With the richest cabinet in United States history, Donald Trump is clearly not "draining the swamp" in Washington DC, but he is making it easier for US oil companies to buy favors in other countries around the world.

Using the Congressional Review Act Trump repealed a set of rules that forced oil companies to disclose any payments that the companies made to foreign governments in exchange for valuable mining and drilling rights.

The rules had been staunchly opposed by energy industry executives - including now-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson - and the repeal is nothing more than a massive gift to the American oil industry.

Isn't it clear that Trump is favoring corporations over his supporters - and contradicting the populist rhetoric he spouted throughout his whole campaign?

-Thom

(What do you think? Tell us here.)

Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 10:30pm... Trump Blows Up American Foreign Policy in 30 Seconds (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)

Thursday's Daily Stack 

Hour One: Issues of the Day & Your Calls
- Congressman Mark Pocan (D-WI, 2nd District),    

Article: "It's a Big Day for Trump's Budget Pick, for Social Security - and for America's Millionaires" by Richard (RJ) Eskow.

Article: "Mentally ill, and armed: Congress just voted to let mentally impaired people own guns" by Carter Sherman.

Article: "Paul Ryan: GOP to introduce Obamacare repeal/replace bill after break" by Erin Kelly.

Article: "Andrew Puzder withdraws as a labor secretary nominee" by Manu Raju, Dan Merica and Julia Horowitz.

Article: "Defenders of Social Security Mobilize Against GOP Attack on Retirees" by Deirdre Fulton.

Article: "Michael Flynn Resigns as National Security Adviser" by Maggie Haberman, Matthew Rosenberg, Matt Apuzzo and Glenn Thrush.

Article: "Duck and cover: More than 200 Republicans in Congress are skipping February town halls with constituents" by Alex Thompson.

Site: Stop the Speaker.

Article: "Mark Pocan addresses concerns, looks for solutions in town hall meeting" by Xavier Ward.

Article: "Pelosi, Clyburn Press Conference Unveiling House Democrats' Democratic Outreach & Engagement Task Force".

Law: "Voting Rights Act of 1965".

Article: "Reps. Pocan and Ellison Introduce Right to Vote Constitutional Amendment".

Article: "The GOP's Stealth War Against Voters" (Crosscheck) by Greg Palast, August 24, 2016.

Article: "Senate Democrats critical of GOP efforts to limit voting access" by .

Article: "In Mulvaney, Trump's Budget pick is fiscal hawk with proven history" by David Mcintosh.

Event: DC, 16 Feb 2016: "Members of Congress and Advocates to Hold Event Marking the Day Millionaires Stop Paying Into Social Security".

Article: "Consumer Price Index for the elderly" (CPI-E) by BLS.

Site: Public Citizen

Article: "Trump's vow to "destroy" Johnson Amendment could wreak havoc on charitable world" by Philip Hackney and Brian Mittendorf.

Article: "Judges Find Wisconsin Redistricting Unfairly Favored Republicans" by Michael Wines.

Article: "The Dismantling of Progressive America. Why the 2018 Elections and 2020 Census Matter." by Melissa Sandgren.

Article: "Georgia's 6th congressional district special election, 2017" (April 18, to replace new Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price).

Video: Jason Chaffetz withdrawing HR 621.

Article: "Republicans Look To 'Modernize' (Read: Weaken) The Endangered Species Act" by Chris D'Angelo.

Article: "Wolves targeted as Congress moves to de-fang Endangered Species Act" by Garret Ellison.

Article: "Arizona Senator Flake Introduces Bill to Supplant Science in Endangered Mexican Wolf Recovery, Suppress Population" by Center for Biological Diversity.

Article: "Fool Me Once: Why Another Corporate Tax Cut Won't Boost the Economy" by Marshall Steinbaum, Eric Harris Bernstein.

Article: "Spies Keep Intelligence From Donald Trump on Leak Concerns" by Shane Harris and Carol E. Lee.

Article: "Mergers and acquisitions" by Wikipedia.

Video: Greed Is Good by Gordon Gekko in Wall Street.

Article: "Senate Confirms Trump's Budget Nominee Mulvaney in a Close Vote" by Erik Wasson.

