Coal Hard Facts: Don King Coal Gets Awarded Fake Trophy

Trump turned back the clock on science and safety once again when he declared coal is king in American energy. 

He signed an order directing the Pentagon to produce electricity from coal-fired power plants.

For his reversal of energy standards and safety he was awarded the "Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal" by Peabody Energy. He can now add that trophy to his growing collection of fake trophies created just for him. Like when FIFA  (of all things a soccer organization) awarded him the first annual Peace Prize Trophy.

Trump told the Energy Department to provide $175 million in federal funds for upgrades at several coal plants. In response, the Natural Resources Defense Council wrote, "While Americans are demanding clean, affordable energy, the Trump administration is using our tax dollars to prop up the nation's dirtiest, least efficient power plants. It's no wonder fossil fuel lobbyists are handing Trump an award."

In 1980 I was a regional editor for a national publication called The National Woodstove and Fireplace Journal. Just out of college I was thrilled to have such a well-paying journalistic job. So, I ended up doing a lot of research on the different types of coal.

I learned that Anthracite was the cleanest burning type of coal (containing 86%-97% carbon). It was heavily promoted by The Journal and at the time I was in favor of Anthracite coal. The only problem was a growing list of reasons why we weren't mining it. 

Today Anthracite constitutes less than 1% of U.S. coal. The major source for of coal production is subbituminous coal which accounts for about 46% of all U.S. coal production. It has a lower heating value and just contains 35%-45% carbon.

The dirtiest type of coal is Lignite (Brown coal). It only has 25%-45% carbon. It's high moisture and low energy content makes it less efficient. It's primarily used for, or near, power plants.

This coal legislation is part and parcel of Trump's plans to deregulate safety guidelines for our environment. 

He just signed the single largest deregulatory action in U.S. history. In it he eliminated the Obama-era Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Endangerment Finding and all subsequent federal emission standards for all vehicles and engines of model years 2012 to 2027 and beyond.

Trump has revoked the bedrock scientific determination that gives the government the ability to regulate climate-heating pollution. It was a gift to his billionaire polluter buddies.

The path to getting Trump's backing on something involves making up trophies or giving him golden gifts like a crown. As the most transactional president in our history continues to take away environmental safety nets there doesn't seem like a way to stop him.

As it Stands, Trump's legacy will continue to haunt future generations as gas masks become regular attire when people go outside.

It's Time to Give Credit to the Judges Who Are Protecting People Against MAGA

If we peel back Trump's daily distractions and look at the whole story, there's a silver-lining that many aren't aware of.

The good news is that the majority of judges in this country are defying Trump's lawless regime. Unless you follow court cases that fact is easily overlooked when compared to the daily assaults on our Democracy.

There's a website called the Trump Administration Litigation Tracker that follows legal challenges against the current regime. It's a bipartisan non-profit publication that tracks legal challenges to the Trump regime's executive actions that deal with national security issues, as well as cases on behalf of the Trump regime to enforce them.

The Lawfare Litigation Tracker includes:

- 238 active cases challenging the Trump regime's actions (this number considers a suit filed in district court and appeals that arise from the original suit as one case). 

- 21 suits by the Trump regime challenging state or local laws.

- 17 Supreme Court stays or orders to vacate lower court orders.

- 1 Supreme Court affirmation of a lower court order.

- 8 suits where judges ruled for the federal government in a summary judgement or by dismissing a suit.

- 9 suits where judges ruled against federal government in a summary judgement or permanent injunction.

- 6 criminal prosecutions by the Department of Justice (Rep. LaMonica Mclver, former FBI Director James Comey, former National Security Advisor John Bolton, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Congressional candidate Katherine Abughazaleh).

Editor's Note: the case against Comey was dropped by a judge today. After numerous appeals judges have ruled for Garcia and against the Trump regime. In addition, after several attempts the regime's case against Letitia James was dropped. It doesn't mean the government is done harassing them and I wouldn't be surprised to know their currently seeking appeals to those decisions.

It would only be fair to point out that the most important judges in the land have favored the Trump regime. Last year the Supreme Court overwhelmingly sided with Trump. There were at least 24 emergency docket rulings on Trump's action last year. The Supreme Court ruled in Trump's favor 20 times and against four times.

Never before has the court been asked to rule on the legality of so many presidential actions in such a short period of time. Then again, we never had a more corrupt president.

This year, the court will decide cases on the merits docket about the president's power to remove agency heads, the legality of Trump's tariffs, and the constitutionality of his executive order on birthright citizenship.

