Kingfisher Cove

The Monster Pardoned a Monster

This is an astonishing thread from the Phoenix New Times. Their Twitter feed has links of proof for every single statement:

"We've been covering Joe Arpaio for more than 20 years. Here's a couple of things you should know about him...

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- He ran a jail that he described as a "concentration camp”

- Prisoners there died at an alarming rate, often without explanation; other times it was due to medical neglect, suicide, dehydration, heat exhaustion, disease and beatings

- One of his prison guards nearly broke the neck of a paraplegic guy who had the temerity to ask for a catheter

- One time, as a publicity stunt, he marched Latino prisoners into a segregated area with electric fencing

- He arrested New Times reporters for covering him. They sued and won a $3.75 million settlement for that one

- Under him, the the county failed to investigate hundreds of sex abuse cases, many of which involved children. But he somehow found time and money to send a deputy to Hawaii to look for Barack Obama's birth certificate

- He actually staged an assassination attempt against himself that cost taxpayers $1.1 million

- In 2013, a federal judge confirmed what literally everyone in Phoenix knew: he'd been racially profiling Latinos. So naturally, he hired a PI to investigate the judge and his wife

- He also kept on profiling people, which is why he was charged with contempt of court (and was found guilty)

- He also tried to destroy some of the hard drives containing material that was supposed to be turned over to the court

- By 2015, his department's racial profiling had cost the county more $44 million in wrongful death or false arrest lawsuits, on top of murder and ruining lives

- He also paid millions to settle lawsuits, including deputies standing by as an inmate was brutally beaten, or letting a woman die of a diabetic coma, after she pleaded with them to get her an insulin injection

- Many of these prisoners were arrested for no reason, and couldn't post bail or afford a defense attorney. So hundreds languished in the tent city who had never been formally charged of anything

- Because he thought of his county as the Old West, but against Hispanics, he had a "Sheriff's Posse." One member was arrested on child porn charges

- His office was responsible for countless fiascos like a botched SWAT raid, where deputies set a puppy on fire

- This is the disgusting excuse for a human being Trump just pardoned, who is responsible for over 200 preventable deaths over fifteen years in his tent city prison.

Every Day, A New Horror

He actually thinks this is a rally for his supporters, instead of exhibiting “compassion” to the people of Houston during this second-worst unprecedented disaster (with trump himself the WORST unprecedented—UNPRESIDENTED— disaster). 

Just A Picture

Calling this one “Cat Days of Summer.”

Today we also watched Mojo down on the beach stalking the water. It was pretty strange! He was down there all by himself, slowly approaching the water’s edge, literally stalking it! My guess is he saw some minnows or some other sea creature in motion and instinct kicked in to hunt whatever moves. (Like he will do with my exposed bare foot in bed at night).

OK, one more picture. Wildfire smoke is returning. (Not happy about that). So we had another eerie sunset tonight.

Week Forty-One

Compiled by Amy Siskind

Experts in authoritarianism advise to keep a list of things subtly changing around you, so you’ll remember.

Week 41 is full of content about Trump-Russia, and signs that the Mueller probe is closing in on Trump and his regime. News stories indicate that despite Trump’s public indifference and belittlement of the probe, he is privately consumed by it, and acting in ways which could well be construed as, and lead to charges for, obstruction of justice.

In the two weeks since Charlottesville, our country is consumed in flames of hate, and Trump is fanning those flames. As well, he continues his unimpeded march to authoritarian power, neutralizing the judicial branch with an unethical pardon, and attacking members of his own party in an effort to silence them. So far, the latter is largely working, and as this week comes to a close, remaining checks and balances to save our democracy are eroding, and Trump appears to feel fully in power.

