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middle_east | BBC News | https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgez7ez10lo | Israel disruption as strike and protests push for Gaza hostage deal | 2024-09-03 | Middle East, Israel, Israel Hamas Violence, Hamas, Benjamin Netanyahu, Gaza, Ceasefire, Hostages, Protests, Strikes | Israel's biggest trade union has said hundreds of thousands of people joined the general strike it called to put pressure on the government to agree a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas. Businesses, schools and transport were disrupted before a court ordered everyone to return to work, ruling that Histadrutβs strike was largely political. Thousands also took part in fresh protests called by hostages' families to express their anger at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's failure to bring home their loved ones after almost 11 months. Tensions have been running high since the bodies of six hostages were found on Saturday. Israel said they were shot and killed by Hamas. Many accuse Mr Netanyahu of blocking a deal to prioritise his own political survival - a claim he rejects. His far-right allies have threatened to pull out of the coalition government, undermining his chances of staying in power, if he were to accept a deal tied to a permanent ceasefire before Hamas was destroyed. The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to the unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. More than 40,780 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. US, Egyptian and Qatari mediators are trying to broker a ceasefire deal that would see Hamas release the 97 hostages still being held, including 33 who are presumed dead, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. When asked by reporters in Washington if he thought Mr Netanyahu was doing enough to secure an agreement, US President Joe Biden replied: βNo.β He spoke after meeting American mediators who he said βvery closeβ to presenting what US media described as a final proposal to Israel and Hamas. Histadrut spokesman Peter Lerner told the BBC on Monday morning that there was disruption across the private and public sectors of the Israeli economy after the general strike began at 06:00 local time (03:00 GMT). Suitcases were βpiling up at Ben Gurion International Airportβ, that ports were βslowing their activityβ, and that some municipalities were participating, he said. A Ben Gurion airport spokeswoman said it was operating βas usualβ, although Israeli media reported that departures were stopped for two hours in the morning. There was also scattered evidence of the strike in the nearby city of Tel Aviv. Most shops and restaurants appeared to be open, some buses were running, and there were many people out in the streets and cafes. One cafe worker told the BBC that almost all the bars and restaurants in the area had shut on Sunday night in solidarity with the protests, but that they had now reopened. βI donβt agree with the decision,β she said. βWe should have closed.β Another woman, who was picking up a street scooter, said: βI donβt agree with the strike. We want the hostages back - but we canβt stop everything; we need to live.β Later, the Labour Court in Tel Aviv ruled that the strike had to end at 14:30 (11:30 GMT), following a request for an injunction from the government. The court said the strike had no economic basis and was largely political. Histadrutβs chairman, Arnon Bar-David, said he respected the ruling but also defended the strike. βDespite attempts to paint this solidarity in political colours, hundreds of thousands of citizens voted with their feet,β he said. βWe have proven that the fate of the hostages is neither right-wing nor left-wing; it is a matter of life or death, and we will not allow lives to be abandoned. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Israelis had gone to work βin drovesβ and proven that they were no longer slaves to βpolitical needsβ. βWe wonβt allow harm to the Israeli economy and thereby serve the interests of [Yahya] Sinwar and Hamas,β he said, referring to the Palestinian armed group's leader. Members of the Gevurah Forum, which represents some families of soldiers killed during the war and opposes the proposed hostage deal, protested against the strike outside the prime ministerβs office in Jerusalem. βShutting down the economy is a prize for Hamas,β they chanted, according to the Times of Israel. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, another far-right leader, told the crowd: βToday, we have power in the government, and I'm not ashamed to say that we're using this power to prevent a reckless deal and to stop any negotiations altogether.β The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents some hostagesβ families, meanwhile called for fresh demonstrations to demand an immediate deal. Israeli media reported that thousands of people protesters took to the streets in several cities. Large crowds blocked a highway in central Tel Aviv, while six yellow wreaths bearing the word βsorryβ were also laid in what has become known as Hostagesβ Square. The Hostages Families Forum said it was a message to the hostages whose bodies were found by Israeli forces in an underground tunnel in the Rafah area of southern Gaza on Saturday - Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Master Sgt Ori Danino. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said all six were βbrutally murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before we reached themβ. The Israeli health ministry said post mortem examinations showed that they had died between 48 and 72 hours before they were found, which would be between Thursday and Friday morning, and that they had been shot and killed with βseveral close-range gunshots". Hamas has rejected that charge, saying the hostages were killed by Israeli forces. Following the discovery of the bodies, some families said Mr Netanyahu had their loved onesβ blood on his hands. At Sunday nightβs protests - the biggest in Israel since the start of the war, with hundreds of thousands demonstrating across the country - there were chants of βmurdererβ. Others chanted: βAlive, alive, we want them alive.β The protests were largely peaceful, but crowds broke through police lines and blocked a major highway in Tel Aviv. The police force said 29 people were arrested. Sharone Lifschitz - whose 84-year-old father Oded is among the remaining hostages - told the BBC: βWe have asked the citizens of Israel for months to join us on the streets. They have now joined us on the streets. This is an incredible development.β βI want the government of Israel to look beyond the narrow interests of their own political parties and their own survival, and do the decent thing and find a way to bring these people home, to finish and reach a ceasefire. We know that we have no time,β she said. Mr Netanyahu reiterated in a video statement on Sunday that Israeli negotiators had agreed to a hostage release deal at the end of May which Hamas had rejected. βIn recent days, as Israel has been holding intensive negotiations with the mediator in a supreme effort to reach a deal, Hamas is continuing to steadfastly refuse all proposals,β he said. βEven worse, at the exact same time, it murdered six of our hostages. Whoever murders hostages - does not want a deal.β Hamas blamed the hostagesβ deaths on Israel and the United States, accusing them of issuing new demands for a deal, including for lasting Israeli control over the strategic Philadelphi corridor, a narrow buffer zone which runs along Gazaβs southern border with Egypt. βThe six hostages and others could have been released to their families as part of a real exchange deal while they were alive, but the insistence of the occupation army, Netanyahu and his extremist government is the reason why these people lost their lives,β Hamas political bureau member Khalil al-Hayya said. Israel earlier said the body of a "Gazan woman" was returned instead of their mother, Shiri Bibas. The return of the children in coffins, and their mother's absence, is being painfully felt across the country. Israel says Hamas will pay the "full price" for handing over a body that it says was not that of Shiri Bibas. The hostage's sister-in-law said the family is "not seeking revenge right now" as they call for her return from Gaza. The broadcaster has removed the documentary from its streaming service while it carries out "further due diligence". Copyright 2025 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. | 60315c35c61b7518 | 1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
economy_and_jobs | Politico | http://www.politico.com/story/2014/01/december-jobs-numbers-102012.html?hp=f2 | Jobs report disappoints | 2014-01-10 | economy_and_jobs | The last time the unemployment rate was below 7 percent was in November 2008 . Jobs report disappoints
The economy added fewer jobs than expected last month , and more Americans have stopped looking for work β a disappointing development that comes as many economists have expressed optimism that the economic recovery is gaining momentum .
