News Burst: May 10, 2017

Hello!

I hope today’s News Burst finds you all very well, indeed. I’m in the middle of editing tomorrow’s video, which will, as always, go live at 9a PT. I hope you all enjoy it.

Two notes: First of all, the video I had planned going out on social media today will now go live on Friday, so keep an eye out for it, and let me know what you think. Secondly, I was up until 5a last night editing, rendering, and posting this month’s Q&A video, so if you are at the $10+/month level, be sure to check that out if/when you can.

I think that’s pretty much it. On to the news!

“Festering Anger” Caused Comey’s Firing: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/10/us/politics/how-trump-decided-to-fire-james-comey.html

My Take: Not surprisingly, today’s political news centers almost entirely around yesterday’s firing of FBI Director James Comey. This New York Times article offers some interesting insight into the supposed process and train of thought that went into the firing, and seems to mimic a lot of what  I’ve read elsewhere, at spots like Politico and The National Review, along with other publications: That this was a long time coming, with active conversation about Comey’s firing happening in The West Wing over the last week.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who has been filling in for Sean Spicer as acting Press Secretary (and seems likely to take over his job outright, if rumors out of the White House are any indication), did tell the press today that Trump had been considering this move since he took office, and that his pre-election, pre-swearing-in chatter about Comey -- which painted the FBI Director in a more positive light -- was made before he had all of the information he needed. To her credit, she’s a lot better at that job than Spicer. It’s weird hearing someone say logical things, because that’s a logical answer. Or at least as logical as it’s going to get, considering the circumstances.

The word is that Trump had the blessing of most people around him to dismiss Comey, including his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, the VP, his official counsel, and others. Interestingly, it was Steve Bannon who thought firing Comey, at least at the present, may have been a misstep, and I think he’s right. If the intention was to fire Comey, it would have been smarter to do it later, when the investigation into Trump, Russia, and the like had died down, or had borne no fruit. I’m still of the mind that Trump isn’t stupid enough to make a move like this that would so obviously further injure him if he were hiding something, but who the hell knows at this point.

(Related Story | Comey Was Seeking More Resources Before Firing: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/05/10/comey-sought-more-money-for-russia-probe-days-before-he-was-fired-officials-say/?utm_term=.6d8228ecfe2f)

Politics Rule the Day: https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/862460991451344896

My Take: I know it's a video put out by Donald Trump on his Twitter account, but... well... he kinda has a point. Give it a watch.

The Senate Subpoenas Michael Flynn: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/michael-flynn-subpoena_us_591393dae4b030d4f1ef8bfe?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009

My Take: More specifically, the Senate Intelligence Committee is interested in acquiring documents apparently in the possession of Michael Flynn that he refused to supply to the committee openly. Therefore, the Senate has taken the next legal step of subpoenaing those documents -- and Mr. Flynn, by proxy -- as the investigation into Russia’s supposed and accused interference into the 2016 American election continues.

You’ll remember that, some weeks ago, Michael Flynn offered to testify to the appropriate bodies responsible for the investigation in exchange for blanket immunity. His lawyer argued that this was a pretty normal course of action for a person in his position, which seems fair enough, but the feds declined his offer, and it doesn’t necessarily seem like that offer is back on -- or anywhere near -- the table. The nature of these documents is unknown, but the request for them, via subpoena, was made in a bipartisan nature, with both Republicans and Democrats in the Senate in on it.

The subpoena has tenuous -- if any -- connection to the Comey firing or other goings-ons at the FBI. Rather, the request has come in tandem with requests for documents from other questionable Trump associates -- all long gone from the campaign and/or administration -- including Paul Manafort, Carter Page, and my favorite of the bunch, Roger Stone, who is such an interesting, mysterious, and calculating figure. I can’t wait for that Netflix documentary about him.

Lester Holt Scores Huge Donald Trump Interview by Accident: http://money.cnn.com/2017/05/10/media/lester-holt-nbc-president-trump-interview/index.html

My Take: It seems Trump is going to run headlong into the controversies surrounding him, and attempt to take them down directly. A smart move, both politically and optically, if I do say so myself. NBC’s Lester Holt is the man who has scored the exclusive this time around; interestingly, the interview was scheduled and slotted before Comey’s forced exit from the FBI, making this interview more and more fascinating, indeed.

The interview is set to be recorded on Thursday; when the interview airs in its entirety doesn’t yet seem to be known, but my assumption is we’ll see it long before the week ends.

Looks Like The Rock is Gonna Run: http://www.gq.com/story/dwayne-johnson-for-president-cover

My Take: This is a really long -- and really interesting -- interview with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and it’s worth a read in its entirety. He seems like a really good, decent, down-to-Earth man, and while the writer might have been hamming it up just a little bit for effect, I’ve often heard (and read) that he’s exactly as he’s described in this interview. Personable, warm, and patient. Sounds like he could be a good president, at least when it came to personality and temperament

The important piece here, at least for our use, is buried deep in the story. He was asked flat-out if he’s going to run for president. His answer? “I think that it’s a real possibility.” That’s an exceptionally honest and candid answer from a man who is going to soon learn, should he run, that he can never be that candid (although he should always be that honest). But then again, maybe he’d run as a different kind of man, and a different kind of candidate. Donald Trump winning has opened the door for everyone, and some people, like Oprah and Mark Cuban, have been more honest about it than others.

Dwayne Johnson, as far as I can tell, was -- and perhaps still is -- registered Republican. But he has socially liberal and progressive viewpoints, and seems to fit more in line with what we might call a moderate today (I consider myself one of those, too). Would he primary Trump as a Republican? Could he run as a Democrat? I think he runs independent, if he runs at all. It’d be fascinating to see what kind of response he’d get. Frankly, he could win.

Betsy DeVos Viciously Booed at Commencement Address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nciqkO1T4g0&ab_channel=FOX10Phoenix

My Take: I won’t waste too much time writing this up. You should just watch it. The bigger question here is one I’ve been thinking of for some time: Who thought it was a good idea to let Betsy DeVos give a collegiate commencement address anywhere in the country, nonetheless at an historically all-black -- and therefore inherently fervently Democratic -- college?

It could have only went this way. I have no idea if anyone thought there would be a different outcome.

Aetna Bailing Out of Obamacare: http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/05/10/aetna-to-completely-pull-out-obamacare-exchanges-by-2018.html

My Take: I think one of the things lost during the whole Obamacare repeal/Trumpcare shove-through that happened recently (and is still raging all-the-while) is that Obamacare is still systemically broken, collapsing under its own weight, and in dire need of actual, real repair. This story shows you why that is: Aetna, a massive health insurance company, is straight-up bouncing from Obamacare exchanges beginning in 2018.

The states in question in the story are Nebraska and Delaware. Both states will be Aetna-less in 2018, leaving both states with a single health insurance option on the public exchange. Which simply means there will be no competition and no real reason to keep costs low. Which means that the death spiral is continuing unabated.

Aetna lost a shocking $700 million participating in the exchanges in only three years, and anticipates that number to go up to $900 million total by the end of this year. I’d want out, too. The system is so fucked, so broken, so seemingly beyond repair. Hopefully, the adults step up soon.