Michael Flynn's Payments from Foreign Countries Investigated, Ann Coulter Counter-Protests at Berkeley, Dems Threaten Government Shutdown over Healthcare: P.M. Links

• 

  Beowulf Sheehan/ZUMA Press/Newscom

  The Pentagon is investigating Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, to determine whether he failed to obtain permission before accepting payments from foreign interests (Russia and Turkey in this case). That he's a retired lieutenant general requires him to follow some additional rules. White House spokesman Sean Spicer attempted to deflect the controversy by pointing out the Obama administration gave him security clearance in 2016.

• Protests are now organizing at UC-Berkeley because Ann Coulter didn't speak.
• Democrats are saying they won't support a stopgap spending bill (potentially leading to a government shutdown) if Republicans push forward trying to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
• If you like your 401(k) deduction you can keep your 401(k) deduction.
• Here's a look at all the national monuments under review by the Trump administration to be reconsidered and possibly eliminated.
• United Airlines has announced a list of customer service improvements and changes they're making in the wake of the massive public relations disaster of David Dao's forced removal from a flight. United has also reached an undisclosed settlement with Dao. Be sure to shove the news in the face of anybody who said that Dao should have just cooperated with authorities.
• McDonald's has been partnering with Uber to test food delivery and is expanding to more cities.

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Comments

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

McDonald's has been partnering with Uber to test food delivery and is expanding to more cities.

God bless capitalism!

[bartzman86]

I patron either of these companies, but I find it funny that I know enough people who will foam at the mouth with rage when they see this. Because "reasons".

[Memory Hole]

It's a bad long term deal for the drivers because they're paid so little in relation to the costs they bear performing the service but it's choice they make.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The Pentagon is investigating Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, to determine whether he failed to obtain permission before accepting payments from foreign interests (Russia and Turkey in this case).

So in Trump's America we have to get government permission before earning a living?

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

Don't bite the fist that feeds, you should know that more than most.

[Fist of Etiquette]

In Russia, military investigate you!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Protests are now organizing at UC-Berkeley because Ann Coulter didn't speak.

They had their hearts set on it.

[Juice]

Democrats are saying they won't support a stopgap spending bill (potentially leading to a government shutdown) if Republicans push forward trying to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

But it'll still be a Republican Government Shut Down, right? All government shut downs are the work of Republicans.

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

Protests are now organizing at UC-Berkeley because Ann Coulter didn't speak.

Battle lines have been drawn and people are just there to fight; Wikipedia pages have already labeled them "4th Battle for Berkeley" etc.

[Chipper Mourning LackOfSerifs]

Is it organized like all the battle articles, with flags and troop strengths, and names of commanders? Hilarious.

[WakaWaka]

At this juncture violence is the only solution. Due to the fact that the people who should speak up against censorship refuse to, because Coulter, Charles Murray, Gavin McInnes, Heather MacDonald are all so 'icky'. This is a massive failure of the so called 'Fourth Estate' who have even excused away the censorship (check out NYT's embarrassing editorial today).

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

I'm afraid violence will beget violence in this situation; but if it makes you feel better the last one I looked at from last week, the antifa got routed from the field and American flag clad individuals marched down the streets in victory.

[WakaWaka]

Not to make me feel better. I could care less if Coulter spoke or not. It is the principle of the matter and all the grown-ups in the media, who use to be the defenders of speech, have decided that 'wokeness' is more important than the First Amendment. Violence is the inevitable response and they are to blame

[Cyto]

scores of cops took a more assertive stance as they monitored protesters, many of them upset by the cancellation of a visit by conservative commentator Ann Coulter, which they called an attack on free speech.

Soooooooo.......

When violent left-wing groups promise to do violent things in response to public speaking by someone of a conservative bent... hands off.

But when conservatives hold placards and gather in support of free speech, we gotta take a more assertive stance?

Somehow I'm thinking that putting your thumb on the scales of public political expression in this way steps over the line into the area of unconstitutional suppression of free speech.

[Crusty Juggler aka "Chad"]

Texas A&M wide receiver kicked off team after two female tutors accuse him of exposing himself to them... but he claims it was because of a 'bad case of jock itch'

'The fact is that Kirk had a bad case of jock itch,' attorney Rick Davis told the Chronicle.

He added that the receiver was innocent of the indecent exposure charges, which require proof that Merritt sought sexual gratification, because he 'did not intend to gratify anyone by exposing himself.'

School officials appear to have bought that explanation.

