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politics | Vox | http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/2/6/14473482/resistance-works-anti-trump-protests | The big lesson of Trump's first 2 weeks: resistance works | 2017-02-06 | politics | It β s easy to miss amid Donald Trump β s frenetic pace of activity and nonstop media coverage , but the most important story in American politics right now isn β t about what Trump is doing : It β s that the opposition is working .
The millions of people who marched in Washington and other cities around the world on inauguration weekend and then demonstrated again at airports the following weekend are making a concrete difference in the world . So are the tens of thousands who β ve called members of Congress or showed up in person at their events .
Trump is getting things done , but all presidents do that . Look at what he β s not getting done . A Republican-controlled Congress bowed to public outrage over an attempt to water down an ethics office . Trump dramatically downscaled his own executive order barring entry to the United States from seven Muslim-majority countries . He β s having unprecedented difficulty getting his Cabinet nominees confirmed , even though the Senate β s rules have changed to make confirmations easier than ever . Conservatives in Congress have put their big plans to privatize Medicare and public lands on hold . And the drive to repeal the Affordable Care Act is running into very big trouble .
None of this is based on the discipline and self-restraint on the part of the White House . It β s thanks to bold acts of resistance . The result is lives have been saved , many more lives have been demonstrably improved , and the proven template for future success has been created .
Not only have the resisters already markedly altered the trajectory of public policy , they have also begun to make a difference in each other β s lives and their own conceptions of themselves . And this is the greatest threat to the Trump movement .
For the moment , Trumpism holds the vast preponderance of political power despite its thin electoral base . That means Trumpism will make progress , even in the face of effective resistance . But for the positioning to hold , Trump needs to convince his opponents that they are failing , so the prophecy will become self-fulfilling .
That is why it β s crucial for Trump β s opponents to be aware that protesters β efforts are not futile . We know they can succeed , because they are already succeeding . What β s needed is for Trump β s critics to continue to resist the siren song of sectarianism and keep at it . If they do , Trumpism will be buried .
So far , the highest-profile blow to Trump has come from a federal judge who has temporarily stayed key elements of Trump β s crackdown on travel and immigration to the United States . News has been coming so hard and fast in 2017 that many Americans are not yet aware of the remarkable amount of ground that Trump has already given in the face of sustained public pressure . This popular mobilization lacks the clear-cut victories of a judicial process , but also constitutes a more durable form of anti-Trump activism than counting on the judiciary .
Niki Renee covered much of the news in an excellent tweetstorm Wednesday morning , but the list of progressive successes is actually so long that she left a few things off it .
For everyone who DID something , small or big , your efforts have been successful .
Because of you : β just niki ( @ blowticious ) February 1 , 2017
Those walkbacks do not , unfortunately , change the reality that Trump β s cruel new approach to immigration will continue to hurt people . The threat to the health insurance of millions remains real .
But this is still a remarkable amount for a new president to need to walk back in his first 10 days in office .
More diffusely , resistance is already costing Trump politically . A planned trip to Harley-Davidson in Wisconsin was canceled because the company didn β t want to deal with the protests . Disney β s CEO canceled a planned trip to the White House . Maintaining a constant atmosphere of contentiousness has cost Trump the usual honeymoon period and saddled him with approval ratings that are already underwater .
Even the rollout of Neil Gorsuch to fill the Supreme Court vacancy is , despite its success , a sign of Trump β s underlying weakness . The original plan was to fill a whole week with executive orders . But the massive resistance to Trump β s actions on refugees forced the administration to scramble , moving the low-hanging Gorsuch fruit forward and leaving a number of additional orders hanging on the vine unissued .
It is telling that in most of these cases , the Trump administration is committed to pretending that resistance isn β t the cause of the reversals . Trump has attempted to argue that he β rather than public outcry β is responsible for the OGE reversal . And the administration has tried to sell the public on the idea that his orders were never meant to apply to green card holders , and that the β confusion β around this and other subjects is the fault of the media .
Those of us who lived through these events owe it to ourselves and to others to remember them correctly . In all cases , Trump acted in response to public outcry , not in advance of it . Things changed because people paid attention , spoke up , and made a difference .
A flood of telephone calls to members β offices has suddenly imperiled Betsy DeVos β s confirmation as secretary of education . More important than her personal fate , the fight over DeVos has gotten multiple Republican senators β including very conservative ones like Jerry Moran of Kansas β to restate his opposition to the idea of a federal school voucher program , a key Trump administration promise .
None of that means progressives should feel complacent about the Trump administration β just the opposite . But recognition that mass mobilization is making a real difference is critical to keeping up the pressure on fights to come , especially the looming battles over Obamacare repeal and the fate of the DREAMers protected from deportation by the Obama administration .
Republicans control the White House , the Senate , and the US House of Representatives , and liberals will find that on many issues there is simply nothing they can do to halt the advance of conservative policy . But there are two big battles underway where activism is already making a difference and where success or failure is important in its own right and freighted with broader implications .
The Affordable Care Act suddenly polls well now that activists on the left are defending it from conservative attacks rather than pushing for even bolder reform . Leaked audio of private conversations inside the Republican caucus make it clear that the GOP is nervous and divided on this subject . As Virginia Rep. Dave Brat has told journalists , citizens are β up in my grill β about the issue , with progressives successfully copying Tea Party tactics and urging citizens to contact their Congress members on the phone and in person . Activism matters on this issue because the Republican position is based on a sleight of hand . Repealing the Affordable Care Act necessarily entails an enormous tax cut for millionaires , which means there is less money available to provide insurance to the millions of people covered with Obamacare plans .
The Republican strategy is to try to pull the wool over people β s eyes , leveling accurate complaints about the shortcomings of ACA plans and then replacing them with something worse while pretending to be replacing them with something better . An active , engaged citizenry that shows up at protests and town halls and makes phone calls signals to Republicans that the deception won β t work and they ought to tread cautiously .
The other is the fate of the DREAMers , undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children and were granted relief from deportation under Obama β s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ( DACA ) initiative . The Sessions/Bannon/Miller faction of the Trump administration has written a draft executive order rescinding this protection , but Trump seems cautious about actually promulgating it , fearing the massive blowback that would surely result from deporting a large , visible , sympathetic , and well-integrated group of immigrants .
If opposition to Trump is demobilized and demoralized , these initiatives will be vulnerable . If it is sustained and active , they can be preserved .
If the ACA and the DREAMer program are preserved , then substantial chunks of the Obama legacy will remain in place , and the momentum of Trumpism will be blunted . If they are rescinded , the opposite is the case , and the door is open to things like Paul Ryan β s broader β war on the poor β or Bannon β s broad-brush attack on all forms of immigration .
Democrats do not have the power , on their own , to win either of these key battles . But citizens do have the power to win them , by making Republicans scared . All the evidence of 2017 thus far is that Republicans are , in fact , scared . The question is whether people will stay mobilized and ensure that the GOP stays nervous .
Political action can be habit-forming . Once you β ve already made a sign and taken it to a protest , it β s easier to just bring it along again in the future . Once you know which of your friends might be interested in going with you , it β s easier to reconnect and do it again .
A Washington Post poll released Wednesday morning says that 25 percent of Americans say they plan on being more politically active this year . That includes 35 percent of self-identified Democrats , 40 percent of Democratic women , and 43 percent of Democrats under the age of 50 .
Democrats running in down-ballot races , long suffering from neglect , are suddenly enjoying unprecedented outbursts of grassroots fundraising as angry liberals seek a way to make a difference .
Trump fans , meanwhile , are going to face the natural demobilization and disappointment that comes with actual governance . He will be less of an orthodox free marketer than some of the people who voted for him are hoping , and he will be less of a heterodox populist than some of the other people who voted for him are hoping .
The Republican Party is in a position of enormous power but also tremendous vulnerability . Its central economic policy objective β steep reductions in the taxation of high-income families β is unpopular . Trump β s central policy idea β that trade wars and deportations can make America safer and more prosperous β is simply incorrect . Trump revels in the adulation of his core supporters and will continue to do so no matter what happens β even an incumbent as thoroughly discredited as Herbert Hoover got 40 percent in his reelection bid . But a political strategy of lies and contradictions is a recipe for disappointment and failure . Trump triumphed over divided and demoralized opposition in 2016 . He will lose if his opponents stay energized and united .
There β s a lot of time between today and the New Jersey and Virginia elections in November that will be Trumpism β s first test at the polls . But so far , the anti-Trump movement is succeeding β perhaps much better than its foot soldiers realize . | mJnh3WnkljrHKRnl | 0 | Donald Trump | -0.4 | Protests | 0.3 | Politics | -0.3 | null | null | null | null |
elections | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/14/politics/battleground-polls/index.html | Battleground polls: Is Romney's path to the White House now more difficult? | 2012-09-14 | Polls, Presidential Elections, Elections | Washington ( CNN ) -- One week past the conventions , a flood of polls have been released in crucial battleground states in the race for the White House . And some of them paint a picture that looks more favorable to President Barack Obama than to Republican nominee Mitt Romney .
The polls do have some things in common . They 're all of the smaller pool of likely voters and all were conducted after the close of last week 's Democratic National Convention in Charlotte , North Carolina .
And several suggest that Romney 's electoral path to victory on November 6 is becoming more difficult .
The Romney campaign 's pollster tells CNN his view of the race has not changed .
`` There 's nothing in the post-DNC polling that 's been released over the last few days to indicate that this is anything but an extremely tight race that Mitt is extremely well-positioned to win , '' says Neil Newhouse .
New polls released Thursday by NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist show Obama with five-point , 49 % -44 % advantages in Florida and Virginia . The president 's margins are within the sampling error .
Check out the CNN Electoral Calculator to pick your own path to 270 .
Other new partisan polling in Florida released after the conventions indicates a much closer race in the Sunshine State .
In a third state , the NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist survey indicates the president leads 50 % -43 % in Ohio . A poll also out Thursday by American Research Group indicates a dead heat in the Buckeye State , with Obama at 48 % and Romney at 47 % among likely voters . And a partisan poll also has the race basically tied .
`` The last three polls released in Ohio before the conventions also differed -- one with Obama ahead by six points , and another with him ahead by three , and a third , conducted by mail , that showed the race a tie . The average of those three polls showed 48 % for Obama and 45 % for Romney . The average of the two post-convention polls have the race at Obama 49 % and Romney 45 % . None have shown Romney with more support than Obama , '' said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland .
While there is still plenty of time for Romney to gain ground , the new NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist polls indicate that there are not that many people left who have not made up their minds . Six percent of likely voters questioned in Ohio say were unsure , with only 5 % in Florida and Virginia undecided .
The other number working to Romney 's disadvantage is that the percentage of likely voters saying things are headed in the right direction , while still a minority , is rising .
The polls suggest it may be more difficult for Romney to achieve a `` 3-2-1 '' pathway to the 270 electoral votes need to win the White House :
TAKE BACK THREE KEY STATES : The `` 3 '' in that plan consists of recapturing the three states that Obama won in 2008 that historically have voted Republican in presidential elections : Indiana , North Carolina , and Virginia . While Indiana appears to be safe for Romney , recent polling in North Carolina indicated a competitive race , and the new numbers out Thursday in Virginia suggest the Romney campaign has a tough job ahead in the Commonwealth .
WIN FLORIDA , OHIO : The `` 2 '' in the strategy calls for regaining Florida and Ohio , which George W. Bush won in his 2004 re-election but that Obama flipped in his 2008 victory over Sen. John McCain . Again , the NBC/WSJ/Marist polls indicate that the Romney campaign will have to work hard to achieve this goal .
GRAB ONE MORE : The `` 1 '' in the Romney pathway to victory is to win just one more competitive state that Obama carried four years ago . They include Colorado , Michigan , Nevada , New Hampshire , New Mexico , and Wisconsin .
While Romney was born in Michigan and his father served as a popular two-term governor of the state in the 1960 's , a poll released Thursday indicates turning the state `` red '' in November is looking more difficult . According to an EPIC/MRA survey conducted for the Detroit Free Press and WXYZ-TV , 47 % of likely voters in Michigan support the president , with 37 % backing Romney and a high 16 % unsure . Some surveys conducted prior to the two parties ' political conventions indicated a closer contest in Michigan .
The auto bailouts of General Motors and Chrysler may be a factor . They were prominently showcased during all three nights of the Democratic convention , as was Romney 's opposition to Washington 's intervention .
President George W. Bush began the auto bailout in 2008 but the next year Obama grabbed the keys to the program , managing and funding the rescue of GM and Chrysler , and pushing them into bankruptcy . Romney , whose business past included investment in troubled companies , opposed the bailout and pushed for a privately financed and managed restructuring of the automakers in Chapter 11 .
The auto bailouts may be impacting the race in Michigan , home to the domestic auto makers , and next door in Ohio , which is also a major base for the auto industry .
Two of the other `` 1 '' states appear to be much more in play , according to new surveys . An ARG poll in Colorado indicates Obama at 49 % and Romney at 47 % among likely voters . And according to a WMUR-TV/Granite State Poll , 45 % of likely voters in New Hampshire ( where Romney owns a vacation home ) back the president , with 40 % supporting Romney and a high 12 % unsure . The president 's margins in both polls are within the sampling error .
The new numbers may be a post-Democratic convention bounce for Obama which may or may not fade .
`` The president appears to have a small but slightly growing lead over Romney compared to a few weeks ago . This contest is not out of reach for Romney , but the math favors the president , '' says CNN Chief National Correspondent John King .
Expect more state polls over the next two weeks , in advance of the first of three presidential debates , which will be held October 3 in Denver . | 3cb39ebd8a3075eb | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
china | Daily Mail | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7827621/Russia-China-Iran-hold-joint-naval-drills-Middle-East.html | Russia, China and Iran to hold joint naval drills in the Middle East amid heightened tensions over the Strait of Hormuz | 2019-12-26 | china | China , Iran and Russia will hold joint naval drills starting on Friday in the Indian Ocean and Sea of Oman , China 's defence ministry said on Thursday amid heightened tension in the region between Iran and the United States .
China will send the Xining , a guided missile destroyer , to the drills , which will last until Monday , and are meant to deepen cooperation between the three countries ' navies , ministry spokesman Wu Qian told a monthly news briefing .
The drill was a 'normal military exchange ' between the three armed forces and was in line with international law and practices , Wu said .
Chinese President Xi Jinping inspects the honor guards of the Chinese People 's Liberation Army ( PLA ) Navy before boarding the destroyer Xining at a pier in Qingdao , east China 's Shandong Province in April this year . China will send the Xining to naval drills in the Indian Ocean starting Friday
Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking during a meeting with business community in the Kremlin in Moscow yesterday
'It is not necessarily connected with the regional situation , ' he said , without elaborating .
The Sea of Oman is a particularly sensitive waterway as it connects to the Strait of Hormuz - through which about a fifth of the world 's oil passes - which in turn connects to the Arabian Gulf .
The drills are also coming at a time of fraught tensions between the United States and Iran .
Friction has increased since last year when US President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of Iran 's 2015 nuclear deal with six nations and re-imposed sanctions on it , crippling its economy .
Washington has proposed a US-led naval mission after several attacks in May and June on international merchant vessels , including Saudi tankers , in Gulf waters which the United States blamed on Iran . It denies the accusations .
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attends a meeting in Tokyo on December 20 . Iran has denied its involvement in a September attack on Saudi oil facilities
Tension has risen in the region not only over Iran 's disputed nuclear programme but also over a September attack on Saudi oil facilities blamed on Iran by the United States and Saudi Arabia . Iran also denies involvement .
China has close diplomatic , trade and energy ties with Iran .
But China also has good relations with Iran 's regional rival Saudi Arabia , meaning it has long had to tread a fine line in a part of the world where it has traditionally exerted far less sway than the United States , Russia , France or Britain .
Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to visit Saudi Arabia next year as it is the host of the 2020 G20 summit . | Biojyeik6HRylfuv | 2 | Iran | -0.9 | US Navy | -0.6 | China | 0.5 | Russia | 0.1 | Foreign Policy | 0 |
nsa | Politico | http://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/edward-snowden-justice-system-92474.html?hp=t1_3 | Edward Snowden?s tricky path to justice | 2013-06-10 | nsa | The National Security Agency contractor has said he hopes to win asylum . Snowden 's tricky path to justice
The National Security Agency contractor who admitted to what officials have called one of the worst leaks in American history faces a complicated path to U.S. courts .
Edward Snowden , a 29-year-old Booz Allen Hamilton employee , said in a Guardian interview published Sunday that he is staying at a hotel in Hong Kong and hopes to win asylum in a country like Iceland .
While Snowden may be hoping for a life forever on the run , he β ll have to navigate a labyrinthine international legal system with little precedent for Americans accused of committing political crimes .
But for all the harm that government officials have warned of , legal experts expect that the charges he β d face would carry maximum penalties of 10 years apiece .
Snowden β s situation is different from that of Bradley Manning , the army private now on trial at Fort Meade , Md . Manning faces life imprisonment for the huge data dump he provided to WikiLeaks , but as a member of the military , he β s being tried via court-martial . And Snowden didn β t sell the secrets or give them to a foreign power , so he won β t be subject to the huge penalties of the espionage laws , as Robert Hanssen or Aldrich Ames were when they were caught spying .
The Justice Department can charge Snowden , indict him and leave the charge sitting out there β but to go beyond that , he would need to be brought back to U.S. soil .
Like many extradition treaties , the one between the United States and Hong Kong contains an exception for political crimes , a category Snowden β s admitted acts would almost certainly fall under . Even so , Hong Kong could decide simply to expel him without turning him over to American authorities .
And given Hong Kong β s reversion to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 β after the extradition treaty was entered into β it is not immediately clear which government would decide Snowden β s status . Coming immediately after the weekend summit between President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping aimed at improving relations between the two countries , the questions are even more complicated : turning Snowden over , if the Americans seek that , could have major diplomatic consequences . Remanding him to the United States might serve as an act of good faith for the Chinese , but they would also likely have high demands for what they would want in return .
The United States does not have a separate extradition treaty with China .
β There has to be a political decision on the part of the extraditing country that that sort of act is in its political interest , β said Ryan Scoville , an expert in international law at Marquette University Law School .
If Snowden can get himself to a Hong Kong consulate of a nation that will welcome him , he could stay there indefinitely without being captured by U.S. or Chinese officials . Julian Assange of WikiLeaks has gone this route in London , staying in Ecuador β s embassy for nearly a year to avoid extradition to Sweden on sexual assault charges .
Scoville said it is unlikely that another country would shelter Snowden and bear the political costs of harboring such a high-profile American wanted by the U.S. government , but that possibility remains .
β If there were some sort of consulate in Hong Kong that was willing to grant him entry and shelter him from authorities that would want to cooperate , he could have the same sort of protection that Julian Assange has had over the last year or so , β Scoville said . | gagKZOsaAi1xp6Mp | 0 | NSA | 0.1 | Defense And Security | -0.1 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
abortion | Politico | http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/11/planned-parenthood-senate-moderates-mitch-mcconnell-239374 | Fate of Planned Parenthood funding tied to Senate moderates | 2017-06-11 | abortion | Two female Senate Republicans could stop the anti-abortion movement from achieving its most significant win against Planned Parenthood in decades .
Most Republicans want to eliminate the group β s $ 555 million in federal funding as part of their bill to repeal Obamacare . But as Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tries to solve the legislative Rubik β s Cube of finding 50 votes for repeal , he may have to drop the Planned Parenthood cut to win the support of the two Republican moderates , Sens . Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska .
The problem is , McConnell would then face the wrath of the anti-abortion community β and its supporters within the Senate . Several prominent anti-abortion groups warned Thursday in a letter to the Senate that they would oppose a bill that doesn β t cut off funding to Planned Parenthood and prohibit insurance subsidies from covering abortion .
β We have a strong pro-life majority in the Senate , and so it β s going to be in there , β said Sen. John Cornyn of Texas , the No . 2 Republican in the Senate .
The debate over using the repeal bill to eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood is one of a half-dozen issues that have threatened to divide the Republican conference and prevent them from achieving their long-term goal of repealing the health care law .
Planned Parenthood is blunt about the consequences of such a cut . β People will lose access and women will die , β said Executive Vice President Dawn Laguens . β Thousands of women have had their cancer and precancerous conditions discovered by Planned Parenthood . There are not enough places for women to go to get this care . β
But how many Republicans may be willing to stake their vote for Obamacare repeal on the bill β s inclusion of Planned Parenthood cuts is unclear .
Sen. Marco Rubio ( R-Fla. ) , a prominent opponent of abortion , said he isn β t ready to go that far .
β I β m always looking for an opportunity to do what β s right on that issue , β Rubio told βββ . β But that said , I would say that my focus right now is on the broader health care marketplace , getting it fixed . Certainly , if it has that in there , it would be something I β d be supportive of . Whether I condition my vote on it is not something I β m prepared to say . β
Sign up here for βββ Huddle A daily play-by-play of congressional news in your inbox . Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from βββ . You can unsubscribe at any time . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply .
The question is how many lawmakers would make a similar calculus .
The fate of funding will likely be determined by whether McConnell needs the votes of Collins and Murkowski . To pass the repeal under the fast-track budget procedure , he requires support from 50 of his 52 Senate Republicans , assuming Vice President Mike Pence casts a tie-breaking vote . If every other Republican backs the bill , McConnell won β t need the two moderates .
But even before the bill is written , other possible defections are emerging .
Sen. Rand Paul ( R-Ky. ) has voiced strong opposition to the provisions discussed so far , trashing the legislation for keeping β 90 percent β of Obamacare . Other conservatives could follow . Or , moderates could balk at the big cuts to Medicaid .
Murkowski has repeatedly said she doesn β t think zeroing out Planned Parenthood β s funding should be part of the repeal bill . β I don β t think that it should even be part of the discussion about health care , β she said .
However , she has not gone as far as saying she would oppose a bill that includes it .
Collins has been more emphatic . She opposes cutting Planned Parenthood , but the federal funding is just one of several concerns she has with the Obamacare bill .
Every other Republican has supported eliminating funding in the past . Sen. Dean Heller ( R-Nev. ) , perhaps the most vulnerable Republican up for reelection in 2018 , said at an April town hall meeting that he wants to β protect β Planned Parenthood , but later said he opposes funding if the organization performs abortions .
The 2015 Obamacare repeal bill , which Republicans crafted as a dry-run for repeal if a Republican president was elected , included defunding of Planned Parenthood . Murkowski and Collins supported an amendment to strike the provision , but it failed . Murkowski still voted for the bill , but Collins did not .
β Everything is going to be trying to get to 50 , β said Sen. John Thune ( R-S.D . ) , a member of Senate leadership . β The people who are opposed to having that provision in the bill , I β m sure there will be discussions with them to figure out what it will take to get the vote .
β But we β ve got individual members who have issues with a lot of different features in the bill . So putting together the strategy that gets us to 50 is no doubt going to be a challenge . β
Sen. Lisa Murkowski has repeatedly said she doesn β t think zeroing out Planned Parenthood β s funding should be part of the repeal bill . | Getty
Last year , Planned Parenthood got $ 555 million in government funding . The organization has said the majority of that money is reimbursements for health services provided under Medicaid , which prohibits funding abortion except in cases of rape , incest and the mother β s health .
Laguens said that if Planned Parenthood loses a half-billion dollars , it would likely have to close some facilities or reduce services .
β There is no way Planned Parenthood could fundraise to be the public health safety net in this country for low-income women , β she said .
Republicans say they would take the federal funding that now goes to Planned Parenthood and divert it to community health centers , which they say are more accessible to certain groups ; for instance , people in rural areas . Planned Parenthood argues that most community health centers don β t provide the women β s health services they do β and that Medicaid recipients should be able to choose the best health care provider for them .
Planned Parenthood and Democrats say they would do everything they could to make defunding β and repeal of the Affordable Care Act overall β huge political issues in the 2018 election , forcing Republicans to defend their decisions to take health care away from vulnerable populations .
β Particularly swing states β Arizona , Nevada , Colorado β those are the kind of states β where defunding would be a vulnerability , Laguens said .
But anti-abortion groups , which are influential with many conservatives , say the issue is just as important for them .
If the cut is not in the bill , β it would be time for a very serious conversation , β warned Catherine Glenn Foster , president and CEO of Americans United for Life , which opposes abortion . β I expect it to be in there . I know the House expects it to be in there . Certainly AUL and allied groups are expecting it to be in there . This is part of why we elected these representatives and these senators . β
A group of conservative Republicans has tried for years to strip Planned Parenthood of its federal funding . In fact , Pence was one of the first Republicans to raise the issue a decade ago , but he had few supporters then . But the effort gained traction two years ago with the release of videos by an anti-abortion group , accusing Planned Parenthood of selling fetal tissue , which the group strongly denies .
β A couple of years ago , I wouldn β t have said β the bill needs to include defunding , said Sen. Chuck Grassley ( R-Iowa ) . Since the videos came out , β that kind of make it an easy answer . β | k0jQLKFBqcGs3w7k | 0 | Abortion | -0.2 | Planned Parenthood | -0.1 | US Senate | -0.1 | null | null | null | null |
federal_budget | Christian Science Monitor | https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2020/0527/Coronavirus-relief-or-bailout-The-debate-over-aid-to-states | Coronavirus relief or βbailoutβ? The debate over aid to states. | 2020-05-27 | federal_budget | As Congress considers further coronavirus aid , some lawmakers worry that states may use federal money to solve prepandemic budgetary problems .
β Why should the people and taxpayers of America be bailing out poorly run states ( like Illinois , as example ) and cities , in all cases Democrat run and managed , when most of the other states are not looking for bailout help ? I am open to discussing anything , but just asking ? β President Donald Trump tweeted in late April .
But while many states with deep pension debts are left of center , says Christopher Mooney , a professor of state politics at the University of Illinois at Chicago , that doesn β t mean more aid would amount to β blue state bailouts . β
For one thing , the response to COVID-19 has created a genuine fiscal emergency .
Also , data from the Rockefeller Institute of Government in New York shows that Democratic states such as New Jersey , Massachusetts , and Connecticut pay the federal government far more than they receive each year . And some deep-red states such as Alabama and Mississippi , meanwhile , get much more than they give .
The imbalances largely stem from demographics . America β s progressive tax system means that residents in wealthy states ( often heavily urban and Democratic-controlled ) pay higher federal taxes than those in other states . Meanwhile , urban-oriented states usually have high demands for public services β and hence relatively high spending by state and local governments , says Professor Mooney .
In other words , ideology may give directions but demographics are in the driver β s seat .
And when it comes to how states are managed , says Professor Mooney , that will almost always be a matter of opinion .
Get the Monitor Stories you care about delivered to your inbox . By signing up , you agree to our Privacy Policy
β When you start throwing out words like β well run β or β poorly run , β unless you have very specific criteria in mind ... it β s subjective by definition , β he says .
SOURCE : U.S. Federal Reserve , Rockefeller Institute of Government , Ballotpedia , U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | Jacob Turcotte and Noah Robertson/Staff | vaEnpSrtI7NGl2Kt | 1 | Federal Budget | -0.2 | State Governments | -0.2 | Economic Policy | 0.1 | Coronavirus | 0.1 | Federalism | 0 |
justice_department | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/15/politics/irs-conservative-targeting/index.html?hpt=po_c1 | Source: Two 'rogue' workers principally behind IRS targeting of conservatives | 2013-05-15 | justice_department | Story highlights The president will appoint a new acting commissioner this week , a source says
President Obama says `` Americans have a right to be angry ... and I am angry ''
The former acting IRS commissioner will testify before a House committee on Friday
The nation 's top tax collector resigned Wednesday amid controversy over Internal Revenue Service targeting of conservative groups that applied for federal tax-exempt status .
The official , acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller , was aware employees were targeting conservative groups in May 2012 , according to the agency .
But Miller , then the agency 's deputy commissioner , did n't tell Congress about it when he testified before an oversight committee in July -- despite being questioned on the issue . He was named acting commissioner in November .
An administration official told CNN on Thursday that Obama will appoint a new acting commissioner this week .
Announcing the resignation to reporters Wednesday , President Barack Obama said the agency 's misconduct was `` inexcusable . ''
`` Americans have a right to be angry about it , and I 'm angry about it , '' Obama said .
`` It should not matter what political stripe you 're from . The fact of the matter is , the IRS has to operate with absolute integrity , '' the president said .
JUST WATCHED IRS acting commissioner forced out Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH IRS acting commissioner forced out 02:51
JUST WATCHED Rep. Issa on IRS : Obama set right tone Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Rep. Issa on IRS : Obama set right tone 02:08
JUST WATCHED Gergen : IRS scandal not a partisan issue Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Gergen : IRS scandal not a partisan issue 03:04
JUST WATCHED FBI to investigate IRS conduct Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH FBI to investigate IRS conduct 03:52
Obama pledged to work `` hand in hand '' with Congress as it investigates the matter , and vowed new safeguards will be put in place at the IRS so that `` this does n't happen again . ''
Despite his resignation , Miller is expected to testify Friday at a hearing before the House Ways and Means Committee , according to a source familiar with the proceedings .
In an internal message to IRS employees obtained by CNN , Miller said he would be stepping down as commissioner in early June .
`` This has been an incredibly difficult time for the IRS given the events of the past few days , and there is a strong and immediate need to restore public trust in the nation 's tax agency , '' Miller wrote .
News of Miller 's resignation followed revelations that the IRS has identified two `` rogue '' employees in the agency 's Cincinnati office as being principally responsible for the `` overly aggressive '' handling of requests by conservative groups for tax-exempt status , a congressional source told CNN .
Miller said the staffers have already been disciplined , according to another source familiar with Miller 's discussions with congressional investigators . The second source said Miller emphasized that the problem with IRS handling of tax-exempt status for tea party groups was not limited to these two employees .
Miller met with Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus of Montana on Tuesday to discuss an appearance before Congress .
Asked Wednesday in a Senate hallway about his meeting with Miller , Baucus told CNN , `` I did not learn as much from the meeting as I would have liked . ''
`` I told him that it was in his best interest to be totally cooperative -- that it 's often the cover-up that causes more problems than the original malfeasance , '' the senator said . `` And just to be totally straight with me and everybody , and he said he would . ''
Meanwhile , Republican congressional leaders on Wednesday accused Obama 's administration of potentially criminal behavior in the handling of requests for tax-exempt status from conservative groups .
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell suggested criminal behavior had occurred , saying that the `` very serious '' allegations involve `` an effort to bring the power of the federal government to bear on those the administration disagreed with in the middle of a heated national election . ''
`` It actually could be , could be criminal and we are determined to get the answers , '' McConnell said .
`` My question is , who 's going to jail over this scandal ? '' he asked .
Boehner told reporters that `` clearly someone violated the law '' in what an IRS inspector general 's report described as delayed processing of applications by groups associated with the political right wing .
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder , who ordered a criminal investigation into the situation , said Wednesday at a congressional hearing that investigators will look at the conduct of IRS offices nationwide .
`` The facts will take us where ever they take us , '' he said .
Holder said the investigation will also examine whether IRS officials lied to Congress about the singling out of conservative groups .
While the allegations originated in the Cincinnati office , the Justice Department inquiry is based out of Washington , Holder said .
The comments came as all 45 Senate Republicans sent the White House a letter that called for the administration to `` comply with all requests related to congressional inquiries without any delay '' involving the controversy .
The letter called the scandal `` yet another completely inexcusable attempt to chill the speech of political opponents and those who would question their government , consistent with a broader pattern of intimidation by arms of your administration to silence political dissent . ''
The clearly coordinated attacks were part of a GOP effort to increase pressure on the Obama administration over the controversy , one of three potential scandals that has the White House on the defensive less than four months into the president 's second term .
According to the report by the agency 's inspector general released Tuesday , the IRS developed and followed a faulty policy to determine whether the applicants were engaged in political activities , which would disqualify the groups from receiving tax-exempt status .
The controversial move began in early 2010 and continued for more than 18 months , the report said , declaring that `` the IRS used inappropriate criteria that identified for review Tea Party and other organizations applying for tax-exempt status based upon their names or policy positions instead of indications of potential political campaign intervention . ''
IRS officials , according to the report , did not consult anyone beyond the agency about the development of the additional screening criteria . They believed that the criteria they came up with were a screening shortcut meant to help with the influx of applications , the report said .
The controversial actions began after the 2010 Supreme Court ruling in the Citizens United case that greatly expanded the ability of corporations , unions and other organizations to participate in election spending , though not through direct contributions to candidates or parties .
After the ruling , the number of politically oriented groups seeking tax exempt status as social welfare organizations under section 501 ( c ) ( 4 ) of the federal tax code increased greatly at a time when the federal government , including the IRS , was dealing with austerity measures that reduced or stagnated personnel and resources .
The IRS ' top watchdog found that the criteria used to flag potential political applications resulted in substantial delays and the request of unnecessary information from the groups .
Among the criteria used by IRS officials to flag applications was a `` Be On the Look Out '' list , which was discontinued in 2012 , according to the report .
-- Whether `` Tea Party , '' `` Patriots '' or `` 9/12 Project '' was referenced in the case file .
-- Whether the issues outlined in the application included government spending , government debt or taxes .
-- Whether there was advocating or lobbying to `` make America a better place to live . ''
-- Whether a statement in the case file criticized how the country is being run .
-- Whether it advocated education about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights .
The investigation by the Treasury inspector general for tax administration was initiated after congressional complaints began to surface in the media in 2012 that the IRS was targeting conservative groups and holding up applications .
`` Whether the inappropriate criterion was shorthand for all potential political cases or not , developing and using criteria that focuses on organization names and policy positions instead of the activities permitted under the Treasury regulations does not promote public confidence that tax-exempt laws are being adhered to impartially , '' the report said .
The IRS welcomed the report , saying that it agreed that aspects of its original approach in handling the influx of tax-exempt applications was inappropriate .
`` The IRS is required by law to determine if organizations are engaging in a legally permissible level of political activity . Centralizing these cases was necessary to achieve consistent treatment , '' it said in a statement .
In a written response included in the report , the IRS commissioner of the Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division said there was no criminal behavior behind the actions of the agents , but rather inefficient management .
`` We believe the front-line career employees that made the decisions acted out of a desire for efficiency and not out of any political and partisan viewpoint , '' the commissioner wrote .
The report 's findings indicate that of the 298 cases reviewed by the IRS inspector general as potential political cases not eligible for tax exempt status : 72 contained the name `` tea party , '' 11 contained `` 9/12 '' and 13 contained the word `` patriots , '' according to the report . There were 202 cases that did not contain any such reference .
Of those applications still open for review , 160 cases were open from 206 days to more than three years -- through two election cycles .
Among the recommendations made by the Treasury inspector general : The IRS must better document reasons why applications are chosen for review , develop a process to track requests for assistance , develop and provide training to employees before each election cycle and immediately resolve outstanding cases .
The report also called on Treasury to develop guidelines to explain social welfare activity -- the primary factor in obtaining tax-exempt status . | adYZtydJRM8kpLRO | 0 | IRS | -1.6 | Tea Party | -1.3 | Justice Department | 0.4 | Justice | 0.1 | null | null |
elections | John Stossel | http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/08/22/who_is_paul_ryan_115174.html | Who Is Paul Ryan? | 2012-08-22 | GOP Convention, Paul Ryan, Presidential Elections, Elections | Before he was nationally known , Rep. Ryan visited me at ABC , and we went to lunch . He was terrific . He was a rare politician , one who actually cared about America 's coming debt crisis and the unfairness of entitlements . He even talked about F.A . Hayek 's `` The Road to Serfdom '' ! If only more politicians thought that way .
But then the housing bubble burst . Ryan voted for TARP . Then he voted for the auto bailout . Who is this guy ? I thought he believed in markets !
At Fox , when I got my own TV show , I asked him about that .
`` I voted for TARP because I believed we were going to fall into a deflationary spiral , the economy was going to collapse . ... The purpose of voting for that auto bill was to prevent the auto companies from getting TARP dollars . ... Now TARP has become this revolving government slush fund . Never was intended ... . ''
But in your ideal world , should government have bailed out the auto company ?
I wish he had voted against those bills , but the political class was in near panic , and Ryan is a politician .
`` We 're reaching a tipping point in this country where a majority of Americans are getting their benefits and livelihoods from the federal government ... .
Why does this put us on a road to `` serfdom '' ?
`` Because we 're moving from a society where the goal of government is not to equalize opportunity but to equalize the results of our lives . ... The more we ask government to do for us , the more government can take from us . ... Government is doing so much in our lives that we have less freedom to govern ourselves . ''
I told Ryan that I fear that most Americans do n't understand economics and actually prefer a government that `` takes care '' of us .
`` No . I think people believe in the American idea , ( that ) our rights do n't come from government . ... And so we do not want a government where they give us our rights and redistribute , regulate and ration our rights . ''
In 2008 , Ryan proposed a `` Roadmap for the Future , '' a budget plan that would slow the growth of government . It was timid . It would n't eliminate the Education Department or other useless government agencies and would n't balance the budget for decades .
Yet even Republicans said his plan was too radical . Newt Gingrich called it `` right-wing social engineering . ''
Last year , I invited Ryan back on my show to talk about that . By then , `` the needle had moved . '' Ryan 's Roadmap helped change the discussion . Many Republicans woke up . Newt apologized for his comment . The Republican Study Committee proposed bigger cuts .
Now , said Ryan , `` I would call ( my plan ) mild . I was trying to get consensus . We 've moved the center of gravity . We 've taken on what they call the third rail , these entitlement programs which are the big drivers of our debt . We showed the country that there is a different way to go and that we can get back toward limited government , economic freedom . And I feel pretty good where we are and how we brought this conversation forward . ''
He should feel good . For 50 years , the needle did not move at all . Americans accepted the growth of the welfare state . Now , more understand .
`` We have one more opportunity in this country . ... It is not too late to revive and reapply the American idea . But there will come a point where that moment might pass us . ''
Countries can get off the road to serfdom . Canada did it and prospered because of it . It wo n't be easy for America , but if we do it , Paul Ryan deserves much of the credit .
`` What I 've learned in southern Wisconsin ( is that ) people are ready to be talked to like adults , not like children . And they know we 're in a debt crisis . '' | 653bfaea739f9045 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
sports | New York Post (News) | https://nypost.com/2022/12/16/brittney-griner-speaks-out-for-first-time-since-return-from-russian-prison/ | Brittney Griner speaks out for first time since return from Russian prison: βBattle at every turnβ | 2022-12-16 | Sports, Brittney Griner, Basketball, WNBA, Russia, Prisons, Foreign Policy, World, Viktor Bout, Biden Administration | WASHINGTON β Two-time Olympic gold medalist and WNBA star Brittney Griner recalled her time locked up in Russia as a βbattle at every turnβ in her first statement Friday since returning to the US as part of a prisoner swap with Russia.Griner, 32, was released in exchange for convicted international arms dealer Viktor Bout on Dec. 8, almost 10 months after she was busted at a Moscow airport with cannabis oil in February.βIt feels so good to be home! The last 10 months have been a battle at every turn,β she said on Instagram after her release from a military medical facility at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where she underwent a freed prisoner reintegration program upon her return to the US last week.Griner said she had βdug deep to keep my faithβ that she would eventually be returned to the US throughout her legal battle. She spent eight months in a Russian jail before she was moved to a penal colony after a court rejected the appeal of her nine-year sentence.Previous 1 of 3 Next Advertisement Griner also thanked her wife, Cherelle, for her support in her statement. Instagram / @cherelletgriner βIt feels so good to be home! The last 10 months have been a battle at every turn,β Griner said on Instagram. Instagram / @cherelletgriner AdvertisementβIt was the love from so many of you that helped keep me going,β she said. βFrom the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone for your help.βGriner β who had gone to Moscow to play for a Russian basketball team during the WNBA offseason β also announced she intended to return to the Phoenix Mercury for her 10th season as a professional.βIn doing so, I look forward to being able to say βthank youβ to those of you who advocated, wrote, and posted for me in person soon,β she said.3 Griner thanked several advocates, including her βentire WNBA familyβ and President Biden in her first public statement.3 President Biden (from left), Cherelle Griner, Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken after announcing the release of Brittney Griner. ZUMAPRESS.comShe thanked several other advocates, including wife Cherelle, her βentire WNBA familyβ and βPresident Biden, Vice President [Kamala] Harris, Secretary [of State Antony] Blinken, and the entire Biden-Harris Administration.βThe Instagram post included two photos of Grinerβs return: one of her stepping off a plane with a wide smile across her face and another of her tightly embracing her wife after her return.The White House was criticized for accepting a deal that did not include the return of Paul Whelan, an American citizen who has been imprisoned in Russia for nearly four years on trumped-up espionage charges.3 Griner, 32, was released in exchange for convicted international arms dealer Viktor Bout on Dec. 8.βPresident Biden, you brought me home and I know you are committed to bringing Paul Whelan and all Americans home too,β Griner wrote Friday. βI will use my platform to do whatever I can to help you. I also encourage everyone that played a part in bringing me home to continue their efforts to bring all Americans home. Every family deserves to be whole.βCherelle Griner had also called for Whelanβs release from Russian captivity in an Instagram post last week, urging advocates to βcontinue to use our hands, voices, platforms, and resources to bring Paul and all Americans home.βIn another emotional Instagram post on Tuesday, Cherelle Griner expressed gratitude for βthe collective efforts of MANY!β for her spouseβs return.Previous 1 of 3 Next Advertisement Griner was in prison for almost 10 months after she was busted at a Moscow airport with cannabis oil. AP The White House was criticized for accepting a deal that did not include the return of American citizen, Paul Whelan. ZUMAPRESS.com AdvertisementβTo care for another, a stranger to some, a friend to someβ is humanity in its purest form,β she said. βAs BG and I start our journey to heal our minds, bodies, and spirits β I wanted to personally say thank you to some of the hands; seen and unseen, that helped make it possible for me to see my wife again!βThis is a developing story. Refresh page for updates. | 7d218fc810e40f44 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
world | NBC News Digital | https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/images-bloodied-afghans-contradict-taliban-s-claims-moderation-n1277042 | Images of bloodied Afghans contradict Taliban's claims of moderation | 2021-08-18 | World, Afghanistan, Taliban, Violence | PESHAWAR, Pakistan β Images of the Taliban cracking down on a protest and bloodied women and children beaten by fighters are contradicting the more moderate image the militant group has been trying to project as it tries to consolidate power in Afghanistan.Less than 24 hours after the Taliban spokesperson delivered security guarantees at a news conference in Kabul, the militants on Wednesday tried to stop residents from installing Afghanistan's national black, red and green flag in the eastern city of Jalalabad, said Anwar Khan, a resident.A former police official told Reuters that four people were killed in the protest and that 13 others were injured. Afghanistan's Pajhwok news agency shared video of what it said was the incident, showing crowds running as gunfire was heard. NBC News was not able to verify the video.Men try to help a wounded woman and her child Tuesday in Kabul, Afghanistan. Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesMeanwhile, the Taliban's assurance of a "safe passage" to the Kabul airport, where thousands have thronged in a desperate bid to be taken out of the country, has also been undermined by a report and photographs by a Los Angeles Times journalist.In one of the graphic images, a woman and a child are seen with blood on their faces, apparently unconscious.Hundreds of people were outside the airport Wednesday, The Associated Press reported. It said the Taliban demanded to see documents before they allowed the rare passenger inside. The Taliban fired occasional warning shots to disperse them, the agency said.Meanwhile, The Guardian reported that the militants were checking documents and forcibly turning some people around at checkpoints, refusing to let them reach the airport. NBC News was not able to independently verify the reports.National security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Tuesday that officials have received reports of people being turned away, pushed back or even beaten as they try to get access to the airport."We are taking that up in a channel with the Taliban to try to resolve those issues," Sullivan said. "And we are concerned about whether that will continue to unfold in the coming days."Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy has been operating out of the airport, coordinating further evacuations. As many as 15,000 Americans remain in Afghanistan, Biden administration officials told Senate staffers Tuesday.Other countries are also scrambling to get their citizens out of the country. Dutch Foreign Minister Sigrid Kaag said Tuesday that evacuation efforts were unsuccessful because the chaos outside the airport made it impossible to get eligible people on a plane, Reuters reported.Separately, unverified photos circulating on social media Wednesday showed the statue of a Shiite militia leader who was killed by the Taliban in 1996 being blown up in central Bamiyan province, where the Taliban infamously blew up two ancient statues of Buddha carved into a mountain in 2001.NBC News has not independently verified when the incident purportedly happened or that the Taliban destroyed the statue.The reports contrast with a new, more modern image that the Taliban tried to paint in their first news conference since their takeover of Kabul on Tuesday night. Their officials deny that their fighters have been involved in the violence, blaming the injuries on men impersonating the Taliban.Promising to welcome free press, not to infringe on women's rights and not to hold any "grudges" against past enemies, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid vowed that the group wanted peaceful relations with other countries."When it comes to experience, maturity, vision, there is a huge difference between us in comparison to 20 years ago," Mujahid said, striking a conciliatory tone.Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politicsThe Taliban said one of their leaders and co-founders, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, had returned to Afghanistan for the first time in more than 10 years. A Taliban official said leaders would show themselves to the world, unlike in the past, when they lived in secret.The Taliban will have a hard time convincing many Afghans that they have changed 20 years since the U.S. toppled the regime after it sheltered Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which triggered the U.S. invasion and America's longest war.With the Taliban's return to power comes the huge task of controlling and running daily life in the capital.A Taliban commander has acknowledged that their takeover of the country happened very quickly β "beyond their imagination" β leaving them at a loss about how to govern."We were mentally not prepared for capturing such a big city of over 6 million people, as it has a lot of issues to deal with," a Taliban commander in Kabul said.Mushtaq Yusufzai reported from Peshawar, and Yuliya Talmazan reported from London. | 46aa094c553eda7f | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
energy | Vox | http://www.vox.com/2015/6/6/8735793/home-energy-use | If you really want to save energy at home, forget about your light switches | 2015-06-06 | energy | Keeping an eye on your own energy use is the `` duh '' approach to a smorgasbord of environmental problems , up to and including climate change . As a reporter , I can obsess over research funding for renewable technology , or streamlined permitting for solar installations , or more public transit , or better roads for cyclists and pedestrians , or how much fuel is burned in schlepping and refrigerating my food before it gets to me . But if I actually want to feel like I have control over one small corner of the world , I turn off the lights when I leave the room .
When the downstairs neighbors in my apartment building turn on all the lights in the basement , because they are little weenies who are afraid of the dark , I go downstairs , turn them off myself , and generally think uncharitable thoughts about them and their various lifestyle choices .
In all this light-switch obsessing , I am a textbook illustration of a phenomenon explored recently by the Journal of Environmental Psychology . Chris Mooney over at the Washington Post does a good job of summarizing the study :
People generally weren β t very good at estimating how much total energy use the different categories consumed . For one , they didn β t realize that the biggest energy users β home heating and driving `` private motor vehicles '' β were dramatically more energy intensive than many other smaller energy users , such as computers or dishwashers .
You know what this means : I have been judging my neighbors for all the wrong reasons . This is pure tragedy .
The lead author of the study , Ohio State University psychology doctoral student Dan Schley , hypothesizes that people tend to focus on switches because they β re always touching the damn things . As he told the Post :
Because they use the lights a lot , they tend to infer that lights consume a lot of energy . On the other hand , consumers tend not to think about their water heating ( other than when they run out of hot water ) or interact with their water heater very often .
As a consequence , we tend to relatively underestimate just how much energy it takes to keep the air and water in our homes at a temperature we like .
In general , people estimate that the appliances they interact with the most ( computers , light switches , televisions , stoves ) use the most energy , and that the ones that they just leave running in the background ( like the furnace and the hot water heater ) use less . In fact , home heating is one of the biggest energy sucks out there β about 20 percent of home energy use , on average , instead of the 7 percent that the participants in one study estimated , on average .
Home heating is one of the biggest energy sucks out there
The only highly interactive household appliance for which the study β s participants tended to underestimate energy consumption was the car . ( On average , Americans use even more energy driving around than they do heating their homes . ) But then , most people don β t think of driving as household energy consumption β possibly because most cars live outside houses and don β t show up on the monthly utility bill ( unless they β re plug-in electrical cars ) .
What is the smartest use of this information about our own psychology ? Can we make appliances of the future nag us more ? Will energy-sucking appliances flamboyantly display their habits instead of being tucked away in utility closets ? ( Schley suggests having a light somewhere visible in the house that switches on every time the water heater does . )
Most importantly , if blinking lights are such an attention-getter , can I program my household appliances to throw me a disco party if I meet energy conservation goals ? Because that β s the kind of future I can totally get behind .
Grist is a nonprofit news site that uses humor to shine a light on big green issues . Get their email newsletter here , and follow them on Facebook and Twitter . | 37RMCPRMa7wX36WA | 0 | Energy | -0.1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
us_house | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/08/politics/house-speaker-republican-vote-mccarthy-webster-chaffetz/index.html | Kevin McCarthy drops out of House speaker race | 2015-10-08 | us_house | Washington ( CNN ) House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy dropped out of the race to succeed Speaker John Boehner on Thursday , a shocking move that throws the House into chaos .
Boehner , R-Ohio , holds a copy of the Constitution on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 7 , 1992 , as Sen. Don Nickles , D-Oklahoma , looks on . Both men proclaimed it was a historic day when the Michigan House ratified the 27th Amendment to the Constitution , which would require that any Congressional pay raises not go into effect until after the next election .
Boehner , R-Ohio , holds a copy of the Constitution on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 7 , 1992 , as Sen. Don Nickles , D-Oklahoma , looks on . Both men proclaimed it was a historic day when the Michigan House ratified the 27th Amendment to the Constitution , which would require that any Congressional pay raises not go into effect until after the next election .
Boehner at a Capitol Hill news conference on February 6 , 1995 . He has had a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1990 . Before that he was a member of the Ohio State House of Representatives for six years .
Boehner at a Capitol Hill news conference on February 6 , 1995 . He has had a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1990 . Before that he was a member of the Ohio State House of Representatives for six years .
Boehner dumps out coal , which he called a Christmas gift to President Clinton , during a news conference about the federal budget on December 21 , 1995 . Many government services and agencies were closed at the end of 1995 and beginning of 1996 as a Republican-led Congress battled Clinton over spending levels .
Boehner dumps out coal , which he called a Christmas gift to President Clinton , during a news conference about the federal budget on December 21 , 1995 . Many government services and agencies were closed at the end of 1995 and beginning of 1996 as a Republican-led Congress battled Clinton over spending levels .
President George W. Bush signs into law the federal education bill No Child Left Behind at a high school in Hamilton , Ohio , in 2002 . The law offered the promise of improved schools for the nation 's poor and minority children and better-prepared students in a competitive world . Boehner , second from right , backed the bill .
President George W. Bush signs into law the federal education bill No Child Left Behind at a high school in Hamilton , Ohio , in 2002 . The law offered the promise of improved schools for the nation 's poor and minority children and better-prepared students in a competitive world . Boehner , second from right , backed the bill .
Boehner , center , and fellow Republican House members sing Boehner 's birthday song during a news conference on Capitol Hill on November 17 , 2006 . Boehner served as the House Minority Leader from 2007 to 2011 .
Boehner , center , and fellow Republican House members sing Boehner 's birthday song during a news conference on Capitol Hill on November 17 , 2006 . Boehner served as the House Minority Leader from 2007 to 2011 .
Boehner , center , looks on as President Barack Obama speaks with then-House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer in the East Room of the White House on February 23 , 2009 . Boehner and Obama have butted heads over the years .
Boehner , center , looks on as President Barack Obama speaks with then-House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer in the East Room of the White House on February 23 , 2009 . Boehner and Obama have butted heads over the years .
Boehner , an avid golfer , talks with Tiger Woods while golfing at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda , Maryland , in 2009 .
Boehner , an avid golfer , talks with Tiger Woods while golfing at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda , Maryland , in 2009 .
Boehner voices his concerns about the health care reform bill championed by Obama during a news conference in Washington on October 29 , 2009 .
Boehner voices his concerns about the health care reform bill championed by Obama during a news conference in Washington on October 29 , 2009 .
Boehner hugs his wife , Debbie , after addressing the crowd at the NRCC Election Night watch party on November 2 , 2010 , when Republicans took back control of the House of Representatives . Boehner met his wife in college , and they have been married since 1973 .
Boehner hugs his wife , Debbie , after addressing the crowd at the NRCC Election Night watch party on November 2 , 2010 , when Republicans took back control of the House of Representatives . Boehner met his wife in college , and they have been married since 1973 .
On January 5 , 2011 , Boehner wipes away tears as he waits to receive the gavel from outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-California , during the first session of the 112th Congress .
On January 5 , 2011 , Boehner wipes away tears as he waits to receive the gavel from outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-California , during the first session of the 112th Congress .
Boehner presents golfing legend Arnold Palmer with the Congressional Gold Medal at a special ceremony in the Rotunda of the Capitol in September 2012 .
Boehner presents golfing legend Arnold Palmer with the Congressional Gold Medal at a special ceremony in the Rotunda of the Capitol in September 2012 .
Boehner is sworn in as the speaker of the House after his re-election in January 2013 .
Boehner is sworn in as the speaker of the House after his re-election in January 2013 .
Boehner speaks to the media after a meeting with President Obama at the White House in October 2013 , the second day of the federal government 's recent shutdown . The White House squared off with Republican rivals in Congress over how to fund federal agencies , many of which were forced to close , leaving a fragile economy at risk .
Boehner speaks to the media after a meeting with President Obama at the White House in October 2013 , the second day of the federal government 's recent shutdown . The White House squared off with Republican rivals in Congress over how to fund federal agencies , many of which were forced to close , leaving a fragile economy at risk .
Reporters question Boehner as he arrives at the U.S. Capitol as the government stalemate continued in October 2013 . President Obama signed a bill on October 17 that ended the 16-day shutdown and raised the debt ceiling .
Reporters question Boehner as he arrives at the U.S. Capitol as the government stalemate continued in October 2013 . President Obama signed a bill on October 17 that ended the 16-day shutdown and raised the debt ceiling .