The Labor Department reported on Friday that the economy added 74,000 jobs in December while unemployment fell to 6.7 percent .
The number of jobs added fell far short of expectations β most analysts had predicted job growth of about 200,000 , according to a Bloomberg survey .
Analysts cautioned against reading too much into the surprisingly low payroll figures , predicting that the number of jobs added in December will likely be revised up in the coming months and that harsh weather conditions were partly to blame .
β I wouldn β t pay any attention at all to these numbers . They β re not consistent with anything , β Moody β s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi said on CNBC . β We β re going to get the benchmark revisions , and they β re going to be all revised up and revised away . β
The last time unemployment was less than 7 percent was in November 2008 , when it stood at 6.8 percent . Friday marks the first time that the jobless rate has dipped below 7 percent during Barack Obama β s presidency .
But the drop in December was mostly the result of more people leaving the labor force . The labor force participation rate fell last month from 63 percent to 62.8 percent . A shrinking labor force can be attributed to people no longer looking for jobs because they are discouraged by their prospects of finding work .
Friday β s jobs report arrives as Congress is engaged in a contentious debate over extending benefits for the long-term unemployed , which expired Dec. 28 . Senate Democrats and Republicans are at an impasse over how long to extend the benefits as well as how to offset the cost .
The fight over jobless benefits underscores the degree to which long-term unemployment remains a problem for the economy and a source of political tension , even as the economy has shown signs it is beginning to more quickly gain strength . The number of people who were unemployed long term β without a job for 27 weeks or longer β remained largely unchanged in December , falling slightly to 3.9 million from 4.1 million in November .
Top Obama administration officials seized on Friday β s report to urge Congress to pass an extension of the emergency benefits .
β It β s the right thing to do to extend a lifeline to fellow Americans down on their luck , and it β s the smart thing to do to stimulate the economy , β Labor Secretary Thomas Perez said in a statement .
Meanwhile , Republicans took their usual position of using the jobs numbers to hit the Obama administration β s policies .
β Today β s disappointing report shows , once again , that the president β s policies are failing too many Americans , many of whom have simply stopped looking for work , β Speaker John Boehner ( R-Ohio ) said in a statement .
The retail sector saw one of the strongest gains last month , adding 55,000 jobs . Meanwhile , construction saw 16,000 fewer jobs in December , but harsh weather conditions were likely partly to blame .
β Employment in nonresidential specialty trade contractors declined by 13,000 in December , possibly reflecting unusually cold weather in parts of the country , β the Bureau of Labor Statistics said .
The stock market dipped slightly after Friday β s report was released β the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 38 points in afternoon trading .
The jobs report is being closely watched by the Federal Reserve , which this month began slowly scaling back its β quantitative easing β economic stimulus program .
Citing improvements in the job market and improvement in unemployment , the Fed β s policy setting committee announced in December that it would reduce it β s monthly bond buys β which are intended to keep long-term interest rates low β from $ 85 billion to $ 75 billion .
Analysts had been expecting the FOMC to make a $ 10 billion reduction at each of its meetings in 2014 β and many continued to hold this view after December β s lower-than-expected payroll figures were released .
β I still expect that the FOMC β s QE3 tapering will be $ 10-15 billion at each of the next FOMC meetings , thus ending completely by November 2014 , β PNC chief economist Stuart Hoffman said in a note Friday .
Whether unemployment benefits are extended could also affect data in jobs reports for the next few months .
If they are not extended soon , analysts say the labor force participation rate could begin to take a hit in January as more people stop looking for work .
The Labor Department deems an individual as unemployed if that person is available to work and has actively looked for a job in the previous four weeks .
If the expiration of the benefits leads individuals to stop their job search , the labor force participation rate could drop , which could lower the unemployment rate because of how the monthly number is tallied .
While this may make the headline figure look better , it would mask the fact that many job seekers are giving up altogether .
β You have to be looking for a job to collect benefits . So , if I β ve been out of a job for 40 or 50 weeks and I lose my benefits , I might not immediately jump back into the labor force , β said Deutsche Bank β s senior economist Carl Riccadonna . β So you could see a one-time downshift in labor force participation if benefits stay expired . β
Friday β s report did contain some good news for previous months . The Labor Department revised upward the number of jobs added in November by 38,000 to 241,000 . Its calculation for how many jobs were added in October remains 200,000 . | O7FRCzxxAvzPTWoO | 0 | Jobs Report | -0.3 | Economy And Jobs | -0.1 | Unemployment | 0 | null | null | null | null |
terrorism | USA TODAY | https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/04/28/lori-gilbert-kaye-woman-protected-rabbi-synagogue-shooting/3608418002/ | Her 'final good deed': Woman hailed as hero after taking bullets to protect rabbi during synagogue shooting | 2019-04-28 | terrorism | CLOSE A gunman opened fire during Passover services at a California synagogue , leaving one dead and several injured . Wochit
POWAY , California β The woman killed in Saturday β s San Diego synagogue shooting stepped in front of the bullets aimed at her longtime friend and rabbi as he raced to evacuate children , according to her friends and authorities .
