“New Normal” Update

* “Donald Trump is trying to interfere in Britain’s election to get his friend Boris Johnson elected.” That’s been the take of British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. It was made all the more credible when Trump recently called in to a London radio show–hosted by Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage–to weigh in on British politics and heap praise on Bo Jo. Interfering in another country’s general election is beyond ironic. Wonder if there’s any post-Brexit quid pro quos?

* “Whimpering and crying and screaming all the way.” That was President Trump ad-fibbing about the last minutes of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s evil life on earth. Actually, it might be a more fitting description of what post-impeachment-conviction optics might look like. 

* “He is not the first person to move to Florida to retire.”–Florida Democratic Party Chair Terrie Rizzo’s response to the announcement that President Donald Trump had declared that his permanent address will now be in Palm Beach County. You go, Terri. Political zingers don’t have to be in poor taste.

* Trump moving to Florida: No income or estate tax. We get it. We also get that Trump’s New York popularity is nearing nil among those who have known him over the years. Recall that Trump, a Queens native, didn’t even win his “home” (Manhattan) district in 2016.

* For the record, each time Trump visits Mar-a-Lago, which will become Trump’s permanent address, security costs to taxpayers run around $3 million.

* President Trump has named Chad Wolf to be the next acting head of Homeland Security. Kevin McAleenan resigned last month. Wolf becomes the fifth person in the job in three years. How’s that for a secure feeling?

* The Keystone pipeline recently leaked nearly 400,000 gallons of tar sands oil in North Dakota. The company, TC Energy, is seeking to build the Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta, Canada to refineries in Texas. The project has drawn opposition from those fearing harm to the environment. That’s why it had been rejected by the Obama Administration. That was then. President Trump issued a federal permit for the expansion project in 2017.

* As of this week, the Trump Administration has formally notified the United Nations that it would withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement on climate change. That means global diplomats will have to forge on without the cooperation of the world’s largest economy. It’s also a reminder that some campaign promises are easier to keep than others. Just ask Mexico.

* Most of us still go to the movies for escape. Maybe now more than ever. The documentary “Where’s My Roy Cohn?”–while interesting and all-too-relevant–won’t enable escapees. There’s a reason it’s out now, and it has everything to do with the Donald Trump presidency and its corrosive, chaotic impact on America.

Cohn was an unethical, ruthless manipulator who only cared about “winning,” as he defined it. From Sen. Joseph McCarthy to Donald Trump to mafia dons. He was Trump’s personal lawyer as well as mentor and wise guy role model. BTW, the title refers, revealingly, to something President Trump was quoted saying as federal investigators were looking into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Cohn died more than 30 years ago. So, Rudy Giuliani notwithstanding, it could actually be worse.

* Trump’s recent take on Meghan Markle’s relationship with the British media is that the Duchess of Sussex takes it all too “personally.” What Trump really meant to say: “It’s no big deal if you’re not a narcissist. Just enjoy the spotlight, the suck-ups, the fame and the freebies.  By the way, Sussex sounds like some Nevada brothel. Cool.”

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