Upcoming Event Information below:

Video Description:

Katie Halper and Aaron Maté go over the worst moments of the Sunday morning news shows that they watch so you don’t have to.

If it's Monday Morning, it's #mondaymourning

Upcoming Event:

MONDAY MAY 5 In NYC: Palestine: the Moral Issue of Our Time with Gabor Maté and Chris Hedges | https://www.eventbrite.com/e/palestine-the-moral-issue-of-our-time-with-gabor-mate-and-chris-hedges-tickets-1316539207209

About Channel:

Useful Idiots is an informative and irreverent politics podcast with journalists @aaronjmate and @kthalps

Generated Summary below:

Video Description:

Katie Halper and Aaron Maté go over the worst moments of the Sunday morning news shows that they watch so you don’t have to.

If it's Monday Morning, it's #mondaymourning

Upcoming Event:

MONDAY MAY 5 In NYC: Palestine: the Moral Issue of Our Time with Gabor Maté and Chris Hedges | https://www.eventbrite.com/e/palestine-the-moral-issue-of-our-time-with-gabor-mate-and-chris-hedges-tickets-1316539207209

Generated Summary:

This YouTube video features Katie Halper and Aaron Mate from the "Useful Idiots" podcast discussing current events, focusing on media coverage (or lack thereof) of the Israel-Gaza conflict and Donald Trump's tariff policies.

Main Topics:

• Media Normalization of Violence in Gaza: The hosts criticize corporate media for downplaying or ignoring Israeli actions in Gaza, including the bombing of hospitals. They highlight a segment from the [Ayman] show on MSNBC as a rare exception.
• Trump's Tariff Policies: The hosts discuss Trump's trade war with China, his sudden pauses and reversals on tariffs, and the influence of Wall Street and business leaders on his decisions. They also analyze the potential consequences of these policies, including rising consumer costs and economic instability.
• JD Vance's "Peasants" Comment: The hosts critique Vice President JD Vance's use of the term "peasants" to describe the Chinese people, calling it demeaning and ignorant. They also discuss the hypocrisy of US officials who criticize China's economic practices while ignoring the role of US corporations in offshoring jobs.
• Medicaid Cuts: The hosts discuss the Republican budget and its potential impact on Medicaid, highlighting concerns that eligibility requirements will be tightened, leading to millions losing coverage.
• US Foreign Policy: The hosts criticize Trump's bombing of Yemen, despite previously criticizing Biden for doing the same. They also discuss the US's relationship with Iran and China, and the US's involvement in the Panama Canal.
• Democratic Party's Low Approval Rating: The hosts discuss why the Democratic party has such a low approval rating, despite the chaos caused by Trump. They argue that the Democratic party needs to engage in self-reflection and offer a meaningful critique of Trump.

Key Points:

• Corporate media is normalizing mass murder in Gaza.
• Trump's tariff policies are erratic and influenced by Wall Street.
• JD Vance's comments about Chinese "peasants" are demeaning and ignorant.
• Republicans are planning to cut Medicaid by tightening eligibility requirements.
• Trump is bombing Yemen despite previously criticizing Biden for doing so.
• The Democratic Party needs to engage in self-reflection.

Highlights:

• The hosts praise [Ayman] for his exceptional coverage of the Israel-Gaza conflict.
• They mock Trump's use of the word "yippy" to describe people who are complaining.
• They criticize the hypocrisy of US officials who criticize China's economic practices while ignoring the role of US corporations in offshoring jobs.
• They highlight the potential impact of Medicaid work requirements, which could put 36 million people at risk of losing health coverage.
• They criticize the US's involvement in the Panama Canal.
• They recommend the film "The Teacher," which takes place in the occupied West Bank.