Friends say the actions of Lori Gilbert-Kaye , 60 , were in keeping with the San Diego native they knew : always the first to help with faith and family .
Kaye was killed at Chabad of Poway when a nursing student who apparently espoused anti-Semitic beliefs opened fire with an AR-style rifle . Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein , Kaye 's friend of 30 years , suffered defensive wounds to his hands but survived the attack .
More than a thousand people attended a vigil at Val Verde Park in Poway Sunday night . Some held Yahrtzeit candles , which are lit in memorial of the dead in Judaism , and others held small birthday candles and long tapers .
Hours after being released from the hospital , Goldstein addressed the interfaith crowd .
β Wow , wow , wow , β he said . β Look at the love . Look at the warmth . β
Surviving it , he said , underscored that β each one of us has a mission in life to accomplish . β
Goldstein said President Donald Trump called him Sunday afternoon and they spoke for about 15 minutes about anti-Semitism and what can be done to prevent it . He told the president he β d like to see public school systems implement a daily moment of silence .
β He was so comforting , β Goldstein said of Trump . β He brought amazing consolation , β
The vigil ended with songs in Hebrew and β God Bless America , β led in part by Poway Mayor Steve Vaus , who has also recorded songs as Buck Howdy .
Roneet Lev , an emergency medicine physician from Poway , said Kaye was her best friend and like a second mother to her two children .
Lev rushed to the hospital and spoke to Goldstein as he was going into surgery .
β The rabbi told me as he was being rolled into the OR , β let everyone know that Lori stepped in and saved my life , β β Lev said Sunday morning as she visited a growing memorial of flowers and candles across the street from the synagogue . β Tell everybody that I was a target . β
`` Your final good deed was taking the bullets for Rabbi Mendel Goldstein to save his life , '' friend Audrey Jacobs wrote in a post she said had been approved by the other victims and their families . `` Tragically the rabbi was still shot in the hand and he gave a sermon telling everyone to stay strong . ''
Lev said she and Kaye shared a Shabbat dinner on Friday night . On Saturday morning , Lev said , Kaye went to Chabad of Poway to say a prayer , known as the Kaddish , in honor of her mother , who had died in November .
It was Kaye β s first time reciting the mourner β s prayer for her mother , Lev said . Lev wasn β t in the temple that morning , but she heard Kaye was nervously pacing the hallways .
But Kaye never got to the say the prayer for her mother . β She β ll say it in person , β Lev said Sunday . β She died a sacred death . She died on the Sabbath . She died on Passover . She died in the synagogue . She died saving the rabbi β s life . β
Lev found out her friend had been shot when Kaye β s husband , also a physician , called her . β He β s doing all the CPR and then he β s looking at her face , and he sees it β s his wife , and he passes out , β she said .
For 50 years , Michelle Silverman counted Kaye as one of her closest friends . The two met at temple when they were 7 , went to the same university and even pledged the same sorority . Silverman , 60 , said anyone who knew Kaye would understand her actions .
β If there β s anybody in need , she β s the first one to step forward and say ' I can help , ' '' said Silverman , recalling the friend with whom she spoke with daily , trading stories about their families and pictures of their gardens . `` I felt like she was my third sister . It wasn β t just a friendship . It was a sisterhood . β
Silverman said Kaye 's faith was central to her life , as was her husband and their daughter , a college student in California .
β She was an amazing mother and amazing wife , '' Silverman said . `` Her pride and joy was her family . β
Also injured in the shooting were Noya Dahan , 8 , and her uncle , Almog Peretz , 34 , who was visiting from Israel , authorities said .
Kaye 's death shocked her colleagues at San Diego-based Pro Specialties Group Inc. , which markets licensed sports gear . Kaye was a senior account manager at the company , and her coworkers remembered her as devoted to charity , faith and family .
`` Her tragic passing leaves a void in my heart , '' co-worker Dava Dayan said . `` I am forever grateful that she was a part of my life . Our world will not be the same without her . ''
Israel 's minister of diaspora affairs , Naftali Bennett , called Kaye a hero , the Jewish Press reported : `` She sacrificed her own life , throwing herself in the path of the murderer β s bullets to save the life of the Rabbi . But it is clear that such heroism and good deeds are not only characteristic of dear Lori in death , but this is the way she lived her life β at the heart of her community , constantly doing charity and good deeds for those in need . ''
And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for an end to anti-Semitism . `` I condemn the abhorrent attack on a synagogue in California ; this is an attack on the heart of the Jewish people , '' he posted on Twitter . `` We send condolences to the family of Lori Gilbert-Kaye and our best wishes for a quick recovery to the wounded . ''
More : 'Face to face with this murderer ' : Security boosted at mosques , synagogues after shooting ; rabbi recalls terror
Witnesses said it appeared the shooter 's gun jammed during the attack . An off-duty Border Patrol agent attending services shot at the suspect as he fled , hitting his car . The suspect surrendered to police nearby .
A GoFundMe campaign to support victims of the shooting had raised nearly $ 55,000 of its $ 118,000 goal as of 4 p.m. EDT Sunday . | 1UZprjpWS8k18TJM | 1 | Terrorism | 0.8 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
death_penalty | Guest Writer - Right | https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/04/supreme-court-death-penalty-debate/ | OPINION: The Supreme Courtβs Absurd Death-Penalty Debate | 2019-04-04 | Supreme Court, Capital Punishment And Death Penalty, Justice | A police officer directs visitors to the U.S. Supreme Court building in 2015 . ( Jonathan Ernst/Reuters )
The headlines say the justices of the Supreme Court are β openly feuding β and β sniping β at one another over the death penalty . What they are in fact doing is nibbling around the edges .
Some opponents of the death penalty wish to see the Supreme Court declare it unconstitutional , and they are not too picky about how that gets done : not jurisprudence but jurispretext .
