George Lakey – Reaching Trump Supporters With The Promise Of Vision

If these were ordinary times, progressives might get away with casual images of our political opponents. Those who disagree “lack information,” or “remain prejudiced,” or are “gripped by an emotion like hate.” Reassured, we can return to informational outreach or protests or confrontations and hope that makes a difference. These, however, are not ordinary times. I further expect more instability …

Glenn Greenwald – Secret Docs Reveal: President Trump Has Inherited an FBI With Vast Hidden Powers

n the wake of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the FBI assumes an importance and influence it has not wielded since J. Edgar Hoover’s death in 1972. That is what makes today’s batch of stories from The Intercept, The FBI’s Secret Rules, based on a trove of long-sought confidential FBI documents, so critical: It shines a bright light on the vast powers of this law enforcement …

Lauren McCauley – Fears Grow that Rule of Trump Will Suppress Rule of Law Under Sessions

Updated 2pm EDT: Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee invoked a procedural move called the two-hour rule—which, according to The Hill, prevents “holding committee meetings beyond the first two hours of the Senate’s day”—to push the attorney general vote until Wednesday. The move stalls the controversial confirmation of Sen. Jeff Sessions and came at the same time that Democrats on …

Jonathan Marshall – Death of the Syrian ‘Moderate’ Fantasy

The neoconservative and liberal interventionist case for arming Syria’s rebels lost its last vestige of credibility this week with the routing of Free Syrian Army (FSA) forces by Al-Qaeda-linked Islamists in northwestern Syria. Washington think-tank warriors and editorial writers have long looked to the FSA as America’s natural allies in the Syrian conflict — so-called “moderates” unblemished by the Assad …

Leid Stories—Trump: Out of [Executive] Order (Part 2)—01.31.17

With 17 executive orders issued within his first 10 days in office, President Donald Trump already has won the record for most prolific use of the backdoor presidential power that requires no congressional input. Trump’s executive actions are being spun as a man wasting no time in getting things done, but it’s clear he prefers the go-it-alone method of decision making. His business model, after all, is autocratic, so why should he change it just because he’s president?
He probably was not expecting to be opposed this early in his term, and he probably reasoned that even if challenged, he could weather the storm. But the massive Women’s March on Washington the day after his inauguration served notice that his new way of doing things will be matched by new types of opposition. The Women’s March and the protests against his travel ban against people from Muslim-majority countries, for example sparked protests all over the world and revived a moribund opposition at home.
Leid Stories discusses clues that Trump and his administration are miscalculating their strength and power, and the irony that they are actually fueling global anti-U.S. sentiment.

Project Censored – 01.31.17

Guest co-hosts Nolan Higdon and Desiree McSwain, and senior correspondent Michael Levitin,
open the program with a discussion about several recent under-reported stories. Then the talk turns to “fake news,”
as Chase Palmieri and Jared Fesler explain their web site — Tribeworthy.com — where readers can collectively evaluate
the validity of news stories. Finally, Quinton Sankofa of Movement Generation explains the connections between
environmental concerns and racial justice.

James Trimarco – Trump Impeachment Campaign Begins

Even as Donald Trump took the oath of office on Jan. 20 and the national conversation turned to foreboding interpretations of his inaugural address, a very different story was unfolding. Two public interest nonprofits launched a campaign to begin an impeachment investigation into the new president. At issue are Trump’s businesses, both at home and abroad, which may result in …