1. Following the counter-protest march of over 40k in Boston, Trump tweeted the country needs “to heel.” Trump used the misspelled word four times in two consecutive deleted tweets, before correcting it to heal.
2. Rev. Bernard, pastor of a mega church in Brooklyn, became the first member of Trump’s Evangelical Advisory Board to resign over Charlottesville.
3. No WH officials were made available for Sunday political talk shows.
4. On CNN Sunday, Carl Bernstein urged reporters to interview Republicans on or off the record about whether Trump is mentally fit to lead.
5. A NBC News/Marist poll found Trump’s approval in three key battleground states has eroded: Michigan 36 approve/55 disapprove, Pennsylvania 35/54, and Wisconsin 34/56.
6. NPR reported some Liberty University graduates are returning their diplomas to protest school President Jerry Falwell Jr.’s ongoing support of Trump, even after Trump’s remarks on Charlottesville.
7. Former HHS secretaries from both parties urged Republicans to move quickly and stabilize ObamaCare as Trump threatened to continue withholding key payments to insurers.
8. Sunday night, when asked by reporters for his reaction to five sailors injured and 10 missing after the USS John S. McCain collided with a merchant ship, Trump responded, “That’s too bad.”
9. USA Today reported Secret Service agents have already hit the federally mandated pay caps meant to last the entire year for protecting Trump. Under the Trump regime, an unprecedented 42 people have protection.
10. Secret Service cited Trump’s frequent weekend trips to his properties, and his family’s extensive business and vacation travel. Secret Service spent $60k on golf carts, revenues which go to the Trump Organization.
11. Trump disbanded a federal advisory panel for the National Climate Assessment which helped policymakers and private-sector officials incorporate the government’s climate analysis into long-term planning.
12. Since being established in 1990, the National Climate Assessment is supposed to release reports every four years. The next assessment would have been due in 2018.
13. Trump’s Interior Dept. ordered the National Academy of Sciences to halt its study of health risks and harm caused by mountaintop coal mining in Appalachia.
14. New Yorker reported on the dismantling of HUD under a thoroughly uninformed Sec Carson. There are still no nominees for major parts of HUD, including the Federal Housing Administration and many others.
15. Carson’s team removed online training materials meant to help homeless shelters provide equal access to transgender people, and pulled back a survey to reduce LGBT homelessness.
16. Interior’s Inspector General confirmed in a letter it is investigating Sec Zinke’s pressure on Sen. Murkowski to vote yes on the ObamaCare repeal.
17. An ABC News/Washington Post poll found 9% of Americans say it’s acceptable to hold neo-Nazi or white supremacist views. This meshes with the 10% who say they support the alt-right movement.
18. The Anne Frank Center tweeted in alarm, “1 in 10 adults in U.S. say neo-Nazi views acceptable — 22 million Americans. Evil epidemic of hatred.”
19. The poll also found that 3 in 10 Trump supporters accept or are indifferent to white supremacists.
20. Singer Billy Joel wore a Star of David during the encore of his sold-out show in NYC.
21. Brandeis University was closed and evacuated Wednesday after the school received an email with a bomb threat.
22. HuffPost reported a spike in anti-Semitism in the two weeks since Charlottesville. ADL provided a list of more than two dozen incidents involving swastikas, broken glass and neo-Nazi propaganda.
23. A coalition of major rabbinical groups canceled their annual High Holidays call, saying Trump’s “words have given succor to those who advocate anti-Semitism.”
24. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination urged the US government to reject racial hatred and violence. The statement was released online after Trump’s mixed messages on Charlottesville.
25. The Girl Scouts’ CEO wrote a letter to families with resources to talk to girls about what they are hearing in the news, and hate and violence, adding lying about what really happened can “undermine her trust.”
26. Twenty organizations have pulled their charity events from Mar-a-Lago in response to his comments on Charlottesville.
27. Daniel Kammer, the State Dept. Science Envoy, resigned in an open letter citing Trump’s “attacks on core values of the United States.” The first letter of the seven paragraphs spell the word, IMPEACH.
28. On his radio show, Trump’s nominee for Department of Agriculture Sam Clovis said “LGBT behavior” is a choice, and that legalizing gay marriage could lead to the legalization of pedophilia.
29. Liz MacKean, the BBC journalist who broke the news of the torture of gay men in Russia, died of a stroke at the age of 52.
30. Trump signaled he is likely to end DACA, the Obama program which allows young people who came to the US illegally as children to remain here. As many as 1 million immigrants could be affected.
31. The DHS announced it will require holders of employment-based visas to be interviewed in order to update their status. More than 100k visa holders could be impacted.
32. The Brennan Center and Protect Democracy Project filed a lawsuit for info on communication between government agencies and the Election Integrity Comm. The agencies did not respond to a FOIA request.
33. On Tuesday, the DOJ modified its warrant, dropping its request for IP addresses from DreamHost for an anti-Trump site, disruptj20.org.
34. On Thursday, a court ordered DreamHost to turn over the data requested. The court asked the DOJ to disclose its method for searching the data to minimizing data on innocent third-party visitors to the site.
35. In a WAPO op-ed, activist Melissa Byrne described being grabbed, cuffed and questioned, and her banner confiscated, by the Secret Service without having been read her rights at a Starbucks in Trump Tower.
36. On Monday, Trump delivered his second address to the nation. Reading from the teleprompter he asked the American people to trust him in sending thousands more troops to Afghanistan.
37. Trump opened the speech with a call for unity. Historian Michael Beschloss noted this was the first time a leader “had to start a speech on war and peace by vowing that he opposed bigotry and prejudice.”
38. Trump’s speech was full of his typical bellicose terms, like “overwhelming force,” but offered little in the way of strategy and substance.
39. Of note, three generals now seem to have Trump’s ear: Kelly, McMaster and Mattis. As recently as Week 38, Trump had scoffed at adding troops. He also compared Afghanistan to a 21 Club renovation.
40. There is not yet a confirmed US ambassador to Afghanistan.
41. 24 hours after his address to the nation, Trump headed to a campaign rally in Phoenix, despite pleas from the Mayor of Phoenix in an op-ed and on air that it was not a good time for Trump to visit.
42. Despite his calls for unity Monday, Trump delivered a 72-minute dystopian speech in which he repeatedly attacked the media and “others” — again targeting marginalized communities.
43. Trump referred to the media as the enemy of the American people, saying “They don’t like our country.” After the speech, many in the media expressed concern about their safety.
44. Trump also threatened to shut down the government in the fall if Congress did not approve funding for his Wall.
45. Despite his advance promises not to, Trump attacked McCain and Flake, the two senators of Arizona, in his speech without using their names.
46. Also, despite promising not to do so, Trump insinuated he would pardon Sheriff Joe Arpaio, citing the legal system not treating him fairly.
47. Trump did not mention the accident involving the USS John. S McCain, or the continuing search for missing sailors during his speech.
48. WAPO reported as Trump ranted and rambled, “hundreds left early.” The room was only partially filled as Trump began to speak.
49. Police used tear gas to disperse crowds of thousands of protestors after Trump’s speech. Police helicopters circled downtown Phoenix.
50. In a likely violation of the Hatch Act, Ben Carson appeared on stage in Phoenix, after being introduced as the Secretary of HUD.
51. NPR fact-checked Trump’s speech, and found numerous false and misleading statements.
52. Ahead of the rally Tuesday, Trump met with potential Republican challengers to primary Sen. Flake in 2018. During the brief meeting, Trump referred to the senator as “the flake.”
53. After Trump’s Phoenix speech, former director of National Intelligence Clapper told CNN he questioned Trump’s “fitness to be — in this office.” ”
54. Clapper said understanding the levers of power available to a president, he found the speech “downright scary and disturbing.”
55. Clapper also said Trump could be a threat to national security. He worries about Trump’s access to nuclear codes, noting it a fit of pique, “there’s actually very little to stop him.”
56. Trump tweeted asking if Clapper “who famously got caught lying to Congress,” would share “his beautiful letter to me?” Clapper said he had handwritten almost identical notes to both candidates for Election Day.
57. CNN reported Wednesday that the WH was preparing paperwork and talking points for surrogates ahead of Trump pardoning Arpaio.
