Host Amy Siskind discusses former US President Donald J. Trump's March 30th indictment.

Host Amy Siskind discusses former US President Donald J. Trump's March 30th indictment.

Democracy at Risk - Trump's Indicment

Host Amy Siskind discusses the aftermath of the 2022 US midterm elections

Host Amy Siskind discusses the aftermath of the 2022 US midterm elections

Democracy at Risk - We Did What We Had to Do

Host Amy Siskind discusses the last few weeks of US news and the upcoming midterm elections.

Host Amy Siskind discusses the last few weeks of US news and the upcoming midterm elections.

Democracy at Risk - Are We Sleepwalking into Autocracy?

Host Amy Siskind discusses the last few weeks of US political news including primary updates and Donald Trump's legal troubles.

Host Amy Siskind discusses the last few weeks of US political news including primary updates and Donald Trump's legal troubles.

Democracy at Risk - FBI at Mar-a-Lago

Host Amy Siskind discusses the last few weeks of political news.

Host Amy Siskind discusses the last few weeks of political news.

Democracy at Risk - Roe v. Wade Overturned

Democracy at Risk - Leaked Supreme Court Decision

Host Amy Siskind discusses Russia's invasion of Ukraine (Recorded April 6th, 2022.)

Host Amy Siskind discusses Russia's invasion of Ukraine (Recorded April 6th, 2022.)

Democracy at Risk - The Price of Authoritarianism

Host Amy Siskind discusses the factors at play in Russia's invasion of Ukraine (Recorded March 7th, 2022.)

Host Amy Siskind discusses the factors at play in Russia's invasion of Ukraine (Recorded March 7th, 2022.)

Democracy at Risk - Russia Invades Ukraine: How Did We Get Here? 

Host Amy Siskind discusses the last few weeks in American politics.

Host Amy Siskind discusses the last few weeks in American politics.

Democracy at Risk - Nine Months Until the Midterms

Host Amy Siskind discusses the last few weeks in US politics.

Host Amy Siskind discusses the last few weeks in US politics.

Democracy at Risk - One Year After the United States Capitol Attack

The Weekly List is a podcast hosted by Amy Siskind, author of The List. It supplements the popular Weekly List on our website, www.theweeklylist.org, which tracks the ever changing new normals of American politics. The podcast gives greater context to the "not normal" news items from the previous week, and will highlight a few stories and changing norms from the Trump regime that you may have missed.

Gives one a more profound understanding of the curse ‘may you live in interesting times’

This is History as its Happening

You always seem to catch something I missed during the week. Very succinct.

Week 108 — Keep up the good work, Amy!

The Weekly List is a podcast hosted by Amy Siskind, author of The List. It supplements the popular Weekly List on our website, <a href="http://www.theweeklylist.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.theweeklylist.org</a>, which tracks the ever changing new normals of American politics. The podcast gives greater context to the "not normal" news items from the previous week, and will highlight a few stories and changing norms from the Trump regime that you may have missed.

The Weekly List

This week the FBI thwarted a major domestic terrorism plot by a white  nationalist serving as a lieutenant in the U.S. Coast Guard, who had  called for the establishment of a “white homeland.” His target list  included Democratic politicians and cable-TV hosts, almost all of whom  were subjects of Trump’s public ire on Twitter or in words. Nonetheless,  Trump continued his attacks on the media, calling them the “enemy of  the people,” and repeatedly referring to them as “fake news.” When asked  if his rhetoric played a role, Trump responded, “No, I don’t. I think  my language is very nice.” Trump has also started in recent weeks to  attack fact-checkers as fake news. Trump ally Roger Stone found himself hauled back into court this week  for posting an image of a federal judge next to a crosshairs, while  other Trump supporters used words like “civil war” and “coup” on-air as  the country waited for Mueller’s findings. In conjunction with his new  book, former FBI director Andrew McCabe spoke to media outlets about  F.B.I. investigations into Trump, the prospect of invoking the 25th  Amendment, and concern that Trump is a Russian asset. In response, Trump  spent the week attacking his old, familiar target. Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-119/

This week the FBI thwarted a major domestic terrorism plot by a white  nationalist serving as a lieutenant in the U.S. Coast Guard, who had  called for the establishment of a “white homeland.” His target list  included Democratic politicians and cable-TV hosts, almost all of whom  were subjects of Trump’s public ire on Twitter or in words. Nonetheless,  Trump continued his attacks on the media, calling them the “enemy of  the people,” and repeatedly referring to them as “fake news.” When asked  if his rhetoric played a role, Trump responded, “No, I don’t. I think  my language is very nice.” Trump has also started in recent weeks to  attack fact-checkers as fake news. Trump ally Roger Stone found himself hauled back into court this week  for posting an image of a federal judge next to a crosshairs, while  other Trump supporters used words like “civil war” and “coup” on-air as  the country waited for Mueller’s findings. In conjunction with his new  book, former FBI director Andrew McCabe spoke to media outlets about  F.B.I. investigations into Trump, the prospect of invoking the 25th  Amendment, and concern that Trump is a Russian asset. In response, Trump  spent the week attacking his old, familiar target. Read the full list here: <a href="https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-119/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-119/</a>

Week 119 - The Continuing Rise of White Nationalism

This week there were dramatic developments in several areas which could be perilous for Trump: a federal judge ruled an emoluments clauses lawsuit can proceed; Michael Cohen asserted Trump knew about, and approved, the June 9 Trump Tower meeting with Russians to get dirt on Hillary; Trump’s decades-long bookkeeper was subpoenaed to testify in the Southern District; leaked tapes revealed Trump knew about the payments to silence former Playboy model Karen McDougal just before the election — all as the trial of Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, is set to kick off Tuesday.Seeking to counter these closing walls, Trump continued to promote his alternative version of the truth, telling a crowd in Kansas City, “Just remember, what you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s happening,” and pushing a new storyline that Putin wants to help Democrats win the midterms. Read the full list: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-89/

