Crooked Media - What A Day: Ye of little faith

- GOP Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker, on the definitely-fake badge he flashed during Friday night’s televised debate

Republicans appear to be climbing in the polls again after Dems made steady gains throughout the summer and early fall. And that’s bad! Because, among other things, we’re still living in the ash heap of the Trump era. 
 

• New polling shows that as we reach the home stretch before midterms, Republicans have a slim but distinct edge to take back power in Washington. The economy and inflation have jumped back to the top of voter concerns, which typically foretells losses for the incumbent party. Precisely what likely voters think Republicans will do better is unclear (hint, they will threaten to destroy the economy unless congressional Democrats and President Biden agree to gut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid). Nevertheless, voters most concerned with the economy favored Republicans overwhelmingly, in excess of a two-to-one margin.
   

• Speaking of the Republican plan for the economy…would you believe me if I said it also included tax cuts for the rich? You know, the number-one cause of national deficits (and, thus, inflation)? Well, you should. Republicans are already preparing to advance legislation that would make the $1.8 trillion Trump tax cut for the super rich permanent, even scrapping some of the law’s increases on corporations that were designed to offset the enormous overall cut to the corporate tax rate. Of course, doing this would run directly counter to their promises to “fight” inflation and decrease the federal deficit, but when has hypocrisy and outright lying ever stopped them before?
   

• Despite all this, the poll, conducted by the New York Times and Siena College, suggests Republicans have cleared a 10-point lead among crucial independent voters, a turnaround from September,  when Democrats held a three-point edge. This may be in part because Democrats have not forced Republican candidates to answer for disgraced former president Donald Trump, the leader of the Republican Party, the way Republicans try to force Democrats up and down the ballot to personally disavow The Squad (progressive House Democrats who are not, coincidentally, anti-democratic bigots). National Democratic strategists, please learn how to do politics, thanks!

One place to start might be with Trump’s raging antisemitism? Or how about his even-more-raging theft of voters’ tax dollars?
 

• Newly-obtained records show that while he was in office, Trump’s company charged the Secret Service as much as five times more than the government rate for agents to stay overnight at Trump hotels while protecting him and his family. There’s also newly-released information from the Federal Election Commission which shows that  Trump spent 91 cents to raise every dollar his supporters donated over this last quarter. Ah yes, the Art of the Deal! This ultra-low-margin fundraising is likely due to his mounting legal problems and the scrutiny of the January 6 committee investigation. Another contributing factor could also be that Trump continues giving unhinged sound bites, like this weekend when he said American Jews should be more like Evangelical Christians and Israeli Jews in supporting him blindly, and that they have to “get their act together…Before it is too late!”

• Trump’s present and former associates are mired in scandals as well. Federal prosecutors recommended today that Trump’s former top strategist Steve Bannon face six months in jail and a $200,000 fine for defying a subpoena from the House January 6 committee. He is set to be sentenced on Friday, and asked the federal court to dial down his punishment to probation and stay any sentence imposed pending the outcome of an appeal. Don’t get your hopes up, asshole! The Justice Department wrote in a sentencing memorandum that Bannon “has pursued a bad-faith strategy of defiance and contempt” from “the moment” he was served his subpoena, and judges generally don’t like that!

With midterms just around the corner, Democrats need to do everything they can to expose the hollowness of Republican economic policy, which is and has always been putting more money in the pockets of the ultra-rich at the expense of everyone else, as well as the bottomlessness of the GOP’s corruption and bigotry. There’s too much on the line to let Republicans claim the mantle of working people when the shocking truth is right out in the open.

The world’s most-watched sporting competition this year will not be a feel-good affair. FIFA, soccer’s corrupt governing body, awarded the 2022 edition of the World Cup to Qatar via bribery. On Crooked's newest podcast, World Corrupt Roger and Tommy are breaking down all of the controversy surrounding the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and help listeners understand the tectonic plates shifting under the sporting events they love.

