House that makes clear its contempt for press freedom and its admiration for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin methods?" tweeted David Frum, a senior editor at The Atlantic.
In recent years, the dinner has become a star-studded event attracting A-list celebrities ranging from George Clooney to Helen Mirren to Lindsay Lohan, with politics mainly an afterthought.
Correspondents' Dinner
Can't Spell
Dept. of Education
The U.S. Department of Education apologized Sunday for a tweet that misspelled the name of W.E.B. Du Bois while quoting the late writer, historian and civil rights activist.
The tweet spelled his last name "DeBois" - a typo that appeared to mimic the name of the department's controversial new secretary, Betsy DeVos.
The NAACP, which Du Bois co-founded, was quick to mock the typo.
The Du Bois error was left unaddressed for nearly four hours before the department posted a corrected version of the tweet and issued an apology - which also included a typo.
"Our deepest apologizes (sic) for the earlier typo," the initial apology tweet read before a second one was issued.
Dept. of Education
Drop 31 T-rump Home Items
Sears & Kmart
Major U.S. retailers Sears and Kmart this week removed 31 Trump Home items from their online product offerings to focus on more profitable items, a spokesman said on Saturday.
The decision follows retailer Nordstrom Inc's announcement this week it had decided to stop carrying Ivanka Trump's apparel because of declining sales, prompting President Donald Trump (R-Fabulist) to take to Twitter to defend his daughter. White House spokesman Sean Spicer characterized the Nordstrom move as a "direct attack" on the president's policies.
Neither Sears nor Kmart carried the Trump Home products in their retail stores, a Sears Holdings Corp spokesman said. Kmart is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings.
The Trump Home collection includes lines of furniture, lighting, bedding, mirrors and chandeliers, some from makers who supply the items to Trump hotels, according to the collection's website.
Nordstrom's sales of Ivanka Trump's line of clothing and shoes fell by nearly one-third in the past fiscal year, with sharp drops in sales weeks before her father was elected president on Nov. 8, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.
Sears & Kmart
At An Advantage Under T-rump
Rupert-Owned Media
President Donald Trump (R-Grifter) may have called out the media for false reports but he does have his favorites and coincidentally - or not - these are the ones owned by his friend and media tycoon Rupert Murdoch (R-Evil Incarnate).
This was demonstrated at Friday's joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe where the only two U.S. publications - the New York Post and Fox Business Network - that got to ask questions were owned by Murdoch's News Corp.
One of the reporters called on by Trump was the Post's Daniel Halper, who had published a book criticizing Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2014. Halper asked for Trump's comments on the court ruling that held off his travel ban and asked Abe for his thoughts on the U.S. president's decision to drop out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, of which Japan is a member. Fox Business' Blake Burman was the only other U.S. reporter to be allowed to ask questions and he took the opportunity to follow up on similar lines, reports said
The press conference came days after the Financial Times reported that Murdoch sat in on the construction mogul's interview with the Times of London, also owned by News Corp. This was said to be a sign of the duo's close relationship.
Murdoch also shares a personal relationship with Trump's family with the president's eldest daughter Ivanka Trump having served as a trustee for shares belonging to Murdoch's two daughters, Grace and Chloe, in 21st Century Fox and News Corp. While Ivanka resigned from the position late last year, her husband and White House adviser Jared Kushner remains a confidant of media mogul Murdoch, according to reports.
Rupert-Owned Media
Protest Softer Penalties For Domestic Abuse
Russians
Dozens of Russian activists braved snow Sunday to protest against a law signed by President Vladimir Putin that has softened penalties for those who commit domestic violence.
Some 80 people including students and professionals working with domestic violence victims gathered in a Moscow park for the rally which, in a rarity, was permitted by the city authorities.
Putin on Tuesday signed amendments that have prompted a hail of criticism from victims and experts who say they will make it harder to stop abusers and protect those hurt.
Abusers who previously faced up to two years in prison now can be punished by a fine, community service or up to 15 days in police custody.
The law was proposed by conservative lawmakers who oppose state intervention in family life and argued that the previous law could be used to punish parents for using corporal punishment.
Russians
Low Snow Prompts Move To Fairbanks
Iditarod
Low-snow conditions in the Alaska Range have forced officials with the world's most famous sled dog race to move its official start from the Anchorage area to Fairbanks, 360 miles (580km) to the north.
It's the second time in three years, and the third time in the last 14, that there hasn't been enough snow south of the Alaska Range to start the race from the Anchorage area. Last year, even the ceremonial start in Anchorage was almost moved because of a lack of snow.
