White House asserts Shulkin 'resigned' from VA post
BY JOSH DELK - 03/31/18 11:50 AM EDT
The White House now says Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary David Shulkinresigned from his post this week, despite Shulkin's claim that he was fired by the White House chief of staff, according to Politico.
Shulkin, who was fired after months of worsening relations with top VA officials and a controversy pointing to his improper use of taxpayer dollars for personal benefit, said this week that he received a phone call from chief of staff John Kelly informing him of his removal from the post.
But when asked by Politico on Saturday about the latest administration shake-up, White House spokeswoman Lindsey Walters said, "Secretary Shulkin resigned from his position as Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs."
A source familiar with the situation told Politico that Shulkin had never tendered a resignation letter, and that he was forced out so quickly he never had the chance to give an official farewell address to the agency's employees.
Shulkin's conversation with Kelly reportedly came just hours after a phone call with President the rich asshole himself, who Shulkin said did not mention the firing. According to Shulkin, the two discussed the "pace" of operations at the nation's second-largest federal department, which has faced pressure under the new administration to remedy the slow wait times for veterans seeking care.
Shulkin said the rich asshole "wasn't happy with the pace" at the agency and wanted someone who could reinvigorate the sluggish department. Shulkin said he agreed.
"Every Cabinet member serves at the pleasure of the president and it's the president's prerogative to have a team around him that he thinks is doing the job," he said in an interview on Fox News.
the rich asshole later tweeted he was ousting Shulkin, the last remaining Cabinet member appointed by former President Obama, and replacing him with White House physician Adm. Ronny Jackson. To lead the agency before Jackson steps in, the rich asshole bypassed Shulkin's deputy and appointed a senior defense official instead.
Shulkin has since cited the "toxic" work environment in Washington, D.C., that exacerbated his struggles in the position and said there is a "brutal power struggle" going on at the VA.
the rich asshole: Amazon 'scam' costing Postal Service 'billions'
BY MAX GREENWOOD - 03/31/18 09:23 AM EDT
President the rich asshole lashed out at Amazon on Saturday, accusing the retail giant of scamming the U.S. Postal Service over shipping costs and evading taxes.
"While we are on the subject, it is reported that the U.S. Post Office will lose $1.50 on average for each package it delivers for Amazon," the rich asshole tweeted, following up on a tweet earlier this week that accused Amazon of "putting many thousands of retailers out of business."
"That amounts to Billions of Dollars," he tweeted Saturday. "The Failing N.Y. Times reports that 'the size of the company’s lobbying staff has ballooned,' and that does not include the Fake Washington Post, which is used as a 'lobbyist' and should so REGISTER. If the P.O. 'increased its parcel rates, Amazon’s shipping costs would rise by $2.6 Billion.' This Post Office scam must stop. Amazon must pay real costs (and taxes) now!"
While we are on the subject, it is reported that the U.S. Post Office will lose $1.50 on average for each package it delivers for Amazon. That amounts to Billions of Dollars. The Failing N.Y. Times reports that “the size of the company’s lobbying staff has ballooned,” and that...
...does not include the Fake Washington Post, which is used as a “lobbyist” and should so REGISTER. If the P.O. “increased its parcel rates, Amazon’s shipping costs would rise by $2.6 Billion.” This Post Office scam must stop. Amazon must pay real costs (and taxes) now!
The president has ramped up his attacks on the retail giant in recent days, repeating concerns he voiced on the campaign trail about the company's business practices, particularly as they relate to the U.S. Postal Service.
He has called on the agency to raise shipping rates for Amazon. Parcel delivery has become an increasingly important business for the Postal Service amid long-running declines in its first-class mail service.
Despite the gains in its parcel delivery service, the agency has not been able to make up the losses from declines in its mail delivery business. Last year, the Postal Service reported a loss of $2.7 billion and revenue of $69.6 billion.
A Citigroup analysis last year indicated that the post office subsidizes every Amazon package delivered by $1.46. But Amazon argues that the Postal Regulatory Commission has consistently found that Amazon’s contracts with the USPS are profitable.
