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race_and_racism | National Review | https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/02/reparations-slavery-elizabeth-warren-democratic-party-politics/ | OPINION: Reparations for Slavery: Just More Symbolism over Substance | 2019-02-22 | race_and_racism | Sen. Elizabeth Warren waves to supporters in Lawrence , Mass. , February 9 , 2019 . ( Brian Snyder/Reuters )
The proposals are not intended to mitigate evil . They are intended to make Elizabeth Warren . . . or Kamala Harris , or Kirsten Gillibrand . . . president of the United States .
The French people recently completed paying out about $ 60 million to non-French victims of the Holocaust and their survivors in a program administered by the United States , a reminder that the United States β central role in the rehabilitation and rebuilding of postwar Europe never quite came to a conclusion .
This settlement , which is separate from the reparations paid to French victims of the Holocaust , recognizes the French collaboration in transporting non-citizens to Nazi death camps on French trains . Most of those receiving the reparations are now Americans or Israelis .
The terms of the payments are specific , limiting the reparations to the survivors themselves , their spouses , their children , their grandchildren , or legal heirs . Forty-nine survivors were paid about $ 400,000 each ; 32 surviving spouses of those deported received about $ 100,000 each , along with a larger number of heirs and estates .
Across the Atlantic , the 2020 Democratic primary already is under way , and it is happy hour at Chalmun β s Cantina as the contenders look not only to out-radical one another in 2019 but also to out-radical Bernie Sanders β s 2016 performance on the theory that it did not establish the outermost bound of politically potent left-wing radicalism in today β s Democratic party . Senator Elizabeth Warren , formerly promoted by her employers as a woman of color , has β fessed up to being as white as Rachel Dolezal waltzing with the ghost of George Plimpton as snow falls gently on Vienna , has endorsed the payment of reparations to African Americans , a position held by Senator Kamala Harris but forsworn by other Democrats , Barack Obama notable among them , and rejected by Senator Bernie Sanders , the Brooklyn socialist who represents Vermont in the Senate and who is seeking the Democratic nomination even though he does not belong to the party .
This is , needless to say , another case of symbolism-over-substance Democratic politics . Democrats who gave a good goddamn about the lives of black Americans have had a great many years to do something about the schools in Philadelphia or the police department in Chicago , the so-called war on drugs , and a passel of economic policies that help to keep blacks poor β including such Democratic favorites as the Davis-Bacon Act , which explicitly was designed partly for that purpose β β superabundance of Negro labor , β and all that .
But doing the hard work of responsible governing doesn β t have the juice these hustlers are after .
Slavery , and the systematic subjugation of African Americans that followed it officially until the day before yesterday , was evil . Its legacy is evil . Its surviving remnants are evil . It is not an evil that is unique in the world β savagery and horror being the natural state of H. sap . β but it is an evil that is unique in the context of the United States of America . Its consequences remain very much with us , as anyone with eyes to see can discern for himself .
Reparations are the wrong way to mitigate that evil . One reason for that is that reparations proposals are not intended to mitigate that evil . They are intended to make Elizabeth Warren , β professor of color , β president of the United States . And , if not Warren , then Senator Harris , Senator Kirsten Gillibrand , or some other tedious mediocrity .
Unlike the case of the Holocaust , an American reparations program would necessarily be amorphous , there being few if any specific legal relationships by which eligibility and liability could be established . There is no Confederate treasury to seize or extant antebellum plantations to appropriate . The few corporate relationships that endure are now at many degrees of removal from slavery . There is the United States government , the record of which is not spotless on the question of slavery ; the people represented by that government overwhelmingly oppose reparations ( more than two-thirds report against in most polls ) , in part because many of them believe that their government justified itself at Gettysburg , and paid its debt .
But it is more complicated than that . White Americans are the most strongly opposed to reparations , and not without reason . It is not obvious that an American whose ancestors arrived here from Ireland or Poland after the Civil War has sins of the father to bear and atone for on this score . And , without diminishing the evil of slavery , Americans of Jewish , Catholic , Southern European , Eastern European , and other historically denigrated ancestries can point to discrimination and exclusion , too . To ask white Americans with no personal connection to slavery to accept guilt for it by virtue of their being white is to ask them to accept an idea that is fundamentally alien to our political culture .
Nor is it obvious that African Americans such as Barack Obama , who is not descended from slaves , has a valid claim . Indeed , the term β African American β is increasingly useless as a meaningful social signifier as well-to-do immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean slide easily into the upper ranks of American society while black citizens of more ancient American ancestry continue to founder . The American sense of fairness is prickly and defensive β and central to our political culture . To present reparations as a means to justice , from that point of view , is to beg the question .
And so the Democrats have a problem , not least of which is that the largest racial group in the country opposes reparations with something not very far short of unanimity .
The deformed political alliance that still enjoys proclaiming itself the β party of Lincoln β from time to time suffers from its own deficiencies on this matter , some of them more obvious than others . On the one hand , it rightly rejects on classical-liberal ground the politics of collective categorical racial guilt and entitlement . On the other hand , it is the partisan home of the politics of white resentment and white anxiety . Mostly , the Republican party has since Thaddeus Stevens β s departure from the political scene endeavored to identify a date or an episode at which point it might declare the issue of African Americans β social and political status concluded and return to its preferred full-time agenda of cutting taxes . But the question is far from concluded .
If our project is the full integration of African Americans into the main stream of American society β meaning a situation in which slave ancestry correlates no more exactly with socioeconomic position than does Italian ancestry β then we owe it to ourselves and to our fellow citizens to admit that a program of simple cash transfers is not going to get that done . It would almost certainly lead to an even uglier and bitterer species of racial politics than the one we already have . Reparations would likely prove to be as effective in incorporating African Americans as Indian reservations have been for incorporating Native Americans . β But reservations weren β t meant to bring Native Americans more fully into American life , β you might respond . β Just the opposite. β And , of course , you β d be right . Think on that .
There are a million and one things that could and should be done in the cause of justice and prosperity for African Americans as such β not simply as people who just happen to be over-represented among the poor , the incarcerated , and the murdered . ( Here , the tragedy of the subordination of the NAACP and other like-minded groups , which effectively have been reduced to mere organs of the Democratic party , is terribly apparent . ) Pursuing that reform agenda would be a blessing to the nation as a whole , and it is to the nation as a whole that national politics must in the end address itself , even as we take into account the unique situation of African Americans .
But that is not how you win a Democratic primary . | VY5dUJ1l5Ut0HxCS | 2 | Slavery | -0.5 | Reparations | -0.5 | Race And Racism | 0.1 | null | null | null | null |
taxes | Reason | https://reason.com/blog/2018/04/17/toward-a-more-infuriating-way-to-envisio | A More Infuriating Way to Think About Your Tax Burden | 2018-04-17 | Taxes | Taxes Brian Doherty | 4.17.2018 10:45 AM When people talk about the burden of government programs that clearly don't benefit all, most, or even necessarily very many of the taxpayers on the hook for them, you often see their costs calculated in per capita terms across the whole population. Put that way, they seem laughably tiny, not worth even thinking about. Public broadcasting, for example, costs just $1.37 per citizen each yearβfar less than you pay to avoid getting kicked out of Starbucks every day. But money is fungible, so you can conceptualize the relationship between what you pay in taxes and any given government program or expenditure in a far more infuriating way. Consider, on this magic day of civic responsibility, that every penny of your federal income tax burden this year (and that of any number of other poor suckers with your same income) is going to some relatively small and insignificant government program. Here are 17 recent government expenditures, ranked from smallest to largest, that some of you may resent your taxes going to. (Not all of these programs expend all their money in one calendar yearβbut again, money is fungible.) Their costs are calculated in terms of how many citizens with a given taxable income (according to this handy 2017 tax table, which you should bookmark if you just started trying to deal with your 1040 this morning) it takes to pay for the expenditure. For those with taxable incomes higher than $100,000, where the tax table cuts off, the average tax burden for folk within a given range of adjusted gross income is derived from this IRS data (from 2015, the most recent year they offer). β’ EPA chief Scott Pruitt's absurd $43,000 soundproof booth? Every cent of the tax paid by 22 suckers with taxable incomes of $16,000 will go to pay for it. β’ Doggie Hamlet. It would be cheap and easy to fill this entire list with specific bits of arts funding. Those who cannot or would not enjoy the art themselves, and who are aware that lots of arts projects manage to support themselves with paying customers or willing patrons, can feel aggrieved by such expenditures. But let's just pick one colorful example, Doggie Hamlet, a live performance that, as described in The Los Angeles Times, "involves a flock of sheep, three herding dogs, six human performers, a few scattered pelts, plenty of green grass and very little (if any) Shakespeare." The Times notes that "Narrative threatened to emerge at points in the production but never really took hold. When language was used, it wasn't always easy to discern what was being said. Speech ultimately seemed no more consequential than bleating or barking." The eccentric show has received, via the New England Foundation for the Arts, $45,000 of our money. That's the total tax burden of five of the sort of $50,000-taxable-income folk who might be apt to trouble themselves to see it. β’ Legal education for Department of Energy employees. According to a 2017 report from the inspector general for the Department of Energy, the department "paid for 29 college courses, totaling approximately $138,000, for a general engineer to obtain a law degree." The report concluded that most of these courses "were unrelated to his position at the Department," even though the rules governing such payments for employee education "required training be applicable to workplace responsibilities and be mission-oriented." That lucky public employee enjoyed the full 2017 tax payments of 36 Americans with taxable income of $28,000, folk who would likely be hard pressed to pay for their own legal education. β’ The Chesapeake Bay Journal. The EPA has been giving $325,000 a year to this publication, which, as Reason contributing editor Walter Olson notes, "was extensively covering proposed EPA budget cuts and framing them as threats to the bay." While not all of the publication's mission was dedicated to coverage that pleased the EPA, elements of that payment did involve some self-reflexive lobbying for its own mission, eating up the entire tax payments of more than 67 Americans with taxable incomes of $35,000. β’ Tomahawk missile. A single one of the 66 Tomahawk Cruise Missiles that rained down on three Syrian targets this week cost $1.4 million. Chump change for the government, but it's the entire tax burden of 446 people at the taxable income level of $24,000 (likely close to that of a typical infantryman who might find himself harmed by the escalation of war in Syria). β’ Research on incentives to lose weight. Like arts funding, federal social science research funding is a bunch of costly fish in an expensive barrel when making a list like this. So I'll include just one item. As reported in Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford's Federal Fumbles, "over the last five years the NIH [National Institutes of Health] has spent $1.6 million on research to discover that people paid to lose weight tend to lose more weight than those not paid to lose weight." To determine this, "the researchers divided participants into three groups to see which would lose more weight: a group given direct financial compensation, a group whose members were entered into a lottery to incentivize weight loss, and a group in which everyone was given daily encouragement but no compensation." It wasn't hard to predict the results, "since an almost identical trial was funded by the NIH through a grant to the same university and researcher in 2008. In that trial, the groups receiving the direct financial incentive and those in the lottery lost more weight than those without a financial incentive to lose weight." That exploration into some basic economics of incentives, pettily priced as it might be for government work, still amounts to the total tax burden of 42 low-grade fat cats with adjusted gross incomes in the $200,000β$250,000 a year range. β’ Afghan prison. A depressing but powerfully symbolic expense of our 17 years and counting in Afghanistan is the $11.3 million the U.S. spent to build Baghlan Prison there. Three of its buildings were unusably poorly constructed, according to a 2017 report from the Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction. Attention, American citizens with $15,000 in taxable income: 6,319 of you are giving your entire debt to Uncle Sam to keep Afghans imprisoned in a crummy construction project. β’ Unused IRS email program. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration reported in 2016 that the IRS had "purchased subscriptions for an enterprise e-mail system that, as it turned out, it could not use. The purchase was made without first determining project infrastructure needs, integration requirements, business requirements, security and portal bandwidth, and whether the subscriptions were technologically feasible on the IRS enterpriseβ¦.The IRS authorized the $12 million purchase of subscriptions over a two-year period between June 2014 and June 2016. However, the software to be used via the purchased subscriptions was never deployed." For 4,728 Americans with taxable income of $20,000, your total payments in 2017 to this same IRS will equal this particular wasted expense. β’ The federal government's car collection. A 2017 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on federally owned vehicles found that just two of the agencies whose car ownership and use it reviewed, the Customs and Border Patrol and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, "cumulatively incurred an estimated $13.5 million in depreciation and maintenance costs in fiscal year 2015" for vehicles they were unable to prove had even been used that year. For 2,001 Americans of $44,000 taxable income, who would likely be keenly aware of the service they were or were not receiving from vehicles they might or might not own, all their tax burden goes to those federal mystery vehicles. β’ Donald Trump's inauguration. Not something most of us went to, not something many of us ever wanted to happen in the first place. And despite over $100 million raised from private sources to defray expenses, it also cost at least $100 million in public funds. Which means it ate up the entire average tax burdens of at least 5,575 taxpayers whose adjusted gross incomes were from $100,000β$200,000. β’ Federal grazing fees. This program supposedly puts money in the federal coffers, but by the time government is done with it, it tends to spend $120 million a year more than it takes in administering the program, according to a 2015 report from the Center for Biological Diversity. That's the total tax burden of 6,577 Americans with a taxable income of $90,000, who can certainly afford their own beef but perhaps shouldn't have their entire tax payments go toward subsidizing the people who raise it. β’ Using the National Guard to fight the drug war. I'm sure those who joined the National Guard to defend their country are delighted that Congress in fiscal 2017 earmarked $150 million for, in the words of the Center Against Government Waste, "the National Guard Counter-Drug Programβ¦which allows for the use of military personnel in domestic drug enforcement operations [despite] the existing Drug Enforcement Administrationβ¦budget of $2.1 billion." Is it constitutional? The National Guard certainly thinks so, and wasting Guard members time and ruining innocent American lives is eating up the entire tax payment of 10,348 Americans with a reasonably hefty taxable income of $75,000. β’ Navy Air Operations Center. Some government programs are so apparently insignificant the government just abandons them before they are completed, like what Defense News last year described as "a network upgrade for the Air Operations Center, a key tool used by the service to plan and conduct air operations." It was cancelled last year after an estimated $745 million had already been spent failing to get it off the ground. If you've got an adjusted gross income of over a quarter-million yourself, you and 4,137 of your fellow plutocrats had to cough up all your 2017 taxes to cover that mistake. β’ F-35 fighter plane. The mere acquisition cost of the troubled F-35 fighter plane is now estimated at $164.6 million per jet, never mind the cost of keeping them operational over a lifetime. If you're earning in the $100,000β$200,000 a year range of adjusted gross income, and you and 9,176 of your fellow Americans are on the hook for your entire yearly tax bill to get just one of those monstrosities onto the field. β’ Public relations. The federal government doesn't have to sell anything to survive, but rather lives off money appropriated whether the poor folk paying for it want to or not. You might think such an entity doesn't feel the need to spend much on public relations. You would be wrong. It takes 414,258 poor folk with taxable income of $10,000 to pay for the recent average of $430 million a year spent on public relations employees of the federal government, according to a 2016 GAO report. β’ Fighter planes that the F-35 is supposed to replace. Remember that F-35 that costs $164.6 million per jet? While we're waiting for that decades-long program to come to complete fruition, the Center Against Government Waste points out, we are also spendingβin fiscal year 2017 aloneβ$1.02 billion for four earmarks funding two planes intended to be replaced by the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF): $979 million for 12 additional F/A-18 E/F Hornets for the Navy; $24.8 million for F-16 mission training center simulators; $12 million for a missile warning system for the F-16; and $5 million for anti-jamming GPS for the F-16. The Air Force declared its variant of the JSF to be combat ready in August 2016, 15 years after Lockheed Martin won the contract. However, a report released in the same month by former DOD Operational Test and Evaluation Director Michael Gilmore found that, "achieving full combat capability with the Joint Strike Fighter is at substantial risk" of not occurring prior to the end of development. The report described the JSF as "β¦ not on a path toward success but instead on a path toward failing to deliver." If your taxable income is just a nose under the maximum for the tax table, $99,950, 48,629 people just like you are paying around one-fifth of that income every year, your total federal income tax burden, just to keep these planned-to-be-obsolete jets in the air. β’ San Diego's trolley. What's even more expensive than a notorious Pentagon boondoggle? It's easy for most Americans to be unaware that federal aid for local transportation boondoggles even exists, even (or perhaps especially) if you are one of the many locals who will never use the subsidized transportation. Consider, then, the $1.04 billion that the Department of Transportation has earmarked for extending a San Diego trolley system by 10 miles. That hasn't all been spent yet, but if the department stays the course let's think of how that will add up for San Diegans with taxable incomes of $33,000, whether or not they ever ride the trolley: 223,707 of them just spent their whole tax bills on it. (A hat tip on guidance to some of these expenditures to Sen. Lankford's Federal Fumbles and to the Center Against Government Waste's Congressional Pig Book.) Start your day with Reason. Get a daily brief of the most important stories and trends every weekday morning when you subscribe to Reason Roundup. Ξ NEXT: Facebook's Use of Data May Annoy You, But IRS Handling of Your Sensitive Information Is Truly Chilling Brian Doherty is a senior editor at Reason and author of Ron Paul's Revolution: The Man and the Movement He Inspired (Broadside Books). Show Comments (82) Charles Oliver | 2.21.2025 4:00 AM Jacob Sullum | 2.20.2025 5:10 PM Robby Soave | 2.20.2025 4:20 PM Jack Nicastro | 2.20.2025 4:02 PM Veronique de Rugy | 2.20.2025 3:50 PM Do you care about free minds and free markets? Sign up to get the biggest stories from Reason in your inbox every afternoon. Ξ This modal will close in 10 Just $25 per year Notifications | 3fab60d8de8b5e62 | 1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
2024_presidential_election | The Atlantic | https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/08/donald-trump-constitutionally-prohibited-presidency/675048/ | The Constitution Prohibits Trump From Ever Being President Again | 2023-08-29 | 2024 Presidential Election, Donald Trump, Trump Indictments, US Constitution, Supreme Court, Republican Party | The only question is whether American citizens today can uphold that commitment. As students of the United States Constitution for many decadesβone of us as a U.S. Court of Appeals judge, the other as a professor of constitutional law, and both as constitutional advocates, scholars, and practitionersβwe long ago came to the conclusion that the Fourteenth Amendment, the amendment ratified in 1868 that represents our nationβs second founding and a new birth of freedom, contains within it a protection against the dissolution of the republic by a treasonous president. This protection, embodied in the amendmentβs often-overlooked Section 3, automatically excludes from future office and position of power in the United States governmentβand also from any equivalent office and position of power in the sovereign states and their subdivisionsβany person who has taken an oath to support and defend our Constitution and thereafter rebels against that sacred charter, either through overt insurrection or by giving aid or comfort to the Constitutionβs enemies. The historically unprecedented federal and state indictments of former President Donald Trump have prompted many to ask whether his conviction pursuant to any or all of these indictments would be either necessary or sufficient to deny him the office of the presidency in 2024. Quinta Jurecic: Trump discovers that some things are actually illegal | e34227c70d2272e5 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
healthcare | USA TODAY | https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/06/30/donald-trump-senate-republicans-repeal-obamacare-now/442071001/ | President Trump to Senate GOP: Repeal Obamacare now | 2017-06-30 | healthcare | WASHINGTON β President Trump suggested Friday that Senate Republicans may not be able to push through their health care plan meant to repeal and replace Obamacare and suggested a conservative-endorsed alternative instead .
The president tweeted , `` If Republican Senators are unable to pass what they are working on now , they should immediately REPEAL , and then REPLACE at a later date ! ''
If Republican Senators are unable to pass what they are working on now , they should immediately REPEAL , and then REPLACE at a later date ! β Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) June 30 , 2017
It 's the second time this week that Trump seemed to recognize how difficult it may be to get this bill through the Senate . On Monday , he said on Twitter , `` Republican Senators are working very hard to get there , with no help from the Democrats . Not easy ! Perhaps just let OCare crash & burn ! ''
A day later , as Republican opposition to the legislation grew , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky announced that he would postpone a vote on the legislation until after the July Fourth recess .
McConnell needs at minimum 50 of the 52 Republicans in the Senate to vote for the bill . Currently , there are at least eight senators outright opposed to the legislation and a handful of others who have expressed concern .
Still , White House deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the tweet did not represent a change in Trump β s position .
β We 're still fully committed to pushing through with the Senate at this point , but we β re looking at every possible option for repealing and replacing Obamacare , β she said .
Sen. Ben Sasse , R-Neb . β a frequent Trump critic and someone who has stayed relatively quiet on the health care debate so far β said Friday on Fox News that he agreed with the president on repealing now and replacing later .
`` If we do n't get this resolved by the Monday of the next week , July 10 , if there is n't a combined repeal and replace plan , I 'm writing a letter to the president this morning urging him to call on us to separate them , '' Sasse said .
Sasse said the Senate should repeal the health care law and then Trump should require senators to stick around during their August recess to craft a replacement . He also recommended that the repeal be delayed for a year , so lawmakers would have time to craft and put a repeal in place .
Sasse pointed out that Republican lawmakers voted overwhelmingly in the past to repeal Obamacare without a replacement . However , those votes were largely symbolic because President Obama made clear he 'd always veto any attempts to undo his signature health care law .
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky , one of the Republican senators who has said he can not vote for the proposed legislation as it stands , agreed with the president 's Friday tweet , saying that Obamacare should be repealed immediately .
`` I have spoken to @ realDonaldTrump & Senate leadership about this and agree , '' he said on Twitter . `` Let 's keep our word to repeal then work on replacing right away . ''
I have spoken to @ realDonaldTrump & Senate leadership about this and agree . Let 's keep our word to repeal then work on replacing right away . β Senator Rand Paul ( @ RandPaul ) June 30 , 2017
But that message stands in contrast to a January conversation that Paul touted , during which the then-president-elect agreed with him on repealing and replacing the same day . It was not immediately clear if the plan was to do so in two separate but simultaneous bills or one .
I just spoke to @ realDonaldTrump and he fully supports my plan to replace Obamacare the same day we repeal it . The time to act is now . β Senator Rand Paul ( @ RandPaul ) January 7 , 2017
Conservative interest groups expressed hope in a call with reporters Friday morning about the chances of a full repeal taking place first .
`` It β s good to see the president joining us in terms of the full repeal effort , '' said Ken Cuccinelli , president of the Senate Conservatives Fund PAC and former attorney general of Virginia . Cuccinelli has been a strong opponent of Obamacare and has sued over the health care law .
`` It 's distressing to see so many Republicans who have lied about their commitment to repeal , '' he said .
A senior GOP aide told βββ that there are no plans underway to send a separate repeal bill to the Congressional Budget Office for analysis . The aide pointed out that the original plan had always been to repeal and replace separately , but Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan , R-Wis. , said that it was important to do the two simultaneously . That led to lawmakers changing course and focusing on a single bill .
David Bozell , president of the conservative advocacy group ForAmerica , dismissed information coming from leadership aides in the Senate .
`` President and Sen. Sasse kind of have their finger on the pulse a lot more than Senate leadership and their staff do , '' he told reporters .
Nathan Nascimento , vice president of policy of the Koch funding arm Freedom Partners , said the two-step approach `` would put Congress and the administration in the position to keep their promise '' on health care .
Trump 's health care tweet β along with another about crime and killings in Chicago β came as the hosts of Morning Joe , Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough , addressed his Thursday Twitter attacks . | PD0AerCVy9klkJOL | 1 | Healthcare | -0.5 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
us_senate | Politico | http://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/mitch-mcconnell-harry-reid-different-sides-of-same-coin-92467.html?hp=t2_3 | Mitch McConnell, Harry Reid: 2 sides of same coin | 2013-06-10 | us_senate | McConnell β s 2014 goal is to not only do what Reid did , but go further . | AP Photos McConnell , Reid : 2 sides of same coin
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has carved out a role as the chief antagonist to Barack Obama and Harry Reid , lampooning the president β s unpopularity in Kentucky and regularly attacking the majority leader β s stewardship of the Senate .
But McConnell β s 2014 campaign is a far different story : It β s a spitting image of the tactics both Obama and Reid used to pull off difficult reelection victories in the face of sagging approval ratings .
It β s no accident . Obama is widely credited with running the most sophisticated campaign in political history , identifying and turning out voters to the polls with pinpoint precision . And Reid β another not-so-telegenic septuagenarian Senate leader who was deeply unpopular back home β used the same weapon he β s relied on to survive over the decades : methodical evisceration of the opposition .
McConnell β s goal ? Not only do what Reid did but go further and conduct a campaign as sophisticated as the one run by the Democrat whom Republicans loathe even more than the Nevadan .
β What I told these guys is that we β re going to run the best Senate race that β s ever been run in the history of the country β ever , β McConnell said in a half-hour interview in his Senate office . β We β re going to be on the cutting edge in every single way to be successful , learning actually more from what Obama did than what Reid did . That β s the campaign we intend to surpass . β
But McConnell β s core message to the voters that have sent him to Washington every six years since he was the only Republican to defeat a sitting Democratic senator in 1984 is almost identical to that of Reid : You may not love me , but you need me in the capital .
β [ Can you ] think of one way in which Kentucky would be better off trading in the leader of one of the parties in the Senate , who β s in the middle of every issue , for a rookie who might not ever be in that position ? β he asked . β In what way is that value added for Kentucky ? β
With 17 months before Election Day , and no opponent yet in his primary or in the general election , McConnell is brimming with confidence , believing he β ll have big financial power to use against any prospective opponent and he β ll use every tool available β both high-tech and tried-and-true methods β to turn out his supporters .
β I may have a primary ; there is not any chance I β m going to lose a primary , β McConnell said .
Still , if Democrats recruit a top-tier candidate , McConnell could be the party β s No . 1 target in 2014 β with big liberal donors prepared to dump huge bucks to take out the GOP leader . Alison Lundergan Grimes , the Kentucky secretary of state , remains perhaps the last major Democratic threat to McConnell , but she β s been mum so far on her intentions , despite quietly coming to Washington last month and even privately meeting with Reid , sources say .
β Coming after me is emotionally satisfying for them , β McConnell said of Democrats .
Friends and advisers to the two old bulls will only reluctantly admit it β God forbid they commit the mortal political sin of praising a dreaded leader of the other side β but Reid and McConnell are effectively different sides of the same coin . | sO6YNnJjQlfPmJ8X | 0 | Politics | -0.4 | US Senate | 0.2 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
north_korea | Fox Online News | http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/06/09/trump-warns-kim-jong-un-on-north-korea-summit-its-one-time-shot.html | Trump warns Kim Jong Un on North Korea summit: 'It's a one-time shot' | 2018-06-09 | north_korea | President Trump on Saturday expressed optimism about his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un , but warned that the opportunity won β t happen again , calling it a β one-time shot . β
Trump made his remarks in Charlevoix , Canada , at the end of the G-7 summit in a press conference as he prepared to depart for Singapore where he will meet with Kim on Tuesday to discuss issues such as North Korea denuclearization and an end to the Korean War .
Trump expressed hope that the summit would be good for world peace but also for the dictatorship .
β We think North Korea will be a tremendous place in a very short period of time , β he said .
He added that the North Korean government was β working very well β with the U.S. and said : β so far so good . β
`` We 'll have to see what happens and we 're going to know very soon . ''
The road to the summit has been bumpy , with Trump pulling out of the summit last month after aggressive language from the hermit kingdom .
β You talk about your nuclear capabilities , but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God they will never have to be used , β he said in a letter to Kim .
Trump days later announced that the summit was back on but has remained only cautiously optimistic about how the historic meeting would pan out . On Saturday , he told reporters that while he was optimistic , Kim would only get one chance .
β It β s unknown territory in the truest sense , but I really feel confident , '' he said . `` I feel that Kim Jong Un wants to do something great for his people and he has that opportunity and he wo n't have that opportunity again . ''
`` It β s a one-time shot and I think it 's going to work out very well , '' he said .
At the end of the presser , he said that the minimum he was hoping for was a relationship and a dialogue . When asked how quickly he will know if something good will come of the summit and if Kim was serious , Trump said he β d know very quickly .
As for what issues would be raised at the summit , Trump said everything will be on the table :
β We β re going to raise every issue , every issue will be raised , β he said . | TLXg0ZjfMQr4auYb | 2 | Donald Trump | 1.1 | North Korea | 0.6 | Kim Jong Un | 0.6 | World | 0 | null | null |
defense_and_security | Fox News Digital | http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/06/27/obama-downplays-snowden-case-says-us-not-scrambling-jets-to-get-hacker/ | Obama downplays Snowden case, says US not 'scrambling jets' to get 'hacker' | 2013-06-27 | NSA, Defense And Security | It seems you clicked on a bad link and stumbled upon our 404 page | 74c6b947f034d223 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
federal_budget | Washington Times | http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jul/23/pruden-waiting-repo-man-detroit/ | PRUDEN: Waiting for the repo man in Detroit | 2013-07-23 | federal_budget | Someone knocked on the door at city hall in Detroit last week and there stood the repo man , coming to take possession of the city . Everyone who has ever bought a car knows you have to keep up the payments . Miss three or four and the car , with all its bells and whistles , is gone .
Detroit has built a lot of cars and so should have known better , but it had ignored the frantic calls . There β s not a lot to repossess in Detroit , a city that nobody wants .
Detroit isn β t the first city in America to suffer the stigma of bankruptcy , not that there β s much stigma about anything any longer in America . Nor will Detroit be the last , as municipal bankruptcy and stigma are the new reality . Scariest of all , Detroit is a hint , and a persuasive one , of what lies ahead for the rest of us . Only yesterday , who could have imagined a repo man coming after America .
β Yeah , we β re broke , we β re not naive , β Mitch Albom , the best-selling novelist ( β Tuesdays with Morrie β and β The First Five People You Meet in Heaven β ) writes in the Detroit Free Press . β We know it . We expected it . We watched for years as our leaders mismanaged funds , made patchwork repairs , borrowed and borrowed and didn β t pay back . Does that sound familiar ? Hasn β t our federal government done the same ? β
Only four decades ago Detroit could still revel in its reputation as β the arsenal of democracy , β as FDR called it on the eve of World War II . Detroit built the trucks and tanks that won that war . Everybody who wanted a job had one . Now it has been reduced by profligacy , corruption and dissolution to a punchline for jokes by late-night television comics . β It was a perfect storm , β Mr. Albom says . β We β re built for 2 million . We β re down to 700,000 people . We β re too big for our numbers . We β re too small for our britches . β
Gov . Rick Snyder discourages hope of a federal bailout like those given to General Motors and Chrysler , saying β It β s not about just putting more money in a situation . It β s about better services to citizens again . It β s about accountable government. β But even if the Republican governor wanted to try for a bailout , he wouldn β t find anyone in Washington eager to oblige him . Even though spending more than you have and arranging bailouts for the profligate is what President Obama has been about since he was a β community organizer β β that was then .
The president , who only yesterday was full of big talk about all the good things he would do for Detroit , doesn β t want to get any closer to Motown now than the suburbs of Toledo . Jay Carney , the president β s mouthpiece , curtly dismissed a question about whether there could be a bailout , since Mr. Obama in the past has wanted to bail out everything .
β I would point you to what we have said and what leaders in Michigan and Detroit have said , which is that on the matter of their insolvency , that β s something for the city and the creditors to resolve . We β re concerned , obviously , about the citizens of Detroit and of the state , and continuing to assist Detroit in moving forward , β he said .
Vice President Joseph R. Biden headed for a hiding place , too . β Can we help Detroit ? β he said , responding to a reporter β s question . β We don β t know. β This was small help from an administration that insists it knows everything , and champions the governing philosophy β spend what you have and borrow as much as you can from whatever suckers you can find β that set Detroit on the road to ruin .
Dire and precarious as Detroit β s condition may be , some people have learned nothing . The unions , whose demands wrecked the city , are suing and Rosemarie Aquilina , a county judge , tried to stop the bankruptcy last week , attempting to suspend the federal proceedings because bankruptcy would imperil pensions , β cheating good people who work. β Besides , the proceedings would not β honor the president , β who once posed as the man who would save Detroit .
The imperiled pensions are not outrageously high . They average only $ 19,000 a year for city employees and $ 30,000 for cops and firemen , though a retired chief gets $ 92,000 annually . The emergency city manager wants to make β significant cuts β to the pensions of current holders of those pensions , though the state constitution calls them contracts that β shall not be diminished or impaired . β
It β s the accumulation of incompetence , fraud and years of graft and boodling that has made city hall a casino for bunco artists , and brought once-great Detroit low . It β s an object lesson for the rest of us .
β’ Wesley Pruden is editor emeritus of The βββ . | MaipTjymoIUuaiai | 2 | Federal Budget | -0.1 | Economy And Jobs | -0.1 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
coronavirus | The Epoch Times | https://www.theepochtimes.com/biden-admin-cuts-off-14-more-states-from-covid-19-treatment-as-ba-2-variant-spreads_4380974.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=allsides | Biden Admin Cuts Off 14 More States From COVID-19 Treatment as BA.2 Variant Spreads | 2022-04-05 | Coronavirus, Omicron Variant, Public Health | President Joe Bidenβs administration has ordered 14 additional states to stop using a COVID-19 treatment made by GlaxoSmithKline and Vir Biotechnology. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said on March 30 that it has paused shipments of the drug sotrovimab to the states, bringing the total number of states that are no longer receiving doses to 22. The states are Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin in the Midwest; Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington in the West; and Alaska and Hawaii. The U.S. government purchased millions of doses in 2021 and in January and distributed them weekly to states to provide to health care facilities. Sotrovimab, a monoclonal antibody, was granted emergency use authorization for treating patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who are designated as at high risk for progressing to severe cases. But emerging data suggest that the drug doesnβt work against BA.2, a subvariant of the Omicron coronavirus variant, according to U.S. regulators. The shipments were halted because of the ruling, which came from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA decided that any region where BA.2 is pegged as causing a majority of COVID-19 cases can no longer administer sotrovimab. Testing indicates that other COVID-19 treatments retain some benefit against BA.2, including Pfizerβs Paxlovid pill. Bebtelovimab, another monoclonal thatβs produced by Eli Lilly, also appears to work against the subvariant. Glaxo and Vir said in a recent joint statement that they were aware of the FDAβs actions. βGSK and Vir are preparing a package of data in support of a higher dose of sotrovimab for the Omicron BA.2 subvariant and will be sharing these data with regulatory and health authorities around the world for discussion,β the statement reads. The panel, convened by the National Institutes of Health to recommend treatments for the disease, advises administration of paxlovid and Gilead Sciencesβ remdesivir. In situations where neither are available, alternative therapies include bebtelovimab and Merckβs pill molnupiravir. Under the CPRA, you have the right to opt-out of the sale or sharing of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalized ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link.If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences. | 32cd4bc9cc311df5 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | Axios | https://www.axios.com/trump-tweets-scarborough-staffer-death-twitter-delete-936c7d26-6df7-4faf-a3ee-506c437864f4.html | Husband of deceased Scarborough staffer asks Twitter to delete baseless Trump claims | politics | The husband of Lori Klausutis , an aide to Joe Scarborough when he was a member of Congress who died in 2001 , asked Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to take down President Trump 's tweets baselessly accusing the MSNBC host of murdering her , according to a letter obtained by the New York Times ' Kara Swisher .
The state of play : Timothy Klausutis asked Dorsey to delete the tweets because Trump `` has taken something that does not belong him β the memory of my dead wife and perverted it for perceived political gain . ''
`` Please delete those tweets , '' Klausutis wrote . `` My wife deserves better . ''
Lori Klausutis died suddenly after hitting her head on a desk after losing consciousness from an abnormal heart rhythm . There were no signs of foul play , and her death was ruled an accident .
Trump continued to baselessly accuse Scarborough on Twitter Tuesday morning , stating that the conspiracy theory `` was not a Donald Trump original thought . ''
The backdrop : Trump accused Scarborough without evidence of murdering Lori Klausutis in multiple tweets last week . He previously did the same in 2017 .
The president called on his followers to `` keep digging '' and to `` use forensic geniuses '' to find out more about the death , which occurred at Scarborough β s congressional office in Fort Walton Beach , Fla .
Scarborough was in Washington at the time of her death .
The MSNBC host and his wife , Mika Brzezinski , have both pushed back on Trump 's claims on air in recent days . Brzezinski called the president a `` cruel , sick , disgusting person '' for his tweets .
What they 're saying : `` The President 's tweet that suggests that Lori was murdered without evidence ( and contrary to the official autopsy ) β is a violation of Twitter 's community rules and terms of service , '' Timothy Klausutis wrote .
`` An ordinary user like me would be banished from the platform for such a tweet but I am only asking that these tweets be removed . ''
`` I am now angry as well as frustrated and grieved . I understand that Twitter 's policies about content are designed to maintain the appearance that your hands are clean you provide the platform and the rest is up to users . However , in certain past cases , Twitter has removed content and accounts that are inconsistent with your terms of service . ''
Between the lines : Twitter has long struggled with how to confront misinformation originating from world leaders ' accounts and has decided to leave their accounts untouched because `` blocking a world leader from Twitter or removing their controversial tweets , would hide important information people should be able to see and debate . ''
Sources told Swisher that after initial hesitance in dealing with Trump β s tweets about Lori Klausutis , the company has accelerated work on how to label certain tweets as false and provide links to high-quality information and reporting that refute the misinformation .
Twitter demurred on removing Trump 's tweets in a statement on Tuesday , saying that it was `` deeply sorry about the pain these statements , and the attention they are drawing , are causing the family . ''
`` We β ve been working to expand existing product features and policies so we can more effectively address things like this going forward , and we hope to have those changes in place shortly , '' the company added . | v7nSzCNppL6lYxTn | 1 | Joe Scarborough | -0.9 | Donald Trump | -0.8 | Kayleigh McEnany | -0.8 | Mika Brzezinski | -0.6 | President Trump | -0.5 | |
politics | Fox Online News | https://www.foxnews.com/us/pence-taylor-university-commencement | Students, alumni outraged, 'shaking' after Vice President Pence invited to give commencement | politics | Vice President Mike Pence is getting pushback from Taylor University students and alumni after the small evangelical Christian school tapped the former Indiana governor to be this year 's commencement speaker .
Over 3,300 people have signed a change.org petition to get Pence 's invitation to the mid-May commencement ceremony rescinded , claiming the `` Trump-Pence Administration 's policies '' are `` not consistent with the Christian ethic of love we hold dear . ''
One Taylor grad said the school , `` should be ashamed ... I am physically shaking ... I feel personally attacked , '' but not all alumni agree and Taylor officials said they are standing by their decision .
ROB SMITH : I 'M GAY AND SUPPORT MIKE PENCE -- DO N'T BELIEVE PETE BUTTIGIEG 'S CLAIM THAT PENCE IS ANTI-GAY
Upset alumni and students are voicing their anger as South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg , a Democratic presidential hopeful , criticized Pence . Buttigieg , who is openly gay , discussed his sexual orientation during an event hosted by the LGBTQ Victory Fund , saying : `` If me being gay was a choice , it was made far , far above my pay grade ... That β s the thing that I wish the Mike Pence β s of the world would understand β that if you got a problem with who I am β your problem is not with me , your quarrel sir , is with my creator . ''
Kevin Holtsberry , a Taylor alumni , told `` Fox & Friends '' Monday morning the outraged alumni and students are mistaking disagreement on political issues with personal attacks , while also thanking the school for `` standing firm '' and not pulling Pence 's invitation .
HALF OF PASTORS SAY THEY WORRY ABOUT SPEAKING OUT ON HOT-BUTTON ISSUES , OFFENDING PEOPLE
`` I was very nervous initially that the very vocal overwhelming minority might sort of sway Taylor to take a different stance so I 'm very glad they 're taking that solid stance , '' Holtsberry said .
`` The vice president has very orthodox Christian beliefs - very traditional beliefs - that a vast majority of Christians believe . His political views are shared by a large section of America , so it 's not a radical choice , and I think people should be able to engage and disagree with his views and do it in a mature fashion . ''
The Christian university has defended the decision . Paul Lowell Haines , the president of Taylor , praised the vice president as a `` good friend to the University over many years , '' and `` a Christian brother whose life and values have exemplified what we strive to instill in our graduates . β
`` Since making the announcement of Vice President Mike Pence 's upcoming commencement speech , we have received feedback from people on either side of the issue . Taylor University is an intentional Christian community that strives to encourage positive , respectful and meaningful dialogue , '' Taylor University spokesman , James Garringer , said in a statement .
`` We look forward to hosting the Vice President next month . '' | GazPjormqGhFf9iU | 2 | Mike Pence | 0.3 | Politics | -0.1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | |
healthcare | Fox News | http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/09/23/whats-end-game-lawmakers-seek-way-out-obamacare-showdown/ | Whatβs the end-game? Lawmakers seek way out of ObamaCare showdown | 2013-09-23 | healthcare | Concerned their party is painting itself into a corner , some Republicans are trying to find a way out of the congressional showdown over a House-passed bill that would keep the government open past Sept. 30 only if lawmakers agree to defund ObamaCare .
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid on Monday is expected to start the process of setting up a test vote on the House bill .
Reid and his fellow Democrats , naturally , want to strip out the provision defunding the health law . Republicans do n't want that . So Tea Party-aligned senators like Ted Cruz have rallied around an only-in-Washington kind of approach -- in order to defend the House bill which they supported , they will try to block Reid from calling it up .
But this raises a perplexing question : Even if Republicans can muster the votes to block the bill , what then ?
The approach threatens to end in a stalemate , with the Senate holding on to a bill and neither chamber , then , voting on anything that would keep the government open past Sept. 30 . Congress has n't passed a bona fide budget since 2009 , forcing the government to operate on a series of short-term spending bills -- this practice sets up periodic deadlines , and opens the door each time to the risk of a shutdown .
Some Republicans and Democrats are now looking for a resolution , worried about the political blowback from a shutdown .
Sen. Pat Toomey , R-Pa. , suggested Monday that his fellow Republicans set the bar a bit lower , aiming instead to repeal `` some of the really egregious things '' in the law .
Speaking with βββ , Toomey said the widely unpopular medical device tax -- which medical device companies warn could put them out of business -- is a prime candidate for repeal . Plus , he said lawmakers should continue to push for a delay in the individual mandate , which is expected to require individuals to purchase health insurance starting in 2014 .
`` I do n't think we 're gon na be able to completely defund ObamaCare as long as President Obama 's in the White House , '' Toomey said .
Toomey 's comments speak to the divide in the Republican Party . Many GOP lawmakers want to repeal ObamaCare entirely , warning that it is driving Americans off their current health care plans and , because of quirks in the law , forcing others into part-time work . But many also say that , with Democrats controlling the Senate and White House , defunding it is simply not possible .
On CBS ' `` Face the Nation , '' Sen. Joe Manchin , D-W.Va. , made a suggestion similar to Toomey 's .
`` Let 's fix it . Let 's repair it , '' he said of the law .
Sen. Tom Coburn , R-Okla. , on the same show , was skeptical about the GOP push to defund the law . `` We do n't have the ability ... to put a total stop and defund ObamaCare . It would be nice if we did . I 'd be in the fight , '' he said .
He predicted that Reid would ultimately marshal the votes to strip out the ObamaCare language and send the budget bill back to the House . He predicted the government would not shut down over this `` exercise . ''
With time running out to reach an agreement , there appear to be a few possible outcomes .
Cruz and his allies could successfully stall the bill in the Senate , forcing concessions or forcing a shutdown come Oct. 1 .
Or , Reid could succeed in calling up the bill , stripping out the ObamaCare language and sending it back to the House . Then House Speaker John Boehner would be forced to decide whether to stick by his party 's demands to defund ObamaCare , or call up the clean budget bill , relying on perhaps a majority of Democrats to pass it .
Cruz , in an interview with `` βββ Sunday , '' also floated an alternative route . He said the House should `` hold its ground , '' and start passing miniature spending bills , `` one department at a time . ''
`` Fund the military , send it over , and let 's see if Harry Reid is willing to shut down the military because he wants to force ObamaCare on the American people , '' he said .
While Republicans debate internally over strategy , Democratic leaders have a largely united message .
Reid said last week that any bill that strips funding from ObamaCare is `` dead . ''
President Obama says any push to nix the health care law is `` not going to happen . '' | Oi7rFg0VTEAr8ktq | 2 | Healthcare | -0.2 | Healthcare Reform | -0.2 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
immigration | Newsmax (News) | https://www.newsmax.com/politics/trump-biden-border-immigration/2021/04/29/id/1019472/ | Trump: Biden Didn't Mention 'Disaster' Border Situation He Created | 2021-04-30 | Immigration, Border Crisis, Joe Biden | A congressman who ran for president was compromised by a Chinese espionage operation. And yet, Eric Swalwell remains on the House Intelligence Committee without offering any real explanation of what happened, because β¦ well, itβs good to be a Democrat! Swalwell had been close enough with a Chinese intelligence officer that she was able to place an intern in his office. Christine Fang (or Fang Fang) had been in contact with Swalwell as early as his days as a Dublin city councilman in 2012 and had fundraised for his reelection to Congress as late as 2014. Swalwell has refused to discuss his relationship with Fang, who was also reported to have been in sexual relationships with two unnamed Midwestern mayors. Instead, he claimed the story was a hit job by the Axios, which isnβt exactly known for being the home of Trump sycophants. We won't sell or share your personal information to inform the ads you see. You may still see interest-based ads if your information is sold or shared by other companies or was sold or shared previously. Dismiss Opt out | e342def72199d71a | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
taxes | ABC News | http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/11/fiscal-cliff-showdown-running-to-stand-still-the-note/ | Top House Republican Tom Cole: Join with Obama on Quick Deal | 2012-11-28 | Taxes | By MICHAEL FALCONE ( @ michaelpfalcone ) and AMY WALTER ( @ amyewalter )
INSIDE THE MCCAIN-GRAHAM-AYOTTE ALLIANCE : Joining Sen. John McCain and yesterday 's meeting with Rice were his long-time counterpart , Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , who has also been an outspoken critic of Susan Rice 's handling of Benghazi , as well as a fairly new face when it comes to foreign policy : Sen. Kelly Ayotte , R-N.H . In fact , Ayotte has stood by her two more senior Senate colleagues throughout the Rice debacle . ABC New Political Director Amy Walter asked about the McCain-Graham-Ayotte alliance on Twitter last night and got lots of responses suggesting that the two men wanted a female for balance and that the New Hampshire senator was looking for a chance to get some foreign policy credentials to position herself for a 2016 run . And here 's what James Pindell , New Hampshire political expert and WMUR contributor says of her reason for teaming up with the two amigos : `` Kelly Ayotte is dancing with the one who took her to the ball . Outside of the NRSC itself , John McCain was Ayotte 's biggest outside backer in a primary she only won by 1,500 votes against a conservative insurgent and two self-funding millionaires . McCain invited her to Pheonix for a major fundraiser , introduced her to bundlers , and campaigned with her at town hall meetings in New Hampshire , where he is a two time winner of competitive primaries . Ayotte came to the Senate without ever working in Washington before , not even as a hill staffer . She also had never been elected to anything before . She needed others to help her navigate the place and McCain took her under his wing . Because of McCain and Mitt Romney her profile has risen to the point where most Washington pundits can correctly pronounce her name now . ''
POLL : AMONG CLIFF-AVOIDANCE OPTIONS , MOST FAVOR TARGETING THE WEALTHY . With the fiscal cliff drawing closer , raising taxes on wealthy Americans remains a popular option according to the latest βββ-Washington Post poll . And , as ABC pollster Gary Langer notes , while the public divides closely on reducing federal income tax deductions , two-thirds oppose another possibility - raising the age for Medicare eligibility . Sixty percent in this new poll support raising taxes on incomes more than $ 250,000 a year , long a popular option overall , but also a divisive one : While 73 percent of Democrats and 63 percent of independents are in favor , far fewer Republicans , 39 percent , agree . Results of this poll echo the national exit poll in the presidential election , in which , given other options , 40 percent of Mitt Romney 's supporters favored raising taxes either on the wealthy ( 28 percent ) or on all Americans ( 12 percent ) . That rose to 79 percent among Obama 's supporters - 66 percent favoring a tax hike on the well-off , 13 percent on everyone . POLL : http : //abcn.ws/UV9jxn
Both Democrats and Republicans are doing lots of posturing and preening as the clock ticks down to the Dec. 31 fiscal cliff deadline , but Congressional insiders say at this stage , the game right now is all about hurry-up-and-wait .
Brad Dayspring , the former communications director for Rep. Eric Cantor . R-Va. , and current director of Young Guns Action Network , cautions that we should n't expect to see any real work to get done until the week of December 10 .
And most veteran Capitol Hill watchers we talk to do n't expect to see a deal reached until right before Christmas . In fact , many others who are less optimistic expect to ring in the New Year in the Capitol .
It should n't come as a shock . If there 's one thing we know about Congress it 's this : Nothing gets done until the very last minute .
Former Wyoming Republican Sen. Alan K. Simpson , who co-chaired a 2010 bi-partisan fiscal commission , predicted exactly that yesterday .
`` They 're going to react right down to the last point when there 's going to be blood and hair and eyeballs all over the floor and they 're going to come up with something , '' Simpson said in an interview on Tuesday MSNBC 's `` Hardball , '' `` but let me tell you , if it 's just kicking the can down the road , the can is now a 55 gallon drum filled with explosives . You ca n't play that game anymore . ''
As The New York Times ' Jackie Calmes writes this morning , Simpson and his Democratic counterpart , Erskine Bowles , `` have been on the road , sometimes solo but often together , perfecting a sort of Off Broadway show that has kept their panel 's recommendations alive . '' http : //nyti.ms/VdAuY9
Today Bowles plans to meet privately with House Speaker John Boehner and key Republicans leaders on Capitol Hill .
