MORNING MESSAGE
When Protest Is Powerful, The Powerful Punish Protest
When people feel powerless - locked out of decision-making, and bypassed by real governance - they turn to protest. With Donald Trump in the White House and the Republican Party in control of both houses of Congress and a majority of statehouses around the country, protest is now a key avenue of resistance, and efforts around the country to squash it will fail.
Trump Fires FBI Director Comey
Trump enraged by inability to control Russia narrative. Politico: “Trump’s firing of the high-profile FBI director on the 110th day since taking office marked another sudden turn for an administration that has fired its acting attorney general, national security adviser and now its FBI director… he had grown enraged by the Russia investigation, two advisers said, frustrated by his inability to control the mushrooming narrative around Russia. He repeatedly asked aides why the Russia investigation wouldn’t disappear and demanded they speak out for him. He would sometimes scream at television clips about the probe.”
FBI resisted WH pressure to focus on Clinton probe. WaPo: “…administration officials were pressuring Comey to more aggressively pursue leak investigations over disclosures that embarrassed the White House and raised questions about ties with Russia… the bureau has resisted calls to prioritize leak investigations over the Russia matter.”
Grand jury subpoenas issued in Russia investigation. CNN: “Federal prosecutors have issued grand jury subpoenas to associates of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn seeking business records, as part of the ongoing probe of Russian meddling in last year’s election… The subpoenas represent the first sign of a significant escalation of activity in the FBI’s broader investigation begun last July into possible ties between Trump campaign associates and Russia.”
Flashbacks to Watergate and ’93 firing of FBI Chief. NYT: “In its 109-year history, only one FBI director had been fired — until Tuesday, when President Trump fired James B. Comey. In July 1993, President Bill Clinton fired William S. Sessions… The termination of Mr. Comey also brought to mind for many the so-called Saturday Night Massacre. On Oct. 20, 1973, President Richard Nixon, seeking to fire Archibald Cox, the special prosecutor leading the Watergate investigation, accepted the resignations of Attorney General Elliot L. Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William D. Ruckelshaus after they refused to take action… Mr. Nixon also abolished the special prosecutor’s office.”
Opacity and Inequality for All
Federal Agencies Agreed To Conceal Some Of Their Communications From The Public. BuzzFeed: “At least three federal government agencies have agreed to seemingly conceal official communications with a congressional committee from public information requests, following letters sent last month by the chairman of the House Committee on Financial Services… Congressman Jeb Hensarling, a Republican from Texas, sent letters in April to the heads of several federal agencies his committee oversees, declaring that communications and documents produced between the two offices will remain in the committee’s control and will not be considered “agency records” — therefore exempt from Freedom of Information Act requests.”
Trump Administration Cites Segregation-Era Ruling To Defend Its Travel Ban. HuffPo: “In a brief defending its ban on citizens from six Muslim-majority countries, President Donald Trump’s Justice Department approvingly cited a segregation-era Supreme Court decision that allowed Jackson, Mississippi, to close public pools rather than integrate them.”
How home ownership became the engine of U.S. inequality. NYT: “The owner-renter divide is as salient as any other in this nation, and this divide is a historical result of statecraft designed to protect and promote inequality… By inflating home values, the MID benefits Americans who already own homes — and makes joining their ranks harder.”
More from OurFuture.org:
Trumpcare Is Really Trump-Don’t-Care. Leo Gerard: “The name of the bill shouldn’t even include the word care, since it threatens to deny health insurance to millions with pre-existing conditions and those suffering expensive ailments. No, there’s no caring in this legislation. It’s all about politics.”
Progressive Breakfast is a daily morning email highlighting news stories of interest to activists. Progressive Breakfast and OurFuture.org are projects of People's Action.more »
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