The Supreme Court could limit Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests

Supreme Court could limit #FOIA, curtail investigative reporting — By @CPJAmericas' @AASchapiro https://t.co/ZNUhlHhCOj
— Committee to Protect Journalists (@pressfreedom) April 18, 2019

Benefits from Trump’s NAFTA replacement will be much smaller than he claims

A government report concluded Thursday that the Trump administration’s revised North American trade agreement would offer modest benefits to the economy, challenging the president’s claims that the accord would make far-reaching changes https://t.co/g3qD17WCcb
— Ana Swanson (@AnaSwanson) April 18, 2019

The U.S. International Trade Commission estimates that the new NAFTA would, six years after it came into force, increase US GDP by 0.35% ($68.2 billion) and increase employment by 0.12% (176,000 jobs). So: a positive impact, but small. https://t.co/woi0rWIbD8
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 18, 2019

Speaking of NAFTA:

Context: the USMCA's onerous automotive rules of origin were, per the WH itself, drafted for American autoworkers. https://t.co/MPIqzZD2fX
— Scott Lincicome (@scottlincicome) March 5, 2019

Your periodic reminder that the USMCA has yet to be ratified by any of the three countries and has not taken effect https://t.co/yaqvwLJ6nf
— Megan Cassella (@mmcassella) March 14, 2019

Another Trump lie

Canada may tie its approval of trade deal to removal of Trump’s tariffs https://t.co/tXgMcJ2xKy
— MarketWatch (@MarketWatch) March 25, 2019

President Trump’s unpredictable style has brought foreign countries to the negotiating table. But will it result in the United States leaving with more? https://t.co/eHipIYapka
— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 16, 2019

What If Fox News Covered Trump the Way It Covered Obama?

A great video on YouTube.

Covers: I Got Loaded

The original version of “I Got Loaded” was by Little Bob from 1965. It was covered by Los Lobos in 1984 on How Will the Wolf Survive? Their version is similar to his.

Is Trump, Jr. too stupid to be a criminal?

That’s what it sounds like though I have a hard time believing that he didn’t know it was wrong to meet with Russians about dirt on Hillary Clinton. I think he’s a crook. Sad!

The Special Counsel concluded that you were too dumb to know that the crime you committed was a crime. Congrats. https://t.co/ITFgMyxHwB
— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) April 18, 2019

The subtext here is that Mueller concluded Don Jr – who was a senior campaign official – was too dumb to know he was breaking the law.

I would also note that exculpatory ignorance is not a privilege afforded to most criminal suspects. https://t.co/l0HRYNC6NC
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) April 18, 2019

Trump Jr "didn't know what he was doing was illegal" so not held accountable.
Crystal Mason didn't know voting while on probation was illegal, sentenced to 5 years in jail. This isn't right. #HoldTrumpJrAccountable pic.twitter.com/DsGVcLqlXP
— Amy (@PrplMnkyCupcake) April 19, 2019

My new one @Slate: The special counsel let Trump Jr. off the hook too easily for campaign finance violations. https://t.co/Nek0nZskU9 via @slate
— Rick Hasen (@rickhasen) April 18, 2019

An issue I identified back in July 2017 as a potential hurdle in any charge against Trump Jr. for a campaign finance violation: https://t.co/1d41sG5iBP https://t.co/qwouYN50m7
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) April 18, 2019

As with Mueller's "not provable they had criminal intent" assessment of the Trump Tower meeting w Russian agents, the plutocrat president & his family received a benefit of the prosecutorial doubt that would never be extended to a high school dropout who robbed a bodega https://t.co/urfxPbgYrs
— David Frum (@davidfrum) April 21, 2019

Read and RT. Ignorance of the law is not if the FBI warned you that Russians might try to compromise you and you do not report contact to help your father's campaign and you do not report it. Plus, why didn't he know foreign help is 100% prohibited? https://t.co/4Z5VBausu4
— Jill Wine-Banks (@JillWineBanks) April 20, 2019

Trump uses Game of Thrones property without permission again

How can Trump make the (correct) argument to China that they should stop abusing American intellectual property when he does it? He stole from Game of Thrones again and has repeatedly used music at his rallies against the wishes of the artists. I have written posts on that here.