58. On Monday, in a later-deleted Instagram post, Mnuchin’s wife, Louise Linton bragged about traveling on a chartered government plane, and about the lavish fashion brands she was wearing.
59. On Wednesday, CREW requested information on authorization of the chartered airplane. Typically, secretaries fly on commercial flights for domestic travel.
60. Ethics groups also filed requests to learn if the trip to Fort Knox, KY was planned so Mnuchin and his wife could view the solar eclipse near the path of totality.
61. On a sudden, unannounced trip to the Middle East, Kushner was snubbed by the Egyptian foreign minister who canceled their meeting without officially citing a reason. The meeting did later take place.
62. NPR reported Trump’s approval with women is at a historically low 29%. Trump’s approval with men is much higher (43%).
63. NYT reported on a brewing war between Trump and McConnell, as the two haven’t spoken for weeks. McConnell questioned whether Trump can salvage his presidency.
64. McConnell also questioned Trump’s understanding of the presidency, and claimed Trump was “entirely unwilling to learn the basics of governing.
65. NYT also reported on an August 9 call with McConnell, which Trump initiated, Trump brought up healthcare, but was “even more animated” about McConnell’s refusal to protect him from the Russia investigation.
66. After the NYT story broke, another Republican senator called the reporter to say Trump is “consumed with Russia.”
67. POLITICO reported on more clashes between Trump and Republican senators over Russia. In additional to Trump public admonishments of McConnell, McCain and Flake, Trump also targeted Corker and Tillis.
68. Trump tried to convince Corker the Russian sanctions bill wasn’t good policy, saying it was unconstitutional and would damage him. Trump berated Tillis for his bi-partisan bill to protect Mueller from being fired.
69. Including these contacts, WAPO counted seven times so far Trump has attempted to influence actions related to the Russia investigation.
70. On Tuesday, Glenn Simpson, founder of private research firm Fusion GPS who hired Steele to produce the dossier, testified for 10 hours in front of the Senate Judiciary Comm. He also provided 40k pages of documents.
71. The Senate Judiciary Comm will vote on releasing the testimony to the public. Rachel Maddow said Simpson’s lawyer has given the okay to release the testimony and documents publicly.
72. WAPO reported CIA director Pompeo, Trump’s close ally, required the Counterintelligence Mission Center, which investigates possible collusion between Trump and Russia, to report directly to him.
73. Current and former agent expressed apprehension about conflict of interests. There is “real concern for interference and politicization,” and that Pompeo may bring newly discovered information to the WH.
74. Pompeo spends more time at the WH than his predecessors. He also defended Trump’s comments on Charlottesville, saying Trump’s condemnation of bigotry was “frankly pretty unambiguous.”
75. Pompeo has also shown a willingness to handle political assignments for the WH: for example calling news agencies, speaking on condition of anonymity, at the WH’s behest to dispute a NYT article on Trump-Russia.
76. In an internal CIA memo released under the FOIA, former CIA director Brennan wrote some in Congress don’t get the “gravity” of Russia election meddling.
77. Kushner Cos., the real estate company 0f Kushner’s family, switched to a public relations firms with crisis management expertise.
78. NYT reported on Rinat Akhmetshin, one of the attendees of the June 9 meeting at Trump Tower, and his extensive and deep ties to Russian intelligence, government and oligarchs.
79. Akhmetshin has worked on behalf of several Russian oligarchs to hack adversaries’ emails and documents in order to buffer their case. Mueller is interested in why Akhmetshin attended the June 9 meeting.
80. CNN reported Congressional investigators unearthed an email from Rick Dearborn, a top campaign aide who is now Trump’s deputy chief of staff, about an individual seeking to connect top Trump officials with Putin.
81. WSJ reported Mueller is looking into Flynn’s role in seeking Hillary’s emails from Russian hackers, along with now deceased GOP operative Peter W. Smith.
82. Investigators have examined intel reports which detail Russian hackers discussing how to obtain emails from Hillary’s server, and then transmit them to Flynn via an intermediary.
83. NBC reported Mueller issued the first grand jury subpoenas to executives who worked on an international campaign organized by Manafort, a significant step in the inquiry which also focuses on Trump and Kushner.
84. Mueller’s team is examining lobbying done by Manafort for a Russia-backed Ukrainian political party from 2012–2014. According to recent financial disclosures, Manafort was paid $17mm between 2013 and 2014.
85. USA Today reported on a Russian propaganda Twitter network aimed at American audiences which consistently spreads links from alt-right media including Breitbart, True Pundit and Gateway Pundit.
86. Roger Stone told TMZ if Trump is impeached the country would break out into civil war, saying “You will have a spasm of violence in this country, and insurrection, like you’ve never seen.”
87. NYT reported on Trump Hotel DC, the now highly profitable meeting place for Trump family members and surrogates, lobbyists and journalist. Trump continues to profit from the hotel operations.
88. The hotel is also described as a “safe zone for Trump supporters.” Richard Spencer stayed at Trump Hotel DC, and met with white nationalist Evan McClare, as he planned the Charlottesville rally.
89. WAPO fact checker reported Trump’s list of false and misleading claims had topped 1,000 items early in the week. By week’s end, the list approached 1,100 items, one of the busiest weeks of lying yet.
90. After Icahn resigned in Week 40 ahead of a story on his influencing regulations to his financial benefit, the Trump regime stated unlike a government employee, Icahn had “no official role or duties.”
91. Icahn financially benefitted from his 82% stake in CVR Energy. The company had accumulated a large short position in biofuels blending credits, called RINs, the price of which fell when Icahn’s proposal on the biofuels regulation was reported in February, netting him a huge return.
92. On Friday, Trump attacked another Republican, saying Corker is constantly asking if he should run in 2018, and “Tennessee not happy!” Corker had questioned Trump’s fitness to serve in Week 40.
93. In an interview with FT, Cohn was openly critical of Trump’s Charlottesville response, saying Trump “must do better” in condemning neo-Nazi and white supremacists.”
94. Fed Chair Yellen spoke out openly against the Trump regime’s efforts to roll back banking regulations enacted after the 2008 financial crisis, saying these regulations have made the banking system safer.
95. Changing course, Bloomberg reported the WH no longer plans to work with Congress to produce a joint tax plan, instead relying on the House and Senate to hash it out. Trump said he will rally the public instead.
96. The WH rapid response director, Andy Hemming is leaving. Hemming had worked from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. every weekday blasting out stories favorable to the Trump regime.
97. The RNC passed a resolution to condemn neo-Nazis, the KKK and white supremacists, despite pushback from several Republican members. The resolution did not, however, mention Trump.
98. A Quinnipiac poll found that 62% of Americans believe Trump is dividing the country.
99. As Trump left the WH Friday afternoon, a reporter asked, “do you have a message for the people of Texas?” Trump responded, “Good luck to everybody.”
100. Hours before Hurricane Harvey, thought to be the worst hurricane in 12 years, hit landfall in Texas, with the country anxiously watching, Trump issued a directive and a pardon.
101. Late Friday, Trump signed a directive that precludes transgender individuals from joining the military. Mattis has six months to develop a plan to implement the order, and discretion over those already serving.
102. Trump’s directive also bans DoD from paying for medical treatment regimens for transgender individuals currently serving in the military.
103. Late Friday, Trump pardoned Sheriff Joe Arpaio, an elected official who defied a federal court’s order to stop violating people’s constitutional rights. Arpaio had been found in contempt of court in his ongoing case.
104. The NYT Editorial Board had noted with a pardon of Arpaio, Trump would show “his contempt for the American court system,” and also send a “message to other officials that they may flout court orders also.”
105. Questions arose about whether Trump’s pardon of Arpaio was testing the waters and sending a signal to those under investigation by Mueller.
106. Late Friday, Trump adviser Gorka left his post as deputy assistant in the WH. In a letter, Gorka said he resigned. Trump aides said he was fired.
107. Shortly after 11 pm EST, Hurricane Harvey made landfall as a Category 4 storm. The National Hurricane Center said it expects “catastrophic and life-threatening” flash flooding and dump 15–30 inches of rain.
108. The Trump regime imposed sanctions on Venezuela; however, Citgo was exempted. As cited in Week 25, Citgo donated $500k to Trump’s inauguration, and that money may have come indirectly from Russia.