An eleventh hour deal is nothing new in Washington . As The Hill 's Russell Berman and Erik Wasson noted , `` For the fourth consecutive year , a major Washington negotiation is on a collision course with Christmas '' :
`` In 2009 , the Senate stayed in session until the early morning of Christmas Eve to pass an initial version of the healthcare overhaul . The next year , Congress gave final approval to a lame-duck tax package on Dec. 16 , and in 2011 , House Republicans held out until Dec. 23 before approving - by unanimous consent - a two-month extension of a payroll tax cut . '' http : //bit.ly/WVd4qG
SIMPSON-BOWLES ' SECOND STAR TURN . More from The New York Times ' Jackie Calmes on the efforts of Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson to keep alive the two-year-old work of their debt commission : `` That so many people from Bellevue , Wash. , to Sanibel Island , Fla. , and from Waterville , Me. , to Dana Point , Calif. , talk about 'Simpson-Bowles ' ( or 'Bowles-Simpson ' ) as if it is shorthand for the solution to the nation 's fiscal woes - even though few know its devilish details on tax increases and spending cuts - is testament to the men 's indefatigable efforts . β¦ On Tuesday , Mr. Bowles and corporate executives he helped recruit to a `` Fix the Debt '' campaign met privately at the White House with six senior administration officials , including Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner . The commission 's report 'could have just been put into the dustbin , ' said David M. Cote , the chief executive of Honeywell and a panel member . 'Instead , ' Mr. Cote added , 'it 's become the basis for all of this discussion . ' '' http : //nyti.ms/VdAuY9
GROVER NORQUIST SAYS THE TAX PLEDGE IS FOREVER . In the latest episode of his ABC/Yahoo ! Power Players series `` Spinners & Winners '' ABC 's Jonathan Karl talks to the man behind the plan : Grover Norquist that is . The 'Taxpayer Protection Pledge ' has been signed by virtually every Republican office holder over the last 20 years , binding congressman , senators , and governors to promise no tax increases of any kind , ever . `` I think that people should keep their commitment to voters . I think they need to if they get elected with an open promise , they should keep that promise to voters , '' says the founder of Americans for Tax Reform . With about a third of incoming freshman Republicans dodging the pledge , the majority of the Republican House has now either not signed the pledge or disavowed it . But Norquist insists this is not the end . http : //yhoo.it/Ttyw2I
GOP LAWMAKERS STILL TROUBLED BY SUSAN RICE . The three Republicans , Sens . John McCain of Arizona , Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire , said not only did U.S . Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice , who was joined at a meeting with them yesterday by Acting CIA Director Mike Morell , not answer all their questions about the attack , she did little to assuage their overall worries . `` We are significantly troubled by many of the answers that we got , and some that we did n't get concerning evidence that was overwhelming leading up to the attack on the consulate , '' McCain said . `` The concerns I have are greater today than before , and we 're not even close to getting the basic answers , '' Graham said . Ayotte said that in yesterday 's meeting Rice called the information she first gave to the American people wrong . `` It 's certainly clear from the beginning that we knew that those with ties to al Qaeda were involved in the attack on the embassy , and clearly the impression that was given , the information given to the American people , was wrong , '' Ayotte said . http : //abcn.ws/Sck1iE
NOTED : RICE RESPONDS . in a statement following the meeting Susan Rice said : `` We explained that the talking points provided by the intelligence community , and the initial assessment upon which they were based , were incorrect in a key respect : There was no protest or demonstration in Benghazi . While , we certainly wish that we had had perfect information just days after the terrorist attack , as is often the case , the intelligence assessment has evolved . We stressed that neither I nor anyone else in the administration intended to mislead the American people at any stage in this process , and the administration updated Congress and the American people as our assessments evolved . ''
TOP HOUSE REPUBLICAN TOM COLE : JOIN WITH OBAMA ON QUICK DEAL . Politico 's Jonathan Allen reports : `` Republican Rep. Tom Cole urged colleagues in a private session Tuesday to vote to extend the Bush tax rates for all but the highest earners before the end of the year - and to battle over the rest later . The Oklahoma Republican said in an interview with POLITICO that he believes such a vote would not violate Grover Norquist 's anti-tax pledge and that he 's not alone within Republican circles . '' http : //politi.co/TlngTj
DURBIN WANTS NO ENTITLEMENTS IN 'FISCAL CLIFF ' DEAL . Medicare and Medicaid savings should be part of future debt-reduction efforts , but not on the table in talks regarding the impending `` fiscal cliff , '' the second-highest ranking Democrat in the Senate said on Tuesday . ABC 's Matt Larotonda reports , in the prepared remarks of Sen. Richard Durbin 's speech to the liberal Center for American Progress , he writes that progressives can not `` pretend '' the programs can `` continue forever '' without changes to ensure their solvency . But the majority whip from Illinois insists that any adjustments should come after the immediate budget is passed . http : //abcn.ws/TjxsMt
OBAMA MOUNTS PUBLIC RELATIONS EFFORT TO AVOID 'FISCAL CLIFF . ' The Washington Post 's David Nakamura and Zachary Goldfarb report : `` The White House signaled Tuesday that it will try to marshal the momentum from President Obama 's reelection triumph into another victory at the negotiating table , launching a full-fledged public relations effort to avoid a 'fiscal cliff ' that could jolt the nation back toward recession . Administration officials said Obama will hit the road this week for a campaign-style series of events with ordinary Americans , including a visit to a toy manufacturer in suburban Philadelphia on Friday . That trip and others will be aimed at increasing pressure on Congress to reach an agreement on heading off a series of automatic spending cuts and tax increases that are scheduled to begin in January . '' http : //wapo.st/119v1kA
MORGAN STANLEY CEO ENLISTS EMPLOYEES TO PRESSURE CONGRESS . `` Morgan Stanley Chief Executive James Gorman enlisted his employees to pressure Congress to reach a bipartisan deficit-reduction deal , one of the most high-profile in a series of moves by major corporations seeking to influence the course of negotiations , '' the Wall Street Journal Carol E. Lee reports . `` Mr. Gorman , in an email Tuesday , asked Morgan Stanley 's more than 16,000 U.S. financial advisers and branch managers to contact their members of Congress and urge them to reach ' a bipartisan compromise ' to avoid a year-end budget crisis known as the 'fiscal cliff . ' 'No issue is more critical right now for the U.S. economy , the global financial markets and the financial well-being of our clients , which is why I am asking you to participate in the democratic process and make your voice heard , ' Mr. Gorman wrote . Mr. Gorman 's email does n't mention any Washington figures or parties , but does employ President Barack Obama 's rhetoric in calling for a 'balanced solution ' to the looming fiscal crisis . '' http : //on.wsj.com/UbM0P7
SENATE DEMOCRATS DIVIDED OVER ENTITLEMENT CUTS . `` Deep divisions among Senate Democrats over whether cuts to popular benefit programs like Medicare and Medicaid should be part of a plan to slow the government 's mushrooming debt pose a big obstacle to a deal for avoiding a potentially economy-crushing 'fiscal cliff , ' even if Republicans agree to raise taxes , '' notes the Associated Press ' Stephen Ohlemacher . `` Much of the focus during negotiations seeking an alternative to $ 671 billion in automatic tax increases and spending cuts beginning in January has centered on whether Republicans would agree to raising taxes on the wealthy . President Barack Obama has insisted repeatedly that tax increases on the wealthy must be part of any deal , even as White House officials concede that government benefit programs will have to be in the package too . '' http : //apne.ws/TtnkmU
THE BATTLE FOR NEW JERSEY . A new Quinnipiac University poll out today finds that `` New Jersey voters say 67 - 25 percent that Gov . Christopher Christie deserves reelection in 2013 and give him leads of 18 point or more against any possible Democratic challenger β¦ The only group opposed to Gov . Christie 's reelection is Democrats , by a narrow 46 - 41 percent , the independent Quinnipiac University poll finds . '' The governor 's leads potential Democratic challenger Newark Mayor Cory Booker 53 to 35 percent . According to Quinnipiac , `` Booker dominates a possible Democratic primary with 41 percent , followed by [ State Sen. Richard ] Codey with 12 percent . No other candidate tops 4 percent . ''
BOB DOLE HOSPITALIZED . Former Senate Republican Leader and presidential nominee Bob Dole was hospitalized at Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital reports ABC 's Sunlen Miller . Dole 's hospitalization was announced Tuesday on the Senate floor by Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid . Dole , 89 , self-admitted for a procedure , a spokesman for Walter Reed told βββ . Dole is expected to be discharged today . http : //abcn.ws/SoHBdl
NAKED PROTESTORS OCCUPY JOHN BOEHNER 'S HOUSE OFFICE . ABC 's Z. Byron Wolf reports , some protesters dropped trou to launch a protest at House Speaker John Boehner 's office in the Longworth House Office building in Washington . U.S. Capitol Police public information officer Shennell Antrobus confirmed : `` three females arrested for lewd and indecent acts in the Speaker 's Longworth office . Demonstrators disbursed that area . '' This is an office across the street from the Capitol Building . The speaker , who has a plush suite of offices in the Capitol Building , never works in the district office , so he was n't privy , as it were , to the privates . http : //abcn.ws/UVb1yS
PETRAEUS SCANDAL : SOCIALITE JILL KELLEY FIGHTING BACK . ABC 's Pierre Thomas and Jack Cloherty report , Tampa socialite Jill Kelley is fighting back . On Tuesday , sources close to the woman who was caught in the media crossfire during the David Petraeus sex scandal have released new letters aimed at reclaiming her reputation . In one , Kelley 's attorney goes after a New York businessman who claimed Kelley was using her connections to Petraeus to broker a deal with the South Korean government . http : //abcn.ws/ScaMPx
WASHINGTON HOTEL PREPARES FOR INAUGURATION WITH 'TWEETBAR , ' OBAMA-THEMED AMENITIES . Looking for the perfect present for a presidential history buff this holiday season ? ABC 's Sarah Parnass reports , the Ritz-Carlton in Washington 's Dupont Circle has just the thing - but it will cost you a pretty penny . With packages starting at $ 1,095 per night , guests staying over inauguration weekend can enjoy a four-night program featuring the extravagant tastes of presidents past and present . Each night has new activities and amenities . http : //abcn.ws/SciY27
-HAPPENING TODAY : MOVE ON GETS MOVING ON FISCAL TALKS . From a MoveOn.org adviser : `` MoveOn members will take the fiscal fight local with visits planned to state and district offices of every senator and representative in all 50 states . Each participating MoveOn member will stop by a senator or representative 's office to deliver a letter calling on that senator or representative to stand up for the middle class instead of millionaires . As Republicans continue to try to ram through another extension of the Bush tax cuts for the rich and some Democrats waver in the face of conservative intransigence , the message from MoveOn members to their representatives is to defend the middle class by asking the wealthy to pay their fair share and by preventing any cuts to Social Security , Medicare , or Medicaid benefits . The letter contains the following demands : ( 1 ) Let the Bush Tax Cuts for the top 2 % expire , as scheduled , on December 31 . ( 2 ) Ensure that there be no cuts whatsoever to Social Security , Medicare , or Medicaid benefits . The in-person letter drop will coincide with AFL-CIO 's members ' visits to congressional offices in Washington , DC to make these same demands . ''
@ politicalwire : Feds believe Jesse Jackson Jr. was tipped off on investigation into his personal finances before he took medical leave http : //pwire.at/WZLskm
@ sahilkapur : Erskine Bowles tells me Tom Cole 's call for GOP to take Obama 's tax offer is `` a step forward '' and he 'll tell GOP leaders that later today .
@ markknoller : Pres Obama delivers his latest tax cut pitch at 1135AM to invited middle class Americans whose taxes would rise if his plan not enacted .
@ mattklewis : As an aside , Bill Bolling 's exodus does n't make Bob McDonnell or MItt Romney look especially influential in the Commonwealth .
@ BretBaier : As fiscal cliff debate continues - the golf world makes a decision on belly putters ! http : //www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/golf/20524228 β¦
@ Cibski : MT @ RobinRoberts Have my dancing slippers on watching @ GMA & # DWTSAllStars . Congrats to Melissa/Tony & all great finalistsβ¦XO | 92af341cb7f755e9 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
fiscal_cliff | Newsmax | http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Fiscal-Cliff-Boehner-re-election/2013/01/02/id/469834 | Fiscal Cliff Deal Won't Cost Boehner a Second Term | 2013-01-02 | Fiscal Cliff, Washington DC, John Boehner, Banking And Finance, Economy And Jobs, Economic Policy | Despite being weakened in the fiscal-cliff debate , House Speaker John Boehner appears to be on track to re-election as the nation β s top Republican on Thursday.Two GOP congressmen , Rep. Mike Grimm of New York and Chris Smith of New Jersey , who earlier had attacked Boehner , now say they have changed their minds and plan to endorse the Speaker for a second term.With these assurances β and a reluctance for any viable candidate to step forward β many observers say it appears that Boehner is on track for another year as Speaker.One possible threat centered around an aid package for victims of Superstorm Sandy , but even that storm passed . `` Whatever 's done is done , and that 's it , '' declared Rep. Pete King of New York on Wednesday afternoon after a meeting with Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor in which GOP leaders pledged to allow a Friday vote on $ 9 billion in aid for victims of the record-breaking storm.A second vote on the remaining $ 51 million will come on Jan. 15 . β The bottom line is we need the $ 60 billion , β King said . β We have gotten that solid commitment. β Earlier Wednesday , King and several other members of the New York-New Jersey congressional delegation had hurled angry words at Boehner for not allowing a vote on the aid to come to the House floor.But King said later that his anger at Boehner was now in the past. β As far as I β m concerned that was a lifetime ago , β he said after the meeting with Boehner and Cantor , the Hill reports . β The bottom line is we are getting the result that we need. β Ron Meyer , a spokesman for the conservative group American Majority Action , which was among several calling for Boehner β s ouster , acknowledged that House Republicans simply do not have a viable alternative to Boehner. β It turns out no one else seems willing to pick up the mantle , β he said on Wednesday . β I hesitate to say it , but this goes to some degree to cowardice. β β You can β t beat somebody with nobody , β added a senior House Republican to the National Journal on Wednesday.Boehner β s speakership seems all but certain to survive several challenges in recent months.Two weeks ago , for instance , dozens of GOP legislators refused to support Boehner β s β Plan B β fiscal-cliff proposal that would have staved off rising tax rates for most Americans.The party split capped an extensive day of lobbying and arm-twisting of the GOP rank and file , which included a late-night meeting Boehner called to determine whether he had enough votes for approval.That not being the case , Majority Leader Cantor announced that no vote would be held β and Boehner himself was spotted leaving the Capitol shortly thereafter.Much of the criticism centered around conservative GOP legislators and outside groups seeing Boehner as too willing to compromise with the White House and Democrats on taxes and other fiscal issues.And last month , Boehner stripped four Republicans β including three heavily supported by the Tea Party Patriots β from their coveted committee seats . The move created tension within the GOP ranks.Still , other conservative groups were joining with American Majority Action to attack Boehner for his support of the fiscal-cliff bill that was negotiated by Vice President Joe Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky , according to the National Journal.Boehner was among just 85 House Republicans ultimately supporting the measure . But Cantor and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy of California voted against it . They were among 151 House GOP members to do so . | a27e582d23b733b9 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
sustainability | National Review (News) | https://www.nationalreview.com/news/a-strong-symbol-france-bans-short-distance-flights-to-combat-climate-change/ | βA Strong Symbolβ: France Bans Short-Distance Flights to Combat Climate Change | 2023-05-24 | Sustainability, Travel, Airlines, Pollution, Carbon Emissions, Climate Change, France, Europe, World | National Review U.S. Catholic Bishops Condemn Trumpβs Push to Make IVF Cheaper, More Accessible L.A. Mayor Karen Bass Claims She Wasnβt βAwareβ of Wildfire Warnings When She Left the Country Senate Confirms Kash Patel as FBI Director Trump Pushes for Federal Takeover of D.C. as GOP Bill Remains in Limbo Mitch McConnell Announces He Wonβt Seek Reelection Next Year Flights that can be covered in under two-and-a-half hours by an equivalent train ride will no longer be allowed to operate in France. βThis is an essential step and a strong symbol in the policy of reducing greenhouse gas emissions,β the countryβs Transportation Minister, Clement Beaune, said in a statement following the announcement on Tuesday. βAs we fight relentlessly to decarbonize our lifestyles, how can we justify the use of the plane between the big cities which benefit from regular, fast and efficient connections by train,β the official added. The ruling has only led to the cancellation of three flight routes so far, connecting Paris Orly Airport with the French cities of Bordeaux, Nantes, and Lyon. The ban leaves short-distance flights to Marseilles, which takes three hours by plane, unaffected. Laurent Donceel, the head of the industry group Airlines for Europe (A4E), told the French news agency, AFP, that such regulations βwill only have minimal effects,β on CO2 emissions and demanded βreal and significant solutions,β instead of such βsymbolic bans.β Conversely, the professional bodyβs strategy to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 includes substituting jet fuel for more renewable sources and introducing electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft. The new regulation represents a diluted version of French president Emmanuel Macronβs earlier proposal in 2019, banning flights that could be completed by train rides of four hours. Pushback from the national carrier, Air France-KLM, ultimately led the government to walk back and reconsider its initial plan. However, domestic consumer groups, including UFC-Que Choisir, had originally demanded the government stand by its earlier rhetoric. βOn average, the plane emits 77 times more CO2 per passenger than the train on these routes, even though the train is cheaper and the time lost is limited to 40 minutes,β the group told the BBC on Tuesday. Moreover, UFC-Que Choisir asked the government to implement βsafeguardsβ to prevent national rail carriers from seizing βthe opportunity to artificially inflate its prices or degrade the quality of rail service.β The law, which was first passed in 2021, required the European Commission, a regulatory body of the EU, to approve the measure before its full implementation. Send a tip to the news team at NR. Β© 2025 National Review Newsletters Β© 2025 National Review | e4d50f8ffbc483e9 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | CNN (Web News) | https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/09/politics/donald-trump-impeachment-mitch-mcconnell/index.html | Trump warns GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell about disloyal Republicans | 2019-10-09 | Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, Senate GOP, Politics | Washington ( CNN ) Even as the White House appears to settle on the legal tactics to stave off Democrats ' impeachment demands , uncertainty and unease over Trump 's messaging approach remains high among his Republican allies , who see the ever-growing inquiry consuming the White House .
Trump has offered scant indication he is turning his focus to governing , despite his lawyers writing in a letter to Democrats that `` he remains focused on fulfilling his promises to the American people . ''
Instead , the President has spent hours tweeting about the impeachment and lighting up the phone lines of his allies on Capitol Hill -- including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , to whom he 's stressed the importance of Republican unity .
In private , Trump is increasingly leaning on the Republican leader in the Senate . In a return to the President 's panicked behavior during the height of the Mueller investigation , Trump is calling McConnell as often as three times a day , according to a person familiar with the conversations .
McConnell has told a small number of Republicans about the President 's calls .
`` This story , based on a single anonymous source , is categorically false . Leader McConnell never said anything like this , '' Doug Andres , a McConnell spokesman , said .
Trump has been lashing out at GOP senators he sees as disloyal , according to the person familiar with the conversations , telling McConnell he will amplify attacks on those Republicans who criticize him .
McConnell faces his own dilemma of having to preserve the Republican majority in the Senate , while also placating an erratic President who demands nothing short of total loyalty . That will become harder as more details about Trump 's dealings with Ukraine trickle out .
Trump has already demonstrated his willingness to go after Republican defectors . After Sen. Mitt Romney , R-Utah , said it was `` wrong and appalling '' for Trump to suggest Ukraine and China investigate Joe Biden , Trump unloaded , calling Romney a `` pompous ass '' and suggesting Romney himself be impeached .
Trump has also been mistrustful of Republicans who are reticent to defend him publicly , often lamenting that Democrats are much better at staying in line with their party heads than his own .
JUST WATCHED Trump predicts his impeachment fight will go to Supreme Court Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Trump predicts his impeachment fight will go to Supreme Court 04:20
A letter from White House lawyers on Tuesday made clear Trump plans to wage war on the impeachment effort , refusing to cooperate with what it described as an illegitimate effort to reverse the 2016 election . An announcement that Trey Gowdy , the former South Carolina congressman , was joining Trump 's outside legal team was a signal of the growing recognition the President will require additional help combating the impeachment threat .
Trump had initially been resistant to the suggestion that he hire additional attorneys , believing he was well positioned to combat Democrats as they advanced their impeachment probe without outside help . But after a lengthy meeting with Gowdy in the Oval Office , and much wheedling from Gowdy 's allies , the President was convinced he needed an aggressive fighter , such as the former House Oversight Committee chairman who led the Benghazi probe .
Trump 's confidants had urged him for weeks to find another voice who could represent him on television , warning that his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani was doing too much damage .
Trump 's focus on the impeachment issue is plain , even as his allies encourage him to train his attention on other issues . On Wednesday , as former Vice President Joe Biden came out in favor of impeachment , Trump had responded on Twitter before Biden 's speech had even concluded . And speaking in the Roosevelt Room , Trump went off-script to link a regulatory announcement to his ongoing predicament .
`` No American should ever face such persecution from their own government , '' Trump said , reading from a script , before looking up from his paper : `` Except , perhaps , your President . ''
JUST WATCHED Biden calls for Trump impeachment for first time Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Biden calls for Trump impeachment for first time 02:40
Internal disputes , long rife in Trump 's West Wing , have also heightened the sense of disorder at Trump 's approach to impeachment . Trump 's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner is seen by many aides as leading the impeachment strategy efforts . A source close to the President 's impeachment team said Kushner is playing a `` growing role '' in how the White House handles the response , though other officials said much of the response will be left to `` Jay and Trey , '' a reference to Gowdy and Jay Sekulow , members of the outside legal team .
Others say the only real point person is Trump himself , who has tweeted furiously on the subject for the past three days .
Mick Mulvaney , the acting chief of staff , has remained largely under the radar as the impeachment proceedings unfold . But Gowdy 's hiring is evidence that Mulvaney -- who is close friends with his former House colleague and advocated on Gowdy 's behalf -- also has some leeway in overseeing the strategy .
In an effort to channel some of Trump 's frustrations , campaign aides have scheduled a spate of campaign rallies over the next week , including one in Minnesota on Thursday and in Louisiana on Friday . Trump announced the Louisiana rally on Twitter as his campaign was still confirming the venue . They believe Trump 's anger at Democrats and arguments against impeachment will be amplified when delivered before a receptive audience .
Yet that dynamic is partly what concerns many of Trump 's allies , who worry the President 's obvious fixation on the impeachment matter is causing him to lash out in unhelpful and erratic ways .
In private , Trump has vacillated between telling confidantes the impeachment effort will benefit him politically to complaining it will stain his legacy . As Trump reflexively reacts to each development , many Republican lawmakers and others who the White House relies upon to defend the President have gone silent .
Others have expressed concern that Trump is n't taking the impeachment inquiry seriously enough , even as polls increasingly show Americans support it .
`` I believe it 's a mortal threat to the presidency . He should treat it that way , '' said Chris Ruddy , a friend of Trump 's and the CEO of Newsmax , in an interview with CNN 's Christiane Amanpour . `` The number of people saying the President should be impeached is increasing . Not significantly , but moving in a bad direction for the President . I think it should be treated very seriously . ''
JUST WATCHED Avlon : Trump and Nixon similarities getting ridiculous Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Avlon : Trump and Nixon similarities getting ridiculous 02:53
A Trump ally who spoke with the President recently said Trump 's view on impeachment is `` it 's all bulls * * * '' and he believes he and his GOP allies are well positioned to fight back politically . Trump was `` praising the ( Republican National Committee ) targeting those Trump-district Democrats , '' the source said . `` He seemed in good spirits . ''
The RNC is targeting roughly 60 Democrats with a `` stop the madness '' campaign through paid media and earned media , including conducting press conferences , crashing town halls and holding demonstrations .
McConnell has said little publicly about impeachment since the inquiry began . He admitted last week in an interview with CNBC that he would `` have no choice '' but to take up a trial if the House voted to impeach Trump -- a point he 's made to Trump in their phone conversations , according to one person with knowledge of the situation .
But on strategy , McConnell 's said nothing more to the Republican conference , which has been in recess for two weeks . That , say multiple people with knowledge , reflects McConnell 's `` watch and wait '' approach to all controversies , including impeachment .
While at home on recess the past two weeks , many Senate Republicans have stayed quiet on the House Democrats ' impeachment inquiry . But some have already laid out messaging that could gain steam once everyone returns next week , including admitting that while Trump 's call with Ukraine was perhaps inappropriate , it does not rise to impeachable conduct . | fb85847c310405bb | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
immigration | New York Times - News | http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/24/us/politics/in-immigration-battle-advocates-for-overhaul-single-out-republicans.html?ref=politics&_r=0 | In Immigration Battle, Advocates for Overhaul Single Out Republicans | 2013-11-24 | immigration | Democrats , perhaps optimistically , hope to get Mr. Tipton to sign on to the broad bill they recently introduced , which includes a path to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants already in the country . Immigration advocacy groups hope to show him that there could be political consequences if he does not take steps to help overhaul the nation β s immigration system .
According to the most recent census , Mr. Tipton β s district , which covers nearly the entire western half of the state as well as part of its southern border with New Mexico , is 24 percent Hispanic . Combined with the large agricultural businesses on the Western Slope , the demographic forces alone would seem to compel Mr. Tipton to support some form of immigration overhaul . President Obama won the state narrowly in both 2008 and 2012 , and Mr. Tipton won re-election last year with 53 percent of the vote .
This month , a coalition of immigration advocates , as well as labor and religious groups , inaugurated the β Cost of Inaction , β a voter education and outreach campaign that targets nine House Republicans , Mr. Tipton included , to push for a vote on an immigration overhaul before the end of the year . Though the Senate passed its own broad immigration bill in June with bipartisan support , immigration advocates have become increasingly frustrated with the House , which has made little progress on legislation of its own and is unlikely to take a vote this year .
β We feel that to move them , we have to awaken the electoral vulnerability that Republicans face , both specific Republicans that have large and growing immigrant electorates and also the party as a national party , β said Tom Snyder , the immigration campaign director for the A.F.L.-C.I.O. , one of the groups behind the campaign . β It β s very hard to think about them winning a presidential election with an immigrant electorate that β s growing and overwhelmingly hostile to the party . β
Mr. Tipton said that as a former businessman , he favored a β step by step β approach to the problem , with smaller bills dealing with border security and a guest worker program coming first . β If we β ve got border security and , in virtual tandem , a good viable guest worker program , β he said , β this is going to first of all address national security concerns . β
He is also worried about the potential immigrants still in their home countries , who have been waiting , sometimes for years , to try to enter the United States through legal channels . β Do we want to treat them fairly as well ? β he asked . β We can β t put anyone in front of them . β | SjobAlp8xQtlJF1s | 0 | Immigration | -0.2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
elections | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/15/politics/democratic-debate-new-york-takeaways/index.html | 6 Takeaways: Democrats tangle at New York debate | 2016-04-15 | Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, Debates, New York, Presidential Elections, Elections | New York ( CNN ) Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders tangled over her judgment and his grasp of policy in a tense and at times personal debate here Thursday , less than a week before the pivotal New York primary .
Held in prime time and on a weeknight -- unlike most Democratic debates -- the CNN-sponsored event was the highest-profile opportunity for both campaigns to make their final arguments before Tuesday 's crucial vote in a state where both contenders have strong roots . Clinton is looking to New York to solidify her role as front-runner , while a strong showing -- or a victory -- for Sanders would deal a significant blow to her confidence and bolster his campaign 's argument that the party 's so-called super delegates should switch their allegiance to him .
Here are six takeaways from the most combative Democratic debate yet :
The Democratic candidates took sharp aim at one another almost immediately over a series of issues , including the Iraq War , Wall Street and questions about judgment and qualifications to be president .
Both contenders shifted back and forth between offense and defense , a sharp departure from the calmer tone of the party 's earlier debates .
Sanders began by explaining a recent comment he made on the campaign trail in which he suggested Clinton was `` unqualified '' to be president .
`` Does Secretary Clinton have the experience and intelligence to be president ? Of course she does . But I do question her judgment , '' Sanders said , pointing to her Senate vote for war in Iraq , her willingness for her campaign to benefit from millions of dollars spent on her behalf by super PACs and her relationship to Wall Street .
`` Senator Sanders did call me unqualified . I 've been called a lot of things in my life . That was a first , '' Clinton responded , pointing to the fact that she was elected twice to the Senate and chosen as secretary of state .
Clinton then counter-attacked , citing an interview Sanders gave to the New York Daily News in which he struggled to provide specifics about his plans for breaking up banks and other issues .
`` Talk about judgment and talk about the kinds of difficulty he had answering questions , including his core issues , '' Clinton said .
The sparring continued throughout the night , so much so that at one point , CNN debate moderator Wolf Blitzer moved to break up the fighters .
`` If you 're both screaming at each other , the viewers wo n't be able to hear either of you , '' Blitzer said after Clinton and Sanders spent several seconds talking over each other .
2 . Clinton further than ever from a general election pivot
Just a month ago , Clinton appeared poised and eager to pivot to the general election and start building a case against a Republican nominee .
But Thursday 's attacks on Sanders showed that her campaign realizes that she has to turn all of her attention to her left flank .
At previous debates , she seemed to spend as much time talking about Republicans as Sanders . Not in Brooklyn .
Clinton arrived at Thursday 's debate with policy knives sharpened and ready . An hour before the contest , her campaign released a memo outlining the case she would make against Sanders and repeatedly released briefings throughout the night that both tried to defend her from attacks . At every turn possible , she criticized him on gun regulation , the release date of his tax returns , how he would break up big banks , provide Medicare for all and other issues .
Her campaign knows that next week 's primary could be a major opportunity for her to stop Sanders ' fast-growing momentum -- or else . With time running out before Democrats go the polls , Clinton 's aggressive tactics suggest that she knows she needs to start making some of the blows against Sanders count .
A key difference in Clinton 's and Sanders ' approaches to governing was on full display during the debate over climate change .
Clinton is a politician who is content with incremental change , seeing it as the most realistic -- if not the only -- way to achieve her goals . The Vermont senator wants sweeping change , and believes the nation 's problems are too big for singles and doubles . He wants to swing for the fences .
Their debate over climate change , in particular , highlighted their contrasting philosophies .
`` Incremental steps are not enough , '' Sanders said after Clinton knocked him for faulting the recent international Paris agreement on climate change .
Clinton fired back , `` I do n't take a back seat to your legislation that you have introduced that you have been unable to get passed . ''
This is the heart of their differences : To Sanders , the Paris climate agreement does not go far enough , and therefore is n't good enough . To Clinton , the Paris agreement was the best deal possible .
JUST WATCHED Clinton campaign wo n't release speech transcripts Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Clinton campaign wo n't release speech transcripts 02:30
Once again , Clinton came under fire for keeping the content of her highly paid speeches to financial firms under wraps after she left the State Department .
Sanders has hammered her for refusing to release transcripts of remarks she made to companies like Goldman Sachs , gigs that have earned her millions .
`` Why not just release the transcripts and put this whole issue to bed ? '' CNN co-moderator Dana Bash asked Clinton .
Clinton tried to use the question to criticize Sanders over financial reform , but Bash continued to press the issue . Clinton said she only would release transcripts if Republicans did the same .
`` There are certain expectations when you run for president . This is a new one . And I 've said , if everybody agrees to do it -- because there are speeches for money on the other side . I know that , '' Clinton said , and again pivoted to Sanders by criticizing him for not yet releasing his tax returns .
Sanders responded that he planned to release a year of tax returns Friday and would unveil more soon , which turned the attention back on Clintons ' unwillingness to release the transcripts .
The exchange highlighted Clinton 's struggle with transparency -- whether it 's over her State Department emails or what she tells Wall Street behind closed doors .
JUST WATCHED Hillary Clinton apologizes for husband 's crime bill Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Hillary Clinton apologizes for husband 's crime bill 01:12
Clinton and Sanders both acknowledged that the aggressive measures they championed in the 1990s to fight crime have proven to have disproportionately negative affects on African American communities , a fact for which she apologized Thursday .
When asked if the move was a `` net positive '' in the fight against crime , Clinton defended the good intentions of the measure , saying `` it had some positive aspects to it , '' but conceded that as new information has come to light about the adverse affects of policy , so should approaches to problems .
`` If we were to have the balance sheet on one side there are some positive actions and changes . On the other side there were decisions that were made that now we must revisit and we have to correct , '' she said , adding later : `` I 'm sorry for the consequences that were unintended and that have had a very unfortunate impact on people 's lives . I 've seen the results of what has happened in families and in communities . That 's why I chose to make my very first speech a year ago on this issue ... because I want to focus the attention of our country and to make the changes we need to make . ''
In a rare moment of agreement during an otherwise contentious night , Sanders also expressed regret for some of the outcomes of the bill .
`` Much of what Secretary Clinton said was right . We had a crime bill . I voted for it . It had the Violence Against Women Act in it , '' he said . `` But where we are today is we have a broken criminal justice system . We have more people in jail than any other country on Earth . And in my view , what we have got to do is rethink the system from the bottom on up . And that means , for a start -- and we do n't talk about this . The media does n't talk about it -- you got 51 percent of African-American kids today who graduated high school who are unemployed or underemployed . You know what I think ? Maybe we invest in jobs and education for those kids , not jails and incarceration . ''
The apologies largely stopped there , however , as Clinton took on Sanders over gun policy .
When Blitzer said that a parent of a victim of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings had called on Sanders to apologize for opposing a measure that would allow victims of gun violence to sue firearms companies , he declined .
`` I voted against this gun liability law because I was concerned that in rural areas all over this country , if a gun shop owner sells a weapon legally to somebody , and that person then goes out and kills somebody , I do n't believe it is appropriate that that gun shop owner who just sold a legal weapon to be held accountable and be sued , '' Sanders said . `` But , what I do believe is when gun shop owners and others knowingly are selling weapons to people who should not have them -- somebody walks in . They want thousands of rounds of ammunition , or they want a whole lot of guns , yes , that gun shop owner or that gun manufacturer should be held liable . ''
`` So , Senator , do you owe the Sandy Hook families an apology ? '' Blitzer asked .
`` No , I do n't think I owe them an apology . They are in court today , and actually they won a preliminary decision today . They have the right to sue , and I support them and anyone else who wants the right to sue . '' | ea1566a25df42fab | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
abortion | Washington Post | https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/06/18/google-abortion-clinic-searches-fake/ | Lawmakers urge Google to fix abortion searches suggesting βfake clinicsβ | 2022-06-22 | Abortion, Democratic Party, Google, Misinformation And Disinformation, Pro-Choice, Roe V Wade Leak, Technology | clockThis article was published more than 2 years ago U.S. lawmakers are questioning Google over how the companyβs search engine shows users in certain states inaccurate results about abortion services by diverting them to βfake clinicsβ that donβt provide the procedure and dissuade people from ending a pregnancy. In a letter sent Friday to Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Googleβs parent company, Alphabet, 20 Democratic members of Congress and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) urged the company to quickly rectify the search accuracy issue, noting it comes as a U.S. Supreme Court decision due later this month could overturn the right to an abortion established in Roe v. Wade. What would happen if Roe v. Wade were overturned Lawmakers cited a recent report that found in states with abortion βtrigger laws,β 11 percent of Google search results for abortion services led users to nonmedical facilities that donβt provide abortion; the result was 37 percent for Google Maps queries. The report by the U.S.-based nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate also found that almost 28 percent of Google ads that appear at the top of related search-result pages were for antiabortion clinics. βDirecting women towards fake clinics that traffic in misinformation and donβt provide comprehensive health services is dangerous to womenβs health and undermines the integrity of Googleβs search results,β Democratic lawmakers wrote in the letter that was spearheaded by Sen. Mark R. Warner (Va.) and Rep. Elissa Slotkin (Mich.). Follow Health & wellness The lawmakers asked Google to either limit the appearance of fake abortion clinics results when users search for βabortion clinicβ or similar terms, or to add more prominent disclaimers on whether a facility provides abortion services; both the lawmakers and the CCDH say existing disclaimers are too small and easily missed. The request from members of Congress comes after Google pledged in 2014 to remove ads for some βcrisis pregnancy centersβ that violated the companyβs policy against deceptive advertising. In a statement Saturday, a Google spokesperson said it continually works to improve its search results to best serve users and said that βany organization that wants to advertise to people seeking information about abortion services on Google must be certified and show in-ad disclosures that clearly state whether they do or do not offer abortions.β The landscape for reproductive rights in the United States is expected to shift dramatically in response to the Supreme Court decision, which may come as early as Monday. In addition to the 13 states that have already enacted βtrigger lawsβ that effectively ban abortion the moment Roe is overturned, at least five others are expected to follow suit. What are βtriggerβ laws, and which states have them? Sixteen states and the District of Columbia have laws explicitly protecting abortion rights at the state level, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit research center based in New York and Washington that supports abortion rights. Remaining states either have no specific law or unenforced bans on the books. Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, told The Washington Post that the draft Supreme Court opinion that leaked in May has stimulated βmassiveβ growth globally in fundraising activity and creativity among groups that seek to undermine fundamental reproductive rights. Similar themes around reproductive rights and abortion misinformation are emerging in Kenya, Latin America and the United Kingdom, he said. Fighting misinformation through accurate search results is especially critical for Google given its global reach, Ahmed said. Google is far and away the most popular search engine, with more than 90 percent of the global market share, according to the German consumer data analysis company, Statista. βWhen Google screws up, it can have an enormous impact on the whole word,β Ahmed said. How Googleβs search algorithm works is a tightly-guarded trade secret, but the company says in a public-facing guide on its search engine that Google looks for webpages deemed relevant to a userβs search query and then returns results it believes βare the highest quality and most relevant to the user.β Google said it uses βhundreds of factorsβ including user location and language to determine βrelevancyβ But Ahmed said the search algorithm can be easily gamed as it tries to determine which webpages are relevant, including by groups that create networks of pages that interlink to each other. Fake abortion clinics, which often self-style as βcrisis pregnancy centersβ or βpregnancy resource centersβ do not provide abortions, though critics say they try to create a veneer of medical facility by offering pregnancy tests, ultrasounds or testing for sexually-transmitted infections. The American Medical Associationβs Journal of Ethics has argued that while βcrisis pregnancy centersβ are legal, they are unethical βby providing misleading information and causing delays and inequities in access to abortion.β Instead, the sites for the βcrisis pregnancy centersβ actively dissuade patients from choosing abortion, often through misinformation. Among the false claims made by fake clinics cited in the CCDH report are that abortions will make a pregnant person infertile or that suicidal impulses are βcommonβ after an abortion. Ahmed stressed the relevant criticism of fake abortion clinics is not their ideology, but the deceptive tactics they use to induce people to behave in a way they want. βPeople have a right to hold an opinion on abortion,β he said. βBut itβs [their] use of deception that makes it so malignant.β With disinformation and misinformation having direct repercussions on peopleβs personal health, Ahmed said itβs crucial for major technology platforms to act responsibly β and for policymakers to hold them to account. βThis is just another example of how hate and disinformation actors can weaponize digital platforms to cause real-world harm to people,β he said. | 70ca6c59f8471a70 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
world | BBC News | http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43545565 | Spy poisoning: Russian diplomats expelled across US and Europe | 2018-03-26 | Russia, Nerve Agent Attack, World | The United States and its European allies are expelling dozens of Russian diplomats in a co-ordinated response to the poisoning of a former Russian spy in the UK .
It is said to be the largest collective expulsion of Russian intelligence officers in history .
More than 20 countries have aligned with the UK , expelling more than 100 diplomats .
Russia denies any role in the attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter , Yulia , in Salisbury , southern England . The pair remain in a critical but stable condition in hospital .
EU leaders agreed last week it was highly likely Russia was behind the nerve-agent poisoning .
Mrs May said : `` President Putin 's regime is carrying out acts of aggression against our shared values and interests within our continent and beyond .
`` And as a sovereign European democracy , the United Kingdom will stand shoulder to shoulder with the EU and with Nato to face down these threats together . ''
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson also praised the `` extraordinary international response '' by the UK 's allies .
The Russian foreign ministry said the moves demonstrated a continuation of a `` confrontational path '' .
`` It goes without saying that this unfriendly act by this group of countries will not go without notice and we will react to it , '' its statement said .
This is building into the most serious diplomatic crisis between Russia and the West since Moscow 's seizure of Crimea .
Whatever the denials , Britain 's allies have clearly accepted its view that the use of a military grade nerve agent in Salisbury was `` highly likely '' the work of the Russian state .
The collective expulsions from the US and EU member states is a remarkable show of solidarity with Britain , even more so because it comes at a time when UK-EU relations are strained due to the Brexit negotiations .
Donald Tusk 's note that there could be `` additional measures '' is a signal to Moscow as it considers how it will respond .
It is a significant diplomatic victory for Prime Minister Theresa May - concerted action has now followed the strong rhetorical support from its allies . It also marks a significant toughening of the Trump administration 's stance towards Moscow .
The UK announced it was expelling 23 Russian diplomats earlier this month .
Various countries announced they were making the same move in solidarity on Monday . These are :
60 diplomats EU countries : France ( 4 ) ; Germany ( 4 ) ; Poland ( 4 ) ; Czech Republic ( 3 ) ; Lithuania ( 3 ) ; Denmark ( 2 ) ; Netherlands ( 2 ) ; Italy ( 2 ) ; Spain ( 2 ) ; Estonia ( 1 ) ; Croatia ( 1 ) ; Finland ( 1 ) ; Hungary ( 1 ) ; Latvia ( 1 ) ; Romania ( 1 ) ; Sweden ( 1 )
France ( 4 ) ; Germany ( 4 ) ; Poland ( 4 ) ; Czech Republic ( 3 ) ; Lithuania ( 3 ) ; Denmark ( 2 ) ; Netherlands ( 2 ) ; Italy ( 2 ) ; Spain ( 2 ) ; Estonia ( 1 ) ; Croatia ( 1 ) ; Finland ( 1 ) ; Hungary ( 1 ) ; Latvia ( 1 ) ; Romania ( 1 ) ; Sweden ( 1 ) Ukraine : 13
13 Canada : 4 , plus the rejection of 3 further applications from Russia
4 , plus the rejection of 3 further applications from Russia Albania : 2
Iceland has also announced it is suspending high-level dialogue with Russian authorities , and its leaders will not attend the World Cup , which starts in Russia in June .
The UK said earlier this month it would not send ministers or members of the Royal Family to the football tournament .
EU countries that have said they have no intention of expelling diplomats include Austria , Greece and Portugal , although all have said they support the UK and condemn the poisoning .
President of the European Council Donald Tusk said the EU states had decided to expel Russian diplomats as a direct result of a meeting , held last week about the Salisbury poisoning .
`` Additional measures , including further expulsions within this common EU framework are not to be excluded in the coming days and weeks , '' he said .
The US state department said in a statement : `` On March 4 , Russia used a military-grade nerve agent to attempt to murder a British citizen and his daughter in Salisbury .
`` This attack on our Ally the United Kingdom put countless innocent lives at risk and resulted in serious injury to three people , including a police officer . ''
It called the attack an `` outrageous violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and breach of international law '' .
The US is expelling 48 envoys at the Russian embassy in Washington and 12 more at the UN in New York . It will also order the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle .
In a phone call last week with Vladimir Putin , the US president failed to mention the attack in Salisbury . But he did congratulate Mr Putin on his re-election , against the advice of his officials .
The deliberate change in tone also demonstrates real concern about Russian activity inside the US , as well as elsewhere .
Alongside the allegations of election interference two years ago , the Kremlin is accused of spying and cyber-attacks targeting vital infrastructure in the US .
Closing the Russian consulate in Seattle reflects those specific fears - a submarine base and the aerospace firm Boeing are both close to the city .
Diplomatic retaliation is inevitable . Almost immediately , the Russian Embassy asked its followers to take part in a Twitter poll to recommend which US consulate it should close in response .
In 1986 , US President Ronald Reagan expelled 80 Cold War-era Russian diplomats .
In 2016 , the Obama administration expelled 35 Russian diplomats in response to the alleged hacking of the US Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton campaign during the 2016 presidential election , accusations Moscow denied .
Senior US officials told the Associated Press that Russia had an estimated 100 intelligence officials at its diplomatic posts in the US , suggesting that dozens will still be left in the country .
However , the diplomats working at the UN were described by the US State Department as `` intelligence operatives '' , suggesting it is looking to hamper more than just administrational work . | 95394e4c47812d1c | 1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
national_security | The Hill | http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/381930-trump-administration-to-sanction-russian-oligarchs | Trump administration to sanction Russian oligarchs | 2018-04-06 | national_security | The Trump administration announced Friday it will sanction seven Russian oligarchs and a dozen companies they own and control , its most aggressive effort yet to curb the activities of influential Russian business elites .
The sanctions were imposed under a law Congress overwhelmingly passed last year to punish Moscow for interfering in the 2016 presidential election and other destabilizing activities , including its military intervention in Ukraine and involvement in the Syrian civil war .
β The Russian government engages in a range of malign activity around the globe , β Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin Steven Terner MnuchinNew book questions Harris 's record on big banks On The Money : US paid record .1B in tariffs in September | Dems ramp up oversight of 'opportunity zones ' | Judge hints at letting House lawsuit over Trump tax returns proceed Democrats ramp up oversight efforts over 'opportunity zone ' incentive MORE said in a statement . β Russian oligarchs and elites who profit from this corrupt system will no longer be insulated from the consequences of their government β s destabilizing activities . β
β This [ is a ] response to Russia β s continued attacks to subvert Western democracies , β a senior administration official said .
Those now sanctioned include Oleg Deripaska , an oligarch with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and President 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 β s former campaign chairman , Paul Manafort Paul John ManafortManafort sought to hurt Clinton 2016 campaign efforts in key states : NYT Ex-Trump campaign official testifies Stone gave updates on WikiLeaks email dumps Paul Manafort 's former son-in-law sentenced to 9 years in prison for scamming Dustin Hoffman , others MORE , who has been indicted in the special counsel β s investigation into the Kremlin β s election-meddling efforts .
Also among those subject to new sanctions is Alexander Torshin , a Putin ally and Russian banker who has been scrutinized for his ties to the National Rifle Association . The FBI is reportedly investigating whether Torshin illegally funneled money to the NRA to help get Trump elected .
The Treasury Department is also sanctioning the chairman of Russian energy giant Gazprom , Putin adviser Suleiman Kerimov and Kirill Shamalov , who married Putin β s daughter in 2013 .
Sanctioned companies and people will have any U.S. assets frozen and Americans will be banned from dealing with them .
In total , 38 Russian people and entities are being sanctioned , including 17 senior government officials and a state-owned weapons trading company that the U.S. says has aided Syrian government forces in the country β s civil war .
The sanctions are the latest move by the Trump administration to rebuke Moscow for malicious activities , even as the president holds seeks to improve his relationship with Putin .
Moscow has long denied it sought to influence the 2016 presidential election .
The announcement comes one week after the U.S. expelled 60 Russian diplomats accused of being spies and shuttered the Russian consulate in Seattle , part of an international effort to punish the Kremlin for the poisoning of a former Russian double agent in Great Britain .
Under pressure from lawmakers , the administration last month unveiled sanctions on two-dozen Russian individuals for malicious cyber activity , including interference in the election .
Administration officials said that the latest sanctions impose a β new level of cost β on Russia for its behavior , emphasizing that many of the individuals and entities are now facing penalties for the first time .
Deripaska , a Russian aluminum magnate , has longstanding business relationships with both Putin and Manafort . The former campaign chair reportedly offered to brief Deripaska on the 2016 presidential race shortly before Trump accepted the Republican nomination .
The U.S. cited accusations of money laundering , bribery and death threats by Deripaska , who has purported to work on behalf of senior Russian government officials , in imposing the sanctions . | ByHZ1jPdxJpy40dW | 1 | Russia | -3.5 | Sanctions | -1.5 | National Security | -0.1 | Defense And Security | -0.1 | null | null |
politics | New York Times - News | https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/21/us/politics/hikvision-trump.html | Trump Administration Could Blacklist Chinaβs Hikvision, a Surveillance Firm | 2019-05-21 | politics | β Taking this step would be a tangible signal to both U.S. and foreign companies that the U.S. government is looking carefully at what is happening in Xinjiang and is willing to take action in response , β said Jessica Batke , a former State Department official who has done research in Xinjiang and testified before Congress on the issue . β At the same time , however , the ongoing trade war perhaps undercuts the perception that this is coming from a place of purely human rights concerns . β
The Commerce Department and the White House declined to comment .
On Wednesday , the China β s foreign ministry urged countries to treat Chinese companies fairly .
β We have repeatedly stated that China opposes the United States β s practice of abusing state power and arbitrarily discrediting and suppressing foreign enterprises , including Chinese enterprises , β Lu Kang , a ministry spokesman , said at a regular briefing in Beijing in a response to a question about the possibility of blacklisting Hikvision .
Hikvision is little known in the United States , but the company supplies large parts of China β s extensive surveillance system . The company β s products include traffic cameras , thermal cameras and unmanned aerial vehicles , and they now allow Chinese security agencies to monitor railway stations , roads and other sites .
It is not immediately clear what effect a United States ban would have on Hikvision β s business . The company appears to source just a small portion of its components from the United States , and any such ban could speed its efforts to switch to Chinese suppliers .
But Hikvision does have a growing international presence , and its executives have warned in the past about the potential for rising anti-China sentiment in the United States to affect its operations . The company says it has more than 34,000 global employees and dozens of divisions worldwide , and it has supplied products to the Beijing Olympics , the Brazilian World Cup and the Linate Airport in Milan . It has tried to expand into North America in recent years , employing hundreds of workers in the United States and Canada , setting up offices in California and building a North American research and development team headquartered in Montreal .
In a letter published in English in April , Hikvision β s chief compliance officer said that the company was taking reports that video surveillance products had been involved in human rights violations seriously and had commissioned an internal review of its operations to enhance screening standards to better protect human rights . β We are taking a hard look at our products and business , β the officer , Huang Fanghong , wrote . | giGU8717TVXveo3o | 0 | China | -0.6 | Politics | -0.3 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | NPR Online News | http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/07/07/420825226/in-final-vote-south-carolina-senate-moves-to-take-down-confederate-flag | In Final Vote, South Carolina Senate Moves To Take Down Confederate Flag | 2015-07-07 | politics | In Final Vote , South Carolina Senate Moves To Take Down Confederate Flag
In a required third vote , South Carolina 's state senators voted to remove the Confederate battle flag from its prominent place flying on the Statehouse grounds . The final tally was 36-3 . The House will now take up the issue , perhaps as early as Wednesday .
In both the Senate and the House , a vote on removing the flag will require a two-thirds majority . The bill under consideration would move the flag to the Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum .
Tuesday 's vote was widely seen as a formality ; the S.C. Senate had voted 37-3 to advance the bill after its second reading Monday , defeating several attempts to offer alternate plans β such as flying a different Confederate flag , or flying the battle flag only on Confederate Memorial Day .
South Carolina 's flying of the flag became a renewed focal point after the massacre of nine black church members in Charleston last month ; the young white man who is accused of the crime had posted photographs of himself with the flag and other memorabilia that 's associated with white supremacist movements .
One of those killed at Charleston 's Emanuel AME Church was its senior pastor , Clementa Pinckney β who also served as a state senator .
Pinckney 's widow , Jennifer , was present for Tuesday 's vote . Shortly after the measure passed , she visited the Senate floor , prompting many members of the chamber to form a line to speak to her and share hugs and handshakes .
The bill that would take down the Confederate battle flag is expected to run into more opposition in the House , which has 124 members .
`` House Majority Leader Bruce Bannister , R-Greenville , said lawmakers have several proposals to replace the flag with different banners , '' The State newspaper reports , `` but he did not know whether any of them had enough backing enough to pass . ''
At a news conference held Tuesday morning , State House Democrats said they want a `` clean bill '' that does n't include an alternate flag , according to The State 's Cassie Cope .
The Democratic representatives said that around 50 House members support an alternate flag amendment . But they also noted that that figure falls short of a majority .
Gov . Nikki Haley , who launched a push to remove the controversial flag two weeks ago , praised Monday 's vote , saying the Senate `` rose to this historic occasion , with a large majority of members from both parties coming together in the spirit of unity and healing . ''
She urged the House to `` act swiftly and follow the Senate 's lead . ''
The South Carolina legislative process requires three readings of a bill before it can be fully approved , meaning that final votes on the flag issue could come as late as Friday . | ANpCJHGCr8IRygnY | 1 | Confederate Flag | -0.6 | Politics | 0.6 | South Carolina | -0.3 | null | null | null | null |
coronavirus | Associated Press | https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-pandemics-virus-outbreak-anthony-fauci-57c804db048aa7f1c99f227b495f52e6 | Trump threatens to fire Fauci in rift with disease expert | 2020-11-02 | Coronavirus, Donald Trump, Tony Fauci, 2020 Election, Social Distancing | Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. FILE - In this April 22, 2020, file photo, President Donald Trump listens as Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) President Donald Trump arrives at his campaign rally at Opa-Locka Executive Airport, late Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020, in Opa-Locka, Fla. (AP Photo/Jim Rassol) OPA-LOCKA, Fla. (AP) β President Donald Trump is suggesting that he will fire Dr. Anthony Fauci after Tuesdayβs election, as his rift with the nationβs top infectious disease expert widens while the nation sees its most alarming outbreak of the coronavirus since the spring. Speaking at a campaign rally in Opa-locka, Florida, Trump expressed frustration that the surging cases of the virus that has killed more than 231,000 people in the United States this year remains prominent in the news. That sparked his supporters to begin chanting βFire Fauci.β βDonβt tell anybody but let me wait until a little bit after the election,β Trump replied to thousands of supporters early Monday, adding he appreciated their βadvice.β Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden tweeted later Monday in response: βWe need a president who actually listens to experts like Dr. Fauci.β Biden has sought to keep the campaign focused on what he says is a disastrous federal response to the pandemic. Trump is countering by using the raceβs final hours to accuse Biden of wanting to force the country back into a lockdown to slow the spread of the virus. Still, Trumpβs comments on Fauci less than 48 hours before polls close likely ensure the pandemic will remain front and center heading into Election Day. Itβs the most direct Trump has been in suggesting he was serious about trying to remove Fauci from his position. He has previously expressed that he was concerned about the political blowback of removing the popular and respected doctor before the election. Trump cannot directly fire Fauci, who is not a presidential appointee. Theoretically, Trump could pressure Fauciβs boss, Dr. Francis Collins, or Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to do so. Even discounting Fauciβs scientific legacy, taking that step would be politically extraordinary considering a Republican president, George W. Bush, awarded Fauci the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Fauci also has considerable bipartisan support in Congress. Former President Barack Obama defended Fauci while campaigning in Atlanta for Biden. Obama praised Fauciβs public service and remarked that Trumpβs βsecond-term plan is to fire that guy, the one person who could actually help them contain the pandemic.β The latest flare-up follows Fauci making his sharpest criticism yet of the White Houseβs response to the coronavirus and Trumpβs public assertion that the nation is βrounding the turn.β Fauci has grown outspoken that Trump has ignored his advice for containing the virus, saying he hasnβt spoken with Trump in more than a month. He has raised alarm that the nation was heading for a challenging winter if more isnβt done soon to slow the spread of the disease. In an interview with The Washington Post this weekend, Fauci cautioned that the U.S. will have to deal with βa whole lot of hurtβ in the weeks ahead due to surging coronavirus cases. Fauci said the U.S. βcould not possibly be positioned more poorlyβ to stem rising cases as more people gather indoors during the colder fall and winter months. He says the U.S. will need to make an βabrupt changeβ in public health precautions. Fauci added that he believed Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden βis taking it seriously from a public health perspective,β while Trump is βlooking at it from a different perspective.β Fauci, whoβs on the White House coronavirus task force, said that perspective emphasizes βthe economy and reopening the country.β In response, White House spokesman Judd Deere said Trump always puts peopleβs well-being first charged that Fauci had decided βto play politicsβ right before Tuesdayβs election. Deere said Fauci βhas a duty to express concerns or push for a change in strategyβ but instead is βchoosing to criticize the president in the media and make his political leanings known.β Trump had already stepped up his attacks on Biden in recent days for pledging to heed the advice of scientists in responding to the pandemic. As Trump charges that Bidenβs measures to slow the pandemic could keep Americans home and hurt the economy, the former vice president has countered that the only way out of the health crisis is to heed the warnings of Fauci and other medical professionals. Biden has also been careful not to endorse another national lockdown. Trump has recently relied on the advice of Stanford doctor Scott Atlas, who has no prior background in infectious diseases or public health, as his lead science adviser on the pandemic. Atlas has been a public skeptic about mask wearing and other measures widely accepted by the scientific community to slow the spread of the virus. Other members of the White House coronavirus task force have grown increasingly vocal about what they see as a dangerous fall spike in the virus. Trumpβs aggressive approach to Fauci carries some risks. A Kaiser Family Foundation poll in September showed 68% of Americans have a great deal or a fair amount of trust in Fauci to provide reliable information on the coronavirus. That compares with 52% of Americans who trusted Biden to do that and just 40% for Trump. β- AP Medical Writer Lauran Neergaard in Washington and Associated Press writer Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. Thank you for letting us know. This ad has already been reported. These tracking technologies (such as cookies) are needed for our web site to function and are always active. For California, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Oregon, Virginia, and Texas Residents Only. To opt out of the sale or sharing/processing of personal information for targeted ads for this site/app on this browser/device, switch the toggle above to OFF by moving it to the LEFT (it will turn gray) and then clicking the βConfirm My Choicesβ button at the bottom. | bbd857382a94480d | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
media_bias | Washington Post | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/brett-kavanaugh-worried-that-scandal-would-end-his-coaching-days-now-the-supreme-court-justice-is-back-on-the-basketball-court/2018/11/27/0d48e4d8-f25b-11e8-80d0-f7e1948d55f4_story.html?utm_term=.8c04b0dada69 | Brett Kavanaugh worried that scandal would end his coaching days. Now the Supreme Court justice is back on the basketball court. | 2018-11-28 | Media Bias | clockThis article was published more than 6 years ago Brett M. Kavanaugh has his new day job on the nationβs highest court but is still βCoach Kβ on the basketball court. The Supreme Courtβs newest justice was back in action over the Thanksgiving holiday leading his younger daughterβs team to the championship game of a tournament in the Washington suburbs. | 99b1c8cd7964ff2d | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
white_house | Daily Beast | http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/03/18/trump-vs-the-cartels-whose-team-is-he-on.html | Trump vs. the Cartels: Whose Team is He On? | 2017-03-18 | white_house | About a year ago , in a remote valley in Mexico β s MichoacΓ‘n state , I met with the elusive cartel capo NicolΓ‘s β El Gordo β Sierra . During our parley I made the gringo mistake of naming then-candidate Donald Trump . Instead of the planned Q and A , now it was my turn to get grilled .
