White House Watch: Trump Trolls the Dreamers

Trump’s immigration proposal asks for a few big conservative immigration goals—border wall funding, ending chain migration and the visa lottery—in exchange for an amnesty for 1.8 million of those who illegally immigrated to the United States as children. In his State of the Union, the president's immigration talk was designed to infuriate the left and remind hardliners that he is on their side.

01/31/18 6:47 AM

Editorial: Terminate the SOTU

The State of the Union address is perfect for President Donald Trump. His showmanship and sense of dramatic timing; the endless applause and moving stories, lovingly told; the pleasure he takes in enunciating truths no one could disagree with—it’s almost as if the whole cockamamie tradition were designed just for him.

In fairness, the president has delivered competent speeches and refrained from his customary ferociousness, both last night and in his 2017 address. He delivers a good set speech.

And there were some genuinely praiseworthy moments in last night’s speech. He rightly called for the end of a nonsense budget rule that shortchanges spending on the federal government’s most necessary

01/31/18 6:59 AM

Hayes: Why Didn't Trump Mention Our National Debt Even Once?

I was flying cross-country and didn’t see Donald Trump’s State of the Union Address Tuesday night. The instant reviews were predictably mixed. Trump supporters, even reluctant ones, seemed to like it. His critics all hated it.

I read it twice and mostly liked what was in there. But the most notable thing about the speech, to me anyway, was what it left out.

Trump said nothing about the country’s $20 trillion debt crisis. Literally not a word. It was a long, long speech but the president and his speechwriting team apparently couldn’t find any room for a mention of debt and the slow-motion crisis that is upon us.

01/31/18 6:20 AM

Trump's 'Money-Free Infrastructure' Plan

Eleven months ago—before Donald Trump had to accept any of the disappointments of lawmaking—the new president stood before a joint session of Congress and called for, among other things, the passage of a trillion-dollar infrastructure plan.

At the time, it was one of the few issues Democrats said they could work with Trump on, as they’d been calling for greater infrastructure spending for years. But nearly a year later, delivering his first official State of the Union Tuesday night, Trump’s repeated—and increased, even—his call for massive spending on an infrastructure bill. And it left Republicans tepidly applauding and Democrats cautiously suspicious.

01/31/18 7:15 AM

The Hypocrite of the Month Nominations Are Out

It’s time for the January 2018 Hypocrite of the Month awards. The nominees are . . .

Jerry Brown and Andrew Cuomo, governors of the two largest states controlled by the Democratic party—which accuses the new Republican tax cuts of favoring the rich at the expense of the middle class. Brown and Cuomo are preparing to sue the federal government because the new tax law limits deduction for state income, sales, and property taxes to $10,000. Until now, the deduction has been unlimited. Clearly, this change hits people with large and expensive homes, none of whom are likely to be poor.

01/31/18 5:10 AM

MLB's Baserunner Experiment Is NBD. Really.

The Associated Press reported Tuesday that Major League Baseball will expand its experiment of starting extra innings in certain games with a runner at second base.

Despite the inevitable freakout from baseball purists, there is one big takeaway: None of the games will count toward a team’s regular season or postseason record. The rule went into effect in the low minors last year, beginning in the 10th inning. It will be applied at the same point in spring training games (which are capped at 10 innings, anyway) this upcoming season. And it will go into effect in the 11th inning of the All-Star Game—and only seven contests in the 85-year history of the game have reached.

01/30/18 8:43 PM

Let's Hope the Eagles-Patriots Super Bowl Doesn't Go to OT, Too

You may not believe this, but in the United States there are more weeks without football than with it. Considering only the contests that count—preseason games in the pros are inconsequential, as are spring games in college—each year has 23 weeks with football compared to 29 weeks without it. So savor the upcoming curtain call of this eventful season, and hope both contenders, the Eagles and Patriots, honor sports lore by saving the best for last.