Boehner blasts conservative groups during a press conference in December 2013 after passing a compromise budget deal aimed at removing the threat of another government shutdown . Fed up with criticism from conservative advocates , Boehner said they were `` misleading their followers . '' He followed up with : `` Frankly , I just think that they 've lost all credibility . ''
Boehner blasts conservative groups during a press conference in December 2013 after passing a compromise budget deal aimed at removing the threat of another government shutdown . Fed up with criticism from conservative advocates , Boehner said they were `` misleading their followers . '' He followed up with : `` Frankly , I just think that they 've lost all credibility . ''
The image of the Speaker of the House John Boehner ( R-OH ) is displayed in a monitor of a camera as he talks with reporters in his office in the Capitol in November 2014 in Washington .
The image of the Speaker of the House John Boehner ( R-OH ) is displayed in a monitor of a camera as he talks with reporters in his office in the Capitol in November 2014 in Washington .
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House John Boehner await the arrival of President Barack Obama for the State of The Union address on January 20 in the House Chamber of the Capitol .
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House John Boehner await the arrival of President Barack Obama for the State of The Union address on January 20 in the House Chamber of the Capitol .
U.S. President Barack Obama walks with Speaker of the House John Boehner as they depart the annual Friend 's of Ireland luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 17 .
U.S. President Barack Obama walks with Speaker of the House John Boehner as they depart the annual Friend 's of Ireland luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 17 .
Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani ( right ) expresses his country 's gratitude for America 's fiscal commitment and military sacrifices during an address to a joint meeting of the United States Congress with Vice President Joe Biden ( left ) and Speaker of the House John Boehner ( R-OH ) in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol March 25 in Washington .
Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani ( right ) expresses his country 's gratitude for America 's fiscal commitment and military sacrifices during an address to a joint meeting of the United States Congress with Vice President Joe Biden ( left ) and Speaker of the House John Boehner ( R-OH ) in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol March 25 in Washington .
Pope Francis walks with Speaker Boehner and Vice President Joe Biden after delivering a speech to Congress in Washington on September 24 .
Pope Francis walks with Speaker Boehner and Vice President Joe Biden after delivering a speech to Congress in Washington on September 24 .
John Boehner has been the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives since 2011 , making him second in line for the presidency , behind the vice president . On September 25 , Boehner told colleagues he 's stepping down as speaker and will leave Congress at the end of October . Look back at his career in politics so far .
John Boehner has been the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives since 2011 , making him second in line for the presidency , behind the vice president . On September 25 , Boehner told colleagues he 's stepping down as speaker and will leave Congress at the end of October . Look back at his career in politics so far .
The move came without warning as House Republicans were in a closed-door meeting to select their nominee for speaker , with McCarthy 's wife and kids in the room . Boehner subsequently postponed the vote .
`` I think I shocked some of you , huh ? '' McCarthy told reporters following the decision .
`` If we 're going to unite and be strong , we need a new face to do that , '' McCarthy said , adding that he did not want to win the race on the House floor with only enough votes to squeak by .
A source close to McCarthy told CNN the decision to drop out came down to `` numbers , pure and simple , '' adding that `` he had the votes to win the conference vote , but there just was n't a path to 218 '' -- the number of votes needed to lock down the speakership on the House floor .
The uncertain future of House GOP leadership comes less than a month before Congress must take action to raise the debt ceiling to keep the U.S. from defaulting on its debt obligations -- a critical vote conservatives have in the past sought to stall in order to pull concessions from Democrats .
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid was quick to call on Republicans to `` bring a clean debt ceiling increase to the floors of the House and Senate immediately '' to avoid a credit downgrade . `` Republican chaos is likely to get worse before it gets better but the economic livelihood of the American people should not be threatened as a result of Republicans ' inability to govern , '' Reid said in a statement .
McCarthy 's candidacy ran into trouble last week after he suggested that the House 's committee on Benghazi was an attempt to hurt Hillary Clinton 's poll numbers .
Asked if that affected his decision , McCarthy acknowledged : `` Well , that was n't helpful . ''
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher , R-California , described McCarthy 's move as `` courageous , '' saying this is `` exciting '' for the party because there is now a `` wide open '' race for speaker .
`` Because of his verbal blunder last week there were some of us that were very apprehensive and this going to create great unity among Republicans , '' Rohrabacher said .
Meanwhile , not one to miss an opportunity , GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump suggested he was partly responsible for McCarthy 's failed bid , days after he suggested McCarthy was n't tough enough for the job .
`` They 're giving me a lot of credit for that because I said you really need someone very , very , tough and very smart . Ya know smart goes with tough , I know tough people that are n't smart that 's the worst . We need smart , we need tough , we need the whole package , '' Trump said at a campaign stop Thursday in Las Vegas .
The announcement immediately set off a round of speculation about who could win the job . Perennial candidates floated included Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan and South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy β both of whom ruled it out explicitly . Several House Republicans said Georgia Rep. Lynn Westmoreland was considering it , and others suggested Oregon Rep. Greg Walden , the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee .
`` I would consider it , '' Walden said when asked by CNN about members floating his name for speaker . But he said he 's not actively campaigning and noted that some are pushing the idea of an interim speaker . Several candidates have suggested a senior or retiring member should serve as speaker for the next 14 months and pledge to not run again . Rohrabacher suggested Texas Rep. Joe Barton or Kentucky Rep. Hal Rogers .
Boehner said in a statement he will remain in his post until a new speaker is elected , though he has yet to announce the date for the new vote .
`` I 'm confident we will elect a new speaker in the coming weeks . Our conference will work together to ensure we have the strongest team possible as we continue to focus on the American people 's priorities , '' he said in a written statement .
Boehner also canceled a scheduled appearance Thursday night on `` The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon , '' an NBC spokeswoman said .
Republican Study Committee Chairman Bill Flores twice dodged reporters ' questions about whether he would rule out his own run , but also spoke against the idea of a caretaker .
`` An interim will not give us the opportunity to cast that big bold vision that we need . Interims are caretakers , caretakers tend to do safe things , '' Flores said . `` The electorate put us here in November of 2014 to take big steps , and we need to find the leader that will help us take those big steps . ... The other thing that happens with interim is you have people trying to run for the permanent position , and so you have all the distractions we 've gone through the last two weeks . We do n't need that . ''
Rep. Jason Chaffetz , who late last week jumped into the speaker 's race , called an impromptu news conference less than an hour after Republicans began pouring out of the GOP conference meeting . The Utah Republican said he was also `` absolutely stunned , surprised and shocked . ''
Chaffetz said he would continue to campaign for the top House post and said `` we need to find somebody that our whole body can unite behind and do what were elected to do . ''
`` I do believe it is time for a fresh start . That was the whole genesis for my campaign , but we need to have a lot more family discussion , '' he said . `` I think we have a lot of internal fracturing that 's happening . And we need to figure out a way to unite the party . ''
Westmoreland joked said he is thinking about it , joking that , `` I 'd like to talk to my wife first . ''
Asked why he thought he could get 218 votes he said , `` I do n't know that I can , but all I can say is I 'm willing to try . ''
Ryan , the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and someone who had been viewed as a contender for the job , immediately said he is not interested .
`` While I am grateful for the encouragement I 've received , I will not be a candidate . I continue to believe I can best serve the country and this conference as Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee , '' Ryan said in a statement .
With conservatives again floating his name , Gowdy said he will not run for speaker . Asked if he would reconsider and join the race if his GOP colleagues urged him to get in , he replied , `` No . ''
Rep. Tim Huelskamp , a Kansas Republican and member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus that opposed McCarthy 's bid , said the decision creates a `` brand new race for speaker . ''
`` I am not the one , '' McCarthy told the stunned Republicans in the meeting , according to Huelskamp .
Huelskamp also took shots at McCarthy , saying the majority leader was campaigning for the top post until `` three hours ago '' and said the lack of `` advance notice '' was characteristic of the `` stunts '' that have defined Boehner 's leadership as speaker -- including his surprise resignation the day after Pope Francis addressed a joint meeting of Congress .
And just as McCarthy got a brief heads up moments before that announcement , McCarthy also gave Boehner notice shortly before Thursday 's conference meeting , a Boehner aide told CNN .
Members had no indication the move was coming . `` Totally stunned , '' Rep. Peter King , R-New York , said on CNN .
Westmoreland met with McCarthy in his office this afternoon and said he did n't expect him to endorse anyone .
`` What Kevin has done is extremely selfless , and I think he 's done a brave and courageous thing , '' said Rep. Louie Gohmert , R-Texas . `` He was close to being right there and he chose to unite the conference rather than waging battles. ``
Speaking on CNN , Rep. Walter Jones said the current unrest reminds him of the late 1990s . Newt Gingrich stepped down as speaker and Rep. Bob Livingston was selected to take over but quickly removed himself from consideration after it was revealed he had an extramarital affair .
Jones wrote an open letter Tuesday stating any leadership candidate should quit their campaigns `` if there are any misdeeds he has committed since joining Congress that will embarrass himself , the Republican Conference , and the House of Representatives if they become public . ''
Jones told CNN that he was looking out for the institution and not pointing fingers at anyone in particular .
`` I think when a person has been a member of the Congress β which is a very sacred duty , quite frankly , in my opinion β and they are elevated to become a leader of a party -- could be either party , Republican or Democrat -- that those in leadership must be above reproach , '' Jones said .
`` And all I was doing , not trying to single anybody out , but was to say in this makeup of office β the majority office and the speakers office -- all the members should be made to say I have nothing in my background that could be of embarrassment to the Republican conference , the House of Representatives or the American people , '' he added . `` That 's all this was about . '' | 0pL7JQrbC9KmouWY | 0 | US House | -0.4 | Kevin McCarthy | -0.3 | Politics | -0.3 | null | null | null | null |
technology | Heavy.com | https://heavy.com/news/frances-haugen/ | Frances Haugen, Facebook Whistleblower: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | 2021-10-04 | Technology, Big Tech, Facebook, Free Speech, Hate Speech, Public Health, Misinformation And Disinformation | Frances Haugen is a former Facebook employee who revealed herself as the whistleblower who provided private research documents to The Wall Street Journal for its Facebook Files project. Haugen was a product manager at Facebook until May 2021 and has worked for several major tech and social media companies during her 15-year career. Haugen revealed her identity during an interview with CBSβ β60 Minutesβ on Sunday, October 3, 2021. The 37-year-old Haugen wrote on her website that in 2019 she, βwas recruited to Facebook to be the lead Product Manager on the Civic Misinformation team which dealt with issues related to democracy, misinformation and she later also worked on counter-espionage.β Haugen added, βDuring her time at Facebook, Frances became increasingly alarmed by the choices the company makes prioritizing their own profits over public safety β putting peopleβs lives at risk. As a last resort and at great personal risk, Frances made the courageous act to blow the whistle on Facebook.β Haugen wrote on her website, βFrances fundamentally believes that the problems we are facing today with social media are solvable. We can have social media that brings out the best in humanity.β She told β60 Minutes,β βThe thing I saw at Facebook over and over again was there were conflicts of interest between what was good for the public and what was good for Facebook. And Facebook, over and over again, chose to optimize for its own interests, like making more money.β The Wall Street Journal says the Facebook Files project, βFacebook Inc. knows, in acute detail, that its platforms are riddled with flaws that cause harm, often in ways only the company fully understands. That is the central finding of a Wall Street Journal series, based on a review of internal Facebook documents, including research reports, online employee discussions and drafts of presentations to senior management.β The newspaper, which began publishing articles based on the leaked research files in September, added, βTime and again, the documents show, Facebookβs researchers have identified the platformβs ill effects. Time and again, despite congressional hearings, its own pledges and numerous media exposΓ©s, the company didnβt fix them. The documents offer perhaps the clearest picture thus far of how broadly Facebookβs problems are known inside the company, up to the chief executive himself.β Facebook issued a written response to Haugenβs interview with β60 Minutes,β but its vice president of policy and global affairs, Nick Clegg, sent a memo to staff calling her statements and accusations misleading, and saying, βSocial media has had a big impact on society in recent years, and Facebook is often a place where much of this debate plays out. But what evidence there is simply does not support the idea that Facebook, or social media more generally, is the primary cause of polarization,β according to The New York Times. In its written response, Facebook told β60 Minutes,β βEvery day our teams have to balance protecting the right of billions of people to express themselves openly with the need to keep our platform a safe and positive place. We continue to make significant improvements to tackle the spread of misinformation and harmful content. To suggest we encourage bad content and do nothing is just not true.β Hereβs what you need to know about Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen: Haugen told β60 Minutesβ during her October 3, 2021, interview, β Iβve seen a bunch of social networks and it was substantially worse at Facebook than anything Iβd seen before. Imagine you know whatβs going on inside of Facebook and you know no one on the outside knows. I knew what my future looked like if I continued to stay inside of Facebook, which is person after person after person has tackled this inside of Facebook and ground themselves to the ground.β According to CBS News, Haugen βsecretly copied tens of thousands of pages of Facebook internal research. She says evidence shows that the company is lying to the public about making significant progress against hate, violence and misinformation.β Haugen added, βWhen we live in an information environment that is full of angry, hateful, polarizing content it erodes our civic trust, it erodes our faith in each other, it erodes our ability to want to care for each other, the version of Facebook that exists today is tearing our societies apart and causing ethnic violence around the world.β She told β60 Minutes,β βFacebook has demonstrated they cannot act independently Facebook, over and over again, has shown it chooses profit over safety. It is subsidizing, it is paying for its profits with our safety. Iβm hoping that this will have had a big enough impact on the world that they get the fortitude and the motivation to actually go put those regulations into place. Thatβs my hope.β Haugen was born and raised in Iowa City, Iowa, as the daughter of two professors, according to her website. She said on the website she, βgrew up attending the Iowa caucuses with her parents, instilling a strong sense of pride in democracy and responsibility for civic participation.β According to her LinkedIn profile, Haugen was on the debate team at Iowa City West High School. She graduated from the school in 2002. Haugen then attended the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Massachusetts, graduating in 2006 with a degree in electrical engineering, according to her LinkedIn. While at Olin, Haugen was a teaching assistant and was the founder and co-editor of the Olin College Yearbook, according to her LinkedIn. After graduating from Olin College, Haugen attended Harvard Business School, graduating in 2011 with an MBA in general management. On her website, Haugen says, βFrances Haugen is an advocate for public oversight of social media. We can have social media we enjoy that brings out the best in humanity.β Haugenβs first job out of college was at Google as an associate product manager. She said on LinkedIn she worked on Google Books and Google AdWords. SHe later worked as a product manager at Google from 2008 to 2009, designing Googleβs first mobile book reading experience/application and discovering and developing a book search algorithm and a system for creating covers for 300,000 public domain books. According to her LinkedIn she : Launched Google Booksβ first API and guided/worked with multiple integration partners around the world. In two weeks was able to convince enough library catalog providers to integrate that we touched over half the library catalog views in the world. Designed and launched Google Booksβ first social iGoogle gadget. Primary point of contact for identifying and analyzing mass-downloaders of books using logs data. Product managed the Adwords Report Center, a tool providing performance data to advertisers on their campaigns. Launched Radio and TV ads reporting in addition to reporting for multiple other new ad types. Launched new metrics to help advertisers better understand what fraction of their potential online advertising opportunity they were reaching to help encourage additional advertising spend. She left Google briefly in 2011 and later returned to be a software engineer and product manager, working on the companyβs Knowledge Graph from 2012 to 2014. She was then a product manager at Yelp from 2015 to 2016, founding its photo quality team. Before moving to Facebook in 2019, Haugen worked at Pinterest as a product manager from 2016 to 2018. Wired wrote in 2015 that Haugen was βpart of the first wave of people to use Google back in 1996. Her mother, a faculty member at the University of Iowa, showed her the search engine, which was still a research project at Stanford University. Haugen was blown away at what Larry Page and Sergey Brin had built. βThe idea that you could actually peer into a giant mountain of data was amazing,β she says. Haugen has been obsessed with search technology ever since.β AngelListFrances Haugen is the Facebook whistleblower. During her career in the tech world, Haugen also was a co-founder of the dating app company Hinge, according to her LinkedIn profile. She was the technical co-founder for the company in February 2011 and worked as its chief technical officer until August 2011. She also said she co-founded Secret Agent Cupid in 2010, which was a precursor to Hinge. Haugen has also been a Black Rock Ranger at the Burning Man festival since August 2015, according to her LinkedIn profile. While in college, she volunteered as an assistant debate coach at Needham High School in Massachusetts. She wrote on LinkedIn she, βTaught communications and life skills to high schoolers. Provided background in history and philosophy and helped students develop arguments and responses to opponentsβ positions. Edited studentsβ cases.β On her AngelList page, Haugen wrote, βIβve designed and launched multiple products at Google with large multi-functional teams. I excel at finding patterns in large ambiguous datasets and translating them into intuitive resonant user features. I am patient and persistent and I believe empathy is a key trait in almost all jobs.β On Twitter, Haugen wrote, βI believe that we can do better. Together we can create social media that brings out the best in us. We solve problems together β we donβt solve them alone.β Jeff Horwitz, the lead reporter on The Wall Street Journalβs Facebook Files series, tweeted, βMeet @franceshaugen_, who Iβve been calling βSeanβ for the past ten months. Sheβs smart, gutsy and very knowledgeable about Facebook. Sheβs also the key source for the WSJβs Facebook Files project. Frances will be speaking for herself from here on out.β Haugen will be testifying before Congress on Tuesday, October 5, 2021. She will be speaking before the Senate Commerce subcommittee on consumer protection, which has been looking into Facebook and grilled its executives during a hearing on September 30. During the hearing, Facebookβs Global Head of Safety Antigone Davis told senators the social media company would not retaliate against the then-unnamed whistleblower for disclosures to Congress. According to her β60 Minutesβ interview, Haugen and her attorneys have filed at least eight complaints to the SEC about Facebook since September. The complaints compare the internal research documents and statements made in public by the company publicly, including those by founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Haugenβs attorney, John Tye, of the Washington legal group βWhistleblower Aid,β told β60 Minutes,β βAs a publicly-traded company, Facebook is required to not lie to its investors or even withhold material information. So, the SEC regularly brings enforcement actions, alleging that companies like Facebook and others are making material misstatements and omissions that affect investors adversely.β Together we can create social media that brings out the best in us. We solve problems together β we donβt solve them alone. Tye added, βThe Dodd-Frank Act, passed over ten years ago at this point, created an Office of the Whistleblower inside the SEC. And one of the provisions of that law says that no company can prohibit its employees from communicating with the SEC and sharing internal corporate documents with the SEC.β Another attorney for Haugen, Andrew Bakaj, also of βWhistleblower Aid,β told The Washington Post, βSheβs a perfect example of why whistleblowers are so important: without her, we didnβt know what we didnβt know. Itβs important because Big Tech is at an inflection point. It touches every aspect of our lives β whether itβs individuals personally or democratic institutions globally. With such far reaching consequences, transparency is critical to oversight, and lawful whistleblowing is a critical component of oversight and holding companies accountable.β READ NEXT: TikTok Star Shot & Killed Friend While Playing With Gun: Police Tom Cleary is an editor and reporter who covers breaking news, fantasy sports, golf, the NFL, NBA and UFC. Tom is based in Connecticut and started his career working in local newspapers. He has worked at Heavy as a writer and editor since 2015. More about Tom Cleary Stay Connected | 35de9c5c41c6ca5a | 1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | National Review | http://www.nationalreview.com/article/448992/trump-derangement-only-alternative-democrats-have-no-agenda | What Is the Alternative to Trump Derangement? | 2017-06-27 | politics | If they weren β t trying to destroy the president , Democrats would have to focus on an agenda most Americans don β t support .
By 1968 , voters had tired of the failed Great Society of Lyndon Johnson . Four years later , the 1972 Nixon reelection re-emphasized that a doubled-down McGovern liberalism was even less of a viable agenda .
In that context , in 1974 , obsessing on Watergate and a demonized Nixon were wise liberal alternatives to running on a positive left-wing vision , given the growing conservative backlash of the 1970s .
After Watergate and the Ford pardon , Jimmy Carter squeaked to a close victory and a one-term presidency β before the country tired of his strident liberalism poorly cloaked in conservative clothing . Bill Clinton β s third-way centrism eventually was a winning Democratic alternative to regain the presidency β albeit with help from two Ross Perot third-party candidacies . Given these historical reminders , the current efforts at Trump character assassination may be the best β or only β progressive pathway back to political power .
In the last few days , the Democratic party lost its fourth special House election ; most of the four were billed in advance as likely negative referenda on the contentious first six months of the Trump presidency . Post facto , the uniformly unwelcomed results were written off as idiosyncratic outliers of no importance .
Shortly before the Georgia election , a hard-left-wing killer attacked the players at a congressional baseball practice , intent on the assassination of Republican legislators , whom he had targeted on his hit list . The shooter was foiled , but not before seriously wounding Steve Scalise , the current Republican majority whip in the House .
The two events in saner times might have prompted introspection about why the Democrats keep losing elections and why a hard-core progressive supporter would seek to assassinate key Republican leaders . Indeed , for a brief moment , there were calls on both sides of the aisle to scale back inflammatory rhetoric that in theory might push such politicized would-be shooters over the edge . One might have hoped that self-reflective Democrats could begin to grasp why voters distrusted them more than they feared Trump .
Such moments quickly vanished . Progressives saw any remedies to identity politics as worse than the disease of electoral defeat . Elizabeth Warren , with her trademark rancor , was once again talking about Republican β blood money β β as if her opponents in the Congress were legislative assassins rather than the recent targets of such . An increasingly addled Hillary Clinton ( she had loudly joined the β Resistance β ) accused the GOP of becoming the β death party , β reminding the country why progressive fanatics such as James Hodgkinson might think rifle fire is the only answer to conservatives who traffic in blood .
Meanwhile , another day , another Hollywood celebrity dreaming of , or advocating , the assassination of Donald Trump : This time a disturbed Johnny Depp ( playing the role of Kathy Griffin or Snoop Dogg ) mused out loud about repeating a John Wilkes Boothβstyle shooting . Since January , left-wing pundits and celebrities have alluded that Trump might be decapitated , stabbed by a mob , shot , punched , hit with a bat , blown up , strung up , and flipped off . Incineration and drowning are about the last modes of Trump mayhem left unsaid .
Barack Obama , amid the assassination chic and the obscenity of key Democrats such as Kamala Harris , Tom Perez , and Kirsten Gillibrand , recently remonstrated about the evils of inequality and the need for more diversity β at $ 10,000 a minute to largely white , Wall Street audiences , while whining about the ongoing recalibration of his failed Obamacare project . That is what passes for 21st-century progressive community organizing .
Left unsaid was that Obama had virtually destroyed the Democratic party , which during his tenure lost more than 1,000 state and local elections and both the House and the Senate . Obama left a personal legacy of a party agenda that had no popular support , an incoming Republican presidency , a conservative Supreme Court , a tenure to be systematically overturned , and a one-time progressive electoral paradigm that could work only for himself while imploding almost any other candidate foolish enough to try to replicate it .
Of the Democratic policies once envisioned under Bill Clinton , few are left .
It is said that Democrats are in an existential crisis because of their obsessions with Donald Trump β suing over the election , trying to subvert the Electoral College , dreaming of impeachment and the 25th Amendment , filing briefs under the emoluments clause of the Constitution , stalling appointments , relying on deep-state insurrectionary bureaucrats , cherry-picking liberal judges for obstructive passes , and going from one conspiracy theory to the next as collusion begat obstruction that begat witness tampering . More outsider advice is for Democrats to focus instead on their agenda .
But nothing could be more paradoxical . Or rather , what agenda ?
Of the Democratic policies once envisioned under Bill Clinton ( opposing illegal immigration , dreams of abortions as rare , balanced budgets , workfare , being tough on crime ) , few are left . In other words , progressives logically obsess about Trump , because otherwise they would have to defend agendas that most Americans simply do not support .
Do voters really wish to hear that illegal immigration is healthy and that the greater problem lies with us ( the paranoid host ) rather than the millions who knowingly cross the border illegally ?
Would Americans wish to be lectured about transgendered restrooms by those who as late as 2011 opposed gay marriage ?
Do voters think that progressive administrators , whiny indebted students , and the end of campus free speech and free assembly are models for higher education and arguments for federal bailouts ?
Do voters really wish to hear that illegal immigration is healthy and that the greater problem lies with us ( the paranoid host ) rather than the millions who knowingly cross the border illegally ? ( Most Americans believe that there is no such thing as an β undocumented immigrant , β given that most illegal aliens in fact possess ample documentation β albeit false social-security numbers , false IDs , and occasionally false names . β Falsely documented immigrants β is the more intellectually honest rubric . )
Do voters wish to hear from those who doubled the debt in eight years that Trump , after six months , is fiscally reckless ? Are they tired of β make America great again β and β our farmers , β β our veterans , β and β our miners , β and prefer instead another β you didn β t build that β sermon or a finger-pointing β now is not the time to profit β scold ? Is snarky anti-American sloganeering preferable to honest pro-American mantras ?
Perhaps Trumpian triumphalism has embarrassed voters and they yearn for a return to progressive apologetics β they β re nostalgic for another Cairo speech from Obama , or more ceremonial bows to foreign leaders , or more outreach to the Cubans and Iranians ?
Do they want to be told that Trump β s efforts on deregulation , jobs , and energy won β t work by those who could not achieve a single year of 3 percent annual GDP growth over eight years ?
What otherwise would fill the progressive void , if Democrats were not currently obsessed with Donald Trump ?
Advocating more illegal immigration , more entitlements , and fewer voter-identification requirements to continue to alter the demographics of voting ? Expanding food-stamp and disability rolls ? Higher health-care premiums and deductibles ?
Would Democrats run on their opposition to the sudden Trumpian use of words such as β radical Islam , β β jihadism , β and β terrorism β ?
Would they trash Trump for suggesting that β all lives matter β or that newcomers to the U.S. should avoid the welfare rolls for five years ? Would those be more winning issues than the current obscenity , conspiracy theories , and assassination chic ?
Would Democrats instead run on a more resonant foreign policy ?
Perhaps advocacy of a 2.0 reset with Putin to recalibrate the appeasement of Russia ? Or a doubling down on the Iran Deal to allow more β latitude β to the Khomeinist autocracy ? Should the downward defense budget descend to 2 percent of GDP ? More stringent rules of engagement for our troops on the ground ?
Should more identity-politics activists on cable TV wish more often for the death of Representative Scalise , or urge people of color to let such conservative whites bleed in extremis , or certainly not lament the targeted , given that they supposedly got what they deserved ?
In general , are we in need of more ethnic , religious , and racial separatism , a greater investment in the progressive salad bowls than the ossified traditional melting pot ? Do we need more trilling of our names , more accent marks sprinkled over our nomenclature ?
Should Democrats , the party of youth , vigor , hip , cool , hope , and change , simply forget Trump and instead showcase their dynamic leadership and forward-looking activists : a 69-year-old Hillary Clinton , an 84-year-old Dianne Feinstein , a 79-year-old Jerry Brown , a 77-year-old Nancy Pelosi , a 75-year-old Bernie Sanders , a 74-year-old Joe Biden , a 68-year-old Elizabeth Warren , or a young 66-year-old Chuck Schumer ?
Or should a next generation of minorities and women now take over the reins from ossified progressives β such as an obscenity-shouting Kirsten Gillibrand , Kamala Harris , or Tom Perez ? Does Keith Ellison offer the proper agenda and background profile for national progressive exposure ? Should more Pajama Boy candidates such as Jon Ossoff be recruited to highlight the big-city , hip , metrosexual core of the Democratic party ?
If freed from the Trump obsessions , would progressives make great inroads by renouncing increased oil and gas production through fracking and horizontal drilling , all while they re-up Solyndra-like projects , shut down the Keystone and the Dakota Access pipelines , and hope , as did former secretary of energy Steven Chu , that energy prices rise so that subsidized wind and solar will be more viable ? Would they run on discouraging thousands of new jobs in the petrochemical , aluminum , and fertilizer industries , given that such companies are relocating to the U.S. to capitalize on its cheap energy ?
The Democrats are now a pyramidal party β ethnic-identity groups at the base and wealthy elites on top , all united by a mutual disdain for the half of the population that covers 85 percent of the geography .
The point is that somewhere between 2006 and 2009 , Bill Clinton β s formerly competitive Democratic party aged and then evaporated . It was replaced by a hard-left coastal coalition , a pyramidal party β ethnic-identity groups at the base and wealthy elites on top , all united by a mutual disdain for the half of the population that covers 85 percent of the geography .
What followed were universities , Hollywood , the media , and the wealthy damning supposed β white privilege β ( a phrase rarely spoken outside of university ethnic-studies departments prior to 2009 ) , as those who did not have privilege were damned by those who most certainly did .
So the Democrats logically grew hysterical over Trump because they had few choices other than a rescue through a Watergate-like crisis .
Democrats forgot the unprecedented conditions that brought a hard-left icon such as Barack Obama into power in 2009 : an orphaned election without a run by an incumbent president or vice president , the largest fundraising in presidential history , unprecedented media bias , the anger over the Iraq War , the panic over the September 2008 Wall Street meltdown , the novelty of the first African-American president , the weakness of the McCain candidacy , and the media demonization of incumbent George Bush .
They also ignored that the Obama agenda after 2010 was relegated to executive orders and treaties abroad that bypassed the Senate , because it had lost public and legislative support . Today progressives revere the rarity of the left-wing presidency of Barack Obama despite its failures and what it did to the Democratic party β and with the full realization that Obama β s electoral formula and his agenda are not inheritable .
Given those realities , Trump Derangement is not a misappropriation of progressive resources . Instead it is logically the chief and only viable message that the current Democratic party has left . | QWUEkiO8cDoN73Bm | 2 | Democratic Party | -4.4 | Donald Trump | -0.9 | Politics | 0 | null | null | null | null |
donald_trump | Washington Examiner | https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense/3308918/trump-withdraws-usa-unhrc-stops-unrwa-funding/#google_vignette | Trump to withdraw US from UNHRC and stop UNRWA funding | 2025-02-04 | Donald Trump, Middle East, Israel, Hamas, United Nations, Foreign Aid, Executive Orders, Foreign Affairs, Politics | President Donald Trump will sign an executive order withdrawing the United States from the United Nations Human Rights Council and prohibiting future funding for the U.N. relief agency for Gaza known as UNRWA, a White House source told the Washington Examiner.The executive order reinstates policies that Trump had in place during his first administration, though the Middle East looks vastly different than when he left the White House. It also comes a day before heβs set to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.UNRWA serves as the primary support system for the more than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza affected by the war, which has gone on for more than 15 months, but Israel has banned the entity from operating within its borders over allegations that several members of the U.N. agency participated in the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack; the worst in Israelβs history.A high-level investigation by the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services in 2024 found that nine employees participated in the Oct. 7 attacks, and they did not find sufficient evidence against a further 10 individuals whom the Israeli government accused of playing a role.ELISE STEFANIK, ISRAEL, AND THE βANTISEMITIC ROTβ AT THE UNIsrael and the United Nations have a historically rocky relationship, and it worsened significantly after Hamasβs attack.Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Trumpβs pick to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, praised the presidentβs decision on social media.βTodayβs Executive Order is the correct action by President Trump to deliver America First peace through strength moral leadership,β she said. βThe UN Human Rights Council is a den of human rights abusers and disgraceful and obsessive antisemitism. UNRWA must be defunded and dismantled. U.S. taxpayers dollars should NEVER prop up terrorism. Full stop.βThe U.N. Human Rights Council was created during the George W. Bush administration, but he and Trump, in his first term, did not engage with it, whereas, Under Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, they did.The White House said in a fact sheet the council βhas not fulfilled its purpose and continues to be used as a protective body for countries committing horrific human rights violationsβ and condemned its stance on Israel, according to Politico.βThe UNHRC has demonstrated consistent bias against Israel, focusing on it unfairly and disproportionately in council proceedings,β the document added. βIn 2018, the year President Trump withdrew from the UNHRC in his first administration, the organization passed more resolutions condemning Israel than Syria, Iran, and North Korea combined.βCLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINERTrumpβs executive order also comes as his administration has halted the work of the United States Agency for International Development, which promotes human rights abroad, calling into question whether it will remain at all.βItβs been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and weβre getting them out,β Trump told reporters on Sunday, while Department of Government Efficiency leader Elon Musk announced his plan to shut the agency down.EDITORβS NOTE: This article initially said President Donald Trump had signed the executive order. He is expected to sign it shortly. The Washington Examiner regrets the error. | 472ed468475b5213 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
education | New York Post (News) | https://nypost.com/2024/05/06/us-news/columbia-cancels-university-wide-graduation-ceremony-after-weeks-of-anti-israel-protests/ | Columbia cancels university-wide graduation ceremony after weeks of anti-Israel protests | 2024-05-06 | Education, Colleges And Universities, Columbia University, Pro-Palestine Protests | Columbia University on Monday canceled its school-wide commencement ceremony after weeks of disruptive and violent anti-Israel protests that brought campus life to a halt.Instead, the Ivy League school said it would hold βsmaller-scale, school-based celebrations.βWe have decided to make the centerpiece of our commencement activities our class days and school-level ceremonies, where students are honored individually alongside their peers, rather than the university-wide ceremony that is scheduled for May 15,β the Upper Manhattan school said in an announcement.9 Columbia University has canceled its university-wide commencement ceremony May 15. Robert Miller9 Columbia students in graduation gowns arrive on campus on May 6, 2024. Robert MillerSchool spokesman Ben Chang added, βHolding a large commencement ceremony on our campus presented security concerns that unfortunately proved insurmountable.βLike our students, we are deeply disappointed with this outcome.βHe said Columbia tried to come up with a different venue to still hold the traditional larger commencement but couldnβt find one large enough. More than 50,000 people typically attend the event.None of the schoolβs smaller ceremonies will even be held on its iconic South Lawn, where such events are usually staged β and where hundreds of protesters were recently arrested for refusing to leave a massive tent encampment.Most of the pared-down ceremonies will now take place about 5 miles away, at Columbiaβs sports complex.βItβs just more cowardice from an administration thatβs been spineless throughout this sβt show,β a Jewish undergraduate student at Columbia griped to The Post.βThe last few weeks have been horrible for me, but deep down I still love this place,β he said. βItβs a beautiful campus, and I was really looking forward to graduating in the heart of it. I guess the pro-Hamas crowd got the final, βFβk you.β βAri Rosen, a 26-year-old student graduating from Columbia Dental School, added, βI lost my [undergraduate] graduation four years ago because of COVID, but then I told myself at least Iβll be able to graduate from dental school at Columbia.9 Columbia Dental School graduate Ari Rosen is disappointed by the universityβs decision to cancel the ceremony. Robert MillerβThis was always on the back of my mind, and now to wake up to this news is really unexpected,β Rosen said of the cancellation. βThis wasnβt just four years of hard work. This was eight years, undergraduate and dental school. I worked really hard for this.βI thought it would be a nice celebration at the undergrad campus. My parents were going to come for it. To see it shut down for these protests is upsetting.βThe decision to nix the ceremony was made after consulting with graduating students, the university said.9 Columbia student Dongzi Peng on campus to take graduation photos. Robert Miller9 Peng getting photographed by a friend. Robert MillerβItβs disappointing, more for my parents than for me,β a young woman graduating with a masters in science told The Post.She said the move is a double whammy for her family β since her brother is also graduating from Columbia.βWhen you attend commencements, theyβre not the most thrilling three hours. But there was a lot of excitement on my familyβs part because my brotherβs graduating with a masterβs, too,β the student said. βMy parents took time off work to fly in for this, so they are disappointed, Iβm sure.βThe schoolβs decision was announced the day after New York City Mayor Eric Adams urged local colleges not to cave to disruptive provocateurs, saying, βI donβt think we should allow anything to get in the way of our normal way of life.β9 Students march and rally on Columbia Universityβs campus. REUTERSCity spokesman Fabien Levy said in a statement Monday, βThe actions of the few β especially those not even affiliated with schools β who continue to disrupt and hijack events should not unfairly impact students who have earned the right to walk across the stage and receive their diploma.βIt was beyond control that these students had their high school graduations taken away due to COVID, but it is infuriating that protestors are the ones now stealing this once-in-a-lifetime moment from students and their families,β City Hall said.βWhile each university will make their own decision, we strongly encourage every school in our city to move forward with their ceremonies as planned.βWhite House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre separately told DC reporters of Columbiaβs decision, βIt is unfortunate that a small group of people went too far and cost their classmates this important event.9 A graduation gown with a message from the protesters is left outside the encampment at Columbia University. Getty ImagesβWhen it comes to commencement day and when it comes to speaking at commencement events, this is something the president has done for some time now, and he understands this is a moment of joy, a moment of celebration.βAnd we feel for them. We feel for each of the graduates,β she said. βThese are graduates who are going to miss out on the incredibly important day of commencement.βThe move comes less than a week after NYPD cops stormed onto the Morningside Heights campus to oust a pro-terror mob that illegally took over the universityβs iconic Hamilton Hall building in a drastic escalation of protests that had already plagued the campus since last month.More than 100 protesters were cuffed and hauled away during that saga.It was the second time in as many weeks that the NYPD had been brought in to clear out disruptive demonstrators.9 NYPD apprehended anti-Israel protesters who occupied a Columbia academic building. Getty Images9 The anti-Israel encampment at Columbia Universityβs campus on April 29, 2024. Michael Nigro/Pacific Press via ZUMA Press WireIn the wake of the growing encampment, Columbia had already canceled in-person classes and requested an NYPD presence on campus until at least May 17 β two days after the nixed commencement.βOur graduating students, their families, and their loved ones are very focused on our upcoming commencement celebrations,β Columbia added in its announcement Monday about the canceled event. βWe are as well.βWe are determined to give our students the celebration they deserve, and that they want.βOur students emphasized that these smaller-scale, school-based celebrations are most meaningful to them and their families,β the school said.βAs a result, we will focus our resources on those school ceremonies and on keeping them safe, respectful, and running smoothly.β-Additional reporting by Craig McCarthy and Post wires | 1e644ac19d1f9772 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
sexual_misconduct | Vox | https://www.vox.com/2018/9/20/17882310/supreme-court-brett-kavanaugh-christine-blasey-ford | Grassley gives Ford more time to decide on Senate testimony about Kavanaugh sexual assault allegations | 2018-09-20 | sexual_misconduct | Christine Blasey Ford β the Palo Alto University professor who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault β has agreed to testify about the allegations in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday .
Ford β s attorneys on Sunday confirmed that Ford will appear before the committee at 10 am on Thursday . β Despite actual threats to her safety and her life , Dr. Ford believes it is important for Senators to hear directly from her about the sexual assault committed against her , β Ford β s attorneys said in a statement .
They said no decision has been made yet about who will question Ford β whether it will be lawmakers or staff attorneys .
The New York Times reported previously that during a brief call on Saturday , aides to Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley , the chairman of the committee , and Ford β s lawyers tentatively agreed to the date .
β Dr . Ford accepts the Committee β s request to provide her first-hand knowledge of Brett Kavanaugh β s sexual misconduct next week , β wrote Debra Katz and Lisa Banks , two of Ford β s attorneys , on Saturday prior to the date agreement . β Although many aspects of the proposal you provided via email , on September 21 , 2018 , at 2:33 pm , are fundamentally inconsistent with the Committee β s promise of a fair , impartial investigation into her allegations , and we are disappointed with the leaks and the bullying that have tainted the process , we are hopeful that we can reach agreement on details . β
Republicans have said that they are interested in hearing from Ford , but negotiations over what that will look like had grown increasingly contentious in the last few days . Grassley had given Ford until 2:30pm on Saturday to offer the committee a more definitive response about her testimony . Democrats , meanwhile , have accused Republicans of bullying Ford and continuing to rush the process .
Just agreeing on a hearing has required days of back-and-forth
After coming forward in a Washington Post article last weekend in which she accused Kavanaugh of forcing himself on her while they were at a party in high school , Ford said she wanted to cooperate with lawmakers and is interested in having her story heard . Kavanaugh has unequivocally denied the accusations .
But several days of uncertainty about whether she would appear before the committee followed .
Grassley had previously issued three earlier deadlines ( Friday at 10am , 5 pm , and then 10 pm ) for a response from Ford , which Katz argued were β aggressive and artificial β and ran counter to claims that the panel wanted to genuinely consider Ford β s perspective .
β You have been tasked with pressuring Dr. Ford to agree to conditions that you find advantageous to the nominee , β Katz wrote . Grassley ultimately extended that deadline to Saturday afternoon .
Grassley didn β t appear to be happy about the extension , despite granting it . In a tweet on Friday , he complained that he feels like he β s β playing 2nd trombone in the judiciary orchestra and [ Senate Minority Leader Chuck ] Schumer is the conductor . β
With all the extensions we give Dr Ford to decide if she still wants to testify to the Senate I feel like I β m playing 2nd trombone in the judiciary orchestra and Schumer is the conductor β ChuckGrassley ( @ ChuckGrassley ) September 22 , 2018
Ford β s attorney had said Thursday that she was still negotiating the terms under which she would testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee . She had said that it was β not possible β for her to attend the public hearing originally scheduled for Monday , but that she β wishes to testify , provided that we can agree on terms that are fair and which ensure her safety , β according to an email obtained by the Washington Post .
An unnamed Republican senator told Politico the committee has agreed to some of Ford β s requests , which include ensuring that she and Kavanaugh are not in the same room . β We β ll do it on Wednesday , we expect the accuser before the accused and we do intend to have the counsel do the questioning , β the senator said .
Republicans on the committee have indicated that they were interested in moving ahead with a vote on Kavanaugh β s nomination if Ford didn β t testify . Grassley appeared to follow through on this threat by scheduling a committee vote on Kavanaugh for Monday , which would have taken place if Ford declined to appear .
β In the event that we can come to a reasonable resolution as I β ve been seeking all week , then I will postpone the committee vote to accommodate her testimony . We can not continue to delay , β Grassley said in a Friday statement before the extension .
One of the major sticking points was the committee β s proposed structure for the hearing .
β The Committee β s stated plan to move forward with a hearing that has only two witnesses is not a fair or good faith investigation ; there are multiple witnesses whose names have appeared publicly and should be included in any proceeding , β Banks wrote in a statement earlier this week .
Ford and Kavanaugh are currently the only two witnesses expected to testify . Democrats have argued that others , including Mark Judge , whom Ford implicated in the assault as part of her accusation , should speak as well . Ford had said that Judge helped Kavanaugh push her into a bedroom at the party and was intermittently encouraging Kavanaugh during the alleged assault . Judge has said he has no recollection of this incident and that he never saw Kavanaugh act in this way . Ford β s attorneys on Sunday pointed out that the committee has refused to subpoena Judge or invite other witnesses to testify .
The Times reported on Saturday that a woman named Leland Keyser , who was believed to have been at the party with Ford , told the committee that she β does not know β Kavanaugh and has β no recollection β of being at a party or gathering where he was present . Judge and one other man also said to have been at the party also told the committee they don β t remember it , meaning Ford has no corroborating witnesses .
Ford and her lawyers also threw up breaks over ( the lack of ) an FBI investigation : Ford had said she wouldn β t testify unless the FBI first conducted an investigation into the allegations , but it doesn β t look like that β s going to happen anytime soon .
Judiciary Republicans , the Department of Justice , and President Donald Trump have all thrown cold water on the idea of an FBI investigation . Grassley on Wednesday said it was not the job of the FBI to weigh the β credibility β of these allegations .
Ford β s call for an FBI probe echoes one that Democrats have been making ever since she came forward . The review they are pushing wouldn β t be a new criminal investigation but a reopening of Kavanaugh β s existing background check . The FBI may not be responsible for determining how seriously to consider allegations , but the agency plays a pivotal role in fact-finding and interviewing witnesses , they argue .
In the wake of Anita Hill β s sexual harassment allegations against Clarence Thomas in 1991 , President George H.W . Bush directed the FBI to open an investigation . The agency interviewed Hill , Thomas , and at least one other witness , after which the White House determined that Hill β s allegations were β unfounded . β
It β s well within Trump β s ability to do the same , but thus far , he β s shown little inclination that he β s interested in doing so . Ford β s decision to testify suggests she β s accepted the outcome and remains ready to speak out on her own rather than let the process continue without senators hearing what she has to say . | fMQ5u36f5XTTzqBa | 0 | Sexual Misconduct | -0.3 | Brett Kavanaugh | -0.1 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
elections | NPR Online News | http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/06/14/155039301/obama-romney-duel-on-economy-in-ohio-the-state-that-could-decide-it-all | Obama, Romney Duel On Economy In Ohio Where It Could All Be Decided Categories | 2012-06-14 | elections | Obama , Romney Duel On The Economy In Ohio , Where It Could All Be Decided
Ohio could very well be the state where what 's expected to be a very close presidential race gets decided .
And every indication is that the economy will be the issue that drives the majority of voters to either President Obama or Mitt Romney .
Which explains why on Thursday both the Democratic president and the all-but-official Republican nominee were , again , in Ohio to argue why he and not his opponent should be president starting January 20 , 2013 .
Each rehearsed his economic arguments in campaign appearances in his respective Buckeye State stronghold . Obama was in heavily Democratic Cleveland on the state 's northern edge . Romney was in the Republican bastion of Cincinnati along the state 's southern rim bordering Kentucky .
Their appearances in their Ohio electoral sweet spots had symbolic significance : Success or failure for each depends on whose campaign is best at turning out the most voters in the reddest and bluest parts of the state .
The specific venues for their speeches also held additional meaning . Obama spoke at Cuyahoga Community College , a reminder of his pledge to `` invest '' in domestic priorities , including higher education , and a reflection of his strength with younger voters .
Romney spoke at a small business , a maker of manufacturing equipment . It was a site chosen to underscore his message that he is the better candidate for American business and thus the economy .
As for the speeches themselves , both men mainly repeated themes voters have heard many times before .
Obama again reminded voters how the economy had been in free fall when he became president , how his policies helped stabilize it and by some measures brought real progress , and then he provided his vision of a better economic future for middle-class Americans .
Also , because Obama 's best hope for re-election is to frame the contest as a choice between two radically different views of the future depending on who wins , the president hammered repeatedly at his argument against the GOP challenger .
He said a Romney presidency β with more tax cuts for the wealthy and presidential hostility to spending on middle class priorities β would be a third term for George W. Bush , or even worse , though he never mentioned his predecessor by name .
Romney , for his part , continued to make his case that Obama had failed to turn around the economy in his 3 1/2 years in office and had even made it worse . Obama broke his promises , Romney said . And he reminded voters that Obama himself said early in his presidency that his administration would be a `` one-term proposition '' if the economy did n't significantly improve .
It was all a part of Romney 's effort to make sure voters go to the polls in November seeing their vote as a referendum on Obama , instead of a choice between the candidates .
Not that Romney did n't have his own economic vision . He offered what he said were `` three big ideas '' for increasing the lift under the U.S. economy β more domestic energy production , repealing `` Obamacare '' and attacking federal deficits .
In an appeal to middle-class voters , Romney said he did n't care about `` job creators , '' meaning the most financially successful Americans , for their own sake ; rather he cared about them because of the need for jobs .
Thursday 's speeches were watched closely by observers of American politics for the any nuances that could indicate a new theme or direction .
It 's important to remember , however , that these are still early days in the presidential race . It 's only June and most voters really are n't paying attention to the daily messaging of the campaigns and wo n't be until the fall , if ever .
Still , for some interested observers like Jason Fichtner , an expert in Social Security and federal tax and budget policy , the dueling speeches underscored a continuing frustration with the realities of the campaign trail .
`` The problem I 'm having with campaign speeches in general , is they are long on rhetoric and short on substance , '' said Fichtner , senior research fellow at George Mason University 's Libertarian-leaning Mercatus Center where Charles Koch , a founder , serves on the board . `` Voters , and me , as a policy analyst , want them to say , 'Here is a plan , ' and not blame someone else for our problems . ' ``
`` Is the economy in better shape than four years ago ? Yes , '' says Fichtner , who served as a top official in the Social Security Administration during the Bush administration and into Obama 's term , `` but could it be better ? ''
He characterized the differences between the visions put forth by Obama and Romney like this : Obama 's view is that the private sector should alleviate the burdens of the public sector , and vice versa for Romney .
Bruce Bartlett , a columnist and blogger on fiscal issues who once worked for congressional Republicans , and in the Reagan and first Bush administrations , but who is now an independent who voted for Obama , said it 's up to the president to effectively point out the flaws in Romney 's campaign statements , something the president took pains to do Thursday in a 53-minute speech .
`` Every single person who runs for president implies there are going to be radical changes the day they 're elected , '' he said . `` It seems to me that Romney has gone beyond the norm in this area ... And it 's up to Obama to draw him out . 'Tell me specifically what taxes are you going to raise ? What programs are you going to cut ? That 's his job . And the job of his campaign . '' | RpkAUDmaUBmVbKxB | 1 | Presidential Elections | 0.1 | Elections | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
healthcare | New York Times - News | http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/05/us/politics/romney-says-health-care-mandate-is-a-tax.html?_r=1&ref=politics | Romney Now Says Health Mandate by Obama Is a Tax | 2012-07-05 | healthcare | β The Supreme Court is the highest court in the nation , and it said that it β s a tax , so it β s a tax , β Mr. Romney told CBS News . β They have spoken . There β s no way around that. β He later repeated his assertion to CNN after a Fourth of July parade here , an idyllic summer retreat on the edge of Lake Winnipesaukee .
The Obama campaign seized on Mr. Romney β s words , calling it a glaring contradiction of his chief spokesman β s remarks . β First , he threw his top aide Eric Fehrnstrom under the bus by changing his campaign β s position , β the campaign said . β Second , he contradicted himself by saying his own Massachusetts mandate wasn β t a tax . β
Mr. Fehrnstrom β s comments on Monday , in which he also said that Mr. Romney felt the health care law was unconstitutional and should have been invalidated , were backed up by a campaign news release that day saying that Mr. Romney believed the mandate is β an unconstitutional penalty β β notably , not a tax .
The backlash that erupted on Wednesday was a reminder of just how problematic the issue of health care reform is for Mr. Romney . As governor of Massachusetts , he oversaw the 2007 fulfillment of a first-in-the-nation plan requiring that nearly every state resident obtain health insurance or pay a penalty if they failed to do so .
The question of the β individual mandate , β as the requirement is known , has emerged as one of the most polarizing national political issues of the day . It helped propel the Tea Party movement to mainstream politics , with conservatives calling it a gross overreach of federal power and an infringement on personal liberty .
Mr. Romney β s support of the Massachusetts plan deepened suspicions among many conservatives , who were already wary of him because of the more liberal positions he once took on social issues like abortion and gay rights .
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His comments about the mandate being a tax came on an otherwise slow Fourth of July , ensuring that they dominated the news cycle , albeit one that fewer people than usual were paying attention to .
By insisting the mandate is a tax , Mr. Romney has opened himself up to the criticism that he , too , raised taxes as governor . His campaign has sought to portray him as a tax cutter , despite the Obama campaign β s efforts to highlight state fees that rose under Mr. Romney .
In the CBS interview , he insisted that he had not imposed a tax and sought to draw an academic distinction between taxes and penalties .
β The chief justice in his opinion made it very clear that at the state level , states have the power to put in place mandates , β he said . β And as a result , Massachusetts β s mandate was a mandate , was a penalty , was described that way by the legislature and by me , and so it stays as it was . β
Mr. Romney appeared to be making a finer point about the absolute role the Supreme Court plays in setting American law , even if the nuance was lost on many . β Well , the Supreme Court has the final word and their final word is that Obamacare is a tax . So it β s a tax , β he said .
He also sought to reconcile his comments on Wednesday with his earlier positions β and put himself in line with conservatives β by saying he agreed with the dissent in the Supreme Court case . That dissent , by Anthony M. Kennedy and three more conservative justices β Clarence Thomas , Antonin Scalia and Samuel A. Alito Jr. β called the majority β s ruling β vast judicial overreach β and argued that the health care law should have been struck down .
Bill Burton , a founder of Priorities USA Action , a β super PAC β supporting Mr. Obama , said that β Romney β s ideological gymnastics will both weaken his standing on the health care debate but , more importantly , will further undercut any notion of strength in his leadership . β
Mr. Romney β s remarks proved a distraction from what should have been a day of patriotic photo-ops as he vacationed in New Hampshire . He appeared in the annual Fourth of July parade here , energetically working the crowds . β Terrific to see you ! β he said , beaming as he stretched his hands out toward the onlookers , sometimes shaking with both hands . β Hey , how are you ? Happy Fourth of July ! β
Though this is clearly Romney country β yard signs for the candidate dot lawns everywhere here , the site of his lake house β there were a few interlopers along the parade route .
Sid Hall of nearby Tuftonboro stood with a group of his friends and family waving β New Hampshire for Obama β signs along Main Street . About 20 of them were at the parade , a family ritual that is usually apolitical . But this year he said they decided to pull a quiet act of liberal defiance . β We do feel a little out of our element , β he said with a smile . | M4njfUlXlul5VuW4 | 0 | Healthcare | -0.2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
elections | Washington Times | http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/sep/18/reince-priebus-rnc-chief-threatens-john-kasich-oth/ | RNC chief threatens John Kasich, other Republicans who wonβt support Donald Trump | 2016-09-18 | elections | Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus on Sunday threatened Ohio Gov . John Kasich and other Republicans who refuse to support presidential nominee Donald Trump , saying the party may take steps to ensure it β s not β that easy for them β to seek the White House again .
Speaking on CBS β β Face the Nation , β Mr. Priebus said every Republican who ran in 2016 needs to get behind Mr. Trump .
Those who haven β t β including Mr. Kasich , former Florida Gov . Jeb Bush , and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz β could see diminished support from the party moving forward .
β People who agreed to support the nominee , that took part in our process , they used tools from the RNC . They agreed to support the nominee . They took part in our process . We β re a private party , we β re not a public entity . Those people need to get on board , β Mr. Priebus said .
β And if they β re thinking they β re going to run again someday , I think we β re going to evaluate our process , the nomination process , and I don β t think it β s going to be that easy for them , β he said .
Mr. Kasich said it β s β very unlikely β he β ll vote for Mr. Trump β¦ β too much water under the bridge , β the Ohio governor said in an interview with CNN that aired Friday .