Such a FUN Day!!!

First of all, a side note: this has been a stellar summer. Washington summers tend to be iffy, and typically don’t even begin until the 5th of July. We had those record-breaking 56 days in a row without a drop of rain, then we had a drop. (OK, more than that, because it was measurable and halted that amazing stretch, but it was just for a brief window of time one day). Since then, we’ve gone at least another two weeks straight without a drop of rain. It makes me happy because we had an incredibly wet fall, winter, and spring and I would have been extremely out of sorts if we’d had a crappy summer on top of all of that. Aside from those two weeks of smoke hanging over us from the B.C. wildfires, I’ve been one happy camper. A few heat waves in there that were challenging, but hooray for A/C!

Today was yet another stellar day, and I was so glad because we had company! We’ve been preparing for it all week long, working at spiffing up the house and planning/prepping food. We had four couples come down from the Seattle area, guys that John works with at the Hydroplane Museum, and some that he has known for decades in the boat racing circuit. I’d met them all at Tri-Cities, including a couple of the wives, so I knew it was going to be a fun bunch. It really was! These are smart people, talented people, interesting people. I loved the flow of conversations, how down-to-earth everyone was, but also the constant flashes of keen intelligence. You can’t be a dummy to be successful in designing/building hydroplanes (they are much like a plane itself, pushing the limits of aerodynamics and physics). You can’t be a dummy to DRIVE one, whether it’s an inboard or Unlimited, with strategizing the clock starts and using cunning (and guts) to secure lane advantage. Can’t be a dummy owning your successful business, or working in management for Boeing (3 people here today were either retired from Boeing or still work there with 30+ years in).

And it was fun for John to display his handiwork with building this house. These are folks who understand and relate to the profound details and effort of crafting things by hand. It’s also a pretty fun place to come to!  

It was casual and we ate yummy but casual food and I sense that everyone had a seriously good time.

The fellow there at the end of the table is Dave Williams and he’s the Director of the Hydroplane Museum. He’s also the driver of the Vintage Griffon Budweiser.

Bailey had a great time, too! Lots of plates to lick!

It was toasty on the deck, so we had the screens down to filter the sun.

Anyway, it was a wonderful time and I am now exhausted!

