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politics | New York Times - News | https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/03/opinion/trump-labor-unions-greenhouse.html | OPINION: How Trump Betrays ‘Forgotten’ Americans | 2018-09-03 | politics | With private-sector unions badly weakened by factory shutdowns and corporate resistance to unions , government employee unions have become the most powerful part of the labor movement . That ’ s one reason anti-union billionaires and foundations underwrote the Janus litigation : to hobble the strongest part of labor . The Koch brothers and other billionaires have seized on Janus to finance efforts , through emails and door-to-door canvassing , to urge government workers — teachers , police , firefighters , social workers and many others — to quit their unions and stop paying union fees .
It doesn ’ t look as if Mr. Trump ’ s latest nominee to the Supreme Court , Brett Kavanaugh , will be a friend to workers or unions . In an astonishingly anti-worker opinion in a case involving a SeaWorld trainer killed by an orca whale , Mr. Kavanaugh wrote in 2014 that the Labor Department was wrong to fine SeaWorld . Dissenting in a 2-to-1 case , he suggested that the Labor Department should not “ paternalistically ” regulate the safety of SeaWorld ’ s trainers because they , like tiger tamers and bull riders , were sports and entertainment figures who accepted the risk of injury in hazardous businesses that usually regulated their own dangers . His opinion had echoes of 19th-century state court rulings that factory workers assumed the risk of injuries from machinery that cut off their hands .
Labor unions might get a boost from Mr. Trump ’ s efforts to increase coal , steel and aluminum production and from his push to renegotiate Nafta to spur domestic auto production . The Trump administration and many unions hope those moves will bring back tens of thousands of mining and manufacturing jobs . That could lift unions ’ ranks , but those gains would be a fraction of the losses expected from Janus . Some experts estimate that more than a million workers will quit their unions over the next few years as a result of that ruling .
There has been some good news for labor . A new Gallup Poll found that public approval for unions has reached its highest level in 15 years . Unions have scored some significant victories recently , especially among white collar workers : adjunct professors at many universities have unionized , and so have journalists at The Los Angeles Times , The Chicago Tribune , The New Yorker , HuffPost and Slate , and graduate teaching assistants at Harvard , Columbia , Brandeis and other universities . There have also been unionization gains among nurses and bus drivers as well as service-sector workers in Silicon Valley .
The labor movement in the United States is already far weaker than in any other major industrialized nation . Just one in 10 American workers belongs to a union , down from more than one in three in the 1950s . But in the face of decades of fierce employer resistance , compounded by the Trump administration ’ s hostility , unions are not making the gains they need to reverse their decline . If America ’ s unions don ’ t rebound , that will most likely mean even more income inequality and wage stagnation and even more control of the levers of power by corporations and wealthy donors .
Steven Greenhouse was a labor and workplace reporter for The New York Times for 19 years . He is writing a book about the history and future of the American labor movement .
Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook and Twitter ( @ NYTopinion ) , and sign up for the Opinion Today newsletter . | 7SpKqaWdATkTkocY | 0 | Donald Trump | -1.2 | Politics | -0.1 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
economy_and_jobs | Washington Times | http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jun/3/politics-and-more-at-play-in-painful-job-numbers/ | Politics and more at play in painful job numbers | 2012-06-03 | economy_and_jobs | Just when the American economy was looking like a global bright spot , a spate of bad news last week showed that the U.S. also has succumbed to a major slowdown — sending President Obama and his team scrambling to explain Friday ’ s disappointing unemployment numbers .
“ Nobody is happy with the rate of job creation today , ” Steven Rattner , Mr. Obama ’ s former car czar , said on “ Fox News Sunday . ”
“ Obviously , the numbers this month were disappointing , ” David Axelrod , Mr. Obama ’ s senior campaign strategist , said on CBS ’ “ Face the Nation . ”
The economy , the president acknowledged after Friday ’ s Labor Department report , is “ not growing as fast as we want it to grow . ”
The news that job growth in May shrank to an anemic 69,000 is the latest evidence of a slowdown that economists blame on three key obstacles to global recovery : the spike in global oil prices , the European debt crisis and the looming possibility of a long-term debt deal stalemate in Washington .
Those threats once again prompted businesses to pull back hiring in the spring , as they did last year , economists said .
Executives apparently feared that consumers would fold under the weight of pump prices around $ 4 a gallon on average in April , though they have fallen back since then . Meanwhile , they worried that demand for U.S. products overseas will be quashed by a recession in Europe and major slowdown in China , Brazil and elsewhere in the developing world .
In Washington , Republican critics of Mr. Obama pounced on the disappointing numbers .
Eric Fehrnstrom , a Mitt Romney campaign adviser , said the president lacks the private business experience necessary to lead the U.S. economy .
“ We gave the keys to the largest economy in the world to a person that did not have any previous executive experience , ” he said Sunday on ABC ’ s “ This Week . ”
Ed Gillespie , senior adviser to the Romney campaign , told “ Fox News Sunday ” that job creators are getting “ hammered ” under Mr. Obama .
“ This administration , the policies are hostile to job growth , ” Mr. Gillespie said . “ The only thing that ’ s going to change it is changing the policies , and that means changing the person in the White House . ”
“ The U.S. economy can ’ t entirely remain an island in a sea of troubles , ” said Cliff Walden , senior economist at the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation .
That realization sent markets plummeting from New York to Beijing on Friday , with the Dow Jones industrial average wiping out its gains for the year and closing down 275 points or 2.2 percent .
“ It ’ s an unwelcome truth , ” said Yuki Sakasai , an economist at Barclays Capital . “ Even the U.S. , where growth has been modest and manufacturing sentiment firm relative to the euro area and China , may not be immune to the global slowdown . ”
The news of slower growth in the U.S. “ could not have come at a worse time for markets , ” which already had been “ grappling with the uncertain European political environment , ” he said , and were counting on an island of stability in the U.S .
The U.S. for weeks had seemed to be sitting out the global turmoil , basking in the benefit of rock-bottom interest rates and enjoying the relief from high gas prices caused by the collapse in global oil prices . Consumers seemed to be getting a bit of a boost from having extra change in their pockets after they left the service station .
But one report last week — an unexpected fall in consumer confidence reported by the Conference Board — suggested that consumers were not as immune as thought to the gathering gloom .
After that , Friday ’ s jobs report pulled the rug out from any remaining faith in the U.S. economy as Fortress America .
Nigel Gault , chief U.S. economist at IHS Global Insight , said some of the softness in hiring — particularly the loss of construction jobs in May — was a payback from unusually robust job growth during the winter . But the weakness was widespread enough that it showed businesses are still not convinced of a lasting recovery , he said .
“ Given the uncertainties over the eurozone crisis , emerging market growth , the U.S. elections and the ‘ fiscal cliff ’ [ of expiring tax provisions and spending measures at the end of the year ] , there are plenty of reasons for businesses to stay cautious in their hiring plans , even if surging gasoline prices are for the moment no longer on the list of things to worry about , ” he said .
Alan B. Krueger , chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers , also attributed the slowdown to powerful recessionary forces coming from overseas .
“ Just like last year at this time , our economy is facing serious headwinds , including the crisis in Europe and a spike in gas prices , ” he said . “ The economy is growing , but it is not growing fast enough ” to make much headway in reducing unemployment among millions of Americans .
While the threat from high gas prices is now waning , the turmoil in Europe promises to get only worse in coming weeks as Greek voters consider once again on June 17 whether to stay in the eurozone or leave it , and Spain grapples with a banking crisis that could force it to seek a bailout from its northern neighbors , following the path of Greece , Portugal and Ireland .
Meanwhile , businesses in the U.S. have been roiled by rumblings of another major confrontation like last year ’ s debt limit battle between Mr. Obama and the Republican-led House of Representatives .
A second partisan war is looming at the end of the year over the expiration of all of President George W. Bush ’ s tax cuts and big , across-the-board spending cuts that are set to take effect in defense and other government programs unless the two branches can agree on a budget deal .
Economists from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke on down have warned that the fiscal crunch scheduled for Jan. 1 is so large that it would plunge the U.S. economy back into recession .
Mr. Bernanke has said the Fed would be unable to do anything to prevent such a recession if Congress fails to stop the fiscal train wreck . Yet few expect Congress to take any action until after the November elections .
Fear over how the political drama will play out — compounded by not knowing who will be the newly elected president at the end of the year — has paralyzed planning at some American businesses . Many economists cite the possibility of draconian tax increases and spending cuts as the biggest obstacle to growth and business investment at present .
“ Risks from Europe and the fiscal cliff have increasingly impacted business spending , ” and likely will hold down growth for the rest of the year , said Vincent Reinhart , an economist at Morgan Stanley . | GSRvAFXc4dZpd58J | 2 | Economy And Jobs | -0.9 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
civil_rights | ABC News (Online) | https://abcnews.go.com/US/new-york-city-pay-record-settlement-kettling-george/story?id=97556607 | New York City to pay record settlement for 'kettling' George Floyd protesters | 2023-03-03 | Civil Rights, George Floyd Protests, Black Lives Matter, Police, Police Brutality | Each protester will receive $21,500. New York City and the New York Police Department have agreed to collectively pay millions to protesters who were arrested, detained or subjected to violence during a George Floyd demonstration in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx in June 2020, according to a court filing. The settlement agreement called for more than 300 protesters confined that day using a police tactic they referred to as "kettling" to each receive $21,500, which is believed to be the highest per-person settlement award in a mass arrest class action lawsuit. The total cost of the settlement will be nearly $7 million. "We are really pleased with the settlement," plaintiffs' attorney Ali Frick told ABC News. "This was essentially a premeditated show of force against people who were demonstrating against police violence." There were 320 protesters restrained with zip ties, battered with batons and hit with pepper spray, according to their lawsuit that named the city, the department and individual high-ranking members of the NYPD. "The Mott Haven protest really shocked the conscience when it happened. These protesters were kettled. Then the police moved in with extreme brutality that was totally uncalled for and unnecessary," Frick said. The proposed settlement is meant to include those who were detained, arrested or subjected to force by police officers on East 136th Street between Brook Avenue and Brown Place. "The proposed settlement here is fair, reasonable, and adequate and should be preliminarily approved," attorneys for the plaintiffs said in the court filing. Henry Wood, one of the protesters who sued, called the proposed settlement a relief but said it would not change what happened to him. "The violence unleashed upon us that night was intentional, unwarranted, and will be with me for the rest of my life. What the NYPD did, aided by the political powers of New York City, was an extreme abuse of power," Wood said in a statement. Samira Sierra, another of the protesters who sued, said she was "violated" by the police. "We had every right to protest, yet, the City of New York made an explicit statement that day that the people of the Bronx are at will to be terrorized," she said in a statement. The arrests in Mott Haven on June 4, 2020, came on the second night of a curfew imposed by then-Mayor Bill de Blasio, who said at the time it was necessary to "protect the city and its residents from severe endangerment and harm to their health, safety and property" from violent acts occurring after dark. "It was a challenging moment for the department as officers who themselves were suffering under the strains of a global pandemic did their utmost to help facilitate people's rights to peaceful expression all while addressing acts of lawlessness including wide-scale rioting, mass chaos, violence, and destruction," the NYPD said in a statement. "Two-and-a-half years after the protests of 2020, much of the NYPD's policies and training for policing large-scale demonstrations have been re-envisioned based on the findings of the department's own, self-initiated analyses and on the recommendations from three outside agencies who carefully investigated that period," the department continued. "The NYPD remains committed to continually improving its practices in every way possible." 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events | 2c0624cabdb54ca8 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
lgbt_rights | CBN | https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/cwn/2020/january/franklin-graham-event-canceled-because-he-views-gay-marriage-a-sin | Franklin Graham Event Canceled Because He Views Gay Marriage a 'Sin' | 2020-01-27 | lgbt_rights | The Rev . Franklin Graham , an evangelist and the son of the late preacher Billy Graham , was slated to speak this summer at a venue in Liverpool . That stop , though , will no longer take place .
Graham ’ s event , to be held at ACC Liverpool , was part of a larger tour through the United Kingdom . Officials at the venue , however , announced Friday the event would be scrubbed from the schedule because Graham ’ s views — particularly his biblical interpretation of marriage as a union between one man and one woman — are “ incompatible with our values . ”
The Graham Tour UK event which was originally planned to take place at ACC Liverpool in June 2020 will no longer be going ahead . Please find full statement here : https : //t.co/pwXwzf6S6c — ACC Liverpool ( @ ACCLiverpool ) January 26 , 2020
The decision to cancel Graham ’ s stop in Liverpool isn ’ t surprising . Protesters have been rebuking the leaders of the venue for allowing Graham to share the Gospel in the space .
One group critical of Graham ’ s slated appearance at ACC Liverpool was the Liverpool Labour LGBT Network , which referred to the evangelist as “ a homophobic hate preacher . ”
Petition by our Liverpool Branch members who are asking for support from their locally elected council representatives in response to the platforming of homophobic hate preacher Franklin Graham at the M & S Arena on the 12th of June 2020https : //t.co/Xo1VXB80sK — Labour Party LGBT+ Network ( @ LPLGBTNetwork ) January 24 , 2020
On Monday afternoon , Graham replied to the decision by ACC Liverpool .
He penned an open letter to the LGBTQ community in the U.K. , informing them he is coming to Great Britain not to condemn them . Rather , he is coming to present the Gospel .
Graham did , though , admit he does see homosexuality as a sin .
“ The rub , I think , comes in whether God defines homosexuality as sin , ” he wrote . “ The answer is yes . But God goes even further than that , to say that we are all sinners — myself included . The Bible says that every human being is guilty of sin and in need of forgiveness and cleansing . The penalty of sin is spiritual death — separation from God for eternity . ”
Graham also defended the right to free speech and religious liberty . He wrote he is not coming to the U.K. “ to speak against anybody ” because the Gospel “ is inclusive . ”
“ I ’ m coming to speak for everybody , ” he added . “ The Gospel is inclusive . I ’ m not coming out of hate , I ’ m coming out of love . ”
The 67-year-old preacher ended his letter by saying those in the LGBTQ community are “ absolutely welcome ” to attend one of his events in the U.K . | Uwxq2YRpGELsL9Nm | 2 | LGBTQ Issues | -0.4 | Religion And Faith | 0.1 | Same-Sex Marriage | 0 | null | null | null | null |
national_security | NPR Online News | https://www.npr.org/2018/10/06/654759573/the-russia-investigations-the-new-era-of-foreign-threats | The Russia Investigations: The New Era Of Foreign Threats | 2018-10-06 | national_security | This week in the Russia investigations : 21st century great power competition means the challenge of defending American democracy will get tougher , not easier .
Americans inside and outside of Washington , D.C. , spent the last week transfixed by the drama over President Trump 's nominee for the Supreme Court , but there also were ample reminders about how the rest of the world is not standing still .
Thursday , for example , brought an extraordinary pair of reports about the urgent cyber-dangers that continue to confront the United States and the West — a reminder that the perils from outside do n't remain static but evolve as fast as technology and human ingenuity permit .
First was the announcement — in Europe and then the United States — about the latest campaign of cyber-mischief by Russia 's military intelligence agency , the GRU .
This is the same army spy branch that was responsible for the cyberattack against the Democratic National Committee and myriad other targets in 2016 , and then the poisoning of a number of people this year in Great Britain .
Now , according to European and American authorities , the GRU has been caught waging cyberattacks against Western institutions that have exposed Russian lawbreaking and venality .
Russia 's international athletics programs have been blacklisted because of their rampant illegal drug abuse . The GRU 's scheme to murder its targets in the U.K. not only failed to kill its intended victim but was exposed as a foul-up and its perpetrators identified .
So Russia 's intelligence agencies evidently wanted to try for turnabout : to embarrass elite Western athletes by stealing information about them from anti-doping authorities and potentially compromise chemical weapons experts who were studying the nerve agent the GRU had used in its attacks in the U.K. , or at least surveil them .
But these were n't just a continuation of the same concerted `` active measures '' the Russians have been waging against the West since the invasion of Ukraine .
There were new refinements , including the deployment of human intelligence officers to Europe — and who knows where else — to conduct in-person cyberattacks separate from the remote attacks that have become familiar from 2016 .
What happened ? According to European authorities , a cadre of GRU officers flew from Russia to the Netherlands to attack the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons . The men showed up in a rental car full of computer network equipment next to the target building in The Hague — but were caught , arrested and deported .
How 'd it work ? The goal appears to have been to get the GRU cyberattackers onto the target wifi network in order to steal the credentials needed for a cyberattack . Or , alternatively , to create a lure wifi network in an attempt to trick the targets to join it instead of their own real one . If they had achieved the latter , the GRU attackers could have then controlled the targets ' access to the Internet and done all kinds of unpleasant things .
Why is this important ? The beauty of cyberattacks , from the perspective of those inside the spy business , is the reduced risk involved with deploying human operatives and physical hardware into another — potentially hostile — country .
The `` Internet Research Agency '' — waging its campaign of online agitation against the West , and the GRU with its hacking , theft and dumping of embarrassing materials — could do all that from the safety of their own home soil .
The OPCW attack , however , following the U.K. nerve agent attacks , reveals a new boldness about sending human intelligence operatives overseas in service of these aims .
In the case of election interference targeting the United States , that is n't new : Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller has documented reconnaissance missions by Russian intelligence operatives ahead of the main wave of active measures that peaked in 2016 .
To the degree that cyber-defenses have evolved , however , necessitating new attacks like those from the GRU 's rental car , it means the threats will change too .
How many rental cars full of network equipment are parked outside key offices in the United States today ? And how many other such novelties are slipping into the country ?
The danger of infiltration does n't necessarily have to mean people .
It can include things that are very , very small — smaller than the nib of a pencil , smaller than a grain of rice . That 's about the size of the microchip that China 's intelligence agency was able to add to the circuit boards of computer hardware bound for customers inside the United States , including , reportedly , U.S. government agencies and Big Tech companies .
That was according to a blockbuster story by Bloomberg Businessweek that reminded Americans — because this is n't the first time it has come up — about the vulnerabilities of a high-tech supply chain in which so many components originate in China .
When American spy agencies want to exploit computer hardware bound for a target , they intercept it between the shipper and the recipient . Let 's say a certain foreign ambassador expects a new laptop . At some point in its journey , the magical elves of the National Security Agency , let 's say , might take it apart , sprinkle in their fairy dust and then reassemble it for final delivery .
What Bloomberg 's report suggested is that the Chinese government can stage these hardware attacks at an industrial scale , from the factories up .
Apple and Amazon , two of the boldface-name targets named in the story , denied they had been victimized as described ; the U.S. government agencies involved so far have n't commented .
Tech supply chain integrity was a bugbear of former Michigan Democratic Sen. Carl Levin , who issued a major report about the perils facing U.S. defense contractors when he was chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee .
In Levin 's case , he was as much concerned that parts reaching American aircraft or weapons might be fake or corroded components that had been fraudulently sold as new — that a missile guidance system might fail in a key moment simply because it was counterfeit , not as the result of a deliberate scheme .
The Bloomberg story makes clear that , although Levin 's fears remain valid , this danger today is significantly greater and more pernicious .
What does any of this have to do with the Russia investigations ? For one thing , this : The White House has begun accusing China of attempted election interference . President Trump did so at the United Nations and Vice President Mike Pence followed up in more detail on Thursday .
Chinese leaders are retaliating against the Trump administration 's tariffs and hardball trade tactics , the administration says . So Beijing wants to replace Trump with a more friendly leader .
It 's difficult to know , without access to the kind of foreign intelligence reporting that Trump and Pence receive , how accurate that claim might be .
It is by now an old and familiar story that China wages a wholesale campaign of industrial espionage against the United States , one in support of its broader goal to match and overtake American technological capabilities as China continues its ascent in this century .
But does Chinese President Xi Jinping want to join Russia 's President Vladimir Putin in the chaos business ?
So far , what is publicly known about China 's information activity does not suggest that is so . In fact , China 's distinctive approach to exerting influence around the Pacific Rim has earned its own custom term : `` sharp power . ''
What characterized Russia 's campaign in 2016 and since is that it has been heavily clandestine : Spies worked behind the scenes . Operatives pretended to be Americans on social media — among other things — in order to put real Americans at each other 's throats .
If China does increase its quantity and quality of that type of work , alongside that of Russia which never stopped , political life in the United States going forward could make the experience of 2016 look like a picnic . | SWBYvlE48kKXVrkC | 1 | Russia | -2.5 | National Security | 0.2 | Defense And Security | 0.2 | null | null | null | null |
defense_and_security | New York Times (News) | http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/09/us/politics/white-house-and-gop-clash-over-torture-report.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0 | White House and Republicans Clash Over C.I.A. Torture Report | 2014-12-09 | CIA, Defense And Security | Trump Administration Advertisement Supported by By Mark Landler and Peter Baker WASHINGTON — With the long-awaited Senate report on the use of torture by the United States government — a detailed account that will shed an unsparing light on the Central Intelligence Agency’s darkest practices after the September 2001 terrorist attacks — set to be released Tuesday, the Obama administration and its Republican critics clashed over the wisdom of making it public, and the risk that it will set off a backlash overseas. While the United States has put diplomatic facilities and military bases on alert for heightened security risks, administration officials said they do not expect the report — or rather the declassified executive summary of it that will be released Tuesday morning — to ignite the kind of violence that killed four Americans at a diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012. Such violent reprisals, they said, tend to be fueled more by perceived attacks against Islam as a religion than by violence against individual Muslims. But some leading Republican lawmakers have warned against releasing the report, saying that domestic and foreign intelligence reports indicate that a detailed account of the brutal interrogation methods used by the C.I.A. during the George W. Bush administration could incite unrest and violence, even resulting in the deaths of Americans. Former Vice President Dick Cheney added his voice to those of other Bush administration officials defending the C.I.A., declaring in an interview Monday that its harsh interrogations a decade ago were “absolutely, totally justified,” and dismissing allegations that the agency withheld information from the White House or inflated the value of its methods. Advertisement The White House acknowledged that the report could pose a “greater risk” to American installations and personnel in countries like Pakistan, Yemen, Egypt, Libya and Iraq. But it said that the government had months to plan for the reverberations from its report — indeed, years — and that those risks should not delay the release of the report by the Senate Intelligence Committee. “When would be a good time to release this report?” the White House press secretary, Josh Earnest, asked. “It’s difficult to imagine one, particularly given the painful details that will be included.” But he added, “The president believes it is important for us to be as transparent as we possibly can about what exactly transpired, so we can just be clear to the American public and people around the world that something like this should not happen again.” Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like. Mark Landler reported from Washington, and Peter Baker from New York. Rick Lyman contributed reporting from Warsaw; Ben Hubbard from Beirut, Lebanon; and Jeffrey Gettleman from Nairobi, Kenya. Advertisement Enjoy unlimited access to all of The Times. See subscription options | 200e92ada1582652 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
economic_policy | Politico | http://www.politico.com/story/2014/01/president-obama-economy-102218.html | Obama: I’ll act without Congress when I can | 2014-01-15 | economic_policy | 'When I can act on my own without Congress , I ’ m going to do so , ' Obama says . Obama lays out economic message
President Barack Obama illustrated the White House economic message in about 30 seconds Wednesday .
After reiterating his call for Congress to renew long-term unemployment benefits during a speech in North Carolina , the president said he ’ s going to move on without legislators wherever possible .
“ When I can act on my own without Congress , I ’ m going to do so , ” Obama said during a speech at North Carolina State University to unveil a federally backed manufacturing program . “ And today I ’ m going to act . ”
Obama ’ s pronouncement of action came moments after he once again called on Congress to pass legislation , now stalled in the Senate and yet to receive a hearing in the House , to extend long-term unemployment benefits that expired Dec. 28 .
The president , as he has since returning from his Christmas vacation in Hawaii , couched the unemployment benefit extension as central to his economic message for the middle class .
“ In the short term , one thing Congress can do is listen to the majority of the American people and restore the unemployment insurance to people who need it , ” Obama said .
Obama noted that North Carolina has “ a higher than average unemployment rate ” — 7.4 percent , compared to 6.7 percent nationally — and said “ folks aren ’ t looking for a handout , they ’ re not looking for special treatment . ”
He added : “ People need support , a little help , so they can look after their families while they are looking for a new job , so Congress should do the right thing and extend the vital lifeline for millions of Americans . ”
Speaking jacketless , with his sleeves rolled up , Obama reiterated the White House message that 2014 will be a “ year of action . ”
Obama ’ s trip to Raleigh marked the second time in as many weeks the president has unveiled a program he proposed during last year ’ s State of the Union address .
Last week , Obama announced the first five of 20 planned Promise Zones that will receive federal tax incentives and grants as part of Obama ’ s anti-poverty efforts .
The manufacturing program , housed at North Carolina State , aims to design energy-efficient electronic devices to be used in motors and on power grids , the White House said . It will receive a five-year , $ 70 million grant from the Department of Energy , to be matched by local investors , universities and the state of North Carolina .
Obama ’ s manufacturing ambition includes a national network of 45 manufacturing institutes , though that would require congressional cooperation . Obama called for Congress to pass legislation , introduced last July , that would allow the Department of Commerce to build a network for manufacturing innovation .
“ I want to encourage them to continue to pass the bills that will create 45 of these manufacturing hubs , and , in the meantime , I ’ m moving forward with 15 of my own , ” Obama said .
Obama was to return to the White House on Wednesday afternoon to announce the nomination of Maria Maria Contreras-Sweet to lead the Small Business Administration and to meet with Senate Democrats at the White House .
Among the senators Obama was to see is Kay Hagan of North Carolina , an endangered Democrat facing reelection in November . She did not accompany the White House contingent on its trip to her home state .
“ Sen . Kay Hagan couldn ’ t be here , ” Obama told the crowd . “ But I wanted to thank her publicly for the great work she ’ s doing . ” | AHF6J7HRbIq7NXra | 0 | Economy And Jobs | 0.2 | Barack Obama | 0 | Economic Policy | 0 | null | null | null | null |
middle_east | Washington Examiner | https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/hundreds-killed-strike-gaza-hospital-israel-hamas | Israel war: Hundreds killed in Gaza hospital strike as both sides point fingers at one another | 2023-10-17 | Middle East, Israel Hamas Violence, Israel, Gaza, World | At least 500 people were killed in an airstrike that hit a hospital in Gaza, according to its health ministry, with Hamas quickly accusing Israel of carrying out the strike, while Israel’s military pointed the finger at Palestinian Islamic Jihad.The attack on Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City will “forever remain a stain on the conscience of humanity that has been witnessing the horrors committed against the Palestinian people without taking action to stop it,” the Palestinian Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement. “Every rule of international law is being shredded as thousands are mercilessly massacred and millions of people are being stripped of their humanity, subjected to wanton killing, starvation and forced transfer, with no end in sight as Israeli occupying forces … continue to pound the Gaza Strip, with thousands of missiles and bombs targeting civilian areas by air, land and sea and threats to commit mass murders.”BIDEN SHIFTS FOCUS AWAY FROM DOMESTIC AFFAIRS AS ISRAEL WAR INTENSIFIES“From the analysis of the operational systems of the IDF, an enemy rocket barrage was carried out towards Israel, which passed in the vicinity of the hospital, when it was hit,” said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, spokesman for the Israeli Defense Forces. “According to intelligence information, from several sources we have, the [Palestinian Islamic Jihad] organization is responsible for the failed shooting that hit the hospital.”President Joe Biden said on X, the platform previously known as Twitter, that he was “outraged and deeply saddened” by the strike, and he acknowledged that he “directed my national security team to continue gathering information about what exactly happened.”Despite Israel’s strong pushback, and identifying PIJ as the culprit, Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN), both members of the progressive “Squad,” were quick to accuse Israel of war crimes, blame President Joe Biden, and call for a ceasefire.Tlaib, who is of Palestinian heritage and has a Palestinian flag flying outside her office, wrote on social media, “Israel just bombed the Baptist Hospital killing 500 Palestinians (doctors, children, patients) just like that. this is what happens when you refuse to facilitate a ceasefire & help de-escalate. @POTUS Your war and destruction only approach has opened my eyes and many Palestinian Americans and Muslims Americans like me. We will remember where you stood.”Israel just bombed the Baptist Hospital killing 500 Palestinians (doctors, children, patients) just like that. @POTUS this is what happens when you refuse to facilitate a ceasefire & help de-escalate. Your war and destruction only approach has opened my eyes and many… https://t.co/mZYoifT7bj — Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) October 17, 2023On the same platform, Omar described the bombing of a hospital as the “gravest of war crimes.”Bombing a hospital is among the gravest of war crimes. The IDF reportedly blowing up one of the few places the injured and wounded can seek medical treatment and shelter during a war is horrific.@POTUS needs to push for an immediate ceasefire to end this slaughter. https://t.co/dPJ48dyDe8 — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) October 17, 2023Neither Democrat retracted the statements despite contradictory reports about who was behind the strike.The Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which operates in Gaza and reportedly participated in the terrorist attack in Israel on Saturday, Oct. 7, is a “wholly-owned subsidiary of Tehran,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace senior fellow Aaron David Miller, a former State Department historian who has coordinated previous rounds of Arab-Israeli negotiations, said in a discussion of the terrorist attacks last week.Israel has launched thousands of airstrikes into Gaza in the 10 days since the unprecedented terrorist attacks on Oct. 7 that resulted in the deaths of 1,400 people. Top Israeli leaders have warned they intend to eradicate Hamas, the primary terrorist organization within Gaza, while at least 3,000 people have been killed in Gaza in the Israeli strikes, many of whom were innocent civilians. Israel ordered 1.1 million Gaza civilians in the northern part of the enclave to travel south ahead of the offensive, while there are reports of Hamas preventing people from going south and Israeli strikes causing deaths and injuries among those evacuating.Bodies of Palestinians killed by an Israeli airstrike that hit the Ahli Arab hospital are seen gathered at the front yard of the al-Shifa hospital, in Gaza City, central Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Abed Khaled) Abed Khaled/APHamas, which was the primary perpetrator of the deadliest terrorist attacks in Israel’s history, hides among civilian populations, making Israel’s attempts to stop it much harder. Hamas also hides its military equipment in highly populated civilian areas for the same reason.It’s unclear whether Hamas was using this hospital for any nefarious purposes.“We certainly expect Israel, as with any ally or partner, to uphold the law of war,” Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said on Tuesday. “It should be very clear that Hamas is the one putting Palestinians or those in Gaza at a great risk. I mean, they are putting their command and control units inside hospitals inside areas where there are innocent civilians. So the fact that they’ve set up command centers at these hospitals just shows the brutality that they’re willing to engage on — that they’re willing to use civilians as a way to mask their operations but also to see them as casualties.”Singh could not provide any details about the specific strike but was referring to prior Hamas behavior.CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINERThe strike on the hospital elicited immediate reactions, condemnations, and protests. President Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority, reportedly canceled his planned meeting with President Joe Biden, who will be in Israel and Jordan on Wednesday for a last-minute trip to the Middle East.There were also protests that broke out outside the Israeli Embassy in Amman, Jordan. | 6b65e9ee97ba4a18 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
impeachment | Newsmax - Opinion | https://www.newsmax.com/andrewnapolitano/crimes-misdemeanors-constitution/2020/01/23/id/950971/ | What Does It Take to Remove a President? | 2020-01-23 | Donald Trump, US Senate, Articles Of Impeachment, US Congress, Impeachment, Politics | I do n't blame President Donald Trump for his angst and bitterness over his impeachment by the U.S. House of Representatives . In his mind , he has done `` nothing wrong '' and not acted outside the constitutional powers vested in him , and so his impeachment should not have come to pass . He believes that the president can legally extract personal concessions from the recipients of foreign aid , and he also believes that he can legally order his subordinates to ignore congressional subpoenas .
Hence , his public denunciations of his Senate trial as a charade , a joke and a hoax . His trial is not a charade or a joke or a hoax .
It is deadly serious business based on well-established constitutional norms .
The House of Representatives — in proceedings in which the president chose not to participate — impeached Trump for abuse of power and contempt of Congress .
The abuse consists of his efforts to extract a personal political `` favor '' from the president of Ukraine as a precondition to the delivery of $ 391 million in military aid .
The favor he wanted was an announcement of a Ukrainian investigation of former Vice President Joseph R. Biden and his son Hunter .
The Government Accountability Office ( GAO ) — a nonpartisan entity in the federal government that monitors how the feds spend tax revenue — has concluded that Trump 's request for a favor was a violation of law because only Congress can impose conditions on government expenditures . So , when the president did that , he usurped Congress ' role and acted unlawfully .
But , did he act criminally ; and is it constitutionally necessary for the House to have pointed to a specific federal crime committed by the president in order to impeach him and trigger a Senate trial ?
The Constitution prescribes the bases for impeachment as treason , bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors . However , this use of the word `` crimes '' does not refer to violations of federal criminal statutes . It refers to behavior that is so destructive of the constitutional order that it is the moral equivalent of statutory crimes .
For example , as others have suggested , if the president moved to Russia and ran the executive branch from there , or if he announced that Roman Catholics were unfit for office , he would not have committed any crimes .
Yet , surely , these acts would be impeachable because , when done by the president , they are the moral equivalent of crimes and are so far removed from constitutional norms as to be impeachable .
In Trump 's case , though the House chose delicately not to accuse the president of specific crimes , there is enough evidence here to do so . Federal election laws proscribe as criminal the mere solicitation of help for a political campaign from a foreign national or government . There is no dispute that Trump did this .
In fact , the case for this is stronger now than it was when the House impeached him last year . Since then , more evidence , which Trump tried to suppress , has come to light .
That evidence consists of administration officials ' emails that were obtained by the media pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act ( FOIA ) . Those emails demonstrate conclusively that Trump ordered a halt on the release of the $ 391 million within minutes of his favor request , and the aid sat undistributed until congressional pressure became too much for Trump to bear .
This implicates two other crimes . One is bribery — the refusal to perform a government obligation until a thing of value is delivered , whether the thing of value — here , the announcement of a Ukrainian investigation of the Bidens — arrives or not . The other is contempt of Congress .
If the request for the announcement of an investigation of the Bidens manifested `` nothing wrong '' as Trump has claimed , why did he whisper it in secret , rather than order it of the Department of Justice ?
When the House Select Committee on Intelligence sought the emails unearthed by the press and then sought testimony from their authors , Trump thumbed his nose at the House . Instead of complying with House subpoenas or challenging them in court , Trump 's folks threw them in a drawer .
Earlier this week , his lawyers argued that those actions were lawful and that they imposed a burden on the House to seek the aid of the courts in enforcing House subpoenas .
Such an argument puts the cart before the horse . Under the Constitution , the House has `` the sole power of impeachment . '' The House does not need the approval of the judiciary to obtain evidence of impeachable offenses from executive branch officials .
We know that obstruction of Congress is a crime . Just ask former New York Yankees pitching great Roger Clemens , who was tried for it and acquitted . We also know that obstruction of Congress — by ordering subordinates not to comply with House impeachment subpoenas — is an impeachable offense .
We know that because the House Judiciary Committee voted to charge President Richard Nixon with obstruction of Congress when he refused to comply with subpoenas . And the full House voted for an article of impeachment against President Bill Clinton when he refused to surrender subpoenaed evidence .
Where does all this leave us at the outset of Trump 's Senate trial ?
It leaves us with valid , lawful , constitutional arguments for Trump 's impeachment that he ought to take seriously . That is , unless he knows he will be acquitted because Republican senators have told him so .
Whoever may have whispered that into his ear is unworthy of sitting as a juror and has violated the oath of `` impartial justice '' and fidelity to the Constitution and the law .
A demonstration of presidential commission of high crimes and misdemeanors , of which in Trump 's case the evidence is ample and uncontradicted .
Judge Andrew P. Napolitano was the youngest life-tenured Superior Court judge in the history of New Jersey . He is Fox News ’ senior judicial analyst . Napolitano has been published in The New York Times , The Wall Street Journal , and numerous other publications . He is the author of the best-seller , `` Lies the Government Told You : Myth , Power , and Deception in American History . '' For more of Judge Napolitano 's reports , Go Here Now . | ac2a3165079bee56 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
elections | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/08/politics/election-day-2016-highlights/index.html | The ultimate triumph: President Trump | 2016-11-08 | Donald Trump, Presidential Elections, Elections | Washington ( CNN ) Donald Trump will become the 45th president of the United States , CNN projects , a historic victory for outsiders that represents a stunning repudiation of Washington 's political establishment .
The billionaire real estate magnate and former reality star needed an almost perfect run through the swing states -- and he got it , winning Ohio , North Carolina and Florida .
The Republican swept to victory over Hillary Clinton in the ultimate triumph for a campaign that repeatedly shattered the conventions of politics to pull off a remarkable upset . Clinton conceded to Trump in the early hours of Wednesday morning .
Speaking at a victory party in New York , Trump was gracious toward Clinton and called for unity .
`` We owe ( Clinton ) a very major debt of gratitude to her for her service to our country , '' Trump said . `` I say it is time for us to come together as one united people . ''
He added : `` I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans . ''
Trump won with 289 electoral votes compared to 218 for Clinton , according to CNN projections .
Trump 's supporters embraced his plainspoken style , assault on political correctness and vow to crush what he portrayed in the final days of his campaign as a corrupt , globalized elite -- epitomized by the Clintons -- that he claimed conspired to keep hard-working Americans down .
His winning coalition of largely white , working-class voters suggests a populace desperate for change and disillusioned with an entire generation of political leaders and the economic and political system itself .
Now , Trump faces the task of uniting a nation traumatized by the ugliest campaign in modern history and ripped apart by political divides exacerbated by his own explosive rhetoric -- often along the most tender national fault lines such as race and gender .
Trump will be the first president to enter the White House with no political , diplomatic or military executive experience . His victory will send shockwaves around the world , given his sparse foreign policy knowledge , haziness over nuclear doctrine , vow to curtail Muslim immigration and disdain for US alliances that have been the bedrock of the post-World War II foreign policy .
His promises to renegotiate or dump trade deals such as NAFTA and to brand China a currency manipulator risk triggering immediate economic shocks around the globe .
Trump , 70 , will be the oldest president ever sworn in for a first term and will take the helm of a nation left deeply divided by his scorched-earth campaign . His victory was built on fierce anger at the Washington establishment and political elites among his grass-roots voters , many of whom feel they are the victims of a globalized economy that has resulted in the loss of millions of jobs .
His victory ends Clinton 's crusade to become the first woman to ever rise to the nation 's highest office . It 's a humiliating chapter in the long political career of Clinton and her husband , former President Bill Clinton .
Trump 's win also deals a painful rebuke to President Barack Obama , whom he pursued for years with his birtherism campaign built on the false premise that Obama was born outside the United States . Now Trump will have the power to eviscerate Obama 's political legacy -- including the Affordable Care Act , the latter 's proudest domestic achievement .
But there are deeper , more fundamental questions about Trump 's presidency that will be key to his capacity to unify a deeply divided country and appeal to Americans who will feel outraged and disgusted by his victory .
Trump 's campaign was built on rage , falsehoods and singling out culprits for the ills of modern America , including undocumented migrants , foreign nations such as China and Muslim immigrants .
He mocked a disabled New York Times reporter , vowed to use the power of the presidency to put Clinton in jail and pledged to sue women who accused him of sexual assault .
Trump has promised to build a wall on the southern border and make Mexico pay for it , and to deport undocumented migrants . He has vowed to reintroduce interrogation methods for terror suspects that are more extreme than waterboarding .
So the demeanor that Trump will adopt as president and the manner in which he will behave will be closely watched -- not just in the United States , but among nervous leaders abroad .
One of the many uncertainties about Trump 's coming presidency is how his White House will interact with Republicans in Congress — and whether he and GOP leaders will heal their rift from the campaign .
Republicans repelled a Democratic bid to recapture the Senate , giving the GOP control over Capitol Hill and the White House .
That means it would fall to the GOP either to rubber stamp policies likely to mark a break from conservative orthodoxy or to provide a check on the power of Trump , who has shown every sign he will use executive power aggressively .
House Speaker Paul Ryan will face intense pressure from pro-Trump members of his own coalition to cooperate with the new president .
Senate Republicans , meanwhile , are likely to hold Trump 's feet to the fire to ensure he lives up to his promise to appoint justices who could ensure a generational conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court .
Clinton apparently failed to reassemble the diverse coalition that helped Obama win the presidency in 2008 and 2012 .
The events of Clinton 's terrible final week on the campaign -- the revival of her email controversy by FBI Chief James Comey and a damaging drip , drip , drip of revelations by WikiLeaks which her campaign says was orchestrated by Russian intelligence -- could have helped consign her to defeat .
There also is the question of Trump 's temperament . Clinton repeatedly warned that he was unfit to control the nuclear codes because he could be baited with a tweet .
Obama passionately denounced Trump as intellectually and temperamentally unfit to succeed him in the Oval Office .
But now , he will be forced to greet his successor on the morning of Inauguration Day in January , and look on while he is sworn in as the 45th president of the United States . | 9c146d6d7b30ff38 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
race_and_racism | Salon | http://www.salon.com/2015/04/29/black_americas_baltimore_schism_why_the_freddie_gray_tragedy_demands_serious_soul_searching/ | Black America's Baltimore schism: Why the Freddie Gray tragedy demands serious soul-searching | 2015-04-29 | race_and_racism | Baltimore has erupted . Its citizens have taken to the streets to rebel against an undue and all-too-common show of excessive force against citizens by the police . Most recently , the Baltimore Police applied such force when arresting 25-year-old Freddie Gray that they severed his spinal cord . Arrested apparently for making eye contact with the police -- essentially for daring to look while Black -- Gray was denied medical care . He ended up in a coma and died seven days after being arrested .
On Monday , despite calls for a peaceful day out of respect for Freddie ’ s burial , protesters took to the streets , smashing stores , burning buildings , and taking property from a mall , a CVS , and a check casher . These acts of justifiable rage and rebellion whipped the media and government officials into a frenzy , calling for the “ thugs ” and “ criminals ” of Baltimore to be arrested and locked up . A procession of respectable-sounding Black folks got on television , the Rev . Jamal Harrison Bryant the most visible among them , calling for peace and an end to the violence .
I watched on the news as people smashed the windows of the check casher . And I couldn ’ t muster even the faintest anger or outrage toward them . The presence of these check-cashing businesses is one of the key physical features of Black and poor neighborhoods that you rarely see in affluent neighborhoods -- places where poor people , in the absence of bank accounts , are forced to pay exorbitant fees just to access the money they have fairly earned . These kinds of businesses prey on our most vulnerable citizens , and do so under the guise of offering a needed service . That the residents chose that business to smash suggests that at least some of them recognize the ways in which such companies extract the meager resources of local residents . Others may simply have thought there was money on the premises .
But the idea that all citizens who rebel against an unjust system must have righteous intentions in order for their actions to be worthy of respect is simply ludicrous . The oppressed are not a monolith . They don ’ t move or think with one mind . They don ’ t all react to injustice in the same way . Nor should they .
The right of the people to revolt in response to unjust conditions is a founding principle of this Republic . But another founding principle of this republic is that Black people are not fully human . Therefore they are not legitimately `` the people , '' not a part of the `` demos '' in democracy . Thus revolution and rebellion remain the province and property of America 's white citizens . All other comers are illegitimate .
The Baltimore rebellion arises at a singular moment in history , as three Black women have been tasked with restoring law and order : The first is Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake , who gave a statement on Monday condemning the “ thugs ” doing violence in the city . The second is Gen. Linda Singh , an officer with the Maryland National Guard , who appeared in military fatigues , in a show of state force and authority . And finally , there is Attorney General Loretta Lynch , who was being sworn in at the exact same moment that the protests erupted in Baltimore .
What does it mean that three Black women have an unprecedented amount of municipal , national and military power to put down a rebellion ? I must admit I am conflicted . When you grow up as a Black girl overachiever in this country , you are taught that the levels of power and prestige that these three women have are the very kinds of power and access that our ancestors fought and died for us to even have the possibility of experiencing . Simply on the basis of Black exceptionalism , I am supposed to be magnificently proud of these three women – of the kind of possibility they represent .
Not one of these women stands in the place of power she stands in without having battled for it : Take , for example , the GOP ’ s now-legendary obstruction of Lynch ’ s nomination . In a similar vein , climbing through the military ranks and landing a position of substantial authority , as Singh has done , is notoriously difficult for any woman . Just look to the sexist comments Rawlings-Blake has faced on social media in recent days for a sign of what a woman in authority faces on a regular basis .
But our ancestors did not fight for us to get access to these spaces just so that we could act like white supremacists in Blackface . They wanted us there so we could do the work of justice . So while my Black feminist , Black woman , Black girl overachiever self wants to stand and champion these women and their presences as a triumph of American democracy , I can not .
Their presence proves that American empire , in its most democratic iteration , is no respecter of persons . Any person willing to do the state ’ s bidding can have a role to play . Lynch ’ s first statement as attorney general begins : “ I condemn the senseless acts of violence by some individuals in Baltimore that have resulted in harm to law enforcement officers , destruction of property and a shattering of the peace in the city of Baltimore . ”
I recognize that this is the kind of thing those appointed to enforce law and order must say . But it is rooted in a fundamental kind of dishonesty . For respectable citizens , a shattering of the peace sounds like broken windows and burning businesses . But I would submit that the shattering of the peace for Baltimore ’ s poor and disenfranchised residents sounds much quieter -- it sounds like the snapping of Freddie Gray ’ s neck , and the crushing of his voice box so no one could hear his screams , in the back of a van driven by those sworn to protect him .
To narrate the story in any other way is to propagate a pathological level of deception about who the real criminals and the real victims are . To continue to condemn as senseless acts of violence things that actually make perfect damn sense is only to further this pathology . If the police are the criminals then what sense does it make to tell ordinary citizens to sit at home , quietly observing law-and-order ? What sense does it make to ask those citizens to keep faith with a system that would sooner snap their necks for committing virtually no crime rather than give them due process ? And for an attorney general who has watched lawmakers skirt right up to the edge of the law in order to prevent her from obtaining her position , what sense does it make to be a law-enforcement sympathizer ?
For any person who has ever been angry enough to throw a glass against a wall , or destroy one ’ s personal property out of sheer frustration and injustice , the anger of citizens who are daily subjected to indignities , violations of personal space , and limited opportunity makes perfect sense .
Baltimore is a city with a Black mayor and a large Black middle class . These folks have worked hard and been rewarded well by the system . In this moment , class schisms among Black people become apparent , as respectable middle-class Black citizens plead for an end to violence , and hope against hope that they won ’ t be mistaken for their lower-class brethren . Baltimore teaches us that Black bodies can propagate anti-black state violence .
It ’ s the very kind of internecine struggle that won ’ t help any of us get free . I am a middle-class Black person , but I have seen cops harass my family members . I have seen predatory lending practices devastate those I love . I see multigenerational poverty nipping at the heels of relatives who have not been as fortunate on the path as me . And I am angry about it . Believing in the myth of my own exceptionalism helped me to make a way out of a working-class existence . But it didn ’ t help anybody else . Because exceptionalism by its very nature is not meant to have mass impact .
As we watch Baltimore burn , Black folks will have to do some serious soul-searching about where our solidarities will lie . Are they going to lie in our allegiance to our comfortable middle-class existences and deep desires for success in a fundamentally effed-up system , or are they going to reside with those still struggling to make it ?
If we are going to push America to stop sanctioning the killings of our people , then we will have to decide to throw our lot in with the people , to recognize that no matter how fancy we look on the outside , in the right circumstance , all of us are just one police encounter away from the grave .
Freddie Gray ’ s death , though tragic , is instructive . If you want to kill a thing , snap its neck . It might take us a while to snap the back of white supremacy , but it is past time for us to handcuff it , put it in a van without a seatbelt and take it for a “ rough ride. ” When we all emerge , hopefully , at the very least , white supremacy will be on life support . | s3yb3YXgiHznfbSw | 0 | Race And Racism | -0.9 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
world | Associated Press | https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-zelenskyy-ap-top-news-europe-istanbul-4625afe04bd10a05c14914bb9f4ef0b0 | Russia says it will scale back near Kyiv as talks progress | 2022-03-29 | World, Ukraine War, Ukraine, Russia, Peace Talks | KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia announced Tuesday it will significantly scale back military operations near Ukraine’s capital and a northern city, as the outlines of a possible deal to end the grinding war came into view at the latest round of talks.Ukraine’s delegation at the conference, held in Istanbul, laid out a framework under which the country would declare itself neutral and its security would be guaranteed by an array of other nations.Moscow’s public reaction was positive, and the negotiations are expected to resume Wednesday, five weeks into what has devolved into a bloody war of attrition, with thousands dead and almost 4 million Ukrainians fleeing the country.Amid the talks, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said Moscow has decided to “fundamentally ... cut back military activity in the direction of Kyiv and Chernihiv” to “increase mutual trust and create conditions for further negotiations.”He did not immediately spell out what that would mean in practical terms.The announcement was met with skepticism from the U.S. and others.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia cannot be trusted. Although the signals from the talks are “positive,” they ”can’t silence explosions of Russian shells,” he said in a video address.Zelenskyy said it was Ukrainian troops who forced Russia’s hand, adding that “we shouldn’t let down our guard” because the invading army still “has a great potential to continue attacks against our country.”Ukraine will continue negotiations, he said, but officials do not trust the word of the country that continues “fighting to destroy us.”While Moscow portrayed it as a goodwill gesture, its ground troops have become bogged down and taken heavy losses in their bid to seize Kyiv and other cities. Last week and again on Tuesday, the Kremlin seemed to lower its war aims, saying its “main goal” now is gaining control of the mostly Russian-speaking Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.U.S. President Joe Biden, asked whether the Russian announcement was a sign of progress in the talks or an attempt by Moscow to buy time to continue its assault, said: “We’ll see. I don’t read anything into it until I see what their actions are.”U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested Russian indications of a pullback could be an attempt by Moscow to “deceive people and deflect attention.”It wouldn’t be the first time. In the tense buildup to the invasion, the Russian military announced that some units were loading equipment onto rail cars and preparing to return to their home bases after completing exercises. At the time, Putin was signaling interest in diplomacy. But 10 days later, Russia launched its invasion.Western officials say Moscow is now reinforcing troops in the Donbas in a bid to encircle Ukraine’s forces. And Russia’s deadly siege in the south continues, with civilians trapped in the ruins of Mariupol and other bombarded cities. The latest satellite imagery from commercial provider Maxar Technologies showed hundreds of people waiting outside a grocery store amid reports of food and water shortages.“There is what Russia says and there is what Russia does, and we’re focused on the latter,” Blinken said in Morocco. “And what Russia is doing is the continued brutalization of Ukraine.”Even as negotiators gathered, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces blasted a gaping hole in a nine-story government administration building in a strike on the southern port city of Mykolaiv, killing at least 12 people, emergency authorities said. The search for more bodies in the rubble continued.“It’s terrible. They waited for people to go to work” before striking the building, said regional governor Vitaliy Kim. “I overslept. I’m lucky.”Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. has detected small numbers of Russian ground forces moving away from the Kyiv area, but it appeared to be a repositioning of forces, “not a real withdrawal.”He said it was too soon to say how extensive the Russian movements may be or where the troops will be repositioned.“It does not mean the threat to Kyiv is over,” Kirby said. “They can still inflict massive brutality on the country, including on Kyiv.” He said Russian airstrikes against Kyiv continued.Rob Lee, a military expert at the U.S.-based Foreign Policy Research Institute, tweeted of the Russian announcement: “This sounds like more of an acknowledgment of the situation around Kyiv where Russia’s advance has been stalled for weeks and Ukrainian forces have had recent successes. Russia doesn’t have the forces to encircle the city.”The meeting in Istanbul was the first time negotiators from Russia and Ukraine talked face-to-face in two weeks. Earlier talks were held in person in Belarus or by video.Among other things, the Kremlin has demanded all along that Ukraine drop any hope of joining NATO.Ukraine’s delegation offered a detailed framework for a peace deal under which a neutral Ukraine’s security would be guaranteed by a group of third countries, including the U.S., Britain, France, Turkey, China and Poland, in an arrangement similar to NATO’s “an attack on one is an attack on all” principle.Ukraine said it would also be willing to hold talks over a 15-year period on the future of the Crimean Peninsula, seized by Russia in 2014.Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation, said on Russian TV that the Ukrainian proposals are a “step to meet us halfway, a clearly positive fact.”He cautioned that the parties are still far from reaching an agreement, but said: “We know now how to move further toward compromise. We aren’t just marking time in talks.”In other developments:— In what appeared to be a coordinated action to tackle Russian espionage, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Ireland and North Macedonia expelled scores of Russian diplomats.— The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency arrived in Ukraine to try to ensure the safety of the country’s nuclear facilities. Russian forces have taken control of the decommissioned Chernobyl plant, site in 1986 of the world’s worst nuclear accident, and of the active Zaporizhzhia plant, where a building was damaged in fighting.— Russia has destroyed more than 60 religious buildings across the country in just over a month of war, with most of the damage concentrated near Kyiv and in the east, Ukraine’s military said.— In the room at the Istanbul talks was Roman Abramovich, a longtime Putin ally who has been sanctioned by Britain and the European Union. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Chelsea soccer team owner has been serving as an unofficial mediator approved by both countries. But the mystery surrounding his role has been deepened by news reports that he may have been poisoned during an earlier round of talks.Over the past several days, Ukrainian forces have mounted counterattacks and reclaimed ground on the outskirts of Kyiv and other areas.Ukrainian soldiers gathered in a trench for photos with Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, who said that Ukraine had retaken control of a vast majority of Irpin, a key suburb northwest of the capital that has seen heavy fighting.“We defend our motherland because we have very high morale,” said Syrskyi, the commander in charge of the defense of Kyiv. “And because we want to win.”Ukrainian forces also took back Trostyanets, south of Sumy in the northeast, after weeks of occupation that left a landscape of Russian bodies, burned and twisted tanks and charred buildings.Putin’s ground forces have been thwarted not just by stronger-than-expected Ukrainian resistance, but by what Western officials say are Russian tactical missteps, poor morale, shortages of food, fuel and cold weather gear, and other problems.Repeating what the military said last week, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday that “liberating Donbas” is now Moscow’s chief objective.While that presents a possible face-saving exit strategy for Putin, it has also raised Ukrainian fears the Kremlin aims to split the country and force it to surrender a swath of its territory.___Karmanau reported from Lviv, Ukraine. Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report.___Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine | e6dc63587781c230 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
white_house | Fox Online News | https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-coronavirus-guidelines-15-days-crisis-summer-recession | Trump releases guidelines to slow coronavirus spread in '15 days,' but warns crisis could stretch to summer | white_house | President Trump announced on Monday a set of guidelines that he said Americans should follow to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus -- despite admitting that the pandemic could stretch into July or August .
Speaking during a briefing of the coronavirus task force , Trump outlined a plan to slow the spread of COVID-19 in 15 days .
“ With several weeks of focused action , we can turn the corner and turn it quickly , ” Trump said . “ Our government is prepared to do whatever it takes . ”
CLICK FOR THE CORONAVIRUS GUIDELINES RELEASED BY THE WHITE HOUSE
At another point during the news conference , asked if the U.S. was headed into a recession , Trump replied : “ Well , it may be. ” But then , he said , “ We 're not thinking in terms of recession , we 're thinking in terms of the virus . ”
The guidelines advised that older people and those with underlying health conditions “ stay home and away from other people . ”
Officials recommended that large swaths of the population isolate themselves and everyone avoid social gatherings or groups of more than 10 people .
They also said Americans should work from home if possible ; avoid eating or drinking in bars and restaurants ; and “ avoid discretionary travel , shopping trips , and social visits . ”
When asked when the pandemic would subside , Trump said that “ if we do a really good job , ” the crisis could pass by July or August , a far less optimistic take than in his earlier predictions that it could be over within weeks .
“ We will rally together as one nation and we will defeat the virus , ” he added .
Trump 's comments came as Ohio 's governor announced his recommendation to delay the state 's primary election until June amid the outbreak . The president said that while the state 's whose presidential primary elections are being very careful , he thinks postponing elections are `` unnecessary . ''
`` Postponing is not a very good thing , '' he said . `` I think postponing is unnecessary . ”
The coronavirus pandemic has infected over 169,000 people and killed over 6,500 . The COVID-19 illness has caused mild or moderate symptoms for most patients , but severe symptoms have been more likely in the elderly or people with existing health problems . More than 77,000 people have recovered from it so far , mostly in China .
The U.S. surgeon general said Monday that the United States was about where Italy was two weeks ago in the coronavirus struggle , a sign that infections were expected to rise .
“ We are at a critical inflection point in this country , people , ” Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams told Fox News . “ When you look at the projections , there 's every chance that we could be Italy. ” Still , he said the U.S. had opportunities to mitigate the pandemic .
On Fox News , Adams claimed the U.S. had “ turned the tide ” on testing , a critical part of tracking and containing pandemics , but whether that was true remained to be seen .
The U.S. effort has been hobbled by a series of missteps , including flaws with the testing kits first distributed by the federal government and bureaucratic hurdles that held up testing by private laboratories . But , Trump , who has been sharply criticized for underplaying the severity of the crisis , stuck to his optimistic tone about the nation 's response .
“ Everybody is so well unified and working so hard , ” he tweeted . “ It is a beautiful thing to see . ” | IE86vowTCsACY90b | 2 | Disease | -0.8 | Coronavirus | -0.8 | Public Health | -0.5 | Donald Trump | 0.3 | White House | 0.3 | |
elections | Vox | http://www.vox.com/2016/4/22/11472026/2016-democratic-primary-party-unity | The 2016 Democratic primary has been unusually substantive and low-key | 2016-04-22 | elections | If you 're ever interested in what an ugly Democratic Party primary campaign looks like , I would suggest taking a look at this exchange between Bill Clinton and Jerry Brown in a 1992 debate . It starts with a softball lobbed at Brown about Clinton 's electability that Brown turns into a vicious attack based on a now-forgotten scandal involving conflicts of interest in Hillary Clinton 's legal work .
`` He is funneling money to his wife 's law firm , '' Brown says . `` It 's not only corruption , it 's an environmental disaster and it 's the kind of conflict of interest that is incompatible with the kind of public servant we expect for president of the United States . '' Brown goes on to say he would refuse to serve as Clinton 's vice president . ( This argument was somehow literally about chicken shit . )
Clinton 's response : `` I feel sorry for Jerry Brown . '' They go back and forth , with Clinton calling Brown dishonest and counterpunching with : `` Jerry comes here with his family money and his $ 1,500 suit and his lying attacks . ''
By some accounts , personal animosity between Brown ( who staged a political comeback and is now once again governor of California ) and Clinton have lingered for a quarter century . But , crucially , despite what was said at the time there was no problem unifying the party . Brown supported Clinton in November , Clinton easily carried California , and life went on .
This is crucial context to keep in mind while watching the Bernie versus Hillary campaign of 2016 , which currently has many Democrats who are n't closely aligned with either candidate paranoid that the arguments will leave the loser 's supporters embittered and unable to support the winner . The current race feels very vibrant right now to those who are emotionally and intellectually invested in the outcome , but by the standards of past campaigns , this Democratic primary season has been a remarkably bloodless affair with very little in the way of personal attacks or viciousness .
On the Democratic side , this has been a year of substantive fights about important policy issues with both candidates fundamentally approaching the answers from the left relative to the status quo . The differences between Clinton and Sanders are real and important , but they amount to an argument about whether to try to shift the country a little bit to the left or a lot to the left . Under the circumstances , it would be very odd for it to produce a lasting , unbridgeable divide if earlier elections have not .
Bernie Sanders started his 2016 campaign with a promise to run a positive , issue-oriented campaign . Like anyone else running for office , he has not entirely adhered to this . But he 's come pretty close . His campaign is mostly about his big ideas — bank breakups , single-payer health care , free college , giant tax hikes , banning fracking , etc . — and his main slam on Hillary Clinton is simply that she is n't as left-wing as he is .
This is pretty clearly true , and it 's generated a Democratic contest that is in some ways frustrating in its simplicity — Clinton and Sanders have been locking horns for months with nothing new to say .
It also feels unusually intense and vicious to many heavy consumers of internet news . Thanks to social media , lots of supporters of both candidates are now spending their free time acting as amateur advocates for their preferred campaign . This makes the race more intense and immediate than many past campaigns , and there has certainly been a lot of name-calling on Twitter .
But the actual campaign has been , by the standards of campaigns , remarkably issue-oriented and low-key compared to past races . A key flashpoint , for example , has been Clinton and Sanders wrangling over whether Sanders fully understands which sections of the Dodd-Frank Act authorize exactly which agency to break up banks under which circumstances .
The ideological gaps between Clinton and Barack Obama were considerably smaller in 2008 than the Clinton-Sanders divide this year . But rather than leading to a kinder primary , it led to a more vicious one .
Clinton aides floated pictures of Barack Obama dressed in traditional East African garb , fanned the flames of rumors around a mythical tape of Michelle Obama ranting against whitey , and ran a major campaign ad alleging that Obama could n't keep the country safe in the event of a crisis .
Obama ran an ad about how Clinton `` will say anything '' to get elected and `` change nothing '' if she wins .
His campaign 's oppo research team also shopped considerably tougher hits against the Clinton Foundation 's financial practices ( see this story I wrote in 2007 ) than anything Sanders has dished this cycle .
Clinton 's team bristles at the insinuations of corruption implicit in Sanders 's attacks on her paid speaking appearances with Goldman Sachs , but even this is kid gloves stuff in the scheme of things . Her buckraking career is actually much more extensive than two talks for one bank , but Sanders maintains a relatively narrow focus because he really is obsessed with the specific subject of major banks ' political influence , and the two candidates really do have a genuine disagreement .
In retrospect , the 2004 Democratic primary can look like a cakewalk . John Kerry finished in first place in Iowa , trailed by John Edwards .
