District Sentinel Radio

-Connor Lamb was the only Dem to vote against two war power checks, including the 2002 AUMF repeal from Barbara Lee -Brazilian asylum seekers barred from US entry amid new cohort of migrants fleeing Bolsonaro nightmare -F-35 still failing the “Mattis Test,” can’t perform at least one type of combat mission 80 percent of the time -Banking regulators propose rule enabling federally-insured banks to increase exposure to hedge funds; FDIC Dem board member raises alarm, pointing to Bear Stearns and Goldman role in ‘08 crash Subscribe at Patreon.com/DistrictSentinel

-John Bolton has a book to sell. It’s still good he might screw our doofus President. -Democrats can’t believe Trump didn’t give them credit for helping his re-election campaign on NAFTA re-write -Pelosi unveils infrastructure bill seeking to help Trump fulfill another campaign promise, Speaker says at press conference -Defense contracting giant Boeing reports annual losses for the first time in two decades -Pompeo says State considering China travel ban over coronavirus Subscribe at Patreon.com/DistrictSentinel

-Gabbard, seemingly the only one who wants Hillary Clinton in the public spotlight, sues HRC for $50 million over Russian stooge comments -SCOTUS hears oral arguments in case involving Montana private school donor tax credit, separation of church and state -Brown-nosing frat boys at Barstool Sports agree to settle illegal union-busting charges in case demonstrating the weakness of labor law -EPA sued for lack of scientific integrity while drafting new clean water rule -Trump says he’s thinking of doubling the number of countries on the list that started as his Muslim Ban Subscribe at Patreon.com/DistrictSentinel

-Sham trial rules show, yet again, how the Founding Fathers were blowhards -SCOTUS denies Democrats’ request for expedited Obamacare litigation -Justices refrain from killing lawsuit that could cost Facebook bigtime in Illinois -Trump admin moves this week to relax rules on small arms exports -CBP appears to be targeting documented Iranians with deportation orders Subscribe at Patreon.com/DistrictSentinel

-NAFTA rewrite passes Senate; Sanders laments impact on climate change, notes criticism from unions -Most Dems side with President, though Schumer objected at the last second on environmental grounds -Uhh did the President try to get an ambassador whacked? Sketchy texts coming out in the impeachment trial -GAO also rules that President Trump illegally withheld aid to Ukraine -Watchdog calls for lawsuits against the FCC for failing to consider the environmental impacts of satellite approval -Failed state: the two grifters who ran the CIA post-9/11 torture program look set to testify at Gitmo next week Subscribe at Patreon.com/DistrictSentinel

-Dems name impeachment managers -Reefer sadness: Congress, executive branch still pretending weed is too dangerous to study -Military lying “by omission” to lawmakers about Afghanistan -- Special Inspector General -DHS employees report being miserable, especially the anti-WMD unit, reassuringly Subscribe at Patreon.com/DistrictSentinel

-Top Dem on House Foreign Affairs shrugs his shoulders about Pompeo’s committee no-show, as the Secretary of State arrogantly boasts of Iran policy success at a right-wing think tank -Trump admin official defends policy of criminalizing asylum seeking -Republican Congressman: Actually, children die in custody all the time so it’s okay -Leaked emails show Stephen Miller engaging in white nationalist “demographic replacement” discourse -Senate to move forward on impeachment trial, McConnell lacking votes to kill it -Merkley: The CIA is doing funny business with Iran intelligence, not unlike 2003 with respect to Iraq Subscribe on Patreon.com/DistrictSentinel

-Dow Jones reaching new historic highs with text of US-China “Phase 1” set to be released this week -Chinese officials staying quiet on details ahead of release with US negotiators changing their mind so much -Labor Department proposes rule to protect franchise feudalism from legal challenges -Iran admits to shooting down Ukranian airliner, apologizes (contrasting sharply with George H.W. Bush), though no resignations yet -Totally chill: US government increasing production of “plutonium pits” for nuclear stockpile Subscribe at Patreon.com/DistrictSentinel

-Trump mocks “weak” 2020 opponents, name-by-name, but leaves out Bernie -President says he doesn’t need Congress for war with Iran -House readies war powers resolution, which, while not an actual check on power, makes the US look weak -Two Senate Republicans, Mike Lee and Rand Paul, disgusted with administration briefing on Iran -Of course there is some approval for the Suleimani assassination, in our country of adult babies, but the vast majority say it’s reckless and puts everyone at risk - Poll -FTC moving forward with study of managers forcing workers to sign “non-compete” contracts Subscribe on Patreon.com/DistrictSentinel