This week there were dramatic developments in several areas which could be perilous for Trump: a federal judge ruled an emoluments clauses lawsuit can proceed; Michael Cohen asserted Trump knew about, and approved, the June 9 Trump Tower meeting with Russians to get dirt on Hillary; Trump’s decades-long bookkeeper was subpoenaed to testify in the Southern District; leaked tapes revealed Trump knew about the payments to silence former Playboy model Karen McDougal just before the election — all as the trial of Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, is set to kick off Tuesday. Seeking to counter these closing walls, Trump continued to promote his alternative version of the truth, telling a crowd in Kansas City, “Just remember, what you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s happening,” and pushing a new storyline that Putin wants to help Democrats win the midterms. Read the full list: <a href="https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-89/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-89/</a>

Week 89 - Trump's Alt-truths

Robert Mueller

This week, special counsel Robert Mueller addressed the nation for the first time since the start of his investigation. Notably, Mueller said, “If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so,” contradicting Attorney General William Barr’s statements, and Trump’s repeated proclamations of “no obstruction.” Mueller resigned and closed the special counsel office, and seemed to pass the ball to Congress on whether to pursue charges against Trump. Speaker Nancy Pelosi demurred, but pressure built this week after Mueller’s appearance with 55 members of Congress backing an impeachment inquiry, up from 31 last week, including 13 of the 24 House Judiciary Committee members. Trump exploded after Mueller’s appearance, seeking to discredit him and the investigation. Later, he shifted the narrative by starting a trade war with Mexico, invoking a decades old act to empower himself to impose tariffs over a so-called “national emergency” at our southern border. As the week came to a close, Trump’s Department of Justice thumbed its nose at a court order to produce documents related to Michael Flynn. The regime has now usurped both the legislative and judicial branch — seizing and consolidating power with increasingly authoritarian actions. Adding to the authoritarian feel were the continued attacks on the rights of marginalized communities and women, the stripping of protections for the environment, and a shocking discovery this week related to the 2020 census citizenship question. And yet, there has been no accountability or consequences for Trump, his family, and the remaining members of the regime. Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-133/

This week, special counsel Robert Mueller addressed the nation for the first time since the start of his investigation. Notably, Mueller said, “If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so,” contradicting Attorney General William Barr’s statements, and Trump’s repeated proclamations of “no obstruction.” Mueller resigned and closed the special counsel office, and seemed to pass the ball to Congress on whether to pursue charges against Trump. Speaker Nancy Pelosi demurred, but pressure built this week after Mueller’s appearance with 55 members of Congress backing an impeachment inquiry, up from 31 last week, including 13 of the 24 House Judiciary Committee members. Trump exploded after Mueller’s appearance, seeking to discredit him and the investigation. Later, he shifted the narrative by starting a trade war with Mexico, invoking a decades old act to empower himself to impose tariffs over a so-called “national emergency” at our southern border. As the week came to a close, Trump’s Department of Justice thumbed its nose at a court order to produce documents related to Michael Flynn. The regime has now usurped both the legislative and judicial branch — seizing and consolidating power with increasingly authoritarian actions. Adding to the authoritarian feel were the continued attacks on the rights of marginalized communities and women, the stripping of protections for the environment, and a shocking discovery this week related to the 2020 census citizenship question. And yet, there has been no accountability or consequences for Trump, his family, and the remaining members of the regime. Read the full list here: <a href="https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-133/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-133/</a>

Week 133 - Robert Mueller's Resignation 

This was the quietest week in months as Congress left Washington for a  two-week holiday break. After House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused to  transmit articles of impeachment to the Senate, Trump spent the week  stewing and repeatedly attacking her on Twitter and in his limited  public appearances. Sen. Lisa Murkowski became the first Republican  Senator to speak out against Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s handling  of the impeachment trial, saying she was “disturbed” by his “total  coordination” with the White House. Trump spent the week at Mar-a-Lago, removed from  White House staffers and consumed with airing his personal grievances  and amplifying far-right conspiracy theorists. He and his allies  attacked Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for cutting out his cameo  appearance in a Christmas showing of “Home Alone 2.” Trump also spent  much of his days quoting hosts and guests on Fox News, and retweeting  allies and conspiracy theorists. This week the media did a bit of reckoning on its coverage of Trump, after Rolling Stone published an interview of “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd, in which he  admitted he has been “naive” in his coverage and complicit in the  spread of disinformation. Evangelical leaders continued their online  battle over whether Trump’s moral unfitness was grounds for his removal. Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-163/

This was the quietest week in months as Congress left Washington for a  two-week holiday break. After House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused to  transmit articles of impeachment to the Senate, Trump spent the week  stewing and repeatedly attacking her on Twitter and in his limited  public appearances. Sen. Lisa Murkowski became the first Republican  Senator to speak out against Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s handling  of the impeachment trial, saying she was “disturbed” by his “total  coordination” with the White House. Trump spent the week at Mar-a-Lago, removed from  White House staffers and consumed with airing his personal grievances  and amplifying far-right conspiracy theorists. He and his allies  attacked Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for cutting out his cameo  appearance in a Christmas showing of “Home Alone 2.” Trump also spent  much of his days quoting hosts and guests on Fox News, and retweeting  allies and conspiracy theorists. This week the media did a bit of reckoning on its coverage of Trump, after Rolling Stone published an interview of “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd, in which he  admitted he has been “naive” in his coverage and complicit in the  spread of disinformation. Evangelical leaders continued their online  battle over whether Trump’s moral unfitness was grounds for his removal. Read the full list here: <a href="https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-163/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-163/</a>

Week 163 - Losing the Evangelicals?