"We believe the vigorous scratching, which is a biological response to a skin condition, led to the exposure of his penis," concluded an on-campus panel of A&M staffers, the Chronicle reported.

Get Soave on this.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Who isn't automatically gratified sexually by the sudden appearance of a penis?

[Chipper Mourning LackOfSerifs]

Exposure Of The Penis was, I believe, the first album put out by Vigorous Scratching.

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

What is the Robby Signal?

[Crusty Juggler aka "Chad"]

A silhouette of his hair hovering over a cup of fruit sushi. Duh.

[Chipper Mourning LackOfSerifs]

His heraldry armory, which is a piece of fruit sushi on a shield, capped with a coiff of blonde hair.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Democrats are saying they won't support a stopgap spending bill (potentially leading to a government shutdown) if Republicans push forward trying to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

BREAKING NEWS: GOP STOPS ASSISTANCE CHECKS TO SENIOR CITIZENS

[Fist of Etiquette]

Here's a look at all the national monuments under review by the Trump administration to be reconsidered and possibly eliminated.

OMG HE'S GOING TO NUKE MOUNT RUSHMORE.

[Memory Hole]

In all things are possible when humanity is given time news, the neo-confederates in Louisiana desperately want federal intervention to save their monuments in New Orleans from local elimination. On the irony never ends does it.

[This Machine Chips Fascists]

Check out this idiot shouting about communism, then demanding a work permit.

[Crusty Juggler aka "Chad"]

Missing girl, 12, is being 'trafficked by a man who picked her up in his car after she ran away in the middle of the night' say her family

Thalia's aunt, Alma Romero, fears she is being held by a man she knows and 'trafficked'.

'We know she's in danger. We know someone is keeping her against her will. We heard that they are drugging her up and trafficking her,' she told ABC News.

On April 21, almost two weeks after she vanished, the woman said Thalia called her and asked to be picked up but that the man who is holding her captive hung up the phone.

This one is on your head, Skenazy.

[yet another dave]

Have you ever noticed that if you exchange the k with an h in Skenazy and the y with i in Skenazy... you get "She nazi"... jus sayin... not that I think that's a thing, or anything.

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

Democrats are saying they won't support a stopgap spending bill (potentially leading to a government shutdown) if Republicans push forward trying to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

Some people just want to watch the world burn.

[Memory Hole]

Sure they do until the sandman tugs on their little eyes and then these badasses just want to sleep and I guarantee they'd put the fire out to get that sleep.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Be sure to shove the news in the face of anybody who said that Dao should have just cooperated with authorities.

And wait for them to shove back in your face higher air travel costs.

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

If you like your 401(k) deduction you can keep your 401(k) deduction.

*Has 401(k)*

*Knows nothing about anything*

[Fist of Etiquette]

McDonald's has been partnering with Uber to test food delivery and is expanding to more cities.

Drones won't spit in my Big Mac for poor tipping, so I'll wait for that delivery system.

[Chipper Mourning LackOfSerifs]

But they will squirt a little bit of motor lube.

[Crusty Juggler aka "Chad"]

IRS raids televangelist Benny Hinn's office in Grapevine

Today, we are here on official business," special agent Michael Moseley said of the raid. "We are primarily investigating Title 26, which is tax evasion and general fraud against the government. We are conducting a search warrant on the premises. Basically, that's all I can tell you today."

The Teflon...Preacher? Someone help me out.

[Bob K]

The Teflon Televangelist?

[Fist of Etiquette]

If you like your 401(k) deduction you can keep your 401(k) deduction.

How is he planning to pay for that?

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

United has also reached an undisclosed settlement with Dao. Be sure to shove the news in the face of anybody who said that Dao should have just cooperated with authorities.

That's so me. I fucking care and all who fascists who don't care can fucking KYS!

[Crusty Juggler aka "Chad"]

Here's a look at all the national monuments under review by the Trump administration to be reconsidered and possibly eliminated.

It's almost like this is slightly complicated. Also, what are we going to do without Bears Ears??!?!??!?!?!?!?

[Rufus The Monocled]

Hello.

"Protests are now organizing at UC-Berkeley because Ann Coulter didn't speak"

I truly hate humans sometimes.

AND GO FUCKEN STUDY OR WORK ALREADY YOU ASSHOLES. GO BE PRODUCTIVE AND USELESS.

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

I'm sure students are the minority of the combatants at this point.

Side note, do you think this is how people felt about 'Bleeding Kansas'?

