What's in the News? 2.0

[Sara Nilsson]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-29/health-records-company-pushed-opioids-to-doctors-in-secret-deal

Electronic patient records program was programmed to suggest opioids thanks to a secret deal between the software maker and drug companies. oO

[Orval Wintermute]

Seems the contractor for Trump's wall was the Big Bad Wolf

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-us-mexico-border-wall-collapse-falls-over-wind-a9309221.html

[Remiel]

Mitt Romney uninvited to conservative conference after breaking ranks with GOP on impeachment vote

On the one hand, I couldn't be prouder of Romney (and Susan Collins) for standing up for their principles instead of marching to the Republican drum.

On the other, it seems like anyone halfway decent that the Repubs put up for President (McCain, Romney) loses, while anyone who caters to the extreme right-wing elements (Bush, Trump) wins.   

[Lexandria]

Mitt Romney uninvited to conservative conference after breaking ranks with GOP on impeachment vote

On the one hand, I couldn't be prouder of Romney (and Susan Collins) for standing up for their principles instead of marching to the Republican drum.

On the other, it seems like anyone halfway decent that the Repubs put up for President (McCain, Romney) loses, while anyone who caters to the extreme right-wing elements (Bush, Trump) wins.   

To be fair, I'm pretty sure McCain lost partially because of his running mate ( who's name escapes me at this moment). I know I liked some of his platform at the time (deffo not all of it) but wouldn't even consider him as an option because of his running mate. If he passed on, we'd have been stuck with her. I suspect a lot of folks felt the same way.

[Oniya]

To be fair, I'm pretty sure McCain lost partially because of his running mate ( who's name escapes me at this moment). I know I liked some of his platform at the time (deffo not all of it) but wouldn't even consider him as an option because of his running mate. If he passed on, we'd have been stuck with her. I suspect a lot of folks felt the same way.

Oh God - Sarah Palin.  (Had to look it up.)

[Orval Wintermute]

To be fair, I'm pretty sure McCain lost partially because of his running mate ( who's name escapes me at this moment). I know I liked some of his platform at the time (deffo not all of it) but wouldn't even consider him as an option because of his running mate. If he passed on, we'd have been stuck with her. I suspect a lot of folks felt the same way.

Sarah Palin, who knew about foreign policy because she could see Russia from her home in Alaska and was 10,000% behind traditional family values, right up to the point her unmarried daughter got pregnant.

[gaggedLouise]

Sarah Palin, who knew about foreign policy because she could see Russia from her home in Alaska and was 10,000% behind traditional family values, right up to the point her unmarried daughter got pregnant.

I felt the same way at the time; Palin was a real "no-way we're going to take the risk of her" choice in that campaign. But the irony is, more than anyone else in the 2008 field, she and her fan base presaged Trump's victory and his raucous, angry style, eight years later.

[Oniya]

Sarah Palin, who knew about foreign policy because she could see Russia from her home in Alaska and was 10,000% behind traditional family values, right up to the point her unmarried daughter got pregnant.

Oh, she's still 10,000% behind them.

[Oniya]

Apparently, the Daily Stormer is short of cash these days.  So sad.  (Edited to remove potentially triggering and unpurchased stock photo.  Still had the watermarks, seriously.)

Still spoilered because of racist language.

[clonkertink]

Apparently, the Daily Stormer is short of cash these days.  So sad.  (Edited to remove potentially triggering and unpurchased stock photo.  Still had the watermarks, seriously.)

Still spoilered because of racist language.

Y'know, I'm normally not a big believer in Schadenfreude, but today I think I'll make an exception. The world seems just a touch better after reading that.

[Missy]

and the whole world reacts with . . .

[Sara Nilsson]

https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/05/entertainment/kirk-douglas-obit/index.html

Kirk Douglas passed away age 103. Thats an impressive age for sure.

[Orval Wintermute]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-51406413

After being slagged off by assorted knuckle-dragers for what she wore in Parliament, MP Tracy Brabin is now auctioning off the dress to raise for a women's charity.
The same knuckle-dragers have since started kicking up a bit of a fuss, as they don't like that Tracy Brabin has turned their vitriol into something positive.

[Beguile's Mistress]

It may not have been what I would choose to wear in a professional setting but that's me and I'm not her and I wasn't called in at the last moment to attend a session on the chamber floor.

