Politics

Ever since the stunning 2016 election caught them off-guard, Democrats, who expected to quickly fall in-line behind their new leader Hillary Clinton, have been struggling to identify a new party leader or even a cohesive message to rally around.  Meanwhile, in light of the sudden power vacuum and the fact that Bernie Sanders was clearly sabotaged during the primary process, the Democratic party, much like Republicans and the Freedom Caucus, seems to be splintering before our eyes with the more "progressive" elements of the party increasingly distancing themselves from the more moderate voic

While one can debate if last week's failed attempt by Trump to pass the GOP healthcare vote before the expiration of his 100 days in office counts as attempt #2 by the administration to repeal Obamacare, the Republicans are now back to square one, because based on the latest whip count by The Hill, the GOP again appears to lack sufficient votes to pass its Healthcare bill in the House, despite earlier reports from GOP leaders and the White House that it might be approved by the lower chamber this week.

The feud between Trump and Steve Bannon appears to be a thing of the past.

As part of his extended interview with Bloomberg on Monday, Trump dismissed speculation that his administration is split by discord, saying he is sticking by his polarizing chief strategist, Steve Bannon, calling him a “very decent guy” who is getting a “bad rap.” Trump even revealed his own term for Bannon’s ideology, calling it "alt-left," a pun on Bannon’s ties to the conservative "alt-right" movement.

In case you were starting to lose your fearmongered concerns, The US State Department has come to the rescue with a travel alert for visitors to Europe warning of "the continued threat of terrorist attacks."

Travel Alert - Europe

 

May 1, 2017

 

The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens to the continued threat of terrorist attacks throughout Europe. This Travel Alert expires on September 1, 2017.

 

Days after Venezuela was rocked by the worst riots in over a year, with nearly 30 people dying in April from violence related to protests demanding the departure of Maduro who has again been accused of violating democratic norms, Maduro responded by hiking salaries and handing out free homes as he tries to counter a strengthening protest movement calling for his removal.