This week, Trump traveled to London for the NATO  summit as impeachment hearings got underway in the House Judiciary  Committee, and Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee issued a  scathing 300-page report. While Trump sought to display strength abroad,  and used the summit as an excuse not to participate in impeachment  hearings, a video at a Buckingham Palace reception surfaced Tuesday  night showing world leaders openly mocking and laughing at him. He  abruptly left early Wednesday, seething and returning in disgrace as the  constitutional scholars testified in House impeachment hearings.  Harvard Law School professor Noah Feldman said, “the reason the  Constitution provided for impeachment was to anticipate a situation like  the one that is before you today.” On Thursday, shortly after Trump tweeted “if you  are going to impeach me, do it now, fast,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi  announced in somber tones and invoking the Founders and Constitution,  that the House would begin drafting articles of impeachment. Meanwhile,  Rudy Giuliani traveled back to Budapest and Kyiv, seeking dirt on the  Bidens, meeting with Ukrainian officials, including one with ties to  Russia. This week Trump continued his feud with the  so-called deep state, now growing to include the military — while his  remaining conspiracy theories were set to be debunked in a report by the  Justice Department Inspector General, in consultation with Attorney  General William Barr’s handpicked prosecutor, John Durham.

This week, Trump traveled to London for the NATO  summit as impeachment hearings got underway in the House Judiciary  Committee, and Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee issued a  scathing 300-page report. While Trump sought to display strength abroad,  and used the summit as an excuse not to participate in impeachment  hearings, a video at a Buckingham Palace reception surfaced Tuesday  night showing world leaders openly mocking and laughing at him. He  abruptly left early Wednesday, seething and returning in disgrace as the  constitutional scholars testified in House impeachment hearings.  Harvard Law School professor Noah Feldman said, “the reason the  Constitution provided for impeachment was to anticipate a situation like  the one that is before you today.” On Thursday, shortly after Trump tweeted “if you  are going to impeach me, do it now, fast,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi  announced in somber tones and invoking the Founders and Constitution,  that the House would begin drafting articles of impeachment. Meanwhile,  Rudy Giuliani traveled back to Budapest and Kyiv, seeking dirt on the  Bidens, meeting with Ukrainian officials, including one with ties to  Russia. This week Trump continued his feud with the  so-called deep state, now growing to include the military — while his  remaining conspiracy theories were set to be debunked in a report by the  Justice Department Inspector General, in consultation with Attorney  General William Barr’s handpicked prosecutor, John Durham.

Week 160 - Laughingstock of the World

Paul Manafort

This was a jarring week as Trump declared a national emergency after  Congress refused to fund his wall — perhaps his most brazen  authoritarian act yet. Trump’s predilection not to govern, but rather  rule by an unprecedented executive fiat, set off alarm bells for  Constitutional separation of powers, as Trump departed early Friday for a  weekend of golf at Mar-a-Lago. This week the Mueller probe made news as reporting indicated Trump’s  former campaign chair Paul Manafort discussed a peace plan for Ukraine  and handed off internal polling data in a secretive meeting to a  business associate with ties to Russian intelligence, and a search  warrant revealed Roger Stone was in direct contact with WikiLeaks while  interacting with the Trump campaign —both in the months before the 2016  election. Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-118/

This was a jarring week as Trump declared a national emergency after  Congress refused to fund his wall — perhaps his most brazen  authoritarian act yet. Trump’s predilection not to govern, but rather  rule by an unprecedented executive fiat, set off alarm bells for  Constitutional separation of powers, as Trump departed early Friday for a  weekend of golf at Mar-a-Lago. This week the Mueller probe made news as reporting indicated Trump’s  former campaign chair Paul Manafort discussed a peace plan for Ukraine  and handed off internal polling data in a secretive meeting to a  business associate with ties to Russian intelligence, and a search  warrant revealed Roger Stone was in direct contact with WikiLeaks while  interacting with the Trump campaign —both in the months before the 2016  election. Read the full list here: <a href="https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-118/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-118/</a>

Week 118 - Paul Manafort's Mueller Probe Troubles 

This week in an interview with ABC News, Trump  suggested he would take damaging information from foreign governments on  political adversaries without reporting it to the FBI, setting off  alarm bells. The Chair of the Federal Elections Commissions took the  unusual step of issuing a public statement reminding campaigns that  taking foreign assistance is illegal. Nonetheless, Trump allies largely  defended his statement, and continued to block measures to protect the  2020 election. As this played out on a chaotic Thursday, press  secretary Sarah Sanders, one of the few remaining members of the  original regime, resigned. Also this week, watchdog Office of Special  Counsel recommended the removal of White House counselor Kellyanne  Conway, saying she had repeatedly violated the Hatch Act — an  unprecedented recommendation. Trump sparred with the media over reporting on  his supposed trade deal with Mexico, while conditions at the southern  border continued to deteriorate. Notably, Trump has been linking  economic and national security in his recent actions, allowing him to  invoke Cold War era acts and bypass Congressional approval. The House  voted on a resolution opening the door to contempt of Congress charges  for members of the regime.  Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-135/

