Scott Pruitt's sound proof booth. Who is he calling, Russia?

April 16, 2018

An internal government (click here) watchdog says the Environmental Protection Agency violated federal spending laws when purchasing a $43,000 soundproof privacy booth for Administrator Scott Pruitt to make private phone calls in his office.

The Government Accountability Office issued its findings Monday in a letter to Senate Democrats who had requested a review of Pruitt's spending.

GAO General Counsel Thomas Armstrong determined that EPA's purchase of the booth violated federal law prohibiting agencies from spending more than $5,000 for redecorating, furnishings or other improvements to the offices of presidential appointees without informing Congress. Because EPA used federal money in a manner specifically prohibited by law, Armstrong said the agency also violated the Antideficiency Act, and is legally obligated to report that violation to Congress....

My opinion is this:

It is going to sound way off the map, but, here it goes.

The mainstream media needs to be very dense on facts when reporting the news. If it is irrefutable all the better.

I had watched Hannity for a week or so a few months ago. There was not a truth spoken. Not one. It is my belief Hannity was testing the waters to provide an alternate reality to the American people at Trump's guidance. 

The mainstream media was on his case for a few days and believe it or not his ratings improved. So the idea, Hannity could go his own way and bring most of the people along with him is an incorrect assessment. I strongly believe Hannity's ratings suffered because of the chronic lies he was telling on his show. It is anyone's guess as to why he was telling them, too.

Lies are the stock and trade of this president and the only way anyone can be sure the American people are receiving the best information is to validate it over and over and over. Even as breaking news becomes apparent it has to be plain to everyone watching, "These are the early facts as we know them and it could change as the story unfolds."

When realizing the impact something like "InforWars" has on the naive American with little interest in reading so much as listening to fear mongering about conspiratorial government and political parties, there is a chance the lies Trump tells on a regular basis is part of that culture.

Please think about promoting the use of actual newspapers and their websites and rebuild the financial stability that a newspaper needs. Russia can't hack print or solid facts.

Elections are not about culture, it is about the country. Our laws brought about by elections ensure the people of the USA are provided the greatest freedom possible. It is the laws of the USA that provide freedom and cultural diversity. The elections are important and have to be based strongly in facts rather than political ideologies and myths.

I think Donald Trump has a network of powerful people working for him and his agenda and it was not completely an American agenda. I think when all this shakes out, we are going to be surprised at the depth of what seems like frivolous gossip at this point.

This is about the country. The country I know the mainstream media loves.

I consider articles like the one at this link very patriotic. The mainstream media and local media are loyalists to this country and the best kind of loyalists.

This is an example: From "The Journal Times" in Wisconsin. It is understandable why George H. W. Bush was taken by her.

August 15, 2018

Former first lady Barbara Bush, (click here) who was reported in "failing health" over the weekend, is in "great spirits" and the family is grateful for "everybody's prayers and thoughts," her granddaughter said Monday. Here's a look at Barbara Bush's life as a mother, first lady, philanthropist and more:

1943: Barbara Pierce...

Did I hear what I just heard?

There is a publicity nexus between Donald Trump and Sean Hannity guided by lawyers?

How long has this existed? Lawyers have been employed by Donald Trump and appeared on the Sean Hannity show to promote the same ideology? 

This is plot to steer the people viewing FOX News. It has dearly nothing to do with reality. This is an appalling revelation. It is a plot to move Donald Trump's agenda forward. I hate to bring someone else into this circle, but, where is Murdoch on this.

See, there is this silly idea that when a candidate appears on a news program or otherwise the other candidate is eligible for equal time. But, if Trump was allowing his lawyers to act as a surrogate to his political agenda without the knowledge of the people, this is propaganda that has steered the thinking of the viewership of Hannity in the favor of Donald Trump.

This is a billionaire employing lawyers to mesh his agenda into Hannity's show. The USA has trouble. Lots of it. It revolves around the corruption housed at FOX News.

How long has Trump been taking lessons from Putin?

18 April 2018

Hartford, Conn. (AP) — The families of two children slain (click here) in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre have filed lawsuits against right-wing radio host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones for claiming the shooting did not happen.

The defamation lawsuits were filed in Texas. That's the home state of Jones' media company, Infowars.

Neil Heslin, the father of Jesse Lewis, and Leonard Pozner and Veronique De La Rosa, the parents of Noah Pozner, filed separate lawsuits seeking more than $1 in damages.

Jesse and Noah were among the 20 first-grade students gunned down inside the school in Connecticut on Dec. 14, 2012. Six educators were also killed.

