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Category: Politics

White House pressured NOAA to repudiate weather forecasters who contradicted Trump’s erroneous hurricane predictions

White House pressured NOAA to repudiate weather forecasters who contradicted Trump’s erroneous hurricane predictions

The New York Times reports: The White House was directly involved in pressing a federal scientific agency to repudiate the weather forecasters who contradicted President Trump’s claim that Hurricane Dorian would probably strike Alabama, according to several people familiar with the events. Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, told Wilbur Ross, the commerce secretary, to have the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration publicly disavow the forecasters’ position that Alabama was not at risk. NOAA, which is part…

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Neoliberalism is pushing the UK towards a Brexit cliff-edge

Neoliberalism is pushing the UK towards a Brexit cliff-edge

George Monbiot writes: At first sight it’s incomprehensible. Why risk everything for a no-deal Brexit? Breaking up their own party, losing their parliamentary majority, dismantling the UK, trashing the economy, triggering shortages of food and medicine: how could any objective, for the Conservative and Unionist party, be worth this? What good does it do them? Yes, some people will benefit. To judge by recent donations to the Conservative party, some very rich people approve of Boris Johnson’s policies. A no-deal…

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Chaos is being normalised. It is all part of Boris Johnson’s pernicious plan

Chaos is being normalised. It is all part of Boris Johnson’s pernicious plan

Paul Mason writes: On Saturday, for the first time in living memory, neo-fascists were chanting the name of the serving prime minister. Supporters of the English Defence League and the Democratic Football Lads Alliance wandered around Whitehall some drunk, harassing random remain protesters and shouting into the faces of journalists until, inevitably, they attacked the police. It’s part of an unnerving trend that’s emerged in the past two weeks: the normalisation of chaos. We have a parliament suspended against its…

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Trump discussed easing Iran sanctions, prompting Bolton pushback

Trump discussed easing Iran sanctions, prompting Bolton pushback

Bloomberg reports: President Donald Trump discussed easing sanctions on Iran to help secure a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani later this month, prompting then-National Security Advisor John Bolton to argue forcefully against such a step, according to three people familiar with the matter. After an Oval Office meeting on Monday when the idea came up, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin voiced his support for the move as a way to restart negotiations with Iran, some of the people said. Later…

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NOAA’s chief scientist stands up for scientific integrity and against political interference

NOAA’s chief scientist stands up for scientific integrity and against political interference

A Message from Craig McLean: Hurricane Dorian and Exceptional Service, addressing his colleagues, states: During the course of the storm, as I am sure you are aware, there were routine and exceptional expert forecasts, the best possible, issued by the NWS Forecasters. These are remarkable colleagues of ours, who receive our products, use them well, and provide the benefit of their own experience in announcing accurate forecasts accompanied by the distinction of all credible scientists—they sign their work. As I’m…

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In Brazil’s rainforests, the worst fires are likely still to come

In Brazil’s rainforests, the worst fires are likely still to come

By Robert T. Walker, University of Florida The number of fires this year in the Amazon is the highest since 2010, reaching more than 90,000 active fires. Farmers and ranchers routinely use fires to clear the forest. But this year’s number reflects a worrisome uptick in the rate of deforestation, which had started to drop around 2005 before rebounding earlier this decade. Many people blame the Brazilian government and its pro-agriculture policies for the current crisis. But as an environmental…

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Trump’s disordered personality has become the defining characteristic of his presidency

Trump’s disordered personality has become the defining characteristic of his presidency

Peter Wehner writes: During the 2016 campaign, I received a phone call from an influential political journalist and author, who was soliciting my thoughts on Donald Trump. Trump’s rise in the Republican Party was still something of a shock, and he wanted to know the things I felt he should keep in mind as he went about the task of covering Trump. At the top of my list: Talk to psychologists and psychiatrists about the state of Trump’s mental health,…

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John Bolton will hold this grudge

John Bolton will hold this grudge

Graeme Wood writes: Donald Trump tweeted this morning that he had fired his national security adviser, John Bolton, and that Bolton’s “services are no longer needed at the White House.” The cold language was not accidental, and it was a strategically odd way to fire a man best known for being hell-bent on revenge against those who have crossed him. This is not how you release a valued counselor who has rescued you from repeated embarrassment, but whose views have…

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Corruption: Trump had deal with airport that sent flight crews to his Turnberry resort

Corruption: Trump had deal with airport that sent flight crews to his Turnberry resort