Also? We’re in for at least another week of heat (and no rain drops). Hate to say it, but we do NEED rain. All of these fir trees and evergreens that define Washington are starting to show some stress.

They’re ready for a major drink.

Dear America:

You are waking up, as Germany once did, to the awareness that 1/3 of your people would kill another 1/3, while 1/3 watches.

-Werner Twertzog

Horror, Wonder, Eclipse

My shock, my disgust, my horror of this administration is not in any danger of becoming “normalized.” Every single day brings a new level of shock, disgust, and horror. Every. Single. Day.

CAN’T IT PLEASE BE MUELLER TIME???

(I have a hunch it won’t be long now. Investigators and the FBI have been talking at length to the folks behind that dossier!)

Just watched portions of his godawful Nuremburg Rally in Phoenix and he completely LIED. That is something I shouldn’t be surprised about anymore, but it’s so pathological, so blatant, so PROVABLE, and yet he just cannot NOT lie—and it still gobsmacks me. In fact, today he lined up 1,000 provable lies in 7 months. One thousand.

“Blame the press. Blame President Obama. Insist down is up and up is down. Create an alternate reality. Gaslight. Gaslight. Gaslight. Misquote yourself. Leave out the words that outraged a majority of a nation.” –Dan Rather

He is morally, intellectually, and ethically void.

He is beyond an abomination. I. Hate. Him.

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It was nice to have a break from the corruption and racism and incompetence and the lies because on Sunday, we grabbed the little dog and headed to Camano Island (via the Kingston-Edmonds ferry) for Uncle Bob’s 80th birthday party. I love taking the ferry! It just feels festive. We clocked the mileage taking the ferry to Camano and it’s 100 miles of actual driving. If we didn’t take the ferry and drove through Olympia, Tacoma, Fife, Federal Way, and the horror of Seattle, it would be 145 miles, but the chances are we would be stuck in traffic hell and it would take 4+ hours. The ferry saves us at least an hour, plus it’s pleasant! And beautiful on these gorgeous summer days. (On our trip back Monday, we each slurped a bowl of Ivar’s Clam Chowder as we watched the blue water, the boats, and Mt. Baker recede out the window. I said to John, “You can’t get any more Pacific Northwest than this!”) On the way to Camano, we missed the first sailing so had to wait for the next boat. We hopped out of the truck and walked to the terminal restroom, and ran into my cousin Sheri and her husband Joey! (They’d missed the boat, too!) And then, once we were boarded, here was my cousin Craig (Sheri’s brother) and some of their (grown) kids (my 1st cousins once removed) and it was a ferry family reunion! Yep, we were all heading to the same place! I thought that was so cool!

I didn’t take very many pictures. It was busy and crowded with family and children and 2-year-old twins and I just don’t think about hauling out my iPhone. But here’s a picture of Uncle Bob, the birthday boy with his cake (I’m not exactly sure why he was peering at me that way! Lol!)

I also got a very candid shot of some of the kiddos with Sheri’s daughter, Terah:

Those are the little 2-year-old twins in the middle, Dorothy and Padraig. Their parents were married 14 years and then…BOOM! Pregnant with twins! They are adorable, and their mom and dad are wonderful parents. Very. Busy. Parents. (2-year-old twins. Can you IMAGINE???)

I did not get a picture of my cousin Sheri, and I am verklempt. Argh! But, I did get a picture that’s pretty cool:

That’s my brother, Dave, on the left. Then John, and my cousin Craig (Sheri’s brother). This was taken later at Dave’s place (formerly my folks’ place, and formerly before that my maternal grandparents’ place). I was so shocked to see Dave—he has lost a whole lot of weight (almost gaunt!) and has let himself, for the first time, to go naturally gray. (Yep, he used to dye his hair—for years). He’s also grown a mustache and goatee. It looks really nice, but he looks so different, and I was wracking my brain the whole time trying to figure out who he reminded me of. It finally hit me—he looks like Jon Stewart!

I wish I had a better picture of Dave to compare side-by-side, but the resemblance is remarkable. Guess you’ll just have to take my word for it. Here’s a cropped side-view.

Had such a good time visiting with everyone, and then later we headed down the road (less than a mile away) to Dave’s. My sister-in-law is currently in Budapest having some major dental work done! (Wow!) Mt. Baker was plugged in!

Here’s a shot of Monday’s fog bank. It was really something! (Click to embiggen).

We watched the “eclipse” yesterday morning and were pretty much unimpressed. With 92% totality, I guess I expected more. The sky and water maybe muted a bit (maybe?) but aside from that, I really couldn’t tell any difference. We didn’t have NASA glasses so we didn’t try to peer at the sun, but I was more interested in seeing how everything else looked. Like, dimness, darkness, shadows, and possibly animal behavior. Truth is, if it hadn’t been all hyped about, I don’t think I would have noticed that “something” had changed. Honestly, the effect of the smoke from the B.C. wildfires a few weeks ago was a thousand times more dramatic than the solar eclipse.

Here's a very quick video of how gorgeous it is at Camano:

 

Week Forty

Compiled by Amy Siskind

Experts in authoritarianism advise to keep a list of things subtly changing around you, so you’ll remember.

This week’s list is not the longest, but it is certainly the most heartbreaking. Tump's comments on Charlottesville legitimized the worst of us, and spawned a watershed moment for our country. His remarks were met with widespread condemnation and reactions, and precipitated a mass exodus of corporate CEOs, wiping away any lingering doubts that Tump's goals were ever truly linked to job creation. For the first time, real questions about fitness for office were raised out loud by both sides.