The two frontrunners left corn country to conduct a quick , statesmanlike campaign that showed Edwards had strength in the white South but that white Southerners were simply far too small a share of Democratic voters for him to prevail anywhere . The campaign was so respectful that Edwards seemed like an obvious choice to serve as Kerry 's vice president from the beginning , and in many ways that seemed like the outcome Kerry was aiming for all along .
But the real story of the 2004 race came earlier , in the pre-Iowa phase dominated by the rise to prominence of Howard Dean .
Dean excoriated the Democratic Party 's leadership in harsh terms , and led to outright panic and the desperate bid to recruit Gen. Wesley Clark into the race to create a non-Dean anti-war candidate . Independent expenditure groups supporting Dick Gephardt ran ads using Osama bin Laden imagery against Dean and Gephardt accused Dean of being against Social Security and Medicare .
What ended up happening was that Gephardt essentially committed a murder-suicide attack on Dean . He scared voters about the insurgent 's electability but also rendered himself toxic , leading Iowans — and then Democrats more broadly — to embrace the above-the-fray Kerry .
The overall trend is that primary campaigns are becoming kinder , gentler , and less personal in nature .
That reflects a two-fold transformation of party politics in which the Democratic Party has become more ideologically homogenous while Democratic Party voters have become better-educated and more ideological . In the multi-candidate field of 2004 , voters ended up punishing candidates who dished out tough hits . In the two-person race of 2008 , both campaigns found themselves torn between wanting to slam their opponent and wanted to avoid backlash for doing so . By 2016 , you have Sanders and especially Clinton treating the other candidate with kid gloves . Both campaigns know that despite the vicious Twitter wars , there 's no ideological chasm between Clinton supporters and Sanders supporters and everyone prefers a respectful campaign .
This all means that far from having an unusually difficult time unifying the party , once the campaign is over Clinton should have an unusually easy time .
Sanders 's run against her has been overwhelmingly focused on the issues . And whatever you think of Clinton 's stances on taxes , Wall Street regulation , subsidizing college tuition , or expanding public sector health programs , there 's absolutely no doubt that she and Sanders are pulling in the same direction while all Republicans are pulling the other way . There 's no chicken-related corruption charges or allegations of secret adherence to Islam that transcend or disrupt the basic left-right partisan framework — just a simple , sincerely felt disagreement about how expansive an agenda it makes sense to run on . | ayNQc7fXMsIOcve8 | 0 | Presidential Elections | -0.4 | Democratic Party | -0.1 | Hillary Clinton | 0.1 | Bernie Sanders | 0 | Elections | 0 |
campaign_rhetoric | ABC News | https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/bloomberg-rolls-plan-make-puerto-rico-51st-state/story?id=68581644 | Bloomberg rolls out plan to make Puerto Rico the 51st state | 2020-01-28 | Michael Bloomberg, Puerto Rico, Elections, Election 2020, Presidential Elections, Campaign Rhetoric | Bloomberg rolls out plan to make Puerto Rico the 51st state He released his plan in an op-ed on Monday .
Breaking with many of his fellow 2020 contenders , former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is announcing his support for Puerto Rico becoming the nation 's 51st state .
It 's in keeping with the strategy he 's employed thus far in his late bid : targeting delegate-rich states and territories and skipping the first four early states altogether . Puerto Rico has 51 pledged Democratic delegates .
He announced his stance in an Orlando Sentinel op-ed on Monday , alongside his plan for Puerto Rico 's economic development .
“ For decades , Puerto Ricans and their interests have been ignored by Washington , '' Bloomberg wrote . `` And there ’ s a simple reason why : They don ’ t have a vote in Congress . And so politicians don ’ t have to care how they feel ... There ’ s a clear solution to this challenge that a majority of Puerto Ricans support . Most presidential candidates for president have been too afraid to back it . Not me . I ’ ll state it clearly : I support statehood for Puerto Rico . And as president , I will work to pass a bill making it a reality , subject to approval by the people of Puerto Rico – who will make the ultimate decision . ”
Democratic presidential candidate former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg greets supporters during a campaign event , Jan. 27 , 2020 , in Burlington , Vt. Mary Altaffer/AP
Bloomberg 's 2020 competitors Andrew Yang and former Rep. John Delaney of Maryland have also clearly articulated their support of Puerto Rico being granted statehood . Others , like Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders , have said that the island should be able to decide through a vote .
Warren visited the island almost exactly a year ago , following her exploratory committee 's launch . She also put out a plan in May on debt relief for the island .
Sanders ' campaign co-chair is also notably Carmen Yulín Cruz , the mayor of San Juan . Biden 's position remains unclear .
`` It ’ s a strong , ambitious and achievable plan — and I believe Puerto Rico ’ s future should be an important part of the presidential debate , '' Bloomberg wrote . `` But my fellow presidential candidates , who have been campaigning for a year , haven ’ t invested any substantial time or resources there , even though Puerto Rico will award more delegates in the Democratic primary than either Iowa or New Hampshire . ''
Sanders and Warren worked on recovery legislation together in 2017 , which was backed by Mayor Cruz .
This plan from Bloomberg also comes on the heels of his visit to Florida - where Rep. Stephanie Murphy , who represents a district with a large Puerto Rican population . has also already introduced statehood legislation in the House . Murphy endorsed Bloomberg earlier this month .
With a couple of his rivals already with ties to the island , Bloomberg now proposes further measures .
`` The time has come to sew Puerto Rico ’ s star into our national flag , '' Bloomberg writes . `` As president , when voters there are ready to begin the stitching , I ’ ll bring Congress and the whole country together to get it done . ''
Along with his essay , Bloomberg 's campaign released a plan aimed at the economic boons statehood would offer to Puerto Rico : Medicaid , earned income tax credits and child tax credits .
It would emphasize clean energy initiatives as well , rebuilding infrastructure and helping transition Puerto Rico to a more reliable , decentralized system .
Notably , he also calls for faster transfers of rebuilding and administering disaster response funding -- as Puerto Rico still struggles to deal with not just hurricane devastation -- but a recent string of earthquake aftershocks which have rocked the island .
Bloomberg also said in mid-January that he 'd like to make D.C a state , saying he would work with Congress to make that happen .
`` The time has come for D.C. to become a state – with full voting rights , '' Bloomberg said . `` And as president , I ’ ll work with Congress to make it happen . '' | 79c066314f279f0c | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
polarization | Center - Major Media Sources | http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/study-deregulation-of-tv-news-to-blame-for-political-polarization-092515.html | Study: Deregulation of TV news to blame for political polarization | null | polarization | The last business day of July saw the number of job openings at a series high of 5.8 million , according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( BLS ) .
At the same time , the number of hires and separations edged down to 5.0 million and 4.7 million , respectively . Within separations , the quits rate was 1.9 % for a fourth straight month and the layoffs and discharges rate declined to 1.1 % .
Job openings increased to a new series high of 5.8 million in July , eclipsing the previous high of 5.4 million in May . The series began in December 2000 .
The job openings rate for July rose to 3.9 % after measuring 3.6 % in the prior 3 months . The number of job openings rose in July for total private and was little changed for government . Several industries experienced a rise in openings in July including professional and business services ( +122,000 ) , accommodation and food services ( +82,000 ) , retail trade ( +77,000 ) , and nondurable goods manufacturing ( +27,000 ) .
In the regions , the number of openings rose in the Northeast ( +154,000 ) and South ( +141,000 ) .
The number of job openings ( not seasonally adjusted ) increased over the 12 months ending in July for total nonfarm and total private .
The number of job openings for government was little changed .
Job openings rose over the year for many industries with the largest increases occurring in professional and business services ( +452,000 ) , health care and social assistance ( +174,000 ) , accommodation and food services ( +141,000 ) , and retail trade ( +136,000 ) .
Job openings decreased over the year in mining and logging ( -8,000 ) . The number of job openings increased over the year in all four regions .
The number of hires edged down to 5.0 million in July from 5.2 million in June . The hires rate was 3.5 % . The number of hires edged down for total private and was little changed for government in July . There was little change in the number of hires in all industries and regions over the month .
Over the 12 months ending in July , the number of hires ( not seasonally adjusted ) was little changed for total nonfarm and total private , and rose for government . At the industry level , hires increased in accommodation and food services ( +113,000 ) and in federal government ( +13,000 ) , but fell in construction ( -109,000 ) and in arts , entertainment , and recreation ( -37,000 ) . The number of hires was little changed in in all four regions .
Total separations includes quits , layoffs and discharges , and other separations . Total separations is referred to as turnover .
Quits are generally voluntary separations initiated by the employee . Therefore , the quits rate can serve as a measure of workers ’ willingness or ability to leave jobs . Layoffs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the employer . Other separations includes separations due to retirement , death , and disability , as well as transfers to other locations of the same firm .
There were 4.7 million total separations in July , versus 4.9 million in June . The separations rate was 3.3 % . The number of total separations edged down for total private and was little changed for government . Total separations decreased in July in arts , entertainment , and recreation ( -38,000 ) and in the West region ( -184,000 ) , but was little changed in the other industries and regions over the month .
There were 2.7 million quits in July , little changed from June . Although the number of quits has been increasing overall since the end of the recession , the number has held between 2.7 million and 2.8 million for the past 11 months . The quits rate was 1.9 % in July for the fourth month in a row . The number of quits was little changed for total private and unchanged for government over the month . Quits fell in professional and business services ( -57,000 ) and in the West region ( -107,000 ) , and was little changed in the other industries and regions in July .
The number of quits ( not seasonally adjusted ) increased over the 12 months ending in July for total nonfarm , total private , and government . Over the year , quits increased in accommodation and food services ( +101,000 ) , state and local government ( +27,000 ) , and educational services ( +23,000 ) . Quits decreased over the year in finance and insurance ( -25,000 ) and in nondurable goods manufacturing
( -18,000 ) . In the regions , quits increased in the South ( +168,000 ) and Northeast ( +67,000 ) , but fell in the West ( -85,000 ) .
There were 1.6 million layoffs and discharges in July , edging down from June . The layoffs and discharges rate fell to 1.1 % . The number of layoffs and discharges edged down over the month for total private and was little changed for government . The number was little changed in all four regions .
Seasonally adjusted estimates of layoffs and discharges are not available for individual industries . The number of layoffs and discharges ( not seasonally adjusted ) edged down over the 12 months ending in July for total nonfarm and total private , and was little changed for government . The number of layoffs and discharges rose over the year in mining and logging ( +8,000 ) and in federal government ( +5,000 ) , but fell in construction ( -90,000 ) and educational services ( -23,000 ) . The number of layoffs and discharges fell over the year in the Northeast region ( -138,000 ) and was little changed in the other regions .
In July , there were 413,000 other separations for total nonfarm , up slightly from June . Over the month , the number of other separations was little changed for total private at 341,000 and increased for government to 72,000 . Seasonally adjusted estimates of other separations are not available for individual industries or regions .
Over the 12 months ending in July , the number of other separations ( not seasonally adjusted ) increased for total nonfarm ( +64,000 ) and for government ( +12,000 ) , and edged up for total private ( +52,000 ) .
Other separations increased over the year in several industries , with the largest changes occurring in
construction ( +17,000 ) , health care and social assistance ( +16,000 ) , and accommodation and food services ( +15,000 ) .
Other separations decreased over the year in nondurable goods manufacturing ( -10,000 ) . In the regions , other separations increased in the Midwest ( +33,000 ) and was little changed in the other regions . | 9a87300a7d34799d | 1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
immigration | New York Post | https://nypost.com/2018/08/20/trump-implores-state-local-officials-to-publicly-praise-ice/ | Trump implores state, local officials to publicly praise ICE | 2018-08-20 | immigration | WASHINGTON — President Trump has asked state and local officials to publicly praise Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers , calling efforts to abolish the agency “ dangerous . ”
In a letter issued Monday , Trump asked public officials to applaud the “ sacrifice ” of ICE officers as well as Customs and Border Protection agents .
“ Through letters , public statements , op-eds , resolutions , and events , we can give our voice to our Nation ’ s longstanding tradition of honoring the public servants who protect our communities and our way of life , ” Trump wrote .
He said he wrote the letter because ICE has become a political punching bag , with a number of likely Democratic 2020 hopefuls — including Sens . Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . ) and Kirsten Gillibrand ( D-N.Y. ) — urging that the agency be abolished .
“ Tragically , the brave men and women of ICE have recently been subjected to a nationwide campaign of smears , insults , and attacks by politicians shamelessly catering to the extreme elements of our society that desire lawlessness and anarchy , ” Trump said in the letter .
“ These horrendous assaults are no-doubt spurred on by the dangerous ‘ Abolish ICE ’ movement – a movement to abolish our borders entirely , ” the president said .
Trump referenced protests against ICE in Portland , Oregon — in which the protesters had the backing of the city ’ s mayor — and in Louisville , Kentucky .
“ Yet , while anarchist protesters hurl vicious insults at ICE officers in Portland and other disturbing episodes nationwide , those same ICE officers continue to dutifully remove some of the most dangerous and violent individuals from the communities they protect – putting their lives on the line in the process , ” Trump said .
The president said that in fiscal year 2017 , ICE arrested more than 125,000 “ aliens ” with criminal records . He also pointed out how immigration enforcement plays a part in keeping the US safe post-9/11 .
“ We also must not forget the important role that ICE and CBP play in preventing terrorism , ” the president said . “ The attacks were carried out by foreign nationals who exploited our lax immigration laws and defrauded our immigration system in order to murder nearly 3,000 innocent people . ”
Trump was hosting an event later in the day , a “ Salute to the Heroes of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection , ” at the White House .
He ’ s invited ICE officers , CBP agents and politicians , including Arizona Gov . Doug Ducey , Sen. David Perdue ( R-Ga. ) and Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall , to take part . | xC7T4LFcUhjfvvtd | 2 | Immigration | -0.6 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
immigration | CNN (Web News) | https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/22/us/trump-administration-seizing-border-wall-land/index.html | The Trump administration is dialing up efforts to 'build that wall,' records show | 2019-11-22 | Immigration, Border Wall, Donald Trump | ( CNN ) Three years after chants of `` build that wall '' became a rallying cry for the candidacy of Donald Trump , his administration is engaged in an increasingly aggressive land grab along the Southwest border to make a new wall a reality , a CNN review of federal court filings shows .
Through November 15 , the Trump administration had filed 29 eminent domain suits tied to border-wall construction this year , up from 11 each of the past two years , according to federal court records . All but four of this year 's suits were filed in Texas . Eminent domain is the right of a government to seize private land for public use , while providing compensation .
Last month , in the Rio Grande Valley , construction began on the first new barriers along the border since Trump took office . US Customs and Border Protection expects to build about three miles of new wall over the next few months , an agency official recently told CNN . Mark Morgan , CBP 's acting commissioner , has said the agency wants to build 450 miles of new wall by the end of 2020 .
Approximately 1,300 miles of the 1,950 mile US-Mexico border do not have fencing ; these areas often are treacherous terrain or privately owned .
A conservation group , Friends of the Wildlife Corridor , is among the landowners now in court . The US government filed an eminent domain suit in July over a 72-acre parcel the group owns on the banks of the Rio Grande . For more than two decades , the group has worked to try to create a wildlife corridor along the winding river , and its members had planned to sell the 72 acres to the US Fish and Wildlife Service to connect two existing wildlife refuges , said board member and attorney Paul Gaytan . But the new border wall has bulldozed that effort .
`` Unfortunately , the bottom line with this litigation is the government has a right to take the land , '' said Gaytan . `` The only question is : What 's fair compensation ? What 's the value of that land ? ... How do you put a price on this native habitat and the purpose for which it was to be used ? ''
Federal law requires the government to offer `` just compensation '' based on fair market value , typically established through appraisals . In some suits , the disputes are based on competing appraisals and disagreements over the market value or on the likely impact of the wall on the land 's value , attorneys said . In Cameron County , for example , the government has offered landowners from $ 14,775 an acre to $ 67,405 an acre , according to federal court filings in current cases .
The eminent domain suits are the tip of a much broader effort to take private land , say attorneys representing landowners .
`` The lawsuits are only a fraction of the condemnations that have been settled outside of litigation , '' said Ricky Garza , a staff attorney at the Texas Civil Rights Project , which is representing some landowners .
Since 2017 , the US government has also filed at least 35 notices -- called `` declarations of taking '' -- in Starr and Cameron counties , confirming that federal authorities have acquired land or easements to property through the process of eminent domain .
While CBP leaders have called acquiring land `` a challenge , '' neither CBP nor the Department of Justice responded to repeated CNN requests for comment on the lawsuits or on condemnations settled out of court .
Internal CBP emails , obtained by the Sierra Club through a Freedom of Information Act request and shared with CNN , show that in February 2018 the agency identified more than 1,100 land parcels of interest along the path of the proposed border wall in South Texas .
JUST WATCHED Inside the new border crisis Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Inside the new border crisis 04:08
The process typically begins with CBP sending so-called `` right of entry '' letters asking landowners voluntarily to grant the government the right to access their land to conduct surveying and soil testing as a prerequisite to possibly taking the land , said Garza .
The Trump administration has sent letters to dozens of private landowners in Texas and other border states in order to survey their land for future border barriers , according to two US defense officials .
`` The Right of Entry letter grants the government permission to enter specified private lands to conduct environmental assessments , property surveys , appraisals , geotechnical , and other exploratory work to facilitate future land acquisition and construction of a border barrier on those lands , '' US Army spokesperson Cheryle Rivas told CNN in an email .
The Texas Civil Rights Project has run radio and newspaper ads and sent out mass mailings in various places along the border to try to reach landowners who may be receiving the letters , Garza said .
`` If you do n't answer the letter , you get a home visit from a Border Patrol vehicle , pulling up to the house with an officer with the Army Corps of Engineers , an armed Border Patrol agent and often someone from the Department of Justice as well , '' he said . Several landowners described similar visits to CNN .
Karla Vargas , a senior attorney at the Texas Civil Rights Project , said many landowners do n't understand they have a right not to sign the request for entry .
Nayda Alvarez , a schoolteacher in Rio Grande City , is one landowner who refused to sign . She said she has just under an acre of land , adjoining a more than six-acre parcel still in her grandfather 's name . She is adamantly opposed to the new barriers .
`` Once , maybe twice , they called saying they wanted to come in and survey . It ( the letter ) also said they could ingress and egress into any property I had , and I said , 'No , I 'm not signing ; I do n't like the wording , ' '' she said .
CNN spoke to several landowners and attorneys who gave similar accounts of the right-of-entry letter , which requests temporary access to privately owned land but does n't disclose the consequences of not doing so .
`` People do n't know the reality of it and the severity of what 's going on , '' Alvarez said . `` They waived environmental laws that will affect us ; they even waived the Clean Water Act . The river is right there . Where are we going to get our clean water from ? ''
In October 2018 , then-DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen waived more than two dozen laws to expedite border wall construction in Texas , including the Endangered Species Act , the Clean Air Act , the Clean Water Act , the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Migratory Bird Conservation Act , among others .
As of Tuesday , the government had n't filed an eminent domain suit against Alvarez 's property .
Members of the Cavazos family , which own 64 acres near Mission , Texas , were sued by the government for their land on November 5 , 2018 . They are worried about losing a big chunk of that land , roughly 27 acres , to wall construction , said Baudilia Cavazos Rodriguez .
The land has been in her family since the 1950s , she said . Her brother and sister have more than 30 renters living on their part of the property .
`` My grandmother bought the land ; she had my dad and uncle sign for it . After World War II , we planted cotton and had cattle , all kinds of vegetables , we had a boat ramp , '' she said . `` We 're devastated because this is something my grandmother worked for her whole life . ''
She said her siblings rely on the rent , and `` make only about $ 30,000 a year . My sister Eloisa is a retired teacher , my brother is handicapped in a wheelchair . If they put in a wall , we 're thinking those renters will want to leave , '' said Cavazos .
On October 10 , after 11 months of legal wrangling , the government agreed to pay the Cavazos family $ 350 for access to survey their property , instead of the $ 100 it originally offered . As of Tuesday , the case had n't moved to the acquisition phase .
There is relatively little dispute over the government 's right to use eminent domain to acquire private property , especially when it cites national security as a justification , said Texas Civil Rights Project staff attorney Emma Hilbert .
`` A lot of times , delay is the name of the game , '' for the landowners , she said . With a presidential election next year , there 's always the chance that a change in administration could mean a change in border policy . In any event , Hilbert said , delay `` is good for them as landowners , regardless of what the administration looks like now or a year from now . ''
Scott Nicol , a longtime Sierra Club volunteer in South Texas , said the first round of border wall construction just over a decade ago offers an important lesson for landowners now facing land seizures .
`` When the walls were built under the ( George W. ) Bush administration , if you took the first offer , you came out really bad . The landowners that fought invariably got more money , '' he said .
A CNN analysis of 442 lawsuits from that earlier round of border wall construction found that property owners often were offered much less than their land was worth and that at least one-fourth of those who challenged the government 's initial offers received more money . That figure does n't include out-of-court settlements . Some of the suits also stalled construction at times , CNN found .
`` Land acquisition is going to continue to be a challenge , '' Morgan , the acting CBP commissioner , said at a November 14 news conference , `` You could have a mile of land -- again , on the southwest border -- where it goes back in time , and you could have multiple owners , from 10 to 100 owners , that have a piece of that land . Sometimes the records go way back ; the records were n't that great . And it 's a challenge to go through that process ... but again , I still think that we 're on track to get the land we need for 450 miles . ''
Jim Chapman , vice president of the Friends of the Wildlife Corridor , said his group planned to fight from the moment they knew the government had its sights on their property .
`` While a lot of people are consenting because they do n't see any way to fight it , you can certainly slow the process down ; that 's what we 're doing , '' he said .
Chapman said that because of agricultural development , very little of the brush and natural habitat along the river remains . Those few areas become magnets for hundreds of migrating bird and butterfly species and those that live in the Rio Grande Valley year-round , along with endangered animals such as ocelots and jaguarundi .
`` What is left is extremely valuable , '' he said . `` That 's why saving 72-acre parcels matters , because there 's so little of it left . '' | 0178bdca8e231687 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
us_house | NPR Online News | https://www.npr.org/2019/10/22/772018417/ukraine-impeachment-inquiry-resumes-with-diplomat-who-warned-of-nightmare | Ukraine Impeachment Inquiry Resumes With Diplomat Who Warned Of 'Nightmare' | 2019-10-22 | us_house | Ukraine Impeachment Inquiry Resumes With Diplomat Who Warned Of 'Nightmare '
House Democrats are set to resume their impeachment inquiry on Tuesday with a deposition from another diplomat who appeared uneasy with President Trump 's strategy to pressure Ukraine for political help .
Ambassador William Taylor , who has been serving as the interim head of the U.S. diplomatic mission to Kyiv , is scheduled to talk behind closed doors with members and staff of the Intelligence , Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees .
Taylor is the longtime foreign policy specialist who feared that Trump 's strategy could become `` a nightmare '' and who said the policy that he and his colleagues were executing might prompt him to quit .
Trump used a combination of personal aides , led by attorney Rudy Giuliani , and diplomats to encourage Ukraine to launch investigations that Trump thought might help him in the 2020 presidential race .
Democratic critics of the president who are carrying out the impeachment inquiry say that , in exchange , Washington would grant access to Trump and keep up military assistance to Ukraine — assistance that had been flowing since Ukraine was invaded by Russia in 2014 .
The administration has denied making an explicit link between any investigations and aid .
Other diplomats are said to have told members of Congress that they were n't fully aware of Trump 's and Giuliani 's true aims until late summer , when — after military aid to Ukraine was frozen , prompting press reports and questions from Congress — they began to piece the story together .
`` Are we now saying that security assistance and WH meeting are conditioned on investigations ? '' Taylor asked the U.S. ambassador to the European Union , Gordon Sondland , in messages on Sept. 1 .
That was the policy Trump had wrought , although the president is said to have told Sondland , who phoned him to ask about what the U.S. was doing , that there was no `` quid pro quo . ''
The White House has gone back and forth as to the nature of the specific exchange between Washington and Kyiv , but it has confirmed and defended the substance of the policy .
Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney told reporters that diplomats work for the president , that foreign policy is necessarily political and that people should `` get over it . ''
Trump also dismissed the impeachment inquiry on Monday as evidence that Democrats have no strategy to unseat him fairly in the 2020 election . The president said that he assumes he 'll be impeached , which would lead to a trial in the Senate — one that Trump also assumes he 'll win with the support he enjoys there from majority Republicans .
National security and diplomatic specialists are said to have told Congress that they resented the involvement of an outsider , in Giuliani , and a few of them are understood to have opposed Trump 's pressure strategy on its merits .
For one , it flouted the will of Congress , which had been authorizing and appropriating the military support to Ukraine for years . And for another reason , it sowed doubts about American resolve in Eastern Europe , to the detriment of Ukraine and the benefit of Russia , some argued .
`` The message to the Ukrainians ( and Russians ) we send with the decision on security assistance is key , '' Taylor wrote in another text message in September . `` With the hold '' — the interruption in delivery of funding that Kyiv was expecting — `` we have already shaken their faith in us . Thus my nightmare scenario . ''
The Democrats ' depositions have taken place behind closed doors and so the picture that has emerged about their discoveries is incomplete . Reporters have had to rely in part on accounts given by others about what is being said in testimony or on only opening statements that have been made public .
The committees ' witness on Wednesday is Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper . She is a career Defense Department official who 's responsible for policy toward Russia and Eastern Europe — including Ukraine .
Members and committee staff likely want to ask her for the Defense Department 's perspective on the events of the past few months , given the key role the military has played in supplying weapons and other assistance to Ukrainian forces fighting Russian and Russian-backed groups in the east .
Trump and the White House have said one reason that military assistance to Ukraine was frozen was the U.S. wanted more assurances about Kyiv 's commitment to fighting corruption .
The White House blocked that aid in the summer , even though , as NPR has revealed , the Defense Department had certified in May that Ukraine 's corruption-fighting progress was sufficient to clear the way for about $ 250 million in assistance .
Cooper likely will be questioned about how much she or others in the Pentagon knew about the full picture of what was involved with the freeze that followed the green light from the Defense Department .
Lawmakers canceled the depositions they had planned for Thursday and Friday because the House instead is planning memorial events for the late Rep. Elijah Cummings , D-Md. , who chaired the House Committee on Oversight and Reform .
Two other prospective witnesses this week have said they wo n't show .
The acting director of the Office of Management and Budget , Russ Vought , scoffed at Democrats ' inquiry on Twitter on Monday and vowed that neither he nor OMB 's associate director of national security programs , Michael Duffey , would appear as requested .
The White House has declared Democrats ' impeachment inquiry invalid because , among other reasons , the full House has n't been able to cast a vote on whether to convene one .
That and other objections prompted White House counsel Pat Cipollone to notify House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that the administration would n't play ball .
Trump 's supporters in Congress — including Republican Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia — also observe that for as much as Pelosi has sought to make the Ukraine affair the focus of the current impeachment efforts , Democrats ' first impeachment proposals were filed , for various causes , years ago .
For many of the best-known prospective witnesses in the administration , including Vice President Pence , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and others , Cipollone 's bulwark has held .
But the stream of agency-level experts and others has nonetheless continued , in part because witnesses have so far been unwilling to fight congressional subpoenas .
Pelosi , meanwhile , cites what she calls the broad discretion she has under the Constitution to pursue impeachment . The House does n't need to vote , she argues — but she also has n't ruled out a vote at some point . | MFwdDk54cQVy0NbB | 1 | US House | 0.3 | Ukraine | 0.1 | Politics | 0 | null | null | null | null |
politics | New York Post (News) | https://nypost.com/2022/02/09/push-to-ban-pelosi-style-stock-trading-in-congress-gains-steam/ | Push to ban Pelosi-style stock trading in Congress gains steam with new bipartisan bill | 2022-02-09 | US Congress, Stock Market, Banking And Finance, Nancy Pelosi, Politics, Bipartisanship, Mitch McConnell, Kevin McCarthy, Chuck Schumer, Corruption | Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Steve Daines are teaming up on the first bipartisan Senate bill to prohibit stock trading by members of Congress and their spouses — adding to growing momentum on both sides of the aisle for a ban on the practice. The bill from Warren (D-Mass.) and Daines (R-Mont.) would ban lawmakers and their spouses from owning or trading individual stocks, Senate sources told The Post. They would only be allowed to own stocks through broad exchange-traded funds and mutual funds under the bill, which has not yet been introduced. “Sen. Daines is working to introduce the first bipartisan bill in the Senate to ban Members of Congress and their spouses from owning and trading individual stocks and commodities,” Daines’ press secretary Rachel Dumke told The Post. The Warren-Daines bill — which was first reported by Axios late Tuesday — would be more stringent than another proposal by Sens. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.). Whereas the Ossoff-Kelly bill would require lawmakers and their spouses to give up control of any stocks by putting them in a blind trust for the duration of their time in office, the Warren-Daines bill would make lawmakers sell off their stocks altogether. A Washington, DC, source who backs the Ossoff-Kelly bill said the Warren-Daines bill was too “extreme” to get signed into law. “I would say there’s no way that this happens and it’s a messaging bill,” the source said. “Asking members to completely sell off all their individual stock is never going to happen.” The Ossoff-Kelly bill currently has the backing of eight other Senate Democrats, including Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.). The divide between the Ossoff-Kelly and Warren-Daines camps shows that lawmakers still have a ways to go before reaching 60 votes. But even House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) — whose husband has made as much as $30 million betting on Big Tech stocks — appears to support some kind of ban on stock trading. After defending congressional stock trades as part of the “free-market economy” as recently as December, Pelosi has folded to pressure from both sides of the aisle and is working with other Democratic leaders on a plan to ban the practice, Punchbowl News reported on Wednesday. In addition, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) have both publicly said they would support a ban, although they have not thrown their weight behind any particular bill. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), meanwhile, has been more noncommittal. “I haven’t given that any serious thought yet,” McConnell said of a stock trading ban, according to Punchbowl. “We’ll take a look at that kind of legislation and see what may be appropriate.” Some DC sources said any final bill could be watered down and not apply to spouses, leaving people like Paul Pelosi free to keep trading shares of the companies his wife regulates. One senator who may support a ban on trades by members of Congress but not their spouses could be Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), whose wife is a managing director at Goldman Sachs, according to sources. “Spouses are a sticking point with the GOP,” a Senate source said. “They think it’s too much.” Advertisement Unknown | 0edcbba93b6ea155 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
coronavirus | ProPublica | http://propublica.org/article/after-discovering-a-sailor-with-coronavirus-the-us-navy-crowded-dozens-into-one-room | After Discovering a Sailor With Coronavirus, the U.S. Navy Crowded Dozens Into One Room | 2020-03-17 | coronavirus | ███ is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power . Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they ’ re published .
It wasn ’ t a surprise when the U.S. Navy announced Sunday that the fast-spreading coronavirus had made its way on board one of its ships , infecting a sailor on the USS Boxer , docked in San Diego .
But what happened next raises questions about how the Navy will respond to the virus within the tight quarters of its seabound vessels .
On Monday morning , in response to the discovery of the infected sailor , the warship ’ s leaders ordered dozens of senior enlisted sailors and officers into a cramped room on the ship to brief them on the crisis and proper social distancing , according to a sailor who attended the meeting .
That action , taken as the Navy is still evaluating who aboard the ship had come into contact with the infected sailor , runs counter to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines aimed at controlling the spread of the coronavirus .
According to the sailor , the meeting in the ship ’ s wardroom , a gathering place , lasted about 30 minutes and forced about 80 crew members to stand roughly 2 to 4 feet from one another — far less than the 6-foot spacing called for by the CDC .
Get Involved We Want to Talk to People Working or Living on the Front Lines of Coronavirus . Help Us Report . Are you a public health worker , medical provider , elected official , patient or other COVID-19 expert ? We ’ re looking for information and sources . Help make sure our journalism is responsible and focused on the right issues .
The meeting on the ship — which also has outdoor spaces that possibly could have been used instead — left some attendees feeling angry and worried that they ’ d been placed in unnecessary danger aboard the vessel , the sailor said .
“ Definitely not enough room to maintain appropriate distance , ” said the sailor , who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media . “ People are wondering why we gathered in a room contradictory to CDC guidance . ”
A Navy spokesman confirmed the meeting took place , but he would not comment on whether it was appropriate or violated federal infection control guidelines .
In a statement , the spokesman said that Navy commanders have been told “ to the largest extent possible to implement social distancing , ” including avoiding large gatherings and maintaining a 6-foot space from other sailors when possible .
According to the Navy ’ s statement Sunday , a sailor assigned to the Boxer , an amphibious assault ship , had tested “ presumptive positive ” for the virus that causes COVID-19 . It was the first case of a sailor on board a Navy ship apparently contracting the disease . The sailor , the statement said , is now quarantined at home , along with other members of the crew believed to have been in close contact , while the ship ’ s crew conducts “ a thorough cleaning ” and takes “ appropriate preventative measures . ”
Gregg Gonsalves , an epidemiologist at Yale School of Medicine , told ███ that “ putting 80 to 100 members of the crew together in a small space without knowing all who were exposed to the original index case means additional transmissions may have happened in that meeting . ”
“ A Navy ship with coronavirus infection is like a cruise ship with coronavirus infection , ” he said . “ People are in close quarters and there is easy spread of infection . ”
According to the Navy website , ships like the Boxer have crews of roughly 1,200 sailors .
The Navy spokesman told ███ that the initial investigation into whether any other personnel came into close contact with the infected sailor was completed , but whether other sailors were infected is still being evaluated .
To make matters worse , the sailor who attended Monday ’ s meeting said they were briefed that limited testing kits are available .
The case of the Boxer illustrates how challenging it may be for the Navy to avoid the spread of the highly infectious virus aboard ships and submarines that require sailors to work in close quarters , sometimes for monthslong missions .
Traversing a Navy ship , for example , requires walking through a series of tight corridors with low ceilings and stale air . Some passageways are so narrow that for one sailor to pass another , one practically needs to press flat against the wall . There are doors along corridors — a measure to keep any flooding contained . A sailor walking the length of the Boxer would have to stop multiple times to turn a wheel or pull a latch to open a door , then do the same thing on the other side to seal the door again . Stairways are closed off in similar fashion .
Eating on a ship is done in close quarters as well . Sailors dine cafeteria-style , handing their plates to servers to scoop food from large bins like at a buffet . At peak hours the tables would be packed , with everyone sitting fairly close to one another — exactly the kind of dining that many cities have temporarily banned as a measure to stop the spread of the virus . The Boxer is about 840 feet long , about 80 % of the length of the Eiffel Tower if it were laid flat .
It ’ s unclear when the Boxer will head out on its next mission , but its webpage pledges a commitment to safety : “ Everything we do on and off BOXER will be done safely . ” | 6bUPdttdBfjl8nhE | 1 | US Navy | -1.9 | Coronavirus | 0.8 | Public Health | 0.8 | null | null | null | null |
palestine | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/21/politics/obama-mideast-visit/index.html?hpt=po_c1 | Obama: 'We cannot give up on the search for peace' | 2013-03-21 | Palestine, World | Obama calls on young Israelis to pressure their leaders to work for peace
Secretary of State John Kerry will stay on to hold talks with Israeli leaders
Palestinian leader Abbas says Israeli settlements threaten a two-state solution
President Barack Obama tried Thursday to invigorate the stalled Middle East peace process , urging young Israelis to pressure their leaders to seek peace with Palestinians while acknowledging the Jewish state 's historical right to exist and defend itself from continuing threats .
In a speech in Jerusalem that Obama had said would lay out his vision for the region , the president urged Israelis to look at the world through the eyes of Palestinians but also said enemies of Israel must change their rhetoric and tactics to reflect modern reality .
`` You are not alone , '' Obama said in both English and Hebrew , prompting a standing ovation when he declared that `` those who adhere to the ideology of rejecting Israel 's right to exist might as well reject the Earth beneath them and the sky above , because Israel is not going anywhere . ''
Hours before the speech on the second day of a Middle East swing , two rockets fired from Palestinian-controlled Gaza landed in southern Israel .
They caused no injuries or major damage , but served as a symbolic welcome to Obama 's visit to the West Bank on Thursday to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas . A hardline group claimed responsibility .
JUST WATCHED President Obama arrives in Ramallah Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH President Obama arrives in Ramallah 05:18
JUST WATCHED Obama in Israel for historic visit Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Obama in Israel for historic visit 04:02
In another symbolic moment , Obama received Israel 's highest civilian honor -- the Presidential Medal of Distinction -- Thursday night from Israeli President Shimon Peres at a state dinner that emphasized the close ties between their countries .
Noting the similarity between the histories of Israelis and African-Americans as former slaves who endured hardship before gaining freedom in a new land , Obama said , `` Our very existence , our presence here tonight , is a testament that all things are possible . ''
The earlier talks with Abbas served as a counterbalance to Obama 's meetings the previous day with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , setting up the Jerusalem speech that addressed crucial issues of the stalled peace process as well as regional concerns such as the civil war in neighboring Syria and Iran 's efforts to develop a nuclear weapon .
When Obama mentioned the name of Abbas in his speech Thursday , some boos erupted in the Jerusalem Convention Center among the audience of mostly young Israelis . He also was interrupted at one point by a protester 's shouts , causing the president to joke that the heckling `` made me feel at home '' in reference to the caustic political climate in Washington .
Obama acknowledged the difficulty in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian impasse , but insisted that `` peace is possible '' and called on young Israelis to make it happen .
`` Political leaders will not take risks if the people do not demand that they do , '' Obama said to applause , adding a familiar theme from his U.S. campaign speeches in declaring `` you must create the change that you want to see . ''
Such a direct appeal to young Israelis was a `` bold and courageous '' move by Obama , according to Martin Indyk , a former U.S. ambassador to Israel who now is vice president and director of foreign policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington .
Noting that the president lowered expectations before his trip of what he could accomplish , Indyk told CNN that Obama now raised expectations `` sky high '' that he was going to personally work to make peace possible .
Recently appointed Secretary of State John Kerry , who accompanied Obama on the trip that ends Friday in Jordan , will stay on to hold more talks with Israeli leaders , a senior administration official told reporters in a background briefing .
`` We 've done a lot of talking , a lot of listening over the course of the last two days , we 'll do some more tomorrow , and then I think it 'll be appropriate for Secretary Kerry to discuss next steps when he returns here , '' the official said .
Obama said in his speech that he believes `` the Israeli people do want peace , and you have every right to be skeptical that it can be achieved , '' arguing that an end to the seemingly endless conflict is necessary and `` the only path to true security '' for Israel .
`` Given the demographics west of the Jordan River , the only way for Israel to endure and thrive as a Jewish and democratic state is through the realization of an independent and viable Palestine , '' Obama said . `` Given the frustration in the international community , Israel must reverse an undertow of isolation . And given the march of technology , the only way to truly protect the Israeli people is through the absence of war -- because no wall is high enough , and no Iron Dome is strong enough , to stop every enemy from inflicting harm. ``
At the same time , he urged Israelis to empathize with the plight of Palestinians , using direct and harsh imagery to make his point .
`` Put yourself in their shoes -- look at the world through their eyes , '' he said . `` It is not fair that a Palestinian child can not grow up in a state of her own , and lives with the presence of a foreign army that controls the movements of her parents every single day . It is not just when settler violence against Palestinians goes unpunished . It is not right to prevent Palestinians from farming their lands ; to restrict a student 's ability to move around the West Bank ; or to displace Palestinian families from their home . ''
He added that `` neither occupation nor expulsion is the answer , '' saying , `` just as Israelis built a state in their homeland , Palestinians have a right to be a free people in their own land . ''
Arab states must seek normalized relations with Israel , and Palestinians must `` recognize that Israel will be a Jewish state , and that Israelis have the right to insist upon their security , '' Obama also said .
He prompted applause from the young Israeli crowd when he criticized their government 's controversial policy of building new settlements in disputed territories .
`` Israelis must recognize that continued settlement activity is counterproductive to the cause of peace , and that an independent Palestine must be viable -- that real borders will have to be drawn , '' Obama said .
On a personal note , the president told how he met with young Palestinians before his speech and they differed little from his own daughters , adding that he believed Israeli parents would want Palestinian youths to succeed if they had a chance to talk to them .
JUST WATCHED Israelis watching the war next door Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Israelis watching the war next door 02:35
JUST WATCHED Obama 's open mic slip in Israel Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Obama 's open mic slip in Israel 00:50
During his earlier visit to to Ramallah in the West Bank , Obama stressed the need for direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians for a two-state solution .
`` The Palestinian people deserve an end to occupation and the daily indignities that come with it , '' he said at a news conference with Abbas , adding that Palestinians deserve `` a future of hope '' and a `` state of their own . ''
Obama said he and Abbas discussed , among other things , the Israeli settlements and the issue of Palestinian prisoners . He called for shunning the old habits , arguments and formulas that have stymied the peace process and envisioned `` two nations , two neighbors at peace , Israel and Palestine . ''
At the news conference and in his later speech , Obama said the foundation for a peace agreement exists if both sides can overcome internal and external obstacles and pressure , and can join together making the leap .
The core issues right now , Obama said , are achieving sovereignty for Palestinians and security for Israel .
`` That 's not to say settlements are not important , '' he told reporters . `` It is to say that if we solve those two problems , the settlement problem will be solved . So I do n't want to put the cart before the horse . I want to make sure that we are getting to the core issues and the substance . ''
During a news conference on Wednesday with Netanyahu , neither leader mentioned the settlements , showing the sensitivity of the issue for the conservative prime minister who just formed a new coalition government after a narrow election victory .
In Ramallah on Thursday , Obama praised the Palestinian Authority led by Abbas but said Hamas , which governs Gaza , `` has the responsibility to prevent '' violations of a cease-fire with Israel such as the two rockets fired in the morning .
Abbas , however , said the Israeli settlements are `` more than a hurdle to peace , '' calling them illegal and saying it was Israel 's duty to stop building them .
At the same time , Abbas said Palestinians believe peace `` is necessary and inevitable , '' and it should not be made through violence , occupation , walls , denial of refugee rights or settlements -- reciting a list of Palestinian grievances against Israel .
He envisioned a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders with Jerusalem as capital -- a scenario unacceptable to Israel .
On Wednesday , Obama and Netanyahu offered a `` good cop-bad cop '' approach to Iran 's nuclear ambitions .
Both countries have accused Iran of secretly working toward building a nuclear weapon , and Netanyahu made it clear Wednesday after his talks with Obama that he believes the president is equally committed to preventing a nuclear-armed Iran .
In comments to reporters Wednesday and in Thursday 's speech , Obama called for more diplomacy on Iran while endorsing Israel 's right to defend itself as it sees fit . He also insisted that `` all options '' remain open -- code for a military strike to disable the Iranian program .
That prompted a warning Thursday from Iran 's supreme leader , Ayatollah Khamenei , that Tehran would destroy Tel Aviv if Israel were to attack its nuclear facilities .
Obama also warned the Syrian government that using chemical weapons against opposition forces or allowing such weapons to be obtained by terrorists would be a `` game-changer '' in terms of U.S. involvement in the conflict . His administration has been criticized for not providing military aid to the Syrian opposition .
On Wednesday , Obama sought to assure Netanyahu and Israelis of his commitment to their security and to strengthen what have been strained personal and working relationships between the two men .
In what Netanyahu called a key development , the leaders announced new talks on extending U.S. military assistance to Israel for another 10 years past the current agreement , which expires in 2017 . | 3bfe14a817357c6b | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
federal_budget | Washington Times | http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/oct/22/tom-coburn-highlights-ridiculous-government-spendi/ | Tom Coburn highlights ridiculous government spending in final Wastebook | 2014-10-22 | federal_budget | This year ’ s Wastebook does not show the $ 5,210 that the State Department tried to spend on a blowup , human-size foosball field for an embassy in Belize .
But the fact that the project isn ’ t in Sen. Tom Coburn ’ s annual report on ridiculous spending choices is probably one of the biggest victories of the report , because it means the State Department canceled the project after the senator ’ s staffers asked about it .
It ’ s the other 100 projects in the report — including subsidies for professional sports stadiums and grants to study gambling monkeys — that the Oklahoma Republican said should have taxpayers steaming .
Plenty of lawmakers talk about rooting out government waste , but Mr. Coburn makes a cause of it . He deploys staffers to peruse newspapers and dig through government websites to spot the tens of billions of dollars in pork , boondoggles and extravagance that have contributed to the government ’ s trillions of dollars of debt .
Mr. Coburn is retiring at the end of this year after a decade in the Senate , meaning the 239-page , meticulously footnoted volume he is releasing Wednesday will be his final Wastebook as senator . His departure is raising questions about who , if anyone , will pick up his oversight banner .
“ To bureaucrats and politicians , none of this is waste , which is why the only way to stop wasteful Washington spending is by shining a light on it whenever and wherever it occurs , even if it is in your own state — especially when it is in your own state , ” Mr. Coburn told The ███ . “ That is why I think every member of Congress should issue their own version of Wastebook so we can debate and set our national priorities every year . ”
The Times was allowed to watch some of the decision-making behind this year ’ s report as the senator and his staff talked through the projects , debated the order of the 10 most wasteful and drafted the report ’ s cover . This edition is designed to mimic the salacious supermarket tabloids in a commentary on how ridiculous some of the projects have become .
Leading this year ’ s edition is $ 19 million in salaries that the government paid to workers who were suspended from their jobs , usually because of misconduct that would have resulted in outright firing at a private company . Other highlights include the $ 50,000 spent to study whether sea monkeys ’ swimming changes the flow of oceans , $ 450,000 that the Homeland Security Department spent on high-end gym memberships for staffers whose federal health insurance already pays for gym benefits and the increasing number of veterans who get disability payments by claiming sleep apnea at a cost Mr. Coburn said could reach $ 1.2 billion .
All told , Mr. Coburn identifies $ 25 billion in waste from the 100 projects .
Although everyone in his office from interns on up contributes ideas , Mr. Coburn is the one driving Wastebook . He spots items throughout the year and fires them off in emails collected by his legislative director , Roland Foster .
By the time Wastebook rolls around , the authors have more than enough items . The senator is a tough critic , shooting down write-ups when he thinks expenses could be justified or demanding details for proof that the government is truly profligate .
That was what Mr. Coburn was doing on a busy afternoon in September while other senators were rushing to finish business . Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , Nevada Democrat , was closing up shop before sending lawmakers home for two months of campaigning before the midterm elections .
Mr. Coburn had meetings stacked up and reserved time to speak on the Senate floor , but he was going over the early write-ups of some of the Wastebook projects with Mr. Foster , staff attorney Patrick Bailey , and Keith Ashdown and Chris Barkley , who are the staff director and assistant staff director for Mr. Coburn on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee .
The senator insists on highlighting projects from his home state of Oklahoma , figuring it ’ s only fair . He encountered one on butterfly farming , a $ 500,000 Agriculture Department grant to a town on an Indian reservation to help tribe members start raising and selling butterflies .
The $ 500,000 is enough to provide every member of the town a starter kit and still have more than $ 300,000 left over , Mr. Coburn calculated . As of August , however , just 50 of the 845 tribe members had signed up .
The tribe wasn ’ t convinced it wanted to do the project until it learned it could obtain federal funding — which is exactly why the money is not a good expense , the Wastebook concludes .
“ I can ’ t imagine 300 people are going to be employed raising butterflies in Oklahoma , ” the senator tells his staffers in one meeting .
Not every project is a victory . One left on the cutting floor this year involved Pentagon sponsorship of a video game festival . Mr. Foster spotted an advertisement for the festival on the subway and pursued the project , but in the end wasn ’ t able to get the Defense Department to disclose a cost figure .
Agencies are increasingly balking at cooperating with fiscal watchdogs like Mr. Coburn who believe they have a right to know how the government is spending their money .
His office now enlists the Congressional Research Service , with in-house research staff , to make some of inquiries . Mr. Coburn also asks for help from the Government Accountability Office , the chief investigative arm of Congress .
This year , Mr. Coburn had the GAO investigate the tens of millions of dollars doled out to federal employees on “ paid administrative leave ” — meaning they collect salaries even as many are on suspension for misconduct .
“ Wastebook is like a scavenger hunt . It does not require a law degree or even years of D.C. experience , just some common sense and dedication with a leader who takes his role as a representative of taxpayers seriously , ” Mr. Foster said . “ If a 22-year-old intern can do this , why can ’ t a chairman of a powerful committee with a staff of dozens and a budget of millions ? ”
The State Department ’ s human-sized foosball game says a lot about how Wastebook is compiled .
One of Mr. Coburn ’ s staffers saw the project posted on USASpending.gov , a website that resulted from a bill sponsored by Mr. Coburn and Sen. Barack Obama in 2006 . The foosball system was one of a few game purchases posted by the State Department .
Mr. Coburn ’ s staff fired off an email with questions to the State Department . The department promised to look into the project , and a day later quietly posted a change order to USASpending.gov canceling the expense .
It turns out the project was intended for the U.S. Embassy in Belize and was supposed to be used as a management tool for leadership training and team-building . But when Mr. Coburn flagged it , department officials reconsidered .
A State Department official even praised Mr. Coburn , saying Secretary John F. Kerry , a former senator himself , admires Mr. Coburn ’ s work .
“ He was sincere as they come and cared about getting results , not grabbing headlines , ” the official said , asking for anonymity to discuss the item . “ So it wasn ’ t a surprise when Sen. Coburn asked his staff to tip off the department about a request an embassy had made to purchase a human foosball table for a few thousand dollars . ”
The official said nothing was inherently wrong with the foosball system and team-building exercises , but it wasn ’ t a good use of money with belt-tightening throughout government .
“ Sen . Coburn gave us the heads-up , the order was canceled and Sen. Coburn quietly got a good result for everyone instead of blasting out a press release to score political points , ” the State Department official said . “ It was just a class act by a genuine steward of the taxpayer dollar . It reaffirmed for Secretary Kerry that Coburn was the real deal . ”
Not all federal agencies are as appreciative of Mr. Coburn ’ s work . One agency he has battled is the National Technical Information Service , a Cold War-era agency that acts as a clearinghouse for government reports .
After the Government Accountability Office reported that many of the documents the service sells to other government agencies are available online free of charge , Mr. Coburn demanded explanations . He then found out the agency was selling his reports , too , causing him to demand an end to the “ ridiculous situation . ”
The information service crafted a reply — but pointedly didn ’ t thank him for his inquiry , figuring that would sound “ somewhat disingenuous . ”
“ I recommend that NTIS not thank the senator , ” Gail Porter , chief of public affairs at the agency , told her colleagues in emails editing the draft reply . The emails were obtained by The Times through open-records requests .
The National Science Foundation also has been a frequent Coburn target — particularly the agency ’ s funding for political science research . Last year , Mr. Coburn managed to win an amendment that effectively halted federal funding for political science papers , though the prohibition was dropped this year .
Political scientists were enraged at Mr. Coburn ’ s move and mounted a fierce campaign to defend their funding , insisting that taxpayer funding was a mark of its importance .
The academics also took personal umbrage at Mr. Coburn . Several of them jokingly blamed the senator when fire alarms forced an evacuation of the hotel at this year ’ s American Political Science Association convention in Washington .
The association didn ’ t respond to a request for comment about its battles with Mr. Coburn .
Wastebook is just one of Mr. Coburn ’ s projects . He was one of the first to sound a warning about bungled care at Veterans Affairs clinics and issued a scathing report last year blaming Congress for overwhelming the National Park Service with low-priority projects , leaving the agency struggling to maintain some of its natural treasures .
His masterpiece , however , may be a 2012 report by the permanent subcommittee on investigations exposing a Social Security disability fraud ring in West Virginia .
“ I imagine for an agency , getting a call from Coburn ’ s investigators is like getting a call from ‘ 60 Minutes ’ : This can ’ t be good , ” said Bruce Reed , a former top official in the Clinton and Obama administrations . Mr. Reed worked with Mr. Coburn on the deficit commission run by former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles and former Sen. Alan Simpson .
Mr. Reed praised Mr. Coburn ’ s work , saying his reports on government waste provide a blueprint for anyone looking to see how the government sometimes goes off the rails in its spending decisions .
“ Washington is full of politicians who love to talk about waste . Coburn sends his team to go find it and name names , and that makes all the difference , ” Mr. Reed said . | BtM7ScXGxPCEI1BI | 2 | Federal Budget | -0.4 | Economy And Jobs | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
middle_east | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/24/us/libya-benghazi-e-mails/index.html?hpt=hp_t1 | E-mails: White House knew of extremist claims in Benghazi attack | 2012-10-24 | middle_east | Story highlights Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says do n't `` cherry pick '' documents
The White House says it received conflicting information about the attack
A government email on the day of the attack says an Islamist group claimed credit
The attack left U.S . Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans dead
Two hours after first being notified of an attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi , Libya , a government e-mail to the White House , the State Department and the FBI said an Islamist group had claimed credit , according to a copy obtained by CNN .
An initial e-mail was sent while the attack was still underway , and another that arrived two hours later -- sent from a State Department address to various government agencies including the executive office of the president -- identified Ansar al-Sharia as claiming responsibility for the attack on its Facebook page and on Twitter .
However , the e-mails raise further questions about the seeming confusion on the part of the Obama administration to determine the nature of the September 11 attack that left U.S . Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans dead .
Two White House officials , speaking on condition of not being identified on Wednesday , said the government e-mails about the attack were not an intelligence assessment . They also noted that there was conflicting information about Ansar al-Sharia denying responsibility .
`` They were a part of the many different reports we were receiving that day , '' one of the White House officials said of the e-mails . `` There are always multiple and conflicting reports in the initial hours of an attack . That 's why you have an investigation . ''
JUST WATCHED Benghazi attack : Who knew what when ? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Benghazi attack : Who knew what when ? 04:04
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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton advised reporters to wait until a review panel she appointed to investigate what happened completed its work .
`` The Independent Accountability Review Board is already hard at work looking at everything , not cherry picking one story here or one document there but looking at everything , which I highly recommend as the appropriate approach to something as complex an attack like this , '' Clinton said Wednesday .
`` You know , posting something on Facebook is not in and of itself evidence . I think it just underscores how fluid the reporting was at the time and continued for some time to be , '' Clinton said .
She repeated her earlier pledge to `` take whatever measures are necessary to fix anything that needs to be fixed , and we will bring those to justice who committed these murders . ''
Meanwhile , White House spokesman Jay Carney noted the e-mail about the claim of responsiblity `` was an open-source , unclassified e-mail referring to an assertion made on a social media site that everyone in this room had access to and knew about instantaneously . ''
Carney added that `` the whole point of an intelligence community and what they do is to assess strands of information and make judgments about what happened and who was responsible . ''
The day after the attack took place , President Barack Obama referred to it as an `` act of terror . ''
But in the following days , Carney maintained there was no evidence suggesting the attack was `` planned or imminent . ''
The administration also suggested that an anti-Muslim video produced in the United States likely fueled a spontaneous demonstration in Benghazi as it had in Cairo , where the U.S. Embassy also was attacked .
Clinton , State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland and Susan Rice , U.S. ambassador to the United Nations , all cited the video as a motivating factor in the attack .
On September 13 -- two days after the attack -- a senior U.S. official told CNN that the violence in Libya was not the work of `` an innocent mob . ''
`` The video or 9/11 made a handy excuse and could be fortuitous from their perspective , but this was a clearly planned military-type attack , '' the official said .
However , it was n't until September 19 that Matthew Olsen , the nation 's counterterrorism chief , told senators that it was a terrorist attack . The next day , Carney also said it was `` self-evident that what happened in Benghazi was a terrorist attack . ''
The e-mails obtained by CNN provide additional insight into the Benghazi attack .
The first one , sent at 4:05 p.m . ET , or 10:05 p.m. in Libya , described a diplomatic mission under attack .
`` Approximately 20 armed people fired shots ; explosions have been heard as well , '' the e-mail said . Stevens and four other mission staff were in the compound safe haven , it added .
Less than an hour later , at 4:54 p.m . ET , another e-mail reported `` firing at the U.S . Diplomatic Mission in Benghazi has stopped and the compound has been cleared . '' It said a search was underway for consulate personnel .
The final e-mail , at 6:07 p.m. , noted the claim of responsibility for the attack . The subject line said : `` Update 2 : Ansar al-Sharia Claims Responsibility for Benghazi Attack . ''
`` Embassy Tripoli reports the group claimed responsibility on Facebook and Twitter and has called for an attack on Embassy Tripoli , '' the e-mail said .
The Facebook claim of involvement was subsequently denied by the group at a news conference in the following days , but not very convincingly .
`` We are saluting our people for this zeal in protecting their religion , to grant victory to the prophet , '' a spokesman for Ansar al-Sharia said at the time . `` The response has to be firm . ''
It is common for one or more claims of responsibility to follow high-profile attacks on U.S. targets , and intelligence officials analyze them for validity before declaring any legitimate . For example , groups make false claims to seek publicity and raise their profile .
Analysts examine a group 's history , whether it made previous claims that were legitimate , whether it has the capacity to carry out such an attack , and whether known members of the group participated in the attack in assessing the validity of claims of responsibility . | nEnguDh1At8jWHl4 | 0 | Middle East | -0.3 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
elections | The Week - News | http://theweek.com/article/index/271334/stop-denying-the-truth-the-democrats-got-walloped | Stop denying the truth: The Democrats got walloped | 2014-11-05 | elections | Today is the day people will reassure you that the Republican victory in the 2014 midterms was not so big .
They 'll say it was n't really a repudiation of Obama . Or it kinda sorta does n't count because the electorate was unrepresentative . They 'll point to a handful of ballot initiatives and say that Colorado rejected the personhood amendment and Oregon and D.C. voted for legalizing marijuana . A little re-framing here , a hand-wave at some third-party spoilers there , and presto , it was n't a bad day for liberalism after all . And hey , look , a federal judge overturned a ban on same-sex marriage in Kansas yesterday . It 's a `` Victory for the Left . ''
Well , here 's my counterintuitive take on the midterms : The big winners are those who won big , the Republicans . They won the Senate , easily . They won a larger share of the House . They won governorships in blue states like Illinois and Maryland . Heck , they even denied Democrats a clean win in Vermont . Vermont ! Republicans elected the first black senator from the south since Reconstruction . They elected the youngest congresswoman in our history .
The three outcomes that progressives most devoutly desired were smashed : Public-union buster Gov . Scott Walker won his third election in four years . Conservative governance , we were told , faced a clear referendum in the re-election bid of Kansas Gov . Sam Brownback . He won . Even Maine could n't shake Gov . Paul LePage . Win , win , win . Democrats have to console themselves with Gov . Andrew Cuomo beating up a Westchester County Executive in New York .
We have been told that the GOP ran on nothing and that the party has no mandate . In truth , the congressional GOP has an identifiable record : unremitting opposition to Obama . Apparently , the electorate wanted more of that .
The Republicans got nothing but rewards for obstructionism . No Contract with America was needed . The 2014 electorate was willing to hire the Republicans like day laborers : Pull up , hop in . No , I do n't need your C.V. You castrate pigs ? Great , you got a job .
You can blame the map , blame the 2010 Tea Party wave of gerrymandering , or blame old white people . Obama was supposed to be a liberal Reagan , reversing 30 years of moderate to conservative governance . But Obama 's historic elections had no effect on the midterm electorate which now has a 20-year bias toward the GOP . The rollout of ObamaCare with politically convenient delays and triggers over a period of years seems to have spread the damage from the expected fallout rather than contained it .
I have three consolations to offer Democrats for their very real loss . The first is that even with Mark Udall losing his own personal war on women , you 're still winning the culture war . That 's true even with state-level restrictions on abortion , and even if the movement for social justice feels like a bunch of hashtags on Twitter . Fifty years on , the sexual revolution is still unfolding with massive political consequences for conservatives .
Secondly , even though Obama was repudiated , the new more Republican Congress will continue to be incredibly , even dangerously , unpopular for a supposedly `` people 's House . '' If galloping inequality and the establishment of a caste-like class system in America is really happening regardless of who is in office , electoral victories will merely be preludes to the next electoral losses .
And lastly , just like the GOP in 2012 , a big part of your problem was candidate selection . GOP victories in the statehouses do have a way of thinning the bench . But Democrats should be able to do better than Martha Coakley in 2016 . That 's solvable .
But in the meantime , my advice is not to fool yourselves . I came of age in an era of conservative defeat and decline . This was a big , big loss . And losses like that promised exciting , bloody , intra-party fights . A loss like that could even shake up the certainties for 2016 . | Vnt2zWN9vdLUCO73 | 1 | Election2014 | -0.2 | Democratic Party | -0.2 | Elections | 0 | null | null | null | null |
national_defense | ProPublica | https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-says-u-s-is-ready-for-war-not-all-his-troops-are-so-sure | Trump Says U.S. Is Ready for War. Not All His Troops Are So Sure. | 2020-01-17 | national_defense | Series : Disaster in the Pacific Death and Neglect in the 7th Fleet
███ is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power . Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they ’ re published . This article was co-published with The New York Times .
Between the killing of Iran ’ s most important general and Iran ’ s missiles hurtling toward American troops in Iraq , President Donald Trump took time to discuss America ’ s military prowess .
“ The United States just spent Two Trillion Dollars on Military Equipment , ” he tweeted on Jan. 5 . “ If Iran attacks an American Base , or any American , we will be sending some of that brand new beautiful equipment their way . ”
Besides being wrong ( the military has not spent that much ) , he repeated a mistake that military leaders have made for years : emphasizing weapons over the fitness of the men and women charged with firing them .
Over the past 18 months , ███ has dug into military accidents in recent years that , all told , call into question just how prepared the American military is to fight America ’ s battles .
If forced to fight in the Persian Gulf or the Korean Peninsula , the Navy and Marine Corps are likely to play crucial roles in holding strategic command of the sea and defending against ballistic missiles .
Those branches , though , do not need billions of dollars of new weapons , our examination revealed . They need to focus on the basics : its service members , their training and their equipment .