SEE ALSO : 48 % of Democratic voters say Bernie Sanders should replace Hillary if she drops out of race
Mr. Bush has expressed similar sentiments , and Mr. Cruz famously withheld an endorsement of Mr. Trump during the Republican National Convention and instead told Republicans to β vote their conscience β in November .
Mr. Priebus denied that he was threatening Mr. Kasich , Mr. Cruz or anyone else , yet he clearly suggested the party would put roadblocks in front of the electoral hopes of anyone who hasn β t offered a full-throated endorsement of Mr. Trump .
β People in our party are talking about what we β re going to do about this β¦ It β s not a threat . It β s just a question , β the RNC chairman said . β What should a private party do about that if those same people come around in four or eight years ? β
Mr. Kasich , a former 2016 GOP presidential candidate himself , said it β s still important to get out the vote for Republicans like Sen . Rob Portman , who is running for re-election in Ohio .
β We want to get people out to vote . We want to re-elect Senator Portman , and we want to re-elect people down ticket , β Mr. Kasich said . β I β m not voting for Hillary [ Clinton ] . β
β I β ll let everybody know β¦ but I think my actions have spoken very loudly . Louder than even my words , β he said .
Mr. Kasich was in Cleveland during the Republican National Convention in July , but he did not attend the convention itself .
Asked about Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson , Mr. Kasich said : β I haven β t even gone there yet . It β s a long way [ until ] Election Day . β | SUFgzIyyoyxOE2zn | 2 | RNC | 0.4 | Presidential Elections | 0 | Elections | 0 | null | null | null | null |
trade | Daily Mail | http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5731639/Trump-facing-new-legal-action-bid-save-Chinese-jobs-linked-business.html | 'See you in court!' Trump facing new legal action after his bid to save Chinese jobs is linked to a development project in Indonesia that will profit his family business | 2018-05-15 | trade | Donald Trump 's newfound desire to help save Chinese jobs has critics of the former real estate mogul alleging that the president is acting in the interests of his family business .
The revelation that the Chinese government extended a $ 500 million loan to a state-owned company pursuing a major development project in Indonesia that will benefit the Trump Organization has ethics experts warning that Trump is likely in violation of the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution .
'See you in court Mr. Trump , ' tweeted Norm Eisen , the chief ethics officer under Barack Obama .
Donald Trump 's newfound desire to help save Chinese jobs has critics of the former real estate mogul alleging that the president is acting in the interests of his family business
Eisen and others rained criticism down on Trump for dictating that his Commerce Department look at alternatives to a supplier ban for a Chinese telecommunications company that the U.S. punished for doing business with North Korea and Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions on the rogue nations .
Trump says he ordered the review because of a personal pitch from Chinese President Xi Jinping . Easing penalties on the firm , ZTE , would help to grease the skids for a trade agreement with China , Trump tweeted .
He this morning tweeted , 'Trade negotiations are continuing with China . They have been making hundreds of billions of dollars a year from the U.S. , for many years . Stay tuned ! '
Eisen suggested in a tweet that Trump appeared to be pursuing a deal with China to boost his own business interests after the South China Morning Post reported Beijing 's loan to aid in the development of MNC Lido City .
Trump 's company has hotels bearing the president 's name and a golf course wrapped up in the project .
'This is a violation of the Emoluments Clause . A big one . See you in court Mr. Trump , ' he tweeted .
Rep. Adam Schiff , a California Democrat and constant thorn in the side of the president , said Tuesday on CNN 's New Day that the president 's desire to help ZTE 'could be related to China doing him this huge business favor , ' although he allowed that it could be that Trump is desperate for a nuclear deal with North Korea now that he 's left the Iran accord .
'The president now needs a deal with North Korea more than Kim Jong-un , ' Schiff asserted .
The lawmaker said that Trump may recognize that if he 's too tough on trade with China that Xi wo n't be as helpful with Kim , 'and then he 'll end up with two nuclear problems . '
' I certainly view this as a violation of the Emoluments Clause , yes , and many others , as well , ' he added of Trump 's company 's overseas dealings .
Schiff specified that he was talking about other ethical issues he 's observed such as 'the constant milking of the federal government , when the federal government when Trump requires the government to patronize Trump-related businesses . '
He brought up the $ 150,000 spent by Secret Service on golf carts at Trump properties to protect the president while he 's playing with friends at his courses the Trump Organization owns .
'That 's obscene ! That should never be permitted , ' he said . 'It should never be permitted that there 's even a question about whether this foreign transaction is driving U.S. policy . And this is exactly what the Emoluments clause is designed to prevent . '
Schiff claimed that when Trump nearly abandoned the one-China policy , Beijing gave Ivanka Trump 's brand the trademarks it had been long been fighting to obtain .
' I can guarantee you China would not have given those brands if Donald Trump had followed through on his campaign commitment to not recognize one China , ' Schiff charged . 'Similarly here , I ca n't imagine China going forward with this transaction helping a Trump-branded property in Indonesia to the tune of half a billion if the president continued the sanctions on ZTE . Just hard to imagine . '
Trump said yesterday that he was asking Commerce to review the penalties on ZTE after it announced that it would shudder U.S operations entirely . Commerce had said that ZTE would be shunned for seven years in the U.S .
'ZTE , the large Chinese phone company , buys a big percentage of individual parts from U.S. companies . This is also reflective of the larger trade deal we are negotiating with China and my personal relationship with President Xi , ' Trump said on Monday .
Trump defended his decision to revisit penalties for Chinese company ZTE for flouting U.S. sanctions on trade with Iran , saying the telecom maker is a big buyer for U.S. suppliers
He has faced backlash from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers after he pledged to work with Chinese President Xi Jinping to help ZTE , saying too many jobs in China had been lost
ZTE said on May 6 , 2018 it applied to the U.S. Commerce Department to suspend a seven-year ban on doing business with U.S. technology exporters
Shares of ZTE suppliers rose after Trump 's pledges to help ZTE . Acacia Communications Inc , an optical component maker , jumped nearly 9 percent
ZTE contributed $ 2.3 billion to the U.S. economy by purchasing components of its devices from 211 U.S. exporters in 2017 , a ZTE official told Reuters , accounting for 25 to 30 percent of the purchases the company makes to produce its smartphones and other products .
'ZTE did do some inappropriate things ... the question is are there alternative remedies to the ones we had originally put forward and that 's the area we will be exploring very , very promptly , ' Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Monday at a National Press Club event .
Trump in a Sunday tweet first indicated that Commerce would pursue alternative punishments for ZTE .
'President Xi of China , and I , are working together to give massive Chinese phone company , ZTE , a way to get back into business , fast , ' he said . 'Too many jobs in China lost . Commerce Department has been instructed to get it done ! '
He said in a follow up message , 'China and the United States are working well together on trade , but past negotiations have been so one sided in favor of China , for so many years , that it is hard for them to make a deal that benefits both countries . But be cool , it will all work out ! '
Trump administration officials handling trade and economic policy were meeting on Tuesday with Chinese Vice Premier Liu to discuss the president 's threat to put as much as $ 150 billion in tariffs on Chinese products over intellectual property violations and dumping . He has separately introduced worldwide tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum in a move that was meant to hit China where it hurts .
The U.S. intelligence community was caught flat-footed , Reuters reported , when Trump said he would potentially cut ZTE a break . Intelligence agencies have been warning that the Chinese company could be using its smartphones to spy on U.S. citizens and the federal government .
Schiff , the ranking Democrat on the House 's intelligence panel , cautioned Trump Sunday , 'Our intelligence agencies have warned that ZTE technology and phones pose a major cyber security threat . You should care more about our national security than Chinese jobs . '
And Republican Sen. Marco Rubio , a member of the upper chamber 's intel committee , moved Monday to keep the federal government or its subsidiaries or contractors from purchasing communications equipment from ZTE .
GOP leader in the Senate John Cornyn and reliable Trump ally Tom Cotton co-signed a previous version of the legislation .
Under questioning from Cotton about ZTE and another company , Huawei , in February , FBI Director Christopher Wray said the bureau is 'deeply concerned about the risks of allowing any company or entity that is beholden to foreign governments that does not share our values to gain positions of power inside our telecommunications networks .
'That provides the capacity to exert pressure or control over our telecommunications infrastructure . It provides the capacity to maliciously modify or steal information , and it provides the capacity to conduct undetected espionage , ' he said .
'So , at a 100,000 foot level , at least in this setting , those are the kind of things that worry us . '
Rubio , Cornyn and Cotton 's legislation would prevent the U.S. government from buying or leasing equipment Huawei , the largest Chinese telecom maker , as well as ZTE .
' I hope this is n't the beginning of backing down to China , ' Rubio said on Twitter after Trump 's latest announcement . 'We are crazy to allow them to operate in U.S. without tighter restrictions . '
The White House said Trump wanted Ross to look at the issue 'consistent with applicable laws and regulations ' after Chinese officials raised the matter in various talks .
'He 's been tough , 'Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah said . ' I mean this President has taken China to task for its unfair trade practices through this Section 301 investigation . '
Shah rested his case on the proposed $ 150 billion of tariffs on China for intellectual property and trade violations that Trump has threatened .
'So he 's been tough and he 's confronted them , ' Shah argued . 'But on this issue specifically , he 's asked the Secretary of Commerce to take a look at it .
The president 's spokesman told reporters , 'This is part of a very complex relationship between the United States and China that involves economic issues , national security issues , and the like .
'It 's an issue of high concern for China that 's been raised with the U.S. -- with the U.S. government and with our administration at various levels , ' he acknowledged . | 8brxOcjizrkNwig0 | 2 | China | -0.7 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
justice | CBS News (Online) | https://www.cbsnews.com/news/carmen-best-seattle-police-chief-resigns-city-council-votes-trim-department/ | Seattle's police chief stepping down after City Council votes to trim department, sources say | 2020-08-11 | Police, Seattle, Defund The Police, Justice | Watch CBS News Updated on: August 11, 2020 / 5:39 PM EDT / AP Seattle's police chief says she is stepping down, a move made public the same day the City Council approved reducing the department by as many as 100 officers through layoffs and attrition. Carmen Best, the city's first Black police chief, said in a letter to the department that her retirement will be effective September 2, and the mayor has appointed Deputy Chief Adrian Diaz as the interim chief, KING-TV reported Monday. Councilmembers had approved the cuts Monday. "I am confident the department will make it through these difficult times," Best said in the letter. "You truly are the best police department in the country, and please trust me when I say, the vast majority of people in Seattle support you and appreciate you. ... I look forward to seeing how this department moves forward through the process of re-envisioning public safety. I relish the work that will be done by all of you." This has been the job of a lifetime. Thanks to all of the SPD - sworn and civilian. pic.twitter.com/Duu3loLKgf In an email to police, Mayor Jenny Durkan said she accepted Best's decision "with a very heavy heart." "I regret deeply that she concluded that the best way to serve the city and help the department was a change in leadership, in the hope that would change the dynamics to move forward with the City Council," Durkan wrote. The mayor picked Best to lead the department in July 2018. She had been serving as interim chief. A military veteran, Best joined the department in 1992 and had worked in a wide variety of roles, including patrol, media relations, narcotics and operations and deputy chief. Cuts to the department have been supported by demonstrators who have marched in the city following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, but they were strongly opposed by Durkan and Best. Measures that would cut less than $4 million of the department's $400 million annual budget this year passed out of committee unanimously last week. On Monday, only council member Kshama Sawant voted against the budget package, saying it does not do enough to defund the police. Seattle currently has about 1,400 police officers and the reductions fell far short of the 50% cut to the department that many Black Lives Matter protesters are seeking. Several council members on Monday said the changes were a starting point in a long process to reimagine policing and public safety. The City Council also cut Best's roughly $285,000 annual salary and the pay of other top police leaders, although the final cuts to Best's salary were significantly more modest than those approved last week. The council plan also takes officers off a team that removes homeless camps. "While we can't do everything in this summer rebalancing package, we have set the path forward for tremendous work in front of us as a council and as a city," Council member Teresa Mosqueda said. Durkan and Best had urged the council to slow down its discussions about police budgets, saying the issue could be taken up in earnest when the 2021 city budget is considered. They also said any layoffs would disproportionately target newer officers, often hired from Black and Brown communities, and would inevitably lead to lawsuits. Durkan has proposed cutting about $20 million from the police budget this year largely because of reduced revenues amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Last month, the mayor sketched out a plan to reduce the police budget by about $75 million next year by transferring parking enforcement officers, the 911 call center and other areas out of the department. "It is unfortunate Council has refused to engage in a collaborative process to work with the mayor, Chief Best, and community members to develop a budget and policies that respond to community needs while accounting for β not just acknowledging β the significant labor and legal implications involved in transforming the Seattle Police Department," Durkan said in a statement after the vote. Copyright Β©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 βsales,β βsharingβ and βtargeted advertisingβ 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. | 2ef28627a23323be | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
violence_in_america | USA TODAY | http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/03/louis-head-apology-burn/19827121/ | Michael Brown's stepfather apologizes for violent rant | 2014-12-03 | violence_in_america | Michael Brown 's stepfather apologized Wednesday for his angry rant the night authorities announced a grand jury 's decision not to charge a white police officer for fatally shooting Brown in August .
Louis Head , however , issued a statement saying he is being unfairly blamed for the rioting that followed his outburst , which included screaming 'burn the -- -- - down ! '' and other expletives to a crowd of protesters.Head said his `` emotions got the best of me '' on the night of Nov. 24 in Ferguson , Mo .
Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson has said authorities are trying to determine if Head 's rant was an effort to incite a riot.St . Louis County Police spokesman Shawn McGuire told βββ that an investigation of Head 's statements was underway . He said the information will be sent to the prosecuting attorney 's office , where a decision will be made whether or not to charge Head and with what crimes .
`` I was so angry and full of raw emotions , as so many others were , and granted , I screamed out words that I should n't have screamed in the heat of the moment , '' Head said in his statement . `` It was wrong and I humbly apologize to all of those who read my pain and anger as a true desire for what I want for our community .
`` But to place blame solely on me for the conditions of our community , and country , after the grand jury decision goes way too far and is as wrong as the decision itself . To declare a state of emergency and send a message of war , and not peace , before a grand jury decision was announced is also wrong .
`` In the end , I 've lived in this community for a long time . The last thing I truly wanted was to see it go up in flames . In spite of my frustration , it really hurt to see that . ''
Head 's rant appeared on a video shot by The New York Times and quickly made national headlines . CNN , citing Jackson , said Ferguson police have interviewed people who were with Head when he addressed the crowd , but had not yet spoken with Head . CNN , citing unnamed police sources , reported Wednesday that investigators do not expect to charge Head .
Benjamin Crump , a lawyer representing Brown 's family , has called Head 's tirade inappropriate . But Crump also has asked that Head not be condemned , citing the tremendous stress the family was under that night .
Missouri Lt. Gov . Peter Kinder has repeatedly called for Head 's arrest and of people seen on video looting and destroying local businesses . McGuire said authorities are investigating all the crimes that occurred during the events in Ferguson . The investigation includes multiple arsons , robberies , destruction of properties , and larcenies , he said .
Brown , 18 , was fatally shot Aug. 9 following a brief , controversial confrontation with officer Darren Wilson , 28 . Brown , who was black , was unarmed . Wilson is white . The shooting touched off months of protests , some of them violent . The grand jury 's decision further fueled passions , and buildings were burned and looted in the hours after the announcement .
Protests have become smaller and more reserved in recent days , and some National Guard troops have been removed from the area .
Wilson resigned from the force Saturday , citing threats made to the Ferguson Police Department .
An independent commission appointed by Gov . Jay Nixon β charged with making recommendations on how to deal with issues raised by the shooting and the violence that ensued β held its first meeting this week . | 5X6GpVmjW7vc22Nq | 1 | Michael Brown | -0.8 | Ferguson | -0.3 | Violence In America | 0 | null | null | null | null |
us_house | Politico | http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/conservatives-scoff-at-boehner-deal-113280.html?hp=l1_3 | Conservatives scoff at Boehner deal | 2014-12-02 | us_house | Congress Conservatives scoff at Boehner deal Hardliners are again ready to cause leaders problems .
The β Hell No β caucus is once again causing headaches for Republican leadership .
A cadre of the House β s most conservative members will meet Wednesday morning at the Capitol Hill Club for Rep. Steve King β s regular breakfast to discuss lame duck legislation . Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz , who often serves as a de facto spokesman for congressional hardliners , is expected to attend .
These hard-line Republicans are already expressing their dissatisfaction with the plan outlined by Speaker John Boehner ( R-Ohio ) during a closed door meeting Tuesday morning . Instead of a spending bill that keeps the government funded through September with a chance to review the the Department of Homeland Security β s funding in March , the lawmakers want to pass a much shorter resolution .
β I think a lot of us , in discussion , we don β t see the purpose of having a long CR . Why not do it the first day we β re in session ? β said Rep. John Fleming ( R-La . ) β I β m not sure it β s going to pass the way they are proposing it . I think it β s likely they are going to have to improve it if they want it to pass . β
These conservatives estimate the number of Republican β no β votes to be near 30 to 40 β enough to derail a vote on the government funding bill if Democrats oppose the measure .
Senate conservatives are beginning to badger House leaders over their plan to fund the government and symbolically disapprove of the president β s immigration action . GOP Sens . Jeff Sessions of Alabama , David Vitter of Louisiana and Mike Lee of Utah all began to blast the House GOP leadership β s plan on Tuesday afternoon , arguing that the House needs to block funding for implementation of Obama β s executive action now , not later .
Lee laid out a detailed road map to taking on the executive action in a statement to Breitbart News , arguing for a short-term continuing resolution that blocks funding for the executive action β the opposite of what Republican leaders in both chambers want .
β The House needs to do the right thing and send over the short term bill with the defund language , β said Lee spokesman Brian Phillips .
It may not have helped matters in conservative circles that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid ( D-Nev. ) gave a tepid endorsement of the House leadership β s plan on Tuesday , calling it β unfortunate β that DHS money won β t be included in omnibus but concluding that it would be a β big accomplishment if we can get a bill over here that would fund all the appropriation subcommittees except one . β
Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) has largely deferred to the House , declining to say what they should do and emphasizing twice on Tuesday that there will be no shutdown and that he β s likely to support whatever Boehner can pass .
Asked specifically about the House plan , Sessions replied : β I β m worried that it β s not going to be effective . β
β You just can β t be bobbing and weaving on this , β Sessions told reporters . β This is not a matter to be discussed at some point . It β s just unacceptable aggrandizement of power that Congress has an institutional duty to reject . β
Added Vitter : β Make no mistake , sending a bill to the Senate without first making an attempt to include defund language is telling the American people that you support Obama β s executive amnesty . That would be a slap in the face to the voters who sent a message last month by electing Republican majorities in Congress . β
Missing from this drama , for now , is Cruz , who was central to the movement to defund Obamacare in October 2013 , which eventually led to a lengthy government shutdown . On Tuesday , Cruz twice declined to speak about the House β s bill and referred a reporter to his press office , which did not respond to questions .
And across the Rotunda , House conservatives are beginning to converge around the idea that a shorter-term CR that strictly limited funds to the Department of Homeland Security β the agency tasked with implementing Obama β s immigration executive actions .
β For me , something that is shorter term allows us to hopefully deal with a Senate that is more negotiable . I β m probably leaning no [ on the current House plan ] , β said Rep. Mark Meadows ( R-N.C. ) . β I think in terms of the CR omnibus , without a limitation language , there are not enough votes . I β m not on the whip team but listening to a number of my colleagues , there is more than enough concern . β
The atmosphere could be better for Republicans in January . The Senate will then be controlled by the GOP , increasingly the likelihood that any long-term spending legislation passed in the House could be put to a vote in the Senate . Plans floated by conservatives include passing a CR that keeps the government open just until the first week of the next Congress in January .
Rep. Jim Jordan ( R-Ohio ) , a leading conservative in the House , said on Tuesday that β the cavalry is coming β and that he preferred to deal with the larger funding issues next year . And outspoken Rep. Tim Huelskamp , who has built a reputation around opposing Republican leadership , also backed a proposal that would only temporarily extend government funding .
β For me , it β s generally in appropriations the shorter the better , β the Kansas Republican said . | eQntus0nmrByKXsw | 0 | US House | 0 | Politics | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
elections | Daily Beast | http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/08/05/hillary-don-t-debate-with-an-audience.html | Hillary, Donβt Debate With an Audience | 2016-08-05 | elections | The Trump stories just keep coming ; too fast for newspapers , too fast for television , too fast even for The βββ .
Covering Trump is like the much-loved episode of Lucy at the candy factory , stuffing caramels in her mouth trying keep up with that ever-accelerating conveyor belt . Trump travels at the speed of Twitter . Before you can hit β send , β whatever outrage you β ve written about is as fresh as the Lindbergh baby kidnapping .
So it might be asking too much to have you return with me to Aug. 6 , 2015 , a whole year ago , the very first night Donald J. Trump appeared on a debate stage as a candidate for president of the United Statesβthe night America jumped the shark .
It wasn β t the red hats with the simple slogan . It wasn β t his wealth or even his reality-TV celebrity status that propelled him to the GOP nomination . It was the laughter and cheers of a few hundred people in a theater in Cleveland that made it possible for Trump to be one election away from the White House .
By staging that first GOP debate in front of a live audience to hoot and holler at each β Low-Energy Jeb , β β Little Marco , β Carly β Look at that face β Fiorina , and β Lyin β Ted , β Fox News handed the bully his pulpit . Had that first debate been conducted in an empty TV studio like 1960 β s Kennedy-Nixon telecast , Trump β s boorishness would have fallen as flat as your drunken brother-in-law β s β funny β wedding toast .
In a vacuum , Trump β s insipid name-calling and convoluted answers to policy questions would have ended his candidacy before the first commercial break . By providing Trump with a laugh track , Fox News gave America permission to cheer him on . CNN , CBS , ABC , and everyone else followed suit and Trump rode his β Andrew Dice Clay Goes to Washington β act all the way to the GOP nomination .
In fairness , after decades of scripted jibber-jabber from just about everyone , politicians , corporations , media , even religious leaders , millions of Americans find Trump β s bluntness refreshing .
$ 400 million in Swiss francs and euros shrink-wrapped on pallets and flown to Tehran on the same day four detained Americans are released ?
Trump says he β s not politically correct and he β s not . He β s also not factually correct . But Trump β s lack of knowledge about just about anything won β t dissuade his supporters . Like our cousins across the pond , millions of Americans have begged their government for years for relief from the catastrophic consequences of globalization that wiped out entire categories of work , as well as the tsunami of workers ( both legal and illegal ) that devalued the labor left behind . The so-called responsible politicians told these Americans to shut up , they knew better , and anyone who objected was dismissed as a provincial , a xenophobe , a racist .
In physics we are taught for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction . The two political parties are learning the hard way for every inaction there is an inevitable reaction .
Trump ( and to a great extent , Bernie Sanders ) was created by the willful indifference of America β s political/media complex to the plight of all those Americans who never saw Reagan β s β shining city on a hill β and have yet to experience the upside of Obama β s β hope and change. β But like every other institution in the post-Napster era , the two major political parties no longer have a monopoly on the message .
Look at what just happened : A 74-year-old socialist from a tiny state famous for its maple syrup and heroin epidemic nearly knocked off the ultimate insider thanks to millions of disaffected liberals willing to blow $ 27 tilting at windmills while an orange-tinged , thrice-married narcissist with a hyperactive Twitter account managed to co-opt the evangelical movement while engineering a hostile takeover of the party of Abraham Lincoln , Theodore Roosevelt , and Dwight Eisenhower .
Now the only person standing between America and President Trump is Hillary Clinton .
At Hil β s coronation in Philadelphia , music icon Paul Simon croaked through β Bridge Over Trouble Waters , β because everyone knows the Democrats build bridges while the Republicans only build walls . A better choice of song would have been β The Sound of Silence . β | T3j9HJzlqdHUawME | 0 | Presidential Elections | -0.6 | Hillary Clinton | -0.6 | Debates | 0 | Elections | 0 | null | null |
isis | Politico | http://www.politico.com/story/2014/09/speech-barack-obama-isil-110847.html?hp=t1_3 | The speech Obama didnβt want to give | 2014-09-11 | isis | 'Our endless blessings bestow an enduring burden , ' he says . A speech Obama did n't want to give
This was the speech President Barack Obama never thought he β d have to give .
Standing in front of the cameras in prime time , Obama β the man who won the White House in part because of his opposition to the Iraq War β prepared the country to get even more deeply enmeshed in the violent part of the world he β s spent much of his presidency trying to get out of .
More support troops and bomber jets are going to Iraq . The option to start blowing things up in Syria is now officially very much real . And though Obama called upon Arab nations to take more responsibility for β their region , β he made clear that America is not coming close to leaving the Middle East for the rest of his presidency , and probably not for a bunch of future presidencies either .
Then he did something he rarely does : instead of anchoring his plan in a pragmatic , measured view of America β s redefined role in a contemporary world , he appealed to an exceptionalist ideal : β American leadership is the one constant in an uncertain world , β he said . β Our endless blessings bestow an enduring burden . β
That section was tacked onto the end of Obama β s short speech , right after he finished laying out the four major plans of his proposal to combat ISIL β making sure to land on , β so this is our strategy. β It was hard not to hear an echo of George W. Bush , and the vision of America as a beacon of freedom around the world that he often spoke of and let shape decisions .
Obama tended to treat that approach as not caught up with reality . And though he β s referred to America β s role in the world as β indispensable β before , not until Wednesday night did he so thoroughly embrace that grand vision of America and anchor American foreign policy to it .
( Full text of Obama 's speech , as prepared for delivery )
But ISIL brought something else out of him as he appealed to the American people to stand behind him .
β It is America , β he said , that has led the fight against terror , stood up to Russia , cleared out Syrian chemical weapons and has led Muslim countries toward a different future .
β As Americans , we welcome our responsibility to lead , β Obama said . β Tonight , I ask for your support in carrying that leadership forward . β
For years , Obama has been trying to shift the country to a new course in the decade-plus war on terror . He β s said repeatedly that he doesn β t want to β play Whac-a-Mole β by using the U.S. military against every anti-American group that rears up in the more chaotic parts of the world .
Wednesday night , he seemed to be saying that the U.S. will need to whack another major mole before his preferred policy approach can kick in .
At the same time , the president sought to reassure Americans that he hasn β t suddenly become cavalier about using military force . Obama compared the campaign he β s planning against ISIL with U.S. efforts in other parts of the globe . β This strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us while supporting partners on the front lines , is one that we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years , β he declared .
But the forum in which Obama spoke undercuts the notion that the planned mission against ISIL is part of a strategy with drone strikes in Africa or Pakistan . There have been no prime-time presidential addresses on those subjects .
Terrorism analysts and lawyers also see the anti-ISIL campaign , particularly its expansion into Syria , moving into uncharted legal waters , both in terms of the Constitution and international law .
β Iraq has openly consented , so there is no legal question about whether U.S. strikes there violate Iraqi sovereignty , β Columbia Law Professor Sarah Knuckey said . β But the harder question is about strikes in Syria . If Syria doesn β t consent , U.S. strikes would violate Syrian sovereignty unless the U.S. shows that strikes there are in self-defense . β
In his speech , Obama seemed to concede no imminent threat to the U.S. from ISIL , but a potential one down the road . β If left unchecked , these terrorists could pose a growing threat beyond the region , β he said . Despite the lack of certainty about the danger , he vowed β a steady , relentless effort to take out ISIL wherever they exist . β
β This seems at the moment like a new armed conflict of a different sort , β Knuckey said . There β s definitely some language in it that β s worrisome for its ambiguity and potentially broad scope . β
As a presidential candidate in 2008 , Obama seemed to view an imminent threat as a prerequisite for the president ordering military action . However , senior administration officials insisted Wednesday Obama is covered by the authorization Congress passed in 2001 to approve action against Al Qaeda and the Taliban . The trouble with that argument is that ISIL sharply broke with Al Qaeda last year , making the 13-year-old war vote seem like a shaky basis for a broad new military campaign .
When it comes to Congress , Obama seemed eager not to repeat the mistake he made a year ago when he belatedly asked lawmakers for an up-or-down vote on bombing Syria over its use of chemical weapons .
β I will seek authorization for the use of force from the American people β s representatives in Congress , β he said then . β All of us should be accountable as we move forward , and that can only be accomplished with a vote . β
Wednesday night , the president β s language about involving Congress was much murkier . β I welcome congressional support for this effort in order to show the world that Americans are united in confronting this danger , β Obama said .
Behind the scenes , Obama aides were more specific . A request to fund more military aid to moderate Syrian rebels was relayed to Capitol Hill earlier Wednesday . And a senior administration official said the White House would welcome a new authorization for use of military force β even if it isn β t explicitly asking for one .
β [ Congressional ] support could take any number of forms , including potentially a new limited authorization for the use of military force that would specifically address the threat posed by ISIL , β the official told reporters shortly before Obama spoke .
One lawmaker said he didn β t view Obama β s speech as a call for lawmakers to provide what amounts to a new declaration of war .
β It was not clear at all to me that the president is asking us for additional authorization on the use of force , β Sen. Ben Cardin ( D-Md . ) said on WTOP-FM . β That β s an issue that would be hotly debated in the Congress of the United States . There are lots of different views . I think it would be difficult to get agreement on such a resolution in a short period of time . β | TZWMNr2vhWrLDmA2 | 0 | ISIS | -0.1 | Barack Obama | -0.1 | Middle East | 0 | null | null | null | null |
republican_party | The Epoch Times | https://www.theepochtimes.com/mitt-romney-rules-out-presidential-run-says-trump-reelection-likely_3113001.html | Mitt Romney Rules Out Presidential Run, Says Trump Reelection Likely | 2019-10-10 | republican_party | Then-President-elect Donald Trump and Mitt Romney shake hands as Romney leaves Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in Bedminster , N.J. , on Nov. 19 , 2016 . ( AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster )
Mitt Romney Rules Out Presidential Run , Says Trump Reelection Likely
Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-Utah ) confirmed Thursday that he won β t challenge President Donald Trump for a Republican primary , saying Trump will likely be reelected in 2020 .
β There is no circumstance I can conceive of , where I would run for national office , β the former Republican presidential candidate said while answering questions on a roundtable discussion on vaping in Salt Lake City , Utah , according to local news outlet KUTV .
He then said that Trump will secure the GOP nomination and get reelected in 2020 .
Romney , a Republican critic of Trump , also said he isn β t concerned about any criticism that Trump made against him .
β My job is to try and represent the people of the state as well as I can , β he said . β Generally , I β m with the president on policy . β
Romney noted that he votes with Trump about 80 percent of the time . β So , I agree with him most of the time , β he added .
Meanwhile , Romney was asked about whether Trump should be impeached and removed from office . He wouldn β t weigh in .
β I would have to look at the evidence as it β s presented , β he said , according to CBS News .
β I β ll keep an open mind until and unless there is some kind of decision reached by the House , β he added . β It β s a purposeful effort on my part to stay unbiased and to see the evidence as it β s brought forward . β
President-elect Donald Trump ( C ) eats dinner with Mitt Romney ( R ) and Trump Chief of Staff Reince Priebus at Jean-Georges restaurant in New York on Nov. 29 , 2016 . ( AP Photo/Evan Vucci )
Earlier this month , he received backlash from the president for labeling Trump β s suggestion for Ukraine and China to investigate allegations of corruption against former Vice President Joe Biden and his son , Hunter .
Romney , he tweeted on Oct. 5 , has been β fighting me from the beginning , except when he begged me for my endorsement for his Senate run ( I gave it to him ) . β
He further described Romney as a liability for the Republican Party .
In a subsequent tweet , the president called for Romney to be removed from office . Utah does not have state laws to recall a senator .
A phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sparked a firestorm in Washington over the past several weeks and has been the focus of an impeachment inquiry launched by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) .
House Democrats have accused the president of leveraging his office and withholding U.S. aid to Ukraine to get β dirt β on Biden . Trump has denied the claims and said it β s a witch hunt . | jFH3zQmPNE4MqOll | 2 | Mitt Romney | 0 | Donald Trump | 0 | Election2020 | 0 | Presidential Elections | 0 | null | null |
elections | Washington Times | https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/jul/18/mike-pence-endorses-karrin-taylor-robson-gop-rival/ | Mike Pence endorses GOP rival of Trump-backed candidate for Arizona governor | 2022-07-18 | 2022 Elections, Arizona, Donald Trump, Elections, Karrin Taylor Robson, Mike Pence, Politics, Republican Party | Former Vice President Mike Pence on Monday endorsed Karrin Taylor Robson, who is running against Trump-backed, former TV news anchor Kari Lake in the GOP primary for Arizona governor. The endorsement further escalated the public rift between Mr. Pence and his former boss, teeing up another high-profile intraparty showdown ahead of the Aug. 2 primary. Ms. Robson, a real estate developer and former member of the Arizona Board of Regents, is βthe best choice for Arizonaβs futureβ who will βkeep Arizonaβs border secure and streets safe, empower parents and create great schools, and promote conservative values,β Mr. Pence said. βI am honored to announce the endorsement of former Vice President @Mike_Pence,β Ms. Robson tweeted. βHe has been a warrior for the sanctity of Life; limited government; law & order; opportunity for all; & the knowledge that our freedoms are granted by God. Iβm proud to have him on my team.β Ms. Lake was endorsed by former President Donald Trump last year and supports his claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him. The two Republican candidates appear to be nearly neck-and-neck in the final weeks of the campaign. A poll last week from HighGround Public Affairs showed Ms. Lake at 39% support and Ms. Robson at 35.3% among Arizona Republican voters. Mr. Pence is believed to be a potential 2024 presidential contender and has not shied away from criticizing Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump has said heβs made up his mind about running again, but he remains unsure whether he will announce his candidacy before or after the November midterm elections. β’ Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com. Copyright Β© 2025 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission. SEE MORE VIDEOS DOJβs bribery of New York City Mayor Eric Adams Carville says Trump playing 4D chess while Democrats still looking for board Border czar Homanβs attack on the pope reveals deeper truths about moral certainty | d65e47f7038b0151 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
2024_presidential_election | David French | https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/11/opinion/harris-trump-conservatives-abortion.html | To Save Conservatism From Itself, I Am Voting for Harris | 2024-08-12 | 2024 Presidential Election, Kamala Harris, Never Trumpers, Tim Walz, Donald Trump, Conservatives | Advertisement Supported by David French By David French Opinion Columnist I believe life begins at conception. If I lived in Florida, I would support the stateβs heartbeat bill and vote against the referendum seeking to liberalize Floridaβs abortion laws. I supported the Dobbs decision and I support well-drafted abortion restrictions at the state and federal levels. I was a pro-life lawyer who worked for pro-life legal organizations. While I want prospective parents to be able to use I.V.F. to build their families, I do not believe that unused embryos should simply be discarded β thrown away as no longer useful. But Iβm going to vote for Kamala Harris in 2024 and β ironically enough β Iβm doing it in part to try to save conservatism. Hereβs what I mean. Since the day Donald Trump came down that escalator in 2015, the MAGA movement has been engaged in a long-running, slow-rolling ideological and characterological transformation of the Republican Party. At each step, it has pushed Republicans further and further away from Reaganite conservatism. It has divorced Republican voters from any major consideration of character in leadership and all the while it has labeled people who resisted the change as βtraitors.β What allegiance do you owe a party, a movement or a politician when it or they fundamentally change their ideology and ethos? Advertisement Letβs take an assertion that should be uncontroversial, especially to a party that often envisions itself as a home for people of faith: Lying is wrong. Iβm not naΓ―ve; I know that politicians have had poor reputations for honesty since Athens. But I have never seen a human being lie with the intensity and sheer volume of Donald Trump. Even worse, Trumpβs lies are contagious. The legal results speak for themselves. A cascade of successful defamation lawsuits demonstrate the severity and pervasiveness of Republican dishonesty. Fox paid an enormous settlement related to its hostsβ relentless falsehoods during Trumpβs effort to steal the election. Rudy Giuliani owes two Georgia election workers $148 million for his gross lies about their conduct while counting votes. Salem Media Group apologized to a Georgia voter who was falsely accused of voter fraud and halted distribution of Dinesh DβSouzaβs fantastical βdocumentaryβ of election fraud, β2,000 Mules.β Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like. David French is an Opinion columnist, writing about law, culture, religion and armed conflict. He is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and a former constitutional litigator. His most recent book is βDivided We Fall: Americaβs Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation.β You can follow him on Threads (@davidfrenchjag). Advertisement Enjoy unlimited access to all of The Times. See subscription options | dff7f7e17acd1dc2 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
us_house | NPR Online News | https://www.npr.org/2019/03/08/701455283/house-passes-extensive-election-and-campaign-finance-overhaul-bill | House Passes Extensive Election And Campaign Finance Overhaul Bill | 2019-03-08 | us_house | The House passed an extensive bill Friday that would overhaul the way Americans vote and take aim at the money currently flowing through the U.S. political system .
The bill was dubbed the `` For The People Act '' by House Democrats who want election accessibility and weeding out corruption to be core tenets of their majority agenda the next two years . The bill passed along straight party lines , 234-193 .
`` For months , for years , really for decades , millions of Americans have been looking at Washington and feeling like they 've been left behind , '' said Rep. John Sarbanes , D-Md. , the lead author of the bill . `` Too many Americans have faced this challenge where getting to the ballot box every two years is like getting through an obstacle course . ''
House Democrats gathered on the Capitol steps moments before the vote to celebrate the impending passage .
The more than 500-page bill would require all states to offer automatic voter registration , make Election Day a federal holiday , and institute independent redistricting commissions to draw congressional districts as a way to end partisan gerrymandering .
State election officials have traditionally pushed back on federal efforts to control election administration , and a number of secretaries of state voiced displeasure at an annual meeting earlier this year that House Democrats did not reach out to them in writing the bill .
The bill would also require nonprofit organizations to disclose their large donors , taking aim at the `` dark money '' currently funding some political campaigns .
The legislation directs the sitting president and vice president , as well as candidates for the presidency and vice presidency , to release their tax returns .
But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , has made it clear he does not plan to give the bill a vote in his chamber , therefore effectively killing it .
Republicans have been calling the bill the `` Politician Protection Act '' and the `` For The Politicians Act '' and have specifically called foul on a matching provision in the bill that would heavily subsidize House campaigns that agree to accept small donations only .
`` We know this bill is not going to be signed into law , '' said Illinois Rep. Rodney Davis , the ranking Republican on the House subcommittee on elections , on the House floor before the vote . `` This bill is nothing but a bill that is for loading billions of billions of dollars into the coffers of members of Congress . ''
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy , R-Calif. , also raised the fact that the bill does not address `` ballot harvesting , '' or the collecting and returning of vote-by-mail ballots by a third-party .
The practice was used as part of an absentee ballot scheme that resulted in the North Carolina State Board of Elections calling a new election in the state 's 9th District . But many election officials and experts do n't see the collection of mail ballots as an issue in and of itself .
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said Democrats would n't be deterred by Republicans ' unwillingness to take up the bill in the Senate .
`` [ The bill ] restores the people 's faith that government works for the people 's interest , not the special interests , '' Pelosi said . `` Let us be very clear , this is a fight we are taking a vote on today but it is a fight we will not end until we win it . ''
The bill 's passage was a welcome victory for Democrats , who spent much of the week dealing with infighting and disagreement among members over comments by Rep. Ilhan Omar , D-Minn. , that were seen by some as anti-Semitic .
The House passed a resolution Thursday to condemn `` anti-Semitism , Islamophobia , racism and other forms of bigotry , '' and Pelosi made a point in her comments Friday to specifically thank freshman members for `` all the difference they are making for the people . '' | P5evHqe0mzs7tKyx | 1 | Politics | -0.6 | US House | -0.2 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
healthcare | The Nation | https://www.thenation.com/article/society/coronavirus-flu-epidemic-diseases/ | The United States Is More Vulnerable Than Ever to Deadly Diseases | 2020-01-24 | healthcare | The biggest Signal this week is , of course , the Senate trial of Donald Trump . But you , dear readers , can watch that for yourselves on any news channel . There β s also a lot of Noise surrounding the trial . A hot-and-bothered Trump tweeted over 130 times from Davos on Wednesday . Ad Policy
Let β s cut through the fog and get to the other Signals . First off , there β s the new coronavirus raging in parts of China , and the increasingly frenzied efforts to stop it from spreading globallyβcities on lockdown , public gatherings in Beijing banned , health checks at airports around the world .
You β ve probably read about the outbreak . But you may not know how badly prepared the United States is to counter a pandemic , as a result of bipartisan neglect of our public health infrastructure . The highlights : In 2012 , the Obama administration reallocated billions of dollars away from the Prevention and Public Health Fund to make up for cuts to Medicare β s physician payments . In 2018 , Congress cut the PPHF by another $ 1 billion , and the Trump administration then diverted additional millions away from the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . In response , the CDC cut its global epidemic prevention efforts by 80 percent , radically downsizing its operations in 39 of the 49 countries it had a presence in , including China and Congo , currently the epicenter of Ebola . Last year , Trump proposed slashing the DHS budget by another 12 percent and the CDC budget by 10 percent .
The result of this dangerous downsizing : As the world stands on the verge of a new epidemic , the United States has 50,000 fewer local public-health employees than it did in 2008 . Instead of stopping an outbreak early , America β s now reduced to taking the temperature of travelers at major airports . More Signal : Noise Trump Leads a Government of , by , and for Bullies Sasha Abramsky How Does This White House Stop Lying ? By Not Talking at All . Sasha Abramsky
Talking of airports , this week Customs and Border Protection descended further into lawlessness : When 24-year-old Iranian student Mohammad Shahab Dehghani Hossein Abadi arrived at Boston β s Logan Airport on the way to Northeastern University , where he was enrolled , he was detained . The ACLU secured a court order blocking his deportationβbut instead of abiding by the order , CBP simply bundled him onto a plane and flew him back to Iran .
Trump β s use of immigration as a wedge issue this election season is intensifying ; now he β s boasting that he plans to dramatically expand his Muslim travel ban . According to press reports , he may even include non-Muslim-majority countries such as Belarus and Myanmar . And now the State Department has given US embassies abroad the power to deny visas to pregnant women , arguing that they would otherwise take advantage of birthright citizenship laws .
The last Signal today is the GuantΓ‘namo trials , in which the architects of the US torture programs have testified for the first time on the witness stand . The testimony of psychologist Dr. James Mitchellβone of two designers of the waterboarding and broader torture regimeβexplaining and defending the use of torture , and detailing how he invited CIA officials to witness the pain-infliction methods they were ordering him to administer , is some of the most chilling courtroom evidence I have ever read . It shows , in intimate detail , how the US government embraced criminal methods in the wake of 9/11 . Mitchell β s argument on the witness stand that the ends justify the means is as morally cretinous as some of the testimony from Nazi bureaucrats during the Nuremberg trials .
And now back to the Noise : As I wrap up this column , the House managers are about to start day two of their case against the president . But if yesterday β s antics are anything to go by , several GOP senators will forgo their constitutional duty to listen to the evidence and leave the hearings to appear on Fox News to defend the president β s β perfect β phone call . | x2VuOf6iVlbrr6Rp | 0 | Public Health | -1.2 | Disease | -0.7 | Role Of Government | -0.6 | Bipartisanship | 0 | null | null |
healthcare | NPR Online News | http://www.npr.org/2015/03/03/390431475/round-two-health-care-law-faces-the-supreme-court-again | Round 2: Health Care Law Faces The Supreme Court Again | 2015-03-03 | healthcare | Round 2 : Health Care Law Faces The Supreme Court Again
Round 2 in the legal battle over Obamacare hits the Supreme Court 's intellectual boxing ring Wednesday .
In one corner is the Obama administration , backed by the nation 's hospitals , insurance companies , physician associations and other groups like Catholic Charities and the American Cancer Society .
In the other corner are conservative groups , backed by politicians who fought in Congress to prevent the bill from being adopted .
In 2012 , a bitterly divided high court upheld the law as constitutional by a 5-to-4 vote . Now opponents of the law are challenging it again , this time contending that the text of the law does not authorize subsidies to make mandated insurance affordable in 34 states . It 's a technical argument about the wording of the law but , if it prevails , most experts say the result would be a chaotic unraveling of a system that in the past year has extended health insurance to more than 11 million Americans .
The fight is about six pesky words in one section of the law . Those words stipulate that for people who can not afford health coverage , subsidies are available through `` an exchange established by the state . ''
The government contends that those words refer to any exchange , whether it is set up by the state itself or an exchange run for the state by the federal government in accordance with individual state insurance laws and regulations . The challengers say the statute means what it says and no more .
If the Supreme Court agrees with the challengers ' interpretation , millions of people would quickly lose their health insurance and the individual insurance market could collapse in 34 states .
Those 34 are the states , mainly Republican-run , that declined to set up an exchange themselves . A few other states also found that the system they created on their own did n't work well and so opted instead to use the federally run system .
Every major regulatory law like the Affordable Care Act is carried out according to regulations issued by appropriate agencies . And the Internal Revenue Service issued this regulation , saying that subsidies would be available to people who signed up on exchanges in every state , whether state-run or federally run .
`` We do n't treat members of Congress like teenage adolescents who do n't know what they 're saying . ''
That was the whole design of the law , the IRS says , noting that Congress never even discussed limiting subsidies to state-run exchanges .
`` Ridiculous , '' says the lawyer for the challengers , Michael Carvin . `` The text says precisely the opposite of what these English-speaking people purportedly intended . ''
`` It says , you get subsidies if you make a purchase on an exchange established by the state , '' says Carvin , but the IRS wrote a rule authorizing subsidies for federally run exchanges as well .
Former Obama administration Solicitor General Neal Katyal , who filed a brief in the case on behalf of the nation 's major hospital groups , disagrees .
`` You can take a phrase out of any statute and twist it to mean something else , '' he says .
Katyal emphasizes that a basic maxim of interpreting statutes is to look at the overall structure and purpose of the act .
`` It 's notable , '' he says , `` that in all the thousands of pages of briefing that the Affordable Care Act challengers have put together , they ca n't find a single member of Congress at any point in the many debates of the Affordable Care Act who believes what these lawyers are saying . Not one . ''
Indeed , even Republicans did seem to assume that the subsidies went to everyone who needed them , regardless of where they lived .
Rep. Paul Ryan , the top Republican on the House Budget Committee , said in 2010 , `` It 's a new and open-ended entitlement that basically says , to just about everybody in this country : If your health care expenses exceed anywhere from 2 to 9.8 percent of your adjusted gross income ... do n't worry about it ... the government 's going to subsidize the rest . ''
Wisconsin Gov . Scott Walker , a leading Republican , also seemed to assume that the subsidies would go to everyone .
`` In the end , there 's no real substantive difference between a federal exchange or a state exchange , '' Walker once said .
Although some of the challengers initially portrayed their case as involving a drafting error or `` glitch , '' Carvin says the language restricting subsidies to state-run exchanges was deliberate .
`` We do n't treat members of Congress like teenage adolescents who do n't know what they 're saying , '' says Carvin . `` The only people who ever said it was a drafting glitch were liberal polemicists who are trying to deny the force of the statute , not us . ''
Carvin notes that those words limiting subsidies to `` an exchange established by the state '' actually appear in the statute 11 times . Congress was acting rationally and intentionally when it used those words , he maintains , because the whole idea was to provide incentives for states to set up exchanges themselves .
`` They wanted subsidies and they wanted state-run exchanges , '' Carvin contends . `` If you condition the subsidies , you get both . If you give unconditional subsidies , you do n't get state-run exchanges . ''
Not so , says former Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius , who argues the conditional subsidy idea would lead to `` absurd results . ''
`` You would have in place a national rule that says no company could ban people with a pre-existing condition ; you would have a national rule that says everybody has to have coverage ; and then you would have millions of people who would have no affordable way to get that coverage , '' she says .
What 's more , Sebelius contends that a conditional plan such as the one Carvin outlines would amount to bait-and-switch for the states .
`` As one who was not only at the table when the law was being designed and at the front end of a lot of conversations with states , '' she says , `` I can tell you that there was never a design that suggested to governors or state leaders that somehow , if they did not have a state-based marketplace , they would lose tax subsidies for their constituents . ''
But what would happen if the Supreme Court does n't buy that argument and instead knocks a huge hole in the law ? Estimates are that 9.3 million people who get subsidies now through Obamacare in those 34 states would lose about $ 29 billion in subsidies and would not be able to afford coverage .
In addition , experts say that disallowing the subsidies in the states with federal exchanges would destabilize the individual insurance market in those states , meaning that rates would skyrocket for individuals and many small businesses that currently buy policies independent of the federal exchange .
Karen Ignagni , who heads the association that represents the nation 's health insurers , notes that without subsidies , those 34 states would be in the same position as states in the 1990s that passed laws banning discrimination based on previous medical conditions but did nothing else .
`` If you look at each and every state where they tried to do that , the markets blew up , '' Ignagni observes .
Without a mandate and subsidies to make coverage affordable , rates skyrocketed , people dropped out , and then rates skyrocketed even more to cover the older , sicker people who were left . So thoroughly did the individual market collapse in some states that insurers simply refused to do business there .
The prospect of such chaos in the health industry , which accounts for almost 18 percent of the U.S. economy , is perhaps the reason that business groups , which aggressively backed Round 1 of the legal attack on Obamacare , are conspicuously missing in action on Round 2 .
Certainly Congress could fix the problem with a quick drafting change to make subsidies available on federal as well as state-run exchanges . But everyone knows that is n't going to happen .
Congressional Republicans seem united on the idea of getting rid of Obamacare β indeed , the GOP-controlled House has voted to repeal the law , in whole or in part , more than 50 times . But there is no agreement at all on what to replace it with . And in the states , some Republican governors and state legislatures are already vowing not to sign on to exchanges to save subsidies for their constituents .
There is , of course , always political danger in such brinksmanship . Real people suffer the consequences . | DVoQgfvqv9UImzKU | 1 | Obamacare | 0.4 | Healthcare | 0.1 | Supreme Court | 0 | null | null | null | null |
fbi | TheBlaze.com | https://www.theblaze.com/news/fbi-hillary-clinton-email-documents-smoking-gun | FBI releases damning new Hillary Clinton email docs that discuss 'smoking gun document' | 2019-06-08 | fbi | The FBI released a treasure trove of new documents related to the investigation of Hillary Clinton 's private email server on Friday , revealing , among other discoveries , that information from Clinton 's server was found on the dark web .
The documents also reveal that hackers likely compromised Clinton 's server , a detail the government has not publicly confirmed , the Washington Examiner reported .
The documents , released via the FBI 's `` The Vault , '' include notes from an independent review that reveal the Romanian hacker known as `` Guccifer '' potentially compromised Clinton 's unprotected email server when he breached a separate server operated by longtime Clinton confidant Sidney Blumenthal .
`` It is inescapable that a security breach and a violation of basic server security occurred here , both with Mr. Blumenthal and Mrs. Clinton , '' the notes state .
Shockingly , the notes confirm Guccifer used a server in Russia to conduct his hacking `` penetration , '' leaving the U.S. intelligence community to conclude there is a `` high possibility '' Russian officials retained a copy of the hacked information and data .
Of most concern , an Excel spreadsheet with `` targeting data '' from Clinton 's server was discovered on the Dark Web , a highly encrypted layer of the internet used by criminals and hackers . The notes call the document 's presence on the dark web a `` major loss to the Intelligence Community . ''
To make matters worse , the document in question was found stripped of its classification `` collars , '' which should have been the government 's highest level of classification : Top Secret .
`` If it is determined by the by the FBI that this file ever was overtly classified , it will serve as a potential 'smoking gun document , ' '' the notes say .
According to national security and foreign policy analyst Jordan Schachtel :
Update : Some of aforementioned docs appear to be conclusions not directly from FBI , but from @ JudicialWatch , which pulled info from FBI data . It looks like JW had privileged access to unreleased info for research . @ TomFitton can prob offer more clarity on how docs came to light .
More info : @ TomFitton says Judicial Watch gave this research ( showing that Clinton emails had been found on the dark web , among other sensitive items ) to FBI a few weeks b4 Comey 's infamous presser . The agent JW team met with : Peter Strzok . FBI never did anything with his data . | MXTihWgSBQmOnpaA | 2 | Defense And Security | -0.3 | FBI | -0.1 | Clinton Emails | -0.1 | Hillary Clinton | 0 | null | null |
coronavirus | Vice | https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/jge3mp/a-bronx-hospital-is-demanding-psychiatrists-come-in-to-skype-patients | A Bronx Hospital Is Demanding Psychiatrists Come In to Skype Patients | 2020-04-02 | coronavirus | Despite a New York state mandate that companies allow as many employees as possible to work from home , the Montefiore Medical Center , an academic hospital located in the Bronx , is continuing to have `` nonessential '' workers at the Rose F. Kennedy Children 's Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center ( CERC ) come into the office , much to the concern of the employees themselves .
Once there , many of the hospital workers , which include developmental pediatricians , psychologists , social workers , and language and occupational therapists , simply connect with patients on the phone or through Skype and other video-conferencing services , because their patients have been told to avoid in-person sessions with them .
`` People are so frightened and really angry , '' said one employee , who requested anonymity because they feared repercussions at their job . `` It 's dangerous . There have been tons of COVID-19 cases everywhere at this point , especially in New York , and there 's a real lack of transparency here . We do n't really know what we 're walking into , even though there are constant reassurances that we 're safe . It does n't feel that way . ''
CERC informed its employees as recently as March 11 that they were considered part of a `` nonessential medical service , '' according to internal emails reviewed by βββ . ( CERC , one of the many clinics associated with Montefiore , focuses on helping kids with language disorders , behavioral problems , and other disabilities . )
Nevertheless , CERC continued to demand these clinicians go to the office and work at full capacity until March 30 , two weeks after Mayor Bill de Blasio closed down the New York City school system . Now , employees are instead forced to commute a few times per week , as opposed to every day . The employee βββ spoke to estimated that this likely affects as many as 150 people .
The employee worried that they and others could potentially contract the coronavirus or spread it to others , when they simply did n't need to be leaving their homes to do their jobs .