This week in an interview with ABC News, Trump  suggested he would take damaging information from foreign governments on  political adversaries without reporting it to the FBI, setting off  alarm bells. The Chair of the Federal Elections Commissions took the  unusual step of issuing a public statement reminding campaigns that  taking foreign assistance is illegal. Nonetheless, Trump allies largely  defended his statement, and continued to block measures to protect the  2020 election. As this played out on a chaotic Thursday, press  secretary Sarah Sanders, one of the few remaining members of the  original regime, resigned. Also this week, watchdog Office of Special  Counsel recommended the removal of White House counselor Kellyanne  Conway, saying she had repeatedly violated the Hatch Act — an  unprecedented recommendation. Trump sparred with the media over reporting on  his supposed trade deal with Mexico, while conditions at the southern  border continued to deteriorate. Notably, Trump has been linking  economic and national security in his recent actions, allowing him to  invoke Cold War era acts and bypass Congressional approval. The House  voted on a resolution opening the door to contempt of Congress charges  for members of the regime. Read the full list here: <a href="https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-135/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-135/</a>

Week 135 - No Protection for the 2020 Election

This week the first Republican, Rep. Justin  Amash, came out for impeaching Trump. While Trump allies sought to  attack and punish Amash to avoid further defections, momentum grew among  the House Democratic caucus for impeachment hearings. Feeling the  pressure Speaker Nancy Pelosi defended staying focused on policy, but  directly attacked Trump for a “cover-up,” leading Trump to storm out of a  scheduled meeting with Democratic leaders, saying he refused to work  with them until they stop investigating him. The two leaders publicly  battled, as altered videos of Pelosi appeared online, a redux of false  attacks on Hillary Clinton’s mental acumen used in 2016. In authoritarian-type moves, Trump granted his  attorney general alarming powers to investigate the investigators. Trump  bypassed Congress, invoking a national emergency again to sell weapons  to Saudi Arabia, and “joked” about serving up to five terms in office.  Trump continued to stonewall House oversight as Trump prevented Don  McGahn from testifying, and appealed rulings thwarting his efforts to  block the release of financial documents from Mazars USA and Deutsche  Bank. Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-132/

This week the first Republican, Rep. Justin  Amash, came out for impeaching Trump. While Trump allies sought to  attack and punish Amash to avoid further defections, momentum grew among  the House Democratic caucus for impeachment hearings. Feeling the  pressure Speaker Nancy Pelosi defended staying focused on policy, but  directly attacked Trump for a “cover-up,” leading Trump to storm out of a  scheduled meeting with Democratic leaders, saying he refused to work  with them until they stop investigating him. The two leaders publicly  battled, as altered videos of Pelosi appeared online, a redux of false  attacks on Hillary Clinton’s mental acumen used in 2016. In authoritarian-type moves, Trump granted his  attorney general alarming powers to investigate the investigators. Trump  bypassed Congress, invoking a national emergency again to sell weapons  to Saudi Arabia, and “joked” about serving up to five terms in office.  Trump continued to stonewall House oversight as Trump prevented Don  McGahn from testifying, and appealed rulings thwarting his efforts to  block the release of financial documents from Mazars USA and Deutsche  Bank. Read the full list here: <a href="https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-132/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-132/</a>

Week 132 - Support for Impeachment

This week the country strayed further from  democracy, as Trump purged the Office of the Director of National  Intelligence. The firings started when Trump learned a senior official  at ODNI had briefed House lawmakers on Russia’s efforts to interfere in  the 2020 election, with the intent to help Trump. Trump fired his acting  director, installing a loyalist with no intelligence experience, who  then started the process of cleaning house of those not loyal to Trump.  Admiral William McRaven, who oversaw the raid that killed Osama Bin  Laden, noted in an op-ed, “We should be deeply afraid for the future of  the nation. When presidential ego and self-preservation are more  important than national security, there is nothing left to stop the  triumph of evil.” At the end of the week, as Democrats were about  to vote in their third primary contest, reporting also indicated that  U.S. intelligence found Russia was interfering in the Democratic  primary, with the intention of helping Sen. Bernie Sanders and sowing  discord within the party. Predictably, chaos ensued as Sanders  questioned the Washington Post for  reporting the story the day before the primary, and tweeted his own  version of deep-state rhetoric, saying the “Democratic  establishment…can’t stop us!” Trump fueled the flames on Twitter and  sought to raise concern with the validity of the Nevada caucus results  at a campaign rally. Trump also issued a series of pardons to  wealthy, well-connected white men — several of whom will able to help  fund his re-election race. He also publicly threatened to intervene in  the Roger Stone case, despite an apparent threat to resign by Attorney  General William Barr over Trump’s continued public remarks about Justice  Department matters. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a  stark warning in a withering dissent opinion, accusing the court of bias  towards Trump. Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-171/

This week the country strayed further from  democracy, as Trump purged the Office of the Director of National  Intelligence. The firings started when Trump learned a senior official  at ODNI had briefed House lawmakers on Russia’s efforts to interfere in  the 2020 election, with the intent to help Trump. Trump fired his acting  director, installing a loyalist with no intelligence experience, who  then started the process of cleaning house of those not loyal to Trump.  Admiral William McRaven, who oversaw the raid that killed Osama Bin  Laden, noted in an op-ed, “We should be deeply afraid for the future of  the nation. When presidential ego and self-preservation are more  important than national security, there is nothing left to stop the  triumph of evil.” At the end of the week, as Democrats were about  to vote in their third primary contest, reporting also indicated that  U.S. intelligence found Russia was interfering in the Democratic  primary, with the intention of helping Sen. Bernie Sanders and sowing  discord within the party. Predictably, chaos ensued as Sanders  questioned the Washington Post for  reporting the story the day before the primary, and tweeted his own  version of deep-state rhetoric, saying the “Democratic  establishment…can’t stop us!” Trump fueled the flames on Twitter and  sought to raise concern with the validity of the Nevada caucus results  at a campaign rally. Trump also issued a series of pardons to  wealthy, well-connected white men — several of whom will able to help  fund his re-election race. He also publicly threatened to intervene in  the Roger Stone case, despite an apparent threat to resign by Attorney  General William Barr over Trump’s continued public remarks about Justice  Department matters. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a  stark warning in a withering dissent opinion, accusing the court of bias  towards Trump. Read the full list here: <a href="https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-171/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-171/</a>