This week in Tump's shrinking, chaotic regime it became even clearer that Trump answers to no one but himself. He continues to attack and attempt to intimidate Republicans into submission, as part of his continuing efforts to consolidate power.

1. In an impromptu news conference on Charlottesville late Saturday afternoon, Trump said, “We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides.”
2. White supremacists and neo-Nazi leaders cheered Tump's “on many sides” comments, taking his words as a defense, or even as a tacit approval, of their action.
3. On Sunday, the WH issued a statement to “clarify” Tump's Saturday comments, saying Trump condemns all forms of “violence, bigotry and hatred” while naming white supremacists, KKK, and neo-Nazis.
4. 32 year-old Heather Heyer was killed Saturday after a car driven by James Fields rammed into a crowd of counter-protestors in Charlottesville. Nineteen others were injured.
5. Daily Caller and Fox News deleted a post titled, “Here’s A Reel Of Cars Plowing Through Protesters Trying To Block The Road,” which included a video encouraging people to drive through protests.
6. Two state troopers, Lieutenant Cullen and Trooper Bates, who were keeping watch on the demonstrations in Charlottesville, were killed when their helicopter went down.
7. On Sunday, a candlelight vigil planned for Heather Heyer in Charlottesville was cancelled due to a “credible threat from white supremacists.”
8. Neo-Nazis disparaged Heyer, and the KKK celebrated her death. Neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer was taken down after activists, led by my Sunday tweet, contacted domain hosts Go Daddy, Google, etc.
9. After US hosting companies refused to host The Daily Stormer, the website briefly relocated to Russia, for which they thanked Trump, before being kicked off there too. China rebuffed them too.
10. In the wake of Charlottesville, numerous tech companies including Facebook, Google, Spotify, Uber, Squarespace and many others took action to curb use of their services and platforms by alt-right groups.
11. A Unite the Right organizer was disavowed by his family. Several marchers who were identified on social media lost their jobs. Others were asked to denounce their activities or were expelled by colleges.
12. On Sunday, Tump's popularity hit a new low at Gallup with 34% approving and 61% disapproving (-27).
13. On Monday, Sessions said the car ramming into Heather Heyer and 19 others “does meet the definition of domestic terrorism” under US law.
14. On Monday morning, Merck’s CEO resigned from Tump's American Manufacturing Council saying as a “matter of personal conscience, I feel a responsibility to take a stand against intolerance and extremism.”
15. Later Monday, Trump tweeted @Merck is a leader in “higher & higher drug prices,” and “taking jobs out of the U.S.”
16. Later Monday and Tuesday, four more CEOs resigned from Tump's American Manufacturing Council over his handling of Charlottesville.
17. Trump countered, “I have many to take their place. Grandstanders should not have gone on.” Trump offered no new names publicly.
18. On Wednesday, NYT reported the CEOs on Tump's Strategic and Policy Forum held a morning conference call to discuss whether to disband the policy forum. The Manufacturing Council planned a call that afternoon.
19. Before the policy forum, and possible manufacturing council could formally disband, midday Wednesday Trump tweeted “rather than putting pressure on the businesspeople,” he was ending both.
20. On Thursday, the WH announced the Presidential Advisory Council on Infrastructure, which was still being formed, would not move forward.
21. On Monday, Trump said he is “seriously considering” a pardon for ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio, saying, “He’s a great American patriot.”
22. In the aftermath of Charlottesville, the Phoenix mayor called on Trump to delay his planned rally next week, saying Tump's plan to pardon Arpaio could “enflame emotions and further divide our nation.”
23. Minutes after the Phoenix mayor’s statement, Trump tweeted a link for tickets to his Phoenix event.
24. Advocates said there has been a spike in reports of anti-LGBTQ violence since Trump took office. As of August, there are already more hate-related homicides than in all of 2016, excluding Pulse.
25. A Virginia high school sent a letter to parents saying selection for AP and Honors classes would at least partly based on race.
26. On Monday, the Holocaust memorial in Boston was vandalized for the second time this summer.
27. On Monday, reading from a teleprompter, Trump gave his third version of comments on Charlottesville, calling the KKK, neo-Nazis and white supremacists “repugnant” and saying, “racism is evil.”
28. On Tuesday morning, Trump tweeted then deleted an image of a train running over a CNN reporter.
29. On Tuesday at Trump Tower, with Mnuchin, Chao and Cohn by this side, Trump turned what was supposed to be remarks about his infrastructure plan into an “off-the-rails” news conference on Charlottesville.
30. Reversing himself for the fourth time in four days, Trump said “I think there’s blame on both sides” — insinuating that the “alt-left” was just as much to blame as white supremacists and neo-Nazis.
31. Trump claimed not all the white supremacists and neo-Nazis were bad people, “you also had people that were very fine people, on both sides.”
32. When asked about Bannon, Trump said “He’s a good man. He’s not a racist,” and that the press treats him, “frankly, very unfairly.”
33. Trump claimed alt-right protestors had a permit, but counter-protesters “came charging in without a permit” and “were very, very violent.” WAPO gave the claim that counter-protestors had no permit 4 Pinocchios.
34. Trump equated taking down the statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville to taking down statues of Washington (“George Washington was a slave owner”) and Jefferson (“Because he was a major slave owner”).
35. Tump's staff, expecting brief remarks on infrastructure, were stunned by his action. One senior WH official told NBC, Trump “went rogue.”
36. POLITICO reported Trump was “in good spirits” Tuesday night, and felt the “new conference went much better” than his Monday speech.
37. Alt-right leaders praised Tump's Tuesday comments. Richard Spencer said he was “really proud of him,” and David Duke tweeted, “Thank you President Trump for your honesty & courage to tell the truth.”
