Day 36: The End of the Free Press

So, Trump gave a speech today, at a conservatism event. He's railing against corporate Washington, whilst simultaneously giving corporations their biggest gifts in years (without a fucking trace of irony). He claimed that people were lining up for blocks to hear him speak. They weren't. Nothing else he said was worth paying attention to (and honestly, nor were these statements). Oh, and did you know that Facebook was bankrolling that little event?

In other news:

• The White house denied entry to a number of news outlets to a press conference, based on the administration's displeasure with those outlets. You know you've screwed up badly when you eject the BBC, and Fox News calls you out on it. Also? This is my favorite headline.
• Trump claimed that the US runs a trade deficit with every single other country in the world. The Washington Post found at least 15 countries where that is not true. 
• So, it turns out that asking the Whitehouse asking the FBI to suppress rumors is not only immoral, it's illegal (and they themselves have confirmed the violation). Anything going to happen? Doubt it.
• Around 750 people were detained within a 24 hour period during the implementation of the illegal travel ban. The administration continues to peddle its lies, of course.
• Serious analysis suggests that Trump won the election because his name came first on the ballot papers for a number of key states. In civilized countries, the ballot orderings are always randomized.
• Your friendly reminder that Trump's team has extensive links to white supremacy groups around the globe.
• Republicans continue to crack down on protests. At least 18 states have introduced legislation to suppress unwanted protests. Autocracy at work. (Note: Most of these bills would not pass constitutional muster, meaning that they're simply a waste of taxpayer dollars.)

If you want to groan a little more, ask yourself: which bathroom should Laverne Cox use? People tearing down transgender rights are really just revealing themselves as prejudiced bigots.

Today's news felt like a rough end to the week. Go and have a drink. You probably need it.