“Amazon has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in a network of more than 20 package sortation facilities that inject directly into the USPS last mile network bypassing most of USPS network,” Amazon said last year, according to Fortune magazine. “This investment resulted in more efficient processes as well as thousands of jobs and related economic benefits in local communities.”
Axios reported last week that the rich asshole disputes reports that the partnership is profitable.
“It's been explained to him in multiple meetings that his perception is inaccurate and that the post office actually makes a ton of money from Amazon," a source close to the rich asshole told Axios.
the rich asshole has also accused Amazon of failing to pay state and local sales taxes. In fact, the company does collect such taxes on products sold to consumers in states with sales taxes in place. Amazon does not collect taxes in all states on behalf of third party sellers that use the company as a marketplace.
While the rich asshole's attacks on Amazon have resurfaced in recent days, the president has gone after the retail giant in the past. He called on the Postal Service to raise shipping rates for the company in December. And in 2016, while he was still a presidential candidate, the rich asshole decried what he called Amazon's "monopolistic tendencies."
the rich asshole, Sessions relationship takes new turn with special counsel decision
BY KATIE BO WILLIAMS AND MORGAN CHALFANT - 03/31/18 06:02 AM EDT
President the rich asshole and Attorney General Jeff Sessions have a new complication in their historically contentious relationship: The decision by Sessions not to appoint a second special counsel to investigate conservative allegations of abuse at the Justice Department.
Sessions on Thursday notified key lawmakers on Capitol Hill that he has tapped Utah’s top prosecutor, John Huber, to coordinate with the department’s inspector general — but he stopped short of ceding to demands for a new special counsel, at least for now.
The announcement was a disappointment to some the rich asshole allies in Congress who have clamored for the appointment.
“I disagree with the attorney general,” said Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), a lawmaker who frequently talks to the rich asshole. “The Justice Department is not complying with the subpoena and oversight responsibility we have in Congress, so for the attorney general to say there’s not enough there is extremely disappointing.”
The White House itself did not comment on the Sessions decision, however, nor did the rich asshole.
And key lawmakers on Capitol Hill who have formally requested a second special counsel — such as House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) — instead chose to focus on the appointment of Huber, calling the move “encouraging.”
Still, the news will do little to dim speculation that the rich asshole may fire the attorney general, whom he has publicly mocked, criticized and pressured over his handling of the department. the rich asshole was enraged by Sessions’s decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation last spring, an act he saw as a betrayal, and Washington has been on watch for the attorney general’s dismissal for a year.
the rich asshole has berated Sessions for giving responsibility for investigation into the myriad allegations to the Justice Department inspector general, calling it “disgraceful” in a recent tweet.
“No matter what happens, the rich asshole is furious at Sessions” over his recusal, said Ford O’Connell, a Republican strategist and political analyst. “And the rich asshole will not be satisfied until a second special counsel is convened.”
The decision also comes as Sessions is featured on the cover of Time magazine — an honor that sat uneasily with the president when previously bestowed on staff members.
Sessions’s lengthy explanation to lawmakers leaves open the option that Huber could still recommend the appointment of a special counsel — and it gives conservative lawmakers some of what they say they want.
The decision to tap Huber to coordinate with the department’s inspector general appeases Republican demands for an investigator who has the authority to prosecute people.
“While we continue to believe the appointment of a second Special Counsel is necessary, this is a step in the right direction,” Gowdy and Goodlatte said in a joint statement on Thursday.
Sessions also emphasized the authority of the Justice Department inspector general, Michael Horowitz, to “collect evidence through subpoena, and develop cases for presentation to the Attorney General ... for prosecution” — other complaints Republicans had raised about relying solely on Horowitz.
“I think it’s actually another in a series of examples of Sessions walking a pretty fine tightrope and at least, thus far, navigating it successfully,” said Stephen Vladeck, a national security law professor at the University of Texas.