Week 171 - Russian Election Interference: 2020 Edition

This week Trump struggled to create stagecraft and find narratives to  justify funding for his border wall, while keeping the government  shuttered. Trump delivered a prime-time Oval Office address, visited the  U.S.-Mexico border, and held an immigration round-table to make his  case, while the reality of the shutdown hurt federal workers and  contractors, and agencies started to cut back or cease operations and  functions. This was a week of bombshells on the Trump-Russia front, as an  inadvertently unredacted filing by Paul Manafort’s attorneys revealed  Manafort had delivered 2016 president campaign polling data to  Konstantin Kilimnik, who the FBI believes has ties to Russian  intelligence. Michael Cohen set a date to testify before the House, and  Natalie Veselnitskaya, the Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin who  attended the June 9 Trump Tower meeting was back in the news. Late  Friday, a bombshell story by the Times revealed the FBI had  opened an inquiry in May 2017 into whether Trump was knowingly working  for Russia or had unwittingly fallen under Moscow’s influence. Read the full list: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-113/

This week Trump struggled to create stagecraft and find narratives to  justify funding for his border wall, while keeping the government  shuttered. Trump delivered a prime-time Oval Office address, visited the  U.S.-Mexico border, and held an immigration round-table to make his  case, while the reality of the shutdown hurt federal workers and  contractors, and agencies started to cut back or cease operations and  functions. This was a week of bombshells on the Trump-Russia front, as an  inadvertently unredacted filing by Paul Manafort’s attorneys revealed  Manafort had delivered 2016 president campaign polling data to  Konstantin Kilimnik, who the FBI believes has ties to Russian  intelligence. Michael Cohen set a date to testify before the House, and  Natalie Veselnitskaya, the Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin who  attended the June 9 Trump Tower meeting was back in the news. Late  Friday, a bombshell story by the Times revealed the FBI had  opened an inquiry in May 2017 into whether Trump was knowingly working  for Russia or had unwittingly fallen under Moscow’s influence. Read the full list: <a href="https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-113/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-113/</a>

Week 113 - Trump's Prime Time Oval Office Address

This week marked 29 days of the government being shuttered, with no  end in sight. Agencies continued to feel the effects, as thousands of  furloughed employees were called back to work unpaid. Federal workers  formed blocks-long lines at food banks, and borrowed from retirement  accounts to make ends meet. Trump’s approval continued to fall this  week, with one poll indicating he is losing support from his base.  Conversely, House Speaker Pelosi’s popularity hit a 10-year high as the  two did battle, and Trump reckoned with the first check on his power. This week was full of bombshell stories which, along with the  continued shutdown, rocked the country and made people increasingly  anxious and scared about the direction of the country. Major storylines  included Trump concealing contents of meetings with Russian President  Vladimir Putin, Trump’s continued fixation of withdrawing the U.S. from  NATO — a boon to Russia, and Michael Cohen paying an IT firm to rig  online polls to boost Trump. Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani made  headlines, telling CNN, “I never said there was no collusion between the  campaign or between people in the campaign,” which he later retracted. A  bombshell BuzzFeed News story suggesting Trump directed Cohen to lie to  Congress on Trump Tower Moscow was refuted by Mueller’s team, which  Trump and his allies quickly weaponized to attack the credibility of the  media. Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-114/

This week marked 29 days of the government being shuttered, with no  end in sight. Agencies continued to feel the effects, as thousands of  furloughed employees were called back to work unpaid. Federal workers  formed blocks-long lines at food banks, and borrowed from retirement  accounts to make ends meet. Trump’s approval continued to fall this  week, with one poll indicating he is losing support from his base.  Conversely, House Speaker Pelosi’s popularity hit a 10-year high as the  two did battle, and Trump reckoned with the first check on his power. This week was full of bombshell stories which, along with the  continued shutdown, rocked the country and made people increasingly  anxious and scared about the direction of the country. Major storylines  included Trump concealing contents of meetings with Russian President  Vladimir Putin, Trump’s continued fixation of withdrawing the U.S. from  NATO — a boon to Russia, and Michael Cohen paying an IT firm to rig  online polls to boost Trump. Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani made  headlines, telling CNN, “I never said there was no collusion between the  campaign or between people in the campaign,” which he later retracted. A  bombshell BuzzFeed News story suggesting Trump directed Cohen to lie to  Congress on Trump Tower Moscow was refuted by Mueller’s team, which  Trump and his allies quickly weaponized to attack the credibility of the  media. Read the full list here: <a href="https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-114/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-114/</a>

Week 114 - 29 Days (and Counting) Government Shutdown

This week marked a subtle shift in House  Democrats’ position on impeachment, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and  her committee chairs cited a “constitutional crisis,” and argued Trump  was “goading” them and giving them no choice with his continued  stonewalling. The House Judiciary Committee voted to hold Attorney  General William Barr in contempt of Congress, and threatened the same  for former White House counsel Don McGahn. Trump said he would block  special counsel Robert Mueller from testifying, and later in the week  backed off. Notably, the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee  served the first subpoena on a member of Trump’s family, Donald Trump  Jr. There was more reporting on Trump’s irreverence  around norms and laws, including his attempts to have McGahn publicly  state he did not believe Trump obstructed justice, and dispatching  personal attorney Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to spur investigations likely  to help his re-election. Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-130/