`` It 's absurd , '' the employee said . `` Therapists are trying to figure out how to deliver therapy virtually all over the world . I understand it 's difficultβI doβbut other hospitals are doing that more effectively . We do n't need to be here physically . '' ( Other New York hospitals , like the Mount Sinai Health System and NYU Langone Medical Center , appear to have been developing work-at-home measures for nonessential employees for close to a month . Montefiore did not respond to multiple requests for comment . )
CERC has asserted in emails that Montefiore is `` on top of things '' and appropriately responding to the global pandemic . But the center did n't require its staff to wear masks at work until just last week , according to the employee , and it appeared to react slowly overall to the coronavirus outbreak .
It took until March 23 for the administration at CERC to announce in an email that Montefiore would allow the clinic to operate at `` a reduced workforce by 50 % , '' which permitted `` all staff [ to ] work from home for a portion of each week . '' CERC has since taken further precautions , such as temperature checks of employees , and has advised people to wash their hands , avoid touching their faces , and stand at least six feet away from one another , according to an email . ( The employee said that it was unclear whether Montefiore or CERC itself was implementing these changes . )
Regardless , nonessential hospital workers are still being asked to travel to work and operate on a staggered scheduleβeither two or three days out of the work week . There , they isolate themselves in their offices , phones and computers in hand .
`` Really , it 's as if I do n't know who is making decisions about my work or life right now , '' the employee said . `` It 's so mysterious how these choices are even being made . '' | LgwNKIwCNsS4GqBS | 0 | Coronavirus | -0.8 | Psychology | -0.2 | Technology | -0.1 | Healthcare | -0.1 | Public Health | -0.1 |
elections | Guest Writer - Left | http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2016/11/06/hillary-clinton-vote--for-me-election-day-column/93400038/ | Hillary Clinton: Why you should vote for me | 2016-11-06 | elections | CLOSE A timeline of notable moments in Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton 's life . USA TODAY NETWORK
In January , America is going to have a new president . Things are going to change β that much is certain . The question is , what kind of change are we going to have ?
We can build an economy that works for everyone , or stack the deck even more for those at the top .
We can keep America safe through strength and smarts β or turn our backs on our allies , and cozy up to our adversaries .
We can come together to build a stronger , fairer America , or fear the future and fear each other .
Everything I β ve done , as first lady , senator , or secretary of State , I β ve done by listening to people and looking for common ground , even with people who disagree with me . And if you elect me on Tuesday , that β s the kind of president I β ll be .
Here are four priorities for my first 100 days β issues I β ve heard about from Americans all over our country .
First , we will put forward the biggest investment in new jobs since World War II . We β ll invest in infrastructure and manufacturing to grow our economy for years to come . We β ll produce enough renewable energy to power every home in America within a decade . We β ll cut red tape for small businesses and make it easier for entrepreneurs to get the credit they need to grow and hire β because in America , if you can dream it , you should be able to build it . We β ll pay for it all by asking the wealthy , Wall Street and big corporations to finally pay their fair share . And this commitment will go far beyond the first 100 days . Creating more good jobs with rising incomes will be a central mission of my presidency .
Second , we will introduce comprehensive immigration reform legislation . The last president to sign comprehensive immigration reform was Ronald Reagan , and it was a priority for George W. Bush . I β m confident that we can work across the aisle to pass comprehensive reform that keeps families together and creates a path to citizenship , secures our border , and focuses our enforcement resources on violent criminals . This is the right thing to do , and it will also grow our economy .
Third , to break the gridlock in Washington , we need to get secret , unaccountable money out of our politics . It β s drowning out the voices of the American people . So within my first 30 days , I will introduce a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United . We should be protecting citizens β rights to vote , not corporations β rights to buy elections .
Fourth , we need to get started on end-to-end criminal justice reform . Too many people have been sent away for far too long for non-violent offenses . I believe our country will be stronger and safer when everyone has respect for the law and everyone is respected by the law .
There β s so much more we need to do together , and we certainly won β t get it all done in the first 100 days . But we β re going to roll up our sleeves and get to work for American families β and I β ll never , ever quit .
I want to be president for all Americans β Democrats , Republicans and independents ; Americans of every race , faith and background .
My opponent has run his campaign on divisiveness , fear and insults , and spent months pitting Americans against each other . I β ve said many times that Donald Trump has shown us who he is . Now we have to decide who we are .
Because it β s not just our names on the ballot this year . Every issue we care about is on the ballot , too . This is about who we are as a country β and whether we are going to have change that makes us stronger together , or change that pushes us further apart .
It all comes down to this . I love our country . I believe in our people . And I think there β s nothing we can β t achieve if we work together and invest in each other .
You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page , on Twitter @ USATOpinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter . To submit a letter , comment or column , check our submission guidelines . | lMwYHgiov7Md3Ht4 | 0 | Presidential Elections | 0 | Elections | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
us_senate | Reuters | https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-barr/attorney-general-barr-defends-clearing-trump-on-obstruction-of-justice-idUSKCN1S73HF | Attorney General Barr defends clearing Trump on obstruction of justice | 2019-05-02 | William Barr, Mueller Report, US Senate, Politics | WASHINGTON ( βββ ) - Attorney General William Barr on Wednesday canceled plans to testify before the House of Representatives about his handling of Special Counsel Robert Mueller β s Russia investigation , further inflaming tensions between U.S. President Donald Trump and Democrats in Congress .
Barr was due to face the Democratic-controlled House Judiciary Committee on Thursday , but pulled out after the two sides were unable to agree on the format for the hearing .
β It β s simply part of the administration β s complete stonewalling of Congress , β Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler told reporters .
Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said Nadler β s proposal to have committee lawyers question Barr was β unprecedented and unnecessary , β saying questions should come from lawmakers .
The Justice Department also said on Wednesday it would not comply with a Nadler-issued subpoena seeking an unredacted version of Mueller β s report and underlying investigative files from the probe .
Earlier on Wednesday , Barr spent more than four hours before the Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee where he fended off Democratic criticism of his decision to clear Trump of criminal obstruction of justice and faulted Special Counsel Robert Mueller for not reaching a conclusion of his own on the issue .
In his first congressional testimony since releasing a redacted version of Mueller β s report on April 18 , Barr also dismissed Mueller β s complaints that he initially disclosed the special counsel β s conclusions on March 24 in an incomplete way that caused public confusion .
Illustrating tensions between the two men , Barr described as β a bit snitty β a March 27 letter from Mueller in which the special counsel urged him to release broader summaries of his findings - a step Barr rejected . Trump seized on Barr β s March 24 letter to declare that he had been fully exonerated .
Several Democrats on the Senate committee called for Barr β s resignation .
Democrats have accused Barr of trying to protect the Republican president , who is seeking re-election next year . They pressed Barr on why he decided two days after receiving the 448-page document from Mueller in March to conclude that Trump had not unlawfully sought to obstruct the 22-month investigation .
β I don β t think the government had a prosecutable case , β Barr said .
The report detailed extensive contacts between Trump β s 2016 presidential campaign and Moscow and the campaign β s expectation that it would benefit from Russia β s actions , which included hacking and propaganda to boost Trump and harm Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton . The report also detailed a series of actions Trump took to try to impede the investigation .
Mueller , a former FBI director , concluded there was insufficient evidence to show a criminal conspiracy and opted not to make a conclusion on whether Trump committed obstruction of justice , but pointedly did not exonerate him . Barr has said he and Rod Rosenstein , the Justice Department β s No . 2 official , then determined there was not enough evidence to charge Trump with obstruction .
Barr often appeared to excuse or rationalize Trump β s conduct , asserting that the president may not necessarily have been trying to derail Mueller β s investigation .
Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono told Barr that he had sacrificed a β once-decent reputation for the grifter and liar that sits in the Oval Office . β
Senator Lindsey Graham , the committee β s Republican chairman , rushed to Barr β s defense , telling Hirono : β You β ve slandered this man . β
Trump had been unfairly smeared , Barr said , by suspicions he had collaborated with Russia in the election . β Two years of his administration have been dominated by the allegations that have now been proven false . To listen to some of the rhetoric , you would think that the Mueller report had found the opposite , β Barr said .
Barr was critical of Mueller for not reaching a conclusion himself on whether Trump obstructed the probe .
β I think that if he felt that he shouldn β t go down the path of making a traditional prosecutorial decision , then he shouldn β t have investigated , β Barr said .
Barr was asked about the report β s finding that Trump directed then-White House counsel Don McGahn in June 2017 to tell Rosenstein that Mueller had conflicts of interest and must be removed . McGahn did not carry out the order . Rosenstein had appointed Mueller the prior month .
Barr , appointed by Trump after the president fired his predecessor , Jeff Sessions , seemed to minimize the incident and said Trump believed β he never outright directed the firing of Mueller. β Trump could have presumably appointed someone else to do the job after Mueller was fired , he said .
U.S. Attorney General William Barr returns to a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled `` The Justice Department 's Investigation of Russian Interference with the 2016 Presidential Election . '' on Capitol Hill in Washington , U.S. , May 1 , 2019 . βββ/Aaron P. Bernstein
β We did not think in this case that the government could show corrupt intent , β Barr said .
β I think the president β s intention was very clear . He wanted this to end , β Senator Dick Durbin said .
Under questioning by Democratic Senator Kamala Harris , a 2020 presidential candidate , Barr acknowledged he did not review the investigation β s underlying evidence before deciding to clear Trump of obstruction .
Barr disputed the view that Mueller was handing the baton to Congress for possible impeachment proceedings . β That would be very inappropriate , β Barr said . β That β s not what the Justice Department does . β
The Democratic-controlled House would start any such impeachment effort , but Trump could not be removed from office without approval by a two-thirds majority in the Republican-controlled Senate .
Democrats also accused Barr of misleading Congress , by saying in April that he did not know whether Mueller agreed with his characterization of the report - failing to mention Mueller β s March 27 letter that Barr β s initial summary did not β fully capture the context , nature and substance of this Office β s work . β
Barr testified that Mueller was unhappy with the way the conclusions were being characterized in the media , not his account of the conclusions , although Mueller β s letter did not mention media coverage .
β The letter is a bit snitty , β Barr said , using a word meaning disagreeably ill-tempered , β and I think it was probably written by a member of his staff . β
Several Democrats demanded that Mueller testify before the committee , but Graham ruled that out .
Committee Republicans did not focus on Trump β s conduct but rather on what they saw as the FBI β s improper surveillance during the 2016 race of Trump aides they suspected of being Russian agents , as well as on the Kremlin β s election meddling .
β The report is now in the hands of the American people , β he said . β We β re out of it . We have to stop using the criminal justice system as a political weapon . β | 3f4c4ab409166938 | 1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
north_korea | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/09/asia/north-korea-next-missile-test-fears/index.html | Will North Korea's next missile test have a nuclear warhead? | 2016-09-09 | north_korea | ( CNN ) Could North Korea actually put a nuclear warhead atop a rocket and fire it at a potential adversary ?
Some still doubt North Korea can make a warhead small enough , or miniaturize it enough , to mount atop a missile . But that 's what North Korea said it proved Friday .
South Korean monitors said Friday 's nuclear test had a yield equivalent to 10 kilotons of TNT , which would make it North Korea 's most powerful of five tests to date
That blast came just days after North Korea test-fired three ballistic missiles , which landed in Japan 's Air Defense Identification Zone , about 155 miles ( 250 kilometers ) from a Japanese island . Last month , a missile fired from a submarine also landed in the same zone .
`` They 've been demonstrating not just the ability to cause a nuclear detonation , but to mount it and turn it into a weapon , '' said John Delury , an assistant professor of East Asian studies at Yonsei University in South Korea .
`` If there 's evidence that they can do that -- or they have done that -- then this is a major concern for the region , '' Alexander Neill , a North Korea expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies Asia , said .
Friday 's nuclear test was North Korea 's second this year , something that shows North Korea is `` mastering the technology , '' said Lassina Zerbo , executive secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization .
But analysts say there 's no way to determine the extent of North Korea 's missile technology until they actually use it .
`` We ca n't learn anything about the physical size of the device , '' said Melissa Hanham , senior research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey , California .
`` My deep fear is that they will launch a live nuclear weapon on one of their missiles , '' Hanham said . `` It would be hard for Japan , China , the US , to know that it was a test and not the real thing . ... That would be extremely dangerous as that could trigger a war . ''
Reaction was swift and harsh around the world after Friday 's test with the United States , Russia , South Korea , and even China , with whom North Korea shares a border and a long but frayed diplomatic relationship , denouncing it .
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called Friday 's test `` a significant threat to the safety of our country . ''
Christopher Hill , the former US ambassador to South Korea , said Friday it 's time to stop guessing about North Korea 's capabilities and start planning a response .
`` Before long , I think they 're going to have a nuclear warhead on a missile and we have to look really carefully and see what we 're going to do , '' said Hill , who was the top U.S. diplomat in Seoul from 2004 to 2005 .
Hill said the world ca n't expect North Korea to bow to further sanctions or even be open to new negotiations over its nuclear program .
`` I would n't make bets on whether Kim Jong Un would be a reasonable guy , '' Hill said . `` I do n't put it past them to threaten countries and suggest that they will be prepared to launch a nuclear strike . ''
The solution may come in an alliance with China , said Hill , who was also assistant secretary of state for east Asian and Pacific affairs from 2005 to 2009 .
`` I think we need to sit down with the Chinese ... and say together we need to solve this , '' Hill said of North Korea 's weapons program . `` What direct means we can take to either slow it down or kill it ? ''
Philip Yun , executive director of the Ploughshares Fund , an organization that aims to eliminate nuclear weapons , also said the world can not delay a response to North Korea 's testing .
`` Unless we figure out a way to deal with North Korea and stop their activity , at some point in the near future they 're going to have a relatively sophisticated nuclear arsenal that is capable of hitting the United States and that is a huge problem , '' Yun said . | yUkqoIWWecUP4GgJ | 0 | Nuclear Tests | -1.7 | North Korea | -1.7 | World | 0 | null | null | null | null |
white_house | CNN (Web News) | https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/07/politics/trump-cancels-secret-meeting-taliban-afghanistan-president/index.html | Trump says he canceled secret Camp David meeting with Taliban leaders | 2019-09-07 | white_house | ( CNN ) President Donald Trump said Saturday that Taliban leaders were to travel to the US for secret peace talks this weekend but that the meeting has been canceled and he 's called off peace talks with the militant group entirely .
Trump tweeted that he scrapped the meeting after the Taliban took credit for an attack in Kabul , Afghanistan , that killed a dozen people , including an American soldier
Inviting Taliban leaders onto American soil is an unprecedented move and a significant development in America 's longest running war just days from the anniversary of the September 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks . It comes after Trump said as recently as late last month that he is planning to withdraw thousands of US forces from Afghanistan but will keep 8,600 troops in the country at least for the time being . It 's not clear if Trump 's Saturday night announcement will impact that plan .
`` Unbeknownst to almost everyone , the major Taliban leaders and , separately , the President of Afghanistan , were going to secretly meet with me at Camp David on Sunday , '' Trump tweeted Saturday night .
Trump claimed that before traveling to the US on Saturday evening , `` Unfortunately , in order to build false leverage , they admitted to ...... an attack in Kabul that killed one of our great great soldiers , and 11 other people . ''
`` I immediately cancelled the meeting and called off peace negotiations , '' Trump added .
CNN military analyst John Kirby , a retired Navy rear admiral and former State Department and Pentagon spokesman , called the news `` stunning , '' saying this would give the Taliban `` a boost of political legitimacy that they do n't deserve at this stage in negotiations and would be a huge propaganda victory for them , not to mention a slap at the Afghan government and President Ghani . ''
The President slammed the leaders for thinking that the attacks would improve their negotiating position .
`` What kind of people would kill so many in order to seemingly strengthen their bargaining position ? '' he tweeted . `` They did n't , they ... only made it worse ! ''
The State Department referred CNN to the White House for comment . The US National Security Council did not respond to request for comment .
The Afghanistan government blamed the Taliban for the canceled peace talks , saying the group 's `` obstinacy to increase violence against Afghans '' is the `` main obstacle '' to peace negotiations .
`` We have consistently stressed that genuine peace is possible when the Taliban stop the killing of Afghans , embrace an inclusive ceasefire , and enter into direct negotiations with the Afghan government , '' the government said in a statement .
Responding on Sunday to Trump 's decision to cancel the peace talks , the Taliban said the move `` would not harm anyone else but the Americans themselves '' and will show the US ' `` anti-peace stance in ( a ) more clear way . ''
However , the Taliban left the door open to future talks , saying , `` By continuing the dialogue , the Islamic Emirate has proved to the world that others have imposed war on us , and if the path of dialogue is open we are committed to it . ''
The insurgent group has not halted its campaign of violence as the peace talks with the US have taken place but Thursday 's killing of an American when a deal was reportedly close appears to have prompted the dramatic move from the President .
The Pentagon announced Friday that Sgt . 1st Class Elis Angel Barreto Ortiz was killed in Afghanistan . Barreto , a 34-year-old paratrooper from Morovis , Puerto Rico , died when a car bomb exploded at a checkpoint near NATO headquarters and the US embassy in Kabul . Barreto is the 16th US service member to be killed in Afghanistan in 2019 , and three other American service members have been killed in recent weeks .
The Afghan government did not push for the cancellation of the meeting at Camp David after the Taliban attack this week , it was a decision by the White House and the State Department , according to a source familiar with the planning .
Despite Trump saying in his tweet Saturday that peace negotiations are called off , new dates are being discussed by the White House for a potential meeting with the Taliban and the Afghan government , the source says . It 's unclear if the Taliban will have to make hard and fast commitments before the meeting or if Trump is using the cancellation and rescheduling simply as a negotiating tactic .
The US troop withdrawals could mark the beginning of the conflict triggered by 9/11 that has cost billions in taxpayer dollars and claimed more than 2,300 American lives .
In his tweets , Trump cast doubt on the leaders ' bargaining abilities in light of the killings .
`` If they can not agree to a ceasefire during these very important peace talks , and would even kill 12 innocent people , then they probably do n't have the power to negotiate a meaningful agreement anyway , '' he added . `` How many more decades are they willing to fight ? ''
Earlier this week CNN was told by a source informed on the matter that the State Department and the National Security Council were working on scheduling a US-Afghan government meeting as well as a US-Taliban meeting on US soil , though the location was never explicitly stated . Afghanistan wanted it sooner rather than later , but the US side was looking at the middle of this month as the most likely date .
Trump was involved in the planning personally , hoping that it would come to fruition in the coming week , the source said . He got personally attached to the outcome and the logistics of the talks after meeting with top advisers about the Afghan peace process in August .
Before that , US Special Envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad had been given a long leash to do the negotiating to bring all parties -- including the Taliban -- to an agreement .
A source familiar with details of the meeting told CNN the plan had been for Trump to meet separately with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and with the Taliban 's chief negotiator , Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar . If Trump 's meetings had gone well , the hope was to convince the two Afghans to meet face to face .
The stakes were high , according to the source , because it would have been politically toxic for Mullah Baradar to meet with Ghani . The Taliban negotiator is not authorized to talk to the Afghan government .
The Afghan government had for months been frustrated that they had not been invited to Washington by Trump during his first two and a half years in office . Afghan officials had planned to come last year right after UN General Assembly meeting but the trip fell apart because the timing did not work out , and the Trump administration canceled the visit .
Trump 's announcement Saturday comes as the US and the Taliban appeared to be close to finalizing a peace deal . Khalilzad returned to Doha , Qatar , this week to resume talks with the Taliban .
Khalilzad had told Afghanistan 's TOLOnews on Monday that the US and the Taliban have reached an agreement `` in principle , '' pending final approval by Trump .
Khalilzad said that based on the draft agreement , the US would pull troops from five bases across Afghanistan within 135 days so long as the Taliban met conditions set out in the agreement . The US currently has about 14,000 service members in Afghanistan , alongside NATO troops , helping to train and advise Afghan troops and conducting counterterrorism operations . | aQB7WVcsUN3QuPGv | 0 | Terrorism | -1.4 | Afghanistan | -0.8 | Taliban | -0.7 | White House | 0.3 | Donald Trump | 0.1 |
veterans_affairs | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/30/politics/va-hospitals-shinseki/index.html?hpt=hp_t1 | Shinseki apologizes, orders VA fixes | 2014-05-30 | veterans_affairs | Story highlights Obama accepts VA secretary 's resignation , says Shinseki does n't want to be a distraction
Shinseki says his commitment to veterans drove his decision to resign
The move comes after months of reports about problems with the VA medical system
Eric Shinseki resigned Friday as the head of the Department of Veterans Affairs , leaving behind the daunting task of repairing a broken health care system that has left thousands of veterans at risk as they wait for medical care .
Shinseki 's resignation concluded a firestorm of criticism and growing calls for him to step down following revelations of sometimes deadly delays for veterans waiting for care at VA hospitals , allegations exposed by CNN in a series of exclusive reports .
Details of the delays were first exposed by CNN last November in an investigation into two VA hospitals in the Southeast . Since then , CNN 's reporting has expanded to include numerous other VA hospitals , culminating with details about secret waiting lists at the Phoenix VA that may have played a role in the deaths of 40 veterans .
President Barack Obama went before reporters at the White House minutes after meeting with Shinseki , saying the retired Army general told him `` the VA needs new leadership '' to address widespread issues that were chronicled in new reports this week . Obama said Shinseki `` does not want to be a distraction . ''
JUST WATCHED New details about Shinseki resignation Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH New details about Shinseki resignation 02:07
`` That was Ric 's judgment on behalf of his fellow veterans , and I agree . We do n't have time for distractions . We need to fix the problem , '' Obama said .
Calls for Shinseki 's resignation snowballed in recent days from across the political spectrum -- Republicans and Democrats , as well as veterans ' advocacy groups -- because of the misconduct .
In a farewell message to VA employees , Shinseki did n't address the scandal specifically but did say he resigned with veterans ' interests in mind .
`` My personal and professional commitment and my loyalty to veterans , their families and our survivors was the driving force behind that decision , '' he said . `` That loyalty has never wavered , and it will never wane . ''
Shinseki says 'situation can be fixed , ' but not by him
Earlier Friday , Shinseki announced steps to address the VA shortcomings , including removing senior leaders in the Phoenix VA medical system , eliminating performance awards for VA leaders in 2014 and wait times as a metric for evaluations and accelerating care to veterans .
He also apologized to veterans and Congress , but declared : `` This situation can be fixed . ''
He went to the White House to present Obama with findings from his internal audit of what was happening in the VA system , including that many audited facilities had `` questionable scheduling practices '' that signaled a `` systemic lack of integrity . ''
The President acknowledged that scheduling issues did n't rise to the attention of Shinseki , whom he praised as a man who `` has served his country with honor for nearly 50 years . ''
At the same time , Obama said that he and Shinseki agreed that a shift in leadership was necessary .
For now , Sloan Gibson -- a Shinseki deputy -- will head the VA until a new secretary is named and confirmed .
`` Part of that is going to be technology . Part of that is management , '' the President said . `` But as Ric Shinseki himself indicated , there is a need for a change in culture within the VHA , and perhaps the VHA as a whole -- or the VA as a whole that makes sure that bad news gets surfaced quickly so that things can be fixed . ''
Problems in the VA system date back decades , but CNN 's reporting of long waits at VA hospitals brought the issue into national focus at the end of 2013 .
An April report by CNN in which sources said 40 veterans died at a Phoenix VA facility that used secret waiting lists to cover up the problem prompted angry calls for action .
The VA has acknowledged 23 deaths nationwide due to delayed care .
CNN also obtained an e-mail written by an employee at a Wyoming VA clinic that said staff was instructed to `` game the system '' to make the clinic appear more efficient .
A preliminary inspector general 's report made public Wednesday described a `` systemic '' practice of manipulating appointments and wait lists at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Phoenix .
According to the report , at least 1,700 military veterans waiting to see a doctor were never scheduled for an appointment or were placed on a waiting list at the Phoenix VA , raising the question of just how many more may have been `` forgotten or lost '' in the system .
In a recent USA Today opinion piece , Shinseki ordered VA officials to contact each of these veterans `` in order to bring the care they need and deserve . ''
The latest report by the VA inspector general 's office and Shinseki 's auditors indicated a link between employee bonuses and covering up patient wait times .
There also have been calls for a criminal investigation into fraudulent record-keeping to cover up delays at VA hospitals . Obama said Friday that would be up to the Justice Department , which has been collecting information but has not launched any investigation .
Shortly before he resigned , Shinseki told a veterans group that he was shocked by the inspector general 's report , especially the prevalence of wait lists for veterans needing medical care .
`` That breach of integrity is irresponsible , it is indefensible and unacceptable to me , '' he told the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans just before heading over to his final meeting with Obama .
`` I said when this situation began weeks to months ago and I thought the problem was limited and isolated because I believed that . I no longer believe that . It is systemic , '' he said .
At the same time , the VA chief of more than five years said that others had misled him .
`` I was too trusting of some , and I accepted as accurate reports that I now know to have been misleading with regard to patient wait times , '' he said . `` I ca n't explain the lack of integrity among some of the leaders of our health care facilities . This is something I rarely encountered during 38 years in uniform and so I will not defend it because it 's indefensible , but I can take responsibility for it and I do . ''
Whistleblower : VA was 'way too focused on ... good numbers '
As the accusations mounted -- including the latest one in which Reps. Mike Doyle and Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania claimed 700 veterans had been placed on a primary care waiting list for doctor appointments at the Pittsburgh VA center , with some waiting since 2012 -- so too did the pressure on Shinseki .
Politicians largely applauded Shinseki 's resignation on Friday , even as they said that the VA needed to do more than put new people in his place to resolve its shortcomings .
`` The denial of care to our veterans is a national disgrace , and it 's fitting that the person who oversees the Department of Veterans Affairs has accepted responsibility for this growing scandal and resigned , '' Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said in a statement .
Meanwhile , a VA whistleblower who told CNN about the problems at the Phoenix facility said Friday he was saddened by Shinseki 's resignation under such circumstances .
`` The VA administrators got way too focused on having good numbers and they forgot the most important mandate , the reason we all work at the VA -- to take care of veterans , to save their lives and give them good medical care , '' Dr. Sam Foote said .
`` The next secretary 's biggest challenge will be to get that refocused and make sure the number one job is taking care of veterans - not worrying about their bureaucratic careers , '' Foote added . | Mlm6C85RQuuYUoku | 0 | Veterans Affairs | -0.3 | Politics | 0.2 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
gun_control_and_gun_rights | Townhall | http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2013/03/26/new-gun-control-legislation-cruz-and-rand-will-filibuster-n1549354 | New Gun Control Legislation? Cruz and Rand Will Filibuster | 2013-03-26 | gun_control_and_gun_rights | Next month Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid plans to bring legislation criminalizing the transfer of private firearms to the floor for a vote . The package wo n't contain Senator Dianne Feinstein 's assault weapons legislation , but it can be offered as an amendment . Reid 's move to bring new gun control up for a vote has sparked another `` Stand With Rand '' moment but this time , it 's both Senators Rand Paul and Ted Cruz who plan to filibuster the bill .
Sens . Rand Paul , Ted Cruz and Mike Lee are threatening to filibuster gun-control legislation , according to a letter they plan to hand-deliver to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid β s office on Tuesday .
β We will oppose the motion to proceed to any legislation that will serve as a vehicle for any additional gun restrictions , β the three conservatives wrote in a copy of the signed letter obtained by POLITICO . Though they don β t use the word β filibuster β in the letter , the conservatives are leaving no doubt that they would filibuster on an initial procedural question β the motion to proceed .
Conservatives are concerned that once that bill reaches the floor , amendments could stiffen restrictions on gun control . Moreover , they understand that Reid intends to allow liberal amendments that would limit clip capacity and ban certain assault weapons to be offered β even though they would be defeated β to give Democrats a chance to vote on them . For moderate Democrats in competitive states , that amounts to an opportunity to vote no and show allegiance to gun rights .
This is actually a brilliant move by Paul and Cruz . Reid has already had the ability to protect Democrats from voting on the assault weapons ban , but a filibuster on criminalization legislation would force Reid to either try and stop the talking , which will bring attention to gun control efforts of vulnerable Democrats or will be forced to allow a filibuster to continue , preventing a vote on the legislation .
Sens . Al Franken ( D-Minn. ) , and Kay Hagan ( D- N.C. ) Sens . Jay Rockefeller ( D-W.Va. ) and Carl Levin ( D-Mich. ) Sens . Mark Begich ( D-Alaska ) , Jeanne Shaheen ( D-N.H. ) and Tom Udall ( D-N.M . ) | N9bqAzvnjRLxswzF | 2 | Gun Control And Gun Rights | 0.1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
civil_rights | NPR Online News | http://www.npr.org/2013/02/27/173012038/supreme-court-weighs-future-of-voting-rights-act | Supreme Court Weighs Future Of Voting Rights Act | 2013-02-27 | civil_rights | Once again , race is front and center at the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday . And once again , the bull 's eye is the 1965 Voting Rights Act , widely viewed as the most effective and successful civil rights legislation in American history . Upheld five times by the court , the law now appears to be on life support .
The provision at issue in Wednesday 's case applies only to specific parts of the country where discriminatory voting procedures were once rampant . It covers all of nine states , mainly in the South , plus parts of seven other states . To head off discriminatory voting procedures before they happen , the law requires covered areas to get approval from federal officials before changes can take place . So , for example , if an Alabama town wants to change polling places , or to change from an elected board to an appointed board , or to annex another part of the county , it has to first get permission from the Justice Department or a federal court in Washington , D.C .
Congress came up with the formula in 1965 to cover areas of the country that had a history of blatant , even violent discrimination in voting ; but the formula has not been changed since 1975 , and it still relies on election data from 1972 . That 's the crux of the issue before the court now : whether times have changed so much that Congress , in reauthorizing the law in 2006 without updating the formula , violated the Constitution .
The congressional vote in 2006 was overwhelmingly and astonishingly bipartisan , with the Senate voting unanimously to extend the law and the House voting 390-33 .
`` What the 12,000 pages of hearing [ testimony ] showed '' is that for many of the jurisdictions , `` there still was pervasive discrimination , '' says Republican Rep. James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin , who led weeks of hearings in the House as chairman of the Judiciary Committee .
Under the law , any jurisdiction with a clean record for 10 years could bail out , and some have done just that . There is also a provision to bail in jurisdictions that can be shown in court to have consistently misbehaved . But basically the law was unchanged β all the areas that had been subject to preclearance before 2006 still were β and Congress simply extended it for another 25 years .
That prompted a legal challenge . But when it reached the Supreme Court in 2009 , the justices dodged the major issue in the case , ruling instead on a lesser question . At the same time , though , Chief Justice John Roberts ' opinion for the court expressed serious doubt as to whether the law was justified anymore , and it all but invited a future challenge if Congress did not act to change the coverage formula .
Congress , of course , did not act , and now the issue is back in a case brought by Shelby County , Ala. , a once rural and now more suburban community south of Birmingham .
Frank `` Butch '' Ellis has been the Shelby County attorney since 1964 , the year before the Voting Rights Act was enacted .
`` The South has changed , '' he says , adding that there is no more discrimination in the South than anywhere else . `` There 's probably bits of it everywhere , but there 's no evidence that it 's more prevalent in these covered jurisdictions than it is in the noncovered jurisdictions . That 's our complaint . ''
`` Shelby County still advertises itself as the heart of the Heart of Dixie , and that tells you that some things have not changed , or at least have n't changed enough to take the bandage off the wound , '' says Pam Karlan , a voting-rights expert who has written a friend of the court brief on behalf of Rep. Sensenbrenner and a bipartisan group of lawmakers involved in the 2006 reauthorization .
She notes that Shelby County could escape the preclearance requirement if it could show it had a clean record for 10 years , but the county ca n't make that showing . She points , for example , to a municipality within the county called Calera .
When Calera `` redrew the boundaries for their city council districts , they did it to make sure that the one black member of the city council could n't be re-elected , '' Karlan says .
That black council member , Ernest Montgomery , says he did n't even know that there was an effort to change his district until after the Justice Department rejected the change .
County Attorney Ellis , however , forcefully objects to the notion that Shelby County tried to use artifice to prevent a black candidate from winning an election . He notes that in a county that is 90 percent white , there have been multiple elections in which black candidates defeated white candidates .
`` In any race , you show where you had a minority candidate happen to lose , I can show you two where they won with a 90 percent white population , '' Ellis says . He maintains that because the Voting Rights Act has not been updated in its coverage formula since 1975 , the law amounts to an unjustified violation of states ' equal sovereignty .
`` All of our states are equally sovereign , and if you 're going to impose a current burden , '' he argues , `` you 've got to have a current justification . You ca n't use a justification that 's 49 years old . ''
Defenders of the law counter that the post-Civil War amendments to the Constitution explicitly give Congress the power to enact appropriate legislation to enforce and protect the right to vote .
As for Shelby County 's equality argument , it treats the Constitution `` as if it 's about equal protection for the states , not about equal protection for people , '' Karlan says .
The Shelby County case is a microcosm of what the legal debate over the Voting Rights Act is all about .
`` The case has enormous real and symbolic significance , '' observes NYU law professor Richard Pildes . At the same time , it `` symbolizes different things to different people . '' To some , he says , `` the case is all about whether there continue to be any problems with race in voting in these parts of the country . '' To others , `` the case symbolizes whether the political process today can recognize that anything significant has changed with respect to race and politics '' in the South .
To Alabama Solicitor General John Neiman , for instance , it makes no sense that Congress in 2006 simply extended the law without looking at how things have changed in the South and other covered areas . The problem `` in terms of the outright defiance by officials of federal voting rights '' that Congress was concerned with in 1965 just does n't exist anymore , he says .
But Rep. Sensenbrenner disagrees : `` Almost the entire Congress was convinced that [ the states ] had n't cleaned up their act . ''
The Supreme Court , however , has hinted strongly that it is not similarly convinced .
In 2009 , when the high court upheld the Voting Rights Act , Chief Justice Roberts seemed to foreshadow many of the arguments that will be made by Shelby County on Wednesday .
`` Things have changed in the South , '' Roberts said in announcing the decision . The `` burdens '' imposed by the law `` must be justified by current needs . '' The Voting Rights Act , he said , `` differentiates between the states in ways that are in tension with our fundamental tradition of equal sovereignty among the states . '' And , he added that these distinctions `` may no longer be justified by current conditions . ''
To Sherrilyn Ifill , president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund , those sentiments are just plain scary . She says that without preclearance , known as Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act , there is no way to challenge all of the legal twists and turns that can be used to deny minorities the right to vote and be represented .
`` The reality is without Section 5 , you ca n't keep up , '' Ifill said . `` We ca n't keep up . No civil rights organization could keep up with all the minute changes that could happen in thousands of jurisdictions throughout this country , and that 's why Congress created it . '' | znVFleonfAWdssOc | 1 | Civil Rights | -0.2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
environment | John Stossel | http://townhall.com/columnists/johnstossel/2015/06/10/green-lies-n2010233 | OPINION: Green Lies | 2015-06-10 | environment | Millions go to SeaWorld to learn more about sea life and get closer to killer whales . But fewer go now because the documentary `` Blackfish '' exposed what one reporter called `` the darker side '' of SeaWorld .
The movie , which CNN bought and ran over and over , tells how greedy businessmen take baby whales from their mothers and imprison them in small aquariums , where the frustrated animals are a threat to each other and their trainers .
`` All whales in captivity have a bad life , '' says a biologist in the film . `` They 're all psychologically traumatized . ''
`` Blackfish '' is persuasive . Watching it made me agree with the protesters who shout , `` SeaWorld is synonymous with cruelty ! ''
SeaWorld would n't talk to CNN , but they did talk to me . I will be showing their responses on Fox News this weekend .
I asked SeaWorld why they separate whales from their mothers .
`` We have n't done that in 35 years , '' says Kelly Flaherty Clark , SeaWorld head trainer . `` We have no plans to do it again , and the film implies that we 're doing it yesterday . ''
SeaWorld says much of `` Blackfish '' is deceitful . `` The things they describe just did n't happen . ''
`` Eighty percent of the whales that we care for were born right here , '' says head veterinarian Chris Dold . `` The key difference between what our whales experience and what killer whales in the wild experience is the fact that ... our trainers work with them every day . ''
I was most disturbed by a `` Blackfish '' scene that plays the mournful cry of a mother whale whose baby was taken from her . But it turns out the `` baby '' was an adult with kids of her own . `` Blackfish '' faked the scene by adding `` sound effects that are n't even appropriate to a killer whale . ''
Blackfish also claims captive whales ' droopy dorsal fins indicate that the whales are miserable . But whale expert Ingrid Visser says killer whales in the wild have collapsed dorsal fins , too .
The director of `` Blackfish '' and others who appear in the film would not talk to me , but biologist Lori Marino , who 'd said that `` all whales in captivity have a bad life , '' did .
I pointed out that life in the wild is rough , too -- there 's competition for food , sex , life itself . She answered , `` these animals evolved over millions of years to be adapted to the challenges of the wild , not with living in a concrete tank . ... They need space ... and a social life . ''
SeaWorld claims its whales are `` happy . '' But as `` Blackfish '' points out , `` we ca n't ask the whales . ''
Dold replied , `` While I may not know what my dog is thinking , I certainly know that he 's happy and that we have a good relationship . ''
There have been moments when that human-whale relationship was n't good . One whale drowned a SeaWorld trainer . But Clark says there 's no evidence that the whale 's behavior meant that he was frustrated because he lives in a tank .
Finally , `` Blackfish '' claims that captive whales die young . But Dold points out , `` We have a 50-year-old whale living at SeaWorld . ... ( O ) ur whales ' life parameters are the same as whales in the wild . '' Government research confirms this .
It 's romantic to fantasize about freeing whales so that they can frolic in the ocean . That probably would n't work out very well . After the movie `` Free Willy '' ran , the whale depicted in the film ( SET ITAL ) was ( END ITAL ) set free . But wild whales would n't accept him in their pods . Willy kept returning to shore to be near people . He let children ride on his back . Willy died not long after he was set free .
It 's hard to think rationally when animals tug at our heartstrings .
Lori Marino says it 's cruel to imprison whales in tanks where they `` have to do stupid pet tricks . '' I see her point , but marine parks and zoos are often the only way people learn about nature , and ticket sales pay for education and conservation efforts . SeaWorld alone has helped rescue 25,000 animals .
I do n't presume to know if it 's moral to keep animals in captivity . But I do know that the activists distort the truth . I 'll give more examples in my `` Green Tyranny '' TV special Sunday on Fox News at 9 p.m. ( EDT ) .
βββ is host of `` Stossel '' on Fox News and author of `` No They Ca n't ! Why Government Fails , but Individuals Succeed . '' For other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists , visit www.creators.com . | 2twr6HdXtNZb4OVb | 2 | Environment | -1.9 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
trade | Reuters | https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hongkong-protests-breakingviews/breakingviews-us-sanctions-on-china-are-means-without-an-end-idUSKBN2352ZK | U.S. sanctions on China are means without an end | 2020-05-29 | Coronavirus, China, Hong Kong, Foreign Policy, Trade, Economy And Jobs, WHO, Healthcare, World, Asia, Donald Trump, White House, Politics | U.S. President Donald Trump makes an announcement about U.S. trade relations with China and Hong Kong in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington , U.S. , May 29 , 2020 . βββ/Jonathan Ernst
SAN FRANCISCO ( βββ Breakingviews ) - U.S. sanctions on China over Hong Kong would ratchet up tensions between the two superpowers , but with no obvious goal beyond punishment . President Donald Trump on Friday says he would take steps to slap penalties on officials of the People β s Republic . The first move of its kind would escalate tensions , yet it probably won β t deter Beijing and could spur retaliation .
After months of holding back in response to Hong Kong unrest , the White House has taken aggressive action . A day after the Chinese parliament approved moving forward with legislation tackling secession and subversion in the territory , Trump said he would hold PRC officials linked to β smothering Hong Kong β s freedom β responsible but didn β t provide details . He also said he would eliminate policy exemptions for the city . Earlier this week , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared Hong Kong was no longer autonomous , opening the door to ending special treatment relating to travel and trade .
Other pressure points on China , like Trump β s trade war , had a clear end game . At least some tariffs on about $ 370 billion of Chinese imports would be rolled back if a trade deal was reached . A so-called Phase One pact was signed in January , when Beijing agreed to purchase $ 200 billion in additional U.S. goods over two years .
It β s unclear what China could do to persuade Washington to roll back potential new sanctions except scrap the Hong Kong law . Trump β s predecessor Barack Obama imposed similar penalties on Iran to bring the country to the negotiating table , resulting in a nuclear deal and the easing of sanctions . Trump reinstated the restrictions with the aim of putting more conditions on the pact .
But Beijing probably won β t budge on Hong Kong and the White House knows it . Therefore sanctions and other enforcement actions can only be intended as retribution for the new law , the coronavirus , or economic behavior . Pompeo told Fox News on Thursday that there will be a series of actions against the β tyrannical regime inside of China. β One option is canceling visas for thousands of Chinese graduate students with alleged ties to the military .
The mainland could retaliate by , say , putting restrictions on U.S. companies with significant Chinese business interests like Apple . That in turn could spur more White House action β with the general anti-China sentiment largely shared by both political parties in Congress , too . This time , though , there is no obvious way to end the tit-for-tat . | 2428536bf1fa2bd4 | 1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
polarization | Webster Journal | http://websterjournal.com/2016/03/16/politickin-me-off-trump-rally-showcases-political-polarization/ | Politickinβ me off: Trump rally showcases political polarization | 2016-03-16 | Political Polarization, Polarization | When Donald Trump comes to town , political chaos follows on his heels .
I attended the rally Trump held in downtown St. Louis at the Peabody Opera House on Friday , the same day that Chicago responded to his arrival with such a frenzy of dissent that he decided to cancel . In St. Louis , it was obvious why the candidate who has so carefully cultivated this environment might be afraid of it .
Trump supporters ranging from high school students to disabled vets and everything in between waited outside the venue ; those at the front of the line had been there since 3 a.m .
They told me they believed in Trump β s promise to make America great again . They told me that they were there because of the economy , mostly . The crowd was mostly white , but still diverse in background and lifestyle . One young man looked like the image of a counterculture millennial , with an asymmetrical haircut and ear gauges . He wore a pin that said β bomb the hell out of ISIS β on a faux-leather jacket . He hadn β t decided yet if he would vote in the Democratic or Republican primary .
At the front of the line , a YouTube comedian led the crowd in a chant of β make America great again , β which they enthusiastically cheered for until they realized he had switched to β make America hate again β , leading to an awkward , muttering trailing-off . A supporter with a cowboy hat and guitar stepped in to take his place as the entertainment .
Meanwhile , a small group of protesters bearing signs ranging from earnestly anti-racist to cheap jokes , stood further down the sidewalk , making the anti-Trump case . One of them , face covered in a bandana , dragged an American flag under his feet . The two groups shouted competing chants , β KKK , go away β vying with β USA ! USA ! β Police officers dragged a metal barrier between them .
It was the kind of political spectacle that amounted to ordinary people squabbling in the street , over the insurmountable differences in their fundamental world views and what mattered most to them . It wasn β t the kind of thing that made headlines , but it was democracy , in an unglamorous microcosm .
It was the first event for which I had ever been a registered member of the press , and I filed into the section reserved for media with the rest of the reporters in attendance . We were not , as you might expect , near the stage . Instead , we were in the back of the room . It was clear that the candidate wanted the keep his distance from the media .
Trump was nearly 45 minutes late to the event , and we heard other speakers before he arrived . All three were women β a Latina immigration lawyer who seemed cynically chosen to make the point that not all Trump supporters are white , the vice chair of the Missouri Republican Party , who said that her grandchildren weren β t allowed to watch Trump dissenter Megyn Kelly on Fox News because β Southern girls are taught that women should be seen and not heard , β and 91-year-old conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly , the famous antifeminist .
When Trump took the stage , the crowd erupted into rapturous cheers . After a long morning of waiting and confronting those who didn β t agree with them , here was the man they β d all come to see , here to make America great again .
He didn β t speak in many unbroken sentences . Every few minutes , a protester in the audience would rise to their feet . They would unfurl a sign , usually with a message about Trump β s racism .
If they said anything , I couldn β t hear them . Far louder and more disruptive than the protestors was the audience response . The entire crowd would jeer at each protester ; Trump himself joined in , running a scornful commentary on each of his critics as they were removed from the room by the police .
β Nobody β s being hurt , press , β Trump called back to us in the cheap seats . He wanted to make it understood that he was in no way encouraging the violence against protesters that had taken place at some of his events . Still , there could be little question that this was obfuscation . With more sincerity , he told the audience about how in the good old days , there were consequences for protesting .
I don β t know if this called to mind images of fire hoses and attack dogs for anyone else in the room , but it did for me .
There was , predictably , no debate or conversation in that room . Trump laughed at Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders for allowing protestors at one of his events to take the microphone , and it was clear why . No one came to see Donald Trump speak to hear ideas .
Trump β s brand of conservatism doesn β t require policy analysis , from either his fans or his ardent dissenters . Trump is a man who makes it incredibly easy to understand where you stand . There β s only one question you have to ask yourself to understand your position in the hierarchy of Trump Americaβare you with him , or are you against him ?
The storm outside and within every recent Trump event is a look into a political future dominated by a faction which views all outsiders as enemies . That shouldn β t make a candidate electable in America . Trump β s ultimate fate will show us whether it does . | 27d729f0821eda87 | 1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
bridging_divides | Splinter | https://splinternews.com/the-worst-people-in-america-are-rebranding-1834894453 | The Worst People in America Are Rebranding | 2019-05-20 | Koch Brothers, Campaign Finance, Money, Charles Koch, Elections | Over the past decade or so , the Koch political network , now headed by Charles Koch after his brother David β s departure from politics last year , has become the symbol of excess wealth and inordinate political power in America . I t appears that the Kochs have realized this and decided it β s long past time for them to restructure their shitty empire so it looks a little bit more palatable to the public .
The Washington Post reported on Monday that the Koch political network , which is currently known by the ominous-sounding , Resident Evil-villain ass name The Seminar Network , will now be known as the much friendlier Stand Together . β We live in a period of unprecedented progressβeconomic , social , technologicalβbut not everyone has shared in that progress , β Charles Koch , absent even a hint of irony , said in a statement to supporters shared with the Post . β While many people have gotten ahead , too many people are falling behind . Our charge is clear : we must stand together to help every person rise . β
The Koch network β s central political project over the past decade has centered around stripping workers of their right to organize and make living wages while also killing regulations and drastically reducing taxes on corporations and the wealthy . This effort culminated in the millions Koch groups spent t rying to convince people that the Republican tax plan was in fact very good . And so when it comes to the people and entities responsible for exploding inequality , the Kochs have a prominent place in that conversation .
As part of further restructuring , the network is reportedly shuttering Freedom Partners , which it previously used to push out campaign ads and other libertarian free market propaganda . The group will also now coordinate all of its political efforts through Americans for Prosperity , its main advocacy group .
Per the Washington Post , these are the network β s new goals :
Koch and [ Stand Together chairman Brian ] Hooks identify these as their five top priorities going forward : Empower everyone to find fulfilling work . Help neighbors beat poverty and addiction . Ensure excellent education for every person . Build a stronger economy that works for all . Bridge divides and build respect for one another.ο»Ώ
Translation : Empower everyone to work for $ 3 an hour . Help neighbors beat poverty and addiction , but not too much . Ensure excellent profit margins for every for-profit charter conglomerate . Build a stronger economy that works for us . Bridge divides and build a big moat filled with alligators surrounding my house so the poors can β t get to me when they realize they β ve had enough .
At the end of the day , it β s still a turd sandwich , regardless of what kind of toppings you put on it . | ce2dd627c8af13d7 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
trade | BBC News | https://www.bbc.com/news/business-48253002 | China hits back in trade war with US | 2019-05-13 | Tariffs, China, United States, Trade | China has said it will raise tariffs on $ 60bn ( Β£46bn ) of US goods from 1 June , extending a bilateral trade war .
The move comes three days after the US more than doubled tariffs on $ 200bn of Chinese imports .
The escalation hit stock markets , with Asia markets falling on Tuesday after Wall Street closed with sharp losses .
US President Donald Trump had warned China not to raise levies but Beijing said it would not swallow any `` bitter fruit '' that harmed its interests .
Items affected include beef , lamb and pork products , as well as various varieties of vegetables , fruit juice , cooking oil , tea and coffee .
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a news briefing in Beijing that China would `` never surrender to external pressure '' .
The move hit stock markets in the US on Monday , with the Dow Jones and the S & P 500 closing down 2.4 % , while the Nasdaq index lost 3.4 % .
The latest round of US-Chinese trade negotiations ended in Washington on Friday without a deal .
The US argues that China 's trade surplus with the US is the result of unfair practices , including state support for domestic companies .
It also accuses China of stealing intellectual property from US firms .
As well as ordering a tariff increase on $ 200bn worth of Chinese imports , Mr Trump also directed the US trade department `` to begin the process of raising tariffs on essentially all remaining imports from China '' , estimated to be valued at around $ 300bn .
Though on Monday , Mr Trump said that he had `` not made a decision '' on whether to go ahead with those additional levies .
Despite failing to reach a deal last week , Mr Trump said on Monday that the US has `` a very good relationship '' with China . He said the two sides would talk at the next G20 summit which takes place in Japan on 28-29 June .
`` Maybe something will happen , '' he said . `` We 're going to be meeting , as you know , at the G20 in Japan and that 'll be , I think , probably a very fruitful meeting . ''
Earlier , the president had warned China against a tit-for-tat response to the US 's actions last week .
`` China should not retaliate - will only get worse ! '' Mr Trump tweeted shortly before news of the Chinese decision came .
Mr Trump also said China had `` taken so advantage of the US for so many years '' .
He added that US consumers could avoid the tariffs by buying the same products from other sources .
`` Many tariffed companies will be leaving China for Vietnam and other such countries in Asia . That 's why China wants to make a deal so badly ! '' he said .
Mr Trump 's approach in the dispute has put him at odds with his own top economic adviser , Larry Kudlow , who has said `` both sides will suffer '' . | c49d1866b2acac19 | 1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
elections | CBN | http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/politics/2016/april/trump-scoffs-at-cruz-choosing-a-running-mate-he-cant-win | Trump Scoffs at Cruz Choosing a Running Mate: 'He Can't Win' | 2016-04-28 | Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Presidential Elections, Elections | It 's an unusual move for a presidential candidate to pick a vice presidential running mate before winning his party 's nomination β even more unusual when his path to the nomination is blocked . But despite trailing Trump , Cruz went ahead and announced his choice .
But will he hit a home run by naming former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina as his running mate β or will he strike out ?
`` Carly is n't intimated by bullies , '' the Texas senator declared Wednesday . `` Over and over again , Carly has shattered glass ceilings . ''
`` This is the fight of our time , '' Fiorina said during Wednesday 's announcement . `` And I believe Ted Cruz is the man to lead that fight . And I am prepared to stand by his side and give this everything I have , to restore the soul of our party , to defeat Donald Trump , to defeat Hillary Clinton , and to take our country back . ''
Fiorina tussled with Trump early in the primary season for comments he made about her face . The GOP front-runner dismissed this latest move .
`` A new relationship has started β Cruz and Carly , '' the tycoon said . `` Cruz ca n't win . What 's he doing picking a vice president ? ''
Trump had other things to talk about as well . He gave a major foreign policy speech in Washington and said America 's allies would have to start paying for their own defense . He also railed on the Bush and Obama administrations for not stopping persecution of Christians in the Middle East .
`` We have done nothing to help Christians , nothing , and we should always be ashamed of that β for that lack of action , '' he said .
Trump went from there to Indiana where he got the endorsement of legendary Indiana Hooters basketball coach Bobby Knight , ahead of Tuesday 's primary .
`` If we win Indiana , it 's over , '' he said . `` It 's over . I 'm not playing games with Indiana . ''
After Indiana votes , Clinton is hoping it 's also over for Bernie Sanders . The delegate math is not with Sanders , who rallied thousands of screaming fans at Indiana University hours after he announced the layoffs of hundreds of campaign staffers .
`` Next Tuesday let 's have the largest voter turnout in Indiana history , '' Sanders said .
Cruz is 400 delegates behind Trump and while he expects to win Indiana , if he does n't , analysts say it 's all over . | bebf4ccae755a3d1 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | Washington Post | https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/pompeo-likely-to-fail-committee-vote-but-is-all-but-assured-senate-confirmation/2018/04/23/f4dd0a28-470b-11e8-9072-f6d4bc32f223_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.e6d43bf85b3c | Senate panel narrowly endorses Mike Pompeo for secretary of state after Trump intervenes with key Republican | 2018-04-24 | US Senate, Politics | clockThis article was published more than 6 years ago Secretary of state nominee Mike Pompeo narrowly eked out an endorsement from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Monday after President Trump and a Democratic senator intervened at the last minute, all but guaranteeing that he will be confirmed by the full Senate later this week. Pompeo had seemed unlikely to secure a majority of the panelβs support. But Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who had pledged to oppose him, tweeted moments before the vote that Trump had talked with him and changed his mind. | 4bb417bf5d80581b | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
world | The Guardian | https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/03/india-kashmir-tours-truth | Welcome to Indiaβs rent-a-diplomat Kashmir tours, where the truth is on holiday | 2020-03-03 | India, Kashmir, Freedom Of The Press, Corruption, Narendra Modi, Genocide, World | Three weeks ago , the Indian state took yet another delegation of foreign envoys on a tour of Kashmir , the disputed region it has placed under a devastating lockdown since illegally revoking its autonomy in August last year . Mass incarcerations , torture and the longest digital siege ever imposed in a democracy mean that daily life for most Kashmiris has now become a dire struggle .
The purpose of these rent-a-diplomat tours is to shore up a narrative of normalcy in Kashmir . But as I saw images of carefully choreographed meetings with officials , spooks , businessmen and newly birthed political stooges , I thought of other places of interest that the delegates might be persuaded to see , should they or others like them visit again .
Kashmiris have for years been writing in blood that they want 'Aazadi ' , to self-determine their destiny
Since I happen to know Srinagar β the city of my birth and youth β probably slightly better than , let β s say , the visiting French envoy and his handlers , I suggest you start in the immediate vicinity of the majestic palace-turned-hotel where the international delegates β brought in to see Kashmiris , with their own eyes , no less β were forced to stay .