Based upon last year's preference for the Trump regime we can't expect a miracle coming from the justices this year. However, I must note that based upon some articles I read, where justices were expressing skeptical opinions on all three cases there's an outside chance they'll rule against the regime.

As it Stands, it's a pity that we can't trust the Supreme Court anymore. As for those state and federal judges that are protecting us, they deserve a big thank you.

Congressional Hearings Are Acts from the Theatre of the Absurd

Have you ever gone to a Congressional hearing or watched it online or on TV?

If you have, you can be excused if you thought that it was a staged performance, or an opening act straight out of the Theatre of the Absurd. 

Watching Attorney General Pam Bondi testify before the House Judiciary Committee today (Wednesday) was like watching an old West shootout. 

The Republican chairman, Jim Jordan, let Bondi run roughshod over every Democratic member of the committee, often letting her talk right over the person questioning her.

The hearing was a battle of truth versus lies. Bondi repeatedly lied, under oath, and was so defiant at times I thought she was going to fly out of her chair like the Wicked Witch of the East. When she didn't want to directly answer a question, she replied with personal attacks against the person and tried to flip the narrative.

Meanwhile chairman Jordan walked the fence trying to calm Bondi down at times, but he also gave her free reign again and again. Because the Republicans in the committee follow Trump's agenda they all acted like simpering little sycophants and heaped praise on Bondi who was acting like a spoiled child.

It's hard watching people lie, and even harder watching them get away with it because in the end of the day we all know Bondi will not be stopped despite the evidence of her crimes being revealed in an open hearing.

There was a time in our history when House and Senate hearings actually exposed corruption in a bipartisan way. Members didn't insult their colleagues throughout the proceedings and the person being interviewed wasn't allowed too defiantly lash out every time they were asked a simple question. 

Once upon a time Congressional committees didn't tolerate such defiance and actually held the person in criminal contempt for their actions. Those days are long gone.

Thanks to a Republican majority in the House and Senate all congressional hearings now are just acts from a scripted play by the director in the Oval Office.

Frankly I don't know why the Republican majority is even holding these hearings. Nothing is ever solved. Little, or no action, is ever taken. The whole exercise seems meaningless.

I watched the hearing live on the Associated Press platform online. There were 31,000 other viewers watching the play unfold. We only represented a tiny fraction of the entire population.

As for the rest of the country people will go to their silos and watch snippets of the hearing - each pushing a different interruption of what actually occurred.

The result? Chaos. Misinformation. Polarization. Nothing good for the nation. 

As it Stands, on the positive side if you like soap operas these hearings are for you.

Freedom Isn't Free: There's Always a Price Attached - In This Case it's Trump

Americans have fought for freedom ever since defeating England and forming a society guaranteeing every man has rights and freedoms.

Men and women have fought to preserve those freedoms in two world wars and other military actions defending our democracy. Those brave members of the military have sacrificed their lives to defend this country and preserve our freedoms.

Since the start of the 21st century we've seen a gradual erosion of our rights and freedoms. It's our own fault. We've let the wealthy elite take charge and slowly strip away our rights with elections that featured far-right actors.

When Trump slunk into office in 2016 the slow drip of rights being taken away turned into a river of revenge where Trump introduced his authoritarian tendencies into the government.

By the time Trump lost the 2020 election and managed to get re-elected four years later the damage from his first time in office was evident. He sold a Big Lie about being cheated in his 2020 loss. The lie continues today and has actually grown legs since last year.

The American's who voted for Trump both times don't care if he's a world-class liar bent upon being our first dictator. Their emotional connection to Trump's lies blinds them from reality and the truth about what Trump is doing. They smile and fawn over him even after losing their healthcare and numerous rights. 

The damage that Trump's done to our democracy is far-reaching. He set the standard for future MAGA politicians. He coopted the Republican party and turned it into Nazi brownshirts that willingly take our rights away.

Some pundits say we now live in two Americas. One is controlled by bad actors and the other is the victims of this lawless regime.

The average American - those that don't belong to the MAGA cult - are fighting to retain their freedoms in the courts and streets with massive protests. A price is being paid daily as government agencies like ICE kill Americans and terrify immigrants, while they roam through the streets like an occupying Army.

Standing up to this corrupt regime requires Americans turning out in massive numbers this November and voting Blue. Meanwhile we have to defend the whole election process (again) and make sure Trump doesn't get away with fixing the midterms where Democrats are heavily favored to win the House and even the Senate. 

Along the way average Americans will take the brunt of Trump's assault against our freedoms, and more may even die defending the Constitution. 

Americans have always known that the price of freedom would be high and people would have to die. It's in the country's DNA. Today we have come to a crossroad that demands attention to the growing fascism in high places. Rights are dying daily. 