The lawsuits allege that Jones' insistence that the shooting was staged led others to make death threats against the victims' families.

Syria is of no consequence to USA national security. It poses no threat. I would think that obvious.

Destroying the chemical weapon capacity of Assad was sanctioned by a UN resolution. The USA, France and the UK took on the responsibility of enforcing the chemical weapons agreement in Syria. It could have been any other country that came forward to enforce the chemical weapons ban in Syria, but, it was three allies prepared to do the work.

There is no reason for the USA to consider any movement into Syria. It has no national security consequences. There are much bigger problems at hand and it includes the return of humanitarian assistance to the people.

Now, if killing people is all the people of the USA are interested in, they need to take a look at the death rate of gun violence in their own streets.

Many are asking what is next for Syria?

This is a regional map which includes Syria.

Does anyone actually think the killing should continue in Syria?

People talk as if there is some great option for killing more people. As if they have a right to make such decisions.

There are approximately 18.5 million people in Syria. Or at least that what it was in 2016,

Below is an illustration of a study regarding the future of croplands effected by the climate crisis. Syria entered into a civil war because the croplands dried up and farmers moved into the city. This map shows it is not just Syria that will experience a significant loss of cropland, but, most of the world due to the climate crisis.

What is next for Syria? Whether or not it can feed it's people. That is what is next for Syria.

Sean Hannity should resign or be fired.

April 16, 2018

...Hannity on Air: ‘Michael Never Represented Me’ (4:01 p.m.) (click here)

Sean Hannity, who was poised to do a radio show when his name emerged in the court, said on air that he had asked Cohen for his perspective on some legal questions involving attorney-client privilege, but never talked to Cohen about any case involving a third party.

“I never paid legal fees to Michael,” Hannity said. “Michael never represented me in any matter.” He later added: I “may have” handed Cohen “ten bucks” and asked for attorney-client privilege....

He is using his celebrity to mitigate his relationship with Mr. Michael Cohen. That is at least an ethics violation, but, more so tainting the public's knowledge of the Cohen case.

It seems odd to me so many of the same people are entangled in all these legal issues. It is almost like a star chamber, no pun intended. 

I have a question. Just one question.

Elliott Broidy, (click here) center, an R.N.C. official, with Larry Mizel, left, a Trump donor, and Jeff Sessions. President Trump’s lawyer Michael D. Cohen arranged a payout to a model who became pregnant during an affair with Mr. Brody.

April 13, 2018
By Rebecca R. Ruiz and Jim Rutenberg 

A major donor with close ties to the White House resigned on Friday as deputy finance chairman of the Republican National Committee after the revelation that he had agreed to pay $1.6 million to a former Playboy model who became pregnant during an affair.

The deal was arranged in the final months of 2017 by President Trump’s personal lawyer and fixer, Michael D. Cohen.

Under the terms of the deal, the Republican donor, Elliott Broidy, would pay the woman in installments over the course of two years, and she would agree to stay silent about their relationship, two people with knowledge of the arrangement told The New York Times. The deal was first reported by The Wall Street Journal....

Did Mr. Brody pay anything for the legal services of Mr. Michael Cohen?

It seems to me Mr. Cohen is not working just for Donald Trump, but, the RNC. I also believe at this point, Mr. Michael Cohen may be receiving his fees or salary, whatever the case may be, from the RNC/GOP since Trump's election. The RNC has been paying the attorneys for Mr. Trump and Mr. Trump, Jr. since investigations have opened.

Ms Daniels looked lovely today at the courthouse in her pale pink outfit. She was animated, charming, self-assured and willing to be committed to the end of the case.

I hope her daughter is doing well.

Every lawyer in the country has a particular investigator they work with. I want to know who Mr. Michael Cohen works with and what exactly they do. There is a very limited number of people who were knowledgeable of her relationship with Mr. Trump.

I look forward to a thorough investigation to conclude this case and allow Ms. Daniels peace of mind in living her life.

There is no full disclosure at the time of signing. No student ever got this information. I think it is litigable.

This is ridiculous. Loan forgiveness has to take place. No one borrowing for their education realizes it is this oppressive an issue at the time. 

The idea there is no Medicare or Social Security is outrageous. That is why an American went to school to get an education.

People need loan forgiveness. They are paying nothing but exorbitant interest rates and their age is telling of the injustice they have faced.

$26,400 is what a good car costs and it is paid off in six years or less. The interest rate is ridiculous. 

Years ago on this blog it was noted the "military drone" was no longer a simple machine for surveillance, but, a full battle ready jet fighter.

Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler which accompanied the bombers during the attack on Syria.

I am certain President Putin is doing his homework since the Syrian strike.



Syria wasn't able to organize a response until after the allied missiles found their targets. I refuse to ignore the fact a UN resolution was broken by President Assad when he continued to deploy chemical weapons. This was enforcement of that resolution. If the world does nothing but treat international agreements as pieces of paper, there will never be an effective diplomatic corp. that succeeds in bringing peace. Unfortunately, there are still leaders like Assad that disregard all priorities, except, their own.

Achieving peace is not about annihilation, but, of finding peace among diversity and acceptance. In the Nuremberg Trials, the German people were not on trial, the maniacal military of the Third Reich was on trial. Milosevic found out that killing was not the way forward, too. Genocide is illegal. We have yet to understand the extent deaths of small ethnic groups in Syria might be affected. UN humanitarian aid should be a high priority to realize the extent this hellish war with Daesh may have caused irretrievable deaths.

Iran and Iraq should be grateful the worst is over. Neither should be viewing any type of escalation now as legitimate.

April 15, 2018

Electronic warfare (click here) suppression, a decoy battle group in the Mediterranean and never-before-used stealth missiles were all part of the attack

Western powers said on Saturday their missile attacks struck at the heart of Syria's chemical weapons program, but the restrained assault appeared unlikely to halt Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's progress in the 7-year-old civil war.

The United States, France and Britain launched 105 missiles overnight in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack in Syria a week ago, targeting what the Pentagon said were three chemical weapons facilities, including a research and development center in Damascus' Barzeh district and two installations near Homs....

...The bombers were accompanied by a single EA-6B Prowler for electronic warfare suppression, potentially against Russian air defenses, as well as tanker support, according to a Joint Staff spokesman. Defense News added, "inclusion of the EA-6B is notable, as that aircraft was officially retired by the Navy in 2015 in favor of the more advanced EA-18G Growler."...

"Morning Papers"

The Rooster

"Okeydoke"

I am quite sure Former FBI Director Mueller knows President Trump and the Trump Company had a syndicate of lawyers.

President Trump brought his lead and Cheif Legal Officer with him to the White House.

Jason Dov Greenblatt (click here) (born 1966/67) is an American lawyer. He was the executive vice president and chief legal officer to Donald Trump and The Trump Organization, and is his advisor on Israel. In January 2017, he was appointed as the United States Special Representative for International Negotiations by President Donald Trump.

Greenblatt is the son of Hungarian Jewish refugees, and grew up in Queens, New York City. During World War II, his father fled Szatmárcseke in 1941 as a child, while his mother hid in Budapest with her family during the Nazi occupation, and fled to the United States after the Hungarian Revolution in 1956. He is the first cousin, once removed, of anti-war activist Robert Greenblatt.

Greenblatt was educated at the Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy, followed by Yeshiva University. In 1992, Greenblatt received a JD degree from the New York University School of Law.

Greenblatt has worked for Trump since 1997, rising to executive vice president and chief legal officer to Trump and the Trump Organization, and his advisor on Israel.

Greenblatt favors a two-state solution, reached by the parties concerned and not imposed from outside by a body such as the United Nations. Greenblatt has stated that "West Bank settlements are not an obstacle to peace"

In late December 2016, Trump named Greenblatt as his Representative for International Negotiations for his incoming administration. In 2017, Greenblatt led a listening tour in which he visited representatives from Israel, the Yesha Council, and the Palestinian Authority.

Of course, everyone knows, The so called anti-war activist first cousin is none other than Chairman of NBC Entertainment. There is nothing like being connected. The interesting thing about Robert Greenblatt is he was once affiliated with Murdoch's FOX Broadcasting. I suppose everyone needs to start somewhere.

Wasn't "The Apprentice" an NBC production? There are a lot of interesting folks affiliated with that show, too. For example, Mr. George Ross was once Executive Vice President and Senior Counsel to the Trump Organization. The list is long and distinguished.

Robert Greenblatt (click here) joined NBCUniversal in January 2011 as Chairman, NBC Entertainment and reports to NBCU Chief Executive Officer Steve Burke. In this role, Greenblatt is responsible for all aspects of primetime, late night, daytime, and first-run syndication programming.

He also oversees Universal Television and Universal Television Alternative Studio, which combined currently produce nearly 40 scripted series as well as late-night and reality programs for a variety of networks and digital platforms. In addition to shows for NBC primetime, such as the successful “Chicago” franchise, “Shades of Blue,” “Superstore” and all of NBC’s hit late-night lineup, Universal Television also produces four prestigious non-NBC comedies: the Golden Globe-winning “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (Fox), the Emmy Award-winning “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” the Emmy-winning “Master of None” for Netflix, and “The Mindy Project” for Hulu. Dramas include “Gypsy” on Netflix, “The Path” on Hulu and “The Bold Type” on Freeform....