In the Time interview, Sessions sent the signal that he is working for the rich asshole.
“I want to do what the president wants me to do,” he told Time. “But I do feel like we’re advancing the agenda that he believes in. And what’s good for me is it’s what I believe in too.”
The former Alabama senator, an early supporter of the president during his campaign, has been successful in carrying out the rich asshole initiatives beyond the handling of the Russia investigation.
“I think the administration is, overall, happy with Jeff Sessions, particularly with illegal immigration, sanctuary cities,” said O’Connell.
And Sessions did earn praise from the rich asshole earlier this month for dismissing FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe — a day before he would have been eligible for his pension.
the rich asshole has accused McCabe, a longtime GOP target, of bias. According to the Justice Department, Sessions fired the former career official over allegations of misconduct stemming from an ongoing internal inspector general investigation into the FBI’s handling of the Clinton email probe. McCabe has claimed that his dismissal was unjustified and politically motivated.
Sessions has repeatedly indicated misgivings about appointing a second special counsel despite demands from Republicans in Congress, a position that could further fracture his ties to the rich asshole.
Goodlatte, Gowdy and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) have all called for a second special counsel to investigate a variety of different conservative allegations related to the Obama-era Justice Department.
Republicans have urged Justice to investigate putative wrongdoing by the Clinton Foundation, as well as the 2010 sale of a Toronto-based uranium company with U.S. holdings to a Russian state-owned firm — a sale the rich asshole has also repeatedly highlighted.
They have also demanded a probe into how the Obama Justice Department handled the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server during her time as secretary of State. Horowitz is expected to issue a report in his investigation into the matter as soon as April.
More recently, Republicans have pushed for a probe into allegations of surveillance abuse raised by a controversial memo authored by staff for House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.).
The inspector general announced this week that he is launching an investigation into those allegations.
Sessions has deflected, deferred and in some cases outright denied demands for the second counsel for months.
In a marathon appearance before Goodlatte’s committee in November, he insisted that it would take “a factual basis that meets the standard of a special counsel” for the Justice Department to appoint a special prosecutor.
“We will use the proper standards and that’s the only thing I can tell you, Mr. Jordan,” Sessions said in a testy exchange with Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). “You can have your idea, but sometimes we have to study what the facts are and to evaluate whether it meets the standards it requires.”
In his letter on Thursday, Sessions set a high bar for the appointment, suggesting it would be necessary to show a clear conflict of interest for the Justice Department.
Steven Cash, a lawyer at Day Pitney, said Sessions was simply following regular protocol by declining to appoint a special counsel, given the narrow circumstances under which such an appointment is warranted.
“It seems like this is sort of regular order of business," he said.
He also said Sessions was right not to completely rule out the possibility of appointing one should a reason arise.
“That’s not surprising either, because you never know what you’re going to find,” Cash said. “And you should never rule it out.”
Jonathan Easley contributed.
‘Thoughts and prayers’: Internet mocks Laura Ingraham as she takes a vacation while advertisers flee
Laura Ingraham -- screenshot
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As she closed her five-month old show Friday night Laura Ingraham announced she will be taking next week off. Ingraham has been plagued by at least 16 advertisers fleeing her program, some promising to never return after the Fox News host attacked Parkland student survivor David Hogg.
I’ll be off for Easter break with my kids, but fear not – we’ve got a great lineup of guest hosts to fill in for me,” Ingraham told viewers.
Former Fox News president Joe Peyronnin says Ingraham’s apology – which she said she was offering because of “Holy Week” – was insufficient and the flood of advertisers leaving “could be fatal” to the future of her show.