-No casualties: Iran cites proportionality and international law in response to Suleimani assassination -President Trump appears fine with not escalating for now, but Ayatollah Khamenei calls for an end to “seditious American presence in the region.” -Non-war news: IRS watchdog decries lack of staffing, problems with “free file” -Federal appeals court delivers setback to Atlantic Coast Pipeline -Contractor coughs up $375,000 for scamming NASA Subscribe at Patreon.com/DistrictSentinel

-Mike Pompeo casts himself as the defender of Persian culture -Secretary of State concedes Soleimani assassination is part of “maximum pressure,” no evidence of imminent threat -Chuck Schumer is worried--about the future of the US empire -Joe Biden laments “Iranian parliament” ordering US troops to leave -Senate Finance Committee advances USMCA trade deal authorization -Pete ButtiCIAeg Subscribe on Patreon.com/DistrictSentinel

-Mods on high alert as Trump posts war crime threat after war crime threat -Javad Zarif: “End of US malign presence in West Asia has begun.” -Trump officials reportedly ready “to kill as many as possible” on the way out. Army people, if you’re reading this: considering going AWOL -GOP mulls senate rule changes to force Pelosi to send impeachment articles to the upper chamber Subscribe at Patreon.com/DistrictSentinel

-US military sends 750 more troops to Iraq after embassy siege, with possibility of more on the way -Pompeo cancels travel plans, Kataeb Hizbollah spokesperson claims “psychological defeat” for US -Cig sales were down in 2018 for the 15th consecutive year, vaping was on the rise -Bernie with the biggest Fourth Quarter haul at $34 million, Buttigieg in second (so far) with $24.7 million; Yang at $16; Biden and Warren reports to come Subscribe on Patreon.com/DistrictSentinel

-Iraqi guards watch attack on US embassy after Pentagon airstrike kills 25 people -Sound familiar? UN says Chelsea Manning is being tortured -2019…Actually Good? A year of labor fighting back -2020 Predictions: Insha’allah it will be Nancy Pelosi’s final year in Washington Subscribe on Patreon.com/DistrictSentinel

-The Affordable Care Act said--nothing, you idiots. The Affordable Care Act is dead, it’s locked in the judicial system basement -House Dems delay moving articles of impeachment to the Senate. Pelosi may have got something right, for once -Jeff Van Drew officially betrays the Democratic Party--and if someone wanted to help him get re-elected as a Republican they wouldn’t get blacklisted by the DCCC (unlike left-wingers supporting primary challengers) -NIST reviews law enforcement facial recognition finding much higher chances of false positives for black and asian suspects Subscribe on Patreon.com/DistrictSentinel

-Impeachment vote today. It’s hard to appreciate the historic nature when thinking about how Dems have screwed this up -Putting the rib-meatloaf birthday cake on hold: whistleblowers warn new inspection program leaves US pork vulnerable to contaminants -Trump NLRB: Bosses have the first amendment right to suppress workplace speech through email -FTC releases announces Cambridge Analytica settlement. Ex-CEO and app developer promise they will never again deceive 50 million people to influence US elections -Quality of life deterioration detailed by GAO, net worth “substantially negative for Millennials” Subscribe at Patreon.com/DistrictSentinel

-McConnell girds everyone for impeachment trial by dismissing the idea that trials need witnesses -Guy who graduated college in 2008 set to be confirmed by Senate for powerful obscure regulatory position -Why not just make letter carriers into first responders for a biological terrorist attack? GAO with dystopian cost-saving suggestions for the Post Office -Labor Department readies new rule to saddle public sector labor organizations with more costs Subscribe on Patreon.com/DistrictSentinel

-Dems capitulate on wall, look set to take government shutdowns off the table until September -Eli Lilly generic insulin not available in 83 percent of pharmacies, per senators’ survey -SCOTUS declines to revive Boise ban on homeless people sleeping in public places -Boeing to keep 737 max production suspended, after failing to pressure FAA into allow plane to fly again

-Senate Democrats attempt to undermine Corbyn’s Labour at the last minute before the British general election -Education Secretary Betsy Devos defends Corinthian Colleges, a for-profit college that went bankrupt while defrauding students -DHS announces opioid mail surveillance contest winners: More money for security complex to tackle public health issue -GAO recommends creation of climate change infrastructure bank, with past climate change recommendations totally ignored Subscribe on Patreon.com/DistrictSentinel

-Trump emoluments case set to go before full Fourth Circuit, with possible Supreme Court case looming -Final defense policy bill jettisons Democratic items with top House Dem negotiator scoffing at “negotiating harder” before right-wing think tank -Pentagon inspector general launches probe of military border mission. Investigation to include “training on potential contacts with civilians.” -Justice Department inspector general dismisses theory of “deep state” launching Trump probe Subscribe on Patreon.com/DistrictSentinel