Trump of the day: Today's news for March 28th (part 1)

CNN:

Russian banker who met with Jared Kushner has ties to Putin

The Russian banker who met with Jared Kushner in December has ties to the Russian government and was appointed to his job by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The meeting between Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and one of his closest advisers, and the chairman of a state-run Russian bank will likely be scrutinized by congressional investigators probing links between Trump associates and the Russian government.

Kushner met with Sergey Gorkov, the chairman VneshEconomBank, or VEB, in December 2016. The meeting raises additional questions because VEB has been under US sanctions for three years, and because Kushner has been trying to attract financing for a building project of his in Manhattan.

The White House said Kushner was acting as a Trump adviser -- not as a private developer -- when he met with Gorkov.

It needs to be remembered that meeting with Russians is not proof of anything illicit or illegal. in fact, the article goes on to say exactly that:

The meeting between Kushner and Gorkov does not violate the US sanctions, and it is not unusual for businesses under sanctions to meet with US officials, experts said.

"I don't see any problem in having a meeting," said Paul Saunders, executive director of the Center for the National Interest, a Washington, D.C., think-tank. "The prohibitions relate to doing business with the banks, not to talking to them." 

But it is a nice little addition to the mainstream media's current birtherism, otherwise known as "link Trump to Russia in every way possible".

In other Trump news...

CNN:

In executive order, Trump to dramatically change US approach to climate change

President Donald Trump will sign a sweeping executive order Tuesday at the Environmental Protection Agency, which looks to curb the federal government's enforcement of climate regulations by putting American jobs above addressing climate change.

The order represents a clear difference between how Trump and former President Barack Obama view the role the United States plays in combating climate change, and dramatically alters the government's approach to rising sea levels and temperatures -- two impacts of climate change.

There is a lot here which CNN has taken on faith. here is a short list:

1. Sea levels are actually rising and present a threat.
2. Temperatures are actually rising and present a threat.
3. Humans are responsible for number 1 and 2.
4. Government is capable of taking actions to prevent or reverse number 1 and 2.

Mind you, it is possible that climate change is happening. It has happened before and will happen naturally. But it will take more evidence than has been presented to confirm number 3, especially when the climatologists are actively fudging the temperature data (number 2).

As for number 4, proving that will take an act of God. Consider this: If large groups of humans are responsible for creating climate change, what makes you think a smaller group of humans known as government is capable of doing anything about it?

In other media insanity...

NPR:

FACT CHECK: Trump Says Obamacare Is 'Exploding.' It's Not

President Trump is doing his best to put a good face on defeat in his party's attempt to replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

His strategy is simple: declare that the law is failing. And he is selling that message in his own distinctly Trumpian way: concocting it out of simple, bold words and then hammering that message home, over and over: Obamacare, in his words, will "explode."

...The law has its problems — but it is far from "exploding," using any reasonable definition of the word. Here is a quick rundown of where the Affordable Care Act stands right now, what's going well and what's not so great.

Using just the facts as presented, here is what is working with Obamacare:

1) The exchanges are stable ...
2) ... In part because many people are shielded from premium hikes.
3) The uninsured rate has fallen — a lot.
4) Premiums are holding steady (but don't praise Obamacare for that)

And here is what is not working:

1) Few insurance options for many Americans.
2) Big premium hikes for some Americans.
3) Higher deductibles making health care more expensive for many.
4) (Very) (very) expensive health care

#2 under "not working" puts the lie to #4 under working. How can premiums be rising a lot for some Americans and yet holding steady? Overall, you call that "going up". On top of that, even the article doesn't give Obamacare credit for the "working" #4.

If the uninsured rate has fallen, but deductibles are higher and health care is more expensive, doesn't that mean Obamacare is forcing people to pay for coverage that isn't helping?

This is a pretty lame fact check. They actually make Trump's case for him.