The problem with that is that the Constitution itself categorically sanctions capital punishment , for instance by specifying in the Fifth Amendment certain limitations on the conditions in which a person may be β deprived of life. β Whatever β cruel and unusual punishment β means in the Eighth Amendment , no one involved in the drafting of that language or the ratification of the Constitution believed that it prohibited capital punishment . β We should not pretend the Constitution is silent or ambivalent about the basic existence of the practice , β writes Damon Root , author of Overruled : The Long War for Control of the U.S. Supreme Court . β Like it or not , the death penalty is constitutional . β
The current Supreme Court action regarding the death penalty , from a legal point of view , amounts to little more than trivia . In some states , only prison employees may be present in the death chamber , which means that if there is a Christian or Muslim chaplain on the prison staff , he may be physically present , but a Buddhist or Zoroastrian may be denied similar consolation if there is no affiliated clergyman on the payroll . That case would be of scant interest if not for its intersection with the issue of capital punishment . Another case involves a man who suffers from a rare disease that , according to his lawyers , would cause him to endure horrifying pain if he were to be put to death via lethal injection . Likewise , that case has little to do with the merits or acceptability of capital punishment as such .
There is a long history of this sort of thing when it comes to the death penalty . The Furman case found the Supreme Court handing down a national moratorium on executions in an intellectually and legally incoherent decision β it was a 5β4 case with five different majority opinions β based on the nebulous considerations of arbitrariness and loosely defined β discrimination . β
Most of the popular arguments against the death penalty are like most investment advice and Republican campaign promises : I want to believe , and am inclined to do so , but they do not stand up to much scrutiny . It may very well be the case that an innocent man will be sentenced to death , but that also is an argument against incarceration , speeding tickets , and much else . An execution can not be undone , but neither can the damage from 40 years β wrongful incarceration . The irreversibility of the death penalty is an argument for prudence in its use , as indeed we must be prudent in all uses of state violence . It is not an argument against the thing itself . Neither is the related argument that the wealthy and well-connected tend to achieve better outcomes in capital cases than do the poor and the marginalized . There is little doubt that this accords with the facts on record β everybody hates lawyers until one is needed , and in a murder case , there is practically no expense that will not be endured β but , again , this is an argument for procedural reform rather than argument against a mode of punishment .
The myth that it is wildly more expensive to pursue a death-penalty case than to manage a lifelong incarceration would , even if it were true , be a sterile argument . There are many good occasions for the green eyeshades , but responding to murder or other heinous crimes is not one of them .
The fundamental obstacle to arguments against capital punishment is that it is not as a general matter unjust , though it may be unjustly applied in some particular case . Capital punishment is applied unevenly and in ways that often are perplexing , but it is applied relatively rarely , and it is applied in the context of a legal system that , whatever its faults , provides the accused with representation , procedural openness , a generous appellate process , and much more . Our prisons are a scandal , but the process by which offenders are remanded there is admirable , strange as that word may sound in this grim context . It is not perfect or free from abuse β including the willful abuses and occasional incompetence of police , investigators , and prosecutors , which are serious problems β but perfection is not the criterion of legitimacy or constitutionality .
There is a more straightforward case against the death penalty : that , on balance , it adds more violence and horror to our society than it is worth , that it does not bring out the best in us or in our institutions , that in our necessary pursuit of justice we need not see to it that the bitter cup is drained to the dregs in every instance , that we are better off showing mercy in this matter , and that what mercy entails is forbearance toward those who in fact deserve the worst that we might hand down .
But these are not questions for the Supreme Court . They are considerations for Congress and the states , which have the power to end the practice of capital punishment whenever they so choose . The Democrats who currently are in control of the House of Representatives could , if they had the courage of their convictions , make an issue of the death penalty in federal cases , and could probably count on the cooperation of at least a few Republicans in Congress and many more conservatives outside of elected office .
And it would be a far better thing to eliminate capital punishment on principle rather than on pretext . | d6e49e208486a84d | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
immigration | Wall Street Journal - News | http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303559504579196350305411182?mod=WSJ__MIDDLESecondStories | Obama Pushing Immigration as New Doubts Emerge in House | immigration | The White House is intensifying its push to get an immigration overhaul through Congress this year , but House Speaker John Boehner cast new doubt Wednesday about the prospects for quick action .
President Barack Obama brainstormed at the White House Wednesday with religious leaders over how to persuade House Republicans to move on the issue . Last week , the president met with business executives to urge them to speak out for action . He is planning other immigration events on the road , with a mix of national and local outreach , both behind the scenes and publicly . On Tuesday , Vice President Joe Biden talked to Roman Catholic leaders .
But Mr. Boehner said House lawmakers would n't vote on any immigration bills while Republicans work on `` principles '' behind legislation . Many advocates for an immigration overhaul read the Ohio Republican 's announcement as a setback . Others saw hope that the speaker was setting a course that could lead the GOP House to take up legislation , which has stalled since the Senate passed a sweeping bill in June .
Mr. Obama has limited influence on House Republicans as they consider their immigration strategy , so he is reaching out to audiences sympathetic to the idea of an overhaul to try to get them to generate pressure . The immigration issue also offers the president a chance to change the subject away from the troubled rollout of his health law . The only other legislative initiative on his plate , a proposed increase in the minimum wage , has no chance of passing Congress and serves more as a rallying point for Democrats .
After last week 's immigration meeting with business leaders , one corporation represented , McDonald 's Corp. , decided to enlist its franchise owners to lobby members of Congress on the issue , two people familiar with the company 's plans said . The company declined to detail its plans but said it supported the overall immigration effort .
In the Oval Office Wednesday , religious leaders discussed a plan to connect religious messages around Christmas with the plight of illegal immigrants and need for action , participants said . The discussion centered on `` how can you help the country to get past the politics '' that have engulfed immigration , said Jim Wallis , president of the liberal Christian group Sojourners , who was at the meeting . He said Mr. Obama told them , `` You all can do more to change the country than I can do . ''
Last week , Cardinal Timothy Dolan , the archbishop of New York , wrote to Mr. Boehner and pressed the speaker to move on immigration `` as soon as possible . '' The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops pushed parishioners to call members of Congress on Wednesday about immigration and plans events for Dec. 12 at local churches .