This week marked a subtle shift in House  Democrats’ position on impeachment, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and  her committee chairs cited a “constitutional crisis,” and argued Trump  was “goading” them and giving them no choice with his continued  stonewalling. The House Judiciary Committee voted to hold Attorney  General William Barr in contempt of Congress, and threatened the same  for former White House counsel Don McGahn. Trump said he would block  special counsel Robert Mueller from testifying, and later in the week  backed off. Notably, the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee  served the first subpoena on a member of Trump’s family, Donald Trump  Jr. There was more reporting on Trump’s irreverence  around norms and laws, including his attempts to have McGahn publicly  state he did not believe Trump obstructed justice, and dispatching  personal attorney Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to spur investigations likely  to help his re-election. Read the full list here: <a href="https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-130/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-130/</a>

Week 130 - Constitutional Crisis

This week it was hard to believe what was happening right before our eyes: Trump stood on stage in Helsinki, after a two hour, private meeting with Putin, and sided with our former foreign adversary over the U.S. intelligence community. The free-world looked on in horror, and there was bipartisan outrage back at home — even concern raised that Trump may be compromised — and yet, as the week came to a close, Trump suffered no real consequences. The Republicans even rewarded him by inexplicably backing his partial ban of Chinese telecom company ZTE.Trump stumbled defiantly through the rest of a shocking week: shifting his positions on backing U.S. intelligence, considering an offer to allow Russian intelligence to question the former U.S. ambassador to Russia, publicly criticizing the Federal Reserve, and threatening his former fixer Michael Cohen who had taped their conversations.Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-88/

This week it was hard to believe what was happening right before our eyes: Trump stood on stage in Helsinki, after a two hour, private meeting with Putin, and sided with our former foreign adversary over the U.S. intelligence community. The free-world looked on in horror, and there was bipartisan outrage back at home — even concern raised that Trump may be compromised — and yet, as the week came to a close, Trump suffered no real consequences. The Republicans even rewarded him by inexplicably backing his partial ban of Chinese telecom company ZTE. Trump stumbled defiantly through the rest of a shocking week: shifting his positions on backing U.S. intelligence, considering an offer to allow Russian intelligence to question the former U.S. ambassador to Russia, publicly criticizing the Federal Reserve, and threatening his former fixer Michael Cohen who had taped their conversations. Read the full list here: <a href="https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-88/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-88/</a>

Week 88 - Trump in Helsinki

This was a heartbreaking week in America, after several domestic attacks left the country shaken, frightened, and on edge. On Monday, an explosive device mailed in a package to the home of George Soros was discovered. Then starting Wednesday, one by one, 13 more packages addressed to high profile Democrats, all of whom were Trump critics and people Trump had publicly and repeatedly attacked, were found. There was a deadly shooting of two Black Americans in a supermarket in Kentucky, minutes after the shooter was unable to gain access to a predominantly black church in Jeffersontown. Then, the week closed with mass shooting during Shabbat services at Pittsburgh’s oldest Jewish congregation, killing 11 and injuring 6, likely the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in U.S. history, which was charged as a hate crime. Unlike his predecessors, Trump was unable or unwilling to rise to the occasion and seek to unite and comfort the country. Instead, he blamed the media, lightened but continued his attacks on political opponents, and complained these crimes were distracting from his messaging ahead of midterms. Trump also refused to call out hate or the rise of white supremacist groups, who view themselves as on his side and his defenders. Instead, Trump announced he is a “nationalist” — a term with historical connotations to white nationalism, seemingly a guiding philosophy behind much of his regime’s actions and policies. All the attacks this week were carried out by middle-aged white men. Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-102/

This was a heartbreaking week in America, after several domestic attacks left the country shaken, frightened, and on edge. On Monday, an explosive device mailed in a package to the home of George Soros was discovered. Then starting Wednesday, one by one, 13 more packages addressed to high profile Democrats, all of whom were Trump critics and people Trump had publicly and repeatedly attacked, were found. There was a deadly shooting of two Black Americans in a supermarket in Kentucky, minutes after the shooter was unable to gain access to a predominantly black church in Jeffersontown. Then, the week closed with mass shooting during Shabbat services at Pittsburgh’s oldest Jewish congregation, killing 11 and injuring 6, likely the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in U.S. history, which was charged as a hate crime. Unlike his predecessors, Trump was unable or unwilling to rise to the occasion and seek to unite and comfort the country. Instead, he blamed the media, lightened but continued his attacks on political opponents, and complained these crimes were distracting from his messaging ahead of midterms. Trump also refused to call out hate or the rise of white supremacist groups, who view themselves as on his side and his defenders. Instead, Trump announced he is a “nationalist” — a term with historical connotations to white nationalism, seemingly a guiding philosophy behind much of his regime’s actions and policies. All the attacks this week were carried out by middle-aged white men. Read the full list here: <a href="https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-102/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-102/</a>

