America's Darkest Days II: Blackest Night

[fishbowlhead]

Nice to have it officially confirmed that its absolutely fine to lie to congress and that there's zero accountability for anything you want to do, just as long as your a politician.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/08/ajit-pai-knew-ddos-claim-was-false-in-january-says-he-couldnt-tell-congress/

[Neon Ignition]

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump

Trumps suddenly gone very anti-Mueller again saying the Republican investigator is disgraced, discredited and invented the crime of Collusion.

I assume he knows something that's a negative development is coming out this week

[MartyG]

It's likely a safe assumption that Trump has something to hide that Mueller is going to uncover.

At this point they've had to concede there was a meeting with Russians in Trump Tower, which is now a matter of fact by their own admission.

[MartyG]

Now we know the likely reason Trump has been spouting off: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-c...cutors-n902571

In court at 9PM (UK time) to plead guilty and confirm his plea deal.

And the Jury has convicted Manafort on eight charges out of eighteen. deadlocked on 10 others which have been listed as a mistrial.

The convicted charges are:

- Five tax fraud charges
- Two bank fraud charges
- One count of failing to register a foreign account

He's looking at 30+ year sentence.

Cohen has pleaded guilty on the following charges

- Five counts of tax evasion
- One count of filing a fraudulent loan app
- Two counts of campaign finance violations for paying hush money to Daniels and one other woman at the direct instruction of Trump.

So Cohen has essentially implicated Trump as a co-conspirator.

[Colin]

Looks good according to the latest headlines. Manafort taking a humping as well. Hopefully this is the start!

[Neon Ignition]

https://twitter.com/HardballChris

Apparently Omarosa will tonight release another Trump tape though she's not rocked the boat much as yet

[Cassius_Smoke]

Trump is politically invincible.

[Dogg Thang]

Politically yes, totally. But possibly not legally.

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/aug/21/manafort-cohen-guilty-verdicts-vindicate-mueller-investigation-trump

The Guardian describes how yesterdays convictions have begun to paint Trump into a legal corner. With these convictions under his belt Mueller has due cause to further his investigation ever closer up the chain closer and closer to the man himself whilst at the same time Trumps previous outbursts against the investigator and the investigation itself can even less so be seen as bitter jibes and instead now potentially more reflections of potential guilt given the proven results the investigation is now bearing so close to his inner circle.

Perhaps the biggest risk now is that Trump oversteps his mark trying to pressurising Mueller with the mid-terms approaching and heavy damage having been done here.

[Cassius_Smoke]

People like Rudy Giuliani and such need to think about distancing themselves from him before more is found out. That is a more immediate threat to Trump; his close allies melting away.
I still don't believe he'll ever be 'dethroned'.

[QualityChimp]

I honestly don’t think any of his supporters care. And those who don’t support him seem to have been so desensitised at this point that I doubt anything will take him down. I can’t count the amount of “any other president would be gone” moments any more. He would have to eat a child on television or something and, even then, a load of people will jump to blame Obama for it.

I still think some of his supporters will excuse anything he does.

"I know he ate a baybee on liiive Tee Vee, but maybe it wurrz a Mexeecan baybee? That's wun less Mexeecan, rite?! Ha ha ha!"

->Open Spoiler<-

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/22/north-korea-still-developing-nuclear-weapons-iaea-report-un

A UN report basically says Kim made Trump look like a chump as they're still developing nuclear weapons

[Neon Ignition]

Flip side, 10 weeks till the mid-terms!

[fishbowlhead]

Meanwhile, things get even worse (somehow) for Flint Michigan. Pipes wont be fixed until 2020, at the earliest, and they are cutting off the free drinking water supply runs in April. So, errrrrrrm, ok then.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/08/michigan-health-director-ordered-to-trial-for-deaths-linked-to-flint-water/?comments=1

[Asura]

Meanwhile, things get even worse (somehow) for Flint Michigan. Pipes wont be fixed until 2020, at the earliest, and they are cutting off the free drinking water supply runs in April. So, errrrrrrm, ok then.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2018...er/?comments=1

This is the biggest ****-up; I mean, I... There are no words.

The United States is one of the world's richest countries, and there are people in it who do not have clean drinking water. The availability of water is the single most important thing that any civilisation requires; it doesn't matter if you're in ancient Greece or 2018. It's the very definition of "vital". How can those people still not have clean drinking water!

It's shameful! It's an absolute disgrace! How can any American tolerate their own country acting like this for so long?

I generally don't make a policy of telling other countries what to do; I believe in self-determination, but even I have limits. Red state, blue state, culture wars, Twitter feuds, all of it means **** ALL when there are people who DO NOT HAVE DRINKING WATER.