As it Stands, we are all on the front lines of this war. United we stand, divided we fall.

Democracy's Dirty Little Secret: Charisma Over Competence

It was September 1960 when Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy debated about which one would be the best president if elected. It was the first time in history a live televised debate was shown.

Here's the takeaway; people who watched the debate thought Kennedy had won and Nixon looked terrible. But people who listened to the debate on radio thought Nixon had won.

Standing beside one another a tanned and fit Kennedy oozed charisma next to the sweating and pale Nixon. After Kennedy won the race political pundits pointed out that it was his charisma "that carried the day." 

Interestingly enough political pundits today say the same thing about Trump. His circus barker personality captured the attention of millions of Americans... despite his personal history. He's easily the worst president in American history but he got re-elected in 2024 - even after trying to steal the 2020 election.

Unfortunately, it often seems like the most qualified person running in an election doesn't get elected. Of course, when Nixon finally did get elected years later, he disgraced himself and the office and had to resign in shame.

It helps to understand that charismatic leaders leverage emotional connection to build trust and authority, which often blinds followers - as in Trump's case - to deficiencies in technical and strategic capabilities.

Political experts say there's a "Halo Effect" when a confident, magnetic personality creates a perception of competence even when it doesn't exist. People have a tendency to think a charming, articulate person is competent.

Fair warning. While effective in the short term, over-relying on charisma can lead to disastrous long-term results, including narcissistic leadership, poor decision-making, and organizational failures when the leader lacks the actual skills to back up their confidence. You know. Like Trump.

Relying solely on charisma can lead to "collective narcissism" and a culture where the appearance of success is more important than actual results. As in MAGA.

Charisma often overcomes competence because it targets emotional perception, which humans typically process faster and more intensely than rational evaluations of skill. It helps explain why Trump's followers blindly accept anything he says as the gospel.

Charisma is Democracy's dirty little secret where an idiot can get elected if he puts on a good enough show for the people.

As it Stands, finding someone with charisma, a sense of morality, and brains seems like an impossible task these days. All I can say is the Democrats better find someone like that in 2028.

Memories and Facts About the 1st Superbowl Game and Today's Game

                                        GAME DAY.

Millions of Americans will be watching today's Superbowl LX match between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks.

I'm rooting for the Seahawks who happen to be the favorites in today's game which is being held at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. We'll see if Seattle can win a 2nd Superbowl.

Fun fact: A Houston furniture store owner, Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale, placed a $2 million bet on the Patriots to win today. Either he knows something everyone else doesn't or the guy is crazy.

The entertainment for Superbowl LX is Bad Bunny who is making history as the first artist to headline primarily in Spanish. He was a guest during the 2020 show with Shakira and Jennifer Lopez.

The first Superbowl was held on Jan.15, 1967 at the Los Angeles Coliseum between Green Bay and Kansas City. Green Bay dominated, winning 35 to 10. 

I was a junior in high school and lived in Azusa, California which was not that far from the Los Angeles Coliseum. Despite the close proximity I didn't go to the game. My reasoning was simple.

One, I hated both teams and was a Ram fan who was sorely disappointed that they didn't make it to the big game.

Two, I didn't have the money to go. The price of a ticket, gas to get there, parking fees, and any snacks, was just more than I could afford on my minimum wage part-time job.

The two quarterbacks that day were Bart Starr for the Green Bay Packers and Len Dawson for the Kansas City Chiefs. Both are now Hall of Famers. Starr was named the MVP, throwing 250 yards and two touchdowns against a tough Chief's defense.

The halftime show consisted of six white girls prancing around and waving pom poms. Compare that with what today's halftime Superbowl shows.

As it Stands, Superbowl's have been a good cultural lesson in America bridging sports with music.  

Olympic Embarrassment: America's Standing with World Community is Diminished

When was the last time an American vice president was booed by an Olympic crowd? If you said "never" you're right.

Our current vice president, J.D. Vance and his wife were roundly booed during the opening ceremonies of the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee media spokesperson requested that the audience not boo individuals and to be civil. But when they saw Vance, the boos reverberated around the venue. 

Just before the opening ceremonies skier, Gus Kenworthy, launched a blistering attack on US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers by urinating the words "Fuck Ice" on the snow just before the games kicked off.

Kenworthy's comments are particularly notable given that ICE agents were in Milan as part of the security detail for Vance. I don't know what's going on with using ICE for security when there's a special secret service detail protecting him everywhere he goes. 