About Channel:

Useful Idiots is an informative and irreverent politics podcast with journalists @aaronjmate and @kthalps

Edit:

1. Fixed title from morning to mourning, "Monday Mourning Show"

Generated Summary of Video Below:

Article Link: https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2025/01/06/fbi_is_still_hiding_details_of_russiagate_newly_released_document_shows_1082631.html

Archive Link: https://archive.is/DoDCm

Independent journalist Aaron Maté discusses his reporting on the FBI's probe into Donald Trump. #Trump #russia

Generated Summary:

FBI's Investigation into Trump

• The FBI's investigation into then-President Donald Trump, initiated in May 2017, raised significant questions about the agency's justification for probing a sitting president as a potential Russian agent.
• Journalist Aaron Maté highlights that the FBI has not disclosed the specific reasons that led to this investigation, leaving the public in the dark regarding the grounds for suspicion against Trump.
• The investigation followed the initial Trump-Russia inquiry, known as Crossfire Hurricane, which began in July 2016 based on a vague tip about George Papadopoulos, a low-level Trump campaign volunteer.
• In May 2017, shortly after Trump assumed office, FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe decided to expand the investigation to include Trump personally, alleging he might be acting as an agent of Russia.
• The opening communication for this investigation claims there was a factual basis for it, but this basis is entirely redacted, preventing any understanding of the rationale behind the probe.
• McCabe publicly stated that Trump's firing of FBI Director Jim Comey raised suspicions about what Trump might be hiding, which he considered sufficient grounds for the investigation.

Role of the Steele Dossier

• Reports indicate that the Steele dossier, funded by the Hillary Clinton campaign, played a significant role in the FBI's concerns regarding Trump, as it contained various allegations against him.
• In January 2019, it was revealed that the FBI had reopened its investigation into Trump, with the Steele dossier being cited as a contributing factor to the agency's suspicions.
• Aaron Maté notes that before the counterintelligence probe was launched, the FBI re-engaged with Christopher Steele, the dossier's author, despite having previously terminated him as a source due to his media interactions.
• The reliance on the Steele dossier, which has been widely discredited, raises questions about the legitimacy of the investigation and whether it was based on solid evidence.

Criticism of the Investigation

• Maté criticizes the investigation as lacking factual basis, arguing that the reasons provided for probing a sitting president are insufficient and highlight the absurdity of the Russia investigation narrative.
• He believes that the investigation was politically motivated and detrimental to the integrity of the Democratic Party, which became focused on a conspiracy theory rather than addressing substantive policy issues.
• The investigation diverted attention from potential critiques of Trump's policies, instead allowing the Trump administration to frame the narrative around the allegations as a partisan attack.

Impact on Democratic Party Strategy

• The fixation on the Russia investigation, according to Maté, hindered the Democratic Party's ability to engage in meaningful self-reflection about its messaging and campaign strategies.
• He argues that the party's reliance on the investigation as a narrative undermined its potential to connect with voters who were disillusioned with traditional political approaches.
• Maté suggests that instead of embracing anti-establishment figures like Bernie Sanders, the Democrats doubled down on the Clinton wing, which ultimately alienated some voters.

Clinton Campaign's Involvement

• Maté discusses the role of the Clinton campaign in funding the Steele dossier and its implications for the investigation, asserting that this connection raises questions about the FBI's credibility.
• He highlights that the Clinton campaign also hired CrowdStrike, the firm that first accused Russia of hacking the Democratic National Committee, further entangling the investigation with partisan interests.
• Despite CrowdStrike's CEO admitting to Congress that there was no evidence of Russian hacking, the FBI has not released the documents that underpin its allegations, leaving many critical details undisclosed.
• Maté emphasizes the need for transparency regarding the FBI's reliance on information from contractors linked to the Clinton campaign to understand the foundation of the Russia investigation.

Conclusion and Future Implications

• The ongoing concealment of critical details by the FBI regarding the Trump investigation continues to fuel public demand for accountability and transparency from federal agencies.
• Maté suggests that with Republicans controlling Congress and a supportive president, there might be renewed interest in scrutinizing the decisions made during the investigation.
• The discussion surrounding the investigation underscores the importance of understanding the interplay between political narratives and the actions of intelligence agencies in shaping public perception.

About Rising: Rising is a weekday morning show with bipartisan hosts that breaks the mold of morning TV by taking viewers inside the halls of Washington power like never before. The show leans into the day's political cycle with cutting edge analysis from DC insiders who can predict what is going to happen. It also sets the day's political agenda by breaking exclusive news with a team of scoop-driven reporters and demanding answers during interviews with the country's most important political newsmakers.