Article: "ICE Reportedly Detained A Domestic Violence Victim Who Sought Court Protection" by Roque Planas.

Article: "Sanctuary city" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Full Transcript and Video: Trump News Conference", 16 Feb 2017.

Article: "26th Amendment". Vote for 18 year olds

Article: "15th Amendment" (right to vote), February 3, 1870

Article: "19th Amendment "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex."

Article: "Howard Dean Scream" by Brad.

Article: "Judge Rules Bridgegate Complaint Against Gov. Christie Can Proceed" by CBSNewYork/AP.

Book: "Conservatives Without Conscience" by John W. Dean.

Tweet: "A moment does not make a movement, #sacrifice does....#blackeagle" by Joe Madison.

Article: "Keith Ellison Will Resign House Seat If Elected DNC Chair" by Zach Carter.

Article: "On a 'Day Without Immigrants,' Workers Show Their Presence by Staying Home" by Liz Robbins and Annie Correal.

Tweet: "In support of our people & #ADayWithoutImmigrants Thurs 2/16 we will not open @jaleo DC CC MD, @zaytinya or @oyameldc #ImmigrantsFeedAmerica" by José Andrés.

Book: "Rebooting the American Dream: 11 Ways to Rebuild Our Country" by Thom Hartmann (read online)

Book: "Rebooting the American Dream: 11 Ways to Rebuild Our Country" by Thom Hartmann

Article: "Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986" (Reagan amnesty)

Article: "Senate Democrats, Citing Lies, Stall Votes on Trump's Nominations of Mnuchin and Price" by David Dayen.

 

Talk Media News Segment:
- Bob Ney 

Article: "Trump selects Florida law school dean to replace Puzder" by Bryan Renbaum.

Article: "Trump names Acosta as new choice to become labor secretary" by Laurie Kellman and Ken Thomas.

Article: "Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal" by Wikipedia.

Article: "2004 United States election voting controversies" (including caging)

Article: "Voter caging" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Roy Blunt on Michael Flynn investigation: 'I'm concerned about all of this'" by Lindsay Wise.

Article: "Trump: Flynn Treated Unfairly By "Fake Media", Leaking Is "A Criminal Act"" by Tyler Durden.

Article: "House GOP leaders demand Justice Department inspector general probe leaks surrounding Flynn" by Karoun Demirjian.

Book: "Sideswiped: Lessons Learned Courtesy of the Hit Men of Capitol Hill" by Robert Ney.

Site: "Goats for the old Goat".

Article: "Stabenow, Peters push anti-outsourcing bills" by Melissa Nann Burke.

Article: "DC preps for 'Day Without Immigrants,' but Hill takes little notice" by Tal Kopan.

Article: "Trump's Bungling, Bitchy White House" by Robert Reich.

Article: "GOP Bill To Eliminate The EPA Is Literally One Sentence Long" by Michael Bastasch.

Bill: "H. R. 861 A Bill To terminate the Environmental Protection Agency" by Rep. Matt Gaetz. "The Environmental Protection Agency shall terminate on December 31, 2018"

Article: "House's Obamacare replacement coming after recess, Paul Ryan says" by Alan Fram.

Site: RepublicEn.org.

Article: "Territories of the United States" by Wikipedia.

Site: League of Women Voters.

Movie: "Windfall".

Article: "The Economics of $50 Lettuce" by Matthew Yglesias.

Site: Bracero program.

Article: "The Jackie Gleason Show" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Shame lives on, 75 years after forced removal of Japanese" by Curt Brown.

Article: "2016 Democratic Party Platform".

 

Is Trump Following the Authoritarian Playbook?
- John W. Dean, Former Nixon White House Counsel/Justia/Conservatives Without Conscience  

Law: Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (1999) (Financial Services Modernization Act Of 1999).

Law: "Commodity Futures Modernization Act", 2000.

Law: "Glass-Steagall Act", 1933.

Book: The Nixon Defense: What He Knew & When He Knew It by John W. Dean.

    

Friday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 12-3pm ET 

 

We'll have the latest news and information...everything you need to know to win the water cooler wars...

 

And, the best of the rest of the news along with your calls right here on...

 

The Thom Hartmann Program, Occupying The Media 3 hours a day 5 days a week" for "we the people"

 

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