Team USA freestyle skier Hunter Hess spoke out on ICE agents' actions during the games; "Just because I wear the flag doesn't mean I represent everything that's going on in the US," he told a panel of reporters.

There's been rallies recently against ICE in Milan and the Italian people are making it clear that ICE isn't wanted in their country. There's also been international protests against ICE and their presence during the Winter games.

Hundreds of protestors gathered in Milan to reject the presence of ICE in the city before the opening ceremony at the Milano Cortina Winter Games. The student-led demonstration featured banners reading "ICE should be in my drinks, not my city."

It's hard seeing Americans diminished in the eyes of the world community. Traditionally we've been viewed as the "good guys" and a beacon for Democracy.

More than 3,500 athletes from 93 countries are competing in this year's winter games, which is taking place over a large area of northern Italy spanning about 8,500 square miles.

As it Stands, there was a venue called the "ICE House" where Olympians and their families could hang out but the name was changed prior to opening day to the "Winter House." And there you have it.

Trump's Legacy of Being a Malicious Narcissist is Assured

The definition of a malicious narcissist combines intense narcissism with antisocial behavior, aggression, sadism, and paranoia.

In other words, Trump is a malicious narcissist. How do we know that? He actively seeks to cause pain and destroy others through manipulation, humiliation, and malicious smear campaigns to gain power and control.

Let's take a look at some examples.

Trump unlawfully froze $16 billion in funding for a major infrastructure project - a tunnel between New York and New Jersey. The price of unfreezing those funds is Senate Leader Chuck Schumer has to agree to rename New York's Penn Station and Washington's Dulles Airport after Trump.

It's blatant bribery and part of Trump's goal to name as many buildings, monuments, and products after himself as he can before leaving office. 

Officials in New York and New Jersey told ABC News that if Trump doesn't release the funds by today (Friday) the project would stop, leaving approximately 1,000 construction jobs in jeopardy.

Friday UPDATE 5:36 p.m. PST

US Judge unfreezes funding for $16 billion New York City tunnel project. A rare victory over Trump's corruption.

Over the past year, Trump has added his name on the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the U.S. Institute for Peace.

In December the U.S. Navy announced plans for "Trump Class" of battleships. And on Thursday Trump unveiled a new government website for prescription drugs called TrumpRx.

There's eight Trump Towers scattered around the world and four more are being developed as I write this.  There are eleven Trump golf courses from Scotland (Trump Turnberry) to Dubai's Trump International Golf Club.

In the United States there's a Donald J. Trump State Park in New York; a Trump Drive in Kalispell, Montana; a President Donald J. Trump Highway (a section of U.S. Route 287 in Oklahoma); The Donald J. Trump Justice Complex in Lyon County, Nevada; President Donald J. Trump, in Hialeah, Florida; and President Donald J. Trump Boulevard in Palm Beach, Florida.

There's a Trump Winery, a vineyard in Virginia, and a Bacardi-based cocktail called a Trumptini. Frankly, I could go on with more examples, but the complete list is too long to mention in this post.

As it Stands, when Trump's legacy is examined by future historians it's going to be a tale of the world's biggest malicious narcissist holding a nation (and world) hostage.

Buyer Beware: Trump Has Launched Another Scam

It's a bigly day for Trump today as he launches his new self-pay website - TrumpRx - that is supposed to save Americans money on their healthcare.

Warning: Before getting too excited let's take a quick look at another Trump scheme, his defunct Trump University where he was supposed to be helping people get a quality education. It was a scam that was taken to court where he had to pay $25 million back to the victims.

Here's what we know thus far.

- The online site will not sell drugs directly.

- The site is expected to point buyers to drugmakers' own direct-to-consumer sites.

- The regime is promoting TrumpRx as a way to cut costs for patients - but experts say the biggest savings are likely to be limited to people who are uninsured or paying entirely out of pocket.

- At least 16 drugmakers have negotiated agreements with the White House to participate on the platform. 

The fact of the matter is those deals have drawn widespread attention - and questions - because much remains unclear, including how long discounts will last and what the final deals with the drugmakers look like.

Last month, the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Trump regime for failing to provide documents related to the deals.

According to Trump's lackey's the regime negotiated price cuts in exchange for tariff relief. Experts say there's no clear advantages to using TrumpRx to purchase their medications.

What's more, what people with insurance spend through TrumpRx may not count towards their insurance benefits, which means it doesn't help them meet their deductible or out-of-pocket maximum.

Trump's bigly launch today is not exactly a unique approach. Direct to consumer prescription drug platforms have become popular in recent years. In 2022, billionaire investor Mark Cuban launched Cost Plus Drugs, an online pharmacy focused on offering lower cost generic drugs.