On Capitol Hill , it was unclear whether Mr. Boehner 's maneuvering was a stalling tactic or a move designed to help unify Republicans , especially rank-and-file lawmakers opposed to an immigration overhaul . The speaker has said repeatedly he would like to see action on immigration , and other GOP leaders , including Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan , of Wisconsin , also are advocating broad legislative action .
Advocates of the overhaul had held out hope that the House would move legislation before year-end that could be married with the Senate bill . Mr. Boehner made clear that would n't be the case . `` I want us to deal with this issue , but I want to deal with it in a common sense , step-by-step way , '' he told reporters . He declined to specify when leaders might bring any bills to the House floor . `` As we develop the principles we 'll figure out how we 're going to move ahead . ''
He added : `` I 'll make clear that we have no intention of ever going to conference on the Senate bill , '' he said .
Mr. Boehner 's move was welcomed by the leading opponent of the Senate immigration bill , Sen. Jeff Sessions ( R. , Ala. ) , who applauded House Republicans for `` resisting an influence campaign and standing for the interests of the American people . ''
Mr. Boehner 's decision would n't preclude the House from negotiating with the Senate on individual bills , aides said , though the precise mechanics of how that would work remain unclear .
House committees have passed five immigration bills and are expected to consider additional legislation . House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul ( R. , Texas ) said he has been pushing to get a floor vote on his border-security bill , which passed unanimously in his panel . `` We 've wasted a lot of time by not moving it forward , '' he said .
House GOP leaders announced the push to develop immigration principles without discussing the idea with the rank-and-file lawmakers most involved in the immigration effort . House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte ( R. , Va. ) said the discussions had just begun .
Ali Noorani , who leads a coalition of business , religious and law-enforcement officials in favor of an immigration overhaul , expressed dismay with what he saw as a needless delay . `` The time for legislative principles is long past , '' he said .
But Tamar Jacoby , a Republican who heads the advocacy group ImmigrationWorks USA , saw the Boehner move as a step toward passing a bill because it makes clear to wary House Republicans that the House wo n't compromise with the Senate bill , which many of them despise .
`` It 's possible recognizing that reality helps , '' she said . `` What I hear Boehner saying isβ¦now we 're going to get serious and look for a way forward . '' | jViokaebyBeXMrh8 | 1 | Immigration | -0.5 | Barack Obama | -0.2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | |
environment | Christian Science Monitor | http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2013/1203/When-global-warming-kicks-into-overdrive-how-will-we-know-video | When global warming kicks into overdrive, how will we know? (+video) | 2013-12-03 | environment | Global warming is bringing abrupt change to some aspects of the climate system as well as to ecosystems and societies , according to a panel of scientists looking at the issue for federal science and national-intelligence agencies .
The panel , convened by the National Research Council , recommends the establishment of an early-warning system for abrupt change , noting that even slow warming trends can reach levels that threaten to drive plant and animal species extinct , disrupt agriculture , and trigger political instability in the space of a few years to a few decades β well within the span of a human lifetime .
Such a monitoring system , whose specific definition the panel acknowledges it has left to others , is crucial to help decisionmakers anticipate abrupt changes as much as possible and begin to adapt ahead of time .
Several areas in particular are well shy of the monitoring effort needed to better understand how they respond to global warming and to spot changes that could herald a change to a new β normal. β Among them : sensors monitoring the release of methane from permafrost on land and on Arctic Ocean continental shelves , and sensors that can monitor outlet glaciers on Greenland and the West Antarctic Ice Sheet , and ocean conditions that can affect the pace at which the glaciers slide toward the sea .
β There are cameras everywhere , but they watch us , β said James White , a University of Colorado researcher who studies abrupt climate change in Earth 's geological past and chaired the National Research Council panel . β Remarkably , very few watching devices are pointed at the environment , which is our most economically important and precious asset . β
Typically , the notion of abrupt change has been applied to the climate itself , the panel notes . Indeed , sudden dramatic changes in climate have occurred naturally , Dr. White noted at a briefing on Tuesday . Even during ice ages , temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere rose by 10 to 15 degrees C ( 18 to 27 degrees F. ) β in far less than a human lifetime , β he said , only to plunge again .
Such changes show that the climate has thresholds , although the panel does n't anticipate anything as large as the swing White cited . Keys to a monitoring system are an understanding of what triggers abrupt change and the tools needed to keep an eye out for the appearance of those triggers at as early a stage as possible .
The panel actually saw a reduced threat for sudden change in two areas that scientists have been worried about , noted Richard Alley , a glaciologist at Pennsylvania State University in University Park , Pa. , and another member of the National Research Council panel .
In the North Atlantic , where surface and deep-ocean currents form a conveyor belt that drives ocean circulation far beyond the Atlantic basin , β we now have good confidence that while we are pushing in a direction that will change the North Atlantic β in ways that affect people and fisheries , β it 's very unlikely that it 's going to happen rapidly. β Dr. Alley said at the briefing .
The other abrupt-change bright spot , he continued , involves the Arctic 's reservoir of carbon , trapped in soils on land and as methane ices under the surface of the continental shelves . Initially , concerns centered on the sudden release of this potent greenhouse gas in a relatively short period , accelerating global warming .
β There were worries about the possibility of giant methane belches changing the world almost instantly , β he said . β Now , we have fairly high confidence that there are safety valves . Giant methane belches are not the big worry . β
Instead , the carbon is more likely to be released slowly as the climate continues to warm .
Researchers are still uneasy about the future of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet , one of two icecaps atop the continent , Alley added . The West Antarctic Ice Sheet has been losing mass under the influence of warmer surface temperatures , especially on the Antarctic Peninsula , and under the influence of warm seawater eroding the underside of outlet glaciers whose bottoms are grounded on the seafloor .