"Good Night, Moon"

The new moon

0.0 day old moon

Zero percent lit

13 April 2018
By Neil Connor

China hopes (click here) to create a 'mini biosphere' on the dark side of the Moon, with flowers and silkworms sustaining each other as they grow on the lifeless lunar surface.

The unprecedented plan to create life in outer space is the most intriguing part of China's lunar probe mission later this year, and could be a major boost for dreams that humans will one day live on the Moon.

The insects, plants, potato seeds and arabidopsis—a small flowering plant belonging to the mustard family - will be taken to the Moon on board the Chang'e-4 lander and rover in December....

The Secretary of the EPA is actively removing all references to global warming. Given the Exxon Case, I think that is reason enough for impeachment at the very least.

What Scott Pruitt is doing is fraud. He is a criminal. Plan and simple. He is defrauding the references of the climate crisis at all costs so petroleum companies benefit in court in the USA. The country is in profound trouble under the Trump administration. This is serious and no one is doing anything about it.

January 29, 2018
Washington, D.C. – Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) (click here) has obtained emails indicating Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt’s personal involvement in efforts to remove information about climate change from EPA’s website....

Since Trump took office, the USA is no longer a valid authority on climate in the world.

Below is a poll that shows those that believe in the climate crisis. That is what this has come down to; voting. The most dangerous trend in the Earth's climate is occurring and the Republicans are worried about who believes in it and who doesn't. The USA is out of control. It is in free fall when it comes to being a leader in this world.

The climate of Earth is not a political issue, it is a scientific FACT! 

October 27. 2016

Austin, Texas — A mounting perception (click here) that climate change is occurring could play a role in deciding the upcoming presidential election, particularly if significant numbers of younger Americans turn out to vote, according to the latest UT Energy Poll.

More than 9 out of 10 survey respondents (91 percent) under age 35 say climate change is occurring, compared with 74 percent of those age 65 or older.

Overall, 79 percent of respondents share that view — the highest percentage since the survey began tracking responses to the question more than four years ago — and 12 percent say climate change is not occurring, down from 16 percent in February.

“The percentage of Americans who say global climate change is occurring continues to rise,” said UT Energy Poll Director Sheril Kirshenbaum, “including clear majorities of both major political parties.”...

Pruitt is not alone: The Interior Secretary, "Stinky Zinke" (click here) is committing exactly the same level of fraud. 

April 13, 2018
By Rae Ellen Bichell

Democrats on Capitol Hill (click here) are calling for an investigation into the National Park Service, pointing to a report they say follows a "pattern" of censoring scientists who study climate change. So I checked in with the scientist who wrote the latest report and is now worried about her future....

...Caffrey dedicated a few years to figuring out how the combination of intensifying storms and rising seas might impact 118 National Park Service sites -- places like the National Mall in Washington, D.C., which would not fare well against storm surge from a category 3 hurricane buoyed by rising seas.

“It would create flooding across a massive area,” she says....

This is more than backwoods politics. This is defrauding the American people and putting their lives in danger for the sake of corporate profits. An administration doesn't get more corrupt than this.

The US Congress needs to end this disaster of an administration. The USA is in danger because of the fraud that exists wtihin it.

2008 graph and France contibutes 1.5 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. France is above reproach.

Concord Monitor

Climate activists and environmental professionals understand all too well the need for energy security. The USA military understands the need for fuel security, it now has vegetable based jet fuel. The issue is not understanding the need for energy security, it is the length of time bureaucrats and politicians need to institute changes to that energy security.

Why does anyone think scientists began the warning call in the 1960s? It has been nearly 80 years to adjust to the new paradigm of energy security and plutocrats are still stating the problem is the activists. It is not the activists that are the problem, it is the corruption that is the problem.

April 15, 2018

In the April 9 op-ed (click here) “Activists ignore energy security realities,” the author, Tom Sullivan, ignores any mention of climate change. Even when he states an “appeal in Massachusetts effectively blocked regulatory authority to approve funding for natural gas pipeline plans,” he fails to explain that the judge’s decision accepted the “necessity defense” for climate change. This acknowledged the risks imposed by climate change and the need to take bold action to try to stop it.