I know nothing about an Air Force plane landing at an airport (which I do not own and have nothing to do with) near Turnberry Resort (which I do own) in Scotland, and filling up with fuel, with the crew staying overnight at Turnberry (they have good taste!). NOTHING TO DO WITH ME — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 9, 2019 November, 2014: “Donald Trump pledges to make Prestwick Airport 'really successful'” http://t.co/JZ1dnBqwV1 via @STVNews — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)…

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Brexit: Remainers actually have nothing to fear from a general election — here’s why

Brexit: Remainers actually have nothing to fear from a general election — here’s why

Mark Malloch-Brown writes: Remainers have nothing to fear from an election so long as we work together; and because we will work together, the country has nothing to fear from Corbyn. The present polling gives Johnson an ebbing lead, but a lead nonetheless. It is likely he will strike a deal with Nigel Farage in any snap election. Perhaps Farage’s non-aggression pact in which the Brexit Party does little campaigning in swathes of the south, and the Tories do even…

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If Boris Johnson quits, MPs should back Jeremy Corbyn to avoid no deal

If Boris Johnson quits, MPs should back Jeremy Corbyn to avoid no deal

Polly Toynbee writes: When parliament reconvenes in October it will have 12 days to close all loopholes and prevent a no-deal exit. Johnson may resign, or as a last resort Labour may need to depose him with a no-confidence vote. If so, the leader of the opposition would be called first to form an interim government; but will the alliance [with the SNP, the Liberal Democrats, Greens and Plaid Cymru, and exiled Tories] stomach him? When first mooted, the answer…

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NOAA’s chief scientist to investigate why agency backed Trump over its experts on Dorian, while NWS director backs forecasters

NOAA’s chief scientist to investigate why agency backed Trump over its experts on Dorian, while NWS director backs forecasters

The Washington Post reports: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s acting chief scientist said in an email to colleagues Sunday that he is investigating whether the agency’s response to President Trump’s Hurricane Dorian tweets constituted a violation of NOAA policies and ethics. Also on Monday, the director of the National Weather Service broke with NOAA leadership over its handling of Trump’s Dorian tweets and statements. In an email to NOAA staff that was obtained by The Washington Post, NOAA’s Craig…

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Commerce chief threatened to fire top officials at NOAA if they didn’t support Trump’s false hurricane predictions, sources say

Commerce chief threatened to fire top officials at NOAA if they didn’t support Trump’s false hurricane predictions, sources say

The New York Times reports: The Secretary of Commerce threatened to fire top employees at NOAA on Friday after the agency’s Birmingham office contradicted President Trump’s claim that Hurricane Dorian might hit Alabama, according to three people familiar with the discussion. That threat led to an unusual, unsigned statement later that Friday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration disavowing the office’s own position that Alabama was not at risk. The reversal caused widespread anger within the agency and drew…

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Trump’s hatred of refugees applies to victims of Hurricane Dorian

Trump’s hatred of refugees applies to victims of Hurricane Dorian

Aaron Blake writes: Early Monday afternoon, acting Customs and Border Protection head Mark Morgan offered some peace of mind to Bahamians seeking humanitarian relief in the United States in the wake of Hurricane Dorian, following the news that some were turned away for not having visas. “This is a humanitarian mission,” Morgan assured. “If your life is in jeopardy and you’re in the Bahamas … you’re going to be allowed to come to the United States, whether you have travel…

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The Irish border and the reality of Boris Johnson’s no-deal plan

The Irish border and the reality of Boris Johnson’s no-deal plan

‘I was the sole survivor of the Kingsmill massacre. Ten of my friends were shot dead beside me.’ In 2016, UK political commentator Peter Oborne voted for Brexit. A vote he now regrets.@obornetweets went to the border to discover the reality of Boris Johnson's no deal plan pic.twitter.com/2yFMW2UwHy — JOE.ie (@JOEdotie) September 4, 2019 The Guardian reports: The Irish prime minister has warned Boris Johnson there will be no “clean break” from the EU, with further fraught negotiations to come…

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Boris Johnson ‘sabotage’ letter to EU ‘would break law’

Boris Johnson ‘sabotage’ letter to EU ‘would break law’

The Guardian reports: A former supreme court justice has said Boris Johnson would be in contempt of court if he applied for article 50 extension while simultaneously trying to get the EU to reject it. Reports in the Daily Telegraph suggested that the prime minister has drawn up plans to “sabotage” parliament’s efforts to force through a Brexit extension to prevent the UK leaving the bloc without a deal. He is said to be considering sending an accompanying letter to…

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