Trump III - the daily log

[Alan Goldhammer]

Too bad the thread on the man leading the National Parks is locked.  We have some interesting news today from the Wasington Post. 

"In a quest to shrink national monuments last year, senior Interior Department officials dismissed evidence these public lands boosted tourism and spurred archaeological discoveries, according to documents the department released this month and retracted a day later.

The thousands of pages of email correspondence chart how Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and his aides instead tailored their survey of protected sites to emphasize the value of logging, ranching and energy development that would be unlocked if they were not designated as national monuments.

Comments the department’s Freedom of Information Act officers made in the documents show they sought to keep some of the references out of public view because they were “revealing [the] strategy” behind the review."

and

"On July 3, 2017, Bureau of Land Management official Nikki Moore wrote colleagues about five draft economic reports on sites under scrutiny, noting there is a paragraph within each on “our ability to estimate the value of energy and/or minerals forgone as a result of the designations.” That reference was redacted on the grounds it could “reveal strategy about the [national monument] review process.”

Officials also singled out BLM acting deputy director John Ruhs’s July 28 response to questions from Katherine MacGregor, acting assistant secretary of lands and minerals management, as eligible to be redacted. MacGregor had asked about the logging potential of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument if Trump reversed the expansion former president Barack Obama carried out at the end of his second term."

[Alan Klein]

Too bad the thread on the man leading the National Parks is locked.  We have some interesting news today from the Wasington Post. 

"In a quest to shrink national monuments last year, senior Interior Department officials dismissed evidence these public lands boosted tourism and spurred archaeological discoveries, according to documents the department released this month and retracted a day later.

The thousands of pages of email correspondence chart how Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and his aides instead tailored their survey of protected sites to emphasize the value of logging, ranching and energy development that would be unlocked if they were not designated as national monuments.

Comments the department’s Freedom of Information Act officers made in the documents show they sought to keep some of the references out of public view because they were “revealing [the] strategy” behind the review."

and

"On July 3, 2017, Bureau of Land Management official Nikki Moore wrote colleagues about five draft economic reports on sites under scrutiny, noting there is a paragraph within each on “our ability to estimate the value of energy and/or minerals forgone as a result of the designations.” That reference was redacted on the grounds it could “reveal strategy about the [national monument] review process.”

Officials also singled out BLM acting deputy director John Ruhs’s July 28 response to questions from Katherine MacGregor, acting assistant secretary of lands and minerals management, as eligible to be redacted. MacGregor had asked about the logging potential of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument if Trump reversed the expansion former president Barack Obama carried out at the end of his second term."

I wouldn't believe anything the Washington Post (WP) says they so hate Trump.  Their entire news is biased against him.  The Washington Post article link you posted above shows a picture  of Newspaper Rock of petroglyphs with a caption.  The fact they put in in a negative article against Trump was done implying that Trump stopped protecting it.  He's "bad", not "good".  Well the opposite is true. "Newspaper Rock is located 15 miles west of U.S. 191 along the Indian Creek Corridor Scenic Byway (S.R. 211) in Bears Ears National Monument, now part of the 71,896-acre Indian Creek unit designated December 4, 2017 by U.S. President Donald Trump."

When they post a picture with a description of petroglyphs in an article saying how bad Trump is, they should have checked first to see if it was not protected because it is.  It makes their whole article suspect and is all part of the WP fake news we get from them daily. 

https://www.visitutah.com/places-to-go/state-and-federal-recreation-areas/southern/bears-ears-national-monument/newspaper-rock-and-the-indian-creek-scenic-byway/
https://www.google.com/maps/@37.9883048,-109.5181173,3a,75y,108.43h,80.53t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sAF1QipMZfACbvD_z7s_a1ROAmYEXS-cLqrC_KuRp3L6a!2e10!7i8704!8i4352?hl=en

[Schewe]

Wow...maybe the arrest of Maria Butina touched a nerve...

Lavrov to Pompeo: Free Maria Butina arrested on fabricated spy charges

The US should immediately release Russian gun activist Maria Butina, who is being held in the US on espionage charges, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told his US counterpart over the phone, calling the case “fabricated.”

