Hey! Good Evening!

This evening's music features Atlanta bluesman Frank Edwards. Enjoy!

"It turns out ... that those who truly hate us for our freedoms are not the array of dehumanized enemies cooked up by the war machine—the Vietnamese, Cambodians, Afghans, Iraqis, Iranians or even the Taliban, al-Qaida and ISIS. They are the financiers, bankers, politicians, public intellectuals and pundits, lawyers, journalists and businesspeople cultivated in the elite universities and business schools who sold us the utopian dream of neoliberalism."

-- Chris Hedges

News and Opinion

14 Senate Democrats Fall in Line Behind Trump CIA Pick Who Left Door Open to Torture

Fourteen Senate Democrats joined all but one Senate Republican in confirming Rep. Mike Pompeo as the new CIA director on Monday evening, failing a crucial first test of whether Democrats would present a united front to defend human rights and civil liberties in the Trump era.

Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul was the lone member of his party to vote against his confirmation.

Pompeo is a far-right Kansas Republican who has in the past defended CIA officials who engaged in torture, calling them “patriots“. Last week, he left the door open to torture by acknowledging in his written responses to the Senate Intelligence Committee that he would be open to altering a 2015 law prohibiting the government from using techniques not listed in the Army Field Manual.

As a member of Congress, he repeatedly appeared on the radio program hosted by anti-Muslim activist Frank Gaffney, and has portrayed the War on Terror as a conflict between Islam and Christianity. He has also claimed that “Islamic leaders across America [are] potentially complicit” in terrorism because they supposedly don’t speak out against it, which is not true.

While Pompeo’s confirmation was opposed by Human Rights Watch, it netted votes from a variety of Senate Democrats, including the caucus’s leader: Chuck Schumer of New York.

Can the Democrats Build a Progressive Movement Against Trump?

GLEN FORD: We saw these huge crowds this weekend in Washington and in cities across the country and most people viewed them as a kind of groundswell of resistance to the new Donald Trump presidency. However, I think that, to the extent that this outpouring of anti-Trump sentiment is also all caught up and all tangled with the Democratic Party's insane and monstrously dangerous pro-war and anti-Russian propaganda campaign, that it is actually poisoning the well for any progressive movement under a Donald Trump presidency.

So I think we should be very clear. There is no such thing as a progressive movement that is also pro-war. And there is no such thing as a progressive movement that is aligned with the CIA. And yet, that is exactly, exactly the position that the Democratic Party is taking, including its black luminaries, such as Congressman John Conyers, and Congresswoman Maxine Waters, and even Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who is considered to be the most left-wing person on Capitol Hill. All of them are busy attacking from the right, the very right-wing president, Donald Trump. And any fool should know that countering right-wing politics with even more right-wing politics can only lead to a disastrous and definitively right-wing result. You cannot create a progressive movement out of a McCarthyite, anti-Russian, pro-war propaganda campaign such as the Democrats are waging now and which they have now enlisted the support of lots of people who call themselves progressive. And even some who consider themselves to be radical.

Any movement that takes its cues from the CIA is a danger, not only to world peace, but it is a danger to itself. It's a danger to the very civil liberties that a progressive movement claims that it's trying to defend from the likes of Donald Trump. And, frankly, it's just plain stupid and it's stupid in a very peculiar and very American imperial kind of way.

We Are on Our Own Now

No one is coming to save us. There is no political savior coming, no new national campaign for Hope and Change, no new version of a progressive Revolution, led by Bernie Sanders or anyone else. There are no more smooth-talking, charismatic, erudite Harvard law professors in Congress waiting in the wings for 2020, either. There are no respectable Democrats coming to sink the “Left” back into another political coma either, no one to alleviate the guilt “liberals” and fake-leftists feel about the current state of America. It is only us, citizens, not politicians, who can begin to co-create a livable future.

We are who we are, as a nation. Let’s face it: we are all deplorables now. ...