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The Government Accountability Office , Congress ’ watchdog , has been sounding the alarm for years , to little effect . In 2016 , the GAO found that years of warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan had taken their toll : “ The military services have reported persistently low readiness levels . ”
In 2018 , the agency focused on the Navy and Marine Corps . All seven types of aircraft it tracked , from cargo planes to fighters like the F/A-18D , had repeatedly missed goals for being prepared for missions . “ Aviation readiness will take many years to recover , ” the GAO said .
In a report last month , the GAO found that only about 25 % of Navy shipyard repairs were completed on time . “ The Navy continues to face persistent and substantial maintenance delays that affect the majority of its maintenance efforts and hinder its attempts to restore readiness , ” it said .
The services ’ problems with readiness burst into public view in the summer of 2017 , when two American destroyers collided with two commercial ships in separate incidents that left 17 sailors dead and scores injured . They were the Navy ’ s worst accidents at sea since the 1970s .
Both the USS Fitzgerald and the USS John S. McCain were deployed to the 7th Fleet , based in Yokosuka , Japan . What both ships needed , ███ found , was more time to train and more sailors .
Neither ship was fully qualified for its battle missions ; neither ship had a full crew ; both ships had patched together navigation systems that failed to work at times .
Sailors on both ships described being shortchanged in training and exhausted by the pace of operations . One-hundred-hour work weeks were not uncommon .
On the Fitzgerald , for instance , a sailor had to manually press a button more than 1,000 times to refresh a radar screen tracking nearby traffic . On the evening of the collision on June 17 , the Fitzgerald was under the control of a relatively inexperienced officer who ordered the destroyer to turn directly into the path of a cargo carrier .
On the McCain , the Navy had installed a touch-screen navigation system as a cheaper alternative to traditional steering wheels and throttles . The design of the new system was so confusing that the sailors using it accidentally guided the McCain into an oil tanker in the Singapore Strait on Aug. 21 .
Dakota Bordeaux , the young sailor steering the ship , said of the new navigation system , “ There was actually a lot of functions on there that I had no clue what on earth they did . ”
It was not that the Navy was unaware of the problems . Top commanders had simply ignored urgent messages for help . Military leaders wanted missions completed . They cared less about whether the men and women on duty were forced to cut corners to do them .
In January 2013 , Vice Adm. Thomas Copeman issued a warning at the Surface Navy Association Symposium , one of the premier gatherings of Navy officers in charge of warships . Readiness , he said , was headed toward a “ downward spiral . ”
“ It ’ s getting harder and harder I think for us to look the troops in the eye , ” Copeman told the audience .
“ If you ’ re an admiral in the Navy , ” he later told ███ , “ you may have to make that decision to send people into combat , and you better not have blood on your hands the rest of your life because you didn ’ t do everything you could in peacetime to make them ready . ”
The Navy ’ s surface forces needed $ 3.5 billion , he said , just to fix what was wrong with training alone . Copeman raised the specter of a “ hollow ” Navy without those additional funds .
Three years later Janine Davidson , the undersecretary of the Navy , sounded the alarm again . The Navy remained short of adequately trained sailors and reliable ships .
“ It ’ s sleepwalking into a level of risk you don ’ t realize you have , ” she said to ███ .
The 7th Fleet , the largest of the Navy ’ s forward-deployed fleets , was perhaps most vulnerable . In 2017 , top officers laid out the armada ’ s dire conditions for its senior commander , Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin .
Training was down . Certifications , which crews received after proving they were prepared to handle crucial war-fighting duties , had dropped from 93 % completed in 2014 to 62 % in 2016 . That year , only two of the fleet ’ s 11 destroyers and cruisers received all recommended maintenance . One ship got only a quarter of its scheduled upkeep .
Aucoin sent the assessment to the top brass . But the portrait of crisis got him nothing .
Low-level officers on the decks of ships and high-ranking leaders up the chain of command said they made similar warnings and were shut down . Scores of sailors reached out to us and testified to some combination of fear , lack of training and an absence of confidence in the Navy ’ s leadership .
“ If the Navy paid more attention to the job satisfaction and intrinsic motivation of sailors , then a lot of these other systemic issues will fix themselves , ” one sailor wrote .
We examined other Navy episodes directly relevant to today ’ s situation with Iran . In 2016 , the crew of two American gunboats was seized in the Persian Gulf by Iran ’ s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps , the military force dominated by Qassim Suleimani , the major general killed by a drone strike outside the Baghdad Airport this month .
The sailors on the gunboats undertook a last-minute mission without proper training or equipment and were captured after straying into the waters surrounding an Iranian naval base on Farsi Island . An international incident was avoided only through military pressure and last-minute diplomatic maneuvers .
We also examined the state of the Navy ’ s minesweepers . The Persian Gulf is one of the few places in the world where such ships may prove indispensable . Nearly a quarter of the world ’ s oil supplies pass through the Strait of Hormuz at the gulf ’ s entrance . The Iranians have threatened to use mines to block it in case of conflict .
The Navy has fewer than a dozen minesweepers , many in disrepair . One sailor told us the sonar meant to detect mines was so imprecise that in training exercises it flagged dishwashers , crab traps and cars on the ocean floor as potential explosives .
“ We are essentially the ships that the Navy forgot , ” another sailor said of his own minesweeper , which had not left port in 20 months .
The Department of the Navy oversees the Marine Corps . And a Marine Corps aviation accident in December 2018 raised its own questions about readiness . A midair collision between a F/A-18D Hornet and a KC-130J Hercules fuel tanker over the Pacific left six Marines dead .
The same patterns showed up again : Local commanders had warned higher-ups of a lack of training , nonfunctioning aircraft and faulty equipment .
Squadron 242 , whose fighter jets were involved in the accident , was designed to leap quickly into an attack against North Korea in case of conflict . The commander ’ s own reports showed the squadron was consistently not capable of completing seven of its 10 “ mission essential tasks , ” such as armed reconnaissance and traveling into enemy airspace to bomb known targets .
In commentary written in response to the findings of a safety board investigation after the incident , the commander for the tanker squadron , which lost five Marines in the crash , was unsparing .
“ In an [ area of operations ] where the mantra of ‘ Fight Tonight ’ is repeated everywhere , ” Lt. Col. Mitchell Maury said , referring to the Pacific , “ we are not manned , trained , and equipped to execute to the appropriate level of effectiveness . ”
In isolation , each of the events seemed an unfortunate accident — regrettable , to be sure , but not a cause for widespread alarm .
But our reporting showed a broad and alarming pattern . The Navy and the Marine Corps had routinely ignored their sailors and Marines , their equipment and their training . The result : men dying during peacetime .
Are the two branches ready to fight a war against Iran tonight ? It ’ s a question that nobody hopes to ever answer . But it ’ s a question that goes beyond expensive new weapons . | 5EzfjLn3cckrOtPP | 1 | US Navy | -0.6 | Foreign Policy | 0 | National Defense | 0 | National Security | 0 | US Military | 0 |
campaign_finance | Politico | https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/03/trump-giuliani-legal-landscape-568333 | How Giuliani's remarks on Trump and Stormy Daniels change the legal landscape | 2018-05-03 | campaign_finance | Rudy Giuliani ignited a media firestorm with media appearances in which he disclosed and explained President Donald Trump ’ s reimbursement of a $ 130,000 pre-election payment to a porn star who appeared to be ready to go public with a story about a sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier .
Some pundits are going so far as to call the former New York City mayor ’ s actions the equivalent of a “ murder-suicide ” that devastated Trump ’ s legal defense , but how much damage did Giuliani actually do to Trump ’ s legal case ?
“ Trump is in considerably more potential legal trouble than he was before Giuliani opened his mouth , ” said Rick Hasen , a University of California at Irvine law professor and a prominent expert on campaign finance .
Other legal experts said Giuliani ’ s remarks about the arrangement between the president and Michael Cohen , his longtime personal attorney , might not have been helpful to Trump but didn ’ t really put him in greater jeopardy .
“ His comments have no impact on the legal fact that the payments by Mr. Cohen to Stormy Daniels were consistent with a long pattern of payment by businessman Trump and the Trump Organization to protect their reputation , ” said Charlie Spies , an election attorney with the Washington law firm Clark Hill . “ They don ’ t have to stop defending him just because there ’ s a campaign going on . ”
███ Playbook newsletter Sign up today to receive the # 1-rated newsletter in politics Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from ███ . You can unsubscribe at any time .
Here ’ s a look at some of the potential impacts of Giuliani ’ s dramatic disclosure and his ensuing remarks :
Does the president ’ s admission strengthen or weaken the case that the Stormy Daniels payment broke campaign finance law ?
Giuliani stressed repeatedly in interviews that the money used to reimburse Cohen came from Trump ’ s personal funds and not from any campaign account , but the critical legal question is whether the original payment to Daniels or the reimbursement were intended to advance Trump ’ s electoral chances .
“ It certainly increases Trump ’ s exposure , but we need to know more , ” Hasen said . “ If he knew about it at the time of the campaign , it looks like Trump could have committed a campaign finance violation and potentially a willful one . ”
Some legal experts disagree , arguing that a payment over an alleged affair would never or almost never be a campaign contribution that must be reported , especially where a prominent individual is involved .
“ This is financing related to an intensely intimate personal matter , and the [ campaign finance ] laws don ’ t apply , ” said Jan Baran of the D.C. law firm Wiley Rein . “ There has to be some objective way to measure whether something is campaign-related . … There was a time people would keep their personal relations like this quiet because it would be death to them politically , but that isn ’ t the case anymore , obviously . ”
One open question is what emails , recordings or other evidence seized from Cohen ’ s online accounts and his home , office and hotel room give prosecutors insights into Cohen ’ s motivation in arranging the payment in October 2016 . Indications that it was urgently necessary because of the looming election could make a charge of a legal violation more likely .
Giuliani may have unintentionally fueled that perception on Thursday morning when he noted the way that publicity about Daniels ’ claims could have hurt Trump ’ s campaign .
“ Imagine if that came out on Oct. 15 , 2016 , in the middle of the , you know , last debate with Hillary Clinton , ” Giuliani said . “ Cohen didn ’ t even ask . Cohen made it go away . He did his job . ”
“ He suggested the motive for the payment was to help Trump in the campaign , which was the last thing you ’ d want a lawyer saying on this , ” the law professor said .
Was Trump ’ s embrace of the Daniels payment a signal to Cohen not to “ flip ” and turn on the president ?
Trump ’ s defense team has been concerned in recent weeks that Cohen might agree to cooperate with federal prosecutors and seek leniency by offering them information — accurate or inaccurate — about Trump . Some analysts saw the president ’ s acknowledgment of the payment as a bid to discourage Cohen from making such a move .
“ The strategy might be , let ’ s try to keep Cohen on the president ’ s side , ” said Laurie Levenson , a former federal prosecutor who ’ s now a professor at Loyola Law School . “ There ’ s going to be enormous pressure on Cohen . Cohen might end up pointing the finger back at the president . And while he ’ s said he ’ ll be loyal , at that point , loyalty only goes so far . ”
Giuliani ’ s statement that Trump reimbursed Cohen and a later comment that Trump has known about the Daniels situation in general terms for a long time suggest that Cohen may be off the hook on a potential charge of making an illegally large in-kind donation to Trump ’ s campaign . However , if it was for campaign purposes , even a loan of the money should have been reported . It may have not been Cohen ’ s duty to report it , but he could still face a charge related to concealing it or causing it to be omitted from campaign finance reports .
“ Cohen and Trump may not have had a credible story before , but at least it was consistent , ” said Peter Zeidenberg , a former federal prosecutor now with the D.C. law firm Arent Fox . “ Now , they ’ ve junked it all . I think it ’ s a mess , and it doesn ’ t get him out of the soup . I don ’ t understand the value at all . ”
Could Trump face other charges like bank fraud or structuring ?
One drawback to the strategy reflected in Giuliani ’ s statements is that they tie Trump more closely with Cohen , who ’ s known to be under investigation for possible bank and wire fraud , in addition to campaign finance violations . It seems unlikely that Trump would be involved in some aspects of Cohen ’ s financial affairs known to be under scrutiny , like financing for taxi medallions .
There has been some speculation about Trump ’ s facing legal jeopardy because , according to Giuliani , Cohen was reimbursed in $ 35,000 increments . However , criminal charges for structuring generally apply only to cash withdrawals or deposits , and there ’ s been no indication Trump paid in cash .
Will Trump ’ s apparent lie have any legal consequences for him ?
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on April 5 , Trump said he didn ’ t know about Cohen ’ s $ 130,000 payment to Daniels . Now , Giuliani says Trump did know something about it .
“ He did know about the general arrangements , ” Giuliani , a former prosecutor , told Sean Hannity on Wednesday night .
Many people are calling Trump ’ s statement a flat-out lie , although Giuliani and White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders insisted that Trump became aware of details about the payments only about two weeks ago .
“ This was information that the president didn ’ t know at the time but eventually learned , ” Sanders told reporters on Thursday .
There are strong reasons to doubt that Trump was entirely unaware until mid-April that Cohen had paid off Daniels . On Feb. 27 , Cohen sought a restraining order against Daniels , saying she violated the “ hush money ” deal . On March 6 , Daniels sued Trump and Cohen in a bid to void the alleged agreement . It seems likely that those events would have triggered the president or his lawyers to inquire about when Daniels was paid , why and how much .
While it ’ s not a crime to lie to reporters or the public , legal experts say that if Trump knew the Cohen payments were the focus of a criminal investigation or Federal Election Commission review , deliberately trying to confuse investigators could form the basis for an obstruction-of-justice charge . Normally , however , prosecutors cite a public statement along with other facts showing what amounts to a deceptive scheme .
“ It is one factor , if you could build a series of misstatements , ” said Levenson , the Loyola law professor . “ You don ’ t want to put too much stock into any individual statements . You want to build a pattern of conduct . ”
Many lawyers said on Thursday that while Giuliani ’ s presentation might have been ham-fisted and at times counterproductive , he and Trump might have had little choice but to get out the fact that Trump was involved in reimbursing Cohen ’ s payment to Daniels .
In recent days , Cohen ’ s attorneys began receiving copies of the records seized from his office , home and hotel room early last month . If those records contained enough information to make clear that Trump did have a role in the payment , that fact was certain to emerge eventually . So there ’ s some rationale for Giuliani ’ s going on a friendly show like “ Hannity ” and offering up the unexpected news .
Even if the payment were purely personal , might Trump have broken another law ?
Taking Giuliani at his word that the money sent to Daniels had nothing to do with the campaign , Trump might still be guilty of another crime : filing a false personal financial disclosure report . Cohen ’ s decision to pay Daniels and then collect the money from Trump over time seems like a loan to Trump , but it was never reported on his financial statement filed with the Office of Government Ethics last year .
The watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a complaint on the issue with the Justice Department back in March and updated it on Thursday with Giuliani ’ s statements .
“ Trying to talk his way out of a campaign finance violation , Trump has admitted to filing a false financial disclosure in 2017 , ” Walter Shaub , a former OGE director , wrote on Twitter .
Could linking Trump to the $ 130,000 payment bolster Daniels ’ two pending civil suits against him ?
Yes . At a minimum , Trump ’ s acknowledgment of involvement makes it far more likely that he ’ ll have to submit to a deposition on the topic , legal experts said .
“ I think at this point , he ’ s setting himself up to be subject to a deposition , ” Levenson said . “ I think it 's extremely beneficial to the civil cases . ”
One of Daniels ’ suits seeks to void the “ hush money ” deal and accuses Cohen of defamation . A case filed earlier this week accuses Trump of defamation . Responding to Giuliani ’ s initial comments , Trump took to Twitter on Thursday morning to call Daniels ’ claims “ false and extortionist accusations. ” That will likely result in a broader libel suit from Daniels against Trump , also adding Giuliani as a defendant , lawyers said , although it could be some time before either case progresses to a stage where Trump ’ s testimony is ordered .
“ Whatever happens @ foxandfriends , please do not stop helping our case week in and week out by having Mr. Trump and Mr. Giuliani appear and make damaging stmts , ” Daniels ’ attorney , Michael Avenatti , tweeted Thursday morning . “ You are truly THE BEST ; where can we send the gift basket ? ” | GngIxhug9q2ocJxs | 0 | Donald Trump | -0.4 | Rudy Giuliani | -0.4 | Stormy Daniels | 0.3 | Campaign Finance | 0.1 | Elections | 0 |
media_bias | Reuters | https://www.reuters.com/article/us-trump-effect-media-poll/the-press-branded-the-enemy-by-trump-increasingly-trusted-by-the-public-reuters-ipsos-poll-idUSKCN1C813L | The press, branded the 'enemy' by Trump, increasingly trusted by the public: Reuters/Ipsos poll | 2017-10-03 | Media Watch, Donald Trump, Polls, Media Bias | NEW YORK ( ███ ) - Americans are increasingly confident in the news media and less so in President Donald Trump ’ s administration after a tumultuous year in U.S. politics that tested the public ’ s trust in both institutions , according to a ███/Ipsos opinion poll released on Tuesday .
The poll of more than 14,300 people found that the percentage of adults who said they had a “ great deal ” or “ some ” confidence in the press rose to 48 percent in September from 39 percent last November . Earlier this year , Trump branded the entire industry as the “ enemy of the American people . ”
The percentage of those who said they had “ hardly any ” confidence in the press dropped to 45 percent from 51 percent over the same period .
███/Ipsos , which tracked confidence in major institutions every couple of months after the 2016 presidential election , found in late January that 52 percent of Americans had a “ great deal ” or “ some ” confidence in the new president ’ s executive branch . That dropped to 51 percent in the May survey and to 48 percent in the latest poll . Trump took office in January .
In comparison , 57 percent of Americans expressed similar levels of confidence in former Democratic President Barack Obama ’ s outgoing administration in November .
The poll also found that the shift in trust was not simply a partisan reaction to a Republican president .
From January to September , the percentage of people who had a “ great deal ” or “ some ” confidence in the executive branch dropped 6 percentage points among Republicans and 3 points among Democrats .
The percentage of those who expressed similar levels of confidence in the media rose 3 points this year among Republicans and 11 points among Democrats .
More than other modern presidents , Trump has treated the news media as an opposition party . He has shamed individual reporters by name and responded to unflattering reports as “ fake news . ”
Every president clashes with the news media , but Trump “ has gone a step further in attacking the press and questioning their legitimacy , ” said Martha Kumar , a presidential historian who has worked with White House transition teams for Obama and 2008 Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain .
“ What you ’ re seeing now is a gradual recognition of the importance of the press ” at a time when people are still getting used to a new president whose campaign is under federal investigation for alleged collusion with Russia , Kumar said . Trump has denied any collusion occurred .
Kumar added that confidence in the press may be rising this year because news organizations have offered wildly different perspectives on Trump , satisfying people who like him as well as those who do not .
“ They ’ re not all watching and reading the same things , ” she said . “ They ’ re gravitating toward organizations they trust . ”
Ari Fleischer , former Republican President George W. Bush ’ s first press secretary , said any shift in the way people viewed the press and the president was likely the product of an oppositional relationship that both sides had pushed since the 2016 presidential campaign .
“ Trump throws fastballs directly at the press ’ head . He does it almost every day , ” Fleischer said .
“ This makes those who oppose Trump draw into the press , ” elevating its stature among those who would otherwise not trust the media , he said .
“ But the press has played into it by the mistakes they ’ ve made , by missing the rise of Trump , by being too liberal , ” Fleischer added . “ They ’ ve helped create this environment . ”
The public placed its highest levels of confidence in the military , law enforcement and academia , according to the latest poll that ended on Sept. 5 . Americans lost confidence this year in the executive branch and in Congress , while their confidence rose for most other institutions , including the press and academia .
The ███/Ipsos poll was conducted online in English throughout the United States . It ran three polls this year on confidence in major institutions : between Jan. 24 and Feb. 7 , May 11 to May 21 and from Aug. 24 to Sept. 5 .
It collected a combined 14,328 responses from those polls , and the data has a credibility interval , a measure of accuracy , of 2 percentage points . | 26f379f33fc36c63 | 1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
republican_party | Vox | https://www.vox.com/2017/12/29/16821628/mike-pence-tie-break-republicans-2017 | Mike Pence’s tie-breaking vote was key to Republicans’ strategy in 2017 | 2017-12-29 | republican_party | “ We did not need Mike , ” President Donald Trump bragged to reporters after the Senate passed its tax bill with 51 of the 52 Republican senators in early December without Vice President Mike Pence ’ s vote .
It ’ s an unusual subject for a president to boast about . The vice president ’ s role as the president of the Senate is usually as a figurehead , not an active legislator . Joe Biden didn ’ t cast a single vote on the Senate floor during his eight years in office . Dick Cheney cast eight in his two terms , and Al Gore , during his two terms , cast four .
In just his first year , Pence has already cast six tie-breaking votes — on track to break a record that has stood since the 19th century : No vice president since 1861 has cast more than 10 tie-breaking votes during his term .
So it was almost surprising that the final vote on the tax bill passed without Pence ’ s tie-breaking support . Earlier in the year , when Senate Republicans passed their initial version of the bill , they needed Pence to break a stalemate over an amendment from Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-TX ) .
It all comes down to the defining legislative dynamic of 2017 : Republicans might control the White House , House , and Senate , but their slim majority and determination to pursue a partisan agenda have left them with a razor-thin margin of error . Pence ’ s role as president of the Senate — once seen as a last resort if negotiations failed — has become a cornerstone of the GOP ’ s legislative strategy .
It ’ s an unusual way for a vice president to wield his influence . But in Trump ’ s first year in office , Pence played an essential role in getting the Republican agenda over the finish line .
Mike Pence is on track to break a modern record
In only his third week in office , Pence was called to the Senate to break a tie .
Betsy DeVos ’ s nomination as education secretary had run into trouble in the Senate . No Democrats would vote to confirm her , and she lost the support of Sens . Lisa Murkowski ( R-AK ) and Susan Collins ( R-ME ) , leaving the final vote count at 50-50 . In need of a simple majority , Pence cast the tie-breaking vote , the first time a vice president ’ s vote was needed to confirm a Cabinet nomination .
It was the first of a series of consequential votes Pence took this year :
In July , he voted break an tie and start debate on the Republican Obamacare repeal effort .
In March , Pence voted in favor of overturning an Obama-era rule protecting state funding for Planned Parenthood . His vote was also needed to begin debate to overturn the rule .
In October , Pence broke the tie on a vote to overturn another Obama-era Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule that bans banks and credit card companies from protecting themselves from class-action lawsuits in their customer contracts .
Pence broke the tie on a vote to overturn another Obama-era Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule that bans banks and credit card companies from protecting themselves from class-action lawsuits in their customer contracts . In December , he voted in favor of Cruz ’ s amendment to the Senate ’ s tax bill that would extend tax-advantaged college savings accounts to elementary and secondary school , including home-schooling .
When Pence was picked to be Trump ’ s running mate , his role in a Trump administration wasn ’ t envisioned as a legislative tie-breaker . He has been seen as Trump ’ s Christian conservative moral compass — there to assure the evangelical base that the Trump agenda would be in line with the values of the religious right .
Offering that assurance is still a large part of what Pence does , but he has established a hugely influential role in the Senate .
While Pence has not yet surpassed the record for tie-breakers , he is on track to break some modern records for a vice president ’ s involvement in Senate votes .
The all-time record is held by John Adams , who cast 29 votes in the 1790s , followed closely by John C. Calhoun with 28 in the 1820s . In the 19th century , vice presidents were generally more active in the legislative branch , according to the Senate Historical Office :
The degree of influence and the role played within the Senate depended chiefly on the personality and inclinations of the individual involved . Some had great parliamentary skill and presided well , while others found the task boring , were incapable of maintaining order , or chose to spend most of their time away from Washington , leaving the duty to a president pro tempore . Some made an effort to preside fairly , while others used their position to promote the political agenda of the administration .
That ’ s largely changed . The vice president ’ s role is seen to be much closer to the executive branch — presiding over the Senate only ceremonially . For the most part that remains true for Pence , with a big exception : when he ’ s needed to break a tie .
This year , Pence was part of the Republican legislative strategy
In his final remarks of the year , Sen. Mitch McConnell admitted 2017 was a year of partisan politics .
“ One thing I can say about this year was that it was pretty partisan , ” McConnell said at his end-of-year press conference . “ Most of the big things I mentioned were done mostly on largely a partisan basis . ”
At the beginning of this year , with a 52-vote majority , far short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster , Republican leadership devised a plan to bypass Democrats altogether on major legislation : For their biggest agenda items — health care and tax reform — they would use “ budget reconciliation , ” which allows a bill that affects spending , revenue , or the debt ceiling to bypass the filibuster in the Senate .
It ’ s a process President Bill Clinton used to pass welfare reform in 1996 and President George W. Bush used to pass tax cuts in 2001 and 2003 . It ’ s how President Barack Obama got several budgetary amendments to the Affordable Care Act passed .
It changed the dynamic of legislating . This year , Republicans only had to find consensus within their own ranks to repeal Obamacare or pass a tax cut , instead of bringing on at least eight Democrats — and they gave themselves a two-senator margin of error . If they lost two votes , Pence was always on hand to keep the agenda moving .
The strategy was successful with taxes , nominations , and reversing Obama-era rules . And while it failed on health care because three Republicans defected , with Sen. John McCain dealing the death blow , the tactic came close to success . Pence was on the Senate floor urging his Republican senators like McCain to keep in line .
In all , 2017 established an unprecedented way of legislating . Central to the strategy was Pence being on call . | NXp1OMuv2mIchAyD | 0 | Republican Party | -0.1 | US Senate | -0.1 | Mike Pence | 0 | White House | 0 | null | null |
healthcare | New York Times - News | http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/09/us/politics/e-mails-reveal-extent-of-obamas-deal-with-industry-on-health-care.html | Obama Was Pushed by Drug Industry, E-Mails Suggest | 2012-06-09 | healthcare | But the bargain was one that the president deemed necessary to forestall industry opposition that had thwarted efforts to cover the uninsured for generations . Without the deal , in which the industry agreed to provide $ 80 billion to expand coverage in exchange for protection from policies that would cost more , Mr. Obama calculated he might get nowhere .
“ Throughout his campaign , President Obama was clear that he would bring every stakeholder to the table in order to pass health reform , even longtime opponents like the pharmaceutical industry , ” Dan Pfeiffer , the White House communications director , said Friday . “ He understood correctly that the unwillingness to work with people on both sides of the issue was one of the reasons why it took a century to pass health reform . ”
Republicans see the deal as hypocritical . “ He said it was going to be the most open and honest and transparent administration ever and lobbyists won ’ t be drafting the bills , ” said Representative Michael C. Burgess of Texas , a Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee examining the deal . “ Then when it came time , the door closed , the lobbyists came in and the bills were written . ”
Some liberals bothered by the deal in 2009 now find the Republican criticism hard to take given the party ’ s longstanding ties to the industry .
“ Republicans trumpeting these e-mails is like a fox complaining someone else raided the chicken coop , ” said Robert Reich , who was labor secretary under President Bill Clinton . “ Sad to say , it ’ s called politics in an era when big corporations have an effective veto over major legislation affecting them and when the G.O.P . is usually the beneficiary . ”
In a statement , the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America , the drug industry lobby known as PhRMA , called its interactions with the White House part of its mission to “ ensure patient access ” to high-quality medicine : “ Before , during and since the health care debate , PhRMA engaged with Congress and the administration to advance these priorities , ” the lobby statement said .
If the negotiations resembled deal-making by past presidents , what distinguished them was that Mr. Obama had strongly rejected business as usual . During his campaign , he singled out the power of the pharmaceutical industry and its chief lobbyist , former Representative Billy Tauzin , a Democrat-turned-Republican from Louisiana .
“ The pharmaceutical industry wrote into the prescription drug plan that Medicare could not negotiate with drug companies , ” Mr. Obama said in a campaign advertisement , referring to 2003 legislation . “ And you know what ? The chairman of the committee who pushed the law through went to work for the pharmaceutical industry making $ 2 million a year . ”
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Mr. Obama continued : “ That ’ s an example of the same old game playing in Washington . You know , I don ’ t want to learn how to play the game better . I want to put an end to the game playing . ”
The e-mails document tumultuous negotiations , at certain times transactional , at others prickly . Each side suspected the other of operating in bad faith . Led by Rahm Emanuel , Mr. Obama ’ s chief of staff at the time , and Jim Messina , his deputy , the White House appeared deeply involved , and not averse to pressure tactics .
In May , the White House was upset industry had not signed on to a joint statement . One industry official urged colleagues to sign : “ Rahm is already furious . The ire will be turned on us. ” By June , tension flared again . “ Barack Obama is going to announce in his Saturday radio address support for rebating all of D unless we come to a deal , ” wrote Bryant Hall , a PhRMA lobbyist , referring to a Medicare Part D change that would cost the industry .
A public confrontation was averted and an agreement announced , negotiated down to $ 80 billion from $ 100 billion . “ We got a good deal , ” Mr. Hall wrote .
The White House thought it did , too , and defended it against Democrats in Congress . “ WH is working on some very explicit language on importation to kill it in health care reform , ” Mr. Hall wrote in September .
Mr. Emanuel , now mayor of Chicago ; Mr. Messina , now the president ’ s campaign manager ; Ms. DeParle , now deputy White House chief of staff ; and Mr. Bryant , now heading his own firm , all declined to comment .
The e-mails released Friday also underscored detailed discussions about an advertising campaign supporting Mr. Obama ’ s health overhaul . “ They plan to hit up the ‘ bad guys ’ for most of the $ , ” a union official wrote after an April meeting . “ They want us to just put in enough to be able to put our names in it — he is thinking @ 100K. ” In July , Mr. Hall wrote , “ Rahm asked for Harry and Louise ads thru third party , ” referring to the characters the industry had used to defeat Mr. Clinton ’ s health care proposal 15 years earlier .
Industry and Democratic officials said advertising was an outgrowth of the deal , not its goal . The industry traditionally advertises for legislation it supports .
In the end , balky House Democrats imposed additional conditions on the industry that pushed the cost above $ 100 billion , but the more sweeping policies it feared remained out of the legislation . Mr. Obama signed it in March 2010 . He had the victory he wanted . | 3ZZDo3HQPGIksVIJ | 0 | Healthcare | -0.2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | CBS News (Online) | https://www.cbsnews.com/news/joe-biden-address-joint-session-congress-april-28/ | Biden to address joint session of Congress on April 28 | 2021-04-14 | US Congress, Joe Biden, Politics | Watch CBS News By Caroline Linton Updated on: April 14, 2021 / 12:58 PM EDT / CBS News President Biden on Tuesday night accepted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's invitation to address a joint session of Congress on April 28. The address is not an official State of the Union because a president's first speech before Congress is not considered a State of the Union. "Nearly 100 days ago, when you took the oath of office, you pledged in a spirit of great hope that 'Help Is On The Way,'" Pelosi wrote in a letter to Mr. Biden. "Now, because of your historic and transformative leadership, Help Is Here!" Pelosi's letter to Mr. Biden came on the same day the White House announced its plan to withdraw all combat troops from Afghanistan by September 11 — the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Like his inaugural address, Mr. Biden's first speech before Congress will be shaped by the coronavirus pandemic, making it different from past addresses delivered by his predecessors before a joint session. A Capitol official involved in the planning said the number of senators and House members in the chamber will be limited due to COVID-19 protocols, and lawmakers will be seated both on the House floor and in the gallery. Guests for members of the House and Senate will also not be allowed. The joint session will be designed a National Special Security Event, with the Secret Service designated as the lead federal agency overseeing coordination, planning and security. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Wednesday that Mr. Biden is "eager" to deliver his address and will likely discuss the economic recovery, combatting the coronavirus pandemic and addressing global challenges. Republicans will likely soon announce who will give their response. The president typically addresses Congress at the beginning of the year, but the White House had said Mr. Biden was focused on passing the American Rescue Plan. Mr. Biden signed the $1.9 trillion package on March 12, and he gave his first primetime address on March 11 to mark the one-year anniversary of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. He gave his first press conference on March 25. The address will be just days before the end of Mr. Biden's first 100 days in office. The first 100 days in office have been used as a marker since at least President Franklin Roosevelt, and Mr. Biden has laid an ambitious agenda for his first 100 days in office. Article II, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution dictates the president "shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient." It was George Washington who set the precedent for what "from time to time" means. The American Presidency Project notes that since 1790, with a couple of exceptions, the State of the Union has been given annually. The message hasn't always gone by the name "State of the Union," the House of Representatives notes. From 1790 to 1946, it was called the "Annual Message," and then from 1942 to 1946, it became known informally called the "state of the Union." And since 1947, it's been officially known as the State of the Union Address. Former President Donald Trump's final State of the Union in January 2020 ended in a dramatic fashion when Pelosi ripped up a physical copy of his speech after he finished. "I tore it up," she told reporters afterward. "I was trying to find one page of truth on there." When asked why she had ripped it up, she responded, "It was the courteous thing to do considering the alternative." Nikole Killion and Melissa Quinn contributed to this report Caroline Linton is an associate managing editor on the political team for CBSNews.com. She has previously written for The Daily Beast, Newsweek and amNewYork. © 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Copyright ©2025 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. These cookies are essential for the proper functioning of our Services. Essential cookies cannot be switched off in our systems. You can set your device to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the Service will not work. Please make sure you click on the Save Settings button at the bottom or otherwise confirm your opt-out choice. If you are in California or Colorado and have enabled the Global Privacy Control signal, we will treat this as a request to opt-out of “sales,” “sharing” and “targeted advertising” for device information. For more information about how to use the Global Privacy Control signal, please see here. For instructions on how to stop receiving marketing emails from us, please see here. | be809841ee6b8723 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
donald_trump | NPR (Online News) | https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/11/26/nx-s1-5195168/nih-bhattacharya-trump-election-2024 | Trump turns to critic of COVID mandates to run NIH | 2024-11-27 | Donald Trump, Trump Administration, Politics, NIH, Public Health, Jay Bhattacharya, Coronavirus Lockdowns, Robert F Kennedy Jr | Rob Stein Dr. Jay Bhattacharya speaks during a roundtable discussion with members of the House Freedom Caucus on the COVID-19 pandemic at The Heritage Foundation in late 2022. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images hide caption President-elect Donald Trump is tapping Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford University health researcher, to be the next director of the National Institutes of Health. "Together, Jay and RFK Jr. will restore the NIH to the Gold Standard of Medical Research as they examine the underlying causes of, and solutions to, America's biggest Health challenges, including our Crisis of Chronic Illness and Disease. Together, they will work hard to Make American Healthy Again!" Trump wrote in a statement making the announcement. Bhattacharya, a physician and health economist whose nomination requires Senate confirmation, would take charge of an agency that employs more than 18,000 workers and funds nearly $48 billion in scientific research through nearly 50,000 grants to more than 300,000 researchers at more than 2,500 universities, medical schools and other institutions. If confirmed, Bhattacharya could dramatically affect the future of medical science. The NIH is the world's largest public funder of biomedical research. But the NIH could be among the top targets for restructuring as the next administration tries to overhaul the federal government. While the NIH has historically enjoyed bipartisan support, Trump proposed cutting the agency's budget during his first term. The NIH came under heavy criticism from some Republicans during the pandemic. That animosity has continued, especially towards some former long-serving NIH officials like Dr. Anthony Fauci, who led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for 38 years, and Dr. Francis Collins, NIH director from 2009 to 2021. One factor was an open letter called "The Great Barrington Declaration," which was released in October 2020 and challenged policies such as lockdowns and mask mandates. Bhattacharya was one of three authors of the document. The declaration called for speeding herd immunity by allowing people at low risk to get infected while protecting those most vulnerable, like the elderly. It was denounced by many public health experts as unscientific and irresponsible. "This is a fringe component of epidemiology," Collins told The Washington Post shortly after the document was released. "This is not mainstream science. It's dangerous. It fits into the political views of certain parts of our confused political establishment." "They were wrong," says Dr. Gregory Poland, president of the Atria Academy of Science & Medicine, a nonprofit group based in New York. "So it is concerning," Poland says of Bhattacharya's selection. Others reacted even more strongly. "I don't think that Jay Bhattacharya belongs anywhere near the NIH, much less in the director's office," says Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. "That would be absolutely disastrous for the health and well-being of the American public and actually the world." Still, others are more measured. "There were times during the pandemic where he took a set of views that were contrary to most people in the public health world, including my own views," says Dr. Ashish Jha, the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health who served as President Biden's COVID-19 Response Coordinator. "But he's fundamentally a very smart, well-qualified person." "Are there views of his that I can look at and say, 'I think he was wrong' or 'They were problematic?' Yeah, absolutely. But when you look at his 20 years of work, I think it is hard to call him fringe," Jha says. "I think he's been very much in the mainstream." Bhattacharya's allies argue the intense criticism the declaration triggered exemplifies how insular and misguided mainstream scientific institutions like the NIH have become. "I think he's a visionary leader and I think he would bring fresh thinking about these issues," says Kevin Bardosh, who heads Collateral Global, a London-based think tank Bhattacharya helped start. "I think he would return the agency back to its mission and cut out the culture of groupthink that's infected it over the years." Others agree major changes are needed. "We have to restore the integrity of the NIH," says Martin Kulldorf, an epidemiologist and biostatistician who helped write the declaration with Bhattacharya. "I think Dr. Bhattacharya would be an excellent person to do that because he's very much an evidence-based scientist." But other researchers expressed concern about Bhattacharya taking the reins of the NIH, given his views about the pandemic and at a time when Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is on track to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the NIH. Kennedy, a vocal critic of mainstream medicine who questions the safety of vaccines and fluoridated water, has said he'd like to immediately replace 600 NIH employees. "If Jay becomes the NIH director, the hardest part will be to insulate NIH against some very bad ideas that RFK Jr. has been espousing," Jha says. "He'll have to deal with a boss who holds deeply unscientific views. That will be a challenge for Jay Bhattacharya but I suspect that will be a challenge for anybody who becomes the head of NIH." Republican members of Congress as well as conservative think tanks like the Heritage Foundation have been proposing changes that would radically restructure the NIH. One proposal would streamline the agency from 27 separate institutes and centers to 15. Another re-thinking would impose term limits on NIH leaders to prevent the establishment of future figures like Collins and Fauci. Fauci became a hero to many scientists, public health experts and members of the public. But he also became a lightning rod for Republican criticism because of changing advice about masks, support for the vaccines, and, most heatedly, about the origins of the virus. "In the United States we abandoned evidence-based medicine during the pandemic. Therefore there's now enormous distrust, I think, both in medicine and in public health. NIH has an important role to restore the integrity in medical research and public health research," Kulldorff says. One proposal causing concern among some NIH supporters would give at least some of the NIH budget directly to states through block grants, bypassing the agency's intensive peer-review system. States would then dispense the money. Many proponents of biomedical research agree that some changes in grantmaking could be warranted and helpful. But some fear they could result in budget cuts to the NIH, which could undermine the scientific and economic benefits generated by agency-funded research. "What I worry about is that if somebody like Jay Bhattacharya comes in to 'shake up' the NIH, they're going to dismantle the NIH and prevent it from actually doing its job rather than just carry out constructive reforms," the University of Saskatchewan's Rasmussen says. The next Trump administration may also crack down on funding research that became especially politically charged during the pandemic – known as "gain-of-function" research. That field studies how pathogens become more dangerous. The NIH also funds other hot button experiments that involve studying human embryonic stem cells and fetal tissue. Restricting certain types of research has some supporters. "There are potential positives that a Trump administration might bring to NIH and its agenda," says Daniel Correa, chief executive officer at the Federation of American Scientists. "Tightening lab security and revisiting and strengthening oversight over risky research, like gain-of-function research, may be central to the next NIH agenda. And I think that would be welcome." But Correa and others say that the new administration also appears likely to reimpose restrictions on other types of medical research as well, like fetal tissue experiments, that were lifted by the Biden administration. "It would be a mistake to restore a ban on fetal tissue research since it was based on false and misleading claims of a lack of important progress and use of fetal tissue," says Dr. Lawrence Goldstein, who studies fetal tissue at the University of California, San Diego. "If Americans want to see rapid research on repairing organ damage and brain damage and all the other diseases we're trying to fight, fetal tissue is a really important part of that tool box." Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor These cookies are essential to provide you with services available through the NPR Services and to enable you to use some of their features. For example, these cookies allow NPR to remember your registration information while you are logged in. Local station customization, the NPR Shop, and other interactive features also use cookies. Without these cookies, the services that you have asked for cannot be provided, and we only use these cookies to provide you with those services. 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banking_and_finance | Reason | https://reason.com/2020/04/28/china-is-rolling-out-a-government-digital-currency-we-shouldnt-try-to-copy-them/ | China Is Rolling Out a Government Digital Currency. We Shouldn't Try to Copy Them. | 2020-04-28 | Economic Policy, China, Banking And Finance, Privacy | Central banks across the world have been mulling the creation of a government digital currency to one day replace cold hard cash . Beyond bidding adieu to the logistical headaches of handling germy physical bills , governments like the idea of having a better eye on transaction data to cut down on tax evasion and disfavored dealings . Fully severing the link with meatspace money could also , how do they put it ? — '' enhance central banks ' monetary toolkits . ''
Giving the government a `` God view '' into all commercial data threatens the well-being of maligned or persecuted groups . Could you one day find yourself among these ranks ? The Sauron 's eye of a GovCoin could give convenient cause for a legal vendetta against you should you happen to find yourself beyond the acceptable bounds of establishment preference .
And although it may seem there is little constraining the Federal Reserve 's actions these days , the physicality of money at least provides some check against operations like imposing negative interest rates .
It is against this backdrop in our ongoing war against cash that China is releasing its proposed digital currency into the world . This month , the People 's Bank of China ( PBOC ) launched a pilot program for its state electronic payment system in four cities : Shenzen , Suzhou , Chengdu , and Xiong'an ( in the outskirts of Beijing ) .
Officials say the currency , internally called `` digital currency/electronic payment '' ( DC/EP ) , is not intended to replace all money or even to be offered nationwide , and is in part an experiment to prepare for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics . At the same time , the PBOC boasts that DC/EP will `` combat money laundering , gambling and terror financing '' while `` [ improving ] the efficiency of transactions in its financial system . '' It is a good bet that if the Chinese government is pleased with the results of this experiment , it will extend DC/EP to corral more financial transactions .
Many in China are already quite familiar with digital payment systems . Some 92 percent of people living in China 's largest cities report that they use one of the two most popular digital payment platforms , WeChat Pay and Alipay , for most of their transactions . Visitors to China are frequently mystified at the sight of shoppers simply scanning their phones to pay for all goods and services , with nary a crumpled Renminbi or even a plastic card to be found .
There is no question that digital payment systems are super convenient . Many of us already use them every day . Not only can you dispense with the need to deal with a shopkeeper , you can quickly reimburse friends and family for a night on the town with the tap of a screen . It 's just easier to deal with glowing numbers than cash and coins . And since everyone is already on the same platforms in China , there 's no coordination problems , either . You do n't need to juggle between Venmo and Square and Zelle and Apple Pay and Stripe and Paypal and … you get the picture .
Of course , convenience can be costly . There is cause for concern whenever data or property can be centralized if for no other ███ than it is easier to target . In China , this problem is more than theoretical : Internet companies must share data with the Chinese government by law . And the Chinese state has recently moved to exert more influence over WeChat parent company Tencent and Alipay operator Ant Financial so they act more like `` state overseen enterprises . ''
And why would n't it ? Gathering transaction data may be the most perfect surveillance system possible . By merely observing what a person buys , a government can get an intimate look at their whereabouts , habits , personality , health and relationship statuses , aspirations , finances , and even their fertility . The best part about financial surveillance is that it 's practically invisible . No street cameras or microphones needed . The data are gathered as a necessary component of the service . Every day , we give companies a raw look into our lives and loves without a moment 's thought .
Formally creating a state-run digital currency is just the next logical step in China 's progression towards financial digitization . Of course , the PBOC promises that DC/EP will `` protect users ' privacy . '' Do you believe that ? Without more details on how the system will work , few people will .
As Coin Center 's Neeraj Agrawal points out , there is a big and important difference between `` private '' as in `` we promise not to look at the data '' and `` private '' as in `` we do n't have the data . '' Which setup do you think a government would prefer ?
Westerners may be tempted to assume that the surveillance risk of the PBOC 's proposed DC/EP follows from the unique authoritarianism of the Chinese state . After all , we hear story after story of the Chinese government targeting religious minorities , censoring pictures of Winnie the Pooh ( among other things ) , and cracking down on Hong Kongers . The problem is n't with a government digital currency per se , you might conclude . The problem is that the Chinese government is uniquely oppressive .
But we do n't need to look all the way to the Orient for examples of expansive state snooping on finances . The good ol ' US of A literally wrote the book on transaction surveillance and control in the form of anti-money laundering and know your customer ( AML/KYC ) regulations . These regulations not only can infringe on the privacy of U.S. citizens , they are applied internationally through bodies like the Financial Action Task Force ( FATF ) . Empowered governments use these controls to apply pressure on errant states and organizations .
Many of the same Western governments engaged in such financial surveillance are considering their own national digital currencies . Citing a decline in the use of physical banknotes and coins , Sweden 's Riksbank launched a pilot of its long-planned e-krona last year . The Bank of England is exploring the possibility of launching its own central bank digital currency . And the idea of a `` digital dollar '' got a big boost in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic when policymakers considered creating one to make stimulus payments to Americans .
Would governments that engage in financial surveillance of traditional transactions suddenly find a newfound respect for privacy when launching their own digital currencies ? The question answers itself .
If China 's experiment with digital currency is fruitful , expect envy from other states . Do n't fool yourself that our digitized government monies would obviously be better than theirs . Having the Federal Reserve serve as both a money creator and a retail bank account operator would effectively anoint the Fed as a national surveillance body , as the economist Lawrence H. White has noted .
We do n't need some government scheme to enjoy the benefits of convenient digital payments . Plenty of private online payment systems already exist . We are even spoiled enough to have private and secure digital currencies like bitcoin , too . Governments are pointing to problems that do n't exist to justify new powers that are truly problematic .
We have enough to worry about with central banks as it is . Let 's not supercharge them as super-snoops , too . | c9c72d8fd205418d | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | New York Post | https://nypost.com/2019/09/30/whistleblowers-lawyers-fear-for-his-safety-amid-trump-remarks/ | Whistleblower’s lawyers fear for his safety amid Trump remarks | 2019-09-30 | politics | The lawyers for the intelligence official who filed a whistleblower complaint against President Trump that triggered a formal impeachment inquiry have expressed “ serious concerns ” for their client ’ s safety , according to reports .
A letter signed by the whistleblower ’ s lead attorney , Andrew Bakaj , and sent to acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire pointed to Trump ’ s call for “ the person who gave the whistleblower the information ” to be publicly identified , NBC News reported .
The letter , dated Saturday and made public Sunday , said events from the past week “ have heightened our concerns that our client ’ s identity will be disclosed publicly and that , as a result , our client will be put in harm ’ s way . ”
Bakaj acknowledged that it was the unidentified whistleblower ’ s source of information whom Trump ’ s comment targeted — but he wrote that the distinction “ does nothing to assuage our concerns for our client ’ s safety , ” and claimed that “ certain individuals ” also had offered a $ 50,000 bounty for information about their client ’ s identity .
The Washington Examiner , a conservative news outlet , reported last week that two right-wing activists had offered the sum for “ credible information corroborating ” the person ’ s identity .
On Sunday , the president suggested in a tweet that he wants the whistleblower to be outed .
“ Like every American , I deserve to meet my accuser , especially when this accuser , the so-called ‘ Whistleblower , ’ represented a perfect conversation with a foreign leader in a totally inaccurate and fraudulent way , ” Trump wrote .
The lawyers also called on lawmakers to speak out for whistleblower protections and insist that retaliation against the official — “ whether direct or implied ” — would not be tolerated , according to Business Insider .
“ Unfortunately , we expect this situation to worsen , and to become even more dangerous for our client and any other whistleblowers , as Congress seeks to investigate this matter , ” the letter said .
CBS News has reported that the whistleblower — identified by the New York Times as a CIA officer — was already under federal protection .
But Mark Zaid , a lawyer from Compass Rose Legal , tweeted that CBS “ completely misinterpreted contents of our letter , ” saying the legal team had not yet reached an agreement with Congress regarding contact with their client .
Rep. Adam Schiff ( D-Calif. ) , chairman of the House Intelligence Committee , told ABC ’ s “ This Week ” on Sunday that he expected the whistleblower to testify “ very soon ” once security measures were implemented to protect the person ’ s identity .
Last week , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the House would launch a formal impeachment inquiry in light of a July 25 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky .
A rough summary of the conversation revealed Trump ’ s apparent efforts to get Ukraine to dig up dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter , who served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company .
On Thursday , the complaint by the whistleblower , who believed Trump was “ using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country ” in the 2020 election , was released to the public .
The intelligence community inspector general , Michael Atkinson , deemed the Aug. 12 complaint “ credible ” and of “ urgent concern ” and passed it on to Maguire , who testified before the House Intelligence Committee .
Maguire said that both the whistleblower and the inspector general “ acted in good faith throughout ” and “ have done everything by the book and followed the law . ”
Related Video Video length 23 seconds :23 Ukraine president says he didn ’ t feel ‘ pushed ’ during call with Trump Ukraine president says he didn ’ t feel ‘ pushed ’ during call with Trump | qnKvKGHAb6QhHbDE | 2 | Whistleblower | -0.2 | Politics | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
white_house | CNN (Web News) | http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/05/08/inside-politics-speed-read-obama-wants-to-save-those-kids-but-can-he/?hpt=po_c2 | Inside Politics Speed Read: Obama wants to 'save those kids,' but can he? | 2014-05-08 | Barack Obama, Nigeria, Women's Issues, White House, Politics | The horrible story of Nigerian girls being kidnapped for going to school seems to have affected President Obama and the first lady personally as the U.S. government also struggles to find consequential ways to help rescue them .
First lady Michelle Obama joined the social media campaign to raise awareness about the missing Nigerian schoolgirls when she tweeted a photo from the White House with a determined and sad look on her face and a piece of paper in her hand saying , “ # BringBackOurGirls . ”
Our prayers are with the missing Nigerian girls and their families . It 's time to # BringBackOurGirls . -mo pic.twitter.com/glDKDotJRt — The First Lady ( @ FLOTUS ) May 7 , 2014
The President spoke Wednesday about how he wants to use the power of his office to “ save those kids , ” even as he considers what he can actually do .
He suggested an incremental effort toward tolerance while speaking at the USC Shoah Foundation in Los Angeles .
“ I have this remarkable title right now , President of the United States . And yet , every day when I wake up and I think about young girls in Nigeria or children caught up in the conflict in Syria … there are times in which I want to reach out and save those kids , ” he said . “ And ( I have ) to think through what levers , what powers do we have at any given moment . I think drop by drop by drop that we can erode and wear down these forces that are so destructive . That we can tell a different story . ”
Clinton ’ s State Department called slow to dub Boko Haram a terror group : Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has also tried to raise awareness on the Nigerian issue . She said Wednesday the Nigerian government clearly has not done enough to combat Boko Haram , the terror group that has claimed responsibility for the kidnappings .
But The Daily Beast said that when Clinton was secretary , the State Department declined urgings from the Justice Department and lawmakers on Capitol Hill to designate Boko Haram as a terror organization .
Clinton warned of the threat of violent Islamic extremism in Nigeria during a 2009 trip there .
CNN 's Jake Tapper wrote at length in 2013 about the arguments for and against designating Boko Haram as a terror organization .
GOP fund-raising and Benghazi : The House of Representatives is expected this week to approve a new special committee to investigate the 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi , Libya .
Republicans say the White House influenced the American response for political reasons .
But Democrats have dismissed this latest effort as political posturing and may not participate in the committee . They pointed to a fund-raising pitch posted online by the National Republican Congressional Committee that promised the inquiry and its leader , Rep. Trey Gowdy , would hold Democrats accountable .
Gowdy , a South Carolina Republican , has twice asked the committee , the House Republicans ’ campaign arm , to take the post down .
Related : Rep. Gowdy calls on NRCC to stop fund-raising on Benghazi
Contempt of Congress : Lois Lerner , the former Internal Revenue Service official accused by Republicans of targeting conservative groups , has officially been held in contempt of Congress for refusing to testify before a House committee .
For nearly a year , Lerner has refused House requests to testify on the matter , citing her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination .
Roll Call recently pointed out the House has the authority to imprison individuals to compel compliance , although no one has suggested such action in this case . Whatever happens to Lerner is now in the hands of the Justice Department , also conducting an inquiry .
The GOP-led House called on Attorney General Eric Holder to remove the IRS investigation from his department and appoint a special counsel to look into the matter .
Gallup : Four years in , GOP support for Tea Party down to 41 percent
The Washington Post : Tea Party candidates wilting in conservative Georgia
The New York Times : Florida finds itself in eye of climate change storm
The Daily Beast : This Southern Republican backed immigration reform and lived to tell about it . | 13f34b5c62b60179 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
us_house | Vox | https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/11/19/20970683/impeachment-hearings-today-watch-live-stream-vindman-sondland | What to expect from this week’s impeachment hearings | 2019-11-19 | us_house | House Democrats have set up a packed schedule for their second full week of impeachment inquiry hearings , with nine witnesses set to testify between Tuesday and Thursday .
Things kick off on Tuesday morning at 9 am Eastern , with testimony from Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman ( a National Security Council staffer ) and Jennifer Williams ( a State Department official detailed to the vice president ’ s office ) . We ’ ve embedded a live stream above , and you can also watch it on C-SPAN or on ███ ’ s Facebook and Twitter .
Later , on Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 pm Eastern , the committee will hear testimony from Kurt Volker ( the former US special representative for Ukraine ) and Tim Morrison ( a National Security Council staffer ) .
The hearing beginning Wednesday morning at 9 am Eastern will likely be especially explosive . It will be devoted entirely to Gordon Sondland , the US ambassador to the European Union . And Sondland is viewed by Democrats as the least credible witness so far — much of his testimony has conflicted with other aides ’ recollections and documents , and he ’ s already “ updated ” his testimony once . So expect him to face serious pressure over whether he ’ s telling the full story .
That afternoon , Wednesday at 2:30 pm Eastern , two lower-profile witnesses — Laura Cooper ( a Defense Department official ) and David Hale ( the under secretary of state for political affairs ) will appear .
The week ’ s testimony will close out on Thursday at 9 am Eastern , with testimony from Fiona Hill ( the former top NSC staffer handling Russia and Europe ) , as well as David Holmes ( a Kyiv-based State Department official who stepped forward only recently to report new information about the scandal . )
All of these witnesses have already given closed-door depositions in the impeachment inquiry , so most of what they have to say is already known . The hearings are primarily to have them repeat their accounts of what they saw transpire in public .
And , for Ambassador Sondland in particular , they provide one more opportunity for him to try and remember some of the many things he failed to recall in his first go-round .
The impeachment inquiry has reached a point where relatively few of the underlying facts are disputed . Extensive witness testimony and documents have clarified the following :
Very soon after Ukraine elected a new president , Volodymyr Zelensky , in April 2019 , Trump ’ s lawyer Rudy Giuliani began urging Zelensky ’ s team to launch certain investigations Trump wanted .
Some Trump administration officials became involved in this effort , too . Specifically , they demanded investigations into Burisma ( a Ukrainian gas company that Joe Biden ’ s son Hunter sat on the board of ) and into purported Ukrainian interference with the 2016 US election .
When Trump talked to Zelensky on the phone on July 25 , he brought up both investigations specifically and urged Zelensky to talk to Giuliani and Attorney General Bill Barr about them .
The Ukrainians were seeking a White House meeting between Trump and Zelensky . Trump officials told them that they wouldn ’ t get it unless they committed to those investigations : a quid pro quo .
Around the same time , Trump was holding up nearly $ 400 million in military assistance Congress had approved for Ukraine ’ s government . Ambassador Sondland has admitted telling the Ukrainians that they likely wouldn ’ t get the aid unless they placated Trump by publicly committing to the investigations . The aid , however , was let through just before this scandal broke into public view .
We ’ re still lacking some facts about the military aid holdup and release ( because the key officials involved , like acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and former National Security Adviser John Bolton have refused to testify ) . Still , the question of whether a quid pro quo was presented to the Ukrainians is no longer in doubt . In fact , two were — first , a White House meeting in exchange for investigations , and then , releasing military aid in exchange for investigations .
Meanwhile , Trump ’ s team is still trying to downplay the extent of the president ’ s involvement in all this — arguing that it was limited to what he said on just one phone call . But more information keeps coming out suggesting he was personally involved in what his aides and allies were doing all along .
Nine separate witnesses are expected to testify this week . Some were more involved in the scandal than others — and some may be more eager to defend Trump politically than others .
For instance , three of the approved witnesses — Kurt Volker , Tim Morrison , and David Hale — were actually requested by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee . ( The GOP requested a longer list , but Democrats only approved those they deemed most relevant to the inquiry ) .
None of these witnesses will get Trump off the hook , exactly — in fact , Morrison ’ s testimony can be read as quite damning for Trump , and Volker turned over a plethora of text messages that have been crucial evidence for Democrats . But Republicans who heard their closed-door testimony evidently concluded they ’ d each by politically helpful in some way .
Another witness — Gordon Sondland — has also seemed to be trying gamely to protect Trump in his testimony so far , often in ways that strain credulity . For instance , he has argued that the quid pro quo push came relatively late and that he didn ’ t even realize it was about the Bidens , he has tried to put the blame for it on Giuliani , and he has repeatedly failed to “ recall ” any personal involvement from Trump in it .
But after Sondland went in to give his initial deposition , other witnesses told the impeachment investigators a very different story . They recalled that Sondland was heavily involved in demanding investigations from the Ukrainians , and that he repeatedly claimed to have talked with Trump about the topic and to be carrying out Trump ’ s wishes .
One new witness , Kyiv-based State Department official David Holmes , came forward just recently to reveal that he saw Sondland call President Trump while they were in a restaurant together . Holmes said he could hear Trump ask about “ investigations , ” that Sondland assured him the Ukrainians would play ball , and that Sondland said after the call that Trump only really cared about Ukraine for the purposes of investigating Biden .
Holmes was a late addition to Democrats ’ hearing lineup , and will appear Thursday . The other witnesses called by Democrats include , as mentioned , Fiona Hill and Alexander Vindman ( National Security Council officials who were deeply concerned by the push for investigations ) , Laura Cooper ( a Defense Department official who struggled to learn why the White House was blocking aid to Ukraine ) , and Jennifer Williams ( a State Department official detailed to Vice President Mike Pence ’ s staff ) . | tjwuuZNtDniB6Go2 | 0 | Impeachment Hearings | -0.6 | US House | 0.2 | Politics | 0.2 | null | null | null | null |
us_military | Washington Times | http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/14/house-cancels-illegal-immigrant-dreamer-path-milit/ | House cancels illegal immigrant Dreamer path to military service | 2015-05-14 | us_military | House Republicans voted Thursday to strike language that would have pushed the administration to allow illegal immigrant Dreamers to sign up for the military , in a move whose symbolism far outstripped its effect .
GOP lawmakers said if they hadn ’ t removed the language from the annual defense policy bill , it could have been seen as a congressional endorsement of President Obama ’ s 2012 deportation amnesty , which granted Dreamers tentative legal status and work permits .
Democrats were enraged at the move , saying it insulted those willing to sign up and put their lives on the line to defend their adopted country .
“ This is yet another example of an anti-immigrant attitude on the part of House Republicans , ” said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi .
And Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton weighed in with a statement from her campaign accusing Republicans of discrimination against illegal immigrants .
“ If these courageous young men and women want to serve , they should be honored and celebrated , not discriminated against , ” said Mrs. Clinton ’ s political director , Amanda Renteria .
SEE ALSO : DHS broke judge ’ s order , approved amnesty applications despite injunction
The vote to nix the Dreamer provision was 221-202 , with all “ Yes ” votes coming from the Republican side . Twenty Republicans did defect to join with Democrats .
Republican leaders argued that the immigration fight was too poisonous to mix with the defense bill , which usually attracts strong bipartisan support . But Democrats , aided by a handful of Republicans , added the Dreamer provision in the Armed Services Committee last month .
The author of the Dreamer language , Rep. Ruben Gallego , Arizona Democrat and Marine veteran who served in Iraq , said his provision had no teeth — it was a symbolic statement that the Defense Department should consider allowing Dreamers to enlist .
Republicans , though , said the effect would be to endorse Mr. Obama ’ s 2012 amnesty , which granted temporary status to young adult illegal immigrants who had completed a certain level of education and had kept out of major criminal trouble . GOP lawmakers said Mr. Obama was acting beyond his powers when he issued his policy .
“ This Congress can not send a message to ratify the president ’ s lawless actions , ” said Rep. Steve King , an Iowa Republican who said he would have had to vote against the defense bill if the Dreamer provision was left intact .
Rep. Mo Brooks , the Alabama Republican who led the fight to nix the Dreamer language , said allowing them to enlist would push Americans out of the military .
But Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler , a Washington Republican who defended Mr. Gallego ’ s provision , said those who volunteer to enlist should be welcomed .
“ The military is not a jobs program , ” she said . “ If someone through their merit and hard work earns acceptance into that elite fighting force where they could die defending you and me , then I leave you with this question : what country ’ s flag would you have draped on the casket of that brave soul ? ”
Mr. Obama said he acted unilaterally because House Republicans wouldn ’ t work with him to legalize illegal immigrants in the first place .
The GOP , in retaliation , has voted to end the amnesty program altogether — though that has never been signed into law . | 3eCSK3Mdg4OKje60 | 2 | Immigration | -0.1 | Military | 0 | US House | 0 | US Military | 0 | Defense And Security | 0 |
democratic_party | Politico | http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/headline-source-philadelphia-to-host-2016-dnc-115143.html?hp=t1_r | Dems pick Philly for '16 convention | 2015-02-12 | democratic_party | Philadelphia has been chosen as the host city of the 2016 Democratic National Convention , party officials announced Thursday .