David Hogg, who had responded to Ingraham’s attack by tweeting out a list of just 12 of her top advertisers on Wednesday, offered this tweet:
Have some healthy reflections this Holy Week. twitter.com/levinejonathan…
Others on social media noted that at Fox News, vacations after advertiser boycotts are sometimes permanent:
Remember @BillOReilly never returned from his “vacation.” variety.com/2018/tv/news/l…
Meanwhile, some rejoiced in the success of the Parkland students, and others sent Ingraham their “thoughts and prayers”:
A word to the wise, don't fuck with the warriors from #Parkland. They will win. variety.com/2018/tv/news/l…
Aunt Crabby calls Bullshit 
Laura Ingraham is going on vacation after her disgusting attack of David Hogg. Conservatives and Republicans take note. You keep viciously smearing the Parkland students, and you will keep taking L’s. These kids are tough. variety.com/2018/tv/news/l…
Laura Ingraham, Bested By Teen, Goes On Vacation ift.tt/2pSrsTm
THESE KIDS ARE NOT FUCKING AROUND. twitter.com/bristei/status…
the rich asshole demands punishment for newspaper that exposed his incompetence
By
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the rich asshole is demanding that the Washington Post register with the government just a day after the newspaper published an exposé of the incompetence and corruption of his administration.
the rich asshole wants a newspaper that published a damning exposé of his administration’s incompetence to have to register with the government — a move that appears to be an act of political retribution.
The latest authoritarian, anti-speech missive came in the form of a tweet Saturday morning, as the rich asshole railed against the Washington Post.
the rich asshole said the Post has been “used as a lobbyist and should so REGISTER.”
The chilling attack came just a day after the paper published a report detailing the massive incompetence within the White House Presidential Personnel Office. The office is supposed to serve as a clearinghouse for people seeking government jobs. However, since the rich asshole took office, it has come to resemble a frat house.
Instead of filling vacancies at the State Department, the office has been holding drinking games and vaping sessions for former the rich asshole campaign staffers.
When it has filled jobs, the office has been used to scrounge up federally financed positions for the families of the rich asshole-affiliated figures, replicating the nepotism the rich asshole has engaged in with his son-in-law and daughter.
Saturday’s Twitter rant began as an attack on Amazon.com, whose founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos, also owns the Post.
Perhaps aware of how unpopular it is to openly push for silencing the Post, the rich asshole has instead channeled his anger towards Amazon, claiming that the company is scamming the U.S. Postal Service.
But David Partenheimer, a spokesman for the service, previously wrote that the revenue from Amazon shipments provides “essential support to pay for the network and infrastructure that enables us to fulfill our universal service obligation.”
the rich asshole has also whined that Amazon does not pay enough in taxes. Yet he recently passed tax legislation that helps companies like Amazon get away with lower tax payments. And of course, nobody knows what the rich asshole pays in taxes because he won’t release his tax returns.
But this isn’t really about Amazon.
The Post has done extensive, in-depth investigative journalism that has exposed the rich asshole’s secrets. In 2017 it won a Pulitzer for revealing how the rich asshole and his family have used so-called charity as a scam to enrich themselves.
the rich asshole does not like the ability of the free press to report on his misdeeds and failings as a business man and as an elected official. His first instinct with the press is always to attack, refusing to accept factual information and instead petulantly railing against it as “fake news.”
Time and time again, he has called for new laws to restrict speech, or pushed for the power to sue news outlets that report facts that make him look bad.
He doesn’t like the First Amendment, and he’s not even trying to hide it.
The Washington Post did its job and reported on the rich asshole’s incompetent administration — but instead of doing his job and making changes to serve America, the rich asshole wants the Post to register with the government as a lobbyist.
That is the mindset of a dictator, not a democratically elected American president.
the rich asshole doubles down on bizarre attacks on Amazon and US Post Office in manic Twitter meltdown
the rich asshole's planned tariffs on steel and aluminium have triggered fears of a trade war. (AFP / MANDEL NGAN)
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After remaining silent for most of Good Friday, President some rich asshole was back on Twitter Saturday morning tweeting out another attack on Amazon, the U.S. Post Office and now the “failing New York Times” in a series of frantic tweets.
Following a bizarre claim on Thursday that the Post Office is acting as a delivery boy for Amazon — in a veiled attack at founder Jeff Bezos — the rich asshole once again went on the attack on Saturday.