Of particular concern this year are conditions in the always-dangerous Dalzell Gorge, which have been exacerbated by a lack of snow. Several mushers crashed their sleds and one injured competitor had to be rescued by helicopter in 2014 near the gorge, about 150 miles west of the start.
The low snow conditions this year have left the trail covered with exposed vegetation, said the race's chief operating officer, Chas St. George.
The nearly 1,000-mile race will have its ceremonial start March 4, in downtown Anchorage, which has had plenty of snow this winter. The official start normally comes the next day in Willow, about 50 miles north.
Iditarod
Are Disappearing
Salt Marshes
The Ridgway's rail is a rare bird that relies on the salt marshes south of Los Angeles to survive. And that's why its future is in doubt - the salt marsh is disappearing under rising seas.
Scientists working with the federal government said the rail's plight at Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge is indicative of what's happening to salt marshes around the country.
Their assessment of eight of the country's coastal salt marshes found that half will be gone in 350 years if they don't regain some lost ground. The other four also are backsliding, and coastal communities and wildlife will suffer as the marshes continue to deteriorate.
Salt marshes are ecosystems along the coast flooded frequently by seawater. They provide vital habitat for animals, such as birds, crustaceans and shellfish, and are important for their role in protecting coastal areas where people live from flooding and erosion.
The scientists said salt marshes around the country are falling victim to pressures such as sea-level rise and including land development and damming rivers. Natural erosion also plays a role.
Salt Marshes
Weekend Box Office
"The Lego Batman Movie"
Moviegoers could choose violence, sex or family-friendly fare this weekend with three diverse new offerings that all drew healthy numbers at the North American box office.
"The Lego Batman Movie" took the top spot with $55.6 million, dominating "Fifty Shades Darker," which attracted $46.8 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The other R-rated sequel in theaters this weekend, "John Wick: Chapter 2" took third place. With $30 million, it more than doubled the debut of the original. The Keanu Reeves hit man flick became a sleeper hit on the small screen, and that goodwill helped bolster interest in the follow-up, which is also getting strong reviews.
Rounding out the top five were holdovers "Split," the M. Night Shyamalan psychological thriller that added $9.3 million, for a total of $112.3 million in earnings, and Oscar contender "Hidden Figures" with $8 million, boosting its total to $131.5 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday also are included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "The Lego Batman Movie," $55.6 million ($37 million international).
2. "Fifty Shades Darker," $46.8 million ($100.1 million international).
3. "John Wick: Chapter 2," $30 million ($10.6 million international).
4. "Split," $9.3 million ($8.5 million international).
5. "Hidden Figures," $8 million ($2.7 million international).
"
6. "A Dog's Purpose," $7.4 million ($1.5 million international).
7. "Rings," $5.8 million ($9.6 million international).
8. "La La Land," $5 million ($11.5 million international).
9. "Lion," $4.1 million ($3.6 million international).
&10. "The Space Between Us," $1.8 million ($1.3 million international).
"The Lego Batman Movie"
In Memory
Al Jarreau
Al Jarreau, the affable jazz singing great who reached new audiences by seamlessly merging styles and through television, died Sunday days after announcing his retirement. He was 76.
The seven-time Grammy winner -- a rare artist to win in jazz, pop and R&B categories -- died in a Los Angeles hospital where he had been treated for fatigue, his manager said.
Jarreau, who grew up in Milwaukee where he heard his parents play music in church, is best known for the singles "We're in This Love Together" and "After All."
Many also heard his voice, even if they did not know it, in the theme to "Moonlighting," the hit 1980s television series that brought Bruce Willis to prominence.
While his cause of death was not revealed, he announced last week that he was finished with touring due to exhaustion.
Jarreau had suffered health issues in recent years and was hospitalized in 2010 for respiratory problems when touring in France.
Jarreau died months after being honored at the White House when then president Barack Obama celebrated International Jazz day.
Growing up in Milwaukee, Jarreau began to sing at church and at school. His mother was a piano teacher who played the organ in church, where his father was a preacher and would sing.
But raised in a city with a large German and Eastern European community, Jarreau recalled that he lived near a tavern that played polka and that the radio would play everything from classical to the blues.
"How lucky we were as musicians to have those influences which were really present in our lives. There were no walls then; there are so many walls today," he told Jazz Times last year.
His family requested that mourners make contributions to the Wisconsin Foundation for School Music, which supports young people in his hometown and recently honored Jarreau with a lifetime achievement award.
Al Jarreau
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