The decision is a huge disappointment for New York City , where Mayor Bill de Blasio had made a major effort to land the convention for Brooklyn . The city had put together a rich financial package to lure the Democratic National Committee .
The convention will be held in the Wells Fargo Center , home of the Philadelphia Flyers and 76ers . The same building , then called the First Union Center , hosted the GOP convention in 2000 .
“ The role of Philadelphia in shaping our nation ’ s history is unmatched , but what ’ s also unmatched is the comprehensive proposal that the Philadelphia team put together , ” said DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz in a media conference call to discuss the decision .
Former Pennsylvania Gov . Ed Rendell , who joined Wasserman Schultz on the call , said the city had promised to raise $ 84 million to support the event , including $ 12 million in pledged donor funds and $ 5 million already in an escrow account . Rendell said Gov . Tom Wolf , a Democrat , had also pledged to match the same level of support that the city provided to host the Republican convention in 2000 , when Republican Tom Ridge was governor . Ridge , Rendell noted , supports the city ’ s latest effort to snag the Democratic convention .
A Democratic official familiar with the decision said the choice was “ a close call among the three ” and came down almost entirely to logistics . A factor that hurt both Brooklyn and Columbus was the huge security perimeter of a modern convention , which requires surrounding blocks to be fenced off well ahead of the convention .
Both Brooklyn ’ s Barclays Center and the Columbus site are surrounded by apartments , churches and small businesses , which could mean huge disruptions . Philadelphia ’ s site is surrounded by parking lots , as well as larger-capacity baseball and football stadiums . Democrats scheduled the presidential nominee ’ s acceptance speech for outdoor football stadiums in Denver in 2008 and Charlotte , North Carolina , in 2012 — though the 2012 address was moved inside the day before the speech due to forecasts of rain .
Another major advantage for Philadelphia is the close proximity of hotels . Wasserman Schultz said there are about 18,500 hotel rooms within a 15-minute walk of the convention site .
“ Delegate experience was a very , very important thing for us , ” she said .
Mayor Michael Nutter told reporters that Philadelphia “ is virtually a completely different city ” from when it hosted the RNC in 2000 . Wawa , a convenience store chain that ’ s become an iconic part of the Pennsylvania landscape , has seen explosive growth , he said , and even the Vatican has eyed Philadelphia as the host of a major international event .
Local officials in Philadelphia were jubilant . “ That is one hell of a way to start a morning , ” Nutter said , recalling his phone call from Wasserman Schultz to announce the decision .
Rep. Robert Brady ( D-Pa. ) , a Philly political powerhouse and huge cheerleader for bringing the convention to the City of Brotherly Love , told the Inquirer ’ s Jonathan Tamari . “ I like to think hugs make the difference , ” saying that he hugged Wasserman Schultz daily over the past two months .
A big minus for New York was media work space , the DNC official said . Philly has space available near the Wells Fargo Center , while solutions were less obvious in New York .
Logistical concerns were a factor that hurt New York ’ s bid , a Democratic official said . Ohio has a limited donor base , and it would have been hard to raise enough money from local businesses to sustain two conventions in the Buckeye State .
The official said almost everything would be simpler and cheaper in Philadelphia , which hosted the Republican convention in 2000 . The Democratic Party ’ s 2016 convention will take place the week of July 25 . A contract was signed with Philadelphia this morning .
Republicans are holding their national convention in Cleveland the week of July 18 . That means each convention is in a classic swing state .
“ In addition to their commitment to a seamless and safe convention , Philadelphia ’ s deep-rooted place in American history provides a perfect setting for this special gathering , ” Wasserman Schultz said in a statement . | sziYE4rTXTzZR8Zv | 0 | Democratic Party | 1.2 | DNC | 1.2 | Politics | 0 | null | null | null | null |
supreme_court | NPR Online News | https://www.npr.org/2018/10/05/654552328/senate-to-take-decisive-vote-on-kavanaugh-amid-protest-from-democrats | Kavanaugh Passes Critical Senate Hurdle | 2018-10-05 | supreme_court | Kavanaugh Has The Votes To Be Confirmed To The Supreme Court
Brett Kavanaugh 's nomination to the Supreme Court cleared a key procedural hurdle in the Senate on Friday , and his confirmation now seems all but certain , after a key swing vote , Sen. Susan Collins , R-Maine , declared her support in a speech on the Senate floor .
Moments after Collins completed her remarks , Sen. Joe Manchin , D-W.Va. , announced in a statement that he too will support the nomination when it comes up for a final vote .
In a much anticipated speech , Collins said that she believed that Christine Blasey Ford , who accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were both teenagers more than 30 years ago , was a survivor of sexual assault . Still , Collins said , the allegations `` fail to meet the 'more likely than not ' standard , '' and `` I do not believe that these charges can fairly prevent Judge Kavanaugh from serving on the court . ''
Speaking to NPR after Collins and Manchin announced their support for Kavanaugh , a lawyer for Ford addressed whether the California professor feels she failed because confirmation is now a near certainty .
`` Dr. Ford 's goal here was never to impact the process to derail a nomination , '' attorney Lisa Banks said on All Things Considered . `` What she was trying to do was what she thought was the right thing to do as a citizen , which is to provide the information to the U.S. Senate so they could make the most informed decision possible . Her goal was n't to derail this nomination , it was to inform the nomination and she 's done that . ''
Earlier Friday Collins was part of the majority that voted 51-49 to end debate .
President Trump tweeted after the procedural vote that he was `` very proud '' of the Senate for taking the critical step .
One Democrat , Manchin , voted with Republicans to end debate and move the nomination forward . One Republican , Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska , voted with Democrats against ending debate .
In a speech on the Senate floor Saturday night , hours after the support of Collins and Manchin made it clear Kavanaugh was all but certain to be confirmed , Murkowski announced she will oppose the nomination when it comes up for a final vote . But as a courtesy to another GOP senator whose daughter is getting married far from D.C. Saturday , Murkowski also said she will ask that she be recorded as `` present '' in Saturday 's vote . The Alaska Republican noted that being recorded as `` present '' would not change the outcome .
In a speech leading up to the vote , Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley , R-Iowa , said `` the resistance is located right here on Capitol Hill '' and urged his colleagues to `` say no to mob rule '' by voting to confirm Kavanaugh .
The top Democrat on the panel , Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California , said Republicans have `` largely chosen to ignore the testimony '' of Ford .
Murkowski and Collins sat quietly and undisturbed at their adjacent desks as a clerk called the roll .
They sat near the aisle separating senators from both parties — an almost symbolic placement that reflected how the two moderate Republicans were considering crossing the aisle to join with Democratic colleagues to oppose Kavanaugh .
Midway through the vote , as stoic , stone-faced senators sat speechless around them , Collins and Murkowski began an animated conversation in hushed tones . Both nodded eagerly in agreement with the other .
But when all the votes were cast , ultimately Murkowski voted no and Collins voted yes . It was a surprise to Grassley , who told reporters he did n't realize the Alaska Republican would vote no until she cast her vote .
Trump , in a tweet Friday morning , criticized what he termed `` the very rude elevator screamers , '' who he said are `` paid professionals only looking to make Senators look bad ! '' Without evidence , he alleged that the protesters , several of whom said they have been sexual assault victims , were `` paid by [ financier George ] Soros and others . ''
Senators had one day to review a confidential supplemental background check into Kavanaugh 's behavior in the early- to mid-1980s when he was in high school and college . The closely guarded collection of interviews is celebrated by Republican leaders as concrete proof that Kavanaugh did not harass or abuse women . Democrats say the interviews , which they originally requested , are incomplete and inconclusive .
The FBI report did little to alleviate a bitter partisan fight over Kavanaugh 's nomination . Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , announced Thursday that the Senate would proceed anyway with the Friday procedural vote .
`` What we know for sure is the FBI report did not corroborate any of the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh , '' McConnell said . `` The second thing we know for sure is that there 's no way anything we did would satisfy the Democrats . ''
Kavanaugh took an unusual step to boost his nomination Thursday evening , writing an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal expressing regret for the heated tone of his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week , including comments decrying Democratic attacks that were seen by some wavering senators as too partisan .
`` I was very emotional last Thursday , more so than I have ever been . I might have been too emotional at times . I know that my tone was sharp , and I said a few things I should not have said , '' Kavanaugh wrote .
`` Any human being who has been falsely accused of a range of things including gang rape has a right to be upset , has a right to be angry , and that 's what we saw last week , '' said White House spokesperson Kerri Kupec during an interview with Morning Edition .
McConnell received the 51 votes needed to clear the procedural hurdle on Friday . Republicans have enough votes to ensure Kavanaugh 's nomination in the vote expected Saturday , now that Collins and Manchin have announced their intention to support the judge . Sen. Jeff Flake , R-Ariz. , is a reportedly a yes on the nomination , barring a major development .
Collins , Murkowski and Flake spent hours in a secure room in the basement of the Capitol on Thursday reviewing the roughly 45 pages of FBI interviews . Collins and Flake both said the investigation was thorough .
Flake forced Republicans to launch the additional investigation last week after a tense negotiation with Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats . Flake spent a large portion of the afternoon reviewing the FBI work and said he saw no new evidence to corroborate any of the claims against Kavanaugh , which Flake had previously indicated would mean he will vote to confirm .
Democrats saw something very different in the report . Several criticized Republicans for limiting the FBI investigation to just nine interviews . They said the process ignored many potential witnesses , including Ford .
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , said those issues raised serious doubts about Kavanaugh and his qualifications .
`` Judge Kavanaugh stated at his hearing that the individuals at the incident involving Dr. Ford refuted her version of events , '' Schumer said Thursday . `` From their own public statements , we knew that to be false , and nothing in this report changes that . ''
Similar concerns moved Sen. Heidi Heitkamp , D-N.D. , to announce Thursday that she would oppose Kavanaugh . Heitkamp is one of the most vulnerable Democrats on the ballot in November and has seen her poll numbers slip in recent weeks . She is running for re-election in a state that Trump won in 2016 by more than 35 points .
Heitkamp said she was troubled by Kavanaugh 's aggressive appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee and the message his confirmation would send to women and girls across the country .
`` When considering a lifetime appointment to Supreme Court , we must evaluate the totality of the circumstances and record before us , '' Heitkamp said in a statement . `` In addition to the concerns about his past conduct , last Thursday 's hearing called into question Judge Kavanaugh 's current temperament , honesty , and impartiality . '' | mmLJkwf8VISinIHZ | 1 | Supreme Court | 0.2 | Brett Kavanaugh | -0.1 | US Senate | -0.1 | null | null | null | null |
white_house | Townhall | https://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2018/02/27/breaking-kushner-loses-security-clearance-n2455153 | BREAKING: Jared Kushner's Security Clearance Has Been Downgraded, Along With Other White House Staffers | 2018-02-27 | white_house | Senior advisor to President Donald Trump , Jared Kusher -- who is also the president 's son-in-law -- has officially lost the ability to review sensitive classified information after failing to obtain a permanent security clearance .
Speculation surrounding whether Kushner 's permanent security clearance , in addition to temporary clearances held by dozens of White House Staffers , would come through has been swirling for weeks . Last week President Trump said it was up to Chief of Staff John Kelly to determine whether his son-in-law would continue to review classified information .
“ That ’ ll be up to General Kelly . General Kelly respects Jared a lot and General Kelly will make that call . I won ’ t make that call , ” Trump said last week during a press conference with the Australian Prime Minister at the White House .
Previously , Kushner had access to President Trump 's daily intelligence briefings and reports . Moving forward , he will not . Ivanka Trump , married to Kusher , has also been working at the White House on a temporary clearance .
The White House ’ s handling of clearances came under scrutiny after reports that Kelly had been aware that former staff secretary Rob Porter , who was accused by his two ex-wives of verbal and physical abuse , did not have a full security clearance in part because of a previous protective order granted during one of his divorces .
The scandal prompted Kelly to crack down on staffers working without full clearance , more than a year into the Trump administration .
In a five-page document released last week , Kelly ordered a series of initiatives aimed at bolstering protocols .
“ The American people deserve a White House staff that meets the highest standards and that has been carefully vetted — especially those who work closely with the president or handle sensitive national security information , ” Kelly said in the memo . “ We should — and in the future , must — do better . ”
The White House argues Kushner will continue to fulfill an important role at the White House , regardless of his access level to classified information . | YrOpHJZlACFL8BwB | 2 | White House | -1 | Politics | 0.2 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
campaign_finance | Time Magazine | https://time.com/5700819/warren-campaign-finance-plan-2020-election/ | Warren's New Campaign Finance Plan Is Putting Rivals Like Biden and Buttigieg on the Spot | campaign_finance | In a new campaign finance plan released Tuesday , Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced that she will continue to reject big donors and corporate funding throughout the 2020 general election , if she ’ s the Democratic nominee , and challenged her opponents to disclose their big donors as well .
“ If Democratic candidates for President want to spend their time hobnobbing with the rich and powerful , it currently legal for them to do so , ” Warren wrote . “ But they shouldn ’ t be handing out secret titles and honors to rich donors . ”
It was a shot across the bow at opponents like former Vice President Joe Biden , Sen. Kamala Harris , and South Bend , Ind . Mayor Pete Buttigieg , who continue to accept money from big donors and hold the closed-door fundraisers that had been the hallmark of almost every major campaign until the Sanders 2016 presidential run .
Warren ’ s new plan was released just a day after Buttigieg drew blowback from online progressives for comments about his fundraising strategy . “ My competitors can go with whatever strategy they like , but we ’ re going to make sure that we have the resources to compete because we we are going up against the sitting President of the United States , ” Buttigieg told Snapchat ’ s Peter Hamby . “ He has tremendous amounts of support and allies at his back , and we ’ re not going to beat him with pocket change . ”
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Progressives online slammed him immediately . “ Small-dollar grassroots campaigns , aka what Buttigieg insults here as ‘ pocket change , ’ out-fundraise him by millions , ” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez tweeted in responses . “ Our nation ’ s leaders should be working to end the era of big money politics , not protect it . ”
But Warren has so far raised an impressive haul despite rejecting big-money donations . The campaign announced in October that they ’ d raised $ 24.6 million in the third quarter from 943,000 donations , including roughly a third who donated to the campaign for the first time ( the average grassroots donation was $ 26 , the campaign said . ) Senator Bernie Sanders , who also refuses corporate donations , raised even more that quarter : $ 25.3 million from 1.4 million contributions . And big donors doesn ’ t necessarily translate into top fundraisng numbers . Buttigieg raised $ 19.1 million last quarter , falling short of his Q2 haul . Biden raised $ 15.2 million , and Harris raised $ 11.6 million .
In addition to vowing to reject donations over $ 200 from executives at big tech companies , banks , private equity firms and hedge funds , Warren ’ s new plan would aim to make it illegal for federal candidates to accept corporate PAC money , close the loophole that allow foreign corporations to influence U.S. politics , ban lobbyist bundling and forbid the selection of ambassadors based on campaign donations .
The issue of campaign finance will likely come front and center at Tuesday night ’ s debate , as Warren enters the debate stage after month of rising in the polls . | DmZZlEFSNdo9gww3 | 0 | Elizabeth Warren | 1.5 | Democratic Party | 0.2 | Presidential Elections | 0.1 | FEC | 0 | Election2020 | 0 | |
media_bias | Salon | http://www.salon.com/2014/12/18/my_week_in_the_right_wing_lie_machine_when_fox_news_twitchy_and_montel_williams_declared_war_on_me/ | My week in the right-wing lie machine: When Fox News, Twitchy and Montel Williams declared war on me | 2014-12-18 | Fox News, Media Bias | John Mellencamp first heard his 2003 , antiwar , anti-Bush song on the radio while driving around his home state of Indiana with one of his sons . The DJ played “ To Washington , ” his update of the Woody Guthrie protest anthem , and asked listeners to call the station to report their reaction . One angry caller captured the mood : “ I don ’ t know who I hate more , Osama bin Laden or John Mellencamp. ” Mellencamp ’ s son asked his dad how he felt about having a freshly painted bull's-eye on his back for right-wing venom , and he dispensed some fatherly wisdom , “ Sometimes when you stick your neck out , your head gets cut off . ”
For the first couple of days after the publication of my essay criticizing military worship , “ You Don ’ t Protect My Freedom , ” I certainly felt like my head was resting in the guillotine . On the day of publication I woke up to check my email and found thousands of messages , ranging from the mild ( “ I hope you die and burn in hell ” ) to the touching ( “ If I ever see you on the street , I will kill you . ” )
My Twitter account , which I had updated once in five years , exploded with counterarguments of similar erudition and insight . A scroll through my feed took me through a tour of the cyberschoolyard . Mockery of my hairstyle , and invective like “ loser , ” “ punk and the retrograde “ hippie '' substituted for real argument . The Twitter campaign found its fearless leader in Montel “ Bounce Any Checks Lately ? ” Williams , who after calling me a “ POS ” ( an acronym for “ piece of shit , ” I assume ) , challenged me to a debate 140 characters at a time . He then unleashed his public relations team on me , and together , they started tweeting at all the cable news networks , seemingly jockeying for a segment on television , in which the payday-loan pitchman could pose as defender of the sanctity of the military against my “ vile ” attack .
Feeling no obligation to give Montel and his minions a venue to insult me , I deleted my Twitter account . Two days later , while the emails were still overwhelming my inbox , a well-meaning weirdo created a Twitter feed using my name and likeness , and began to tweet sophomoric replies to the right-wing mob . I filed a complaint with Twitter , and after scanning and sending them an image of my driver ’ s license to verify that I am the real David Masciotra , they removed the page . Michelle Malkin , whose claim to fame is defending the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II , followed all of the action closely and provided her fans with updates on Twitchy – a conservative Us Weekly without the charm – and contributed to the conversation about war , peace and militarism by calling me a “ jack ass ” and “ douche bag . ”
For the rest of the week , I let the delinquent children play with their paste and crayons . Watching from afar in Indiana , in the company of my loving girlfriend and cats , I rejected several invitations to appear on Fox News and conservative talk radio . I reread my essay , thought about the arguments I made and the conversation I hoped to provoke , and reflected on my confrontation with contemporary right-wing culture and my visit to the intellectual sewer of social media .
First , I considered my own errors . I firmly believe that every point I argued in my essay is correct , and I do not repudiate any of my criticism of America ’ s gratuitous glorification of the military . The language I used to express some of my points , however , lacked the sensitivity necessary for acknowledging the loss many families suffer when their loved ones enlist . When any politician or pundit discusses the military , thousands of Americans do not approach the issue as a political , philosophical or cultural abstraction , even if it does have important implications in all three areas of analysis . They simply think of their child , spouse or sibling . They worry for his safety or mourn his death .
By dealing with the topic as merely the source of an intellectual inquiry , I ignored the pain and trepidation many families feel on a daily basis when they confront headlines or news reports of a bombing in Afghanistan . If I could rewrite the original essay , I would better account for the burden that military families silently and steadily carry , because the American government has committed itself to eternally validating the conclusion of United States Marine Corps ' Smedley Butler : “ War is a racket . ”
I should have included the story of my own grandfather , a veteran in World War II who was the sole survivor of an Army plane crash . He hated war more than anyone I ’ ve ever met , and he found mawkish tributes and parades for veterans both cheap and corrosive to a critical perspective necessary to prevent future deaths of young men who take their final breaths among the carnage of plane debris , broken bones and bloody faces .
I should have written about my own father , who was drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War , and began suffering from severe heart disease in his 40s , even needing open heart surgery , despite having a healthy BMI , and never even taking a puff off a cigarette . It is likely that his heart problems are the result of exposure to Agent Orange in Southeast Asia . The VA invited any Vietnam vet who showed symptoms of heart disease under the age of 50 to file for compensatory benefits , but they subjected my father to the typical treatment of endless delays until he finally surrendered .
I also should have written about my former student , Daniel , who is an Army veteran of the war in Afghanistan . He told me the word “ hero ” embarrasses him , and that whenever he hears the phrase “ thank you for your service , ” he remembers participating in a raid based on faulty intelligence . When he and his fellow soldiers violently burst into the home of a “ suspected terrorist , ” all they found was an elderly man so shocked by the upheaval that he immediately entered cardiac arrest and died . Daniel speculated that if the elderly man ’ s son or grandson was not a terrorist before the American raid induced that heart attack , he “ probably is now . ”
The inclusion of my own personal experiences with veterans , and the testimony of their own heartbreak over the costs of carrying out the orders of Empire , would have humanized my argument . But I wonder if it would have made any measure of difference . The overwhelming majority of readers who reacted with rage to my article showed no evidence of actually reading it . Had the people who accused me of “ hating the troops ” or “ supporting terrorism ” given the essay even a cursory look , they would have seen that I twice stated that some of the troops are heroes , but that many are not . They would have also learned that , unlike many of the political pawns of the Pentagon who can ’ t cry enough tears for our “ heroes , ” I support providing all veterans with the best possible healthcare and psychiatric services . My antiwar advocacy and resistance to militarism is , partially , motivated by solidarity with the military – a term I used in the original essay . Fewer soldiers fighting fewer wars translates into fewer funerals , and less waste and betrayal of the bravery that active duty military personnel do display on the battlefield . In the words of historian Thaddeus Russell , “ calling soldiers heroes gets more soldiers killed . ”
Fewer soldiers fighting fewer wars also minimizes what theologian Stanley Hauerwas , who I quoted in my article as instructing pastors to discourage young congregants from enlistment , calls the “ moral loss ” of having to accept the duty to kill . Even if the killing occurs in self-defense , it strikes a blow to the killer ’ s psyche and sense of ethics .
It is supportive of troops and veterans to demand aggressive action to protect women from rape while serving in the military . The nearly universal refusal to acknowledge the evidence that sexual assault is rampant in all branches of the military demonstrates how little the bodies and lives of women matter in American culture . Writers , activists and documentary filmmakers invest their energy into emphasizing the gruesome reality that , according to the Department of Defense ’ s own study , one-third of women in the military become victims of sexual assault while wearing the uniform , and the mainstream media , along with the political establishment , continue to ignore it . No one in the media who vilified me for my perspective made any attempt to counter the statistical data I cited on the sexual assault epidemic in the military . No one even mentioned it , with the exception of the characteristically sophisticated Rush Limbaugh who claimed it is “ childlike ” to “ pretend all of this is happening . ”
An apparently “ childlike ” woman who spent years in the Air Force emailed me , thankful for my article , and wrote that she had twice been sexually assaulted . An active duty soldier , who also works as a paralegal with military justice , objected to some of the terminology and rhetoric in my essay , but told me that he sees the sexual assault epidemic up close in his legalistic role , and that clearly , rapists , even those in uniform , are not heroes .
The cultural narrative that all troops and veterans are heroes will not allow for the acknowledgment that some are rapists . But by ignoring the stories of thousands of women who battle the real “ rape culture ” of the barracks and the Pentagon , who are the defenders of the sanctity of the military really protecting ? They are enhancing and extending the vicious violation of women who suffer the violence and degradation of rape , and they are providing a cover story for the rapists and the military administrators who would rather bury the story than deal with embarrassing headlines . Given the priorities of American culture , the popular bumper sticker should actually read , “ Support the troops unless they are raped by other troops . ”
Just as observing the indifference toward rape in the military exposes the depth and breadth of American sexism , any engagement with right-wing media and culture confirms all the worst suspicions anyone could have about its leaders and followers .
There is not only an acceptance of ignorance , but from Fox News , an encouragement of it . On “ Fox and Friends , ” “ The Five ” and Fox Business News ’ “ The Independents , ” the respective hosts of the programs vilified and demonized me as someone who hates everyone in the military . “ Fox and Friends ” posted my photo , over the ominous tones of their hosts condemning my words – almost none of which they quoted – as if it was a mug shot , and then told readers , “ Go tell him what you think of this. ” The language of the command exposes the poison of their propaganda . They did not tell viewers to go online and read the article , evaluate it according to their own analysis , and decide for themselves what they believe . They ordered their viewers to believe a certain way , without acquiring any information , and target me with their hatred and hostility . Judging from my inbox , thousands of viewers marched along like wooden soldiers , eager to behave as if they just received a lobotomy from the skilled surgeons of Fox .
The pattern of ad hominem attacks , without any engagement of the evidence or acknowledgment of the argumentation of my article , demonstrated the thoughtlessness that defines political activism on much of the right wing , but also the racism , homophobia and prejudicial scorn and fear of Islam . Clearly , the worst thing much of the right can think to call someone is “ gay. ” Nearly every email I received contained some accusation of homosexuality . When one homophobic crackpot suggested that I ’ ve had sex with John Mellencamp , Jesse Jackson , Noam Chomsky and Jimmy Carter , because I ’ ve written favorably about all four men , I emailed a bisexual friend and said , “ I ’ m not gay , but if I was , I guess I ’ d have some impressive and accomplished partners. ” My friend wrote back , “ I ’ d be in awe . ”
My previous writing on Jesse Jackson seemed to cause the right-wing psycho meter to go off the charts . Many of my correspondents resorted to ugly racial slurs that , out of respect for Rev . Jackson , I won ’ t repeat . The rhetoric about Islam , always accompanied by an insinuation that I ’ m actually a Muslim , was equally vicious and vulgar .
Kennedy , host of `` The Independents , '' offered the insightful rebuttal to my essay by positing I had a “ miserable childhood , ” and then proceeded with her guest , a representative of Concerned Veterans for America , to concede one of my major points – the elementary truth that not all soldiers and veterans are heroes . Then , they gave revelatory insight into the strange and sick mind-set of libertarian ideology . In my article , I argued that much better ways to offer “ support for the troops ” than contrived hero worship and garish displays of nationalism is to grant all veterans the best healthcare and psychiatric services available , and to oppose wars that turn soldiers into victims by wasting their lives for the advancement of unnecessary and unjust military adventurism .
Kennedy and her guest laughed off the healthcare argument , apparently operating under the assumption that a 20-year-old in a wheelchair doesn ’ t really need medication , physical therapy and handicap accommodations in his home , but will settle for ribbons around trees and stickers on cars . Then , they denied that any veterans are victims . The right wing is especially resistant to the categorization of any group of people as victims . They decry black Americans for embracing “ victimology , ” and they disparage women for “ playing the victim , ” whenever anyone identifies incidents or patterns of racial or sexual injustice . It is of crucial importance to the right-wing project of constructing a society of solipsism to sketch a victimless world of capitalistic purity . If there are no victims , institutions are irrelevant , and there are no victimizers . If there are no victimizers , there is no need for external agitation from democratic organization or government enforcement of fair and consistent standards under the law .
It is why , as Jesse Jackson once told me , “ Anyone who even gestures toward justice is on their [ the right-wing ] out list . ”
The prevention of wars of aggression and corruption is central to any culture not just gesturing , but marching toward justice . Maintaining faith in the fidelity of the American government to causes of freedom , and expressing that faith in the ritualistic prayer of thanking “ heroes ” for “ protecting our freedom ” is sacramental and essential . Religious language clarifies the dogmatic approach to American exceptionalism and militarism , because as historian Morris Berman correctly explains , “ The real religion of America is America . ”
Spiritual devotion to the purity of America , preached by fundamentalists such as Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush , and even by moderate believers like Barack Obama , explains why for all their whining about “ political correctness , ” the right wing is far more sensitive and emotionally fragile than liberals . Many liberals do have a problem with overreacting to gaffes and jokes , but the real p.c . enforcement comes from the flag-saluting conservative crowd , with `` p.c . '' standing not for “ political correctness , ” but “ patriotic commandments . ”
At the top of the tablet is the Patriotic Commandment , “ Thou shalt not criticize the military . ”
Besides a couple of mildly stressful days , when the emails would not stop , I did not suffer because of my article . Many right-wingers promised to make my life a “ living hell , ” but after a few days the emails dropped down to zero , and they had moved onto their next target for hatred . Coincidentally , it was Bruce Springsteen for performing “ Fortunate Son , ” a classic song with antiwar themes , at the Concert for Valor .
The salient question is not how badly the right-wing army failed at making my life unpleasant , but how terribly they succeed in making American democracy duller and smaller . With cooperation from much of the moderate media , and the American political establishment , they exercise the removal of certain topics and arguments from the discourse , and in doing so , narrow the conversation about American power . The myth of universal heroism in the military and pure benevolence of American foreign policy functions as a force field around the status quo . It protects the “ masters of war , ” Bob Dylan famously indicted , and it shields American eyes from the dead or disfigured children in Afghanistan , Iraq , Pakistan and other places on the other side of the planet , barely in the consciousness of the average citizen of the United States .
Ernest Hemingway wrote in `` A Farewell to Arms '' that “ I was always embarrassed by the words sacred , glorious , and sacrifice and the expression in vain …There were many words that you could not stand to hear and finally only the names of places had dignity . Certain numbers were the same way and certain dates and these with the names of the places were all you could say and have them mean anything . Abstract words such as glory , honor , courage , or hallow were obscene beside the concrete names of villages , the numbers of roads , the names of rivers , the numbers of regiments and the dates . ”
The abstraction of “ thanking heroes for our freedom ” not only distracts from the bodies and hearts that break in the wake of war , but contributes to the continuation of war . One man who can not forget the concrete names of dead soldiers in the ground is Fred John Boenig , a radio host in Bethlehem , Pennsylvania . Boenig spent his three hours on the air , the morning after the publication of my article , defending my arguments against another radio broadcaster , Chris Salcedo in Houston , who was denouncing me on his show as a traitor . Boenig reads the names of American military personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan each morning on this show -- all the names of the fallen who died on that particular day of the year , from 2001 to present . He invited me to come on the air , and after I declined , he asked if we could speak privately on the phone .
Boenig is a gold-star father with three children currently in the military . His oldest son died in Afghanistan , and it was over the phone on the morning of Veterans Day that he humbled me by sharing his story .
Austin Gates Benson , Fred ’ s son , at the age of 19 , enlisted in the United States Air Force , because one of his goals in life was to help bring Osama bin Laden to justice for orchestrating the murder of thousands of Americans . Benson ’ s brilliance in computer engineering and programming ensured that he would not contribute to the cause of the U.S. military in a combat role , but rather as a computer specialist in Afghanistan . Always a precocious boy , at the age of 18 he was reading and writing at the high collegiate level , and at the age of 7 , he was an extra in the Julia Roberts movie `` Stepmom . ''
Fred speaks of his son with the words and tone of a proud father . Austin was not only talented , but brave and compassionate . His potential to contribute and serve was without limit , and it was something that Col. Wesley L. Rehorn saw and affirmed . Rehorn cradled Benson as a protégé , even developing a personal friendship as he would invite him to smoke expensive cigars on base . Benson wrote home and explained how much he was enjoying his bond with Rehorn , and that all seemed well in Afghanistan .
For his work , he would receive high military honors ( a Firewall 5 ) normally not given to young A1Cs . He was able to repair the Joint Special Operations Command computer for monitoring drone strikes . When his improvements were complete , the military sharply escalated its drone strike program in 2010 . The strikes in Pakistan , for example , increased from 25 to 150 a month , after Benson ’ s reworking of the computer . He wrote home explaining how he loved the leadership and wanted to extend his tour .
Communications stopped for two weeks in April 2010 . Benson ’ s mother , Joie Gates , emailed Austin , saying , “ No news is good news , but what ’ s up ? ” Austin wrote , “ We have been real busy with this roll up . I ’ ll call today. ” When the call came , Joie had just seen a report on the BBC about a drone strike in Pakistan that killed 79 innocent civilians . She asked her son if the report was accurate . Benson said that he could not discuss it because it was classified , but whispered , “ Funny they are only reporting one. ” Many civilians had died in drone strikes . The firsthand knowledge and experience of Benson reinforces the New York University Law School and Stanford Law School joint study finding that in Pakistan , drone strikes have ended the lives of 471 to 881 civilians , including 176 children .
Benson said goodbye to his mother , and that afternoon his parents received an email from him stating , “ Due to recent events , including those that kept me from communicating with you , I have cemented my decision , I will not spend one second in Afghanistan longer than I have to . Don ’ t worry I ’ ll be home on time. ” Two weeks later , he shot himself in the head . In his suicide note , he wrote that he “ felt like a monster only a mother could love . ”
Fred Boenig and Joie Gates , while still mourning the loss of their son , have petitioned President Obama to address the growing number of suicides in the military , have become antiwar advocates , and have called for reevaluation of the drone strike program . Boenig has also started the Daily Ripple , a news site focusing on the American movement for peace and social justice .
Through his work , Boenig is able to give his son a voice , and he tells me that he often has to remind people , “ My son didn ’ t feel like a hero . He cared about what he was doing , which he did with great expertise , but he felt very badly for the Afghan people caught in the middle . He was n't fighting for our freedom . The only freedom we lost after 9/11 was because of the Patriot Act . ”
Boenig told me that he wears the gold star and three blue stars on his lapel whenever he knows he will share a room with a politician . He uses it to get their attention , and when he has it , he explains what it 's like to pick a son up at Dover Air Force Base and live with the constant fear of losing his other children who are currently serving . “ No boots on the ground , ” he tells them . “ I don ’ t ever want to pick up another kid in a flag-covered box . ”
Fred Boenig isn ’ t a flag waver , using the patriotic banner to shield his eyes from the real cost of war . He reminds people as they so bravely say from the comfort of their home , “ We should kick their ass , ” that it likely won ’ t be their child going , but it will be his . Then he asks them , “ Do you know how many we have lost so far ? ”
When they often fail to give even an approximate estimate , he replies , “ I guess if you aren ’ t concerned with the ones we already lost , what ’ s a few more ? ” The numbers are real to Boenig and he reads them every day on the air because on both ends of the barrel , every casualty is someone ’ s son or daughter . He understands , learning in the worst imaginable way , how war devastates the human spirit . With an average of 22 vets a day , dying by suicide , he wishes America would find a better way to use talented and brave children than sending them to fight over something few if any understand .
One year to the day of his son ’ s death , JSOC sent SEAL Team 6 to get Osama bin Laden , a bittersweet anniversary for Boenig , knowing the role his son had in it .
The story of Austin Gates Benson not only exposes the hollow center at the core of America ’ s militaristic culture , but it also demonstrates and dramatizes the wisdom of Asha Bandele , who in her novel `` Daughter '' illumines the absurdity of apologetics for violence . Bird , a character of the story who is a Vietnam veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder , tells his young lover , “ The United States likes to act as though it honors their dead . But if it did , there ’ d be a whole lot more people alive . ” | 1c46873f2dcb2f25 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
violence_in_america | Guest Writer - Right | http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/07/16/chattanooga-shooting-proves-its-time-to-arm-our-armed-forces.html | OPINION: Chattanooga shooting proves it's time to arm our Armed Forces | 2015-07-16 | violence_in_america | It turns out that at least one of the two military facilities attacked in Chattanooga , Tennessee -- was a gun-free zone .
If you looked closely crime scene photographs - you can see the sign -- plastered on the front of a bullet- riddled window .
Four Marines were slaughtered -- a fifth wounded -- along with a Chattanooga police officer .
Authorities say the gunman , identified as 24-year-old Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez , was killed in a shoot-out .
Abdulazeez is reportedly a Kuwaiti-native who attended high school in the Chattanooga area . The Times Free-Press posted his graduation photo – that included the phrase ; “ My name causes national security alerts . What does yours do ? ”
The FBI says it ’ s too soon to speculate on the suspect ’ s motive – but I think we ’ ve all got a pretty clear understanding of what went down .
As many as 50 shots were fired -- and all the survivors could do was barricade themselves inside .
The brave men and women who staff these military recruiting stations are sitting ducks . Soft targets - is the terminology they use .
In response to the shooting Homeland Security ordered enhanced security measures at federal buildings . Since they can ’ t carry weapons what are they going to do ? How are they going to defend themselves against the next Muhammad Abdulazeez -- lock the doors , pull the shades ?
It 's time to arm the Armed Forces . Now , I ’ m sure the experts will say there ’ s some sort of logical reason why military personnel should not have access to firearms – but I ’ m not convinced . Brave Marines gunned down in a Southern city -- and that is something we can not abide . Our elected leaders must give them at least a fighting chance .
It makes absolutely no sense that Marines and Airmen and Sailors and Soldiers who defend our nation are unable to defend themselves – on American soil . | qpikf8D5LjV0zdVX | 2 | Marine Corps | 0.3 | Chattanooga | -0.1 | Violence In America | -0.1 | null | null | null | null |
media_bias | Media Matters | https://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/05/31/how-donald-trump-dodged-media-discussion-over-trump-university/210646 | How Donald Trump Dodged A Media Discussion Over Trump University | 2016-05-31 | media_bias | Donald Trump used a press conference about millions of dollars in donations he says he raised for veterans ’ groups to hijack the cable news discussion and largely avoid coverage of an anticipated document release today as part of a lawsuit alleging misrepresentation by his now-defunct Trump University business . CNN , MSNBC , and Fox News devoted more than five hours to previewing , airing , and discussing Trump ’ s press conference between 6 am and 4 pm , compared to less than one hour of discussion of the Trump University lawsuit .
After intense and admirable pressure from the press , Trump last week finally took steps toward personally donating $ 1 million to a veterans ’ charity , four months after he falsely claimed he had done so . Trump had organized a January 28 nationally televised fundraiser as a substitute for appearing at a debate moderated by Fox News , which Trump was feuding with at the time . That night , he claimed to have raised $ 6 million , including his own gift . He subsequently avoided repeated questions about where the donations had gone .
Trump ’ s campaign originally scheduled a press conference for May 30 to discuss the donations . But on May 29 , he moved the appearance to today .
It ’ s not hard to see why . On May 27 , a federal judge ordered the release this week of internal documents from Trump University , a Trump-owned real estate seminar business that is facing several pending fraud and misrepresentation lawsuits brought by former students and by the state of New York . CNN reported that the documents would begin coming out today .
Donald Trump does not want the media talking about whether he defrauded thousands of people who trusted his company to give them good business advice . By moving his veterans event to today , Trump was able to use what The New York Times has termed his “ unrivaled ability to hijack a news cycle , ” ensuring that the media would spend the day focusing on his comments rather than coming back from the holiday weekend with a focus on the contents of the pending Trump University lawsuits .
All three cable news networks broadcast the entirety of Trump ’ s 40-minute press conference live , and devoted substantial time afterwards discussing his comments , which included both a detailed list of donations he had channeled to veterans and attacks on the press . As Politico noted , Trump “ game [ d ] the media , again . ”
While the cable news coverage of the Trump event was by no means universally flattering , with many journalists criticizing the candidate ’ s attacks on the press , it did move the subject of that coverage to Trump ’ s preferred topic . As CNN ’ s Ashleigh Banfield noted after one such segment , “ The question needs to be asked : what about this news conference and what happened , and is it overshadowing another case ? ”
It did . While both CNN and MSNBC devoted segments to discussing Trump University -- and CNN ’ s Jim Acosta used a question during the press conference itself to ask Trump about the lawsuits -- all three networks devoted significantly more time to discussing Trump ’ s veterans event . ( Acosta ’ s question and Trump ’ s response during the press conference , and a single 11-second tease on Fox News ’ America ’ s Newsroom , represented the entirety of that network ’ s coverage of Trump University . )
Research by Rob Savillo and Cydney Hargis , graph by Sarah Wasko .
Methodology . ███ reviewed our internal video archive for discussion of Trump 's press conference about raising money to donate to veterans ’ organizations and discussion of the allegations against Trump University . We reviewed all mentions of “ Trump ” for these two topics between 6:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on CNN , Fox News Channel , and MSNBC , and we then timed the relevant discussion . Trump 's press conference was included in the data , with all discussion related to veterans during the event coded as time devoted to the Trump Veterans Presser and all discussion of Trump University during the event coded as time devoted to Trump University . | dzSWPzqdH8yVzrms | 0 | Donald Trump | -0.6 | Media Bias | 0.2 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
elections | Associated Press | https://www.apnews.com/36f5e67a145c4f0eb7661f2ca453b0a9 | Trump vs. Dems: ‘Racist,’ ‘socialist’ lines drawn for 2020 | 2019-07-18 | Presidential Elections, Donald Trump, Democratic Party, Socialism, Republican Party, Race And Racism, Elections | WASHINGTON ( AP ) — With tweets and a vote , President Donald Trump and House Democrats established the sharp and emotionally raw contours of the 2020 election campaigns .
In the process , they have created a fraught political frame : “ racists ” vs. “ socialists . ”
Trump ’ s aggressive condemnation of women of color in Congress has allowed House Democrats to mend , for now , their own political divisions as they put the president on record with a resolution condemning his words as racist .
But by pushing the House majority into the arms of the squad of liberal freshman women , Trump also adds to his narrative that Democrats have a “ socialist ” agenda , a story line he started to bring into focus during his State of the Union address .
Political triumphs are being claimed on all sides . Yet it ’ s unclear whether either approach is what ’ s needed to sway independent-minded voters who typically determine congressional and presidential elections . And at a time when polling shows Americans sense a worsening of racial attitudes , the searing attacks along Pennsylvania Avenue are tapping potentially explosive emotions .
“ I do think I ’ m winning the political fight , ” Trump told reporters outside the White House . “ I ’ m winning a lot . ”
Whoever is “ winning , ” there was no cooling off Wednesday . Trump continued attacking the quartet during a campaign rally in Greenville , North Carolina , and the crowd responded by chanting , “ Send her back ! ” The House voted on a resolution on impeachment , though a majority of Democrats joined united Republicans in killing the measure .
In all , the current state of affairs offers “ a very clear choice , ” said Ronna McDaniel , the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee .
“ The Democrat party is now a socialist party , and these four women have become the de facto speakers of the Democrat House , ” she said on Fox . “ So he ’ s saying , do you want socialism or do you want what we ’ re delivering with higher jobs , higher wages , more jobs , a strong economy . ”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested Americans have already heard enough from Trump , with his “ disgusting ” remarks “ denigrating ” the nation ’ s values .
“ The president knows the arguments that are being made against him and therefore he wants to distract from them , ” Pelosi said . “ Let ’ s not waste time on that , ” she said . “ We ’ re talking about what we ’ re going to do to help the American people . ”
The four freshmen , in their own appearance together , portrayed the president as a bully who wants to “ vilify ” not only immigrants , but all people of color . They ’ re fighting for their priorities to lower health care costs , pass a Green New Deal addressing climate change , they say , while his thundering attacks are a distraction and tear at the core of America vales .
“ America has always been about the triumph of people who fight for everyone versus those who want to preserve rights for just a select few , ” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York , perhaps the most recognizable of the newcomers .
“ And there is no bottom to the barrel of vitriol that will be used and weaponized to stifle those who want to advance rights for all people in the United States , ” she said on “ CBS This Morning . ”
Taking a fresh dig at the group , Trump on Wednesday tweeted a new slogan — “ One ‘ squad ’ under God ” — with a video featuring clips of him meeting with law enforcement and military personnel juxtaposed with patriotic scenes , set to Lee Greenwood ’ s “ Proud to be an American , ” which often serves as a soundtrack to his campaign rallies .
The week has already been extraordinary , even by the new standards of the Trump presidency .
In a political repudiation , the Democratic-led U.S. House voted Tuesday to condemn Trump ’ s “ racist comments ” against the congresswomen of color after he told them to “ go back ” to their own countries .
The women , Ocasio-Cortez and Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota , Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan , all were born in the U.S. except for Omar , who became a U.S. citizen after fleeing Somalia as a refugee with her family .
Democrats eased the resolution through the chamber by 240-187 , joined by four Republicans and one Republican-turned-independent congressman .
Trump accused the women of “ spewing some of the most vile , hateful and disgusting things ever said by a politician ” and added , “ If you hate our Country , or if you are not happy here , you can leave ! ”
Republican operatives swiftly dispatched their own attacks on nearly 30 of the House Democratic freshmen who helped take the majority in 2018 by winning seats from areas that Trump also won in 2016 . They are seen as the front-liners needed to retain control of the House , and many face tough re-election races in 2020 .
“ Deranged , ” read the missives from the National Republican Congressional Committee . The committee is raising money off Ocasio-Cortez as the face of the “ socialist ” agenda and drawing links to the party ’ s presidential contenders , including Bernie Sanders , Elizabeth Warren and other liberal front-runners .
“ This wasn ’ t what people in the Trump districts elected them to do , ” said Bob Salera , a spokesman for the GOP ’ s campaign committee .
Democrats believe Trump ’ s attacks will have the opposite effect , turning off the suburban voters , particularly women , who helped elect Trump but also turned out for Democrats in last fall and are tiring of it all . Trump tried a similar approach last fall , invoking fearful warnings of “ caravans ” of immigrants pouring into the U.S. , but voters tuned him out to give Democrats control of the House . The party will try again to coax voters away from Trump ’ s vision of America .
But Democrats also know they now need to return to their core campaign messages — lowering health care costs , conducting oversight of the administration — or risk having Trump define them and the 2020 candidates .
Behind closed doors Wednesday , party leaders laid plans for reviving those issues , starting with an event next week to mark their accomplishments so far on the 200th day of the House Democratic majority , and into the summer August recess campaigns .
“ I ’ m trying to represent my district , a very diverse district , ” said Tlaib . “ This is a distraction . ”
When asked if they , as the four newcomers , were also a distraction , Omar , a Muslim-American , objected to the question : “ He wants you to focus on that , and you should be asking , Why is it that we are being criticized ? ” | d1686f294d97885b | 1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
us_congress | Politico | https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/10/russia-democrats-trump-putin-332108 | Democrats punch back on Russia | 2018-01-10 | us_congress | The top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday ramped up pressure on the Trump administration to slap new sanctions on Russia , releasing a massive report — written without GOP involvement — that details President Vladimir Putin ’ s alleged electoral meddling around the world .
That came one day after another senior Democratic senator abruptly released the transcript of an interview with a key player in the investigation looking into any ties between President Donald Trump and Russia 's interference .
And across the Capitol , a half-dozen House Democrats banded together to push Republicans for a more comprehensive response to Russian disruption of the 2016 election , warning that Moscow will again meddle with the democratic process .
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Democrats , frustrated by conservative attempts to undercut the investigation into Trump ’ s ties to Moscow and growing convinced that Republicans aren ’ t taking electoral security seriously , are increasingly tired of waiting on their colleagues in the majority to act and are taking their concerns public .
“ We must counter Russia ’ s well-established election interference playbook , ” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse ( D-R.I. ) said in a floor speech billed as puncturing “ partisan efforts to deflect attention and distract from critical inquiries ” into Moscow ’ s attempts to upend the 2016 election .
“ Russia will hack . Russia will bully . Russia will propagandize , ” he said .
Sen. Ben Cardin ’ s staff on the Foreign Relations Committee extensively detailed that alleged behavior by Putin ’ s network in the report Wednesday , which does not address special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s probe but repeatedly slams Trump for a laggard response that it says puts U.S. security at risk .
“ President Trump is squandering an opportunity to lead America ’ s allies and partners to build a collective defense against the Kremlin ’ s global assault on democratic institutions and values , ” the report states . “ But it is not too late . ”
Among the report 's two dozen-plus recommendations is a call for the Trump administration to implement a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill . Lawmakers in both parties raised alarms after the administration missed an October deadline to designate potential targets for new sanctions , and belated compliance came only after a nudge from Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker ( R-Tenn. ) .
The next critical deadline is Jan. 29 , the earliest date that companies could face penalties for engaging in `` significant transactions '' with targets in the Russian defense or intelligence sectors . The sanctions bill also asks the Treasury Department to give Congress a series of reports by the end of this month , including one on Russian oligarchs who could face future sanctions and their connections to Putin , and another on the effect of expanding sanctions to Moscow 's sovereign debt .
One Democratic aide on the Foreign Relations Committee said the minority would be `` waiting and seeing '' how the administration treats the required Russian oligarch list as a test of its commitment to sanctions implementation .
`` If there ’ s , like , two names on it , then they ’ re probably not taking it very seriously , '' the aide told reporters .
Other Democratic proposals to safeguard against future electoral disruption by Putin include placing FBI investigators in embassies and disclosing intelligence about the Russian leader ’ s “ personal corruption and wealth stored abroad . ”
Democratic staffers on the Foreign Relations panel were optimistic that the report would win some Republican buy-in after its Wednesday release , much as the package of Russia sanctions drew widespread GOP support even as Trump continued to publicly deny that Moscow intervened in the 2016 election .
“ A lot of Republicans have been publicly critical of how Trump has handled the Russia issue specifically , ” one aide told reporters .
Corker said Tuesday that he would `` look at the whole '' Russia report , adding that he and Cardin ( D-Md . ) `` have a very good relationship . He knew it was probably not something that I ’ d want to be a part of , but he made me aware of it . ''
A spokeswoman for Corker , a lead author of last year 's Russia sanctions legislation , said in a statement that Corker `` appreciates the fact that Senator Cardin previously notified him '' of the Democratic report , which he received a copy of late Monday . `` While we will review the report in its entirety , including the recommendations , no further full committee activity is planned at this time . ”
Republicans say they are working on election security ahead of the midterms , and the bipartisan leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee are expected to provide recommendations on the matter before the primary season begins .
Eight House Republicans and Sen. John McCain ( R-Ariz. ) already have signed on to legislation that would codify one recommendation in the Cardin report , which proposes that social media companies require disclosure of the funding sources behind political ads on their platforms to prevent Russian attempts at manipulation . Still , the prospects for movement on that measure appear grim at present given the scant number of GOP backers .
If Republicans did get on board with Cardin 's report , that would mark a stark contrast with the partisan conflagration that erupted Tuesday on the Senate Judiciary Committee .
Top Democrat Dianne Feinstein of California released the transcript of the panel 's August interview with Glenn Simpson , whose company was behind an explosive dossier tying Trump to the Kremlin . A spokesman for the Judiciary panel 's chairman , Sen. Chuck Grassley ( D-Iowa ) , slammed Feinstein 's decision to unilaterally release the document , but she seemed unconcerned Tuesday .
`` The only way to set the record straight is to make the transcript public , '' she said .
Sen. Richard Blumenthal ( D-Conn. ) said the Senate Judiciary Committee 's Russia investigation , `` to be very blunt , has been painfully slow . ''
`` If there is no price , it will be done with impunity again , '' he said .
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) expressed skepticism that Republican leaders would heed her call to ramp up the pace of investigative and oversight work against Russian meddling as the 2018 midterms approach .
`` On a score of what to what ? '' she quipped to reporters .
`` I have no doubt that if the Democrats were in power , we would have taken action to protect our electoral system , '' Pelosi said . `` I have no doubt if the Democrats were in power , the Republicans would be urging that action , but that ’ s not what they ’ re doing . '' | 4DbSrr4i5KpBqxvq | 0 | Democratic Party | 2.7 | Russia | -1.7 | US Congress | 1.4 | Politics | 0 | null | null |
elections | New York Times - News | http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/14/us/politics/obama-adds-a-fresh-metaphor-to-a-familiar-campaign-message.html?ref=politics | Adding a Fresh Metaphor to a Familiar Campaign Message | 2012-06-14 | elections | “ I want you all to pay attention over the next five months and see if they ’ re offering a single thing that they did not try when they were in charge , because you won ’ t see it , ” Mr. Obama told the crowd on Tuesday night at a Philadelphia fund-raiser . “ It will be the same stuff . The same okey-dokey . ”
But , as the furor created last week over Mr. Obama ’ s remark that the private sector is “ doing fine ” demonstrated , the president must walk a tightrope whenever he talks about the economy .
He wants to show how the steps that he has taken over the past three years — the stimulus , the auto bailout — have helped to bring the economy out of the trough that greeted him on his inauguration . But he can not go too far in sounding optimistic — as he did with the “ doing fine ” business last week — or he sounds clueless and out of touch .
At the same time , Mr. Obama does not want to sound too grim either , lest he find himself in Jimmy Carter territory circa 1979-80 , when Mr. Carter ’ s talk of economic malaise helped sink his re-election .
So Mr. Obama ends up falling back — again and again — on the Barack Obama Defensive Offensive — which largely means , blame the Republicans . And while that strategy is not necessarily doomed to fail — polls show far more Americans still blame President George W. Bush for the economic decline than blame Mr. Obama — it also runs the danger of making Mr. Obama come across as a crybaby , not to mention opening him up to ridicule from the right .
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Mr. Romney , for one , does not intend to let the charge go unanswered .
“ Words are cheap , and the record of an individual is the basis upon which you determine whether they should continue to hold on to their job , ” Mr. Romney told a group of business leaders in Washington on Wednesday . “ The record is that we have 23 million Americans that are out of work , or stopped looking for work , or underemployed . That is a compelling and a sad statistic . ”
Mr. Romney called Mr. Obama ’ s record “ the most anti-investment , anti-business , antijobs series of policies in modern American history , ” adding that Mr. Obama is “ not responsible for whatever improvement we might be seeing . ”
It is unclear yet whether American voters will accept Mr. Romney ’ s argument , particularly given that for all tepidness of the American economy , this country is in far better shape after the 2008-09 global economic crisis than its counterparts around the globe , particularly Europe .
“ I was there at the time , we were hemorrhaging 700,000 jobs a month , ” said Jared Bernstein , an economist at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington who served as an adviser to Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. “ It ’ s absolutely the case that job growth is too slow , ” Mr. Bernstein said , “ but it ’ s growth . ”
That is the crux of where Mr. Obama ’ s argument on the economy resides . He must remind people how things were when he took office , his advisers say . He must show that specific steps he took , like the stimulus plan , like his auto bailout , have helped to stem job loss .
And finally , since “ everyone recognizes that this election is about choice , ” said Representative Chris Van Hollen , Democrat of Maryland , Mr. Obama “ needs to draw the contrast very clearly , that on the one hand the president ’ s proposal is to continue to invest in our future , whereas the Romney plan is to turn back to the trickle-down economics of the Bush era . ”
But Mr. Obama already may have had a laboratory experiment on how well that third point works : the 2010 midterm Congressional elections . During the 2010 campaign , the Barack Obama Defensive Offensive was a similar version to the martini-steak-dinner one he used in Baltimore on Tuesday .
Except then , the metaphor was car-in-ditch . ( “ You had a group of folks who drove the economy , drove the country , drove our car into the ditch , ” the president said , at one campaign stop after another . That was usually followed by a long windup of how the Democrats pushed the car out of the ditch while the Republicans stood to the side drinking Slurpees and then asked for the keys back , leading to Mr. Obama ’ s punch line : “ Well , you can ’ t have the keys back ! You don ’ t know how to drive ! You got us into the ditch ! ” )
Like the crowd in Baltimore , most of the Democrats on the campaign stump in 2010 cheered wildly at car-in-ditch . But for Mr. Obama , the hope now is that independent and moderate American voters will cheer , too — something they did not do in 2010 . | jLTrRov9RR9vy1lB | 0 | Presidential Elections | 0.5 | Elections | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
technology | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/19/opinion/abell-apple-prospects/index.html?hpt=op_t1 | Is Apple losing its cool? | 2013-02-19 | technology | Story highlights John Abell : Reactions to iPhone 5 and iPad Mini were , for new Apple products , lukewarm
Abell : Apple a prisoner of its reputation ; we expect new products in quick succession
Android-run products are threatening the once-invincible Apple iPhone , he says
Abell : Apple 's being ganged up on , but it will stay strong for at least 10 more years
Apple is getting pushed around a lot these days . Digerati reaction to the iPhone 5 was `` meh , '' response to the iPad Mini was akin to `` it 's about time '' and we are all more excited about unicorn-like products such as an iWatch and iTV than the things you can buy right now .
Apple 's strength is its Achilles ' heel : We expect it to reinvent on schedule and when , in our infinite wisdom , we believe it is not , we treat it like the kid who no longer belongs in our clique .
Some of this is to be expected when a company with as incredible a recent track record as Apple 's seems to be resting more on its laurels than finding new battles to win . Since the quixotic introduction of the iMac in 1998 -- reinvigorating the desktop computer well into the age of portables -- Apple has been on a tear :
• The iTunes Store , allowing the purchase of single music tracks ( 2003 )
And you can add to list that Steve Jobs ' revitalization of the animated feature film through his acquisition of Pixar .
That 's a lot of imagination in a very short time . Apple has n't just dominated the story for a decade : It has written the story of the past decade . That is a lot to live up to . Most companies ca n't . It 's particularly brutal for tech ( as opposed to , say , shampoo ) companies , which at best can usually hope to set the pace for only about generation until they settle into a comfortable middle class .
JUST WATCHED Samsung takes a bite out of Apple Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Samsung takes a bite out of Apple 02:11
JUST WATCHED Locals dominate China smartphone market Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Locals dominate China smartphone market 01:18
JUST WATCHED Apple CEO remains confident with company Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Apple CEO remains confident with company 03:33
At the bottom of the pile there is the sad tale of Palm -- the hottest tech company on the planet for far too brief a time . Palm Pilots were once everywhere . But the company stumbled by failing to recognize quickly enough that , in the age of the Internet , no one wanted a portable device that could n't get online .
Another hard luck case is Research in Motion -- now BlackBerry . That company did get the portable device memo , but it spectacularly misjudged the smartphone revolution sparked by Apple .
Now Apple is this unfamiliar territory : Successful on paper , products seen everywhere , Macbooks and iPhone placed in seemingly every TV show and movie and yet ... the cool factor is cooling off .
There is a big difference between atmospherics and actuality , of course . But nobody wants to be thought of as a has-been in the making .
The lesson of tech history is that smart companies crash when they believe what they have already done is all they need to do : that doubling-down and trash-talking the competition is what it takes .
This would be a good time to mention that increasingly large numbers of these `` business customers '' now want an iPhone at work , challenging Microsoft at what has been its enterprise stronghold .
Success is never assured , but it can only be extended only two ways : If you corner the market , impossible in the uberdisruptive tech space , or if you are unabashedly willing to question everything , all the time .
Facebook began life as the world 's most exclusive private social network -- only Harvard students need apply . But it became a public company worth $ 68 billion because it decided instead to become the world 's least exclusive private network .
Even Palm 's trajectory might have been different if it had inverted its thinking in time : Imagine a Palm Pilot not as a personal information manager with connectivity , but a connected device with PIM applications , and you have described exactly what the smartphone is today .
There is no reason to think Apple wo n't thrive financially for years to come , just like Microsoft . But its continued reputation as the chief arbiter of cool is being challenged . Apple may still have the best-selling smartphone in the world , but the many others powered by rival Google 's Android operating system -- and especially those made by Samsung -- far exceed the iPhone .
For years , tech writers reviewed each new smartphone on a simple grading scale : Is this the iPhone killer ? None has been , but collectively the point has been made :
No phone has killed the iPhone , but plenty of them co-exist just fine , thank you very much .
We expect the unexpected from Apple , and the company does nothing to tamp down these expectations . So when it does n't dazzle us , ennui begins to creep in . Apple is also burdened by what I called at the time the meaningless milestone of having become the biggest company ever . Where do you go from there ? You are either still the biggest , or slipping . Consolidating your lead is fine and all , but it is n't sexy .
My own prediction of Apple 's prospects is that needs to worry about becoming a mid-packer only after the CEO Tim Cook and designer Jony Ive -- the other tow members of the triumvirate headed by Steve Jobs -- are no longer with the company .
Until then , perhaps a decade from now , you bet against Apple at your own peril . | y5DDk7gHu9jgUS7V | 0 | Technology | 0.6 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
national_security | NPR Online News | https://www.npr.org/2019/04/29/717594782/if-mueller-report-was-tip-of-the-iceberg-what-more-is-lurking-unseen | If Mueller Report Was 'Tip Of The Iceberg,' What More Is Lurking Unseen? | 2019-04-29 | national_security | If Mueller Report Was 'Tip Of The Iceberg , ' What More Is Lurking Unseen ?
If the political interference documented in special counsel Robert Mueller 's report was just the `` tip of the iceberg , '' what else is lurking out of sight beneath the surface ?
That was the question posed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in a speech in New York City , one in which he defended his handling of the Russia investigation and suggested there could be much more to it beyond that contained in Mueller 's report .
`` The bottom line is , there was overwhelming evidence that Russian operatives hacked American computers and defrauded American citizens , and that is only the tip of the iceberg of a comprehensive Russian strategy to influence elections , promote social discord and undermine America , just like they do in many other countries , '' Rosenstein said on Thursday .
Mueller 's focus was on the two best-known aspects of Russia 's `` active measures '' : the theft and release of material embarrassing to political targets and the use of social media platforms to crank up agitation among an already divided populace .
Some of the Russian schemes that Mueller left out of his report also are known .
On Friday , for example , a federal judge sentenced a woman to 18 months in prison after she pleaded guilty to serving as an unregistered Russian agent from around 2015 until her arrest last summer .
Maria Butina 's case was administratively separate from Mueller 's investigation within the Justice Department , but prosecutors detailed what they called her clear efforts to try to burrow into the conservative political establishment , including through the National Rifle Association , as part of deliberate reconnaissance by the Russian regime of American politics .
Butina 's American boyfriend , Paul Erickson , played a central role in her activities . He 's facing criminal charges of his own related to alleged investment fraud , and it is n't clear yet whether prosecutors also may seek an indictment in connection with the activities described in court documents as part of Butina 's mission within the United States .
Erickson has pleaded not guilty in his fraud case , and his attorney says he has done nothing wrong .
How much more could there be to Russia 's interference operations ? How much do American officials know about that they do n't want to reveal ? And how much might the Russians continue trying to do that the United States is n't following ?
Attorney General William Barr could get questions along these lines this week when he appears before the Senate and then the House judiciary committees . And Mueller himself almost certainly will if he appears before Congress .
Russia is a `` very significant counterintelligence threat , '' as FBI Director Christopher Wray said Friday .