β What does Trump have against Mexico ? β El Gordo ( β The Fat One β ) growled at me in Spanish . β Will he really build this wall ? β
We were sitting in a grove of mesquite and thorn trees , at the hidden base camp of the cartel called Los Viagrasβthe name means just what you β d thinkβin the overcooked lowland of Tierra Caliente . Surrounded by Viagras with AK47s , who had already stripped me of cellphone and camera , a diplomatic comeback seemed best .
Mr. Trump didn β t really hate Mexicans , I tried to assure Gordo and his inner circle of cartel warriors , or sicarios , as we sat around their campfire in the woods . It was just posturing , I said : tough talk meant to please his base and intimidate everyone else .
But Gordo Sierra wasn β t so sure . He knew a little about tough talk himself , he said . Trump might be a tΓtere , or puppet , of his party ; but that didn β t mean he wasn β t dangerous . And Trump β s speeches didn β t sound like bluster . More like he meant just what he said .
What if he were here right now ? I asked . What would you say to Mr. Trump ?
Gordo thought about this for a long time , his men leaning in around us for the answer .
β I would tell him , β he said at last , β to be careful about pissing us off. β Gordo laughed at his own joke , and the sicarios all chuckled on cue . But it turns out the Viagras , like the rest of Mexico β s cartels , might not have much to fear from SeΓ±or Trump .
In fact , instead of bringing down the β bad hombres β south of the border , the president β s approach seems , unfortunately , to be playing right into their hands .
Gordo was right about one thing : Trump has certainly promised a bare knuckle approach to dealing with the cartels . But will construction of the infamous wall , or even deploying U.S. troops onto Mexican soil , as he β s already threatened , really do anything to stop the Niagara of narcotics pouring across the southern border ? Or weaken El Narco β s death grip on both U.S. addicts and the Mexican state ?
From the Ming Dynasty to Hadrian , from East Berlin to modern Israel , history tells us that β great walls β don β t work , or that they have consequences that aren β t those desired . As the poet Robert Frost put it :
β Before I build a wall I β d ask to knowWhat I was walling in or walling out , And to whom I was like to give offense.Something there is that doesn β t love a wall , That wants it down . β
A third of our border with Mexico already is β protected β by walls and fencing . And that hasn β t turned out so well , either .
Clever contrabandistas can lob baled narcotics over even the highest of barriers , using that ancient wall-thwarter , the catapult . Or they can go under by digging tunnels , for which they are famous . Cleverly disguised trap cars , with false fuel tanks or floorboards , make mass detection at legal checkpoints a pipe dream .
But those are the hard ways . Lazier smugglers often just bribe their way across the frontier , paying off U.S. border guards and Homeland Security officials as they go .
So , if its construction isn β t grounded in logic , or the real world of law enforcement , why do Trumpheads love the wall ? For the same reason their cheerless leader does : It sounds good in speeches , and makes a handy symbol .
And that mindset is par for the Drug War course , which has never really been about battling America β s addictions , or curbing the abuse of narcotics at the source . Just as Prohibition did nothing to stopβand perhaps even helped glamorizeβthe speakeasy fiestas of the Roaring β 20s , so the post-Nixon era has seen illegal drug use explode in the U.S .
Now , as in Gatsby β s day , the favored strategy is to go after the suppliers . And primarily for ideological reasons , instead of rational ones . Religious fanaticism by way of the Temperance movement gave us Prohibition , just as racism and xenophobia lurk behind Trump β s attack on immigrants , as well as the overall war on drugs in its current form .
With all the focus on supply , the demand side of the equation gets far less press from the Trump White Houseβperhaps because it makes for less glorious speechifying . Even when top officials have directly called for a focus on reduction in U.S. demand for drugs , via treatment and rehab programs , they β ve been largely ignored .
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly recently addressed Congress on this very topic , calling the supply-side-only emphasis β embarrassing. β Kelly also urged the House to β get into the business of drug-demand reduction β because β that β s what β s killing our folks . β
Lesson learned ? Apparently not , as the new GOP health care bill actually eliminates coverage for addiction treatment .
Mr. Trump claims to be a great businessman . Yet he seems unable to understand the simple logic of supply and demand behind this issue . As long as there are vast profits to be made from U.S. consumers , someone in Mexico will find a way to get drugs to them . And no wall , no matter how high or β beautiful , β is going to keep them out .
When a syphilis-ridden Al Capone was finally arrested in the spring of 1929 , the government could crow that β America β s Most Wanted β had at last been caught . At the same time , the impact on Capone β s Chicago Outfitβand the rivers of liquor they distributed throughout the nationβturned out to be exactly zilch . They went merrily on their rum-running way , while Scarface Al rotted behind bars .
Which brings us to El Chapo . Like Capone , JoaquΓn β Shorty β GuzmΓ‘n was also America β s most-wanted man . And now that Chapo has been caught and extradited to the U.S.βabsolutely nada has changed in relation to the flow of illicit substances into the States .
Meanwhile , in Mexico , infighting between Chapo β s heirs abhorrent is turning the state of Sinaloa into a war zone .
And it β s not just Sinaloa . The vaunted β Kingpin strategy , β so beloved by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Mexican officials , has proven itself to be a disastrous failure across Mexico .
Following in the footsteps of guerrilla insurgencies across the globe , the cartels have responded to this β behead the hydra β approach by adopting new , horizontal command structures , much like al Qaeda . They β ve also decentralized , scattering factions into rural regions , far from large urban centers where they can be tracked easily .
The result is that whole swaths of the country , such as the Viagras-controlled stretch of Tierra Caliente , are now run by β gangster warlords β like Gordo . These bandit chieftains carve out their fiefdoms , which they call plazas , and defend them without mercy against rivals , law enforcement , and even independently organized militias that seek to test their power .
The cartels have also stepped up their paramilitary terror tactics , including attacks on military convoys , shooting down helicopter gunships , and proliferating ISIS-style decapitation videos to demoralize opponents .
The growing power of these criminal insurgentsβand their internecine struggles for dominanceβhave caused Mexico β s Drug War death toll to spike by a third so far in 2017 , with some 2,000 cartel-related murders in January alone . Statistics also show a 22 percent jump in drug-fueled homicides from last year , and more than 30 percent from two years ago , indicating this is not a passing trend .
Most Americans hear little of the open cartel warfare that goes on in places like MichoacΓ‘n , Guerrero , or Veracruz . This counternarrativeβthat U.S. policies are contributing directly to the breakdown of law and order in our neighbor to the southβis not one you can expect to hear from the White House anytime soon .
Instead of seeking new strategies or tactics for dealing with America β s drug problem , Trump seems poised to ramp up the same old hardline policies . And targeting the figureheads atop the cartels is just part of the overall cognitive dissonance .
For example , the Trump administration promises a crackdown on β opioids β βby which it apparently means heroin users . But in truth the biggest purveyor of opioids in the U.S. isn β t cartels from down south . That dubious distinction actually goes to the pharmaceutical industry here at home .
New high-powered pain killers have cornered the market on opioid addiction , and their chronic users now outnumber old-fashioned smack junkies by a three to one margin , according to the American Society for Addiction Medicine ( PDF ) . For many caught in the cycle of opioid abuse , heroin is a back-up option when they can β t get painkiller prescriptions filled .
Which isn β t to say we don β t have a growing cartel crisis in our own backyard . Using advanced new procedures for implanting human β drug mules , β Mexican mafiosi have now penetrated into places like Indiana , Minnesota , and North Carolina .
These underground networks can then funnel their vampire profits right back down south , making for a self-perpetuating β farm to arm β industry .
According to insiders , law enforcement alone is not enough to make these pervasive , deeply rooted criminal cells go away . As the attorney general of Ohio lately observed , β We can β t arrest our way out of the problem . β
That β s partly because the plaza business model is no longer unique to Mexico . When authorities do manage to bust a cartel network in the States , there β s always another group waiting to take over the regional market .
Even worse , POTUS and his cabinet are set to roll back some of the limited but important gains we β ve made in undermining cartel power .
One of our few Drug War victories has come in the form of curbing the syndicates β cannabis profits , as the U.S. Border Patrol reports seizures of illegal marijuana are down to their β lowest level in a decade β βfalling by at least 39 percent over the last five years .
Homegrown ganja , in other wordsβnow legal for recreational purposes in eight U.S. states and D.C.βcan make a sharp dent in cartel income .
But the new administration wants to change all that . Attorney General Jeff Sessions is hinting strongly that a crackdown is coming against legalized weed , despite the estimated $ 1.3 billion earned in taxable revenues .
Given that the Mexican army is openly seeking an exit strategy from its fight against the cartels , and with two thirds of Americans also ready to call the Drug War quits , you might think the Trumpites would be hunting new solutions to this very old problem . But you β d be wrong .
Alternatives like decriminalization , cutting opioid prescriptions , and affordable treatment programs in the U.S.βor anti-poverty initiatives in Mexico , so as to give young people an alternative to the narco lifestyleβjust don β t seem to be on the table . At least not yet .
And all of that suits next generation warlords like El Gordo Sierra right down to the sun-scorched ground .
β Maybe Trump is not so bad after all , β the cartel commander told me after a lengthy debate about El Donaldo β s ironfisted agenda .
β Truth is , β said Gordo , β he sounds just like one of us . β | fOsgVTzOuIv54OnC | 0 | Donald Trump | -0.3 | White House | 0 | Politics | 0 | null | null | null | null |
elections | Newsmax | https://www.newsmax.com/politics/trump-florida-democrats-andrew-gillum/2018/11/04/id/889234/ | Trump Says Democrats Would Ruin Florida, His Second Home | 2018-11-04 | Elections, Donald Trump | President Donald Trump on Saturday used his final Florida campaign event before next week 's elections to implore supporters to send Republicans to the governor 's mansion and the U.S. Senate , claiming that allowing Democrats to win either office would bring ruin to the state he also calls home .
Trump returned to Florida for the second time this week to help rally support for Gov . Rick Scott , who is challenging Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson . Trump also sought to boost former Rep. Ron DeSantis , who is facing off against Andrew Gillum , the Democratic mayor of Tallahassee , in the race for governor .
Trump argued that Gillum would `` destroy Florida '' and claimed that Gillum 's policies would be a `` total nightmare '' for the state .
`` You have only one choice , Ron DeSantis for governor , '' Trump told thousands of cheering supporters at a rally at Pensacola International Airport , with Air Force One park right outside of the hangar .
`` If you want to pay high taxes , you ought to vote for the mayor of Tallahassee , '' Trump said . `` You will destroy the state that I love . '' Trump noted that he also calls Florida home ; his Mar-a-Lago estate is located in Palm Beach and he spends most weekends there in the winter .
He also said of the Democrat : `` Andrew Gillum is not equipped to be your governor . It 's not for him . ''
Trump criticized Nelson , too , claiming that he only sees the former astronaut `` around election time when he 's on television every night . ''
Earlier Saturday , Trump campaigned in Montana , where he made it clear that he wants to see Democrat Jon Tester booted from the Senate on Tuesday over a personal grudge as much as political ambition .
Trump blames Tester for the defeat of his nominee to run the Department of Veterans Affairs . The president told hundreds of cheering supporters at a separate airport rally in the Montana chill that Tester `` tried to destroy '' Ronny Jackson , a Navy admiral and White House doctor .
`` That 's why I 'm here , '' Trump said . `` I 've never forgotten it and it 's honestly one of the reasons I 'm here so much , '' said Trump , who last campaigned in Montana in mid-October . `` It 's a disgrace , what he did to that man . ''
Trump was in Montana to boost GOP Senate candidate Matt Rosendale , who is challenging Tester in Tuesday 's election . The rallies are part of Trump 's multistate blitz in the run-up to Tuesday 's balloting , when control of the House and Senate β and perhaps the future of Trump 's agenda β are at stake .
Trump said having Rosendale in the Senate will be `` phenomenal . ''
The president blames Tester for the backlash against Jackson , who eventually withdrew his nomination after facing anonymous ethics allegations , including claims of on-the-job drunkenness and wrecking a government vehicle .
Tester , the top Democrat on the Senate committee that oversees veterans ' issues , had released a list of the allegations against Jackson that was compiled by the committee 's Democratic staff .
Trump , however , does n't mention that the allegations were n't the only factor that contributed Jackson withdrawing from consideration . Lawmakers questioned Jackson 's limited managerial experience and his fitness to run a department as sprawling as the VA .
At both rallies , Trump sought to rally the energized crowds by talking up the economy and tax cuts , new Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh , border security and several caravans of Central American migrants who are slowly advancing toward the U.S.-Mexico border .
He mentioned plans for a new military branch called the Space Force , and complained anew about the news media .
Trump also defended his decision to focus almost exclusively on the migrants and immigration in the closing days of the election . He recently announced that he intends to change asylum procedures , end the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship and build numerous `` tent cities '' to hold migrants caught crossing the border illegally .
`` You can only say so many times that we created 250,000 jobs last month , '' Trump said in Montana , in defense of his focus on immigration that some of the president 's critics say amounts to fear-mongering . Trump has denied trying to instill fear as a reason to vote Republican on Election Day .
`` When we 're fixing a problem or fixed a problem there 's no reason to go on about it for 45 minutes , '' Trump said .
Trump also called up Rep. Greg Gianforte to speak from the podium but did not repeat his praise of the congressman , who was convicted of body slamming a journalist just before winning a 2017 special election . Trump had said during last month 's Montana stop that anyone who can do a body slam `` is my kind of guy . ''
The president subsequently was criticized for seeming to glorify violence against journalists . | 0ac20f01ac081cb8 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
federal_budget | Daily Kos | https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/2/12/1740680/-Here-comes-the-Trump-budget-Big-cuts-for-struggling-families-big-spending-for-military-hardware | Here comes the Trump budget: Big cuts for struggling families, big spending for military hardware | 2018-02-12 | federal_budget | Donald Trump is releasing his second budget Monday , and β¦ it β s a Donald Trump budget . In the government , budgets are statements of priorities rather than determining actual spending , but a statement of priorities is always a good way to assess a politician . And Trump β s priorities aren β t even a little bit surprising : defense spending and going after immigrants , yes ; the services American families rely on , no .
Trump β s budget will lay out β an aggressive set of spending reforms β to reduce the deficit by $ 3 trillion over a decade , according to a preview released by the White House on Sunday . β Just like every American family , the Budget makes hard choices : fund what we must , cut where we can , and reduce what we borrow , β White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney said in a statement .
Maybe if Republicans hadn β t already made the choice to give corporations and wealthy people a giant tax break , the budget choices would be a little less hard . Except the language of hard choices is dishonest here : people like Donald Trump and Mick Mulvaney revel in slashing programs that matter to middle- and working-class families .
Trump is seeking a massive boost to the Pentagon to allow for a β ready , larger , and more lethal military , β the White House said in the preview .
Got ta have that shiny hardware for Trump β s parades . Also in line for some Trump budget cash : border security and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement β s ability to detain and imprison immigrants . And while Trump is finally at least talking about spending some money on the opioid crisis , he β s looking at a law enforcement approach much more than treatment and recovery .
But when you cut through the rhetoric against immigrants and in favor of hundreds of millions of dollars for unmanned tankers and against Medicaid and food stamps , remember this : all the talk of β hard choices β hinges on Republicans already having made the choice to give corporations and rich people a huge , deficit-exploding tax cut . | yWIrnONjmIqtrhjG | 0 | Economy And Jobs | -0.8 | Federal Budget | -0.7 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
us_house | USA TODAY | https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/01/03/government-shutdown-house-democrats-want-reopen-shuttered-agencies/2463374002/ | House OK's spending bills to reopen government, but shutdown expected to continue | 2019-01-03 | us_house | WASHINGTON β The newly minted House Democratic majority pushed through a series of spending bills on Thursday to reopen the federal government , but congressional Republicans dismissed the effort as pointless political theater and the White House threatened a presidential veto as a partial government shutdown neared its third week .
Just hours after Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi reclaimed the speaker β s gavel and Democrats returned to the power for the first time in eight years , the House sought to end the 13-day shutdown by voting 241-190 to fund eight of the nine shuttered departments .
The legislation would fund all eight departments for the remainder of the fiscal year , which ends Sept. 30 . It passed largely along party lines , with seven Republicans joining Democrats in supporting the bill .
The House alsovoted 239-192 , again mostly along party lines , to fund the Department of Homeland Security at current spending levels through Feb. 8 . Five Republicans backed the legislation .
The legislation includes $ 1.3 billion for border security but none of the funding that President Donald Trump is demanding to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border . The temporary funding would enable the department to reopen and buy more time for Congress and the White House to resolve their standoff over border wall funding .
The spending package is part of a strategy by Democrats to put pressure on Trump and congressional Republicans as the impact of the shutdown becomes more pronounced across much of the country .
β Let β s open the government , and let β s get to work , β said Rep. Nita Lowey , D-N.Y. , and chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee .
But Trump and GOP lawmakers showed no signs of retreating .
The White House Office of Management and Budget issued a statement suggesting Trump would veto the bill if it lands on his desk .
β The administration is committed to working with the Congress to reopen lapsed agencies but can not accept legislation that provides unnecessary funding for wasteful programs while ignoring the nation β s urgent border security needs , β the statement said .
At the White House , Trump made a surprise appearance in the press briefing room a few hours before the vote to make his case for additional border security funding . Flanked by border agents , the president claimed that he has `` never had as much support '' as he has for his stance on his proposed border wall .
`` We need protection for our country , '' Trump told reporters . `` Without a wall , you can not have border security . ''
Trump referenced a tweet he wrote hours earlier featuring a video of migrants rushing the border and told the agents , members of the National Border Patrol Council , that `` you 've done a fantastic job . ''
Trump also took to Twitter early Thursday and accused Democrats of playing politics with the shutdown .
`` The Shutdown is only because of the 2020 Presidential Election , '' he wrote . `` The Democrats know they can β t win based on all of the achievements of 'Trump , ' so they are going all out on the desperately needed Wall and Border Security . ''
In the GOP-controlled Senate , Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , warned again that he would not call for a vote on any proposal that doesn β t have β a real chance β of passing and getting a presidential signature . The Senate previously approved a bill to fund the government through Feb. 8 , but that plan died when Trump said he would not sign it .
McConnell dismissed the Democratic bills as β not a serious attempt β to end the budget standoff . β I would call it political theater , not productive lawmaking , β he said .
Meanwhile , the White House has invited congressional leaders to a meeting Friday morning to continue talks about ending the shutdown .
Nine federal departments and several smaller agencies β representing a quarter of the federal government β shut down Dec. 22 when their funding lapsed and congressional Democrats and the White House failed to strike a deal to keep them open.The shutdown forced some 800,000 federal employees to go on furlough or work without paying .
More : Government shutdown , Day 4 : Pelosi blames Trump for using 'scare tactics ' over border wall
More : The shutdown is hurting people , leaving Americans in uncertainty : Today 's talker
More : How long will the federal shutdown last ? Here are lessons from previous budget battles .
The sticking point has been Trump β s insistence on $ 5 billion in funding for a border wall , even though he promised repeatedly during his presidential campaign that he β d make Mexico pay for the structure .
In a last-ditch effort to keep the government open , the House voted in late December , largely along party lines , to give Trump $ 5.7 billion for the wall in one of the GOP majority β s final acts . That measure never got a vote in the Senate , guaranteeing the shutdown would begin two days later .
The shutdown β s impact is starting to become more visible in many places after the holidays , when most government offices were already scheduled to be closed .
In Washington , the Smithsonian Institution closed 19 museums and the National Zoo on Wednesday because of a lack of funds . The Smithsonian had been able to remain open through Jan. 1 by using the previous year 's funding .
Some national parks reported human feces , overflowing garbage , illegal off-roading and other damaging behavior . The shutdown forced furloughs of hundreds of thousands of federal employees , leaving many parks without most of the rangers and others who staff campgrounds and otherwise keep parks running . Joshua Tree National Park in California closed its campgrounds after the loss of sanitation workers resulted in overflowing toilets .
It 's unknown when the thousands of federal workers who have been placed on furlough or forced to work without pay will see their next paycheck . In the past , including the 16-day shutdown in 2013 , federal workers received back pay . There β s no guarantee that will happen this time because Congress and the White House would have to work together to pass a law mandating the back pay . | d19xltc4oGcIX3ax | 1 | US House | 0.6 | Government Shutdown | 0.2 | Politics | -0.2 | null | null | null | null |
coronavirus | New York Post (News) | https://nypost.com/2020/11/13/over-130-secret-service-agents-isolating-amid-covid-19-outbreak/ | Over 130 Secret Service agents isolating amid White House COVID-19 outbreak | 2020-11-13 | Coronavirus, Donald Trump, Secret Service, White House | WASHINGTON β More than 130 Secret Service agents assigned to protecting the White House or President Trump are isolating after they tested positive for the coronavirus or had contact with an infected colleague, according to a new report. The outbreak has been linked to the slew of rallies that Trump did in the weeks before the Nov. 3 presidential election and has sidelined approximately 10 percent of the agencyβs core security team, the Washington Post reported Friday. It comes as the West Wing and Trump 2020 campaign also deal with growing clusters that have recently sidelined chief of staff Mark Meadows, HUD Secretary Ben Carson and senior campaign adviser Corey Lewandowski. In a blow to the campaign, adviser David Bossie, who had only just been named as the head of the presidentβs legal battle, was also diagnosed with the respiratory bug. According to the Washington Post report, another eight staffers at the Republican National Committee are also sick with the disease. Dozens of associates and staffers of the commander-in-chief have contracted COVID-19 in recent months, including the president himself as well as the first lady and their son, Barron. Despite the infections, the White House has continued to eschew masks at events and hosted hundreds of people at an election night party in the East Room that is believed to be the source of several of the new West Wing infections. One former senior Secret Service supervisor told The Post: βBeing down more than 100 officers is very problematic.β βThat does not bode well for White House security,β they said. Officers who are not infected will be expected to work longer hours and forgo days off to cover for their colleagues who are off duty. A 2015 panel found that overworked Secret Service officers was one of the reasons for security breaches at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., the report said. Unknown | ab91b738c23e19c5 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
us_military | The Hill | https://thehill.com/policy/defense/483135-trump-administrtion-outlines-legal-justification-for-soleimani-strike | Trump administration outlines legal justification for Soleimani strike | 2020-02-14 | us_military | The Democratic-led House Foreign Affairs Committee on Friday released the Trump administration β s legal justification for its Jan. 2 drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani .
Echoing arguments administration officials have made in public , the two-page memo cites a president β s constitutional authority to protect national interests from an attack , as well as the 2002 authorization for the use of military force ( AUMF ) that was passed to authorize the Iraq War .
In releasing the memo , Committee Chairman Eliot Engel Eliot Lance EngelOvernight Defense : Army says it is n't investigating Vindman | White House outlines legal justification for Soleimani strike | Service member dies in Africa Trump administration outlines legal justification for Soleimani strike Pompeo to testify on Iran in February MORE ( D-N.Y. ) blasted the β spurious , after-the-fact explanation , β which he said `` won β t do . β
β We need answers and testimony , so I look forward to Secretary Pompeo testifying before the committee at an open Feb. 28 hearing on Iran and Iraq policy , including the Soleimani strike and war powers , β Engel added , referring to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Michael ( Mike ) Richard PompeoDonald Trump : Unrepentant , on the attack and still playing the victim US defense chief says Taliban deal 'looks very promising ' but not without risk Kobach says he discussed his Senate bid with Trump MORE .
President Trump Donald John TrumpTrump administration eyes proposal to block jet engine sales to China : report Trump takes track to open Daytona 500 Brazile 'extremely dismayed ' by Bloomberg record MORE β s decision to kill Soleimani , the leader of Iran β s powerful Quds Force , deepened an escalating cycle that culminated with an Iranian missile strike on an Iraqi military base that gave more than 100 U.S. troops brain injuries .
The administration has offered shifting explanations for the Soleimani strike . At times they have cited past attacks , including the late December rocket attack in Iraq that killed a U.S. contractor the Trump administration blamed on an Iran-backed militia .
Trump has also claimed , without evidence , that Soleimani was plotting an imminent attack on U.S. embassies .
Friday β s memo does not discuss a specific imminent plot , but rather says Trump ordered the strike β in response to an escalating series of attacks in preceding months by Iran and Iran-backed militias on United States forces and interests in the Middle East region . β
The memo also says the strike was intended to β protect United States personnel , to deter Iran from conducting or supporting further attacks against United States forces and interests , to degrade Iran 's and Quds force-backed militias ' abilities to conduct attacks , and to end Iran 's strategic escalation of attacks on , and threats to United States interests . β
Engel argued the explanation β directly contradicts β Trump β s claim of an imminent attack .
β The administration β s explanation in this report makes no mention of any imminent threat and shows that the justification the president offered to the American people was false , plain and simple , β Engel said .
The report also says Article II of the Constitution gives the president the power to β direct the use of military force to protect the nation from an attack or threat of imminent attack and to protect important national interests . β
That applied to Iran , the memo says , because it is β responsible for conducting and directing attack against United States forces in the region . β
The memo also cites the 2002 AUMF , which it said the United States has β long relied upon β for military action β for the purpose of establishing a stable , democratic Iraq. β Soleimani was in Baghdad when he was killed .
Engel called that justification β absurd. β Earlier this month , the House passed a bill to repeal the 2002 AUMF , though it β s not expected to get a vote in the Senate .
β The 2002 authorization was passed to deal with Saddam Hussein , β Engel said . β This law had nothing to do with Iran or Iranian government officials in Iraq . To suggest that 18 years later this authorization could justify killing an Iranian official stretches the law far beyond anything Congress ever intended . β | ENdhRLwWzd9t8vlm | 1 | Donald Trump | -1.5 | White House | -0.8 | Qasem Soleimani | -0.4 | Iran | -0.4 | US Military | 0.1 |
elections | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/18/politics/hillary-clinton-sisterhood/index.html?hpt=po_c1 | Hillary Clinton and the sisterhood | 2013-11-18 | elections | Story highlights Clinton 's appearance at recent panel discussion looked more like a campaign rally
Clinton has record on pushing women 's rights since her time as first lady
As a presidential candidate in 2008 , Clinton did n't emphasize the fact she was a woman
2016 strategy ? Close confidant says Clinton rarely makes the same mistake twice
A gathering of Washington 's most important military leaders does n't seem like the obvious place to champion the cause of increasing women 's power around the world . Nor does Hillary Clinton seem like the obvious choice for an award from the National Defense University .
But in accepting the American Patriot Award -- presented annually to honor leaders who have `` strengthened America 's strategic interests and advanced global security '' -- the former secretary of state , U.S. senator and first lady used the stage Thursday to argue for more women in positions of power .
For 20 minutes Clinton used her Yale Law School training to lay out a convincing case that women are critical to solving the world 's problems , citing women 's achievements in resolving conflicts in places like Liberia , Northern Ireland , and Rwanda .
`` Over and over , in country after country , women have proven themselves a powerful source for peace , even in places where their political power is slight or nonexistent , '' she told the crowd .
On Friday , Clinton echoed similar themes when she joined former first lady Laura Bush at Georgetown University for a panel on the future of Afghan women . Calling next year 's withdrawal by U.S. and NATO troops a `` serious turning point , '' she stressed the importance of ensuring that hard-fought gains women and girls have made in the past decade are not reversed .
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It looked like a campaign stop . She was greeted with thunderous applause as she appeared on stage . Several of the women in the crowd took pictures with smartphones covered in `` Ready for Hillary '' cases , which they had downloaded from the website of the super PAC that urges her to run for president in 2016 and is laying the groundwork for her candidacy .
Clinton has increased her public visibility in recent months after lying low for a brief period after leaving the State Department . She has launched a Twitter account , campaigned for her good friend Terry McAuliffe , now Virginia 's governor-elect , and is writing a memoir of her years as secretary of state .
But there is no issue Clinton has been more closely identified with than women 's rights . Friday 's Georgetown event was Clinton 's third in as many weeks on the issue of empowering women . A week earlier , in Philadelphia , she unveiled a new initiative , dubbed `` No Ceilings , '' that aims to document the progress of women since the 1995 U.N. Fourth World Conference on Women and to chart a course for the future . It will be run by the global foundation started by her husband , Bill Clinton , which now also bears the name of two Clinton women -- Hillary and her daughter Chelsea .
`` The great unfinished business of the 21st century is helping women and girls break through these ceilings and participate fully in every aspect of life once and for all , '' Clinton said at the program 's rollout .
The big question is whether Clinton 's increasing public profile is about her unfinished business and whether she will launch another bid in 2016 to become the country 's first woman president .
Clinton ended her term as America 's top diplomat with almost unprecedented approval ratings as the most popular member of President Barack Obama 's Cabinet and one of the most admired women in America , if not the world .
Those numbers have dipped now that she 's transitioned out of the State Department to a more political role .
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The decline in Clinton 's numbers comes as some congressional Republicans continue to question what she knew about the 2012 attack in Benghazi , Libya , that killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans .
But current polls still indicate she is the overwhelming front-runner for 2016 among Democrats , if she decides to run . A CNN/ORC poll in September found 65 % of Democrats and independents who lean toward that party would likely back Clinton as their presidential nominee . Vice President Joe Biden came in a distant second at 10 % , with freshman Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts at 7 % .
In the potential Democratic battle , the survey indicates Clinton performing better among women ( 76 % ) than men ( 52 % ) .
But that was n't always the case . Clinton 's relationship with American women is complex . She and the sisterhood have , shall we say , a history .
Hillary Clinton is a product of the politics that shaped her . She came of age in the Gloria Steinem era , when the women 's movement was gaining steam . During her husband 's 1992 presidential campaign , she came under fire for passionately defending her own career , saying that she would not be `` some little woman standing by my husband like Tammy Wynette , '' and later saying , `` I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas , but what I decided to do was fulfill my profession , which I entered before my husband was in public life . ''
While many women held her up as the epitome of a liberated woman , Clinton 's brand of feminism was n't everyone 's cup of tea . She was already seen as one of the most divisive women in the country by the time Bill Clinton took office .
It was n't until 1995 , the third year of his administration , that she stamped her name on the cause of women 's rights at the U.N. conference on women in Beijing .
At that point , even in international law women 's rights were considered a marginal subset of human rights . Clinton touched a nerve by ticking off a litany of abuses against women : honor killings , trafficking and dowry burnings .
Her now-famous line , `` Women 's rights are human rights and human rights are women 's rights , '' was a key moment in her rise and added fuel to a global movement of women looking to be free from violence and seeking access to health care , education , and economic and political participation .
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Clinton has said that during her travels around the world , women still come up to her and say , `` I was in Beijing '' -- shorthand for what she views as a global sisterhood .
Out of that conference grew Vital Voices , an international nonprofit that Clinton founded with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Melanne Verveer , a longtime friend and her chief of staff at the White House . The organization invests in emerging female leaders worldwide , promotes human rights and works to generate political and economic opportunities for women .
But Clinton never incorporated that push for girl power on the world stage into her 2008 campaign for the presidency .
Anne Kornblut , whose book `` Notes From the Cracked Ceiling '' examined Clinton 's failed bid for the White House , said in an interview that Clinton failed to attract women in large numbers in the Democratic primaries , particularly young women .
It was n't so much that Clinton had a `` women problem , '' Kornblut said -- she just did n't lock in the women 's vote in the way her campaign expected .
Clinton 's decision to run as the most qualified candidate , rather than play up her potential to make history as the first woman president , proved to be a mistake , Kornblut said .
`` Hillary Clinton did not emphasize she was a woman running for president . She really shied away from that whole subject . There was polling to suggest she needed to emphasize her credentials in being tough and running as an iron lady , '' Kornblut said . `` In the end , some of her own advisers felt she overdid it , and a lot of the results show that . ''
As secretary of state , Clinton could do both -- stand up to rivals like the Chinese , while pressing the issue of human rights for women in Afghanistan , or helping female entrepreneurs in India develop clean cookstoves to prevent millions of deaths of women and children caused by dirty wood- and coal-burning ones .
One of her first moves as secretary of state was to appoint Verveer as the first ambassador for global women 's issues , weaving the cause of women 's empowerment into the fabric of the State Department .
`` Whether it was in the trouble spots around the world , whether it was through our economic policies , whether it was human rights ... we brought women 's perspectives into those discussions , '' Verveer told CNN .
Although she is out of the State Department , Clinton 's mission and the mantra remain the same . She has made women 's empowerment one of three signature issues she will work on at the Bill , Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation , along with job creation and early childhood development .
JUST WATCHED Clinton warming up for 2016 campaign ? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Clinton warming up for 2016 campaign ? 02:40
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But everything Clinton does now is viewed through the prism of 2016 . And these events give Clinton and her supporters an opportunity to remind the public of what has been a decades-long commitment to the issue of women 's rights .
So is she simply continuing the work of a lifetime ? Or is she using her public platform to build a base for 2016 ?
Verveer , a confidant for 25 years , said the two are not mutually exclusive and that politics is just another way of Clinton 's taking care of that `` unfinished business . ''
`` The springboard for all of this is deep inside of her , '' Verveer said . `` Politics is a way to get things done but is n't to be divorced from what you are about . This is core . This is who she is . ''
But can `` who she is '' court the women 's vote ? By most accounts , the 2008 nomination did n't slip through Clinton 's fingers because she was n't qualified . It was because many Americans did n't believe she was `` likable . '' After four years as America 's top diplomat , Clinton 's qualifications should n't be an issue , Kornblut notes . But likability might be .
`` If anyone has demonstrated they are credentialed at this point , it has to be Hillary Clinton , '' she said . `` Now , is she going to prove she is likable , that people want to hear her on important issues or give the same stump speech over and over and see her in a debate ? That is a different question . ''
Should Clinton win the Democratic nomination , the Republican women 's vote is likely to be key .
Ashley Pratte , executive director of the conservative think tank Cornerstone Policy Research & Cornerstone Action in the key state of New Hampshire , said that while many Republican women voters in her state see Clinton as the best chance to make history as the first woman president , many others say her strong pro-choice stance on abortion does n't mesh with their vision of family values .
Nor does her decision to remain in her marriage following the Monica Lewinsky scandal , Pratte noted , make her a champion of women 's rights . Although it was viewed by opponents and even some supporters as a politically calculated move , Pratte argued Clinton 's career would have been even stronger had she left Bill .
JUST WATCHED Better president : Hillary or Chelsea ? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Better president : Hillary or Chelsea ? 01:08
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While the debate may continue on the fringes , the longer the Clintons stay married and the more Clinton is out in front on her own , the less relevant the issue is likely to be in 2016 .
Now more than ever , it may come down to that same question about her own likability .
Although it was not enough in the end to cinch the 2008 nomination , Clinton identified with voters in New Hampshire and won the state after showing her feminine side , tearing up at one point when speaking with voters . By the time she made her concession speech , she was all about the girl power .
`` Although we were n't able to shatter that highest , hardest glass ceiling this time , it 's got about 18 million cracks in it , '' she told supporters .
Since then Clinton seems to have realized that being a woman works .
`` During her time as secretary of state you saw her loosen up a little bit , '' Kornblut said . `` You 've seen her work to seem a bit more authentic and if she runs again , she will probably do it with the knowledge that overemphasizing certain poll-tested traits did n't get her where she wanted to go -- so why not just be herself ? ''
Her friend Verveer says Clinton never makes the same mistake twice . | OAMoIl6Ez6TVW7c6 | 0 | Hillary Clinton | 0.8 | Election2016 | 0 | Presidential Elections | 0 | Elections | 0 | null | null |
national_security | Fox Online News | http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/05/01/muellers-questions-for-trump-leaked-to-nyt-in-latest-unexplained-disclosure-from-russia-probe.html | Mueller's questions for Trump leaked to NYT, in latest unexplained disclosure from Russia probe | 2018-05-01 | national_security | A lengthy list of questions for President Trump from special counsel Robert Mueller was leaked to The New York Times , marking the latest in a string of apparently deliberate disclosures relating to the ongoing probe into Russian involvement in the U.S. presidential election .
Fox News has since obtained the questions , which cover Trump 's interactions with key figures like former FBI Director James Comey , Attorney General Jeff Sessions and former National Security Adviser Mike Flynn .
The Times called some of the questions `` tantalizing '' and suggested they reveal that Mueller may have uncovered pre-election outreach by Trump 's campaign to Russian officials .
The questions cover Trump 's motivations for firing Comey a year ago , as well as his reaction to Sessions ' recusal from the Russia investigation .
Trump blasted the leak on Tuesday morning , calling it `` disgraceful '' that the questions made it out to the media .
`` So disgraceful that the questions concerning the Russian Witch Hunt were β leaked β to the media . No questions on Collusion . Oh , I see ... you have a made up , phony crime , Collusion , that never existed , and an investigation begun with illegally leaked classified information . Nice ! '' Trump tweeted .
In one question first obtained by the Times , Mueller asks what Trump knew about campaign staff , including his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort , reaching out to Moscow .
Leaks in the Mueller probe have been suspected for several months , leading The New York Post to ask last year if Mueller is `` playing politics with his prosecutions . ''
The news of the indictments of Paul Manafort and Flynn , for example , came in media reports days in advance . Although some commentators have praised Mueller for clamping down on leaks , Republicans have sharply criticized past disclosures they suggest came from within Mueller 's ranks .
Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy , the leader of the House β s top investigative committee , slammed Mueller in October for allowing the news media to learn that he and his legal team had charges in their Russia investigation .
β In the only conversation I β ve had with Robert Mueller , I stressed to him the importance of cutting out the leaks , β Gowdy , chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform , told β Fox News Sunday. β β It β s kind of ironic that the people charged with investigating the law and the violations of the law would violate the law . β
Although Mueller 's team has indicated to Trump 's lawyers that he 's not considered a target , investigators remain interested in whether the president 's actions constitute obstruction of justice and want to interview him about several episodes in office . The lawyers want to resolve the investigation as quickly as possible , but there 's no agreement on how to do that .
β It β s kind of ironic that the people charged with investigating the law and the violations of the law would violate the law. β β Rep. Trey Gowdy
Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow declined to comment to The Associated Press on Monday night , as did White House lawyer Ty Cobb .
OPINION : WHY TRUMP HAS THE CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY TO FIRE MUELLER
Mueller has brought several charges against Manafort , but none are for any crimes related to Russian election interference during the 2016 campaign . And he has denied having anything to do with such an effort .
The queries also touch on Trump 's businesses and his discussions with his personal lawyer , Michael Cohen , about a possible Moscow real estate deal . Cohen 's business dealings are part of a separate FBI investigation .
One question asks what discussions Trump may have had regarding `` any meeting with Mr. Putin , '' referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin . Another question asks what the president may have known about a possible attempt by his son-in-law , Jared Kushner , to set up a back channel with Russia before Trump 's inauguration .
Additional questions center on Michael Flynn , Trump 's former national security adviser , who has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his discussions on sanctions against Russia with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the presidential transition . Flynn is now cooperating with Mueller 's investigators .
PELOSI CLAIMS MUELLER WAS FIRED IN BIZARRE EMAIL TO DONORS
`` What did you know about phone calls that Mr. Flynn made with the Russian ambassador , Sergey I. Kislyak , in late December 2016 ? '' reads one question . Another asks if there were any efforts to reach out to Flynn `` about seeking immunity or possible pardon . ''
Flynn was fired Feb. 13 , 2017 , after White House officials said he had misled them about his Russian contacts during the transition period by saying that he had not discussed sanctions .
The following day , according to memos written by Comey , Trump cleared the Oval Office of other officials and encouraged Comey to drop the investigation into Flynn . | OKZWshPcLpuPN4XB | 2 | Russia Probe | -0.4 | Robert Mueller | 0 | Donald Trump | 0 | National Security | 0 | Defense And Security | 0 |
federal_budget | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/30/opinion/gergen-shutdown/index.html | Shutdown could be shock therapy | 2013-09-30 | federal_budget | Story highlights David Gergen : Shutdown would hurt people in need , the U.S. economy and markets
Gergen : We 've had shutdowns , but never a default , which may lead to global meltdown
Default could happen in three weeks , he says , so it would force parties to solve problems
Gergen : Shutdown would give Obama chance to take charge and get us out of this mess
Driven by a hard-line faction of conservatives , Washington has done something terribly stupid : shutting down the national government . Most of America is aghast . But it is also just possible that doing something stupid will help us avoid doing something truly dangerous .
Shutdowns are a lousy way to run a government . Just for starters , this one has cut off services to women and children in need , furloughed hundreds of thousands , further shaken the confidence of the public , sent a shudder through the financial world and created new storm clouds over the economy . And once again the world is wondering about our capacity for leadership .
But all of this damage pales in comparison with the danger posed by a second , lurking threat : a default on our public finances .
The United States has had 17 government shutdowns since 1977 and has generally recovered well . But we have never had a default . Experts , while not fully certain , are convinced that it could be hugely destructive -- even leading to a worldwide financial meltdown . Unless Congress and the White House get their act together , we could default in less than three weeks .
But a shutdown could have a silver lining . It could be such an electric shock to the political system that it forces the politicians in Washington to settle their squabbles before the default deadline .
What we know from past shutdowns is that not only citizens -- especially older ones dependent on Social Security and Medicare -- start raising hell , but so do business and financial leaders who see damage rippling across their economic interests . Politicians are increasingly seen as villains . Pressure tends to grow so unbearable that eventually Washington finds a solution .
Most of the pressure this time will be directed toward Republicans who have misplayed their hand . A new poll by CNN/ORC shows that 46 % of Americans blame the shutdown on Republicans , seeing them as spoiled children . Thirty six percent blame President Obama , and 13 % point fingers at both .
Seasoned GOP leaders across the country know that if the shutdown does serious damage , chances of Republicans picking up Senate seats in 2014 and the White House in 2016 could evaporate . Those leaders will push intensely for a way out .
JUST WATCHED Peter King : Ted Cruz 'is a fraud ' Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Peter King : Ted Cruz 'is a fraud ' 00:35
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But Republicans are not the only ones who will come under pressure to find a settlement . So will Democrats , starting with President Obama . We expect our presidents to be leaders of all the people , not a single party or ideology . We want them to rise above the squabbling and keep us on track . The harsh rhetoric that the president has been directing at Republicans suggests that he is less interested in settlement than unconditional surrender .
Moreover , as Republicans make their counterarguments , it is becoming increasingly apparent that they have some valid questions . Is Obamacare truly ready for prime time ? Should n't the two parties work together on the tax code ? When is Washington going to get serious about overhauling the entitlement programs so they will survive for coming generations ?
Yes , conservative hard-liners have chosen the wrong place to fight ; arguments over Obamacare are no excuse to shut down the government . Yes , hard-liners like Sen. Ted Cruz , R-Texas , are creating deeper partisan divides . But Democrats can ill afford to continue rejecting any talks or negotiations .
Now that the shutdown has happened , Obama has a fresh opportunity -- indeed a fresh responsibility -- to seize the mantle of leadership and get us out of this mess . Instead of just blaming the Republicans , he should call in the leaders of both parties and in Lyndon Johnson fashion , keep 'em talking till they get a deal .
With the shutdown underway , the president has new leverage to say , `` Look , we are here to negotiate a settlement so that we can reopen the government . We are not here to negotiate over a possible default ; I have said all along that I wo n't do that . But those of you who have been listening closely know that I have also been saying that I am open to conversations about settling our policy differences so that we can keep the government running .
`` Tax reform , entitlement reform and even some tweaking of the Affordable Care Act are on the table now . I have only two conditions : I will not accept a gutting of Obamacare -- we settled that at the ballot box in 2012 -- and any settlement here must include a pledge not to let the country go into default . So , let 's get started . ''
Would it work ? Who knows for sure ? But one thing is clear : If enough Americans rise up now and pressure politicians in Washington to call off this circus , we could not only end this foolishness over a shutdown , but we could also avoid a truly dangerous default . And we could hold our heads up again . | B55njAEQl4eAiF5j | 0 | Economy And Jobs | -0.3 | Federal Budget | -0.3 | Healthcare | -0.2 | null | null | null | null |
free_speech | Yahoo! News | https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/former-snl-writer-nimesh-patel-kicked-off-stage-columbia-university-inappropriate-standup-set-181726667.html | Former 'SNL' writer Nimesh Patel kicked off stage at Columbia University for 'inappropriate' standup set | 2018-12-05 | Free Speech, Higher Education, Identity Politics, Safe Spaces | Comedian Nimesh Patel took his gig at Columbia University β s β cultureSHOCK : Reclaim β event a bit too literally , apparently . The former Saturday Night Live writer was kicked off stage by student organizers 30 minutes into his set for jokes that were deemed homophobic and racist .
Columbia β s Asian American Alliance ( AAA ) invited Patel to perform at the annual charity showcase , which aims to provide a platform for Asian-American artistic expression and to break through harmful stereotypes . According to the Columbia Daily Spectator , β Patel β s performance featured commentary on his experience living in a diverse area of New York City β including a joke about a gay black man in his neighborhood β which AAA officials deemed inappropriate . β
Patel quipped that being gay can not be a choice because β no one looks in the mirror and thinks , β This black thing is too easy ; let me just add another thing to it. β β Members of AAA then interrupted the performance and denounced his material about racial identities and sexual orientation . The group gave him a few moments for closing remarks , but Patel pushed back , saying none of his jokes were offensive . He purportedly claimed that he was simply exposing the audience to ideas that would be found β in the real world. β Patel β s microphone was cut from offstage and he exited .
AAA defended its decision to give Patel the boot . β Patel β s remarks ran counter to the inclusive spirit and integrity of cultureSHOCK and as such , the choice was made to invite him to leave , β the group wrote on Facebook . β We acknowledge that discomfort and safety can coexist , however , the discomfort Patel caused was unproductive in this space. β AAA added , β We deeply apologize for inviting him in the first place . β
Audience members were reportedly split over AAA β s decision to remove Patel .
Patel has yet to comment on the event . The 32-year-old comedian was the first Indian-American writer for SNL , but he left after last season . He has since been nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing and has opened for comedians such as Chris Rock . | 674d4bc81703af62 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
polarization | NBC News Digital | https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/facebook-opened-doors-researchers-found-paints-complicated-picture-soc-rcna96536 | Facebook opened its doors to researchers. What they found paints a complicated picture of social media and echo chambers. | 2023-07-27 | Polarization, Facebook, Social Media, Science, Politics, Meta, Data, Filter Bubbles, Echo Chambers, Media Bias, Misinformation And Disinformation | A landmark study of how Facebook shaped the news users saw in the run-up to the 2020 election has found the platform resulted in βsignificant ideological segregationβ in regard to political news exposure β specifically with conservative users who researchers found were more walled off and encountered far more misinformation than their liberal counterparts.Looking at aggregated data from 208 million U.S. users, researchers found βuntrustworthyβ news sources were favored by conservative audiences and almost all (97%) of the political news webpages rated as false by Metaβs third-party fact-checkers were seen by more conservatives than liberals.Overall, the research, led by Sandra GonzΓ‘lez-BailΓ³n, a professor at the University of Pennsylvaniaβs Annenberg School for Communication, found that Facebookβs pages and groups, more than usersβ friends, contributed more to this ideological segregation and polarization. In general, it concluded that conservative sources dominated Facebookβs news ecosystem.It was not clear whether this segregation was caused more by algorithms or user choice.βThese feedback loops are very difficult to disentangle with observational data,β GonzΓ‘lez-BailΓ³n said. βThese require more research.βThe study is one of four published Thursday, three in the journal Science and one in Nature. They were part of an unprecedented partnership between a group of prominent independent academic researchers and researchers at Meta with the aim of studying the impact Facebook and Instagram had on U.S. users during the 2020 elections.The project included 17 academic researchers from 12 universities who were granted deep access by Facebook to aggregated data. The researchers collaborated with more than two dozen researchers, engineers and legal analysts at Meta.The independent researchers were not paid by Meta, and the social media company agreed not to reject research questions for anything outside privacy or logistical reasons. Meta also relinquished the right to restrict or censor the researchersβ final findings. In the interest of transparency, the collaboration was monitored by an independent rapporteur, whose report was also published in Science on Thursday.Together the studies offer the deepest look yet at how news flowed across Facebook and a more limited idea of how that news may or may not have affected political polarization.But the research is also limited in its scope. The algorithm experiments were conducted on only two platforms, Facebook and Instagram, over three months, a relatively short amount of time at the height of a contentious presidential election.Political content has traditionally been only a small part of what Facebook users see, and the platform has since sought to reduce how much political content is shown to users. In 2021, the company said it was doing initial tests on reducing political content in its News Feed, culminating in an update in April in which the company said it was continuing to refine its approach to such content and moving away from rankings based on engagement. Posts linking to political news webpages amounted to around 3% of all posts shared on Facebook, according to the GonzΓ‘lez-BailΓ³n study.Each of the four studies found Metaβs recommendation algorithms β the complicated rules and rankings behind how platforms feed content and communities to their users β to be extremely influential in deciding what those users see and how they interact with content.Three out of the four studies experimented with the algorithm and concluded that the kind of tweaks long hypothesized to be the solutions to polarization and the key to healthier online experiences may not affect peopleβs political attitudes and real-world behaviors, at least in the short term. Such tweaks include reverting to chronological feeds, reducing virality by limiting reshared content or breaking up echo chambers.βThese findings should give all of us pause, including policymakers, about any simple sort of solution,β said Talia Stroud, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, who helped lead the research project.For the three experimental studies, paid participants allowed researchers to manipulate their experience on the platforms in some way. They used the platforms as usual, completed surveys on political attitudes and activities throughout the three-month period, and shared their online activity on and off the studied platforms.In one study, led by Andrew Guess, an assistant professor of politics and public affairs at Princeton University, researchers randomly assigned participants a reverse chronological feed on Facebook and Instagram, showing newest posts first without any other algorithmic weighting.In 2021, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen and some lawmakers suggested a time-ordered feed could fix the myriad problems that come with recommendation algorithms, which critics argue are engineered to keep users engaged and enraged. The next year, Facebook rolled out customizable feeds, though itβs unclear how many people utilize these options.The new study doesnβt breed hope for chronological feeds as a silver bullet, and some of the findings can appear contradictory. Facebook users who saw the newest posts first encountered more political and untrustworthy content (by more than two-thirds), but less βuncivilβ content (by almost half). At the same time, they also were shown more posts from their moderate friends and from ideologically-mixed groups and pages.One significant effect: Without the sophisticated algorithm, researchers reported that users liked, commented and shared less often and spent βdramatically lessβ time on Facebook and Instagram overall. Instead, mobile users who had been switched to reverse chronological feed spent more time on TikTok and YouTube. Desktop users spent less time on Facebook and more time on Reddit.Despite the effects on user experience, changing to a chronological feed didnβt affect participantsβ levels of self-reported political polarization, knowledge or attitudes.In a second study, the researchers experimented with virality, cutting off some participants from the ability to see content reshared from friends, groups or pages. Turning off what amounts to about one-quarter of posts viewed on Facebook had a measurable effect. Users saw less political news, clicked less on partisan news and were exposed to fewer posts containing untrustworthy content.This seems to support the common belief, noted in leaked internal Facebook research reports, that emotionally-charged and political content gets reshared more often. Still, as they had with the chronological feed, researchers couldnβt find any link to a shift in usersβ political attitudes or behavior.The third experiment investigated echo chambers to find out what happens when people see less content from like-minded groups and pages?First, the research confirmed that echo chambers are real β the majority of content users saw came from groups and friends who shared political leanings. Just over half came from like-minded sources and just under 15% came from people or groups with different political leanings. As with the other experiments, reducing content from like-minded sources while increasing exposure to people and content from other points of view had no real effect on polarization or political preferences or opinions as measured by the study.Limitations notwithstanding, Nick Clegg, president of Global Affairs at Meta, trumpeted the findings as an exoneration of Facebook and its role in politics and elections. He wrote in a blog post that the papers are the first time that the company has opened itself to academics in this way, and that they showed Facebook had no role in the toxicity of U.S. politics.βThese findings add to a growing body of research showing there is little evidence that social media causes harmful βaffectiveβ polarization or has any meaningful impact on key political attitudes, beliefs or behaviors,β he wrote. βThey also challenge the now commonplace assertion that the ability to reshare content on social media drives polarization.βThe researchers behind the new studies were more restrained.βThese findings donβt mean there arenβt reasons for concern about social media,β said Brendan Nyhan, a professor in the department of government at Dartmouth College and one of the lead authors behind the echo chambers study. βBut the study is important in that it challenges some notions people have about the effects of social media. And it might help reorient that conversation.βThe researchers said the collaborative new studies underscore the need for tech companies to provide greater access to data.βWhat we were able to do here β unpacking the sort of black box of algorithms, providing all these kinds of details about whatβs happening on these platforms β is a huge illustration of the value of making sure that platforms make data available to external researchers,β said Joshua Tucker, project lead and co-director of the NYU Center for Social Media and Politics.Still, collaborations with platforms may not be the model for research going forward and perhaps it shouldnβt be, according to Michael W. Wagner, professor in the University of Wisconsin-Madisonβs School of Journalism and Mass Communication, who served as the collaborationβs independent rapporteur.In an article about the project for Science, Wagner wrote the researchers had conducted βrigorous, carefully checked, transparent, ethical, and path-breaking studies.β But future scholarship should not depend, he wrote, on obtaining a social media companyβs permission.Additional studies from the project, currently in the peer-review process, are expected in the coming months. | d3004072647a13a2 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
gun_control_and_gun_rights | Vox | https://www.vox.com/2018/2/23/17044318/nra-membership-partners-cut-ties | Companies are cutting ties with the NRA after the Parkland mass shooting | 2018-02-23 | Gun Control And Gun Rights | Thereβs an overwhelming amount of news, but not enough context. At Vox, we do things differently. Weβre not focused on being the first to break stories β weβre focused on helping you understand what actually matters. We report urgently on the most important issues shaping our world, and dedicate time to the issues that the rest of the media often neglects. But we canβt do it alone. We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today? Enterprise, the First National Bank of Omaha, Symantec, and SimpliSafe have ended partnerships with the organization. by Rachel Wolfe Survivors of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, have been pressuring big corporations to cut their ties with the National Rifle Assocation. And several have. They include Enterprise Holdings Inc. β which operates Enterprise, Alamo, and National Car Rental β as well as First National Bank of Omaha, Symantec security software, and home security company SimpliSafe. Names of companies with NRA associations had begun circulating widely Thursday under the hashtag #BoycottNRA. Like other organizations that charge a yearly membership fee, the lobby relies on perks to entice potential members. The NRA βmember benefitsβ page offers savings on a credit card, hearing aids, life insurance, home security systems, car purchases, moving fees, prescription drugs, and branded checkbooks, among other things. For more than a decade, the First National Bank of Omaha β one of the nationβs largest privately owned banks β had issued what its ads described as the βOfficial Credit Card of the NRA,β according to the Omaha World-Herald. The Visa card offered 5 percent back on gas and sporting goods store purchases and a $40 bonus card. But in a tweet Thursday saying that βcustomer feedback has caused us to review our relationship with the NRA,β the bank announced it was stopping the program. A few hours later, Enterprise made a similar announcement, saying they would be ending the program as of March 26. βAll three of our brands have ended the discount for NRA members,β said a tweet on the Enterprise Rent-A-Car account. Enterprise, Alamo, and National Car Rentals all provided discounts to NRA members once they paid their $40 annual membership fee. The companies were among the 22 corporations offering discounts and βfive star savingsβ to the gun lobbyβs members, as detailed on the NRAβs βmember benefitsβ page. On Friday, Symantec β the parent company of Norton and LifeLock β announced via Twitter that it will no longer offer discounts on its products for NRA members, following a massive public push for them to end the relationship. βSymantec has stopped its discount program with the National Rifle Association,β the Tweet read. SimpliSafe, which gives NRA members two months of free monitoring with a purchase of any new home security system, soon followed suit, informing ThinkProgress of its decision to end the program in an email. Understand the world with a daily explainer plus the most compelling stories of the day, compiled by news editor Sean Collins. Trumpβs secretive plans to detain immigrants at GuantΓ‘namo do not put them beyond the reach of US law. In the 1990s, thousands of Haitians were detained there in horrific conditions with little oversight. The Bruen decision upended Americaβs gun laws. Years later, cops and courts are still trying to sort out the mess. Journalist and author Nick Bilton explains the rise and fall of Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road marketplace. The Trump administration is freezing the Justice Departmentβs work on police reform. The move is a dangerous attempt to rewrite the events of January 6. Itβs also what the electorate voted for. Β© 2025 Vox Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved As a valued user, we are providing you the ability to opt-out from the sharing of your personal information to advertisers and social media companies at any time across business platform, services, businesses and devices. You can opt-out of the sharing of your personal information by using this toggle switch. For more information on your rights and options see our privacy notice. | a62a64e231e41518 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | Washington Times | https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jul/14/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-fires-back-trump-you-cann/ | AOC fires back at Trump: 'You cannot accept that we don't fear you' | 2019-07-14 | politics | President Trump β s comments Sunday about β Progressive Democratic Congresswomen β prompted a furious response from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , who tweeted at Mr. Trump , β you can β t conceive of an America that includes us . β
Mr. President , the country I β come from , β & the country we all swear to , is the United States .