Take a short walk around the hills here and you could take photos of a gorgeously redecorated building known as Papa II or Fairview . This was one of the most notorious torture centres where detained Kashmiris β suspected of involvement in insurgency against Indian rule β were subjected to unspeakable torture in the 1990s . It has since been redecorated and turned into an official residence where Kashmir β s last chief minister lived . A few echoes of those tormented inside might ring faintly , but what β s a postcard-pretty , old villa without fitting sound effects ?
Not too far from there , you could visit the beautifully appointed guesthouses and hotels in which various species of Kashmiri politician have been kept as grumpy guests of the state . They won β t talk freely , as it β s kind of illegal in Kashmir , but , hey , those codes of modern democracy and freedom of speech , as practised in Berlin or Paris ( and sometimes in Delhi ) , need not apply to an indigenous people in a faraway mountainous region .
If you like your medieval towns full of exotic charms , a quick detour into the Martyr β s Graveyard of Srinagar β where a cross-section of those slain by India β s armed forces over the years are buried β could get you face-to-face with lots of Arabesque gravestones . You must recite Rumi here .
Just a few minutes from the Dal Lake , where you grudgingly had to take photos as you reclined in the traditional Kashmiri water taxi , you could go on a historical walk in the labyrinths of the old city . Here you could embark on a tour of the families who have lost their boys and girls to Indian bullets over the years . But if seeing memorial rooms of loss and death so soon after selfies at an idyllic lake isn β t your cup of tea , you could speak to living victims , those who have dark holes in place of eyes . Please note that it might be rude to ask your hosts how and why these kids were blinded .
My son is one of Kashmir β s β disappeared β . When will India tell the truth about their fate ? | Parveena Ahangar Read more
In the photos posted by a news agency which is known for its alacrity in reporting lovely things for the state , one couldn β t see any common Kashmiris . But worry not , the next time you go , you could ask your local fixers to find a funeral and join in with prayers for the soul of the departed . To see ordinary Kashmiris , of all shapes , sizes , and ages , you need not even visit Kashmir . Many are scattered across north Indian prisons β most have not been charged , and do not have robust legal aid β providing a real chance to talk to people in their natural habitat .
You must then visit the only psychiatric hospital in Srinagar . Here you can find your average distressed native anywhere you look , as the incidence of deep trauma among us has risen because of the long siege of our earthly paradise . Previously , only one in two Kashmiris suffered from some form of post-traumatic stress disorder ; now , you will have to politely ask your hosts , who imposed the siege six months ago , about the curve of that statistic .
The envoys might deserve some credit for their assiduous devotion to the great Indian democracy roadshow . It β s not the first time that European diplomatics in India have made themselves useful on the Kashmir front . In 2013 , the then German ambassador , Michael Steiner , put on a concert for the conductor Zubin Mehta in a picturesque garden on the shores of Dal Lake . We were told it was to bring peace and harmony to the people of Kashmir . Attended mainly by spooks , bureaucrats , officials , politicians and a few fawning journalists , the concert ended up resembling a dark skit straight out of a war comedy : hours before the concert a motorist was shot and wounded for failing to obey orders to stop . Meanwhile in south Kashmir , four Kashmiris were killed by Indian paramilitaries , as the invitation-only guests listened to rhapsodic orchestral music in a walled garden surrounded by soldiers with semi-automatic weapons .
Tourist envoys have occasionally visited Kashmir to examine , ascertain and report on we are told , what Kashmiris really want , despite Kashmiris having for years written in blood that they want azadi , to self-determine their destiny . As one is unable to compute how boatloads of foreign and Indian delegates are going to help , one is compelled to conclude that it may just be a good old freebie , a fully paid trip to one of the most beautiful places on the planet .
It doesn β t matter that Kashmiris have been subject to conquistadorial silencing , to surveillance that brings to mind the Stasi , to torture and mass incarceration , suppression of assembly , a draconian internet shutdown , the crushing of their free press , the devastation of their economy , the crippling of the education system , the criminalisation of speech ( those who β ve been set free have literally had to sign β bonds of silence β ) and the gagging of their civil society .
It doesn β t matter that the natives are being punished en masse . You can always keep them out of the frame , as a young Afghan counsel to India gleefully did during the latest PR expedition , when he told reporters : β Everything is normal and alright here . We saw children on the way to their school , which is a sign of normalcy. β This is a curious statement : schools and colleges in Kashmir are firmly shut during the long and harsh winters . It doesn β t matter that everyone in Kashmir knows this is a state-crafted sojourn . It clearly didn β t matter that the young Afghan diplomat ended up saying precisely what his hosts in Delhi wanted to be said .
Because that was both the job description and the objective .
β’ Mirza Waheed is a novelist and the author of The Collaborator , The Book of Gold Leaves , and Tell Her Everything | 72b0ea83a167b558 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | Newsmax | http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Judge-Trump-University-Litigants-Settle/2016/11/12/id/758522/ | Judge Tells Trump University Litigants They Would be Wise to Settle | 2016-11-12 | politics | The U.S. judge overseeing a lawsuit against President-elect Donald Trump and his Trump University told both sides they would be wise to settle the case `` given all else that 's involved . ''
Lawyers for the president-elect are squaring off against students who claim they were they were lured by false promises to pay up to $ 35,000 to learn Trump 's real estate investing `` secrets '' from his `` hand-picked '' instructors .
Earlier on Thursday , U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel tentatively rejected a bid by Trump to keep a wide range of statements from the presidential campaign out of the fraud trial .
Trump owned 92 percent of Trump University and had control over all major decisions , the students ' court papers say . The president-elect denies the allegations and has argued that he relied on others to manage the business .
Trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 28 , and Curiel told lawyers he was not inclined to delay the six-year-old case further . Trump lawyer Daniel Petrocelli said he would ask to put the trial on hold until early next year , in light of the many tasks the magnate has before his inauguration .
Curiel said he would allow both sides to file briefs on whether to delay the case . He also indicated they should consider making a deal .
`` It would be wise for the plaintiffs , for the defendants , to look closely at trying to resolve this case given all else that 's involved , '' Curiel said .
Petrocelli told reporters after the hearing that Trump might have to be a `` little more flexible '' about settling the case now that he is president-elect , although the lawyer was n't sure his client would was willing .
Curiel said that he would allow Trump to testify via video given his presidential obligations .
In the tentative ruling Curiel , based in San Diego , said Trump 's lawyers can renew objections to specific campaign statements and evidence during trial . Trump 's attorneys had argued that jurors should not hear about statements Trump made during the campaign , including about Curiel himself .
Trump attacked the judge as biased against him . He claimed Curiel , who was born in Indiana but is of Mexican descent , could not be impartial because of Trump 's pledge to build a wall between the United States and Mexico .
Trump 's lawyers argued that Curiel should bar from the trial accusations about Trump 's personal conduct including alleged sexual misconduct , his taxes and corporate bankruptcies , along with speeches and tweets . They argued the information is irrelevant to the jury and prejudicial to the case .
In court papers , lawyers for the students claimed that Trump 's statements would help jurors as they weigh the Republican 's credibility .
`` Defendants have not identified specific evidence that they wish to exclude , '' Curiel wrote on Thursday . `` Accordingly , the court declines to issue a blanket ruling at this time . ''
The judge also barred Trump lawyers from telling jurors that the university had a 98 percent approval rate on student evaluations . That rating is irrelevant as to whether Trump University misrepresented itself , Curiel wrote .
Curiel is presiding over two cases against Trump and the university . A separate lawsuit by New York 's attorney general is pending . | vtcsrTtSRJ8KuPGQ | 2 | Trump University | -0.2 | Donald Trump | -0.1 | Politics | 0 | null | null | null | null |
abortion | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/26/politics/texas-abortion-bill/index.html?hpt=po_t1 | Perry renews Texas abortion battle with special session | 2013-06-26 | Abortion | Story highlights `` I underestimated how difficult it would be , '' Davis says
The filibuster of Texas Sen. Wendy Davis became a viral sensation
The White House took notice of her abortion rights stand
Critics say the bill would have shut most of the state 's abortion clinics
A day after a filibuster and a raucous crowd in the state Capitol foiled passage of a bill that would have imposed strict new regulations on abortion in Texas , Gov . Rick Perry vowed Wednesday to try again .
Perry said the Legislature would convene July 1 in special session to take up the abortion bill , which was declared dead before dawn Wednesday . The bill failed after a night of drama in Austin during which a lone lawmaker talked for more than 10 hours in an attempt to run out the clock on a special session .
Chants of `` shame ! shame ! shame ! '' from spectators who had filled the building drowned out the efforts of Republican lawmakers as they tried to pass it minutes before midnight .
`` We will not allow the breakdown of decorum and decency to prevent us from doing what the people of this state hired us to do , '' Perry said in a statement calling lawmakers back into another special session . Texans `` value life and want to protect women and the unborn , '' he said .
Perry 's announcement came a day before he was to address the National Right to Life convention in Dallas on Thursday .
And it came on a day when abortion rights advocates found a new hero in state Sen. Wendy Davis , D-Fort Worth .
Though Republicans control the state Senate , Davis tried to block the abortion bill by attempting a 13-hour filibuster Tuesday .
JUST WATCHED Perry : Filibuster senator was a teen mom Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Perry : Filibuster senator was a teen mom 01:53
JUST WATCHED Watch how Texas Senate filibuster began Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Watch how Texas Senate filibuster began 00:45
JUST WATCHED Texas House debates , passes abortion bill Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Texas House debates , passes abortion bill 01:37
`` I underestimated how difficult it would be -- both physically and mentally , '' Davis told CNN 's `` AC360 '' on Wednesday . `` About two hours in , I realized I was in for a long day . My back started hurting pretty early on and began to really hurt as the hours ticked by . ''
But , she said , the energy from the packed gallery `` kept me going throughout the day . ''
Davis fell short of her goal by less than three hours when the chair ruled she had gone off topic . The gallery erupted in boos . Her fellow Democrats stalled for time with procedural tactics .
And as the clock wound down , opponents of the bill drowned out proceedings on the floor , preventing lawmakers from completing a vote in time to get it passed .
At 3 a.m. , Lt. Gov . David Dewhurst stepped to the Senate floor to declare the bill dead and the special session over .
`` We empowered the voice of people in Texas and people who wanted to stand against this intrusion , this big government intrusion , into their personal lives , '' Davis said Wednesday night .
Even if the bill winds up passing in the next special session , the reaction will not be split along partisan lines , she predicted . `` It 's a reaction coming from Republicans , independents and Democrats alike , which is saying : Governor Perry , Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst , stay out of my private decision-making . ''
The bill would have banned most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy and tightened standards on abortion clinics and the doctors who work at them . Critics said the measure would have shut most of the abortion clinics in Texas .
`` He ( Perry ) lost this fight in regular session , and even after they broke the rules he and his allies lost again in front of the entire country last night , '' said Cecile Richards , president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund , in a statement .
`` They tried every trick in the book , blocking testimony from the very women whose lives would be affected , voting in the middle of the night , shutting down the debate β they could n't get this done because Texans would not let them . ''
Wearing pink sneakers , Davis , 50 , took to the floor of the chamber late Tuesday morning to criticize the bill . Rules called for her to stand , unaided , until midnight , for the filibuster to succeed .
She was not allowed to sit down , lean or take a bathroom break , and she was allowed three warnings before the Senate was to be allowed to vote on whether to stop the filibuster .
The senator spent much of the time reading testimony and messages from women decrying the bill and recounting the struggles they , their friends or relatives faced before birth control and abortion were legalized .
`` Women realize that these bills will not protect their health , '' she said . `` They will only reduce their access to abortion providers and limit their ability to make their own family-planning decisions . ''
Early in the diatribe , her comments were ruled off topic and she was given her first warning .
During the evening , a fellow senator helped Davis put on a back brace , which was ruled to have violated filibuster rules , and she got her second warning .
Finally , at about 10 p.m. , Davis talked about the abortion pill , RU486 , and the chairman ruled again that her comments were off topic .
But a member of the Senate then moved that the ruling be appealed , and its status was in doubt .
The final hours of the session were marked by confusing parliamentary maneuvers until Sen. Leticia Van de Putte stepped to the microphone , ending the debate .
`` At what point must a female senator raise her hand or her voice to be recognized over the male colleagues in the room ? '' the Democratic senator asked after she had been ignored .
At 15 minutes before midnight , the gallery erupted in applause and chants of `` Wendy ! Wendy ! Wendy ! ''
As the session ended , Davis waded into the crowd of supporters and praised them as `` the people who truly made this happen . ''
Texas Right to Life blamed `` the angry mob of protesters in the Senate gallery '' for the failure of the bill to pass .
`` Ultimately , we should be encouraged that we had the votes and that so many came to support the bill , '' the anti-abortion group said on its website . `` We will continue to work to pass Pro-Life legislation that protects women and saves lives in Texas . ''
Davis ' stand captivated abortion rights advocates from coast to coast , prompting the hashtag # standwithwendy on Twitter
`` Something special is happening in Austin tonight , '' said a post on President Barack Obama 's official Twitter account . The account is run by Organizing for Action , a nonprofit group established to support the president 's legislative agenda .
`` Whatever the outcome , @ WendyDavisTexas efforts entered her into the pantheon of American heroes tonight . ''
Heady times for Davis , who was first elected to the Texas Senate in 2008 , defeating a longtime Republican incumbent to do so .
Last year , she staged a filibuster to force a special session in an attempt to stop $ 5 billion in cuts to Texas public schools , according to her website
Davis , who became a single mother at age 19 , went on to graduate with honors from Harvard Law School , it says .
Her filibuster was no record . In 1977 , Sen. Bill Meier staged a 43-hour marathon .
The special session ends with irony , Twitter user Cody Beckner said , echoing the governor 's own words . | ab65b48a1203037e | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
us_senate | Christian Science Monitor | http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2015/0531/Why-Mitch-McConnell-bid-to-extend-Patriot-Act-failed | Why Mitch McConnell bid to extend Patriot Act failed | 2015-05-31 | us_senate | As promised by Sen. Rand Paul , the federal government β s massive gathering of Americans β phone records β went dark β at midnight Sunday , dealing a blow to the program β s advocates β including Senator Paul β s fellow Republican from Kentucky , Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell .
The expiration of the program and other anti-terrorism surveillance provisions under the Patriot Act , although expected to be only temporary , is Sen. McConnell β s first serious defeat as majority leader . It shows just how difficult it can be to keep his own members in line β particularly when they are running for president , as is Paul .
And it shows that sometimes , the longtime strategy of using deadlines to force consensus in Congress just doesn β t work . β Sometimes they work , sometimes they don β t , β said Sen. Orrin Hatch ( R ) of Utah . β It β s tough to lead this bunch , β he added .
Especially Paul . The libertarian has made ending the data gathering program his signature issue , and has featured his spirited Senate fight in campaign ads and fundraising appeals .
In the wee hours of May 24 and again in an unusual Senate session on Sunday , Paul used parliamentary rules to disrupt floor action on the issue . A vote on a House compromise known as the USA Freedom Act is not expected until later this week .
The House bill passed overwhelmingly and has President Obama β s support . It leaves the job of data gathering to phone companies , rather than the government , and requires the government to get a search warrant to access it .
McConnell worked hard to build opposition to the House bill , which he has criticized as a hurdle to intelligence gathering . But he lost supporters as senators coalesced around the House bill , 77 to 17 , in a procedural vote to advance the bill on Sunday . The leader had wanted to simply extend the provisions of the Patriot Act , but Paul β eight days ago and on Sunday β blocked even short-term extensions .
Republicans blamed Paul rather than the leader for the expiration .
β I β m sure we β re not going to let the whole program lapse , but because Senator Paul is taking advantage of the rules of the Senate , [ we ] will delay and there will be an interim period where the nation is less secure , β Sen. John McCain ( R ) of Arizona , said on Sunday .
Democrats see things differently . Minority leader Harry Reid of Nevada faulted McConnell , blaming him for a β manufactured crisis β by waiting to bring up the Patriot Act provisions until just before the Senate β s Memorial Day recess β a week before their expiration .
When he was majority leader , Reid also used deadlines to forge consensus . It 's a common floor management technique . But Reid `` would never have stacked this many bills together against a deadline without a clear path forward , β his spokesman , Adam Jentleson , said in an email . Mr. Jentleson was referring to trade and highway bills that also were voted on shortly before the Senate broke for recess just over a week ago .
β It β s difficult to know , β said Sen. Susan Collins ( R ) of Maine . β Perhaps we should have stayed in last week , rather than going on recess until the issue was resolved . β
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On the other hand , she said , when McConnell offered short-term extensions to work out compromise legislation just before the recess , β I don β t think it was anticipated β that Paul and some Democratic allies would object .
Now , she said , β all of us are extremely concerned about the program going dark at a time when the terrorist threat is very high and coming at us from so many different directions . β | yNgOQ3Ss2ny7p4Vr | 1 | Patriot Act | -0.3 | Mitch McConnell | -0.1 | US Senate | -0.1 | Rand Paul | 0 | Politics | 0 |
politics | National Review | https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/03/clinton-russia-collusion-evidence/ | Russian Collusion, Clinton $tyle | 2018-03-27 | politics | Strolling one afternoon near Manhattan β s Sixth Avenue and West 34th Street , I spotted two tourists with their faces nestled in a map . They looked hopelessly lost .
I pointed straight up , one block east , and said : β It β s right there ! β
Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his team resemble those hapless travelers . They scour their visitors β guide in vain for any trace of Team Trump β s alleged Russian collusion . Meanwhile , just steps away , the Clintons β Russian-collusion skyscraper soars into the clouds .
In fact , former Trump-campaign aide Sam Nunberg said that Team Mueller asked him if he had heard anyone in Trump Tower speak Russian . Apparently , nyet .
Although they started sniffing around in July 2016 , neither the FBI β s bloodhounds nor those of Mueller or Congress have detected a whiff of evidence that ties Trump to Russian collusion . Indeed , the House Intelligence Committee interviewed 70 witnesses and reviewed 300,000 documents before wrapping up its Russiagate inquiry last Thursday . As its final report states , β The Committee found no evidence that meetings between Trump associates β including Jeff Sessions β and official representatives of the Russian government β including [ Moscow β s ] Ambassador Kislyak β reflected collusion , coordination , or conspiracy with the Russian government . β
In contrast , Team Mueller studiously ignores something more conspicuous than the iridescent onion domes atop Red Square β s St. Basil β s Cathedral : Private interests that closed deals with Vladimir Putin and his agents β thanks to thenβsecretary of state Hillary Clinton β s public favors β gave the Clinton Foundation between $ 152 million and $ 173 million .
While this institution performed some charitable work , it also was the Clintons β de facto slush fund . It operated a veritable full-employment program for the courtiers in Hillary β s β government in waiting β during the Obama years and financed much of the Clintons β global travels . Donations to the Clinton Foundation were , in essence , gift-wrapped presents for the Clintons .
Hillary β s March 2009 button-pushing β Russian reset β ceremony with Moscow β s foreign minister , Sergei Lavrov , triggered this particular bonanza . Hillary captured its essence in March 2010 when she told former Soviet propagandist Vladimir Pozner on First Channel TV : β Our goal is to help strengthen Russia . β
The Clintons also strengthened their coffers . Three key transactions compose their pro-Kremlin graft .
β’ β The Ex-Im Bank would welcome an application for financing from Rosavia to support its purchase of Boeing aircraft , β Hillary said in Moscow on October 13 , 2009 . Three days later , according to the Washington Post , β Boeing formally submitted its bid for the Russian deal. β Kremlin-owned Rostekhnologii decided on June 1 , 2010 , to buy up to 50 Boeing 737s for Aeroflot , Russia β s national airline . Price : $ 3.7 billion .
That August 17 , Boeing gave the Clinton Foundation $ 900,000 to β help support the reconstruction of Haiti β s public-education system β after a severe earthquake the previous January .
β’ Hillary pushed Skolkovo , β a high-tech corridor in Russia modeled after our own Silicon Valley , β as she explained in Moscow in October 2009 . Her State Department colleagues encouraged 22 top American venture capitalists to tour Skolkovo in May 2010 .
State convinced Cisco , Google , and Intel , among others , to open shop in Skolkovo . By 2012 , 28 β Key Partners β from the U.S. , Europe , and Russia supported this project .
But the U.S. Army Foreign Military Studies Program warned in 2013 : β Skolkovo is arguably an overt alternative to clandestine industrial espionage. β Lucia Ziobro , a top FBI agent in Boston , explained in 2014 : β The FBI believes the true motives of the Russian partners , who are often funded by their government , is to gain access to classified , sensitive , and emerging technology from the companies . β
Never mind this threat to U.S. national security . The Clintons got paid . An August 2016 Government Accountability Institute study titled From Russia with Money reported that 17 of Skolkovo β s β Key Partners β plied Bill with speaking fees or gave the Clinton Foundation between $ 6.5 million and $ 23.5 million . ( Some such donations , unfortunately , were reported in ranges , not precise sums . )
Despite top Republican lawmakers β grave reservations , CFIUS approved Rosatom β s offer and handed the Kremlin one fifth of U.S. uranium supplies .
β’ Russia β s State Atomic Energy Corporation , Rosatom , announced on June 8 , 2010 , a $ 1.3 billion bid for a majority stake in Canada β s Uranium One . Its assets included 20 percent of American reserves of the main ingredient in atomic bombs . Hillary was one of nine federal-agency chiefs on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States , which evaluated this strategically sensitive proposal . As America β s chief diplomat , Hillary could have sunk it . She didn β t . Despite top Republican lawmakers β grave reservations , CFIUS approved Rosatom β s offer and handed the Kremlin one fifth of U.S. uranium supplies .
Before , during , and after CFIUS β s review , Clinton Cash author Peter Schweizer calculates , β shareholders involved in this transaction had transferred approximately $ 145 million to the Clinton Foundation or its initiatives . β
All told , the companies and investors in these Russia-strengthening deals gave the Clinton Foundation between $ 152 million and $ 173 million . If Robert Mueller seeks Russian collusion , it β s right there . | u8eHpbsna0ouzQcI | 2 | Hillary Clinton | -3.4 | Russia | -1.4 | Politics | -0.9 | null | null | null | null |
elections | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/05/opinion/ghitis-hillary-clinton-convention/index.html?hpt=op_t1 | Where's Hillary? Not in Charlotte | 2012-09-05 | Election 2012, Presidential Elections, Elections | Story highlights Hillary Clinton , the most popular Democrat in the U.S. , is in Asia tour during convention
It 's customary for a current secretary of state to stay above politics , avoid election season
Frida Ghitis : Being removed puts her above it all , positioned for a 2016 run for president
Ghitis : Hillary insists she will not run , but Democrats are hoping fervently she will
Do n't bother looking for her this week on the podium of the Democratic National Convention . Do n't try to catch a glimpse of her in the backrooms where the powerful gather or on the convention floor where delegates wave signs proclaiming their love for Obama or Clinton ( the other Clinton ; the husband ) .
No , while Democrats try to stoke the troops with passion for their party and excitement for Barack Obama 's re-election , the most popular member of the Democratic Party , possibly the most popular major politician in America , will stay far away from the national spotlight , about 10,000 miles away .
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is occupied with other matters , serious matters of state . No time for cheering or voter-rousing . She 's keeping her distance from politics , and that might work out just fine in a few years . As Democrats started streaming to North Carolina , she jetted off to the middle of nowhere . Or , more precisely , to the Cook Islands in the Pacific . Look it up . It 's far away .
By now , Hillary -- as everyone calls her unofficially ( and we 're speaking unofficially ) -- has moved on in her busy Asian itinerary . As you read this , she may be in China , or in Timor-Leste , or perhaps Brunei . The official explanation is that she had important business and as a sitting secretary of state , she is supposed to stay above politics , above the partisan fray . Indeed , former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said it is customary for the current secretary to avoid the political season , as she did in 2008 .
JUST WATCHED Land disputes await Clinton in China Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Land disputes await Clinton in China 02:08
JUST WATCHED Hillary Clinton 'does not sweat ' Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Hillary Clinton 'does not sweat ' 04:30
Hillary , however , is not just any secretary of state . She is the woman who almost beat the current president for the nomination . She 's the one millions hope will lead the ticket in 2016 .
She is the one Democrat on everyone 's mind this week even if she made it a point to move her operations to the other side of the world . Journalists will find it difficult to ask her opinion about the convention or ask the real question , the one people have not stopped asking in four years : Will she run for president in 2016 ?
The standard answer is that she has no interest in running again and looks forward to private life after Obama 's first term . But few people believe she has made that decision . The reluctance to take her at her word stems partly from the stunning phenomenon of worldwide popularity that Hillary Clinton has become .
For every one of the past 10 years , Americans have ranked her the Most Admired Woman , ahead even of Oprah when she had her show . Hillary is probably among the most popular women in the history of the United States , having won the title 16 times , more than any other woman .
She consistently scores the highest approval ratings of any top member of the Obama administration , and she has developed an extraordinary level of personal rapport with the masses , with the millions who have never met her but have seen her evolve over the decades .
People feel an emotional connection after having witnessed the visible pain she endured during her husband 's public cheating scandals . They watched her raise her chin , battle adversity and come out ahead . Everyone knows it has not been easy .
Liberated from campaigning , she has relaxed . She has become more spontaneous and genuine , leaving behind some of the calculated deliberateness of the politician . Hillary 's most private moments seem to fill her admirers with vicarious joy . When images surface of her dancing or drinking a beer during a break from work in Colombia , they immediately go viral . As if people felt glad that she 's happy .
The Internet parody `` Texts from Hillary '' became all the rage , as it purported to show the ubercompetent SecState whipping the world into line . In one image , President Obama , stretched out on a couch , sends a text , `` Hey Hil . Whatchu doing ? '' Hillary , looking stylish in shades , with giant briefing books before her , texts back : `` Running the world . ''
It 's a joke , but it 's funny because it reflects an image that has taken hold . Hillary seems to work harder than anyone . She has traveled to more countries -- 108 so far -- than any of her predecessors . She 's always at it . And it always seems important . The mere mortals , the regular politicians , are out campaigning , telling half-truths and slinging mud . Hillary 's busy , working to keep the world running .
As secretary of state , she is in a perfect position to work on issues that are much less controversial than domestic dilemmas . She does n't need to talk about tax increases , health care reform or the deficit . She does n't have to spar with the Republicans and look petty or nasty in the process .
It makes her look superior to the others . It puts her in great shape for 2016 , when she will be 69 , not too old to run for president .
Hillary first electrified activists back in 1995 , when she declared in her famous Beijing speech `` it is no longer acceptable to discuss women 's rights as separate from human rights . '' And she has never let up on her efforts on behalf of women . But men , too , even the most rugged ( even Republicans ) have come to respect her .
Back in 2010 , when a Rolling Stone reporter quoted senior military men in Afghanistan disparaging the Obama administration , he revealed that , `` Only Hillary Clinton receives good reviews . ''
And she has not stopped getting great reviews . Staying out of the political mud-pit , she is the subject of popularity polls , breathless speculation and gushing profiles , like a recent cover story -- complete with photo spread -- in Conde Nast Traveler . In addition to the glamor and the competence , the writer revealed `` one very intimate detail that most people still do n't know about Hillary Clinton . '' The secret ? `` She does not sweat . Literally . She does not even glow . No matter how high the heat , not a drop nor a drip nor a bead ... ''
The polls show voters want Hillary to run again . In Iowa , a look at presidential preferences showed Hillary beating Vice President Biden 60 to 18 . No one else reached 5 % . In New York , voters want Hillary to run even more than they want their very popular governor to do so .
So , while the Democrats shout themselves hoarse in Charlotte , Hillary will be far away , busy with affairs of state . But do n't be so sure her absence means she 's not interested in politics .
Like everyone in Charlotte , she too is probably pondering what Hillary will do in 2016 . She may be absent , out of sight . But staying away only makes the Democrats ' heart grow fonder . | 94424d227959d20a | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
environment | New York Times - News | http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/24/world/asia/obama-at-un-climate-summit-calls-for-vast-international-effort.html?ref=politics&_r=0 | Obama Presses Chinese on Global Warming | 2014-09-24 | environment | The president and Mr. Zhang met briefly at the summit meeting on Tuesday , before Mr. Obama β s speech . In his remarks , Mr. Obama said he had pressed Mr. Zhang on the urgency for both countries to take the lead , and noted that he and the Chinese president had already reached an accord to cut the use of hydrofluorocarbons , a potent category of greenhouse gases .
The United States , he said , would meet a pledge to reduce its carbon emissions by 17 percent , from 2005 levels , by 2020 β a goal that is in large part expected to be met through the proposed E.P.A . regulation . Now , Mr. Obama said , the United States is preparing ambitious new targets to cut emissions further by 2050 , with specifics to be made public ahead of a climate summit meeting in Paris in 2015 . Other nations are expected to submit their own plans .
With its surging use of coal , China has overtaken the United States as the world β s largest greenhouse gas polluter . But in the past year , as thousands of Chinese have protested the reliance on coal and its contribution to some of the world β s dirtiest air , Chinese authorities have signaled that they intend to adopt policies to reduce the use of coal .
β We β ve been working hard on this plan , looking at what kind of changes we will make to industry , β Li Junfeng , director general of China β s National Center for Climate Change Strategy , said in an interview .
Image President Obama before speaking Tuesday at the United Nations General Assembly , where he urged more than 100 world leaders to confront climate change . Credit Damon Winter/The New York Times
Mr. Li said that his center had prepared β multiple choice β options for a proposed climate plan , and that Beijing would choose one to put forth based on the perceived stringency of the American plan for emissions cuts by 2050 .
In recent years , the Chinese government has sent other signals about addressing carbon pollution , some of them encouraging to environmental experts . It has created seven regional cap-and-trade plans aimed at cutting carbon pollution from coal plants , and in August , a Chinese government official suggested that China was exploring the possibility of a national cap-and-trade plan . | 5A0I9d9yhXRV3L8w | 0 | Environment | 0 | Climate Change | 0 | Climate Controls | 0 | Global Warming | 0 | Barack Obama | 0 |
middle_east | NPR Online News | http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/08/26/343360301/reports-u-s-authorizes-surveillance-flights-over-syria | Reports: U.S. Authorizes Surveillance Flights Over Syria | 2014-08-26 | middle_east | President Obama has authorized surveillance flights over Syria , The Associated Press and The New York Times are reporting this morning , citing unnamed U.S. officials .
The flights are intended to collect intelligence on Islamic State militants and could be a precursor to military strikes inside of Syria .
`` Defense officials said Monday evening that the Pentagon was sending in manned and unmanned reconnaissance flights over Syria , using a combination of aircraft , including drones and possibly U2 spy planes . Mr. Obama approved the flights over the weekend , a senior administration official said . `` The flights are a significant step toward direct American military action in Syria , an intervention that could alter the battlefield in the nation 's three-year civil war . `` Administration officials said the United States did not intend to notify the Assad government of the planned flights . Mr. Obama , who has repeatedly called for the ouster of Mr. Assad , is loath to be seen as aiding the Syrian government , even inadvertently . ''
Obama has over the last three years resisted calls for the United States to wade into the Syrian civil war . But as the Islamic State , which used to be known as the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq or ISIS , started an aggressive march on Iraq , the United States has ordered airstrikes .
Last week , Ben Rhodes , Obama 's deputy national security adviser , telegraphed this decision in an interview with NPR .
Rhodes said that U.S. would not rule out military strikes against the Islamic State inside Syria .
NPR 's Kelly McEvers asked Rhodes if this means the United States is backing into yet another conflict in the Middle East .
`` Well , we 're dealing with a very serious and focused challenge from a terrorist organization β [ ISIS ] , '' Rhodes said . `` And I think what people need to understand in terms of what those concerns may be is that we do place a degree of limits on how we are going to get after that challenge . The president has made clear in Iraq , for instance , that we 're not going to reintroduce U.S. forces into combat , which if you compare what we 're doing today to when we came into office when we had 140,000-some troops in Iraq , it 's a very different type of approach . ''
During that interview , Rhodes also ruled out working with Syrian President Bashar Assad to oust the militants .
The AP reports that flights over Syria are intended to provide more clarity on the militant group . The news service adds : | 28unKTIYHoz2ERZt | 1 | Syria | -1.6 | Middle East | -0.4 | Drones | 0 | null | null | null | null |
defense | TheBlaze.com | https://www.theblaze.com/news/2018/12/01/james-mattis-blasts-putin-as-slow-learner-and-reveals-russia-attempted-to-interfere-with-midterms | James Mattis blasts Putin as βslow learnerβ and reveals Russia attempted to interfere with midterms | 2018-12-01 | defense | Defense Secretary James Mattis did n't mince words on Saturday , as he never does , in speaking about Russian interference with American elections . Speaking Fox News anchor Brett Baier at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California , Mattis not only said that Russia attempted to interfere in our 2018 mideterms , but that the U.S. wo n't tolerate their interference and will do what it takes to stop them .
β This is a very complex situation because Mr. Putin is clearly a slow learner , β said the former Marine General . β He is not recognizing that what he is doing is actually creating the animosity against his people . He 's not acting in the best interest of the Russian people , and he is actually causing NATO to rearm and to strengthen ... the unified stance of all the democracies together . β
`` What we are seeing Putin do , with his ripping up of international agreements , violating in the Kerch Strait this last week , a joint statement , agreement between Ukraine and Russia , β he continued . β We are dealing with someone that we simply can not trust . ''
Asked by Baier if the relationship has worsened in the last few years , Mattis said `` there is no doubt the relationship has worsened . ''
`` [ Putin ] tried again to muck around in our elections this last month , and we 're seeing a continued effort along those lines , '' said Mattis .
He said that Russia makes deceitful statements which do n't stick and that they are the ones making the relationship deteriorate .
Baier asked about cyber warfare more generally . `` Why did you feel like the U.S. had to go on the offense to battle Russia and China in cyber ? has the threat increased significantly ?
`` I do n't know that the threat is increased , it is continued efforts to try to subvert democratic processes that must be defended . ''
Baier pressed for Mattis to say that would include going on the offense .
`` We 'll do whatever is necessary to defend them , '' said Mattis . | EzF2adBNSjoqjah0 | 2 | National Defense | 0.5 | Defense | 0.2 | James Mattis | 0 | Defense And Security | 0 | null | null |
facts_and_fact_checking | NBC News (Online) | http://nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/trump-has-made-twitter-his-megaphone-fact-check-won-t-n1215421 | Trump made Twitter his megaphone. A fact check won't change that. | 2020-05-27 | facts_and_fact_checking | When President Donald Trump felt the need to lash out at Twitter on Tuesday , he did n't turn to Facebook or YouTube . He turned to Twitter .
The president has launched any number of insults , tirades and misleading statements from his Twitter account in recent years . But it was two tweets about voting by mail that spurred the company to take action , adding a fact check label to them .
The president fired back , tweeting that the company was `` stifling FREE SPEECH '' by fact checking his tweets about mail-in ballots .
But Trump 's choice of Twitter as the best platform from which to attack Twitter highlights the singular appeal of the platform . As much as the president may be angry with the company , there 's nothing quite like the real-time global broadcasting apparatus of Twitter , as well as the network of accounts that have been built up in recent years that amplify his statements .
And Twitter has shown a willingness to let Trump test its rules β including the president 's most recent attacks on MSNBC host Joe Scarborough .
`` Twitter 's really the perfect platform for him , '' said Vivian Schiller , executive director of Aspen Digital , a program of the Aspen Institute . Schiller , the former chief digital officer of NBC News , is a former employee of Twitter .
`` Obviously it does n't have the reach that Facebook does , '' she said . `` But it has all the people who will amplify his message , be it the media or bots or other government officials . ''
Just as Twitter has been opposed to booting Trump over possible violations of its terms of service , Trump may find it difficult or impossible to divorce himself from the platform that greased his path into politics .
In the hours after the conflict erupted Tuesday between Trump and Twitter , some conservatives lamented that there was no way the president could win despite his pledge that he would n't allow Twitter to fact check him .
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`` Will Trump beat Twitter ? '' asked Ali Akbar , a conservative activist who also goes by the name Ali Alexander , from whom Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has sought advice .
`` The answer is hell no . It 's too late for spilled milk , '' he said . `` This issue has been completely mismanaged by both the campaign and the White House , and everyone sees he 's a paper tiger '' β as in someone who makes threats but does n't follow through .
Trump and fellow Republicans have options to exert leverage over Twitter . Sen. Marco Rubio , R-Fla. , said on Twitter that if the service is going to `` exercise an editorial role , '' it should lose the special protection that it and other internet companies enjoy from defamation suits . ( The Communications Decency Act of 1996 , often misunderstood , was written specifically so tech companies could exercise editorial judgment . )
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Trump tweeted Wednesday morning that `` Republicans feel that Social Media Platforms totally silence conservatives voices , '' an indication that the president may be able to use Twitter 's fact checking efforts to ramp up accusations of bias against tech companies .
`` We will strongly regulate , or close them down , before we can ever allow this to happen , '' Trump added , although it 's unclear under what authority the government could do so .
It 's far from the first time politicians have sought to put pressure on tech companies over efforts to rein in misinformation .
In 2018 , lawmakers called Dorsey in front of a congressional hearing to answer questions about how Twitter approached censorship , among other subjects . Dorsey at the time pledged to take a light touch on most subjects people tweet about .
If the president wants to escalate the feud , he has few legal options , experts said .
`` I ca n't think of any legit legal paths available here , '' said Chip Stewart , a professor of journalism at Texas Christian University . `` The First Amendment simply bars the government from compelling a private company 's speech . That would literally be the censorship Trump complains is instead happening to him . ''
Aside from extracting further promises or making regulatory threats , the only leverage Trump has may be his presence . And he might not enjoy Facebooking , Instagramming or YouTubing as much as he does tweeting .
The president has a prodigious Facebook audience , and even though the social network is much larger than Twitter and an important part of Trump 's re-election campaign , it does n't offer him the same instantaneous feedback of Twitter because its news feed is based on a complicated algorithm .
Similarly , Instagram and Snapchat are n't designed for the kind of text-heavy messages that dominate Twitter and characterize Trump 's announcements . YouTube requires much more camera time without the benefit of instant sharing . TikTok is also video-based and comes with rising Republican concern about its ties to China , while fringe tech startups like Gab are relatively small . Using the app Nextdoor would limit the president 's reach to the neighborhoods surrounding his home .
Twitter , likewise , has repeatedly said it does n't intend to remove Trump from the service , perhaps no matter what he says . It has also given him leeway with what he tweets .
`` We believe it 's important that the world sees how global leaders think and how they act , '' Dorsey told HuffPost last year .
But now the service , by fact checking Trump for the first time , has also drawn a line in the sand β and the conflict may keep ratcheting up .
`` The fact that they 've now applied a fact checking notice to his tweets about voting means it 's going to be very hard for them not to keep labeling tweets , '' said Schiller of the Aspen Institute . `` They just made life much harder for themselves , honestly . I think it 's absolutely the right decision , but it 's now much trickier . '' | QebaexdNhbDoQXLm | 0 | Free Speech | -0.3 | Facts And Fact Checking | -0.2 | Censorship | -0.2 | Social Media | 0.1 | Twitter | 0 |
russia | The Daily Caller | http://dailycaller.com/2018/02/25/democrats-russia-memo-omits-key-facts/ | What The Democrats Left Out Of Their Memo | 2018-02-25 | Russia, Russia Probe, Presidential Elections, Nunes Memo, US House | Democrats on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence omitted several key facts from their memo on the FBI and Justice Department β s use of the Trump-Russia dossier in applying for a spy warrant on former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page in 2016 .
The Democrats β memo , released on Saturday , claimed to refute a similar memo released on Feb. 2 by committee Republicans who alleged that the FBI and DOJ had abused the FISA system in obtaining the warrant . The Democratic memo omitted several key points .
The Democratic memo ignored Republicans β contention that former FBI Deputy Director Andy McCabe testified in December that the FISA warrant would not have been sought without the infamous dossier , which was commissioned by Hillary Clinton β s campaign and the Democratic National Committee ( DNC ) . McCabe β s testimony was a key point in the Republican memo .
Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell claimed earlier this month that Republicans had mischaracterized McCabe β s testimony . However , Democrats declined to directly refute that claim in their own memo .
Republicans noted several other omissions in their rebuttal to the Democratic memo .
β The Democrat memo ignores the fact that the Democratic National Committee ( DNC ) and Hillary Clinton campaign paid for the Steele dossier , whichβ as confirmed by the Graham-Grassley referral βformed β a significant portion of the Carter Page FISA application , β the Republican rebuttal states .
β Amazingly , the Democrat memo does not contain a single reference to the DNC or Clinton campaign , or acknowledge that they funded the dossier , or admit that this information was not provided to the FISA Court . β
β The Democrat memo confirms that a September 2016 Yahoo News article by Michael Isikoff was part of the FISA application . However , the memo ignores the fact that the FBI failed to subsequently inform the Court that Steele provided information to Yahoo News , β the GOP rebuttal adds . β Isikoff has publicly confirmed Steele was a source for his article about Page . β
Republicans claim the Democratic memo also β paints an incomplete picture of Page β s past activities , and omits that , in a secretly-taped statement reproduced in a 2015 federal court filing , a Russian intelligence officer called Page β an idiot . β | 3e3b1da409b43d62 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
world | Fox News Digital | https://www.foxnews.com/world/spain-re-elects-socialist-pm-pedro-sanchez | Spain re-elects Socialist PM Pedro SΓ‘nchez | 2023-11-17 | World, Politics, European Union, Spain, Europe, Socialism, Parliament | Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Spainβs Pedro SΓ‘nchez was reelected as prime minister by the nationβs parliament on Thursday, when he leveraged a controversial amnesty deal to get the critical support from Catalan separatists to stay in power. SΓ‘nchez, Spain's Socialist leader since 2018, was backed by 179 lawmakers in the 350-seat lower house of parliament to form a new minority leftist coalition government. Only right-wing opposition deputies voted against him. The vote came after nearly two days of debate among party leaders that centered almost entirely on an amnesty deal for Cataloniaβs separatists that SΓ‘nchez agreed to in return for vital support to unlock another four-year term. SPAIN'S SΓNCHEZ DEFENDS CONTROVERSIAL AMNESTY DEAL BROKERED WITH CATALAN SEPARATISTS SΓ‘nchez won the vote after clinching the support of six smaller parties β including two Catalan separatist parties that command 14 seats β in recent weeks, allowing his Socialists to once again team up with the left-wing Sumar (Joining Forces) party in government. It remains to be seen if SΓ‘nchez can maintain enough support to exhaust his mandate that can run until 2027 given that some of his backers are parties that want to break Catalonia, or the Basque Country, away from Spain. Spainβs inconclusive national elections on July 23 left a highly fractured parliament. The center-right Popular Party received the most votes in the elections but failed to get enough support to form a government because of its alliances with the far-right Vox party, which finished third. The amnesty deal would clean the slate for hundreds of Catalan separatists in legal trouble following the northeast regionβs illegal 2017 secession bid that sparked Spainβs biggest crisis in decades. That includes benefiting former Catalan regional president Carles Puigdemont, who is a fugitive from Spanish law and considered public enemy No. 1 by many Spaniards. Despite lingering disagreements, the two Catalan parties as well as two Basque ones said they would back SΓ‘nchez on Thursday but let him know that he must fulfill the economic and political deals reached with each of them. The two Basque parties pointed out that their support was also key to keeping a progressive government in power and making sure the right wing remained out of office. Spanish President Pedro SΓ‘nchez addresses the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) The agreements with the Catalan parties include opening talks on the possibility of holding an authorized referendum for independence for the wealthy northeast region, but within the legal framework of Spain's Constitution. SΓ‘nchez has repeatedly said that he would not permit a vote that could break up Spain. Analyst Oriol Bartomeus, professor of political science of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, said that since SΓ‘nchez has made it over the hurdle of forming a government, he has a chance, albeit small, to keep it afloat for the full term. "There is a possibility that it can last because it is very difficult, almost impossible, to win a no-confidence vote against this government," Bartomeus said, pointing to the only successful no-confidence vote in 2018 when SΓ‘nchez replaced his conservative predecessor. "That said, this government will be very unstable because (the two Catalan parties) that have supported its formation have done so with strings attached." The amnesty proposal has been heavily criticized by Spainβs judiciary, which considers it a violation of the separation of powers. The European Union is reviewing it. The proposal sparked street protests backed by the Popular Party and Vox, which accuse SΓ‘nchez of betraying the nation just to stay in power. Protests outside the Socialist partyβs headquarters in Madrid turned ugly last week and again on Wednesday night. "The only real reproach that the right makes against us is that with these agreements we will have won the government. Which is what is going to happen today," SΓ‘nchez told lawmakers before they voted. ACTING SPANISH PM GETS SECOND CHANCE AT POWER AS CONSERVATIVES STRUGGLE TO SET UP NEW GOVERNMENT "I told the president that he had made a mistake, but he is the one responsibility for it. The amnesty is the worst way to start the legislature," Popular Partyβs Alberto NΓΊΓ±ez FeijΓ³o, the opposition leader, said after SΓ‘nchez received an ovation from his Socialists for having won reelection. The speaker of the house will now convey the result to King Felipe VI. Once published in the State Gazette, SΓ‘nchez will be sworn as the new prime minister before the king, most likely on Friday. SΓ‘nchez received congratulations from European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who said on X, formerly Twitter, that she looked "forward to working together" and to "bring forward the European project." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP SΓ‘nchez's government will continue to oversee the expenditure of tens of millions of euros (dollars) from the European Union's post-pandemic recovery program with its focus on a green energy transformation to adapt to climate change. Fox News' Antisemitism Exposed" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world." Subscribed You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! | 5220c011ad7ce677 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | CNN Digital | http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/02/10/report-documents-reveal-hillary-clintons-private-reaction-to-her-husbands-cheating-scandal-with-monica-lewinsky/?hpt=po_c1 | Documents reveal Hillary Clintonβs private reaction to her husband's cheating scandal with Monica Lewinsky | 2014-02-10 | Politics | Gone Details: cache-sjc1000114-SJC 1740135176 1944279263 Varnish cache server | 7476b26c14ffdbd5 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
gun_control_and_gun_rights | Washington Times | https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/mar/21/federal-gun-background-checks-fall-to-lowest-month/ | Federal gun background checks fall to lowest monthly level in four years | 2019-03-21 | gun_control_and_gun_rights | The number of federal gun background checks fell 12 percent in February to their lowest level for the month in four years , surprising industry analysts who said the numbers indicate the market hasn β t completely shaken its β Trump slump . β
The FBI ran slightly more than 2 million checks through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System ( NICS ) last month , compared to more than 2.3 million in February 2018 .
β The large year-over-year drop in February 2019 sales , particularly in the long-gun segment , might give the industry some pause , β said Jurgen Brauer , the chief economist at Small Arms Analytics .
One explanation could be that last year β s numbers were particularly high , in the wake of the Valentine β s Day shooting in Parkland , Florida .
Background checks have historically surged in the aftermath of prominent mass shootings , and it could be that a post-Parkland surge has since worn off , said Robert Spitzer , a professor at SUNY Cortland .
β We β ve seen that phenomenon after Sandy Hook and after some other recent mass shootings as well , where gun owners will deliberately go out and buy a gun two weeks after the shooting to make a political statement , β said Mr. Spitzer , who has written extensively on the politics of gun control .
Data suggest there was a β Parkland effect β on sales last year that stretched into March .
Overall , the 2.3 million checks in February 2018 were only 4 percent higher than a year earlier . But there were also close to 700,000 checks run between Feb. 26 and March 4 of last year β the eighth-highest weekly total ever , according to the FBI .
The effect appeared to really take hold last March , when there were 2.77 million checks β up nearly 14 percent from March 2017 .
But Mr. Brauer said trying to connect the February decline to factors like the Parkland anniversary or an unexpected increase in January , which is typically a slower month for sales after the holiday rush , would be too speculative .
β In this industry , it β s hazardous to venture much on the basis of a single month of data , β he said in an email . β Buyers had really stocked up quite a bit during the late Obama administration years , so perhaps the so-called Trump slump just continues . β
There were a record 27.5 million NICS checks in 2016 as buyers raced to stock up ahead of the presidential election .
But after Mr. Trump scored an upset victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton , fears of broader new federal gun controls quickly waned .
The checks dropped in 2017 to 25.2 million before ticking back up to 26.1 million last year .
The National Shooting Sports Foundation , the leading trade group for the gun industry , does its own calculations using NICS numbers , then subtracting checks that are unlikely to be related to gun sales .
Using that formula , the NSSF said sales for 2018 totaled 13.1 million firearms β down from 14 million a year earlier and well below the Obama-infused peak of 15.7 million in 2016 , according to Reuters .
February saw a nearly 13 percent drop compared to 2017 , the NSSF said .
Mark Oliva , a spokesman for the group , said he wasn β t quite sure why there was such a dip last month .
Mr. Brauer β s firm does similar calculations , and those numbers showed gun sales declined by about 12 percent last month compared to a year earlier . That included an 18 percent drop for single long gun sales , to about 393,000 .
Like Mr. Brauer , Mr. Spitzer said the February numbers could simply reflect lingering effects of the post-2016 Trump slump .
β It seems as though the Trump slump is still the operative baseline economic trend , β he said . | oNERjoMiPmzj3QTG | 2 | Gun Control And Gun Rights | -1 | Background Checks | -0.5 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
education | Reason | http://reason.com/blog/2017/05/19/school-choice-advocates-take-control-in | School Choice Advocates Take Control in Los Angeles | 2017-05-19 | Education, School Choice | Two school choice proponents won election to the Los Angeles Unified School District ( LAUSD ) Board this week , and the outcome is going to be a big deal moving forward . Their additions to the board mean that supporters of charter schools and school choice now have majority control over the seven-person panel overseeing one of the largest school districts in the country .
The response to the election helps illustrate some of the oversimplifications in analysis of school choice issues . Mother Jones , for example , wants to present it as a simply blue vs. red , Richie Rich-types versus the helpless poor . The headline emphasizes that Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos must be thrilled at the election of Nick Melvoin and Kelly Gonez .
While it 's true that DeVos is a massive fan of school choice and her leadership of the Department of Education will reflect as much , Melvoin and Gonez are hardly cheerleaders of President Donald Trump 's administration . In December , Melvoin wrote a commentary at Medium criticizing Trump and DeVos , arguing that the president is using school choice as an excuse to make massive cuts to federal education funding .
Gonez 's campaign site home page features her in the embrace of a president , but it 's Barack Obama ( whose re-election campaign she served ) , not Trump . She champions an endorsement not by religious conservatives , but the Sierra Club .
The fact is , Melvoin and Gonez are both Democrats . That school choice and charter schools are extremely popular in Los Angeles is not a reflection of some invasion from the right . Los Angeles remains solidly blue ( Hillary Clinton claimed 72 percent of the vote for president across Los Angeles County ) . But that school choice supporters took the seats in an election held in May ( where turnouts are significantly lower ) shows precisely how much parents value the ability to control the educational destinies of their kids . Reporting may play up how expensive the race was and how much money wealthy charter supporters spent , but that also downplays how such high spending is necessary to compete with the massive amounts of money education unions in the state pay to influence election outcomes .
The political scene in Los Angeles may be heavily dominated by union leadership , but it 's also been an incubator for charter schools and school choice options . The school district boasts the biggest charter program in the country , with 250 schools serving 130,000 students . Despite the constant fights between school choice advocates and unions , the district has had charter choices for decades now .
The tipping point motivating school choice-loving voters may well have come in April , when the LAUSD school board voted to support three state bills backed by teachers unions that could have severely impacted the operations of charter schools . One bill , which has been shelved for now , would have gutted the appeals process for charter schools rejected by districts and would have allowed a school district to reject a charter school if it would cause a financial hardship for the district . Whenever a student leaves a public school for a charter school , the public school loses some funding . Opponents of the bill argued that it would allow school districts to reject every single charter school that comes along .
LAUSD board president Steve Zimmer voted in favor of endorsing the bill . Zimmer 's the man Melvoin defeated in order to join the board . Melvoin tells βββ that he 's hoping his victory and the shift in power on the board to pro-school choice means that the school board wo n't have to `` re-litigate '' the idea of whether the district should support charter schools at every single meeting .
But to be very clear , Melvoin has no interest in shifting all LAUSD students into charters or privately operated schools . What he really wants to do is take the lessons learned by successful charters and try to bring them back to the public schools to make the quality of public schools better .
`` What we need to do is learn from these schools that are high-performing and bring that to all schools , '' Melvoin says . `` I hope that [ LAUSD ] is a more hospitable environment for innovations . ''
Alex Caputo-Pearl , president of United Teachers Los Angeles dismissed the idea that they could all work together in the Los Angeles Times and said the union would be `` doubling down '' on its efforts to oppose charter expansions . The fight is likely to continue .
For Melvoin , the formulation that the battle lines are public schools vs. charters , left vs. right , and rich vs. poor all represent false choices .
`` Wealthy families have always benefited from school choice , '' Melvoin observes . `` So the minute the benefits of choice get to poor familiesβthat 's something Democrats should embrace . It 's mind-boggling to me . β¦ It 's pitting different constituencies [ within the Democratic Party ] against each other . ''
Now that school choice supporters dominate the leadership of the second largest school district in the country , any mistakes , poor choices , and poor outcomes of the LAUSD moving forward are likely to be magnified by critics of school choice . Lisa Snell , the βββ Foundation 's director of education , believes that the election results mean that charter and other education choice options are likely to increase for parents and students in the district . It 's going to be up to the school board to maintain accountability as choices expand .
`` They still have to make sure that whatever schools they stand behindβdistrict or charterβthey 're serving the students well , '' Snell says . `` They have to be guardians of quality . That 's not to say you 're going to overregulate . But if they 're performing badly , you have a contract you can close . ''
Melvoin says that it 's valid for the school district to be concerned about losing money when kids go to charter schools . The school district faces a massive budget deficit and pension crisis that they 're going to have to solve . Melvoin believes that the solution is to make the public schools more competitive with charter schools , something LAUSD has n't been doing well , reduce overhead costs , and bring successful charter innovations backward into the public schools .