What we are left with in Washington are the leaches and sycophants of capitalism, devoted to a dying system of consumerism, a casino-like rigged economy propped up by bankers’ tricks, mineral and resource extraction, and fossil fuel use. Self-serving, without a conscience, our corrupt representatives, lobbyists, and corporate leaders must be sent a message: you are all alone. As much as possible, we as citizens must begin our own Boycott-Divest-Sanction movement against the transnational corporations.

This doesn’t mean that we are abandoning our responsibilities, or being quietists: only that we recognize the culture of death, and refuse further involvement. In this sense, resistance is a dignified silence and non-involvement.

Boycotting the international conglomerates will inflict damage on the economy, and will likely affect standards of living for large parts of the population. We must not overlook this fact, yet we cannot shy away from it either: only by a direct confrontation will the parasitic corporate powers be destroyed once and for all.

While the majority of Americans are hypnotized by our criminal duopoly, and continue to place faith in the spectacle of mass-media driven elections, the rest of us must begin to organize horizontal, parallel political structures. In doing so, more and more will abandon the illusion that our government is benevolent. This will forge new bonds between neighbors, friends, and communities: it is these new relationships and bridges we must build to weather us through the storms of the collapse of neoliberal capitalism and the ravages of global warming and ecosystem degradation.

Trump's tea party budget chief on collision course with GOP hawks

Defense hawks hoping for a major military buildup under President Donald Trump may hit a major roadblock: his pick for White House budget chief.

South Carolina Rep. Mick Mulvaney is a tea party stalwart who has fought for years to chop defense spending, often with help from liberal Democrats like former Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank and Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. He has cheered the automatic budget cuts known as sequestration that have slowed the rise of federal spending, much to the dismay of the Pentagon and its contractors. ...

“The battle lines are drawn," said Mackenzie Eaglen, a defense analyst at the American Enterprise Institute. “No one should underestimate the deep ideological, commitment Mulvaney has to cutting defense.” ...

Now, advocates of increased spending worry that Mulvaney’s selection could mean Trump’s promise to rebuild the military may never materialize — or that he will take aim at other areas of the defense budget to pay for priorities such as a bigger Army and Navy or more investment in the nuclear deterrent, as Trump has pledged.

Trump’s recent attacks on Lockheed Martin and Boeing have done little to assuage their concerns, suggesting the president may try to execute his buildup without increasing the overall defense budget.

Russia, Iran, Turkey create mechanism to support Syria ceasefire

Sponsors of Syria talks in Astana strike deal to protect fragile ceasefire

Tortuous efforts to install a credible international body to entrench and broaden the patchwork ceasefire in Syria have partially succeeded on the second and final day of talks in Kazakhstan.

Discussions ended with agreement among the three sponsors of the talks – Russia, Turkey and Iran – to set up a trilateral commission to monitor and enforce the ceasefirethat came into effect last month. Under the agreement, the three countries will act together to monitor the ceasefire, and take steps to urge those responsible for breaches to desist.

Neither the Syrian government nor the Syrian opposition present at the talks in Astana endorsed the final document.

The opposition objects to Iran being involved in monitoring the ceasefire, arguing that its militia and Lebanese Hezbollah were largely responsible for most of the ceasefire breaches across Syria. The Iranians had objected to a call in the draft communique for foreign militia to leave the country.

However, Turkey urged the opposition, weakened aftera crushing defeat in east Aleppo, not to block the trilateral commission. Turkey insists the commission could prove to be a viable Russian-backed way of forcing the Syrian government and Iranians to stop the breaches.

“There will be no signing,” said Yahya al-Aridi, an opposition spokesman. “The guarantor countries, that is, Russia, Turkey and maybe Iran, will just release a document.”

Iran accused Turkey of stonewalling and continuing to support terrorists by providing arms and keeping its borders open for jihadis.

If the deal manages to cement the ceasefire in the coming days it could bolster confidence before wider talks on Syria’s political future held in Geneva under UN auspices on 8 February.