“While we are on the subject, it is reported that the U.S. Post Office will lose $1.50 on average for each package it delivers for Amazon. That amounts to Billions of Dollars,” the rich asshole tweeted, adding, “The Failing N.Y. Times reports that ‘the size of the company’s lobbying staff has ballooned,’ and that does not include the Fake Washington Post, which is used as a ‘lobbyist’ and should so REGISTER. If the P.O. ‘increased its parcel rates, Amazon’s shipping costs would rise by $2.6 Billion.’ This Post Office scam must stop. Amazon must pay real costs (and taxes) now!”
He then added, “Governor Jerry “Moonbeam” Brown pardoned 5 criminal illegal aliens whose crimes include (1) Kidnapping and Robbery (2) Badly beating wife and threatening a crime with intent to terrorize (3) Dealing drugs. Is this really what the great people of California want? @FoxNews.”
You can see the tweets below:
Governor Jerry “Moonbeam” Brown pardoned 5 criminal illegal aliens whose crimes include (1) Kidnapping and Robbery (2) Badly beating wife and threatening a crime with intent to terrorize (3) Dealing drugs. Is this really what the great people of California want? @FoxNews
By
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March 30, 2018
A brutal new poll shows young Americans are not impressed by the tweeter-in-chief.
A majority of young Americans think the rich asshole is racist, dishonest, and “mentally unfit” to serve as president, according to a brutal new poll of the youngest generation of voters and soon-to-be voters.
The poll, conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and MTV, found that the rich asshole’s approval rating among Americans aged 15 to 34 is an abysmal 33 percent — a full nine points lower than all adults combined.
When asked about specific character attributes, 60 percent of young people described the rich asshole as “mentally unfit” for the office of the presidency, 62 percent called him “generally dishonest,” and 63 percent said he “is a racist.”
Young people are also unimpressed by the rich asshole’s use of social media. Asked what advice they would give the rich asshole regarding his Twitter habit, 49 percent of respondents said they’d tell him to “delete your account.”
Overall, more than 7 in 10 young Americans said the rich asshole “doesn’t reflect my personal values.”
“the rich asshole doesn’t care about us,” Nicole Martin, a 27 year-old African-American graduate student, told The Associated Press. “I’m not going to say he’s unfit like he has schizophrenia. I do kind of think he’s twisted in the head. He just comes off as disgusting to me.”
The survey respondents, all of whom will be old enough to vote in the next presidential election, would make up the largest share of the electorate in 2018 and 2020 if they vote at the same rate as older Americans.
Traditionally, younger people have had lower voter turnout, especially in midterm elections. In 2014, only 20 percent of 18-29 year olds cast ballots.
However, the poll results suggest that young Americans are becoming more actively engaged in politics. Nearly half of respondents (47 percent) said they’re paying closer attention to politics since the rich asshole’s election.
There are also signs that the activism sparked by the Parkland teens may be having an impact on young people more broadly. The poll found that young Americans are more focused on guns than any other issue, with 21 percent of respondents saying gun laws are their top concern.
the rich asshole’s poll numbers are historically low across most groups of Americans, but he fares the worst among the nation’s youngest voters. And that intense discontent may be the very thing that motivates young people to get to the polls this fall.
POLITICS
some rich asshole Gets Mocked After Showing He Really Doesn’t Know What The Post Office Does
The president slammed Amazon for using the USPS as a “Delivery Boy.”
President some rich asshole on Thursday returned to one of his favorite targets, attacking online retail giant Amazon over taxes, its effect on brick-and-mortar stores and one other thing that caused some head-scratching.
the rich asshole said Amazon uses “our Postal System as their Delivery Boy.”
That has people wondering: Isn’t the United States Postal Service supposed to be in the delivery business?
It’s in their mission:
“The Postal Service mission is to provide a reliable, efficient, trusted and affordable universal delivery service that connects people and helps businesses grow.”