The concept that natural gas is so much better for the environment than other fossil fuels is rapidly being proven to be a myth. A study at Cornell University resulted in the conclusion that the greenhouse gas footprint of shale gas may even be higher than coal, due to the release of methane. From earthquakes to leaks, natural gas often creates devastating situations.

In the same Monitor edition, we only have to turn a few pages to read about the shrinking clam harvest, due, in large part, to warming oceans. This affects not only the livelihood of many fishermen and recreational clammers, but also tourism and food supplies.

If the Monitor chooses to run a guest editorial like the above, it behooves them to include an “editor’s note” about the risks of unabated greenhouse-gas-driven climate change. With the future of civilization at stake, the public should not be misled.

SUSAN SHAMEL

At 4.572 metric tons of CO2 per capita of emissions; France is one of the lowest First World countries in the world..

The World Bank (click here) 

April 13, 2018
By Chase Purdy

There’s a line that stretches (click here) down North America, singeing into the continent a border that separates an arid west from a humid east. And it’s on the move.

Called “the 100th Meridian,” the line slices through Canada, the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and eastern Mexico. It exists because the Rocky Mountain range blocks moisture that would sweep into the Great Plains from the Pacific Ocean, while storms in the Atlantic Ocean push moisture into the US midwest, bumping against more 

moisture that barrels north and slightly east from the Gulf of Mexico during the summer....

...Drawing on climate models, regional vegetation data, US Department of Agriculture data, land model simulations, and weather station data, Seager was able to confirm in a recent study (pdf) that the 100th Meridian is more or less as Powell predicted. Except, as he shows in an accompanying study, by now the line has shifted eastward 140 miles (pdf).

As Seager explains it, meteorological models for a long time have predicted a decline in the precipitation coming up from the US southwest into the midwest. That will be exacerbated by rising temperatures caused by fossil fuel-generated greenhouse gases: as the atmosphere warms it can draw more moisture out of the land. The scientific term for this phenomenon is called evapotranspiration, and over time can cause arid landscapes to expand....

France (including Monaco) Fossil Fuel CO2 Emissions: This does not include any other GHG.

The fossil-fuel CO2 (click here) emissions history of France is striking in that emissions have declined since 1979. France's emissions since 1979 reflect modest decline in petroleum use and marked decline in coal use. Fossil-fuel CO2 emissions in 1950 were 82% from coal. By 2008, only 13.0% of emissions were from coal consumption. Carbon dioxide emissions from petroleum products have declined 33% since 1979 but still account for 59.9% of France's 103 million metric tons of carbon released due to fossil-fuel combustion and cement production for 2008. France continues to increase use of natural gas. In 2008, CO2 emissions from natural gas consumption are estimated at 25 million metric tons of carbon or 27.9% of France's total emissions. France made a major commitment to nuclear power, and nuclear power generation grew rapidly from ca. 1975 until it contributed 76% of total electricity generation in 1987. France is a net exporter of electricity. Extensive use of nuclear power has clearly curtailed fossil fuel-related CO2emissions from France. Per capita emissions have declined steadily since the 1970s to present levels near 1.7 metric tons per French person.

It is important that investors and the public know the truth and any corruption within the company.

April 13, 2018
By Doug Stanglin

The supreme court of Massachusetts (click here) ruled against Exxon Mobil on Friday in the oil and gas giant's efforts to prevent the state from obtaining internal documents for its investigation into whether the company misled investors and the public about the risks of climate change.

The state attorney general's office began investigating Exxon following the publication of leaked documents in 2015 that appeared to show the company knew of the significant role that burning fossil fuels played in climate change. 

The documents were initially published in an investigative report by InsideClimate Times and later by the Los Angeles Times.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that attorney general Maura Healey had the jurisdiction to investigate alleged climate-related offenses by Exxon, including whether the company violated the state's consumer protection laws in its marketing of products.

"The Attorney General's investigation concerns climate change caused by manmade greenhouse gas emissions — a distinctly modern threat that grows more serious with time, and the effects of which are already being felt in Massachusetts," the court said. "More particularly, the investigation is premised on the Attorney General's belief that Exxon may have misled Massachusetts residents about the impact of fossil fuels on both the Earth's climate and the value of the company."...

Investments in a company aren't always about the money, it is often in the year 2018 about conscience.

January 10, 2017

We issued (click here) an updated research report on leading integrated energy player, Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) on Jan 9, 2017.

Exxon Mobil is the world’s best run integrated oil company based on its track record of high return on capital employed. However, the company’s dividend yield is among the lowest in the industry.

As a result, Exxon Mobil carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), implying that the stock will perform in line with the broader U.S. equity market over the next one to three months....