Great, so Obama flew off out of town and left the flying death robots on autopilot. Death and destruction, no Presidential baseball cards necessary, no accountable authority. Thanks, Obama.

Pentagon confirms weekend drone strikes under Trump

The Pentagon confirmed Monday that it conducted three drone strikes in Yemen against al Qaeda militants over the weekend.

The strikes were the first since President Donald Trump was sworn in to office, but the Pentagon said the strikes did not require authorization from him or Defense Secretary James Mattis.

"Those authorities are delegated," Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said at a briefing.

China says will protect South China Sea sovereignty

China said on Tuesday it had "irrefutable" sovereignty over disputed islands in the South China Sea after the White House vowed to defend "international territories" in the strategic waterway.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer in his comments on Monday signaled a sharp departure from years of cautious U.S. handling of China's assertive pursuit of territorial claims in Asia.

"The U.S. is going to make sure that we protect our interests there," Spicer said when asked if Trump agreed with comments by his secretary of state nominee, Rex Tillerson. On Jan. 11, Tillerson said China should not be allowed access to islands it has built in the contested South China Sea.

"It's a question of if those islands are in fact in international waters and not part of China proper, then yeah, we're going to make sure that we defend international territories from being taken over by one country," Spicer said.

Analysts said Tillerson's comments, like those of Spicer, suggested the possibility of U.S. military action, or even a naval blockade. Such action would risk an armed confrontation with China, an increasingly formidable nuclear-armed military power. It is also the world's second-largest economy and the target of Trump accusations it is stealing American jobs.

Spicer declined to elaborate when asked how the United States could enforce such a move against China, except to say: "I think, as we develop further, we'll have more information on it."

White House disputes multiple calls between Trump adviser, Russian envoy

The White House said on Monday that national security adviser Michael Flynn held just two phone calls with Russia's ambassador to Washington, amid reports that Flynn's communications are being scrutinized by U.S. counterintelligence agents.

Reuters reported earlier this month, citing three sources familiar with the matter, that Flynn had held five phone calls with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak on Dec. 29, the day then-President Barack Obama retaliated for Moscow's interference in the U.S. presidential election.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Flynn spoke once by telephone to the envoy - he did not give the date - and discussed four topics. Those included a conference on Syria, a plane crash that killed members of a famous Russian military choir, seasonal wishes and setting up a post-inauguration call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump, he said. ...

On Monday, Spicer said a second call took place three days ago, apparently just before Trump's inauguration on Friday, and dealt with arranging a forthcoming phone call between Trump and Putin. ...

The differing accounts of the number of calls could not be immediately reconciled.

UK Supreme Court rules Parliament gets a vote on Brexit

Britain’s highest court ruled Tuesday that the government cannot formally trigger Brexit proceedings by itself, and must gain the consent of parliament before it  begins the process of removing the U.K. from the European Union.

As was widely anticipated, the Supreme Court rejected the government’s argument that Prime Minister Theresa May could use her executive powers to invoke Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon – which will formally start negotiations with the EU on extricating Britain from the bloc – and ruled that an Act of Parliament would be required instead. An Act of Parliament requires the approval of both the House of Commons and House of Lords.

The decision, which sets clear limits on the government’s executive powers, was cheered by many as a victory for parliamentary sovereignty, and seen as a further obstacle for the government’s Brexit ambitions. But while it will compel the government to swiftly introduce emergency legislation to gain parliamentary approval for Brexit, it is unlikely to seriously derail its timetable for the process, much less the outcome itself.

Bernie Sanders supports Trump's TPP order

Donald Trump has officially killed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the controversial trade deal that became a lightning rod for critics on the left and right during the election campaign. ...

The president and Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders both attacked TPP, a free trade agreement among the US and 11 other countries, on the campaign trail. Sanders praised Trump’s decision, saying TPP is “dead and gone”.

“Now is the time to develop a new trade policy that helps working families, not just multinational corporations,” Sanders said in a statement. “If President Trump is serious about a new policy to help American workers then I would be delighted to work with him.”