He told an audience at the Council on Foreign Relations that the interference campaign that peaked in 2016 has never really ended and continued through last year 's election — and he expects it to run through the 2020 race .
`` That is not just an election-cycle threat ; it 's pretty much a 365-days-a-year threat , '' Wray said . `` And that has absolutely continued . ''
American officials are n't sitting on their hands , the FBI director said , but the amount of chaos that Russia has been able to cause with what it calls `` Project Lakhta '' at relatively low cost means that the government is going to need to work to keep up .
`` On the one hand , I think enormous strides have been made since 2016 by all the different federal agencies , state and local election officials , the social media companies , et cetera , '' Wray said . `` But I think we recognize that our adversaries are going to keep adapting and upping their game . And so we 're very much viewing 2018 as just kind of a dress rehearsal for the big show in 2020 . ''
For all their broad warnings , however , national security officials often leave out the details .
In fact , Rosenstein said the focus of the Russia investigation within the Justice Department — which has the ultimate job of assessing whether laws were broken , as compared with a special panel such as the 9/11 Commission — always meant that not every question about the Russia imbroglio would be answered .
`` I did pledge to do it right and take it to the appropriate conclusion , '' he said . `` I did not promise to report all results to the public , because grand jury investigations are ex parte proceedings '' — meaning they take place outside of public view .
Continued Rosenstein : `` It is not our job to render conclusive factual findings . We just decide whether it is appropriate to file criminal charges . ''
There have been suggestions beyond the Butina case about other aspects of Russia 's `` active measures '' campaign .
One unresolved question was whether Moscow might have been responsible for creating fraudulent documents that further complicated the FBI 's investigation into Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton 's email server in 2016 , as The Washington Post reported .
Another possibility that has come up before is that Russia 's military intelligence agency , the GRU , could be holding emails or other data from Republicans stolen before the better-known campaign that targeted Democrats .
One theory aired in the past — including , at one point , by President Trump — is that the Russian government might intervene to support Democrats in future elections , interested more in simply creating chaos than in sustaining Trump 's presidency .
Another question mark in terms of public awareness is the extent to which Russian cyberattacks have compromised state elections systems , including those used by government officials or their vendors .
Wray and other officials maintain that no vote has ever been changed by a remote technical compromise . That does n't mean the GRU or its siblings have stopped trying — and the prospect that a voter 's choice might not be counted correctly continues to be one of Americans ' leading concerns about the threat of foreign interference .
Analysts also have warned that foreign interference specialists could be refining the techniques they use to fool Americans into believing false claims , including with sophisticated new fake video or audio .
If a clip appeared at a critical moment in a campaign in which a political figure were depicted saying something controversial — and no one knew immediately whether it was real — that could have big potential consequences at a critical moment in an election .
Whichever types of schemes are selected by foreign nations — Russia or otherwise — anticipating political mischief must be the new normal . Wray was asked whether the results of 2016 meant that China , North Korea , Iran or others might join in , too .
`` Certainly , all those countries are watching and taking note of what the Russians attempted to do in 2016 and since , '' he said . `` And I think we expect that this is going to become a phenomenon we 're going to have to contend with , with a lot more than just Russia . '' | PuzHbg7h42gLF7wW | 1 | Mueller Report | 0.3 | National Security | 0.2 | Defense And Security | 0.2 | null | null | null | null |
joe_biden | ABC News (Online) | https://abcnews.go.com/US/hunter-biden-addressed-numerous-allegations-questioning-lawmakers-transcript/story?id=107697824 | Hunter Biden addressed numerous allegations under questioning from lawmakers, transcript shows | 2024-03-01 | Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, Justice, Impeachment, Biden Family, Corruption | Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, leaves after a closed door interview as part of the Republican-led House of Representatives impeachment inquiry at the O'Neill House Office Building, in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 28, 2024.Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, leaves after a closed door interview as part of the Republican-led House of Representatives impeachment inquiry at the O'Neill House Office Building, in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 28, 2024.Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, leaves after a closed door interview as part of the Republican-led House of Representatives impeachment inquiry at the O'Neill House Office Building, in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 28, 2024.Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, leaves after a closed door interview as part of the Republican-led House of Representatives impeachment inquiry at the O'Neill House Office Building, in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 28, 2024.A measured and defiant Hunter Biden provided context for a litany of allegations he faced during six hours with Republican lawmakers Wednesday, according to a transcript released Thursday of the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees' closed-door proceeding as part of their impeachment inquiry into his father, President Joe Biden.The deposition appeared to include no major bombshells as Hunter Biden repeatedly invoked his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction -- telling the committee he was "embarrassed" by some of his conduct at the time -- while not once invoking his Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination.The GOP-led committees have yet to present firm evidence linking President Biden to his family's business arrangements.In explaining his putting his father on speakerphone in the presence of business associates, Hunter Biden said that he always answers the phone when his dad calls -- which he said is often -- citing the multiple family tragedies that the Bidens have endured over the years."My dad calls me like I'm sure a lot of your parents do, or a lot of you do with your children, and if I'm with people that are friends of mine, I'll have him say hi," Hunter Biden said. "It is nothing nefarious, literally."Devon Archer, a former business partner of Hunter Biden's who is another witness in the probe, said earlier that he witnessed Hunter Biden put his father on speakerphone 20 times during their 10-year relationship."So that means, over the course of 10 years, twice a year, my dad would call me," Hunter Biden said, "and I would be in the middle of a dinner, and I always answer his call. I always answer his call, based upon my life's experience."Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, leaves after a closed door interview as part of the Republican-led House of Representatives impeachment inquiry at the O'Neill House Office Building, in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 28, 2024. Michael Reynolds/EPA via Shutterstock"You understand my relationship with my family," he said. "When my dad was 29 years old, he woke up one day, went to work, and got a phone call and lost his wife and his daughter. And, in that same accident, he also lost almost my brother and myself. And then, when I was 46 years old, my 47-year-old brother died.""And in our family, when you have a call from -- I call him or he calls me or I call one of my -- his grandkids or one of my children, you always pick up the phone. It's something that we always do," he said.Other topics that Hunter Biden addressed included:The 'big guy' emailWhen asked about a 2017 email from one of his business associates proposing that Joe Biden accept a share of profits from a prospective deal with a Chinese energy firm -- the infamous "10 held by H for the big guy" email -- Hunter Biden said the person who sent it, James Gilliar, had no basis for the suggestion."I truly don't know what the hell that James was talking about," Hunter Biden said.The college recommendationAsked about a college recommendation letter his father penned for the son of his Chinese business associate, Jonathan Li, Hunter Biden acknowledged that it happened -- but explained that "there was a rule in my family.""My dad was often asked to write recommendations for hundreds of people that -- I'm sure over the course of the last 50 years," he said. "But the rule was that, if you were going to ask, that they had to be close friends; you had to know them well.""And I knew both Jonathan, and I knew his son, who was applying to universities here in the United States," Hunter Biden said.Jared KushnerHunter Biden at one point brought up former President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, regarding Kushner's own foreign business dealings in an attempt to draw a contrast with the scrutiny he's received from the committee."Unlike Jared Kushner, I've never received money from a foreign government," he said.Money for his fatherHunter Biden also reiterated that none of his money went to his father. He said he only sent money to his uncle James Biden and Hallie Biden -- but not his dad."But it's all my money, and it's none to my dad," he said. "But I am telling you this: is that if you can show me where any money that I've ever had went to my father, other than, for instance, the repayment of the $1,300 for a loan for a truck -- OK?" he said.The Beijing meetingAsked about a 2014 trip he took on Air Force Two to Beijing -- during which he reportedly introduced his father to Li -- Hunter Biden claimed it was not a meeting, but a rope-line event."When we returned from an event to the hotel, there was a rope line, and Jonathan Li was in the lobby of the hotel where I was going to meet him for coffee. In that line I introduced my dad to Jonathan Li and a friend of his, and they shook hands and I believe probably took a photograph," Hunter Biden said."And then my father went up to his room, and I went to have coffee with Jonathan Li," he said.On Wednesday, during the early stages of Hunter Biden's closed-door interview, GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz made an appearance before the press and said it is "a mirage to believe" the younger Biden was engaged in legitimate business overseas.In a statement released Thursday following the release of the transcript, Rep. Jamie Raskin, the Oversight Committee's ranking Democrat, said, "Hunter Biden’s testimony debunked and demolished -- once more -- all the false claims and conspiracy theories that make up this hopeless impeachment inquiry.""It’s time to fold up the circus tent and send all the jugglers, clowns, and elephants home," Raskin said.ABC News' Will Steakin and Christopher Boccia contributed to this report. | 3881be93ad650ddc | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
immigration | Politico | http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/immigration-bills-starts-and-stops-93796.html?hp=t3_3 | Immigration bill's starts and stops | 2013-07-08 | immigration | House Republicans have declared the Senate-passed legislation dead on arrival . Immigration bill 's starts and stops
Every time the House bipartisan immigration group set a deadline this year , its members have blown it .
First , it aimed for the State of the Union . In April , the group said , “ Soon. ” Members struck a tentative deal twice in May and said a bill was coming in early June . Then a key lawmaker bolted , but the group insisted it was still on track .
It ’ s now almost mid-July , and there is still nothing the group can show for four years of secretive talks . But given the uncertainty in the House on how to go forward on immigration , it ’ s not too late for the group to help dictate the path of reform — if it acts fast .
House Republicans have declared the Senate-passed legislation dead on arrival , and two House committees have cleared five separate bills — which Democrats hate — to reform pieces of the current system . Republicans have an all-hands-on-deck meeting on Wednesday to discuss various options .
Majority Leader Eric Cantor ( R-Va. ) said in a memo Friday that his chamber “ may ” start considering border security bills while reviewing other immigration plans . Leadership ’ s strategy could mean either moving each bill separately through the floor or bundling the committee-approved measures into a larger package for a full floor vote .
Republicans could also decide to take up take the House bipartisan bill , when it ’ s released , and pick it apart . Putting the Senate-passed bill through House committees and letting members rewrite it is another option , although that now seems more unlikely .
Given that there ’ s no obvious path forward , the bipartisan group of seven — formerly eight — feels there ’ s an opportunity to find a sweet spot between the two parties .
“ It ’ s pretty clear that the Senate bill , as it stands , has little chance to pass the House , ” group member Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart ( R-Fla. ) told ███ . “ So ultimately , I think you ’ re going to see all the work that we ’ ve been doing is exceedingly relevant . ”
They do have a bill — right now , it ’ s about 500 pages and has been reviewed by House legislative counsel . The group is still cagey on when it will be released , although Kentucky Rep. John Yarmuth , one of the group ’ s Democratic members , said he would be “ stunned ” if that doesn ’ t come by the August recess .
“ There is absolutely no hesitation in moving forward , ” Yarmuth said in a phone interview . “ And still , I think both sides are optimistic that ultimately , this can be the vehicle that gets through the House . ”
Immigration advocates also believe that it ’ s not too late for the bipartisan group to wield influence .
“ I think having a House bipartisan bill is useful in that it offers an alternative to the two more evident groups in the House GOP : the do-nothing crowd and the play small ball caucus , ” Frank Sharry , executive director of the pro-reform group America ’ s Voice , said in an email .
The Democratic side — led by California Rep. Zoe Lofgren ’ s office , according to two sources — did the actual writing of the legislation . That ’ s left Republicans to pore over the bill with extra scrutiny before signing off , and they ’ ve found several wrinkles in the language that they want to smooth out before its official unveiling .
Lawmakers and their aides have let few details of their reform plan slip outside its tight circle . From what is known , their legislation will be mostly more conservative than the plan the Senate passed . | EIfEd7txnqqvBcC3 | 0 | Immigration | -0.5 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
environment | ABC News | http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/05/rep-tom-cole-okla-needs-help-not-a-funding-battle/ | Rep. Tom Cole: Okla. Needs Help, Not a Funding Battle | environment | Republican Rep. Tom Cole , whose district took a direct hit from a powerful tornado on Monday , said the residents of the tornado ravaged towns in Oklahoma need help , not a political battle over funding in Washington .
`` Once a disaster starts , to me that 's the end of a discussion . Now we need to focus on the Americans that are in a difficult spot , '' Cole told ███ in an interview today . `` They do n't need to be watching a big political battle , they need to be sure they 're getting help . ''
Cole is one of only two members of Oklahoma 's seven-person Congressional delegation that voted in favor of a bill funding disaster aid after Superstorm Sandy , raising questions about whether they would change their stance on emergency funding in light of a tragedy in their own state .
Oklahoma 's Republican Sen. Tom Coburn on Monday reiterated his opposition to funding disaster relief without first identifying corresponding budget cuts , if Congress is forced to allocate additional funds .
Cole said he believes that the $ 11 billion the Federal Emergency Management Fund has in its disaster relief fund should be enough to cover the rebuilding and relief efforts in Oklahoma . But he added that , like with Sandy , relief should come first .
`` You have to remember in Oklahoma , in my district or any place , you 're one tornado away from being Joplin [ Missouri ] , '' Cole said . `` I do n't begrudge other people . I know they 're trying to do the right thing . ''
But he added that he 's always felt strongly about disaster aid .
`` I felt exactly the same way about [ Hurricane ] Katrina , and we spent as much money on Katrina as we did on Sandy , if not more , '' he said .
Cole spoke to ███ from the ground in Oklahoma , where he said the federal and local response has been `` swift and robust . ''
`` The feds have been terrific . The resources have been there and the response has been excellent , '' said Cole , who toured the devastated region along with the other members of the state 's Congressional delegation .
Cole 's hometown of Moore , Okla. , was nearly destroyed by the mile-wide storm . Cole said he had memories of working as a teenager at one of the local schools that was all but destroyed by the storm .
`` Now you ca n't think about it without thinking about the horror that happened there , '' Cole said . `` The school was the safest , calmest building in the immediate area . Everybody made the right choice , they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time .
`` There 's not a lot that can stand up to an F4 or an F5 [ tornado ] , '' he added .
Cole said that after speaking with President Obama on Monday night he is confident the White House and the Republican-controlled House of Representatives will do what it takes to provide assistance to his constituents .
`` A Democratic president and a Republican majority leader … I think they 'll do the right thing and the congressmen will follow their lead , '' Cole said . | uQ5AZyLU3zcdFTZQ | 0 | Environment | -0.2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | |
abortion | Washington Times | http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/dec/14/obama-bars-states-from-pulling-planned-parenthood-/ | ‘11th hour power grab’: Obama mandates state funding for Planned Parenthood | 2016-12-14 | abortion | President Obama is delivering a generous parting gift to Planned Parenthood in the form of a rule prohibiting states from divesting millions of dollars from the nation ’ s largest abortion provider .
The final version of the rule , issued by the Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday , requires states to distribute dollars from Title X of the Public Health Service Act without taking into account whether recipient clinics perform abortions .
The edict is set to go into effect Jan. 18 , two days before the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump .
Cecile Richards , president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America , praised Mr. Obama as a “ champion for women ’ s health ” but expressed doubt as to whether the rule will survive under Mr. Trump ’ s pick to head HHS , Rep. Tom Price of Georgia .
“ This rule protects birth control , cancer screenings , STI testing and treatment , and other health care for millions of people , ” Ms. Richards said in a statement . “ Yet this fight is not over . We are deeply concerned about the future of health care access in this country with extremists like Mike Pence and Tom Price at the helm . ”
Rep. Diane Black , a Tennessee Republican who sits on the Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives , said the Obama administration “ will not have the last word ” on the rule .
“ We should not be surprised that his administration would lash out with this eleventh hour power grab on the way out the door , but I am certain this rule will not stand for long , ” Ms. Black said in a statement . “ Come next year , our pro-life majorities in Congress will be positioned to work with President-Elect Trump and pro-life nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services , Dr. Tom Price , to not only roll back this latest overreach but also to enact new legal protections for these most vulnerable members of our society . ”
Title X dollars are earmarked for family planning services such as contraception , as well as testing for sexually transmitted diseases and cancer . They can not be used directly to subsidize abortions . Planned Parenthood receives approximately $ 60 million annually from Title X grants , according to a 2015 Congressional Budget Office analysis .
Unlike the $ 390 million Planned Parenthood receives in Medicaid reimbursements , funding under Title X is provided upfront and can be used toward fixed costs that come with running a clinic , such as staffing and facility maintenance .
At least 14 states have taken action to cut Planned Parenthood ’ s share of Title X funding in recent years , often allocating those dollars to family planning clinics that do not perform abortions .
The new Title X rule is the latest in a herculean effort by Mr. Obama to prevent Republicans at the state and federal levels from defunding Planned Parenthood , most recently in the wake of an undercover video investigation accusing the abortion giant of trafficking in fetal body parts .
Mr. Obama vetoed a bill stripping Planned Parenthood of the bulk of its funding earlier this year , after Congress for the first time sent such a bill to the president ’ s desk .
Shortly thereafter , the Obama administration issued a memo warning officials in all 50 states that blocking Medicaid dollars from Planned Parenthood violates federal law .
Steven H. Aden , senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom , said states should be able to choose how to allocate resources at the local level .
“ The Obama administration , even in its waning hours , has chosen to put Planned Parenthood ’ s Big Abortion agenda ahead of women ’ s health and the right of states to decide how best to prioritize public health funding so that patients and the most comprehensive health providers come first , ” Mr. Aden said in a statement .
He said Mr. Trump “ should restore the focus on women ’ s health and the ability of states to best serve them by rescinding this Title X order immediately after taking office as president . ”
Karen A. Scott , chief medical officer to the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health , said the rule will “ strengthen access to essential services like cancer screenings and contraception for some of the most vulnerable patients in this country . ”
Although Planned Parenthood says abortion is only a minuscule percentage of its services , the number of health care services it provides continues to dwindle .
According to annual reports released by Planned Parenthood , the number of health care services its clinics provided from 2012 to 2014 dropped by 10 percent , from approximately 10.6 million to 9.5 million . Although nearly 3 million patients visited Planned Parenthood clinics in 2012 , that number fell to 2.5 million in 2014 .
Despite a nationwide abortion downtrend , the number of abortions performed at Planned Parenthood clinics has remained steady or increased . Planned Parenthood performed just under 200,000 abortions in 2001 , and that number ballooned to more than 333,000 by 2011 .
Mr. Aden said there are plenty of health care clinics more deserving of Title X funds than Planned Parenthood .
“ Planned Parenthood isn ’ t superior to true , publicly funded health care centers — which are far more numerous — simply because it claims to focus on dispensing birth control , despite being America ’ s largest abortion business , ” Mr. Aden said . | 7ENzGSzoFZwmA5rC | 2 | Planned Parenthood | 1.3 | Barack Obama | 0.2 | Abortion | 0 | null | null | null | null |
violence_in_america | HuffPost | https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mike-pence-risk-trump-betrayal-electoral-college-capitol-riot_n_629aa77ce4b0c184bdd13d03 | Aide Told Secret Service That Mike Pence Could Be At Risk Targeted By Trump's Anger: Report | 2022-06-05 | Capitol Chaos, Defense And Security, Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Secret Service, Violence In America, White House | Trends Reporter, HuffPost Former Vice President Mike Pence’s top aide warned the Secret Service the day before last year’s riot at the U.S. Capitol that Pence could be in danger after an expected betrayal by then-President Donald Trump, The New York Times reported Friday. Chief of staff Marc Short told Pence’s lead Secret Service agent, Tim Giebels, that Trump was “going to turn publicly against the vice president, and there could be a security risk to Mr. Pence because of it,” reported Times journalist Maggie Haberman. Short couldn’t predict what form the risk could take, but he did know that Pence’s refusal to interfere in the certification of the Electoral College count, which was part of a desperate plan to keep Trump in power, had triggered a “bitter breach” between the men. At the same time, Trump was “stoking the fury of his supporters” who were streaming into Washington, Haberman wrote. Haberman said she uncovered the information as part of research for her book “Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America,” which is scheduled to be published in October. As Trump and his supporters desperately sought ways to overturn the election, Trump initially believed he could count on the usually “compliant” Pence. Short’s warning to the Secret Service when Pence did not cooperate with Trump’s scheme, noted Haberman, proved to be prophetic. Thousands of Trump supporters breached the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, after Trump told them at a nearby rally to march on the building and “fight like hell” as both houses of Congress were meeting to certify the 2020 electoral votes. Many were shouting “Hang Mike Pence” as they marauded through the Capitol, and some had erected a makeshift gallows on the grounds. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told his Republican colleagues that Trump had expressed support for the rioters’ sentiment, saying something like, “Maybe Pence should be hanged,” according to a witness account provided to the House select committee investigating the Capitol riot, the Times reported. During the violence, Giebels asked Pence twice to “evacuate the Capitol,” according to the book “I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump’s Catastrophic Final Year,” by Washington Post reporters Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig. But Pence refused. “I’m not leaving the Capitol,” he told Giebels, worried that speeding away from the building would “vindicate the insurrection,” according to the book. He was escorted to a subterranean location, where Pence’s armored limousine awaited, and he was told to get in the car. “I’m not getting in the car, Tim,” Pence replied, according to Rucker and Leonnig. “If I get in that vehicle, you guys are taking off. I’m not getting in the car.” At 4 that afternoon, Pence called Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller, the book reported. “Get troops here; get them here now,” Pence ordered, according to the authors. “We’ve got to get the Congress to do its business.” Mike Pence addressed the Senate on Wednesday evening as lawmakers returned to certify the Electoral College vote. "Today was a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol," Pence said. "We condemn the violence that took place here in the strongest possible terms." The next four years will change America forever. But HuffPost won't back down when it comes to providing free and impartial journalism. For the first time, we're offering an ad-free experience to qualifying contributors who support our fearless newsroom. We hope you'll join us. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again. We won't back down from our mission of providing free, fair news during this critical moment. But we can't do it without you. For the first time, we're offering an ad-free experience. to qualifying contributors who support our fearless journalism. We hope you'll join us. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again. We won't back down from our mission of providing free, fair news during this critical moment. But we can't do it without you. For the first time, we're offering an ad-free experience. to qualifying contributors who support our fearless journalism. We hope you'll join us. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages. Check out the full Times article here. You have the right to opt-out of the sale or sharing of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences. | 02ded6cb0bbc0751 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | The Guardian | https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/30/donald-trump-russia-obama-sanctions | Trump praises Putin over US sanctions – a move that puts him at odds with GOP | 2016-12-30 | politics | What will applauding the Russian president ’ s response to Barack Obama ’ s expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats mean when Trump takes office ?
Trump praises Putin over US sanctions – a move that puts him at odds with GOP
Trump praises Putin over US sanctions – a move that puts him at odds with GOP
After the Obama administration ’ s tough new sanctions against Russia put the president-elect in a vulnerable political position at home , in his own party and abroad , Donald Trump chose to respond in familiar fashion – with praise for Vladimir Putin .
Putin says Russia will not expel US diplomats in tit-for-tat measure Read more
The president-elect has repeatedly spoken approvingly of Putin and called for closer relations with Russia . On Friday , he used Twitter to applaud Putin ’ s restrained response to the expulsion by the US of 35 diplomats and the closure of two Russian compounds .
Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) Great move on delay ( by V. Putin ) - I always knew he was very smart !
The tweet , like many from Trump that seem calculated to shock and offend , caused a predictable media furore . However , it probably will have done nothing to alleviate the difficult political position in which Trump now finds himself .
The president-elect has been consistently skeptical about the US intelligence consensus that Russia ordered cyber-attacks on Democratic party targets as a way to influence the 2016 election in his favor – the reason for Obama ’ s new sanctions . At one point , he suggested the culprit might have been China , another state or even a 400lb man in his bedroom .
On taking office in January , Trump might therefore be expected to simply end the Obama sanctions . And as president , he could do so ; presidential orders can simply be repealed by the executive branch .
But the situation is not that simple . If Trump did choose to remove the sanctions , he would find himself at odds with his own party . Senior Republicans in Congress responded to the Obama sanctions by identifying Russia as a major geopolitical foe and criticizing the new measures only as a case of too little too late . Some promised a push for further measures in Congress .
Trump may therefore choose not to reverse the new sanctions . If so , he will find himself at odds with the man he so constantly praises .
On Friday , the Kremlin responded to the moves , including the expulsion of 35 suspected intelligence operatives and the closing of two Russian facilities in the US , with a shrug . Putin , it seems , is willing simply to wait until Trump moves into the Oval Office . Trump ’ s tweet suggested he is too .
But such provocative words could not distract the media and public from another domestic concern for Trump – the growing perception that his predecessor has acted to his disadvantage .
“ The sanctions were clearly an attempt by the Obama administration to throw a wrench into – or [ to ] box in – the next administration ’ s relationship with Russia , ” said Boris Zilberman , a Russia expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies .
“ Putin , in part , saw through that and sidestepped it by playing good cop to [ Russian foreign minister Sergey ] Lavrov and the [ state ] Duma , who were calling for a reciprocal response . ”
Trump will also face pressure from intelligence agencies , which have concluded that Moscow ordered the election cyber-attacks .
Is Obama using Russia to force a wedge between Trump and his party ? | David Klion Read more
“ There is now a public record of what Russia did and why they did it , ” said Zachary Goldman , executive director of New York University Law School ’ s Center on Law and Security , referring to a joint Department of Homeland Security and FBI report issued on Thursday .
“ Even if the sanctions can be unwound , you can ’ t make that public statement go away . ”
Goldman also noted an international element to the situation facing Trump . It is important to note , he said , that the new executive order enables Obama and his successors to take retaliatory action against efforts to influence elections held by “ allies and partners ” . Germany and France will hold elections in 2017 .
On a call with reporters on Thursday , a senior White House official said the US had “ every indication ” that Russia would continue to pursue such cyber-attacks .
On the same call , officials expressed confidence that the political risk of appearing to cave in to Moscow would prevent any future administration from unwinding the sanctions .
“ If a future president decided that he wanted to allow in a large tranche of Russian intelligence agents , presumably a future president could invite that action , ” a senior official said .
“ We think it would be inadvisable . As my colleague just said , these diplomatic compounds were being used for intelligence purposes . That is a direct challenge to US national security , and I don ’ t think it would make much sense to reopen Russian intelligence compounds . ”
In his own statement , President Obama said : “ All Americans should be alarmed by Russia ’ s actions . ”
In response , Trump repeated his contention that the issue should be left behind , that Americans should be able to “ get on with our lives ” . But he did agree to meet intelligence officials next week , to be “ updated on the facts ” .
In a transition team call on Friday , the incoming White House press secretary , Sean Spicer , did not give details of when that meeting would take place or who would attend . No talks were planned with Moscow , he said .
Underlining the challenges awaiting Trump in his own party , most senior Republicans criticized the Obama administration only for acting too slowly .
On Thursday , the Arizona senator John McCain and South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham said in a joint statement : “ The retaliatory measures announced by the Obama administration today are long overdue .
“ But ultimately , they are a small price for Russia to pay for its brazen attack on American democracy . We intend to lead the effort in the new Congress to impose stronger sanctions on Russia . ”
US expulsions put spotlight on Russia 's GRU intelligence agency Read more
The Senate majority leader , Mitch McConnell , agreed , saying : “ The Russians are not our friends . And clearly the Obama administration has not yet dissuaded them from attempting to breach our cybersecurity systems , or harass our diplomats in Moscow . ”
On Friday , it was reported that McCain , a member of the Senate armed services committee , had scheduled a hearing on foreign cyber threats for 5 January , and called senior intelligence officials to testify .
Analysts were also concerned not with whether the sanctions should have been imposed at all , but rather whether the White House had acted quickly enough , and whether its eventual response was strong enough .
“ The sanctions are targeted , not sectoral , and will have a very limited impact , ” said Thomas Wright , a fellow and director of the Project on International Order and Strategy at the Brookings Institute . “ This will not deter Putin from interfering in French or German elections in 2017 . ”
Though the strength , timing and effect of the new sanctions are contested , Trump faces a bipartisan consensus . Domestically , any attempt to remove Obama ’ s sanctions against Russia will be a political non-starter . | bF5RbpLydwGvnkeE | 0 | Politics | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
tea_party | Salon | http://www.salon.com/2016/10/12/trapped-by-trump-how-the-tea-partys-glorious-victories-created-the-gops-current-nightmare/ | Trapped by Trump: How the Tea Party’s glorious victories created the GOP’s current nightmare | 2016-10-12 | Donald Trump, Tea Party, Presidential Elections, Elections | It is so nice that the shackles have been taken off me and I can now fight for America the way I want to . — Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) October 11 , 2016
That tweet sent shock waves through the political world yesterday . Democrats understood it to mean that the next four weeks are going to be an ugly mud-wrestling contest the likes of which this country has never seen . They donned their hazmat suits and ventured into the mire . The Republicans , on the other hand , understood that Donald Trump had just declared war on their party .
In a flurry of tweets , he characterized House speaker Paul Ryan as `` weak and ineffective '' and claimed he provided `` zero support . '' He then accused Sen. John McCain of being foul-mouthed and begging for his support in the past . And he said the GOP was harder to deal with than his Democratic rival declaring , “ Disloyal R ’ s are far more difficult than Crooked Hillary . They come at you from all sides . They don ’ t know how to win — I will teach them ! ” Trump was n't just unshackled , he had staged a prison break and was running screaming through the streets as his many millions of fans cheered him on .
All this evidently came as a surprise to the GOP establishment , which apparently assumed it could abandon all pretense of supporting its own presidential nominee with no repercussions . Apparently leading Republicans still do n't understand what is happening to their party . They seem to be under the impression that their only problem is a strange interloper by the name of Donald Trump , and they could n't be more wrong . Their problem is that they have a large and powerful faction of voters who despise them as much as they despise the Democrats .
When President Obama was elected , the Republican base of the party , demoralized and defeated after the mess of the Bush administration , the Great Recession and the euphoria of the Obama campaign , quickly gathered its wits and reformed itself into a new entity they called the Tea Party . At first it simply existed to oppose President Obama 's agenda , the health care reforms in particular . Backed by big special interests and right-wing media , they became a force to reckon with and in 2010 , with the economy still mired in recession and people still feeling desperate , they helped the Republicans win back a congressional majority , along the way unseating some long-term Republican incumbents like Sen. Bob Bennett of Utah and Rep. Bob Inglis of South Carolina , both taken down by primary challenges from the Tea Party right . They marched into Washington with a mandate to confront the establishment .
The new insurrectionists also wanted to blow some things up just to show they could , which led to government shutdowns and `` hostage taking '' and sequestration . It proved they had power to gum up the works but it did n't result in taking back the White House in 2012 , even with Rep. Paul Ryan , every Republican 's dreamboat , on the ticket . That defeat did n't change their strategy one bit . In fact they redoubled their efforts to turn Washington into a combat zone and whatever small amount of comity was left fell completely apart .
In 2010 and 2012 , Tea Party candidates repeatedly won primaries against GOP incumbents or more qualified politicians , often leading to bad results in the general election . They tended to nominate extremists and fringe characters like Sharron Angle in Nevada and Richard Mourdock in Indiana who could n't win . To some extent the Tea Party base did n't care whether the GOP won the seat or not . They were happy to flex their muscles against the establishment and put all officeholders on notice that if they did n't toe the line , they could be next .
Then came the earthquake of 2014 , when the Tea Party and talk radio joined together to help an obscure college professor named Dave Brat take down a very powerful member of Congress . That was , of course , Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia , the House majority leader , who had been touted just a couple of years earlier as one of the conservative Republican `` young guns , '' the future of the party . Pundits and analysts insisted at the time that the reasons were all local in nature and had nothing to do with broader trends . They were wrong . Brat won because of one issue : immigration , which was stimulating the right in a way they had n't seen since the early days of the Obamacare town halls . The primary defeat of Cantor showed the GOP leadership they had targets on their backs too .
A year later , fellow Young Gun Paul Ryan reluctantly took the speakership after John Boehner sacrificed himself in order to get a budget agreement that would hold through the election . Predictably , Ryan soon became an object of mistrust and disappointment . The base , you see , does n't understand how our government works , and truly believed that if they sent representatives to Congress they could successfully roll back every liberal achievement of the past 60 years . They 've been angry at the GOP for failing to do the impossible for quite some time .
This is the same base that today is supporting Donald Trump , the man who reportedly paid someone to listen to talk radio , read right-wing news sites and brief him on them regularly , going all the way back to 2011 . He sensed the potency of the racism Barack Obama evoked among that crowd , which was why he based his aborted 2012 run on birtherism . He understood before anyone else that these people were fundamentally xenophobic white nationalists who were looking for someone to articulate their rage about what they saw as the loss of their rightful social status at the hands of nonwhite non-Christians . He also shared their outrage at what they see as threats to American global dominance from immigrants , Muslim extremists and Asian economic competition . Trump understood the Republican base better than the Republican Party itself did back in 2011 and he understands them better today .
Just as the congressional leadership has been caught between a rock and a hard place in the House and Senate these past few years , with the normal workings of our governmental system clashing with the angry base 's demand that they unilaterally disable the executive branch , they are caught now between the moderate Republicans and independents they need to keep their congressional majority and their angry base , who love Trump and will once more rebel if those they send to Washington fail to fulfill their wishes .
This then is just the latest iteration of a dynamic that 's been going on for years . Trump is simply the first opportunist to take it to the presidential level . That dynamic dictates that when he loses , leading figures of the GOP establishment will be blamed whether they stick with Trump or not , so they might as well do what they think is right . The question after all this time is whether they even remember what that is . | fec3ba97137f15df | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | USA TODAY | https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/07/20/michael-cohen-secretly-recorded-trump-discussing-payment-model/807195002/ | Michael Cohen taped Trump discussing payment to a Playboy model | 2018-07-20 | politics | WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump 's lawyer Michael Cohen secretly recorded a conversation in which he and Trump discussed payments to a formerPlayboy model who claimed to have had an affair with Trump , a person familiar with the matter said Friday .
The person , who has reviewed the transcript of the contact but who is not authorized to comment publicly , said the recording was made about two months before the 2016 election and was among the materials seized during an April FBI raid on Cohen 's office , home and hotel room .
No payment was made following the discussion , the source said , adding that additional recordings involving the two men are believed to exist . The contents of those recordings were not immediately clear .
The development was first reported Friday by The New York Times . The Wall Street Journal reported subsequently that the conversation took place in person .
In an interview with The Times , Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani confirmed Trump discussed the payments with Cohen on the tape , but he asserted that Trump did not engage in any wrongdoing .
`` Nothing in that conversation suggests he had any knowledge of it in advance , '' Giuliani said .
Lanny Davis , one of Cohen 's lawyers , claimed in a written statement late Friday that the contents of the recording would not be damaging for his client .
“ Obviously , there is an ongoing investigation , and we are sensitive to that , '' Davis said . `` But suffice it to say that when the recording is heard , it will not hurt Mr. Cohen . Any attempt at spin can not change what is on the tape . ”
The revelation casts a fresh spotlight on efforts before the presidential campaign to put the lid on damaging disclosures about Trump , as well as the trove of information Cohen might possess as he weighs cooperating with prosecutors .
Federal prosecutors in New York have been investigating whether Cohen 's actions , including a payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels , violated campaign-finance laws as part of a wide-ranging corruption probe into the longtime Trump fixer .
Daniels , who said she had sex with Trump in 2006 , received $ 130,000 from Cohen days before the election in exchange for her silence . After months of denials , Trump in May filed a financial disclosure report showing he reimbursed Cohen for the Daniels ' payment .
The taped conversation now in the FBI 's possession involves Karen McDougal , a former Playboy centerfold who said she had an affair with Trump that began in 2006 . McDougal received a $ 150,000 payment in August 2016 from the parent company of the National Enquirer . But the tabloid did not publish the story , keeping it out of public view .
The head of the Enquirer 's parent company , David Pecker , is a Trump ally . In a lawsuit she has since settled , McDougal argued that Cohen secretly intervened in the deal she struck with the tabloid 's owner .
Daniels , meanwhile , is suing to break free of her confidentiality agreement .
Lawyers representing Cohen and Trump have wrangled in court with prosecutors over the millions of items – documents , emails , files and other material – seized from Cohen 's office , home and hotel room this year . A lawyer representing Cohen previously has said `` audio files '' were among the materials seized .
More : Court-ordered review in Cohen raid yields 1.3M items for government
More : Trump associate Michael Cohen hires longtime Clinton ally Lanny Davis | G3irbRuBtGUPK75l | 1 | Politics | -0.1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
white_house | Associated Press | https://apnews.com/24b6aa48c98643c7ba1ff93b9b195da0/Analysis:-Appointments-signal-national-security-hard-line | Analysis: Appointments signal national security hard line | 2016-11-19 | White House, National Security, Politics | FILE - In this Tuesday , Nov. 8 , 2016 file photo , Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids , Mich . If there was any doubt about whether Donald Trump meant business with his hard-line campaign pronouncements on immigration , race , terrorism and more , the president-elect went a long way to dispel them Friday Nov. 18 , 2016 with his first appointments to his national security team and at the Justice Department . ( AP Photo/Paul Sancya , File )
FILE - In this Tuesday , Nov. 8 , 2016 file photo , Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids , Mich . If there was any doubt about whether Donald Trump meant business with his hard-line campaign pronouncements on immigration , race , terrorism and more , the president-elect went a long way to dispel them Friday Nov. 18 , 2016 with his first appointments to his national security team and at the Justice Department . ( AP Photo/Paul Sancya , File )
If there was any doubt about whether Donald Trump meant business with his hard-line campaign pronouncements on immigration , race , terrorism and more , the president-elect went a long way to dispel them Friday with his first appointments to his national security team and at the Justice Department .
Trump ’ s trifecta in selecting Sen. Jeff Sessions for attorney general , retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn for national security adviser and Rep. Mike Pompeo to lead the CIA sent a strong message that Americans are going to get what they voted for in electing a Republican whose campaign talk about national security matters largely toggled between tough and tougher .
There has been ongoing mystery about what to expect in a Trump presidency : Even some of Trump ’ s own supporters wrote off some of his more provocative campaign comments . Trump ’ s own policy statements have zigged and zagged depending on the audience . And his first two appointments to the White House staff — GOP Chairman Reince Priebus as chief of staff and onetime Breitbart News chief Steve Bannon as a senior adviser — sent a mixed message with the choice of an establishment figure and a flame-throwing outsider .
But Friday ’ s picks offered a concrete indication that Trump ’ s presidency may in fact be headed sharply to the right on issues of national security .
“ If you believe in personnel as policy , it ’ s pretty clear where the arrows are pointing , ” says Calvin Mackenzie , a presidential scholar at Colby College in Maine .
Princeton historian Julian Zelizer says the three choices all represent conservative figures with track records in government , not “ wildly out-of-the-box people who don ’ t even come from the world of politics . ”
“ That ’ s a message not just about him following through on his campaign promises , but it ’ s about partisanship , ” says Zelizer . “ He ’ s giving a signal to the Republicans to stick with him because he ’ ll deliver . ”
Trump still has plenty of big appointments yet to make , including secretary of state , that could telegraph other directions . And Congress , too , will have a say in setting national security policy .
Trump ’ s three latest all have sharply differed with Obama administration policy :
—Sessions , the Alabama senator and former federal prosecutor , is known for his tough stance on immigration enforcement . He ’ s questioned whether terrorism suspects should get the protection of the U.S. court system , opposes closing the detention center at Guantanamo Bay and has highlighted concerns about voting fraud , which the Obama administration sees as a non-issue . He has said Obama ’ s counterterrorism policies have “ emboldened our enemies ” and those concerned about warrantless wiretaps have “ exaggerated the extent to which this is somehow violative of our Constitution. ” His appointment to a federal judgeship in 1986 fell through after he was accused of making racially charged statements while U.S. attorney in Alabama .
—Pompeo , the three-term congressman from Kansas , is an outspoken opponent of the Iran nuclear deal , has said NSA leaker Edward Snowden is a traitor who deserves the death sentence and has said Muslim leaders are “ potentially complicit ” in terrorist attacks if they do not denounce violence carried out in the name of Islam .
—Flynn stepped down as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency in April 2014 and said he ’ d been forced out because he disagreed with Obama ’ s approach to combatting extremism . Critics said he ’ d mismanaged the agency . Flynn has pressed for a more aggressive U.S. campaign against the Islamic State group , and favors working more closely with Russia .
The three appointments sync up with messages that Trump voters sent in the exit polls on Election Night .
Trump ’ s backers put a higher priority on addressing terrorism and immigration than did Clinton ’ s supporters . Three-fourths of them said the U.S. was doing very badly or somewhat badly at dealing with IS . Just 2 in 10 thought blacks are treated unfairly in the U.S. criminal justice system . Three-fourths backed building a wall on the southern border to control illegal immigration .
Trump ’ s positions , meanwhile , have gone through different iterations , continue to evolve and still have big gaps .
On immigration , his views have arrived at a policy that sounds much like Washington as usual . The approach he sketched out in a post-election interview on “ 60 Minutes ” would embrace the Obama administration ’ s push to deport the most serious criminals who are in the U.S. illegally as well as the call by many Republican lawmakers to secure the border before considering any legal status for those who ’ ve committed immigration violations but otherwise lived lawfully . He even pulled back a bit on his vaunted southern wall , suggesting a fence may be enough for part of it .
Trump the campaigner also moved away from his inflammatory vow to freeze the entry of foreign Muslims into the U.S. , settling late in the race on “ extreme ” vetting of immigrants from countries and regions plagued by violent radicalism .
He ’ s vowed to crush the Islamic State group , but he won ’ t say how .
Trump has also said he believes in enhanced interrogation techniques , which can include waterboarding and other types of torture that are against the law and that many experts argue are ineffective .
Republican Rep. Devin Nunes of California , the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee , on Friday dismissed Trump ’ s comments about waterboarding as the talk of a “ first-time neophyte running for office . ”
“ Water-boarding coming back , I find that hard to believe , ” he said . | 649fe9870459215b | 1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
defense_and_security | HuffPost | http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/07/obama-putin-meeting_n_3718825.html | Obama Cancels Meeting With Putin Over Snowden | 2013-08-07 | NSA, Defense And Security | HuffPost turns 20 this year, and our mission is clearer than ever: We won't back down when it comes to providing free and impartial journalism. The next four years will reshape America as we know it, but we will never bow to political pressure.For the first time, we're offering an ad-free experience to qualifying contributors who support our fearless newsroom. We hope you'll join us. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again. We won't back down from our mission of providing free, fair news during this critical moment. But we can't do it without you.For the first time, we're offering an ad-free experience to qualifying contributors who support our fearless journalism. We hope you'll join us. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again. We won't back down from our mission of providing free, fair news during this critical moment. But we can't do it without you.For the first time, we're offering an ad-free experience to qualifying contributors who support our fearless journalism. We hope you'll join us. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages. Do you have info to share with HuffPost reporters? Here’s how. Do you have info to share with HuffPost reporters? Here’s how. You have the right to opt-out of the sale or sharing of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences. | 9a6617900e04b331 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
polarization | DAG Blog | http://dagblog.com/american-democracy-not-dead-yet-19362 | AMERICAN DEMOCRACY - NOT DEAD YET | 2015-03-05 | Democracy, Democratic Party, Republican Party, Polarization | Thanks to Michael M. for highlighting Matthew Yglesias 's Cassandra prophesy at Vox : `` American Democracy is Doomed . '' In the piece , Yglesias warns that political polarization will sooner or later trigger `` a collapse of the legal and political order '' in the United States . `` If we 're lucky , '' he adds gloomily , `` it wo n't be violent . ''
You do n't have to be a seer to see that the federal government is in crisis . We have been reading about congressional paralysis for five years straight . The immediate cause is no mystery -- the American checks-and-balances system does not handle polarization well . The founding fathers , in their zeal to prevent totalitarianism , designed a system that empowers its various branches to sabotage one another for political gain .
If Yglesias had limited his conclusions to these observations , the result would have been an interesting if prosaic political commentary . But where 's the fun in that ? Headline-grabbing doom prophesies trend much better than humdrum political commentary . Fortunately for the health of American democracy , they are invariably specious , and this one is no exception .
To his credit , Yglesias knows enough history to recognize that partisan polarization is nothing new . Inter-party hostilty has plagued federal government for most of American history . But he argues that this time is different because the polarization is ideological , in contrast to the spoils system that divided the parties in the Gilded Age .
That characterization is not completely accurate , but the real flaw in Yglesias 's argument is another confusion.The political system he portrays is a rigid thing , shackled in place by ancient Constitutional chains . In fact , our government is perpetually evolving to deal with political crises like the one we face today .
For example , Yglesias cites the filibuster crisis as one threat to the Republic . To be precise , we should call it the Senate filibuster crisis , for there is also such a thing as a House filibuster -- or at least there used to be . In the late 1800s , congressmen from the minority party used to `` vanish '' whenever the clerk called roll for a bill they opposed . They remained in their seats , but by pretending to be absent , they denied the Speaker his quorum , and the vote could not proceed . Such obstructive tactics would tie up the House for weeks , effectively killing the legislation .
Speaker Thomas Brackett Reed solved that problem in 1890 by pushing through a new set of rules that abolished the disappearing quorum trick and granted additional power to the Speaker . Democratic congressmen reacted with a fury that easily outclasses any modern examples of partisan polarization :
A hundred of them “ were on their feet howling for recognition , ” wrote a reporter . `` Fighting Joe '' Wheeler , the diminutive former Confederate cavalry general , unable to reach the front because of the crowded aisles , came down from the rear “ leaping from desk to desk as an ibex leaps from crag to crag. ” As the excitement grew wilder , the only Democrat not on his feet was a huge representative from Texas who sat in his seat significantly whetting a bowie knife on his boot . -- Barbara Tuchman , The Proud Tower
What worked in the House 125 years ago can work in the Senate today . If the effectiveness of the Senate continues to deteriorate , some future Senate Majority Leader will follow Speaker Reed 's lead and eliminate the filibuster by invoking the so-called nuclear option . Perhaps journalists of the 22nd century worrying about some future political crisis will forget that the filibuster ever existed .
Yglesias also points to the conflict between modern presidents and Congress , remarking on the overheated charges of `` dictator '' leveled against both George W. Bush and Barak Obama . Yet , long-dead legislators have routinely hurled the same epithets against every assertive president in American history , though they used to say `` monarch '' instead of `` dictator . ''
In fact , the expansion of presidential power is another example of how our government has evolved to overcome Constitutional constraints . Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory . Andrew Jackson wielded the presidential veto . Abraham Lincoln emancipated the slaves . Theodore Roosevelt prosecuted the trusts . FDR packed the courts . Bitter legislators warned of despotism just like they do in response to Obama 's executive actions , but their doom prophesies were quickly forgotten . Today , the same presidents are lionized for decisive leadership , and the powers they assumed are taken for granted .
So do n't fret too much . Yes , American democracy is in crisis , but it has survived worse . | 5a252eba43dbf23e | 1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
elections | New York Times - News | http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/14/us/politics/mitt-romney-often-away-when-he-was-governor.html | As Massachusetts Governor, Romney Was Often Away | 2012-10-14 | elections | “ I thought he gave up on his job , ” said Phil Johnston , the chairman of the state Democratic Party while Mr. Romney was in office . “ Romney was quite popular at the beginning of his tenure . The relationship between him and the Massachusetts electorate really soured . ”
But Republicans and Mr. Romney ’ s campaign said his travels had no bearing on his job performance . Mr. Romney defended his absences while he was in office , once saying , according to The Boston Herald , “ Even when you are on vacation , when you ’ ve been elected as governor , you keep thinking and working on issues that are important to you . ”
Certainly , Mr. Romney was not the first Massachusetts governor with his eye on another prize . Two of his Republican predecessors resigned for ambassadorships , though one of them , William F. Weld , had his appointment as the envoy to Mexico blocked in the Senate . And much of Michael S. Dukakis ’ s third term , when he was the Democratic presidential nominee , was spent on the road .
Like Mr. Dukakis , George W. Bush and Bill Clinton ran for president as sitting governors and faced grousing about their time on the campaign trail . ( As president , Mr. Bush also drew criticism for his lengthy summer vacations at his Texas ranch . )
Some politicians , though , are wary of leaving home . Gov . Andrew M. Cuomo of New York , who has been talked about as a potential presidential candidate in 2016 , rarely ventures out of state and vacations in the Hamptons or the Adirondacks .
Mr. Obama spent about two weeks on Martha ’ s Vineyard during each of the first three years of his term , but not this year . A trip to Hawaii around Christmas has also been a routine .
Much of Mr. Romney ’ s time on the road when he was governor was spent barnstorming the nation — traveling to at least 38 states — as he positioned himself for his first presidential run . He also sought to build up his foreign policy credentials , visiting Afghanistan , Iraq and Guantánamo Bay , Cuba , as well as Greece , the Vatican , China , Japan and South Korea . He attended fund-raisers for local legislators in swing states like Iowa and Michigan and raised money nationwide for his political action committee .
Some travel to Washington was tied to state business . He attended meetings of the National Governors Association , lobbied Pentagon officials to keep a military base open and met with White House officials about domestic security and health care policy .
But it was not uncommon for Mr. Romney to spend a week or more vacationing . During the summer , he frequently spent weekends at his retreat on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire , about two hours north of Boston , and in 2005 he stayed for almost all of a two-week stretch . He took a weeklong vacation to the Virgin Islands at the end of 2004 and typically spent well over a week during the Christmas holidays at his Utah home , which he has since sold . He was a regular attendee at Super Bowls .
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The Times compiled an itinerary of Mr. Romney ’ s travels by analyzing the governor ’ s public schedules , reviewing news accounts of his travels and the responses to public records requests made during his time in office by news organizations — including The Boston Globe , The Herald and The Associated Press — that were available at the Massachusetts State Archives . The figure is probably higher than 417 days because Mr. Romney ’ s vacations were often not recorded on his public schedules .
Mr. Romney ’ s frustrations in his home state , where he was often thwarted by an overwhelmingly Democratic legislature , became a common theme when he was on the road . He told audiences in Missouri and South Carolina in 2005 that being a Republican in Massachusetts was like being “ a cattle rancher at a vegetarian convention. ” He told the Heritage Foundation that he was like a “ red speck in a blue state . ”
“ He would make punch lines making fun of Massachusetts , and that was not widely appreciated , ” said Michael J. Widmer , the president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation , a business-backed public policy group . “ He was traveling so much the last two years , his most active period was really just two years . It ’ s tough enough for governors to get something done in four years , let alone two . ”
Mr. Widmer said that while the administration focused on passing health care legislation in the second half of Mr. Romney ’ s term , “ the rest of his agenda just went by the wayside . ”
Brian P. Lees , a former Republican minority leader of the State Senate , defended Mr. Romney . “ It really didn ’ t affect anything that much , ” he said of the absences . “ When we were in formal sessions or doing the budget or anything major , he was there . ”
“ He was always a phone call away , and his house in New Hampshire was closer to Boston than my house in Western Massachusetts , ” Mr. Lees added .
Eric Fehrnstrom , a senior aide to Mr. Romney , cited Mr. Romney ’ s chairmanship of the Republican Governors Association in 2006 as among the reasons that he was on the road frequently that year . “ This did not interfere with the job that Mitt Romney did for the people of Massachusetts , ” he said . “ Democrats who are carping about Mitt Romney ’ s travels also defended Mike Dukakis when he campaigned for president as a sitting governor . Their complaints come across as more than a bit hypocritical . ”
He did miss some significant events . One night in July 2006 , Mr. Romney was in New Hampshire when a 38-year-old woman was killed by falling concrete from the roof of the Big Dig tunnel in Boston . ( Its closing would result in traffic gridlock for months to come . ) When the governor arrived at the scene the next morning , he was visibly frustrated with Matthew J. Amorello , the head of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and a longtime irritant , and a tense exchange was captured by news cameras . Despite that rocky start , Mr. Romney would eventually win praise for his handling of the crisis and oust Mr. Amorello .
The legislature also finally came to its own deal on a version of Mr. Romney ’ s proposed overhaul of the state ’ s health care system . The final version passed by the legislature included provisions that the governor had vetoed , including a $ 295-per-worker fee for employers that did not provide insurance . The governor was traveling in April when the House overrode his vetoes .
Mr. Romney ’ s visits to New Hampshire became so frequent that The Manchester Union Leader , the state ’ s largest paper , wrote an editorial complaining about attempts by his security detail to cordon off a section of the lake around his home .
“ The Massachusetts State Police have no jurisdiction over Lake Winnipesaukee , ” it said , adding that troopers from a neighboring state should not be allowed “ to harass and intimidate people who are out to enjoy that section of the lake . ”
The paper endorsed Senator John McCain in the 2008 Republican presidential primaries and Newt Gingrich this time around . | nokYOhBuEAcn2hrN | 0 | Presidential Elections | -0.5 | Elections | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
terrorism | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/20/opinions/bergen-bin-laden-document-trove/index.html | Secrets of the bin Laden treasure-trove | 2015-05-20 | Osama Bin Laden, Terrorism | Watch the special `` 'We Got Him ' : President Obama , Bin Laden and the Future of the War on Terror '' on `` Anderson Cooper 360° '' Monday at 8 p.m. E.T . Peter Bergen is CNN 's national security analyst , a vice president at New America and a professor of practice at Arizona State University . He is the author of `` Manhunt : The Ten-Year Search for bin Laden -- From 9/11 to Abbottabad . '' This article was originally published in May , 2015 .
( CNN ) In his final years hiding in a compound in Pakistan , Osama bin Laden was a man who at once showed great love and interest in his own family while he coldly drew up quixotic plans for mass casualty attacks on Americans , according to documents seized by Navy SEALs the night he was killed .
The U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence has released an unprecedented number of documents from what U.S. officials have described as the treasure-trove picked up by the SEALs at bin Laden 's compound in Abbottabad , Pakistan , on May 2 , 2011 .
Totaling 103 documents , they include the largest repository of correspondence ever released between members of bin Laden 's immediate family and significant communications between bin Laden and other leaders of al Qaeda as well as al Qaeda 's communications with terrorist groups around the Muslim world .
Also released was a list of bin Laden 's massive digital collection of English-language books , think tank reports and U.S. government documents , numbering 266 in total .
To the end bin Laden remained obsessed with attacking Americans . In an undated letter he told jihadist militants in North Africa that they should stop `` insisting on the formation of an Islamic state '' and instead attack U.S. embassies in Sierra Leone and Togo and American oil companies . Bin Laden offered similar advice to the al Qaeda affiliate in Yemen , telling it to avoid targeting Yemeni police and military targets and instead prioritize attacks on American targets .
Much of bin Laden 's advice either did n't make it to these groups or was simply ignored because al Qaeda affiliates in Yemen and North Africa continued to attack local targets .
JUST WATCHED Author on bin Laden 's shelf : We interfere in Muslim world Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Author on bin Laden 's shelf : We interfere in Muslim world 02:52
ISIS , of course , did n't exist at the time bin Laden was writing . The group , which now controls a large swath of territory in the Middle East , grew out of al Qaeda in Iraq and has charted a different path , seeking to create an Islamic state and not prioritizing attacks on the United States and its citizens .
Taken together , these documents and reading materials paint a complex , nuanced portrait of the world 's most wanted man in the years before he was killed in the raid on his compound .
In the letters that bin Laden exchanged with his many sons and daughters , he emerges as a much-loved and admired father who doted on his children . And in a letter he sent to one of his wives , he even comes off as a lovelorn swain .
That 's in sharp contrast to the letters bin Laden sent to al Qaeda leaders that demanded mass casualty attacks against American targets and insisted that al Qaeda affiliates in the Middle East stop wasting their time on attacks against local government targets . `` The focus should be on killing and fighting the American people , '' bin Laden emphasized .
Bin Laden 's digital library is that of an avid reader whose tastes ran from `` Obama 's Wars , '' Bob Woodward 's account of how the Obama administration surged U.S. troops in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010 , to Noam Chomsky as well as someone who had a pronounced interest in how Western think tanks and academic institutions were analyzing al Qaeda .
Bin Laden was a meticulous editor , and some of the memos he wrote were revised as many as 50 times . Of the thousands of versions of documents recovered from computers and digital media that the SEALs retrieved at bin Laden 's compound , the final tally numbers several hundred documents .
The new documents show how bin Laden reacted to the events of the Arab Spring , which was roiling the Middle East in the months before his death . While bin Laden had nothing to say publicly about the momentous events in the Middle East , privately he wrote lengthy memos analyzing what was happening , pointing to the `` new factor '' of `` the information technology revolution '' that had helped spur the revolutions and characterizing them as `` the most important events '' in the Muslim world `` in centuries . ''
Some of the documents paint an organization that understood it was under significant pressure from U.S. counterterrorism operations . One undated document explained that CIA drone attacks `` led to the killing of many jihadi cadres , leaders and others , '' and noted , `` ( T ) his is something that is concerning us and exhausting us . '' Several documents mention the need to be careful with operational security and to encrypt communications and also the necessity of making trips around the Afghan-Pakistan border regions only on `` cloudy days '' when American drones were less effective .
Al Qaeda members knew they were short on cash , with one writing to bin Laden , `` Also , there is the financial problem . ''
Some of the documents have nothing to do with terrorism . One lengthy memo from bin Laden worried about the baleful effects of climate change on the Muslim world and advocated not depleting precious groundwater stocks . Sounding more like a World Bank official than the leader of a major terrorist organization , bin Laden fretted about `` food security . '' He also gave elaborate instructions to an aide about the most efficacious manner to store wheat .
Many of the documents concern bin Laden 's sprawling family , which included his four wives and 20 children . Bin Laden took a minute interest in the marriage plans of his son Khalid to the daughter of a `` martyred '' al Qaeda commander , and he exchanged a number of letters with the mother of the bride-to-be . Bin Laden excitedly described the impending nuptials , `` which our hearts have been looking forward to . ''
Bin Laden corresponded at length with his son Hamza and also with Hamza 's mother , Khairiah , who had spent around a decade in Iran under a form of house arrest following the Taliban 's fall in neighboring Afghanistan during the winter of 2001 .
Hamza wrote a heartfelt letter to bin Laden in 2009 in which he recalled how he had n't seen his father since he was 13 , eight years earlier : `` My heart is sad from the long separation , yearning to meet with you . ... My eyes still remember the last time I saw you when you were under the olive tree and you gave each one of us Muslim prayer beads . ''
In 2010 the Iranians started releasing members of the bin Laden family who had been living in Iran . Bin Laden spent many hours writing letters to them and to his associates in al Qaeda about how best he could reunite with them .
Bin Laden watches TV at his Abbottabad , Pakistan , compound in a frame grab from an undated video from the Pentagon .
In a letter to his wife Khairiah , he wrote tenderly , `` ( H ) ow long have I waited for your departure from Iran . ''
Bin Laden was paranoid that the Iranians -- who he said were `` not to be trusted '' -- might insert electronic tracking devices into the belongings or even the bodies of his family as they departed Iran . He told Khairiah that if she had recently visited an `` official dentist '' in Iran for a filling that she would need to have the filling taken out before meeting with him as he worried a tracking device might have been inserted inside .
U.S. intelligence officials have a theory that bin Laden might have been grooming Hamza eventually to succeed him at the helm of al Qaeda because the son 's relative youth would energize al Qaeda 's base . But Hamza never made it to his father 's hiding place in Abbottabad . When the SEALs raided bin Laden 's compound , they assumed Hamza would likely be one of the adult males living there , but he was n't .
U.S. intelligence officials say they do n't know where Hamza , now in his late 20s , is today .
As is typical for any bureaucratic organization there was considerable discussion in the documents about which al Qaeda personnel might be suitable for promotion and also documentation of cash flows moving in and out of the organization , in amounts in the tens of thousands of euros .
There is even an al Qaeda application form that included standard questions such as what `` hobbies '' the applicant might have , but also less standard ones such as , `` Who should we contact in case you became a martyr ? ''
Under pressure from bin Laden , leaders of al Qaeda in Yemen noodled with the idea that they might negotiate some kind of truce with the Yemeni government so the group could focus exclusively on attacking American targets . It 's not clear if anything came of this .
Similarly , al Qaeda members reached out to leaders of the Pakistani Taliban who maintain contacts with Pakistan 's military intelligence service , ISI , to see if they could negotiate a similar truce with the Pakistani government . The deal would be that the Pakistanis would leave al Qaeda alone and vice versa and then al Qaeda would be able to focus on attacking American targets . However , the al Qaeda leader who was leading this effort told bin Laden , `` As you know , this is just talk ! '' and nothing came of these discussions .
There is no evidence in the newly released documents that the Pakistanis had any idea bin Laden was living in Pakistan or indeed he was even alive .
The new documents also do nothing to substantiate investigative journalist 's Seymour Hersh 's recent well-publicized claims that the raid that killed bin Laden was not a firefight in which the SEALs went into a dangerous and unknown situation , but a setup in which Pakistan 's military had been holding bin Laden prisoner in Abbottabad for five years and simply made him available to the SEALs when they flew in helicopters to the compound on the night of the raid .
On the first anniversary of bin Laden 's death in May 2012 , the Obama administration released a first tranche of 17 documents from the treasure-trove . Those documents also underlined how much al Qaeda feared the CIA drone campaign as well as bin Laden 's obsessive interest in attacking the United States .
JUST WATCHED Bergen : Hersh 's account of bin Laden raid is nonsense Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Bergen : Hersh 's account of bin Laden raid is nonsense 05:25
Hersh seems to believe that any documents released by the Obama administration that were discovered during the bin Laden raid have been faked by the CIA . Readers can judge for themselves by examining the English-language translations of the new documents and also the original Arabic documents here
According to U.S. intelligence officials , in October seven U.S. intelligence agencies began the process of clearing for public release the documents that came out Wednesday .
Among the most interesting windows in to the mind of al Qaeda 's leader are the contents of his massive digital library , which was painstakingly assembled . Because of security concerns , bin Laden 's compound had no connection to the Internet so any books or reports that bin Laden had an interest in were assembled painstakingly by making PDFs of each page . They were then put on to a thumb drive and delivered to bin Laden by one of his two bodyguards , according to U.S. intelligence officials .
