Here are today's featured stories, posted by DU members and curated by the Administrators. More news items can be found in our Latest Breaking News forum, and for all the most up-to-the-minute stories that are being talked about by DU members, visit the Latest Discussions page.
May 13, 2024
Donald Trump's obsession with control is backfiring on his lawyers in court
(Salon) Trump's current micromanaging of his defense team certainly cuts against the claims that he would have let his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, arrange hush money payments that ended up costing Trump more than $200,000 without Trump's knowledge. But it's also creating all manner of logistical problems for his defense team, including this most recent screw-up that allowed Daniels to testify at great length.
Go to discussionTrump praises Hannibal Lecter at NJ campaign event, video shows rally emptying out as he rambles on
(The Guardian) Donald Trump on Saturday praised the fictional serial killer Hannibal Lecter as a wonderful man before segueing into comments disparaging people who have immigrated into the US without permission.
Democratic group launches $25 million ad blitz targeting Trump on abortion
(CNN) A Democratic super PAC is launching a $25 million advertising blitz in three swing states, featuring voter testimonials about former President Donald Trumps role in curbing abortion access. The ads from American Bridge 21st Century mark the first wave of a larger, planned $140 million campaign by the group to persuade swing voters in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin to reject Trumps bid to return to the White House. President Joe Biden flipped all three states in 2020.
Go to discussionJoe Biden Drops Brutal Mother's Day Ad Attacking Donald Trump
(Newsweek) On Sunday, Biden's campaign released an ad that started off tranquil with scenes of mothers with their children and the words, "Happy Mother's Day" written on the bottom. Then, the screen goes black with only the words, "But not from Donald Trump."
Go to discussionRepublicans concoct an odd new reason to try to impeach Biden
(MSNBC) Republican talk about impeaching President Joe Biden had, by all appearances, run its course. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer did his best, spending more than a year searching desperately for evidence of wrongdoing, but the Kentucky congressman failed spectacularly, and even many of the Democrats fiercest GOP critics are moving on. At least, they were.
Go to discussionState Republican parties are going rogue
(Washington Post) State parties were once extensions of the national party, working together toward a common goal of electing the strongest Republican candidates. But that has changed in the era of Trump and the GOPs painful identity crisis. Elements of the right are now more interested in far-right purity than electability.
Go to discussionRick Scott doubles down on attacks against Judge Merchan's daughter
(The Hill) Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) stuck by his attacks against the daughter of the judge overseeing former President Trumps criminal case on Sunday, claiming she is a political operative. Scott was in New York City on Thursday to support Trump in his criminal case, where he faces over 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to attempts to cover up a past affair before the 2016 election.
Go to discussionFrench government says Kristi Noem lied about cancelling meeting with Macron
(The Guardian) The French government has joined the chorus of detractors taking aim at South Dakota governor Kristi Noems political autobiography No Going Back, which many now see as having eliminated her chances of being Donald Trumps vice-presidential selection. Days after Noem removed a passage claiming she had met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, officials at the Élysée Palace in Paris are questioning a passage that describes a cancelled meeting with French president Emmanuel Macron.
Go to discussionJustice Thomas has used this "hideous place" to amass the power he now exploits
(Law Dork) Anyone who lives in Washington, D.C., and says they hate it here have almost always, with rare exceptions, never made the actual Washington their home. They have limited themselves to the halls of power, they have spent their years focused on obtaining power, and they only view their experience here through the prism of power. It is in this context that one must regard Justice Clarence Thomass latest attack on the city that has provided him with a federal government job since the late 1970s.
Go to discussion