“Lavrov stressed that the actions of the US authorities that arrested Russian citizen [Maria] Butina on fabricated charges are unacceptable,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that the minister also called for her “immediate release” in his conversation with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday.

Apparently Russian Bots are pushing the hashtag #FreeMariaButina

Just a simple country girl who got caught up in the high-stakes business of world diplomacy and screwed the wrong 56-year old American policy influencer. Could happen to anyone!

[Robert Roaldi]

It just keeps coming. Now it's pretty Russian spies too.

There is an interesting podcast from NPR's Fresh Air about the very close ties between Trump and FOX News (http://freshairnpr.npr.libsynfusion.com/the-links-between-russia-trump-and-brexit). According to the reporter being interviewed, Trump can spend an hour per day watching PVR'd broadcasts and talking to Sean Hannity on the phone, who has become a de facto adviser to the President.

The reporter makes the larger point that Trump takes his policy cues from watching TV and that he pays little attention to the written reports that are submitted to him. The way the reporter describes the situation makes it sound as if FOX is the marketing department of Trump Inc. Shouldn't people be worried about ties that close between what is really just a commercial organization and an arm of government? Does anyone care about these things anymore? Is it just us vs them now, all the way down the line?

 

[Alan Klein]

It just keeps coming. Now it's pretty Russian spies too.

There is an interesting podcast from NPR's Fresh Air about the very close ties between Trump and FOX News (http://freshairnpr.npr.libsynfusion.com/the-links-between-russia-trump-and-brexit). According to the reporter being interviewed, Trump can spend an hour per day watching PVR'd broadcasts and talking to Sean Hannity on the phone, who has become a de facto adviser to the President.

The reporter makes the larger point that Trump takes his policy cues from watching TV and that he pays little attention to the written reports that are submitted to him. The way the reporter describes the situation makes it sound as if FOX is the marketing department of Trump Inc. Shouldn't people be worried about ties that close between what is really just a commercial organization and an arm of government? Does anyone care about these things anymore? Is it just us vs them now, all the way down the line?

 

Your bolded sentence got it right.  The way the left wing reporter described it to a left wing news station.  You really have to start thinking for yourself and looking at the facts instead of listening to another Trump hater if you want to understand Trump.


Trump is keeping all his campaign promises to the best of his ability despite the outside pressure on him.   Supreme court justices, military buildup, trade,  NATO, opening up fuel exploration, XL pipeline, Paris accord,  tax reform legislation, repeal Obamacare (he tried), less regulations, expand the economy, etc.  Sure he may use entertainment and media figures to get advice, but it seems it's for how to play the day-to-day optics of what he's doing.  It has little effect on his policies. 

[Alan Goldhammer]

Today's news is an absolute shocker (not).  The Trump Administration is preparing a $12B bailout of farmers who are adversely impacted by the evolving trade war.  Why should any industry be singled out above others has always befuddled me but we are not living in normal times.  One of my stock holdings dropped almost 10% yesterday because of the strong dollar and increased raw material costs (steel & aluminum) yet I see no signs that it will receive any federal funds because of this. 

[Alan Klein]

Today's news is an absolute shocker (not).  The Trump Administration is preparing a $12B bailout of farmers who are adversely impacted by the evolving trade war.  Why should any industry be singled out above others has always befuddled me but we are not living in normal times.  One of my stock holdings dropped almost 10% yesterday because of the strong dollar and increased raw material costs (steel & aluminum) yet I see no signs that it will receive any federal funds because of this. 

You didn't complain when Obama singled out the solar industry for relief.

In any case, if Congress actually writes legislation for this, you can be sure that Republican Congressmen and Senators from steel producing states will include steel relief in the bill.  I think you should email those republicans and express your concerns and support. 

[Robert Roaldi]

Your bolded sentence got it right.  The way the left wing reporter described it to a left wing news station.  You really have to start thinking for yourself and looking at the facts instead of listening to another Trump hater if you want to understand Trump.