Strangely , one of the books in bin Laden 's digital library was a suicide prevention manual . Senior U.S. intelligence officials do not believe that bin Laden was suicidal .
Bin Laden was interested in books with a conspiratorial bent , and he had tomes about the Illuminati and the Freemasons and even , somewhat ironically , a book that asserted 9/11 was an `` inside job . ''
Bin Laden also collected reports by leading American counterterrorism exports such as Bruce Hoffman and Paul Pillar as well as papers about al Qaeda by West Point 's Combating Terrorism Center , RAND Corp. and the Congressional Research Service . ( He even possessed congressional testimony by this author titled , `` Reassessing the Evolving al Qaeda threat to the Homeland . '' )
Bin Laden collected indictments from American terrorism cases that he found of interest , such as that of David Coleman Headley from Chicago , who al Qaeda had tasked to plan an attack against a Danish newspaper that had published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed .
During the almost six years bin Laden lived in the Abbottabad compound , he had a great deal of time on his hands , which was partly consumed by reading the many holdings in his digital library and also composing the memos and letters that are now becoming public .
Bin Laden was deeply aware that as the 10th anniversary of 9/11 approached his central goal of attacking the United States again had failed . Many of the documents reference his plans for some kind of major public statement to mark the anniversary . Bin Laden was killed three months before he could deliver this statement . | a9551e6f1208c619 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
elections | Politico | http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0612/77562.html | Barack Obama's group therapy | 2012-06-19 | elections | The president 's team wants to make Romney the candidate of old , straight , white men . Obama 's group therapy
President Barack Obama ’ s campaign wants to turn Mitt Romney into the candidate of old , straight , white men .
Of course , his aides would never state it so crudely . But that ’ s the unmistakable aim of their political strategy of the past two months .
The Obama campaign spent weeks playing up the contraception fight and pushing legislation to guarantee women equal pay for equal work — and then crowing about how women were fleeing the GOP . Obama got pushed into backing gay marriage more quickly than he wanted — but once he did , the campaign milked it for days to try to make Romney look like a throwback . The drumbeat on more affordable student loans has been constant . And now , the president is trying to drive a wedge between Romney and Hispanic voters with a sustained push to soften U.S. deportation policy .
To many Republicans , the president ’ s strategy is very crass — and potentially very effective . The threat of being marginalized as an aging , almost all-white , mostly male party is real and worth fretting about , they say .
“ You ’ ve got opportunity if the Republicans decide that it ’ s OK to look outside the country club for some votes , ” said John McLaughlin , a Republican pollster whose past clients included Jeb Bush and Arnold Schwarzenegger . “ But you ’ re going to lose another close election if you focus only on getting out your base when your base is shrinking . ”
The opening weeks of the general election have made plain the starkly different political calculations by Obama and Romney . The Republican nominee is trying to make the election about one big , overarching issue : blaming Obama for a wobbly economy and failed agenda . Given his strengths and weaknesses as a candidate , this is a no-brainer approach for Romney right now .
Obama , on the other hand , is trying to make it about a bunch of issues , often ones near and dear to specific states , or even demographic groups . Obama strategists see this election as a block-by-block knife fight , to be fought in fewer than a dozen states and likely decided by very slim margins . They think it ’ s a fool ’ s errand to worry about press panting over Bill Clinton or bad national polls . Instead , they obsess about Hispanics in Colorado , young voters in Ohio and swing voters in the Virginia suburbs ( socially liberal or libertarian , fiscally moderate ) .
“ This isn ’ t 2008 , ” a top Obama campaign adviser said . “ We just think people are looking at the race the wrong way. ” The right way , according to the adviser : “ [ T ] he expansion of the electorate is our base . It ’ s African-Americans , Hispanics , young people and women . ”
To concentrate its efforts to win over these voters , Obama for America has a sophisticated campaign-within-the-campaign , Operation Vote , focusing on specific swing and Democratic base groups , including women , African-Americans , Latinos , Asians , youth , seniors , and gays and lesbians , along with veterans and military families . There are separate structures for each of those groups in key states to amp up turnout and persuasion , including voter registration and “ neighborhood team model organizing ” that takes activities down to the grass-roots level .
Republicans , meanwhile , are under no illusion they can keep up with Obama among these groups , or win a majority of gays , young people , women or Hispanics . But it ’ s the latter two groups that have them most unnerved — knowing that they likely hold the key to who wins the White House .
Let ’ s start with Hispanics . The truth about politics is that Republicans — regardless of the nominee — are a mostly white party , and have been for decades . They get roughly 87 percent of their votes from whites — and rarely elect minority candidates at the national level . Right now , there are only two black and eight Hispanic Republicans in all of Congress . There are more than 270 whites .
Yet the proportion of white voters in the U.S. electorate slid from 88 percent in 1976 to 74 percent in 2008 while total minority groups more than doubled from 12 percent to 26 percent , according to a study of exit polls by Whit Ayres , a Republican pollster who is president of North Star Opinion Research and a founder of the GOP research group Resurgent Republic . | fYjTe8Y5vjXK74YU | 0 | Presidential Elections | -0.2 | Elections | -0.2 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
us_military | Fox Online News | http://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/2017/07/27/transgender-military-ban-individual-rights-must-be-sacrificed-says-gen-keane.html | Transgender military ban: Individual rights must be sacrificed, says Gen. Keane | 2017-07-27 | us_military | Retired Gen. Jack Keane on Thursday said the Pentagon was surprised by President Trumpâs decision to ban transgender people from serving in the United States military .
âThe military did not come forward and ask for the transgender ban to be lifted . That was imposed on the military by Secretary of Defense [ Ash ] Carter last June , literally six months before the end of the Obama administration , â Keane told FOX Businessâ Stuart Varney .
Mr. Carter commissioned a study by the RAND Corporation that measured the impact of transgender personnel on readiness and health care costs in the U.S. military .
According to Keane , after Carter lifted the military ban on transgender people in June of 2016 , several thousand soldiers opted to change their gender , receiving medical treatment as of October 1st of 20016 .
Last month , Defense Secretary James Mattis delayed a plan to allow transgender recruits to join the military to review whether the policy of allowing transgender individuals to enlist will affect the âreadiness or lethalityâ of the armed forces .
âI think what the president should do is talk to Secretary Mattis , take no adverse action against those who are serving honorably and faithfully who are now transgender soldiers and let Secretary Mattis come back and tell him [ Trump ] how is this program working and should we go forward with it , â Keane said .
On Wednesday , Trump issued via Twitter ( NYSE : TWTR ) a ban on transgender people serving in the military .
`` The United States government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the US military , '' Trump tweeted .
âPolicy by Twitter , it doesnât work very well particularly something as complex as the United States military , â Keane said .
The retired four star general said the U.S. military is not a social welfare organization and individual rights must be sacrificed for the purpose of readiness .
âWe exist for one reason only and that is to protect the American people and our national interest , and thankfully , we have people who volunteer as American patriots to that very thing and put their life on the line , â Keane said . | lB4r5fa5os4XBWE2 | 2 | Military | 0.8 | US Military | 0.8 | Defense And Security | 0.3 | Transgender Issues | 0 | null | null |
immigration | The Week - News | http://theweek.com/article/index/272146/on-immigration-obama-is-flirting-with-tyranny | On immigration, Obama is flirting with tyranny | 2014-11-18 | immigration | A democracy dies by a thousand cuts . A particularly deep one may come later this week , administered by none other than Barack Obama .
As has been widely reported for months , the president plans to make `` changes to the immigration enforcement system '' that `` could offer legal documents to as many as five million immigrants in the country illegally . '' And as New York Times columnist Ross Douthat has provocatively and persuasively explained — often in painstaking and illuminating exchanges with Obama 's defenders — those changes would constitute an unprecedented and quite likely unconstitutional power grab , in which the head of the executive branch claims `` prosecutorial discretion '' to ignore and even actively contravene laws passed by Congress .
Now let me be completely clear : I 'm all in favor of immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for immigrants already living in the United States . I think the refusal of the House Republican majority to pass an immigration reform bill — or , really , to do much of anything at all — over the past two years is a disgrace . I fear that with the GOP now in control of the Senate as well , Washington may well grind to a standstill — and that this heightened level of dysfunction in the nation 's capital may well redound to the benefit of Republicans , who use disgust at Washington as fuel for their anti-government furies .
The rule of law is far more about how things are done than about what is done . If Obama does what he appears poised to do , I wo n't be the least bit troubled about the government breaking up fewer families and deporting fewer immigrants . But I will be deeply troubled about how the president went about achieving this goal — by violating the letter and the spirit of federal law .
To grasp precisely what 's so galling about Obama 's proposed actions , it 's necessary to reflect on the nature of executive power and its permanent potential to become despotic .
Executive power can be reined in , as the U.S. Constitution attempts to do . But there are always limits to how much a president can be restrained , and not just because , or not simply because , executives are prone to maximize their own power . As political thinkers from Aristotle to John Locke and the American constitutional framers have recognized , there will be situations in which the common good demands and requires that the executive go beyond the letter and even the spirit of the law . In these extreme or emergency situations — situations in which an existential threat poses a grave danger , with the survival of the political community itself at stake — the executive 's extralegal decisions effectively become the community 's higher law .
Probably the clearest example from American history is Abraham Lincoln 's 1861 suspension of habeas corpus , defiance of the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court ( who denounced Lincoln 's actions as unconstitutional ) , and subsequent arrest ( without charge ) of pro-secessionist Maryland state legislators who appeared poised to condemn the suspension and vote to join the Confederacy .
Was Lincoln acting like a tyrant , as Maryland native John Wilkes Booth and many other critics of the time contended ? You bet he was . And it 's a good thing , too . Had Maryland seceded , Washington would have been surrounded by enemy armies and the South almost certainly would have won the Civil War quickly and decisively . Extralegal action was required to keep that from happening .
The willingness to break the law in order to preserve the common good is a mark of statesmanship at its peak . But it is also perilous for everyone involved — not least the statesman himself , who relies on his own judgment alone to determine whether the circumstances are grave enough to justify his transgressions .
Was the judgment correct ? Or might the crisis have been averted without it ? Those crucial questions are often unanswerable until the emergency has ended and executive law-abidingness has been restored . At that point , the statesman will either be judged a hero for his temporary embrace of despotic tactics — or he will be condemned as an enemy of ordinary decency who used the crisis as a pretext to aggrandize his own power . There is often no way to reach a final judgment while the crisis is still underway .
That 's what makes it so hard to judge the extralegal actions of George W. Bush and other senior members of his administration . After the Sept. 11 attacks , the administration claimed that the nation faced potentially mortal threats to its national security from sub-state actors who might seek to detonate weapons of mass destruction in American cities . That threat — a perpetual ticking-time-bomb scenario — was then used to justify extralegal actions ( including torture of terrorism subjects ) to thwart those potential attacks .
Critics have demanded that senior Bush administration officials be brought up on war crimes charges for authorizing torture . But such judgments can only be fairly rendered once the state of emergency has come to an end . Only then will we be capable of judging if the threat to the common good was sufficiently grave to justify breaking the law .
But what if the war or terror — and the state of emergency that goes along with it — never ends ? That prospect should send a chill down the spines of civil libertarians everywhere , because it suggests that we may have entered an era in which circumstances demand that the executive be granted extralegal authority on a semi-permanent basis .
It is within this ominous context that President Obama 's proposed actions on immigration need to be evaluated . Compared with torture , rendition , and the extrajudicial use of surveillance and even deadly force against American citizens , Obama 's efforts to help illegal immigrants can seem benign and even trivial . But that 's precisely the point . No matter how you feel about Bush 's actions , up until now , executive transgressions of the law have been made in the name of protecting the common good from a grave threat in a time of emergency .
What is so galling about the president 's pending circumvention of federal immigration law is that the White House has n't even attempted to justify it on grounds of necessity — no doubt because any effort to do so would be risible . The nation obviously faces no immigration emergency that could possibly justify the kind of extralegal action that Obama is contemplating . Cultivating a new constituency for the Democratic Party certainly does n't rise to that level , but neither does a big-hearted attempt to stop often cruel deportations of individuals and families residing in this country illegally .
Have we really gotten to the point where the executive can ignore and even violate , on the absurdly open-ended basis of `` discretion , '' the express intent of a federal law he is constitutionally empowered to execute — not because of an emergency , not because of a national threat , but merely because he wants to be a nice guy ?
As Douthat notes , such discretion could easily be used by a future Republican president to rewrite the federal tax code by fiat . But really , it could be used by any president of either party to do anything at all .
Maybe that 's not a problem . Maybe the rule of law is passé . Maybe democracy 's more trouble than it 's worth . Maybe we 'd be happier with an elected monarchy in which the legislature merely played an advisory role in making and execution of laws .
I just wish that we 'd be honest about the fact that our system appears to be evolving in that direction — and that liberals , in particular , would admit that Barack Obama appears prepared to make an important contribution to bringing it about . | 1kCovCI4jsjFbpYG | 1 | Barack Obama | -1.2 | Amnesty | 0 | Immigration | 0 | null | null | null | null |
technology | Breitbart News | https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2018/09/06/twitter-permanently-blacklists-alex-jones-infowars/ | Twitter Permanently Blacklists Alex Jones, Infowars | 2018-09-06 | Technology, Alex Jones, Infowars, Twitter | Twitter on Thursday permanently banned accounts belonging to Alex Jones and Infowars over a video of the radio host confronting a CNN reporter for lobbying to blacklist him from the social media platform , which CEO Jack Dorsey described as a “ digital town hall ” before Congress the day before .
In a statement shared on Twitter , the company said it terminated Jones ’ accounts for “ abusive behavior ” :
Today , we permanently suspended @ realalexjones and @ infowars from Twitter and Periscope . We took this action based on new reports of Tweets and videos posted yesterday that violate our abusive behavior policy , in addition to the accounts ’ past violations . As we continue to increase transparency around our rules and enforcement actions , we wanted to be open about this action given the broad interest in this case . We do not typically comment on enforcement actions we take against individual accounts , for their privacy . We will continue to evaluate reports we receive regarding other accounts potentially associated with @ realalexjones or @ infowars and will take action if content that violates our rules is reported or if other accounts are utilized in an attempt to circumvent their ban .
Today , we permanently suspended @ realalexjones and @ infowars from Twitter and Periscope . We took this action based on new reports of Tweets and videos posted yesterday that violate our abusive behavior policy , in addition to the accounts ’ past violations . https : //t.co/gckzUAV8GL — Twitter Safety ( @ TwitterSafety ) September 6 , 2018
We will continue to evaluate reports we receive regarding other accounts potentially associated with @ realalexjones or @ infowars and will take action if content that violates our rules is reported or if other accounts are utilized in an attempt to circumvent their ban . — Twitter Safety ( @ TwitterSafety ) September 6 , 2018
Ahead of Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey ’ s testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee Wednesday , Jones confronted CNN ’ s Oliver Darcy outside the hearing room , accusing the reporter of leading a campaign to purge Infowars from the Internet .
A Twitter spokesperson told the Daily Beast that Jones ’ exchange with Darcy — in which he referred to the activist reporter as a “ rat , ” “ possum , ” “ evil-looking , ” and a “ virus ” — violated the platform ’ s Terms of Services . Jones mocked Darcy during the confrontation , predicting the CNN reporter would “ go to Twitter and say , ‘ He ’ s bullying me ! I ’ m only trying to deplatform [ inaudible ] and celebrating it , and then insulting my viewers a week later , saying no one ’ s doing it ! ' ”
The company warned it will “ take action ” against Infowars if Jones attempts to bypass the permanent suspension .
In addition , Twitter has placed Infowars editor-at-large Paul Joseph Watson under a 12-hour suspension . A screenshot obtained by ███ shows Watson ’ s account was temporarily limited after sharing a video of the exchange between Jones and Darcy , with minimal commentary : “ Here ’ s the video of Alex Jones confronting CNN ’ s @ oliverdarcy – the reporter who lobbied YouTube & Facebook to shut down Infowars . ‘ You are incredibly shameful , ’ Jones told Darcy , adding , ‘ You are literally an anti-American , anti-free speech coward . ' ”
In response , Watson told ███ , “ The fact that Alex Jones has been banned for ‘ targeted harassment ’ for a video in which he had a forthright but ultimately peaceful exchange of views with a CNN reporter is ludicrous . ”
“ This is clearly corporate media working in cahoots with Big Tech to silence its competition once again , ” he added .
Darcy has repeatedly dismissed concerns of big tech platforms suppressing conservatives and Republicans during an election year , recently criticizing President Donald Trump bringing attention to the issue in a series of tweets last week . “ President Donald Trump on Friday morning claimed in a tweet that social media companies are ‘ silencing millions of people , ’ exacerbating a longstanding paranoia from conservatives who have for years erroneously accused social media companies of bias and censorship , ” he wrote last Friday .
The article cited the president ’ s tweet calling on Silicon Valley to stop censoring social media users in its so-called fight against fake news . “ Social Media Giants are silencing millions of people . Can ’ t do this even if it means we must continue to hear Fake News like CNN , whose ratings have suffered gravely . People have to figure out what is real , and what is not , without censorship ! ” Trump tweeted last Friday .
Darcy also accused conservatives of falsely claiming they are being “ unfairly treated ” by Silicon Valley giants to exploit what he describes as a “ flimsy narrative. ” Further , The CNN reporter claims previous disciplinary actions against Jones were due to “ hate speech ” and “ harassment ” — not political ideology . “ The tech platforms said they removed Jones ’ content for violations of their hate speech and harassment guidelines . They have maintained that they do not discriminate against users for their political beliefs , ” he wrote .
On August 14 , Twitter slapped Jones with a seven-day suspension , which prevented him from tweeting or retweeting content . In a video shared on Infowars ’ Twitter account , Jones said Twitter suspended him over a video he shared in which he implored the president to investigate the social media censorship of conservatives .
Earlier in the month , Apple , Facebook , YouTube , and Spotify removed large amounts of content produced Jones and Infowars .
Apple removed the Alex Jones Show , along with five additional Infowars programs , from iTunes , citing “ hate speech. ” “ Apple does not tolerate hate speech , and we have clear guidelines that creators and developers must follow to ensure we provide a safe environment for all of our users , ” the company said in a statement . “ Podcasts that violate these guidelines are removed from our directory making them no longer searchable or available for download or streaming . We believe in representing a wide range of views , so long as people are respectful to those with differing opinions . ”
Following Apple ’ s lead , Facebook unpublished four InfoWars pages from their platform : the Alex Jones Channel Page , the Alex Jones Page , the Infowars Page , and the Infowars Nightly News Page . In a blog post , Facebook alleged the pages were removed due to the news outlet violating the company ’ s “ hate speech and bullying policies . ”
Google-owned YouTube deleted Jones ’ channel hours after Facebook took action against Infowars . | 17d211aaa180dea3 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
elections | Fox News | http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/12/18/dnc-reportedly-accuses-sanders-campaign-improperly-accessing-clinton-voter-data.html?intcmp=hpbt1 | DNC reportedly punishes Sanders campaign for accessing Clinton voter data | 2015-12-18 | elections | Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders ' presidential campaign has been punished by the Democratic National Committee ( DNC ) for improperly accessing voter data compiled by Hillary Clinton 's campaign .
The Washington Post first reported late Thursday that Sanders ' campaign manager had acknowledged a low-level staffer had viewed the information and was fired as a result . The Post reported that the DNC has told the Sanders campaign that it will not have access to the party 's master list of likely Democratic voters until it provides an explanation and destroys any copies of Clinton campaign data that it posesses .
The DNC rents out the master list to national and state campaigns , which add their own information compiled by volunteers and field workers .
Being shut out of seeing the list for any length of time would be a major blow to Sanders , who is attempting to cut into Clinton 's sizable lead in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination .
A ███ poll released Sunday shows Clinton with a 14-point lead over Sanders among likely Democratic caucusgoers in Iowa , while a poll of New Hampshire primary voters released Thursday shows the two in a statistical tie .
The software vendor that handles the DNC master list told the Post that the breach occurred Wednesday while a patch was being applied to the software . The process briefly disabled the firewall surrounding the Clinton campaign 's data .
Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs placed the blame for the incident in large part on the vendor , NGP VAN .
“ Sadly , the vendor who runs the DNC 's voter file program continues to make serious errors . On more than one occasion , the vendor has dropped the firewall between the data of different Democratic campaigns , ” he said in a statement to ███ . While saying it was “ unacceptable ” for a campaign staffer to access “ some modeling data from another campaign , ” he also said they want to work with the DNC and vendor to fix the “ software flaws ” that could make Sanders ’ records vulnerable as well .
Another campaign official told the Post that the Clinton data was never downloaded or printed .
NGP VAN describes itself on its website as `` the leading technology provider to Democratic and progressive campaigns . '' Stu Trevelyan , the company 's CEO , told the Post the breach was an `` isolated incident that was fairly short in duration ... By lunchtime , it was resolved . ''
The Post reported the DNC was likely to initiate an outside audit to determine what exactly happened and whether any additional information was improperly accessed . Criminal charges were unlikely to be filed . | YWQDVDBtNA16XWJ6 | 2 | Presidential Elections | -0.4 | Elections | -0.2 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
coronavirus | Vox | https://www.vox.com/2020/5/22/21266756/coronavirus-pandemic-covid-risks-social-distancing-chart | How to weigh the risk of going out in the coronavirus pandemic, in one chart | 2020-05-22 | coronavirus | How to weigh the risk of going out in the coronavirus pandemic , in one chart
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Since coronavirus lockdowns began in the US , most Americans have drastically changed their patterns : following instructions to stay home , limiting almost all contact with others , and venturing out only for essential trips and exercise .
As states begin to ease social distancing restrictions , people are beginning to have more options . Between those wanting to patronize newly reopened businesses or socialize in person , and more employers calling people back to work , survey and cellphone data suggests people are already starting to trickle out of their homes .
But for many people , it ’ s really not clear which kinds of gatherings are safe and which aren ’ t . And that uncertainty can spark anxiety .
Fortunately , health experts know more about the coronavirus than they did when the lockdowns began , and they can point us to different levels of risk as we begin to reengage . There ’ s also advice on how to minimize harm .
“ There ’ s been a polarization between two purported options of staying home indefinitely … versus going back to business as usual , ” Julia Marcus , an infectious disease epidemiologist at Harvard , told me . “ The idea of harm reduction gives us a way of thinking about risk as a continuum and thinking about the middle ground between those two options . ”
Marcus and Boston University epidemiologist Eleanor Murray created an infographic showing the different scales of risk . We at ███ were inspired by it and , with Marcus and Murray ’ s permission , adapted it :
“ A lot of people , when they hear that you can ’ t completely get rid of your risk , they think , ‘ Well , that means that it ’ s inevitable , and I ’ ll just go and do everything that I was normally doing before , and if I get sick , I get sick , ’ ” Murray told me . “ But there are lots of things you can do in between nothing and everything . ”
First and foremost , the advice that has been repeated for much of the past few months remains true : Your home is still the safest place to be during this pandemic . You should continue trying to stay home as much as possible , because the virus is still circulating at a very high rate in many communities . ( If you want to be extra careful , some resources , like Covid Act Now , help show how much transmission there is in your area . )
But whether you need to for work or you ’ re simply tired of looking at your home ’ s walls , there are ways to mitigate risk when you go out .
For one , outdoors is generally safer , thanks to the open air — where the virus can more easily disperse — and , potentially , the warm , sunny weather . As Duke health policy expert Mark McClellan told me , “ It ’ s a good year for outdoor dining and outdoor shopping and outdoor all kinds of activities . ”
It also matters who you ’ re hanging out with . It ’ s okay to closely interact with people you live with ( unless one of you gets sick ; then whoever ’ s sick should isolate ) . But you should try to keep your distance from people you don ’ t live with . And you should try to avoid interacting with too many people at once ; even if it ’ s theoretically possible to keep 6 feet from others in a crowded space , it ’ s still better to avoid it . That ’ s true for the outdoors , but it ’ s especially true for the indoors .
When you go out , also take the now-familiar precautions : Wash your hands . Don ’ t touch your face . Wear a mask , particularly in indoor public spaces . Avoid shared surfaces and crowded settings , and keep physical distance — at least 6 feet — from people you don ’ t live with . If you ’ re 65 or older or have chronic health conditions that could exacerbate Covid-19 , you should take all of this advice more seriously .
Separately , experts say it ’ s a good idea to space out trips outside your home as much as possible — ideally , by two weeks , to match the virus ’ s incubation period . You could also establish a “ closed circle ” with people you want to regularly interact with , in which both sides agree to minimize contact with anyone else ( although some experts are skeptical of this idea ) .
With these tips , you can ’ t completely eliminate the risk of leaving your home . But you can greatly reduce that risk . For some , that could make the prospects of going out — with the benefits that going out can entail for your physical and mental health — much more feasible .
It all begins , though , with the understanding that risk during the coronavirus pandemic is really a spectrum , not a black-and-white choice .
“ People will take risks , whether we like it or not , ” Marcus said . “ The best thing we can do is give them strategies to reduce harm in those situations . If we don ’ t do that , we ’ re missing an opportunity . ”
For more detailed tips for going out and the explanations for them , read ███ ’ s full explainer .
Every day at ███ , we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you , and our audience around the world , with information that has the power to save lives . Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment : to empower you through understanding . ███ ’ s work is reaching more people than ever , but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn . Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation , but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles , videos , and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires . Please consider making a contribution to ███ today . | WUxXAXgayEBg47mu | 0 | Safety And Sanity During COVID-19 | 0.7 | Coronavirus | 0.7 | Public Health | 0.3 | null | null | null | null |
supreme_court | The Hill | https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/414792-senate-judiciary-committee-releases-report-on-kavanaugh-finds-no-support-for | Senate Judiciary Republicans say no evidence found to support accusations against Kavanaugh | 2018-11-04 | supreme_court | Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee late Saturday released a 414-page report in which the panel members say they found no supporting evidence for any of the allegations of sexual misconduct made against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh Brett Michael KavanaughChristine Blasey Ford pens honor for Chanel Miller Divided Supreme Court leans toward allowing Trump to end DACA Hirono memoir due in 2021 MORE ahead of his confirmation .
`` Committee investigators spoke with 45 individuals and took 25 written statements relating to the various allegations made in the course of the # SCOTUS confirmation process , '' the Senate Judiciary Committee tweeted Saturday .
`` In neither the committee 's investigation nor in the supplemental background investigation conducted by the FBI was there ANY evidence to substantiate or corroborate any of the allegations . ''
Committee investigators spoke with 45 individuals and took 25 written statements relating to the various allegations made in the course of the # SCOTUS confirmation process . — Senate Judiciary ( @ senjudiciary ) November 3 , 2018
In neither the committee ’ s investigation nor in the supplemental background investigation conducted by the FBI was there ANY evidence to substantiate or corroborate any of the allegations . — Senate Judiciary ( @ senjudiciary ) November 3 , 2018
The committee investigators `` found no verifiable evidence that supported '' Christine Blasey Ford 's allegation that Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed in the early 1980s and attempted to remove her clothes while covering her mouth with one hand .
`` The witnesses that Dr. Ford identified as individuals who could corroborate her allegations failed to do so , and in fact , contradicted her , '' the report notes .
It also states that committee investigators `` found no verifiable evidence '' to support Deborah Ramirez 's claim that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a party when they were both at Yale .
The report additionally dismisses allegations from Julie Swetnick , forwarded by lawyer Michael Avenatti .
`` Indeed , the evidence appears to support the position that Julie Swetnick and Mr. Avenatti criminally conspired to make materially false statements to the Committee and obstruct the Committee ’ s investigation , '' the report writes .
Avenatti and Swetnick have both been referred to the Department of Justice for potential criminal investigations into their behavior during Kavanaugh 's confirmation process . Avenatti has been referred a second time .
In addition , the report details that investigators were also unable to locate supporting evidence for the several anonymous accusations against Kavanaugh , noting that one of the accusers has been referred for a criminal investigation .
Kavanaugh passionately denied all of the allegations against him and was ultimately confirmed after a brutal confirmation fight on Oct. 6 by a vote largely down party lines . | WFkWm5UTMk76AlB9 | 1 | Sexual Misconduct | -1.4 | Brett Kavanaugh | -0.4 | Supreme Court | 0.2 | US Senate | 0.1 | null | null |
elections | Fox News | http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/08/21/rep-akin-stays-in-race-as-deadline-passes-resists-wall-gop-pressure/ | Rep. Akin stays in race as deadline passes, resists wall of GOP pressure | 2012-08-21 | elections | Missouri Rep. Todd Akin resisted a united front of Republican Party pressure Tuesday to drop his Senate bid following controversial comments on rape , as Mitt Romney and other party power brokers isolated him amid concern he 'd hurt Republicans ' chances of winning control of the Senate .
Democrats have already used Akin 's comments -- in which he claimed women 's bodies can fend off pregnancy in cases of `` legitimate rape '' -- to raise campaign money and cast other Republicans as insensitive toward women . GOP leaders tried to minimize the damage by first condemning Akin 's remarks , and then one after another urged Akin to get out of the race .
Akin , though , resisted . He told ███ host Mike Huckabee on his radio show Tuesday afternoon that he 's staying .
`` I believe that we can win this , '' Akin said , citing a `` tremendous outpouring of support '' from individual donors even as party heavyweights freeze him out . Akin called the fallout a `` little bit of an overreaction . ''
Going forward , Akin appears to be on his own . He can still opt to withdraw from the race , but because he missed a Tuesday deadline , he would have to seek a court order and pay the costs of reprinting ballots . Tuesday was the last day Akin could withdraw without court intervention and penalty payments .
There 's not much the Republican Party can do about Akin 's defiance . Asked about their options , one Missouri Republican source told ███ there are `` none really -- we examined the alternatives a few years ago when a convicted felon won the nomination for state auditor . ''
Barring a write-in campaign by a third candidate , Akin could remain the chief opponent to Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill in the fall . And that became a suddenly uphill battle as GOP leaders made clear that Akin will not be receiving their support .
The National Republican Senatorial Committee , in addition to well-funded conservative groups , reiterated that stance Tuesday . `` If he continues with this misguided campaign , it will be without the support and resources of the NRSC , '' the NRSC said in a statement .
Romney added his voice after five former and present Missouri Republican senators urged Akin to step aside . In a statement released Tuesday afternoon , they said his presence does not serve `` the national interest . ''
`` The issues at stake are too big , and this election is simply too important . The right decision is to step aside , '' they said . The statement came from Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt , and former Sens . John Ashcroft , Kit Bond , John Danforth and Jim Talent .
Romney released a statement late Tuesday saying : `` As I said yesterday , Todd Akin 's comments were offensive and wrong and he should very seriously consider what course would be in the best interest of our country . Today , his fellow Missourians urged him to step aside , and I think he should accept their counsel and exit the Senate race . ''
Akin had earlier released an ad pleading for forgiveness from voters . In the ad , Akin looked into the camera and addressed the controversy surrounding his remarks .
`` Rape is an evil act . I used the wrong words in the wrong way and for that I apologize , '' he said in the ad . `` As the father of two daughters , I want tough justice for predators . I have a compassionate heart for the victims of sexual assault . And I pray for them . The fact is , rape can lead to pregnancy . The truth is , rape has many victims .
`` The mistake I made was in the words I said , not in the heart I hold . I ask for your forgiveness , '' he said .
The Missouri Senate race is considered key to Republicans ' chances of retaking the Senate for the 2013 session .
Democratic groups across the country have tried to exploit Akin 's comments . They seized on a decision Tuesday by a Republican Party platform committee approving a plank that called for an amendment to outlaw abortion -- without a stated exception for rape or incest . It was similar to platforms adopted in the past and Republican sources indicated it had nothing to do with Akin , but the Obama campaign nevertheless put out a statement accusing Republicans of having passed `` the Akin amendment . ''
Akin made the controversial remarks in an interview with Fox affiliate KTVI . He claimed a woman 's body can typically fend off pregnancy during a `` legitimate rape , '' as he argued against allowing abortions in cases of rape , claiming such pregnancies are uncommon in the first place .
`` It seems to me first of all , from what I understand from doctors , that 's really rare , '' Akin told KTVI . `` If it 's a legitimate rape , the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down . '' | MR0acHoTonw9ZHIN | 2 | Election2012 | -0.1 | Presidential Elections | -0.1 | Elections | 0 | null | null | null | null |
north_korea | Reuters | https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa-pompeo/after-pyongyang-put-down-pompeo-stands-by-difficult-denuclearization-talks-idUSKBN1JY029 | After Pyongyang put-down, Pompeo stands by 'difficult' denuclearization talks | 2018-07-09 | Mike Pompeo, North Korea, World | TOKYO/WASHINGTON ( ███ ) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo brushed off North Korean charges that he used “ gangster-like ” diplomacy in negotiations in Pyongyang , saying on Sunday after meeting his Japanese and South Korean counterparts that he would keep pursuing denuclearization talks with North Korea .
Pompeo said in Tokyo there was still a lot of work to do , but he was confident North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would stick to a commitment to abandon nuclear weapons he made during a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore last month .
“ When we spoke to them about denuclearization , they did not push back , ” Pompeo told a news conference after two days of talks in Pyongyang that ended on Saturday . “ The road ahead will be difficult and challenging and we know that critics will try to minimize the work that we ’ ve achieved . ”
Some U.S. senators expressed concern about North Korea ’ s harsh words and urged the Trump administration to keep up the pressure on Pyongyang . Republican Senator Joni Ernst , a member of the Armed Services Committee , said joint military exercises with South Korea suspended to show goodwill toward North Korea should be resumed “ soon ” if talks sputter .
Pompeo said that while he saw progress in Pyongyang , the United States was not relaxing the current sanctions regime or changing its “ ironclad ” commitment to defend allies South Korea and Japan .
Pompeo spoke after North Korea said the talks “ brought us in a dangerous situation where we may be shaken in our unshakable will for denuclearization , rather than consolidating trust . ”
The statement was carried by the official KCNA news agency on Saturday soon after Pompeo left Pyongyang , raising questions about the future of talks in which he is trying to persuade Pyongyang to give up a nuclear weapons program that threatens the United States .
“ That was a fairly serious insult directed against Pompeo , ” said Christopher Hill , who formerly served as U.S. ambassador to South Korea and lead negotiator with North Korea .
Kim made a broad commitment in Singapore to “ work toward denuclearization ” but did not give details on how or when he would dismantle North Korea ’ s nuclear program . Trump offered security guarantees to Pyongyang and pledged to suspend the large-scale military drills with South Korea .
Leaked U.S. intelligence findings have concluded that North Korea does not intend to give up its nuclear program completely .
North Korea ’ s latest comments were a reminder of the difficulties that previous U.S. administrations had negotiating with the reclusive state .
“ I think it was a pretty bad start to the process , but it doesn ’ t mean it ’ s over yet , ” said Hill , noting that North Korea talks were tough by nature .
“ Most of the time you don ’ t come back with anything . Most of the time you come back empty-handed , ” Hill added .
Pompeo said he did not meet Kim on his latest visit to Pyongyang , as he had twice before , and he had not anticipated doing so . The White House said before the trip that he would meet Kim .
In a speech on Sunday in Vietnam , Pompeo urged North Korea to follow the example of Vietnam , saying he believed Pyongyang could replicate Hanoi ’ s path to normal relations with Washington and to prosperity .
“ The United States has been clear on what we seek from North Korea , ” Pompeo said in Hanoi . “ The choice now lies with North Korea and its people .
“ If they are able to do this , they will be remembered , and Chairman Kim will be remembered , as a hero of the Korean people . ”
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , Japan 's Foreign Minister Taro Kono and South Korea 's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung Wha shake hands for members of the media as they meet in Tokyo , Japan , July 8 , 2018 . Andrew Harnik/Pool via ███
Some analysts and lawmakers have expressed alarm that the talks appear to have run into difficulties , although others see a possible North Korean negotiating ploy .
“ I see China ’ s hands all over this , ” said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham , saying he thought the Chinese were “ pulling back ” North Korea because of the U.S.-China trade dispute .
Richard Haass , president of the Council on Foreign Relations , said on Twitter there was a danger of military action because Trump might now say he had tried diplomacy but was betrayed by Kim .
“ But a rushed summit and demands that NK denuclearize in short order or else is not a serious test of diplomacy , ” Haass tweeted .
South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said her country did not believe Washington had softened its demands , as some U.S. officials and analysts have suggested .
“ Secretary Pompeo ’ s visit to Pyongyang this time has taken the first steps , ” she said . “ We expect this to be followed up by further constructive and productive negotiations . ”
After he met Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Taro Kono , Pompeo said he was in Tokyo to discuss the U.S. alliance with Japan and maintaining “ maximum pressure ” on North Korea , an expression Trump ’ s administration had backed away from after the Singapore summit .
Pompeo said he had pushed North Korea on a promise to destroy a missile engine test site .
He also said talks had yielded an agreement to form a “ working-level ” group to oversee day-to-day interactions between the United States and North Korea .
Officials from the two sides would meet next week in Panmunjom , on the border between the two Koreas , to discuss the return of the remains of roughly 7,000 U.S. soldiers missing since the 1950-1953 Korean War .
KCNA said Pyongyang had offered to discuss declaring a formal end to the war to mark next month ’ s anniversary of the armistice . It said the U.S. side had shown little interest , giving “ certain conditions and excuses . ” | c5c275b0c76b73eb | 1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
abortion | Media Matters | http://mediamatters.org/research/2015/07/14/attack-on-planned-parenthood-3-deceptive-edits/204419 | 3 Deceptive Edits In The Video Claiming Planned Parenthood Is "Selling Aborted Baby Parts" | 2015-07-14 | abortion | Conservative Group Claims Planned Parenthood “ Sells The Body Parts Of Aborted Fetuses ”
Center For Medical Progress : Video Proves Planned Parenthood Is “ Selling Aborted Baby Parts. ” In a July 14 video , The Center for Medical Progress claimed to have recorded Planned Parenthood Federation of America 's Senior Director of Medical Services Dr. Deborah Nucatola discussing how the organization “ sells the body parts of aborted fetuses. ” The nearly 9-minute video and an accompanying press release claimed that the organization was in violation of 42 U.S.C . 289g-2 , a federal law regulating the use and sale of fetal tissue . According to the organization 's press release :
New undercover footage shows Planned Parenthood Federation of America 's Senior Director of Medical Services , Dr. Deborah Nucatola , describing how Planned Parenthood sells the body parts of aborted fetuses , and admitting she uses partial-birth abortions to supply intact body parts . In the video , Nucatola is at a business lunch with actors posing as buyers from a human biologics company . As head of PPFA 's Medical Services department , Nucatola has overseen medical practice at all Planned Parenthood locations since 2009 . She also trains new Planned Parenthood abortion doctors and performs abortions herself at Planned Parenthood Los Angeles up to 24 weeks . [ ... ] The sale or purchase of human fetal tissue is a federal felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $ 500,000 ( 42 U.S.C . 289g-2 ) . [ The Center For Medical Progress , 7/14/15 ]
At Least 3 Major Edits To The Video Undermine The Deceptive Attack
Unedited Transcript : “ Nobody Should Be 'Selling ' Tissue . That 's Just Not The Goal Here. ” The Center for Medical Progress also released a full transcript and longer version of the video with Dr. Nucatola -- featuring more than 150 minutes of additional footage -- which include crucial portions that were edited out . In one case , Nucatola says , “ no affiliate should be doing anything that 's not like , reasonable and customary . This is not- nobody should be 'selling ' tissue . That 's just not the goal here. ” From the Center for Medical Progress ' transcript ( emphasis added ) :
Buyer [ ACTOR ] : Ok . I 'm just trying to brainstorm . Because , I think offering some people , not only , just offsetting their cost in other areas , seeing the potential for that , besides the potential , for the patient , I 'm still going down that road , even though I know , I understand what you 're saying . This can not be seen as , “ We 're doing this for profit. ” PP [ NUCATOLA ] : No . Nothing , no affiliate should be doing anything that 's not like , reasonable and customary . This is not- nobody should be “ selling ” tissue . That 's just not the goal here . Buyer [ ACTOR ] : Right . And , I never see that as , I do n't look at it that way , we 're not selling tissue , we 're selling the possibility of what the research can offer . [ The Center for Medical Progress , 7/14/15 ]
Video Jumps Nearly 8 Minutes In The Middle Of The Conversation About Money . In the short version of the video , a confusing exchange takes place misleadingly implying that at one point , Dr. Nucatola discussed the cost of the tissue , but timestamps on the footage reveal nearly eight minutes of conversation was removed :
ACTOR : Okay , so , when you are , or the affiliate is determining what that monetary -- NUCATOLA : Yes . ACTOR : So that it does n't raise any question of this is what it 's about , this is the main -- what -- what price range would you -- NUCATOLA : You know , I 'm -- I could throw a number out that 's anywhere from $ 30 to $ 100 depending on the facility , and what 's involved . [ TIMESTAMPS JUMP FROM 12:24:07 TO 12:32:06 , REMOVING NEARLY 8 MINUTES ] ACTOR : The $ 30 to $ 100 price range , that 's per specimen that we 're talking about , right ? NUCATOLA : Per specimen , yes . [ The Center for Medical Progress , 7/14/15 ]
But The Unedited Footage Reveals PPFA Official Was Discussing Reimbursement Costs For Legal Donation Process During Those Missing Minutes . The unedited video reveals the full context for Nucatola 's cost comments . Right after the video jumps forward , Nucatola specifically references exact “ shipping ” and other associated costs which could legally be reimbursed , before discussing affiliates ' general “ bottom line ” attempts to “ break even ” :
ACTOR : Okay , so , when you are , or the affiliate is determining what that monetary -- NUCATOLA : Yes . ACTOR : So that it does n't raise any question of this is what it 's about , this is the main -- what - what price range would you -- NUCATOLA : You know , I 'm -- I could throw a number out that 's anywhere from $ 30 to $ 100 depending on the facility , and what 's involved . It just has to do with space issues , are you sending someone there that 's going to be doing everything , or is their staff going to be doing it ? What exactly are they going to be doing ? Is there shipping involved , is somebody coming to pick it up -- so , I think everybody just wants to -- it 's really just about if anyone were ever to ask them , well what do you do for this $ 60 , how can you justify that ? Or are you basically just doing something completely egregious , that you should be doing for free . So it just needs to be justifiable . And , look , we have 67 affiliates . They all have different practice environments , very different staff , and so with that number -- ACTOR : Did you say 67 ? NUCATOLA : 67 . ACTOR : Okay . And so of that number , how much would personality of the personnel in there , would play into it as far as how we 're speaking to them -- NUCATOLA : I think for affiliates , at the end of the day , they 're a non-profit , they just do n't want to -- they want to break even . And if they can do a little better than break even , and do so in a way that seems reasonable , they 're happy to do that . Really their bottom line is , they just , they want to break even . Every penny they save is just pennies they give to another patient . To provide a service the patient would n't get otherwise . [ The Center for Medical Progress , 7/14/15 ]
PPFA Official Repeatedly Referred To “ Tissue Donation , ” Not Sale , In Unedited Transcript . Dr. Nucatola repeatedly refers to “ tissue donation ” during the conversation . From the Center for Medical Progress ' transcript ( emphasis added ) :
NUCATOLA : Right now , when they are consenting to tissue donation , they 're just consenting to what happens with the tissue after the procedure is done . [ ... ] You could do a workshop on tissue donation and what it means . We want to do a little reception at the National Medical Conference or Forum or something . [ ... ] I do think feedback is good too . Sure , anyone can come get the tissue donation and send it off . I think affiliates would like to know , we send specimens to research who are working on this and this . I think that kind of positive feedback in the end it will just be a better relationship , it just kind of adds a whole human touch . [ The Center For Medical Progress , 7/14/15 ]
Planned Parenthood Statement : Fetal Donations Were Done `` Under The Highest Ethical And Legal Standards , '' And Provide Them “ No Financial Benefit. ” In a July 17 statement , Eric Ferrero , Planned Parenthood 's Vice President of Communications , explained that the organization 's clinics “ help patients who want to donate tissue for scientific research ” with “ the highest ethical and legal standards. ” Ferrero noted that the organization received “ no financial benefit ” from the arrangement aside from reimbursement of “ actual costs , such as the cost to transport tissue ” -- consistent with industry standards :
`` In health care , patients sometimes want to donate tissue to scientific research that can help lead to medical breakthroughs , such as treatments and cures for serious diseases . Women at Planned Parenthood who have abortions are no different . At several of our health centers , we help patients who want to donate tissue for scientific research , and we do this just like every other high-quality health care provider does -- with full , appropriate consent from patients and under the highest ethical and legal standards . There is no financial benefit for tissue donation for either the patient or for Planned Parenthood . In some instances , actual costs , such as the cost to transport tissue to leading research centers , are reimbursed , which is standard across the medical field . “ A well funded group established for the purpose of damaging Planned Parenthood 's mission and services has promoted a heavily edited , secretly recorded videotape that falsely portrays Planned Parenthood 's participation in tissue donation programs that support lifesaving scientific research . Similar false accusations have been put forth by opponents of abortion services for decades . These groups have been widely discredited and their claims fall apart on closer examination , just as they do in this case. ” [ Planned Parenthood Federation of America , 7/14/15 ]
Federal Law Does Not Prohibit Donations Of Fetal Tissue With Consent . Federal law regarding the use of human fetal tissue does not prohibit the use of donated materials . [ Title 42 U.S. Code § 289g-2 , Accessed 7/14/15 ]
Health And Human Services Independent Review Board : Providers May Accept Payment “ For Reasonable Expenses ” With “ Informed Consent. ” The set of standards outlined by the Health And Human Services Independent Review Board guidebook , the industry standard for medical research , explains that payment for fetal tissue may be obtained “ for reasonable expenses occasioned by the actual retrieval , storage , preparation , and transportation of the tissues ” ( emphasis added ) :
Prohibiting Payments and Other Inducements Payments and other forms of remuneration and compensation associated with the procurement of fetal tissue should be prohibited , except payment for reasonable expenses occasioned by the actual retrieval , storage , preparation , and transportation of the tissues . Informed Consent Potential recipients of such tissues , as well as research and health care participants , should be properly informed about the source of the tissues in question .
The decision and consent to abort must precede discussion of the possible use of the fetal tissue and any request for such consent that might be required for that use .
Fetal tissue from induced abortions should not be used in medical research without the prior consent of the pregnant woman . Her decision to donate fetal remains is sufficient for the use of tissue , unless the father objects ( except in cases of incest or rape ) .
Consent should be obtained in compliance with state law and with the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act . [ Health and Human Services Institutional Review Board Guidebook , Accessed 7/14/15 ]
Activist Behind Video Worked For Organization Notorious For Deceptively Editing Videos
David Daleidan Is A Former Writer For Discredited Anti-Choice Organization Live Action . David Daleiden , the contact person regarding The Central For Medical Progress ' video , is a former writer for discredited anti-choice organization Live Action News . The group has previously come under fire for deceptively editing undercover footage of abortion clinics in order to make false claims about Planned Parenthood . [ Live Action News , accessed , 7/14/15 ; ███ for America , 2/4/11 ; ███ for America , 5/31/12 ] | LTW68KjNa1LpenDg | 0 | Media Bias | -0.8 | Planned Parenthood | -0.7 | Abortion | -0.6 | null | null | null | null |
elections | Jacobin | https://jacobinmag.com/2020/04/bernie-sanders-presidential-campaign-democratic-socialism | We Lost the Battle, but We’ll Win the War | elections | Twenty years ago , back during the last summer of the Clinton presidency , Joe Rogan appeared on Bill Maher ’ s late night talk show Politically Incorrect . He was joined by Harry Belafonte ’ s daughter Shari , a visibly drunk actress named Kari Wuhrer , and Socialist Party presidential candidate David McReynolds . Early on in the program , McReynolds laid out his ambitious platform , citing Nordic social democracy as a model for justice in America . But it quickly became clear that he was really there to play whipping boy . “ Your platform would wreck America , ” as Maher put it . “ You say you want a thirty-hour workweek ? ” ( The studio audience exploded with applause here . ) “ $ 12 minimum wage. ” ( Once again , the crowd went wild . ) “ Hold your applause , babies ! ” Maher then rattled off the rest : “ Six weeks paid vacation . Free college . Free mass transit . Free legal services . Free health care . Free day care. ” The panelists were not impressed , with Wuhrer going full Fox News on Reynolds : “ My ex-husband would love this , Bill . He could make that dent in the couch even bigger ! ” she said , giggling . “ The lazy people still get to be lazy ! ” But no one was more alarmed than Joe Rogan . “ Somebody ’ s gon na have to pay for everything in the end , ” as Rogan put it . McReynolds explained , yes , that ’ s true — and that he intended to steeply raise taxes on the wealthy in order to do it . Rogan ’ s eyes bugged out . “ More than 48 percent ? ” McReynolds nodded . “ That ’ s crazy ! You want more than half ? ! ” Rogan threw up his arms . “ Where ’ s Steve Forbes when you need him ? ” Wuhrer , stroking Rogan ’ s arm , added : “ He ’ s busy working. ” McReynolds though was unfazed . In a booming , stentorian voice he made his case , laying out corporate CEO-to-average-worker income disparity all while Rogan fumed , Maher scoffed and Wuhrer cackled . But McReynolds — who died in 2018 — stayed cool , asking Rogan , “ Do you really think that Dick Cheney earned his $ 20 or $ 30 million retirement ? ” “ Who cares about Dick Cheney ? ! ” Rogan screamed . “ If you want more than 50 percent taxes I ’ m going to kill you ! ” Twenty turbulent years later , Joe Rogan — now one of the most influential media personalities in the country — would effectively endorse the program he once mocked . And this time , under the candidacy of yet another crusty , septuagenarian socialist who loves to thunder about free health care , Nordic social democracy , and CEO-to-worker income disparities . Life comes at you fast . But when it comes to American politics in the twenty-first century , it ’ s much closer to warp speed . Social-democratic policies , like Medicare for All , which were considered fringe in the Clinton years now have majority support . And while the Left remains disappointed by the outcome of the primary , there is little cause for pessimism . That so much has changed not only in last twenty years but the last five — much of it due directly to the movement around Bernie Sanders — suggests that after decades of the End of History , the massive ocean-liner that is political common sense is , remarkably , reversing course — slowly , in terms of an internet-led information age , but lightning speed by any historical metric . And if the Left is to take advantage of this fact , it requires a sober assessment of where our strengths and weaknesses lie .
“ Shoulda Been Nicer ! ” Sanders dropped out just today , but the campaign autopsies began weeks ago . And much like in 2016 , they ’ re not very convincing . After Sanders won the Nevada primary , a wide range of national polls showed Bernie with a double-digit lead over the Democratic field . Nor was it clear , despite much media speculation , that Bernie ’ s support had anything like a hard “ ceiling. ” Even after the South Carolina primary , one survey showed Sanders leading Biden in a head-to-head race , 52 percent to 48 percent , among registered Democrats . Then , in a single unprecedented twenty-four-hour period , Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar suddenly withdrew and endorsed Biden , joined by Harry Reid , Beto O ’ Rourke , and a cavalcade of congressional Democrats . The establishment had spoken , and the choice was made — a clear signal had been sent to nervous Democratic voters . Within a week , Biden ’ s national support surged by 25 percent . The incredible speed with which Sanders ’ s polling lead was reversed — not by the entry of a dynamic candidate but the public moves of the party elite — makes a very strong case that as long as the leadership was personally opposed to him , he was never going to win . The Discourse Liberals accept this version of events . And they all seem to agree on where it went wrong for the Sanders campaign : “ Bernie shoulda been nicer ! ” This is , of course , a line beloved by Vox writers — it justifies their own adoring relationship with that same party . The naivete is stunning — as if the legislators holding together the vast corporate networks funding their party ( and their reelections ) would have thrown in their lot with Sanders if only he ’ d gotten them Hamilton tickets or texted them on their birthdays . For a decade now , Jim Clyburn , whose endorsement turned the tide for Biden , has taken more money from Big Pharma PACs — hands down the biggest spenders on Capitol Hill — than anyone else in Congress . We ’ re supposed to believe a Christmas card from that industry ’ s biggest threat could ’ ve overruled more than a million dollars in Clyburn ’ s campaign chest ? The wildest Bernie-bro fantasy doesn ’ t come close to this level of delusion . But make no mistake , it ’ s a cultivated delusion . For Discourse Liberals , it ’ s taken a lot of grooming to get them to this special place . But the leadership ’ s campaign to stop Sanders began years ago . And it started with the Resistance . The media and the Democratic establishment ’ s obsession with Russiagate — from the first frenzy over the “ pee tape ” to the impeachment hearings themselves — has of course failed to remove the president from office . But it did leave the Democratic primary electorate with a single priority : stop Trump at any cost . Unfortunately , that cost turns out to be the nomination of a conservative Democrat in severe cognitive decline all during the midst of a global pandemic . And if that wasn ’ t enough , he also now faces a credible accusation of sexual assault . Turning the Democratic party into an anti-Trump coalition helped stamp out just enough of Sanders ’ s appeal to mainstream Democratic primary voters — after all , if you ’ re convinced you ’ re facing an-all powerful menace , and the only army that can beat him is the Democratic Party , well , why wouldn ’ t you listen to the generals of that army ? For the first time , “ electability ” ( where Bernie was almost always just behind Biden ) trumped “ issues ” ( where Bernie thrives ) . And it was the successful result of an official strategy to neutralize Sanders ’ s appeal that began even before Clinton ’ s loss . In other words , “ Stop Trump ” did work — and it will have worked even if Biden loses to the president . But let ’ s take the liberals seriously on the whole “ be nicer ” thing . The only situation in which more “ niceness ” from Bernie might have possibly played a decisive role was if the party elite had been divided , as it was in 2008 . When Obama challenged Hillary , the race wasn ’ t between an outsider versus the establishment — after all , it was Harry Reid who encouraged Obama to run . It was a split in that very establishment , a situation in which Obama ’ s personal relationships with party officials probably did help turn the tide . But with Sanders , it never even came close to that . There was no split . According to multiple reports , Obama just picked up a phone . I have no love for Hillary Clinton . But when she said “ nobody likes ” Bernie , what she was actually saying was , when it comes to who ’ s in power , there is no Sanders wing of the party . And she ’ s right . Rep. Barbara Lee , who was at the small 2014 dinner in which Sanders first plotted his run for the presidency , endorsed Kamala Harris early on . Rep. Raul Grijalva , who backed Sanders in 2016 , went for Warren this time . And Warren , who Sanders publicly begged to run in 2015 , not only failed once again to endorse his campaign but even went as far as to quasi- # MeToo him on a public stage . Then , after suspending her own campaign , she stayed quiet — except for an MSNBC interview about the viciousness of Sanders ’ s supporters . And those were his friends in the party . In other words , there is a left wing of Democratic voters — a thriving one , in fact . But there is no actual left wing of the Democratic Party in office .
The Power of Disciplining Politicians There ’ s another valuable lesson going forward : the dreaded PMC Wars of 2019 ? Yeah , sorry — the Warren-skeptics were right , and even then , we were far too tolerant . Not that meaner tweets or angrier think pieces could have done much about it . With no formal party-surrogate structure , there was no way to discipline Warren for staying in long after she ’ d lost any viability . The Democratic establishment however had no such problem — in a single weekend , it had lined up almost every candidate in the race behind Biden . They hold both carrots and sticks — and they don ’ t even need to mention the latter . We however have neither . Even Bloomberg , one of the richest and most powerful men in the world , quickly fell in line like a good little soldier . He didn ’ t think of pulling a Ross Perot . That Warren refused to attack Biden throughout her campaign , the man whose awful bankruptcy bill first led her into politics , was a fact no commentator thought worth mentioning in all this . We did hear a lot , however , about atrocities such as the tweeting of snake emojis by Sanders supporters . Her staying in the race certainly damaged the Sanders campaign — perhaps fatally so . That a mega-wealthy donor was able to use her zombie campaign as a way to knee-cap Sanders at the last minute suggests the real utility of her run all along . Like Ross Perot with Bill Clinton , the Bloomberg spoiler factor was a gift from above — but it was one that Sanders couldn ’ t exploit , thanks in large part to Warren . It very likely cost him critical Super Tuesday states . While a better performance there might not have won the nomination , it might have bought Sanders another month of viability before we hit the great COVID-19 freeze . And then , who knows what could ’ ve happened .
Whose Party ? Those who look at the round of endorsements which instantly jolted Biden back to life and claim that this proves the party leadership is still firmly in control are correct . But not how they mean . And possibly , not for much longer . The fact that Bernie and Biden have very similar net positive ratings from most Democratic voters , especially the black voters who helped push Biden to the front , makes the whole race an even more useful experiment to test this theory . Sanders as a candidate is a force of nature . Like a sharpened blade , he is ideology and program before he is even a human being . “ I don ’ t like to talk about myself , ” as he ’ s fond of saying . Unlike Obama , those who support Sanders are not doing so because he wrote a beautiful memoir or gave a soaring national speech . Bernie is the furthest thing from an Aaron Sorkin protagonist . Beneath the rock-hard exterior , he does have his quirky charms and undeniable warmth . But they ’ re qualities ( “ Yeah , good . Okay. ” ) appreciated only by those who already like him for his program and ideology . With Biden , there ’ s no great narrative to the guy — sorry , Amtrak Joe . But neither is there much of an ideological appeal either . As for the most consequential decisions in American politics over the past several decades , Biden ’ s been on the side of disaster every single time , almost to the point of absurdity — cuts to our meager welfare state , the coronation of a far-right Supreme Court Justice , anti-crime legislation that horrified even the Reagan administration , the bankruptcy bill that made it impossible for working families to discharge debt and , of course , the ongoing disaster and mass human suffering that was the Iraq War . And even if we want to say his nomination is the result of that undeniable backslapping , “ malarkey ” charisma of Biden the human being , it ’ s an open secret that that human being is rapidly nearing his end . The Democrats rallying around Biden today remind me of Leatherface ’ s family in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre — the scene where their wheelchair-bound , centenarian grandpa tries to whack a young woman over the head like he did in his prime . They ’ re all holding her down for gramps , but the mallet keeps slipping from his grip , and they keep having to hand it back to him . If it wasn ’ t so disturbing , it might almost be funny . It ’ s a useful farce for our purposes , though . What Biden ’ s nomination suggests is that , for the time being — and no matter how popular Sanders ’ s program may be — a plurality of the current Democratic primary electorate cares more about who the party establishment is backing than any political program . Just as long as that candidate has a pulse . But this is a situation that is rapidly changing , thanks to generational turnover . Even if some of us are skeptical of that fact , I can assure you that the Democratic leadership is not .
The Generational Gap and What It Means Liberal social scientists like Ruy Teixeira and John B Judis have been gushing about the booming Millennial demographic for years , starting with The Emerging Democratic Majority in 2002 . And after the mass enthusiasm of that demographic helped propel Obama to power , Teixeira and Judis were vindicated . But it didn ’ t turn out how they expected . After Obama left office — and after overseeing the historic collapse of his party — that same demographic revolted against the President ’ s first chosen successor , in a Democratic primary against a Vermont socialist . And then four years later , they revolted against a half-dozen candidates in the exact Obama mold : Beto O ’ Rourke , Kamala Harris , and — with particular loathing — Pete Buttigieg . And that was after each one of these politicians received glowing press coverage , round-the-clock hype , and even the best Obama veterans to staff their campaigns . Finally , those Millennial ex-Obama voters revolted against Barack ’ s very own vice president , who won the Michigan primary but lost everyone under forty-five years old . The Millennials did rise , as Judis and Teixeira said they would . Not for Obamaism , but for Sanders ’ s democratic socialism . And now , they have an entirely new generation slowly but surely entering the electorate — Generation Z — who polling suggests are even more pinko than their older brothers and sisters . And that was before the COVID-19 crash . ███ readers are no doubt skeptical of anything that smacks of “ generational politics. ” But we can only ignore the numerical evidence for so long . It ’ s clear now that the generational divide , when it comes to political ideology , is starker than it ’ s ever been in modern history . And when we talk about “ young voters ” in 2020 , we ’ re not even talking about the youth anymore . Born in 1981 , I ’ m pushing forty , married , with one kid and another on the way — not exactly a spring chicken these days . At my age , in the late 1980s , Baby Boomers were writing middle-aged memoirs , looking back with distant fondness on their long-vanished youth . And while the vast majority of people my age don ’ t write and edit socialist magazines ( let alone read them ) , they do wildly support the candidacy of the best known democratic socialist in the world . Yeah , it ’ s pretty weird . In the Democratic primary , Sanders is unquestionably the majority preference of everyone under forty-five — not twenty-five . That ’ s not some novelty . Even George McGovern , supposedly the candidate of young boomers ( and nobody else ) , only won that demographic by 52-46 . To believe that Millennials and Zoomers will suddenly drastically change their ideology is to ignore decades of social science which clearly suggests that political ideology hardens in early adulthood and stays that way for life . The only possibility for a mass Millennial and Zoomer defection would be a sudden new economic boom akin to the postwar golden age . But that looks unlikely — the future of capitalism in America is almost certainly low growth and rising inequality . In other words , a continuation of the same circumstances that molded this new coalition in the first place . Their demands , unlike the 1960s rights revolutions , are almost entirely structural . So unless these structures change for the better — universal health care , full employment , and a mass economic leveling — their commitments are likely to remain rock solid .