HBO had this to say about Trump's tweet: "We still prefer our intellectual property not be used for political purposes." https://t.co/gbqCbp45DX
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) April 18, 2019

HBO responds to Trump's GoT tweet:
“Though we can understand the enthusiasm for Game of Thrones now that the final season has arrived, we still prefer our intellectual property not be used for political purposes.”
— Michael M. Grynbaum (@grynbaum) April 18, 2019

McFarland is a liar

K. T. McFarland’s lie from the Mueller report. This administration lies all the time.

Mueller says after WashPost reported Flynn talked to Russian ambassador the day Obama imposed sanctions, Flynn directed deputy McFarland to call WashPost and deny they discussed the sanctions. “McFarland made the call even though she knew she was providing false information”
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) April 18, 2019

Sarah Sanders is a liar

She should not be allowed on TV. Networks should boycott her press conferences, too. Since Trump is a liar, the only way to defend him is to lie. I would say she should be fired but Trump would just pick another liar.

The redacted Mueller report shows she lied about FBI agents thanking the White House for Comey’s firing.

Watch this video and the easy manner in which Sarah Sanders publicly said “countless” FBI employees reached out to her, thanking the White House for firing the FBI Director. As you watch, realize she later told Mueller her comments were actually baseless.https://t.co/6AilVEugwJ
— Josh Campbell (@joshscampbell) April 18, 2019

It's amazing to watch this knowing that she literally just MADE THIS UP https://t.co/xaTOenDSqc
— Zerlina Maxwell (@ZerlinaMaxwell) April 18, 2019

New: @PressSec Sarah Sanders admitted to Mueller her public comments about FBI weren’t based in fact. Specifically, Sanders said her assertion in response to question about FBI agents supporting Comey wasn’t “founded on anything,” according to Mueller.
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) April 18, 2019

Told you so. Sarah Huckabee-Sanders admitted to Mueller investigators she made up this claim and lied from her official White House perch to the press and public. WE pay her salary. https://t.co/LBmApl2yzm
— Larry Sabato (@LarrySabato) April 18, 2019

The White House Press Secretary admits under oath that she lied to the press. https://t.co/0RzhEWLmgo
— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) April 18, 2019

Quite the Hogan Gidley line to @anniekarni & @maggieNYT re: Sarah Sanders' FBI agents fabrication: “The White House staff will never be lectured on truth-telling from the media that pushed a flat-out lie about Donald Trump for two years." https://t.co/QdRqBQCBY7
— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) April 19, 2019

just tell more lies

Honestly, the FBI thing was just one — and arguably the least consequential — of 3 lies the Mueller report documents Sarah Sanders told in that briefing alone. https://t.co/Hj93amIibQ
— Dara Lind (@DLind) April 19, 2019

Let’s remember *why* @PressSec lying to the public is relevant: It falsely bolstered Trump’s pretextual reasons for firing Comey, ostensibly because of his performance. Sanders knew that wasn’t the real reason, and her lies were part and parcel of the cover up. https://t.co/JKbYCoAF2t
— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) April 19, 2019

Respectfully, just take the L, ⁦@PressSec⁩.

You mischaracterized your contacts with FBI agent(s), and now, inexplicably, you’ve double-downed on your exposed misrepresentation.

Please. Take. The. L. https://t.co/1V47U6dlLC
— James A. Gagliano (@JamesAGagliano) April 19, 2019

In the past, when White House press secretaries were caught making false statements from the podium, it often happened because they themselves were given false information but it was a big deal and they took it quite seriously. Think Speakes and Grenada or McClellan and CIA leak.
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) April 19, 2019

The explanation does not wash. https://t.co/TPDeTZSAdi
— Brit Hume (@brithume) April 19, 2019

Bill Barr is wrong again

He should not share information with the White House before releasing his redacted Mueller report. That helps the White House prepare their rebuttal. Yes there’s collusion – between Barr and the White House. It will enable the White House to spin the report before people can finish reading it. He should not hold a press conference before people have time to review the document. I don’t trust Barr on anything now. Sad!