But given how you β ve destroyed our border with inhumane camps , all at a benefit to you & the corps who profit off them , you are absolutely right about the corruption laid at your feet . https : //t.co/HLKQCotR8T β Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( @ AOC ) July 14 , 2019
β Mr . President , the country I β come from , β & the country we all swear to , is the United States , β Ms. Ocasio-Cortez , New York Democrat , said . β On top of not accepting an America that elected us , you can not accept that we don β t fear you , either . You can β t accept that we will call your bluff & offer a positive vision for this country . And that β s what makes you seethe . β
She added , β You are angry because you don β t believe in an America where I represent New York 14 , where the good people of Minnesota elected @ IlhanMN , where @ RashidaTlaib fights for Michigan families , where @ AyannaPressley champions little girls in Boston . β¦You rely on a frightened America for your plunder . β
Her response Sunday afternoon was prompted by comments from Mr. Trump , also on Twitter , that she and the other first-term progressive women feuding with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should go back to the dysfunctional countries β from which they came β instead of criticizing the U.S .
Mr. Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts were both born in the U.S. of American parents . Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan was also born in the U.S. , but to Palestinian immigrant parents . Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota was born in Somalia and came to the U.S. as a refugee .
Ms. Omar told the president , β As Members of Congress , the only country we swear an oath to is the United States . Which is why we are fighting to protect it from the worst , most corrupt and inept president we have ever seen . β
β You are stoking white nationalism bc you are angry that people like us are serving in Congress and fighting against your hate-filled agenda , β she tweeted at Mr. Trump .
Ms. Tlaib fired back at the president , β I am fighting corruption in OUR country . I do it every day when I hold your admin accountable as a U.S. Congresswoman . Detroit taught me how to fight for the communities you continue to degrade & attack . Keep talking , you β ll be out of the WH soon . # TickTock β | LljRhesjuJd5nwpS | 2 | Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez | 2.2 | Politics | 0.5 | Donald Trump | 0 | null | null | null | null |
elections | Newsmax | http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/ben-carson-poll-front-runner/2015/08/29/id/672614/ | Ben Carson Edging Closer to Trump in Iowa Poll | 2015-08-29 | Presidential Elections, Ben Carson, Elections | Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson has emerged as a leading Republican presidential candidate in Iowa and is closing in on frontrunner Donald Trump in the state that hosts the first 2016 nomination balloting contest .
The latest Bloomberg Politics/Des Moines Register Iowa Poll shows billionaire Trump with the support of 23 percent of likely Republican caucus participants , followed by Carson at 18 percent . When first and second choices are combined , Carson is tied with Trump .
Trump finds himself in a vastly better position than when the previous Iowa Poll was taken . He has become a credible presidential candidate to many likely Republican caucus-goers . The real estate mogul is rated favorably by 61 percent and unfavorably by 35 percent , an almost complete reversal since the Iowa Poll in May . He finds his highest ratings among those planning to attend the caucuses for the first time ( 69 percent ) and limited-government Tea Party activists ( 73 percent ) . Just 29 percent say they could never vote for him , a number cut in half since May .
Although he is n't generating the headlines enjoyed by Trump , Carson has quietly built a dedicated network of supporters in Iowa . During the past month , he also aired more ads than any other presidential candidate in Iowa . Carson has the highest favorability rating among Republican candidates , with 79 percent of likely GOP caucus-goers seeing him positively .
Those glowing views of Carson , who has a compelling life story and is seeking to become the nation 's second black president , could make it hard for Trump or other rivals to attack him as the campaign heats up this fall . Christian conservatives , who represent nearly 40 percent of likely caucus participants in the poll , may be starting to coalesce around the former director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins .
The poll displays the political benefit , at least for now , of not being part of the Republican establishment . When their totals are combined , Trump and Carson -- two men without any elected experience -- are backed by more than 4 in 10 likely caucus participants . Add in former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina , who also has never held elective office , and Texas Senator Ted Cruz , who is running an explicitly anti- establishment campaign , and the total reaches 54 percent of the likely electorate .
`` Trump and Carson , one bombastic and the other sometimes soft-spoken , could hardly be more different in their outward presentations , '' said J. Ann Selzer , president of West Des Moines-based Selzer & Co. , which conducted the poll . `` Yet they 're both finding traction because they do n't seem like politicians and there 's a strong demand for that right now . ''
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker , the previous Iowa frontrunner , has been hurt the most by the Trump and Carson summer surges and is now backed by just 8 percent of likely caucus-goers , less than half what he recorded in the last Iowa Poll in late May . Cruz , who will need to cut into Carson 's support among social conservatives if he 's to advance in Iowa , is tied with Walker at 8 percent .
Jeb Bush , who continues to face major headwinds in Iowa , scored below Walker and Cruz . The former Florida governor is backed by just 6 percent , has one of the highest unfavorable ratings among the 17 Republican candidates tested , and has the support of just 16 percent of those who consider themselves business-oriented establishment Republicans , the group most central to his brand .
Bush 's fellow Floridian , Senator Marco Rubio , is also backed by 6 percent . He 's closely followed by Fiorina , who is supported by 5 percent after her strong showing in the Aug. 6 debate .
In the 2008 and 2012 Republican caucuses , Christian conservatives broke late in the race and helped determine the outcome in Iowa . While some of their leaders have expressed skepticism about the potential to unify behind one candidate in such a crowded race , there 's an opening for that . More than three-quarters of Christian conservatives in the poll say they could be convinced to back someone other than their first or second choice , if they could be assured that another Christian conservative would win .
At the moment , Carson is leading with voters in that bloc at 23 percent , followed by Trump at 16 percent and Cruz and Walker tied at third . If his competitors can successfully raise questions about Trump 's credentials as a Christian conservative , they could potentially peel off some of the front-runner 's support .
One major unknown for the caucuses is the size of the electorate , which has been around 120,000 on the Republican side for the past two Iowa caucuses . One of Trump 's campaign goals is to get thousands of new people to vote , a move that helped Barack Obama score an upset on the Democratic side in 2008 .
First-time caucus-goers are clearly an important part of Trump 's Iowa base . Among those who say they 'll be attending for the first time , Trump is ahead of Carson , 28 percent to 20 percent .
For now , the poll suggests about a fifth of those attending the Feb. 1 precinct meetings will be doing so for the first time . That 's comparable to four years ago , when 24 percent said that on the Republican side in an October 2011 Iowa Poll .
Trump 's supporters in Iowa a have a higher level of trust in their candidate than others in the field to make the right decisions , if he makes it to the White House . Among all Republicans likely to attend the caucuses , 41 percent want their candidate to be clear about the specific policies they would address if elected , while 57 percent trust their candidate to figure it out once elected .
For Trump , nearly two-thirds of his supporters trust him to figure out the right decisions once in office . That 's in keeping with a claim he made to reporters Aug. 15 , shortly after landing by helicopter outside the Iowa State Fair , saying it 's mostly the media that cares about policy papers and positions .
Among most of the subgroups measured in the poll , Trump has the advantage , although Carson beats him or comes close with several . Carson has an 11-percentage-point advantage over Trump among seniors and 7-percentage-point-point edge among Christian conservatives .
`` I 'm sick and tired of the political class , '' said Lisa Pilch , 54 , a middle school physical education teacher leaning toward Carson who lives in Springville , Iowa . `` I just like his tone and think he 's someone who could pull us together , rather than the polarization we have right now . He has a lot of wisdom , even if he does n't have political savviness . ''
While Carson is doing slightly better than Trump among women , the billionaire has the advantage among men , 28 percent to 17 percent .
`` He 's got a no-nonsense approach , '' said Patrick Messmore , 32 , a construction equipment sales manager who lives near Grundy Center and plans to back Trump . `` His history as a businessman is potentially a good change for our country , so that we do n't just have another life-time politician taking over as president . ''
In some ways , Messmore sees Trump as an antidote to Bush . `` I 'm not OK with another Bush presidency , '' he said . `` We 've had two of them now and I do n't see that there will be enough of a different approach than his dad or brother had . It β s just not something I 'm interested in . ''
The poll shows Walker and Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky , especially , are n't performing anywhere close to earlier expectations .
Paul , who was backed by just 4 percent , was perceived a year ago to have an advantage in Iowa , given the third-place finish in the 2012 caucuses recorded by his father , former Representative Ron Paul of Texas . In October , his favorable rating outweighed his unfavorable by nearly 3-to-1 .
`` Whatever advantage he had has eroded , '' Selzer said . `` Now , more Iowa caucus-goers have negative than positive feelings about him . ''
For Walker , who has been in a slump since his lackluster debate performance , the poll is certain to further reduce expectations around his performance in Iowa , which had grown to the point where anything short of a win would have been viewed as a loss . One upside for him in the poll : Besides Carson , he 's the only candidate to exceed 70 percent in favorability .
Iowa Republicans are showing little interest in re-runs . Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee , who won the 2008 Iowa Republican caucuses , is at 4 percent . He 's followed at 2 percent by candidates who are governors , Chris Christie of New Jersey , Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and John Kasich of Ohio .
Former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania , who narrowly beat eventual nominee Mitt Romney in the 2012 caucuses , is backed by just 1 percent , the same level of support recorded by former Texas Governor Rick Perry , who is also struggling in his second White House bid even amid heavy spending in Iowa on the part of a super political action committee backing him .
Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina , former New York Governor George Pataki and former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore all recorded support of less than 1 percent .
The survey , taken Aug. 23-26 , included 400 likely Republican caucus participants . On the full sample , it has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points .
Besides the nearly the nearly 40 percent of likely Republican caucus-goers who say Christian conservative is the best way to identify them , `` business-oriented establishment Republicans '' and Tea Party activists are roughly tied as the next largest groups , at 22 percent and 21 percent . Those who feel they are most closely aligned with the `` liberty movement , '' a bloc associated with Paul , represent only about 8 percent .
To offer another assessment of candidate strength -- something difficult to divine in such a crowded field -- Selzer created an index built on multiple measures in the poll . The index takes into account first and second choices , as well as a question that was asked on whether respondents could ever -- or would never -- support each candidate they didn β t name as their first or second pick . First choices were given double weight , while β ever support β was given a half weighting .
Using that system , Carson is narrowly ahead of Trump , 75 to 73 . Walker comes next at 55 , followed by Cruz at 53 and Rubio at 50 . The index and never/ever question also show some of the candidates could struggle to expand their support . Nearly half of likely Republican caucus participants , 48 percent , say they could never support Christie . For Paul , it 's 43 percent and for Bush it 's 39 percent . | 827859b13c7a39c0 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
nsa | Washington Times | http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/apr/30/nsa-snooping-program-last-legs-after-anti-patriot-/ | NSA snooping program on last legs after anti-Patriot Act vote | 2015-04-30 | nsa | The House Judiciary Committee put the NSA β s phone-snooping program on the path to being scrapped Thursday when a bipartisan majority voted for major reforms to the Patriot Act .
The 25-2 vote signaled that Republicans and Democrats in the House won β t accept a full renewal of the Patriot Act , whose key data-collection powers are slated to expire at the end of May . That puts a dent in the hopes of Senate Republicans , including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , who has argued the government needs the snooping powers to keep the country safe .
Opposing Mr. McConnell is House Speaker John A. Boehner , who said Thursday he is backing the reform bill that cleared the Judiciary Committee and now heads to the full House floor for a vote .
β It β s not everything I want , but I think it β s a solid agreement , β Mr. Boehner said .
The legislation would prevent the federal government from indiscriminately collecting and storing Americans β data , and would also impose more transparency on the secret court that oversees intelligence collection . In a move to gain support of some hawks , the bill also imposes raised prison sentences on those convicted of providing material support to terrorists .
Known as the USA Freedom Act , it was designed to rewrite the Patriot Act β s Section 215 , which authorizes the government to collect records from private businesses .
The most prominent use has been the National Security Agency β s program to scoop up and store five years β worth of records of the numbers , times and durations of phone calls made within the U.S . The NSA insists it only probes the records when it believes a number is associated with a terrorism investigation .
But the program , revealed by former government contractor Edward Snowden , left many Americans uncomfortable , and efforts to rein in the collection have been going on for two years .
β The bill ends bulk collection . It ends secret laws . And it increases transparency of our intelligence community , β said Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. , Wisconsin Republican and the author of the original Patriot Act , who says he β s been stunned by the way the Bush and Obama administrations used it to justify collecting data on every American β s phone calls .
It β s very similar to a bill that passed the full House overwhelmingly last year , also with bipartisan support .
Another version foundered in the Senate , though , after Mr. McConnell led a filibuster to block it during a lame-duck session of Congress late last year . The Kentucky Republican argues that the government needs the powers to combat terrorist threats .
Last week , Mr. McConnell introduced a bill that would extend the current Patriot Act Section 215 powers through the end of 2020 .
Senate Democrats are generally opposed to Mr. McConnell β s bill , and even Senate Republicans are torn , with the more hawkish supporting it but civil libertarians , including presidential candidate Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky , fiercely opposing it .
Mr. McConnell has only limited leverage in the debate since , without any action , Section 215 is slated to sunset as of June 1 . He could try to push for a short-term extension to keep the debate going , or for some lesser alternative than the full extension of all powers β but he has been keeping his strategy closed .
The issue appears to be trending away from Mr. McConnell . The biggest threat to the House bill came not from the hawks but from the other side , where Republicans and Democrats teamed up to try to further limit government searches under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act . That amendment failed β though only after some hand-wringing by lawmakers who wanted to vote for it , but feared upsetting the carefully crafted consensus .
β This amendment is objected to by many in positions to affect the future of this legislation , β said Judiciary Committee Chairman Robert W. Goodlatte , Virginia Republican .
The two β No β votes on the bill came from Rep. Ted Poe , Texas Republican , and Rep. Jim Jordan , Ohio Republican . | tKCr82cvECMxHiiY | 2 | NSA | -0.6 | Patriot Act | 0.6 | Defense And Security | 0 | null | null | null | null |
politics | New York Times (News) | https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/24/us/politics/kellyanne-conway-leaving-white-house.html | Kellyanne Conway, Long-Serving Trump Aide, Is Leaving the White House | 2020-08-24 | Kellyanne Conway, George Conway, Lincoln Project, White House, Politics | Trump Administration Advertisement Supported by Ms. Conway said she was stepping away from her role as the presidentβs counselor to spend more time with her four teenage children. By Annie Karni and Maggie Haberman Kellyanne Conway, President Trumpβs counselor and one of his longest-serving and most visible aides, said on Sunday night that she planned to leave the White House next week. In a statement posted on Twitter, Ms. Conway said she was stepping away from a demanding job to spend more time with her four teenage children. βThis is completely my choice and my voice,β she said. βIn time, I will announce future plans. For now, and for my beloved children, it will be less drama, more mama.β Ms. Conway, who is still set to speak at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night, told Mr. Trump of her decision to leave on Sunday night in the Oval Office. In a White House famous for its fast revolving door, Ms. Conwayβs survival has made her something akin to a tenured official in an otherwise uncertain workplace. She had been in discussions last week with campaign officials about potentially moving from the White House to the campaign, and traveling to two states a day through the election as a surrogate. But she decided that a job on the road would be equally onerous on her family. Her husband, George T. Conway III, a prominent conservative lawyer who has become an outspoken critic of Mr. Trumpβs, said Sunday on Twitter that he was stepping back from the anti-Trump group he has been advising, the Lincoln Project. Mr. Conway said he would also take a hiatus from his Twitter account, where he regularly criticizes the president and his aides. The Conways have known Mr. Trump for nearly 15 years, meeting him in New York when he was a real estate developer. In 2011, when Mr. Trump was considering running for president, Ms. Conway, then a pollster with her own company, was one of the people Mr. Trump consulted with about a possible campaign. We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe. Advertisement | ccf6893cd87d6b2f | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | New York Times - News | http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/29/us/politics/ohio-governor-defies-gop-with-defense-of-social-safety-net.html?ref=politics | Ohio Governor Defies G.O.P. With Defense of Social Safety Net | 2013-10-29 | politics | Now , as the governor β s image has softened , his poll numbers have improved heading into a re-election race next year against the likely Democratic nominee , Ed FitzGerald , the executive of Cuyahoga County .
He still angers many on the left ; he signed a budget in June that cut revenues to local governments and mandates that women seeking an abortion listen to the fetal heartbeat . Democrats see his centrist swing as mere calculation , a prelude to a tough re-election fight .
β This is someone who realized he had to get to the center and chose Medicaid as the issue , β said Danny Kanner , communications director of the Democratic Governors Association . β That doesn β t erase the first three years of his governorship when he pursued polices that rewarded the wealthy at the expense of the middle class . β
Ohioans earning in the top 1 percent will see a $ 6,000 tax cut under the latest budget passed by the Republican-led legislature , while those in the bottom fifth will see a $ 12 increase , according to Policy Matters Ohio , an independent research group .
The governor dismissed the notion that his Medicaid decision was political . β I have an opportunity to do good , to lift people , and that β s what I β m going to do , β he said . β You know what ? β he added , using a phrase he utters before aiming a jab . β Let the chips fall where they may . β
The son of a mailman who grew up outside Pittsburgh , Mr. Kasich ( pronounced KAY-sik ) has said he didn β t meet a Republican until he arrived as a freshman at Ohio State . He has often showed an independent streak . He supported President Bill Clinton β s assault weapons ban while in Congress in 1994 , and he teamed with Ralph Nader to close corporate tax loopholes .
In the interview in his office , he criticized a widespread conservative antipathy toward government social programs , which regards the safety net as enabling a β culture of dependency . β | jD8mb5Z0u9q02EQm | 0 | Ohio | 0.2 | Republican Party | 0 | Politics | 0 | null | null | null | null |
politics | USA TODAY | https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/05/31/kathy-griffin-beheads-trump-beclowns-herself-dave-berg-column/102330054/ | Kathy Griffin's sickening Donald Trump stunt united us | 2017-05-31 | politics | Kathy Griffin has apologized for going β way too far β on a performance art project , where she held a model of a bloody , decapitated head , designed to look like President Trump .
β Way too far β is putting it mildly , but in a strange way Griffin β s shameful stunt might have given Americans their greatest moment of unity since Trump β s unexpected election .
Griffin was apparently inspired by a scene from a 2011 episode of Game of Thrones , which featured the severed head of former president George W. Bush . Producers later apologized for the shot and edited it out of later screenings .
Then Griffin started getting cold feet , sending out this β tweet : `` Obviously , I do not condone any violence . ... I β m merely mocking the mocker in chief . β
Later , she deleted both of those tweets and took down the photo from her own social media account .
The photo represents a new low for the comedian , who is known for new lows , but perhaps what is most shocking and unprecedented is that she actually admitted she had done something wrong . Until now , I would have guessed she does n't even know the meaning of crossing a line , unless someone has done something to her . Then she β s quick to strike back with unbridled vindictiveness .
But she seemed genuinely remorseful when she said in a Twitter post , β I am sorry . I went too far . I was wrong. β She admitted that the image was β too disturbing β and β wasn β t funny , β and that she understood β how it offends people . β
Griffin had little choice but to apologize , even though it didn β t stop the overwhelming blowback on social media from famous and not-so-famous people across the political spectrum , including Anderson Cooper , her CNN co-host on New Year β s Eve . He tweeted , β For the record , I am appalled by the photo shoot Kathy Griffin took part in . It is clearly disgusting and completely inappropriate . β
CNN announced Wednesday it has terminated its contract with Griffin .
Trump responded as well . `` Griffin should be ashamed of herself , '' the president tweeted . `` My children , especially my 11-year-old son , Barron , are having a hard time with this . Sick ! ''
Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton shared similar views . β This is vile and wrong . It is never funny to joke about killing a president , β she tweeted . Actress Debra Messing , a Hillary Clinton supporter , said , β It wasn β t right when people ( sic ) hung lynched Obama effigies , just as what Kathy Griffin did isn β t right now. β Mitt Romney sent this out , β Our politics have become too base β¦ but Kathy Griffin β s post descends into an even more repugnant and vile territory . β
Even the Secret Service reacted to Griffin β s photo without being specific : β Threats made against @ SecretService protectees receive the highest priority of all our investigations . β
Kathy Griffin crossed a line , even Trump-haters agree : Your Say
The massive backlash on Twitter aimed at Griffin β s tasteless stunt might have actually brought the country together to defend President Trump , perhaps for the first time . Even Griffin herself seemed to understand that she had done something very bad , which is also a first .
Shock artists like Griffin are merely poseurs hiding behind the guise of humor while avoiding the hard work of coming up with real thought-provoking comedic material . Instead , they just continuously blur the boundaries of good taste . The social media storm that shut down Griffin represents a small but important step in preserving what little civility we have left .
Dave Berg , author ofBehind the Curtain : An Insider β s View of Jay Leno β s Tonight Show , co-produced the show for 18 years . Follow him on Twitter : @ TonightShowDave
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 . | abEKbUEZ5593q6dU | 1 | Politics | -0.8 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
justice_department | The Hill | https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/435759-justice-department-sides-with-court-ruling-obamacare-invalid | Justice Department sides with court ruling Obamacare invalid | 2019-03-25 | justice_department | The Department of Justice ( DOJ ) on Monday announced that it is siding with a district court ruling that found the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional .
The move is an escalation of the Trump administration 's legal battle against the health care law .
The DOJ previously argued in court that the law 's pre-existing condition protections should be struck down . Now , the administration argues the entire law should be invalidated .
U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor ruled in December that the Affordable Care Act 's individual mandate is unconstitutional and that the rest of law is therefore invalid .
The DOJ said Monday that it agrees the decision should stand as the case works its way through the appeals process in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit .
`` The Department of Justice has determined that the district court β s judgment should be affirmed , '' the department said in a short letter to the appeals court .
The move is certain to prompt new denunciations from Democrats , who had already seized on the Trump administration 's earlier call for the pre-existing condition protections to be struck down .
That stance was a major issue in last year 's midterm elections , and many Republican candidates in tough races struggled with whether to say they agreed with the Trump administration 's position .
Many legal experts in both parties think the lawsuit , which was brought by 20 GOP-led states , will not ultimately succeed . The district judge who ruled against the law in December is known as a staunch conservative .
The case centers on the argument that since Congress repealed the tax penalty in the law 's mandate for everyone to have insurance in 2017 , the mandate can no longer be ruled constitutional under Congress 's power to tax . The challengers then argue that all of ObamaCare should be invalidated because the mandate is unconstitutional .
Most legal experts say legal precedent shows that even if the mandate is ruled unconstitutional , the rest of ObamaCare should remain unharmed , as that is what Congress voted to do in the 2017 tax law that repealed the mandate 's penalty .
Justin Wise contributed to this report , which was updated on March 26 at 5:50 a.m . | LQU2Qwd5hmMQxLyM | 1 | Healthcare | -0.1 | Obamacare | -0.1 | Justice Department | -0.1 | null | null | null | null |
disaster | Christian Science Monitor | http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2016/0820/Has-the-national-media-overlooked-the-floods-in-Louisiana | Has the national media overlooked the floods in Louisiana? | 2016-08-20 | disaster | With 20 parishes declared federal disaster areas , at least 13 people dead and over 30,000 people rescued by emergency responders , flooding has overwhelmed the state of Louisiana . For many locals , the disaster has resurrected memories of hurricane Katrina β s ravages β along with feelings of neglect .
This time , their ire seems focused on the national media . Coverage of Katrina and Sandy was lavish , even where the response of authorities left much to be desired . In advance of Sandy 's arrival , notes Slate , the New York Times unveiled a landing page on its website featuring practical information about services for residents in crisis . But this month , even after the National Guard had begun rescuing thousands of people from parishes swallowed by floodwaters , the Times went days without running a single story about the disaster . CNN and other prominent television outlets paid similarly scant attention .
β It β s not just water that 's rising . So is the frustration level of many observers who ca n't help but notice a key absence amid the tragedy : the national media , β wrote Mike Scott for the New Orleans Times-Picayune on Aug. 16 .
β Such complaints are n't trivial , β he added . β As Louisiana well knows , the loosening of the recovery purse strings is directly commensurate to the number of people who are made aware of the scope of the devastation . In this case , where national news coverage has been scarce , locals have every reason to worry that recovery funds will be just as scarce . β
That same day , Louisiana and FEMA officials expressed dismay at the lack of national coverage of what Gov . John Bel Edwards called β unprecedented flood levels . β
`` You have the Olympics . You got the election . If you look at the national news , you 're probably on the third or fourth page , '' said FEMA administrator Craig Fugate , according to the Times-Picayune .
A blog post from the New York Times β s public editor Liz Spayd took stock of the complaints , noting little evidence of on-the-ground reporting , and concluding that her paper β s coverage had been β particularly weak . β
β No doubt this is a busy news period , and the fact that it is August compounds the usual challenges of getting available staff to the site of the news , β wrote Ms. Spayd . β But a news organization like The Times β rich with resources and eager to proclaim its national prominence β surely can find a way to cover a storm that has ravaged such a wide stretch of the country β s Gulf Coast . β
Accusations of a lackluster response have extended to the White House as well . The βββ noted on Friday that many in Louisiana and elsewhere had begun to compare President Obama β s decision not to immediately visit the state to his predecessor β s notorious handling of Hurricane Katrina . The White House says the president will arrive on Tuesday after receiving briefings from Homeland Security secretary Jeh Johnson , who made an earlier visit to the region .
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One reason for the lack of attention from the press β though perhaps no excuse β may partly explain why so many Louisianans were unprepared .
β If you had a hurricane forecast and you had a named storm , more people would have been aware of what the risk was , β said Mr. Fugate on NPR . β But the weather service opened up a fairly high risk of serious flooding . It just was hard to say how deep it was going to be . And nobody , I think , was prepared for that much rain in that short a time . β | uZg7ieBQUdDn7Koc | 1 | Disaster | -1 | Floods | -0.9 | General News | -0.7 | null | null | null | null |
trade | Washington Times | https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/mar/21/donald-trump-targeting-china-with-proposed-trade-t/ | Trump targeting China with proposed trade tariffs | 2018-03-21 | trade | President Trump will crack down on what he calls China β s unfair trade practices and theft of U.S. intellectual property with a package of punitive actions Thursday that include up to $ 60 billion in tariffs on imports .
The tariffs , which chiefly target information technology , consumer electronics and telecoms , follow through on Mr. Trump β s tough talk against China β s trade abuses that helped fuel his White House win .
The measures enjoyed strong support from Mr. Trump β s economic team , especially U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer . Beyond the White House , however , business leaders and free-trade advocates argue that U.S. consumers are the ones who ultimately pay the new tax .
The tariffs are being imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 that authorizes the president to take action or retaliation against unjustified , unreasonable or discriminatory foreign trade laws that hurt U.S. commerce .
The list of items subject to the tariff could also be expanded to include clothing and shoes , according to Reuters , which first reported the tariff plan last week .
The administration has warned Beijing to further open markets and loosen rules that disadvantage U.S. companies , and the tariffs hammer home the demand .
The implementation of the tariffs will be delayed , allowing for negotiations with China over trade practices and intellectually property rights .
The White House declined to comment Wednesday on the tariff rollout .
Joshua Bolten , president of the Business Roundtable , said that unilaterally imposing tariffs β will only stifle job creation , reduce the competitiveness of businesses , and increase prices for American families . β
A group of retail giants including Walmart , Target and Costco in a letter urged Mr. Trump to reconsider .
β This is not American industries crying wolf , β said Sandy Kennedy , president of Retail Industries Leaders Association . β Higher tariffs will mean higher costs to businesses and in turn higher prices for American families . After a major tax reform victory , widespread tariffs on everyday consumer goods will wipe out much of the benefits realized by the average American household . β
Critics also warned that Mr. Trump was setting off a trade war with America β s biggest trading partner , as well as possibly souring relations with a key ally in Mr. Trump β s upcoming nuclear talks with North Korea leader Kim Jong-un .
Mr. Trump has brushed off talk of trade wars in a tweet earlier this month : β When a country ( USA ) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with , trade wars are good , and easy to win . Example , when we are down $ 100 billion with a certain country and they get cute , don β t trade anymore-we win big . It β s easy ! β
That was after the Trump administration announced tariffs on steel and aluminum . Those tariffs take effect Friday and hit all imports of steel and aluminum .
Mr. Trump called out China for dumping cheap steel in the U.S. when announcing the tariffs , although China accounts for a small portion of U.S. steel imports .
In January , Mr. Trump slapped tariffs on imports of solar panels and washing machines . Beijing voiced β strong dissatisfaction . β
A week later , China β s biggest maker of solar panels announced plans to open a new U.S. factory .
The new tariffs on technology and intellectual property are expected to be worth between $ 30 billion and $ 60 billion , roughly the value of U.S. technology lost to China due to the country β s onerous trade rules .
β I don β t think there is any silver bullet solution to this , but we know what doesn β t work and that is tariffs , β said Christine McDaniel , an economist at George Mason University β s Mercatus Center .
She said multilateral trade deals , such as the Trans Pacific Partnership that Mr. Trump tore up , are more effective in putting pressure on China .
β It he can keep using these tariffs as negotiation tools , more power to him . But we need to rewrite trade rules and do it with countries that are eager to do it with us , β said Ms. McDaniel . β They can live without the U.S. but they can β t live without the rest of the world . β | pLw6LZi7sU8utIQs | 2 | China | -0.3 | Trade | 0.2 | Tariffs | 0 | null | null | null | null |
middle_east | Washington Times | http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/nov/12/us-led-offensive-aims-to-retake-sinjar-iraq-from-i/ | Kurds seize Sinjar, city in northern Iraq, from Islamic State?s clutches | 2015-11-12 | middle_east | The Kurdish government in Iraq declared Friday morning that its peshmerga fighters , backed by intense U.S. airstrikes , had liberated the city of Sinjar , a place of horrifying atrocities carried out by the Islamic State .
β Sinjar is liberated by peshmerga , β tweeted Masoud Barzani , president of Iraq β s semiautonomous Kurdish region . Kurdish officials said only one flag would fly in the city : the Kurdish one .
β I congratulate [ the population ] of Kurdistan , especially the Yezidis [ sic ] , β he said , referring to the religious group targeted by the Islamic State for mass killings and extinction .
The U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group began its first coordinated cross-border offensive on Thursday .
A Kurdish official told The βββ that the peshmerga , the armed forces of semiautonomous Kurdistan , have killed more than 100 Islamic State fighters and control a neighborhood inside Sinjar .
On one front , a force of 7,500 peshmerga launched a ground attack on Islamic State positions guarding Sinjar , as U.S. airstrikes hit scores of targets in and around the city . Coalition officials say some 95 square miles of territory have been reclaimed from the Islamic State .
SEE ALSO : Moderate Democrats want decisive plan from Obama to beat Islamic State
Across the border , Syrian Kurds and Arab forces , the ones Washington is counting on to reverse Islamic State territorial gains , launched an offensive to cut key roads into Raqqa used for sending and receiving supplies . Raqqa is the capital , spiritual heart and economic lifeline for operations inside the Islamic State β s self-styled caliphate in Iraq and Syria .
β We expect that the ISIL forces will be dug in , will have placed defensive measures , put those in place to try and hold this ground , β said Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook . β So we do not expect that this is going to be an easy fight . But we do have confidence in the Iraqi Kurdish forces there who have shown their capability in the past . β
The Pentagon spokesman said the offensive operations , backed by airstrikes from the U.S. and its allies , is β an opportunity to deal ISIL a blow . β
β Again , I don β t want to lead you to think that this is going to be an easy fight , β Mr. Cook said . β Every aspect of this campaign has proven to be challenging . β
Indeed , the coalition badly needs a victory in a war that top U.S. military officials acknowledged has become stalemated . U.S. officers have openly urged Iraqi commanders to launch an offensive to retake the Islamic State-held city of Ramadi in the west . But the city , abandoned when the Iraqi soldiers defending it fled their posts in May , is still in the Islamic State β s grip .
In Sinjar , U.S. special operations forces were operating from a hill above the fighting , Col. Steven Warren , the spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition in Baghdad , told The Associated Press . U.S. advisers were also positioned with Kurdish commanders , set back from the front line and behind Sinjar mountain , to remain away from the crossfire , the AP reported .
In Syria , U.S.-backed rebels have had little success , pressured by extremists such as Islamic State and the Russian-backed forces of President Bashar Assad . The Obama administration began two programs : arms shipments directly to moderate rebels and a plan to insert scores of American commandos to advise them in battle .
Secretary of State John F. Kerry , in an address in Washington ahead of a new round of talks on a Syria peace deal this weekend in Vienna , said President Obama is not backing down from his demand that Syrian President Bashar Assad step down as part of any deal to end the country β s bloody civil war . But he said the outcome remains uncertain as Russia and β for the first time β Iran join the talks .
Moscow and Tehran have been key backers of Mr. Assad in the conflict , which has drawn in players from across the region .
β The walls of mistrust within Syria , within the region and within the international community are thick and high , β Mr. Kerry said . Although Mr. Obama and Mr. Putin have clashed over the fate of Mr. Assad , the U.S. , Russia and other countries at the table β have decided not to let that disagreement prevent us from trying to build on the common ground we have established , β the secretary of state said .
A major objective of the offensive in Iraq is to take control of Highway 47 , the east-west route that links Islamic State-held Mosul , Iraq β s second-largest city , with Raqqa and other captured land in Syria .
Brett McGurk , the State Department β s point man on defeating the Islamic State , called the operation a coordinated effort with Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighters ringing Raqqa at the same time that Kurdish peshmerga fighters control the highway .
The Kurdish Region Security Council tweeted that peshmerga troops had taken the village of Gabara , which allowed them to control the stretch of highway that runs from Sinjar to the Syrian border . If the move holds , it means that the Islamic State , also known as ISIL and ISIS , has been cut off from supplying its 600 fighters in Sinjar .
The Kurdish Region Security Council tweeted a running commentary on the battle , saying peshmerga fighters also took the village of Gulat and Sino in the east and a former Iraqi military base in the west .
The Sinjar region has taken on symbolic weight in the fight because it was there where Islamic State jihadis launched a wave of terrorism against the local Yazidi population , members of an ancient religious minority whom the Islamic State views as heretics and devil worshippers . The women were enslaved and given to militants in Iraq and Syria , and many of the men were believed to be either killed or forced to convert .
The βββ reported this week that the Yazidis and their Kurdish allies have grown increasingly critical of the Obama administration in recent weeks for failing to provide adequate aid and support . Top Yazidi religious leaders have even traveled to Russia for help to prevent what they say is an ongoing genocide of their people .
But the Pentagon said the latest offensive in Sinjar has changed the dynamic of the fight .
β This is an effort , to be clear , where ISIL is on the defensive , β Mr. Cook said .
β Denying ISIL use of Highway 47 disrupts their ability to move fighters , supplies and oil destined for black market , β said a statement from the U.S. joint task force running the war .
One of the Islamic State β s most deadly weapons is the vehicle-borne improvised explosive device , often rigged inside captured American-made Humvees .
The Kurdish council said that as the offensive began at dawn Thursday , it destroyed one of these devices using a Milan anti-tank rocket and a coalition airstrike took out another .
The coalition prepared the battlefield by launching over 60 airstrikes around Sinjar beginning in late October . The objective : to destroy Islamic State emplacements on both sides of the city to allow Kurdish forces to march in , take outlying villages and then mass for an assault on Sinjar .
The air targets included fighting positions , arms depots and places that surveillance aircraft showed Islamic State fighters were assembling .
β We have seen an unprecedented amount of air power in recent days to support our forces , β the Kurdish official told The Times .
The official said the Kurds still lack the kind of heavy weaponry they need , such as longer-range anti-armor weapons . Kurds blame the Shiite-run government in Baghdad for blocking shipments .
Mr. Kerry , in remarks Thursday at the U.S. Institute of Peace , said Mr. Assad must leave because the moderate Syrian rebel forces backed by Washington will never accept him after four years of bloody civil war .
β Asking the opposition to trust Assad or to accept Assad β s leadership is simply not a reasonable request . It β s literally a nonstarter , β he said .
Others attending the weekend gathering in Vienna include representatives from the Arab League , China , Egypt , the European Union , Jordan , Lebanon , Oman , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , Turkey and the United Nations .
β’ Guy Taylor contributed to this article , which is based in part on wire service reports . | rrw4g9satq6pfQom | 2 | Kurds | 2.3 | Syria | 0.1 | Middle East | 0 | null | null | null | null |
elections | Vanity Fair | http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/05/why-you-shouldnt-worry-about-president-trump | Why You Shouldnβt (Totally) Freak Out About a Trump Presidency | elections | If you are sad about the nomination of Donald Trump , whether you are conservative or liberal , let me try to make you feel better . It might not work , but it β s worth a shot .
Americans are still , on the whole , an uncommonly decent people , and that includes people of all parties , Trump supporters and Trump haters . Over the past 60 years , our country has undergone massive shifts in technology , in economic arrangements , in values , and in demography . We β ve doubled in population , entered the Information Age , expanded the frontiers of civil rights , and seen whites go from 90 percent to 72 percent of Americans . For all the massiveness of these changes , we remain , overall , peaceful and law-abiding and well-meaning . We drive soberly . We watch sports matches civilly . We support a massive nonprofit sector . When we head to our local school gym or retirement-home lounge to cast a ballot in an election , all sides operate with a basic sense of trust .
Perhaps in your darker contemplations of the United States you β ve wondered if Oliver Stone or Alex Jones is right : that our democracy is a sham , a rigged system controlled by hidden interests . Certainly , there is much that is corrupt : revolving doors in government , financial rules written by Wall Street , fines for law-breaking seen as a cost of doing business , and many unpopular donor-class policies supported by both parties . But bad laws and greed are the primary basis of much of this , not outright murderousness . Some of those living large on our current injustices might be unsavory , but collectively they are not monsters . They β ll put thumbs on the scale when possible , but they will not blow up the scale and steal elections . They will not launch South Americanβstyle coups . They will not assassinate elected officials . When Donald Trump , a man the establishment hates , vowed to torpedo much of the current system , he did so with the protection of the Secret Service . When voters decided to upend the Republican establishment , the Republican establishment meekly submitted . Our corruption is still gentle , our revolutions still bloodless .
Voters have been ill-served by the two parties , because the areas of Washington consensus did not reflect a popular consensus . Both parties favor globalism , free trade , and loosened borders , but millions of Americans favor nationalism , isolationism , and nativism . The latter terms are customarily used as ones of abuse , but the simple fact is that some people want to connect more with the outer world , while others want to keep their environments more stable and enclosed .
A decent political system takes both desires into account and looks for compromise , not winner-takes-all . People on the left often speak of leaders who can be a voice for the voiceless . Trump , whether you like him or not , is that . His manner of delivery may not be defensible , but he β s the first to channel something that had to come out eventually . He sets the stage for others to set up political choices more in tune with the splits of Americans , which won β t resolve our differences but will make some of them less bitter .
If Trump wins , he might threaten to deport 11 million people , but he will not do it . No one will . But if Trump gets a border fence built , I predict it would not bother most people . There is already a wall south of San Diego . Do you wish to see it torn down , or do you not much care either way ? My guess is you do not much care either way . If a wall causes most of the illegal migration across the southern border to be stopped , then much of the bitterness surrounding the issue will fade away . Amnesty will become easier , not harder . | 4C2nGr1WuOYJFskW | 0 | Presidential Elections | 0.5 | Elections | 0.5 | Donald Trump | 0 | null | null | null | null | |
impeachment | National Review | https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/11/trump-impeachment-hearings-americas-broken-truce-presidency/ | Impeachment and the Broken Truce | 2019-11-14 | impeachment | Chairman Adam Schiff and Ranking Member Devin Nunes during the first public hearings held by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence as part of the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump , November 13 , 2019 . ( Saul Loeb/Pool via Reuters )
The cultural tug-o β -war over the presidency is the great American tribal competition in its most concentrated form .
The contradiction at the center of American politics in Anno Domini 2019 is this : The ruling class does not rule .
The impeachment dog-and-pony show in Washington this week is not about how Donald Trump has comported himself as president ( grotesquely ) any more than early convulsions were about refreshed Democratic interest in the Emoluments Clause or the Hatch Act . President Trump is a throbbing irritation to the sensitivities prevailing in ZIP code 94957 , but even the impeachment fight is only a skirmish in the tribal proxy war that goes back to the founding of our republic .
The ruling class very strongly preferred Hillary Rodham Clinton over Donald Trump in 2016 . Donations from people associated with Goldman Sachs to Mrs. Clinton β s campaign outnumbered those to Trump β s campaign 70 to 1 . ( Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona was a larger recipient of Goldman Sachsβaffiliated money in 2016 than was Trump . ) Among bankers at large , Clinton β s donations led Trump β s 7 to 1 . Among people affiliated with Harvard , Mrs. Clinton β s edge was 200 to 1 . Facebook money favored Clinton 100 to 1 ; Apple money favored her 135 to 1 ; Google favored her 76 to 1 ; Exxon Mobil favored her 4 to 1 ; Walmart favored her 3 to 1 . Mrs. Clinton led Trump 4 to 1 among securities and investing donors , 20 to 1 among lawyers and law firms , 4 to 1 among those in the film and television business , 3 to 1 among those in health care , and 3 to 2 among real-estate people . Which is to say , Mrs. Clinton was by far the preferred candidate of Wall Street , Silicon Valley , Hollywood , the Ivy League , Big Business , medical staff , lawyers , and real-estate developers , to say nothing of government workers and their unions .
And even with all that support , and even as she ran up her totals in a handful of large and lopsidedly Democratic states , Donald Trump won a majority of the voters in a majority of the states .
Consider this from the point of view of New York City or Palo Alto . Mrs. Clinton β s cause was more popular than was Trump β s in 2016 , even though the β national popular vote β is meaningless from a constitutional point of view . Mrs. Clinton β s cause was much , much more popular in the economically vibrant metros whose populations are more extensively educated and significantly more economically productive , contributing more to economic growth . A third of Mrs. Clinton β s voters were urban , but only 12 percent of Trump β s were . College-educated Americans , who compose about a third of the electorate , favored Mrs. Clinton by 21 points in 2016 , whereas nongraduates favored Trump by 7 points . A Clinton voter of any race in 2016 was about 50 percent more likely to be a college graduate than was a Trump voter ; a white Clinton voter in 2016 was about twice as likely to be a college graduate as a white Trump voter .
The Democrats talk a good game about representing the poor and the left-behind , but it is worth keeping in mind which class β s ox actually was gored in 2016 : It was Harvey Weinstein β s class and Sergey Brin β s , that of law partners and Harvard Business School graduates , Wall Street operators and hospital administrators β much more management than labor . The real class dynamic at work sometimes shows its face in Democratic complaints about β poorly educated whites β and the implicit ( often exaggerated ) blue-state subsidy to the red states . Understanding the actual social dynamic at work there makes the political bitterness easier to understand , as is the story , only partly flattering , the metropolitan progressives tell themselves : β We run the businesses that create the jobs and pay the taxes and make the economy grow , we have the money and the education , we are the innovators β why shouldn β t we rule ? β
To which rural Americans , conservatives , and Trump voters might answer : β Because those are not the terms of our agreement . β
From the very beginning , the fault line in American politics has run between the more densely populated , urban , and economically developed communities and the less densely populated , rural , and agricultural ones . This has been complicated by many factors : During the founding era , slavery presented financial and political questions as well as moral ones , with the slave states wanting their captive populations counted for purposes of political representation but not for purposes of taxation . In the modern era , the urbanβrural split that once characterized the country at large has been replicated within many of the states , with the farming people of , e.g. , the Texas Panhandle seeing their economic , cultural , and political interests as being quite distinct from those of their fellow Texans residing in Austin or Houston . Similarly , the middle of Pennsylvania is not very much like Philadelphia or Pittsburgh , and the Central Valley of California may as well be 10,000 miles from Los Angeles and San Francisco .
In the 18th century , these differences were mitigated β though by no means solved β by the Madisonian truce . The federal apparatus relied to a limited extent on mass democracy β but , critically , on local mass democracy , in House districts across the country . The states themselves were given equal representation in the Senate irrespective of population . The Electoral College insulated the presidency from direct exposure to mass national democracy . All of this was aided by a conception of the U.S. government that endowed it with limited powers and duties , reserving other powers to the states . ( β States β rights β is and always has been a nonsensical expression ; the states do not have rights , but powers . ) Silently superimposed on this geographical and demographic framework is John Adams β s theory of β balanced β government , in which democratic , aristocratic , and monarchical ( which is to say , executive or presidential , in the U.S. context ) elements work in complementary or rivalrous fashion with one another to produce government that is sufficiently robust and energetic to pursue necessary federal ends but not so unified that it is able to supplant liberty with tyranny .
As the federal government has grown in reach and power , it necessarily has become more central to American life . The federal government is not only the navy and the postal service ; most of its spending today is in the area of income support and redistribution ( through direct payments and indirectly through medical benefits ) , which makes it intimately involved with our private lives and with household economy . The presidency has mutated and turned metastatic , with the president becoming a sort of ersatz Roman emperor whose main importance to public life is no longer administrative but ceremonial and sacramental .
And so Trump β s victory in the Electoral College occasioned a moral and spiritual crisis among his rivals , who believe themselves and their class to be entitled to political power .
The cultural tug-o β -war over the presidency is the great American tribal competition in its most concentrated form . The metropolitan elites see the opposite tribe as backward , uneducated , superstitious , addled by religion and race hatred ; the rustics and conservatives see the metropolitan elites as meretricious , decadent , and somehow less than authentically American . The question that has occasioned the impeachment of Donald Trump is not whether the president is legitimate but whether his tribe is legitimate . When the rival tribe is understood as being fundamentally illegitimate , then no government arising from that tribe can be understood as legitimate , either , and neither can the political processes that empower that tribe over its rivals .
And legitimacy is really the question that is in front of us . Consider the Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas , in which a Texas statute was nullified by the Court because the justices concluded that the only possible justification for the law at hand was illegitimate ( in this case , bigotry against homosexuals ) and hence without β rational basis. β Irrespective of your views about gay rights or the desirability of anti-sodomy statutes , it should be perfectly obvious that such high-handed dismissal of a common ( nearly universal until about five minutes ago ) view of the world , along with its moral and religious underpinnings , raises the cultural stakes of presidential politics in a way that a disagreement over health-insurance regulation does not . With the current reach and configuration of the federal government , occupying the White House not only gives one tribe or the other an opportunity to pursue ordinary policy interests but also to in effect make compliance with its metaphysical assumptions ( religious or otherwise ) mandatory , with obedience enforced at the point of federal bayonets . This makes the cultural de-escalation of the presidency impossible and renders inevitable the continuing aggrandizement of the office , its power , and its occupant . That is how the β chief magistracy β occupied by Washington , Adams , and Jefferson evolved into an imperial cult , which is what the American presidency has become .
The truce is broken , our politics has descended into restrained ( for now ) tribal warfare , and the presidency has been remade into a weapon of mass domination .
If you think this is all about a telephone call to Kyiv , look again . | zK7Ir2U9IOefSNmS | 2 | Impeachment | -0.1 | White House | 0 | Politics | 0 | null | null | null | null |
politics | Politico | http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/25/manafort-trump-russia-advise-238803 | Manafort advised Trump team on Russia scandal | 2017-05-25 | politics | Months after the FBI began examining Paul Manafort as part of a probe into ties between President Donald Trump β s team and Russia , Manafort called Trump β s chief of staff , Reince Priebus , to push back against the mounting controversy , according to four people familiar with the call .
It was about a week before Trump β s inauguration , and Manafort wanted to brief Trump β s team on alleged inaccuracies in a recently released dossier of memos written by a former British spy for Trump β s opponents that alleged compromising ties among Russia , Trump and Trump β s associates , including Manafort .
β On the day that the dossier came out in the press , Paul called Reince , as a responsible ally of the president would do , and said this story about me is garbage , and a bunch of the other stuff in there seems implausible , β said a person close to Manafort .
Manafort had been forced to resign as Trump β s campaign chairman five months earlier amid scrutiny of his work for Kremlin-aligned politicians and businessmen in Eastern Europe . But he had continued talking to various members of Trump β s team and had even had at least two conversations with Trump , according to people close to Manafort or Trump .
While the people say the conversations were mostly of a political or , in some cases , personal nature , the conversation with Priebus , described by the four people familiar with it , was related to the scandal now consuming Manafort and the Trump presidency .
It suggests that Manafort recognized months ago the potentially serious problems posed by the investigation , even as Trump himself continues to publicly dismiss it as a politically motivated witch hunt while predicting it won β t find anything compromising .
The discussion also could provide fodder for an expanding line of inquiry for both the FBI and congressional investigators . They β ve increasingly focused on the Trump team β s handling of the investigations , including evolving explanations from the White House , and the president β s unsuccessful efforts to get the FBI to drop part of the investigation , followed by his firing of FBI Director James Comey . All that has led to claims that the president and his team may have opened themselves to obstruction of justice charges .
βββ Playbook newsletter Sign up today to receive the # 1-rated newsletter in politics Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from βββ . You can unsubscribe at any time . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply .
According to a GOP operative familiar with Manafort β s conversation with Priebus , Manafort suggested the errors in the dossier discredited it , as well as the FBI investigation , since the bureau had reached a tentative ( but later aborted ) agreement to pay the former British spy to continue his research and had briefed both Trump and then-President Barack Obama on the dossier .
Manafort told Priebus that the dossier was tainted by inaccuracies and by the motivations of the people who initiated it , whom he alleged were Democratic activists and donors working in cahoots with Ukrainian government officials , according to the operative .
Manafort discussed with other Trump allies the possibility of launching a countervailing investigation into efforts by Ukrainian government officials who allegedly worked in conjunction with allies of Trump β s Democratic rival Hillary Clinton to damage Trump β s campaign , according to the operative . The operative added that Manafort saw such an investigation as a way to distract attention from the parallel FBI and congressional Russia probes .
Priebus and the White House press office declined to comment , as did the Ukrainian presidential administration , though it previously challenged the notion it meddled in the U.S. presidential election .
Priebus did , however , alert Trump to the conversation with Manafort , according to the operative familiar with the conversation and a person close to Trump .
But someone else familiar with the call described it as β a very vague topline discussion β that lasted two or three minutes and was short on details . β The only thing discussed was that the dossier was incorrect , full of lies , and was a joke . They never discussed ways to push back on it , β the person said . β Manafort said if you want any additional details , give me a call , and Reince never called him back . β
There β s no evidence that Trump β s team considered an investigation into Ukrainian meddling or acted on Manafort β s recommendations , though Trump did blast the dossier as β fake news β gathered by β a group of opponents that got together β sick people β and they put that crap together . β
But Manafort , a 68-year-old veteran of five U.S. presidential elections and many overseas campaigns , has emerged as a focal point in the escalating investigations . His representatives say he is cooperating with investigators . This month , he voluntarily provided documents to the Senate Intelligence Committee , while also offering to be interviewed by the House and Senate intelligence committees .
Meanwhile , a federal grand jury empaneled as part of the FBI β s investigation reportedly has issued a subpoena for records related to Manafort , as well as Trump β s former national security adviser , Michael Flynn .
In addition to Manafort and Flynn , others being scrutinized in the various investigations include occasional Trump confidant ( and former Manafort business partner ) Roger Stone and former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page , who had only a fleeting association with the campaign .
Of that quartet , though , Manafort has by far the deepest β and most lucrative β connections to politicians , parties and businessmen associated with Russia whose president , Vladimir Putin , is reported to have personally overseen his country β s efforts to meddle in the U.S. presidential election to boost Trump .
Manafort was paid millions of dollars for work on behalf of oligarchs from Ukraine and Russia , as well as Russia-aligned Ukrainian political parties , including one helmed by former Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych . He fled Ukraine for Russia in 2014 amid street protests over government corruption and a pivot away from the European Union .