Latinos for Social Democracy While Sanders ’ s strength with Zoomers and Millennials was expected , the Latino tide seems to have taken even his own campaign by surprise — except for the charming Chuck Rocha , of course . In 2016 , Sanders lost that demographic , the largest nonwhite ethnic group in America , to Hillary Clinton . But in 2020 , the tables turned dramatically leading to crushing victories in Nevada , Colorado , and California . With six other competitive candidates on the ballot , Sanders won just under 40 percent in LA County alone . While he narrowly lost Texas , he handily won its enormous number of Latino voters . But what ’ s interesting is how little Sanders ’ s strength here counts among both the media and the party elite , despite Latinos being almost the sole driver of America ’ s increasing racial diversity . As Nate Silver recently tweeted on Biden ’ s strength with black voters in South Carolina , “ It ’ s almost as though the two 90 % + white states that voted first weren ’ t representative of the broader electorate. ” And yet , the third state , Nevada — which is demographically much more representative of the country at large than South Carolina — simply doesn ’ t count at all . So why is a booming , nonwhite , disproportionately working-class demographic of such little importance to the Democratic Party ? When looking at voter demographics , it doesn ’ t make any sense . While African Americans are a little over 12 percent of the country , roughly 18 percent of Americans are Latino . But when you look at the politicians who ’ ve successfully built a home in the party leadership , suddenly it makes complete sense . There simply is no institutional grouping of Latino politicians in the Democratic Party . There is , however , an enormous African American political brokerage network firmly placed within the leadership — the Congressional Black Caucus is easily among the most powerful organizations in the party . Because of the strength of this network , the Democratic Party elite can not afford to ignore the will of black voters — nor can they afford to ignore the politicians who can be counted on to deliver their votes . But when it comes to Latino voters , the embarrassing truth is : it certainly can . While black Democrats liked Sanders ’ s program even as they went for the candidate openly hostile to most of it , there ’ s no institutional force capable of delivering Latino voters to the leadership ’ s chosen candidate . Just look at how the anti-Sanders attacks by the leadership of the Culinary Workers Union blew up in their faces — it didn ’ t keep their Latino members from overwhelmingly caucusing for Sanders . But it ’ s different with black voters . They aren ’ t suspicious of the establishment ; they trust it — and across two election cycles , that trust has outweighed their support for Sanders ’ s program . They rightfully credit the party with winning civil rights reforms and electing the first black president — both of which events are still within living memory . The Associated Press article on Jim Clyburn ’ s endorsement makes this process clear , leading with an anecdote about a seventy-six-year-old African American voter in South Carolina running into Clyburn at a funeral . “ I need to know who you ’ re going to vote for , ” she asked .
Clyburn whispered back , “ Joe Biden. ” The AP goes on to quote a public-relations consultant , a Millennial named Antjuan Seawright who , at thirty-five-years-old , is already a senior advisor for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee : In our community , as African Americans , we ’ ve always had a history of hearing from people who have been chosen to lead us … This example of Jim Clyburn is no different . There ’ s a reason why I think God preserved him for this moment . The evidence is overwhelming that Latino Americans are now up for a social-democratic insurrection . But without firm political networks in the party leadership , that rebellion is likely to fall upon deaf ears . | IQzCF6fyz79BC9So | 0 | Socialism | 0.8 | Bernie Sanders | 0.8 | Democratic Party | 0.2 | Elections | 0 | 2020 Election | 0 | |
world | MarketWatch | https://www.marketwatch.com/story/what-germanys-dismal-gdp-number-really-means-for-europe-2019-08-14?mod=mw_theo_homepage | What Germany’s dismal GDP number really means for Europe and interest rates | 2019-08-14 | world | Germany ’ s gross domestic product shrank 0.1 % in the second quarter of the year , confirming the lackluster performance of the German economy hit by rising trade fears , the slowdown of Chinese imports and home-grown industrial and economic problems .
The GDP decline , expected as it was by most economists , puts Germany at risk of a technical recession this year ( defined by two consecutive quarters of declining GDP ) and contrasts with the overall eurozone ’ s 0.2 % GDP growth in the three months to June .
Yields on the benchmark 10-year Treasury TMUBMUSD10Y , +1.28 % fell on Wednesday , in part on concerns about the global economy that the German data supported . The euro EURUSD , +0.0544 % actually rose slightly as U.S. Treasury yields fell . European stocks SXXP , -0.36 % and notably the German DAX DAX , -0.38 % fell , as did U.S. stocks SPX , +0.08 % .
The export-oriented German economy is suffering from the U.S.-China dispute which has hit its trade with the rest of the world — the hit to GDP came from declining industrial and automobile exports . On the bright side , consumers kept spending and the services sector avoided contraction . Hopes that Europe and Germany might benefit from the Chinese response to U.S. President Donald Trump ’ s trade tariffs — if Beijing had substituted European imports for American ones — have so far proved elusive . New orders in the German industry have been falling at the fastest pace in a decade .
For now , as the European economy most exposed to China , Germany is hit by the general slowdown of world trade . But the woes of its automobile industry also stem from its reluctance to tackle head-on the problem of new emission standards , and its lack of significant investment in the past in new electric or hybrid cars , which it is only now trying to catch up .
The health of Europe ’ s largest economy is of crucial importance to the rest of its partners , and German ’ s slump has already had an impact on its neighbors — industrial production in France took an unexpected dive in June , for example .
Moreover , the new complex industrial value chains incorporate many European-made components in the goods Germany exports to the rest of the world , meaning that the country ’ s economic slowdown will in turn hit growth in the rest of Europe , even though growth in the third quarter growth remains slightly positive , as analysts expect .
Meanwhile economic sentiment in Germany is at its lowest since the beginning of the financial crisis ten years ago , as Europe prepares for the unavoidable economic shock of the no-deal Brexit the current U.K. government is preparing for .
The German government sees the economy growing a paltry 0.5 % this year , but it has steadfastly refused to loosen its fiscal policy , still aimed at balancing the budget year after year and shrinking the public debt load , which is currently under the EU-imposed limit of 60 % of GDP . Ironically the economy has shown this year what a fiscal boost could bring , since it has benefited from tax cuts initiated by the government last year . Consumers are spending reasonably well , helped by an economy running at full employment and significant wage hikes in the private sector .
However German finance minister Olaf Scholz has ruled out further fiscal stimulus in next year ’ s budget , even as the country ’ s infrastructure has long suffered from the low level of public investment in the last decade . But expect the debate on fiscal restraint to take a new intensity in the next months .
The dismal German GDP figure reinforces the case for another round of monetary easing by the European Central Bank next month , which could be announced at what will be the last policy meeting of outgoing President Mario Draghi . German officials and public opinion have long criticized the ECB ’ s policy , arguing that negative interest rates in place since 2014 are hurting a nation of savers . Draghi has responded that Germans have also benefited from the eurozone economic recovery made possible by his policy .
The irony now is that the ECB will find in the German economic situation another argument to further loosen its monetary policy — either with another asset-buying programme , or by lowering interest rates further . | 8wqdvqHLVTZnIQZg | 2 | Germany | -1.9 | GDP | -0.8 | Markets | -0.5 | Global Markets | 0 | World | 0 |
politics | Politico | https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/03/17/nancy-pelosi-trump-stimulus-132388 | Pelosi Has Trump Over a Barrel | 2020-03-17 | politics | When Obama took office , in the midst of the worst economic meltdown since the Great Depression , Democrats controlled the House and Senate as well . But they needed 60 votes to break a Republican filibuster in the Senate , and there were only 57 Democratic senators , which meant Obama had to recruit three Republicans to vote for a stimulus bill .
In just his second week in office , his blunt-spoken chief of staff , Rahm Emanuel , had to pose a blunt-spoken question to Republican Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania : Whaddya want ?
Specter ’ s ask was simple , and by Washington horse-trading standards , noble . He wanted $ 10 billion for the National Institutes of Health . Then he would vote for the Obama stimulus .
Emanuel assumed $ 10 billion-with-a-b was just Specter ’ s initial bid , a shock-tactic negotiating ploy . But Specter gruffly said no , that was his final offer , take it or leave it .
“ What the f -- - does a vote cost around here ? ” Emanuel screamed .
In Specter ’ s case , it cost precisely $ 10 billion . He understood that Obama needed his vote to fix the economy , so he held all the leverage . But today ’ s congressional Democrats don ’ t seem to understand that at all .
Right now , after initially downplaying the threat of coronavirus , then bungling the response to the pandemic , then watching the swift demise of the bull market he had hailed as proof of his leadership , Trump absolutely needs congressional action to limit the public health disaster and mitigate the economic damage on his watch .
House Democrats can pass whatever bill they want , and if Republicans aren ’ t willing to go along with it , another lesson of American crisis politics is that it ’ s Trump who will suffer the consequences .
Some Democrats have fretted that they might suffer politically if they don ’ t help Trump clean up the mess , but the opposite happened in 2009 . The Republican minority in the House unanimously refused to support Obama ’ s stimulus , even though the crisis had exploded on his Republican predecessor ’ s watch , and the very next year those same Republicans took back the majority in the House . In fact , the only Republican in Congress who paid a political price was Specter , who had to switch to the Democratic Party after a GOP backlash over his vote for Obama ’ s stimulus , and ended up losing his seat anyway .
In 2020 , Democrats are not acting like a party with that kind of leverage .
Instead , Pelosi frantically hashed out a compromise on Friday over 13 phone calls with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin , who accepted Democratic proposals to expand free COVID-19 testing and unemployment benefits , along with a modest boost in food aid for the poor , but made it clear that permanent legislation mandating universal sick leave was a “ non-starter ” for Republicans .
Trump ratcheted up the pressure by complaining publicly that Democrats weren ’ t “ giving enough ” in the negotiations , while Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell dismissed the House proposals as “ an ideological wish list. ” Ultimately , Democrats accepted a temporary mandate that applies only to companies smaller than 500 employees , and allows companies smaller than 50 employees to seek exemptions .
“ Democrats preferred to have something rather than nothing , ” a Democratic source explained to CNN ’ s Jake Tapper . “ That was the choice we faced . ”
That was not the choice Democrats faced . Unlike the Republicans in 2009 , who only had a filibuster-proof minority in the Senate , they also have a majority in the House , where they could have attached anything they wanted to the must-pass coronavirus testing and dared Republicans to say no .
If the president was unwilling to approve measures to help contain a pandemic and limit the economic fallout because he didn ’ t want sick workers to be guaranteed paid leave , he could have explained that to the public . He ’ s the president , the head of state , the “ I alone can fix it ” guy . He ’ s the one who will be judged by the outcome of the crisis that he initially insisted was not a crisis , then declared was under control thanks to his leadership .
After all , Obama was held responsible for an economic crisis that erupted on George W. Bush ’ s watch , and the party that fought his efforts to fix the crisis ended up taking back the House , the Senate and eventually the White House .
The public doesn ’ t follow the details of legislation on Capitol Hill , but it blames presidents for bad outcomes . The public also tends to blame presidents for partisan paralysis , while giving them credit for bipartisan cooperation ; that ’ s why McConnell understood he could make Obama look partisan by fighting him , even though Obama ’ s stimulus was stuffed with tax cuts and other Republican priorities .
It is true that Democrats would be accused of trying to exploit the crisis if they tried to load up a coronavirus bill with unrelated priorities such as , say , a “ Green New Deal ” to fight the climate crisis—although it ’ s worth noting that Trump and McConnell have already accused them of trying to exploit the crisis just for trying to mandate sick leave during a pandemic . But they still have the leverage to shape legislation just about any way they want if they ’ re willing to take the heat .
In 2009 , Republican Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine used her leverage to demand that the Obama stimulus include a technical fix to the Alternative Minimum Tax that added $ 70 billion to the price tag while providing virtually no economic stimulus . Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine insisted on stripping a school construction initiative out of Obama ’ s stimulus—along with , ironically , an $ 870 million line item for pandemic preparedness . The 57 Democrats in the Senate also had the power to extract concessions for their votes ; Obama had wanted a stimulus without congressional earmarks , but Dick Durbin of Illinois managed to include one for a $ 1 billion carbon-capture plant that never ended up getting built .
Setting aside the question of whether Democrats should try to exploit the leverage to advance long-term policy priorities , they can absolutely exploit their leverage to address the short-term crisis . If they think universal sick leave will help , they should demand universal sick leave . Meanwhile , with Louisiana and Georgia already postponing primaries over the virus , why shouldn ’ t Democrats attach provisions guaranteeing that Americans will be able to vote by mail in November ? Jeff Hauser , director of the left-leaning Revolving Door Project , doesn ’ t understand why the Democrats didn ’ t insist on provisions restoring congressional oversight powers to help them ride herd on the administration ’ s response to the virus , ensuring that Trump and his aides can no longer defy subpoenas for documents and witnesses .
Again , if Trump thinks it ’ s so important to prevent Americans from voting by mail and preventing Congress from overseeing his administration that he would block measures to accelerate the pandemic testing that his own team has botched , he can try to convince the public .
“ House Democrats don ’ t have some leverage , ” Hauser says . “ They have complete leverage . ”
By giving Trump the emergency measures that he needs most without insisting on the worker protections that Democrats wanted most , Pelosi has sacrificed some of that leverage . She has also helped the president look like a bipartisan consensus-builder , while essentially confirming the GOP talking point that Democrats have a responsibility to meet Trump ’ s demands in order to avoid a partisan stalemate . In 2009 , Republicans simply ignored all the pundits warning that they would pay a huge political price for refusing to help the first black president fix an economic mess he had inherited—and the pundits turned out to be wrong .
Pelosi and other Democratic leaders argue that it ’ s their duty to help Trump save lives and jobs in 2020 , even though Republicans didn ’ t help Obama in 2009 , even though Trump routinely calls them traitors , even though an economic downturn could doom his reelection . They ’ re pro-government people ; they ’ re not inclined to stand in the way of government action during a crisis .
When the Great Recession was just getting started in January 2008 , Pelosi negotiated a quick bipartisan stimulus bill with Bush ’ s Treasury secretary , Hank Paulson , and within months Americans were receiving $ 1,000 checks from the federal government . It ’ s an honorable approach , even though it also probably reduces Pelosi ’ s leverage . It ’ s hard to win a game of chicken when the other driver knows you ’ re committed to avoiding a crash .
Once Trump signs this emergency response bill , he ’ ll start clamoring for a much larger economic stimulus bill loaded with tax cuts for airlines , cruise lines , his own hospitality industry and other Republican-friendly businesses , along with payroll tax cuts that can help get him reelected . And Democrats will find that many of the same Republicans who mocked the idea of using taxpayer dollars to stimulate the private economy as Big Government when Obama was in the White House—even though they had supported that bipartisan stimulus bill under Bush—will rediscover the attraction of Keynesian economics when it suits their party ’ s interests .
Democrats will have to decide whether to meet Trump in the middle , or whether to risk the obstructionist label by holding out for what they want in a time of economic pain . They will also have to decide exactly what it is they want . Some of Obama ’ s top economists have publicly called for Congress to send checks to American citizens , which would help the economy and also Trump ’ s reelection prospects .
Again , that ’ s honorable and responsible , especially since Trump is sure to denounce the Democrats as obstructionists no matter what happens , but it ’ s not clear it squares with Democratic rhetoric about the danger of Trump ’ s reelection , especially if they don ’ t get anything in exchange for helping to rescue the sinking Trump economy .
In any case , Trump won ’ t be able to pass a stimulus bill without them . At a minimum , one thing they can demand for their cooperation is legislative assurance that economic stimulus can no longer be something that happens routinely only under Republican presidents . They should insist on more robust “ automatic stabilizers ” so that any time the economy craters , no matter who ’ s in the White House , Washington will automatically spend far more on food stamps , unemployment insurance and other aid to vulnerable families , and perhaps automatically roll back payroll taxes and other economic burdens . That way , members of Congress will no longer have the power to take the economy hostage during crises .
For now , though , Democrats absolutely have that power . They need to choose their ransom wisely . | NprOh7EW3AbSOZTD | 0 | Nancy Pelosi | -0.1 | Politics | -0.1 | Donald Trump | 0 | null | null | null | null |
elections | Townhall | http://townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2016/12/19/with-electoral-college-set-to-vote-today-americans-show-little-support-for-revolt-n2261344 | With Electoral College Set to Vote Today, Americans Show Little Support for Revolt | 2016-12-19 | elections | In state capitols across the country on Monday , the 538 members of the Electoral College will almost certainly formalize President-elect Trump ’ s win . This , despite an attempt by Democrats to persuade Republican electors to change their vote—a move a new poll shows there ’ s little support for .
According to a Politico/Morning Consult survey , a plurality of voters—46 percent—say electors should be bound to vote for the candidate that won their state , while 34 percent think electors shouldn ’ t have to vote for the winning candidate if they have significant concerns about doing so .
Not surprisingly , voters were split along partisan lines , with 50 percecnt of Democrats and 52 percent of Clinton backers saying electors shouldn ’ t be bound . Among both Republican and Trump voters , 64 percent said electors should be bound . That polarization extends to whether the system should be overhauled in the future to elect the candidate who receives the largest share of the national popular vote . A plurality , 46 percent , favors amending the Constitution to replace the Electoral College with the popular vote , the poll shows , more than the 40 percent who would keep the Electoral College in place . But more than two-thirds of self-identified Democrats , 69 percent , want to replace the Electoral College , and 62 percent of Republicans want to keep it . Similarly , 71 percent of voters who said they backed Clinton supported abolishing the Electoral College , while 62 percent of Trump voters want to keep the current system .
`` Not surprisingly , Democrats are four times more likely to want to get rid of the Electoral College than Republicans , '' said Kyle Dropp , Morning Consult co-founder and Chief Research Officer .
If all electors vote for the candidate that won their state , Trump will walk away with 306 votes , well above the 270 needed to win .
The poll of 2,000 registered voters was conducted December 15-17 , and has a margin of error of 2 percentage points . | dZa1iVhd3WX0bveU | 2 | Presidential Elections | 0 | Elections | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
abortion | Salon | http://www.salon.com/2013/12/03/michigan_lawmakers_want_to_force_women_to_take_out_special_insurance_for_abortion/ | Michigan lawmakers want to force women to take out “special” insurance for abortion | 2013-12-03 | Michigan, Abortion | Michigan 's Republican-controlled Legislature is set to vote on a measure to ban abortion coverage from all health insurance plans , requiring women to purchase a separate policy to cover the procedure .
The state election board certified Monday that anti-choice group Right to Life of Michigan collected the necessary signatures to put the measure before lawmakers , a majority of whom support the ban .
Republican Gov . Rick Snyder vetoed an identical ban on abortion coverage last year , saying the measure `` went too far , '' but this time Michigan Right to Life introduced the restriction through a rarely used initiative petition , which can become law without executive action by the governor . The ban contains no exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest .
The move to bypass Snyder 's veto has been roundly criticized by reproductive health advocates , who have called the proposal an attempt to force women to purchase `` rape insurance . ''
“ You couldn ’ t buy a rider once you were pregnant to have [ an abortion ] covered , ” Meghan Groen , director of government relations for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan , told RH Reality Check . “ It ’ s not like , oh , I was raped and so now I ’ ll buy this rider . Nobody is anticipating being a victim of crime . ”
`` It ’ s unconscionable that Right to Life has launched a campaign against women ’ s rights by finding a loophole in the law and skirting a signature from the governor , ” Jessica Tramontana , communications director for Progress Michigan , said in a statement on the proposal . “ The president of Right to Life went as far as describing this extra insurance like buying coverage for a 'flood or a car accident . ' Rape is not an accident . ''
The measure itself is also incredibly deceptive , as Michigan and federal law prevent taxpayer dollars from funding abortion care . But antiabortion activists have circulated the false idea that the Affordable Care Act will change the status quo . “ There ’ s a lot of misinformation out there about what this actually does , ” she added .
A majority of Michigan voters appear to oppose the measure , and identical proposals have been vetoed -- twice -- by Republican governors , but advocates say the state Legislature has taken an extreme rightward turn and may push the measure through despite the lack of support . | 51ddcea36069775b | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
environment | Scientific American | https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ocean-acidification-could-eat-away-at-sharks-teeth-and-scales/ | Ocean Acidification Could Eat Away at Sharks’ Teeth and Scales | environment | Sharks are some of the world ’ s most formidable predators , but their place at the top of the marine food chain may be threatened by ocean warming and acidification . As carbon dioxide levels in the oceans increase , upping the acidity of the water , shark teeth and scales may begin to corrode , compromising their ability to swim , hunt and feed , according to research published today in Scientific Reports .
Ultimately , sharks could be displaced as apex predators , disrupting entire ocean food webs , says the study ’ s senior author Lutz Auerswald , a fisheries biologist at Stellenbosch University in South Africa and the nation ’ s Department of Agriculture , Forestry and Fisheries . “ Some of the bigger species , like great white sharks , are also already highly endangered , so this might wipe them out . ”
Auerswald and Sarika Singh , an ocean researcher at South Africa ’ s Department of Environmental Affairs , stumbled upon the idea for their study over beers . Realizing that the high acidity of beer and many other carbonated beverages causes human teeth to erode , Singh wondered what effect more acidic ocean water might have on shark teeth .
Most studies on ocean acidification examine species that build shells or other calcium-based structures , including corals and shellfish . Possibly because sharks are large and difficult to work with—and because many of them are endangered—only a few studies to date have looked at how acidification might impact the animals . Just one paper has examined the effect of pH ( the scale that measures how basic or acidic a substance is ) on sharks ’ skin denticles , or scales . That study , conducted on small-spotted cat sharks , a species in the North Atlantic , did not find a significant impact . But its results were possibly constrained by the relatively low carbon dioxide concentration the researchers used , compared with the high levels of acidity already present in many places in the world ’ s oceans .
Denticle from a puff adder shy shark ( Haploblepharus edwardsii ) , seen under a light microscope . Credit : Jaqueline Dziergwa
Auerswald , Singh and their colleagues focused on puff adder shy sharks , a small , bottom-dwelling South African species of cat shark that is easily handled and not endangered . The sharks ’ teeth are very small , so the team decided to investigate acidification ’ s effects on the animals ’ comparatively bigger scales . ( Because shark teeth and scales are both made of a calcium phosphate material called dentin , the researchers would expect the effects on teeth to be similar to any impact on the scales . )
The researchers captured puff adder shy sharks in a harbor in Cape Town , South Africa , and transported them to a government research aquarium , where the fish acclimated for four months . They divided 13 of the sharks into control and experimental groups . Control animals stayed in an aquarium with a mildly basic pH of 8.1 , matching that of the ocean , while the researchers gradually dropped the pH of the experimental animals ’ water to 7.3 , the level that ocean water is predicted to hit by 2300 if carbon dioxide emissions continue . ( In some areas , including the waters off South Africa and California , the pH can already drop to 7.3 or lower , depending on prevailing currents and winds . )
Freshly caught puff adder shy sharks on the way to a transport tank . Credit : Jaqueline Dziergwa
After two months , an electron-microscope analysis revealed that the concentrations of calcium and phosphate in the sharks ’ denticles were significantly reduced . About 25 percent of the experimental group ’ s scales were damaged , compared with only 9 percent in the control group . “ If dissolution is already visible [ after just two months ] , one can only speculate how the sharks would look after a year or more , ” says Fredrik Jutfelt , a biologist at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology , who was not involved in the latest research but co-authored the only other study of shark scales in acidic conditions . “ Increased dissolution of denticles could have serious consequences for sharks for many reasons . ”
The impacts , however , would likely vary between species , Auerswald says . Puff adder shy sharks are sedentary predators that ambush their prey , so corroded scales might not impact their ability to hunt . But for larger species that swim in open water , such as great white sharks , scales play an important role in hydrodynamics . One study found that shark denticles are responsible for an up to 12 percent increase in swimming speed . Thus , damaged denticles could slow sharks down and make it more difficult for them to catch prey . Scales also protect females from male biting during courtship and help some shark species defend against other predators . Likewise corrosion to teeth could hit some species harder than others .
Other groups of calcifying organisms , for whom the effects of acidification are more well-studied , show these wide-ranging differences . Auerswald and his colleagues have observed that lobsters are quite resilient in the face of acidification , whereas abalones grow significantly slower , and “ their shells look horrible , ” he says . “ A lot of animals have survived even more acidic conditions in the ancient past , but we also know that a lot of species were wiped out , ” Auerswald says . “ One lesson is that you have to test species by species . ” | mjVvTXdnopbDC9Wb | 1 | Climate Change | 0 | Environment | 0 | Science | 0 | Water And Oceans | 0 | null | null | |
civil_rights | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/08/us/south-carolina-officer-charged-with-murder/index.html | Officer charged with murder after shooting man in back: What we know | 2015-04-08 | civil_rights | ( CNN ) The officer charged with murder in the shooting death of an unarmed black man in South Carolina has been fired as anger continues to build around his case .
A video shows Officer Michael Slager , who is white , firing eight shots at 50-year-old Walter Scott as Scott has his back to him and is running away . Scott , who was unarmed , was struck five times .
The FBI is investigating , and once again , a shooting involving police has sparked national outrage .
`` I have watched the video , and I was sickened by what I saw , '' North Charleston police Chief Eddie Driggers told reporters Wednesday .
The mayor spoke at the same news conference that was repeatedly interrupted by protesters , who chanted : `` No justice ! No peace ! '' They called for Mayor Keith Summey to step down .
Summey told reporters that the city has ordered an additional 150 body cameras `` so every officer on the street '' in the city will have one . That is in addition to 101 body cameras already ordered , he said .
Just before the conference was set to begin , demonstrators walked in . They were led by a man wearing a `` Black Lives Matter '' T-shirt who shouted , `` This is what democracy looks like ! ''
Demonstrators in North Charleston say other officers on scene of Walter Scott shooting need to be investigated . A photo posted by @ martinsavidge on Apr 8 , 2015 at 6:42am PDT
Scott 's shooting stirred memories of the Michael Brown case in Ferguson , Missouri , where an unarmed black teenager was killed by a white police officer . A grand jury declined to indict the officer in that case . But not everyone agreed that Scott 's case is like Brown 's or that race was a factor .
I said it when Michael Brown was executed and I 'll say it again ... Walter Scott did NOT have to die .... https : //t.co/hZKRc6Vfcn — Sean Davis ( @ SDavisMedia ) April 8 , 2015
`` We ca n't get into the brain of another individual , so we ca n't state that , '' Scott family attorney Chris Stewart said . `` I think it would be irresponsible to say that and try and inflame a community or anything of that nature . ''
If you compare Walter Scott to Michael Brown you are a true moron . Walter Scott was an innocent man . Michael Brown was far from innocent . — Republican Girl Life ( @ RepubGirlLife ) April 8 , 2015
An autopsy of Scott showed that he `` sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the back of his body , '' and his death was the result of a homicide , the Charleston County Coroner 's Office said .
Asked whether CPR was performed on Scott after Slager shot him , Driggers said : `` In the end of it ( the video ) , what I saw was ( what I ) believed to be a police officer removing the shirt of the individual and performing some type of life-saving ( procedure ) , but I 'm not sure what took place there . ''
The North Charleston Police department was not legally obligated to but chose to hand the case over to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division , according to a news release from Scarlett A. Wilson , the Ninth Judicial Circuit solicitor .
Though Wilson said she is subject to rules that limit what she can say publicly , she stated : `` My role is to hold accountable those who harm others unlawfully , regardless of profession . This office does not dictate nor comment upon police policy , training and procedure . I am , however , deeply concerned when those who are sworn to serve and protect violate the public 's trust . ''
Slager pulled Scott over on Saturday morning for a broken taillight , authorities have said .
The beginning of the video shows the two men standing close to each other .
Any words exchanged between Scott and Slager are not audible on the released tape . It 's also unclear what happened before Scott started to run away , or why he ran .
The officer initially said that he used a Taser stun gun on Scott and that Scott tried to take his weapon .
`` Shots fired and the subject is down , '' Slager said , according to police reports . `` He took my Taser . ''
Before the officer started firing his gun , a dark object falls behind him and hits the ground . It 's not clear whether that is the Taser .
Later in the video , when the officer approaches Scott 's body , he drops a dark object next to the man . It 's not clear whether that is the Taser .
JUST WATCHED North Charleston Police chief : It 's a tragic event Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH North Charleston Police chief : It 's a tragic event 03:13
It 's unknown whether Scott took the officer 's Taser or whether the officer picked the object up and moved it closer to the body .
When Scott 's brother Anthony saw the video , he was convinced the officer had lied , he told CNN .
JUST WATCHED Brother wants Walter Scott 's death to change policing Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Brother wants Walter Scott 's death to change policing 01:34
`` There was not a struggle for the Taser , '' Anthony Scott said . `` I did n't believe my brother would have done that anyway . ''
To Anthony Scott , the videotape shows his brother was `` running for his life '' away from the officer .
`` I think my brother was thinking he was not going to be shot , no one would have thought that , '' Scott said .
The video shows Walter Scott attempting to run away . His back is to the officer , and he is a few yards away when the officer raises his gun and fires .
A man walking to work on Saturday recorded the video and provided it to the family . That man , Feidin Santana , spoke to NBC 's Lester Holt .
He said there had been a struggle between the two men on the ground before he started recording , and that the officer was in control .
When asked how he felt about the fact that Slager has been charged with murder , Santana said that `` no one can feel happy . ''
`` He has his family and Mr. Scott also has his family . But I think , you know , he made a bad decision . And , you know , you pay for your decisions in this life , '' he told NBC 's Holt . `` Mr. Scott did n't deserve this . And there were other ways that can be used to get him arrested . And that was n't the proper way to do that . ''
If convicted of murder , Slager could face life in prison or the death penalty .
`` People are upset , people are pointing out how wrong the officer was for gunning down Mr. Scott , '' South Carolina State Rep. Justin Bamberg said as he stood alongside Anthony Scott on Wednesday .
# WalterScott received 11,000 mentions on Twitter in just one hour Wednesday ; 243,000 mentions in 24 hours . # RIPWalterScott is also trending , as is # MichaelSlager .
Bamberg said he has n't heard of anyone acting out violently to protest the shooting .
He and Scott stressed they do n't want that to happen .
`` Things are in play now , and this officer is in the process of being prosecuted , '' Bamberg said , imploring anyone listening to him speak on CNN : `` We ask that you let the justice process run its course . ''
That message was echoed by Walter Scott 's mother , who said she feels `` forgiveness in my heart , even for the guy that shot and killed my son . ''
`` He was a loving son , a loving father . He cared about his family and ... no matter what happens , it will not replace my son , '' Judy Scott told CNN 's Anderson Cooper .
The Justice Department said it would `` take appropriate action in light of the evidence and developments in the state case . ''
`` The South Carolina Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation has opened an investigation concurrent with the S.C. Law Enforcement Division and are providing aid as necessary to the state investigation , '' the Justice Department said in a statement .
JUST WATCHED South Carolina police officer charged with murder Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH South Carolina police officer charged with murder 02:41
`` The Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the South Carolina U.S. Attorney 's Office will work with the FBI in the investigation . ''
Whether Scott 's civil rights were violated will be part of the Justice Department 's investigation .
In the meantime , Slager remains behind bars . He was denied bail at a bond hearing Tuesday night , CNN affiliate WCIV reported .
Slager will remain in custody unless a circuit court sets his bond , a court spokesman told CNN . The court has not set a date for that hearing .
According to WCIV , Slager initially said through his attorney , David Aylor , that he followed the appropriate policies and procedures .
But Aylor later told CNN that he no longer represents the officer . It 's not clear whether Slager has found a new attorney .
A CNN examination of Slager 's police job application indicates he has been an employee of the North Charleston Police Department for about five years and five months .
Instead of wearing his police uniform , Slager now wears a jail uniform . | VLqYJDPaxxmd2dLB | 0 | Police | -0.3 | Civil Rights | 0.2 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | Washington Times | http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/aug/11/obama-adjusts-iraq-narrative-now-blames-george-w-b/ | Obama adjusts Iraq narrative, now blames Bush for troop withdrawal | 2014-08-11 | politics | The president who spent years touting the withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Iraq suddenly has had to distance himself from that action .
At the White House on Saturday morning — less than 48 hours after authorizing airstrikes against Islamist militants and humanitarian air drops to save the lives of trapped Iraqi civilians — President Obama blamed his predecessor , George W. Bush , for the absence of American troops in Iraq and rejected the assertion that he could have left a small peacekeeping force in the war-torn nation .
He uttered those after three years , and a successful re-election campaign , in which the full removal of U.S. forces from Iraq was cast as this White House ’ s most significant foreign policy achievement and one Mr. Obama had promised all the way back to the earliest days of his first presidential campaign in 2008 .
Now , however , with the terrorist force the Islamic State running roughshod through Iraq , capturing key territory , slaughtering Christians and promising to “ raise the flag of Allah at the White House , ” Mr. Obama has begun to adjust the narrative .
“ What I just find interesting is the degree to which this issue keeps on coming up , as if this was my decision . Under the previous administration , we had turned over the country to a sovereign , democratically elected Iraqi government , ” Mr. Obama told reporters just before leaving for a two-week vacation on Martha ’ s Vineyard . “ So let ’ s just be clear : The reason that we did not have a follow-on force in Iraq was because the Iraqis — a majority of Iraqis did not want U.S. troops there , and politically they could not pass the kind of laws that would be required to protect our troops in Iraq . So that entire analysis is bogus and is wrong . But it gets frequently peddled around here by folks who oftentimes are trying to defend previous policies that they themselves made . ”
Mr. Obama ’ s new take on the 2011 troop withdrawal quickly came under fire from a number of political pundits who pointed out the irony of a president moving away , at least in part , from his signature foreign policy achievement .
SEE ALSO : Voters blame Bush for Iraq situation , but Obama still gets poor marks : poll
Ron Fournier of the National Journal tweeted that the president is distancing himself from his own record .
“ A promise he kept , and he ’ s running from it ? ” he said .
James Taranto , a member of The Wall Street Journal editorial board and editor of OpinionJournal.com , said Mr. Obama apparently is no longer claiming credit for the removal of American forces , something that , until now , he frequently boasted about .
“ Obama is not only disclaiming responsibility for the troop pullout but blaming it on George W. Bush , ” he wrote Monday .
Indeed , Mr. Obama ’ s most recent description of the 2011 U.S. troop withdrawal differs greatly from how he portrayed it in 2012 , when he was running for re-election against Republican Mitt Romney .
While it ’ s true the administration did support keeping a small residual force in Iraq , Mr. Obama frequently took credit for fully ending American involvement in Iraq and for leaving no U.S. boots on the ground in that country .
In fact , during one October 2012 debate with Mr. Romney , the president seemed to deny that he supported a status of forces agreement with the Iraqi government , a deal that would have formally allowed American troops to remain in Iraq and would have protected them from prosecution in Iraqi courts .
When Mr. Romney said he , like Mr. Obama , believed such an agreement should have been worked out , the president said “ that ’ s not true ” and went on to decry the presence of any American forces in Iraq .
“ What I would not have done is left 10,000 troops in Iraq that would tie us down . That certainly would not help us in the Middle East . You ’ ve got to be clear , both to our allies and our enemies , about where you stand and what you mean . Now , you just gave a speech a few weeks ago in which you said we should still have troops in Iraq , ” he told Mr. Romney . “ That is not a recipe for making sure that we are taking advantage of the opportunities and meeting the challenges of the Middle East . ”
The White House is changing its story on Iraq at a time when the president ’ s broader foreign policy is under fire across the political spectrum .
In an interview with The Atlantic over the weekend , former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton , Mr. Obama ’ s 2008 Democratic primary rival and the party ’ s 2016 presidential front-runner , questioned the administration ’ s underlying foreign policy principle : “ don ’ t do stupid stuff . ”
“ Great nations need organizing principles , and ‘ don ’ t do stupid stuff ’ is not an organizing principle , ” she said .
Republicans have been even harsher in their critiques , charging that Mr. Obama is proving his incompetence with his handling of the Iraq crisis .
“ Truly , it seems as if there is no threat that has not managed to catch him utterly off-guard . And the sad reality is that his consistent inability to anticipate obvious danger has almost invariably led to the loss of innocent life on an massive and heartbreaking scale , ” said Rep. Trent Franks , Arizona Republican .
On the troop withdrawal , analysts say the president is entirely correct about the Iraqi government having no interest in allowing U.S. forces to remain in the country . Indeed , Iraqi leaders refused to guarantee American troops immunity from prosecution in Iraqi courts , which the administration viewed as a necessary prerequisite for allowing any kind of follow-on force .
Although the Iraqis , to some degree , kicked out American troops , Mr. Obama portrayed the withdrawal as proof that the U.S. was leaving behind a sovereign , largely peaceful Iraq .
But with the Islamic State group now in control of key areas across Iraq , including the nation ’ s largest dam , that claim has been debunked , some analysts say .
“ The bigger issue is that in pulling out he tended to emphasize the story , as Bush had , that we had stood up a lasting , stable government and a functional military . That was always doubtful and has now been proven wrong , ” said Benjamin Friedman , a research fellow in defense and homeland security studies at the libertarian Cato Institute . “ A more honest take would have been that it ’ s not worth being there , and we can ’ t stabilize it . Now he ’ s sort of trapped by past rhetoric that implied our exit was predicated on success . ” | 6LrX23lzTJQbkYCd | 2 | Iraq | -1.5 | George W. Bush | -0.5 | Barack Obama | 0.2 | Politics | 0.2 | null | null |
media_bias | Townhall | https://townhall.com/tipsheet/cortneyobrien/2017/12/20/today-show-anchor-asks-speaker-ryan-if-hes-living-in-fantasy-world-n2425041 | 'TODAY' Show Anchor Asks Speaker Ryan if He's Living in 'Fantasy World' | 2017-12-20 | media_bias | House Speaker Paul Ryan is basking in the GOP 's historic vote on tax reform . Well , at least he was until `` TODAY '' show anchor Savannah Guthrie tried to rain on his parade . The morning after both the House and the Senate voted to pass the $ 1.5 trillion tax bill , Ryan found himself defending its merits in an interview with the NBC journalist .
Guthrie was skeptical that the bill was going to do what Ryan suggested - benefit American workers .
“ I ’ ll ask you plainly , are you living in a fantasy world ? ” Guthrie wondered , getting straight to the point .
Ryan seemed determined not to let her ruin his good mood .
“ Surveys would show the vast majority of businesses are going to do just what we say , reinvest in their workers , reinvest in their factories , pay people more money , higher wages , ” he responded , citing the National Association of Business Manufacturers .
Guthrie challenged Ryan to justify the provision in the bill that will slash the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent . She showed a clip of a recent Wall Street Journal conference of CEOs , where they were asked if they would reinvest that money if tax reform passes . Only about half the room ( if that ) raised their hands .
Why aren ’ t large corporations creating jobs now , considering they are already sitting on a “ ton of cash , ” Guthrie wondered . Ryan explained much of that cash – $ 3 trillion worth – is “ sitting overseas ” because of our tax laws . Tax reform will remove those barriers , he said .
Then , he suggested , perhaps all of those hands will go up .
Guthrie also switched topics by asking Ryan about the string of sexual assault allegations against President Trump . You can watch the whole interview below .
The tax reform bill passed both the House and Senate , the latter passing early Wednesday morning . However , after Democrats declared that two provisions in the House version do n't comply with budget rules , the House will be voting again on Wednesday . | BEV68s7niV4z6nNr | 2 | NBC | -0.3 | Media Watch | 0 | Media Bias | 0 | null | null | null | null |
media_bias | Politico | http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/journos-fume-over-doj-raid-on-ap-91295.html?hp=f3 | Journalists fume over DOJ raid on AP | 2013-05-13 | media_bias | CNN 's John King questioned whether DOJ 'crossed a line . ' Journalists fume over DOJ raid on AP
Journalists on Monday called the news the Justice Department seized records from phone lines assigned to Associated Press offices and its reporters over a two month period “ chilling ” and a “ dragnet to intimidate the media . ”
The AP reported the Justice Dept . obtained records that listed incoming and outgoing calls and the duration of those calls for work and personal phone numbers of AP reporters and phone lines for AP offices in New York , Hartford , Conn. and Washington , as well as the main number for AP reporters in the House of Representatives press gallery . The government seized records — which listed incoming and outgoing calls and the call ’ s length — for more than 20 separate lines assigned to the AP and its reporters , according to the AP .
Fox News ’ Greta Van Susteren told ███ in an email that the DOJ ’ s seizure “ sounds like a dragnet to intimidate the media , ” not a criminal investigation .
“ What is stunning is the breadth of the seizure ! ” Van Susteren said . “ If you read the AP President ’ s letter to DOJ , and if his letter is accurate , the seizure was very broad : 2 months of telephone records involving many who work at AP ! 20 phone lines , home and cell ? NY , DC , Connecticut employees ? That doesn ’ t sound like a criminal investigation , that sounds like a dragnet to intimidate the media . The US Attorney ’ s issued statement about the secret seizure was blah , blah , blah . It doesn ’ t say anything . The DOJ better be following the law and the Constitution . ”
In a statement on Monday , the DOJ wrote “ we take seriously our obligations to follow all applicable laws , federal regulations , and Department of Justice policies when issuing subpoenas for phone records of media organizations . ”
“ Those regulations require us to make every reasonable effort to obtain information through alternative means before even considering a subpoena for the phone records of a member of the media , ” the statement read . “ We must notify the media organization in advance unless doing so would pose a substantial threat to the integrity of the investigation . Because we value the freedom of the press , we are always careful and deliberative in seeking to strike the right balance between the public interest in the free flow of information and the public interest in the fair and effective administration of our criminal laws . ” | FGWs8NYrotBZvCxS | 0 | Media Bias | -0.1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
supreme_court | USA TODAY | https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/03/14/ketanji-brown-jackson-supreme-court-nominees-opinions-cut-both-ways/9373718002/ | Review of Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson's opinions shows outcomes cut both ways | 2022-03-14 | Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Race And Racism, Justice | WASHINGTON – Soon after President Joe Biden nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for a seat on the Supreme Court her critics began casting her as a "radical, left-wing activist," a characterization based on a handful of high-profile opinions in which she ruled against President Donald Trump's administration. But a deeper review of Jackson's opinions on the federal District Court in Washington, D.C., paints a more nuanced picture, including a number of instances in which she sided with the Republican administration and against the same left-leaning groups that now support her confirmation. Critics often point to a 2019 decision in which Jackson ruled that Trump's former White House counsel, Don McGahn, had to testify as part of a congressional impeachment inquiry. They also note a ruling in which she ruled against a Trump effort to expand the number of immigrants in the country illegally subjected to expedited deportation. | f8c833fb61848d80 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
gun_control_and_gun_rights | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/22/politics/obama-navy-yard/index.html?hpt=po_t1 | Obama at Navy Yard memorial: 'We can't accept this' | 2013-09-22 | gun_control_and_gun_rights | Story highlights Obama says U.S. `` ca n't accept '' killing of 12 at D.C. 's Navy Yard as `` inevitable ''
`` It ought to be a shock to all of us , as a nation and as a people , '' Obama says
Obama honors each victim , noting some of the last things they said before they died
`` Our tears are not enough , '' Obama tells families of those killed
President Barack Obama said Sunday that the United States `` ca n't accept '' last week 's killing of 12 people at Washington 's Navy Yard as `` inevitable , '' but the shooting should instead `` lead to some sort of transformation '' on gun violence in the United States .
`` It ought to be a shock to all of us , as a nation and as a people , '' Obama said at the Marine Barracks , just a few short blocks from the Navy Yard . `` It ought to obsess us . It ought to lead to some sort of transformation . ''
The president said during his speech that grieving with the families impacted by mass shootings is something he has had to do five times in his presidency , citing shootings in Fort Hood , Texas ; Tucson , Arizona ; Aurora , Colorado ; Newtown , Connecticut ; and now the Washington Navy Yard .
`` Part of what wears on as well is the sense that this has happened before , '' Obama said . `` What wears on us , what troubles us so deeply as we gather here today , is how this senseless violence that took place in the Navy Yard , echoes other recent tragedies . ''
The president continued : `` Sometimes I fear there is a creeping resignation ... that this is somehow the new normal . We ca n't accept this . ''
JUST WATCHED Remembering the Navy Yard victims Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Remembering the Navy Yard victims 02:40
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Twelve people were killed and eight were wounded when Aaron Alexis , a Navy contractor , entered the sizable naval instillation in Washington and opened fire in Building 197 . The victims , whose ages ranged from 46 to 73 , all worked at the Navy Yard and many were gunned down as Alexis shot at them from above in the Navy building .
The issue of gun violence has dominated much of Obama 's second term in office , with a concerted effort to strengthen gun laws coming after 26 people -- including 20 children -- were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown in December 2012 .
The push , however , eventually failed , with the lawmakers on Capitol Hill failing to pass any laws tightening gun restrictions . Groups including the National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America vociferously protested the proposed changes .
In response to last week 's shooting at Navy Yard , most gun-control advocates were resigned to the fact that not much in the of legislative changes would be made in response .
`` We do n't have the votes , '' said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , a supporter of gun control , on Tuesday . `` I 'd like to get them but we do n't have them now . ''
The NRA , in response to the shooting , on Sunday suggested more armed guards at military installations .
Obama attempted to take what he saw as acceptance of gun violence head on , worrying that mass shootings could not become the `` new normal . ''
`` I do not accept that we can not find a common-sense way to preserve our traditions including our basic Second Amendment freedoms and the rights of law-abiding gun owners while at the same time reducing the gun violence that unleashes so much mayhem on a regular basis , '' Obama said , pointing to the fact that other countries , like Great Britain and Australia , lowered gun violence by restricting access to guns after mass shootings rocked their country .
Throughout much of the speech , the president acknowledged a hesitance in Washington to fight over gun laws and , instead , said change would need to come because of the American people 's desire for it .
`` It may not happen tomorrow , it may not happen next week , it may not happen next month , but it will happen , because it 's the change that we need , '' the president said .
Obama also used the speech to give a glimpse into the life of each of the 12 victims , mentioning everything from Arthur Daniels ' love of polishing his white Crown Victoria to John Johnson 's last words to his wife : `` Good-bye , beautiful . I love you so much . ''
`` Our tears are not enough , '' he said to the families . `` Our words and our prayers are not enough . If we really want to honor these 12 men and women , if we really want to be country where we can go to work and go to school and walk our streets free from senseless violence without so many lives being stolen by a bullet from a gun , then we 're going to have to change . We 're going to have to change . ''
Washington , D.C. , Mayor Vincent Gray joined Obama on Sunday in calling for tighter gun laws in response to the shooting , telling the audience that `` our country is drowning in a sea of guns . ''
In taking the stage , Obama was stepping into a role he has become very familiar with , counselor-in-chief , and Sunday 's remarks were reminiscent , in some ways , of past speeches he has given at memorial services for mass shootings .
Obama , however , is not the first president to play the role of counselor-in-chief .
Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton were praised for the leadership they showed in the aftermath of two domestic disasters -- the space shuttle Challenger explosion in 1986 and the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 .
Representatives from the military , including Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel , Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and Vice Adm. William Hilarides , commander of Naval Sea Systems Command , also spoke at Sunday 's event . All honored the fallen by noting that they died in the line of duty , just like those killed in battle .
`` These 12 members of our Navy team , our Navy family , were killed in the line of duty , they died in the service to our nation , the service to our Navy , service they were just as committed to as anyone in uniform , '' an emotional Hilarides said . `` For that service , we honor them . For that service , we will never forget them . '' | XQUZe2CAo1vtZydr | 0 | Gun Control And Gun Rights | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
education | USA TODAY | https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/04/07/arizona-teachers-leave-other-states-educators-rally-more-pay/495975002/ | This Arizona teacher doubled his salary by getting a teaching job in California | 2018-04-07 | education | CLOSE After six years in the Yuma Union High School District without a pay raise , Rene Castillo , 34 , looked elsewhere and found that with a one-hour commute he could double his pay by teaching in California . Tom Tingle/azcentral.com
YUMA , Arizona — It 's inching toward 6:30 a.m. as Rene Castillo steers his Honda Accord onto Interstate 8 , a radiant sunrise in his rearview mirror as he begins his daily commute .
Castillo grew up here . Graduated from Yuma High School . And after earning his degree , he came home to teach at San Luis High School .
But after going six years in the Yuma Union High School District without a pay raise and only minor salary increases in other years , Castillo , 34 , began to look elsewhere .
He found that with a one-hour commute he could double his pay , to nearly $ 80,000 .
So each morning Castillo 's 12-year-old Honda , with 195,000 miles and shaky brakes , rolls across the Arizona state line , past vegetable and alfalfa crops , through the tiny communities of Felicity and Holtville , to El Centro , Calif. , where he teaches history at Southwest High School .
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`` I did n't want to just do it for the money…But then you realize there are other places that are good , and they make me feel valued . I miss San Luis , but I 'm happy where I 'm at .
`` Now , I 'm able to get my brakes fixed . Now , I can afford to not have roommates and be able to pay my rent , '' said Castillo , who ironically , rents rooms to two Yuma teachers .
Arizona educators increasingly fled the state between 2014 to 2016 for similar jobs in neighboring California , Colorado , Nevada and New Mexico , according to U.S. Census data compiled by The Arizona Republic . ( Data for 2017 and 2018 is not yet available . )
The departures followed years of stagnating wages for teachers , making Arizona teachers among the worst-paid in the country . As hundreds of educators have quit in frustration , Arizona schools are hiring under-qualified , inexperienced teachers to fill in the gaps .
In total , about 730 Arizona educators left each year between 2014 and 2016 , with California accounting for more than half of the defections . That migration was a nearly 37 % increase from the eight preceding years , which saw an average of 534 educators leave Arizona for neighboring states each year , Census data shows .
The Yuma High School District has lost at least 10 teachers to California districts in recent years , said Superintendent Gina Thompson .
`` It 's hard , just really hard to watch . But how do you argue against it ? '' she said .
The spike in departures coincided with the first two years of Republican Gov . Doug Ducey 's administration .
Now , as Ducey prepares to seek a second term , he faces an outcry over teacher pay as educators hold rallies at the Capitol and staged walkouts aimed at gathering public support to raise school funding . Similar protests in other states have led to strikes .
Teachers have called on Ducey and the Republican-controlled Legislature to immediately raise their pay by 20 % .
Patrick Ptak , Ducey 's spokesman , said the governor `` believes teachers are the biggest difference-makers out there '' and `` should be valued and rewarded for their hard work . ''
In 2018 , the median pay for Arizona teachers is $ 46,949 , a 4.6 % increase from 2015 , or about $ 2,000 per year . That includes funding from the Ducey-backed Proposition 123 , which settled a court ruling that the Legislature had under-funded public schools during the recession .
More on schools : Oklahoma teachers share photos of broken chairs , crumbling outdated textbooks
Ptak said Arizona teacher pay ranks 43rd in the U.S. and is rising . Teachers , however , dispute those figures , saying Arizona teachers rank dead last or near the bottom in pay on an inflation-adjusted basis .
`` The governor 's goal is to pass a budget in the next few weeks that continues to increase our investment in public education , '' Ptak said . `` We will continue each year to put more resources into K-12 education to better serve our teachers and students . ''
Ducey 's office declined to comment on Arizona teachers leaving for better-paying jobs in neighboring states .
The 2014 Coconino Teacher of the Year , Jeff Taylor , recently announced he will leave Flagstaff High School at the end of the year because of low pay and inadequate funding .
“ I ’ m just frustrated because I don ’ t think things will change in this state and if they do , they won ’ t change in time to make me stay , ” he told the Arizona Daily Sun .
Robin Edgerton , a special education teacher , left the Lake Havasu School District three years ago for a higher-paying teaching job in Needles , Calif .
Edgerton said her pay has nearly doubled compared to what she was paid in Arizona , to about $ 70,000 a year .
`` And I still have room to move up , '' she said . `` The cap here is about $ 100,000 a year….It makes you feel more appreciated . California cares about its teachers .
Read more : Schools in Oklahoma are still closed . Are kids being fed lunch ?
Read more : When teachers close the schools in protest , what happens to the kids ?
`` I went from living paycheck to paycheck , to where now I can buy a house , '' she said . `` With Arizona pay , it never would have happened . ''
Edgerton said other teachers from Lake Havasu have joined her in making the 40-plus mile commute .
Joe Thomas , president of the Arizona Education Association , said it 's disheartening that Arizona is losing good teachers to neighboring states .
Thomas , however , does n't blame them . Teacher salaries in neighboring states can be `` life changing , '' he said .
'You can either do this , or do well in school '
Castillo was n't willing to wait and see if Arizona would significantly boost teacher pay .
He made his move to El Centro in late January , as Arizona teachers started publicly protesting their pay .
His brother , Cesar , had recruited him to teach in their hometown in late 2006 , right after Rene graduated from Arizona State University with a secondary education degree .
Rene Castillo , one of six children born to migrant farm workers , said his parents , who only attended elementary school , insisted that their children work hard in school or there would be consequences .
More on teachers : Teacher strikes in Oklahoma , West Virginia , Kentucky show the power of women
He recalled one time when he was doing poorly in his classes , his father pulled the family car over next to a lettuce field . He gave his son a knife and told him to start culling lettuce . The field was muddy and Rene was wearing brand-new shoes .
`` My dad put the fear of God in me . He said 'you can either do this , or do well in school , ' '' Rene Castillo said .
He and his four brothers all earned degrees from ASU . Their sister took advanced courses after graduating from high school .
Rene Castillo spent 11 years at San Luis High School , teaching English and World History while coaching boys golf and baseball with Cesar .
The brothers built a strong baseball program , with a half dozen of their players earning college scholarships , Rene Castillo said .
Leaving those athletes , he said , was difficult . He cried as he broke the news to them that he was taking the job in California .
But he said there was n't much financial reward in Yuma . During his decade-plus there , his salary increased by $ 9,000 , to $ 39,000 a year , despite having a master 's degree .
He said Yuma , like many Arizona districts , suffers from a teacher and substitute teacher shortage . When a colleague was sick , staff members would often fill in because the district could n't find a sub .
It was also typical for some of his colleagues at San Luis to have 45 students in a class , he said . In California , the class sizes are much smaller .
`` To sum it up , you had to do more with less , and you were not compensated , '' Castillo said .
On most days , he commutes with three other teachers who left Yuma for jobs in El Centro , and he knows of others who have gone elsewhere in California to each .
Thompson , the Yuma superintendent , said she was sorry to see Castillo go . But she understands it .
Teachers will continue to leave until the Arizona Legislature makes a commitment to adequately fund public education , she said . | rsmUvfx6mr4Pt1Uz | 1 | Teachers | -0.5 | Education | -0.5 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | USA TODAY | https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/08/28/russian-collusion-isnt-scandal-worry-its-donald-trump-column/1103394002/ | OPINION: The real scandal isn't collusion with Russia, it is everything about Donald Trump | 2018-08-28 | politics | These were the words of the 45th president of the United States of America on the night of Aug. 21 as he prodded an obeisant West Virginia crowd into howls of adoration . Of course , “ There is No Collusion ” is one of Donald Trump ’ s greatest hits , always played right beside “ Fake News ” and “ Hillary ’ s Emails. ” Going to a Trump rally without the president denying Russian collusion would be akin to seeing Dexys Midnight Runners and the band forgetting to play “ Come On Eileen . ”
Last week 's denial was particularly jarring as it came mere hours after Trump ’ s former personal attorney , Michael Cohen , pleaded guilty to a slate of crimes that include tax evasion , bank fraud and illegal campaign contributions . During his hearing , Cohen admitted he made six-figure payments to women to buy their silence in advance of the 2016 election , and he said Trump ordered him to break the law by circumventing the campaign-finance reporting system to make the payments . The same afternoon , Trump ’ s former campaign manager , Paul Manafort , was found guilty on eight felony tax and bank fraud charges .
Yet amid all this turmoil , Trump looks straight ahead and denies collusion , a charge that is darn near ancillary at this point .
It makes sense that Trump would deny colluding with the Russian government in exchange for information damaging to Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election . In order to charge him , special counsel Robert Mueller would have to prove Trump knew some very specific things surrounding a meeting between Trump surrogates and Russian representatives that took place in Trump Tower before the election .
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Trump sees government as Homer Simpson sees alcohol : both cause & solution to all problems
Dear Democrats , stop imitating Trump 's incivility . It 'll backfire at the polls .
Exactly what Trump knew about this meeting and when he knew it remains somewhat cryptic , but there is no shortage of other information to provide clear evidence that Trump is unfit for office . Exhibit A : Virtually everything out of Trump ’ s mouth in front of microphones since he took the job .
There was Trump lying about not having a hand in Donald Trump Jr. ’ s statement to the news media after the Trump Tower meeting was uncovered . There was Trump lying when he said he had no knowledge of Cohen 's payments to porn start Stormy Daniels . There was Trump bullying and harassing law enforcement officials to get them to stop investigating him and taking to Twitter to undermine the veracity of the investigation altogether .
And finally , there was the president of the United States standing behind a podium taking the word of brutal Russian dictator Vladimir Putin over the word of U.S. intelligence that found Russia had meddled in the 2016 election . At that point , 12 Russian agents had been indicted on charges of meddling , and yet Trump still groveled at Putin ’ s feet , claiming Mueller ’ s “ witch hunt ” was straining U.S.-Russia relations . This is like blaming your scale for making you fat .
Perhaps the irony of it all is that Trump has some facts on his side when he argues he didn ’ t collude with Russia . It would be an extremely difficult charge to prove , and given his behavior as president , no one in America would believe he has the discipline or attention span to carry out such a complicated conspiracy . And yet it is his behavior since the investigations began that has lent more and more credence to his possible guilt .
Pre-eminent among his transgressions is his uncontrollable compulsion to lie about everything . As the “ truth isn ’ t truth ” president ( a term coined by his current attorney , Rudy Giuliani ) , Trump simply constructs his own reality and hopes it takes everyone else too long to catch up . If he is telling the truth when he denies collusion , he would simply be offering a small stream of truth in a swimming pool of presidential mendacity .
“ In what way has the president set a high example ? ” said Mark Twain about Theodore Roosevelt , whom he reviled as a liar . “ Is it a high example for a president of the United States to keep his word ? Is keeping one ’ s word such a very extraordinary thing , when the person achieving the feat is the first citizen of a civilized nation ? ”
Perhaps Trump is telling the truth and he didn ’ t strike some deal with the Russians , but he deserves zero credit for the appallingly low example he has set in the wake of the allegations . In the end , the real scandal isn ’ t collusion . It is Donald Trump himself .
Christian Schneider is a member of ███ 's Board of Contributors . Follow him on Twitter : @ Schneider_CM | IPLmLGh00WIRygOY | 1 | Donald Trump | -0.2 | Politics | -0.1 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
coronavirus | Christian Science Monitor | https://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2020/0320/Grocery-clerks-get-a-new-title-Emergency-responders | Grocery clerks get a new title: Emergency responders | 2020-03-20 | coronavirus | “ It ’ s brave of them being in contact with a lot of people , ” says Arian , one of the grateful customers leaving a supermarket in New York .
Increased sales – and especially panic-buying of staples like toilet paper – have strained not just workers in the stores but those delivering the goods .
In St. Louis and Washington state , labor unions and stores have agreed on providing special health care , scheduling , or pay provisions related to the outbreak . They ’ re also smoothing the way for faster hiring during the emergency .
This week , the governors of Minnesota and Michigan designated grocery employees as emergency workers , which makes their children eligible for free care at schools .
They ’ re front-line workers in a national emergency that almost no one has experienced before . And they ’ re being thanked and recognized .
Every day the nation ’ s 3 million food store workers deliver the goods , stock the shelves , and ring up the sales that keep America fed . Now , the coronavirus pandemic has thrust them in a new light as they keep supermarkets open while other stores close down .
Every day the nation ’ s 3 million food-store workers deliver the goods , stock the shelves , and ring up the sales that keep America fed . Only now , the coronavirus pandemic has thrust them in a new light as they keep supermarkets open while other stores close down and offices empty out . They ’ re front-line workers in a national emergency that almost no one has experienced before , first responders of food who are finding a sudden outpouring of thanks .
“ People have been appreciative , thanking us for being open , ” says Jim , an employee at Market Basket in the Boston suburb of Waltham , waiting to go home on the bus .
“ It ’ s brave of them being in contact with a lot of people , ” says Arian , a customer carrying a bag of milk , eggs , and yogurt from the Cherry Valley Farm Supermarket in Queens , New York . ( Neither man would give his last name ) .
In the past week , their work has spawned letters to the editor . “ These workers are often under-appreciated , and these days their work environment – now including risk of exposure to the virus and dealing with worried and cranky customers – is certainly more challenging than usual , ” Deborah van den Honert wrote in a letter to the editor of the Boulder , Colorado , Daily Camera published Monday .
Now , these workers at the low end of America ’ s pay scale are getting formal recognition . This week , the governors of three states – Minnesota , Michigan , and Vermont – designated grocery employees as emergency workers , which makes their children eligible for free care at schools .
In St. Louis , the local United Food and Commercial Workers ( UFCW ) union and grocers agreed to change the health and welfare fund so employees would not have copays for coronavirus tests , would get more short-term disability , and would get 90 % of their pay when diagnosed with the virus . In addition , the union agreed to waive dues and fees for 45 days for new employees to help grocers hire more workers .
In Washington state , UFCW and Teamsters have reached an agreement with Safeway/Albertsons and Fred Meyer/QFC grocery chains to continue paying for up to two weeks workers who had to stay home because they were diagnosed with the virus or ordered to self-quarantine . The chains have also agreed to schedule workers more flexibly so they can get more overtime if they want it or have time off to take care of children at home , even using paid sick leave when staying home with them . In exchange , the chains can hire workers faster .
“ Everyone is really stepping up to the plate here , ” says Tom Geiger , special projects director for UFCW Local 21 in Seattle , in an email . “ This is going to make it easier for workers and shoppers to stay healthier and get better during the pandemic . ”
Hours have gotten longer and the work harder because of the crush of customers who are now eating predominantly at home and stocking up on toilet paper , bottled water , and hand sanitizer .
“ It ’ s been hectic , crazy , ” says Christian Rodriguez , a manager of the Cherry Valley Farm Supermarket in Queens . “ But overall , we ’ re prepared , pretty much . We expected it to get like this . ”
Many grocery chains around the country also extended hours this week , while others have reduced operating hours to allow workers to restock shelves without customers . Some have created “ senior only ” shopping hours for those anxious about shopping in crowded stores .