I've learned over the years to be suspicious of anything Trump does business wise. This latest ruse is more about getting Trump's name on something, whether buildings or products. There're already questions about this shady deal which hopefully we'll learn more about soon when Public Citizen exposes the particulars.

Trump will be speaking live about his newest scam at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time in case you want to watch the pep rally roll out. I guarantee you Karoline Leavitt will call TrumpRx an historic platform that will help millions.

It's all just another politically feeble attempt to address the mess that MAGA has caused by getting rid of the Obamacare extensions. I wonder if we'll ever see those deals Trump made.

As it Stands, this attempt to fool Americans into thinking Trump gives a shit about healthcare is a gross ploy. He thinks people are gullible enough to get excited about something that's been offered for years.

10 Years Later: Convicted Felon Still Hasn't Paid $354 Million Judgement

A convicted felon still hasn't paid a massive judgement against him after ten years of filibustering courts in his hush money scandal. 

That same felon who was convicted on 34 felony counts, but a funny thing happened on the way to justice... and he was re-elected president of the United States. Now we have a First Felon who is determined to destroy our Democracy and turn our country into an authoritarian state.

Trump hasn't given up yet.

A federal judge is set to consider moving Trump's conviction in his criminal hush money case in New York to federal court where Trump will have more power and can overthrow all of his 34 convictions.

Trump's lawyers will present the case to U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein who has already denied them twice, deciding that falsifying business records before the 2016 election in order to conceal a long-denied affair with Stormy Daniels had nothing to do with the presidency.

However, Trump's lawyers will continue to argue that he has immunity for acts taken in his official capacity. 

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered Hellerstein to take one more look at the case. Meanwhile Trump is separately pursuing an appeal through the state court system.

It's apparent that Trump will continue to work the judicial system like he has throughout his corrupt career. 

If, by some miracle, he's forced to fork up the money I suspect he'll use taxpayers' money to satisfy the fine. He's already suing the IRS for $10 million and is working on schemes to get more millions by suing his own DOJ.

Sometimes I wonder if Trump will ever be held accountable for all the laws he's broken and for being a traitor to this country. 

As it Stands, I still tell myself that the day will come when justice prevails. It's karma, and I have to be patient. 

Trump Admits That He Wants to Cheat in the Midterms

The latest frontal attack on the Constitution isn't even being hidden from the public's view. 

Trump has openly declared he wants to take over the midterms by nationalizing 15 blue states to make sure his Congressional cronies running for election (or re-election) keep their seats allowing him continued free reign to cause chaos.

The Big Lie has been pulled out of Trump's archives and dusted off for a new round of elections.  The pathetic creature that's residing in The White House is crying about the stolen 2020 election... again.

It's a durable Lie. The kind of falsehood that has served the orange swine since he lost the 2020 election. He brought up the Big Lie in an interview with former Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino's podcast and said Republicans should push to nationalize elections.

"The Republicans should say: We want to take over. We should take over the voting in at least - many, 15 places," Trump asserted. "The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting," he darkly declared.

Meanwhile Trump ordered the FBI to raid the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center Office in Georgia. Agents seized all of the ballots from the 2020 election that were stored there, despite pushback from local authorities.

In Trump's rant after the raid, he told reporters that the search was going to reveal how Fulton County officials cheated him in 2020. 

Talk about showing your poker hand. The examination of the ballots hasn't even started yet, but he knows what they are going to find. Kinda suspicious, eh? 

What's more, what was the National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard lurking around the raid site for and talking to Trump on the phone about the search as it unfolded live?

There was absolutely no good reason to have the head spymaster intruding into a political case where she has no authority despite Republican claims, that she was there assuring the integrity of the transfer. Pure bull hockey! She was there to report if there was any resistance by officials and to make sure all of the ballots were taken away.

Anyone can see the whole corrupt action is an excuse for Trump to cheat by fixing (or adding newly discovered ballots) to make his vile case against the voters in Georgia.

Robb Pitts, chair of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, told reporters that he does not know where the records were taken.

"All I know is that as long as those boxes had been in control of the county in this facility, they were safe and secure," he said. "I can no longer, as chair of the board, satisfy not only the citizens of Atlanta but the citizens of the world that those ballots are still secure."

I'll take a wild guess that the 2020 ballots surface weeks before the election in November with stunning news that Trump was right! He was cheated. See?

As it Stands, we can expect other dirty tactics to try to rig the midterms. That's a solid. Trump is misusing the power of the presidency. Now it's up to the power of the people to stop him.