01/30/18 10:30 AM

Trump Mixes Calls for Unity With Divisive Comments on Immigration

The president lays out his 'pillars' for a bipartisan deal but draws boos for his comments on crime and gang violence.
12:52 AM, Jan 31, 2018
During his first state of the union address Tuesday night, President Donald Trump repeatedly called for bipartisanship, painted hopeful images, and told inspiring stories about guests in the crowd. But a year’s worth of partisan battles cut through the president’s optimistic rhetoric. Mixed in with a list of the year’s successes, legislative goals, and exhortations for unity (Trump used the word “together” at least 10 times), the president appeared to inflame Democrats with his remarks on immigration, African-American unemployment, and a subtle reference to the NFL protests, among other subjects.  Read more

In 10,000 Words to Congress, Trump Has Not Said 'Medicare' or 'Social Security' Once

His deviation from Paul Ryan and congressional conservatives continues.
Jan 30, 2018
President Trump’s second annual address to Congress passed Tuesday night without him mentioning a sole word about entitlement spending, continuing a deviation from the economically conservative Congress he inherited. As a candidate, Trump was against entitlement reform, focusing instead on the generic “waste, fraud, and abuse” in Social Security invoked by politicians fearful of offering actual bold policy. He’s remained consistent. In his first speech inside the House chamber last February, Trump brought up Medicaid in the context of Obamacare once, but did not mention Medicare and Social Security. Combined, mandatory spending on health insurance and retirement programs such as these make up about half  Read more

There Was at Least One Moment of Genuine Unanimous Clapping at the SOTU

Baby Hope Holets and her adoptive parents charmed everyone in the chamber.
Jan 30, 2018
Every State of the Union address experiences lengthy interruptions for applause, which is watched closely. Are only Republicans cheering? What about the Democrats? Did Chuck Schumer just roll his eyes? But for at least one moment on Tuesday night, everyone in the chamber — and a good number of people on Twitter — bonded over the introduction of Hope Holets and her family. Hope was adopted by Albuquerque police officer Ryan Holets and his wife Rebecca. The Holets are in their 20s and already have four children, but Ryan came across a homeless pregnant woman about to inject herself with heroin. He managed to dissuade her. She told him she did not know where to turn, but badly wanted a  Read more

Trump Highlights Injustices by North Korea

Excerpts from the president's first State of the Union Address.
Jan 30, 2018
Of the few minutes of his first State of the Union address that Donald Trump spent on foreign policy, he devoted the most time to North Korea. Past experience has taught us that complacency and concessions only invite aggression and provocation. I will not repeat the mistakes of past administrations that got us into this dangerous position. We need only look at the depraved character of the North Korean regime to understand the nature of the nuclear threat it could pose to America and our allies. Trump introduced the family of Otto Warmbier, a University of Virginia student who was imprisoned in North Korea for a vandalism offense and fell into a coma while imprisoned. He died shortly after  Read more

Trump Makes Big Promises on Infrastructure

Excerpts from the president's first State of the Union address.
Jan 30, 2018
Anyone who hoped that Donald Trump might diverge from his predecessors' penchant for a laundry list of promises must be disappointed. After listing a few initiatives based on his protectionist trade policies and some energy accomplishments, Trump turned to infrastructure: As we rebuild our industries, it is also time to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure. America is a nation of builders. We built the Empire State Building in just 1 year — is it not a disgrace that it can now take 10 years just to get a permit approved for a simple road? I am asking both parties to come together to give us the safe, fast, reliable, and modern infrastructure our economy needs and our people deserve. Read more

Trump Begins SOTU on an Optimistic Note

Excerpts from the president's first state of the union address
Jan 30, 2018
Donald Trump began his first State of the Union Speech calling out to the honored guests sitting with first lady Melania Trump and then touting the tax cuts passed by the GOP in late December: This is our new American moment. There has never been a better time to start living the American Dream. So to every citizen watching at home tonight — no matter where you have been, or where you come from, this is your time. If you work hard, if you believe in yourself, if you believe in America, then you can dream anything, you can be anything, and together, we can achieve anything. Tonight, I want to talk about what kind of future we are going to have, and what kind of Nation we are going  Read more

Afternoon Links: Building Infrastructure, Nuking Houses, and the 20 Million Pill Town

Plus, is Trump already better than Reagan?
Jan 30, 2018
It's about the infrastructure, stupid! Tonight's State of the Union address is rumored to be heavy on the infrastructure spending rhetoric. At Reason, Christian Britschgi observes "The point of infrastructure spending is to build infrastructure, not create jobs." Amen. PC Loadletter? What does that even mean? Ever wanted to destroy some of your office equipment? The government has likely beat you to it, as Atlas Obscura reports. They tested filing cabinets, houses, cars, trucks, and safes to see how they'd fare against nuclear weapons. The Breakdown Of Institutional Power. No spoilers, no teases. Read Katherine Miller's latest. Drugs out the wazoo. Imagine a town in West Virginia. It has has a population of about  Read more