The New York Times in August revealed that the FBI and Ukrainian investigators were looking into a recently unearthed ledger detailing alleged off-the-books payments to Manafort by Yanukovych β s party totaling $ 12.7 million .
Manafort was forced to resign from the campaign less than a week after the story .
He has defended his work for Yanukovych as fully aboveboard and consistent with U.S. foreign policy objectives , as well as completely distinct from his work for Trump ( though the Times reported Wednesday evening that top Russian officials discussed β leveraging β their ties to Yanukovych to exert influence over Manafort ) . Manafort also has questioned the authenticity of the ledger .
The dossier , prepared by former MI6 officer Christopher Steele , claims that the day after the Times β report on the ledger , Yanukovych secretly met with Putin near Volgograd , Russia , to discuss the matter .
β Yanukovych had confided in Putin that he did authorise and order substantial kick-back payments to Manafort as alleged but sought to reassure him that there was no documentary trail left behind which could provide clear evidence of this , β one memo in the dossier claims . The memo continues that β Putin and others in the Russian leadership were sceptical [ sic ] about the ex-Ukrainian president 's reassurances on this . β
After the dossier β s publication by BuzzFeed in January , Manafort in his conversation with Priebus challenged the dossier β s characterization of the payments from Yanukovych , according to the operative familiar with the conversation .
In conversations with other associates , Manafort singled out the dossier β s use of the term β kickback , β explaining β Yanukovych would never use that term , β according to the operative . Additionally , Manafort questioned whether any of Steele β s sources would be in position to know the contents of a meeting between Putin and Yanukovych . β This stuff would never see light of the day , β Manafort told the associates , according to the operative .
In his conversation with Priebus , Manafort also disputed the assertion in the Steele dossier that Manafort managed relations between Trump β s team and the Russian leadership , using Page and others as intermediaries .
Manafort told Priebus that he β d never met Page , according to the operative .
Manafort has said he severed ties with Yanukovych when he fled Ukraine . But Manafort continued advising the successor party to Yanukovych β s through late 2015 .
And two operatives familiar with his work in Eastern Europe say he remained in contact during Trump β s presidency with associates in Ukraine , including one who is widely believed to have a background in Russian intelligence .
Trump β s aides now say privately that the campaign wasn β t fully aware of the extent of Manafort β s connections to Russia-linked figures and entities when he was brought on board .
And White House aides and allies express mounting frustration that Manafort β s past work in Eastern Europe β which they see as entirely unrelated to his work on the Trump campaign β is dogging Trump β s presidency .
β His problems are his problems . They would have existed independent of the campaign , β said someone who worked on the Trump campaign with Manafort .
Trump β s aides and allies have sought to minimize Manafort β s role on the campaign , with White House press secretary Sean Spicer in March describing Manafort as someone β who played a very limited role for a very limited amount of time β in the effort .
The former Trump campaign worker said β because Paul was initially brought on to secure the delegates and work with the establishment figures that the initial campaign team didn β t have relationships with , he was primarily based in New York , D.C. and then Cleveland setting up the convention . Whereas Mr. Trump and the core campaign team were traveling all over the country campaigning. β As a result , the campaign hand said , β we didn β t really have that much interaction with Paul . He wasn β t part of the core campaign team . β
And the former campaign worker asserted that Trump and Manafort β didn β t have a relationship β before a mutual friend , California real estate investor Tom Barrack , recommended that Trump bring Manafort on board as a volunteer .
In fact , though , Manafort β s lobbying firm worked for Trump in the 1980s and 1990s fighting the expansion of Indian casinos that could compete with his Atlantic City gambling business , and trying to change the flight path of planes that Trump said disturbed guests at his newly purchased Mar-a-Lago club in Florida .
And , while it β s true that Manafort joined the campaign in March 2016 to handle delegate strategy , he quickly exerted his influence over the entire campaign , which was headquartered at Manhattan β s Trump Tower , where he owns an apartment .
Days after Manafort joined the campaign , one of his daughters , in a text message to her sister that was later hacked and posted in an online data tranche , wrote : β Dad and Trump are literally living in the same building and mom says they go up and down all day long hanging and plotting together . β
Manafort eventually forced out his internal rival , campaign manager Corey Lewandowski , in June , leaving Manafort with almost complete control over the operation for two months until August , when he was layered over , and then forced to resign .
Even after that , Manafort continued discussing campaign strategy with people on the campaign , including a few calls with Trump β s influential son-in-law , Jared Kushner , and more regular contact with key state directors , according to a Trump campaign consultant .
Manafort was spotted in the part of the Trump Tower lobby that led to Trump β s transition headquarters in the weeks after Trump β s victory , though a source close to Manafort suggested he may have been coming from or going to his apartment , as opposed to meeting with anyone on the transition team .
Likewise , there is some confusion about whether Manafort has spoken to Trump since he was sworn in as president .
Three Manafort associates said he indicated that he spoke to the president periodically until the Russia investigation started heating up about two months ago . But two sources close to Trump said there haven β t been any conversations at all since the inauguration .
One Manafort friend said Manafort had been offering Trump β general political input , just like he still talks to Corey [ Lewandowski ] , and he still talks to Stone occasionally . Guys that he thinks are smart , he talks to . β
The friend said β Paul and Trump are still on good terms , β and suggested that Manafort would be unlikely to turn on Trump to help himself . β If he feels burned , it β s because of the trail of things he β s left behind over time , not because of anything Trump did , β the friend said . β He still pulls for him and wants to help him . β | hj8EWVP8JQC1qIT6 | 0 | Paul Manafort | -1.2 | Russia Probe | -0.6 | Politics | -0.3 | null | null | null | null |
federal_budget | Politico | http://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/gop-govs-to-hill-get-back-to-bargaining-table-88014.html?hp=t1_3 | GOP governors to Hill Republicans: Do something | 2013-02-24 | federal_budget | Tom Corbett and Gary Herbert are frustrated with the lack of progress in Congress . | AP Photos GOP governors to Hill Republicans : Step up
Ask Pennsylvania Gov . Tom Corbett and Utah Gov . Gary Herbert what they think of Hill Republicans β strategy on the sequester , and you get the exact same response : β What strategy ? β
It β s a sign that Republican governors might be still giving President Barack Obama a lot of the blame for the sequester β but they 're fed up with their own side , too .
Their message for House Speaker John Boehner and other GOP leaders : It β s not OK to just sit on the sidelines . It β s time to do something to stop the automatic cuts , and fast .
β They need to stop having press conferences and start meeting , β Virginia Gov . Bob McDonnell told βββ Sunday , referring to both Hill Republicans and Obama . β The time for shows is over . We β ve had 18 months . β
β I think there β s a lack of leadership , period . And there β s enough lack of leadership blame to go around , β Herbert said Sunday . β The president needs to step up with his proposals . Speaker Boehner needs to come to the table with his proposals . And what β s happening with [ Senate Majority Leader Harry ] Reid ? I mean , they haven β t done a budget there for four years . β
β They all need to step up , β Herbert said . β Whatever the strategy is , it seems to be not too good a one . β
The new rumblings match what 's been going on behind the scenes for months . Governors have publicly signed on to letters bashing Obama and praising House Republicans ' efforts , but privately their offices have been urging lawmakers to work harder to avoid potentially devastating cuts β particularly those that could hit local programs .
It 's a reality check moment for the Republican Party , with state leaders fearing they 'll be left to clean up the economic disaster back home if Washington ca n't overcome its partisan stalemate .
Corbett , whose state is one of the top 10 states that could be hit hardest by job losses , says congressional Republicans β and Democrats β need to restart the talks with Obama about how to replace the sequester .
β Frankly , I think the Hill ought to be saying , β We β re ready to sit down and work on a budget right now , and we will go through it line by line , β β Corbett said Sunday . β That β s what you β ve got to do . That β s what we do as governors . β
Until now , Republican governors have mostly been content to blame Obama for the sequestration cuts that will hit their states in five days , and they β ve stayed quiet about the role their Hill colleagues have played in the mess . That β s exactly what Republican leaders wanted , since they β re trying to stick Obama with the blame for the cuts , insisting it β s up to him to come up with a backup plan that doesn β t raise taxes again . | noOEoYzyFWc0gqRY | 0 | Federal Budget | -0.6 | Economy And Jobs | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
tea_party | Washington Times | http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/dec/24/conservative-activists-set-sights-paul-ryan-2016/ | Tea partyers fume over Paul Ryanβs spending bill, seek conservative challenger | 2015-12-24 | tea_party | Conservative activists are targeting House Speaker Paul D. Ryan for a primary challenge next year as retribution for the massive spending bill the Wisconsin Republican ushered through Congress at the end of the recent session .
The effort is spearheaded by Wisconsin tea party groups and pro-life activists , who feel betrayed by Mr. Ryan β s nearly $ 2 trillion package .
The spending bill avoided a government shutdown by surrendering on conservatives β top priorities , including giving up the fights to defund Planned Parenthood and to block President Obama β s plan to bring at least 10,000 Syrian refugees to the U.S .
The hunt is on to find a suitable conservative candidate who can beat Mr. Ryan , who received 94 percent of the vote in the 2014 primary in his district , which sits against the Illinois border in the southeastern part of the state .
β There are people who are seriously looking for that , β said James Murphy , founder of Green Bay Tea Party . β There is a sympathetic ear to having someone beat him . β
The Ryan campaign team in Wisconsin has shrugged off the threats , treating them as mere talk in the absence of a viable candidate to mount a challenge in the district .
However , there is precedent for a tea party challenger to topple a member of the House Republican leadership . Eric Cantor , while serving as majority leader , lost his seat in a Richmond , Virginia , suburb in a 2014 primary upset to tea-party-backed Dave Brat .
However , Mr. Ryan β s predecessor as speaker , John A. Boehner , easily defeated a tea-party-backed primary challenger the same year in Ohio . At the time , Mr. Boehner faced widespread opposition from conservatives and a revolt in the House Republican conference , which ultimately prompted him to resign in October .
Mr. Ryan , the 2012 Republican nominee for vice president , did not seek the speakership but was drafted by conservative and establishment members who saw him as a unifying figure who could mend the divide in the conference .
Still , the discontent on the home front for Mr. Ryan is part of ongoing tension between conservatives who want aggressive action to rein in Mr. Obama β s agenda and party leaders who have taken a measured approach .
Ken Crow , a tea party activist in Iowa , gave voice to the dissatisfaction in a blog post calling for a grass-roots uprising to unseat Mr. Ryan .
β If this Omnibus bill is any sort of indication of the way Speaker Ryan is going to govern , it is time to do what β Barney Fife β told us to do so many years ago , β NIP-IT , NIP-IT β in the bud now ! β Mr. Crow wrote .
He continued : β All patriots should contact your group leaders and begin organizing nationwide to put down this RINO in order that he is not re-elected to his seat in Wisconsin . The Badger State patriots need to begin soliciting your State Senators , high-profile business leaders or the State Legislators who reside within the 1st District of Wisconsin . β
The fury from conservative activists over the spending package , which renewed popular tax breaks and increased the federal deficit by hundreds of billions of dollars , also was directed at the 150 House Republicans whom Mr. Ryan cajoled into supporting the bill .
Americans for Legal Immigration PAC , which opposes illegal immigration , launched a drive to find primary challengers for all 150 House Republicans who backed the bill .
β These sellout Republicans have made a huge mistake voting for this on top of the huge surge in public anger at DC politicians that have betrayed their constituents , β said William Gheen , president of the political action committee .
The spending bill enraged advocates for a crackdown on illegal immigration by funding so-called sanctuary cities that provide safe harbor for illegal immigrants and failing to rein in Mr. Obama β s executive action to grant deportation amnesty .
Mr. Ryan has defended the bill and his loyalty to the conservative cause .
β The members that asked me to become speaker , that elected me to speaker , know that I come from the conservative movement and that I β m a movement conservative with an eye on the prize , which is actually achieving success , β the speaker said in an interview on NBC β s β Meet the Press β after passage of the bill .
β In divided government , you don β t get everything you want , β he said . β So we fought for as much as we could get . We advanced our priorities and principles . Not every single one of them , but many of them . β | FHgQmHjUQ93bB0jt | 2 | Paul Ryan | -1.2 | Tea Party | -1.1 | US House | -0.5 | Politics | 0 | null | null |
elections | Fox News | http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/04/19/new-york-state-mind-trump-clinton-seek-landslide-wins-on-home-turf.html | New York state of mind: Trump, Clinton seek landslide wins on home turf | 2016-04-19 | elections | Republican and Democratic presidential front-runners Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have another chance to edge closer to their respective parties ' nominations Tuesday as voters go to the polls in the delegate-rich New York primary .
Pre-primary polls show Trump and Clinton holding comfortable leads , but winning alone is not necessarily enough . Clinton will want a convincing victory to halt rival Bernie Sanders ' winning streak and blunt his claims of `` momentum '' in the Democratic race .
Trump needs to garner more than 50 percent of the statewide vote to have a shot at taking home all 95 of New York β s delegates . Trump has been campaigning heavily in the state with an eye toward that goal , and most recent polls shows him with just over 50 percent support in the state , holding a huge double-digit lead over rivals Ted Cruz and John Kasich .
Trump and Clinton are hoping to win in part on the strength of their local ties . Clinton was twice elected senator from New York , while Trump was born in Queens and lives in a building bearing his name in Manhattan .
`` We love this city , '' Trump said Monday in brief remarks to reporters in the lobby of Trump Tower . `` You look at the other folks that are running , they could n't care less about New York . ''
Cruz , who infamously panned Trump 's `` New York values '' earlier in the primary , was bracing for a tough showing in the Empire State . The Texas senator was already looking ahead on the primary calendar , scheduling events Tuesday in Pennsylvania , which votes next week .
`` New York is Donald β s home state , '' Cruz told βββ ' Bill O'Reilly Monday evening . `` Of course he will do well in his home state . When we were in Texas , my home state , we walloped him . ''
Trump leads the GOP race with 744 delegates , ahead of Cruz with 545 and Kasich with 144 . Securing the GOP nomination requires 1,237 delegates . While it 's still possible for Trump to reach that number ahead of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland , it 'll be tough . If Trump can not reach that threshold , voting would proceed to a second ballot at the convention , with a majority of delegates free to vote for whomever they choose .
In the Democratic race , Clinton 's campaign was declaring the contest virtually over Monday and warning Sanders that he risks damaging the party 's eventual nominee if he keeps up harsh criticism of the former secretary of state .
Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook said Sanders faces a `` close to impossible path to the nomination '' and predicted New York would result in Clinton taking `` an important step to the nomination . '' Sanders needs to win 68 percent of the remaining delegates if he hopes to clinch the Democratic nomination .
Clinton herself spent the final hours of campaigning in New York trying to drive up turnout among women and minorities , her most ardent supporters . Since Sunday , she 's danced to Latin music at a Brooklyn block party , vowed to defend abortion rights to female supporters in Manhattan , prayed at a black church in Westchester , drunk a bubble tea at a dumpling shop in Flushing and cheered newly unionized workers in Queens .
`` We 're not taking anything for granted , '' Clinton said Monday after greeting workers at the Hi-Tek Car Wash & Lube in Queens . `` Tell your friends and your family , everyone , to please vote tomorrow . ''
The Sanders campaign has held out hope for a closer race , relying on the large crowds at the Vermont senator 's rallies translating into votes Tuesday .
`` This is a campaign on the move , '' Sanders shouted to a crowd of thousands gathered along the waterfront in Queens , the Manhattan skyline serving as a dramatic backdrop . `` This is a movement getting the establishment very , very nervous . ''
Among Democrats , Clinton has accumulated 1,758 delegates to Sanders ' 1,076 . Those totals include both pledged delegates from primaries and caucuses , as well as superdelegates , the party insiders who can back the candidate of their choice regardless of how their state votes . It takes 2,383 to win the Democratic nomination . | 5mG69rSLec5lMZB6 | 2 | New York | 0.5 | Hillary Clinton | 0.4 | Donald Trump | 0.3 | Presidential Elections | 0 | Elections | 0 |
us_congress | TheBlaze.com | https://www.theblaze.com/news/2018/01/21/gop-congressman-reveals-house-intel-committee-will-release-top-secret-fisa-memo-to-public | GOP congressman reveals House Intel Committee will release top secret FISA memo to public | 2018-01-21 | us_congress | The secret memo detailing alleged government surveillance abuses will be released to the public soon , according to a House Republican .
Rep. Dave Joyce ( R-Ohio ) said Saturday the House Intelligence Committee `` plans to begin '' the release process very soon , if not immediately .
The process , he said , might take up to 19 congressional working days . According to the House 's 2018 calendar , that means the earliest the document could be released is sometime in mid-March .
Source confirmed to the Washington Examiner that a meeting has taken place to discuss the memo 's potential public release .
News of the memo broke last week and immediately became the top story behind the impending government shutdown . House members who have viewed the highly classified Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court document allege it provides evidence the Obama administration used the FISA court to unlawfully spy on the Trump campaign and Trump transition β something former administration officials have long denied .
Because of that , numerous GOP congressman have demanded the memo be released to the public . They allege the document could even lead to the end of special counsel Robert Mueller 's Trump-Russia investigation and to senior FBI and CIA officials being sacked .
Led by Rep. Matt Gaetz ( R-Fla. ) , 65 GOP lawmakers wrote to House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes ( R-Calif. ) on Friday demanding the memo 's release .
Gaetz said on Fox News Saturday that the memo will `` shock the conscience of this country . ''
`` There are four pages of a memorandum prepared by the intelligence committee that will shock the conscience of this country when it comes to the horrific abuses that occurred during the last administration and that I believe continue to pose a threat to Donald Trump β s presidency , '' he said .
Aside from the fact that it must be reviewed by federal records reviewers given that it contains highly classified information , the memo must receive multiple levels of approval before it can be released .
On Thursday , Rep. Jim Jordan ( R-Ohio ) explained on Fox News the document 's release would first need approval from the House Intelligence Committee and then President Donald Trump would have to give it the green light . | 9r8x8VEZc67YeTQZ | 2 | FISA | -0.1 | US Congress | 0.1 | National Security | 0 | Defense And Security | 0 | null | null |
us_military | Washington Times | https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/oct/25/pentagon-deploy-more-troops-us-mexico-border/ | Pentagon to send active-duty troops to U.S.-Mexico border | 2018-10-25 | us_military | The Trump administration will send about 800 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border ahead of the illegal immigrant caravan , a defense official confirmed Thursday , following through on President Trump β s pledge .
Most of the troops will be active-duty Army soldiers who specialize in support operations such as logistics and engineering . Medical staff also will be part of the deployment , with an Air Force contingent assisting in aerial evacuations .
They will join more than 2,000 National Guard troops already in the region , deployed in April as a previous caravan was testing the border .
It was not clear Thursday what operational gains will come from adding active-duty troops to the mix , but it makes good on a declaration Mr. Trump made over the past week that he wanted to mobilize the regular military , not just the Guard .
β You β re going to see a very secure border . You just watch , β Mr. Trump told supporters at a political rally in Wisconsin Wednesday night . β The military is ready . They β re all set . β
Turning to Pentagon brass to solve problems has been a theme for Mr. Trump during his time in office .
The Guard troops he asked for earlier this year are helping with surveillance to detect illegal crossings and with clerical and mechanical work , with a goal of freeing border agents and officers to get into the field .
Guard troops are not involved in patrolling or arresting illegal immigrants or smugglers .
From the description officials have given of the latest deployment , it does not appear that will change .
That makes it unlikely the infusion of personnel will deter the migrant caravan streaming north through Mexico .
While public estimates say the caravan has at least 5,000 people , Mexican officials put it closer to 3,630 , most of them from Honduras .
They left their home country two weeks ago and made it to Guatemala . Some broke into Mexico , while others are still in Guatemala trying to figure out their path forward .
Guatemalan officials rescued seven unaccompanied children who were being smuggled inside the migrant caravan , Judicial Watch , a conservative watchdog group , reported Thursday .
The group said the smugglers have been arrested and the children have been taken into custody by authorities and are being given welfare checks .
β This caravan deal presents an opportunity for incredible criminal activity , β said Chris Farrell , Judicial Watch β s director of investigations , who returned from Central America , where he spent time tracking the caravan .
He said he saw among the caravan men with Gothic-script β MS β tattoos , which would likely make them members of the violent MS-13 gang that Mr. Trump has said infiltrated the caravan .
He also saw what Border Patrol agents refer to as β special interest aliens β β those from countries outside the usual set of nations that send economic migrants .
Mr. Trump has said Middle Easterners in the caravan could be trouble .
If the caravan follows the lead of previous migrants from Central America , many will make asylum claims in the U.S . If they pass their initial screening , they will be admitted and likely released into the community to await a full hearing . Most will then disappear into the shadows , not bothering to follow through on their cases , authorities said during the April caravan .
The latest announcement of a troop deployment angered liberal activists , who called it a β desperate political stunt . β
β All Americans should be concerned about Trump β s increasingly frantic attempts to stir up animosity and incite violence against people of color , the media and his political opponents , β said Heidi Hess , co-director of CREDO Action .
Republicans , though , said the president was right to stiffen America β s response to the caravan .
β President Trump β s use of military force to protect America β s southern border is mandated by the commander in chief β s oath of office and constitutional duties , β said Rep. Mo Brooks , Alabama Republican . | 29AUg6Vji9ve8QUr | 2 | Immigration | -0.6 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
transportation | New York Times - News | http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/07/world/europe/germanwings-flight-9525-crash-andreas-lubitz.html?_r=0 | Germanwings Co-Pilot Appears to Have Tried to Rehearse Fatal Dive, Report Says | 2015-05-07 | transportation | In the wake of the crash , Germany established a task force to study the circumstances that led to the fatal descent and how it might have been averted .
Last month , two working groups met to discuss possible changes to cockpit door security systems and to review the standards for monitoring pilots β mental health . The initial findings are expected before the summer .
The European Commission in Brussels is also expected in the coming days to announce the formation of a high-level working group that will propose rules intended to prevent similar disasters . Although Mr. Lubitz is the highest-profile example of pilot suicide , his was not an isolated case . Over the past two decades , a series of fatal airline crashes have been attributed to deliberate actions by the pilot .
The French bureau β s investigation is limited to determining the facts of the case and to making recommendations to safety regulators to reduce the risk of a similar episode . Unlike the separate criminal inquiry being conducted by French prosecutors , it will not seek to apportion legal responsibility for the crash .
France is one of a handful of countries that routinely seek criminal indictments in air accidents , regardless of whether there is clear evidence of criminal intent or negligence . Such indictments typically target the airline , legal experts said , but they can include individuals as well .
Any criminal case against Germanwings and its parent company , Lufthansa , will hinge on whether prosecutors can prove that the airline was negligent in its oversight of Mr. Lubitz .
Evidence uncovered by German prosecutors after the crash indicated that Mr. Lubitz had sought treatment for psychological issues in the months before the flight , but that he had hidden his illness from his employer .
Lufthansa has admitted that Mr. Lubitz informed the company of a previous episode of severe depression , which had led him to interrupt his pilot training for several months in 2009 . Mr. Lubitz was reinstated after an evaluation by a flight doctor found him fit to return to the cockpit . But the airline does not appear to have imposed any special monitoring of him beyond the minimum required for any pilot who had a flagged health issue .
The French report says that Mr. Lubitz started his basic training at Lufthansa β s flight school in Bremen , Germany , in September 2008 , but suspended it just two months later for β medical reasons. β He did not resume his training until late August 2009 .
During his absence , Lufthansa β s flight doctors twice refused to certify Mr. Lubitz as fit to fly , citing his depression and the medicine that had been prescribed to treat it .
The French report said a Lufthansa doctor informed Germany β s Federal Aviation Office , which licenses pilots , that Mr. Lubitz had been denied medical clearance on July 14 , 2009 .
But two weeks later , he received a valid β Class 1 β medical certificate that noted that he had a medical condition , although it did not specify whether it was related to a psychological issue . The flag instructed flight doctors to contact the aviation office before evaluating Mr. Lubitz for his required annual physical .
Because of Germany β s strict privacy laws , the details of Mr. Lubitz β s condition and of his treatment were never shared with Lufthansa managers . Flight doctors who examined him after his reinstatement reported no signs that his depression had returned β something that would have set off an alert to the airline and to German regulators .
Barbara SchΓ€dler , a Lufthansa spokeswoman , declined to comment on the French report . A spokeswoman for Germany β s aviation regulator did not immediately respond to telephone calls or emails requesting comment . | GYnyPpgAYosopwRI | 0 | Transportation | -1.9 | General News | -1.2 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
polarization | Reuters | https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-shooting-internet/stopping-americas-next-hate-crime-killers-on-social-media-is-no-easy-task-idUSKCN1UZ10S | Stopping America's next hate-crime killers on social media is no easy task | 2019-08-09 | Hate Crimes, Social Media, Polarization | WASHINGTON/LONDON ( βββ ) - The pattern is clear : Hate-filled manifestos posted on websites populated by white supremacists , followed by gun attacks against blacks , Jews , Muslims , or Latin American immigrants .
A woman holds a placard bearing the likeness of a shooting target during a rally against the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump after last weekend 's shooting at a Walmart store , in El Paso , Texas , U.S. , August 7 , 2019 . βββ/Jose Luis Gonzalez
In some cases , the killers use their internet posts to praise previous attacks by other white nationalists . And after new assaults , the manifestos get passed around , feeding the cycle of propaganda and violence .
Following the racially-motivated attack that killed 22 people at a Walmart store in El Paso , Texas , President Donald Trump said he wants police to do more to stop extremists who are active online before they can turn to murder .
But identifying and stopping the extremists who plan to launch an attack is much easier said than done .
Law enforcement experts say that the constitutional right of free speech means police can not arrest someone simply on the basis of extremist rants online , unless they make a specific threat .
β You couldn β t just open a case on the words , β said Dave Gomez , a retired FBI agent who has worked on cases of both international and domestic terrorism .
β Posting something like that on the internet doesn β t harm anybody , β he said , adding that police can only successfully investigate a white supremacist when you can β connect his words to an overt act . β
The White House will discuss violent extremism online with representatives from a number of internet and technology companies on Friday , according to a White House spokesman .
Social media companies are reluctant to spy on or censor their users , though increasingly they are responding to demands that they take down obvious incitements to violence . And civil rights groups warn that tighter monitoring can lead to unconstitutional abuses of power
Another former FBI agent , who asked not to be identified , said closer monitoring of extremists β websites would anyway be unlikely to prevent new mass shootings .
β There is not enough manpower . There is not enough technology to properly monitor the internet , β he said . β This is the number one thing we always say in law enforcement : β You can β t stop crazy . You can β t even predict crazy . β β
Trump said after the mass shootings last weekend in El Paso and Dayton , Ohio , that he would ask the Justice Department to work with local , state and federal agencies as well as social media companies β to develop tools that can detect mass shooters before they strike . β
Even before those attacks , The FBI in early July requested bids for a contractor to help it detect national security threats by trawling through social media sites .
β The use of social media platforms by terrorist groups , domestic threats , foreign intelligence services , and criminal organizations to further their illegal activity creates a demonstrated need for tools to properly identify the activity and react appropriately , β the FBI said in its request .
Top law enforcement and domestic security officials from the United States , the United Kingdom , Canada , Australia and New Zealand met with leading social media and internet companies in London last week , and pushed them to help authorities track suspicious users .
The government officials noted in an agenda paper for the meeting that some companies β deliberately design their systems in a way that precludes any form of access to content , even in cases of the most serious crimes . β
β Tech companies should include mechanisms in the design of their encrypted products and services whereby governments , acting with appropriate legal authority , can obtain access to data in a readable and usable format , β the agenda paper said .
A final statement from the meeting said little about encryption , however , and neither company nor government officials talked about what was discussed .
Facebook and Microsoft confirmed they attended but Google , which was invited , did not respond to a request for comment . Other attendees included Roblox , Snap and Twitter , the statement said .
FBI agents say that broad surveillance powers enacted by Congress in the wake of the Sept. , 11 , 2001 attacks helped them track international terrorist groups and stop people with links to foreign groups like al Qaeda and Islamic State before they could carry out crimes .
But they key law criminalizing β material support β for terrorism does not apply to investigations or prosecutions of domestic terrorists , such as violent white supremacists , that commit hate crimes .
This week , the FBI Agents Association called on Congress to make domestic terrorism a federal crime in order to give agents more tools .
The Electronic Frontier Foundation , which promotes internet civil liberties , said the sheer amount of users posting aggressive content online makes it almost impossible to identify and track the people who pose an actual threat .
β Even though it seems like there is another mass shooting every week , if you are looking at the number of mass shooters versus the total population , it β s still a tiny , tiny number which means this is still a very rare event , β said Jeremy Gillula , the group β s tech products director . β It β s like trying to predict where lightning is going to strike . β | 760bfb1a83c51108 | 1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
federal_budget | Business Insider | http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tax-reform-plan-house-vote-senate-budget-resolution-salt-deduction-2017-10 | House Republicans just cleared the way for tax reform | 2017-10-26 | federal_budget | The House passed the Senate 's budget resolution by a vote of 216-212 .
Passing the budget resolution allows Republicans to start on the fast track to their tax plan .
The House passed the Senate 's budget resolution on Thursday by a vote of 216 to 212 , in the last procedural step before the GOP can move to fast-track tax-reform legislation that 's expected to be unveiled next week .
Every Democrat voted against the bill , along with 20 Republicans .
Republican leaders succeeded with the vote despite some last-minute hand-wringing , since the Republican tax-reform framework proposes the elimination of the state and local tax deduction . The deduction allows people to shave off what they pay in state and local taxes from their federal tax bill .
By eliminating the SALT deduction , Republicans would offset a significant number of their planned tax cuts β saving $ 1.3 trillion over 10 years , according to an analysis by the Tax Policy Center .
But Republicans from high-tax states like California , New York , and Massachusetts , where many people take the deduction , expressed last-minute concerns about the elimination of the deduction . For instance , Rep. Frank LoBiondo of New Jersey tweeted that he would vote `` no '' on the budget .
Chris Krueger , an analyst at Cowen Washington Research Group , said there were enough members from these high SALT deduction states to block the budget .
`` There are 52 House Republicans in the 24-seat majority who represent districts that over-index to the deduction ( California , Illinois , New York , New Jersey , Minnesota , etc . ) , '' Krueger wrote Thursday . `` There is a core group ( presumably enough to block the budget ) who are threatening to withhold their votes on the budget if there is not a guarantee to protect SALT . ''
Passing the Senate budget resolution was key for tax reform because the measure includes instructions for budget reconciliation . The reconciliation process allows a bill to pass the Senate with a majority of votes . Since the GOP only has a 52-seat majority in the Senate , reconciliation is key to avoiding a Democratic filibuster .
In the end , all California Republicans , and a handful of New York Republicans , voted yes .
Republicans celebrated the passage of the budget , including the president , who applauded the win on Twitter .
In a statement following the vote , Rep. Kevin Brady , the House Ways and Means Committee chair , said the vote paves the way for the release on the full tax bill on November 1 .
`` Today is a historic day β and we are ready to deliver tax relief that improves the lives of middle-income Americans and struggling families who have been left behind in our slow-growing economy , '' said the statement . | NTIaRKZwuztoOLsD | 1 | Economy And Jobs | 0.8 | Federal Budget | 0.5 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
healthcare | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/27/politics/health-care-analysis/index.html | Analysis: A narrower mandate will survive high court's scrutiny | 2012-06-27 | Healthcare | Story highlights CNN 's Bill Mears has been asked repeatedly what the Supreme Court will do
He says the individual mandate will survive , in a narrow fashion
Chief justice will probably write majority opinion upholding mandate , Mears says
He may have to think small and narrow : insisting that health care is unique in economy
I have no inside information on what the Supreme Court will do Thursday on health care -- no one does -- nor any bit of wisdom that has not already been articulated by others , including CNN 's fine team of reporters , analysts and contributors .
But since I have been asked repeatedly to predict the outcome , I will go against conventional wisdom and say the individual mandate -- which requires most Americans to purchase health insurance -- will survive , but in a narrow fashion .
I believe Chief Justice John Roberts will write the majority opinion upholding the mandate . One of the few stated prerogatives the chief justice commands when he is in the majority is the power to assign the all-important opinion-writing . It is through these opinions the court speaks , from where it derives its power and institutional prestige and authority .
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If Roberts takes on this task , he will most likely try to navigate between two polar views on the mandate 's constitutionality and the power of Congress to regulate `` commerce . ''
That division was clear from the oral arguments : Roberts and Justice Anthony Kennedy asked tough questions of both sides at argument .
Roberts ' reasoning for either upholding or striking down the mandate may not command a majority , meaning at least five justices agree on the outcome but not the constitutional basis on which the decision sits . That split reasoning could sow further uncertainty if and when Congress and the White House were to revise or entirely rework health care reform in the wake of the court 's decision .
The tricky task of commanding a five-vote majority and keeping it over the weeklong contentious opinion-writing process may leave Roberts -- or whoever -- thinking small and narrow : upholding the mandate by insisting that health care is unique in the national economy and warning Congress not to go much further when regulating `` commerce , '' i.e. , no mandate to buy broccoli or American cars .
Only the justices , their law clerks and a handful of court officials know how this will end . But you can expect a complex , lengthy and perhaps baffling ruling or series of rulings . | e4988c6bf02c2f40 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
elections | Townhall | http://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2016/02/03/rush-rubio-is-no-moderate-republican-centrist-hes-a-legitimate-fullthroated-conservative-n2113769 | Rush Limbaugh: Rubio Isn't a 'Moderate Centrist,' He's a 'Legitimate, Full-Throated Conservative' | 2016-02-03 | elections | `` I do n't like this idea that Marco Rubio is all of a sudden being labeled as an establishment candidate . I know that Rubio 's got the baggage of that 'gang of eight ' bill ... I understand that . But I 'm here to -- Marco Rubio is no moderate Republican centrist ... I 'm just telling you , I do n't see Marco Rubio as anything other than a legitimate , full-throated conservative . Nobody 's pure and nobody is ever free of making mistakes . I know Senator Rubio ... I do n't like his idea that we 're all of a sudden going to make Rubio the establishment bad guy , as though Rubio is no different from the McCains , and the Bob Doles , and the Romneys , and the others that have come along and been nominated by the establishment . He just is n't . ''
Noteworthy , for two big reasons : First , as we touched upon yesterday , Rush seems to be inching away from the Trump boosterism I lamented a few months ago . For what it 's worth , fellow radio giant Mark Levin tossed Trump ( back ) overboard after he started attacking Ted Cruz from the left weeks ago , and now Limbaugh is hitting Trump in a similar fashion -- arguing that Trump lost Iowa because he sounded `` like a liberal Democrat `` in attacking Cruz . He 's right . The celebrity billionaire mimicked his `` former '' party 's tactics and ideology by demagoguing Cruz 's conservative positions on issues like ethanol subsidies and healthcare . It 's worth noting that this is n't the first time Trump has done so this cycle , either ; he also repeatedly bashed Scott Walker 's sterling conservative record with debunked Democratic talking points . Second , and more importantly , this pro-Rubio testimonial from the most recognizable conservative media voice in America could very well prove more useful to Rubio than any of the formal endorsements the various campaigns have rolled out in recent days . Listen , then read on for some analysis : Rush also spoke glowingly of Ted Cruz , so this was n't a formal endorsement by any means . But ita bestowal of a credibility-fortifying blessing , falling like manna from heaven for the Rubio campaign ahead of what is going to be a bruising few weeks . Now that Rubio 's momentum vaulted him to a surprisingly strong finish in Iowa , driven by late deciders and voters who value electability , his campaign is explicitly framing the GOP nominating contest as a three-man race . The other two candidates in that equation obviously view Rubio as the competition , whereas everyone who 's excluded from that club is eager to disrupt that narrative from taking root , which would pose an existential threat to their candidacies . For those reasons , I made this point on Fox last night : The incoming fire is going to be hot and ; heavy at Saturday 's ABC News debate , potentially complicating Rubio 's efforts to position himself as the candidate best situated to unite the party . Several , if not all , of the contenders in the `` establishment lane '' realize they may not survive another show of force from the Florida Senator , so their long knives will be out and sharpened . On the other end of the spectrum , Ted Cruz will continue to cast Rubio as weak , compromised , and part of the establishment 's `` Washington cartel . '' Yesterday afternoon 's monologue from Limbaugh hands Rubio a powerful shield against that line of attack . Do n't be surprised to see Rush 's assessment paraphrased by its benefactor during the debate , or featured in television and radio ads in places like South Carolina . I 'll leave you with Mark Levin blasting the media 's breathless coverage of Rubio 's third-place finish , as impressive and robust as it was , at the expense of discussing Monday night 's actual victor . Rubio over-performed his polls and exceeded expectations in a big way . But Cruz over-performed the polls , beat the ethanol lobby , overcame birther smears and , you know , won . As a bonus , here 's Levin lighting up Donald Trump 's pro-government-healthcare answer on ABC News ' This Week last weekend -- which echoed a previous response on 60 Minutes and aligns rather closely with Trump 's recent praise of single-payer healthcare : | ZRsqtWaxOFkVAjlL | 2 | Marco Rubio | -0.2 | Rush Limbaugh | 0.1 | Presidential Elections | 0 | Elections | 0 | null | null |
federal_budget | Wall Street Journal - News | https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-budget-likely-to-see-major-rewrite-in-congress-1489712097 | Trump Budget Likely to See Major Rewrite in Congress | federal_budget | Republicans were quick to lodge objections on Thursday to President Donald Trump β s budget plans , many of which trim away smaller programs that help the sort of local communities he vowed to rejuvenate during the campaign .
The response suggests Mr. Trump β s first blueprint for federal spending , like many before his , is likely to undergo a major rewrite by Congress .
While Republicans lawmakers embraced the president β s impulses to boost military spending by cutting what some consider wasteful programs , they then began scouring through the fine print for details about school-enrichment , environmental cleanup and other programs . That β s when they immediately began planning to shift the burden of cutbacks elsewhere .
Republican leadership , including House Speaker Paul Ryan gave a muted endorsement . Mr. Ryan said that Mr. Trump β s proposal marked only the beginning of the budget process . β We β ll have a full hearing about how priorities will be met , β Mr. Ryan said . β But , do I think we can cut spending and get waste out of government ? Absolutely . Where and how and what numbers , that β s something we β ll be figuring out as time goes on . β
Steve Bell , a longtime budget aide who is now a senior adviser at the Bipartisan Policy Center , said the proposal had no chance of passing Congress .
β It is a budget that is more for messaging and public relation purposes for the Republican base than it is as a serious effort , β he said . He added that the spending proposal would β hit places that even many Republicans think is inappropriate . β
Sen . Rob Portman ( R. , Ohio ) issued a forceful objection to the proposal to eliminate the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative , a program funded through the Environmental Protection Agency aimed at cleaning up a cluster of lakes along the northern border .
The proposed cuts could have some of their most profound effects in areas where Mr. Trump racked up his largest margins of victory last fall : the country β s rural , economically challenged regions . Take the Appalachian Regional Commission , a $ 146 million economic development and workforce training agency dating to the antipoverty reforms of President Lyndon Johnson , whose coverage area stretches from New York to northern Mississippi . Of the 420 counties in 13 states served by the commission , Mr. Trump won 399 of them , trouncing Democrat Hillary Clinton . Across the Appalachian region , Mr. Trump won 63 % of the vote , compared with 33 % for Mrs. Clinton .
The commission , which was authorized to receive $ 146 million in federal funds in 2016 , is one of 19 independent agencies and partnerships that would be eliminated from the federal budget , to save $ 2.7 billion . Agencies targeted include the Environmental Protection Agency , the Department of Health and Human Services and the State Department .
Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney Thursday argued the cuts to programs used to give meals for seniors and students were β compassionate β because they will reduce the tax burden on many Americans . The U.S. government can β t afford to continue to fund programs β just because they sound good , β he said .
β Regarding the question as to climate change , β Mr. Mulvaney said , β I think the President was fairly straightforwardβwe β re not spending money on that anymore ; we consider that to be a waste of your money to go out and do that . So that is a specific tie to his campaign . β
Mr. Bell said many of the services proposed to take major hits in the Trump budgetβfrom nutritional assistance to women and children , to supplemental education grantsβprimarily benefit white and rural communities like those that supported Mr. Trump .
β A lot of people came out of rural America because of government programs , and the vast majority of them were white , β Mr. Bell said . β You β re starting to really cut at the idea of equalizing the chance of a young person from Darien , Conn. , and somebody from Palestine , W.Va. , having an equal chance of getting to college . And I think that β s going to hurt β Republicans .
History shows that presidents have a hard time realizing the most ambitious of their budget-cutting plans . President Ronald Reagan proposed eliminating the Department of Education , without success .
At the same time , Mr. Reagan β s record shows that Congress can be cajoled to endorse deep spending cuts . Mr. Reagan won $ 35.2 billion worth of cuts from projected fiscal 1982 spending levels in his first-ever budget battle , cutting the school-lunch program and arts funding .
But weeks after he had signed those reductions into law , Congress balked at a new request for $ 13 billion in cuts , and Mr. Reagan had to settle for only $ 4 billion .
β In general , the U.S. government does things incrementally , so big changes seldom happen unless there β s a crisis , β said analyst Stan Collender , who tracks the U.S. budget . β It β s even harder to make big changes now , because we β ve had about a decade of steady pressure budgets of agencies , and if they β re still around at this point , they just have the political support to stick around. β
Some Republicans say voters will cheer Mr. Trump β s cuts , even if they feel the impact of them in the very towns that helped to elect him president .
β I think the Trump supporters expected President Trump to slash the federal government very significantly , β said Ed Brookover , a longtime Republican strategist who briefly worked for Mr. Trump β s campaign last year . β They β re not the kinds of folks who look to Washington for solutions to all their problems . β
Yet Mr. Trump β s budget comes after his embrace of a House bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act that has alarmed some Republicans , and such moderate Democrats as Sen. Joe Manchin ( D. , W.Va. ) , who say the party could face serious political backlash from the same working-class voters if it pulls back health care without providing an adequate replacement .
Mr. Manchin said in an interview on MSNBC β s β Morning Joe β this week that he had told Mr. Trump that he could be blamed by voters for pulling back the Medicaid expansion that was a part of the Affordable Care Act , also known as Obamacare .
β Those people don β t know how they got these services , β Mr. Manchin said he told Mr. Trump . β They didn β t know it was the Democrats . They didn β t know it was President Obama . They had no idea . But let me tell you , Mr. President , they β re going to know who took it away from them . They will know if they lose it . β
The administration β s call to eliminate the Community Development Block Grant Program , which is run out of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and supports local efforts from infrastructure building to Meals on Wheels , the food program for senior citizens , also drew resistance .
β Everybody thinks that β s going to Detroit and Cleveland , but the fact of the matter is there are a lot of cities in Appalachia and elsewhere that really need community development block grants , β Mr. Bell said .
The White House says it can save $ 3 billion a year by killing the program . β The Federal Government has spent over $ 150 billion on this block grant since its inception in 1974 , but the program is not well-targeted to the poorest populations and has not demonstrated results , β the administration β s budget blueprint says . But among the those who criticized the cut was Rep. Bruce Poliquin ( R. , Maine ) , whose district favored Mr. Trump by 10 percentage points .
In rural Tennessee , the CDBG program is vital for building and maintaining water and sewer infrastructure , especially in small , rural towns with no other ready sources of funding , said Mike Harrison , executive director of the Association of County Mayors in the state .
β It β s spread out , but obviously our more rural counties would be impacted more with the loss of those funds , β he said . β They really depend on those . β
The proposed cuts in the White House budget would also hit the Denali Commission , which develops infrastructure and health-care facilities in rural Alaska , a state Mr. Trump won easily ; and the Delta Regional Authority , which promotes economic development in a region of 10 million people around the Mississippi River and the deep red precincts of the South .
Trump won 198 of the 252 counties in the Delta Regional Authority , carrying the vote there by 56 % compared with 40 % for Mrs. Clinton .
The blueprint also targets programs important to the constituencies of moderate Republicans and those with large rural constituencies , who expressed alarm at cuts in money to support air-travel to rural airport and other programs .
House Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Shuster ( R. , Pa. ) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski ( R. , Alaska ) both warned about plans to eliminate the Essential Air Service program , which subsidizes flights to rural airports . Mr. Shuster has an airport in Altoona , Pa. , that would be affected , as would 60 communities in Ms. Murkowski β s state .
β While I support the president β s emphasis on a strong national defense , I can not support many of the proposed cuts , β Ms. Murkowski said in a statement . β We need to remember that these programs are not the primary drivers of our debt , and to look at the full budget to find the best ways to reduce federal spending . β
In Pennsylvania , Republican Rep. Lou Barletta vowed to protect funding for 21st Century Community Learning Centers , which are grants for after-school programs that the budget proposes eliminating to save $ 1.2 billion , and for grants provided through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help mitigate the impact of natural disasters .
β There β s always room for negotiations , β said Mr. Barletta , an early Trump supporter . β We β re going to look through line item by line item and see where we can encourage more spending . β
Not every Republican was unsettled ; some said their districts would come out ahead . Rep . Rob Bishop ( R. , Utah ) said the budget β brings an element of stability back into the government process β because it strives for balance .
β If there β s more cuts in this process that helps the military out , Utah should be better off , β Mr. Bishop said . | pONCZTxwV5hvBtAm | 1 | Federal Budget | -0.4 | US Congress | 0.1 | Economy And Jobs | 0 | null | null | null | null | |
donald_trump | BBC News | https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly8y27dwgpo | Laura Loomer: Who is conspiracy theorist travelling with Trump? | 2024-09-13 | Donald Trump, Media Industry, Conservatives, Politics, Social Media, Republican Party, 2024 Presidential Election | Laura Loomer: Far-right activist who met Trump before he fired NSC officials22 hours ago Share Save Bernd Debusmann Jr & Merlyn Thomas BBC News & BBC Verify Reporting from Washington Share SaveWatch: 'I don't control her', says Trump on support from Laura LoomerFar-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer is in the headlines once again after reports that she was behind the recent firing of top National Security Council officials by President Donald Trump. Ms Loomer was a presence alongside Trump on the campaign trail, which raised questions from some Republicans about the influence the controversial former congressional candidate may have on him. She is well-known for her anti-Muslim rhetoric and for spreading conspiracy theories, including that the 9/11 attacks were an "inside job" carried out by the US government. Reports suggest that Ms Loomer urged Trump to fire specific employees whom she suspected of being insufficiently loyal. The president denied that the controversial social media influencer played any role "at all" in the firings.Ms Loomer posted on X that Gen Haugh, the leader of both the US Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, and his deputy Wendy Noble, were fired because they "have been disloyal to President Trump". In a phone call with the BBC, Ms Loomer said it would be "inappropriate" to divulge details of her meeting with Trump on Wednesday. "It was a confidential meeting," she said. "It's a shame that there are still leakers at the White House who leaked this information." Ms Loomer's ties to Trump during his campaign led some Republicans to blame her for unfounded claims he made during the presidential debate, including baseless conspiracy theories that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were eating pets. An anonymous source close to the Trump campaign told US news outlet Semafor at the time that they were "100%" concerned about Ms Loomer's proximity to Trump. βRegardless of any guardrails the Trump campaign has put on her, I donβt think itβs working,β the source was quoted as saying.Watch highlights from Trump-Harris clashA number of senior Republican politicians also publicly criticised Ms Loomer during the campaign and cautioned against Trump bringing her into his inner circle. "Laura Loomer is a crazy conspiracy theorist who regularly utters disgusting garbage intended to divide Republicans," North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Trump has previously called Ms Loomer just "a supporter" and that he was unaware of her comments about 9/11. βI donβt control Laura. Laura has to say what she wants. Sheβs a free spirit," he added. Born in Arizona in 1993, the self-styled investigative journalist has worked as an activist and commentator for organisations including Project Veritas and Alex Jones's Infowars. In 2020, she ran - with Trump's support - as a Republican candidate for the US House of Representatives in Florida, but lost to Democrat Lois Frankel. She tried again two years later, when she unsuccessfully ran to unseat Representative Daniel Webster in a Republican primary in a different Florida district.Reuters Ms Loomer departed Trump's plane in Philadelphia ahead of the presidential debate | 6ebe1d02d3603039 | 1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | Guest Writer | http://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/371565-trumps-powerful-state-of-the-union-laid-out-2018-vision-prosperity | OPINION: Trump's powerful State of the Union laid out 2018 vision: Prosperity, borders, security | 2018-01-31 | politics | The most remarkable aspect of President 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 β s first State of the Union address is the very fact of his presidency . That he is one year into his term , and spent the first 15 minutes of his address regaling the American people with his successes just adds to the surrealism .
But the president has already exceeded GOP expectations , defied a near-pathological Democrat opposition , and is set to implement ambitious policies in the months ahead . This State of the Union was a celebration , and a mission statement .
Trump β s opening litany of economic accomplishments set the tone for the rest of the speech . Stock market highs , record low unemployment , repatriation of overseas cash , massive investment from multinational corporations in U.S.-based jobs β these are all objective and powerful indicators of what the president has been able to achieve thus far for the American people .
There β s nothing novel about a president taking more than his share of credit for a strong economy . With Trump , however , the recitation of positive facts and figures sounded like a full-throated refutation of his critics . Much of the media warned that dysfunction and deterioration would characterize Trump β s first year in office . Instead , we have tremendous optimism in the markets , and tax reform that is good business as well as good politics .
Immigration was the policy core of the speech . The president defined his terms for a deal to legalize those covered under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ( DACA ) . He reiterated his willingness to make concessions β some would even argue at the expense of his base β that would include limited amnesty , in exchange for changes to the legal immigration system , enhanced border enforcement , and a wall .
This led to one of Trump β s most memorable lines of the night : β Americans are dreamers too. β It was a brilliant turn of phrase , one that will remind all who hear it that the first priority of Trump β s Democrat opposition appears to be non-Americans . In contrast to this Pelosi-Schumer approach , Trump reiterated that his vision is for an immigration policy that is based on merit and respects the rule of law .
Many of the most memorable and powerful moments of the night were when Trump told the stories of honored guests in attendance . When the president spoke to the parents of two young women who were murdered by the vicious MS-13 gang in Long Island , N.Y. , the costs of illegal alien violent offenders and the need to deport them took on a new urgency .
Trump also told the inspiring story of a North Korean defector named Ji Seong-Ho who lost both his legs as a child and now fights against the despotic Kim Jong Un regime from across the border in South Korea . When Ji raised his crutches and received a roar of applause from the assembled representatives of the American people , we were left with a visual testament to human resilience and our universal desire for freedom .
With the parents of Otto Warmbier , the University of Virginia student arrested and tortured to death by the North Korean regime , next to Ji , we were also reminded that America must stare down the evil Kim regime and hold it accountable for its past atrocities .
Overall , it worked . Trump gave a solid speech that established what the American people can expect in the year ahead . If he follows through on his promises , and keeps up his winning streak , the Trump agenda could well be defined by its convincing victories instead of its dynamic messenger .
Buck Sexton is a political commentator , national security analyst and host of the nationally syndicated radio program β Buck Sexton with America Now. β He is a former CIA officer in the Counterterrorism Center , appears frequently on Fox News Channel and CNN and has been a guest radio show host for Rush Limbaugh , Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity . Follow Buck on Twitter @ BuckSexton . | VFmeu0JVcmtGdbuI | 1 | Politics | 0.5 | State Of The Union | 0.1 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
polarization | CivilPolitics.org | http://www.civilpolitics.org/content/putting-interventions-to-the-test-a-comparison-of-five-techniques-to-reduce-partisan-hostility/ | Putting Interventions to the Test: A Comparison of Five Techniques to Reduce Partisan Hostility | 2014-09-24 | Polarization | The growing hostility between liberals and conservatives in the United States is a known problem to many . However , what to do about it is much less clear . Various groups , such as the Asteroids Club and the Village Square , have developed their own techniques for promoting civility between the opposing parties . What my collaborators Matt Motyl , Brian Nosek , Jon Haidt , and I wanted to know was : which strategy is the most effective at reducing partisan hostility ? The following describes the result of our attempt to throw the proverbial β kitchen sink β at this problem , testing the effectiveness of several techniques in one study . The five interventions we tested come from a collection of active civility groups , past social psychological research , and our own intuitions .
Liberals and conservatives completed our study online , being exposed to one ( or none ) of our five interventions before completing measures of political attitudes and hostility . The interventions consisted of :
Self Affirmation- Past social psychological work has demonstrated that being reassured of one β s valued traits leads to less defensive and biased processing of opposing viewpoints . Participants in this condition spent a few minutes writing about a valued personal characteristic and a time that they embodied that trait .
Learning Political Membership Last- People readily form impressions of others , and can be motivated to maintain their opinions in order to remain consistent in their evaluations . This intervention attempted to leverage this motivation by having participants read about a very positive group of individuals , only to later learn that they had volunteered for the opposing political party .
Observing Civility- People often learn by observing the behaviors of others . For this intervention , participants watched a video describing the relationship between Republican Ronald Reagan and Democrat Tip O β Neill . The video described the two as having a very friendly and respectful relationship , even when the two did not see eye to eye .
Superordinate Threat- Having a common threat can bring groups together . To create this common threat , we had participants read an article describing the threat of cyber warfare attacks on the United States . The article concluded by stating that bipartisan efforts had the potential to eliminate this threat .
Reducing Zero Sum Perceptions- Much of current political gridlock stems from a perception of legislation as a zero sum game ( any win for the other side is automatically a loss for my side ) . This final intervention sought to weaken this perception by describing the consequences of this mentality and the ways it is inhibiting progress . The article concluded by stating that shedding this mindset in favor of increased compromise could help both sides achieve their goals .
After the intervention phase , participants completed a measure of partisan hostility , indicated their explicit liking of Republicans and Democrats , and completed an implicit measure of political attitudes ( the Implicit Association Test ) , which measured the participants β nonconscious attitudes toward the two groups . The goal of these interventions was to reduce hostility , not necessarily make participants like the other side more . As such , we were most interested in seeing whether each of the interventions reduced hostility relative to the group that received no intervention ( Control ) . The results are displayed below :
Each dot represents the average hostility score for participants in a given condition ( with the red bars marking a 95 % confidence interval around that value ) . Higher hostility scores are indicative of greater hostility . These results show that each intervention produced the desired effect , that being lower hostility , but the degree to which they were effective varied . Reducing Zero Sum Perceptions was the most effective intervention at reducing hostility , closely followed by Superordinate Threat ( although Reducing Zero Sum Perceptions was the only intervention to approach statistical significance , p = .052 ) . Of note , none of the interventions reduced implicit or explicit liking for one β s own party relative to the other party . In fact , most interventions increased partisan preferences relative to the control condition . This demonstrates that promoting civility need not reduce an individual β s liking for his or her own group . Rather , hostility can be specifically targeted and reduced without changing these attitudes .