38. Axios reported within the Trump WH, Bannon unapologetically supported Tump's instinct to blame “both sides,” and that he and Trump “instinctively searched for “their” people in that group of protesters.”
39. Mnuchin’s Yale classmates wrote an open letter calling on him to resign immediately, saying Trump “declared himself a sympathizer with groups” whose values are antithetical to Yale and decent human beings.
40. In a Republican primary in Alabama Tuesday, Tump's chosen candidate Luther Strange, who he very publicly supported, came in second.
41. On Wednesday, Pence cut his international trip to Central and South America short to come home. The stated reason was to join a national security meeting on Friday, although rumors flew with other theories.
42. On Wednesday, Fox News’ Shep Smith said his show “reached out to Republicans of all stripes across the country today” and couldn’t find a single one willing to come on and discuss Tump's Tuesday comments.
43. In a letter, former CIA director Brennan told CNN’s Blitzer Tump's comments on Charlottesville were “despicable,” and that Trump “is putting our national security and our collective futures at grave risk.”
44. On Wednesday, the Generals of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and National Guard tweeted to condemn the racist violence in Charlottesville, declaring the nation’s armed forces unequivocally against hatred.
45. Sen. Corker, one of Tump's first senate supporters who was also under consideration for VP, said Trump “has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability nor some of the competence” to be a successful leader.
46. European leaders, including Merkel and May, denounced Tump's comments on Charlottesville. Martin Schulz of German said Trump “is betraying our Western value.”
47. Rep Steve Cohen of TN, a ranking member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, introduced articles of impeachment in response to Tump's comments on Charlottesville.
48. On Wednesday, Sessions told NBC News that the Charlottesville car attack may be considered a “hate crime.”
49. USA Today Editorial Board called on Congress to censure Trump for his “shocking equivocations about the white-supremacist,” challenging Republicans to “stand up for American values” or be Trump enablers.
50. On Thursday, the Cleveland Clinic pulled their 2018 Florida gala from Mar-a-Lago. Cleveland Clinic had held their event there for eight years.
51. By Friday evening, 16 charities had pulled their events from Mar-a-Lago, costing the Trump Organization hundreds of thousands, or possibly millions in lost revenues.
52. Citing violence at Charlottesville, Texas A&M and the University of Florida cancelled scheduled speaking appearances by white supremacist Richard Spencer, both citing safety concerns.
53. On Thursday, Michigan State University denied a request by Spencer to rent space on the campus for a September event.
54. Students and graduates of Lehigh University students petitioned trustees to revoke Tump's honorary degree, citing Tump's “both sides” remarks.
55. Thousands gathered at UVA on Wednesday night for an unannounced candlelight vigil. They chanted “love wins,” and sang “We Shall Overcome” and “Amazing Grace.”
56. At a funeral for Heather Heyer mother, Susan Bro said, “They tried to kill my child to shut her up. Well, guess what? You just magnified her.” Bro told NBC Thursday she has received death threats from hate groups.
57. Bro said she will not meet with Trump after he blamed “both sides” for violence in Charlottesville. She also has not picked up his phone calls.
58. Trump continued to tweet about Confederate statues after his news conference, “can’t change history, but you can learn from it. Robert E Lee, Stonewall Jackson — who’s next, Washington, Jefferson? So foolish!”
59. The great-great grandchildren of Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis and Stonewall Jackson called for Confederate statues to be removed. They also condemned the white supremacist and violence in Charlottesville.
60. They also suggested statues be moved to museums. Bertram Hayes-Davis, great-great-grandson of Jefferson Davis suggested, “In a public place, if it is offensive and people are taking issue with it, let’s move it.”
61. In the days following the Charlottesville alt-right rally, 13 US cities and Duke University said they would remove Confederate monuments. Several other cities are considering same.
62. After a terrorist attack in Spain, Trump tweeted about what General Pershing did when terrorist were caught: “There was no more Radical Islamic Terror for 35 years!” Politifact rated Tump's claim, Pants on Fire.
63. Trump continued to do battle with Republicans, targeting Flake who he called “toxic” and “WEAK on borders, crime and a non-factor in Senate,” and Graham who he said “can’t forget his election trouncing.”
64. Countering Trump, McConnell offered his “full support” for Flake.
65. James Murdoch donated $1mm to the Anti-Defamation League in the wake of Charlottesville. As many of social media noted, Fox News played a major role in stoking the hate of far-right extremists.
66. According to government documents published by one of Murdoch’s newspapers Tuesday, Australian authorities denied a bid by Trump to build a casino in 1988 due to his ties to the mafia and organized crime.
67. HuffPost reported on Trump aide Katharine Gorka’s role in helping to pull DHS funding for Life After Hate, a group dedicated to countering neo-Nazis and white supremacists, as noted in Week 33. Of note: also in Week 33, the State Dept.'s anti-Semitism monitoring office was shuttered.
68. In an interview Thursday, former VP Gore said if he could give Trump one piece of advice, it would be to resign.
69. On Friday, the 17 remaining members of Tump's presidential arts and humanities panel resigned Friday in protest over his Charlottesville comments.
70. Tump's WH responded late Friday, saying Trump was going to disband the arts and humanities panel anyway.
71. Trump and Melania said they will not attend this year’s Kennedy Center Honors in December. According to Huckabee Sanders, the decision is meant to allow “honorees to celebrate without any political distraction.”
72. The decision was made after numerous honorees announced their intentions to skip or protest if Trump attended. After Tump's cancelation, event organizers said, “We are grateful for this gesture.”