[AlmightyJB]

You can't cancel an asshole party

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

Here's a look at all the national monuments under review by the Trump administration to be reconsidered and possibly eliminated.

I thought a monument was something completely different.

[Crusty Juggler aka "Chad"]

Syria war: Israel Patriot missile downs 'target' over Golan

Israel shot down "a target" over the Golan Heights, hours after it was accused of a missile strike at a military site near Damascus international airport.

Israel deployed its Patriot missile defence system and media reported the target was a drone.

The earlier strike had damaged what Syrian rebels said was an arms depot run by Lebanon's Hezbollah movement.

Israel said the explosion was "consistent" with its policy.

But it stopped short of confirming it was responsible.

The Israeli military Twitter account then announced it had intercepted the later "target" over the Golan Heights on the border with Syria, without elaborating.

I think the United States should get further involved just so we can figure out what the fuck is going on.

[Rufus The Monocled]

"Our policies got in the way of our values, and procedures interfered in doing what's right."

FFS Delta. EVEN HANS GRUBER KNEW TO IT WAS WISE TO LET PEOPLE GO PISS.

[Rufus The Monocled]

*knew it was*

Oooo-k. Moving along.

[Fist of Etiquette]

United Airlines has announced a list of customer service improvements and changes they're making in the wake of the massive public relations disaster of David Dao's forced removal from a flight.

When you're forcibly removed from your flight, they will make sure the remaining passengers will have to endure an Ashton Kutcher movie on the flight in your absence.

[Crusty Juggler aka "Chad"]

Dude, he has been inside of Mila Kunis - think about that. Seriously, think about it.

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

I'll be in my bunk.

[Chipper Mourning LackOfSerifs]

So has Natalie Portman.

[Rufus The Monocled]

Or an Amy Schumer routine.

[Crusty Juggler aka "Chad"]

Although TREASON refuses to cover this story, your humble Lena Dunham correspondent, Crusty Juggler, has been giving it his somewhat divided attention: Elites Gone Wild: Samantha Bee Tells Lena Dunham Rikers Island Is Caribbean Vacation

Bee told Dunham in the interview, "I went to Rikers [Island, New York City's main jail] a couple of weeks ago to shoot something that I think will be really good. It was a really interesting experience. But you're not allowed to take your phone in because you can't take glass or anything like that. So they took my phone, and they put it in a lockbox for eight hours. And I felt like I had gone on a Caribbean vacation. I emerged from Rikers, and everyone was like, 'Your skin is shining.' And it was because I've never been more relaxed. I felt so free just knowing that my phone was safe, but I wasn't allowed to see it or know what was happening in the world."

Dunham followed up, "so Rikers became the most relaxing place you've been in months?" Bee responded, "It was the most free I've felt in months."

I hope this is covered on Problematic.

[Not a True MJG]

Seen this one. No cookie for you today.

[Crusty Juggler aka "Chad"]

Right, you saw it after I covered it yesterday, like I said. But fine.

Lena Dunham On Body Image: 'I've Always Been Like Rihanna To Myself'

"I've always been like Rihanna to myself. Like, I just have a great time with my own body," the actress explained.

"I think people were so ready to believe that I was, like, jumping past some massive hurdle in order to get naked on television. That's not where my fear lies. If that's what scared me, I wouldn't do it every week."

Dunham added that she got more criticism from men and women who "also didn't have perfect bodies" than anyone else.

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

If any of the other girls on Girls got naked from time to time I be moderately more inclined to give portions of the show a second shot.

I vaguely recall watching the pilot back in the day.

[Meh.]

"I've Always Been Like Rihanna To Myself"

Logic behind the controversial black baby revealed!

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

She's the Superman to your Jimmy Olson?

[Ra's al Gore]

Jeans made to look like you Work Hard so you don't have to
...But forget the jeans themselves for a moment, and their price, and look again at the actual description. "Rugged Americana" is now synonymous with a "caked-on, muddy coating." Not real mud. Fake mud. Something to foster the illusion of work. The illusion of effort. Or perhaps, for those who actually buy them, the illusion of sanity.

The Barracuda Straight Leg Jeans aren't pants. They're not even fashion. They're a costume for wealthy people who see work as ironic ? not iconic....

[Zeb]

I heard about that yesterday. Can't believe it's not the Onion.

I knew fashion would catch up with me eventually.

[Crusty Juggler aka "Chad"]

Geez, Zeb, wash your pants.

[Not a True MJG]

I'll wait for the jeans that make it look like I play hard.

[Chipper Mourning LackOfSerifs]

So jeans with a pouch for your 12-sided dice?

