#ofthepeople

[bernie2020]

From David Shuster on Twitter (tumblr: @davidshuster-blog) https://twitter.com/davidshuster/status/990944878917046273?s=21

[our-revolution808]

"Tennessee will become the first state in the country to offer free community college to all adults without a degree under a measure Republican Governor Bill Haslam is likely to quickly sign into law, a spokesman said Friday. The legislation will expand on a previous law passed in 2014, when Tennessee began offering recent high-school graduates two years of tuition-free community or technical college. ... Tennessee's new program will pay leftover tuition costs after accounting for federal and state grants, and scholarships. Tuition averages about $4,000 a year at the state's 13 community colleges. The state's share of the estimated $11.2 million annual cost will be funded by lottery proceeds, according to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission."

[our-revolution808]

The Hill: Conservative House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Justin Amash has announced plans to introduce legislation establishing an independent commission to investigate President Trump’s ties to Russia following the firing of FBI Director James Comey.

[our-revolution808]

"If you're inclined to downplay the termination of FBI Director James Comey, reasoning that he was a flawed leader, or that President Trump was legally entitled to fire him, or that many of the Democrats objecting to his termination previously criticized him, or that liberals are so freaked out by the president that their latest freakout cannot be taken seriously, a civil libertarian like me is unlikely to change your mind ... I am predictably alarmed that Trump will now be naming his own pick to run the FBI. But that’s no surprise, and presumably unpersuasive if you weren’t with me already. That’s why I want to introduce you to Benjamin Wittes, who almost always disagrees with me and other civil libertarians, downplaying the possibility of government abuses."

[our-revolution808]

There are multiple other ways to make our democracy better that wouldn't be too radical to adopt. After sharing quite a few ranked-choice voting pieces, this seemed appropriate.

[our-revolution808]

"While Kushner has reported divesting from elements of the family business, including the specific project that his sister pitched in Beijing, the session Saturday demonstrated that the company is perceived as enjoying close ties to the Trump administration. Ethics laws prohibit government officials from profiting personally from their public-sector work. ... Journalists were initially seated at the back of the ballroom, but as the presentations got underway, a public-relations representative asked The Washington Post to leave, saying the presence of foreign reporters threatened the 'stability' of the event. At one point, organizers grabbed a reporter’s phone and backpack to try to force that person to leave. Later, as investors started leaving the ballroom, organizers physically surrounded attendees to prevent them from giving interviews."

[our-revolution808]

ProPublica: Trump admin fires scientists on EPA review board. And plans to replace them w/ reps from polluting industries. “The administrator believes we should have people on this board who understand the impact of regulations on the regulated community,” said an agency spokesman.

[our-revolution808]

Take this as you will; hypocrisy, deception, regret, admittance ... just keep in mind it is belied by these quotes: "In the United States, we are currently reviewing several important policies, including how the Trump administration will approach the issue of climate change," Tillerson said at the meeting. "We are appreciative that each of you has an important point of view, and you should know that we are taking the time to understand your concerns. We’re not going to rush to make a decision. We’re going to work to make the right decision for the United States."