The USPS says on its website that it’s “the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation,” and notes that it delivers 47 percent of the world’s mail.
the rich asshole seems to imply that the company’s heavy use of the USPS is, as he tweeted, “causing tremendous loss to the U.S.”
While the USPS has for years been losing money, including a $2.7 billion net loss for the 2017 fiscal year, package delivery is one of the few bright spots.
“That’s actually the solution right now,” former Postmaster General Jack Potter told The Wall Street Journal. “It’s well justified that they deliver those packages, and they make money on it.”
While the rich asshole has attacked Amazon for its use of the USPS before, its contract by law is reviewed and has to be profitable, CBS News notes.
That has people wondering what, exactly, is wrong with Amazon using the USPS as a “delivery boy.”
Um, isn't the Postal Service EVERYBODY'S delivery boy?
Is that its entire function? It's very reason for existence? twitter.com/realDonaldTrum…
Imagine using a postal service as "a delivery boy". That's really despica.... wait, hang on...
You do realize that we pay for postage, right? The entire concept of the postal system is to act as a “delivery boy.” The US Postal Service is making a small fortune from Americans that shop online. I can’t believe I actually have to explain this.
Being a delivery boy is LITERALLY THE ONLY REASON THE POST OFFICE EXISTS. Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with you?
By
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March 30, 2018
As America takes a tougher stance toward Russia, the rich asshole is telling aides not to talk about it publicly, for fear of upsetting Putin.
After months of refusing, the rich asshole finally signed off on a deal to supply new U.S. weapons to Ukraine — a major policy shift aimed at helping Ukraine in its fight against Russia-backed separatists.
But after authorizing the deal, the rich asshole told his aides to keep it on the down low. Talking about it publicly, the rich asshole fretted, could make Putin angry.
“He doesn’t want us to bring it up,” a White House official told NBC News. “It is not something he wants to talk about.”
Apparently, this isn’t an anomaly.
As the rich asshole signs off on policies taking a tougher stance toward Russia, he has told his aides not to talk about the moves in public because he doesn’t want to upset Putin or harm their relationship.
White House officials told NBC News that the perplexing divide between the rich asshole’s policy decisions and public position on Russia “stems from his continued hope for warmer relations with Putin.”
When the White House announced this week that the U.S. was expelling 60 Russian diplomats in response to the Kremlin’s involvement in a nerve agent attack on a former spy living in the U.K., the rich asshole — keeping with his practice of never personally calling out or condemning Putin — was nowhere to be seen, and still has not issued a public statement about it.
Apparently worried that Putin might be upset by the move, the rich asshole also reportedly insisted that the White House’s announcement include the message that he “still wants to work with Russia.” Then, during a private phone call with the Russian president, the rich asshole ignored his national security advisers and their all-caps message to him “DO NOT CONGRATULATE,” and refused to condemn the poisoning.
Earlier this year, the rich asshole signed a bill imposing sanctions on Russia for its interference in the U.S. election and its aggression in Ukraine — but promptly followed up by complaining that it would harm relations with Russia.
the rich asshole’s refusal to take a tough public posture toward Putin is only fueling further speculation that the Russian president may know something about the rich asshole’s past that could hurt him if it got it.
Former CIA Director John Brennan made that exact point last week, suggesting that the rich asshole is withholding criticism of Putin because Russia may have compromising information on the rich asshole.
“The fact that he has had this fawning attitude toward Mr. Putin, has not said anything negative about him, I think continues to say to me that he does have something to fear and something very serious to fear,” Brennan said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe.
“The Russians could have something on him,” he added.
the rich asshole has repeatedly spoken out about his desire for a warmer relationship with Putin and regularly heaps praise on the authoritarian leader. He even bragged recently about their “chemistry.”
This stands in stark contrast with his criticism of the leaders of ally nations like Britain’s Theresa May, Germany’s Angela Merkel, and Australia’s Malcolm Turbull.