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

My d20 is brass and weighty.

[Meh.]

So ironic and quirky!! Add this to the hipster trends of wearing overalls, drinking out of mason jars, getting married on farms, etc. I'd expect that we will see cowboy boots come into vogue soon too.

[Memory Hole]

Reminds me of the time someone complimented me for my strong grip and calloused hands assuming it meant I was a hard worker and failing to realize you can get those badges of honor by playing a shitload of golf.

[Chipper Mourning LackOfSerifs]

Yes, I suppose that is one way to get calloused hands.

[CatoTheChipper]

Leather boots are still in style for manly footwear where I come from. Damn hipsters!

[Rufus The Monocled]

is it bad that I laugh whenever I hear Dao's screech?

[Crusty Juggler aka "Chad"]

Yes.

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

Well it's not good..

[Chipper Mourning LackOfSerifs]

No, as long as you apologize right after, even if you are alone.

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

A self flogging like the Monk in DaVinci Code will also suffice.

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

Bah! These PM links just cannot handle my need for rapid fire commentary anymore.

Whatever happened to Making Reason Great Again??

You all gave up, you complacent loners! You principally minded vagabonds who scorn community!

[Chipper Mourning LackOfSerifs]

Bad material today. Plus I am all relaxed because I went fishing, so no pent up frustration manifesting as snark.

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

The cubicle may as well be a crucible -- there's no escaping the fire, one can only channel it into the internet as a spectacular and destructive flame.

[Meh.]

I do what I can, but I legitimately don't have intellectual commentary for most topics here

[Crusty Juggler aka "Chad"]

Not many do, which is why most commenters just pretend to be intelligent and witty. You know, like what Fist does.

[Half-Virtue, Half-Vice]

intelligent and witty

I've been doing it all wrong this whole time.

[Memory Hole]

So I'm suddenly very interested in watching the next Simpsons episode.

[Chipper Mourning LackOfSerifs]

I am really enjoying Better Call Saul.

[Crusty Juggler aka "Chad"]

Agreed. Not only is the plot compelling - I mean, we know what's going to happen, but how they are going to get there is fascinating - it is also a beautifully shot show. I feel like I should be watching it at an IMAX.

[ChipToBeSquare]

I love how Gilligan seems to love process. We get so many amazingly well-done montages of people putting in work, whether it's Mike's skills as a former cop helping him to track people or Jimmy and Kim poring over documents late into the night. They don't cheat by skipping to the result of all their hard work

[Chipper Mourning LackOfSerifs]

I could watch Mike take stuff apart all day long.

[Crusty Juggler aka "Chad"]

That's a fantastic observation.

[This Machine Chips Fascists]

Orleans Parish DA stops issuing fake subpoenas. What about your DA?

[Memory Hole]

Dude that DA is a class act piece of fucking shit.

[This Machine Chips Fascists]

Revenge of the nerds.

[CatoTheChipper]

A contribution to a 401(k) does not get a deduction.

It is an adjustment to arrive at adjusted gross income.

You don't have to be a CPA to understand that, but I suppose that journalists might find it difficult to grasp the difference.

[creech]

Then why do I have to pay tax on 401K withdrawals???

[esteve7]

are you being sarcastic?

You are deferring paying taxes on it until you retire. So you pay less tax NOW, so you can invest more and have it grow more, then when you retire, you pay tax on it.

You don't pay taxes on your pension now, do you? No it's when you withdraw it. Similar concept, even though pensions are ridiculous and need to die.

[Glide]

I almost laughed out loud when I learned that I, at the time a 24-year-old in 2014, would be entitled to a nice pension from my Fortune 50 employer in the late 2050s when I shut it down. That's nice and all, but I'd prefer you just give me more money and let me sink or swim on my own with how I invest it instead of blessing me with this dinosaur of an employment benefit with a promise date that might outlast the industry I'm in.

[creech]

It is deducted, if you will, from your gross pay so that you don't pay federal tax on it when you contribute to your company 401K.

[Robert]

Coulter counter protests? What do they have against cell counting & sorting equipment?

[esteve7]

My SJW Roomie actually thinks that since "Words are violence too", it's perfectly legitimate to use violence to shut down people like Coulter and other "alt right white supremacist fascists" etc.

People like that do not deserve freedom, and they have no concept of it.

[Stormy Dragon]

Trump is outraged that Obama did such a lousy job vetting Trump's cabinet nominations:

Spicer Blames Obama for Flynn's Security Clearance