`` This has never been about the number of choice but the quality of choices , '' Melvoin says . `` Let 's free principals of red tape so they can start competing . '' | 605907d501184c77 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
treasury | Washington Times | http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/sep/17/report-irs-staff-acutely-aware-tea-party-antipathy/ | IRS officials thought Obama wanted crackdown on tea party groups, worried about negative press | 2013-09-17 | treasury | IRS employees were β acutely β aware in 2010 that President Obama wanted to crack down on conservative organizations and were egged into targeting tea party groups by press reports mocking the emerging movement , according to an interim report being circulated Tuesday by House investigators .
The report , by staffers for Rep. Darrell E. Issa , California Republican and chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee , quoted two Internal Revenue Service officials saying the tea party applications were singled out in the targeting program that has the agency under investigation because β they were likely to attract media attention . β
In the report , the investigators do not find evidence that IRS employees received orders from politicians to target the tea party , and agency officials deny overt bias or political motives .
But the report says the IRS was at least taking cues from political leaders and designed special policies to review tea party applications , including dispatching some of them to Washington to be vetted by headquarters .
β As prominent politicians publicly urged the IRS to take action on tax-exempt groups engaged in legal campaign intervention activities , the IRS treated tea party applications differently , β the staff report concludes . β Applications filed by tea party groups were identified and grouped due to media attention surrounding the existence of the tea party in general . β
That finding contradicts Democrats on Capitol Hill , who argue that some liberal groups also were given special scrutiny , thus showing there was neither a witch hunt for conservatives nor political pressure from the White House .
β The fact is that not a single piece of evidence has been unearthed that suggests there was any political motivation or outside involvement , β Democratic staffers on the House Ways and Means Committee said in a memo Tuesday outlining the state of the investigation . β Republicans , however , believe that if they continue to repeat their baseless accusations of a β White House enemies β list , it will become true . β
For years , Republicans in Congress charged that the IRS was targeting specific groups , but top agency officials denied it .
But four months ago , with an inspector general β s report about to be released , the IRS carefully staged a question at a conference so officials could reveal that they had been treating tea party applications differently .
Several congressional committees have since opened investigations including open hearings , document requests and depositions of agency employees .
The latest oversight report is meant to take stock of where the investigation stands and to lay out what Republicans know and what they suspect . The report says the conclusions are preliminary and that tens of thousands of pages of documents have yet to be examined .
In one of the key findings , investigators said negative press coverage of the tea party was one reason why the IRS gave the groups special scrutiny .
β It was my understanding that the reason they were identified is because they were likely to attract media attention , β Steven Grodnitzky , one of the employees in the exempt organizations division , told investigators .
Another supervisory employee in Washington , Ronald Shoemaker , also said press attention helped shape IRS policies , telling investigators that media attention to those cases β was the basis β for designating them as significant cases requiring special examination .
The Republican oversight report traces the growing pressure on the IRS to act , beginning with Mr. Obama β s criticism of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision in his 2010 State of the Union address to calls from top members of Congress for the IRS to give special scrutiny to tea party applications .
Emails among IRS officials , and committee interviews with them , show agency employees were aware of the pressure , sending one another news reports and commenting β in sometimes derisive language β about the tea party applications .
One key question in the political debate has been how the IRS treated progressive groups and whether they received the same treatment as tea party organizations .
The committee report says the liberal groups were generally given quick approval , while some tea party applications are still awaiting approval three years after they were submitted .
β Despite repeated attempts to conflate the issues and downplay the IRS β s treatment of conservative-oriented applications , the facts are clear that the IRS systematically processed conservative-oriented applications in a wholly disparate and unique manner , β the investigators conclude . β The treatment received by Tea Party applicants was unprecedented for tax-exempt applicants engaged in political activity . β
The latest report is particularly detailed in its look at Lois G. Lerner , the former head of the division charged with scrutinizing tax-exempt applications .
Investigators traced a pattern of antipathy toward nonprofit organizations being able to take part in political activity beginning with a 2010 speech at Duke University , where the committee said she was β echoing β Mr. Obama β s criticism of the Supreme Court .
She said the court case β dealt a huge blow , overturning a 100-year-old precedent β β a legal reading that analysts have disputed β and indicated she would like to β fix the problem , β though she said the IRS wasn β t set up to do that .
A day after Ms. Lerner β s Duke speech , a senior IRS official circulated a press release from Sen. Richard J. Durbin , Illinois Democrat , urging the IRS to investigate political spending by Crossroads GPS , a group associated with former George W. Bush political strategist Karl Rove .
Ms. Lerner , who has been removed from that post but remains on the payroll , refused to answer the committee β s questions at a hearing this year , citing her right against self-incrimination . | 1xB2PM6j06KQahpP | 2 | IRS | -0.2 | Treasury | -0.2 | Banking And Finance | 0 | null | null | null | null |
republican_party | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/25/politics/republican-debate-what-to-watch/index.html | Republican debate: 5 things to watch | 2016-02-25 | Presidential Elections, Republican Party, Debates, Elections | Houston ( CNN ) Everything 's bigger in Texas -- and that 's true of the stakes at CNN 's Republican debate in Houston at 8:30 p.m . ET Thursday night , just days before Super Tuesday .
Meanwhile , John Kasich is under pressure from some Republicans to get out of the race and make room for Rubio in the so-called and ever-shrinking establishment lane . And Ben Carson says he 's set on going the long haul -- but it 's not clear if anything will emerge as his saving grace .
Time for Donald Trump to go in for the kill ?
Donald Trump is on a roll , and it 's not clear what , if anything , can stop him .
After wins in New Hampshire South Carolina and Nevada , he 's confident heading into March 1 , when a slew of states , including Texas , Alabama , Arkansas , Georgia and Tennessee , will hold GOP contests .
JUST WATCHED Is GOP ready to embrace Trump ? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Is GOP ready to embrace Trump ? 03:00
`` It 's going to be an amazing two months , '' Trump said in his Nevada victory speech Tuesday night . `` We might not even need the two months , folks , to be honest . ''
If the past six months offer any indication , Trump 's performance at Thursday 's CNN debate is unlikely to sway the Republican electorate either for or against him . The New York businessman has had shaky debates and has frequently been the favorite target on stage , but he 's never lost serious momentum in the polls after a bad evening .
Still , the prime-time event will be telling -- will he give Cruz and Rubio any breathing room to make their case ? And how will he respond when attacked ?
Trump has angrily gone after Cruz over the last few weeks , calling the Texas senator a `` liar '' and raising ethical questions about his rival 's campaign tactics . But he has largely steered clear of targeting Rubio with the same level of intensity . If Rubio tries to pick a fight with Trump , that would likely change quickly .
And for anyone wondering if this will be the debate where a more presidential Trump takes the stage , do n't hold your breath . Although he has repeatedly promised that he would use a different tone if elected to the White House , he has n't seemed interested in doing so as a candidate .
Just this week , Trump stirred up fresh controversy by saying about a protester at a campaign rally : `` I 'd like to punch him in the face . ''
He finished behind Trump and Rubio in both South Carolina and Nevada , a letdown after his cycle-opening victory in the Iowa caucuses .
And the conservative senator , whose campaign slogan is `` Trusted , '' has been dogged by relentless accusations from his rivals of running a dishonest campaign and of deploying dirty political tactics .
JUST WATCHED Ted Cruz : I 'm the only one who can beat Donald Trump Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Ted Cruz : I 'm the only one who can beat Donald Trump 01:01
The ethics questions started in earnest in Iowa . On the night of the GOP caucuses there , the Cruz campaign falsely told voters that Carson was dropping out of the race . Since then , Cruz 's rivals have slammed the senator of lying to get ahead , with Trump being particularly aggressive in his stump speeches and on social media . And Monday , Cruz fired his communications director , Rick Tyler , after he circulated a video that falsely depicted Rubio saying there were `` not many answers '' in the Bible , when in fact , Rubio had said `` all the answers are in there . ''
A Cruz adviser said this week that the senator has reached a boiling point with Trump , and that Cruz is prepared to be noticeably more aggressive as he defends himself from the stream of character attacks .
Time is of the essence for Cruz . His campaign has always emphasized the importance of the March 1 contests , one of which will take place in Cruz 's home state of Texas .
`` One week from today will be the most important night of the campaign , '' Cruz said Tuesday .
The South Carolina GOP primary was hugely critical for Marco Rubio . He came in at second place , narrowly beating Cruz , but more importantly , forced Jeb Bush out of the 2016 race .
JUST WATCHED Marco Rubio congratulates Trump , pays tribute to Bush Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Marco Rubio congratulates Trump , pays tribute to Bush 01:34
`` This has become a three-person race , and we will win the nomination , '' Rubio told his supporters on election night .
What Rubio meant was this : he was claiming the establishment mantle and would position himself the candidate to take on Trump and Cruz .
But just because there 's an opening for establishment support does n't mean Rubio will automatically get it . He needs to show Thursday night he can step up .
The Florida senator has been dogged by questions about his readiness for the presidency . One of the low points of his campaign came at a debate in New Hampshire this month , when New Jersey Gov . Chris Christie unleashed a blistering attack on Rubio , accusing the first-term senator of lacking substance .
One thing Rubio has n't seemed too keen on is to go on the attack against Trump , even as the GOP front-runner racks up more and more delegates .
But on the eve of the debate , Rubio took the rare step of calling out Trump by name on the stump , offering a possible preview of what 's to come on the debate stage .
`` The front-runner in this race , Donald Trump , has actually alluded to the fact that parts of Obamacare are pretty good , '' Rubio said in Houston . The senator also went after his rival on the Middle East , telling voters that Trump does n't want to `` take sides on Israel versus the Palestinians because he wants to be an honest broker . ''
`` There is no such thing as an honest broker in that , '' Rubio said .
Republican Party leaders and major donors are starting to get annoyed at John Kasich .
JUST WATCHED John Kasich : No one has asked me to drop out Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH John Kasich : No one has asked me to drop out 01:33
The Ohio governor had an impressive second-place finish in New Hampshire earlier this month . But now , with establishment Republicans increasingly anxious about the possibility of Trump or Cruz winning the nomination , there is growing concern that Kasich is crowding the establishment lane -- that is , pulling away votes from Marco Rubio .
On the debate stage Thursday night , Kasich will be under more pressure than ever to prove why he 's still here .
So far , Kasich has shown no signs of abandoning his campaign . Running on a more moderate -- and positive -- message , the governor is eying possible victories in Southern and Midwestern states , including Ohio .
He 's also dismissed the suggestion that some donors were eager to see him ditch his campaign .
`` I have n't heard from any of the special interests to get me to drop out , '' Kasich told CNN 's Wolf Blitzer this week . `` We 're signing up some significant Republican fundraisers and our political organization is expanding as well . ''
The retired neurosurgeon had a brief moment at the top of the polls , but that was already several months ago . Since then , he 's come in at fourth place in the Iowa caucuses , eighth place in the New Hampshire primary and last place in the South Carolina contest on Saturday .
JUST WATCHED Carson on Obama : Same skin color , different experiences Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Carson on Obama : Same skin color , different experiences 01:11
Over the course of several weeks , a slew of Carson 's rivals have abandoned their White House bids . But Carson is still hanging on -- even as he himself appears fully aware that he has been sidelined in the race . | 0ea6306ba34fd8d3 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
trade | CNN Business | https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/13/economy/supply-chains-biden-ports/index.html | Biden discusses supply chain crisis with US ports and carriers | 2021-10-13 | Trade, Economy And Jobs, Supply Chains, Inflation, World | New York CNN Business βThe US government is stepping up its efforts to relieve the supply chain nightmare that has led to shortages of some goods, higher prices for consumes and now threatens to slow the economic recovery.The White House will work with companies and ports on a β90-day sprintβ to alleviate bottlenecks, according to a senior administration official. Some will start working 24/7 to address the backlogs.In a speech Wednesday, President Joe Biden announced the Port of Los Angeles will move to 24/7 service, bringing it into line with operations at the Port of Long Beach, which is already working on a 24/7 schedule. Those two ports handle 40% of container traffic in the US.Around the world, ports are congested as a result of the rapid rebound in demand for commodities and goods as much of the global economy has recovered from the pandemic. Shipping costs have soared, and companies wanting to move goods around are struggling because there just arenβt enough ships or containers available. All the while prices are going up for consumers.βTodayβs announcement has the potential to be a game changer,β Biden said in remarks at the White House.He said the additional port hours will increase the time spent unloading container ships by 60 hours a week, and will represent a doubling of hours the ports of Los Angeles and the neighboring Port of Long Beach were operating earlier this year.Biden met with senior officials and stakeholders to discuss collective efforts to address global transportation bottlenecks and then deliver remarks on Wednesday. Port operators, truckersβ associations, labor unions and executives from Walmart (WMT), FedEx (FDX), UPS (UPS) and Target (CBDY)attended the talks.He said that Walmart, the nationβs largest retailer, had committed to a 50% increase in moving goods during off-peak hours. The President said FedEx and UPS will also increase their overnight operations.βAll of these goods wonβt move by themselves,β Biden said. βFor the positive impact to be felt all across the country and by all of you at home, we need major retailers who ordered the goods and the freight movers who take the goods from the ships to factories and stores to step up as well.βOfficials also said the federal government is working with state Departments of Motor Vehicles to help increase the issuance of commercial drivers licenses in an effort to boost the number of truck drivers in the country. They added that the White House hopes to see the trucking and rail freight industries expand hours as well.A shortage of truck drivers has added to the supply chain constraints, making the delivery of goods to consumers even more costly and slow.β CNNβs Chris Isidore, Jason Hoffman and Matt Egan contributed to this report | e66babdf14fbb4e2 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
business | CNN Digital | https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/20/tech/amazon-biden-vaccine-letter/index.html | Amazon to Biden: Prioritize our workers for the vaccine | 2021-01-21 | Business, Joe Biden, Amazon, Technology, Essential Workers, Coronavirus, Coronavirus Vaccine | CNN Business βAmazon wasted no time to reach out to newly installed US President Joe Biden about prioritizing its essential workers in his administrationβs vaccine distribution plans.In a letter sent to Biden Wednesday, Amazon (AMZN) executive Dave Clark wrote that the company βstands ready to assistβ in vaccinating 100 million Americans in the first 100 days, as Biden has pledged to do.As part of that offer, Clark highlighted that Amazon has more than 800,000 US-based employees β most of whom work in essential roles at Amazon fulfillment centers, AWS data centers, and Whole Foods Market stores β and these workers βshould receive the Covid-19 vaccine at the earliest appropriate time.β He added that Amazon has an agreement in place with a licensed third-party occupational health care provider to administer vaccines at its facilities.Itβs not the first time that Amazon has advocated for early access to the vaccine for its essential workers. In December, Clark penned a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionβs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices about access to the vaccine βat the earliest appropriate time.β Others submitted similar requests, including Uber for its drivers, and the National Retail Federation, which advocated for the retail industry.The push comes as worker safety has become an area of intense scrutiny during the pandemic for the company, whose business has surged even as the broader economy has been mired in a pandemic-induced recession. In October, Amazon said more than 19,000 of its front-line US employees at Amazon and Whole Foods have tested positive or been presumed positive for the coronavirus, shedding light for the first time on how its workforce has been affected by Covid-19 after months of both internal and external pressure for more transparency.In Clarkβs letter, he suggested the company can help the administration more broadly, although the details are unclear.He wrote Amazon is βprepared to leverage our operations, information technology, and communications capabilities and expertise to assist your administrationβs vaccination efforts. Our scale allows us to make a meaningful impact immediately in the fight against Covid-19, and we stand ready to assist you in this effort.βAmazon did not immediately respond to CNN Businessβ request for further information. | 817fa141076389e8 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
joe_biden | International Business Times | https://www.ibtimes.com/biden-refuses-acknowledge-hunters-daughter-stripper-while-discussing-6-grandchildren-3689762 | Biden Refuses To Acknowledge Hunter's Daughter With Stripper While Discussing '6 Grandchildren' | 2023-07-11 | Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, White House, Biden Administration, Politics, Media Industry | President Joe Biden has once again refused to acknowledge Hunter Biden's 4-year-old daughter with a stripper in a speech. On Thursday, Biden spoke to his staffers' children on Take Our Kids to Work Day. During his speech, Biden claimed he had only had six grandchildren, leaving out Navy Joan Roberts, his seventh grandchild. BIDEN: βI have six grandchildren!βHe actually has seven, but he refuses to acknowledge Hunterβs four-year-old daughter that he had with a stripper. pic.twitter.com/HtL1G91uPM The 4-year-old child is Hunter's daughter with Lunden Roberts, a former exotic dancer. Navy Joan was conceived while the younger Biden was in a relationship with Hallie Biden, the widow of his late brother Beau. It is not the first time President Biden refused to acknowledge Navy Joan. In 2020, Biden and his wife Jill said they had five grandchildren during a virtual interview with Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon, leaving out both Navy Joan and Beau, a newborn Hunter had just had with his wife Melissa Cohen. The First Lady later corrected their statement and said they had six grandchildren, leaving out Navy Joan. Hunter's estranged daughter was again left out in December 2022 when the Bidens only put up nine Christmas stockings above the White House fireplace. The stockings were for Hunter, his former wife Kathleen Buhle and their three children: Naomi, Finnegan and Maisy. The stockings also included Naomi's husband Peter Neal, Beau's widow Hallie and her two children with the president's late son. Hunter initially claimed he had no recollection of meeting Roberts and denied he was Navy Joan's father. A DNA test later proved otherwise. Hunter has since fought to lower child support payments. Roberts, 31, last year asked Circuit Court Judge Holly Meyer to allow their daughter to take the Biden surname, arguing that it would benefit Navy Joan because the name is "synonymous with being well educated, successful, financially acute, and politically powerful." In contrast, Hunter asked the judge to stop Navy Joan from taking his surname, arguing that the name would keep the child from having a "peaceful existence." His lawyer also said Hunter's daughter should decide for herself once "the disparagement of the Biden name is not at its height," per the New York Post. Β© Copyright IBTimes 2024. All rights reserved. | 55a3a28a9c0524f8 | 1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
us_house | Reuters | https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-climate-greennewdeal/democrats-launch-10-year-green-new-deal-for-clean-energy-idUSKCN1PW16I | Democrats launch 10-year 'Green New Deal' for clean energy | 2019-02-08 | Green New Deal, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, US House, Politics | WASHINGTON ( βββ ) - Democrats on Thursday laid out a β Green New Deal β that would eliminate U.S. greenhouse gas emissions within a decade , an effort to make climate change a central issue in the 2020 presidential race .
The document , unveiled by rising political star Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Edward Markey , marks the first formal attempt by lawmakers to define potential legislation to create big government-led investments in clean energy and infrastructure to transition the U.S. economy away from fossil fuels .
The plan , which takes the form of a non-binding congressional resolution , outlines some of the most aggressive climate goals ever put forward by Democratic lawmakers and clashes dramatically with the Trump administration β s efforts to advance domestic oil , gas and coal production by rolling back environmental protections .
The name , Green New Deal , references the New Deal of the 1930s that President Franklin Roosevelt implemented to aid Americans suffering in the Great Depression by embarking on huge government-led infrastructure projects .
β Today is the day that we choose to assert ourselves as a global leader in transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy and charting that path , β Ocasio-Cortez told reporters .
The resolution so far has 64 House co-sponsors and nine Senate sponsors - four of whom are Democratic presidential hopefuls for 2020 . Senators Kamala Harris , Kirsten Gilibrand , Corey Booker and Elizabeth Warren co-sponsored the resolution .
Ocasio-Cortez said she will immediately begin to work on legislation that would β fully flesh out the projects involved in the Green New Deal . β
Republicans have been quick to criticize the initiative , waving off any kind of proposal as heavy-handed . The Trump administration does not believe action on climate change is necessary and is focused on increasing production of oil , gas and coal on federal and private land .
β It β s a socialist manifesto that lays out a laundry list of government giveaways , including guaranteed food , housing , college , & economic security even for those who refuse to work , β Republican Senator John Barrasso , chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works committee , said on Twitter .
U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-NY ) and Senator Ed Markey ( D-MA ) hold a news conference for their proposed `` Green New Deal '' to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in 10 years , at the U.S. Capitol in Washington , U.S. February 7 , 2019 . βββ/Jonathan Ernst
The non-binding resolution outlines several goals for the United States , including meeting 100 percent of power demand from zero-emission energy sources like wind and solar within 10 years .
The plan also calls for new projects to modernize U.S. transportation infrastructure , cut carbon emissions from the manufacturing and agricultural sectors , make buildings and homes more energy efficient and increase land preservation .
The plan is intended to address the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , which said global temperatures must be kept less than 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels to avoid the most severe impacts of a changing climate , the authors of the policy said .
The Green New Deal also aims to create an economic safety net for communities that will be affected by the impacts of climate change and the shift away from fossil fuel use , including through guarantees of healthcare , jobs , and jobs training . It was not clear how the programs would be funded .
β We ... need to be sure that workers currently employed in fossil fuel industries have higher-wages and better jobs available to them to be able to make this transition , and a federal jobs guarantee ensures that no worker is left behind , β according to a summary of the plan .
The Green New Deal was put into the media spotlight by a youth coalition called the Sunrise Movement and Ocasio-Cortez , 29 , the youngest woman to serve in Congress .
Members of the group have already put pressure on Democratic presidential hopefuls and plan to continue lobbying members of Congress next week to support the resolution .
Greg Carlock , a climate researcher with Data for Progress who helped author the Green New Deal , said lawmakers who seek middle ground policies on global warming risk losing youth support in future elections .
Markey said on Thursday that despite its lofty goals , the Green New Deal has more political momentum than a carbon cap-and-trade legislation he introduced 10 years ago .
β The difference between 2009 and today is the movement that has now been built , β he said . β This is going enter the 2020 election cycle as one of the top two or three issues for every candidate on both sides . β | a534c89a9deb452e | 1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
white_house | The Hill | http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/316411-surprise-trump-doing-what-he-said-he-would | Surprise! Trump doing what he said he would | 2017-01-27 | white_house | In his first frantic week at the White House , Donald Trump Donald John TrumpGOP senators balk at lengthy impeachment trial Warren goes local in race to build 2020 movement 2020 Democrats make play for veterans ' votes MORE is doing almost exactly what he promised to do during his campaign , stunning those who thought he 'd adapt his style as president .
Trump has signed an executive order to begin building a wall on the Mexican border and doubled down on his promises to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement and repeal ObamaCare .
Actions to temporarily suspend visas for people coming to the United States from a number of Muslim nations are expected to come soon .
Trump has n't stopped tweeting either , nor has he quit his habit of launching into new fights seemingly on a whim . Much of his first week in office has been dominated by his claims , without any evidence , that massive voter fraud cost him a popular vote victory to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton2020 Democrats make play for veterans ' votes The Memo : Democrats confront prospect of long primary Manafort sought to hurt Clinton 2016 campaign efforts in key states : NYT MORE .
On Wednesday , he announced a β major investigation β into his unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud .
President Obama famously said that `` elections have consequences '' in explaining to Republicans why he was moving forward with a nearly $ 1 trillion stimulus plan and his signature healthcare bill .
Now Trump is showing Washington and the world the truth of Obama 's words .
During the campaign , Trump β s critics dismissed his ambitious agenda as rhetoric that he β d back away from once in office .
If candidate Trump beat the odds and made it to the White House , they said , the Trump Show will surely grind to a halt once he β s confronted with the realities of governing .
β Enough all talk , no action . We have to deliver , β Trump told Republican lawmakers Thursday . β This is our chance to achieve great and lasting change for our beloved nation . β
Hours after taking the oath of office last Friday , Trump returned to the White House to sign an order directing federal agencies to β ease the burden of ObamaCare . β
Trump 's chief of staff , Reince Priebus , followed that with a memo telling federal agencies to stop issuing regulations .
In the days since , Trump thrilled social conservatives with an executive order blocking foreign aid for international organizations that provide abortions , a traditional priority for new Republican administrations .
Trump fulfilled one of his main campaign promises by pulling the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal .
He froze hiring for non-military federal employees and attempted to move two controversial pipeline projects forward by signing a pair of executive actions that could speed approvals for the Keystone XL and Dakota Access projects .
Trump also signed an executive order that expanded the definition of criminal immigrants who are considered priorities for deportation . The order also called for federal funds to be stripped from so-called sanctuary cities that do not help federal authorities enforce immigration law .
The actions are in some cases vague , appearing aimed at satiating his supporters while the White House and Congress work on a broader legislative strategy .
For example , Trump visited the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday to sign an order that directs federal agencies to begin constructing a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border .
But Trump will need congressional approval to fund the wall . And construction on the project might not begin for months . The order gives the DHS 180 days to conduct a study to see how much money and material will be needed to build the wall .
There are also some areas where Trump has yet to deliver , including a proposed ban on Trump administration officials from lobbying after leaving their positions and the termination of an Obama-era program that allows people brought illegally to the U.S as children to live and work without fear of deportation .
Veteran GOP operative Charlie Black said that Trump β s aggressive early posture shouldn β t come as a surprise .
β Democrats should β ve been sweating this on Nov. 9 , β Black said . β They should β ve known he β d follow through on the things he said . Some things will require congressional action or need to go through the regulatory process for what he can β t do on his own . But if he can do it on his own , you can bet he β ll do it . β
Trump has announced his administration β s energetic stance through Twitter , as well as in the same style of dramatic confrontations that punctuated his chaotic campaign .
White House press secretary Sean Spicer instigated a war Saturday with the press over accurate media reports that Trump β s inauguration crowd was smaller than Obama β s . That led to senior adviser Kellyanne Conway β s heated exchange with NBC β s Chuck Todd , in which she maintained that the administration in some cases will have its own β alternative facts . β
At a Monday meeting with a bipartisan group of lawmakers , Trump reiterated his unsubstantiated claim that he had only lost the popular vote to Clinton because millions of β illegals β cast ballots .
The remarks provoked a media firestorm . Rather than backing away , Trump is expected to direct a task force to investigate voter fraud and his claim that illegal immigrants influenced the outcome of the election .
The Trump administration also cracked down this week on public communications from federal agencies . The new policies were prompted by worries that bureaucrats who are hostile to the president would publish information that dissents from the administration line and came after the National Park Service β s Twitter account retweeted a picture showing that Trump β s inauguration crowd was smaller than Obama β s in 2009 .
Trump angered lawmakers and members of the national security apparatus by reiterating his support for torturing terror suspects .
The rift between the U.S. and Mexico deepened , with Mexican President Enrique PeΓ±a Nieto pulling out of a meeting at the White House next week over a dispute about who will pay for the wall along the southern border . After PeΓ±a Nieto canceled the meeting , Trump claimed that the decision had been mutual .
Trump also appeared to anger some CIA officials for a speech in front of a memorial wall for fallen agents that many viewed as self-serving after Trump touted his inaugural crowds and scraps with the media . Trump later said in his first post-inauguration television interview that he got a bigger standing ovation for the CIA speech than even Peyton Manning received after winning the 2016 Super Bowl .
The breakneck pace has also bred a chaotic atmosphere in the West Wing .
On Thursday , Spicer was forced to walk back a proposed 20 percent tax on Mexican imports meant to fund the border wall . Trump also delayed signing a directive to move forward on his voter fraud probe and pushed back a meeting with the heads of tax-writing committees in the House and Senate .
Amid the frenzy , Trump and Vice President Pence were in almost constant contact with lawmakers about implementing the president β s agenda .
Trump courted lawmakers from both parties with fancy receptions and meetings at the White House and on Capitol Hill . Trump even jetted to Philadelphia to address Republicans gathered for the winter meeting on Thursday , where he laid out his priorities for the coming weeks .
Rep. Tom Reed ( R-N.Y. ) , a key Trump ally , summarized Trump 's action-filled first week with one word : β Firehose . β
`` It 's refreshing and it 's energizing , '' Reed told βββ right after Trump spoke at the joint congressional GOP retreat . `` I think it 's not only the nature of the president and his new town , and his bringing to the office a private sector-based mentality . It 's also unleashing the power of the American people .
`` For so many years , it 's been a hamstrung by the bureaucracy of Washington and we 're cutting that red tape to empower the American people again . '' | 2VIjfWCYuCCtWWJp | 1 | Donald Trump | 0.3 | White House | 0.3 | Politics | 0.2 | null | null | null | null |
elections | Townhall | http://townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2016/08/01/are-the-presidential-debates-rigged-against-trump-n2200573 | Are the Presidential Debates βRiggedβ Against Trump? | 2016-08-01 | elections | That β s what Donald Trump seems to think . In a tweet over the weekend the GOP nominee suggested that Democrats β are trying to rig the debates β much like they did against Bernie Sanders during the primary debates because two of them will be at the same time as major NFL games .
As usual , Hillary & the Dems are trying to rig the debates so 2 are up against major NFL games . Same as last time w/ Bernie . Unacceptable ! β Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) July 30 , 2016
The Commission on Presidential Debates has dismissed the accusation , saying in a statement that the scheduling process began more than a year ago to identify possible conflicts .
β The Commission on Presidential Debates ( CPD ) started working more than 18 months ago to identify religious and federal holidays , baseball league playoff games , NFL games , and other events in order to select the best nights for the 2016 debates , β the statement reads .
β It is impossible to avoid all sporting events , and there have been nights on which debates and games occurred in most election cycles . A debate has never been rescheduled as a result . β
This year , the debate on Sept. 26 will be held during a Monday night Falcons vs. the Saints game , while the Oct. 9 debate will air during a Sunday night Giants vs. Packers game .
β As a point of reference , in a four-year period , there are four general election debates β¦ and approximately 1,000 NFL games . ''
Trump said Saturday that the football league complained in a letter to him about the debate schedule . NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy acknowledged Saturday that the league would like at least one of the debates rescheduled but tweeted : `` We did not send a letter to Mr Trump . '' The issue follows criticism that the Democratic National Committee intentionally scheduled primary debates on a Saturday night to minimize audiences as a way of protecting frontrunner Hillary Clinton . And recently leaked emails show that the DNC indeed intended to undermine the campaign of Clinton primary rival Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders . β You know , Hillary Clinton wants to be against the NFL , β Trump told ABC β s β This Week , '' `` maybe like she did with Bernie Sanders , where they were on Saturday nights when nobody 's home . '' Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort seemed to suggested on NBC β s β Meet the Press β that the dates are still being negotiated . β We 're going to sit down with the commissioner and talk with them , β he said . β The DNC hack showed you that the Clinton campaign was working to schedule debates against Sanders which have the least possible viewing audience . ... So , I 'm not sure what the dates are going to be , ultimately . β¦ But we 're not going to fall ploy to the Democrat -- to the Hillary Clinton ploy that she did against Bernie Sanders . β
Nevertheless , the Commission said they believe the 2016 debate schedule β will serve the American public well . β | hzUiiRle0OfbXGP3 | 2 | Donald Trump | -0.1 | Debates | 0 | Presidential Elections | 0 | Elections | 0 | null | null |
criminal_justice | The Hill | https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4310906-paul-pelosi-attacker-apology-testimony-he-was-never-my-target/ | Paul Pelosi attacker offers apology in emotional testimony: βHe was never my targetβ | 2023-11-15 | Criminal Justice, Justice, Paul Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi, Politics, Conspiracy Theories | This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. End of dialog window. The man accused of attacking Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), offered an apology in court Tuesday, claiming the former Speakerβs husband was βneverβ his target, according to The Associated Press. In emotional testimony Tuesday, David DePape, 43, described to the court how his political views shifted from leftist to right-wing after reading a comment on a YouTube video about former President Trump. Prosecutors allege DePape attacked Pelosi in his San Francisco home with a hammer in the early morning of Oct. 28, 2022. He pleaded not guilty to attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on the immediate family member of a federal official with intent to retaliate against the official over how they perform their duties. DePape said Tuesday he went to the coupleβs home to talk to the former Speaker about alleged Russian involvement in the 2016 election, and that he planned to wear a costume and post his interrogation of her online. He claimed he was looking for the former Speaker and other targets to confess to their corruption. DePape told police last year he believed there was βevil in Washingtonβ and that he looked to harm Pelosi because she was second in line for the presidency, according to an AP report, citing a San Francisco police investigator. His other targets allegedly included a womenβs and queer studies professor at the University of Michigan, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, actor Tom Hanks and President Bidenβs son, Hunter, according to testimony last year. On Tuesday, DePape told the court he felt bad after hearing testimony from a neurosurgeon who operated on Pelosi after the attack and described Pelosiβs injuries on the stand. βHe was never my target, and Iβm sorry that he got hurt,β DePape said. Asked why he hit Pelosi, he reportedly said, βI reacted because my plan was basically ruined.β Paul Pelosi testified about the attack a day earlier, telling the court he had a βtremendous sense of shockβ when he realized someone had broken into his home. He said he woke up when a man came into the bedroom asking, βWhereβs Nancy?β to which he told the man his wife was in Washington, D.C. Pelosi claimed the man told him he would tie him up while they waited for her to return and recounted the moment he was able to go to the bathroom and call 911. After police arrived, Pelosi was hit with a hammer and recounted waking up in a pool of his blood. DePapeβs attorneys have argued the charges do not fit, as he was not trying to go after Nancy Pelosi because of her official duties. If convicted, DePape could face life in prison. He also faces separate charges in state court and has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, residential burglary and other felonies. The Associated Press contributed. Updated at 3:32 p.m. ET Get notified of breaking news THE HILL 400 N CAPITOL STREET NW, SUITE 650 WASHINGTON DC 20002 Β© 1998 - 2025 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. 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russia | Thomas L. Friedman | https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/01/opinion/ukraine-russia-putin.html | I See Three Scenarios for How This War Ends | 2022-03-10 | Russia, World, Foreign Policy, Ukraine War, Ukraine, Diplomacy, Economy And Jobs, Sanctions | Advertisement Supported by Thomas L. Friedman By Thomas L. Friedman Opinion Columnist The battle for Ukraine unfolding before our eyes has the potential to be the most transformational event in Europe since World War II and the most dangerous confrontation for the world since the Cuban missile crisis. I see three possible scenarios for how this story ends. I call them βthe full-blown disaster,β βthe dirty compromiseβ and βsalvation.β The disaster scenario is now underway: Unless Vladimir Putin has a change of heart or can be deterred by the West, he appears willing to kill as many people as necessary and destroy as much of Ukraineβs infrastructure as necessary to erase Ukraine as a free independent state and culture and wipe out its leadership. This scenario could lead to war crimes the scale of which has not been seen in Europe since the Nazis β crimes that would make Vladimir Putin, his cronies and Russia as a country all global pariahs. The wired, globalized world has never had to deal with a leader accused of this level of war crimes whose country has a landmass spanning 11 time zones, is one of the worldβs largest oil and gas providers and possesses the biggest arsenal of nuclear warheads of any nation. Every day that Putin refuses to stop we get closer to the gates of hell. With each TikTok video and cellphone shot showing Putinβs brutality, it will be harder and harder for the world to look away. But to intervene risks igniting the first war in the heart of Europe involving nuclear weapons. And to let Putin reduce Kyiv to rubble, with thousands of dead β the way he conquered Aleppo and Grozny β would allow him to create a European Afghanistan, spilling out refugees and chaos. Advertisement Putin doesnβt have the ability to install a puppet leader in Ukraine and just leave him there: A puppet would face a permanent insurrection. So, Russia needs to permanently station tens of thousands of troops in Ukraine to control it β and Ukrainians will be shooting at them every day. It is terrifying how little Putin has thought about how his war ends. I wish Putin was just motivated by a desire to keep Ukraine out of NATO; his appetite has grown far beyond that. Putin is in the grip of magical thinking: As Fiona Hill, one of Americaβs premier Russia experts, said in an interview published on Monday by Politico, he believes that there is something called βRussky Mir,β or a βRussian Worldβ; that Ukrainians and Russians are βone peopleβ; and that it is his mission to engineer βregathering all the Russian-speakers in different places that belonged at some point to the Russian tsardom.β To realize that vision, Putin believes that it is his right and duty to challenge what Hill calls βa rules-based system in which the things that countries want are not taken by force.β And if the U.S. and its allies attempt to get in Putinβs way β or try to humiliate him the way they did Russia at the end of the Cold War β he is signaling that he is ready to out-crazy us. Or, as Putin warned the other day before putting his nuclear force on high alert, anyone who gets in his way should be ready to face βconsequences they have never seenβ before. Add to all this the mounting reports questioning Putinβs state of mind and you have a terrifying cocktail. The second scenario is that somehow the Ukrainian military and people are able to hold out long enough against the Russian blitzkrieg, and that the economic sanctions start deeply wounding Putinβs economy, so that both sides feel compelled to accept a dirty compromise. Its rough contours would be that in return for a cease-fire and the withdrawal of Russian troops, Ukraineβs eastern enclaves now under de facto Russian control would be formally ceded to Russia, while Ukraine would explicitly vow never to join NATO. At the same time, the U.S. and its allies would agree to lift all recently imposed economic sanctions on Russia. This scenario remains unlikely because it would require Putin to basically admit that he was unable to achieve his vision of reabsorbing Ukraine into the Russian motherland, after paying a huge price in terms of his economy and the deaths of Russian soldiers. Moreover, Ukraine would have to formally cede part of its territory and accept that it was going to be a permanent no manβs land between Russia and the rest of Europe β though it would at least maintain its nominal independence. It would also require everyone to ignore the lesson already learned that Putin canβt be trusted to leave Ukraine alone. Advertisement Finally, the least likely scenario but the one that could have the best outcome is that the Russian people demonstrate as much bravery and commitment to their own freedom as the Ukrainian people have shown to theirs, and deliver salvation by ousting Putin from office. Many Russians must be starting to worry that as long as Putin is their present and future leader, they have no future. Thousands are taking to the streets to protest Putinβs insane war. Theyβre doing this at the risk of their own safety. And though too soon to tell, their pushback does make you wonder if the so-called fear barrier is being broken, and if a mass movement could eventually end Putinβs reign. Even for Russians staying quiet, life is suddenly being disrupted in ways small and large. As my colleague Mark Landler put it: βIn Switzerland, the Lucerne music festival canceled two symphony concerts featuring a Russian maestro. In Australia, the national swim team said it would boycott a world championship meet in Russia. At the Magic Mountain Ski Area in Vermont, a bartender poured bottles of Stolichnaya vodka down the drain. From culture to commerce, sports to travel, the world is shunning Russia in myriad ways to protest President Vladimir V. Putinβs invasion of Ukraine.β And then there is the new βPutin taxβ that every Russian will have to pay indefinitely for the pleasure of having him as their president. I am talking about the effects of the mounting sanctions being imposed on Russia by the civilized world. On Monday, the Russian central bank had to keep the Russian stock market closed to prevent a panicked meltdown and was forced to raise its benchmark interest rate in one day to 20 percent from 9.5 percent to encourage people to hold rubles. Even then the ruble nose-dived by about 30 percent against the dollar β itβs now worth less than 1 U.S. cent. For all of these reasons I have to hope that at this very moment there are some very senior Russian intelligence and military officials, close to Putin, who are meeting in some closet in the Kremlin and saying out loud what they all must be thinking: Either Putin has lost a step as a strategist during his isolation in the pandemic or he is in deep denial over how badly he has miscalculated the strength of Ukrainians, America, its allies and global civil society at large. Advertisement If Putin goes ahead and levels Ukraineβs biggest cities and its capital, Kyiv, he and all of his cronies will never again see the London and New York apartments they bought with all their stolen riches. There will be no more Davos and no more St. Moritz. Instead, they will all be locked in a big prison called Russia β with the freedom to travel only to Syria, Crimea, Belarus, North Korea and China, maybe. Their kids will be thrown out of private boarding schools from Switzerland to Oxford. Either they collaborate to oust Putin or they will all share his isolation cell. The same for the larger Russian public. I realize that this last scenario is the most unlikely of them all, but it is the one that holds the most promise of achieving the dream that we dreamed when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 β a Europe whole and free, from the British Isles to the Urals. The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Weβd like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And hereβs our email: letters@nytimes.com. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. Thomas L. Friedman is the foreign affairs Op-Ed columnist. He joined the paper in 1981, and has won three Pulitzer Prizes. He is the author of seven books, including βFrom Beirut to Jerusalem,β which won the National Book Award. @tomfriedman β’ Facebook Advertisement | 38acc2307c1ca449 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
2024_presidential_election | Washington Times | https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/feb/26/wack-a-doodle-nikki-haley-in-south-carolina-im-not/ | Wack-a-doodle Nikki Haley in South Carolina: βIβm not going anywhereβ | 2024-02-26 | 2024 Presidential Election, Republican Party, Nikki Haley, Donald Trump, Politics | She wears rejection like a cheap dress OPINION: Wherever she is in the five stages of grief, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has not yet reached the βacceptanceβ stage. Perhaps this is not surprising, considering that after each of her four crushing, double-digit losses to former President Donald Trump in the GOP primary cycle, she delivered some kind of wack-a-doodle βvictoryβ speech. After a humiliating third-place loss in the Iowa caucuses β 32 points behind Mr. Trump β Ms. Haley suffered delusions of victory. βI can safely say tonight Iowa made this Republican primary a two-person race!β she declared. Again, she came in third. And she claims to be some kind of accountant. By the time her campaign limped into New Hampshire, she was in full hallucination. βNow weβre in New Hampshire. You can look at the polls in New Hampshire,β she said. βWeβre a stoneβs throw away from Donald Trump, and so weβre going to continue to work really hard.β Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis β who bested Ms. Haley in Iowa β would soon drop out, leaving Ms. Haley with her fantasy of a two-person race. But she would lose New Hampshire to Mr. Trump by 11 points β even with a healthy assist from independents and Democratic voters playing in the GOP primary. Particularly humiliating about her loss in New Hampshire was the amount of time and effort she had put into the state. By her own reckoning, she had spent 11 months campaigning in New Hampshire and did over 75 town halls. Itβs not like Ms. Haley can claim that the people of New Hampshire did not know her. The only place where voters know her better would be her home state of South Carolina. But first, she would endure yet another humiliating defeat in Nevada, where she signed up for the wrong election and then went on to lose that wrong election by a double-digit margin. To βnone of the above.β Riding into South Carolina, Ms. Haley had set several goals for herself β none of which included actually winning. | b219e4e4d2382b1c | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | Guest Writer - Right | https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2019/08/01/trump-says-the-things-you-cant-say-n2550944 | Trump Says The Things You Canβt Say | 2019-08-01 | politics | The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent the views of Townhall.com .
As I sit in an airport lounge , the CNN feed on the big screen ( mercifully silent and utterly ignored except by me ) has a chyron reading β POLITICS OF HATE : TRUMP USING RACISM AS A POLITICAL STRATEGY IN NEW RHETORIC. β His β hate crime β was pointing out that Democrats have failed our inner city citizens and that lib pols need to stop doing such a terrible job . You would think that if Trump actually was a racist he β d be demanding Dems do even worse - assuming that β s possible - but it β s all just a bogus distraction and making sense is not a consideration . It β s a lie to shut people up .
Was anyone really shocked to learn that you can β t say that a manifest hellhole is a hellhole anymore , at least according to our moral betters in the media and politics ? You have some Democrat politician who represented his district for nearly four decades and if you point out that it β s a mess , the problem is the guy who says so out loud . Not the crime . Not the poverty . Not the rodent infestation . It β s Donald Trump , POTUS for 2.5 years , who is to blame for the real crime , which is pointing out what everyone knows .
Except Trump doesn β t play that . He calls out the elite and its inept members without fear and without apology . He speaks , if you β ll pardon the hackneyed expression , truth to power .
It β s called β accountability , β and it β s exactly what America needs from its ruling caste . Which is why it is exactly what the establishment wishes to put out of bounds . How dare Trump , and by extension you , be so uppity as to demand that our exalted betters not fail at everything they do !
Trump , and you , are not allowed to demand results . You are not allowed to demand competence . You are not allowed to demand integrity . What you are allowed to do is sit there and take whatever garbage they hand you , without complaint , with gratitude even . You are not a citizen . You are a serf . At least , that β s what they want to convert you into - but neither you nor the avatar of your anger Donald Trump are going to accept that .
This is our country , and all their lies about β racism β and whatever other bogus bigotry they try to label you with are not going to shut us up .
What β s amusing is how the criticism of Elijah Cummings β s little slice of Hades is only intolerable because Trump said it . They are free to . After the tweets slamming the Democrats β utter failure to serve the people of Baltimore , and the resulting backlash against people criticizing its useless government officials , conservative Twitter took great delight in finding and tweeting countless prior narrative-busting stories of Democrat corruption , rampaging rats and street crime in the lib media and even comments by the likes of Bernie Sanders . Everyone knows the sordid truth about Baltimore and the other Democrat-run big cities . In my own LA the homeless crowd the streets littering the sidewalks with syringes and dropping last night β s free meal whenever and wherever their hearts desire . We all see the truth , including the elite . They just want to prevent us from speaking it by branding it , falsely , as racism or some other -ism . They know it β s a lie . They hope that you β ll be intimidated anyway .
This demand that we forgo speaking inconvenient truths is a trend . We found out just a couple weeks ago that we aren β t supposed to demand immigrants not hate America and Americans . Again , there β s no debate about the truth of the statements themselves . Ilhan Omar hates America as much as she allegedly loves her brother . The elite knows it , and the elite knows you know it , yet the elite β s tactic is to try to neutralize it by keeping you from saying it . They seek to create a social sanction for criticizing them .
It β s Stalinist , which they would take as a compliment if they knew who Stalin was .
Should we even bother noting that none of this applies when the liberals attack us ? Some anti-Christian creep who hates every principle in the Constitution shoots up a gun-free zone and that atrocity is somehow attributable to everyone who believes in the entire Bill of Rights , not just the rights that aren β t there . It β s the NRA β s fault , as is Baltimore β s crime wave , because ... because shut up and submit . It β s the same sinister strategy at work , the attempt to place what you and what at least half of America believes outside the bounds of acceptable discourse .
They don β t get to decide what truths may or may not be spoken .
See , this is our country , and we will hold corrupt and incompetent government employees accountable . We will call out the ungrateful and the anti-American . We will stand up for our right to keep and bear arms .
You progs will hate us for it , and you β ll lie about us , but why should we care ? You β ll do it anyway . Even if we were so inclined to submit , we could never submit enough . Even if you managed to eliminate all us kulak opponents - every leftist β s not so secret fantasy , as history and pinko Twitter blue checks β tweets demonstrate - you would still need our memory to provide a scapegoat for your inevitable failures . Without us , you might have to explain why you β ve held sway in the big cities for decades and yet it β s only gotten worse . Can β t have that !
The real reason Trump won , and the reason his supporters stay loyal , is that he sees the lies and just doesn β t care . He doesn β t concede your moral or intellectual superiority , like those GOP establishment Fredocon weasels do . He thinks you β re garbage and so he speaks the truth because he doesn β t care what you say .
For a look at what happens if Trump and the GOP lose this fight , check out my action-packed yet highly amusing novels about the United States β split into red and blue countries , People 's Republic , Indian Country and Wildfire . These liberal-infuriating thrillers have been called β Appalling β by the loser leftists and the hapless geebos who sank the Weekly Standard , which is awesome . | 760ysKr3bCrohRQP | 2 | Donald Trump | -0.6 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
white_house | FiveThirtyEight | https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/after-minneapolis-can-trumps-law-and-order-strategy-work/ | After Minneapolis, Can Trumpβs Law-And-Order Strategy Work? | 2020-05-29 | white_house | When President Trump delivered his inaugural address in 2017 , it was in an unfamiliar style . Gone was the jokey off-handedness of Trump-on-the-trail . In a stilted , elegiac tone the freshly-minted president spoke of β rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones β and β young and beautiful students deprived of knowledge. β The content of the speech was familiar , though : Trump would bring America back from the brink . β This American carnage stops right here and stops right now. β President George W. Bush called it β some weird shit . β
Trump ran on law and order β β I am the law and order candidate β he helpfully explained β even if empirical evidence suggested nothing was wrong with the law and order Americans were already living under . The country β s rates of violent crime were trending downward when he ran β falling 51 percent between 1993 and 2018 β and the economy was churning along , but Trump tapped into some Americans β dissatisfaction with the status quo . Law and order was about the restoration of a certain social configuration favorable to white Americans as much as it was a concern with crime .
As the strange election year that is 2020 marches on , Trump has returned to his 2016 rhetoric , but it may register differently . Late Thursday night , Minneapolis residents burned down a police station after the death of George Floyd , a black man in police custody . The president tweeted in response that , β These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd , and I won β t let that happen . Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way . Any difficulty and we will assume control but , when the looting starts , the shooting starts . Thank you ! β
It was a familiar law and order message from Trump . But he tweeted it into an unfamiliar America : Over 100,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 in the past few months . One out of every four workers has filed for unemployment . As the country lives through actual American carnage , will Trump β s law and order message resonate as it once did ? Or will the bleak realities of 2020 prove inhospitable to the man who once proclaimed , β I alone can fix it β ?
In 2016 , voters seemed excited by Trump β s verbal promiscuity , the lurid way that he painted the state of the nation . In his telling , America had descended into disarray thanks to porous borders that allowed in terrorists and job-stealing immigrants . He was engaging , if not accurate ( the economy was doing well in many parts of the country and President Obama had actually deported more immigrants who were living in the country illegally than previous administrations ) . Pew Research surveys show that 2016 Trump supporters ranked the economy , terrorism , and immigration , along with foreign policy , as the most pressing issues of the election . And according to another Pew survey , 78 percent of voters who supported Trump in 2016 felt crime had gotten worse since 2008 .
Trump β s law and order framework was a sturdy way for him to talk about a more elusive idea β nostalgia for a mid century America with robust domestic manufacturing and a clearly-defined , if racist , social order . While Trump is no wonk and couldn β t talk particularly compellingly about globalization , the consolidation of industry and the widening gap between CEO and worker pay , he could talk about β the good old days β when you could smack someone around . It evoked something deep , that call for everything and everyone in their proper place .
The law and order message might not sit so well in 2020 . The country has now lived through years of controversies over video-taped killings by police , and the pandemic makes the world feel more chaotic day by day . We β ll have to wait to see the social and political reaction to the demonstrations in Minnesota , but there might be more sympathy for the turbulent feelings that make people riot or protest . While many will still roundly condemn looting , it β s perhaps easier for a greater number of us to imagine the kind of jagged anger β grief , if we β re being concise about it β that causes it than it was four years ago .
Understanding the catharsis of looting β if not approving of the act β is something that has long eluded the understanding of white America , including liberal white America . β Shoot to kill arsonists and shoot to maim looters β was the order from Chicago β s white , Democratic Mayor Richard Daley during the 1968 riots following Dr. Martin Luther King β s assassination . King , for his part , called riots , β the language of the unheard. β Even Obama struggled with his reaction to the Ferguson , Missouri riots of 2014 , receiving criticism from voices on the black left when he said he had β no sympathy at all for destroying your own communities. β He later said he would have done some things differently in his response to the Ferguson crisis , writ large .
Minnesota has also proven a difficult testing ground for Trump β s return to law and order rhetoric . Reaction to the violence in the state β and the killing of Floyd β has unfolded somewhat differently than past violent deaths in police custody . Police chiefs from around the country swiftly condemned the officer who killed Floyd . Even as police on the ground in Minneapolis arrested a black journalist on live TV , the mayor and governor β both Democrats β called for calm while saying they understood and were sympathetic to the anger behind the rioting . Fox News guests and analysts condemned the officer β s actions , though it remains to be seen how conservative media and the right will react to the ongoing protests and violence . In a YouGov poll , 78 percent of surveyed adults thought the officer in the Floyd case should be arrested ( he was on Friday afternoon ) .
It seems unlikely , though , that Trump will easily give up the race-baiting language of β thugs β and the like . For Trump , who is famously ideologically flexible , the idea of law and order is perhaps his deepest-held , most sincere political belief . In 1989 , in the midst of the Central Park Five controversy , when five black and Latino men were accused of the brutal rape of a white jogger , he took out full-page advertisements in New York City newspapers to decry waffling over the punishment of the men . ( Later , they were famously found to have been wrongly convicted ) . β What has happened to law and order , to the neighborhood cop we all trusted to safeguard our homes and families ? β Trump wrote . β I am not looking to psychoanalyze them or understand them , I am looking to punish them , β he said of the alleged criminals . β I no longer want to understand their anger . I want them to understand our anger . I want them to be afraid . β
In 2016 , Trump was able to echo these sentiments from 1989 easily β he was on the outside looking in . But in 2020 it will take more dexterity to run a campaign angry at authority when he is the authority . Once you have promised to end an imagined carnage , only to encounter actual death and societal destruction , the misdirection of your talking points risks exposure . But on this point , Trump has always been true to himself : He is the law and order candidate once again . | 06rHKjriKuUaulJE | 1 | 2020 Election | -0.8 | Donald Trump | -0.8 | George Floyd | 0.5 | Elections | 0 | White House | 0 |
defense | NPR Online News | https://www.npr.org/2019/12/20/789725311/acquiring-private-land-is-slowing-trumps-border-wall | Acquiring Private Land Is Slowing Trump's Border Wall | 2019-12-20 | defense | Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf visited a construction site in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas on a windswept day last month and repeated a Trump administration pledge .
`` We are on track to build 450 to 500 miles of new wall by the end of 2020 , '' he told reporters . Behind him , steel panels atop a concrete levee wall , 30 feet in all , are rising from the sugar cane fields and bird sanctuaries of the valley β which is really a river delta . They are the first section of new border wall built under President Trump where there was no barrier before .
But that swaggering Washington confidence is not shared down on the border . Asked about Trump 's Election Day deadline , Carmen Qualia , an assistant chief with the Border Patrol , acknowledged it 's slow going .
`` [ Trump ] said , 'Hey , here 's my deadline , here 's what I need you to do . ' So we 're gon na continue to work towards meeting that deadline , '' said Qualia , who is in charge of the Rio Grande Valley wall team . `` And we 're either going to make it or not . ''
Trump gets an additional $ 1.4 billion toward his massive wall along the 2,000-mile southwest border under a government spending bill he is expected to sign . But in Texas , there 's widespread skepticism the president will have anywhere near the 450 miles of wall he wants by next December . Construction has already fallen behind schedule because of how difficult it is to take private land .
One contract reviewed by NPR , called RGV10 , says construction is n't expected to begin on certain wall segments until March 2021 β well after the election .