Week 102 - Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting

This week, further testimony in the impeachment  probe brought the fifth and sixth public confirmation of a quid pro quo  between Trump and Ukraine, including so far William Taylor, Gordon  Sondland, Sen. Ron Johnson, Mick Mulvaney, Alexander Vindman and Tim  Morrison. By week’s end, Senate Republicans discussed shifting their  defense of Trump to acknowledging his quid pro quo, but saying it was  not illegal — differing from House Republicans who continued to deny it,  and Trump who maintained he had a “perfect” call and tested out new  explanations for what occurred. Allegations of a possible White House  cover up of Trump’s July 25 call also surfaced in this week’s testimony. The House of Representatives took its first  full, public vote on impeachment, passing a resolution to proceed with  public hearings, and setting out ground rules to proceed. In the  meantime, aspects of the Mueller probe came back into the spotlight as  ongoing court cases played out, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would  not rule out including new information in the impeachment inquiry. Trump tried to pivot and focus attention on a  successful raid that killed the head of ISIS, seeking to turn it into a  Hollywood story to distract attention and legitimize his haphazard  foreign policy. This week hundreds of U.S. troops abandoned Kurdish  allies in Syria, while hundreds of others moved back to Syria to protect  oilfields not owned by the U.S. Trump attended his first Major League  Baseball game for the World Series, and was treated to boos when he was  announced, and chants of “Lock him up!” an inning later. Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-155/

This week, further testimony in the impeachment  probe brought the fifth and sixth public confirmation of a quid pro quo  between Trump and Ukraine, including so far William Taylor, Gordon  Sondland, Sen. Ron Johnson, Mick Mulvaney, Alexander Vindman and Tim  Morrison. By week’s end, Senate Republicans discussed shifting their  defense of Trump to acknowledging his quid pro quo, but saying it was  not illegal — differing from House Republicans who continued to deny it,  and Trump who maintained he had a “perfect” call and tested out new  explanations for what occurred. Allegations of a possible White House  cover up of Trump’s July 25 call also surfaced in this week’s testimony. The House of Representatives took its first  full, public vote on impeachment, passing a resolution to proceed with  public hearings, and setting out ground rules to proceed. In the  meantime, aspects of the Mueller probe came back into the spotlight as  ongoing court cases played out, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would  not rule out including new information in the impeachment inquiry. Trump tried to pivot and focus attention on a  successful raid that killed the head of ISIS, seeking to turn it into a  Hollywood story to distract attention and legitimize his haphazard  foreign policy. This week hundreds of U.S. troops abandoned Kurdish  allies in Syria, while hundreds of others moved back to Syria to protect  oilfields not owned by the U.S. Trump attended his first Major League  Baseball game for the World Series, and was treated to boos when he was  announced, and chants of “Lock him up!” an inning later. Read the full list here: <a href="https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-155/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-155/</a>

Week 155 - "Lock Him Up!"

This week Trump continued his ramped up level of lying and unhinged behavior as he once again made a spectacle of himself on the world stage at the NATO Summit in Brussels. Trump continued his pattern of hostility towards allies, while maintaining an overtly collegial tone towards Putin, even as the Mueller probe indicted 12 members of Russian military intelligence on charges of hacking and disrupting the 2016 U.S. election and Director of National Intelligence Coats warned, “warning lights are blinking red” for further attacks.At home, Trump and his allies are taking every possible step to discredit the Mueller probe and attempt to preview FBI information. This week Trump continued his hostility towards the free press and his attacks on free markets, while taking steps to consolidate power. Read the full Week 87 list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-87/

This week Trump continued his ramped up level of lying and unhinged behavior as he once again made a spectacle of himself on the world stage at the NATO Summit in Brussels. Trump continued his pattern of hostility towards allies, while maintaining an overtly collegial tone towards Putin, even as the Mueller probe indicted 12 members of Russian military intelligence on charges of hacking and disrupting the 2016 U.S. election and Director of National Intelligence Coats warned, “warning lights are blinking red” for further attacks. At home, Trump and his allies are taking every possible step to discredit the Mueller probe and attempt to preview FBI information. This week Trump continued his hostility towards the free press and his attacks on free markets, while taking steps to consolidate power. Read the full Week 87 list here: <a href="https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-87/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-87/</a>

Week 87 - NATO Summit

This is the longest and perhaps most perilous week for Trump so far.  Not only did House Speaker Nancy Pelosi outmaneuver him in the  government shutdown, but by week’s end she was publicly questioning if  Trump is beholden to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and if his  campaign coordinated efforts to subvert the 2016 U.S. election.  Meanwhile, House committees, now chaired by Democrats, geared up to  challenge Trump and his regime on a number of fronts, including  inquiries into Deutsche Bank’s handling of Trump’s accounts and the  regime’s process of granting of security clearances. Following dire warnings from agencies, unions, and former government  officials about safety and security risks, public outcries and protests  from unpaid furloughed workers, and plummeting approval, Trump finally  agreed to reopen the government Friday. The final impetus appeared to be  delayed flights at New York’s LaGuardia Airport due to staffing issues  with unpaid air traffic controllers. Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-115/

This is the longest and perhaps most perilous week for Trump so far.  Not only did House Speaker Nancy Pelosi outmaneuver him in the  government shutdown, but by week’s end she was publicly questioning if  Trump is beholden to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and if his  campaign coordinated efforts to subvert the 2016 U.S. election.  Meanwhile, House committees, now chaired by Democrats, geared up to  challenge Trump and his regime on a number of fronts, including  inquiries into Deutsche Bank’s handling of Trump’s accounts and the  regime’s process of granting of security clearances. Following dire warnings from agencies, unions, and former government  officials about safety and security risks, public outcries and protests  from unpaid furloughed workers, and plummeting approval, Trump finally  agreed to reopen the government Friday. The final impetus appeared to be  delayed flights at New York’s LaGuardia Airport due to staffing issues  with unpaid air traffic controllers. Read the full list here: <a href="https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-115/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-115/</a>

