Light News Dump

Trump pardons billionaire friend Conrad Black (convicted of federal fraud) who wrote flattering book about him
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-pardons-billionaire-friend-conrad-black-who-wrote-book-about-him/2019/05/15/b494b208-7771-11e9-bd25-c989555e7766_story.html?utm_term=.372316f20b81

Lindsey Graham introduces bill to extend detention of children from 20 to 100 days
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lindsey-graham-introduces-bill-to-extend-detention-of-migrant-children-from-20-to-100-days/

LIVINGSTON, Montana — Wally MacFarlane calls them ghost forests. You can tell they didn't burn because the needles are still intact, the branches flawless except for the gray where there used to be green. When MacFarlane flew over Yellowstone National Park and its surrounding area 10 years ago, the forests were a sea of red, hundreds of thousands of acres lit up by mountain pine beetle infestations, the magnitude of death only visible from above. "The level of destruction is hard to even fathom until you take people up to see it," said MacFarlane, a senior research associate at Utah State University who conducted aerial surveys of whitebark pine trees in the region in 2009 and again in 2018. "It's the deforestation of this ancient forest, arguably something in the order of one of the greatest losses of old-growth forests in the United States, in just the scale."
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/051419/grizzly-bears-killed-climate-change-yellowstone-rocky-mountains-wildlife-survival-whitebark-pine-beetle

A Pentagon Contractor's 9,400% Profit on a Half-Inch Metal Pin Is Challenged. The Pentagon is weighing legislation that would give contracting officers the power to demand back-up data on spare parts costs after its inspector general said TransDigm Group Inc. could be paid about 9,400% in excess profit for a half-inch metal pin.The Defense Logistics Agency could end up paying TransDigm $4,361 for the “drive pin” in a July contract that should cost $46, according to a Pentagon review endorsed by the inspector general. The review found potential excess profits for 98 of 100 parts sampled and concluded the Pentagon may end up paying TransDigm $91 million more in coming years for parts valued at $28 million, with excess profit per part of 95% to the 9,380%, the Defense Department’s inspector general said in an audit labeled “For Official Use Only” and obtained by Bloomberg News.
http://fortune.com/2019/05/14/transdigm-pentagon-costs/

Today marks the 45th anniversary of the Ma'alot Massacre, in which Palestinian terrorists took 115 Israeli hostages, killing 25 (of which 22 were children).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma%27alot_massacre?wprov=sfla1

Canadian drug makers hit with $1.1B lawsuit for promoting opioids despite risk
https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/opioids-suit-1.5137362

Theresa May given 24-hour deadline to say when she will quit
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/theresa-may-given-24hour-deadline-to-say-when-she-will-quit-a4142761.html

Toddler apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border dies after weeks in hospital
https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/toddler-apprehended-at-the-us-mexico-border-dies-after-weeks-in-hospital/2019/05/15/f69f8522-7755-11e9-bd25-c989555e7766_story.html

Mass rallies spread all over Brazil as President Bolsonaro cuts down great portions of public education resources, while calling protesters "imbecile students" during an economic event in Dallas, Texas
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/16/brazils-bolsonaro-dismisses-imbecile-students-as-he-faces-biggest-rallies-yet

Elizabeth Warren introduces bill to curb defense lobbying
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elizabeth-warren-introduces-bill-to-curb-defense-lobbying/
https://medium.com/@teamwarren/its-time-to-reduce-corporate-influence-at-the-pentagon-98f52ee0fcf1

Why young Southerners still get indoctrinated in the Lost Cause: Statues can be torn down. The lies on which they were built are harder to topple
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/05/16/why-young-southerners-still-get-indoctrinated-lost-cause/?utm_term=.046bd68befc5

Wake up, Republicans. Even corporations are calling for action on climate change.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/wake-up-republicans-even-corporations-are-calling-for-action-on-climate-change/2019/05/15/7c07e918-7745-11e9-b3f5-5673edf2d127_story.html?utm_term=.6e0af0a3b0fb

Walmart CFO: 'Increased tariffs will lead to increased prices for our customers'
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/walmart-tariffs-lead-to-higher-prices-131848235.html

Trump Judge Who Thinks Abortion Causes Cancer Could Be Confirmed Today
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/05/wendy-vitter-abortion

Senate won’t take up any legislation to protect elections from interference
https://thinkprogress.org/senate-wont-consider-legislation-protect-elections-interference-dc608486a9f6/

EPA watchdog suggests agency recover $124,000 in Pruitt’s 'excessive’ travel expenses
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/05/16/epa-watchdog-suggests-agency-recover-pruitts-excessive-travel-expenses/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.3171da7dfca2

Company owned by Brazilian crooks received $62 million in Trump bailout cash meant for struggling U.S. farmers
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ny-trump-administration-bailout-farmers-brazilian-criminals-20190516-6rdb3ithvfec7fttem7qrny54y-story.html

Trump appointee, whose past blogs on race sparked backlash, resigns. Eric Blankenstein, a senior CFPB official, faced an internal rebellion after colleagues learned of blog posts written more than a decade ago.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/05/15/trump-appointee-whose-past-blogs-race-sparked-backlash-resigns/?utm_term=.9e9121bc89be