New episodes of World Corrupt drop each Saturday in the Pod Save The World and Men In Blazers feeds. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Suicide drones struck Ukraine’s capital today, setting buildings in Kyiv ablaze and sending residents running for cover in what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed was Russian attempt to terrorize Ukrainian civilians. After months of relative calm in central Kyiv, this was the second barrage of explosive attacks in two weeks. As with previous strikes, energy sites and power plants were targeted, and analysts believe that the slower-moving drones can be programmed to accurately hit certain targets using GPS. Also today, a Russian warplane crashed into a residential area in the Russian port of Yeysk on the Sea of Azov after an engine failure, killing at least four people on the ground and injuring 25 more. According to authorities, the crash ignited a fire that engulfed several floors of a nine-story apartment building. In a televised address to the nation Monday night, President Zelenskyy stated that the increase in drone strikes signal Russian desperation in the face of losing the war. Citing Ukrainian intelligence services, he also alleged that Russia ordered 2,400 drones from Iran. Iran has previously denied supplying Russia with arms, but its Revolutionary Guard chief has bragged about providing weapons to the world’s top powers. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called for the European Union to issue new sanctions on Iran for providing drones to Russia. Both Dmytro and Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine’s need for increased air defenses and munitions.

Eight prisoners died as a result of a fire at Tehran’s Evin prison over the weekend, increasing pressure on the Iranian government to stop using violence to contain mass protests stemming from the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini at the hands of state police. 

In newly-leaked audio, Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA), who signed the state’s horrific six-week abortion ban, said he’d be open to limiting in-vitro fertilization.

Kanye West has offered to buy right-wing social-media network Parler after Twitter suspended his account for posting antisemitic tweets. A perfect fit for Parler if we’ve ever heard one!

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband Paul Pelosi sold all of his stock options in chipmaker Micron Technology and Nvidia at a loss of almost $1 million, anticipating legislation that will finally restrict members of Congress and their spouses from trading stocks. That’s what we like to see!

In a disturbing new trend, an increasing number of U.S. companies are charging employees for job training if they quit. All we have to say to that is: No!!

The Republican National Committee and other major right-wing campaign arms seized on a recent Supreme Court order in an attempt to get undated and incorrectly dated Pennsylvania absentee ballots invalidated for the upcoming November elections. 

In a debate with her Democratic opponent Marcus Flowers, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) responded to being called an “insurrectionist” by saying she was a “victim” of the riots. Lol. 

Elon Musk abruptly reversed course on Saturday, saying his company would continue to fund the operation of Starlink internet service in Ukraine after drawing international criticism. Keep! Bullying! Billionaires!

The nation’s first ever trial over a law banning gender-affirming care for minors began in Arkansas this week, months after Republican-led states began enacting such bans. United States District Court Judge Jay Moody will hear testimony and evidence beginning today over the law he temporarily blocked last year prohibiting doctors from providing hormone treatment, puberty blockers, or surgery to anyone under 18 years old. The law also bars doctors from referring patients elsewhere for such care. The families of four transgender minors and two doctors who provide gender-affirming care are petitioning for Moody to strike down the law, saying it is unconstitutional because it discriminates against trans kids, intrudes on parental rights to make medical decisions, and infringes on the free speech of doctors. Advocates for the ban have argued that the prohibition is within the state’s authority to regulate medical practices. Multiple medical groups, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, oppose the ban and argue that the treatments are safe if properly administered.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) has just a three-point lead over his Democratic challenger Mike Franken, which will make this Grassley’s toughest re-election campaign in 40 years. 

Major American retailers will begin selling lower-cost hearing aids without a prescription or medical exam today after President Biden announced the FDA-approved initiative back in August. 

Marina Ovsyannikova, the Russian journalist who gained international attention for protesting the invasion of Ukraine on live television back in March, has fled the country after escaping house arrest. 

The Biden administration’s student loan-forgiveness application is live as of today, and it couldn’t be easier to fill out. Have at it!