justsomeantifas:

Here’s your dose of “What the Fuck Is Going On” news (2/16/17 edition)

• The Southern Poverty Law Center’s annual intelligence report found that 2016 saw a 197 percent increase in the number of anti-Muslim hate groups in the United States. The SPLC said that part of this increase likely has to do with Trump and his anti-Islam rhetoric that he used his whole campaign. (source)
• Trump has officially announced that he is abandoning the travel ban executive order that barred people from coming into the U.S. from seven Muslim-majority countries. He says that the new ban will be unveiled sometime next week. (source)
• Trump has nominated R. Alexander Acosta to be the next secretary of labor, this comes after his former nominee, Andrew Puzder, dropped out amid several scandals. If confirmed, Acosta would be the first Hispanic member in Trump’s cabinet. (source)
• Trump held a press conference today that was filled with things to note. One particularly low moment was when April Ryan, a black reporter with American Urban Radio Networks in Baltimore, asked Trump if he plans to meet and work with the Congressional Black Caucus. Trump then went onto to tell her to set up the meeting with the Black Caucus, to which she said “No,” and then Trump persisted because they must be friends of hers. (source)
• During the same press conference Trump went on to say that any alleged contact with Russia is “fake news.” He was asked to clarify where he stated that the leaks are true but the news is fake. (source)
• Trump later complained that the press is going to say that he was “ranting and raving” at this conference. He then went on to rant and rave “Tomorrow, they will say, ‘Donald Trump rants and raves at the press.’ I’m not ranting and raving. I’m just telling you. You know, you’re dishonest people. But – but I’m not ranting and raving. I love this. I’m having a good time doing it. But tomorrow, the headlines are going to be, ‘Donald Trump rants and raves.’ I’m not ranting and raving.” (source)
• A reporter at this press conference asked Trump about anti-Semitism. The reporter didn’t ask about Trump or his staff members anti-Semitic comments or actions which the reporter claims he’s never heard anyone in his community say about Trump and his staff. The question about was anti-Semitism in general, the bomb threats on Synagogues, and what the government is going to do to address it. Trump then got pissed that the reporter asked him this because he was supposed to ask a “simple question.
  Trump went on to say “See, he lied about, he was going to get up and ask be a very straight, simple question. So, you know, welcome to the world of the media. But let me just tell you something. That I hate the charts. Find it repulsive. I hate even the question because people that know me, and you heard the prime minister, you heard Netanyahu yesterday, did you hear him, Bibi, he said, I’ve known Donald Trump for a long time. And then he said, forget it. So, you should take that instead of having to get up and ask a very insulting question like that.” 
  As far as actually addressing the very real issue of anti-Semitism and the planned and coordinated threats to Synagogues, Trump ignored the question. His only response was “I am the least anti-semitic person you’ve ever seen in your entire life. Number two, racism, the least racist person.” (source)
• Note that this press conference was supposed to be about Trump’s labor pick, R. Alexander Acosta, where he only spent 2 minutes talking about Acosta. The other 75 minutes he spend ranting and raving about non-Acosta related things. The full transcript can be read here.
• Today begun the confirmation hearings for David Friedman, Trump’s pick to be the next US ambassador to Israel. The hearings were met with protesters from Palestinians and Jewish groups. Friedman was asked about his past comments where he propagated false flag conspiracy theories, and spoke out against a leftist Jewish organization called J Street where he said they “are worse than kapos — Jews who turned in their fellow Jews in the Nazi death camps.” (source) 
• The House voted 230-188 to overturn a rule Obama signed in December that would prohibit discriminating against family planning providers for reasons other than the quality of care they offer. This vote is to make it easier for state to defund Planned Parenthood. It now moves on to the Senate will it will easily pass, and Trump will likely sign it because he supports defunding Planned Parenthood. This doesn’t solely affect Planned Parenthood however, it goes for other low-income family planning providers, too. This isn’t the federal defunding of Planned Parenthood (this is coming later) giving states the option to deny public funds to Planned Parenthood, and to other family planning clinics like it. (source)
• Following the expansion of power to immigration authorities, ICE targeted a church shelter that was protecting men from the cold weather and hypothermia in Virginia. The shelter falls under ICE’s “sensitive location” policy which demands that arrests not take place at churches, schools, or medical facilities. Instead the ICE agents waited until the men crossed the street to arrest them. (source)
• After only one month in office, the White House officials announced that Trump is already set to hold a campaign rally this Saturday for his 2020 run. Trump has already filed the paperwork for his re-election, and did so the day he was sworn in. (source)
• After Trump’s national security adviser, Michael Flynn, was fired, Trump chose Vice Admiral Robert Harward to be Flynn’s replacement. Today, Harward turned down the offer and reports are saying that he turned it down partly because he wasn’t allowed to bring in his own team. Another friend of Harward said that White House is too chaotic right now and the offer was a “shit sandwich.” (source) 
• The Trump administration fired a top aide to the Housing and Urban Development secretary nominee Ben Carson named Shermichael Singleton. Singleton has currently worked on Carson’s presidential campaign and wrote pieces that criticized Trump. This criticism of Trump is the reason that he has been fired. (source)
• Two-thirds of the president’s Commission on Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders resigned today, including the chair and the vice chair. In a letter they stated that they can “no longer serve a President whose policies aim to create outcomes that are diametrically opposite to our principles, goals, and charge,” and that they “object to your portrayal of immigrants, refugees, people of color and people of various faiths as untrustworthy, threatening and a drain on our nation.” (source)
• And now your daily reminder that: Flint, Michigan still doesn’t have clean water. Standing Rock still needs your support. The American infrastructure report card still averages poorly with the rating of a “D+”