That latter mechanism has the largest impact on the pace of ice loss . Greenland 's glaciers , as well as those in East Antarctica , generally have natural brakes to the rate at which they flow into the sea . That is not the case with big portions of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet .
β There are really bad-dream scenarios for West Antarctica that could still cause very rapid sea-level rise that we just do n't have well quantified yet , β Alley said .
Meanwhile , rapid change has come to other aspects of the climate system .
One prime example , the panel notes , is the Arctic Ocean 's sea ice . It has been been declining in extent and thickness during the summer melt season at least since satellites first began to keep track in 1979 , and probably much longer .
This does n't affect sea level , but it does increase the ocean 's ability to absorb heat in the summer and release it later in the fall , reducing the length of the seasonal freeze-up and altering ecosystems by affecting a wide range of organisms , from algae to certain populations of polar bears .
In addition , researchers are exploring links between changes to the duration and extent of snow and ice cover at the top of the world to atmospheric circulation patterns that affect storm intensity and duration at lower latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere .
The report comes at a time when global greenhouse-gas emissions have risen to record levels and when one research team warns that a target of holding global warming to 2 degrees C above pre-industrial levels by 2100 is insufficient to ward off the worst effects of global warming .
A month ago the Global Carbon Project , in international effort to monitor greenhouse-gas emissions in the atmosphere , noted that in 2012 , CO2 emissions from fossil fuels and cement-making reached the highest level in human history and were 58 percent higher than in 1990 , the base year against which emissions limits were defined in the 1997 Kyoto Protocol . Atmospheric concentrations of CO2 reached 392.5 parts per million in 2012 , the highest level the atmosphere has held in more than 800,000 years , when the climate was warmer than today .
Concentrations have gone over the 350-ppm mark that some scientists say is needed to hold global average temperatures to a level that avoids reaching tipping points in the climate system .
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Meanwhile , at global climate talks in Warsaw last month , the road to emissions reductions took an unexpected turn . Japan announced it was backing out of plans to cut its greenhouse-gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020 β in no small part because of the reactivation of fossil-fuel power plants in the wake of the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear station following a major earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 . Some observers estimate that Japan 's emissions will rise by 3.1 percent instead .
The largest increases in CO2 emissions last year came from Asia , with China leading the way , followed by India and Japan . China 's CO2 emissions rose by 71 percent over the preceding year , according to the Global Carbon Project analysis . | fujVXggITKCpy4wJ | 1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
us_senate | Washington Times | http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/nov/21/enough-enough-obama-backs-new-senate-rules/ | βEnough is enoughβ: Obama backs new Senate rules | 2013-11-21 | us_senate | President Obama on Thursday expressed strong support for Senate Democrats β move to enact the so-called β nuclear option β and alter congressional rules to clear the way for judicial and other executive nominees .
β Enough is enough , β the president said during remarks in the White House press briefing room . β I β m a former senator . So is my vice president . We both value any senator β s duty to advise and consent . It β s important we take that very seriously . But a few now refuse to treat that duty of advise and consent with the respect it deserves . β¦ What β s at sake here is not my ability to fulfill my constitutional duty . What β s at stake is the ability of any president to fulfill his or her constitutional duty . Public service is not a game . It is a privilege . β
The nuclear option changes Senate rules and eliminates the possibility of a filibuster for presidential nominees , clearing the way for the White House to flood the chamber with prospective officials who , thus far , have been blocked by Republicans .
The Senate voted 52-48 earlier Thursday to move forward with the controversial change , with GOP leaders vehemently objecting and casting the step as a power grab by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , Nevada Democrat .
The nuclear option does not extend to Supreme Court nominees , though Republicans quickly moved to include those judicial picks and vowed they β ll use the new rules to push through their own high-court picks next time a Republican occupies the White House .
The Senate rules fight also gives the White House the opportunity to change the conversation away from the botched rollout of Obamacare , which has consumed Washington for the past month . Mr. Obama , who as a senator opposed the idea of the nuclear option , said Thursday β s step will help the gears of government work more effectively and should end some of the gridlock that β s gripped Washington in recent years .
SEE ALSO : White House changes tune on judge standoff , backs Senate Dems β filibuster move
β We can β t let it become normal , β Mr. Obama said of the tactic of blocking his nominees through filibuster . β So I support the step a majority of senators today took to change the way that Washington is doing business . More specifically , the way the Senate does business . β | hkh40ftfxFP83FUk | 2 | US Senate | 0.4 | Politics | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
fbi | NPR Online News | https://www.npr.org/2018/04/09/600942396/fbi-raids-office-of-trump-attorney-michael-cohen | Trump Blasts 'Total Witch Hunt' After FBI Raids His Longtime Attorney's Office | 2018-04-09 | fbi | Trump Blasts 'Total Witch Hunt ' After FBI Raids His Longtime Attorney 's Office
President Trump unloaded on both Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller and Attorney General Jeff Sessions , hours after federal agents raided the office of Trump 's longtime personal attorney Michael Cohen .
`` It 's a disgraceful situation . It 's a total witch hunt , '' Trump said on Monday . `` When I saw this , when I heard about it , that is a whole new level of unfairness . ''
It was not immediately clear why investigators targeted Cohen , but Cohen 's lawyer said the raids followed a referral from Mueller . The New York Times , which first reported the raid , said that it does not appear as though the Cohen search was directly linked to the Russia investigation .
The Times and the Washington Post reported Cohen is under investigation for possible bank fraud .
Nonetheless , a visibly agitated Trump , speaking to reporters before he met with military and national security officials about the ongoing situation in Syria , put blame on Mueller and Sessions .
Trump called Mueller 's team , which is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election and any potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russia , `` the most biased group of people . ''
`` These people have the biggest conflicts of interest I have ever seen . Democrats β all . Either Democrats or a couple of Republicans who worked for President Obama , '' Trump said . Mueller is a Republican , and the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York was appointed in January .
As to whether he would fire Mueller , Trump gave his frequently used `` we 'll see what happens '' response , reiterating that he believed that the investigation was `` a pure and simple witch hunt '' that should have been wrapped up long ago .