The Grammys Were Sexist, Stupid, and Insulting

We can't wait to not watch the Oscars.
Jan 30, 2018
Can anyone think of a better way for the Grammys’ to commemorate the #MeToo movement than to have a failed politician with a long history of protecting alleged sexual harassers read from a book that includes a slimy accusation against our female U.N. ambassador? Because the show organizers apparently couldn’t. Even though two-time Grammy winner Hillary Clinton (seriously) was not up for any awards for the audiobook of What Happened, the Grammys, unlike the rest of America, still really like her. And so, Clinton made a surprise appearance at the Grammy awards Sunday night, where she read from Michael Wolff’s dubiously sourced and highly critical book on the Trump administration, Fire and Fury.  Read more

Border Bike Trip Day 9: Flat Tires and a Crushed Bike

Not the best day of the trip so far.
Jan 30, 2018
Last night we slept in the desert. We dug a pit in the sand for a fire, and desecrated the surrounding brush for wood. This was probably against the rules, it being a national park and all, and we each feel terribly guilty. But the hot dogs were delicious, wrapped in tortillas with refried beans and jalapenos. I should clarify—everyone slept in the desert except for me. The two-man, $22 tent we've been dragging along since Tijuana turned out to be way too small for the four of us. Imagine that? I endured the dogpile for a few hours, but had to call it quits when someone, I couldn’t tell who, started snoring. Taking my sleeping bag and a flashlight I marched back through the howling desert to the ranger station and  Read more

Fact Check: Did Robert Mueller Subpoena President Trump?

No.
Jan 30, 2018
The Word of God Online has some fake news it would like to share. “BREAKING: Wall Street Journal Reports Mueller Just Subpoenaed Trump,” author 3dprinting9542 tells readers. The post refers back to a November 2017 article from the Wall Street Journal, which reported that Mueller’s team “issued a subpoena to President Donald Trump’s campaign requesting Russia-related documents from more than a dozen top officials.” In line with similar false stories, the Word of God Online’s report has some correct information even though the headline is extremely misleading.  Read more

The Venezuela Airlift?

The case for "coercive humanitarianism."
Jan 30, 2018
In this week’s magazine’s editorial, “Night Falls on Venezuela,” we took 1,200 words or so to describe the desperate state into which the country has fallen. To sum up: The people of Venezuela are starving to death. Bands of hungry looters roam the streets of its cities, the currency is worthless, and no one can create wealth thanks to incompetent and corrupt regulators backed by the regime. The governments of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro have ruined the nation’s economy in the time-honored way: by controlling it. What money the government has comes from the state-owned oil company; it funds a police state solely concerned with protecting the totalitarian party of Chavismo and  Read more

Happy Birthday, Mr. Powell

The new Fed Chair prepares to take the reins of the American economy. What challenges will he face?
Jan 30, 2018
Blow out the candles and cut the cake! On February 4 Jerome Powell will turn 65. The day before, he’ll replace Janet Yellen as Chairman of the Federal Reserve, the first non-economist to hold the title in 40 years. First the good news: The economy is experiencing a period of robust growth not seen since before the financial crisis; unemployment is trending towards levels unheard of since the 1960s; and your policy track is pretty well laid for you. Powell’s job, in other words, is to keep it on the rails. But it’s not all gravy on this train.  Read more

Prufrock: Why Maryland Loves Jousting, Living in the Coldest City in the World, and Edgar Allan Poe's Hoax

Also: Are MOOCs back?
Jan 30, 2018
Reviews and News: Teller of dark tales and ventriloquist of the deranged, Edgar Allan Poe could also be prankster. Like when he claimed that a man had crossed the Atlantic in three days in a balloon in an article for the New York Sun: “He had just moved to Manhattan, looking for work as a journalist. What better way to announce you’ve arrived than to prank an entire city?” You remember MOOCs, right, and their short-lived hype? Take a course from Yale...for free...and receive no credit.  Read more

