After looking over all my saved articles for the weekend, there's no smart way to do this as two separate days, and I think I might go ahead and do Saturdays and Sundays together, as they tend to be a little slower on news as long as DT is at the Confederate-I-Mean-Southern-White-House-I-Mean-His-Privately-Owned-Club.
Also, I am going to try something new with this post and until such time as things get ugly (or I get a lot of spam, or I need to moderate so much I can't take time to write the list), comments are now on! Keep it civil, everyone.
- On February 15th, 2017, Scientific American published an article describing research that shows that climate change has already harmed almost half of all mammals. Scott Pruit's EPA confirmation becomes even more harrowing.
- On February 15th, 2017, the New York Times reported that hate group membership in the US has grown for the second year in a row. DT announced his campaign in August of 2015.
- On February 16th, 2017, Mic.com reported that Muslim-American citizens are having their Global Entry status quietly and inexplicably revoked. Citizens. American citizens.
- On February 16th, 2017, an unidentified man punched a neo-Nazi handing out propaganda at California Polytech. The neo-Nazi declined to press charges on the basis of not wanting to reveal his own identity.
- On February 17th, 2017, Salon reported that Representative Jason Chaffetz, despite waving away calls from his constituents and basically the entire United States population to investigate DT's links to the Russian government is still, still, still investigating Secretary Hillary Clinton's emails, hoping to bring criminal charges against the man who set up her server.
- On February 17th, 2017, Buzzfeed reported that Ben Carson was shocked that his most trusted aide was fired after an op-ed critical of DT that the aide had written in October resurfaced.
- On February 17th, 2017, the New York Times reported on the "hit list" of federal agencies targeted by DT's draft budget. Among the programs to be dismantled are the National Endowment for the Arts, the Office of National Drug Policy (despite DT's frequent hammering of America's drug problem, he seems to think deporting immigrants will somehow "cure" drug issues in the country), the Appalachian Regional Commission (which provides assistance to the poorest parts of the nation, most of which overwhelmingly voted for DT because of his promises to help them out financially), and the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation (which, again, helps a part of the nation that DT has repeatedly said he will fix, the inner cities).
- On February 17th, 2017, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes asked the FBI not to investigate DT's ties to Russia, but rather the leaks coming out of the White House. If Nunes is your representative, you might want to call him and tell him that you're more worried about the information they are leaking than that they are leaking it.
- On February 17th, 2017, Reuters reported that people have been pouring across the US-Canadian border seeking asylum in Canada. Mounties at the border have helped refugees cross the border before arresting them.
- On February 18th, 2017, DT started his campaign for reelection in 2020 (NO. FUCKING. WAY. BUDDY.) at a rally in Melbourne, Florida. The Washington Post published a "fact check" of DT's speech at the rally, which was, of course, riddled with lies, and multiple outlets reported on the totally bizarre, made-up terrorist attack that DT said happened the night before in Sweden. DT apparently confused some xenophobic Fox News segment on "rising crime because of immigrants in Sweden" with breaking news coverage about a terrorist attack.
- Source, Washington Post fact check: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/02/19/fact-checking-president-trumps-rally-in-florida/?utm_term=.7c8cfd7f6b24
- Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/02/20/trump-asked-people-to-look-at-whats-happening-in-sweden-heres-whats-happening-there/?utm_term=.45554bc36c48&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1
- Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/19/world/europe/last-night-in-sweden-trumps-remark-baffles-a-nation.html
- On February 18th, 2017, South Carolina senators Mark Sanford and Tim Scott were met by a crowd of angry and disappointed constituents at their town hall appearances. Yes. South Carolina.
- On February 18th, 2017, the Independent reported that DT and his family's travel expenses have cost taxpayer's $11,300,000 ($11.3M) in the first month or almost President Barack Obama's yearly average of $12.1M. DT claims that he is working at Mar-a-Lago, but there is no reason why he can't "work" at the White House... unless of course the expense of putting up Secret Service officers at the club owned by DT (and thus paying DT directly) is the real reason.
- On February 18th, 2017, Politico published leaked audio of DT at Mar-a-Lago telling his club's members that they are "the special ones" and that they are his "real group," after inviting the club members to sit in on interviews with potential cabinet nominees.
- On February 18th, 2017, CNN reported that the Department of Homeland Security is planning to release guidelines for carrying out DT's executive orders on immigration, including "immigration laws on asylum seekers and unaccompanied minors entering the country and could send individuals awaiting immigration proceedings in the United States back to Mexico."
- On February 18th, 2017, New York Magazine reported the nigh on satirical information that aging arena rock star Bono praised Mike Pence for his commitment to fighting AIDS. Pence infamously caused an HIV epidemic in Indiana by refusing to legalize needle exchanges for the state's many heroin users.
- On February 18th, 2017, the New York Times reported that Marine Le Pen, the outspoken white nationalist candidate for the French presidency has received Russian funding.
- On February 18th, 2017, Reuters reported that the FBI is leading at least 3 separate inquiries into Russian hacking during the election. I suppose better late than never...?
- On February 18th, 2017, White House chief of staff Reince Preibus said on Face the Nation, apparently without irony, that we should take DT seriously when he referred to the press as "the enemy of the American people."
- On February 19th, CNN reported on multiple bomb threats called into Jewish Community Centers since DT's inauguration. From the article: "In all, 48 JCCs in 26 states and one Canadian province received nearly 60 bomb threats during January, according to the JCCA, an association of JCCs. Most were made in rapid succession on three days: January 9, 18 and 31. A number of JCCs, including Orlando's, received multiple threats."
- On February 19th, 2017, the Huffington Post (with references-- I specify because this is a typically liberal leaning resource) reported that the British Parliament will debate rescinding an invitation for a state visit to DT on Monday. To put this into context, no one has ever even thought to debate whether to invite any previous US President to the United Kingdom. Ever.
- On February 19th, 2017, Business Insider reported that DT's personal lawyer hand delivered secret plans to lift US sanctions against Russia to Mike Flynn. If true, this is wildly inappropriate and probably illegal.
- On February 19th, 2017, a Florida middle schooler admitted to throwing a block of wood at DT's motorcade. The child is facing charges for his heroic act of resistance.
- On February 19th, 2017, the AP reported that two Texas hunters were charged with "using deadly conduct by discharging firearms in the direction of others" after they shot members of their hunting party. They lied to police that they were shot by immigrants who had illegally crossed the Texas-Mexico border and tried to steal their RV.
- On February 19th, 2017, Reince Priebus was back on the morning shows, this time telling Fox News that "top levels of the intelligence community" assured him that there was no collusion between DT and Russia. That the intelligence community would assure someone under 3 different FBI investigations that they are sure that they did not collude with a foreign hostile government is ludicrous.