`` Why do n't I just fire Mueller ? Well , I think it 's a disgrace what 's going on . We 'll see what happens , '' Trump said .
The president went on to attack Sessions β his own appointee β for recusing himself from the Russia investigation in March 2017 . The recusal put Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in charge of the probe , and he appointed Mueller in May .
`` The attorney general made a terrible mistake when he did this and when [ he ] recused himself or he certainly should have let us know if he was going to recuse himself and we would have put a different attorney general in , '' Trump said . `` So he made what I consider to be a very terrible mistake for the country . But you 'll figure that out . ''
Cohen 's attorney Stephen Ryan argued the FBI had overstepped its bounds in seizing `` privileged communications '' between Cohen and his clients .
`` The decision by the U.S. Attorney 's Office in New York to conduct their investigation using search warrants is completely inappropriate and unnecessary , '' Ryan said in a statement .
He continued : `` It resulted in the unnecessary seizure of protected attorney client communications between a lawyer and his clients . These government tactics are also wrong because Mr. Cohen has cooperated completely with all government entities , including providing thousands of non-privileged documents to the Congress and sitting for depositions under oath . ''
Michael Moore , a former U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Georgia , told NPR that for investigators , `` the possibility of evidence destruction is likely at the forefront of their concern . ''
`` Remember that they are also gathering evidence and testimony from other sources , so they may already be in possession of corroborating evidence , '' Moore said . `` That 's what makes this move in the investigation so interesting . For example , there is a reason that search warrants were issued for the particular locations . ''
The FBI , the U.S. Attorney 's Office for the Southern District of New York and the special counsel 's office declined to comment on the search .
Cohen has worked for Trump for many years and is closely tied in with many of his business and personal matters .
For example , Cohen has admitted he paid adult film actress Stormy Daniels $ 130,000 just weeks before the 2016 election . Daniels called that part of a concerted effort to stop her from going public about what she says was a 2006 tryst with Trump .
The president denies any liaison with Daniels and denies he knew about the payment . Trump told reporters on Air Force One recently to ask Cohen about it .
The president also said he did n't know where Cohen got the $ 130,000 to give to Daniels . Cohen has said he used his own `` personal funds . ''
Cohen also was the point of contact between the Trump Organization and government officials in Russia at a time when Trump wanted to build a Trump Tower in Moscow .
Cohen acknowledged sending an email to Russian President Vladimir Putin 's personal spokesman to ask about starting discussions about a major new real estate project in the Russian capital β discussions that Cohen said never got underway . | FFBUzdepjLPyYESn | 1 | Michael Cohen | -0.4 | Defense And Security | -0.2 | Donald Trump | -0.1 | FBI | 0.1 | null | null |
politics | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/22/opinions/the-white-house-is-looking-like-the-kremlin-opinion/index.html | OPINON: Trump's White House is starting to look a lot like Putin's Kremlin | 2017-03-22 | politics | Mark Galeotti is a senior researcher at UMV , the Institute of International Relations Prague , and coordinator of its Centre for European Security . He is a specialist on Russian security affairs , intelligence , and organized crime and is also principal director of the consultancy Mayak Intelligence , which specializes in Russia research . The opinions in this article belong to the author .
Power not in the hands of elected officials , but the President 's close friends and family
Statecraft taking second place to the interests of the inner circle .
While there 's no real evidence that Donald Trump is Vladimir Putin 's puppet , his White House is certainly starting to resemble the Kremlin in the way it works .
First , there 's its belief that it can define truth to its own convenience and shout down different perspectives as `` fake news '' and label those who question the official line as `` enemies of the people . ''
Of course the Kremlin , with its stranglehold on Russian TV , can be even more inventive . Propagandist-in-chief Dmitry Kiselev , for example , regularly conjures tales of bizarre conspiracies , and damns Putin 's enemies as traitors and fascists
That a free press exercising its freedom in ways inconvenient to the administration is seen as a sign of dishonesty and disloyalty is truly chilling .
But the `` fourth estate '' is just one of the institutions under threat in Trump 's America .
Over his 17 years dominating Russia ( including one term as prime ministerial puppet-master ) , Putin has essentially hollowed out Russia 's institutions .
Unless they have some personal relationship with the boss , ministers are just junior managers , and policy is not decided -- or even discussed -- in Cabinet , let alone Parliament . Instead , it emerges from shadowy circles of Putin 's closest allies and cronies , often without records , warning or explanation .
JUST WATCHED Trump on Putin : One tough cookie Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Trump on Putin : One tough cookie 01:48
The United States is not quite in the same situation -- yet -- but it is clear that the most important policy decisions are likewise being made out of sight .
After all , both in Moscow and Washington , the key to true power has more to do with your relationship to the president , not your job title .
In Russia , the prime minister -- constitutionally the second most powerful figure in the government -- has long been eclipsed by the head of Putin 's Presidential Administration .
What matters is how many degrees of separation you have from the boss , not what you know or what your job title may be .
Many of Trump 's inner circle are businesspeople , so maybe it is unsurprising that they might see their roles in terms of how they further their economic interests .
Putin treats the whole Russian state as his piggy bank , but also is comfortable helping his closest allies do very well out of official policy . People like his old judo buddies the Rotenbergs get awarded lucrative government contracts , are bailed out for their failures , and even compensated for sanctions losses .