The results of our intervention contest suggest that there are multiple paths to reducing partisan hostility . However , not all strategies are equally effective . Interestingly , the intervention that produced the best results ( Reducing Zero Sum Perceptions ) was the least based on past psychological research . As such , when trying to reduce the hostility in the current political environment , I advise paying attention to the nuances of the current sources of hostility . As time goes by , the issues that divide us change . Our attempts to bridge those gaps should adapt with them .
To learn more about the interventions we used , see this document : Civil Politics Contest Study-Materials
To learn more about the study in general , see this project β s page on the Open Science Framework | f46cb30fbbfa051b | 1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
elections | CNN (Web News) | https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/30/politics/cnn-democratic-debates-biden-harris-warren-sanders/index.html | Progressive frontrunners face off at CNN debate which may also offer opening for centrists | 2019-07-30 | elections | ( CNN ) CNN 's first Democratic debate on Tuesday night will showcase a match-up between Sens . Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren , two icons of the progressive movement who are ultimately on a collision course for the party 's presidential nomination .
Their encounter will kick off two televised clashes between Democratic White House hopefuls on successive nights that could significantly reshape the primary campaign and will , for the first time , test how party hopefuls handle Donald Trump 's ugly campaign strategy rooted in direct racism .
The debates , each featuring 10 candidates , mark the biggest moment of the campaign yet and will further inflame plot lines stoked in June 's frenetic first candidate free-for-alls .
Sanders and Warren were kept apart back then -- a quirk of the draw that gave Warren an uninterrupted chance to tout her progressive credentials that included a strong answer on her plans to promote greater economic fairness right out of the gate .
They are unlikely to replicate the stunning personal confrontation between Democratic front-runner former Vice President Joe Biden and California Sen. Kamala Harris that stole the spotlight in the first round of debates and could reignite in Wednesday night 's second CNN showdown .
Sanders , from Vermont , and Warren , from Massachusetts , have mostly avoided direct confrontations in the campaign so far . And it may be that both have more incentive at this early stage of the race to draw distinctions with more centrist Democrats than to seek to pick holes in each other 's campaigns .
But the comparisons between them will be unavoidable on Tuesday night and the meeting will sow the seeds for future disputes when direct combat between the pair becomes unavoidable .
They are often aligned on policy but Warren and Sanders do differ in tone . The Massachusetts senator has rejected the label `` democratic socialist '' that her Vermont colleague has embraced and that Trump has seized upon to brand the Democratic Party as extreme .
`` Bernie has to speak to what democratic socialism is , '' Warren said in March .
`` All I can tell you is what I believe . And that is there is an enormous amount to be gained from markets , '' she said , though qualified her remark by noting that markets need to have rules .
The presence on stage of Sanders and Warren on Tuesday could also provide an opportunity for more moderate candidates like Montana Gov . Steve Bullock -- making his debut on the Democratic debate stage -- or Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar to argue that the party is drifting too far to the left on issues like health care and paying for college .
For now , the moderate lane looks blocked with Biden -- who sometimes sounds like he 's running for Barack Obama 's third term -- as the current front-runner . But it could open up if he stumbles again .
And the line-up also offers 37-year-old South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg , the chance to create a strong generational contrast with his older rivals as he seeks to broaden support that has brought him bumper fundraising figures but has failed to generate equally impressive polling numbers
The location of the debates -- in the battleground state of Michigan -- is a reminder of the task the eventual Democratic nominee will face in November 2020 . The once-blue bastion fell to Trump in 2016 and is one of the Midwestern battlegrounds where Democrats must win back working-class votes to claim the White House .
Biden is under pressure on Wednesday to improve upon a halting first debate that highlighted some of the 76-year-old 's political liabilities .
Sen. Kamala Harris , who made her mark last month by skewering Biden on issues of race , faces heightened expectations in the rematch . And Harris enters the second debate facing fresh criticism from her rivals that she is taking both sides on the question of a proposed new health care system , an ideologically defining question for Democrats .
But before Biden and Harris clash again , the fight for the party 's Democratic Party 's grassroots will be in the spotlight on Tuesday when Sen. Elizabeth Warren comes face-to-face with Sen. Bernie Sanders , who has done more than anyone to reinvigorate the left but now risks being eclipsed by the Massachusetts senator .
The two progressive icons have mostly avoided direct confrontations in the campaign so far . And it may be that both have more incentive at this early stage of the race to draw distinctions with more centrist Democrats they both see as too friendly to corporations than to seek to pick holes in each others campaigns .
While they are often aligned on policy , Warren and Sanders do differ in tone . The Massachusetts senator has rejected the label `` democratic socialist '' that her Vermont colleague has embraced and has been seized upon by Trump to brand her party as extreme .
`` Bernie has to speak to what democratic socialism is , '' Warren said in March .
`` All I can tell you is what I believe . And that is there is an enormous amount to be gained from markets , '' she said , though qualified her remark by noting that markets need to have rules .
Tuesday night 's debate may also offer an opening for a centrist candidate , like Montana Gov . Steve Bullock -- making his debut on the Democratic stage -- or Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar , to define themselves against the ultra-progressives . For now , the moderate lane looks blocked with Biden -- who sometimes sounds like he 's running for Barack Obama 's third term -- as the current front-runner . But it could open up if he stumbles again .
The first voting in the Democratic nominating race is more than six months away . But because the qualifying criteria for the next debate in September gets twice as hard , outsider candidates face a make-or-break moment and have every incentive to prey on top-tier candidates to create a viral television moment .
This week 's contests are also the first time Democratic voters will see their candidates together since Trump 's attacks on minority Democratic lawmakers tipped his 2020 hand .
The President has shown he is ready to enlist racist themes to fire up his base , a factor that will influence a Democratic contest featuring racially diverse candidates .
Trump , his tweeting thumbs at the ready , will likely pounce if the Democratic candidates embrace `` The Squad '' -- four female minority lawmakers he racially attacked when he said they should `` go back '' home -- even though all four are US citizens .
He has made clear he plans to use the four women of color , who he accuses of harboring anti-American sentiments , as an emblem of the entire Democratic Party .
Strong calls for more gun law reform from Democratic candidates following America 's latest mass shooting -- in California on Sunday night -- are sure to come up in the debate .
But gun control , like Democratic pledges to reverse Trump 's hardline border strategies , is an issue that can offer opportunities for the President as well as his foes .
The most eagerly awaited clash of the pair of prime time debates is the rematch between Biden and Harris .
The former vice president looked shocked and unprepared when Harris challenged him on his attitude toward opposition to government-mandated busing in the 1970s to integrate schools .
Biden 's weak response to Harris ' attack played into concerns among some voters that his age is a liability . It also threatened to undermine his claim that he would be the best Democrat to take on Trump -- a ferocious debater .
Any candidate can have a bad debate . But Biden surely ca n't afford another one .
The ex-vice president also needs to look out for Sen. Cory Booker . Like Harris , the New Jersey senator has attacked Biden 's past stances on racial issues and criminal justice . And Booker is desperate for his campaign to catch fire . A fracas with Biden might provide a spark .
Brett O'Donnell , a former debate coach on Republican campaigns , said Biden needed to make tactical adjustments .
`` I think Joe Biden 's got to become an effective counter-puncher . You know , when you 're the frontrunner , you do n't want to initiate contact , '' O'Donnell told CNN 's Poppy Harlow .
`` The principle is , do no harm . At the same time , you do n't want to appear so passive , as he did in the last debate . ''
Biden 's aides have told CNN that the former Delaware senator will take a more aggressive approach on Wednesday .
`` He is n't going to allow his record to be weaponized , '' an official said . `` He is n't going to take hits from any of the candidates sitting down . ''
Still , the initial panic among some Democrats about the frontrunner after the first debate seems to have subsided .
A new Quinnipiac University poll Monday showed Biden backed by 34 % of Democrats and independents who lean Democratic . Warren was on 15 % , Harris had 12 % and Sanders had 11 % . Harris slipped 8 % from a Quinnipiac poll taken shortly after her first debate showdown with Biden .
So far , Harris has seemed less assured in spontaneous situations than in implementing pre-cooked strategies in a debate . She has appeared for instance to reverse herself several times on a key issue in the Democratic race -- how to improve the US health care system .
On Monday , Harris released a 'Medicare for All ' plan that preserves a role for private insurance in an apparent attempt to straddle the left and centrist wings of the Democratic Party .
Four years ago , Sanders dominated progressive territory in the Democratic presidential race in his ultimately unsuccessful bid to beat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton .
Sanders and Warren are closely matched in recent early state and national polls , suggesting that they are currently splitting the support of the most progressive activists .
The danger now for Sanders is that Warren , with her multiple plans and broader appeal , ends up pushing ahead of the Vermont senator and inherits the movement he did so much to build .
So he could come out swinging on Tuesday in an attempt to re-establish himself as the most powerful progressive .
Warren knows that dominating the left will not be enough -- after all it failed to secure victory for Sanders in 2016 .
Her performance will be watched to see if she can make inroads with more moderate voters and African Americans -- two other crucial blocs of the Democratic coalition .
Given the presence of Warren and Sanders , Tuesday 's first debate could also lay bare the ideological divide in the Democratic Party . Bullock and former Colorado Gov . John Hickenlooper have been critical of the party 's evolution and could make a play for the center ground .
`` I think as Democrats , we have got to be clear that we 're not socialists , '' Hickenlooper told `` CNN Tonight '' earlier this month .
`` I know we 're not , but these large , expansive solutions to some of the vexing problems of America push people away in many cases , '' Hickenlooper said .
`` To say that we 're going to in four years take away all private insurance , ask 180 million Americans to give up their private insurance -- I do n't think that 's realistic and I think that 's not how you win elections . ''
Other outsider candidates need big nights to keep their campaigns alive .
Former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke -- who ran Republican Sen. Ted Cruz close in the state 's 2018 Senate race -- needs to restore his luster . Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro was strong in his first debate -- but has not seen a hoped-for polling bounce .
Other candidates like New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand , Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet , New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Washington Gov . Jay Inslee know that time is running out for them to burst into the top tier of candidates .
Others , like businessman Andrew Yang and self-help guru Marianne Williamson , face a struggle to get equal time . | 7RtpAWSYiKFUQtjw | 0 | Democratic Debates | 0.8 | Election2020 | 0.7 | Presidential Elections | 0 | Elections | 0 | null | null |
white_house | New York Times - News | http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/19/us/politics/behind-closed-doors-obama-crafts-executive-actions.html?ref=politics | Behind Closed Doors, Obama Crafts Executive Actions | 2014-08-19 | white_house | VO NANCY PAREDO CAME FROM CIUDAD JUAREZ ILLEGALLY 13 YEARS AGO . SHE NOW LIVES IN STATEN ISLAND . BECAUSE OF NEW YORK β S LIBERAL IMMIGRATION PHILOSOPHY , SHE AND HER FAMILY ARE NOT AFRAID EVERY DAY OF BEING DEPORTED , BUT THEY ARE CAREFUL AND ARE WATCHING WASHINGTON CLOSELY THIS SUMMER . SOT : Nancy Paredo- β What ? β SOT : Nancy Paredo β Oh ! Your tooth fell out , my love ! β VO : FIVE-YEAR OLD AXEL WAS BORN HERE . SOT : Emily β Axel , would you rather speak in English , or would you rather speak in Spanish ? SOT : Axel Valdez β I would rather speak in English. β SOT : Axel Valdez β I want to say that we want immigration and do not get our family lost . VO AXEL IS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN , BUT HIS BROTHERS YAN , WHO IS 15 , AND DEMIS , 13 , WERE BORN IN MEXICO AND REMAIN UNDOCUMENTED . SOT : Obama June 30th β I β m beginning a new effort to fix as much of the immigration system as I can , on my own , without Congress. β VO ONLY CONGRESS HAS THE POWER TO GRANT PEOPLE LIKE NANCY AND HER FAMILY LEGAL STATUS , AND SO PRESIDENT OBAMA β S OPTIONS ARE LIMITED . FOCUS WILL BE ON REDUCING DEPORTATIONS AMONG PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN HERE FOR YEARS . HERE β S HOW VARIOUS EXECUTIVE ACTIONS COULD IMPACT THE 11 MILLION PEOPLE LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES AND WITH NO LEGAL STATUS ... SOT : Nancy quote tk 36:52 Starts with β Yo espero ... 317:14 Ends with β carga β 36:56 perhaps we can β t really get much , but 36:58 at the very least , an ID number 37:03 that would say to us , you are not an immigrant , you count in this society . 37:08 You are some one here . 37:10 Because you contribute to this country , you β re not weighing it down. β 37:14 //LINEAR WIPE// VO ONE OF OBAMA β S EASIEST OPTIONS WOULD BE TO REFINE A 2010 POLICY THAT SAYS UNDOCUMENTED , NON-CRIMINAL , BREADWINNING IMMIGRANTS WOULD NOT BE HIGH DEPORTATION PRIORITIES . SUCH A CHANGE COULD EASE SOME OF THE FEARS IN THE FAMILY , BUT IMMIGRANT ADVOCATES AND IMMIGRANT FAMILIES SAY IT β S UNCLEAR WHETHER IT WOULD MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE . SOT : Yan Carlos Valdez β Im hoping he does something by this summer . I hope it β s not the same nonsense he always says . That I β m going to do something and then he doesn β t do it. β //LINEAR WIPE// VO A MORE FORCEFUL STEP FROM THE PRESIDENT WOULD FULLY ELIMINATE DEPORTATION FOR SOME IMMIGRANTS - AT LEAST FOR A TIME . NAT POP OF YAN - β Do you want to go to the pool with me ? β VO YAN IS CURRENTLY APPLYING FOR PROTECTION UNDER A POLICY KNOWN AS DACA , THAT β S DEFERRED ACTION FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS . DACA LASTS TWO YEARS , AND WOULD GIVE HIM WORK PERMITS AND A SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER . A MOVE FROM THE PRESIDENT COULD GRANT DACA-LIKE PROTECTIONS TO THE PARENTS OF UNITED STATES CITIZENS . SOT : Juan Carlos , on what papers would mean β Once I have papers , I could set myself up really well . I work in construction . I could pay my taxes , I could contract with more people ... That β s why we want papers , finally to have dignity. β VO : EXTENDING THESE PROTECTIONS LIKE THIS COULD IMPACT SOME 3.8 MILLION PEOPLE . THE NUMBER WOULD BE EVEN HIGHER IF THE PRESIDENT CHOSE TO EXTEND PROTECTIONS TO THE PARENTS OF DACA-RECIPIENTS . BUT THAT β S A STEP THAT GOVERNMENT LAWYERS SAY WOULD ALMOST SURELY INVITE LEGAL SCRUTINY AND REPUBLICAN OPPOSITION . SOT : Republican soundbite BOEHNER - July 10 Listen , this is a problem of the president β s own making . He β s been president for five-and-a-half years . When is he going to take responsibility for something ? β NATPOP - anti-immigrant rival //LINEAR WIPE// PRESIDENT OBAMA β S MOST FAR-REACHING - AND CONTROVERSIAL - MOVE WOULD BE TO EXTEND DACA-LIKE PROTECTION TO ALL UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS WHO MEET A CERTAIN CRITERIA . THAT β S AN ESTIMATED 9.6 MILLION PEOPLE . NANCY AND HER FAMILY COULD BE FREE FROM DEPORTATION FEARS BUT IT β S ANOTHER MOVE THAT WOULD ALMOST SURELY BRING A LEGAL CHALLENGE . SOT : Nancy Paredo . β Obama made us a big promise ... from the very first time he ran for President he made us a promise and Latinos supported him . .... because he said he would reform immigration ... PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS PROMISED ACTION BY THE END OF THE SUMMER BUT , NOT CONTENT TO WAIT , THE VALDEZ FAMILY OFTEN VISITS WASHINGTON TO ADD TO THEIR VOICE TO THE PRESSURE FOR REFORM . SOT : Emily β What do you want for your mom and dad ? SOT : Axel Valdez β I want them to be safe. β ENDIT | GXIigeI8wpjsT1Tn | 0 | Barack Obama | 0.5 | White House | 0.1 | Executive Orders | 0 | Politics | 0 | null | null |
coronavirus | CNBC | https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/07/uk-coronavirus-strain-doubling-in-the-us-every-10-days-study-finds.html | U.K. coronavirus strain is doubling in the U.S. every 10 days, study finds | 2021-02-07 | Coronavirus, Life During Covid-19, Coronavirus Vaccine | A traveler takes a photo of a Covid-19 testing sign at the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) amidst travel restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on February 4, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.The mutant coronavirus strain first identified in the United Kingdom remains at low levels in the United States but is doubling its reach approximately every 10 days, according to a study published by researchers on Sunday.The study bolstered modeling done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which predicted last month that the more contagious variant could be the dominant strain in the U.S. by March.The U.S. still has time to take steps to slow down the new virus strain, the researchers wrote, but they warned that without "decisive and immediate public health action" the variant "will likely have devastating consequences to COVID-19 mortality and morbidity in the U.S. in a few months."The research, funded in part by the CDC and the National Institutes of Health as well as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, was posted to medRxiv, a preprint server, and has not yet been peer-reviewed.The new coronavirus strain, also known as B.1.1.7, spread rapidly through the United Kingdom and has become the dominant strain in that country, which is by some measures the hardest hit in Europe.Health officials have said that existing vaccines are likely to work against new strains, though their efficacy may be somewhat reduced.The study found that there is "relatively low" amounts of B.1.1.7. in the U.S. at the moment but that, given its speedy spread, it is "almost certainly destined to become the dominant SARS-CoV-2 lineage by March, 2021."The new strain accounted for 3.6% of coronavirus cases in the U.S. during the last week of January, according to the study.The researchers noted that tracking the nationwide spread of the strain is complicated by the lack of a national genomics surveillance program like those found in the U.K., Denmark and other countries.They wrote that they had "relatively robust" estimates from California and Florida, but that data outside those states was limited.The growth rate of the virus diverged in the two states, with B.1.1.7. appearing to spread somewhat slower in California. The study authors wrote that the strain was doubling about every 12.2 days in California, 9.1 days in Florida, and 9.8 days nationally.The study supports the conclusion that the new strain is already spreading via "significant community transmission."The authors suggest that the virus was introduced to the country via international travel, and spread via domestic travel as millions of Americans traversed the country around the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's holidays over the fall and winter.The authors also found that the variant was growing somewhat slower than it has in European countries, a fact they said that requires further investigation but may be the result of the sparsity of current data or other factors β including "competition from other more transmissible" variants.Other worrisome coronavirus strains have been detected in South Africa and elsewhere.The researchers warned that their findings "reinforce the need" for robust surveillance in the U.S. of possible new and emerging coronavirus variants."Because laboratories in the U.S. are only sequencing a small subset of SARS-CoV-2 samples, the true sequence diversity of SARS-CoV-2 in this country is still unknown," they wrote."The more established surveillance programs in other countries have provided important warnings about variants of concern that can impact the U.S., with B.1.1.7 representing only one variant that demonstrates the capacity for exponential growth," they added."Only with consistent, unbiased sequencing at scale that includes all geographic and demographic populations including those often underrepresented, together with continued international scientific collaborations and open data sharing, will we be able to accurately assess and follow new variants that emerge during the COVID-19 pandemic," the researchers wrote. | a7a6b98dddad16d5 | 1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
banking_and_finance | CNN (Web News) | http://money.cnn.com/2015/08/25/investing/stocks-markets-china-turnaround-tuesday/index.html | Turnaround Tuesday: Dow surges 380 points at open | 2015-08-25 | banking_and_finance | A 442-point surge for the Dow vanished at the end of the trading session Tuesday , the latest sign of how anxious markets have become about the health of the global economy .
At the end of yet another wild day of trading , the Dow actually ended with a loss of 205 points as fears continued to mount over China 's slowing economy and its contagion effect on the rest of the world . Just in the last six trading days , the Dow has lost a total of nearly 1,900 points , or 11 % .
Volatility remains elevated , signaling that more turbulence may lie ahead . Just look at CNNMoney 's Fear & Greed Index , which is currently flashing `` extreme fear . ''
`` There 's still fear around the edges . You need some signs that the market is stabilizing to reassure people it 's not going to roll off the edge of a cliff and go tumbling down further , '' said Bruce McCain , chief investment strategist for Key Private Bank .
Some sort of bounce was anticipated on Tuesday due to the enormous losses that have been inflicted on the markets even though the American economy does n't appear to be falling off a cliff . All three major U.S. equity indexes had plunged into correction territory -- their first 10 % decline from recent highs since 2011 .
China seemed to provide the recipe for that rebound overnight . China 's central bank slashed interest rates , an emergency action aimed at calming financial markets and boosting economic growth by flooding the markets with cheap money .
Related : How I made money when the Dow lost 1,000 points
Investors around the world cheered China 's emergency actions in hopes they will at least stabilize conditions in Asia . European stocks surged 4 % higher , with Germany 's DAX rallying nearly 5 % just a day after falling into a bear market .
The significant market moves underscore how much China matters to the global markets . China is the world 's second-biggest economy and its explosive growth over the past two decades helped lift many other countries . That 's especially true for emerging markets like Brazil that rely on China 's huge demand for its natural resources .
That 's why the turbulence in China 's stock market has unnerved so many investors . The Shanghai Composite plunged another 7.6 % on Tuesday in a selloff that occurred prior to the interest rate cut . The bubble in Chinese stocks has burst , leaving the Shanghai index down a whopping 42 % since June 12 .
Many market veterans believe the damage done by the selloff in the U.S. was overdone considering the American economy does n't appear to be tanking at this point . Unlike the market turmoil in 2008 , the economy is n't on track for a recession .
Not only does the jobs market look healthy , but the housing industry continues to recover and cheap oil is creating a huge windfall for consumers at the pump .
`` I still think this pullback is a buying opportunity . I still have confidence in the U.S. economy , '' said Scott Wren , senior global equity strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute .
Related : Why the economy is OK , even if stocks are n't
Even before the late-day slide , market experts were warning that Tuesday 's early rebound did n't mean everything is back to normal in the global financial markets just because China cut interest rates .
Watch for more dramatic market moves as new clues emerge about whether the financial turmoil causes the Federal Reserve to delay its plans to raise interest rates in September until later in the year or even 2016 . | Co5m3DC1chZ8kdx4 | 0 | Wall Street | -1.4 | Banking And Finance | 0.6 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
economy_and_jobs | Washington Times | http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jun/18/obama-is-not-doing-fine/ | OPINION: COBURN: Obama is not doing fine | 2012-06-18 | economy_and_jobs | President Obama β s claim that β the private sector is doing fine β is sure to be repeated over and over and over again the next few months . And the White House will continue to argue that the president β s comments were taken out of context . That β s missing the point . The context is the problem . The administration β s and Congress β misplaced faith in the power of government to solve problems and stimulate the economy is what is holding back our recovery .
In fairness , let β s look at the president β s whole statement : β The truth of the matter is that , as I said , we β ve created 4.3 million jobs over the last 27 months , over 800,000 just this year alone . The private sector is doing fine . Where we β re seeing weaknesses in our economy have to do with state and local government , cuts initiated by governors and mayors who are not seeing the kind of help that they have in the past from the federal government and who don β t have the same kind of flexibility as the federal government in dealing with fewer revenues coming in . β
The president later clarified his statement and acknowledged that the private sector is not doing fine . But , again , his context and assumptions are the problem . The weaknesses in our economy are not the result of indiscriminate cuts but indiscriminate spending . Neither side has had political courage to be specific and make hard choices . For the past 30 years , federal , state and local governments have lived off the next 30 years , and the bill is due .
As President Reagan reminded us , government is not the solution - government is the problem . Case in point : By β investing β billions in short-term , nonpermanent public-sector jobs in the stimulus bill , the Obama administration helped create a public-sector employment bubble along with a housing bubble and education bubble . Republican administrations helped inflate this bubble as well , but Mr. Obama β s solution is to repeat the mistakes of the past . At the same time , the administration wants to dramatically expand Medicaid enrollment through the not-so-Affordable Care Act , which will further burden states . Imposing new mandates and creating dependency and unsustainable funding streams hurts rather than helps states .
Meanwhile , instead of taking steps to pass a budget and a serious deficit-reduction plan that reforms our tax code and preserves our safety net , we see from the White House and its allies a pattern of behavior that says cuts during a downturn are bad and β investment β in public-sector jobs is good .
The idea that wasteful spending should be protected during a downturn is Keynesian superstition . Some spending is so wasteful it never has a positive multiplier effect . Is wasting $ 100 billion a year on health care fraud OK during a recovery but not a recession ? Or what about allowing $ 70 billion to sit around in unspent funds ? Or spending millions to build turtle tunnels in the name of job creation ? My office alone has identified more than $ 350 billion in annual waste , fraud and duplication , yet we have seen the administration and Congress take no initiative to make smart cuts .
Another flawed assumption behind the president β s comment is his misplaced confidence in the economic power of the public sector . Columnist Paul Krugman and others who point to cuts in the public sector as the reason for our troubles are confused . Public- and private-sector jobs are not on the same economic footing . No one wants to see vital public servants lose their jobs , but artificially expanding the public sector at the expense of the private sector ( federal employees already are better compensated than their private-sector counterparts ) is a recipe for disaster . Public-sector employees may be honest , hard-working people , but they don β t innovate and create real wealth . That β s why we tend to see new ideas and new products come from companies like Apple , Intel and Space X rather than your local Department of Motor Vehicles . As Milton Friedman explained , spending your money on yourself in the private sector is vastly more efficient and productive than spending someone else β s money on someone else in the public sector .
When Mr. Obama was elected , he challenged both parties and the country to ask a pragmatic question : What works ? The past few years have reminded the country that government doesn β t do a very good job of managing a recovery . Our founders understood this lesson very well , which is why they drafted a Constitution to limit the size and scope of the federal government . They weren β t anti-government . They simply knew from history and experience that government itself was limited in what it could effectively do in a free society .
The challenge today is to remember what we once knew and reapply the principles of limited government to our debt and economic crisis . If America is going to survive and thrive for the next generation and beyond , we need to focus on what works , reduce the size of government and expand freedom and opportunity for every American .
Sen. Tom Coburn , a physician , is an Oklahoma Republican and author of β The Debt Bomb β ( Thomas Nelson , 2012 ) . | 62E2JEscMbHocKFD | 2 | Economy And Jobs | -0.5 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | Washington Post | https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/11/05/george-h-w-bush-slams-iron-ass-cheney-arrogant-rumsfeld-in-new-biography-also-faults-bush-41/?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_mm-bushbook-220am%3Ahomepage/story | George H.W. Bush slams βiron-assβ Cheney, βarrogantβ Rumsfeld in new biography. Also faults Bush 43. | 2015-11-05 | Politics | clockThis article was published more than 9 years ago Itβs long been a mystery what President George H.W. Bush thought of President George W. Bushβs response to the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent invasion of Iraq. Bush 41, of course, had stopped short of ousting Saddam Hussein in the Persian Gulf War; Bush 43 had gone ahead and done just that. But what was said behind closed doors in Crawford or Kennebunkport? | e354b7329dc63529 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
immigration | Guest Writer - Right | https://spectator.org/open-borders-mean-closed-opportunities-for-national-prosperity/ | OPINION: Open Borders Mean Closed Opportunities for National Prosperity | 2019-07-05 | Immigration | Go to the right Washington , D.C. , neighborhood and a front yard is not just a front yard . It β s an opportunity to display your moral superiority and allegiance to social justice .
β We Believe No Human is Illegal. β β Black Lives Matter. β β No matter where you are from , we β re glad you β re our neighbor. β One in my ultra-liberal neighborhood speaks to me more than the others , however , as it tends to provoke a personal identity crisis . β Everyone is Welcome Here , β it reads . On its surface , this should apply to me ; I am an immigrant . ( Hooray ! ) Yet I wonder whether this sentiment would survive knowing I moved to America to work in a conservative think tank . ( Boo ! )
This particular slogan also invites questioning as to where the other limits of this sentiment are drawn . Because surely not everyone should be welcome . To say that everyone β no matter their character or intentions β is welcome into a country does not just contradict logic and infantilize ethics , politics , and civil society . It also means that you simply do not have a country anymore .
Yet it seems like that is the direction today β s progressives want to take us . Certainly , the concept of open borders is increasingly mainstream . So , too , is mass amnesty . This trend is especially mind-boggling to those who remember the UK election of 2010 , when the Liberal Democrats floated the idea of mass amnesty and eventually abandoned it because of how loopy it was regarded domestically .
A policy too ridiculous for even Nick Clegg to sustain is not one that American presidential candidates should take seriously . That is the hand that has been dealt , however , so it is worth a reminder of what its consequences may look like .
The European Union , where frictionless travel exists between dozens of countries , provides some insight . At first glance , it is wonderful . You can be born in one country , but have the right to live and work in over 20 others . Labor β s cheaper : no more paying top dollar for your builder , cleaner , or babysitter when you can get a new arrival from Eastern Europe to do it for a quarter of the price . And the middle class get to nip back and forth between Brussels to Paris on a fun evening out .
As the pile of bodies on November 13 , 2015 , proved , however , once ISIS decided to make the journey for precisely the same reasons , open borders also have downsides . All that cheap foreign labor means that locals are often undercut and can not compete . All those new people need somewhere affordable to live β and in cities like London , good luck finding it . Eastern European countries are now struggling to find doctors and nurses because health-care professionals are making the move westward for economic purposes . The demographics and even appearance of towns and cities have changed rapidly , generating local resentment and acting as an impediment to integration .
And then there is the question of refugees . German Chancellor Angela Merkel β s decision to open up Europe β s borders to all and sundry in 2015 was what happens when front-yard slogans like those in D.C. are translated into government policy . Over a million asylum seekers came to Germany that year alone . In Sweden , the 163,000 who arrived were the equivalent of the U.S. accepting 5.2 million asylum seekers in a single year . This was the open-borders dream coming to fruition : such were the numbers , and so unprepared were European border agencies , that most were just waved through with cursory or non-existent background checks .
Many made the journey for benign and understandable purposes . Yet as the author Douglas Murray argued at book-length , if you invite in the world , you invite in the world β s problems . The terrorism threat surged , with newly arrived asylum seekers particularly culpable for an increased security risk in Germany . The same country has also seen a series of high-profile sexual assaults and murders carried out by refugees . In Sweden , there has been a spike in explosions , especially from grenades , as primarily immigrant gangs fight over turf . In hitherto sleepy Finland , Iraqi torture victims are forced to live side-by-side in refugee centers with their former torturers .
While taking a far more guarded approach to this issue than Chancellor Merkel , the U.S. is hardly immune to such problems . Last month , the FBI thwarted a plot by a Syrian refugee to bomb a Pittsburgh church in the name of ISIS . This individual moved to the U.S. in 2016 and had previously posted online about being raised in Jordan β on loving the Jihad . β
That case suggests that the U.S. vetting process is hardly infallible . Sign up for an open borders policy , however , and vetting becomes nonexistent . Ditto for the ability to control who does and does not live in your country . Soon enough , nationality becomes an irrelevance .
How much the millennial , modern American Left has thought through these issues is unclear . They should , because they are not just waging a war against today β s conservatives . They are waging a war on America β s past and its future , gambling that democracy can survive even without any sense of national loyalty .
History is not on their side . As the English philosopher Roger Scruton has written , the nation state may not be the only answer to the problems of modern government . It is , however , β the only answer that has proved itself . We may feel tempted to experiment with other forms of political order . But experiments on this scale are dangerous , since nobody knows how to predict or to reverse the results of them . β
So the open borders enthusiasts need a rethink . America is not a perfect nation , but it has done pretty well by its immigrants over the past couple of hundred years . β Everyone is Welcome Provided You Come Here Legally , Work Hard , and Stick to the Rules β is not the pithiest yard sign . It is , however , still a more sustainable ethos for a nation .
A British expatriate , Robin Simcox is The Heritage Foundation β s Margaret Thatcher Fellow . He specializes in counter-terrorism and national security policy . | 752a367ae9e4eb57 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
state_department | Politico | http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/white-house-paris-deli-shooting-jews-115076.html?hp=b1_r1 | White House ripped for Paris attack comments | 2015-02-10 | state_department | A man lays flowers outside the kosher grocery store in Paris where four people were killed in a terror attack . White House ripped for Paris attack comments
White House press secretary Josh Earnest got into a tense exchange Tuesday over a shooting last month at a kosher supermarket in Paris , saying β there were people other than Jews who were in that deli . β
The back-and-forth stemmed from a Vox interview with President Barack Obama published Monday .
β It is entirely legitimate for the American people to be deeply concerned when you β ve got a bunch of violent , vicious zealots who behead people or randomly shoot a bunch of folks in a deli in Paris , β the president said .
Reporters in Tuesday β s White House briefing raised questions about Obama β s decision not to label the shooting an anti-Semitic incident .
β This was not a random shooting of a β bunch of folks , β β ABC β s Jon Karl said . β Does the president have any doubt that those terrorists attacked that deli because there would be Jews in that deli ? β
β It is clear β what the motivation of the terrorists were , Earnest said .
β The adverb that the president chose was used to indicate that the individuals who were killed in that terrible , tragic incident were killed , not because of who they were , but because of where they randomly happened to be , β he said .
Karl asked again whether religion played into the location of the shooting .
β This individuals were not targeted by name . This is the point , β Earnest replied , adding , β there were people other than Jews who were in that deli . β
β I answered the question once . No , β Earnest replied when asked by Karl whether the president believed had any doubt that the deli was attacked because it was a kosher establishment .
β Refusing to admit that the kosher deli in Paris was specifically targeted because it is a gathering place for Jews is just one reason why many people don β t trust the Obama administration when it comes to defending Israel , β the aide said .
In a subsequent State Department press briefing , spokeswoman Jen Psaki , asked about the exchange between Earnest and Karl , said that the victims did not come from one background or nationality .
Asked if the deli attack targeted the Jewish community , Psaki said : β I don β t think we β re going to speak on behalf of French authorities and what they believe was the situation at play here . β
Both the White House and French President Francois Hollande condemned the attacks as anti-Semitic at the time .
Calling the attack a β violent assault on the Jewish community , β White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said on Jan. 13 that it β was the latest in a series of troubling incidents in Europe and around the world that reflect a rising tide of anti-Semitism . β
Clarifying her remarks , Psaki later tweeted Tuesday , β We have always been clear that the attack on the kosher grocery store was an anti-semitic attack that took the lives of innocent people . ? β
Earnest also took to Twitter to underscore he agreed the shooting was an attack on the Jewish community .
Our view has not changed . Terror attack at Paris Kosher market was motivated by anti-Semitism . POTUS did n't intend to suggest otherwise . β Josh Earnest ( @ PressSec ) February 10 , 2015 | 1JBtmROtPp1NMppA | 0 | Paris | 0.5 | Politics | -0.4 | State Department | -0.3 | Judaism | 0.2 | White House | -0.2 |
justice | Los Angeles Times | http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-lynch-clinton-email-probe-20160701-snap-story.html | Attorney general removes herself from deciding possible charges in Clinton email probe | 2016-07-01 | Justice | Reporting from Washington β Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch said Friday she will remove herself from the decision-making process about whether to seek charges in the investigation involving Hillary Clintonβs use of a private email server while serving as secretary of State. The decision comes after Lynch came under fire for having a private meeting early this week with Clintonβs husband, former president Bill Clinton, during a chance encounter at Phoenixβs Sky Harbor International Airport. U.S. Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch discusses community policing with actor Michael B. Jordan at the Facebook campus in Playa Vista. In an interview at the Aspen Ideas Festival on Friday morning, Lynch conceded the meeting hurt the Justice Departmentβs reputation by creating an appearance of impropriety, though she insisted she did not discuss the case with the former president. She also announced that she would abide by the recommendations of career prosecutors and FBI Director James Comey about how to proceed with the email investigation and whether to file any charges. βI will be accepting their recommendations and their plan going forward,β she said, adding that she felt bad that the meeting has βcast a shadow over how people are going to view that work, something I take seriously.β Paid Content Visit Taiwan to find a foodie travel paradise and so much more. By Taiwan Tourism Administration Lynch and other Justice Department officials said she had already decided to abide by prosecutorsβ and the FBIβs recommendation in the case. Given Lynchβs background as a career prosecutor, it was unlikely that she would have use her authority to overrule the FBI anyway, an action that would have undoubtedly leaked and triggered a political backlash. But the poor appearance surrounding the meeting with Bill Clinton led Lynch to publicly announce her decision in an attempt to quell the controversy and restore public faith in the probe. The attorney general, who served twice as the U.S. attorney in Brooklyn, N.Y., before taking the reins of the Justice Department in April 2015, stopped short of formally recusing herself from the case, telling Washington Post journalist Jonathan Capehart that doing so would prevent her from even being briefed on its findings by agents and prosecutors. Justice Department political appointees often find themselves in difficult situations when they investigate high-profile and political figures. President Nixon infamously triggered the 1973 resignations of his attorney general and deputy attorney general when he demanded the firing of a special prosecutor investigating the Watergate scandal. More recently, FBI officials expressed private frustration that top Justice Department officials permitted David Petraeus, the former Army general and CIA director, to plead guilty to a misdemeanor for disclosing classified information to his mistress, who was writing a book about him, while he headed the intelligence agency. They had hoped to see Petraeus prosecuted on felony charges, but Justice Department prosecutors, including then-Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. , believed that the case would be messy and difficult to win and agreed to allow Petraeus to plead to a lesser misdemeanor. TRAIL GUIDE: All the latest news on the 2016 presidential campaign Β» In their investigation of Clintonβs use of a private email server, FBI agents and prosecutors are trying to understand whether classified material was knowingly or negligently discussed over the private system. The controversy was that latest reminder that the email probe continues to dog Clintonβs presidential campaign. A final decision on the probe is not expected for several weeks. The meeting with Bill Clinton appears to have been a coincidence. The former president, who was departing the airport on a private jet, noticed Lynchβs plane had arrived and decided to go over and say hello, said a person familiar with the meeting. He then boarded and spoke with Lynch and her husband, Stephen Hargrove, who had joined the attorney general on her trip. Lynch said Tuesday that the meeting was personal and did not delve into the email investigation. βOur conversation was a great deal about his grandchildren,β Lynch told reporters in Phoenix on Tuesday afternoon. βIt was primarily social and about our travels. He mentioned the golf he played in Phoenix, and he mentioned travels heβd had in West Virginia. We talked about former attorney general Janet Reno, for example, whom we both know, but there was no discussion of any matter pending for the department or any matter pending for any other body.β See the most-read stories this hour >> Despite her assurances, Lynch was blasted by Republicans, who said it raised questions about her fairness in overseeing the probe. Democrats expressed frustration that the former president would put the attorney general in such a position. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, promised to seek answers about the meeting at an oversight hearing next month. βAtty. Gen. Lynchβs private meeting with Bill Clinton raises many questions about the investigation into Hillary Clinton for mishandling classified information,β he said in a statement. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas issued a statement Thursday reiterating his earlier call for a special prosecutor to over see the case because βthis incident does nothing to instill confidence in the American people that her department can fully and fairly conduct this investigation.β Former Justice Department lawyers and law professors said Lynch has the reputation of being a straight-shooter and a by-the-book prosecutor, and were surprised that she allowed Bill Clinton onto her plane. βIt was unfortunate and she has admitted that the optics were not good in retrospect,β said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond, adding that she had mitigated some of the fallout by deferring the decision on filing charges to Comey and career prosecutors. Tobias and others noted that the FBI director served as deputy attorney general in the George W. Bush administration and was known for not being timid about standing up to the White House. βComey enjoys a sterling reputation for addressing complex, difficult situations that arose in the Bush years,β Tobias said. ALSO Obama: Donald Trumpβs rhetoric is βnativism. Or xenophobia. Or worseβ Donald Trump: Americans should βpay a little bit moreβ for U.S.-made products to save jobs Republicans release Benghazi report with no new evidence against Hillary Clinton del.wilbur@latimes.com UPDATES: 11:09 a.m.: This article has been updated with additional details and background. 9:09 a.m.: This article has been updated with Lynch discussing her decision at the Aspens Ideas Festival . 5:22 a.m.: This article has been updated with additional background. This article was originally published at 5:10 a.m. Sign up for Essential California The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Follow Us Del Quentin Wilber was the White House and breaking news editor in the Los Angeles Timesβ Washington bureau. Before moving into an editing role, he was an enterprise and investigative reporter, focused on criminal justice and national security matters. An award-winning reporter and author, he previously worked for the Baltimore Sun, the Washington Post, Bloomberg News and the Wall Street Journal. He is the author of βRawhide Down: The Near Assassination of Ronald Reagan,β a national bestseller, and βA Good Month for Murder: The Inside Story of a Homicide Squad.β World & Nation Politics World & Nation California World & Nation World & Nation World & Nation World & Nation Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Follow Us MORE FROM THE L.A. TIMES | ae86f3b27d77dda5 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
free_speech | The Blaze | https://www.theblaze.com/news/2018/08/18/prageru-claims-it-is-being-heavily-censored-by-facebook-and-they-have-evidence-to-prove-it | PragerU claims it is being βheavily censoredβ by Facebook β and they have evidence to prove it | 2018-08-19 | Free Speech | Prager University, which produces conservative content including man-on-the-street and explainer videos on conservative values and philosophy, claimed Friday that Facebook is heavily censoring its content. And they have the evidence to prove it. The video outlet posted an image to social media showing its Facebook analytics. The picture shows that the last nine PragerU videos posted to its Facebook page β which has millions of followers β reached almost zero people, while two videos were deleted altogether. The report comes amid growing concerns about the power social media giants wield over the flow of information on the internet. For several years now, there have been concerns that tech giants like Facebook and Google passively censor conservative-leaning news outlets and pages by limiting the reach of their content. Limiting reach reduces visibility, which in turn hurts their ability to advertise and make money. In a tweet, the company apologized for "mistakingly" removing the videos, which limited the reach of subsequent content. The company also said it restored the deleted videos. They did not buy what Facebook was selling. PragerU sued Google last year alleging "intentional" censorship of its videos on YouTube, which Google owns. PragerU said 15 percent of its videos were placed in "restrictive mode," which severely limited their reach. Chris Enloe Staff Writer Andrew Chapados Joseph MacKinnon Joseph MacKinnon | 39656b77d5dea328 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
role_of_government | Fox News | http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/12/17/sen-coburn-wastebook-extravagant-government-spending-amid-claims-cupboard-is/ | Funding for Facebook friends? Coburn catalogues worst of government waste | 2013-12-17 | role_of_government | This year 's installment of Sen. Tom Coburn 's annual Wastebook may make politicians on both sides of the aisle squirm with discomfort : It documents extravagant federal government waste in a year when many complained that sequestration left nothing to cut .
`` We 've had the Defense Department and people in the other non-Defense discretionary departments screaming the cupboard is bare . There 's nothing else to cut . The fact is that just is n't true , '' the Oklahoma Republican told reporters as he unveiled the 2013 Wastebook on Tuesday .
The Department of Defense comes under special scrutiny in Coburn β s report .
Despite a warning last July 31 from Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel that under sequestration , `` We risk fielding a force that is unprepared due to a lack of training , maintenance , and the latest equipment , '' Coburn found DoD is leaving 2,000 MRAP 's -- Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles -- behind in Afghanistan to be destroyed rather than delivered to other bases .
MRAP 's were rushed through the procurement process in 2007 , as I.E.D attacks took an increasing toll on NATO forces in Iraq and Afghanistan . Each MRAP cost $ 500,000 to build , Coburn β s report says .
The report documents how Congress authorized the purchase of 21 C-27 transport planes manufactured in Italy , despite testimony from a former Air Force chief of staff in August of 2012 that under sequestration cuts , the Air Force did n't want the plane . He also testified the C-130 could do the job better .
Stuck with the $ 631 million purchase , the Air Force mothballed the C-27 's in the desert before any of them flew a single operational mission . `` When we buy $ 700 million worth of airplanes and half of them we 're going to cut up and half of them we 're going to put in the desert ? It does n't fit with common sense , '' Coburn said .
DoD is not alone in its extravagant waste . Coburn 's Wastebook also highlights how :
* The State Department spent $ 630,000 to attract followers to its Facebook and Twitter accounts .
* NASA is spending $ 3 million to study how Congress works .
* The National Endowment for the Humanities spent nearly a million dollars over three years to explore the origins of popular romance in multi-media .
* And while taxpayers have so far spent $ 319 million to build the Healthcare.gov website , estimates project that more than twice that will be spent on publicity and marketing .
Yet , Coburn does n't blame the agencies -- he blames Congress . `` The reason it 's hard work to cut spending is because somebody 's ox gets gored , β he said . β Somebody does n't get money .
`` Most members of Congress are more interested in getting themselves re-elected than they are in fixing what 's wrong with the country . ''
Coburn 's report spares neither Republicans nor Democrats . While he does n't name names , he names one title , the Senate Majority Leader β that β s Harry Reid , D-Nev .
Coburn said the Senate Majority Leader 's refusal to adhere to regular order and bring appropriations bills to the floor contributed to Congress 's lax oversight of federal government spending in 2013 . | mtfmfs4t91l9bFzq | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | National Review | https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/10/the-blackface-party/ | The Blackface Party | 2018-10-19 | politics | Sen. Elizabeth Warren outside of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau headquarters in 2017 . ( Yuri Gripas/Reuters )
I must have missed something : Was there some kind of all-hands white-people meeting at which we voted to kick the Democrats out ?
Elizabeth Warren , Rachel Dolezal , Beto O β Rourke β what β s up with all the ethnic play-acting ? Isn β t cultural appropriation supposed to be a bad thing among progressives ? Isn β t blackface ( and brownface ) supposed to be an unforgivable sin ?
If a fraternity at a big state university had made the kind of mockery of Native Americans that Senator Warren has , it would be kicked off campus β and no pleas about a vague and mysterious β Cherokee princess β way back in the lost ages of the family history would save them .
Senator Warren is the main offender of the moment , a significantly-whiter-than-the-average-white-woman white woman who has for years been masquerading as a Native American , telling transparent bumfodder stories about how her parents had to elope because her mother was part Cherokee and part Delaware , an obvious attempt to claim some of that victimhood juice secondhand . She allowed herself to be advertised as a woman of color by Harvard , happy in the coincidence that β her major professional advances β to the University of Pennsylvania and then to Harvard β came after she began formally identifying as Native American , a distant descendant of Cherokee and Delaware tribes , β as the Boston Globe put it .
Warren , previously a mostly obscure academic and an author of dopey self-help books β The Ultimate Lifetime Money Plan β needed a little extra kick to stand out from the crowd of sanctimonious white ladies who rest like a dollop of low-fat sour cream atop the nation β s educational institutions . And so she went all in on her fictitious Indian ancestry : You β ll remember the recipe for β Pow-Wow Chow β and other β Indian β dishes plagiarized from the New York Times .
The Cherokee Nation is not buying it , denouncing Senator Warren β s extraordinarily tenuous claim to native ancestry as β a mockery , β β dishonoring legitimate tribal governments and their citizens , β β inappropriate and wrong , β etc . β Senator Warren is undermining tribal interests with her continued claims of tribal heritage , β Cherokee Nation secretary of state Chuck Hoskin Jr. wrote .
Identity politics is generally goofy and often trivial , but this is no trivial thing : The Cherokee Nation is a separate sovereign nation , with the rights and dignity that implies . It deserves to be treated with respect , not used as a prop by an ambitious low-rent hustler from Oklahoma .
White people did some pretty rotten things to the Indians over the years . But making them take Elizabeth Warren on top of it ? That β s just mean .
Senator Warren is a variation on the theme of Rachel Dolezal , a.k.a . Nkechi Amare Diallo , the sanctimonious white lady who masqueraded as a black woman for political gain ( she was a person of some consequence as the NAACP president in Spokane ) , blonde and blue-eyed though she had been until she adopted a cosmetic strategy to appear passably black . ( DoleΕΎal is Czech for β bum. β Fitting . ) Like Senator Warren , she had public ambitions that weren β t entirely well served by her private reality , so she invented a new one .
A milder version of that is playing out this election year in the campaign of Robert Francis O β Rourke of Texas , who has adopted the Hispanic nickname β Beto β as part of his public political persona . O β Rourke is as Mexican American as Senator Warren is Native American and as Rachel Dolezal is black . But Hispanic names poll well in Texas , and so this smug prep-school jackass is playing a backhanded race card against Senator Ted Cruz β the man in the race who is actually Hispanic . If O β Rourke really had wanted to Spanish up the ballot , he at least could have had the honesty to run as β Pinche Gringo , β which is what he is .
America is a wonderfully mixed-up place . You meet somebody named QiΓ‘ng MacFarland Lopez and the safe bet is that he β s an American . And many of us have had the peculiar experience of feeling a strong sense of kinship with a culture that is not our own . ( That β s me in a Swiss train station . ) β Multiculturalism β is an intellectual dead end , but culture is not , and there is much to be said for learning Chinese or Hebrew or Nahuatl , reading the great Spanish novels , or coming to understand Buddhism as something more than a feel-good corporate trend .
To consider oneself fixed within the bounds of one β s own specific patrimony is an intellectual poverty . But Senator Warren has not dug into Cherokee history , language , or culture . She simply used the fiction of her Cherokee identity to get something she wanted β a little political leg up on the rest of the sanctimonious white ladies . That β s cheap , vulgar , and wrong β and the Cherokee are right to be annoyed by it . And if Texas Democrats really want a Hispanic name on the ballot to put up against Senator Cruz , then they might consider β here β s a radical thought ! β nominating someone of Hispanic heritage as their candidate . As for Rachel Dolezal β my best guess is that being Rachel Dolezal is its own punishment .
Senator Warren owes the Cherokee Nation an apology . And if the Democratic party will not see to it that she does the right thing , then it should be considered a party to her deceit and to her insult . | lJSBLQgZi2EqJsKU | 2 | Democratic Party | -1.45 | Elizabeth Warren | -1.45 | Race And Racism | -0.87 | Politics | -0.5 | null | null |
justice | The Epoch Times | https://www.theepochtimes.com/nyt-wins-motion-to-potentially-override-any-jury-verdict-in-palin-defamation-suit_4278089.html | NY Times Wins Motion to Potentially Override Any Jury Verdict in Palin Defamation Suit | 2022-02-15 | Justice, Sarah Palin, New York Times, Defamation, Media Bias | NEW YORKβJudge Jed Rakoff struck a blow to former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palinβs defamation lawsuit against The New York Times on Feb. 14 when he ruled in favor of a motion by the defense that essentially nullifies a juryβs verdict in her favor should it come back with one. Officially known as Federal Rule of Civil Procedure No. 50, or the βRule 50 Motion,β the motion states that the plaintiff has to have sufficient evidence for every element it needs to prove. In this case, the element in question is βactual malice.β Proving this one is the most difficult of the four being considered by the court. The trial teetered on a razorβs edge all morning, as Rakoff and lawyers representing both sides debated the motion. As it was during witness testimony, the definition of the word βincitementβ was scrutinized again, this time reading from two dictionaries. This ruling doesnβt throw the case out and should the jury come back with a verdict in favor of the defendants, it has no impact. Soon after Rakoff made the announcement, the defense lawyers, plus a representative from The New York Times, shook hands and patted each other on the back. βWhat he just did there was very strange, taking the verdict from the jury,β Palin told The Epoch Times. Katie Sullivan, a Brooklyn-based lawyer, told The Epoch Times: βI think [Rakoff] applied the law correctly, but the laws are out of step with common sense and common decency. βTodayβs decision almost gives The Times a license to lie about a public figure.β Should the case go through a successful appeals process, it may then go to the Supreme Court, which, in theory, could change the way the media operates. βSomethingβs got to change,β Palin said regarding that. During the course of the day, the jury asked for transcripts of testimony from witnesses Ross G. Douthat, a New York Times columnist, and James Bennet, the editor and co-writer of the editorial at the heart of the lawsuit. Palin wore a black motorcycle jacket made of distressed leather with a silver beaded eagle on the back, along with black pants with zippered pockets and her recognizable updo. The jury hadnβt reached a verdict by the end of the day and will continue to deliberate on Feb. 15. If you found this article interesting, please consider supporting traditional journalism As an independent media without a corporate or billionaire backer, The Epoch Times continues to operate thanks to readers like you. If you're committed to supporting independent journalism, please consider subscribingβour limited-time introductory offer is just $1 per week. Under the CPRA, you have the right to opt-out of the sale or sharing of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalized ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link.If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences. | 1f021dc80d8b66dd | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | Ben Shapiro | https://townhall.com/columnists/benshapiro/2019/01/23/factually-incorrect-cannot-be-morally-correct-n2539899 | OPINION: Factually Incorrect Cannot Be Morally Correct | 2019-01-23 | politics | A few weeks ago , the Fresh Face of the Democratic Party , Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , D-N.Y. , gave one of the great defenses in the history of politics . Accused of fibbing and twisting facts to meet her radical agenda , Ocasio-Cortez explained , `` I think that there 's a lot of people more concerned about being precisely , factually and semantically correct than about being morally right . '' Her statement was widely derided . But it is indeed the mantra of today 's politics . The narrative must be preserved at all costs -- even the cost of the truth .
Take , for example , Ocasio-Cortez 's ridiculous statements this week on the state of modern America . She explained that her plan to radically restructure the American economy is necessitated by the fact that `` the world is gon na end in 12 years if we do n't address climate change . '' She added : `` And your biggest issue is how are we gon na pay for it ? And like , this is the war -- this is our World War II . '' Now , put aside her Nostradamus-like assertion regarding the incoming apocalypse . The important part followed : `` How are we saying , 'Take it easy , ' when the America that we 're living in today is so dystopian with people sleeping in their cars so they can work a second job without health care and we 're told to settle down . ''
Now , when President Trump describes America as a dystopia rife with crime and suffering , the media point out that America is hardly a hellhole -- we 're the most prosperous country in the history of the world . But when the charming AOC uses her false depiction of America to press for higher marginal tax rates , we 're supposed to buy her story .