And now, even as the rich asshole shows signs of toughening his stance toward Russia, he still can’t bring himself to do the same towards Putin.
POLITICS
some rich asshole Awkwardly Kissed Hope Hicks Goodbye, And It Became A Hilarious New Meme
“All black outfit speaks volumes.”
President some rich asshole’s awkward farewell to trusted aide Hope Hicks set Twitter alight on Thursday.
the rich asshole bid goodbye to his former communications director outside the Oval Office with a peck on the cheek, two handshakes, lots of pointing and then what appeared to be a failed attempt at one final kiss.
Hicks, 29, announced her resignation earlier this month, the day after she admitted under oath that the rich asshole occasionally needed her to tell “white lies.”
Thursday’s exchange was caught on camera and, needless to say, instantly became a brand new meme:
But it's just a cameo, right? They haven't written her off the show completely. twitter.com/swin24/status/…
Golden words he will pour in your ear
But his lies can't disguise what you fear
For a golden girl knows when he's kissed her
It's the kiss of death from
Mister Goldfinger
Pretty girl beware of this heart of gold
This heart is coldpeople.com/politics/presi… via @people
Hope Hicks is expected to return to the White House to tie up loose ends next month so it’s hardly bye forever for Trump. Also he has her phone number lol
Scott Pruitt’s rent was half what it costs D.C. to shelter homeless families
The EPA administrator got an improbably good deal.
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt paid just $50 a night to rent a room in a condo in Capitol Hill which is co-owned by the wife of a prominent lobbyist, according to reporting from Bloomberg and ABC News. The unusual deal, which allowed Pruitt to pay only for the nights he actually spent in the room — mere blocks from his office — appears to be well below what he would have paid in comparable or worse locations. Other apartments in the same building rented for $5,000 a month, according to ABC News.
Pruitt’s rental agreement for the room was reached with an LLC co-owned by Vicki Hart, a health industry lobbyist. Hart’s husband, J. Steven Hart, is chairman of Williams & Jensen, a prominent lobbying firm whose clients include major EPA-regulated energy companies including Exxon Mobil and Cheniere Energy. The firm’s website notes that he has been named “one of Washington’s top lobbyists” by Washingtonian and The Hill.
ABC News reported on Friday that Pruitt’s adult daughter used a second room in the same condo during her the rich asshole administration White House internship last year — apparently contradicting initial clams made by the EPA to the network. The story did not indicate how much — if anything — the LLC charged for that room.
According to Inside Airbnb, a website that tracks Airbnb listings, the average price for a private room in Washington, D.C. is about $113 per night. Even a shared room would cost an average of $111. A ThinkProgress review of room rates at Motel 6 (the company that claims “clean, comfortable rooms at the lowest price of any national chain”) locations in the city found that its in-city location ranged between $79.99 and $104.99 for a night. Only the chain’s Odenton, Maryland, location — more than 28 miles from the EPA headquarters and about an hour’s drive on a good day — was priced in the $50-a-night range.
Moreover, the District of Columbia spends significantly more than that per night to house its homeless families when it runs out of shelter space. A 2014 Washington Post report noted that the city’s government, which guarantees shelter for all residents in times of frigid weather, noted that some residents were housed at a Howard Johnson’s in Cheverly, Maryland, outside of the D.C. line. The hotel’s general manager confirmed that the room cost for each family was in the ballpark of $100 per night. A 2016 Washington Post story included a similar cost figure: “It cots the city nearly $100 a day, or about $3,000 a month, to house and feed a family of four in the shelter motels.” Families housed in District hotels cost the city roughly the same as those in Maryland, according to reports.
According to the District of Columbia Housing Authority, which helps provide affordable housing to low- and moderate-income families in D.C. — nowhere near the six-figure salary Pruitt earns as EPA administrator — even a zero-bedroom (studio or efficiency) location on Capitol Hill would cost $2,422 without utilities, or more than $78 per night.
The EPA ethics counsel told Bloomberg that Pruitt’s deal was routine and not something that “causes us concern.”
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