`` If you do n't have 12 months to acquire property , you 're cutting it way too short , '' said Hyla Head , a former real estate specialist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who spearheaded land acquisition for the first phase of wall-building under President George W. Bush in 2008 .
Customs and Border Protection , which is part of Homeland Security , does n't yet own most of the land where it plans to build the wall . In fact , Wolf 's photo op was staged on a half-mile section of the levee that was only recently acquired by the federal government . Hidalgo County land records show that much of the property needed to complete that stretch of wall is still in private hands .
Disorderly property records , complications with landowners and a cumbersome condemnation process have slowed progress to a snail 's pace . That 's despite an army of federal land specialists trying to rush the process to please the president .
Consider this : The government plans to erect 110 miles of the total 450 miles of barriers in the Rio Grande Valley . But as of last week , the feds still needed to acquire about 90 miles from private landowners . In fact , since January 2017 the administration has only taken three miles from private owners in the Rio Grande Valley , according to a CBP spokesperson .
`` It 's a big project , '' Qualia said . `` We 're gon na continue to do what we can to make it happen . ''
But she says agents want the tall wall , along with floodlights , sensors , cameras and a 150-foot-wide enforcement zone to combat drug and human trafficking .
`` We 've been asking for these tools , this technology ... the roads , '' Qualia said . `` And if it takes longer , it takes longer . ''
Most of the borderlands in Texas are privately owned , unlike states to the west where a strip along the border is mostly federal property .
`` Every project that has real estate acquisition is prevented from making faster progress , '' said a senior manager with detailed knowledge of wall building in the Rio Grande Valley who is not authorized to speak publicly .
Under eminent domain , the government can take private property for public use , but it has to pay for it . And that process is laborious and legalistic .
`` Federal entities that acquire property have a process , '' said Head . `` You may not like it , but this is tried and true . We have laws to protect property owners . ''
Roy Brandys , an eminent domain lawyer in Austin , Texas , has long experience representing border clients . Asked about completing the border wall in the valley by next December , he said , `` That would be a very aggressive schedule , very difficult to get accomplished just because of all the different issues that properties have . ''
Each step of the process is proving problematic . First , the government has to identify and make contact with each property owner .
In Starr County , at the western end of the Rio Grande Valley , the government is planning 52 miles of border wall . Ultimately , the administration will need to acquire acreage on hundreds of individual parcels . So far , the wall contractor has broken ground only in one unit owned by the U.S . Fish and Wildlife Service .
`` It 's very difficult to know who the rightful owners are . That 's the biggest challenge , '' said Rosalva Guerra , the chief appraiser of Starr County , where property records are notoriously incomplete .
In her tidy office , she pulls up a map on her computer screen that shows all the properties in the county . The map is awash with red , the color used to denote parcels where the county is unsure of the owner .
In Starr County , property has been handed down through many generations , some of it going back to land grants made by the King of Spain . Tracts are divided and subdivided between heirs , but Guerra says they rarely establish clear title .
`` So can you imagine the long list of heirs to partition that ? '' Guerra said . `` It 's a nightmare . Yeah , it 's just going to take a long time to be able to do that . I do n't think it 's going to happen by 2020 . ''
Yet a senior CBP official in Washington was not so pessimistic about the construction timetable . `` If [ landowners ] do n't voluntarily sell and we have to condemn the property , '' the official said , `` the judge can grant possession to the government nearly immediately after the declaration of taking and we can begin construction . ... We 're getting a lot of offers to sell down there . ''
Identifying the owner is only the first step . Then the government must request access to survey the land . So far , the Justice Department has had to sue nearly 50 property owners in the Rio Grande Valley just to get that access .
One of those defendants is Delfino Garza , an architect in Starr County . He did n't want government surveyors coming on his property outside Rio Grande City where he has a vineyard . As a sideline , he planted grapes a decade ago , clearing thick brush down by the Rio Grande for his vine rows .
`` After about the third year , we started to make wine . And now in the last year they came to us about putting a border wall on our property , '' Garza said .
Garza is fighting the border wall . He voted for Trump , but he says he wo n't do so a second time . He fears the wall will kill his infant winemaking business .
`` People do n't go to wineries to see a border wall , '' he said . `` We want this to be an attraction for the city . And this is just hurting us . ''
Qualia , the Border Patrol official in charge of the Rio Grande Valley wall team , says the government is trying not to be heavy-handed . Land acquistion specialists are spending time talking to landowners like Garza about the placement of the barrier on his vineyard property .
`` I think it 's important to note that we all live here , too , '' Qualia said . `` Our kids go to school . We go to church . So we really take that into consideration when we 're sitting down and meeting with these owners . ''
And , inevitably , those discussions with landowners will delay the project further . `` Things that are complicated typically do take time , '' Qualia added .
Meanwhile , Trump has appointed his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner to oversee and speed up completion of the border wall . The president has asked for frequent updates . He reportedly told aides earlier this year , just `` take the land . ''
But in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas , it 's not that easy . | iNnZ9RJRuc38hX0g | 1 | Border Wall | -0.3 | Donald Trump | 0 | Customs And Border Protection | 0 | Immigration | 0 | Mexico | 0 |
coronavirus | The Flip Side | https://www.theflipside.io/archives/coronavirus-and-the-economy | Coronavirus and The Economy | coronavirus | Some argue that β A recovery package could simplyβand probably unsuccessfullyβtry to get the economy back up to where it was before the Covid-19 shutdowns took hold , complete with its decades of wage stagnation , exploding carbon emissions , and staggering inequality . Or , with politicians newly willing to spend , it could build a carbon-neutral , significantly stronger and fairer societyβand put millions to work doing itβ¦ Before the immediate mobilization around World War II , the years leading up to it saw federal jobs programs employ millions in work the private sector simply didn β t see as important enough to createβ¦ β Full employment was an animating demand of social movements through much of the postwar era , which led to it being featured in the Democratic Party platform until 1980β¦ Thinking creatively in such a dire crisisβabout silver linings and opportunitiesβcan feel inappropriate , even irresponsibleβ¦ [ But ] How lawmakers respond to Covid-19 and its economic fallout could either protect the next century from the persistent crises threatened by rising temperatures , or make them far worse. β Kate Aronoff , New Republic
β Governments should directly assume the debt of high-risk households . Trying to incentivise financial intermediaries to modify the terms of existing loans , as the US government did with the Home Affordable Modification Program after the 2008 crisis , will be too slow to meet the current challenge . It β s often said that the public health of the majority is determined by the most vulnerable in society . The same logic applies to a healthy political and economic system : its stability depends on how it treats its weakest members . Hedging our bets on an economic system that has neglected these truths and instead prioritised wealth creation at the top has put us all at risk. β Katharina Pistor , The Guardian
β Unless a business has been forced to fully close , there β s a way to keep workers on the payroll , ease the pain of a downturn and speed economic recovery . It β s called β work-sharing. β β¦ Employers experiencing a temporary reduction in business agree to cut employees β hours instead of laying off workers entirely . Employees on reduced hours receive unemployment benefits in proportion to the reduction in their hours . Businesses benefit by retaining valued employees and avoiding recruitment and training costs when economic conditions return to normal . Workers benefit by retaining most of their income and access to health insurance β a critical factor in a public health-triggered economic crisis like this one. β Katharine G. Abraham and Susan N. Housman , Politico
β President Trump has asked for aid to the airlines , which have already taken a huge hit . In practice , this would mean bailing out their shareholders . Here β s why I β m not terribly sympathetic to this idea : Airlines have access to major capital markets . They have managed to continue operations through many , many rounds of bankruptcies before , with little noticeable effect for customers or the rest of the economyβ¦ β The same is not generally true for millions of small- and medium-sized companies β which are more likely to go out of business altogether , and take with them all the jobs on their payrolls . Compared to their larger counterparts , smaller businesses tend to operate on thinner margins and with smaller cash reservesβ¦ Just as lawmakers are leaning toward direct payments rather than loans to households , they might consider giving grants of some kind to businesses , too. β Catherine Rampell , Washington Post
β Has there ever been a sudden stop comparable to this ? ... The Great Depression , which began after the stock market crashed in October , 1929 , was wrenching and disastrous , of course . But [ economics professor Barry ] Eichengreen pointed out that it developed more gradually than the coronavirus shock . β The production of goods and services fell by about a third , but over a period of three-plus years , β he said . β Industrial production fell by half , but , again , over a period of three years . The unemployment rate rose to about one in four , but over four years . Now what we are talking about is the possibility that the unemployment rate could shoot up very dramatically in a very short period of time. β β John Cassidy , New Yorker
The right urges the federal government to provide relief to businesses and local governments to ensure a speedy economic recovery once the pandemic subsides .
The right urges the federal government to provide relief to businesses and local governments to ensure a speedy economic recovery once the pandemic subsides .
β The central goal of policy should be to keep businesses alive so they are ready to turn back on again [ when the pandemic ends ] . They must be able to keep rather than fire employees , to call them back quickly , and to help those employees pay bills and keep their health insuranceβ¦ [ but ] not even the U.S. government has infinite resources . Its unique ability to borrow even when nobody else can borrow , and to promise eventual repayment by taxation , is a treasured but finite resource . When a crisis comes in which even the Treasury can β t borrow , we are in for a true catastropheβ¦
β Lending is better than transfers . Since loans must be paid back , larger amounts can go where needed . Small Business Administration loans are a good start . But most business and most employment is large business . Large firms are often even more cash-poor and in hock to nervous creditors , and they are harder to replace or revive if they fail . Lend with the head , not the heart . β People β might seem more worthy than β corporations , β but we need corporations to hire people when it β s over . β
β We are intentionally turning the economy off to save lives and protect our future , but if we want any shot to turn that economy back on in three to six months , we β re going to need to make sure the small and mid-sized businesses that form our middle class and civil society β s spine are still thereβ¦ Congress must authorize the [ Small Business Administration ] to take on a Federal Emergency Management Agency-like role , cutting checks and providing direct infusions to small and mid-sized businesses . The process must be streamlined , with discretion given to the administrator ( or a federal corona czar ) to oversee and move the machinery along . β
β If people can β t go out to a restaurant to spend the extra money from their government stimulus check or payroll-tax cut because they β re quarantined or sick , municipal tax revenue will plummet . Cities and states may not even be able to sell debt ( the municipal bond market is already signaling this ) to pay their bills and workers . New York City and state are already projecting steep drops in revenue for the coming year . The federal government should be in discussions with governors to see if state and local governments need a Wall Street-like bailout to get through a possible liquidity crisis until the virus panic blows over , people start spending money again and tax revenues recover . β
β Americans have been urged to β social distance β and those who may have been exposed to the coronavirus to self-quarantine . A decade ago this would have been unpleasant but also impractical for most people . Fortunately , there β s now an app , or many , many apps , for thatβ¦ These apps now let customers order rides , groceries and food delivery through their smartphonesβ¦
β This week [ Amazon ] announced it would hire 100,000 workers to meet increasing demand for grocery and other online orders . This may provide work alternatives for Americans laid off in airlines , hospitality and other industries affected by the coronavirus . It is also raising its starting wage for workers at its fulfillment centers to $ 17 an hour from $ 15 . Workers can also quickly sign up for work on multiple apps and schedule their hours around when they must take care of kids at home . Progressives criticize this β on-demand β work as somehow exploitative . But the coronavirus contagion is demonstrating that this free-market flexibility can be a labor lifesaver in a viral panic . β | qYOvGbIR7oosPEbL | 1 | Economy And Jobs | 0.8 | Coronavirus | 0.6 | null | null | null | null | null | null | |
politics | International Business Times | http://www.ibtimes.com/sarah-palin-tells-president-obama-stop-playing-race-card-martin-luther-king-day-photo-1544708 | Sarah Palin Tells President Obama To Stop 'Playing The Race Cardβ On Martin Luther King Day | 2014-01-21 | politics | Martin Luther King Day took a dramatic turn Monday when former Republican vice-presidential candidate , Sarah Palin , took to social media to ask President Barack Obama to stop β playing the race card β in honor of the late African-American civil rights movement leader .
Palin , 49 , started her controversial Facebook post by wishing all her followers a Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day and quoting a line from Dr. King 's famous β I Have a Dream β speech from the March on Washington in 1963 , before going on to directly speak to President Obama . `` ' I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin , but by the content of their character '' β¦ Mr. President , in honor of Martin Luther King , Jr. and all who commit to ending any racial divide , no more playing the race card , β wrote Palin .
The post has since received over 42,708 shares on Facebook and over 4,200 comments , a majority attacking the Alaska-based politician . β To use the words of the late MLK to pick at the president is low , disgusting and goes against the very nature of what the speech is about : coming together for a better country . Shame on you Sarah Palin , β said Facebook user Chandra Enriquez-Brandon Monday . β Your disrespect of President Obama and Martin Luther King Jr. speaks volumes about your lack of character , β said Renee Nestor . β Wow . Use a day to honor MLK to get a dig in at America 's first minority president . Like him or not , this is a low rent status , β said Jacqueline Parkey .
Palin β s comments follow a recently published article in The New Yorker in which President Obama , 52 , discussed his voting loss among white voters in 2012 . β There β s no doubt that there β s some folks who just really dislike me because they don β t like the idea of a black President , β said Obama , adding , β Now , the flip side of it is there are some black folks and maybe some white folks who really like me and give me the benefit of the doubt precisely because I β m a black President . β
President Obama has yet to comment on Palin β s post , only sharing a quote from Dr. King on his official Twitter page Monday , saying , β Darkness can not drive out darkness ; only light can do that . Hate can not drive out hate ; only love can do that . β | VQru2O6xK9yrfYwC | 1 | Sarah Palin | -0.2 | Politics | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
business | NTD | https://www.ntd.com/numerous-restaurant-chains-filed-for-bankruptcy-in-2024-amid-slow-demand-high-inflation_1014415.html | Numerous Restaurant Chains Filed for Bankruptcy in 2024 Amid Slow Demand, High Inflation | 2024-09-03 | Business, Restaurants, Bankruptcy, Labor, Inflation | Bankruptcies across multiple industry sectors are taking place at an unprecedented rate this year, with the restaurant sector being one of those experiencing a notable surge in bankruptcy filings. The reason for this can be attributed to higher labor costs, lower consumer spending, and less government funding in an industry that was heavily affected by pandemic lockdowns, as grants and government-subsidized loans become less available. So far this year, around a dozen restaurant chains, not including multi-unit franchisees, have filed for bankruptcy, with several more closures on the horizon by the of the year. Three notable establishments submitted Chapter 11 filings just last month, including popular Italian dining brand Buca di Beppo, Mediterranean fast-casual chain Roti, and Tavern chain World of Beer. Roti said it is working with its landlords and suppliers to keep its 22 locations open while it searches for a new buyer or investors. The company started facing financial issues during the pandemic, as most of their restaurants are located in downtown business districts. World of Beer attributed its bankruptcy filing to high interest rates, inflation, and a slow return to pre-pandemic dining habits. While the company announced restructuring plans, it also intends to end leases at underperforming locations through bankruptcy. The company also cited a heavy decline in craft beer sales as a reason for its financial troubles. Buca di Beppo said it is keeping 44 of its locations open while it restructures, and plans to open another restaurant, too. Court filings attribute the companyβs reasons for its financial difficulties to rising costs and labor challenges. The company was sold to Planet Hollywood following an accounting scandal involving the companyβs governance. The business was first founded in 1993. Among the other affected restaurant chains are Rubioβs Restaurants, which filed for Chapter 11 in June, Cleveland-based grilled sandwich chain Melt Bar & Grilled, and burger chain Kumaβs Corner, both of which filed for Chapter 11 in the same month. Seafood chain Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy protection in May, citing a βdifficult macroeconomic environment, a bloated and underperforming restaurant footprint, failed or ill-advised strategic initiatives, and increased competition.β In April, Tijuana Flats announced a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, new ownership, and the closure of 11 restaurants in a single press release. Earlier this year, Oregon-based ramen noodle chain Boxer Ramen also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Following the initial announcement in February, the company abruptly closed all four of its locations after more than a decade of operations. Stickyβs Finger Joint, which had been operating since 2012, also declared bankruptcy in April, citing rising commodity costs and a slow recovery from the pandemic as reasons. The company also encountered a setback from legal expenses from a trademark case brought by rival Sticky Fingers, which forced restructuring procedures by the company. Meanwhile, other companies such as Burger Fi, which also owns Anthonyβs Coal Fired Pizza & Wings, expressed βsubstantial doubtβ about the companyβs financial future, in a regulatory filing last month, while another, Mod Pizza, narrowly avoided bankruptcy through a last-minute sale. Other sectors, including nursing homes and retailers, are experiencing similar issues as Chapter 11 filings have climbed by almost 50 percent as of last month, according to Bankruptcy Watch. Mall retailer Express as well as nursing home chain LaVie Care Centers and Joann Fabrics and Crafts are just a few of the companies that have filed for bankruptcy protection this year. Reuters contributed to this article This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. End of dialog window. | dc86c70835bbc59b | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
white_house | FiveThirtyEight | https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/trump-may-be-even-more-unpopular-than-his-approval-rating-shows/ | Trump May Be Even More Unpopular Than His Approval Rating Shows | 2020-01-17 | white_house | Polls have consistently shown that President Trump is pretty unpopular , with only about 42 percent of the American public approving of the job he is doing as president . These numbers are much lower than what one might expect given the bustling economy .
But does the standard presidential approval question actually capture what voters think of Trump β s job performance ? There are several reasons it might not tell the full story . For one , in this hyper-partisan era , presidential approval numbers have become increasingly polarized and don β t move around all that much , so they may now say more about which β side β people are on ( pro-Trump or anti-Trump , Republican or Democrat ) than voters β actual evaluation of how the president is doing .
So we ( Enns and Schuldt ) have worked to develop a hopefully more nuanced approach to measuring presidential approval , where we ask respondents how favorably they feel toward Trump relative to other notable Republicans . By not explicitly asking respondents whether they approve or disapprove of the president , we avoid forcing respondents to take sides , as they do in the standard presidential approval question . Instead , respondents from both parties evaluate Trump in comparison to other Republicans , like former President George W. Bush , the late Sen. John McCain , McCain β s former running mate Sarah Palin , Vice President Mike Pence , and former President Ronald Reagan . ( We selected these specific Republicans because they range from the highly regarded Reagan , who is often viewed as the voice of modern conservatism , to Palin , the former Alaska governor whose time in national politics was much shorter and less influential . ) We β re most interested in how the public views Trump when they aren β t asked about the president in isolation . Do respondents rate him as highly as other Republicans ? Less highly ? And does this help clarify whether partisan cheerleading is masking respondents β actual assessments of Trump in the traditional presidential approval question ?
This is now our second survey where we β ve measured Trump β s favorability among likely voters , and in both surveys , we found that the standard presidential approval question may be overestimating Trump β s popularity . Our first survey was conducted before the 2018 midterm elections ( July 3 to July 12 ) and our second survey was conducted soon after the Dec. 18 House vote that formally impeached the president ( Dec. 20 to Dec. 22 ) , but in both instances , likely voters rated Trump toward the bottom of our list of Republicans .
Before the midterms , Trump β s favorability rating was statistically indistinguishable from Pence β s , and only Palin was rated less favorably . Following impeachment , Trump was even lower relative to the other Republicans we asked about . Not only is he the least popular president to run for reelection since Gerald Ford according to polls asking the standard presidential approval question , but in our measure , he is now also rated less favorably than his vice president . He β s also essentially tied with Palin for the least favorable Republican on our list , which is notable because when respondents are asked the traditional favorability question , Palin β s numbers are even lower than Trump β s β in 2016 , an ABC News-Washington Post poll found that just 30 percent of the public had a favorable impression of the former governor .
In terms of how Trump β s support breaks down along party lines , we also broke out our favorability rankings by Democrats , Republicans and independents . There we saw some pretty stark divisions , like the ones you see in the standard presidential approval question . For instance , Democrats , not surprisingly , ranked Trump last and ranked McCain the highest . Likewise , Republicans ranked Trump highly , behind only Reagan in our December poll . But among independents , Trump β s position was perhaps more telling . This group , which is typically viewed as potential swing voters , ranked Trump at the bottom of the list β statistically tied with both Palin and Pence .
As with all survey data , there is uncertainty around these estimates . For example , although it appears that independents rate Trump slightly lower than Palin and Pence , their uncertainty bands overlap enough that we can β t say for sure that Trump rates the lowest of those three . But the bottom line is that the president appears even more unpopular than previously thought , and more disliked than the standard presidential approval question is able to reveal . Although the electoral implications of Trump β s unpopularity and impeachment remain to be seen , the data we do have isn β t promising for Trump .
Methodology : Both surveys were fielded for us by NORC at the University of Chicago with funding from Cornell β s Center for the Study of Inequality . The July 2018 sample included 1,379 likely voters and the December 2019 sample included 818 likely voters . | zOUpKdqRzHkoovU2 | 1 | White House | 0 | Polls | 0 | Public Opinion | 0 | Elections | 0 | Approval Rating | 0 |
violence_in_america | Guest Writer - Right | https://theweek.com/articles/857017/mass-shootings-are-about-alienation-not-ideology | Mass shootings are about alienation, not ideology | 2019-08-06 | violence_in_america | Before you even clicked the headlines , you could have guessed a great deal about the background of the murderers in Ohio and Texas who killed at least 29 people and injured many more in the span of roughly as many hours .
You knew they would be white , of course , and young . They would probably be unmarried or estranged from their wives or girlfriends . They would have no children , perhaps have vexed relationships with their own fathers , and , indeed , few if any close male friends . They would likely be gamers and participants in bizarre online alternative communities to which they turn in the hope of finding the acceptance unavailable to them in the real world and shared norms β of opinion , of language , of tastes and interests and humor . There 's a decent chance they would be users of cannabis , the psychosis-inducing properties of which our elites ( with a handful of honorable exceptions ) will be too blinkered to discuss until we are unable to do anything about it . This is because many or all of these things are true of virtually every other person who has shot four or more people in the spontaneous eruptions of spontaneous violence that have been occurring in this country in the last two decades .
What about politics ? Much has been made by opportunists , cynics , and the willfully ignorant about the contents of the El Paso shooting suspect 's so-called `` manifesto . '' What we are meant to take away from the lunatic ravings of this person is that President Trump or the GOP or the Sedgwick County Republican Party are to blame . It is true that he talked about a `` Hispanic invasion '' and cited a recent massacre in New Zealand as inspiration . He also ranted about `` sustainability '' and echoed the talking points of '70s-era leftist population-control cranks . Is concern for the environment also a Trump talking point ? Meanwhile , the Dayton killer was a soi-disant `` pro-Satan leftist , '' a registered Democrat , and a supporter of Elizabeth Warren who claimed to hate the president and police officers generically . ( On a side note , it is worth pointing out that in a state in which unarmed black men are routinely killed by police officers , the El Paso shooter was able to throw up his hands and calmly submit himself to justice . Why ? )
This is not about ideology . Nor , in any straightforward sense , is it about what we now call `` mental illness , '' for which millions of Americans are treated each year . It is about alienation . It follows a distinct pattern , the one I have outlined above , which has been detectable since Columbine but which one could argue begins to emerge even earlier in the 1970s , when bomb threats were a part of daily life in this country the way that so-called `` mass shootings '' are now . It is also of a piece with the profile of many Islamic terrorists , who respond to the fracturing of their identities β performative religiosity at home and hedonism in London clubs or Vegas hotel rooms β with a longing for something real . They certainly get it .
Or do they ? The single most horrifying thread that runs through all of these stories for me is just how disconnected from reality the murderers are , even , indeed perhaps especially , while they are engaged in their crimes . The Columbine shooters modified levels of Doom to mimic the hallways of their high school ; young men still play so-called `` Columbine '' mods and share videos of their First Amendment-protected faux-massacres on YouTube . Technology has evolved . Today shooters live-stream their killing sprees while they are cheered on by `` fans '' who beg them to beat the previous `` high score . '' The desired escape from the emptiness and banality of their existence is never actually achieved . Reality for them remains augmented .
What can we possibly do to change all of this ? There are plenty of solutions . We could ban the video games that warp the consciousnesses of young men , including the vast majority who never murder anyone . We could reverse the legalization of marijuana . We could place a moratorium on non-military production of guns and confiscate all privately owned firearms ( with or without exceptions for hunting rifles , shotguns , and pistols that have been held without incident for a decade or more ) and send the National Guard to deal with anyone who refuses to comply . We could dial the Patriot Act up to 11 or 11,000 and start imprisoning anyone who searches for `` 8chan archive '' or `` unabomber wiki . '' We could create a China-style closed internet and put an end to the free and open distribution of information and views as we have known it for 30 or so years . I would welcome any or all of these actions . Not a single one is feasible .
Instead we are going to continue to live in a country in which young men continue to fall into acedia , purchase weapons , and kill for entertainment . It can happen virtually anywhere , at any time . And short of a complete revolution β moral , social , political , religious β there is virtually nothing we can do about it . | 9hXqRCQzD5Oj8UOG | 2 | Mass Shootings | -3 | Violence In America | -2.5 | Gun Control And Gun Rights | 0 | Mental Health | 0 | Violence | 0 |
politics | Washington Times | http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/sep/3/elizabeth-warren-meeting-joe-biden-it-was-long-con/ | Elizabeth Warren on meeting with Joe Biden: βIt was a long conversationβ | 2015-09-03 | politics | Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said she and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. had a β long conversation β about policy when the two met last month β and that Mr. Biden had called her twice .
β He called , β she told the Boston Globe Wednesday . β Actually called me twice β¦ and invited me down ; we had lunch . β
β And we talked about policy . We talked about what β s happening to America β s middle class , β she said . β We talked about the direction that this country has been going in . We talked about the capture of this country by those who have got money and power . β
Was there any talk with Mr. Biden , who is weighing a 2016 White House run on the Democratic side , about a joint ticket , even jokingly ? she was asked .
β It was a long conversation , β she said after a slight pause .
Asked if she plans to meet with him again , Ms. Warren said she meets with β anybody β who wants to talk about policy and might be able to help out , pointing out that she β s also met with former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton , as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and former Maryland Gov . Martin O β Malley , two other 2016 Democratic presidential contenders .
β So this is important stuff , and it β s a lot more important than just politics , β she said . β We have to make change . America β s great middle class is in real trouble . And it takes as many people as we can pulling in the same direction to make the kinds of changes we β re [ going to ] need to make . β
Ms. Warren , elected in 2012 , was asked if she would pledge to fill out her full six-year U.S. Senate term .
β I love my job , β she responded . β I truly love this job . And it β s all I β m thinking about . And you just can β t put a different thought in my head . I am thinking about my job in the United States Senate . β
β It β s such an honor , and it is such a treat to have the chance to fight for what you believe in , β she said .
Ms. Warren β s 2013 pledge to serve out her term was also brought up .
β I am where I am , β she said . β There β s nothing that has changed my thinking about this . β
Ms. Warren also said she imagines she β ll make an endorsement in the 2016 race before the Democrats β nominating convention . | JVZU26gAyyuXqesK | 2 | Elizabeth Warren | 0.6 | Joe Biden | 0.2 | Policy | 0 | Politics | 0 | null | null |
elections | Salon | http://www.salon.com/2016/04/12/countdown_to_the_gop_primarys_final_showdown_why_california_could_decide_who_wins_the_nomination_and_why_thats_bad_news_for_republicans/ | Why California could decide who wins the nomination, and why thatβs bad news for Republicans | 2016-04-12 | California, Presidential Elections, Elections | Everybody 's watching New York 's GOP primary right now and it 's a lot of fun for political junkies . It 's happening in the center of the media universe where the coverage is smart and interesting , and it 's Trump 's home state so he 's reveling in the love his fans pour all over him . But even if he wins New York in a blow out he can not possibly get to the required 1237 delegates until the big prize in California in June . So eyes are suddenly turning to the delegate-rich behemoth , where , for once , winning the primary is going to matter for the Republicans . But what an odd state for them to stage their final showdown before the convention .
There is no bluer state in the nation than California these days . But it was n't all that long ago that it was the spawning ground of Republican presidents . Two of the most important presidents of the 20th century , Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan , came from there . The Reagan revolution was hatched in California , as was the anti-tax revolt that has been destroying the nation since the late '70s . In fact , it goes back a lot further than that , as Kathryn Olmstead wrote in her book , `` Right Out of California : The 1930s and the Big Business Roots of Modern Conservatism , '' which βββ excerpted here .
Olmstead traced the political and business alliance that laid the groundwork for the GOP dominance that emerged after the Roosevelt coalition finally collapsed in the wake of the civil rights movement . She writes about the special interests that backed Nixon 's anti-communist crusade that managed to cripple the left in the U.S. from the 1940s on , and makes this interesting observation about Nixon :
Along with his virulent anticommunism , Nixon β s attention to the politics of image marked him as a California product . With its weak party system , fondness for Hollywood glitz , and rootless , diverse residents , the state helped nurture a style of campaigning that emphasized appearance over substance . β What they β ve got isn β t a party , β a Democratic official told Theodore White in 1956 . β It β s a star system , it β s a studio lot . They don β t run candidatesβthey produce them , like movie heroes. β Nixon was one of the first politicians to β embrace the new tools of political artistry β and β foster our current image-obsessed political culture , β as historian David Greenberg has said . Nixon and his public relations staff created an image of the candidate as a β populist everyman β and helped to unite the wealthy with the disaffected middle classes in a broad , successful coalition .
The trajectory of Ronald Reagan 's career from actor to labor leader to paid shill for General Electric is well known . He too flogged the anti-communist party line on behalf of his corporate master and others which had been organizing themselves since the 1930s . And he was obviously the literal realization of the California star system .
If you want to blame any one state for the dominance of the modern conservative movement of the past 30 years , California is it . But what was once an incubator of the movement is now a Democratic monolith . Last August , I wrote about how Pete Wilson and the Republicans of the mid-90s destroyed their state party with xenophobia , and have never recovered . They foolishly allowed their baser natures to take over , and activated a large , young voting constituency , sending them into the arms of the Democratic Party .
Today , California is as Democratic a state as it can be , with super majorities in the state government , a Democratic governor , Democratic mayors of the two biggest cities , two Democratic Senators and large Democratic majority of congressional seats .
But just because they are in a minority does n't mean Republicans do n't exist . There are , for one , a few wealthy coastal Republicans in the state , who care about the environment and are n't hostile to immigrants , but they 're all members of the 1 percent so there just are n't that many of them . The rest of the California GOP has been whittled down to a party as hardcore and extreme as anywhere in the country .
Recall that in the summer of 2014 , when the federal government tried to bus in some child refugees from Central America , one of the ugliest anti-immigrant confrontations in years took place in Murrieta California with scenes like this all over the TV :
This is why Ted Cruz is in California this week , specifically in San Diego , which is just 60 miles from where those protests took place . Unlike his rivals , he has been working the state for months and he seems to be aware that this is a potentially fruitful state for him . The polls are close , with Cruz ahead in the very conservative central valley , Kasich with a lead in the Bay Area ( but trailing badly everywhere else ) while Trump dominates in Southern California beyond Los Angeles , undoubtedly because of his immigration stance .
But more importantly , the GOP delegate process in California is a byzantine maze of confusion which it is likely only Cruz 's camp fully understands right now . According to Politico , `` the state gives away three delegates to the winner of each of its 53 congressional districts β ensuring there will not be a single California campaign here but dozens of smaller ones , waged district by district . '' All three of the campaigns are staffing up and the independent Super PACs are moving in on behalf of both Cruz and Trump . They are planning to spend millions in advertising .
Considering the conservative ideology of most California Republicans these days , and the fight that Cruz and Trump will have to wage for those votes in the southern part of the state , it 's probable that immigration is going to be central to this campaign . It 's Trump 's calling card and Cruz ca n't win if he does n't engage it . And every ad , every rally , every interview that either of them gives on the subject in order to persuade these hardcore conservatives to vote for them will repeat what Pete Wilson 's debacle did 20 years ago : inflame the majority and motivate it to vote against Republicans .
One of these men will win the GOP primary in California . But their ugly campaign will shrink the party further and probably wind up losing seats for their fellow Republicans down the ticket . But what choice do they have ? The California Republican Party is a shadow of its former self , a rump faction that consists of a small number of moderate one percenters and a bunch of angry , frustrated extremists . The only way these presidential candidates can win is by destroying their party . And when you look at it that way , it 's clear that this problem is n't confined to California . You can easily say the same thing about the national election . | 264cf3a80ecd082d | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
elections | Fox News | https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rahm-emanuel-says-democrats-hard-left-turn-could-reelect-trump | Rahm Emanuel says Democrats' hard left turn could re-elect Trump | elections | The Democrats are in a leftward lurch that could ruin their chances of retaking the White House .
Rahm Emanuel , now stepping down after two terms as mayor of Chicago , knows something about winning elections . He was a key White House operative for Bill Clinton and chief of staff for Barack Obama .
It was Rahm , as chairman of the Democratic campaign committee , who engineered the party 's takeover of the House in 2006 β and is known for his hardball brand of politics , with all the subtlety of his frequent F-bombs .
If Mayor Emanuel believes the Democrats are in danger of self-destructing , as he argues in a piece for the Atlantic , his party might want to pay attention .
I 've been arguing that the Democrats , who regained control of the House in November mainly on the strength of more moderate candidates , are increasingly being defined by their most extreme members .
Just look at the last few weeks , and the stances embraced by some of its presidential contenders and younger members : Slavery reparations . Green New Deal . Medicare for All . Free college tuition . A 70 percent tax rate on income over $ 10 million . Break up Amazon , Facebook and Google .
Is that how they win back Trump Democrats in Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin ?
Add to that various self-inflicted wounds , such as delaying and then watering down a resolution to denounce Rep. Ilhan Omar after her latest anti-Semitic comments , and you 've got a party with a problem . ( President Trump went way overboard in saying the Democrats have become `` an anti-Jewish party '' and telling donors that `` the Democrats hate Jewish people , '' given that perhaps three-quarters of Jews vote Democratic . But he was seizing on an opening . )
At the South by Southwest conference , Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez offered the standard left-wing critique of capitalism by saying that `` we 're reckoning with the consequences of putting profit above everything else in society . '' But she added that `` to me capitalism is irredeemable , '' the kind of sound bite that goes viral , given the enormous media attention she attracts .
And on `` Morning Joe '' the other day , 2020 contender John Hickenlooper , the former Colorado governor , repeatedly refused to call himself a capitalist . When did that become a dirty Democratic word ?
In the Atlantic , Emanuel says Trump could win over swing voters by constantly branding the Democrats as socialists .
HILLARY CLINTON HUDDLES WITH 2020 DEMS , INCLUDING BIDEN , HARRIS AND BOOKER
`` The last thing we should do is serve him slow pitches over the plate that allow him to define us on his terms . Unfortunately , that β s exactly what Democrats have been doing since he went before Congress in early February . It β s almost as if we 've been duped into reading from his ready-made script .
`` Earth to Democrats : Republicans are telling you something when they gleefully schedule votes on proposals like the Green New Deal , Medicare for all , and a 70 percent marginal tax rate . When they 're more eager to vote on the Democratic agenda than we are , we should take a step back and ask ourselves whether we 're inadvertently letting the political battle play out on their turf rather than our own . If Trump 's only hope for winning a second term turns on his ability to paint us as socialists , we should n't play to type . ''
While saying the party should n't abandon its core priorities , Rahm says Democrats and independents are so desperate to win that they 'll support a candidate who does n't agree with them on everything , as long as that person is seen as able to win .
`` So the ideological debates often shroud what voters really want β a nominee capable of standing steady and strong as Trump tries to bully his way into an Election Night victory . The president 's low approval ratings suggest that , if he wins a second term , Democrats will have no one to blame but ourselves . ''
SANDERS CAMPAIGN HITS BACK AT CASTRO 'S 'REPARATIONS ' DIG , ACCUSES LONGSHOT 2020 DEM OF PLAYING POLITICS
What began as a broadside from the right has now gone decidedly mainstream as the stumbles continue . The argument even made the front page of Sunday 's New York Times :
`` The sharp left turn in the Democratic Party and the rise of progressive presidential candidates are unnerving moderate Democrats who increasingly fear that the party could fritter away its chances of beating President Trump in 2020 by careening over a liberal cliff . ''
The challenge for Pelosi is to rein in her more lefty members who are sharply changing the public face of the party . But she ca n't control the Bernie-style presidential candidates who seem to believe that a hard left turn is the way to win the nomination .
Jeanine Pirro , the Fox weekend host who is friendly with President Trump , has drawn a strong rebuke from the network .
She took on Omar , one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress , in remarks that crossed a line .
Judge Jeanine said Saturday night that Omar is `` Sharia-compliant '' and engages in `` Sharia-adherence behavior . '' Why ? Because the freshman Democrat wears a hijab .
She asked : `` Is her adherence to this Islamic doctrine indicative of her adherence to Sharia law , which is antithetical to the U.S . Constitution ? ''
In a statement , βββ said : `` We strongly condemn Jeanine Pirro 's comments about Rep. Ilhan Omar . They do not reflect those of the network and we have addressed the matter with her directly . ''
I 've been critical of Omar for making anti-Semitic comments about money , then apologizing , then making more remarks about pro-Israel advocates having `` dual loyalty '' β an old anti-Semitic canard that is one of the worst things you can say about Americans .
But the congresswoman should be able to wear whatever she wants in accordance with her religious beliefs . That should n't result in her loyalty to the Constitution being questioned . And the comments were in Pirro 's scripted opening remarks , not something uttered off the cuff .
Omar thanked Fox for the statement , tweeting : `` No one 's commitment to our constitution should be questioned because of their faith or country of birth . ''
Pirro , a former prosecutor , is not backing off , however . In a statement Sunday , she said , `` I did not call Rep. Omar un-American . My intention was to ask a question and start a debate , but of course because one is Muslim does not mean you do n't support the Constitution . '' She invited Omar to appear on her show .
As the Hollywood Reporter noted , Pirro 's slam drew criticism from a staffer for `` Special Report with Bret Baier . '' Associate producer Hufsa Kamal tweeted : `` @ JudgeJeanine can you stop spreading this false narrative that somehow Muslims hate America or women who wear a hijab are n't American enough ? You have Muslims working at the same network you do , including myself . K thx . ''
Pirro hosts an opinion show , but her comments were out of bounds . | 9idq8wkUxw8YC0QB | 2 | Socialism | 0 | Presidential Elections | 0 | Elections | 0 | null | null | null | null | |
supreme_court | National Review (News) | https://www.nationalreview.com/news/supreme-court-agrees-to-hear-major-abortion-case/ | Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Major Abortion Case | 2021-05-17 | Supreme Court, Abortion, Roe V Wade, Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch, Mississippi, Women's Issues | National Review Trump Praises Muskβs DOGE Team During Joint Hannity Interview for Helping Implement Executive Orders Senate Confirms Howard Lutnick to Be Commerce Secretary Trump Administration Eliminates DEI Considerations from Federal Contracting Guidelines Trump Signs Executive Order Aimed at βReducing Barriersβ to IVF New Pro-Life Coalition Seeks to Redefine Abortion Discourse with $30 Million Investment The Supreme Court is set to hear a major abortion case that will give the justices an opportunity to reconsider the precedent set by the landmark Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey decisions. The Court on Monday announced in an order that it would take the case involving a Mississippi law passed in 2018 that bans abortions after 15 weeks with limited exceptions. The law was blocked by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals as under existing precedent, states may not ban abortions before fetal viability, which is typically around 22 weeks or later. The case, Dobbs v. Jackson Womenβs Health Organization, asks whether all pre-viability restrictions on abortion are unconstitutional. Mississippi is asking the justices to review the viability standard, arguing that the rule prevents states from defending maternal health and its interest in protecting life. βIt is well past time for the Court to revisit the wisdom of the viability bright-line rule,β Mississippi attorney general Lynn Fitch wrote in a brief filed with the justices. Jackson Womenβs Health Organization, an abortion clinic in Mississippi, asked the court not to take the case. βIn an unbroken line of decisions over the last fifty years, this Court has held that the Constitution guarantees each person the right to decide whether to continue a pre-viability pregnancy,β Hillary Schneller, an attorney for the clinic, wrote in a filing. Schneller claimed that the stateβs argument was βbased on a misunderstanding of the core principle ofβ earlier Supreme Court decisions. βWhile the State has interests throughout pregnancy, β[b]efore viability, the Stateβs interests are not strong enough to support a prohibition of abortion,'β she wrote. It will be the first abortion case to be argued before the Supreme Court since Justice Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed, creating a 6-3 conservative majority on the court. In a statement on Monday, March for Life president Jeanne Mancini noted that the U.S. is one of only seven countries, including China and North Korea, that allows abortions through all nine months of pregnancy. βAn overwhelming majority of Americans agree that this goes way too far, in fact 70 percent think abortion should be limited to β at most β the first three months of pregnancy,β she said. βStates should be allowed to craft laws that are in line with both public opinion on this issue as well as basic human compassion, instead of the extreme policy that Roe imposed.β The court will hear the case in its term beginning in October. It is likely to reach a decision by June of 2022. Send a tip to the news team at NR. Under the SECβs new guidance, undertaking βspecific actions on a social, environmental, or political policyβ may be seen as a violation. Usually the State Departmentβs FTO designations are reserved for groups like al-Qaeda or ISIS instead of money-driven cartels. After Trump left office, there was a βrapid return to underreportingβ under Biden, according to the National Association of Scholars. His tone and false claims can be explained by personal history more than anything else. The MTA immediately filed a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court challenging the decision. Ernst has already laid out a blueprint for how Loeffler can improve the SBAβs various loan programs and make the agency run more efficiently. Β© 2025 National Review Newsletters Β© 2025 National Review End your day with an after-hours roundup of NRβs top stories and biggest headlines. You have been subscribed! Check out our full lineup of newsletters to get more of our insight delivered straight to your inbox. | cb9c5362a692bacd | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
white_house | Politico | https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/12/trump-government-shutdown-plan-1098681 | Trump touts shutdown plan, but advisers say 'no one knows what he will do' | 2019-01-12 | white_house | President Donald Trump said Saturday he was alone in the White House with a plan at the ready to reopen the federal government , but close White House advisers and staff said they remained in the dark about how he would end the three-week partial shutdown .
Trump was slated to spend the day speaking by phone to staff and lawmakers , one White House official said . In the meantime , it remained unclear how long he would let the longest shutdown in the nation β s history drag on or whether he planned to declare a national emergency in the coming weeks to secure the funding he has demanded for a wall at the southern border , according to four advisers and staff reached by βββ .
β No one knows what he will do , and the president has not decided yet , so it keeps everyone guessing , β said one Republican close to the White House . β This could go on another week and he could declare an emergency , or this will go on until February . β
The president did not have any public events listed on his schedule for Saturday and Sunday . With weather forecasters predicting several inches of snow in Washington , golf β one of Trump β s favorite past times β seemed out of the question .
Instead , he spent the morning tweeting about a New York Times report that the FBI had opened an investigation into whether Trump acted on behalf of Russia early in his presidency and insisting Democrats return to Washington to fund his long-promised border wall and reopen the government .
β I just watched a Fake reporter from the Amazon Washington Post say the White House is β chaotic , there does not seem to be a strategy for this Shutdown . There is no plan , β β the president tweeted . β The Fakes always like talking Chaos , there is NONE . In fact , there β s almost nobody in the W.H . but meβ¦and I do have a plan on the shutdown .
β Democrats should come back to Washington and work to end the Shutdown , while at the same time ending the horrible humanitarian crisis at our Southern Border , β he wrote . β I am in the White House waiting for you ! β
On Saturday evening , Trump called into Jeanine Pirro 's show on Fox News , delivering familiar talking points on the shutdown and border security while urging Democrats to make a deal . Asked if he was ready to declare a state of emergency , the president demurred , citing hope for congressional action .
Inside the White House , a handful of staff , including senior adviser Stephen Miller , has pushed the idea of using a national emergency to go around Congress and fund a border wall since early in Trump β s presidency , said one former senior administration official .
But top attorney Pat Cipollone and other administration lawyers have been uncertain whether the president had established enough of a legal basis to go that route . Some Republican lawmakers and conservatives also have expressed wariness about pushing the boundaries of executive authority to that extent .
The fear is that such a move would allow future presidents , including Democrats , to lean on Trump β s example and declare national emergencies to fund all sorts of pet policy projects on everything from health care to climate change . And Trump β s advisers were unsure of the political ramifications of diverting money from disaster relief projects in places like Puerto Rico , one option the administration has explored .
β That β s always been an idea , as the White House has thought about additional authorities the president can use , β said the former senior administration official . β But I don β t think they should go for that exit ramp . They should see whether they can break up Pelosi β s conference and see if they can work out something with them . β
Democrats have remained firm that they would not give the president any additional money to build a border wall . Instead , they have tried to embarrass the White House in recent days , emphasizing the plight of thousands of federal workers who missed their first paycheck Friday .
The administration has tried to alleviate some of the shutdown pain by promising to fund food stamps and send out tax refunds even as the agencies that oversee both programs remain closed .
On Friday , a senior Office of Management and Budget official told βββ the agency was also working closely with payroll providers to try to get federal workers checks as soon as possible β a move that suggested the administration was starting to feel pressure politically .
β We expect that once appropriations are available and time and attendance is submitted , employees will receive a paycheck for all excepted work as soon as possible ( within 2-4 business days ) , β the official said . β When legislation is passed for back pay , furloughed employees would likely receive a paycheck on the same schedule . β | TJKMu71q0QePKyq8 | 0 | Government Shutdown | -0.6 | White House | -0.1 | Politics | -0.1 | null | null | null | null |
us_senate | USA TODAY | https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/03/04/senators-likely-vote-against-trumps-national-emergency-what-next/3009067002/ | Donald Trump's emergency order hits wall with GOP senators. What's next? | 2019-03-04 | us_senate | WASHINGTON β Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has made it clear to President Donald Trump that he has a choice : Move ahead with his emergency declaration at the border and risk of a rebuke from his own party β or shift gears .
McConnell acknowledged Monday the Senate is likely to pass a resolution to block Trump β s emergency declaration at the southern border . Since the measure has already cleared the House , Senate passage would send it to Trump 's desk .
β I think what is clear in the Senate is there will be enough votes to pass the resolution of disapproval , which will then be vetoed by the president , β McConnell told reporters in Kentucky . β And then , in all likelihood , the veto will be upheld in the House . β
Mitch McConnell : It 's clear Senate will vote against President Trump 's national emergency
Rand Paul : Kentucky senator says he 'll vote to block Trump 's emergency declaration
Start the day smarter : Get βββ 's Daily Briefing in your inbox
Trump has threatened to veto the resolution if it passes both chambers of Congress and lawmakers have said the emergency order 's opponents do not appear to have enough votes in either the House or the Senate to override a presidential veto .
Even so , the struggle over the emergency order would mark a turning point in Trump 's presidency . Not only would it be the first time Trump has issued a veto , it would put him at odds with members of his own party over how to deliver one of the key promises of his 2016 presidential campaign .
Republicans say that while they support Trump β s objective β building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border β several have serious reservations about declaring a national emergency to free up billions of dollars for the structure . Some lawmakers also have raised concerns that Trump will be diverting from key military programs to fund the barrier .
Trump declared a national emergency along the border on Feb. 15 to free up money for a border wall . The decision came after Congress refused to give him the $ 5.7 billion he had demanded for the barrier .
Trump said he wants the wall to stop drugs and gangs from coming into the U.S. , even though an analysis of data indicates the vast majority of narcotics enters through country ports of entry , not the wide swaths of border in between where additional barriers could be erected , experts say .
Sen. Rand Paul , R-Ky. , was the latest GOP senator to voice objections to an emergency declaration . Paul said during a speech in Kentucky on Saturday that approving the emergency declaration would be tantamount to giving β extra-Constitutional powers to the president β β something he said he β s unwilling to do .
' I did n't need to do this . ' : Critics say Trump quote undercuts national emergency for border wall
β I can β t vote to give the president the power to spend money that hasn β t been appropriated by Congress , β Paul said , as reported by the Bowling Green Daily News . β We may want more money for border security , but Congress didn β t authorize it . If we take away those checks and balances , it β s a dangerous thing . β
Some House Republicans made the same argument last week , when 13 of them joined all Democrats in voting to block Trump 's declaration , sending the measure to the Senate . McConnell has said the Senate will take up the measure by March 15 .
Meanwhile , some GOP senators are looking to give Trump a way out .
Sen. Lamar Alexander , R-Tenn. , who has called an emergency declaration `` inconsistent with the U.S. Constitution , '' offered an alternative last week .
Instead of declaring a national emergency , Alexander suggested Trump could secure money for his border wall by tapping into funds that Congress already approved for various programs . Not only would that give Trump access to the money he wants , it could potentially avoid months and years of litigation , Alexander said .
National emergency : Donald Trump declares national emergency to free up billions of dollars for border wall
As the Senate vote approaches , several GOP senators said they 're still deciding how they will vote . Others support Trump , saying he β s doing what he needs to do to protect the nation β s borders .
β The president β s not exercising any power that Congress didn β t give him , '' said Sen. John Kennedy , R-La . β Had Congress done its job instead of playing politics , he wouldn β t have to do it . β
Democrats , meanwhile , have complained Trump is trying to do an β end run around the Constitution . ''
β This is a president who is grasping for power , and he has to be reined in , '' said New Mexico Sen. Tom Udall , who serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee .
Paul 's weekend announcement that he opposes the emergency declaration makes him the fourth Senate Republican who has said they will vote to stop it . His decision gives opponents the 51 votes they need to block Trump 's declaration .
The other three Republicans who have said they will vote to stop the declaration are Thom Tillis of North Carolina , Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska .
`` As a U.S. senator , I can not justify providing the executive with more ways to bypass Congress , '' Tillis wrote in an op-ed in The Washington Post , laying out his concerns . `` As a conservative , I can not endorse a precedent that I know future left-wing presidents will exploit to advance radical policies that will erode economic and individual freedoms . ''
Tillis was elected in 2014 and is up for re-election in 2020 . The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has rated the seat β likely Republican . β
Collins , who is also up for re-election next year , said she β s concerned about Trump using the declaration to repurpose billions of dollars that Congress has already appropriated .
It β strikes me as undermining the appropriations process , the will of Congress and of being of dubious constitutionality , '' she said .
Collins , who is serving her fourth term , is a moderate Republican who sometimes breaks with her party on key issues , including health care . She criticized a federal judge 's ruling last December to overturn the Affordable Care Act , saying it was β too sweeping . β
She was also among the three Republicans , including the late Arizona Sen. John McCain and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska , who voted last summer against the Republican 's β skinny repeal bill , β killing the GOP health care measure .
All eyes were also on Collins last fall when the Senate voted on the controversial confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh , who had come under fire for accusations of sexual assault committed decades ago .
Collins , who had been on the fence for months , voted for Kavanaugh , saying that voting against him without witnesses or proof could start a `` dangerous '' precedent .
And as recently as last week Collins was the lone Republican to oppose the nomination of Andrew Wheeler , who was narrowly confirmed as Trump β s pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency . Collins said she opposed the nomination because , as acting administrator , Wheeler supported policies that β are not in the best interest of our environment and public health , particularly given the threat of climate change to our nation . ''
Murkowski said she will support the resolution to block Trump 's emergency declaration .
Murkowski , who has been in the Senate since 2002 , is up for re-election in 2022 . She shocked the political world in 2010 when she waged a successful write-in campaign after losing her party β s primary . Murkowski , the daughter of former Alaska governor and senator Frank Murkowski , has at other times refused to vote in lockstep with the national party that some say abandoned her during her re-election bid .
Murkowski was the only Republican to vote against Kavanaugh 's appointment . She voted β present β as a collegial gesture for her Republican colleague Sen. Steve Daines , who supported Kavanaugh but was attending his daughter 's wedding .
Murkowski has worked across the aisle on issues important to her state , including with former Democrat Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana on energy policies .
Murkowski , along with Collins , also voted against the confirmation of Betsy DeVos , Trump β s choice to head the Department of Education .
Arizona β s Sen. Martha McSally , a newcomer to the chamber , also has voiced concerns about the emergency declaration .
McSally , appointed last December to fill McCain 's seat , said recently she was `` seeking assurances that the money will not come from Arizona military construction projects '' for her vote supporting the president .
McSally is expected to face a competitive race in the 2020 special election . The Cook Political Report rates the seat `` leans Republican . '' Earlier this month , Mark Kelly , a retired U.S. Navy pilot and the husband of former Rep. Gabby Giffords , announced his plans to run for the seat .
Despite concerns raised by some GOP lawmakers , only 13 broke ranks with the party and voted in favor of the Democratic backed resolution when it passed the House last week .
Several of them , including Reps. Will Hurd of Texas , Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Fred Upton of Michigan , are expected to run in competitive races in 2020 .