This gap between the facts and the narrative dominates our politics . Here 's how the narrative chain works : Somebody makes a fact-free accusation of X , which supports the more general narrative , Y , supported by the political left or right . Opponents debunk X . That attempt to debunk X is taken as evidence that opponents do n't take the problem of Y seriously enough . Facts are marshaled to show that Y is true , even if X is n't . In a peculiar way , the lack of facts to back X lends passion to those who defend Y -- it allows them to malign the motives of those who do n't defend Y .
Let 's take an example . The students of Covington Catholic High School are accused of mobbing and mocking a Native American veteran . This incident supports the broader narrative that Trump supporters , religious Americans and young white men are emissaries of racism and toxic masculinity . Then it turns out that the video has been taken wildly out of context and deliberately misinterpreted . Many advocates of the narrative immediately declare that while this incident is a poor example , the overall narrative is true -- and that leaping to conclusions will be justified next time , in order to prove that the overall narrative ought to be taken seriously . The only price : whomever is next maligned without facts .
This pattern will continue to dominate our politics so long as we ascribe malign motives to those who wait for the facts to emerge -- and so long as we reward those who jump to conclusions in taking Y seriously . Waiting must become the order of the day . If it does n't , politics is going to get a lot worse , and quickly . | pVRK1QTGI9rKO3w5 | 2 | Politics | 0.1 | Facts And Fact Checking | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | Associated Press | https://apnews.com/baabcbf84cb5fbf67d230a2df6465e83 | Trump bringing back trusted aide Hope Hicks to White House | 2020-02-15 | Hope Hicks, Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, Communications, Impeachment, White House, Politics | WASHINGTON (AP) β Hope Hicks, one of President Donald Trumpβs most trusted and longest-serving aides, is returning to the White House as the president works to surround himself with loyalists as his reelection campaign moves into high gear.Hicks, a former White House communications director who was one of Trumpβs original 2016 campaign staffers, is expected to serve as counselor to the president, working with presidential son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity before the announcement had been made public. She left the White House in 2018 and moved to California to work as a top executive at the Fox Corporation, though she and Trump remained in touch.Hicksβs move comes just one week after Trump was acquitted by the Senate on impeachment charges. Since then, heβs been on a tear to clear his administration of those he sees as insufficiently loyal, including ousting staffers at the national security council and state department and pulling the nomination of a top treasury department pick who had overseen cases involving Trumpβs former aides as U.S. Attorney. More departures are expected in the coming days, including at the shrinking foreign policy arm of the White House, where Trumpβs national security adviser has been pushing for months to cull staff.At the same time, Trump has been working to surround himself with longtime aides he believes he can trust as he heads into what is expected to be a bruising general election campaign to remain in the White House.In addition to Hicks, Trump recently brought back John McEntee, another longtime staffer who began on the 2016 campaign as an intern and rose to become one of Trumpβs closest staffers, with an office adjacent to the Oval Office. McEntee had served as Trumpβs personal aide until he was forced out of the White House in 2018 on the orders of former chief of staff John Kelly over issues with his security clearance.McEntee has now been tapped to lead the White House Presidential Personnel Office, an influential posting that coordinates the screening and hiring of thousands of federal government workers . As part of that mission, he is expected to work to ensure that only those who believe in Trumpβs mission are offered jobs.βThis is bringing back Ringo and John and Paul and George,β said Jason Miller, senior communications adviser to Trumpβs 2016 campaign, referring to the members of the super group βThe Beatles.ββThis is putting the band back together for what is probably going to be the most consequential and important concert of their lives,β he said, noting that the people being brought back into the fold βare people that understand Trump as a person, who understand President Trumpβs priorities, who he likes personallyβ and who βre going to spend every waking moment of their lives trying to help him.βIn her new role, Hicks will not be part of the White House communications department, but will work closely with Kushner and White House political director Brian Jack βin a number of strategic areas,β according to a White House official. She is expected to start early next month, though details were still being worked out Thursday.Known for her loyalty and low public profile, Hicks was part of the small inner circle that traveled the country with Trump aboard his private jet as he waged his unlikely campaign for the Republican nomination and then the presidency in 2015 and 2016. She was often described as someone who was especially deft at reading the presidentβs moods and helping others navigate his instincts.Trump never wanted Hicks to leave the White House, which she chose to do as she was called to testify before lawmakers and the special counselβs office during the Russia investigation. And she and the president remained in regular touch while she was at Fox, with the president trying to convince her to return to the White House since nearly the day she left, according to one of the people. The presidentβs sales pitch, the person said, intensified in recent months amid impeachment.The news of her decision was praised publicly by top administration officials, including Stephanie Grisham, the White House press secretary who also serves as the current White House communications director.βI have worked with Hope for almost six years and can say without hesitation she is one of the most talented and savvy individuals I have come across,β Grisham said in a statement. βShe has always impressed me with her quiet confidence, loyalty and expertise, and I am beyond thrilled to welcome Hope back to the White House.ββThere is no one more devoted to implementing President Trumpβs agenda than Hope Hicks,β Kushner added. βWe are excited to have her back on the team.βEven before Trumpβs acquittal, his national security adviser Robert OβBrien had been working to shrink the ranks at the National Security Council, where Alexander Vindman, the director for European Affairs, had worked before he was escorted out of the White House last week.OβBrien said the streamlining will be completed by the of the week, with about 70 fewer staffers than the 115 to 120 staffers when he started the job in September.Meanwhile, the conservative Newsmax TV announced Thursday that Trumpβs first press secretary, Sean Spicer, will be hosting a political talk show that will air weeknights at 6 p.m. from Washington. βSpicer & Co.β will debut on March 3.__Associated Press writers Jonathan Lemire and Deb Riechmann contributed to this report.___Follow Miller and Colvin on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ZekeJMiller and https://twitter.com/colvinj. | 9bfa3eacf5a7dd86 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | Daily Kos | https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/11/21/1717542/-Leaked-documents-reveal-sexual-harassment-by-John-Conyers-and-Congress-broken-system | Leaked documents reveal sexual harassment by John Conyers ... and Congress' broken system | 2017-11-21 | US House, Politics | By signing this form, you are agreeing to receive occasional emails on this and related campaigns from Daily Kos. You may of course unsubscribe at any time. Here's our privacy policy. Rep. John Conyers, the Democrat whoβs the longest-serving member of Congress, is the latest powerful man revealed to be a sexual harasser. Documents detailing a settlement Conyers reached with a former member of his staff who alleged she was fired for rejecting his sexual advances were leaked to Buzzfeed, and the details are bad. Conyersβ career should be over as a result of these revelations. Documents from the complaint obtained by BuzzFeed News include four signed affidavits, three of which are notarized, from former staff members who allege that Conyers, the ranking Democrat on the powerful House Judiciary Committee, repeatedly made sexual advances to female staff that included requests for sexual favors, contacting and transporting other women with whom they believed Conyers was having affairs, caressing their hands sexually, and rubbing their legs and backs in public. Four people involved with the case verified the documents are authentic. [...] In her complaint, the former employee said Conyers repeatedly asked her for sexual favors and often asked her to join him in a hotel room. On one occasion, she alleges that Conyers asked her to work out of his room for the evening, but when she arrived the congressman started talking about his sexual desires. She alleged he then told her she needed to βtouch it,β in reference to his penis, or find him a woman who would meet his sexual demands. In one of the affidavits, a male staffer says he confronted Conyers about his behavior, with no success. The case is also a reminder of Congressβ terrible system for handling harassment allegations, a system designed to protect abusers. Well, this is β¦ unexpected: Longtime Michigan Rep. John Conyers has told The Associated Press that he hasnβt settled any sexual harassment complaints with any staff members. Conyers, who answered the door at his Detroit home Tuesday morning, says he knows nothing about any claims of inappropriate touching and learned of the story just hours earlier. Referring to allegations of sexual harassment and assault being made against politicians and others, the veteran lawmaker says heβs βbeen looking at these things with amazement.β Itβs not possible to just file a lawsuit if a member of Congress or staffer harasses you. First, youβre forced to go through a lengthy counseling and mediation process, which drags things out, raises the barriers to reporting, and conveys the message that your complaint is very unwelcome. In this case: The woman who settled with Conyers launched the complaint with the Office of Compliance in 2014, alleging she was fired for refusing his sexual advances, and ended up facing a daunting process that ended with a confidentiality agreement in exchange for a settlement of more than $27,000. Her settlement, however, came from Conyersβ office budget rather than the designated fund for settlements. [...] The process was βdisgusting,β said Matthew Peterson, who worked as a law clerk representing the complainant, and who listed as a signatory to some of the documents. βIt is a designed cover-up,β said Peterson, who declined to discuss details of the case but agreed to characterize it in general terms. βYou feel like they were betrayed by their government just for coming forward. Itβs like being abused twice.β No doubt there are many more appalling cases of harassment by members of Congress and their staff lurking in secret filesβand no doubt Republicans are busy leaking them, as in this case, where pizzagater Mike Cernovich provided the files to Buzzfeed. Conyers absolutely has to go, but we have to worry about a future in which Republicans will leak these details and Democrats will respond appropriately while Republican harassers and molesters get protected by their party. Daily Kos relies on small donations to make ends meet Ad revenue can't support Daily Kos operationsβand it hasn't been able to for more than a decade. Digital ad revenue has declined everywhere, especially for news organizations for whom it was once their lifeblood. Companies are spending less money on ads, and Amazon, Facebook and Google are gobbling up an ever-greater share of what remains. This has left almost nothing for places like Daily Kos. The only reason we've been able to survive is because of the support of readers like you. That's why we're asking: Can you take one minute right now to donate $5 or more to Daily Kos? It would mean so much to us. Time to clean House! Conyers and Ryan need to hold a joint press conference TODAY, where they both announce their retirements. Conyers for being a scumbag and Ryan for being the boss that allowed the cover up. Equally disgusting is that Conyers blood money used to settle this case ostensibly came from either his supporters or tax payers in general. Democrats need to demand transparency, now. If a few of our own go down, thatβs just too fucking bad. ICYMI: I introduced a bill with @RepSpeier to address sexual harassment on Capitol Hill. Learn more about our efforts:https://t.co/nuzGm591Hc Good for her. I have been very impressed with Gillibrand. I hope she is gearing up for taking a shot at a higher office. She started her senate career leading the effort to repeal Donβt Ask, Donβt Tell. Then she began working against the rape culture in the military (an ongoing effort). Now this. Yes, if her economic policies are also progressive, I want her to consider running for POTUSβafter we take back House and Senate in β18. Gillibrand has been stellar on this very painful subject. theyβre not. A quick whisper of Wall Street donations like every NY Senator gets will get everyone worked up. of course they might excuse for this particular woman. Sheβs been better than one would expect on financial reform given the influence of Wall Street. Definitely in the top five dems in the senate right now in terms of looking at the big picture. A smart politician to be sure, and someone that weβd be smart to support right now if we want the party to not implode over sexual harassment and assault. Trolling much today troll! what the fuck is wrong with you? Those are great social issues to lead on but for POTUS, where does she stand on corporate/Wall Street control of our economy and the wealth gap that keeps growing and moving us away from whatβs left of democracy and toward becoming a complete oligarchy? Sheβs been on my short list for a few years. I agree just as long as itβs not Mike Chernovich providing the transparency. I canβt express how disappointed I am to learn this about Conyers. WTF is wrong with all these men. Whatβs wrong with them is that theyβve been given absurd amounts of power. Men in our society already have more power than women, parabus ceteris, so our desires are treated as more important. When a man gets in a position of power like these men they find that they can get away with much more than theyβd otherwise be able to. When you do these things with no consequences for ling enough they donβt even seem wrong. Itβs just a perq of the job to many. The fact that we havenβt cleaned house after all these decades of fighting for womenβs rights is just another reason. So has Kos cleaned house yet? Does this site still have all those objectifying ads? I donβt see any ads anymore. I donβt either, but I doubt theyβre gone since Kos doesnβt control what ads get placed here. Part of the problem with ads is that they arenβt static and the sites serving them are not the same as the sites that you view them on. Not to mention the bloat that comes with ads. Yes, Kos can control the ads. You get to choose which ads to block from your blog when you sign up to accept advertising. Or he could solve the problem and eliminate ads entirely. But what about the revenue? If money makes our decisions for us, we lose any moral high ground. No you donβt. You only get to try to choose in broad terms and even then only in ways that the ad server allows. However even that often doesnβt work because believe it or not, the company serving the ads doesnβt have any control over them either because companies buy ad space from said ad companies and then resell it on and it is up to the ultimate buyer whether or not they want to accurately categorize their ads. Thus, even if you specify things like no autoplay video, no popups, and no redirects there will be quite a few that βslip throughβ. It works great on my blog. I do not have any of the issues you mention. The question still remains. Is Kos willing to support the community consensus about doing away with the objectifying of women, even if it costs him revenue? I wouldnβt be so sure of that unless you checked it with a computer (virtual or real) that has never been used to access your blog as the site owner and that has never used the same internet connection as a computer that has as it is trivial for the final ad buyer to change what ads are served depending on the ip address and browser fingerprint (which is why a new computer that has never used the same public ip address as one you use as a blog admin is necessary). How do you think the final ad buyers slip malware past any checks the ad company does. The only way around that is to only run ads that you put up yourself after manually vetting them rather than relying on a third party ad server (adsense, doubleclick, taboola, etc). Kos seems to use Taboola. I think the ads undermine our message. Personally, I would do without the extra revenue. Money isnβt everything. Principles should take top priority. In informed circles it is known male privilege. Men (particularly) believing all the praise heaped on them when they do anything at all. Never mind when they perform the slightest bit of real work. Iβm just a little bitter over the unfairness of it all. I know that I cannot paint all men with the same brush, but an awful lot of fawning over nothing is too often their situation and therefore their downfall. My concern is that this is just a directed coordinated attack against Democrats by Republicans who are so closed to taking over the country and literally ready to murder millions of people with a slow death, but we are missing the accounting on all of our lawmakers, let alone CEOs, mid-level managers. You know that as soon as Republicans get rid of the Democrats so they can manipulate the vote better that they will forget this whole issue. He needs to βspend more time with his family.β A lot of back and forth re Stuart Smalley, but this story permits no debate. This is serious, Bill OβReilly level stuff. Buh-bye. You either retire as a hero, or you serve long enough to become the villain. Even ignoring the issues he and his family have had, Iβm starting to think that with the tech related challenges our nation is and will be facing, we may need to lower the average age of Congress. Just too bad? The hell with the double standard clause and let's just give up any hopes of Democrats retaking the congress just to make a point and clean house? Sounds like a republican strategist talking point if you ask me. Exactly β¦ we will never know what really happened except for a few selectively leaked situations. Sure, something has to be done β¦ but not something that politically affects the vote in Congress to allow the passing of this disgusting tax bill by Republicans. If there is something bad going on, vote Conyers out by his constituents in the next election. It is common to have settlements with confidentiality agreements in cases involving conduct that neither party wants going public. You can call that a βcover-up,β or you can call it part of protecting the victimβs rights and interests. If you donβt allow this type of settlement, and insist on a full public airing of all complaints, most victims will not come forward β they will just suffer silently, as used to be standard, whether they stay in the job or leave. Wouldnβt that mean that someone should be getting in trouble for this becoming public? I agree β¦ sealed coverup settlements are the same as payoffs and do not tell citizens what really happened, or lead to any kind of justice. It is always money that triumphs, and we all have to pay for this corruption. I guess you missed the parts where the confidentiality agreements are MANDATED BY LAW and even if there is no settlement the confidentiality requirement still applies at all times. And who do you think wrote the majority of those laws that DEMAND/require those same stringent confidentiality agreements for things like sexual harassment? Ummmmm? β¦ the SAME serial sexual harassers who are in charge of writing the laws that govern all of their actions β¦ duh! You donβt think that close to 2/3rds of our Federal legislatorsβthe ones who are trained lawyersβforgot how to write one of those just because they up-graded their careers to the place where you can REALLY get away with bloody murder, do you? Ryan hasnβt been speaker all that long, There are others who need to be held to account, too. Iβm no Ryan fan, but heβs just the latest House Speaker. I just read the other day, that there were settlements amounting to 15 million dollars paid out of taxpayersβ money for the House in the last five years alone. Uhhh β¦. Boehner. Ryan is a toadie. He knows nothing and is good for same. Question: βWhere was Pelosi?β If people are going to enable jackasses, then βfess up so our side knows whatβs what. And no one is led down a primrose path while fighting the good fight. Iβve always admired Conyers. Tragically for me, that rose has now lost a little sparkle. On the flip side, thank goodness he wasnβt grabbing their pβ¦..y or hanging out at the playgrounds asking the little girls if they wanted some candy. Like others we know done did. Does this wave of revelations just point up how many sociopaths make it into politics, and at the highest levels? Carlisle: I'm not in agreement that βthese men are sociopathsβ. This is a systemic problem of patriarchy aka male privilege. It's been going on for centuries. It's embeded in our religious traditions. We soak it up without knowing we are doing it. Women have actually been complaining about it for who knows how long, and no one listens (or believes women) since that would challenge the male power system. Let's see what changes this brings about. Maybe not in the DSM sense butβ¦ Any person who is so arrogant as to see themselves above the law or above common Human Decency as to ignore a womanβs wishes, or any other personβs for that matter, then brag about it and feel no guilt, as they self serve at anotherβs expense, is a sociopath. We have one in the Whitehouse at the moment. Sociopaths crave power and with no social inhibitions, frequently get it. Politics is the perfect arena and many do gravitate there, but many will gravitate to any powerful position and take advantage of the powerless. Those around them frequently see them as special or if they do find a fault expect them toβcome aroundβ and self correct not realizing that they will never do that because they simply do not have the emotional equipment. They those of us who are able to empathize and love and feel guilt as βweakβ and not worthy to survive. I think what you are saying is that this is PERSONAL sociopathy. I'm saying it is SYSTEMIC sociopathy. Well, That too. Or there are so many of them that it has become systemic sociopathy. For probably as long as men have been treating women and children as lesser beings. There is a cultural pathology here, I agree, but I am a man who loves women and I have never felt the urge to fondle grope, rape a woman or child, (in fact I donβt think I could get it up for rape), so all men are not like these guys, in fact I think very few are. In any case these things particularly rape is not at all about sex. It is only about power. So I believe that when you find an area that has great power, you will probably find a concentration of those who seek power and a larger proportion, (larger proportion than there would be in the general population), of those will be sociopaths. Power is the heart of the issue. What would a world where we aspired to be responsible rather than powerful look like? That's a trade Iβd make. Sounds likes youre there already. These processes for dealing with any kind of employee complaints are pervasive in both government and business. Every corporation forces new hires to agree to private settlements of any future complaints that they can never disclose publicly. NPR did a great expose about a year ago revealing how corrupt this process is. The lawyers who work in this arena cannot get work unless they side with the corporations. The best solution: empower women by electing more of us to office, from city councils and school boards to congress and the White House. KAMALA HARRIS for President 2020 π I like that solution. Welcome to DKos, armoredknightβthanks for posting your first comment. Hello, from Daily Kos! As a courtesy to you as a new user, we would like to share our site guidelines with you, explained in the "Rules of the Road." This resource also describes our unique community moderation system, established to encourage spirited but civil conversation. If you have other questions about how to participate you can learn more at the the Knowledge Base and the Site Resource Diaries. Diaries tagged Open Thread are also great places to ask any questions. ~~ from the DK Partners & Mentors Team. I think we should rethink βpowerβ. I'm not a bit sure that women in power would behave any better than men. I'd like to think about having RESPONSIBLE people in charge. Henry Kissinger, a true rock star, bon vivant and dashing sex symbol in his time: βPOWER IS THE ULTIMATE APHRODISIAC.β Now he got the babes, and the babes sought him out, because? Aphrodisiac run amok? In Hollywood. In D.C. In gay Paris. In corporate world. Things βhappenβ ? Both sexes. Letβs just demand it be consensual, non-exploitative. And absolutely no one below the age of consent! Is that too much to freaking ask AND DEMAND? Just the fact that they even have a designated fund for this sort of thing tells you everything you need to know about our government. They don't fear their voters, they fear their donors! Not all that surprised on this one. But itβs still quite obviously part of the GOP campaign to save Mooreβs Senate seat. Yup. Clearly theyβre trying to throw so many of these cases into public view that the charges against Moore will get lost in the noise. One thing to remember is that the Moore case is not comparable β there remains a real βick factorβ associated with the idea of an adult man cruising the mall food court for high school girls. As opposed to a 70 year old man cruising for staffers? Yes. Even then. Not that Conyers shouldnβt go, but Moore is worse. It sounds like Moore was trying to arrange dates with kids at the mall, while Conyers was sexually harassing employees or somewhat of a captive audience, so to speak. Both awfully creepy and wrong. I donβt know how far back Conyers may have done this, but the case in question is only a few years ago. But it is sad for a long, distinguished career to come to such a terrible end. And especially, since he is a Democratic person of color, and we donβt have that many in Congress. At the same time, the fact that Moore is a white southern Republican seems less shocking. Stereotypes are hard to avoid. The GOP will gleefully criticize Democrats who do these things, while being unwilling to hold their own to account. Hypocrisy is noisome, rising above the stench of the swamp itself. Clean house, indeed, and clean the senate, too, and the WH. Yeah....one is unetethical....the other is illegal.....see the difference? With that being said, Conyers needs to go. 80+ isn't he. I was thinking of his age for when this offense occurred. And, I gather, with a LEO assigned to him at high school games to keep him away from the cheerleaders. I didnβt verify that, but, unfortunately, it is quite believable. All the more reason why in cases like Conyers we need to jump at expulsion. Make a clear difference. Franken doesnβt rise to that level, although if he keeps having more accusers it could get there real fast. More accusers? Not to make light of it, but an inappropriate ass grab is NOTHING like telling a staffer to suck his dick or she gets fired. What Franken is being accused of is akin to a kid stealing candy from the candy store in comparison to what Conyers is being accused of. We really need to be firm but at the same time lets not throw the baby out with the bathwater here. Thank you for this. This both sider crap gets old, doesnβt it? Well in this case both sides are on the same side as Conyers is also a Dem and both sides do have their own scumbags. Lets not forget that in San Diego we had a Dem Rep turned Mayor who was also a lecherous POS. We have them too and frankly they should all be removed and replaced. But I think the whole Franken thing is reaching whole new levels of absurdity. Comparing Franken to someone like Conyers or any of the assorted Republican assholes who went after young girls, young boys, tapped bathroom stalls for gay sex, had second wives, wore diapers in brothels, beat up their mistresses in hotel rooms, cheated on their first wives with their second wives then on their second wives with their third wives and so on and on and on and on. Well lets get fucking real here. They are not even in the same fucking league. What Franken did may have crossed the line of decency (and Iβm not even convinced of the accusations having been on the opposite end of bullshit accusations myself, I take these with a grain of salt) but it didnβt cross a line into the immoral or downright evil. Whipping out your dick and telling someone in a position beneath you to suck it with the insinuation that if you do youβll move up and if you donβt youβll get shit canned is fucking evil. Conyers needs to go. I donβt give a fuck if he did write HR 676 Medicare for ALL. He needs to go yesterday. But yeah the whole Franken things is getting old. Itβs an obvious hit job and far too many Dems are fucking falling for it. An ass grab? Come on. Like what reason would Franken have to purposely grab some womanβs ass in broad daylight while her husband was taking the photo. Itβs fucking absurd. Far more likely he was just trying to get the woman to move closer to him for the photo and inadvertently grabbed her ass while doing it. Awkward? Sure. Maybe even a but uncomfortable for the woman for the few seconds it took to snap that photo. But not intentional and certainly not with any other ulterior motives in mind. That was what struck me about the alleged βass grabβ, that he would do it in public with a woman who, for all he knew, would turn around and slap him. Thatβs a pretty huge risk to take, especially when youβre a senator and all eyes are on you. Which makes me think the second woman either made it up or overreacted to Franken being so close. I wonβt go so far as say she made it up. Plenty of evidence that she was offended the day it happened. But to suggest that it was done intentionally when the husband could punch you in the face is pretty fucking absurd. I canβt think of any politician who would be THAT fucking stupid to intentionally grab a womanβs ass in front of her husband, in public while running for office. Crap. This happens. This happens regularly. It very often happens in such public places. Photo ops, etc. Women very rarely βturn around and slapβ. Because theyβre shocked and surprised. Because they canβt believe it just happened and the moment passes before they can process it. Because theyβve been taught not to make a fuss. Because there will be consequences β more likely to them than to the important, influential person doing it. Because, in a sick way, Trump was right. They do let you do it when youβre rich and famous β not because they like it, but you can still get away with it. Remember the Taylor Swift ass grab photo. But Taylor Swift reported it to the authorities at the time. The idea that Franken grabbed a woman once in public is bizarre. Bush does it all the time, because his brain is fried. All the other guys do it in private. Far more likely his hand slipped. Dog knows how many times thatβs happened to me while teaching karate. Of course, usually when I slip up, something gets broken; but you get the point. Yeah not buying it. Franken isnβt that fucking dumb. Even if the woman didnβt turn around and slap Franken because they were taught not to make a fuss as you say or they were in shock, the husbands are generally not as restrained. I know it happened with Taylor Swift but that was an obvious ass grab as he did it several times and was looking at her ass when he did it. It was intended to be offensive on his part. Husbands donβt usually see. Women donβt usually tell them while still in punching distance. I donβt know if Franken did it or not. I donβt really have a strong opinion there. But this argument that it didnβt isnβt a good one. Because people donβt actually react that way. Maybe if they did β and if they werenβt disbelieved and faced with assault charges and retaliation when they did, weβd have less of a problem. I suppose you donβt believe the allegations about George HW Bush either? A brand new senator, at that. However, sexual harassers almost constantly take ridiculous risks that they know could destroy their careers and personal lives, e. g., Bill Clinton. Yes, but even Bill Clinton did his thing in private, no? I was thinking of him when I posted, as an example of someone who takes ridiculous risks but even then not as ridiculous as this. Maybe. Iβve never known sexual harassers (at least, none I was aware of without reporting to HR), but Iβve known businessmen who had affairs, and some took ridiculous chances at office parties, etc. The thrill of βalmostβ getting caught, but getting away with it, seems to be a real thing. It also doesnβt seem to matter if the dude is very intelligent in other parts of his life. (Maybe the same is true of female predators or cheaters, I wouldnβt know.) IIRC, that was before he became a Senator. But your point stands for any public figure. Sadly, it's the exact same power trip as "grab them by the pussy", seen as a perk of fame. Hereβs the thing, if the Dems kick out Conyers then both sides are clearly not the same. The republicans arenβt even debating whether to kick rapists out of their party. The only way this becomes a βboth sidesβ thing is if the Dems donβt work at stopping it from happening again. After that we can hit the GOP hard for protecting child rapists. How can you know all this? Franken, to my knowledge, hasn't denied it. He said he didn't remember and apologized. "In a statement to CNN, Franken said he doesn't remember the incident..." That seems odd to me that he wouldn't just know it to be false, but I'm willing to not rush to judgment. At the same time the woman complaining deserves our full respect and consideration. He did not remember meeting the people and taking the picture and therefore it would be presumptous of him to say what did or did not happen. He canβt know because he does not remember. He will not call her a liar out of respect for her recollection and her experience. With all due respect, don't you think you'd remember if you grabbed a random woman's ass or not? It seems to me you either engaged in that behavior or not. If what you want is absolute certainty in the absence of facts, you may be in the wrong party. Unlikely to change. I'm a yellow dog. BTW...is that a Golden Retriever as ur avatar? Being a woman I am inclined to believe women when they make public pronouncements about inappropriate behavior on the part of men. That said, I have seen two letters signed by multiple women attesting to Frankenβs character and respectfulness which I also found believable. Don't recall seeing anything comparable re tRump or Clinton. No β the baby needs to go down the drain too. its ok now, Conyers says he knows nothing about it . So under the Trump Rule its ok because he denied it. S/ which is why I said MORE accusers. If you do enough of something, even a minor thing, it can elevate it. If heβs running around grabbing butts all over the place then fuck him, heβs gone. We will replace him with another Dem who, one hopes, doesnβt do that shit. If no one else comes forward, then yeah, a smaller consequence is fine. He would have to grab a lot of asses to reach the same level of Conyers as far as lecherous behavior and even then it wouldnβt be close. Whipping out your dick for a staffer to βtouchβ ? Thatβs just a whole different circle of hell. I donβt think Conyers is βthe levelβ where you should go. I think the level is bit below Conyers. If you routinely cannot keep your hands to yourself, then fuck you. You need to be thrown out with the bathwater and we can replace you easily enough. Yeah sorry. Two random acts of hands in places where they shouldnβt be isnβt anyway remotely close to what Conyers did or even close enough to warrant throwing anyone out of govβt IMO. You start doing that and youβll be left with nobody to turn the lights on. This is getting fucking ridiculous. Especially considering the second one is just fucking absurd. Like someone as intelligent as Franken would purposefully grab a womanβs ass right in front of her husband and out in public, knowing that the guy could punch him and it would be bad for his political career. I agree there is some level at which point where we need to get rid of these people but something that was likely inadvertent and happened by chance? Fuck that. Iβm not that pure or puritanical. Well since I didnβt say two acts were enough then not sure who you are debating. Why donβt you take a moment, and actually read what I posted, and then we can have an actual discussion. Minnesota has plenty of people that could replace Franken. Really? Where are they all, then? Why didnβt any of them win Frankenβs seat? You seem to think one Democrat is interchangeable with all others. I bet you also complain all the time that Democrats donβt βfightβ hard enough. Do you see the problem here? Really? Where are they all, then? Why didnβt any of them win Frankenβs seat? In other offices. Because they didnβt run. Al Frankenβs case IS a Breitbart hit job. (GREAT diary on this now). and yes i believe Leeann IS a LIAR. Conyers MUST resign (i assume his charges are verified). Anyone in Congress with this history must go. disgusting. Conyers MUST resignβ¦ Conyers should only resign after the names of all the other congress- men and senators who had have had harassment complaints against them settled are made public. if public funds are being spent to settle claims against public sevants, the public has the right to know their names. all of them. exactly. we can see the salaries of public workers so why not something as outrageous as this?! Regardless of where the funds come from, either tax payers or supporters, as public servants, We The People, who hired them to work for us, and pay their salary, have a right to know. They need to release ALL of the files detailing congressional settlements for sexual harassment, TODAY, regardless of whether Dems or Repukes are implicated. Those still in congress, must immediately resign. ITA. Donβt care how they vote, sexual abusers and predators must go. I have never allowed confidentiality in a settlement agreement against a government official, on First Amendment grounds. Iβm slightly disappointed the lawyers didnβt take that to the mat. There is even caselaw on the publicβs right to know. The case is also a reminder of Congressβ terrible system for handling harassment allegations, a system designed to protect abusers Our tax dollars are enabling this misogynistic system. Fucking disgraceful! Predatory misogynistic system it appears. Our tax dollars supporting war? Our tax dollars supporting the welfare of congress persons after they retire? The list is long. Rep. John Conyers, the Democrat whoβs the longest-serving member of Congress, is the latest powerful man revealed to be a sexual harasser. Documents detailing a settlement Conyers reached with a former member of his staff who alleged she was fired for rejecting his sexual advances were leaked to Buzzfeed, and the details are bad. Conyersβ career should be over as a result of these revelations. Documents from the complaint obtained by BuzzFeed News include four signed affidavits, three of which are notarized, from former staff members who allege that Conyers, the ranking Democrat on the powerful House Judiciary Committee, repeatedly made sexual advances to female staff that included requests for sexual favors, contacting and transporting other women with whom they believed Conyers was having affairs, caressing their hands sexually, and rubbing their legs and backs in public. Four people involved with the case verified the documents are authentic. [...] In her complaint, the former employee said Conyers repeatedly asked her for sexual favors and often asked her to join him in a hotel room. On one occasion, she alleges that Conyers asked her to work out of his room for the evening, but when she arrived the congressman started talking about his sexual desires. She alleged he then told her she needed to βtouch it,β in reference to his penis, or find him a woman who would meet his sexual demands. In one of the affidavits, a male staffer says he confronted Conyers about his behavior, with no success. The case is also a reminder of Congressβ terrible system for handling harassment allegations, a system designed to protect abusers. Well, this is β¦ unexpected: Longtime Michigan Rep. John Conyers has told The Associated Press that he hasnβt settled any sexual harassment complaints with any staff members. Conyers, who answered the door at his Detroit home Tuesday morning, says he knows nothing about any claims of inappropriate touching and learned of the story just hours earlier. Referring to allegations of sexual harassment and assault being made against politicians and others, the veteran lawmaker says heβs βbeen looking at these things with amazement.β Itβs not possible to just file a lawsuit if a member of Congress or staffer harasses you. First, youβre forced to go through a lengthy counseling and mediation process, which drags things out, raises the barriers to reporting, and conveys the message that your complaint is very unwelcome. In this case: The woman who settled with Conyers launched the complaint with the Office of Compliance in 2014, alleging she was fired for refusing his sexual advances, and ended up facing a daunting process that ended with a confidentiality agreement in exchange for a settlement of more than $27,000. Her settlement, however, came from Conyersβ office budget rather than the designated fund for settlements. [...] The process was βdisgusting,β said Matthew Peterson, who worked as a law clerk representing the complainant, and who listed as a signatory to some of the documents. βIt is a designed cover-up,β said Peterson, who declined to discuss details of the case but agreed to characterize it in general terms. βYou feel like they were betrayed by their government just for coming forward. Itβs like being abused twice.β No doubt there are many more appalling cases of harassment by members of Congress and their staff lurking in secret filesβand no doubt Republicans are busy leaking them, as in this case, where pizzagater Mike Cernovich provided the files to Buzzfeed. Conyers absolutely has to go, but we have to worry about a future in which Republicans will leak these details and Democrats will respond appropriately while Republican harassers and molesters get protected by their party. Not signed up for Daily Kos yet? Create a free account | 5b6e44edbdc627ee | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
world | Fox Online News | http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/07/07/g-20-protests-hamburg-police-call-in-more-officers-on-second-day-demonstrations.html | G-20 protests: Hamburg police call in more officers on 2nd day of demonstrations | 2017-07-07 | world | Thousands of anti-globalization protesters set cars on fire and tried to block leaders ' delegations from entering the grounds of the Group of 20 summit Friday in Hamburg , Germany , as authorities sent in police reinforcement from other cities on the second day of protests .
Dozens of police officers built moving lines in different parts of Hamburg and used water cannons to force protesters away from streets across the city . The city boosted its police presence with reinforcements from around the country for the G-20 summit but asked for more support on Thursday night after the situation started to escalate .
At least 45 demonstrators were arrested , 15 were temporarily detained , and 160 police officers were injured early Friday , including three officers who were hospitalized .
Unsere BefΓΌrchtungen haben sich bestΓ€tigt . Mehrere Kollegen wurden bei den gestrigen Krawallen durch Zwillengeschosse verletzt . # G20HAM17 pic.twitter.com/f8dbK3ubtV β Polizei Hamburg ( @ PolizeiHamburg ) July 7 , 2017
Hamburg β s fire department said 11 protesters were severely injured and had to be transported to hospitals after a few of them fell from a wall during confrontations with police .
The fire department said it treated 26 people and took 14 of them to the hospital . It is not immediately clear why the protesters were climbing the wall .
Hamburg Police tweeted : `` Our fears have been confirmed . Several of my colleagues were injured in yesterday 's riots by high velocity projectiles . ''
`` We 've asked for a few hundreds more police officers - they 're on the way , '' Andy Grote , the city 's interior senator , told reporters . `` The potential for criminal energy and violence of some is shocking . ''
German police tweeted on Friday that all the leaders got into the city 's convention center safely .
The leaders , including German host Chancellor Angela Merkel , U.S. President Donald Trump , Russian President Vladimir Putin and many others , were meeting to discuss issues such as international terrorism and climate change .
Germany β s Justice Minister Heiko Maas told reporters that the violent protests were a disservice to the big crowd of overwhelmingly peaceful demonstrators .
β Every peaceful protest is welcome , β Maas said . β But that is no free pass for unrestrained rampage . β
β These extremist criminals don β t belong in the streets , but into court . Whoever torches cars and injures police officers does not deserve any kind of tolerance . β
The violence broke out on Thursday ahead of the summit and continued into Friday , with demonstrators breaking windows at the Mongolian consulate and puncturing the tires of a car that belonged to the Canadian delegation .
TRUMP , IN POLAND , VOWS , 'THE WEST WILL NEVER , EVER BE BROKEN '
I look forward to all meetings today with world leaders , including my meeting with Vladimir Putin . Much to discuss. # G20Summit # USAπΊπΈ β Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) July 7 , 2017
Police estimated there were 100,000 people in total at the demonstration Thursday . Some 12,000 people took part in the central march . Authorities also said organizers of the demonstration , intended to be a march , called off the event once violence broke out .
Police also said one of their helicopters was almost hit by a rocket flare and a pilot of a different chopper suffered eye injuries after a laser was pointed at them .
Trump arrived in Hamburg earlier Thursday following his speech in Warsaw where he called for defending Western values and rallying against `` dire threats '' to civilizations .
`` Just as Poland can not be broken , I declare today for the world to hear that the West will never , ever be broken , β Trump said during his speech in Poland . β Our values will prevail , our people will thrive and our civilization will triumph . β
Merkel and Trump met privately after his arrival on Thursday , discussing issues that include North Korea , the situation in the Middle East , the conflict in eastern Ukraine and `` some issues on the G-20 agenda . '' The discussion lasted more than an hour .
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel also participated , according to a German government statement .
Trump then had dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in .
On Friday , Trump is slated to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin for about 35 minutes . Trump tweeted early Friday that he is looking forward to his meeting with the Russian president . | 50Ja7LwyccJpsOlr | 2 | G20 | -0.7 | Protests | -0.3 | World | -0.2 | null | null | null | null |
media_bias | Brent Bozell | http://townhall.com/columnists/brentbozell/2016/11/04/media-blackout-exposes-corrupt-media-n2241331 | OPINION: Media Blackout Exposes Corrupt Media | 2016-11-04 | Election 2016, Media Bias | The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent the views of Townhall.com .
While most of America was transfixed by Game 7 of the World Series , Fox News Channel was doggedly pursuing a new story : The FBI 's probe into pay-for-play schemes at the Clinton Foundation and the State Department has been far more expansive than anyone reported so far and has been going on for more than a year . FBI sources even warned there could be indictments down the road .
Then , The Wall Street Journal broke another new story online , saying , `` Secret recordings of a suspect talking about the Clinton Foundation fueled an internal battle between FBI agents who wanted to pursue the case and corruption prosecutors who viewed the statements as worthless hearsay . '' Senior officials wanted to tell FBI agents to `` stand down '' from a Clinton Foundation probe .
That 's two nuclear explosions in one night . What was the reaction from the news media ? Crickets .
The stench of corruption between the Justice Department , the State Department and the Clinton Foundation machine is noxious . Add the leftist `` news '' media collusion and it becomes overpowering . This is a cover-up .
No one at ABC , CBS or NBC was breaking from the World Series . They could n't locate the Clinton story and offer even the briefest summary the next morning . MSNBC 's Mika Brzezinski offered a serious report early on `` Morning Joe , '' but she was alone . The other `` news '' programs preferred the distraction of breathless baseball updates .
The worst moment came on ABC 's `` Good Morning America , '' where they acted like the story did not exist . Political analyst Matthew Dowd noted a scandal story might still break . `` So , anything can happen in that regard , '' he said . Sounding totally oblivious to the breaking news , co-host George Stephanopoulos replied , `` We 'll see if some big news comes out . ''
At taxpayer-funded National Public Radio , `` Morning Edition '' found anything and everything else more interesting and `` newsworthy , '' including -- we 're not kidding -- `` teen night owls '' who need later school start times and the perils of the illegal kidney trade in Pakistan .
The network blackout so far on this FBI probe is beyond the pale . Everyone knows what the media reaction would be were there a report about likely indictments related to the Trump Foundation . There would be an immediate flash mob of reporters camped in front of Trump Tower , breaking away from regularly scheduled programming and offering play-by-play commentary . Anyone denying the double standard is lying .
This is just the latest Clinton scandal scoop out of hundreds over the last 24 years that the networks have skipped or downplayed or just dismissed as toxic waste . This is why an overwhelming majority of Americans tell pollsters it 's obvious the media are undisguised Hillary boosters . Their credibility is shot with the public .
Within 18 hours , MSNBC 's Andrea Mitchell was bizarrely denying there was any story or any investigation worth noting . She said : `` She 's not under criminal investigation . In fact , it 's not an investigation . It 's just a review of the e-mails . She did not lie to the FBI , according to James Comey . There was no grounds to prosecute her . So there are no lies , there 's no criminality . ''
This is the kind of spin you expect from defense attorneys , not reporters .
It 's sinking in across America that our `` news '' media are not First Amendment heroes or watchdogs of government . Many of them are coddling deeply corrupt politicians and denying any evidence that these people have been engaged in what appears to be a criminal conspiracy to enrich themselves using the federal government .
We are looking right down the barrel of the greatest government crisis since the Civil War , with charges -- like handing over our uranium mining capacity to the Russians -- that could possibly reach the height of treason itself . | 8128d1f0c3b1fb1f | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
elections | Wall Street Journal - News | http://online.wsj.com/articles/democrats-lose-their-grip-on-voters-with-keys-to-the-house-1414722604?mod=WSJ_hp_RightTopStories | Democrats Lose Their Grip on Voters With Keys to the House | elections | AITKIN , Minn.βThe plumbers , drillers and truck drivers who arrive at the Birchwood Cafe before sunrise pour their own coffee , tuck away eggs and air gripes that help explain why some longtime Democrats now lean Republican .
They are skeptical of President Barack Obama and don β t care much for his party β s support of federal safety-net programs . β You take a look at all the giveaway programs the Democrats have . Nobody wants to work anymore , β said Dale Lundquist , a 69-year-old excavation contractor .
Voters in this northeast Minnesota district have only once sent a Republican to Congress since 1947βfor a single term after the 2010 election that produced a wave for the GOP .
But Mr. Lundquist , a former Democrat , and some of his friends say they plan to vote for Stewart Mills , the Republican challenger to Democratic Rep. Rick Nolan , one reason the race is down to the wireβand why the GOP is likely to expand its House majority in Tuesday β s election .
Democrats have long been losing their hold on districts such as this one , largely white and rural , where incomes lag the national average and college graduates are relatively sparse . This year , Republicans may take more .
Seven of the 39 House races rated most competitive by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report are in districts with large numbers of white , working-class voters ; six of those districts are held by Democrats . In addition , one other such Democratic district is seen as likely to flip Republican .
In West Virginia , for example , 19-term Rep. Nick Rahall , the seventh most-senior House member , is battling for survival . A district in southern Illinois , represented by Democrats for more than two decades , and northern Maine , where a six-term Democrat is leaving office , are tossups . And Democrats are struggling to hold two seats in Minnesota , including Mr. Nolan β s sprawling district , which stretches from the Minneapolis exurbs to the U.S.-Canada border .
Nonpartisan political analysts expect Republicans to win somewhere between two and 10 additional House seats . A gain of 12 districts would match the Republican Party β s post-World War II record of 246 seats in 1947 .
Reclaiming white , working-class voters is a tall order for Democrats , who have won the popular vote in five of the past six presidential elections with broad support from minorities , single women and younger voters . Democrats have won national elections with the message that government should help people through such programs as subsidized student loans , food stamps and the Affordable Care Act .
Democrats say they can bridge cultural differences and draw white , working-class voters by pushing for a higher minimum wage , for example , and other policies they contend foster economic opportunity . β The white working class hasn β t had a raise in 20 years , β said Celinda Lake , a Democratic Party strategist . β Economics can unite these constituencies , whereas sometimes the social issues can divide them . β
But some voters resent paying for federal programs they say discourage hard work and individual responsibility . In a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll in June , 53 % of white voters said the government was doing too many things to meet the needs of people , help that should be left to businesses and individuals , compared with 32 % of African-Americans and 44 % of Hispanics .
Federal programs used to be a safety net , said Dan Anderson , a 52-year-old highway construction worker from Duluth , Minn. , another town in Mr. Nolan β s district . β Now it β s a way of life for a lot of people . β
Mr. Anderson supports the long-standing federal government programs of Social Security and Medicare . β There are programs we have to have , β he said , but worried the government was overextending its reach . β We β ve got to take care of the needy , it β s just growing into too much . β
A distinction , said Mr. Lundquist , the excavator , is that β we worked and paid for β Social Security and Medicare . Another Birchwood Cafe regular , masonry contractor Carl Kurtz , 62 , said he worried federal safety-net programs have allowed people to depend too much on the federal government . β All they β ve done is absolutely destroy the black family. β he said , β and ruined a lot of white families around here , too . β
In Aitkin , the seat of Aitkin County , the bowling alley draws a good lunch crowd and local groups host charity β meat raffles β that send winners home with pounds of meat . The county used to regularly tilt Democratic , but now swings between parties . Mr. Obama won the county in 2008 and lost it in 2012 .
Former Rep. Barton Gordon of Tennessee , a Democrat , said distrust of government was pervasive in many of the largely-rural districts that have tipped Republican . His own white , working-class district was won by Republican Rep. Diane Black after he retired in 2010 .
β There became a feeling that the Democratic Party was the party that took money from people that worked and gave it to people that didn β t work , β Mr. Gordon said . The party β s tone on social issues also alienated some voters , he said : β Whether it β s guns or gays or religion , it was almost like the Democratic establishment made fun of those things . β
As a group , Republican candidates in the region this year have focused on the pro-business , small-government planks of the GOP platform . Some have avoided the social issues familiar in the campaigns of their peers in more conservative states .
The Democrats β declining support among white , working-class voters began decades ago . In 1993 , for example , Democrats held 36 of the 71 districts that The Wall Street Journal counted as largely white and working-class . Today , Democrats hold just 11 of 70 such districts among the House β s 435 seats .
Mr. Nolan β s 8th congressional district is almost 93 % white , with more than half of its residents of German , Norwegian or Swedish heritage . The median household income is $ 49,860 , below the U.S. median of $ 53,000 ; a bit more than 22 % of residents have a bachelor β s degree or higher , below the national median of 28.5 % , according to the Census Bureau .
Mr. Nolan , a 70-year-old former businessman , served in Congress from 1975 until 1981 . He successfully ran again in 2012 , when Mr. Obama beat former Massachusetts Gov . Mitt Romney in his largely rural district 51.5 % to 46 % .
Aitkin , Minn. , the seat of Aitkin County , used to regularly tilt Democratic but now swings between parties . Jenn Ackerman for The Wall Street Journal
For decades , the congressional district was a stronghold of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Partyβthe state β s Democratic Partyβsupported by unions for miners and other workers . But as mining became more automated , reducing jobs , the population shrank . The redrawing of district lines after the 1990 and 2000 Census , along with more recent population growth in the district β s exurbs , have brought in more conservative residents .
Democrats control the Minnesota state Legislature , and polls show Democratic Gov . Mark Dayton with a comfortable lead . But Mr. Nolan has a formidable challenger in Mr. Mills , vice president of his family β s Mills Fleet Farm , a chain of more than 30 stores selling sporting goods and gardening supplies . Mr. Mills , age 42 , supports gun rights and his stores sell guns and ammunition . He also administers a health plan for more than 6,000 of his employees , bringing personal experience to his arguments against the health-care law .
Mr. Mills first drew attention in January 2013 , with an online video challenging Mr. Nolan β s support for an assault weapons ban and his comment , β I don β t need an assault weapon to shoot a duck. β The video showed Fleet Farm employees shooting targets at the company β s firing range to illustrate how shotguns could be more destructive than a semiautomatic rifle , which would be banned under the proposal .
β In Rick Nolan β s version of the Second Amendment , we can only have hunting guns , β Mr. Mills said in an interview . β The Republicans are a much better fit for representing the ideals and the priorities for our part of Minnesota . β
Mr. Nolan also backs the Second Amendment , he said , adding β reasonable restrictions have always been a part of our freedoms . β
Mr. Nolan favors a more expansive role for government , including a higher minimum wage , more federal spending on infrastructure and the Affordable Care Act , though with proposed changes . The goal , he said in the campaign , should be a single-payer health system , similar to Medicare .
β We all do better when we all do better , β Mr. Nolan said .
Grace Wagner , a 69-year-old farmer , favors Mr. Nolan β s views and said she has already voted for him by absentee ballot . She credited his support for such programs as fuel assistance and home-weatherization aid .
β When you β re on a strict income , it really helps , β she said , while selling produce at a farmer β s market in Duluth , Minn .
In its analysis , The Wall Street Journal included districts that in 1993 had a white population of greater than 85 % , median household income under $ 30,000 and fewer than 17 % of residents with a bachelor β s degree . To account for inflation and changes in the U.S. population , the Journal analysis counted districts in 2014 with populations greater than 70 % white , median household income under $ 50,000 and less than 25 % of adults with a bachelor β s degree . For both years , the Journal β s benchmarks were intended to identify districts that were slightly lower income , had a larger white population and fewer college graduates than the U.S. as a whole .
White , working-class voters play an outsize role in House races largely because of where they live . The U.S. is about evenly split between the two parties , but Democrats are more clustered in cities and Republicans are dispersed more evenly . As a result , Democrats tend to dominate a smaller number of urban districts while Republicans win more districts , though by slimmer margins .
Republican-controlled redistricting strengthened the party β s advantage for House races . After the 2010 census , Republicans controlled both the legislature and governor β s office in far more states than Democrats did . That enabled the party to redraw congressional boundaries with more Republican-leaning neighborhoods , creating safer GOP districts .
But favorable district lines generally don β t help in presidential elections because most votes are counted statewide . Many Republicans worry the party β s strength among white voters isn β t nearly enough to win national elections . In 2012 , for example , Mr. Romney won 59 % of the white vote but lost to Mr. Obama , who carried 80 % support of nonwhite voters .
For Republicans , the concern is that the proportion of white voters continues to decline in presidential elections . Some worry the next Democratic presidential nominee could draw a larger share than Mr. Obama did , hurting GOP chances at the White House .
In Aitkin , retired state trooper and Vietnam veteran Tom Druar , 65 years old , said he loved President John F. Kennedy asking Americans to serve their country . Too many people , he said , are now only looking for what they can get .
β I used to be a conservative Democrat , β he said . β There are no more of us . β | 1HuyV8FPztRfg0oG | 1 | Elections | 0.2 | Election2014 | 0.2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | |
race_and_racism | WGN | https://wgntv.com/2019/11/12/nfl-teams-invited-to-colin-kaepernick-private-workout-this-weekend/ | NFL teams invited to Colin Kaepernick private workout this weekend | 2019-11-12 | Sports, NFL, Colin Kaepernick, Black Lives Matter, Race And Racism | Free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick , who claimed the NFL and its teams colluded to keep him from playing following his refusal to stand during the National Anthem , will take part Saturday in a private workout organized by the league .
The NFL sent a memo Tuesday to its 32 teams , saying the session will include on-field work and interview time with the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback , ESPN first reported .
The workout will take place at an undisclosed location in Atlanta , a source with direct knowledge of the arrangement has told CNN . Clubs that don β t attend in person will have access to video of the session . The event will be closed to media .
β I β m just getting word from my representatives that the NFL league office reached out to them about a workout in Atlanta on Saturday , β he tweeted . β I β ve been in shape and ready for this for 3 years , can β t wait to see the head coaches and GMs on Saturday . β
According to the source , several NFL teams inquired about the athlete-turned-activist β s β football readiness β and desire to return to the league .
Kaepernick hasn β t played in the league since the 2016 season β the same season he first sat during the playing of the National Anthem . The protest later evolved into kneeling after onetime Seattle Seahawk and Green Beret Nate Boyer convinced Kaepernick it would be more respectful to the nation β s military , the quarterback has said .
Kaepernick said he did so to protest police shootings of African American men and other social injustices faced by black people in the United States .
Kaepernick became a free agent in 2017 . No team offered him a contract , and that October , he filed a grievance against the league , accusing team owners of colluding to keep him from being signed . The NFL denied any collusion . Kaepernick and former teammate Eric Reid , who knelt with Kaepernick , settled their cases .
Earlier this year , Kaepernick posted videos of himself on Twitter , taking part in weight training and throwing footballs .
ESPN reported it has seen the memo which was sent to teams informing them of the workout .
Kaepernick , who led the 49ers to the 2013 Super Bowl , played his last game on January 1 , 2017 , in the 49ers β loss to the Seattle Seahawks . During that season , in which the 49ers were 2-14 , Kaepernick threw 16 touchdowns and had four interceptions . He rushed for 468 yards on 69 attempts .
He opted out of his contract after the season and has been a free agent since . | b4fcef77ae46e761 | 1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
terrorism | The Week - News | http://theweek.com/article/index/270802/how-the-brides-of-isis-are-attracting-western-women | How the brides of ISIS are attracting Western women | 2014-10-30 | terrorism | `` You can find shampoos soaps and other female necessities here , so do not stress if you think you will be experiencing some cavewomen life here . β¦And lastly for the married sisters or soon to be married , bring makeup and jewellery from the West because trust me there is absolutely nothing here . β¦Unless you plan on looking like a clown ting . ''
These are the words Umm Layth published on her Tumblr , `` Diary of a Muhajirah , '' meaning one who has made the `` hijrah , '' or journey to the Islamic State . Umm Layth is a blogger from the north of Britain who is now living in the Syrian town of Manbij . She is one of a growing number of Western women who have gone to Syria to pledge their lives to ISIS β and the men of ISIS . Manbij , her new home , is a small town in the Aleppo governate , where images show squat concrete buildings adorned with the extremist group 's black-and-white logo . ISIS has controlled the town since January 2014 .
`` We are created to be mothers and wives β as much as the western society has warped your views on this with a hidden feminist mentality . ''
Sunrise in Bilaadul Izzah < 3 pic.twitter.com/hER1aHqrTc β Umm Mu'Δwiyah . ( @ ummmuawiyahh ) October 6 , 2014
Another woman , who goes by the name of Umm Muawiyah , arrived in the area controlled by ISIS on Oct. 8 , tweeting :
`` Alhamdulillah [ thank God ] . I have made it to Dar al-Islam and am finally living under the shade of the Sharia . Join me my brothers and sisters . ''
Prior to the first photo from her travels into Syria , her Twitter timeline was a mixture of discussion about ISIS and jokes about having to study `` the stages of a break up '' for her A-levels , exams British students typically take when they reach 18 years old . On Sept. 21 , she tweeted :
ISIS has proved to be adept at using social media , and the group 's female followers , particularly those from England , are no exception . Glancing at assorted tweets , Tumblrs , Instagram , Ask.fm pages and Facebook accounts of ISIS supporters , it 's initially tricky to distinguish between the online white noise of 15-year-olds in Wigan , an English town , who want to seem edgy by supporting the group , and genuine followers on the ground .
