Wednesday News: “Trump’s Small Hostages”; Rachel Maddow Chokes Up Over “Tender Age Shelters” (aka, Prisons); “babies sitting by themselves in a cage with other babies”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, June 20. Read it and weep, my friends, for America under sociopath/sadist Donald Trump and his merry band of fellow sociopaths/sadists.

• Trump: Dems want illegal immigrants to ‘infest our country’ (Yes, Trump used the word “infest” – as in insects, rodents, etc. – to describe overwhelmingly good people, most of whom are fleeing violence, poverty, etc. and seeking a better life in America. Kinda like most of our ancestors.)
• Exclusive: Pope criticizes Trump administration policy on migrant family separation (“Speaking to Reuters, the Pope said he supported recent statements by U.S. Catholic bishops who called the separation of children from their parents ‘contrary to our Catholic values’ and ‘immoral’.”)
• Trump’s Small Hostages (“Trump traffics in fear. That’s where the hostages come in. If they’re young and innocent, so be it. That only ratchets up their utility.”)
• G.O.P. Moves to End Trump’s Family Separation Policy, but Can’t Agree How
• Trump’s Big Immigration Meeting With House Republicans Fixed Yesterday’s Problems, Not Today’s
• Trump Administration Keeps Babies and Toddlers in ‘Tender Age’ Shelters
• APNewsBreak: Youngest migrants held in ‘tender age’ shelters
• Trump Administration Withdraws U.S. From U.N. Human Rights Council (“The withdrawal comes as the Trump administration faces condemnation by rights groups and governments worldwide for its decision to separate children from their families at the border”)
• Trump’s Cruelty and the Crying Children at the Border
• The National Outrage Over Immigration Is Beginning to Get to Trump (“The president met with House Republican lawmakers, pushed them to pass immigration reform, and indicated he would sign whichever bill reached his desk.”)
• Trump’s Hard Line on Immigration Traps Republicans in a 2018 Dilemma (“Polls show strong opposition to family separation policy” – except among the Republican “base”)
• House GOP: Trump’s immigration plea may fall short (“In a freewheeling address behind closed doors, the president promised Republicans he’d support legislation that he panned just days ago.”)
• The Memo: Religious right hits Trump on border crisis
• Trump’s Rambling Mix of Bragging and Disses Confuses House GOP During Critical Immigration Meeting
• Bruce Springsteen denounces ‘inhumane’ border policy during show (“Singer suggests ‘senior’ government figures blasphemed in suggesting they had a duty to separate families” Exactly.)
• How the Koch Brothers Are Killing Public Transit Projects Around the Country (For anyone who doubts that the Kochs are heinous.)
• Steve Schmidt leaves ‘the party of Trump’: ‘The GOP has become a danger to our democracy’ (Every other Republican with a conscience should do the same.)
• Longtime GOP operative says Trump and his staff’s ‘soul must be sick’ while his base rallies around immigration policy
• Trump smears all immigrants in new tweet — not just undocumented ones (“The language is clear.”)
• Ted Cruz’s family separation bill is a sham (“The bill would force complicated asylum claims to be settled in 14 days, which some believe is impossible.”)
• Maddow breaks down on-air while describing ‘tender age’ migrant shelters
• The “Animal” Debate Is Over (“Separating families at the border shows exactly what Donald Trump thinks of immigrants.” Trump’s views on both animals AND humans – who, by the way, are also animals – is completely demented.)
• Donald Trump, the family separation crisis, and the triumph of cruelty (“Trump’s immigration crackdown is an exercise in government cruelty.”)
• Fox News virtually ignores audio of crying immigrant children separated from their parents by the Trump administration (“CNN and MSNBC have both repeatedly played the recording. Fox News has repeatedly glossed over and lied about the administration’s policy.” Fox is not “news,” it’s right-wing, state propaganda.)
• On MSNBC, Jacob Soboroff describes visiting border prison where “there are babies sitting by themselves in a cage with other babies”
• FBI agent Peter Strzok escorted from building ahead of possible disciplinary action
• The Nation’s Premier Vote-Supressor Just Got the Demeaning Punishment He Deserves (“Kris Kobach gets his comeuppance.” Definitely one of the worst people in the country right there.)
• Republicans, your ‘regular order’ is out of order (“As children are separated from their parents, GOP congressmen investigate Hillary Clinton.”)
• America’s No. 1 voter fraud conspiracy theorist goes down in court (“Voter fraud” should always be in air quotes, as it’s total horseshit.)
• New Trump Administration Rule to Expand Access to Health Plans Without ACA Protections (Sounds like a bad idea.)
• Criticism of Fox News Comes From Within Murdoch Empire
• Report: Half of recent immigrant detainee deaths due to inadequate medical care (“Four civil rights and immigrant groups say ICE is failing to protect detainees.”)
• Compassionate Conservatism Collapses Under Trump and Stewart (Posted at conservative, pro-Republican Bearing Drift.)
• Schapiro: Border crisis is issue that helped Brat, now haunts him
• Northam orders Virginia National Guard helicopter crew to return from border amid family separation controversy (Good, but why was it heading to the border at all?)
• Fredericksburg-area congressmen, Virginia senators react to border controversy (Any statements by House Republicans are worthless, as the GOP-controlled House has consistently blocked a COMPREHENSIVE immigration reform bill that passed 68-32 in the U.S. Senate in 2013
• More than 400 Virginia voters assigned to new districts after state review of map errors
• Northam hopes to make Virginia best state for business
• Op/ed Exploring our Offshore Energy Resources (Ha, the co-chairs of the monstrosity known as the “Virginia Explore Offshore Coalition” shockingly support offshore oil drilling. F*** that.)
• Health Care Will Be a Tough Act to Follow
• Editorial: Richmond schools gain an Obama Elementary, and hide some early plans
• Richmond Democratic Committee to hold new officer elections after appeal rejected
• This school was named for a Confederate general. Now, it’s Obama Elementary.
• Not quite as hot and humid today, scattered late-day storms likely (“Some storms late this afternoon into the evening could be strong with heavy downpours.”)