Out d’Coup | Trump Calls on Mommy (of all bombs); More Cabinet Controversy; Sessions Cleans Filth; PA DEP Sues Rural Towns; PASSHE cuts; and, Space News!

It’s Friday, April 14, 2017. Another not so good friday - at least if we’re talking about the future of democracy. I am Kevin Mahoney, editor and founder of Raging Chicken Press. Each week I talk to our Capitol muckraker-in-chief, Sean Kitchen, about the good, the bad, and the ugly in state and national politics.

This week in Trumplandia: Americans learn a new vocabulary word. Say it with me now: MOAB. Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb. But you call call it Mother. In order to avoid protesters so she can more effectively destroy public education, we are paying almost $8 million for federal marshals to protect Betsy DeVos. Safely past Women’s History Month, Trump signs bill (behind closed doors) that may leave as many as 4 million women without access to medical services. Another former Trump campaign staffer registering as foreign agent. Carter Page...really, Carter Page…is STILL in the news. Supreme Court now armed to repeal 20th Century. Gorsuch will cut his teeth on voting rights. And Jeff Sessions heads to the border to announce that he is weaponizing the Justice Department to take a stand against “the filth” - his words from his prepared remarks. Oh, and let’s not forget North Korea. Can you say….ah, shi-bal?

Closer to home, Anti-EPA Director of the EPA Scott Pruitt, heads to PA coal mine to announce his plans to remove environmental protections. The coal mine he chose to speak at was recently fined $3 million for dumping mine wastewater into tributaries of the Ohio River. And it seems like Pruit has a friend in PA as the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection sues two small rural towns for passing local laws banning underground disposal wells for fracking wastewater. You heard that right. The EPA is suing towns because they tried to protect the environment. According to a new report from PA Budget and Policy Center, PA taxpayers are footing the bill for teaching creationism in charter schools. PASSHE’s hired consultants visit campuses to determine how to give Chancellor Frank Brogan a green light to gut public higher education.

And what’s that? The first protest in space?

Tune in to the Rick Smith Show on Free Speech TV this and every Saturday at 7pm EST. I’ll be there giving the weekly #Resistance Report. You can stream the show live at Freespeech.org or you can tune in on Dish Network, Direct TV, and with the FSTV app on Roku. If you miss the show, go to the RickSmithShow.com and click on the FSTV icon in the sidebar.

We need you to help keep pull-no-punches, progressive media going strong. Become a member of Raging Chicken for as little at $2/month! Simply go to RagingChickenPress.org and look for the Support and Membership tab. Click “Become a member” and you’re on your way. Or, click “Be a Patron” to become a member on Patreon. Not ready to become a member? No problem. You can make a one-time donation by clicking “Donate.”  We need you - the progressive community - to help us deepen pull-no-punches, progressive media that will hold power accountable.  

• Become a member: https://goo.gl/OgYRW0
• Be a Patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rcpress
• Make a donation: https://www.paypal.me/rcpress