From American Carnage to American Glory

Trump's State of the Union address will resemble his Davos remarks more than his inauguration address. This is a good thing.
Jan 30, 2018
The reality is that, on economic matters, Trump’s neo-mercantilism has been wedded to Trump’s neoliberalism, and the latter has been more consequential by a long shot. In fact, according to Trump’s supporters, his two most significant accomplishments in year one—after the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch, of course—have been passing tax reform and rolling back Obama-era regulations. Both of which the globalist elites at Davos loved. Trump's love of populism and view of America as a carnage-strewn wasteland has been replaced by a sunny view of America and the elite institutions the president controls. Read more

House Intel Committee Votes to Release Secret GOP Memo

The vote was on party lines, and Democrats charge the document is meant to undermine the Mueller investigation.
Jan 29, 2018
The House Intelligence Committee on Monday voted along party lines to publicly release a secret GOP-drafted memo on alleged surveillance abuses targeting the Trump campaign, according to the panel’s top Democrat. The controversial document could be released if the president does not object within five days. If the president does object, the question could come before the full House—though Trump reportedly supports the effort. Texas congressman Mike Conaway told reporters late Monday that the GOP-drafted memo does not need to be redacted.  Read more

Trump Introduces New HHS Secretary, Avoids the O-Word

The president focused on prescription drug prices and the opioid crisis in the swearing-in ceremony for Alex Azar.
Jan 29, 2018
If there were ever an occasion for President Trump to create some buzz for his health care agenda in 2018, it was on Monday morning, in a case of man-meets-moment. Trump introduced new Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar before the Cabinet official’s swearing-in ceremony, one day before the State of the Union address. But the bees remained grounded. Missing from the president’s remarks—and Azar’s, for that matter—was the word “Obamacare.” Trump instead highlighted prescription drug prices—a pet issue he raised at many points during the 2016 campaign—and the opioid crisis, only winking toward Azar’s oversight of regulations pursuant to the health care law.  Read more

Afternoon Links: Farewell to the Chief, the Perils of FitBit, and Christianity in the Age of Trump

Plus, the death of Flavortown.
Jan 29, 2018
The end of the Chief Wahoo era. Given my lifelong Cleveland Indians fandom, Chief Wahoo has long been part of my sports wardrobe. The New York Times reports that Wahoo's reign as team logo ends in 2019, the year Cleveland will again host the MLB All-Star Game. The trademarks will still be owned by the team, and merchandise sold, just not via the MLB store. But off the hats and jerseys goes the Chief. As the Times observes: "While getting rid of Chief Wahoo will be applauded by opponents, some may see it as only the first step toward the ultimate goal of changing the team name." And that's probably true, too. Tribe die-hards have already come up with a hashtag for next season: #WinOneForTheChief.  Read more

Fact Check: Has Nikki Haley 'Accidentally Confessed' to an Affair With Donald Trump?

No. Not even close.
Jan 29, 2018
Amid the flurry of rumors stemming from Michael Wolff’s book Fire and Fury, U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley has faced accusations that she had an affair with Donald Trump, accusations which she has denied. It’s fitting that a rumor-mill would also produce pure fake news. Real Time Politics (not to be confused with Real Clear Politics, a legitimate outlet) posted a story with the asinine headline, “Nikki Haley Just ACCIDENTALLY Confessed To Being ‘Romantically Involved’ With Trump!” The fake headline gained popularity on Facebook.  Read more

Senate to Vote on 20-Week Abortion Ban

Sen. Lindsey Graham's pain-capable abortion restrictions legislation will come to the Senate floor for a procedural vote on Monday.
Jan 29, 2018
A bill to restrict abortion will come to the Senate floor for a procedural vote Monday night. The legislation, cosponsored by 46 Republicans, would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for instances of rape, incest, or critical health risks for the mother. Why 20 weeks? Fetuses can feel pain and can survive a premature birth at five months of development. Several Senate Democrats have indicated they will join with Republicans to vote yes on the measure. South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham has introduced the bill in previous Congresses, garnering support on both sides of the aisle.  Read more

The Substandard on the Aussie Open and Agassi's Hairpiece

Jan 29, 2018
In this latest micro episode, the Substandard discusses the Australian Open and the greatness of Roger Federer. Plus JVL professes his love for the Williams sisters, more Battle of the Sexes, and the time Agassi's wig almost came off. This podcast can be downloaded here. Subscribe to the Substandard on iTunes, Google Play, or on Stitcher.  Read more
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