Trump is keeping all his campaign promises to the best of his ability despite the outside pressure on him.   Supreme court justices, military buildup, trade,  NATO, opening up fuel exploration, XL pipeline, Paris accord,  tax reform legislation, repeal Obamacare (he tried), less regulations, expand the economy, etc.  Sure he may use entertainment and media figures to get advice, but it seems it's for how to play the day-to-day optics of what he's doing.  It has little effect on his policies.

You insult my thinking ability and label a journalist as left-wing, well done!  How do you know he's left-wing? What's the logic here, if someone criticizes Trump, then they're left-wing?

[Alan Klein]

You insult my thinking ability and label a journalist as left-wing, well done!  How do you know he's left-wing? What's the logic here, if someone criticizes Trump, then they're left-wing?

Any reporter that says "...Fox is the marketing department for Trump..." has an agenda.  Furthermore, a reporter should not criticize the person he's writing about.  That immediately shows bias and opinion.  It's not journalism.  It's an editorial and he's giving his opinion.   Fake news.

[Alan Goldhammer]

You didn't complain when Obama singled out the solar industry for relief.

I doubt that I ever said that as I am against all tax preferences, including breaks for renewable energy if that is what you are referring to.  Only if there are exceptional natural disasters should the government get involved and this ain't one of them.  Congress has abdicated too much to the executive branch but that's not likely to change much unless the public gets fed up and votes everyone out of office. 

[Alan Klein]

You insult my thinking ability and label a journalist as left-wing, well done!  How do you know he's left-wing? What's the logic here, if someone criticizes Trump, then they're left-wing?

Regarding saying what I said in an insulting way, I apologize.  I should not have made it personal. 

[Alan Klein]

I doubt that I ever said that as I am against all tax preferences, including breaks for renewable energy if that is what you are referring to.  Only if there are exceptional natural disasters should the government get involved and this ain't one of them.  Congress has abdicated too much to the executive branch but that's not likely to change much unless the public gets fed up and votes everyone out of office. 

I thought you supported Obama's environmental and carbon and CO2 policies including signing the Paris accord. Those would have included carbon credits and subsidies for solar, wind and other non-carbon products.  Those are tax preferences.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

...Now it's pretty Russian spies too...

Here is to pretty ladies

[Robert Roaldi]

Any reporter that says "...Fox is the marketing department for Trump..." has an agenda.  Furthermore, a reporter should not criticize the person he's writing about.  That immediately shows bias and opinion.  It's not journalism.  It's an editorial and he's giving his opinion.   Fake news.

Did you listen to the podcast or are you jumping to conclusions?

And the words about FOX being the marketing (not to say propaganda) arm of Trump Inc. were MY words, not the reporter's.

[Alan Klein]

Did you listen to the podcast or are you jumping to conclusions?

And the words about FOX being the marketing (not to say propaganda) arm of Trump Inc. were MY words, not the reporter's.

You said in your original post that's the way the reporter described it. So now you're saying you misrepresented what the reporter said.

[Alan Goldhammer]

I thought you supported Obama's environmental and carbon and CO2 policies including signing the Paris accord. Those would have included carbon credits and subsidies for solar, wind and other non-carbon products.  Those are tax preferences.

I don't support subsidies but do support a carbon tax (which is not a tax preference).

[RSL]

I don't support subsidies but do support a carbon tax (which is not a tax preference).

But it is the equivalent of a subsidy for wind and solar.

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

But it is the equivalent of a subsidy for wind and solar.

Sorry, but that's total nonsense. It just puts the real cost where it is created.

It might be useful if you first learn a bit more about what a Carbon tax is and how it can be applied together with a dividend?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta2Wvy9F_gA

Cheers,
Bart

[JoeKitchen]

Any quick Google search on Oil & Gas subsidies provides more then just a few articles critical to how much we gives those companies (even one written by Mother Jones, which is kind of odd, is he not the super conservative conspiracy theorist?).

I would prefer removing all the subsidies, but then politics gets in the way.  I guess if in order to make the playing field even, we have the give politicians the ability to show they actually benefited someone (or some business) in their districts, I guess this is what we have to settle for. 

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

...even one written by Mother Jones, which is kind of odd, is he not the super conservative conspiracy theorist?)...

Mother Jones is an ultra-left magazine.