“For the past 30 years, we have had a series of trade deals … which have cost us millions of decent-paying jobs and caused a ‘race to the bottom’ which has lowered wages for American workers,” he said.

Donald Trump's 'day of patriotic devotion' has echoes of North Korea

Donald Trump has echoed North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, after declaring that the day of his inauguration should be a “national day of patriotic devotion” – a rallying cry that would not be out of place in the secretive state’s propaganda.

Trump’s proclamation, which was made official on Monday, has been uttered by Kim in speeches to his 1.2 million-strong military and members of the ruling Korean Workers’ party in recent years.

In an address to a military parade in Pyongyang on 10 October 2015 – the party’s 70th anniversary – Kim thanked the “heroic men and women” of the army and security services who, “in hearty response to the party’s appeal, have worked with patriotic devotion and created one heroic miracle after another” in their quest to build a “thriving socialist nation”.

The phrase also crops up in North Korean propaganda.

Trump wanted tanks in his parade and has now declared a National Day of Patriotic Devotion. He’s Kim Jong-un with more money and less taste.

— Damien Owens (@OwensDamien) January 23, 2017

Outright Lies, Constant Tweets & "Alternative Facts": Inside Trump's Orwellian War with the Media

Sean Spicer defends inauguration claim: 'Sometimes we can disagree with facts'

Donald Trump’s spokesman, Sean Spicer, was unapologetic on Monday for making false assertions about the size of the crowd at his inauguration, declaring: “Sometimes we can disagree with the facts.”

Spicer, 45, was catapulted to celebrity on Saturday when he berated the media for its coverage of the ceremony. The press secretary claimed it had the biggest audience in history despite evidence from photos, crowd experts, TV ratings and the Washington Metro network.

#SpicerFacts jokes flooded Twitter and were used with relish by public announcers at sports games across the US.

On Monday, in his first Q&A session at the White House, Spicer struck a softer tone but was far from repentant.

Asked if it was his intention to always tell the truth from the White House podium, the press secretary replied: “It is. It’s an honor to do this, and yes, I believe that we have to be honest with the American people. I think sometimes we can disagree with the facts. There are certain things that we may not fully understand when we come out, but our intention is never to lie to you.”

The Women’s March turnout is at 3.2 million and counting

3.2 million. That’s the estimated number of people who participated in women’s marches in more than 300 cities and towns across the United States on Saturday, according to FiveThirtyEight, which compiled data from crowd scientists, city officials, local law enforcement, and public transportation systems.

That figure is expected to go up, as it does not yet include data from around 200 towns and cities believed to have hosted marches across the country . ...

Washington, D.C., reportedly had the highest turnout, with 485,000 protesters, a number so large it overwhelmed the official march route, packed the National Mall and other avenues as the mass slowly moved from the U.S. Capitol to the White House. D.C. was followed by Los Angeles, with 450,000, and then New York, with 400,000 protesters.

People arrested during Inauguration Day protests could go to prison for 10 years over felony rioting charges

Approximately 230 people were arrested in Washington, D.C., on Friday following protests that took place before, during, and after Trump was inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States. The bulk of those arrested will be charged with felony rioting, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

One group of 10 protesters already appeared in court, on Saturday, with their lawyer entering not guilty pleas. They were all released on the condition they did not get rearrested in the District of Columbia. Most of those arrested will be released without bail to return to court next month.

Some protesters have filed a lawsuit claiming the D.C. police “indiscriminately and repeatedly” used excessive force, deployed flash-bang grenades and used chemical irritants against people who were not involved in the riots at all.

Two journalists covering inauguration protests face felony riot charges

Two journalists who were arrested while covering the unrest in Washington DC surrounding Donald Trump’s inauguration last Friday have been charged with felonies and could face up to 10 years in prison.

The journalists, who were there on assignment, are both charged with the most serious level of offense under the District of Columbia’s law against rioting. They could also each be fined up to $25,000 if convicted.

