Alright, I know this is gonna be a rough day for a lot of people, this is the day they officially rescind the Net Neutrality rules. I know that at a time like this its easy to give in to despair or panic, but I want you to stop, take a deep breath, and keep a few things in mind:
1) The Internet is not gonna change overnight, they’re gonna wait until things calm down before they start pegging us.
2) A lot of states are still fighting for their own Net Neutrality rules
3) Pai is still being fought in courts. Schneiderman may be gone, but the fight in the courts continues
4) November is right around the corner. If we win the house, we can finish the state level vote and reverse the FCC’s decision.
5) In 2020 when we get a Democratic President in, they’ll just appoint someone who will bring Net Neutrality back anyways.
6) All these things you’ve seen about “Internet as cable packages” is probably not gonna happen. Not saying it will be great but that’s kind of an exaggeration.
So yeah, just take a deep breath, relax, and get ready for the next fight.
With that said: Onto the good news:
Residents of some blue states may get a surprisingly big tax cut thanks to workarounds state lawmakers are crafting to subvert a controversial new cap on deductions for state and local taxes.
In places like New York, taxpayers will not only be able to claim the same break as before Republicans imposed a new $10,000 cap on the deduction, but they will also be able to sidestep longstanding federal rules on exactly when the deduction may be taken.
“They’re actually giving them a bigger tax break than they would have gotten under the previous law,” said Dean Zerbe, a former congressional tax aide and critic of the workarounds.
It’s a little noticed and unexpected dynamic in the partisan battle over the recent tax overhaul. The new SALT cap has been one of the biggest flash points, with Democrats from high-tax states complaining they were targeted by congressional Republicans. Now, months after the law passed, Republicans are having trouble convincing voters that they’re really going to benefit from the cuts the law enacted. Meanwhile, lawmakers in blue states are magnifying the cuts with their workarounds.
I can’t think of a better way to screw over the GOP than to undercut their greatest “victory”. If the GOP expect Blue States to pay the way of their paymasters they have another thing coming.
Senator John McCain has responded to President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw his support for the G7 statement, telling the U.S.’ allies: Americans stand with you even if the president doesn’t.
Trump withdrew his support for the G7 joint communiqué in a series of messages sent Saturday that blasted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after Trudeau said Canada would “with absolute certainty” impose retaliatory measures on the U.S. over tariffs, CNN reported.
Once again Trump makes us look foolish on the world stage with his childish tantrums. But in this time its important to remember a nation is not its Government. Just like Putin doesn’t represent the people of Russia, Trump does not represent us. (And granted, McCain is not my favorite person in the world, but at least he had the wherewithall to say this).
President Donald Trump's White House has resembled a revolving door since he took office, but several more top senior aides are counting the days until they can finally leave.
One of those high-profile officials is White House chief of staff John Kelly, who described the building last week as "a miserable place to work," according to The New York Times. Kelly's deputy, Joe Hagin, is also eager to depart for the CIA as Trump has continued to embolden those that don't challenge him and ostracize those who may. After the midterm elections in November, the turnover rate is expected to turn into something of an "exodus."
Nonetheless, Trump "has grown comfortable with removing any barriers that might challenge him — including, in some cases, people who have the wrong chemistry or too frequently say no to him," the Times reported. Trump has also increasingly sought outside counsel from longtime familiar faces such as his former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, and confidant David Bossie.
"It seems as though Chief of Staff Kelly is losing power by the day," Kathryn Dunn Tenpas, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who has studied the historic turnover rate in the Trump administration told the Times. "It’s almost like a battery that’s draining. I’ve not seen any presidency operate effectively without putting somebody in there that you respect and you can trust."
Once again, The Trump White house is a colossal Shit show, which is good because that impedes his ability to put forth his shitty agenda.
NEW YORK (AP) — A Fox News host has accidentally referred to the highly anticipated summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a meeting of "two dictators."
"Fox & Friends" co-host Abby Huntsman made the comment on Sunday as TV footage showed the Republican president landing in Singapore for a summit with Kim on Tuesday. Guest and former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci didn't catch it.
Yeah, sure, “Accidentally”. *Rolls eyes* Even if it was a gaffe, it was a fairly amusing one.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The winners of Wisconsin's special legislative elections this week may never see a hearing or floor session in Madison. But the money and effort being spent to capture the two open seats underscore how important they've become in shaping perceptions of party strength heading to November.
Democrats are counting on victories to build on two big wins earlier this year and reinforce a "blue wave" looming for this fall's elections. Republicans would love to grab the seats as evidence momentum is shifting.
"I don't care if it's an anti-Trump sentiment or if it's an anti-Republican sentiment or if it's just dissatisfaction with a party that's been in control for eight years," Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling said. "We need to capitalize on it."
The seats opened up when Gov. Scott Walker appointed the Republican incumbents to his administration. Walker called special elections to fill the spots only after a judge ordered him to schedule them, leading Democrats to charge that the governor fears the GOP will lose the seats.
Democrat Ann Groves Lloyd meets Republican Jon Plumer in south-central Wisconsin's 42nd Assembly District. Meanwhile, Democrat Caleb Frostman faces Republican state Rep. Andre Jacque in northeastern Wisconsin's 1st Senate District.
A friendly reminder that, despite some scuttlebutt to the contrary, the blue wave is not dissipating, its only going harder.
That’s your good news for today. Have a good morning, resist, and keep fighting. Remember, we’re winning.