Week 115 - The End of the Government Shutdown

Donald Balboa

This week, more conspiracy theories were  debunked, as a draft of the Department of Justice Inspector General  report found the FBI did not try to place spies in Trump’s 2016  campaign, nor did Obama wiretap him. Trump allies continued to push the  conspiracy that Ukraine, not Russia, may have interfered in 2016,  despite it being thoroughly and widely disproved. Trump sought to portray strength — firing the  Navy Secretary and tweeting an image of his face super-imposed on the  body of Sylvester Stallone in “Rocky.” He told supporters in Florida how  hard he was working for them — as opposed to Democrats’ focus on  impeachment — then clandestinely flew to Afghanistan on Thanksgiving to  visit U.S. troops under false pretenses. The House Judiciary Committee announced the  start of impeachment hearings next week, as Trump and his team weighed  whether to participate. The committee did not rule out an article  related to the Mueller probe. Reporting revealed the September 9 call  between Trump and Gordon Sondland — central in Trump’s defense of his  actions towards Ukraine — may not have happened, and Rudy Giuliani faces  a broad probe of possible criminal activity. The full list is here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-159/

This week, more conspiracy theories were  debunked, as a draft of the Department of Justice Inspector General  report found the FBI did not try to place spies in Trump’s 2016  campaign, nor did Obama wiretap him. Trump allies continued to push the  conspiracy that Ukraine, not Russia, may have interfered in 2016,  despite it being thoroughly and widely disproved. Trump sought to portray strength — firing the  Navy Secretary and tweeting an image of his face super-imposed on the  body of Sylvester Stallone in “Rocky.” He told supporters in Florida how  hard he was working for them — as opposed to Democrats’ focus on  impeachment — then clandestinely flew to Afghanistan on Thanksgiving to  visit U.S. troops under false pretenses. The House Judiciary Committee announced the  start of impeachment hearings next week, as Trump and his team weighed  whether to participate. The committee did not rule out an article  related to the Mueller probe. Reporting revealed the September 9 call  between Trump and Gordon Sondland — central in Trump’s defense of his  actions towards Ukraine — may not have happened, and Rudy Giuliani faces  a broad probe of possible criminal activity. The full list is here: <a href="https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-159/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-159/</a>

Week 159 - Donald Balboa

Increasingly, Trump stands alone. Reporting indicates his sense of betrayal from current and former officials speaking out in Bob Woodward’s book and in the anonymous Times op-ed has left Trump outraged and paranoid — canceling meetings, and trusting a shrinking circle of his family and Stephen Miller. The sense of a pending coup from the “deep state” was further exacerbated by the stunning news that Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, is cooperating fully in the Mueller probe. Even by Trump standards, his behavior this week was unbalanced and alarming. On the solemn anniversary of 9/11, Trump acted entirely inappropriately, with no one to rein him in. With Hurricane Florence approaching and questions about his past handling of hurricanes resurfacing, Trump bragged about his regime’s performance in Puerto Rico, and then careened into conspiracy theories about the actual death toll. Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-96/

Increasingly, Trump stands alone. Reporting indicates his sense of betrayal from current and former officials speaking out in Bob Woodward’s book and in the anonymous Times op-ed has left Trump outraged and paranoid — canceling meetings, and trusting a shrinking circle of his family and Stephen Miller. The sense of a pending coup from the “deep state” was further exacerbated by the stunning news that Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, is cooperating fully in the Mueller probe. Even by Trump standards, his behavior this week was unbalanced and alarming. On the solemn anniversary of 9/11, Trump acted entirely inappropriately, with no one to rein him in. With Hurricane Florence approaching and questions about his past handling of hurricanes resurfacing, Trump bragged about his regime’s performance in Puerto Rico, and then careened into conspiracy theories about the actual death toll. Read the full list here: <a href="https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-96/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-96/</a>

Week 96 - Paul Manafort Fully Cooperates with Mueller Probe

Throughout my time keeping the list, I have been  concerned that since Trump would do anything to stay in power, when he  felt he was losing his grip, we risked him taking extraordinary actions.  This week, Trump assassinated Iran’s top general Qasem Soleimani — a  decision he made while vacationing in Mar-a-Lago, and unilaterally,  without seeking approval or consulting with Congressional leaders. As a backdrop, this week additional reporting  and documents released under Freedom of Information Act requests painted  a far more dire picture for Trump heading into a Senate impeachment  trial. As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi continued to hold the articles of  impeachment, the mood seemed to shift with Senate Majority Leader Mitch  McConnell trying to defend his statements about pre-judging the matter  and his actions of moving in lock-step with the White House. This week the country was again rocked by an  anti-Semitic attack, amid a massive increase of hate crimes in U.S.  major cities. Trump remained passive on the rise of hatred of all kinds,  which continued to escalate to record levels in 2019. Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-164/

Throughout my time keeping the list, I have been  concerned that since Trump would do anything to stay in power, when he  felt he was losing his grip, we risked him taking extraordinary actions.  This week, Trump assassinated Iran’s top general Qasem Soleimani — a  decision he made while vacationing in Mar-a-Lago, and unilaterally,  without seeking approval or consulting with Congressional leaders. As a backdrop, this week additional reporting  and documents released under Freedom of Information Act requests painted  a far more dire picture for Trump heading into a Senate impeachment  trial. As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi continued to hold the articles of  impeachment, the mood seemed to shift with Senate Majority Leader Mitch  McConnell trying to defend his statements about pre-judging the matter  and his actions of moving in lock-step with the White House. This week the country was again rocked by an  anti-Semitic attack, amid a massive increase of hate crimes in U.S.  major cities. Trump remained passive on the rise of hatred of all kinds,  which continued to escalate to record levels in 2019. Read the full list here: <a href="https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-164/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-164/</a>

War With Iran?

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