Evan Engel of Vocativ and Alex Rubinstein of RT America were arrested on Friday morning outside a school at 12th and L Streets in downtown Washington, according to police reports. They were released on Saturday following initial court appearances. Both had preliminary hearings scheduled for mid-February.

Engel’s bosses on Monday issued a furious response to the action against their employee, who told them that he was swept up by officers despite repeatedly informing them that he was a journalist covering the unrest. Engel’s camera was seized by police. ...

RT said in an online post that Rubinstein was arrested “even though he showed police his media credentials”.

Week One of Fuck You America: Trump shuts down public WH switchboard, muzzles EPA, gag orders USDA, advances Keystone and Dakota pipelines

— Mark Morford (@markmorford) January 24, 2017

Tsunami of Outrage, Vows of Resistance Follow Trump's Pipeline Order

President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed executive orders advancing the controversial Keystone XL (KXL) and Dakota Access (DAPL) pipelines, prompting a tsunami of outrage and vows of bold resistance from the Indigenous activists, climate campaigners, and countless others who have fought against these projects.

The Associated Press confirmed the orders had been signed after earlier reports citing anonymous officials indicated they were in the works.

Many environmental groups who fiercely fought against both projects were quick to condemn the move, declaring, as 350.org did, "We have no alternative but to resist."

350.org co-founder Bill McKibben issued a statement declaring the moment "a dark day for reason."

Dear Banks who backed the Dakota Access Pipleline :: We are coming for you. You will regret this. Pull out now. #NoDAPL pic.twitter.com/Jz4xb2ZtaQ

— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) January 24, 2017

Why a protest camp in Florida is being called the next Standing Rock

A north Florida river that attracted the state’s first tourists a century before Walt Disney’s famous cartoon mouse is emerging at the centre of a fight against a contentious 515-mile natural gas pipeline that many are calling America’s next Standing Rock.

One section of the so-called Sabal Trail pipeline is being laid beneath the crystal waters of the Suwannee river, whose pure mineral springs were once fabled to cure anything from marital strife to gout. ...

The Suwannee river itself though is currently a scene of ongoing conflict amid the opposition to a $3.2bn pipeline designed to carry a billion cubic feet of natural gas daily through Alabama and Georgia to power plants in Florida upon its scheduled completion later this year.

At first glance, the quiet town of Live Oak, with a population of fewer than 7,000, seems an unlikely venue for such a stand against Big Energy. But in recent weeks a sizeable woodland protest camp has grown on the banks of the Suwannee and a number of non-violent direct actions have taken place, including one last week that temporarily halted construction and resulted in eight arrests.

Opponents say the building of the pipeline is harming not only the natural beauty of places such as the Suwannee, but irreversibly damaging sensitive environmental and culturally important areas in all three states, and threatening the supply of clean drinking water for millions. ...

In these parts of northern Florida, as in much of the rest of the state, the karst bedrock being drilled for the pipeline is a fragile and porous limestone.

Campaigners say that drilling has already resulted in sinkholes forming at several sites, and claim to have evidence of inadequate construction practices, including photographs from the air appearing to show the leaking of drilling mud into Georgia’s Withlacoochee river from a frac-out.

"An Inconvenient Sequel": Al Gore on New Film, Trump, Climate Change & His Opposition to DAPL

Trump Administration Imposes Freeze On EPA Grants and Contracts

The Trump administration has imposed a freeze on grants and contracts by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a move that could affect a significant part of the agency’s budget allocations and even threaten to disrupt core operations ranging from toxic cleanups to water quality testing, according to records and interviews.

In one email exchange obtained by ProPublica on Monday, an EPA contracting officer concluded a note to a storm water management employee this way:

“Right now we are in a holding pattern. The new EPA administration has asked that all contract and grant awards be temporarily suspended, effective immediately. Until we receive further clarification, this includes task orders and work assignments.”

Asked about any possible freeze and its implications, EPA officials did not provide an answer.