A closer look , however , shows a cadre of real ISIS followers who have made the hijrah and are leaving an online account of the day-to-day workings of life under ISIS . By adopting a more everyday , accessible approach to their posts , the women have carved out a social media niche , composing listicles like `` 10 Marriage Facts From the Islamic State , '' which was published by a blogger who goes by `` Bird of Jannah , '' referring to the Islamic name for heaven . The list includes details such as how the Euphrates is every newlywed 's favorite date spot , and how married mujahideen are given seven days off , and a gift of $ 700 by ISIS .
The women broadcast their realities through social media much like anyone of their generation , using the platforms to make sense of their lives by sharing personal details and reflections in public . Their ability to be relatable has made these women a crucial part of the ISIS media machine . And just like their male counterparts , the women are fighting a running battle with the Twitter police , who frequently suspend their accounts .
TL hasnt been the same since everyones account got suspended β Umm Mu'Δwiyah . ( @ ummmuawiyahh ) September 21 , 2014
The ISIS women on social media cut through that machismo . While the men have made their posts increasingly violent , the women show the world that their `` state '' is functioning like a normal society .
`` Our role is even more important as women in Islam , since if we do n't have sisters with the correct Aqeedah [ conviction ] and understanding who are willing to sacrifice all their desires and give up their families and lives in the west in order to make Hijrah and please Allah , then who will raise the next generation of Lions ? β¦Sister 's [ sic ] do n't forsake this beautiful blessing being able to raise the future Mujahideen of Shaam . ''
The British government estimates that around 400 of its citizens are currently in Syria β and research groups that track extremism like the Quilliam Foundation estimate that roughly 20 percent of them are women . `` These are unlikely to be young women who 've traveled by themselves before . For them , this has a similar kind of appeal to taking a big gap-year trip , '' explains Dr. Erin Saltman of the Quilliam Foundation .
Women like Umm Muawiyah are continuing to join ISIS , despite reports of ISIS ' fondness for extreme sexual violence against women β and not just those who are considered enemies . A former member of the group 's feared Khansa ' a Brigade ( the women who patrol the streets of Raqqa to check that women are keeping to ISIS ' rules about clothing ) gave an interview to CNN on Oct. 7 . She said , `` The foreign fighters are very brutal with women , even the ones they marry . β¦There were cases where the wife had to be taken to the emergency ward because of the violence , the sexual violence . ''
Despite ISIS ' violent image , the group 's followers on social media β male and female alike β claim they 've found a sense of community and belonging that they previously lacked . On one blog , a writer who calls himself the `` Paladin of Jihad '' writes :
`` I am not exaggerating when I say that each and every day , I go through an experience after which I stop and think to myself , 'subhΔn Allah , this is real brotherhood ! ' β¦I really felt likeβ¦like at long last , I 'belonged ' to something , to a project , to a cause . ''
The women talk about the connections they build with other followers and during their time spent in the Makkar , a house where the Bird of Jannah says new women stay before they 're given a home or taken to another city .
This sense of community is extremely important , not just because you need friends to survive living in a war zone , but also because banding together is a response to the alienation that some Muslims report feeling where they grew up . `` Young Muslims still have a profound and consistent sense of being demonised by society , and as creating a source of fear , '' writes Afua Hirsch , a filmmaker documenting the root causes of extremism . ISIS offers a kind of freedom from this particular pressure . Bird of Jannah explains that people no longer mock you because you 're wearing traditional Muslim clothing . Instead , she says :
`` They respect and honor you . People take your advice and do n't tell you not to judge them . When they see you commit an err [ sic ] , they advice [ sic ] you with love . ''
Analysis by Reuters suggests the desire to join ISIS is linked to a loss of what psychologists term `` personal significance , '' meaning `` the desire to matter , to be respected , to be somebody in one 's own eyes and in the eyes of others . '' Bird of Jannah later lists experiences with racism and a lack of religious freedom as two of the things motivating men and women to join ISIS .
The sense of purpose for men is more immediately clear : ISIS represents an opportunity for fame and fortune , fulfilling your destiny as a noble fighter . It all adds up to an opportunity to reclaim lost masculinity . But the motives of women seem harder to understand , as their role may look stifling from the outside β even to their own families back home . Here 's Umm Layth :
The notion that women are off on a `` sexual jihad '' has been frequently disproven , but what seems more likely is a desire for a caricature of lost gender identity roles β a place in which men are hyper-macho and women are completely submissive . `` You will often see female IS supporters on social media talking about how they want a real man , a fighter , '' explains Dr. Saltman , using the group 's preferred moniker .
This does n't mean the women lack education . Research by Quilliam and others show that female jihadis tend to be well-educated . For example , it has been reported that Umm Layth , aka Aqsa Mahmood , is a trained radiologist . In one post on Tumblr , Bird of Jannah reveals herself to be a highly trained doctor who was offered a job in an ISIS-run hospital .
Despite this intellectual independence , getting married remains an important form of social currency β many jihadis online will openly advise women to try and arrange a marriage before they even arrive in Syria . With no hint of irony , Bird of Jannah mentions at one point that she took a copy of Pride and Prejudice with her to read in the Makkar .
`` The reality is that to stay without a man here is really difficult . β¦I have stressed this before on twitter but I really need sisters to stop dreaming about coming to Shaam and not getting married . ''
Umm Layth and Bird of Jannah both mention not being able to leave either the Makka or their eventual homes without the permission , and sometimes accompaniment , of a man . As such , marriage takes place at warp speed , explains Bird of Jannah , usually the day after the brother comes and sees the bride . Remarriage once a husband has been killed in battle is expected .
The question remains as to whether this all adds up to a grand recruiting ploy . There are certainly plenty of instructions β but the only real breakdown of how to get to ISIS-controlled territory comes from male bloggers who ply the routes regularly . Instead , Umm Layth , Umm Muamiyeh and Bird of Jannah use social media more as a perverse form of advertising . Some answer questions from potential recruits on Ask.fm , and all make their usernames on the instant messaging service KIK freely available for those who want to ask questions β although none responded to requests for comment on this story . The reality is that any specific advice on making the journey to join ISIS is likely to exist only in private messages .
This story was originally published on Vocativ.com : How the brides of ISIS are attracting Western women | Ff0dvJ6kkCdqztPU | 1 | ISIS | 0.3 | Islamic State | 0 | Terrorism | 0 | null | null | null | null |
china | The Hill | http://thehill.com/policy/finance/392592-china-targets-soybeans-electric-cars-whiskey-in-retaliatory-tariffs | China targets soybeans, electric cars, whiskey in retaliatory tariffs | 2018-06-16 | china | Chinese officials announced retaliatory tariffs aimed at the United States on Saturday that target American exports such as electric cars , soybeans and whiskey .
China 's commerce ministry made the announcement in a statement , calling the Trump administration a `` provocateur '' on trade issues and warning that the country would `` fight back strongly , '' The Associated Press reports .
The tariffs , which will go into effect July 6 , include 25 percent duties on soybeans , electric cars , orange juice , whiskey , lobsters , salmon and cigars , the finance ministry told the AP in a statement .
According to the report , the selected products were chosen to minimize their impact to the Chinese economy β namely items that can be imported from elsewhere β while also targeting U.S. exports from rural areas that voted more strongly for President Trump Donald John TrumpTrump faces high stakes in meeting with ErdoΔan amid impeachment drama Democrats worry they do n't have right candidate to beat Trump Trump threatening to fire Mulvaney : report MORE .
β In this trade war , it β s the U.S. who is playing the role of provocateur , while China plays defense , β Chinese state-linked newspaper Global Times reported . β China is a powerful guardian and has enough ammunition to defend existing trade rules and fairness . β
Saturday 's move by China follows a Friday announcement from the president of more U.S. tariffs on $ 50 billion worth of imports of products focusing on China 's industrial sector , making good on a threat the White House has been making for months .
`` My great friendship with President Xi [ Jinping ] of China and our country β s relationship with China are both very important to me , '' Trump said in a statement Friday .
`` Trade between our nations , however , has been very unfair , for a very long time . This situation is no longer sustainable , '' he added .
Chinese officials initially ripped Friday 's announcement , calling it `` damaging '' to the two countries ' bilateral interests .
`` This move is not only damaging bilateral interests but also undermining the world trade order , β the statement said , adding that China would `` immediately introduce taxation measures of the same scale and strength . '' | g0wDKvvayBpUih21 | 1 | China | 0.3 | Trade War | -0.2 | Trade | 0 | null | null | null | null |
elections | USA TODAY | https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/09/25/luther-strange-roy-moore-alabama-senate-primary-runoff/701285001/ | Roy Moore vs. Luther Strange: Five questions on the Alabama Senate primary runoff | 2017-09-25 | elections | Roy Moore vs. Luther Strange : Five questions on the Alabama Senate primary runoff
CLOSE Looking ahead to Tuesday 's election between Alabama Sen. Luther Strange and former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore . The winner will face Democrat Doug Jones , a former U.S. attorney , in the Dec. 12 general election . Brian Lyman / Advertiser
Tuesday marks the end of one expensive and heated contest β and possibly the beginning of another .
Alabama voters will head to the polls Tuesday to decide who will get the Republican Senate nomination β the incumbent , Sen. Luther Strange , or former Alabama chief justice Roy Moore .
The vote will end a contest pitting Moore β s solid base against Strange β s tireless efforts to transform himself into a proxy for President Trump , who remains popular among GOP voters in the state . The winner will face former U.S. attorney Doug Jones , the Democratic nominee , in a Dec. 12 general election .
While the policy differences between Strange and Moore are negligible , the campaign has turned into a proxy war for factions within the national Republican Party , both seeking Trump β s favor while crossing swords over the party β s congressional leadership , particularly Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky .
Below are five questions whose answers will be key to the outcome .
Strange β s campaign has one overriding theme : He loves the president β a whole lot β and hopes you understand the depths of his commitment . The incumbent speaks of Trump in terms that are never less than reverent ( and sometimes , biblical ) . He gives unqualified support for a border wall with Mexico and ( like Moore ) bills repealing the Affordable Care Act β many of which included Medicaid cuts with potentially serious consequences for Medicaid recipients , Alabama hospitals and primary care providers .
The senator attacks Moore for slights real or perceived against Trump and suggested at a debate Thursday that Moore resented Strange 's friendship with the president . The strategy helped Strange slide into the runoff ahead of Rep. Mo Brooks on Aug. 15 and helped him secure an appearance by Trump at a rally in Huntsville last week .
Moore , though , has also said he will support the president β s agenda in the Senate and that he 's not running against the president . Consultants said Friday that Strange β s relentless invocation of Trump has meant Strange has disappeared as a person . Trump himself seemed to hedge on his support for Strange at Friday β s rally , suggesting Moore might win and that if he did , he would campaign for him .
Strange β s appointment to the Senate by former governor Robert Bentley β when Strange was Alabama attorney general β continues to haunt the campaign . Bentley pleaded guilty to two campaign finance violations and resigned from office in April after an investigation by a unit of the attorney general β s office . Strange interviewed for and accepted the appointment while the investigation was underway .
The incumbent has declined to say what role , if any , he had in the investigation . Moore tried to press him on the issue at Thursday β s debate . Strange did not answer , nor did he answer when asked by reporters following the debate .
Moore has said little about the appointment in his advertising , but outside groups opposed to Strange have repeatedly brought it up .
3 . Can Roy Moore β s base carry him to another victory ?
Moore has run the same race he β s run since 2000 , counting on enthusiastic supporters and high name recognition to make up for deficits in fundraising and television exposure . He has done so against a virtual tsunami of money coming into the race : Strange and the McConnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund ( SLF ) spent a combined $ 10 million on the campaign through Sept. 6 , and even more in the weeks after . Moore β s campaign spent just $ 1.1 million through early September .
Strange and the SLF tried a variety of approaches to peel off Moore β s base β first trying to raise questions about payments to Moore from the Foundation for Moral Law , which he headed from 2003 to 2012 , and then by raising questions about Moore β s preparedness , citing a July radio interview where Moore did not appear to know what the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program was .
In recent weeks , Strange has switched tactics , suggesting Moore would not be a reliable vote for Trump and questioning his commitment to such issues as the construction of a border wall . Moore says that he favors the wall but suggests other , more immediate measures need to occur .
4 . Which will be more decisive β national politics or Alabama dynamics ?
This race is an oddity : an off-year primary that has become a battleground among GOP factions . Vice President Pence traveled to Birmingham on Monday to campaign for Strange , and both the National Rifle Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are trying to push the incumbent over the finish line . Moore , meanwhile , has won the support of members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon . Former GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin and former Trump adviser Sebastian Gorka appeared at a rally for Moore last week .
As Strange has touted his support from Trump , Moore has attacked Strange for his support from McConnell and promised to work to oust him as leader should he get to the Senate . Strange has tried to distance himself from McConnell , and at the Huntsville rally last week Trump suggested the two senators barely know each other .
Moore 's loyal following from Alabama voters comes from his high-profile fights over the Ten Commandments and same-sex marriage , both preceding Trump 's election . In a race with turnout projected between 12 % and 15 % , the performance of Moore β s traditional bastions could prove crucial .
The Democratic nominee will have his work cut out for him , mo matter who wins Tuesday . No Democrat has won an election to the U.S. Senate in Alabama since 1992 , and the last statewide election the party won took place in 2008 . If turnout in the Republican primary ( 423,000 voters ) was low , turnout for the Democratic primary β won overwhelmingly by Jones β was still lower ( 165,000 ) . The party has long been in a rebuilding mode .
Still , Democrats appear to be enthusiastic for their candidate β a former U.S. attorney who successfully prosecuted two of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombers β and the national party is taking notice . Former vice president Joe Biden will appear at a rally for Jones in Birmingham next week .
The Republican nominee will enter the general election campaign as the heavy favorite , but both GOP candidates have flaws . Strange struggles to create energy among Republican voters , and Moore β s outspoken opposition to homosexuality has turned off the business wing of the party . Moore eked out a win against Democrat Bob Vance in the 2012 campaign for chief justice of the state Supreme Court β finishing well behind the Republican ticket that year β and Democrats will likely be studying that race closely as they move forward for Jones . | U6USDxFPiURwrDol | 1 | Alabama | -0.4 | Elections | 0.3 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
banking_and_finance | MarketWatch | https://www.marketwatch.com/story/teslas-surging-stock-is-starting-to-remind-wall-street-of-bitcoins-parabolic-rally-in-2017-heres-why-2020-02-04?mod=home-page | Teslaβs surging stock is starting to remind Wall Street of bitcoinβs parabolic rally in 2017. Hereβs why | banking_and_finance | Tesla Inc. is on a tear . Not just any ordinary tear for shares of a popular company whizzing to records on Wall Street . The ascent for shares of the electric-vehicle maker are near-parabolic and the unabashed run-up in recent days has some investors comparing the jump to bitcoin β s surge back in 2017 .
To put things in perspective , Tesla β s shares TSLA , +0.21 % have risen 36 % to a record price around $ 887 in just the past two sessions alone . The Silicon Valley darling run by Elon Musk has jumped 180 % in the past three months and from its June 3 closing low at $ 178.97 , the company β s shares have gained more than 395 % .
By comparison , the technology-laden Nasdaq Composite Index COMP , +0.48 % , which has outperformed the S & P 500 index SPX , +0.37 % and the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA , +0.05 % , has gained a pedestrian 12.3 % in the past three months , 5.5 % so far this year and nearly 30 % since early June .
Tesla β s outsize gains , predicated partly on more bullish calls from analysts and better quarterly results from the vehicle maker , have raised eyebrows among some Wall Street investors worried that gains have come too far , too fast .
At least one , Wall Street pro Michael Novogratz , compared the surge in Tesla to bitcoin β s similarly parabolic move .
Novogratz famously in 2015 left the world of private equity , after helping found Fortress Investment Group , to venture in to the world of digital currencies .
But his bitcoin BTCUSD , +4.12 % comparison may not be too way off . Back in early 2017 , bitcoin surged from around $ 885 to $ 19,783 by November , a whopping 2,100 % increase .
Of course , it is clear how that story played out . Bitcoin β s price cratered soon after peaking .
However , on the bright side , it is still up at $ 9,140 , which may be cold comfort for those who bet on further gains in the No . 1 digital asset in the world .
Prominent analyst Tom Lee of Fundstrat said that some of Tesla β s gains may be attributed to investment managers in the Russell 1000 Growth RLG , +0.30 % adjusting their portfolios to line up better with Tesla β s weight in that index .
β Tesla is 0.7 % of the weight in the Russell 1000 but accounts for 15 % of [ year-to-date gains ] , β he wrote in a Tuesday research note .
β In other words , [ the fear of missing out ] of Russell 1000 Growth managers is likely contributing to this stupendous surge . Last year , Tesla return was roughly in line with market and it was quite volatile , so many managers likely underweighted Tesla , β he wrote .
In any case , many market watchers are advising caution when it comes to buying Tesla now , with one of the top searches on Google being : β Should I buy Tesla β s stock ? β That is similar to the days of bitcoin when investors would input similar internet searches . | TI6Z8J1C89E6Dkm3 | 2 | Tesla | 1 | Wall Street | 0.3 | Stock Market | 0.3 | Banking And Finance | 0.2 | Bitcoin | -0.2 | |
politics | Washington Times | https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jul/19/trump-tries-shift-outcry-supporters-squad/ | Trump tries to shift outcry from supporters to 'The Squad' | 2019-07-19 | politics | President Trump on Friday tried to shift political pressure back onto four liberal lawmakers as he deals with backlash against his supporters β chants at a North Carolina rally , insisting the Democrats β comments on U.S. policy and Israel are the real offense .
β They say things about Israel that β s so bad I β m not even going to repeat them , β Mr. Trump said as he departed the White House for his New Jersey golf club . β They can β t get away with that act . β
Mr. Trump faced an outcry , even from GOP lawmakers , after a Greenville crowd chanted , β Send her back ! β on Wednesday . They were referring to Rep. Ilhan Omar , a Somali refugee who became a U.S. citizen before being elected to Congress from Minnesota .
Mr. Trump has been very critical of Ms. Omar , part of a quartet of freshmen Democrats known as β The Squad , β as way out of the mainstream .
He β s cast all four as the new β extreme β face of the Democratic Party and , in a Sunday tweet , told them to β go back β to their countries if they β re unhappy .
All four are citizens , and Ms. Omar is the only one who was born outside of the U.S .
Mr. Trump disavowed the chant on Thursday , though since then he β s focused on what the liberal lawmakers have said , instead of critics who say he β s fanning an ugly side of his base ahead of the 2020 election .
β I don β t care if it β s good or bad about politics . Many people say it β s good . I don β t know if it β s good or bad , β Mr. Trump said . β I can tell you this β you can β t talk that way about our country , not while I β m president . β
Pressed on whether the liberal lawmakers are using their First Amendment rights when they complain about U.S. policy , Mr. Trump said : β We have First Amendment rights , also , we can certainly feel and say what we want . β
Mr. Trump also said he didn β t take any advice from first lady Melania Trump or his daughter , Ivanka , on how to respond to the chants , saying reports to the contrary were β fake news . β | uyaWxU33ooXCodPc | 2 | Politics | -0.3 | Donald Trump | -0.2 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
media_bias | The Dispatch | https://thedispatch.com/p/there-is-no-reason-to-believe-china | There Is No Reason to Believe China Is Reporting Its Coronavirus Cases Accurately | 2020-04-01 | Fake News, Misinformation And Disinformation, Media Bias, Media Industry, Coronavirus, COVID-19 Misinformation, China | As the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 rises quickly in the United States and in many other countries around the world , the official number of new cases in China , the source of the pandemic , has fallen dramatically . Given the record of secrecy , duplicity , and coverup by the Communist government of China , there is little cause to take those official figures at anything close to face value . Nevertheless , Western media organizations , the World Health Organization , and the United Nations have taken to referring to China 's numbers as β confirmed cases β comparable to cases in other countries with more open societies and transparent governments , giving the impression that China has largely conquered the virus .
The Chinese government department responsible for tracking statistics during the crisis is the National Health Commission of the People 's Republic of China . The commission 's website has been publishing daily updates since late January . From the first report on January 25 , the number of cases of the now-named COVID-19 virus skyrocketed from 1,287 to 17,205 in just over a week . At that point , according to the commission , 189,583 people had β been identified as having had close contact with infected patients . β
On top of this , the commission acknowledged on January 26 that β More than 5 million people have left Wuhan due to the Spring Festival and epidemic [ . ] β From all appearances , the β epidemic β was poised to sweep the nation of 1.3 billion people , exacerbated by the timing : an annual festival that typically generates nearly 3 billion trips , the β largest annual human migration in the world . β
Against all odds , however , the National Health Commission of China , a little more than six weeks later , reported no new domestically acquired cases , attributing every new case as β imported β by those returning to China . Over the last half of March , despite the massive dispersion of Chinese citizens from the epicenter of the virus , Wuhan , the commission has reported barely one new domestically acquired case per day . While in mid-March , 683,281 people had β been identified as having had close contact with infected patients β with β 9,144 are now under medical observation , β new cases remained a trickle .
Despite compelling reasons for incredulity at China 's official figures , on March 16 , the United Nations published an article titled β China shows COVID-19 Coronavirus can be β stopped in its tracks. β β The article is based on an interview with a β WHO Representative in the country , Dr. Gauden Galea . β
β It is an epidemic that has been nipped as it was growing and stopped in its tracks . This is very clear from the data that we have , as well as the observations that we can see in society in general , β he told UN News in Beijing on Saturday .
But based on the same article , Dr. Galea has been in Beijing during the course of China 's battle with COVID-19 , except for a quick trip to Wuhan on January 21-22 before the city was even locked down and the outbreak was still muted . The U.N. article goes on to say : β At the time , there was no overwhelming demand on the health services , though the situation had changed when Chinese and international health experts conducted a joint mission a month later. β A β joint mission , β indicating that the Chinese government would have maintained its control over WHO 's access to data and physical sites .
Various media organizations have similarly relied on China 's numbers for some pretty dramatic headlines . On March 18 , the New York Times declared : β China Hits a Coronavirus Milestone : No New Local Infections. β While the article notes in passing that Chinese β officials initially concealed and mismanaged the outbreak , β it goes on to flatly assert that β Beijing β s sledgehammer approach ... worked to quickly lower the number of infections [ . ] β Axios headlined a similar report β No new coronavirus cases in Wuhan , China , where global pandemic began , β while NPR went with β China Reports No New Domestic Cases , But Battles Coronavirus Imported From Abroad . β
Eight days later , the Times , again based on China 's β confirmed β numbers , told the world that , β The U.S. Now Leads the World in Confirmed Coronavirus Cases. β While the article says that β The Times is engaged in a comprehensive effort to track the details of every confirmed case in the United States , collecting information from federal , state and local officials , β apparently the Times applied considerably less rigor to acquire information on China .
On Monday , however , came news that China 's numbers have indeed been incomplete . The Wall Street Journal reported that β China said more than 1,500 people who were infected with the virus but haven β t shown symptoms weren β t included in its national tally of confirmed cases. β While other countries are struggling to keep up with statistics on cases , the change so late in China 's experience with the virus raises further questions about China 's transparency , especially in light of some of the drastic measures the Communist government took early on to hush up the extent and seriousness of the epidemic .
If the past is any indication , the Chinese government will continue to hide the true consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak in that country as best it can . But the media and international health authorities would do well to view any data coming out of China with a more skeptical eye . | 6683b868c0e42276 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
abortion | Reason | https://reason.com/blog/2018/09/11/thinkprogress-kavanaugh-facebook-weekly | ThinkProgress Accuses Facebook of Censorship After Conservative Factchecker Correctly Points Out an Error | 2018-09-11 | Facts And Fact Checking, Brett Kavanaugh, Abortion | Ian Millhiser , justice editor at ThinkProgress , is upset that The Weekly Standardβa right-of-center magazine whose editors have been granted the power to formally factcheck articles for Facebookβrecently labelled one of his articles `` false . ''
But the claim made by the article 's headlineβ '' Brett Kavanaugh said he would kill Roe v. Wade last week and almost no one noticed '' βis at the very least quite misleading .
ThinkProgress is a left-of-center news site published by the Center for American Progress . Its writers have previously expressed concerns that Facebook would award an explicitly conservative media outlet factchecker status , a privilege enjoyed by just four other organizations : the Associated Press , Factcheck.org , Politifact , and Snopes.com . Articles tagged as false will lose `` 80 percent of future traffic , '' according to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg , and thus the stakes are indeed quite high for media organizations .
`` At its peak , Facebook provided as much as 40 percent of ThinkProgress ' traffic , '' writes Millhiser . `` Facebook recently changed its algorithm in ways that reduced the amount of traffic it sent to most news outlets , but it still accounts for between 10 to 15 percent of our readers . The difference between keeping those readers and losing them could decide whether we can hire more reporters who will continue to report on subjects that the Weekly Standard may have ideological disagreements about . ''
As a legal matter , Facebook is treading on very dangerous ground by providing no oversight of its own `` fact checking '' operation . In its landmark decision in New York Times v. Sullivan , the Supreme Court held that an outlet can be liable for defamation if it publishes false information `` with knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not . '' By deferring to The Weekly Standard 's `` expertise and process , '' Facebook acted with reckless disregard of whether The Weekly Standard 's article was false or not .
Millhiser appears to believe that ( 1 ) The Weekly Standard erred in labelling the article false , ( 2 ) Facebook erred in giving The Weekly Standard this power in the first place , and ( 3 ) by refusing to correct these errors , Facebook may have exposed itself to liability for defamation .
Claim # 2 is a judgement call , and I ca n't say whether it 's correct . Maybe giving ideological groups factchecking powers was not a good move for Facebook . I wo n't tackle that topic here .
But claims 1 and 3 collapse if The Weekly Standard 's fact-checkers made the right call regarding the `` false '' article . ( Actually , 3 strikes me as dubious , regardless . Defamation is a high bar to clear . ) Let 's take a look .
Again , the headline is `` Brett Kavanaugh said he would kill Roe v. Wade last week and almost no one noticed . '' But Millhiser 's article makes a more nuanced argument . As he summarizes it in the follow-up post :
Kavanaugh cited in his confirmation hearing the `` Glucksberg test '' βwhich refers to Washington v. Glucksberg , a 1997 Supreme Court decision establishing that the Constitution does not protect a right to physician-assisted suicide . Under Glucksberg , courts should determine which rights are protected by the Constitution by asking which rights are `` deeply rooted in this Nation 's history and tradition . '' Kavanaugh also said in 2017 that `` even a first-year law student could tell you that the Glucksberg 's approach to unenumerated rights was not consistent with the approach of the abortion cases such as Roe vs. Wade in 1973 , as well as the 1992 decision reaffirming Roe , known as Planned Parenthood vs . Casey . '' Our article also cited law professors Jim Oleske and Jamal Greene , both of whom reached similar conclusions regarding Kavanaugh 's embrace of Glucksberg .
Does this information imply that Kavanaugh would be inclined to overturn Roe v. Wade ? A reasonable person might infer that this is so . The article concludes with this statement : `` Judge Kavanaugh appears to be telegraphing his belief that Roe , Obergefell , and the Supreme Court 's decision in Lawrence v. Texas , which provides that the government can not prosecute consenting adults for having sex , were not correctly decided . ''
If the headline had said that Kavanaugh had `` appeared to be telegraphing , '' or `` hinted at , '' or even `` heavily suggested '' he would kill Roe v. Wade , that would be one thing . But `` said '' is a strong word . It makes it sound like Kavanaugh directly stated his intention to kill Roe v. Wade .
In his follow-up , Millhiser concludes that this all hinges on the definition of the verb `` said . '' So he turns to the dictionary , which does indeed list `` indicate , show , and communicate , '' as possible definitions for the word . But said is generally used as a synonym for indicate , show , and communicate when the subject of the sentence is a thing that ca n't use words . That look in your eyes can say a great deal , but not literallyβa `` look '' does n't use words . People , on the other hand , do use words , so when writers describe a person as having said something , it 's implied that they did so with their mouths .
This may seem like nitpicking , but we 're in the midst of an intense news cycle revolving around the question of whether Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade . A headline that straightforwardly claims he admitted he would do so is manipulating readers ' expectations , and thus the claim should have been hedged in the headlineβeven just a little bitβas it was in the article . If the claim is The Weekly Standard was wrong to say this headline is false , then I rate this claim : Mostly false . | bd67db49a05ca1e4 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
terrorism | The Flip Side | https://www.theflipside.io/archives/taliban-meeting-canceled | Taliban Meeting Canceled | terrorism | The left is skeptical of any deal with the Taliban and critical of Trump β s diplomatic efforts .
β It β s appalling that Trump would have even considered hosting Taliban leaders just days before the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks plotted by their ally , Osama bin Laden . Imagine what Trump β who excoriated President Barack Obama for negotiating with the Taliban β would have said if Obama had invited them for a sleepover . But Trump β s explanation for the cancellation β as with most things he says β makes little senseβ¦ the Taliban never agreed to a cease-fire . It is bizarre to call off negotiations because the other side continues doing something it never agreed to stop doingβ¦ The Afghanistan mess confirms what has been obvious from the startβ¦ Trump is a better dealbreaker than dealmaker . β
β When he blamed his Camp David fiasco on a Taliban suicide bombing last week , which killed a US soldier and several civilians , he was probably being less than candid . It β s likely he got cold feet at the last minute about an agreement that looked dangerously ill-judged β and which could see him blamed for a resurgence in Afghanistan of both al-Qaida and Islamic State . This snakes-and-ladders diplomacy mirrors his much-hyped , on-off talks with North Korea and his up-and-down stance on Iran , where he has blown hot and cold over a summit with Hassan Rouhani , Iran β s president . β
β The Trump administration seems to be trying to thread an impossible needle : to cut a peace deal with the Taliban , who are demanding a total American withdrawal from Afghanistan , while at the same time ensuring that the country does not revert to what Trump has termed a β Harvard for terrorists , β which a complete US withdrawal would surely help to enable . Meanwhile , the Trump administration is treating the Taliban as if the group is a government-in-waiting while simultaneously undercutting the legitimate Afghan governmentβ¦
β The Taliban has consistently refused to negotiate directly with the elected Afghan government , despite the fact that the outcome of their talks with the United States will deeply affect the Afghan people the Afghan government represents . The cancelled Camp David talks appear to have been an effort to bring Taliban leaders and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani together , since Ghani was also going to be attendingβ¦ The winner from the canceled Camp David summit is the elected Afghan president Ghani , who will run for reelection at the end of this month and may well win . And whoever wins that election will be in a far stronger position to insist that the next round of negotiations with the Taliban must include the duly elected Afghan government . β
β It β s not the first time Trump , a real estate mogul and reality show star who wrote a book called β The Art of the Deal , β has stumbled in his attempts to strike deals that he promised voters in 2016 would give the U.S. an edge . He has been unable to secure a new , more comprehensive nuclear deal with Iran as he promised he would do . He has met three times with North Korea β s Kim Jong Un , but has made little progress in getting Kim to abandon his nuclear arsenal . His trade talks with China are going nowhere . And while his administration did manage to come to a new trade deal with Canada and Mexico to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement , it has yet to gain approval in Congress and it β s not drastically different from NAFTA itselfβ¦
β President Donald Trump β s boasts about his dealmaking skills may have helped him win in 2016 . But after this weekend β s events , he has little to back up those claims on the world stage heading into 2020 . β
Nahal Toosi , Anita Kumar , Wesley Morgan and Victoria Guida , Politico
β The temptation for the U.S. to exit Afghanistan grows stronger with news of every bombing and ambush inflicted on civilians , Afghan security forces or U.S. and NATO troops . But a withdrawal that doesn β t keep Afghanistan from becoming a rogue state , that fails to safeguard women β s rights , that leads to the collapse of legitimate Afghan governance , would prove disastrous β both for Afghans and , in future years , for America . β
β Trump β s defenders will say this evidence is all circumstantial . But circumstantial evidence is not weak evidence : it β s simply evidence based on the circumstances in which an act of wrongdoing is committed β such as the license plate of a car that speeds away from a bank just after that bank is robbed . Criminals are convicted on such evidence all the time . They will also say that there β s no explicit quid pro quo proposal here . Butβ¦ β even when a corrupt deal is struck implicitly , the government can still prosecute extortion on a quid pro quo basis . Circumstantial evidence can be enough to prove a criminal exchange. β β¦ β β In the absence of an explicit quid pro quo over restarting aid , the context and circumstances are what will become the focus of the investigation . There is enough here to support impeachment . Whether it is also enough to convince Republicans and lead to removal is another matter . β | 3YZfMg7pcysuzDFq | 1 | Donald Trump | 0.3 | Taliban | -0.2 | Terrorism | -0.2 | null | null | null | null | |
justice_department | Washington Times | https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/may/1/bob-goodlatte-demands-probe-sally-yates-matthew-ax/ | Congress demands investigation of Obama-era Justice Department officials over Clinton Foundation | 2018-05-01 | justice_department | House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte Tuesday urged Attorney General Jeff Sessions to investigate allegations that top Obama-era Department of Justice officials tried to shut down the FBI probe into the Clinton Foundation during the 2016 presidential election .
β At a minimum the allegations deserve further scrutiny to determine whether the FBI was hampered in any way by top officials in the Department of Justice , top officials of the FBI itself , or senior officials of the Obama Administration , β Mr. Goodlatte wrote in a letter to the Attorney General . β Please confirm that the DOJ will take immediate steps to investigate this matter and hold any wrongdoers accountable . β
An inspector general report on former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe released last month detailed an August 2016 phone call from a high-ranking Justice Department official . Mr. McCabe thought the call was made to scuttle the FBI β s Clinton Foundation investigation while Hillary Clinton was running for president , according to the report .
The official was β very pissed off β at the FBI , the report said . He demanded to know why the FBI was still investigating the Clinton Foundation when the Justice Department considered it a dormant case according to the report .
The inspector general only identified by the caller by the Principal Associate Deputy General ( PADAG ) and not by name . Last month sources told the βββ that Matthew Axelrod held that position at the time of the call .
In his letter , Mr. Goodlatte said there are indications that Mr. Axelrod is the PADAG .
Mr. Axelrod directly reported to then-Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates raising questions about whether she was aware of the call .
Neither Mr. Axelrod nor Ms. Yates responded to multiple emails and phone calls seeking comment . An attempt to speak with them last week during a Georgetown Law School conference where they were both speaking was shut down .
β It appears that the PADAG was at the very least inquiring into why the FBI was pursuing a case against the Clinton Foundation during the election , and at worst , attempting to improperly and illegally influence the status of an ongoing investigation for purely partisan purposes , β Mr. Goodlatte wrote . β Both options are unseemly and should be investigated . β
Later , Mr. Goodlatte wrote , β it is important to determine whether the PADAG β s direction to Mr. McCabe resulted in any β stand down β order being given to agents in these offices . β
Mr. Goodlatte said he believes the allegations warrant the appointment of a second special counsel to investigate the Justice Department . But said at a minimum , Mr . Sessions should launch an investigation into the allegations . | 0FNWJien2lOV7GMj | 2 | Hillary Clinton | -0.6 | Justice Department | -0.2 | Justice | 0 | null | null | null | null |
donald_trump | Fox News Digital | https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-john-lewis-inauguration | Trump withholds praise for John Lewis, notes he 'didn't come to my inauguration' | 2020-08-04 | John Lewis, Civil Rights, Race And Racism, Donald Trump | Rep. John Lewis will be honored in Washington, D.C. after crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama one last time; Chad Pergram reports. President Trump, in a wide-ranging interview with "Axios on HBO" that aired Monday night, refused to praise late civil rights icon and Rep. John Lewis, citing Lewis' decision not to attend his inauguration and State of the Union speeches. Interviewer Jonathan Swan repeatedly challenged Trump on topics ranging from the increasing number of coronavirus cases when he held his indoor and largely maskless rally in Tulsa, Okla., to Afghanistan to mail-in voting. Swan also asked Trump his opinion of Lewis. "John Lewis is lying in state at the U.S. Capitol. How do you think history will remember John Lewis?" Swan asked Trump. JOHN LEWIS' FUNERAL AT MLK'S CHURCH BRINGS TOGETHER FORMER PRESIDENTS TO HONOR CIVIL RIGHTS ICON "I don't know. I really don't know. I don't know. I don't know John Lewis," Trump said. "He chose not to come to my inauguration. He chose -- I don't -- I never met John Lewis actually, I don't believe." Lewis, a progressive Democrat, received widespread praise from both sides of the aisle after his passing for his role in the civil rights movement. Lewis was arrested more than 40 times while protesting, was beaten on the Edmund Pettus Bridge on "Bloody Sunday" of the Selma-Montgomery marches and was the youngest speaker at the 1963 March on Washington -- where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. "I was lucky enough to be there that day. I marveled at the massive crowds. The sight gave me hope for our country. That was Johnβs doing," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said of Lewis and the March on Washington. "But even though the world around him gave him every cause for bitterness, he stubbornly treated everyone with respect and love." JOHN LEWIS, CIVIL RIGHTS ICON, CONGRESSMAN FOR 33 YEARS, DEAD AT 80 Said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.: "John Lewis was an extraordinary man. He suffered for this nation, enduring what would have easily broken other men, so that future generations could enjoy the full blessings of freedom. ... His patriotism urged him forward to fight for America with nonviolence and defend it with peacefulness. We are a better nation because of John Lewis." Swan then asked Trump whether he thinks Lewis and his story are "impressive." "I can't say one way or the other," Trump said. "I find a lot of people impressive. I find many people not impressive." Swan prodded Trump to answer the question, to which the president responded, "[h]e didn't come to my inauguration. He didn't come to my State of the Union speeches. And that's OK. That's his right, and, again, nobody has done more for Black Americans than I have." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Trump, during a later portion of the interview on a different topic, said: "I did more for the Black community than anybody with the possible exception of Abraham Lincoln." Trump acknowledged that Lewis spent "a lot of energy and a lot of heart" on civil rights but said there were "many others" who did so as well. When Swan asked Trump whether the Edmund Pettus Bridge should be renamed after Lewis, Trump said he "would have no objection." Lewis's funeral service was last week at the same church where King was baptized, served as a pastor and where his funeral was held after his 1968 assassination. Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama spoke at the gathering. Trump did not attend, nor did he visit Lewis while Lewis was lying in state. The only living president besides Trump who didn't attend Lewis' funeral was 95-year-old Jimmy Carter. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. Subscribed You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! | 59f1d35c1ed07680 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
immigration | CBN | http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/politics/2015/August/Trump-Undocumented-Children-Arent-US-Citizens/ | Trump: Undocumented Children Aren't US Citizens | 2015-08-21 | Immigration | Share This article Billionare Donald Trump is doubling down on his controversial immigration policy. His latest proposal: revoke the citizenship of American-born children of undocumented immigrants, a right guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. On Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor" on Tuesday night, the GOP's presidential frontrunner envisioned kicking all 11 million undocumented immigrants out of the country. "Do you envision federal police kicking in the doors in barios around the country, dragging families out and putting them on a bus? Do you envision that?" host Bill O'Reilly asked. "I don't think they have American citizenship," he replied. "And if you speak to very good lawyers, and I know some would disagree, (but) many agree with me, you will find they do not have American citizenship." Trump hasn't said how he would implement his ambitious immigration plan. In New Hampshire Wednesay he talked about building what he calls a beautiful wall. "I will build the greatest wall that you've ever seen," he said. "I want it to be so beautiful because maybe someday they're gonna call it the Trump Wall, maybe. So I have to make sure it's beautiful, right? I'll be very proud of that wall." Up the road at another event in New Hampshire, Jeb Bush took a few swipes at Trump, saying he's not a true conservative. "Mr. Trump doesn't have a proven, conservative record," Bush said. "He was a Democrat longer in the last decade than he was a Republican. He's given more money to Democrats than he's given to Republicans." "Even on immigration, where it's -- you know, look, it's, the language is pretty vitriolic for sure. But hundreds of billions of dollars of cost to implement his plan is not a conservative plan," he added. Share This article You are signing up to receive general newsletters from CBN. By signing up, you are consenting to our privacy policy. You can specify preference after sign-up and opt out at any time. You are signing up to receive general newsletters from CBN. By signing up, you are consenting to our privacy policy. You can specify preference after sign-up and opt out at any time. Β© 2024 The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) Charitable Organization. We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience. By clicking βAccept Allβ you are giving your consent for us to set cookies.CBN Cookie Policy | 9b192b38d6ed2481 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
great_britain | CNN (Web News) | http://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/25/business/u-k-recession-gdp/index.html?hpt=ieu_c2 | Britain moves out of recession | 2012-10-25 | European Union, Great Britain, United Kingdom, Recession, Economy And Jobs, Europe, World | Story highlights Britain 's double-dip recession ended after the economy grew 1 % between the second and third quarters
Economists cautioned that the strong bounce was to some extent a reflection of one-off factors
Britain 's double-dip recession has ended after the economy grew 1 per cent between the second and third quarters , much more robustly than economists had expected .
The strong rise in gross domestic product will come as a relief to the coalition government , whose austerity programme has come in for fierce criticism as the economy has faltered . Sterling rose 0.5 per cent after the data were released .
David Cameron , the prime minister , who would have seen the figures 24 hours earlier , appeared to hint that GDP figures would be good on Wednesday during prime minister 's questions in parliament .
The quarterly growth rate was the strongest in five years , though the economy is still no bigger than it was a year ago . George Osborne , the chancellor , said : `` There is still a long way to go , but these figures show we are on the right track . ''
Economists cautioned that the strong bounce was to some extent a reflection of one-off factors , such as the unwinding of the impact from the jubilee bank holiday , which depressed output in the second quarter , and the Olympics . The sales of tickets alone added about 0.2 percentage points to GDP , the Office for National Statistics said .
Nonetheless , most were expecting more modest growth of 0.6 per cent . They were surprised by the strength of the service sector , which accounts for about 80 per cent of the UK economy , and grew 1.3 per cent in the third quarter . All five sections of the service sector grew .
The output of the production industries , including oil extraction and manufacturing , rose 1.1 per cent . However , output in the small but suffering construction sector fell 2.5 per cent .
Vicky Redwood , an analyst at Capital Economics , said the data could `` tip the balance '' on the Bank of England 's Monetary Policy Committee and persuade them not to renew quantitative easing next month when the current round comes to an end .
However , she said the underlying momentum in the economy was still weak . `` As the Olympic effects unwind , it is still possible that the economy contracts again in the fourth quarter . Indeed , the business surveys have been painting a slightly gloomier picture , suggesting that underlying output is still stagnating or even falling slightly . '' | 36adde7ca97cfd35 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
middle_east | Politico | http://www.politico.com/story/2015/03/republicans-surprised-by-iran-letter-blowback-116003.html?hp=t3_r | Iran letter blowback startles GOP | 2015-03-11 | middle_east | Some Republican senators admitted Wednesday they were caught off guard by the backlash to a letter warning Iranian leaders against a nuclear agreement with President Barack Obama . And Sen. John McCain ( R-Ariz. ) said Republicans β many of whom blessed the missive during a brisk signing session at a Senate lunch a week ago , as senators prepared to flee a Washington snowstorm β should have given it closer consideration .
β It was kind of a very rapid process . Everybody was looking forward to getting out of town because of the snowstorm , β McCain said . β I think we probably should have had more discussion about it , given the blowback that there is . β
β I find it hard to believe that they understood the severity of what they were doing , β said Sen. Debbie Stabenow ( D-Mich. ) .
Though none of the 47 Republican signers has expressed regret for co-signing it , the missive , authored by freshman Sen. Tom Cotton , is creating unexpected fallout in Congress . And it threatens to linger politically and legislatively .
Sensing a public relations advantage , the campaign arm for Senate Democrats on Wednesday quickly circulated newspaper op-eds criticizing Republicans who signed the missive , and strategists said the issue will soon show up in TV ads in states of vulnerable senators . Democratic leader Harry Reid ( D-Nev. ) took to the Senate floor for a second time to blast Republican β gimmicks β on Iran and Secretary of State John Kerry called it a β stunning β breach of protocol after being teed up by a question from a Democratic senator at a committee hearing .
On the legislative front , a fragile bipartisan coalition of Iran hawks , who had been approaching a veto-proof majority for legislation that could potentially scuttle any U.S.-Iran nuclear agreement , was showing signs of cracking , as some centrist senators warned they were close to backing away from the measure .
Sen. Angus King of Maine , an independent who caucuses with the Democrats , said in an interview he currently backs the legislation designed to give the Senate more input on a nuclear deal , but he cautioned that the Iran letter is making him think twice .
β If I β m not convinced that this issue can be handled on the merits and not on a partisan basis , β he said , β then I β m going to change my mind . β
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee wasted little time in using negative coverage of the letter as grist for the campaign trail . Throughout the day officials took aim at vulnerable incumbents by blasting out a series of newspaper editorials including one from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette , which wrote that Sen. Pat Toomey ( R-Pa. ) and his colleagues should be β ashamed β for signing the letter .
In an interview , Toomey said he β didn β t have any particular anticipation of the level of controversy β surrounding the letter . Asked whether Democratic attacks on his support for the missive will be effective , Toomey responded : β Uh , no . β
β They β ll use whatever they think works , β he said . β That letter is just the most recent case of my doing all that I can to prevent Iran from having a nuclear bomb . β
Ohio β s Democratic former governor and current Senate candidate , Ted Strickland , lit into GOP incumbent Sen . Rob Portman for his β reckless β support of the letter . In an interview , Portman said he wasn β t even aware of the attack from Strickland or of Democrats β circulation of a Cleveland Plain Dealer editorial that bashed the β usually rational β senator .
Instead , Portman said Democrats , especially those in the White House , are viewing the letter all wrong .
β We need a verifiable , strong agreement with Iran . And I think the letter helps us get there , β Portman said . β The Iranians are tough negotiators . [ The White House ] shouldn β t view it politically . They should use it to try to get a better agreement . β
But there appeared to be little hope of turning back the clock on the politicization elicited by the letter , and multiple Democratic strategists predicted there would be more political repercussions to come for Republicans . One said there β s β no question β that Democrats will run ads attacking Republicans who signed onto the letter .
Republicans say they are ready for it . In an interview , National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Roger Wicker of Mississippi said Democratic attacks on the Iran issue will be no more effective than the dissipating β wailing and gnashing of teeth β over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu β s invitation by House Republican leaders to address a joint a meeting of Congress .
β They do so at their peril . I think they really are dancing on a pin there , β Wicker said .
The Cotton letter elevated an already tense atmosphere in the Capitol as the Iranian negotiations entered their final weeks .
Though Cotton has insisted that Democratic senators were approached about the letter , neither Bob Casey of Pennsylvania nor hawks like Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said they had been approached . βββ was unable to locate a Democrat who was aware of the letter before it became public .
β I β d like to know what Democrat he approached , β said Sen. Claire McCaskill ( D-Mo . ) .
In January , Democrats informed Obama they would not vote for the sanctions bill on the Senate floor until after the March 24 deadline , and last week they set a similar deadline on legislation from Sen. Bob Corker ( R-Tenn. ) that would let Congress weigh in on an Iran deal .
Casey said he still supports an Iran sanctions bill but bemoaned that a letter was sent with such a partisan tilt .
β It β s not helpful , I can say that for sure , β Casey said . β Everything that has been done with the Iranian nuclear issue for years has been bipartisan . Why would people go in the direction of not having it bipartisan ? β
Corker abstained from signing the letter over fears it would hurt his drive toward a veto-proof majority in support of his legislation to let Congress weigh in on an Iran deal , and Democrats lauded his stance . But his colleagues β signatures still caused damage among the 10 Democrats who have expressed support for his measure .
β Right now , I β m in . But I β m waiting to see further developments , β said King . β The irony here is I believe we were headed toward a very substantial majority if not a veto-proof majority . β | bZ1iBgzSpOEyKyE1 | 0 | Republican Party | -0.8 | Middle East | -0.5 | Iran | 0 | null | null | null | null |
gun_control_and_gun_rights | NPR Online News | http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/04/15/177358631/gun-control-gains-momentum-on-capitol-hill-and-beyond | Background Checks Bill Gains Backers On And Off Capitol Hill | 2013-04-15 | gun_control_and_gun_rights | Background Checks Bill Gains Backers On And Off Capitol Hill
The Senate was due on Tuesday to take up legislation embodying the bipartisan compromise reached by two senators , West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin and Pennsylvania Republican Pat Toomey .
The effort to extend background checks to weapons purchases at gun shows and online received a boost over the weekend when an important gun rights group , the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms , announced its support for the measure .
Robert Spitzer , one of the nation 's top experts on the politics of gun control and a political science professor at SUNY Cortland , called it a `` significant '' endorsement .
`` The [ group ] has been around since the 1970s , and I do not recall them ever endorsing any real gun control measure , '' said Spitzer , author of The Politics of Gun Control , in an email response to questions .
The Citizens Committee claims to be the nation 's second-largest gun rights group .
Spitzer also noted support for the expanded background checks from the lobbying group Independent Firearm Owners Association . `` Add to this the dogged personal lobbying of family of Sandy Hook victims , and the weight of the Bloomberg and Gabby Giffords group , and that suggests some real momentum that may even carry this thing through the [ Republican-controlled ] House . ''
Spitzer said the Citizens Committee `` has credibility with the gun rights community , which makes its endorsement more significant beyond its membership numbers . It compiles a lot of research and writing , and [ is ] a go-to site for the gun rights people . ''
The National Rifle Association , the nation 's largest gun rights group , opposes the measure .
In the House on Monday , Republican Peter King of New York and Democrat Mike Thompson of California introduced a companion bill to the Senate measure .
Despite a sense of momentum , the fate of the legislation is far from certain , even in the Democratic-controlled Senate . Majority Leader Harry Reid , the Nevada Democrat , acknowledged that Monday : `` I hope there are n't going to be a few unreasonable extremists who are going to try to prevent an up or down vote on the legislation , '' Reid said on the Senate floor . | uXLrywjYKO7HF9lj | 1 | Gun Control And Gun Rights | 0.3 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
justice | ABC News | http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-jr-denies-collusion-allegations-meeting-senate/story?id=49675285 | Donald Trump Jr. denies collusion allegations during meeting with Senate investigators | justice | Β -- During a five-hour meeting with Senate Judiciary Committee staffers today , Donald Trump Jr. denied any wrongdoing in his meeting with a Russian lawyer during his father 's presidential campaign , according to his prepared remarks , which were obtained by βββ .
In his statement , Trump Jr. said he took the meeting with the lawyer , Natalia Veselnitskaya β on June 9 , 2016 , more than a month after Donald Trump Sr. became the presumptive Republican nominee β because he wanted to determine Hillary Clinton 's `` fitness '' as a candidate . He said that he was skeptical about taking the meeting and that `` as it later turned out , my skepticism was justified . ''
`` Nonetheless , at the time , I thought I should listen to what Rob [ Goldstone ] and his colleagues had to say . To the extent they had information concerning the fitness , character or qualifications of a presidential candidate , I believed that I should at least hear them out , '' Trump Jr. said in his statement , which was first obtained by The New York Times . Goldstone , a music publicist Trump met through the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Russia , set up the meeting , which was held in Trump Tower in New York .
The meeting quickly turned from a confusing allegation about Russian-connected individuals funding the Democratic National Committee to the Magnitsky Act , which Trump had never heard of before that day , he said .
`` It was clear to me that her real purpose in asking for the meeting all along was to discuss Russian adoptions and the Magnitsky Act , '' he said of the law , which imposes sanctions on Russian government officials .
`` The meeting lasted 20 to 30 minutes , and Rob , Emin and I never discussed the meeting again . I do not recall ever discussing it with Jared , Paul or anyone else , '' Trump said , referring to Emin Agalarov , a Russian billionaire 's son who is a singer and an acquaintance of Goldstone 's and Trump 's ; Jared Kushner , a campaign adviser and Donald Trump Sr. 's son-in-law ; and Paul Manafort , the campaign 's chairman at the time . `` In short , I gave it no further thought , ''
Trump Jr. 's written statement concludes , `` As is clear from the above , I did not collude with any foreign government and do not know of anyone who did . I am grateful for the opportunity to help resolve any lingering concerns that may exist regarding these events . I am very proud of the campaign my father ran and was honored to be a part of it . ''
The president 's eldest son arrived at the Capitol sometime before 9:40 a.m. and was not pictured entering the committee room . He was still in the room answering questions from Senate staffers as of 12:30 p.m .
Trump Jr. , 39 , released a statement via Twitter saying that he met with the committee for `` more than five hours . ''
`` I answered every question posed by the Committee ... until both sides had exhausted their lines of questioning . I trust this interview fully satisfied their inquiry , '' Trump Jr. said in the statement .
`` I very much appreciate the opportunity to assist the Committee in its efforts , '' he wrote .
In an email sent to Trump Jr. to arrange the meeting , Goldstone wrote that a client of his `` offered to provide the Trump campaign with some official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father . ''
During his prepared remarks today , Trump Jr. described his reaction to the email , saying , `` I was somewhat skeptical of his outreach , as I had only known Rob as Emin 's somewhat colorful music promoter who had worked with famous pop singers such as Michael Jackson . Since I had no additional information to validate what Rob was saying , I did not quite know what to make of his email . I had no way to gauge the reliability , credibility or accuracy of any of the things he was saying . ''
Trump said in his statement that he asked Kushner and Manafort to attend the meeting . He added that he asked Goldstone to send a list of other attendees but `` he never did . As a result , I had no advance knowledge of who would attend . ''
According to media reports , there were eight people at the meeting , but today Trump said , `` I only recall seven . ''
The meeting was publicly disclosed in early July 2017 , and Trump released several differing statements about the meeting before releasing copies of the emails that show the scheduling of the meeting . | bRq4pw6saNHey6W8 | 0 | Russia Probe | -0.4 | Donald Trump Jr. | 0.1 | Justice | 0 | Collusion | 0 | White House | 0 |
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