William J. Astore | How the Pentagon Took Ownership of Donald Trump

30 April 19 It's Live on the HomePage Now: Reader Supported News A DONATION NOW WOULD BE OF IMMENSE HELP - We are making a maximum effort right now to finish the April funding drive. If there is any way you can jump in, it would really help right now. Thanks to everyone in advance. / Marc Ash, Founder Reader Supported News Sure, I'll make a donation! William J. Astore | How the Pentagon Took Ownership of Donald Trump  William J. Astore, TomDispatch Astore writes: "Donald Trump is a con man. Think of Trump University or a juicy Trump steak or can’t-lose casinos (that never won). But as president, one crew he hasn't conned is the Pentagon. Quite the opposite, they've conned him because they've been at the game a lot longer and lie (in Trump-speak) in far biglier ways." READ MORE Erik Prince. (photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP) Schiff Says House Will Make Criminal Referral of Erik Prince for Possible Perjury John Wagner and Karoun Demirjian, The Washington Post Excerpt: "House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) said Tuesday that his panel would make a criminal referral to the Justice Department regarding potential false testimony by Erik Prince, the billionaire founder of the private military contractor Blackwater and an ally of President Trump." READ MORE Attorney General William P. Barr. (photo: Erin Schaff/The New York Times) This Is How Democrats Can Make Barr Testify, Even if He Refuses Danielle McLean, ThinkProgress McLean writes: "The standoff between House Democrats and U.S. Attorney General William Barr may be resolved in the courts if Barr declines to appear at to his scheduled congressional hearing on Thursday." READ MORE A sign directs voters to a polling station on Nov. 8, 2016, in Cave Creek, Arizona. The state is one of several considering new voting laws that could make it more complicated to vote in 2020. (photo: Ralph Freso/Getty Images) After Democrats Surged in 2018, Republican-Run States Eye New Curbs on Voting Ashley Lopez, Bret Jaspers and Sergio Martinez-Beltran, NPR Excerpt: "After high turnout in last year's midterm elections propelled Democrats to a new House majority and big gains in the states, several Republican-controlled state legislatures are attempting to change voting-related rules in ways that might reduce future voter turnout." READ MORE Demonstrators march past the Department of Justice building during a protest against the Trump administration's policy on separating immigrant families in Washington, D.C., on June 30, 2018. (photo: Toya Sarno Jordan/Bloomberg/Getty Images) Trump's Department of Homeland Security Used a Private Intelligence Firm to Monitor Family Separation Protests Paul Blest, Splinter News Blest writes: "In case you were wondering if the Department of Homeland Security could be any more immoral, corrupt, or malicious than we already thought possible, here’s your answer: Yes." READ MORE Erik Prince. (photo: The Oxford Union/REX Shutterstock) Blackwater Founder’s Erik Prince Latest Sales Pitch - Mercenaries for Venezuela Aram Roston and Matt Spetalnick, Reuters Excerpt: "Erik Prince - the founder of the controversial private security firm Blackwater and a prominent supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump - has been pushing a plan to deploy a private army to help topple Venezuela’s socialist president, Nicolas Maduro, four sources with knowledge of the effort told Reuters." READ MORE Cenikor sent participants to work at an Exxon refinery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (photo: Julie Dermansky/Reveal) They Worked in Sweltering Heat for Exxon, Shell, and Walmart. They Didn’t Get Paid a Dime. Amy Julia Harris and Shoshana Walter, Grist  Excerpt: "A nationally renowned drug rehab program in Texas and Louisiana has sent patients struggling with addiction to work for free for some of the biggest companies in America, likely in violation of federal labor law." READ MORE Contribute to RSN Update My Monthly Donation