One EPA employee aware of the freeze said he had never seen anything like it in nearly a decade with the agency. Hiring freezes happened, he said, but freezes on grants and contracts seemed extraordinary. The employee said the freeze appeared to be nationwide, and as of Monday night it was not clear for how long it would be in place.

Trump Gags EPA

The Huffington Post also received a message that was reportedly sent to staff Monday that seems to cover the current agency guidance on talking to the press in general, not just about the directive on grants. The memo states that the agency is imposing tight controls on external communication, including press releases, blog posts, social media and content on the agency website.

I just returned from a briefing for Communication Directors where the following information was provided. These restrictions are effective immediately and will remain in place until further direction is received from the new Administration’s Beach Team. Please review this material and share with all appropriate individuals in your organization. If anyone on your staff receives a press inquiry of any kind, it must be referred to me so I can coordinate with the appropriate individuals in OPA.

• No press releases will be going out to external audiences.
• No social media will be going out. A Digital Strategist will be coming on board to oversee social media. Existing, individually controlled, social media accounts may become more centrally controlled.
• No blog messages.
• The Beach Team will review the list of upcoming webinars and decide which ones will go forward.
• Please send me a list of any external speaking engagements that are currently scheduled among any of your staff from today through February.
• Incoming media requests will be carefully screened.
• No new content can be placed on any website. Only do clean up where essential.
• List servers will be reviewed. Only send out critical messages, as messages can be shared broadly and end up in the press.

I will provide updates to this information as soon as I receive it.

Colorado Republican Introduces Bill To Suppress Protest Against Oil and Gas Industry

A new bill that would increase the punishment for tampering with oil and gas activity in Colorado is addressing a problem some argue is not a problem here, leading to allegations that it is intended to dampen environmental protests against the oil and gas industry. The bill would up charges for such tampering to a Class 6 Felony in Colorado, rather than the misdemeanor they currently carry. Republican Senator Jerry Sonnenberg, who is behind the bill, says his motivation is to protect communities from explosions that could result from tampering with well valves. He admits that Colorado hasn’t yet seen such activity, but that it has occurred in other states. ...

In the midst of growing tension between the industry and communities, some Coloradans see the proposed bill as a way to suppress action against a powerful industry. “We see this as a clear attempt at political coercion and a clear threat to people that are legitimately protecting the right to their environment,” says Cliff Willmeng, a Lafayette resident who is leading the charge to pass a Climate Bill of Rights there. But Sonnenberg says the threat to public safety makes the bill more than necessary. “The problem obviously exists, and is expanding rapidly throughout the country. I want to make sure that we are proactive before a town like Lafayette, because of one or two silly protesters, blow up that town. ”

Also of Interest

Here are some articles of interest, some which defied fair-use abstraction.

The big, broad, beautiful American left: how marching in DC gave me hope

Revolt Is the Only Barrier to a Fascist America

BluecollarAl on Our Divided Nation

From war to more war

Dutch Prime Minister releases an open letter wooing right-wing voters

Bernie Sanders Was A Magic Feather

The Women’s March Was a Dismal Failure and a Hopeful Sign

Reflections on DC: Promises and Pitfalls in the Anti-Trump Uprising

Citigroup’s Crime Spree Against Americans Continues With Slaps on the Wrist

Donald Trump’s “Public” Inaugural Balls Divided High-Dollar, Low-Dollar Donors, Documents Show

We’re now breaking global temperature records once every three years

Fossils of wolf-sized otter unearthed in China

National Geographic Traveller photography competition finalists

A Little Night Music

Frank Edwards - Goin Back and Get Her

Frank Edwards - Terraplane Blues

Frank Edwards - Love My Baby

Frank Edwards - Sweet Man Blues

Frank Edwards - Throw Your Time Away

Frank Edwards - My Baby's Gone

Frank Edwards - Mean Old Frisco

Frank Edwards - Chicken Raid

Frank Edwards - We Got to Get Together