Justice officials have had numerous talks with White House lawyers about Mueller's conclusions in recent days, talks that have aided Trump's legal team as it prepares rebuttal ⁦@MarkMazzettiNYT⁩ ⁦@maggieNYT⁩ ⁦@npfandos⁩ ⁦@ktbenner⁩ https://t.co/NM1BLfpDhM
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) April 17, 2019

Bill Barr sent a letter purporting to summarize Mueller’s conclusions.

He took it upon himself to reach a conclusion on obstruction.

He adopted the President’s “spying” smears.

Now, he will spin a report no one has read.

My advice: Wait to read Mueller’s words for yourself.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) April 17, 2019

So the attorney general decided it was more important for the target of the Mueller investigation to read the report before the American people got a chance to look at it … just like any normal, functioning democracy https://t.co/Vd9ypKaXwt
— Michael Cohen (@speechboy71) April 17, 2019

Attorney General Barr wrote to me on April 1: "I do not believe it would be in the public’s interest for me to attempt to summarize the full report." I agree. So why is the AG holding a press conference tomorrow morning to go over the Mueller report? #ReleaseTheReport https://t.co/UA9XyC55v5
— (((Rep. Nadler))) (@RepJerryNadler) April 17, 2019

They are just violating every cardinal rule for what DOJ will discuss with the WH. Barr is actually behaving with less integrity than Jeff Sessions. https://t.co/CimlUXbv1a
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) April 17, 2019

That appears to be the point. https://t.co/YzxXZR7Ya9
— Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) April 17, 2019

It makes it impossible for the public to have faith the WH was kept at arms length. Once Trump made the announcement, DOJ should have scrapped the presser. https://t.co/Zg4fhXm8Va
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) April 17, 2019

Interesting that Trump announced this press conference before DOJ did. https://t.co/x22kXnSRD1
— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) April 17, 2019

Hmmm. Seems like it doesn’t “totally exonerate” Trump. (And what’s up w the head’s up to Trump?)

I am most interested to know whether Barr made legal conclusions that prevented an indictment and whether he second-guessed Mueller in this respect. https://t.co/eAaBJwq5D1
— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) April 17, 2019

In new filing in Roger Stone case, DOJ says it will provide a less redacted Mueller report to "a limited number of Members of Congress." "This version of the report will not be made available 'to the media' or 'in public settings,' consistent with the Court’s February 15 order”
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) April 17, 2019

Remember how much everyone flipped out about the Bill Clinton-Loretta Lynch meeting on the tarmac? https://t.co/v0LIZ8IrRs
— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) April 17, 2019

This is much worse.

oh https://t.co/Jqsi41jY7C
— Zerlina Maxwell (@ZerlinaMaxwell) April 17, 2019

This selective disclosure further undermines Barr’s independence and credibility. Disgusting
— Jennifer Taub (@jentaub) April 17, 2019

NEW: Stuff sure is moving quickly now. The DOJ says there will be TWO versions of the Mueller report tomorrow. One for the public and another for select members of Congress. What's the difference? The special version for lawmakers will have fewer redactions, @kpolantz reports.
— Marshall Cohen (@MarshallCohen) April 17, 2019

This was clearly apparent at his first House hearing in which he refused to answer whether he’d briefed the WH. Somehow the press can’t seem to get as outraged over this as it did over the tarmac meeting though. https://t.co/d1HBhTZ9cL
— Emily C. Singer (@CahnEmily) April 17, 2019

Why isn’t Mueller at the press conference? Was he invited to participate? Who from his team participated in the redaction process? Were there written or oral guidelines given on what to redact and if so what were they? When were the redactions complete?
— Mimi Rocah (@Mimirocah1) April 17, 2019

Barr is a political appointee of the President. Mueller was the investigator. Mueller is the authority on the report. The AG is not.

This is a sham.
— David Jolly (@DavidJollyFL) April 17, 2019

If this material is missing from the redacted Mueller report, it could tell us that there’s a whole lot more being hidden. https://t.co/Q0ZddRJd8V
— Slate (@Slate) April 17, 2019

Flipping state legislatures

My piece this morning on Future Now, the most ambitious of the Democratic groups that started post-2016 to flip state legislatures: https://t.co/hzb7FG2Yko
— Russell Berman (@russellberman) April 17, 2019