Increased sales – and especially panic-buying of staples like toilet paper – have strained not just workers in the stores but those delivering the goods .
With sales volumes running two and three times the norm at certain locations , SpartanNash , a food distribution company outside Grand Rapids , Michigan , said this week it was hiring displaced workers and students to keep its own stores and independent grocers in its 14-state distribution network adequately supplied . On Monday , Amazon said it would hire an extra 100,000 warehouse and delivery workers and temporarily boost their pay $ 2 an hour through April to deal with the surge of online sales .
“ It ’ s very , very different in the past week , ” says Lisa , a flex driver for Amazon in North Carolina , who declined to have her full name published . “ The stores are very very panicky , very overwhelmed , unprepared . ”
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Typically , she picks up goods at Whole Foods and distribution centers and delivers them to customers . She has taken to wearing black nitrile gloves , which she sanitizes often . The tips from customers in the past week have been generous , she adds .
“ I don ’ t feel like I ’ m putting myself or my family in any particular danger any more so than , say , going to Walmart , ” she says . “ Somebody has to [ deliver ] , and why not me ? ” | ObauhSS5KjgyOzhR | 1 | Coronavirus | 0.3 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | Salon | http://www.salon.com/2015/10/26/paul_ryan_caves_to_the_wingnuts_hes_already_looking_like_a_hostage_of_the_insanity_caucus/ | Paul Ryan caves to the wingnuts: He’s already looking like a hostage of the insanity caucus | 2015-10-26 | US House, Politics | Paul Ryan is ready to step into the maelstrom. On Wednesday, his colleagues will likely elect the boyish wonk to be the Speaker of the House, possibly the most thankless job in Washington behind Dan Snyder’s therapist. But he gets a bigger office, so that’s exciting. Much ink was spilled over the conditions Ryan demanded of the Republican caucus before he would agree to run for the speakership. Those included the endorsement of the House Freedom Caucus, that group of 40 or so far-right representatives who have turned the chamber from a semi-functional body into something Jigsaw might have dreamed up if he had a political science degree. It turned out Ryan’s requirement was more of a suggestion. The HFC called his bluff, with a majority agreeing to support him but not give him the unanimous endorsement he had sought. He folded quickly anyway because, hey, bigger office. So now that he has established a precedent for folding early, it’s fair to wonder how Ryan is going to deal with this list of insane demands for the next Speaker that the HFC put out back before Kevin McCarthy took himself out of the running by putting his foot in his mouth and chewing it off at the ankle. Taken together, the changes the HFC wants would make the House even more dysfunctional than it is now, a state that some might not believe possible. The New York Times has entertaining translations of all 21 questions the HFC put forth. Having deposed RINO squish John Boehner, the radicals are obviously flexing their muscles, trying to weaken the speakership and decentralize the position’s power as part of some misbegotten plan to push through much of their pet agenda. Because when you can’t get your policies enacted through persuasion and compromise with your opposition in both parties, brute force and whining is the way to go. Take question number 13, which reads: Would you attach significant structural entitlement reforms included in the FY 2016 budget resolution, such as welfare reform, and significant process changes, such as legislation establishing an automatic continuing resolution and the Default Prevention Act, to legislation that would raise the debt limit and not schedule the consideration of another vehicle that contains a debt limit increase? The Times translates this as asking “to hold the debt limit hostage until we prevail on other issues.” In other words, the HFC would like Ryan (or some other theoretical future speaker) to commit to defaulting on the government’s debt in just a couple of weeks unless they can get the Senate Democrats and the White House to negotiate on the conservative wet dream of eviscerating Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and who knows what else. You know, the same approach they tried two years ago that led to a sixteen-day government shutdown and got the far right precisely nothing that it wanted. Or question 4: Will you oppose proposals to amend conference rules to punish members for procedural votes? In other words, as the Times puts it, “Can we continue to buck the leadership without retribution?” These 40 people want to stick to their positions no matter how much of a headache they create for their leadership, the opposition party, their colleagues in the Senate, the White House, the American people, the world’s economy (in case of a debt default), pretty much the entire universe in general. And when they do, they would really like it if they could not have to endure any consequences that might affect their re-election chances or their delicate feelings, the poor snowflakes. This state of affairs is partly a result of the weakening of the speakership overseen by Boehner. Having pushed to eliminate earmarks, those budget items destined for a particular representative’s district that past speakers used as leverage to keep recalcitrant caucus members in line, Republican leadership now has fewer ways to force members to vote in favor of anything from party initiatives to basic functions like funding the government. The few pressure points still open – committee assignments, party money directed to election campaigns – are in the HFC’s crosshairs. If they push the Republican leadership on this list, those will be the next to go. Ryan has reportedly already agreed to abide by the “Hastert Rule” (number seven on the list) and promised the HFC he would “devolve power to the membership,” resulting in an even more decentralized Republican caucus than the one that for the last few years couldn’t find water if it fell out of a boat. It’s unclear if he has promised to consider any of the HFC’s other demands. However, the fact that he caved so quickly on his own demand for a unanimous endorsement does not bode well. If Ryan’s compromise with himself to hold the Speaker’s gavel involves allowing the right wing to continue running wild and wreaking havoc, his tenure will be even rockier and worse for the country than Boehner’s has been. We won't sell or share your personal information to inform the ads you see. You may still see interest-based ads if your information is sold or shared by other companies or was sold or shared previously. Dismiss Opt out | 0802ea5b1ad9cf37 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
sexual_misconduct | Washington Times | https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/aug/14/donald-wuerl-vatican-covered-catholic-church-pries/ | Catholic officials, Vatican systematically covered up priest sex abuse, report reveals | 2018-08-14 | sexual_misconduct | A landmark grand jury report says hundreds of priests preyed on boys and girls in six Pennsylvania dioceses , where at least 1,000 were sexually assaulted over decades as top church officials , including Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl , archbishop of Washington , and the Vatican systematically worked to cover it up .
At almost 900 pages , the exhaustive report details methods by leaders of the dioceses to insulate accused members of the church from outside prosecution and judgment — employing the same strategies uncovered by The Boston Globe ’ s 2002 report on the systematic cover-up of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church .
The investigating team received files on at least 100 other priests but didn ’ t include them in the report for lack of sufficient evidence . The actual number of child victims is believed to be in the thousands , the jurors wrote , but there is no information because they either didn ’ t come forward or the dioceses didn ’ t create written records for all times they heard of the abuse .
The six dioceses — Allentown , Erie , Greensburg , Harrisburg , Pittsburgh and Scranton — serve nearly 1.6 million Catholics in Pennsylvania .
In 1993 , Cardinal Wuerl , then bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh , coined the term “ circle of secrecy ” to describe the methods in place to protect accused members of the church , according to the report .
The cardinal denies he came up with that term , according to the spokesman for the Washington Archdiocese .
This included downplaying accusations of rape and molestation with euphemisms like “ horseplay ” and “ wrestling , ” transferring accused priests around the country or placing them on “ health leave ” while keeping them on the church payroll — at times to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars . In some instances , accused sexual abusers were promoted .
Other methods included covering costs of victims related to medical and psychological care and settlements to victims with the signing of a confidentiality agreement .
Cardinal Wuerl on Tuesday defended his role in the church at the time .
“ While I understand this report may be critical of some of my actions , I believe the report confirms that I acted with diligence , with concern for the victims and to prevent future acts of abuse , ” the archbishop said in a statement before the grand jury was released . “ I sincerely hope that a just assessment of my actions , past and present , and my continuing commitment to the protection of children will dispel any notions otherwise made by this report . ”
The report ’ s effect on the Pennsylvania dioceses , as well as the Vatican , could be seismic and costly . The Archdiocese of Boston in 2002 paid $ 10 million to victims of a priest who had abused more than 130 children during his tenure and in 2003 paid $ 85 million to victims and their parents who had filed lawsuits over the abuse . The scandal also resulted in the resignation of Cardinal Bernard Law .
On Tuesday , Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro detailed graphic stories of victims of sexual abuse that occurred over decades , some stretching back as far as the early 1950s and continuing into the late 2000s .
The report took two years to compile based on victim testimony and a half-million internal documents subpoenaed from the church .
“ These documents , from the diocese ’ s own ‘ secret archives , ’ formed the backbone of this investigation , ” said Mr. Shapiro , adding that internal communications from the church corroborated victim testimonies and illustrated the extent of the cover-up , which reached the Vatican .
Church officials referred to the written reports of abuse as “ secret archives , ” said Mr. Shapiro , indicating their complacency in the cover-up .
“ In each diocese , the bishops had the key to the ‘ secret archives , ’ which contained both allegations and admissions of the abuse and cover-up , ” he said .
More than a dozen victims and family members of victims joined the attorney general Tuesday for a press conference in Harrisburg , crying and leaning on one another for comfort as details of sexual assaults by priests on children were made public .
This included a disturbing report of four “ predator priests ” in the Pittsburgh diocese who “ groomed and violently assaulted young boys , ” Mr. Shapiro said . One boy was forced to stand naked on a bed in the rectory , posing as Christ on the cross while these priests took photos of him . The pictures were added to a collection of child pornography and shared on church grounds .
These same predators gifted their favored victims with gold crosses to wear as necklaces , marking which boys had been groomed for abuse , the report said .
“ Predators in every diocese weaponized the Catholic faith and used it as a tool of their abuse , ” Mr. Shapiro said .
The grand jury recommended that criminal and civil statutes of limitations on sexual abuse in Pennsylvania be reformed to prosecute the detailed allegations of sexual abuse stemming from decades past . They wrote that the systematic cover-up allowed for the statute of limitations to expire before victims and law enforcement could hold perpetrators accountable .
However , at least two instances uncovered by the jury ’ s investigation led to charges against priests .
Last month , Catholic priest John Sweeney of Greensburg pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a 10-year-old boy in the early 1990s . Sweeney served as a priest for 16 years and in various parishes , according to the attorney general ’ s office .
In Erie , the Rev . David Poulson awaits trial on charges of sexually abusing two boys over many years . State prosecutors also say Poulson ’ s superior , Bishop Donald Trautman , knew about and covered up the abuse .
Cardinal Wuerl , as Pittsburgh ’ s bishop , had served the longest term as head of the diocese and personally dealt with at least 25 of the 99 accused priests .
He assumed leadership in Pittsburgh in 1988 and a year later drafted a letter to the Vatican raising concerns about a number of high-profile sexual abuse allegations against priests and what role the church should play in assuming responsibility and dealing with the accused .
He called for transparency among Catholic leaders , for them to tell one another that if a transferred priest had been accused of sexual assault , that they had a responsibility to their parishioners , who “ would be gravely unsettled and scandalized ” that a “ priest pedophile has been assigned in their midst , ” the report cited the cardinal as writing .
Despite this early attempt at a culture shift , Cardinal Wuerl presided over the reassignment of accused pedophiles to other churches and schools , positions where they were expected to interact with children . At times , he did discourage reassignments and encouraged resignations , but he approved the church ’ s stipends for the men and in some cases health insurance .
He was promoted to cardinal in 2006 and took over leadership of the Archdiocese of Washington .
Over the past two weeks , the cardinal has been dealing with the fallout of his predecessor , Theodore E. McCarrick , who was stripped of his title by the pope at the end of July after allegations of sexual abuse stemming from decades earlier .
“ I think everyone recognizes that words , good intentions , and new policies , while important , are not enough , ” Cardinal Wuerl wrote in a post on the website of the Archdiocese of Washington . “ We must not only denounce abuse and take steps to stop the abusers . We must remove even the appearance of cover-ups as we investigate and address allegations . ” | MjPqQq5cipqts50Q | 2 | Sexual Misconduct | -0.1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
holidays | The Guardian | https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/05/donald-trumps-july-4th-jamboree-symbolic-jingoistic-and-untraditional | Donald Trump highlights US military strength in 4 July speech | 2019-07-05 | Fourth Of July, Holidays, General News | President also made rare plea for unity at Fourth of July event in Washington dominated by show of military prowess
All men are created equal . But one is created more equal than others . And his name is Donald Trump .
The US president ’ s unique interpretation of the declaration of independence was on full display on Thursday when he staged a militaristic , jingoistic and untraditional jamboree at the Lincoln memorial in Washington to celebrate the Fourth of July .
Trump did not fulfil his critics ’ worst fears of a politically partisan , campaign-style rally with his “ Salute to America ” event . Indeed , in a rare plea for unity as he spoke beneath the statue of Abraham Lincoln , he told the crowd : “ We are one people chasing one dream and one magnificent destiny . We all share the same heroes , the same home , the same heart , and we are all made by the same almighty God . ”
The president did , however , provide the bombastic show of military might that had been widely predicted . Whereas he once liked to build suspense as host of the reality TV show The Apprentice , Trump now has the world ’ s most fearsome arsenal at his disposal – and he showed it off .
Donald Trump delivers July 4th speech – live Read more
He relished introducing F-22 Raptors and a B-2 stealth bomber that roared loudly over the Washington monument , the reflecting pool and the Lincoln memorial . The rain-soaked crowd whooped , clapped , waved hats in the air and chanted : “ USA ! USA ! ”
The showman president , speaking behind rain-streaked bulletproof glass screens , grinned widely and declared : “ Great country ! ”
There were several more flypasts in the cloudy sky by the plane known as Air Force One when the president is aboard , as well as army , navy , coast guard and Marine Corps aircraft and , climactically , six Blue Angel F-18s . The controversial event also included two Abrams tanks and two Bradley fighting vehicles .
In a speech that lasted 47 minutes , Trump laboured over a heroic version of American military history , telling stories not only of the revolutionary war that won independence from Britain but the civil war ( “ Damn the torpedoes , full speed ahead ! ” ) and the second world war . He summoned military leaders to the podium , paid tribute to gold star families and at one point referenced his proposed space force .
The president sailed close to one of his campaign lines when he claimed , “ our nation is stronger than it ever was before ” , but otherwise swerved past party politics for once . “ For Americans , nothing is impossible , ” he said , reciting a litany of American accomplishments over its history , including the moon landing 50 years ago , and promised “ very soon , we will plant the American flag on Mars . ”
Trump had repeatedly dismissed accusations that he was politicising an important holiday , emulating displays in authoritarian countries and wasting taxpayers ’ money with the event , which the National Parks Service reportedly re-directed $ 2.5m in park entrance fees to help pay for .
White House 'struggles to draw crowds ' to Trump 's Fourth of July show Read more
Thousands of people had gathered on the national mall , many wearing “ Make America Great Again ” hats , and some waved “ Trump 2020 ” banners . Occasional chants of “ Trump ! Trump ! Trump ! ” , “ Four more years ! ” and “ We love Trump ! ” could be heard amid the constant thrum of military marching songs .
Tom Meehan , 56 , a retired entrepreneur , said : “ I felt very patriotic . I loved it . Everybody out here in the rain , one country again . I feel more united than ever before . I think it was really wonderful , heartfelt , warm . ”
Meehan , a Trump supporter from Clearwater Beach , Florida , rejected the notion that the military was overplayed . “ They ’ ve had military presence with our aircraft and tanks and all that before . President Kennedy had it , Eisenhower had it , a lot of Reagan had it , so it ’ s a tradition . ”
Kristy Swanson , an actor , tweeted : “ It was incredible ! So moving and of course I cried at the end ! ”
But in a city that projects power through monuments , statues and its own Capitol , critics said it was the moment Trump went full Roman emperor , turning a traditionally nonpartisan day of events into a vanity project . Some observers have been tempted to see the military pomp not as a show of strength , but of weakness – a harbinger of imperial decline .
That also meant the plea for bipartisan comity was likely to fall on deaf ears . The congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton , who represents the District of Columbia , accused the president of “ militarising ” the traditional celebration of the Fourth of July and converting it into a “ partisan political extravaganza ” .
“ Nothing could be more incongruous than seeing tanks on the [ Washington national ] mall , ” she told CNN .
Pete Buttigieg , a Democratic 2020 candidate for president and a military veteran who served in Afghanistan , who has accused Trump of faking bone spurs to avoid the draft during the Vietnam war , told CNN : “ Think about this , the strongest , toughest person that you know . It probably not somebody who goes around talking about how strong and tough he or she is , and I think it ’ s the same with countries . ”
There were some scattered protests . Code Pink , an antiwar protest group , staged a demonstration on the mall , complete with the “ Trump baby blimp ” balloon .
Medea Benjamin , its co-director , told the Associated Press : “ We think that he ’ s a big baby . He ’ s erratic , he ’ s prone to tantrums , he doesn ’ t understand the consequences of his actions . And so this is a great symbol of how we feel about our president . ”
White House aides had reportedly struggled to draw crowds to the celebrations because arrangements for them had been made last-minute , with service chiefs for the army , navy , air force or Marine Corps set to skip the planned display of military might , sending their deputies instead .
Crowd size is a sensitive subject for the president . A government photographer edited official pictures of Trump ’ s inauguration to make the crowds seem bigger following a personal intervention from the president , according to investigative documents from the inspector general of the US interior department .
Trump had been angered on the first morning of his presidency by images showing his audience was smaller than Barack Obama ’ s in 2009 . Trump ’ s White House had falsely claimed he had attracted the biggest ever inauguration audience .
On Thursday night , the president retweeted a post from supporter Charlie Kirk , founder and president of the group Turning Point USA : “ Despite the left ’ s best attempts at destroying a salute to America , the place is PACKED ! God bless Donald Trump and god bless America ! ”
Among the crowd in the Lincoln memorial grounds , however , was a lone protester who held a sign defiantly aloft . “ Racist desecration of Lincoln memorial , ” it said . “ remember Abraham [ Lincoln ] , Marian [ Anderson , black singer who performed there ] and Martin [ Luther King , who delivered his “ I have a dream speech ” there ] ” On the back of the sign was a photo showing alleged abuse of children at the US-Mexico border . | f5c4fe2b1b99ae76 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
immigration | Fox News | http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/06/27/senate-approves-immigration-overhaul/ | Senate approves immigration overhaul, focus shifts to House | 2013-06-27 | immigration | The Senate on Thursday approved a sweeping immigration overhaul that would extend legal status to millions of undocumented immigrants while increasing border security , sending the bill to the House side where it faces a chilly reception .
The vote caps weeks of bipartisan negotiations and hands President Obama , who has made immigration legislation the cornerstone of his second-term agenda , a partial victory .
The Senate voted 68-32 to approve the bill , following a series of test votes that already demonstrated the legislation had enough support to pass .
`` The United States Senate delivered for the American people , bringing us a critical step closer to fixing our broken immigration system once and for all , '' President Obama said in a statement . He added : `` Today , the Senate did its job . It 's now up to the House to do the same . ''
The question is whether the Senate vote can compel the Republican-led House to follow suit . Though 68 votes is a strong majority , backers fell short of the 70 votes they were hoping to secure , a number they felt would help persuade House leaders to move forward . Some Republicans have already declared the Senate bill `` dead on arrival '' in the House , but House lawmakers are nevertheless working on their own piecemeal version of immigration legislation .
House Speaker John Boehner , who says both chambers should act on immigration , declined to say Thursday how his caucus would proceed .
`` We 're going to go home for the recess next week and listen to our constituents , '' he said . `` And when we get back , we 're going to ... have a discussion about the way forward . ''
Despite the strong majority in favor of the bill on Thursday , Congress remains divided over the issue .
Republican opponents of the bill voiced frustration as the Senate scrambled to finalize its work ahead of the looming recess . Sen. Charles Grassley , R-Iowa , on Wednesday said he felt `` used and abused , '' as he tried to slow down the process and call for more amendments to be considered .
All Democrats , in addition to 14 Republicans , voted for the legislation on Thursday . All `` no '' votes came from the Republican side of the aisle .
Sen. Jeff Sessions , R-Ala. , an ardent critic of the legislation , said the failure to reach 70 votes `` ensures the House has plenty of space to chart an opposite course and reject this fatally flawed proposal . ''
Sessions complains that , among other issues , the bill would lead to a `` surge '' in legal immigration that would `` reduce wages and increase unemployment . ''
The legislation would be the most sweeping overhaul of America 's immigration system since the 1980s . It would legalize millions of presently illegal immigrants , while expanding legal immigration and increasing border security .
`` The vast majority of members in this body realize that the immigration system is broken and needs fixing , '' Sen. Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , said on the Senate floor Wednesday .
But many in the GOP-controlled House oppose the pathway to citizenship at the center of the Senate bill . And many prefer a piecemeal approach rather than a sweeping bill like the one the Senate is producing .
Republicans in both chambers have complained that a late-developing compromise measure that increased spending on border security still puts `` amnesty '' ahead of security .
At its core , the legislation in the Senate includes numerous steps to prevent future illegal immigration , while at the same time it offers a chance at citizenship to the 11 million immigrants now living in the country unlawfully .
It provides for 20,000 new Border Patrol agents , requires the completion of 700 miles of fencing and requires an array of high-tech devices to be deployed to secure the border with Mexico .
Businesses would be required to check on the legal status of prospective employees . Other provisions would expand the number of visas for highly skilled workers relied upon by the technology industry . A separate program would be established for lower-skilled workers , and farm workers would be admitted under a temporary program .
The basic legislation was drafted by four Democrats and four Republicans who met privately for months to produce a rare bipartisan compromise in a polarized Senate . They fended off unwanted changes in the Senate Judiciary Committee and then were involved in negotiations with Republican Sens . John Hoeven of North Dakota and Bob Corker of Tennessee on a package of tougher border security provisions that swelled support among Republicans .
Outnumbered critics insist the bill falls short of the promises made for it .
Sen. Richard Shelby , R-Ala. , called it `` the mother of all amnesties . ''
The House Judiciary Committee is in the midst of a piece-by-piece effort , signing off Wednesday on legislation to establish a system requiring all employers within two years to check their workers ' legal status .
The Judiciary Committee was turning its attention Thursday to a bill on high-skilled workers . Last week it approved two more measures , one on agriculture workers and a second to make illegal presence in the country a federal crime , instead of a civil offense as it is now . | dumkcJABBt79I4kp | 2 | Immigration | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
coronavirus | Associated Press | https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-business-health-coronavirus-vaccine-671cbe9ecf2a5e2c167f4188b5a50e07 | US expands Pfizer COVID boosters, opens extra dose to age 16 | 2021-12-09 | Coronavirus, Pfizer, Booster Shots, Coronavirus Vaccine, CDC | U.S. health authorities again expanded the nation’s booster campaign Thursday, opening extra doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to several million 16- and 17-year-olds.The U.S. and many other nations already were urging adults to get booster shots to pump up immunity that can wane months after vaccination, calls that intensified with the discovery of the worrisome new omicron variant.On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration gave emergency authorization for 16- and 17-year-olds to get a third dose of the vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech — once they’re six months past their last dose. And hours later, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted the last barrier as Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the agency’s director, issued a statement strongly encouraging those teens to get their booster as soon as it’s time.Boosters are important considering that protection against infection wanes over time and “we’re facing a variant that has the potential to require more immunity to be protected,” Walensky told The Associated Press.About 200 million Americans are fully vaccinated, including about 4.7 million 16- and 17-year-olds, many of whom got their first shots in the spring and would be eligible for a booster.“Vaccination and getting a booster when eligible, along with other preventive measures like masking and avoiding large crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, remain our most effective methods for fighting COVID-19,” Dr. Janet Woodcock, acting FDA commissioner, said in a statement.The Pfizer vaccine is the only option in the U.S. for anyone younger than 18, either for initial vaccination or for use as a booster. It’s not yet clear if or when teens younger than 16 might need a third Pfizer dose. But Walensky said the CDC and FDA would closely watch data on 12- to 15-year-olds because if they eventually need boosters, “we again will want to act swiftly.”Vaccinations for children as young as 5 just began last month, using special low-dose Pfizer shots. By this week, about 5 million 5- to 11-year-olds had gotten a first dose.The extra-contagious delta variant is causing nearly all COVID-19 infections in the U.S., and in much of the world. It’s not yet clear how vaccines will hold up against the new and markedly different omicron mutant. But there’s strong evidence that boosters offer a jump in protection against delta-caused infections, currently the biggest threat.“The booster vaccination increases the level of immunity and dramatically improves protection against COVID-19 in all age groups studied so far,” BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin said in a statement.Complicating the decision to extend boosters to 16- and 17-year-olds is that the Pfizer shot — and a similar vaccine made by Moderna — have been linked to a rare side effect. Called myocarditis, it’s a type of heart inflammation seen mostly in younger men and teen boys.The FDA said rising COVID-19 cases in the U.S. mean the benefits of boosters greatly outweighed the potential risk from the rare side effect, especially as the coronavirus itself can cause more serious heart inflammation.Health officials in Israel, which already gives boosters to teens, have said the side effect continues to be rare with third doses.A U.S. study this week offered additional reassurance. Researchers from children’s hospitals around the country checked medical records and found the rare side effect usually is mild and people recover quickly. The research was published Monday in the journal Circulation.___Associated Press reporter Matthew Perrone contributed to this report.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | 32063f1d513a9694 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
violence_in_america | New York Times - News | https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/04/us/dayton-ohio-shooting.html?action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage | Mass Shooting in Dayton, Ohio, Kills at Least 9 | 2019-08-04 | violence_in_america | “ Had this individual made it through the doorway of Ned Peppers with that level of weaponry , there would have been a catastrophic injury and loss of life , so stopping him before he got inside there — you saw all those people were running in there — was essential , ” Mr. Biehl said .
No manifesto or social media presence has been found so far for Mr. Betts .
The police said they are treating Mr. Betts ’ family like other victims given that they have lost their daughter .
A neighbor remembered the gunman making threats during his high school years .
Theo Gainey , 25 , who lived for 10 years down the block from the Bettses and was a year ahead of Connor Betts in school , remembered him as a “ bit of an outcast , ” ostracized in large part because of threats he made at school that got him into serious trouble .
“ He got arrested on the school bus ” for the threats , said Mr. Gainey , who added that he was on the bus himself when it happened . He recalled Mr. Betts being a freshman or sophomore at the time . Mr. Gainey did not remember the specifics of the threats but said that Mr. Betts had to leave school for the rest of that year . When he returned , “ the threat thing followed him , and people didn ’ t want to hang out with him . ”
BELLBROOK , Ohio — The police searched a house in a quiet suburb southeast of Dayton early Sunday morning , where the man identified by the officials as the gunman lived with his parents .
The house is on a cul-de-sac that had been blocked on Sunday with temporary barriers , a strange sight in a neighborhood of otherwise peaceful homes of freshly mowed lawns and people doing yard work .
“ Just like everybody else in the world , you don ’ t expect it to be a few blocks from your place , ” said Brian Harris , who was standing up the street with his wife , Diane ; they own a machine shop . “ This is one of the safest places , ” Ms. Harris said . | NH92iVgftL4BWAdQ | 0 | Violence In America | -0.1 | Mass Shootings | -0.1 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
labor | Fox News (Online) | https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/may-2020-jobs-report | Unemployment rate drops to 13.3% in May, signaling return of US jobs | labor | The U.S. unemployment rate unexpectedly dropped to 13.3 percent in May , down from a record high in April , indicating the nation 's economy is recovering faster than expected from the coronavirus lockdown .
The Labor Department said in its Friday report that employers added a stunning 2.5 million jobs in May -- the biggest increase on record . The economy shed a combined 22.1 million jobs in April and March , meaning there are an estimated 21 million Americans currently out of work .
Stocks in this Article I : DJI DOW JONES AVERAGES $ 26989.99 -282.31 ( -1.04 % ) SP500 S & P 500 $ 3190.14 -17.04 ( -0.53 % ) I : COMP NASDAQ COMPOSITE INDEX $ 10020.346202 +66.59 ( +0.67 % )
Economists surveyed by Refinitiv expected the report , conducted in mid-May , to show that unemployment rose to 19.8 percent in May and that employers shed 8 million jobs . If the expectation had been accurate , it would have been the worst figure since the Great Depression .
US JOB GROWTH ROARED BACK IN MAY : THESE INDUSTRIES SAW THE BIGGEST GAINS
“ Barring a second surge of Covid-19 , the overall U.S. economy may have turned a corner , as evidenced by the surprise job gains today , even though it still remains to be seen exactly what the new normal will look like , '' said Tony Bedikian , head of global markets at Citizens Bank .
KUDLOW SAYS NEXT CORONAVIRUS RELIEF PACKAGE NEEDS TO INCLUDE 'LONG-TERM ' MEASURES TO SUPPORT ECONOMY
The jobless rate dropped from 14.7 percent in April , which was the highest level ever since record-keeping began in 1948 . The surprise decline , combined with the surge in jobs , suggests the worst is over for the nation 's economy as states ease stay-at-home guidelines and businesses bring back staff .
Stocks roared higher following the report , with the Dow Jones Industrial Average pointing to an open nearly 600 higher .
`` Today was a shocking jobs number – and for the first time this year it was a positive shock , '' said Chris Zaccarelli , chief investment officer for Independent Advisor Alliance . `` It ’ s very encouraging to see workers being recalled back by their employers and the unemployment rate dropped back down in May . ''
Leisure and hospitality , the sector hit hardest by the outbreak of the virus , accounted for almost half of the increase , with more than 1.2 million employees returning to their jobs last month . In April , the industry lost a staggering 7.6 million jobs .
More than 1.3 million workers returned to food services and drinking places as states gradually allowed businesses deemed nonessential to reopen .
Construction also saw a significant jump in employment last month : The sector added 464,000 jobs . Education and health services increased by 424,000 and retail climbed by 368,000 .
The number of unemployed Americans who reported being temporarily laid off decreased by 2.7 million in May , representing the majority of the jobs that returned . Among those who said they were not temporarily laid off , the number of permanent job losses continued to increase , rising by 295,000 in May to 2.3 million .
Over the course of the past few weeks , every state has started to navigate reopening their economies . But the unemployment level , which remains at the highest level since the Depression , is expected to remain elevated as social distancing guidelines remain in place .
`` It 's important to remember the labor market still faces an unemployment rate at the highest level since the Great Depression with tens of millions of Americans still out of work , '' said Daniel Zhao , a Glassdoor senior economist . `` While the labor market may be on the path to recovery , there is still a long way to go until the labor market returns to pre-crisis levels and makes up for lost growth . ” | 960PYa1q6UyB2pxd | 2 | Banking And Finance | 0.8 | Coronavirus | -0.8 | Business | 0.8 | Labor | 0 | Unemployment | 0 | |
healthcare | New York Times (News) | http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/02/us/health-insurance-marketplaces-open.html | Insurance Markets Open Amid Heavy Volume and Delays | 2013-10-01 | Healthcare | Advertisement Supported by By Abby GoodnoughRobert Pear and Richard Pérez-Peña Millions of Americans visited new online health insurance exchanges as enrollment opened on Tuesday, suggesting a broad national appetite for the affordable coverage that President Obama has promised with his health care law. But many people quickly encountered technological problems that prevented them from getting rates, comparing health plans or signing up. Federal and state officials said that while they knew there was pent-up demand for health coverage, the number of visits to their exchanges was greater than anticipated. Federal officials said more than 2.8 million people had visited HealthCare.gov, the federally run exchange that serves residents of more than 30 states, though the figure would include those who received error messages. State-run exchanges also reported higher-than-expected use, including several million visits to New York’s Web site. The demand “exceeds anything that we had expected,” President Obama said at the White House on Tuesday afternoon. But it remained unclear whether the array of problems — many people received messages saying the system was down, and others were unable to create accounts to buy insurance — stemmed more from heavy traffic or from flaws in design. Federal and state officials had promised for months that the exchanges would be ready for heavy use by Oct. 1, and had run numerous tests to ensure that the complex systems would work properly from the start. Advertisement The problems came on a landmark day for the health care law, Mr. Obama’s signature legislative achievement and the central issue in the Congressional battle over federal spending that has led to a shutdown of the government. A trouble-plagued start, accompanied by the complaints of frustrated consumers, may undermine political support for the law and discourage people from signing up. Across the country, people trying to use the Internet exchanges expressed mixtures of hope and frustration. Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like. An earlier version of this article misstated the deadline for enrolling in an insurance plan. It is March 31, not Jan. 1. (Insurance bought through the exchanges by Dec. 15 would take effect on Jan. 1.) The article also misstated the day of an announcement on healthcare.gov, the federally run exchange. It was posted on Tuesday, not on Monday. When we learn of a mistake, we acknowledge it with a correction. If you spot an error, please let us know at nytnews@nytimes.com.Learn more Reporting was contributed by Ian Lovett, Dan Frosch, Lizette Alvarez, Manny Fernandez, Anemona Hartocollis, Ariel Kaminer, Steven Yaccino, Jon Hurdle and Kitty Bennett. Advertisement Enjoy unlimited access to all of The Times. See subscription options | c6e5636b9f88f1b8 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
race_and_racism | Daily Beast | https://www.thedailybeast.com/william-bryan-georgia-man-who-recorded-video-of-ahmaud-arberys-death-charged-with-murder | Georgia Man Who Filmed Ahmaud Arbery’s Killing Charged With Murder | 2020-05-21 | race_and_racism | The Georgia man who recorded the shocking video of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery being shot to death has been charged with murder , authorities announced Thursday .
William Bryan Jr. was arrested and charged with felony murder and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment on Thursday in connection with Arbery ’ s February slaying while he was jogging on a residential street in Brunswick , the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said . He is currently being held in Glynn County Jail .
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation alleges that on Feb. 23 , Gregory McMichael and his son Travis confronted Arbery while he was on a run about two miles from his home . During the confrontation , Travis McMichael shot the 25-year-old , according to authorities .
Bryan captured part of the incident on video , which shows the father and son armed with a shotgun and a .357 Magnum as they chase Arbery , who was unarmed , in a white truck . At the end of the video , a shot is fired while Arbery tries to run around the truck . Then , Arbery and another man appear to get into a struggle as two more shots are fired .
In a statement to The ███ , lawyers for Arbery ’ s parents said the family is “ relieved ” to learn of Bryan ’ s arrest .
“ We called for his arrest from the very beginning of this process . His involvement in the murder of Mr. Arbery was obvious to us , to many around the country and after their thorough investigation , it was clear to the GBI as well , ” S. Lee Merritt , Benjamin Crump , and L. Chris Stewart said in a joint statement . “ The family of Mr. Arbery is thankful for the diligence of the GBI and the way in which they tirelessly pursued the evidence in this case . We want anyone who participated in the murder of Mr. Arbery to be held accountable . ”
Gregory and Travis McMichael currently face murder and aggravated assault charges for allegedly chasing down and killing Arbery .
The slaying—which many have described as a “ lynching ” —and the subsequent investigation spurred a national outcry and a Department of Justice investigation days after the graphic footage of Arbery ’ s shooting in the Satilla Shores neighborhood emerged . The McMichaels ’ arrest also prompted calls for Bryan to face criminal punishment .
“ The arrest of Bryan today , almost three months after Arbery was murdered , underscores the need for federal action , ” Becky Monroe , director of the Fighting Hate and Bias program at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights , told The ███ . “ The U.S. Department of Justice must open an investigation into systemic police and prosecutorial misconduct for a pattern or practice of civil rights violations . We also reiterate our call for a federal hate crimes investigation into the murder of Arbery . ”
During the chase , the McMichaels said they tried to cut off Arbery , who avoided them and turned around to run in the opposite direction . At one point , according to the initial police report , the McMichaels said Bryan “ attempted to block him , which was unsuccessful . ”
“ His family deserves justice from not only the two men who have been arrested , but from anyone who participated in that act , ” S. Lee Merritt , one of the attorneys for Arbery ’ s family , told CNN ’ s Don Lemon .
Bryan ’ s 36-second video , taken inside a vehicle , was released by Alan Tucker , a local criminal defense lawyer who had informally consulted with the McMichaels and wanted to dispel rumors about the incident that was fueling tensions in the Georgia suburb .
“ It wasn ’ t two men with a Confederate flag in the back of a truck going down the road and shooting a jogger in the back , ” Tucker told The New York Times . “ It got the truth out there as to what you could see . My purpose was not to exonerate them or convict them . ”
But the video incited national outage , leading to the charges against three people more than two months after Arbery was shot . Prior to the graphic footage , the young man ’ s case was bounced to three local prosecutors—two of whom are currently under investigation—before it was ultimately referred to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation . Local officials had argued Arbery ’ s death was “ justifiable homicide . ”
All three cases are now being handled by District Attorney Joyette Holmes of the Cobb County District Attorney ’ s Office .
On Tuesday , Bryan ’ s lawyer asserted his client had taken a lie detector test , which he said proved his client was unarmed during the shooting and did not have any conversations with the McMichaels prior to the tragic incident .
“ Mr . Bryan is not your enemy , ” Kevin Gough , his attorney , said in a Tuesday press conference . “ Please stop doing and saying things that place Roddie and his family in danger . Whether you believe it or not , you ’ ve put a target on his back . ”
The McMichaels have asserted they were chasing Arbery along the tree-lined road because they wanted to make a citizen ’ s arrest of a man they suspected of being a burglar . Authorities , however , have said there were no break-ins reported in the seven weeks prior to Arbery ’ s death .
Despite the national outcry over his slaying , two defense attorneys retained by Gregory McMichael claimed in a statement to The ███ that a “ rush to judgment ” has caused the public to vilify their client .
“ This is not some sort of hate crime fueled by racism , ” defense attorney Frank Hogue said at a press conference last week . “ It is and remains the case , however , that a young African-American male has lost his life to violence . ”
Hogue added that the defense team has amassed additional witnesses , documents , and more video footage—which he believes “ tells a very different story , both about Greg , about his son , Travis , and about Ahmaud Arbery . ” | N5JRvVYshoaYS6mW | 0 | Ahmaud Arbery | -0.3 | Race And Racism | -0.2 | Violence In America | -0.1 | Black Lives Matter | -0.1 | Gun Control And Gun Rights | 0 |
politics | Ben Shapiro | https://townhall.com/columnists/benshapiro/2019/07/17/the-news-cycle-without-trumps-tweets-n2550163 | OPINION: The News Cycle Without Trump's Tweets | 2019-07-17 | politics | The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent the views of Townhall.com .
Let 's live in a universe where the president of the United States did n't see fit to insert himself into every controversy , to comment on every passing event , to blast out his inner monologue before tens of millions of Americans each morning -- often in the most foolish , controversial or outright xenophobic way -- while watching cable news .
Last week , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , went to war with the most famous member of her House contingent , freshman Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , D-N.Y. After months of vacillating between praise for AOC 's supposed energy and put-downs of AOC 's radicalism and attacks on moderate Democrats , Pelosi 's sneering finally triggered AOC , who promptly brought out her heavy guns : She suggested that Pelosi is a racist targeting congresswomen of color . She even suggested that Pelosi is responsible for the death threats she had received . This , in turn , triggered members of the Congressional Black Caucus to come to Pelosi 's defense , and that triggered other members of AOC 's so-called squad to come to her defense . By the end of the week , the seething , bubbling war between radicals and mere progressives was threatening to crack the Democratic coalition .
Also last week , Democratic presidential candidates continued their quest to push their party toward the far left . Sen. Kamala Harris , D-Calif. , maintained her hypocritical attacks on former President Joe Biden for his lack of support for federal busing , a policy she herself does n't support . Sen. Elizabeth Warren , D-Mass. , trotted out a new spending plan with no way to pay for it . Harris and Warren prepared to attack each other for attention . Meanwhile , virtually all the major Democratic candidates outside of Biden kept up their drumbeat of criticism of Immigration and Customs Enforcement , demanding an open-borders agenda entirely at odds with the mainstream of American public thought .
This drumbeat came complete with an actual act of violence , as well as a public relations nightmare for the open-borders left . In Washington state , 69-year-old Willem Van Spronsen , armed with a rifle and incendiary devices , attempted to light a car on fire and ignite a propane tank outside a Tacoma migrant detention center to shut it down . He was shot for his trouble . Van Spronsen reportedly called himself a member of antifa , the far-left militant group .
And in Aurora , Colorado , some 2,000 people banded together outside another ICE detention facility , where a group of protesters pulled down the American flag and replaced it with the Mexican flag . Some of the protesters then attempted to burn and deface the American flag with anti-police slurs .
This would seem to have been a pretty decent news cycle for President Trump . The Democratic Party formed itself into a circular firing squad ; the far left was busily reminding Americans that it 's not especially fond of America altogether .
For years , we 've heard that Trump 's tweeting is a key to his success . There 's certainly truth to the notion that Trump is able to redirect the news cycle toward his personal whims based on the click of a few buttons . But with great power comes great risk . When the president decides to tweet , `` 'Progressive ' Democrat Congresswomen ... originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe ... Why do n't they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came , '' the narrative shifts . The news cycle becomes about Trump 's xenophobia ( three of the congresswomen he 's apparently talking about were born in the United States ) ; Democrats reunite against him ; and the dangers of anti-ICE rhetoric are deliberately obscured by the media .
All too often , Trump 's tweets are bad , both morally and politically . And the media would always prefer to jabber about those tweets than about news that harms Democrats . So why would Trump continue to provide them the oxygen they so desperately seek ?
███ , 35 , is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School , host of `` The ███ Show and editor-in-chief of DailyWire.com . He is the author of the No . 1 New York Times bestseller `` The Right Side of History . '' He lives with his wife and two children in Los Angeles . | lrAQWF7CuNKCwbKN | 2 | Politics | -1 | Donald Trump | 0.5 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
white_house | BBC News | http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43311581 | Gary Cohn: Key Trump economic policy adviser resigns | 2018-03-07 | White House, Politics | US President Donald Trump 's top economic adviser Gary Cohn is resigning , the White House has said .
It is the latest in a series of high-profile departures from President Trump 's team .
There has been speculation that Mr Cohn , a supporter of free trade , was angered by Mr Trump 's plans to impose tariffs on aluminium and steel imports .
In a statement released by the White House , Mr Cohn said it had been `` an honour to serve my country '' .
The 57-year-old former president of the Goldman Sachs bank had helped Mr Trump push through his sweeping tax reforms late last year .
Gary Cohn and President Trump were never believed to be close .
Mr Cohn was n't specific about the reasons , saying in a statement it had been `` an honour to serve my country and enact pro-growth economic policies to benefit the American people , in particular the passage of historic tax reform '' .
Once that mission had been achieved , a number of differences may have prompted the departure , including the possible looming trade tariff war and his differences on that issue with trade adviser Peter Navarro and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross .
Mr Cohn had reportedly set up a meeting between Mr Trump and business executives who opposed the tariffs move . But Mr Trump pulled out of that meeting and on Tuesday reportedly asked Mr Cohn in the Oval Office to back the tariffs publicly . Mr Cohn did not answer , sources told Bloomberg .
In August last year , Mr Cohn had also criticised Mr Trump over his reaction to a far-right rally in Charlottesville , Virginia , saying the administration `` can and must do better '' . He was reported to have drafted a resignation letter after the event .
An official said : `` For several weeks Gary had been discussing with the president that it was nearing time for him to transition out . ''
In a statement , Mr Trump said : `` Gary ... did a superb job in driving our agenda , helping to deliver historic tax cuts and reforms and unleashing the American economy once again .
`` He is a rare talent and I thank him for his dedicated service to the American people . ''
Analysts were pointing to the resignation of Mr Cohn , a free market advocate , as one reason behind a drop in shares across Asia on Wednesday . The Nikkei closed 0.77 % down and the Hang Seng 1.03 % .
Rick Meckler of LibertyView Capital Management told Reuters that Mr Cohn was `` very credible '' and the resignation announcement `` certainly causes short-term downward pressure '' .
The dollar continued its retreat against the yen , down from 113 at the start of the year to 105.6 on Wednesday .
European stocks also opened lower , the FTSE 100 and pan-Europe STOXX 600 falling about 0.5 % after opening .
Gary Cohn was a bit of a stranger in a strange land . He was a Democrat in a Republican White House ; an economic globalist working for a president who campaigned on economic nationalism . Now , it seems , Donald Trump 's protectionist bent has pushed the top administration economic adviser to the exit .
This was not an unexpected development . By many accounts , there had been a contentious White House fight over whether to impose sweeping sanctions on US steel and aluminium imports - a tug-of-war that was settled , precipitously , by the president himself last week .
There were the rumours that Mr Cohn was only sticking around to see last year 's tax bill over the finish line , after his extreme discomfort following the president 's warm words about some of the white nationalist marchers involved in violent clashes in Charlottesville last August .
Mr Cohn was reportedly viewed by many Trump loyalists in the White House as an unwelcome interloper . Some on the outside , particularly in the financial world , welcomed him as a moderating influence - along with son-in-law Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka .
Now the former is leaving and the latter two seem greatly weakened . All this could mark a sharp new direction in White House policy .
Last week , Mr Trump announced he would be imposing steep tariffs on steel and aluminium imports - 25 % and 10 % respectively . He is yet to sign them into effect .
He has regularly argued that other countries have been `` taking advantage of '' the US on trade for decades .
Trading partners reacted angrily . The EU , which says the steel and aluminium tariffs could cost it €2.8bn ( $ 3.48bn ; £2.5bn ) a year , has now drawn up a $ 3.5bn hit list of retaliatory tariffs .
These include higher import duties on bourbon , peanut butter , cranberries , orange juice , steel and industrial products , EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said .
There are now fears of a global trade war . Mr Trump said on Tuesday : `` When we 're behind on every single country , trade wars are n't so bad . ''
But there is disquiet at his proposals even among members of Mr Trump 's Republican party .
House Speaker Paul Ryan was one of those urging Mr Trump to have a `` smarter '' plan that was `` more surgical and more targeted '' and avoided the `` unintended consequences '' of a trade war .
Mr Trump tweeted that he would pick Mr Cohn 's replacement `` soon '' .
`` Many people wanting the job - will choose wisely ! '' he added .
Possible candidates mooted by US media include Peter Navarro and Larry Kudlow , a conservative commentator and 2016 campaign adviser .
President Trump tweeted that there was no chaos at the White House but there were `` still ... some people that I want to change '' .
A piece in Bloomberg carries the concerns of Wall St operators that the White House is losing experienced financial experts . Kathy Wylde , who runs the Partnership for New York City , says : `` Gary was one that we counted on . ''
A Washington Post article headlined `` Gary Cohn did n't get much done . But it could be worse - and it probably will '' says the adviser was an `` odd duck '' but that it is hard to fault him , given `` the Trump administration has been too understaffed and unfocused to get much done '' .
An editorial in the New York Times says Gary Cohn was `` supposed to be among the sensible adults in the room . Now , he is leaving after failing repeatedly to be the stabilising influence that the Trump administration sorely needed '' .
Bill Powell in Newsweek says there are two things Donald Trump really likes - a rising stock market and tariffs . But one thing the resignation of Gary Cohn makes abundantly clear , he says , is that `` you ca n't have both ... the world just does n't work that way '' . | 956a7bf12e1ba3cc | 1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
marijuana_legalization | Mother Jones | https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/01/new-york-times-journalist-alex-berenson-tell-your-children-marijuana-crime-mental-illness-1/ | This Reporter Took a Deep Look Into the Science of Smoking Pot. What He Found Is Scary. | marijuana_legalization | It ’ s been a few years since Alex Berenson has “ committed journalism , ” as he likes to say . As a New York Times reporter , Berenson did two tours covering the Iraq War , an experience that inspired him to write his first of nearly a dozen spy novels . Starting with the 2006 Edgar Award-winning The Faithful Spy , his books were so successful that he left the Times in 2010 to write fiction full time . But his latest book , out January 8 , strays far from the halls of Langley and the jihadis of Afghanistan . Tell Your Children is nonfiction that takes a sledgehammer to the promised benefits of marijuana legalization , and cannabis enthusiasts are not going to like it one bit .
The book was seeded one night a few years ago when Berenson ’ s wife , a psychiatrist who evaluates mentally ill criminal defendants in New York , started talking about a horrific case she was handling . It was “ the usual horror story , somebody who ’ d cut up his grandmother or set fire to his apartment—typical bedtime chat in the Berenson house , ” he writes . But then , his wife added , “ Of course he was high , been smoking pot his whole life . ”
Berenson , who smoked a bit in college , didn ’ t have strong feelings about marijuana one way or another , but he was skeptical that it could bring about violent crime . Like most Americans , he thought stoners ate pizza and played video games—they didn ’ t hack up family members . Yet his Harvard-trained wife insisted that all the horrible cases she was seeing involved people who were heavy into weed . She directed him to the science on the subject .
We look back and laugh at Reefer Madness , which was pretty over-the-top , after all , but Berenson found himself immersed in some pretty sobering evidence : Cannabis has been associated with legitimate reports of psychotic behavior and violence dating at least to the 19th century , when a Punjabi lawyer in India noted that 20 to 30 percent of patients in mental hospitals were committed for cannabis-related insanity . The lawyer , like Berenson ’ s wife , described horrific crimes—including at least one beheading—and attributed far more cases of mental illness to cannabis than to alcohol or opium . The Mexican government reached similar conclusions , banning cannabis sales in 1920—nearly 20 years before the United States did—after years of reports of cannabis-induced madness and violent crime .
People who used cannabis at 15 , one study found , were more than four times as likely to develop schizophrenia or a related syndrome .
Over the past couple of decades , studies around the globe have found that THC—the active compound in cannabis—is strongly linked to psychosis , schizophrenia , and violence . Berenson interviewed far-flung researchers who have quietly but methodically documented the effects of THC on serious mental illness , and he makes a convincing case that a recreational drug marketed as an all-around health product may , in fact , be really dangerous—especially for people with a family history of mental illness and for adolescents with developing brains .
A 2002 study in BMJ ( formerly the British Medical Journal ) found that people who used cannabis by age 15 were four times as likely to develop schizophrenia or a related syndrome as those who ’ d never used . Even when the researchers excluded kids who had shown signs of psychosis by age 11 , they found that the adolescent users had a threefold higher risk of demonstrating symptoms of schizophrenia later on . One Dutch marijuana researcher that Berenson spoke with estimated , based on his own work , that marijuana could be responsible for as much as 10 percent of psychosis in places where heavy use is common .
These studies are hardly Reagan-esque , drug warrior hysteria . In 2017 , the National Academies of Sciences , Engineering , and Medicine issued a report nearly 500 pages long on the health effects of cannabis and concluded that marijuana use is strongly associated with the development of psychosis and schizophrenia . The researchers also noted that there ’ s decent evidence linking pot consumption to worsening symptoms of bipolar disorder and to a heightened risk of suicide , depression , and social anxiety disorders : “ The higher the use , the greater the risk . * ”
Given that marijuana use is up 50 percent over the past decade , if the studies are accurate , we should be experiencing a big increase in psychotic diseases . And we are , Berenson argues . He reports that from 2006 to 2014 , the most recent year for which data is available , the number of ER visitors co-diagnosed with psychosis and a cannabis use disorder tripled , from 30,000 to 90,000 .
If pot was as widely used as alcohol , one researcher said , “ we would see an enormous amount of morbidity from cannabis . ”
Legalization advocates would say Berenson and the researchers have it backwards : Pot doesn ’ t cause mental illness ; mental illness drives self-medication with pot . But scientists find that theory wanting . Longitudinal studies in New Zealand , Sweden , and the Netherlands spanning several decades identified an association between cannabis and mental illness even when accounting for prior signs of mental illness . In an editorial published alongside the influential 2002 BMJ study on psychosis and marijuana , two Australian psychiatrists wrote that these and other findings “ strengthen the argument that use of cannabis increases the risk of schizophrenia and depression , and they provide little support for the belief that the association between marijuana use and mental health problems is largely due to self-medication . ”
One of the book ’ s most convincing arguments against the self-medication theory is that psychosis and schizophrenia are diseases that typically strike people during adolescence or in their early 20s . But with increasing pot use , the number of people over 30 coming into the ER with psychosis has also shot up , suggesting that cannabis might be a cause of mental illness in people with no prior history of it . * ”
That ’ s what the science would predict . Back in the early 1980s , Sven Andréasson , a Swedish doctor at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm , launched one of the first big studies looking at the association between schizophrenia and marijuana . Andréasson was able to tap a huge database of information on Swedish men conscripted into military service , which included their drug-use history . He cross-referenced that data with national health service records to determine whether the 18- and 19-year-old men who ’ d used weed before 1970 had developed schizophrenia by 1983 .
In a study published in The Lancet in 1987 , he reported that for conscripts who had used weed more than 50 times , the risk of developing schizophrenia was six times as high as for those who ’ d never smoked . After adjusting for confounding factors , such as a family history of mental illness or existing symptoms of schizophrenia at the time of conscription , Andréasson found that using cannabis more than 10 times in adolescence more than doubled the risk of developing schizophrenia . Berenson quotes Andréasson as saying that if people used marijuana as much as they drank alcohol , “ We would see an enormous amount of morbidity from cannabis . ”
Today ’ s weed is insanely potent—products like “ wax ” and “ shatter ” come pretty close to 100 percent THC .
Before talking to Berenson , I didn ’ t realize it was possible to smoke your way to the ER . I smoked plenty of weed in high school and so did all my friends , and none of us jumped off a balcony or killed anyone—we could barely get off the couch . But the marijuana sold today is not what we smoked , which at 1 percent to 2 percent THC was the equivalent of smoking oregano . Today ’ s weed is insanely more potent , as are products like “ wax ” and “ shatter ” —forms of butane hash oil designed to be vaped or dabbed that come pretty close to 100 percent THC . And these high-potency products usually contain very little CBD oil , the ingredient in cannabis that ’ s supposed to account for many of its supposed health benefits .
These potent products can cause hallucinations , restlessness , and , as anyone who ’ s smoked even weak pot is familiar with , paranoia . After reading Berenson ’ s book , I fact-checked it a bit , and inadvertently discovered all sorts of websites advising pot users on how to manage their paranoia and ride out the psychotic effects . I also found plenty of news stories about bad trips on pot . Such incidents are typically treated jokingly . “ But a lot of the time it turns out not to be a joke , ” Berenson told me . “ A lot of the time it ’ s a 22-year-old guy who maybe has some history of aggression , and he winds up throwing himself off the balcony or beating up his girlfriend . ”
Paranoia and psychosis make people dangerous , so rising use of a drug that causes both would be expected to increase violent crime , rather than reduce it as pot advocates claim . Berenson looked at data for the four states that legalized weed in 2014 and 2015—Oregon , Washington , Alaska , and Colorado—and calculated a combined 35 percent increase in murders in those states from 2013 to 2017 , compared with a 20-percent rise nationally . This “ isn ’ t a statistical anomaly , ” Berenson writes . “ It ’ s real . ”
The role of weed in rising violent crime rates in legalization states is a hotly contested question , especially in Colorado , where murders in Denver are at a 10-year high . Berenson admits he can ’ t say for sure whether those upswings are due to legal weed , but the raw data , he says , definitely contradicts advocates ’ claims : “ What I want people to stop saying is that legalization reduces violent crime . It doesn ’ t . ”
Tell Your Children rounds out the crime stats with grisly stories of people who commit suicide or kill their children while high on pot , starting with the story of an Australian woman who , in the throes of cannabis-induced psychosis , stabbed eight kids to death—seven were hers . That ’ s a super-extreme case , but heinous crimes are not all that uncommon . Consider Texas : In 2017 , Berenson told me , “ 2 percent of the state probably smokes marijuana every day , and 30 percent of the deaths from child abuse or neglect were committed while people were using . And that ’ s a bad number . There ’ s no way around it . ”
“ Maybe drugs are actually the problem , ” Berenson says . “ I feel like I ’ m going to get jumped on just for saying that . ”
Once Berenson started looking into links between cannabis and violence or mental illness , he started to see them everywhere , and perhaps for good reason . The stories follow a familiar pattern : A guy—it ’ s frequently a guy—who smokes a lot of weed starts to go off the rails , ranting about politics or his ex , posting crazy shit on Facebook , and then ends up in the news for being suicidal , killing someone , or otherwise doing something crazy . Jared Loughner , the mass shooter who killed six people and wounded congresswoman Gabby Giffords in Arizona in 2011 , was such a heavy pot user that the Army rejected him on that basis .
After reading Berenson ’ s book , I started seeing the patterns , too . In November , Jeffrey Clark , an alleged neo-Nazi , was arrested in DC for stockpiling weapons and making threats after the Pittsburgh synagogue mass shooting . His story fit the profile Berenson lays out in the book , so I checked : Indeed , court records suggest he was a pot addict . ( Clark was charged with possession and distribution . )
And we ’ ve all heard about Kanye West ’ s and Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson ’ s experiences . In an observation that ’ s likely to earn him even more derision than his suggestion that weed can cause violent crime , Berenson raises the possibility in the book that pot use might lie at the heart of both men ’ s mental health problems—West and Davidson have denied this—or at least that weed might be exacerbating their issues . ( When I asked Berenson over the phone whether weed was really making Kanye crazy , several of my newsroom colleagues burst out laughing—an early sign of how this all might be received . )
Berenson notes in his book that West has acknowledged smoking before some of his most incomprehensible public appearances , and that the rapper ’ s insurer initially refused to cover his losses when West ’ s mental breakdown and psych hospitalization led to cancellation of a 2016 tour . The insurance company , Lloyd ’ s of London , argued in court documents that West ’ s marijuana use caused the breakdown and invalidated his insurance claim . ( West sued the insurer , which eventually settled and paid most of the claims . ) “ I have no idea what goes on in that man ’ s head , ” Berenson admits . But he doesn ’ t think it ’ s a coincidence that marijuana seems to be a factor when “ these very high-profile figures are acting out in weird ways . ”
Berenson suspects that the risks of marijuana may be , to the left , as the dangers of climate change are to the right .
Berenson is well aware that many people won ’ t want to hear his message , particularly on the left , at a time when prominent figures from presidential hopeful Sen. Cory Booker ( D-N.J. ) to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) have endorsed legalizing pot nationally . There ’ s a huge difference , he points out , between decriminalizing weed to fight mass incarceration and turning cannabis into a recreational drug as cheap and easy to obtain as booze . “ If you look at what ’ s happened with opioids in the last 20 years , legalizers should be looking at that and saying to themselves , ‘ Maybe drugs are actually the problem , ’ ” Berenson says . “ I feel like I ’ m going to get jumped on just for saying that . ”
He finds something odd about the way Americans now view marijuana , as though it ’ s some sort of cool , harmless miracle drug—even though it has many of the same downsides alcohol does . A nice wine can complement a good meal . But in a different context , “ alcohol can cause bar fights . It can cause drunken driving . It can cause domestic violence . It causes terrible violence , ” he says . “ Yet we ’ re able to sort of keep those two ideas in our head : that there ’ s one kind of alcohol consumption that can just put [ people ] to sleep , and there ’ s another kind that can cause violence . With marijuana , those two things are also true , but we ’ ve sort of forgotten the second thing exists . ”
He suspects legalization is to the left what climate change is to the right—an issue around which even the most solid facts may not change minds . “ I know I ’ m going to fail on this , but I really view this as a book about medicine and science , ” he says . “ This comes out of really smart people doing really careful research and trying to figure out how to tease out correlation and causation , and they got an answer . I believe the people I talk to . They don ’ t have any agenda other than trying to promote the public health . ”
Correction : An earlier version of this article overstated the connection that NASEM researchers found between marijuana , bipolar disorder , and the risk of suicide , depression , and social anxiety disorders . It also overstated the connection between the increasing number of pot users and the number of people over 30 coming into the ER with psychosis ; the researchers in that case “ did not directly examine whether marijuana had led to any psychotic diagnoses. ” A handful of other facts and statements in the piece have been updated for accuracy . | K4VjVvf69SHfFbYM | 0 | Marijuana Legalization | -1.6 | Marijuana | -0.8 | Drug Policy | 0 | Public Health | 0 | null | null | |
coronavirus | Yahoo News | https://finance.yahoo.com/news/covid-19-elimination-isnt-going-to-be-possible-with-this-virus-virologist-says-192645770.html | COVID-19: Elimination isn't 'going to be possible with this virus,' virologist says | 2022-01-21 | Coronavirus, Endemic, Omicron Variant, Public Health, World, Vaccine Mandates, Mask Mandates | Angela Rasmussen, a virologist and at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan, told Yahoo Finance Live that ending the COVID-19 pandemic isn't likely to end anytime soon. "Endemicity is what we're really talking about," she said.One reason COVID-19 may be here to stay is because of its ability to infect different animals. "I don't think that elimination is going to be possible with this virus. This virus infects a number of different animal species ... and even if every human being on the planet [were] vaccinated, there's still potentially susceptible hosts in the form of other animals that this virus could get into," Rasmussen said.New variantsThe threat of new variants — including ones that evade vaccines — lingers around the world.The World Health Organization's director of emergency program, Dr. Mike Ryan, said as much at the World Economic Forum's virtual Davos event this year."We won't end the virus this year, we may never end the virus. These pandemic viruses end up becoming part of the ecosystem," Ryan said."People talk about pandemic vs. endemic. This word 'endemic.' Endemic malaria kills hundreds of thousands of people, endemic HIV, endemic violence in our inner cities. 'Endemic' in itself does not mean good. 'Endemic' just means it is here forever," Ryan added.He noted that the only major milestone the world can hit is rolling back the public health emergency status.Fauci recently said the best-case scenario for 2022 is that the virus subsides to more manageable levels. But in the worst case, the U.S. could be hit by another, harsher variant — just as Omicron struck when the Delta variant was subsiding.Rasmussen noted that even as Omicron has been surging and cresting faster than previous variants and causing milder symptoms, that doesn't mean the next variant will be moderate."We may not be so lucky next time. If its significantly different than Omicron, or any of the other variants that have circulated before, there's certainly the possibility of more breakthrough infections, and there's certainly the possibility of a variant that is more pathogenic," Rasmussen said.Follow Anjalee on Twitter @AnjKhemRead the latest financial and business news from Yahoo FinanceFollow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Flipboard, and LinkedIn | e13fbd17f6db39a8 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
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