Most Republicans voted along party lines and against the resolution , citing the need for more border security . | XBDnYN2QW0LOm8wl | 1 | Emergency Declaration | 0.2 | Politics | 0.2 | US Senate | 0.1 | null | null | null | null |
terrorism | CBS News (Online) | https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-orleans-attack-tesla-cybertruck-explosion-trucks-rented-turo/ | Trucks in New Orleans attack and Las Vegas explosion were rented on Turo. Here's what to know. | 2025-01-08 | Terrorism, Business, Cars, Transportation, Domestic Terrorism, Violence In America, Louisiana, Nevada | Watch CBS News By Aimee Picchi Edited By Anne Marie Lee Updated on: January 3, 2025 / 1:10 PM EST / CBS News The vehicles used in two separate incidents, the deadly New Orleans attack and the explosion in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, were rented via the same app, a peer-to-peer service called Turo, the company said. Authorities are looking into several parallels between the incidents, including that both involved trucks β a Ford pickup in New Orleans and Tesla Cybertruck in Las Vegas β were rented from Turo and occurred on New Year's Day. Both also involved U.S.-born military servicemen who served in Afghanistan around the same timeframe, but don't appear to have any known connections. But on Thursday, an FBI official, Christopher Raia, said that at this point, there's "no definitive link" between the two occurrences. In an email to CBS News, a Turo spokesperson said the company is "actively partnering with law enforcement authorities as they investigate both incidents." Turo CEO Andre Haddad released a statement on Friday detailing the company's ongoing cooperation with authorities. "We've spent these tense, mournful hours investigating, partnering with law enforcement, and working around the clock to figure out how our platform could be misused by the perpetrators of such atrocities," the CEO said. According to the 12-year-old company, out of its entire history of rentals β which includes 27 million bookings spanning 8.6 billion miles driven β less than .10% have ended in a "serious incident, such as a vehicle theft." "Despite this strong track record, and as an immediate next step while we wait for law enforcement to conclude their investigations, we're consulting with national security and counterterrorism experts to learn more about how we can get even better and play our part in helping prevent anything like this from happening ever again," Haddad said. They added, "We do not believe that either renter involved in the Las Vegas and New Orleans attacks had a criminal background that would have identified them as a security threat." Turo operates similarly to Airbnb, but with cars instead of houses or apartments. Car owners who aren't using their vehicles can rent them out to others via the app, which handles screening, billing and other services. In some cases, individuals have become "professional hosts" by renting out fleets of cars via Turo, according to a company filing. In a separate email to CBS MoneyWatch, a Turo spokesperson said, "We are outraged by the misuse of our marketplace by the two individuals who perpetrated these acts." Here's what to know about Turo. Turo, which started in 2009, had about 150,000 active hosts who rented out about 350,000 vehicles as of Sept. 30, according to the company's filing. About 3.5 million people rented those cars in the 12-month period through the end of September, it added. The car rental service operates in 16,000 cities in the U.S., Australia, France, the U.K. and Canada. Turo says that in order to use its service, individuals need an email address, Google account or Apple ID, and a valid driver's license. Renters must also provide a home address and payment card. Customers must be at least 18 years old to rent a car on Turo, or over 25 for more expensive vehicles. For instance, to rent a "deluxe" car β those valued between $45,000 to $85,000 β drivers must be older than 25. "Super deluxe" cars, or those valued over $85,000, are limited to people over 30. On its website, Turo says "We may ask for additional photos and information and/or may check your personal and/or business credit report, auto insurance score, and criminal background to verify your account." The man who drove the Ford truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, had pleaded guilty in 2015 to charges tied to driving under the influence (DUI), according to CNN. In the state of Louisiana, a DUI offense is considered a felony on third and subsequent convictions, according to Louisiana Court Records, although first-time DUI offenders can face felony charges in instances where a death or violation of child endangerment laws is involved. Turo also says it relies on its proprietary "risk score" to assess potential renters, which relies on "more than 50 data inputs," such as information submitted by customers as well as parameters set by the car owner. "Every Turo renter is screened through a proprietary multilayer, data science-based trust and safety process," the Turo spokesperson wrote to CBS MoneyWatch. "These individuals in question had valid driver's licenses, clean background checks, and were honorably discharged from the U.S. military," the spokesperson added. "They could have boarded any plane, checked into a hotel, or rented a car or truck from a traditional vehicle rental chain. We do not believe these two individuals would have been flagged by anyone β including Big Rental or law enforcement." In a separate statement Thursday, Turo CEO Haddad also said the company is consulting with national security and counterterrorism experts to "learn more about how we can get even better and play our part in helping prevent anything like this from happening ever again." The driver in the New Orleans attack, Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S.-born citizen from Texas, was a U.S. Army veteran who lived in Houston. The FBI said he posted several videos before the attack proclaiming his support for ISIS. Jabbar rented a Ford electric pickup truck from Turo in Houston on Dec. 30, 2024, and drove the vehicle to New Orleans on Dec. 31. On Jan. 1, he bypassed barriers put in place on Bourbon Street, which included patrol cars and law enforcement, before plowing onto the sidewalk, according to police officials. The attack killed at least 14 people and injured dozens. In the second Jan. 1 occurrence, Matthew Alan Livelsberger, an active-duty U.S. Army Special Forces intelligence sergeant who was serving in Germany but on leave in Colorado at the time of the incident, rented a Tesla Cybertruck from Turo in Denver. That Cybertruck, a 2024 model, pulled up to the Trump hotel's glass entrance doors on Wednesday morning, officials said. Smoke began emerging from the vehicle, and then a large explosion occurred. Gasoline and camp fuel canisters and large firework mortars were found in the back of the vehicle after the explosion, which occurred about 15 seconds after the vehicle pulled in front of the building. The Cybertruck explosion, which is being investigated as a possible act of terrorism, killed the driver of the car and injured seven people outside of the vehicle. The body was "burnt beyond recognition," Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said in a briefing Thursday, but the coroner's office later confirmed it was Livelsberger. Investigators said Livelsberger's military ID, passport and credit cards were found in the vehicle, along with several firearms. Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote on X, his social media app, that the vehicle's structure helped limit the damage. "The evil knuckleheads picked the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attack," wrote Musk. "Cybertruck actually contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards. Not even the glass doors of the lobby were broken." Aimee Picchi is the associate managing editor for CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and personal finance. She previously worked at Bloomberg News and has written for national news outlets including USA Today and Consumer Reports. Β© 2025 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Copyright Β©2025 CBS Interactive Inc. 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technology | Guest Writer - Center | https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/549277-why-you-should-care-about-the-semiconductor-chip-crisis?rl=1 | Why you should care about the semiconductor chip crisis | 2021-04-30 | Technology, Business, Economy And Jobs, World, Semiconductors, Big Tech, Apple, Cars, Auto Industry | Are you worried about your chip supply? Not potato chips. Not poker chips. And not wood chips. I am talking about the shortage of semiconductor chips, which you may not realize influence everything from your cell phone to your car, your game console to national security. We are talking about a nearly $500 billion semiconductor industry manufacturing silicon wafers using complex processes that allow us to do everything from drive to play. Our internet-connected world is completely dependent on energy, the production of semiconductors and each other for sourcing. We are a world awash in gadgets like Xboxes, temperature gauges, webcams and wireless data panels in automobiles. Our schools use computers, our homes use kitchen appliances with sensors and out data is stored in hospitals and factories, and at local retail outlets. So, when one piece of the puzzle falls short, the whole picture is distorted. The semiconductor chip supply problem is so big that the president of the United States met with CEOs of technology companies last week to address the issue, and has ordered a 100-day review of the semiconductor supply chain. Congress has backed legislation aimed at spurring more domestic chip manufacturing to reduce dependence on Taiwan and South Korea, which President Biden has proposed funding with $50 billion in his infrastructure plan. Like all modern global crises, this one is about dependence. In an inter-dependent world, one problem like COVID-19 can create a cascade of problems. The shortage of semiconductors has been fueled by expanded use of electronics, pandemic interruptions and production problems at multibillion-dollar chip factories around the world, disrupting purchase orders and creating hoarding in advance of predicted shortages. Then add climate change and natural disasters that have also affected some companies from Texas to Taiwan. Shortages this year have been exacerbated by episodes that include a fire at a Renesas Electronics chip factory in Japan, a drought in Taiwan and a cold snap in Texas that temporarily shut down factories operated by Samsung Electronics, NXP Semiconductors and Infineon. And add tariffs on Chinese products coming into the United States, which have only sparked more market gyrations. Outsourcing, pricing and now mark-ups all become costs that the consumer will absorb. The result is that big corporations are doubling inventory, leaving small manufacturers to face lengthy re-designs of products or find alternatives. The chip shortage potentially affects just about any company adding communications or computing features to products. The personal computer giant HP said the shortage of semiconductors had prevented the company from being able to meet demand for computers ordered by schools. Rising chip prices also have made it harder to offer affordable hardware for less-wealthy school districts during the pandemic, the company said. So, whatβs the answer to this latest obstacle to getting back to global normalcy? First, we canβt blame globalization; instead, we must embrace it. A new administration is making it clear that America will play ball in the global arena and, hopefully, reverse years of following an βAmerica Firstβ strategy. We have to design policies that both benefit the United States and contribute to sound trade policies and economic growth at home and abroad. Second, we must improve predictive data analysis. Whether it is using genetic sequencing technology to better understand the spread of virus variants or tracking the global supplies of chips, our country must invest in the research and development of technologies that impact or daily lives. Third, we need to teach our citizens about how politics, policy and STEM-related issues affect us, as well as how laws, institutions and history can inform our lives. We canβt just expect the government or corporate sector to deliver our electricity and computing power or turn on our game consoles. We have to be involved, engaged and educated to help make sound decisions. In short, we must pay attention. Tara D. Sonenshine is a former U.S. under-secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs. Get notified of breaking news THE HILL 400 N CAPITOL STREET NW, SUITE 650 WASHINGTON DC 20002 Β© 1998 - 2025 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. 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elections | New York Times - News | http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/11/us/politics/texas-runoff-between-cruz-and-dewhurst-fiercely-contested.html?ref=politics | Texas Race for Senate Reveals Rift on the Right | 2012-06-11 | elections | Tea Party activists and their grass-roots colleagues have grown frustrated by what they see as the eagerness of the establishment to compromise with Democrats and to shy away from a bold conservative approach .
Many of Mr. Cruz β s backers say that Mr. Dewhurst is the reason two bills they support stalled in the Legislature last year : a Tea Party-backed measure that would outlaw β intrusive β pat-downs at airport security checkpoints , and legislation to penalize so-called sanctuary cities like Austin and Houston that prohibit the police from inquiring about the immigration status of those they arrest or detain .
It is a battle that has played out in Senate races around the country , in which establishment Republicans have lost to Tea Party-supported challengers . They include the defeat this year of Senator Richard G. Lugar of Indiana to Richard E. Mourdock and Senator Robert F. Bennett of Utah to Mike Lee , and the loss of Gov . Charlie Crist of Florida to Marco Rubio , a Cuban-American Tea Party star , in the 2010 Senate race . Mr. Cruz , who is also Cuban-American , is often compared to Mr. Rubio .
β Ted taps into the energy on the right , β said Matt Mackowiak , a Republican political consultant and former Hutchison spokesman who supports Mr. Cruz . β It β s a similar dynamic to what you β ve seen in some of these other states , where an established statewide elected official is somewhat conservative but not boldly conservative . In the current environment , that β s what Republican primary voters want . β
The day after Mr. Perry β s speech , Mr. Dewhurst took the stage to address convention delegates . There were scattered boos and chants of β Cruz β at the beginning of Mr. Dewhurst β s remarks , but for the most part , Mr. Cruz β s supporters remained silent . For Mr. Perry , the outburst the day before was a stunning moment , unlike anything he had faced in office β a Republican governor of a solidly Republican state being booed at a Republican convention for declaring his support for an influential Republican lieutenant governor .
β It shows that Perry is out of touch with the grass roots , β said Konni Burton of Colleyville , a Cruz supporter who is the vice president of the Northeast Tarrant Tea Party in the Dallas-Fort Worth area . β You get in a bubble , and I think that β s where they are right now frankly . β
Mr. Dewhurst and his supporters played down the audience β s reaction , saying it did not reflect the hundreds of thousands of Texans who will cast their vote in the July 31 runoff .
Standing outside a campaign booth at the Fort Worth Convention Center shortly after his speech , Mr. Dewhurst wondered if some of those booing were frustrated supporters of Representative Ron Paul of Texas , the Republican presidential candidate .
β I don β t see any division within the Republican Party , β Mr. Dewhurst said . β We β re united in our conservative principles and our goals . The tug back and forth between different groups that are supporting one candidate over another is normal in the political process . It doesn β t surprise me at all . β
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Mr. Cruz and his campaign have tried to frame the race as a David-and-Goliath battle , and in many ways , it is precisely that β a lawyer who has never held elected office has forced one of the wealthiest and most powerful elected officials in Texas into a runoff by placing second in the Republican primary in late May . Paul Sadler , a former state representative , and Grady Yarbrough , a retired educator , are in a runoff for the Democratic nomination , but no Democrat has been elected statewide since 1994 .
Mr. Cruz was outspent by Mr. Dewhurst β both campaigns have raised more than $ 6.1 million , but Mr. Dewhurst , a rancher and businessman , has pumped an additional $ 10 million of his personal fortune into his campaign . The average contribution to Mr. Cruz was $ 167 , compared with $ 1,653 to Mr. Dewhurst , a figure supplied by the Cruz campaign to highlight his connection with grass-roots conservatives .
In the primary , Mr. Cruz won 34 percent of the vote . Mr. Dewhurst , at 44 percent , was well short of the 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff .
The candidates have spent months trying to outmaneuver each other , with each claiming to have the strongest conservative credentials . And yet the race has been as much about their personalities as their records .
Mr. Cruz , 41 , whom National Review called β the next great conservative hope , β is a charismatic speaker who works a room skillfully , which could be expected from a lawyer who has personally argued nine cases before the United States Supreme Court .
Mr. Dewhurst , 66 , is more formal , and somewhat stiff , on the campaign trail , and he was criticized for skipping numerous candidate forums and events , including , Mrs. Burton noted , one sponsored by the Northeast Tarrant Tea Party .
The candidates β depictions of each other have not always squared with reality . Shortly before the primary , the Dewhurst campaign produced a radio advertisement that accused Mr. Cruz of helping to run two organizations β leading the push to give amnesty to illegal immigrants , β though the president of one of them , the Hispanic Leadership Fund , says Mr. Cruz has never held any leadership role and that the group does not support amnesty .
Mr. Cruz and his allies have called Mr. Dewhurst a moderate β tax hiking β career politician , though Mr. Dewhurst has been in elected office since 1999 and has , by his own account , worked with Mr. Perry to cut taxes 51 times , balance five straight budgets without raising taxes , defend school prayer and prevent same-sex marriage .
β It β s kind of a faux animosity , a faux outrage , that David Dewhurst is an β establishment β candidate , β said Jim McGrath , a Republican strategist in Houston and a supporter of Mr. Dewhurst . β He has been part of the establishment in a conservative state , with a conservative record . β
The two camps β supporters defy easy categorization . Mr. Cruz has drawn young activists and bloggers , but has also won support from older party leaders and legal scholars .
On his side , Mr. Dewhurst has numerous ranchers as well as evangelical leaders like Rick Scarborough . At the convention , Mr. Cruz appeared to win at least one unofficial contest β more delegates and alternates were wearing his stickers .
Standing at his booth , Mr. Dewhurst appeared unfazed by such visible , and audible , support for his rival . β What was that they said ? β Mr. Dewhurst asked with a smile , referring to the booing . β Dew , Dew ? I think that β s what they were saying . β | rjS7M20WGmn8xnEf | 0 | Presidential Elections | 0.6 | Elections | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
economy_and_jobs | New York Times - News | http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/21/business/economy/fed-extends-program-to-lower-costs-of-borrowing.html | Fed Takes Modest Action on Rates as Forecast Dims | 2012-06-21 | economy_and_jobs | It is the first time since January that the Fed has intensified its efforts to revive economic growth , and the first time since September that it has announced a new round of asset purchases . This is the fifth such announcement since 2008 .
But the new program is not large enough to provide significant economic support . Instead it amounts to a placeholder , an effort to soothe markets and preserve the status quo while the Fed seeks greater clarity about the health of the economic recovery .
β We have to get further information about the state of the economy , about where things are going and about what β s happening in Europe , β Ben S. Bernanke , the chairman of the Federal Reserve , said at a news conference after the release of the policy statement and projections .
His comments raised the prospect that the Fed would act again later this year .
β We are prepared to do what is necessary , β he said , in a version of the pledge that has become his byword . β We are prepared to provide support for the economy . β
Investors appeared to respond with disappointment . Major equity indexes fell after the Fed β s policy was announced , rose for a while , and then fell throughout Mr. Bernanke β s 45-minute news conference before staging a late rally to end the day little changed . The Standard & Poor β s 500-stock index fell 0.2 percent .
The Fed is already engaged in broad efforts to reduce borrowing costs for businesses and consumers . It has kept short-term interest rates near zero since late 2008 , and is holding more than $ 2.5 trillion in Treasuries and mortgage -backed securities to hold long-term interest rates down .
But the unemployment rate , after declining rapidly during the final months of 2011 , has stalled above 8 percent . More than 20 million Americans could not find full-time work last month , three years after the recession ended .
The Fed β s policy-making committee said Wednesday that while it expected growth would continue at a β moderate pace , β job creation and household spending both slowed in recent months . Mr. Bernanke said the housing depression , domestic fiscal policy and Europe β s downturn were dragging on growth .
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The Fed β s economic forecast , released separately , reflected reduced prospects for 2013 . Officials estimated the nation β s economy would grow from 2.2 percent to 2.8 percent next year , down from its April projection of 2.7 percent to 3.1 percent . They now expect the unemployment rate to range from 7.5 to 8 percent at the end of 2013 , up from an April forecast of 7.3 to 7.7 percent .
Fed officials appeared united earlier this year in the view that monetary policy had done enough to bolster growth . But the accumulation of lukewarm data has cracked that united front . Eric S. Rosengren , president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston , issued public calls for new action , and others who argued for more aggressive easing last year also seemed to be girding for a return to the barricades . The Fed β s conservative wing , meanwhile , renewed its warnings about future inflation .
The committee landed between the two camps on Wednesday , reflecting the moderating influence of Mr. Bernanke , who controls the decision-making process .
The new asset purchases extend a commitment scheduled to end this month to buy $ 400 million in Treasuries , known as Operation Twist because the purchases are financed by sales from the Fed β s holdings of short-term securities . Extending the program by six months has poetic virtues , but it also reflects the imminent exhaustion of the Fed β s holdings of the short-term securities .
Studies of this first installment of Operation Twist have concluded that it reduced long-term interest rates by 0.15 to 0.20 percentage points . But its economic impact , like those of the Fed β s earlier asset purchases , has been muted by the inability of many businesses and consumers to obtain loans . Economists estimate that this second installment will have an even smaller impact , commensurate with its size .
β They bought some time and some insurance to sit back and see how the situation evolved , β said Kevin Logan , chief United States economist at HSBC .
The decision was supported by 11 members of the committee . The only opposition came from Jeffrey M. Lacker , president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond , who has repeatedly dissented this year , arguing against additional action .
Republican politicians have pressed the Fed to refrain from new actions , arguing that it is more likely to set off higher inflation than lower unemployment .
Mr. Bernanke was dismissive of those criticisms on Wednesday . He noted that inflation remained firmly in check . The Fed projects that wages and prices will increase more slowly this year than the 2 percent pace it considers optimal .
He expressed confidence that asset purchases could help the economy . β I wouldn β t accept the proposition that the Fed has no more ammunition , β he said . β Our tools , while nonstandard , still can create more accommodative conditions , still provide support of the economy , still help us return to a more normal economic situation . β
At the same time , Mr. Bernanke said that the Fed was restrained by the uncertain consequences of its actions . Efforts by central banks to hold down interest rates have sometimes contributed to speculative bubbles , for example .
And in saying that the Fed was prepared to do more if necessary , he made clear that he did not regard the current economic situation as sufficient cause. β I don β t think they should be launched lightly , β he said of the possibility of additional asset purchases . β There should be some conviction that they β re needed . β | a426t3hRJHF7nG4S | 0 | Economy And Jobs | -0.5 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
justice_department | Newsmax | http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/US-IRS-Political-Groups/2013/11/26/id/538880?ns_mail_uid=33678863&ns_mail_job=1547884_11272013&promo_code=15C10-1 | Obama's IRS Moves to Close Down Political Speech of Nonprofits | 2013-11-26 | IRS, Free Speech, Campaign Finance, Elections, Justice Department, Justice | Do You Approve Or Disapprove of President Obama 's Job Performance ? Vote Now in Urgent Poll
Do You Approve Or Disapprove of President Obama 's Job Performance ? Vote Now in Urgent Poll | 336e96879d0cb433 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
immigration | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/06/politics/christie-immigration-2016/index.html?hpt=po_c1 | Will Christie's immigration bill haunt him in 2016? | 2014-01-06 | immigration | Story highlights Immigration reform remains a litmus test among GOP primary voters
Possible 2016 candidate Chris Christie will sign New Jersey 's version of the DREAM Act
Bill allows undocumented immigrants who attended high school to pay in-state rate
GOP operative says as long as Christie is up front about his position , it might not hurt him
In late May 2011 , Mitt Romney made his first campaign jaunt to South Carolina , a primary state that bedeviled him during his first presidential campaign and would prove just as vexing in his second .
Romney 's difficulties with the conservative base are now well-documented . But among his many problems on the right , immigration was n't one of them .
On that May afternoon in South Carolina , Romney , his sleeves rolled up and shirt tucked neatly into bluejeans , came prepared to answer a range of tough questions . He delivered a defense of his health care law and equivocated on a controversial Medicare plan being debated in Congress .
He did n't expect to have to talk about immigration , But one activist who felt like a party crasher in the small , hand-picked audience wanted to know if Romney backed amnesty for `` illegals . '' Romney said no , matter-of-factly outlined his positions , and the voter departed seeming satisfied .
The point is this : Even if immigration fails to register as a top issue in the polls -- only 3 % of Americans called it the country 's `` most important problem '' in a recent Gallup survey -- the topic continues to burn white hot as a litmus test among a passionate and vocal slice of the GOP primary electorate .
JUST WATCHED Obama responds to immigration heckler Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Obama responds to immigration heckler 04:21
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Even when immigration reform is not on the calendar in Congress -- and it was n't during the 2012 campaign -- it routinely bubbles up in Republican primary campaigns , popping up in town hall meetings , on talk radio and online . And it 's not just the dreaded `` comprehensive '' immigration reform effort that roils grassroots activists ; for a defiant portion of the GOP base ( looking at you , Steve King ) , any kind of reform is non-negotiable .
Despite efforts by top Republicans in Washington to improve the party 's miserable image among Hispanic voters , not much has changed since the 2012 primary campaign , when GOP voters tore down Texas Gov . Rick Perry for telling a debate audience that they did n't `` have a heart '' if they opposed in-state college tuition for young illegal immigrants .
A sweeping Senate immigration bill is stalled in the House , effectively dead and nailed into its coffin by its own Republican co-sponsor , Sen. Marco Rubio , who now opposes it .
House Speaker John Boehner says he is open to passing a series of smaller fixes . At the same time , numerous elected GOP officials made intemperate comments about Hispanic immigrants .
This is the party that New Jersey Gov . Chris Christie , who will ceremonially sign a New Jersey version of the DREAM Act this week , must face if he decides to seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 . And at first glance , his support for the bill , which allows undocumented immigrants who have attended New Jersey high schools for three years to pay in-state college tuition rates , is problematic .
Having won re-election last November with a majority of Hispanic voters , Christie 's support for the so-called tuition equality bill is another notch in his belt as he cultivates an image as a Republican who can appeal to independent voters and nontraditional constituencies . He is , his supporters believe , a GOP candidate who can actually win a national election .
But in the hothouse context of a Republican primary , which he must win to get to a national election , signing the tuition bill seems like yet another example of Christie unfurling a giant middle finger to the very voters whose support he will need once the presidential race begins in earnest this November .
The biggest sin conservatives point to when discussing Christie is symbolic : his arm-in-arm tour of the New Jersey coastline with President Obama after Hurricane Sandy , lending the president a veneer of bipartisan street cred just days before the 2012 presidential election .
There are other apostasies : Gun control measures signed in Trenton , a gushing buddy-buddy appearance with Bill Clinton at a policy conference in Chicago last summer , and his spirited defense of the country 's surveillance and drone efforts , a position that rankles libertarians .
Brandon Patterson , a 23-year-old student at the Pat Roberston-founded Regent University in Virginia , summed up the prevailing conservative attitude toward Christie at last summer 's Faith and Freedom Coalition conference in Washington .
`` He is not very popular here , '' Patterson said . `` Nobody is excited to support him at all . Nobody that I know of . He 's a moderate . ''
Talk to any strategist backing his potential GOP opponents , and you 'll hear a similar take on Christie 's decision to sign the DREAM Act : Supporting tuition breaks for illegal immigrants burnishes his reputation with the Amtrak corridor pundit class , but it cements Christie 's status as persona non grata at the Pizza Ranches of western Iowa and diners of New Hampshire .
`` This amnesty bill is just another in a really , really long list of reasons why Republican primary voters do n't trust Christie , '' said a national GOP operative working for a likely 2016 rival . `` From guns , to Sandy spending , to hugging Obama , he 'll have a tough time winning any early state primaries . Unless , of course , 'Morning Joe ' holds an early state Republican primary that I 'm unaware of . ''
But there 's another way to look at it : The conservatives who despise Christie for signing the tuition bill probably would n't support him anyway . They might not like him , but he does n't need them , either
Let those conservatives flock to Ted Cruz and Rand Paul and Rick Santorum . The silent plurality of Republican primary voters -- the blue hairs , the country clubbers , the Rotarians -- do n't garner the kind of media attention ginned up by tea party groups and outspoken pastors , but they vote .
After all , Mitt Romney , that squishy scion of the hated `` establishment , '' lost the Iowa caucuses by only 34 votes . And whatever failings Christie may have , few dispute that he has natural political talents and a rapport with voters that Romney never had .
The dynamics of the 2012 race were different than they will be in 2016 ; a fiscal conservative like Wisconsin Gov . Scott Walker could clog Christie 's lane in the business community . But early state operatives sympathetic to Christie are hopeful that there will be even more space in 2016 for a candidate who wants the party to expand its popular appeal .
Tim Albrecht , a Republican operative in Iowa and former adviser to Gov . Terry Branstad , pointed out that the Iowa House passed a version of the DREAM Act way back in 2004 . ( The bill , however , did not become law . )
`` Led by a Republican majority , the Iowa House unanimously passed the Dream Act in 2004 , '' Albrecht said in an e-mail . `` Iowa has been ahead of the curve on this issue , and Republicans value fairness . While there will be a vocal minority speaking out against immigration reform , a majority of Republicans and caucus-goers will not take issue with Gov . Christie 's position on the DREAM Act , and in growing circles it will gain him support . ''
And for those without long memories , one only needs to look back to 2008 to find a Republican candidate who bucked the party faithful on a range of issues , including immigration , and won the presidential nomination . John McCain ran for president while the immigration overhaul he backed was collapsing in Congress .
His campaign fell apart in the process , but McCain recovered and mounted a remarkable comeback , facing questions about immigration all the while .
In a crowded Republican field , he even won South Carolina , that conservative bastion , by courting the party establishment and cobbling together a coalition of coastal newcomers , moderate suburbanites and national security hawks in a state loaded with military families and veterans .
Ever since the Barry Goldwater wipeout of 1964 , no Republican candidate has won the Republican nomination without having at least one foot planted firmly on the establishment side of the party divide . This is the bet Christie is making , so do n't expect him to back away from signing the tuition bill , or any of piece of legislation , once he makes his barely concealed presidential campaign official .
As long as Christie is up front about where he stands , his positions may not hurt him as much as the right claims , said Robert Cahaly , a longtime Republican operative in South Carolina .
`` It 's running over a political speed bump , not into a brick wall , '' Cahaly said of Christie 's support for the tuition bill . `` He 's got to do what he thinks is right and not apologize for it . Sort of his schtick . ''
`` Now is as good a time as any to get it out of the way , '' Cahaly said . `` It 's kind of like that fight you 've got to have with your bother over that lawnmower he wrecked . Do n't put it off all summer . It 's better for the Thanksgiving table . South Carolina GOP voters have forgiven and forgotten much more . Ask John McCain . '' | GVcQ7w4GJ7w2uc5h | 0 | Chris Christie | 0.1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
white_house | Fox Online News | http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/15/trump-says-will-submit-evidence-wiretapping-to-house-committee-very-soon.html | Trump says he will submit evidence of wiretapping to House committee 'very soon' | 2017-03-15 | white_house | President Trump discussed his tweeted accusation that President Obama ordered `` wires '' at Trump Tower tapped during last year 's presidential campaign in an exclusive interview with Fox News ' `` Tucker Carlson Tonight '' Wednesday .
Trump told host Tucker Carlson that the administration `` will be submitting things '' to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence `` very soon . '' The president added that he `` will be , perhaps speaking about this next week '' and predicted that `` you β re going to find some very interesting items coming to the forefront over the next 2 weeks . ''
When asked by Carlson why he tweeted about the alleged phone tap before producing evidence , Trump said his definition of wiretapping `` covers a lot of different things . ''
`` That really covers surveillance and many other things , '' he said . `` Nobody ever talks about the fact that [ the words 'wires tapped ' ] was in quotes [ in the tweet ] , but that β s a very important thing . ''
Trump also addressed the swirling debate around the repeal-and-replace health care legislation that 's split Republican lawmakers . Trump called himself an `` arbitrator '' and said changes and negotiations to the bill would be forthcoming -- despite rhetoric to the contrary from House Speaker Paul Ryan .
`` We will take care of our people or I 'm not signing it , OK ? '' Trump said . `` Just so you understand . This is very preliminary . ''
Trump defended his ongoing use of social media while in office , saying that `` maybe I would n't be here if it was n't for Twitter , because I get such a fake press , such a dishonest press .
`` I 'm not including Fox , '' the president added , `` because I think Fox has been fair to me ... [ but ] the news is not honest , much of the news . It 's not honest , and when I have close to 100 million people watching me on [ social media ] , I have my own form of media . ''
When Carlson countered that Trump `` devalues his own currency '' if allegations he makes on Twitter turn out to be untrue , the president responded , `` Well , let 's see whether or not I prove it . ''
`` If I do n't do that , I wo n't get my word out , because when I say things , the press does n't cover it accurately , '' Trump later said . `` If they 're not going to do me the honor or the public the honor of spreading my word accurately ... when I can reach that many people , Twitter is a wonderful thing for me , because I get the word out . ''
When Carlson asked whether any of the president 's tweets were moderated by his staff , Trump responded , `` Sure ... A lot of times , my staff comes to me and they say , 'Can you do a tweet on this or that because it 's not being shown correctly . ' ''
Trump also responded sharply to the leak of two pages of his 2005 tax returns , calling the MSNBC report `` a disgrace . ''
`` I have no idea where they got it but it β s illegal and they β re not supposed to have it and it 's not supposed to be leaked , and it β s certainly not an embarrassing tax return at all , but it β s an illegal thing they β ve been doing it , they β ve done it before and I think it β s a disgrace , '' he said .
The commander-in-chief 's comments came after DCReport.org reporter David Cay Johnston revealed 2005 Trump tax documents to MSNBC host Rachel Maddow . | GlHAxNwedUh3EoPK | 2 | Wiretapping | -0.2 | Politics | 0.2 | White House | 0.1 | null | null | null | null |
education | Guest Writer | http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/28/opinion/how-common-core-can-help-in-the-battle-of-skills-vs-knowledge.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=opinion-c-col-left-region®ion=opinion-c-col-left-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region&_r=0 | OPINION: How Common Core Can Help in the Battle of Skills vs. Knowledge | 2015-08-28 | education | As Mr. Willingham has argued , all reading comprehension tests are really β knowledge tests in disguise. β Rather than assessing kids on material they β ve actually been taught , the tests give them passages and questions on a seemingly random assortment of topics . The more general knowledge a student has , the better her chances .
The old tests , which varied from state to state , were generally easier to game β for example , by eliminating obviously wrong multiple choice answers . The new tests ask students to read more sophisticated passages and then cite evidence from them in their answers . That β s hard to do if you don β t have enough knowledge to understand the passages in the first place .
The advantages of a knowledge-rich curriculum aren β t just a matter of speculation . A foundation started by Mr. Hirsch in 1986 has developed just such a curriculum , Core Knowledge Language Arts , that is used in elementary schools across the country . A recent pilot program in New York City public schools showed that elementary students in schools that used C.K.L.A . outperformed their peers in reading , science and social studies .
More recently , we β ve seen evidence that a knowledge-focused curriculum can lead to better results on Common Core-aligned tests , which New York began using two years ago . Two high-performing charter networks in New York City β Success Academy and Icahn β both rely on a content-rich approach .
Some charter schools and traditional public school districts across the country have started to retool their approach . New York State has developed a free online curriculum that has been downloaded nearly 20 million times .
More schools may follow suit if scores from the spring tests , set to arrive this fall , plummet , even for many schools that were previously considered high-achieving . But engineering the switch from skills to knowledge will take real effort .
Schools will need to develop coherent curriculums and adopt different ways of training teachers and evaluating progress . Because the federal government can β t simply mandate a focus on knowledge , change will need to occur piecemeal , at the state , school district or individual school level .
While standardized tests didn β t cause the curriculum to narrow , they β re a useful reminder that some students have acquired a lot less knowledge than others . But if we want to finally begin to remedy that , we can β t just teach the skills the tests seem to call for . | aZuQAYNav2paQtvG | 1 | Common Core | 0 | Education | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
elections | Washington Times | http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/may/14/benghazi-attack-russia-reset-boko-haram-to-play-in/ | Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign to bring Benghazi attack, Russia reset, Boko Haram to the fore | 2014-05-14 | elections | Hillary Rodham Clinton brings a quarter-century of public service to her potential presidential campaign , but it β s her most recent job as secretary of state for President Obama β overseeing relations with Russia , handling the terrorist attack in Benghazi and negotiating over the war on terrorism β that could come back to haunt her .
Many of Mr. Obama β s current political problems also could affect Mrs. Clinton , including the handling of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the decision not to slap the terrorist label on Boko Haram , a group responsible for kidnapping hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls last month .
Even the Keystone XL pipeline , which Mr. Obama has been reluctant to greenlight , went through Mrs. Clinton β s department , which delayed the project .
β I β m sure she β s going to go on bragging about her time in the State Department . She β s also going to have to be held accountable for its failures , whether it β s the failed reset with Russia or the failure in Benghazi that actually cost lives , β Sen. Marco Rubio , Florida Republican and potential presidential candidate , said Sunday on ABC β s β This Week . β
β I don β t think she has a passing grade . If she is going to run on her record as secretary of state , she β s also going to have to answer for its massive failures , β Mr. Rubio said .
Mrs. Clinton β s supporters , who are building a fundraising and grass-roots organizing machine in anticipation of a White House run , dispute the notion that a campaign would center on her actions of the past , not on her ideas for the future .
SEE ALSO : Stop Hillary PAC prods FEC to act on complaint against pro-Clinton group
β If she chooses to run for president , she will run a campaign that is about the future and how to continue to make lives better for all Americans , β said Adrienne Elrod , communications director at Correct the Record , an arm of the liberal super PAC American Bridge 21st Century that responds to conservative attacks on Democratic candidates .
While Mrs. Clinton puts off a decision on whether to run , she leaves the public discussion to her allies and opponents , and that means a heavy focus on her past .
Last week , after former White House intern Monica Lewinsky spoke out in Vanity Fair magazine about her relationship with President Clinton , some conservative pundits wondered aloud whether Mrs. Clinton orchestrated the story for her own political benefit .
Getting Ms. Lewinsky β s story out now , rather than during the presidential primary season , could keep the campaign focus on Mrs. Clinton β s policy proposals and qualifications , not her husband β s infidelity , some theorized .
β I really wonder if this isn β t an effort on the Clintons β part to get that story out of the way , β Lynne Cheney , wife of former Vice President Dick Cheney , said during an interview on Fox News .
The former first lady β s age , 69 , also has come into question .
Republican strategist Karl Rove has hinted that Mrs. Clinton β s hospitalization last year may have been more serious than she let on . The New York Post quoted Mr. Rove last week questioning whether Mrs. Clinton had a β traumatic brain injury β stemming from a fall in late 2012 . The injury delayed the secretary of state β s testimony to Congress on the assault in Benghazi , Libya .
Mr. Rove then seemed to temper his remarks by suggesting he meant only that Mrs. Clinton β s age may become an issue in a presidential campaign , just as it did for Ronald Reagan and others .
The Clinton camp accused Mr. Rove of trying politicize the injury .
β From the moment this happened 17 months ago , the right has politicized her health , β said Nick Merrill , a spokesman for Mrs. Clinton . β First they accused her of faking it . Now they β ve resorted to the other extreme β and are flat-out lying . All [ Mr. Rove ] wants to do is inject the issue into the echo chamber , and he β s succeeding . β
Most of the recent questions have centered on Mrs. Clinton β s time in the State Department , where she largely was out of the limelight of the political press .
The House last week voted to establish a select investigative committee to look deeper into the deadly assault in Benghazi , arguing that too many questions remain unanswered . Rep. Trey Gowdy , South Carolina Republican , was named as chairman .
Democrats fear the panel will be used to keep pressure on Mrs. Clinton for months to come .
Mrs. Clinton has called the select committee an unnecessary use of time and resources .
β In my opinion , Hillary did what she should have done β in response to the Benghazi assault , Mr. Clinton said .
The Benghazi issue has simmered for nearly two years , but another ghost from Mrs. Clinton β s past at the State Department has emerged in the past few days .
Radio host Rush Limbaugh and other conservative pundits have criticized Mrs. Clinton for declining to designate Boko Haram as a terrorist group during her time at the State Department .
The organization has sparked worldwide outrage by kidnapping hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls and bragging about plans to sell them into slavery .
Mrs. Clinton β s successor , Secretary of State John F. Kerry , labeled Boko Haram a terrorist group less than a year into his term .
The issue has raised questions about Mrs. Clinton β s leadership and sparked theories about political motivation .
β The Boko Haram leader , or whoever Boko Haram had perform on video , is a good-looking guy . This is why Mrs. Clinton wouldn β t call this terror group a terror group , because they β re black , β Mr. Limbaugh said on his radio show Monday , according to a transcript . β Can β t afford to do this . This is how surface-conscious the left is . β
Political analysts say most voters already have formed opinions about Mrs. Clinton from her eight years as first lady , eight years as U.S. senator from New York and four years as secretary of state .
Still , Mrs. Clinton β s unbreakable ties to Mr. Obama could be the deciding factor on how some Americans cast ballots .
β A lot depends not on Clinton herself but on Barack Obama and how much she will feel the need to escape Barack Obama β s shadow in 2016 , β said Dante Scala , a political science professor at the University of New Hampshire who tracks presidential politics . β Perhaps the answer will be she will need to do that , and perhaps her own high public profile will come in handy . Maybe she β ll see ample reason to not run for Barack Obama β s third term . β
Analysts say Mrs. Clinton would have a difficult challenge if she tries to change minds and win support for ambitious policy proposals . Instead , they say , Americans may decide whether she is presidential material based on what she has and hasn β t done or has and hasn β t said over the past two decades .
β She β s been in the spotlight since 1991 nationally . It will have been 25 years of a very , very public persona . Even if there had been candidates who had been this well-known , in this digital age , with the way the news works now , she β s the focus of so many stories , she β s on so many home pages . It β s impossible not to track her , to follow her , β said Jennifer Lawless , director of the Women and Politics Institute at American University in Washington .
β She faces a difficult set of circumstances in that people already have pretty strong feelings about her . But the upside of that is the additional stuff that Republicans throw at the wall about her likely won β t have a big impact either , β she said .
β If people β s predispositions are so formed , the campaign will matter a little bit . But there β s not going to be a lot of new information that people factor into their assessments . β
Other analysts say some voters may ignore Mrs. Clinton β s past altogether and give her a chance to lay out her vision for the future .
β I think they would be open to a Clinton candidacy . I think she β s lost some of her polarizing edge , though I β m sure some of that is going to come back , β Mr. Scala said . β At this point , I think they β re at least willing to listen to what she has to say . β | jQJsVrMy0AVCYmRJ | 2 | Hillary Clinton | 0.3 | Presidential Elections | 0.15 | Election2016 | 0.1 | Elections | 0.1 | null | null |
taxes | Washington Times | http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/mar/26/donald-trump-moves-ahead-with-plans-for-tax-cuts-a/ | Trump moves ahead with plans for tax cuts after health care failure | 2017-03-26 | taxes | President Trump is leaving behind the failed health care bill and forging ahead with plans for massive tax cuts , but the same forces that doomed the repeal of Obamacare β united opposition from Democrats and divided Republicans β threaten the rest of his ambitious agenda .
Doubts about Mr. Trump β s ability to cut political deals and whether he has willing partners on either side of the aisle have clouded the outlook for not just tax cuts but also his plans for a massive infrastructure program , trade deals and financial reform .
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer signaled Sunday that Democrats would dig in against Mr. Trump β s plans for the biggest rewrite of the tax code in a generation if , as expected , the across-the-board rate cuts include the wealthy .
β They don β t need another tax break , β he said on ABC β s β This Week . β
He also balked at Mr. Trump β s plan for an infrastructure program and proposed spending reforms .
β It β s not me , it β s him , β said the New York Democrat . β He ran as a populist against the Democratic and Republican establishments . He ran as a defender of the middle class . The minute he got into office he moved so far to the hard right that it β s virtually impossible for us to work with him . β
The painful defeat for Mr. Trump just two months into his presidency also rattled the business community , as the β Trump bump β in the stock markets showed signs of sagging .
β With a setback in health care reform , many market participants are beginning to question whether the Trump administration will be able to follow through with more sizable , and , arguably , more important legislation aimed at jump-starting the consumer and corporate America , β said Lindsey Piegza , chief economist at Stifel Fixed Income .
White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus insisted that the president β s agenda continues to have broad appeal .
β Moving forward , the president β s vision on lowering taxes for every American is what β s going to unite not just the Republican Party , but I think some of those Democrats are going to come on board as well , β he said on β Fox News Sunday . β
He touted plans for middle-class tax cuts and a border tax .
The plan is expected to call for lowering the corporate tax rate to 20 percent , down from 35 percent , and to cut taxes for the middle class and every income level .
The administration still hasn β t made a commitment on the House Republicans β border-adjustment tax proposal , which would tax imports and exempt exports , raising more than $ 1 trillion that could be used to offset tax cuts .
Conservative leaders in the House were looking to support the tax cuts . Likely forecasts of soaring deficits could make that a difficult position to sustain .
When the president gave up on the GOP bill to repeal and replace Obamacare , he also gave up nearly $ 1 trillion in tax cuts and commensurate spending cuts for Medicaid , measures that would lower the budget baseline and make it easier to cut tax rates without adding federal debt .
Rep. Mark Meadows , chairman of the House Freedom Caucus , which was instrumental in derailing the health care bill , said he didn β t think the tax cuts needed to be β fully offset β to be revenue-neutral in the budget .
β That β s really where it comes down to : Does it have to be what they would say revenue-neutral , or do you have to have an offset like with the border-adjustment tax ? I think those are going to be the two questions , β the North Carolina Republican said on the same talk show as Mr. Schumer .
Mr. Meadows argued that tax cuts with help spur economic growth that will increase revenue .
β Tax reform and lowering taxes will create and generate more income , and so we β re looking at those , where the fine balance is , β he said . β But does it have to be fully offset ? My personal response is no . β
Some tax reform advocates say the setback , by failing to repeal about $ 1 trillion in Obamacare taxes , will blunt the impact of any future tax cuts .
Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist said the defeat would leave the administration β $ 1 trillion short on what you β d want to do on tax reform . β
β Yes , this does make tax reform more difficult . But it doesn β t in any way make it impossible , β said House Speaker Paul D. Ryan , whose political capital took as big a hit as Mr. Trump β s when he pulled the health care bill off the floor Friday .
β We will proceed with tax reform . Obamacare taxes stay with Obamacare . We β re going to go fix the rest of the tax code , β he said . β He β s not going to turn his back on his core principles . I think his core principles have broad admiration in both parties . β
Mr. Trump publicly stated that he remained allied with Mr. Ryan , although conservative voices have begun calling for the replacement of the speaker .
Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said the White House is teeing up the tax-reform plan and intends to get it through Congress before lawmakers β traditional August recess .
β This is optimistic , this is a big challenge , but we β re going to try to get it done on that period of time , and if we don β t , we β ll get it done right afterwords , β Mr. Mnuchin said at an event last week hosted by Axios .
Predicting that tax reform will be easier to pass through Congress than the failed health care legislation , he said β there β s very , very strong support . β
β I think health care is a much , much more complicated issue , where you start out with Obamacare , which had all these issues , and you β re trying to kind of get rid of it and make changes simultaneously , β he added .
Any rewrite of the tax code will invite an onslaught of pressure from nearly every special interest . Every lobbyist in Washington will see something to gain β and , worse yet , something to lose β in a major tax overhaul .
They β ll exert pressure on lawmakers on both sides of the aisle .
β In each policy area , there are different ways it could go , β Jeffrey Lawson , chief economist at Standard Life Investments , a global asset management firm , said before Mr. Trump and Mr. Ryan called it quits for the GOP health care bill .
β Are you going to get corporate tax reform ? Will you get corporate tax reform within a budget [ revenue ] neutral ? How much does Dodd-Frank change ? Is there a border-adjustment tax ? In every area , there β s very large uncertainty , β he said . β The Republican Party itself is deeply divided on a number of these issues . β
Mr. Trump has vowed to press ahead with the rest of his agenda . | i1JJDIipvxAagFWo | 2 | Tax Cuts | -0.3 | Taxes | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
immigration | Daily Kos | https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/6/22/1774430/-Trump-tells-Republican-Congress-to-stop-pretending-they-re-going-to-address-immigration-issues | Trump tells Republican Congress to stop pretending they're going to address immigration issues | 2018-06-22 | immigration | In news that β s surely a relief to Republicans in the House and Senate , Donald Trump has informed them they can all stop pretending to address the immigration issue . In a series of morning tweets , Trump declared that β Republicans should stop wasting their time on Immigration β until the fall elections , because Democrats will only defeat any bills they put forward in the Senate . Then Trump went on to blame Democrats for the failure of the harsh Goodlatte immigration bill , which could not even gain enough Republican votes to make it out of the GOP-dominated House .
x Republicans should stop wasting their time on Immigration until after we elect more Senators and Congressmen/women in November . Dems are just playing games , have no intention of doing anything to solves this decades old problem . We can pass great legislation after the Red Wave ! β Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) June 22 , 2018
Trump spent more of his time hammering his false accusations about Democrats and crime , and predicting a β Red Wave β βwhich makes it seem that Donald Trump doesn β t quite get how this β metaphor β thing works . He might have at least gone with β red tide , β which is a thing , a suffocating , odorous mass of scum thing β¦ but still a thing .
But as Trump β s PJ-clad executive time spreads out to capture more and more of his day , he generated extensive tweets : promoting an upcoming 90-minute hate in South Carolina , promoting a series of GOP candidates based on how well they pass the Toady for Trump exam , and pausing for an insta-book promotion for yet another Fox β expert. β This marks an even dozen book promotion tweets from Trump in just the last two months . It β s only a matter of time before he begins simply repeating the commercials on Fox & Friends word for word .
Notably missing from Trump β s morning samplerβany mention of family separation . Because that problem has already been β solved . β | 6yfMgnKNBS9GUGOV | 0 | Donald Trump | -1.2 | Republican Party | -0.4 | Immigration | 0 | null | null | null | null |
fbi | Vox | https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/6/7/15751336/fbi-trump-russia-comey-trump-flynn | 3 senior FBI officials can vouch for Comeyβs story about Trump | 2017-06-07 | fbi | One by one this winter , then-FBI Director James B. Comey pulled aside three of the bureau β s top officials for private chats . In calm tones , he told each of them about a private Oval Office meeting with President Trump β during which , Comey alleged , the president pressed him to shut down the federal criminal investigation of Trump β s then-national security adviser , Michael Flynn .
Those three officials , according to two people with detailed , firsthand knowledge of the matter , were Jim Rybicki , Comey β s chief of staff and senior counselor ; James Baker , the FBI β s general counsel ; and Andrew McCabe , then the bureau β s deputy director , and now the acting director , following Trump β s firing of Comey last month . Comey spoke to them within two days of his Oval conversation with Trump , the sources said , and recounted the president β s comments about the Flynn investigation .
The White House and Trump have categorically denied Comey β s account , which Comey reportedly detailed in his own notes shortly after his encounter with Trump . Thus far , the allegation has played as a he-said , she-said between the president and the director he abruptly removed .
That no longer appears to be the case β it will be Trump β s word versus the word of Comey and at least three other leaders of the FBI .
The FBI officials , identified here for the first time , could now emerge as corroborating witnesses for Comey β s story , both in the public debate and in the criminal investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller . ( Other outlets have revealed Comey discussed the encounter with FBI colleagues , but have not identified the officials in question . )
A spokesperson for the FBI declined to comment for this story . The White House did not return calls seeking comment . Two attorneys recently hired by Mueller did not return phone calls either .
On Wednesday , McCabe is scheduled to testify before a Senate committee . It is unclear whether he will testify about his private discussions with Comey . A senior law enforcement official told me that McCabe , Rybicki , and Baker now all consider themselves potential fact witnesses to Mueller β s probe .
Comey himself will testify a day later , before the Senate Intelligence Committee , where he is expected to recount his Oval Office encounter with Trump . It will be the first time Comey has spoken publicly of the matter . CBS , NBC , and ABC will air his testimony live .
For many members of Congress , much of Mueller β s new staff , and the American public , it will be the first time they hear Comey tell a detailed account of Trump pressuring him to shut down the FBI β s investigation of Flynn over his contacts with Russia during and after the 2016 presidential campaign .
Central to the special counsel β s investigation will be whether Trump , in allegedly attempting to interfere with the Russia investigation , acted within the law or crossed the line and engaged in obstruction of justice .
The three officials in question are all lawyers β and , likely , note takers
It is unclear whether each of the officials Comey told of the encounter took notes on their conversations with the director about Trump . But the FBI β s culture is one of creating contemporaneous notes and records , even on matters of far less importance . All three of the FBI officials are also lawyers , a profession known for its record keeping .
Rybicki has had a long career in both the US Department of Justice and FBI . At the Justice Department , he worked for the deputy attorney general , the National Security Division , the Office of Intelligence Policy and Review , and the United States Attorney β s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia , according to his official biography posted on the FBI β s website .
At both Justice and the FBI , he worked on both counterterrorism and counterintelligence matters , meaning that he was certainly read into the FBI β s investigations of whether the Trump campaign or administration officials colluded with Russia to interfere on Trump β s behalf to win a razor-thin election .
Baker , too , has national security experience . From 2001 to 2007 , he headed the Justice Department β s office that would later formally become the department β s National Security Division . An FBI press release about Baker β s appointment as FBI general counsel states that while in that position , Baker β developed , coordinated , and implemented national security policy with regard to intelligence and counterintelligence matters for the department . β
The press release went on to note that Baker β provided the attorney general , the U.S. intelligence community , and the White House with legal and policy advice on a range of national security issues and conducted oversight of the intelligence community , including the FBI , on behalf of the attorney general . β
One senior law enforcement official familiar with the matter said that Comey specifically sought legal advice from Baker about when and how to tell the DOJ about Trump pressing Comey to shut down the Russia probe . The same official said that Comey and Baker had more than one discussion about the matter , and that Baker almost certainly made extensive notes about those deliberations .
Both Comey and Baker sought the advice of Rybicki and McCabe as to whether to inform the Justice Department of Trump β s pressure of Comey to shut down the Russia probe , according to this same official . All four of them had reservations about doing so because they did not fully trust Attorney General Jeff Sessions β and because the events were unprecedented in their experience .
McCabe was deputy director under Comey . When Trump fired Comey on May 9 , McCabe became the acting director of the FBI . A 20-year veteran of the bureau , McCabe began his career in the New York office , where he worked organized crime cases and was part of an FBI SWAT team . Later , he worked on counterterrorism , counterintelligence , and national security issues , experience that allowed him to become deeply immersed in the Russia probe .
McCabe has testified to the Senate Intelligence Committee that as deputy director , he had β an oversight role over all of our FBI operational activity , including that [ the Russia ] investigation . β
The Trump administration said at one time that McCabe also was one of a number of potential candidates it was considering to replace Comey . He no longer appears to be a top candidate for the job .
One of the trio will speak to senators on Wednesday
McCabe is scheduled to testify Wednesday before the Senate Intelligence Committee , along with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein , Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats , and National Security Director Adm. Mike Rogers , all one day prior to Comey β s hearing before the same senators .
Republican senators on the committee reportedly are poised to question McCabe as to why neither he nor Comey informed the Justice Department about President Trump β s efforts to shut down the Russia investigation . On Thursday , they plan to grill Comey on the matter as well . Republicans have indicated they will argue if Trump actually did anything potentially outside the law β yet Comey never informed anyone at the Justice Department about it β that would raise serious questions about Comey 's credibility as a potential witness against Trump .
It is unclear whether McCabe will answer questions on his private conversations with Comey about whether to tell the Justice Department about Trump β s alleged pressure of the former FBI director . The new special counsel might believe that such information is pertinent to his investigation , and it is possible that Mueller has asked McCabe not to discuss the issue .
Mueller , himself a former FBI director , may have a bias in believing the word of Comey and other FBI managers over that of Trump . Comey and Mueller became professionally close , and also personal friends , while Comey was the deputy attorney general for part of the Bush administration and Mueller was FBI director . Comey succeeded Mueller in the job .
When he appointed Comey , then-President Barack Obama cited a 2007 confrontation that Comey had with senior officials of the Bush administration . President George W. Bush β s thenβchief of staff , Andrew Card , and thenβWhite House counsel , Alberto Gonzales , sought a reauthorization of the administration β s warrantless wiretapping program by then-Attorney General John Ashcroft , who was in the hospital at the time , barely coherent , and recovering from surgery .
Ashcroft , Comey , and Mueller believed that portions of the program were illegal . Comey and Mueller raced to Ashcroft β s hospital room to warn him not to sign the authorization . All three men considered resigning in protest if the program were reauthorized . Bush agreed to modify the program to bring it into compliance with the law .
During the incident , Card summoned Comey to meet him at the White House . In a harbinger of current events , Comey only agreed to go if he could bring a witness , thenβSolicitor General Ted Olson .
When the controversy became publicly known , Card and Gonzales claimed that Comey and Mueller β s accounts were untrue . Yet when the Justice Department β s inspector general investigated the matter , Card and several other Bush administration officials declined to speak to investigators at all .
When the inspector general interviewed Comey and Mueller , both men served as witnesses for each other , corroborating in part one another β s accounts . Investigators concluded their accounts were truthful and accurate .
This was largely because both men kept detailed , contemporaneous , and at times even legible notes on the incident . It was also because both men gave investigators the names of subordinates β as many as a half-dozen for each of them β who were themselves involved in the events , or who were told about them by Comey and Mueller shortly after the fact . | Itjgsplbz4kyoi4k | 0 | Defense And Security | -0.6 | Michael Flynn | -0.5 | James Comey | 0.3 | FBI | 0.3 | null | null |
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