Despite the circumstances, however, it takes a lot of balls and misogyny to call out a person for their attire.  There are more important things to consider, such as what was going on in Parliament at the time.  I wonder how many of her critics even know the topics under discussion.

Hooray for her for taking the opportunity to help young women with her auction of the dress.  Hooray for all who bid on it.  And hooray for the person who finally wins the auction and owns a symbol of a woman triumphing over her detractors.

[Orval Wintermute]

It may not have been what I would choose to wear in a professional setting but that's me and I'm not her and I wasn't called in at the last moment to attend a session on the chamber floor.

Despite the circumstances, however, it takes a lot of balls and misogyny to call out a person for their attire.  There are more important things to consider, such as what was going on in Parliament at the time.  I wonder how many of her critics even know the topics under discussion.

Hooray for her for taking the opportunity to help young women with her auction of the dress.  Hooray for all who bid on it.  And hooray for the person who finally wins the auction and owns a symbol of a woman triumphing over her detractors.

and it could be yours for a mere £8,000

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tracy-Brabin-MP-shouldergate-black-dress-proceeds-to-Girlguiding/362906593199

[Mechelle]

People may not all know that Tracy Brabin represents the seat once held by Jo Cox, the MP assassinated during the Brexit referendum.

That reminds me that today someone called Joshua Spencer was sentenced to nine weeks for attempting to arrange to get prominent Labour MP Yvette Cooper beaten up, saying "It is amazing what crackheads will do for £100". Spencer was an unsuccessful Conservative candidate in local elections.

What is perhaps more surprising is that Spencer was given a character reference in court by another female MP, Andrea Jenkyns, a right wing Conservative who won the seat once held by Cooper's husband, Ed Balls, saying that he (Spencer) had mental health issues. Considering the cuts in funding made by her party, that's rich.

[Beguile's Mistress]

Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindman has been escorted from the White House and his job by staffers.

The retribution and retaliation has begun.

Plus Trump and the Republicans want the impeachment expunged so it doesn't show up on their records.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-impeachment-live-updates/2020/02/07/8e7668a6-4998-11ea-bdbf-1dfb23249293_story.html?utm_campaign=wp_news_alert_revere&utm_medium=email&utm_source=alert&wpisrc=al_news__alert-politics--alert-national&wpmk=1

[gaggedLouise]

Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindman has been escorted from the White House and his job by staffers.

The retribution and retaliation has begun.

Plus Trump and the Republicans want the impeachment expunged so it doesn't show up on their records.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-impeachment-live-updates/2020/02/07/8e7668a6-4998-11ea-bdbf-1dfb23249293_story.html?utm_campaign=wp_news_alert_revere&utm_medium=email&utm_source=alert&wpisrc=al_news__alert-politics--alert-national&wpmk=1

Yep, and Sondland has been fired too, clearly an act of vengeance for daring to speak up about the Don's actions in Congress and "helping the enemy". 

The parallel to a paranoid emperor or a mob boss couldn't be clearer.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/07/politics/donald-trump-fires-gordon-sondland-alexander-vindman/index.html

[Iniquitous]

He also fired Vindman's twin brother just to make sure everyone knew not to tattle on him.

[ShadowFox89]

 He has also called for the removal from the GOP of the members of the house and senator that voted against him.

[Orval Wintermute]

Boris Johnson has started a feasibility study into building a bridge from Scotland to Ireland.
Never mind that it would have to cross a seabed that's over 1000 feet deep in places or that there are who knows how many thousands of tonnes of un-exploded WWII munitions to clear out of the way.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-51443191

Trump's wall looks positively sane in comparison.

[TheGlyphstone]

Boris Johnson has started a feasibility study into building a bridge from Scotland to Ireland.
Never mind that it would have to cross a seabed that's over 1000 feet deep in places or that there are who knows how many thousands of tonnes of un-exploded WWII munitions to clear out of the way.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-51443191

Trump's wall looks positively sane in comparison.

I'd say they are compensating for something, but Trump has assured us he 'has had no complaints there, none at all'.

[clonkertink]

I'd say they are compensating for something, but Trump has assured us he 'has had no complaints there, none at all'.

Stormy Daniels begs to differ.

[gaggedLouise]

Stormy Daniels begs to differ.

+10

Stormy is much more brave and intelligent than Trump. :)

[TheGlyphstone]

Stormy Daniels begs to differ.

Did she? 😎