All-purpose news and politics thread: Two Steps Beyond!

[Michael Watkins]

So Trump is such a dolt, or thinks his followers are so stupid (he might be right there), that he thinks the Russian Investigation is being done by the FBI tip line and the South Florida field office.
Pathetic how little he understands about how the Government operates. Really the least qualified person to ever be President.

I work with 3 of his followers. they do believe it. they regurgitated his condemnation of the FBI during a gun debate, this afternoon. I just pretended to not hear them.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

So Trump is such a dolt, or thinks his followers are so stupid (he might be right there), that he thinks the Russian Investigation is being done by the FBI tip line and the South Florida field office.
Pathetic how little he understands about how the Government operates. Really the least qualified person to ever be President.

I think Trump knows just enough to be dangerous. He’s just feeding bullshit to his dumber than dirt followers who treat every word that comes out of his mouth as gospel and just plain don’t know any better.

[Kirby101]

I work with 3 of his followers. they do believe it. they regurgitated his condemnation of the FBI during a gun debate, this afternoon. I just pretended to not hear them.

I've encountered a few. Sometimes I wonder if they just have to regurgitate talking points that they think make good arguments but are actually ignorant bull poop. Hard to know if they believe it or just scared to admit how weak their side is. Happens here sometimes.

[Tami]

Trump endorsed Mitt Romney....go figure.

[Kirby101]

I think Trump knows just enough to be dangerous. He’s just feeding bullshit to his dumber than dirt followers who treat every word that comes out of his mouth as gospel and just plain don’t know any better.

They choose not to know any better. His folliwers are willfully ignorant.

[master of read]

They choose not to know any better. His folliwers are willfully ignorant.

that or they believe the same things he does.

if you are a trump supporter, there is no middle ground.

[The Lucky One]

Question re: that new PA congressional map.

So, apparently before it was designed to favor republicans. Now, according, at least, to angry republicans on FB, it is drawn to favor democrats.

Is there a way to draw it that doesn't favor either party?

Yes — the current way. The new map doesn’t actually favor Democrats -- if it’d been in place during the 2016 election, 10 of the districts would have gone to Trump, 8 to Clinton. That doesn’t “favor” Democrats. (Particularly since PA has more registered Democrats than Republicans.)

It’s just that a kid who’s used to getting 75% of the ice cream every dessert will whine and say you’re being unfair if you tell him now he “only” gets 55% of the ice cream. He stole that ice cream fair and square, dammit!

[Tendrin]

Yes — the current way. The new map doesn’t actually favor Democrats -- if it’d been in place during the 2016 election, 10 of the districts would have gone to Trump, 8 to Clinton. That doesn’t “favor” Democrats. (Particularly since PA has more registered Democrats than Republicans.)

It’s just that a kid who’s used to getting 75% of the ice cream every dessert will whine and say you’re being unfair if you tell him now he “only” gets 55% of the ice cream. He stole that ice cream fair and square, dammit!

I mean, that pretty much describes the Republican party in toto.

[Mecegirl]

Trump endorsed Mitt Romney....go figure.

Sounds like a kiss of death to me...

[Tazirai]

Legit. Fuck Conservatives... They have NO answers for anything related to treating humans not rich correctly.

[Tendrin]

One of the effects of Russian bots in this context is helping to egg on the worst instincts of others in this context and them helping make louder voices doing that kinda shit.

[Malvolio]

Sounds like a kiss of death to me...

Not necessarily. We are talking about Utah.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Trump White House Finally Confronts A Scandal It Can’t Quash With An ‘Alternative Fact’

#MeToo and photos of an ex-wife’s bruised eye forced Trump’s staff to back away from original explanations – and shredded the president’s credibility even further. When it comes to Trump and his credibility, you can't shred what you never had to begin with.

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Pennsylvania Supreme Court Issues New Congressional Map To Replace Gerrymandered One

Republicans have enjoyed a considerable advantage under the earlier map, which was in place for three congressional elections. This pleases me considerably. But, Republicans won't give up the fight to maintain the status quo.

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Anderson Cooper Shreds Trump: ‘He Went To Play Golf While They Held Funerals’

CNN host slams the president for a weekend of “factually challenged” tweets. It was an epic takedown from A.C.

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Congressional Candidate Defends AR-15 Giveaway After School Shooting

Even a conservative talk radio host objects: “Come on, man. It doesn’t make any sense.” Meanwhile....

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Gun Owner Destroys His AR-15 On Viral Video: ‘It’s Not Worth A Single Life’

“When do we say a weapon like this isn’t acceptable?” asks Scott Pappalardo.

[Tami]

The Secret Company Behind Missouri's Lethal Injections

The state of Missouri has engaged in a wide-ranging scheme — involving code names and envelopes stuffed with cash — to hide the fact that it paid a troubled pharmacy for the drugs it used to execute inmates.

Procuring execution drugs has become almost impossible, as major pharmaceutical companies stopped making them or refused to provide them for capital punishment. Missouri itself faced a crisis in early 2014, when the previous pharmacy it had been using was exposed in the press and stopped providing the state with drugs. Scrambling, Missouri found a new pharmacy and stockpiled the lethal injection drug pentobarbital, enabling it to set a record pace for executions, scheduling one a month for more than a year.

To hide the identity of the new pharmacy, the state has taken extraordinary steps. It uses a code name for the pharmacy in its official documents. Only a handful of state employees know the real name. The state fought at least six lawsuits to stop death row inmates and the press from knowing the pharmacy’s identity. Even the way Missouri buys and collects the drugs is cloak-and-dagger: The state sends a high-ranking corrections officer to a clandestine meeting with a company representative, exchanging an envelope full of cash for vials of pentobarbital. Since 2014, Missouri has spent more than $135,000 in such drug deals.

But now, BuzzFeed News can reveal the supplier: Foundation Care, a 14-year-old pharmacy based in the suburbs of St. Louis that has been repeatedly found to engage in hazardous pharmaceutical procedures and whose cofounder has been been accused of regularly ordering prescription medications for himself without a doctor’s prescription. Late last year, Foundation Care was sold to a subsidiary of health care giant Centene Corporation, which declined to say whether it will allow the pharmacy to continue supplying execution drugs.

According to two sources with knowledge of the matter, Missouri used Foundation Care’s drugs for 17 executions. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because of strict state laws that prohibit disclosing or publishing the identity of the supplier.

[TheInvisibleMan]

GOP Rep Tom Rooney of Florida will not be seeking re-election