73. NBC called this week Tump's “worst week yet,” and said he was more isolated than ever.
74. Hope Hicks took over as the interim WH communications director, as Trump continued his search to replace Scaramucci. Hicks is the fourth person in that role.
75. Tump's personal lawyer John Dowd forwarded an email with secessionist Civil War propaganda. The email also stated the group Black Lives Matter “has been totally infiltrated by terrorist groups.”
76. Tump's DOJ issued a warrant to DreamHost demanding the company turn over all IP addresses related to DisruptJ20.org, a website used in planning actions to interrupt Tump's inauguration.
77. A week after the inauguration, the DOJ had asked for information such as people’s physical and email addresses and DreamHost had complied. DreamHost’s lawyers called the latest request a “complete overreach.”
78. NYT reported Mueller, for the first time, is seeking to interview past and current members of Tump's WH beyond Manafort, including members of the communications team.
79. Mueller is interested in interviewing Priebus about what occurred during the campaign and in the WH, especially as it relates to the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting and the Comey firing.
80. During a press conference on his visit to Columbia, Pence told reporters he “never witnessed” any evidence of Russian collusion with the Trump campaign, and that he was “not aware” of it ever having occurred.
81. WAPO reported Trump aid George Papadopoulos, starting in March 2016 with an email headed, “Meeting with Russian Leadership — Including Putin,” repeatedly tried to get Trump aides to meet with Russians.
82. Experts on Russian intelligence speculated his email chain offers further evidence that Russians were looking for entry points into the Trump campaign. Papalopoulos said he was acting as a Russian intermediary.
83. NYT reported on an investigation by Ukrainian investigators and the FBI of a Ukrainian malware expert named “Profexer,” for his part in a network of hackers allegedly engaged by Russia to hack the US election.
84. Also under investigation is a Russian government hacking group, Advanced Persistent Threat 28 or Fancy Bear, believed to be involved in the DNC hacking. Much of the work was outsourced to private vendors.
85. In the first know hitch, Mueller’s special counsel lost a top FBI investigator, Peter Strzok. It is unclear why Strzok stepped away.
86. A US District court judge ruled that as part of a libel suit brought by Webzilla CEO Aleksej Gubarev against Buzzfeed, Steele could be questioned about the funding and sourcing of the dossier.
87. Rep Rohrabacher, an advocate for the Kremlin, said he plans to brief Trump on his meeting with Assange. Assange told Rohrabacher that he was not behind the DNC hack, and that the Russians were not involved.
88. Assange is trying to strike a deal so he can stop living in asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. In Week 23, Sessions said the DOJ was preparing charges against Assange whose “arrest is a priority.”
89. The National Parks Service reversed a ban on plastic water bottles at national parks. The move came after confirmation of Tump's Deputy Interior Secretary, who previously represented Deer Park Water.
90. In a tweet, the Trump Organization featured a photo with the caption, “From our Presidential ballroom to intimate historic room,” to advertise meeting and event space.
91. Raising ethical concerns, Justice Gorsuch is scheduled to address conservative groups at Trump Hotel DC in September, less than two weeks before the court will hear arguments on Tump's Muslim Ban.
92. Mattis’ DoD parted ways with senior media adviser, Steve Warren. Pentagon reporters have complained about lack of access to Mattis, and some recently being kicked off Mattis’s Middle East trip last minute.
93. On Friday, Trump friend and ally Carl Icahn resigned as a special adviser to Trump, although Icahn had done nothing in that role. The WH said Icahn had been fired on Monday.
94. Icahn resigned hours before The New Yorker published a piece on his conflicts of interest (see Week 20). The head of a watchdog group said, “This kind of self-enrichment and influence” was “unprecedented.”
95. Trump tweeted photos from Camp David of him signing the Global War on Terrorism War Memorial Act. Of the 14 people at the signing, there was only one woman and not a single person of color.
96. In an interview with The American Prospect on Wednesday, a venting Bannon referred to white supremacists as “clowns” and “losers.”
97. Contradicting Trump, Bannon said on N. Korea, “there’s no military solution here, they got us,” and added, “it’s just a sideshow.”
98. In new interviews, Bannon said he viewed the post-Charlotte racial strife and turmoil as a political winner for Trump.
99. On Friday, Trump fired Bannon. According to Bannon allies, he submitted his intention to leave the WH on August 7.
100. Axios reported Bannon met with the billionaire Mercer family for five hours Friday in New York and “together they will be a well-funded force on the outside.”
101. Bannon told Bloomberg that he would be returning to run Breitbart, and that he would be “going to war for Trump against his opponents — on Capitol Hill, in the media, and in corporate America.”
102. Bannon told the Weekly Standard, “The Trump presidency that we fought for, and won, is over,” saying Trump will not achieve his campaign promises. Bannon vowed to continue the fight from the outside.
103. In an op-ed titled, “I Voted for Trump, And I Sorely Regret It,” past avid supporter Julius Krein wrote of his disillusionment with Trump, and the realization that Trump would not achieve his stated goals.
104. Right-wing radio host Limbaugh backed white nationalists and told his 26 million listeners that America is on the “cusp of a second civil war,” blaming international financiers who are trying to bring down America.
105. On Saturday, Boston hosted a Free Speech Rally organized by conservatives and libertarians at Boston Commons. Friday, Mayor Walsh said 500 police officers would be there, and urged people to stay away.
106. Thousands of counter-protestors marched through downtown Boston to condemn white supremacists and neo-Nazis. Police estimated more than 40k counter-protestors peacefully marched.

The Worst Ever

No moral compass.

No moral fiber.

No moral authority.

He is an empty suit.

THIS.