Jay Inslee Unveils $9 Trillion Climate Jobs Plan To Cut Emissions And Bolster Unions The 15,000-word document includes proposals to rapidly decarbonize, create 8 million jobs and revitalize the labor movement by repealing right-to-work laws
https://jayinslee.com/issues/evergreen-economy

Elizabeth Warren becomes the first 2020 Democrat to endorse a housing plan that includes a federal tax on empty and second homes. That is HUGE! Of all the recommendations in this report, that strikes at the heart of the housing crisis in major cities like NYC and SF.
https://twitter.com/WalkerBragman/status/1129013715905519616?s=09

UN Secretary General raised concerns that a concrete dome built last century to contain waste from atomic bomb tests is leaking radioactive material into the Pacific.
https://news.yahoo.com/un-chief-concerned-nuclear-coffin-leaking-pacific-064421511.html

Trump Administration Wants To Cut Funding For Public Housing Repairs
https://www.npr.org/2019/05/16/723231160/trump-administration-wants-to-cut-funding-for-public-housing-repairs

Bradley Manning sent back to jail after refusing to testify before a grand jury again
https://us.cnn.com/2019/05/16/politics/chelsea-manning-back-to-jail/index.html

Amazon Tribe Wins Lawsuit Against Big Oil, Saving Millions Of Acres Of Rainforest
https://www.disclose.tv/amazon-tribe-wins-lawsuit-against-big-oil-saving-millions-of-acres-of-rainforest-367412

CEO of PG&E, whose negligence killed 85 people in the Camp Fire, to get $2.6m severance payout
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article228836074.html

ICE Contractor Posted Bail for Proud Boy Jailed in Portland for Assault
https://www.wweek.com/news/2019/05/15/ice-contractor-posted-bail-for-proud-boy-jailed-in-portland-for-assault/

Trump’s pick for ICE director: I can tell which migrant children will become gang members by looking into their eyes
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/16/mark-morgan-eyes-ice-director-1449570

Reps. Wasserman Schultz, Crist Joint Statement on the Russian Intrusion of Florida’s 2016 Election: “The Russian intrusions revealed to Florida’s delegation today are deeply concerning, and investigators should not withhold this information from the real victims: voters in those two counties."
https://wassermanschultz.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2344

Michael Flynn told special counsel about attempts to obstruct Russia probe
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/16/michael-flynn-told-special-counsel-about-attempts-to-obstruct-russia-probe.html
https://www.lawfareblog.com/document-court-unseals-documents-flynn-case

MUELLER team unseals evidence that Flynn aided the obstruction invsetigation -- including providing testimony and a *voice mail* that "could have affected" his testimony.
https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/1129137199620984840
https://www.lawfareblog.com/document-court-unseals-documents-flynn-case

The voicemail was in the Mueller report. Here's a screenshot from page 121.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D6uAGQNWkAoNVND.png
https://www.lawfareblog.com/document-court-unseals-documents-flynn-case

Ret. Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn told Special Counsel Mueller's Office about efforts to interfere "both before and after his guilty plea, where either he or his attorneys received communication from persons connected to the Administration or Congress that could have affected both his willingness to cooperate and the completeness of that cooperation.” (2/2)
https://twitter.com/Tom_Winter/status/1129139084767764480
https://www.lawfareblog.com/document-court-unseals-documents-flynn-case

 HUD's Ben Carson broke law with furniture order, GAO says
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/16/ben-carson-table-gao-1329839

Egg-laying hens live in horrific conditions. Washington state just passed a law to change that.
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/5/10/18564455/washington-jay-inslee-hens-animal-cruelty

Trump - who is bankrupt in the BILLIONS - took out 30-year loan on $18.5 million home in 2018
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-financials/trump-took-out-30-year-loan-on-18-5-million-home-in-2018-idUSKCN1SM2AY

Trump administration cancels $929-million grant for California bullet train
https://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-high-speed-rail-loses-federal-funding-20190516-story.html

Judge Orders Parts of Mueller Report Unredacted
https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2019/05/16/us/politics/ap-us-trump-russia-probe-flynn-the-latest.html

MADISON, WI—Taking a moment to reflect on his hard-won personal accomplishment, area liberal Tom Hudson expressed relief Monday that he would never again have to engage in self-examination after finally assembling all the correct opinions. “It definitely wasn’t easy, but now that I have all the proper perspectives on the world all perfectly arranged inside of my head, I know I’ll never need to question my own thoughts, beliefs, or opinions ever again,” said Hudson, proudly recounting his previous efforts at researching all necessary sociopolitical issues, conducting a rigorous self-exploration to determine which of his behaviors were problematic or harmful, and finally achieving the proper balance of beliefs to ensure once and for all that he is an indisputably good person. “It’s such a huge weight off my shoulders. I never have to consider my place in society or my impact on the issues ever again now that I know exactly how to present myself as one of the good guys. This feels amazing.” Hudson was then immediately and savagely attacked by his fellow liberals, who insist that his current views are nowhere near progressive enough.
https://local.theonion.com/liberal-relieved-he-never-has-to-introspect-again-after-1834720785