Meanwhile , apart from Trump 's sidestepping demands that he divest himself of his own portfolio , his friends look set to benefit . Indeed , already he has said that he wants to cut back controls on Wall Street because of `` friends of mine , who have nice businesses who ca n't borrow money . ''
There is , it seems , no longer anything unique about the Kremlin 's personalized , post-truth style of rule . | Lcl0UeIF0t0eGc8z | 0 | White House | -0.2 | Politics | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
terrorism | Independent Journal Review | https://ijr.org/whitmer-links-trumps-rhetoric-plot-militia-group-kidnap-her/ | Whitmer Links Trumpβs Rhetoric To Plot by Militia Group To Kidnap Her | 2020-10-08 | Violence In America, Life During Covid-19, Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan, FBI, Terrorism | Federal law enforcement officials announced they foiled a plot to kidnap the governor of Michigan and start a civil war just weeks before the presidential election.Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) says she could never imagine that militia groups would plot to kidnap her. She also said she believes the militia group members were encouraged by the countryβs chief executive. On Thursday afternoon, Whitmer blasted President Donald Trump and accused him of βgiving comfort to those who spread fear and hatred and division.β βJust last week, the President of the United States stood before the American people and refused to condemn white supremacists and hate groups like these two Michigan militia groups,β Whitmer said. She continued,ββStand back and stand by,β he told them. βStand back and stand by.β Hate groups heard the Presidentβs words not as a rebuke, but as a rallying cry. As a call to action. When our leaders speak, their words matter. They carry weight. When our leaders meet with, encourage, or fraternize with domestic terrorists, they legitimize their actions, and they are complicit.β βWhen they stoke and contribute to hate speech, they are complicit,β she added. The FBI announced on Thursday that it had arrested six individuals for allegedly plotting to kidnap Whitmer and attack the state government buildings. The plot also involved militia groups from the state. Whitmerβs comments about Trump refer to a moment from last weekβs presidential debate when the president was asked to condemn far-right and white supremacist groups. During the debate, Trump was asked if he would condemn those groups, he said, βSure. I would say almost everything I see is from the left-wing. Not from the right-wing. Iβm willing to do anything. I want to see peace.β When he asked for a specific group to condemn, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden threw out the Proud Boys group. Trump said, βProud Boys, stand back and stand by. But Iβll tell you what, somebodyβs got to do something about Antifa and the left. Because this is not a right-wing problem.β https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1311128759563681793 After that debate, members of the far-right Proud Boys group shared posts on social media with Trumpβs comments incorporated into the logo. Some terrorism experts said that the presidentβs comments legitimized the group. Rita Katz, executive director of SITE Intelligence Group, said, βHe legitimized them in a way that nobody in the community expected. Itβs unbelievable. The celebration is incredible.β βIn my 20 years of tracking terrorism and extremism, I never thought Iβd see anything like this from a U.S. president,β Katz added. However, later in the week, Trump said, βIβve said it many times, and let me be clear again: I condemn the [Ku Klux Klan]. I condemn all white supremacists. I condemn the Proud Boys. I donβt know much about the Proud Boys, almost nothing.β He added, βBut I condemn that.β IJR, Senior Writer He's written for Independent Journal Review since 2019. Join Over 6M Subscribers Weβre organizing an online community to elevate trusted voices on all sides so that you can be fully informed. Copyright Β© 2024 IJR Copyright Β© 2024 IJR Login to your account below Remember Me Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. | 037acf45a53c30d9 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
impeachment | Boston Herald | https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/04/05/trump-suggests-firing-watchdog-was-payback-for-impeachment/ | Trump suggests firing watchdog was payback for impeachment | 2020-04-05 | Donald Trump, Ukraine, Whistleblower, Impeachment, Politics | WASHINGTON ( AP ) β President Donald Trump suggested that he fired the inspector general for the intelligence community in retaliation for impeachment , saying the official was wrong to provide an anonymous whistleblower complaint to Congress as the law requires .
Trump called Michael Atkinson a β disgrace β after informing Congress late Friday night that he intended to fire him . In letters to the House and Senate intelligence committees , Trump wrote that he had lost confidence in Atkinson but gave little detail .
A day later , Trump was more blunt , telling reporters at the White House : β I thought he did a terrible job , absolutely terrible. β The president added : β He took a fake report and he took it to Congress with an emergency , OK ? Not a big Trump fan , that I can tell you . β
The whistleblower report was not fake , but a detailed complaint written by an anonymous intelligence official who described Trump β s pressure on Ukraine to investigate Democrat Joe Biden and his son . Atkinson determined the complaint was urgent and credible and therefore was required by law to disclose it to Congress , but he was overruled for weeks by the acting director of national intelligence , Joseph Maguire .
After a firestorm sparked by media reports of the complaint , it was turned over and made public . A congressional inquiry led to Trump β s impeachment by the House in December . The GOP-led Senate acquitted Trump in February .
On Saturday , Trump questioned why Atkinson didn β t speak to him about the complaint , though Atkinson β s role is to provide independent oversight .
β Never came in to see me , never requested to see me , β Trump said . He added : β That man is a disgrace to IGs . β
Atkinson β s removal is part of a larger shakeup of the intelligence community under Trump , who has always viewed intelligence professionals with skepticism . His ouster came under immediate fire from Democrats and a handful of Republicans .
Sen. Chuck Grassley , the Iowa Republican who leads the Finance Committee , said that Congress has been β crystal clear β that written reasons must be given when inspectors general are removed for a lack of confidence .
Maine Sen. Susan Collins , a GOP member of the Senate Intelligence Committee , said she didn β t find Trump β s reasoning in his Friday letter to be persuasive , and said Atkinson β s removal β was not warranted. β Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr , R-N.C. , said an inspector general β must be allowed to conduct his or her work independent of internal or external pressure . β
Trump β s criticism Saturday came after Atkinson β s peers had rushed to his defense . Michael Horowitz , the inspector general at the Justice Department , said Atkinson was known for his β integrity , professionalism , and commitment to the rule of law and independent oversight. β He said that included Atkinson β s actions in handling the Ukraine whistleblower complaint .
Asked during his daily coronavirus briefing about firing Atkinson , Trump returned to his attacks on the Democratic-led impeachment investigation and trial and his defense that his phone call with Ukraine β s president was β perfect β but had been inaccurately described in the whistleblower β s account . In fact , the partial transcript later released by the president largely supported the whistleblower β s account .
Atkinson is at least the seventh intelligence official to be fired , ousted or moved aside since last summer . In his letters to the intelligence committees informing them of the firing , which were obtained by The Associated Press , Trump said that it is β vital β that he has confidence in the appointees serving as inspectors general , and β that is no longer the case with regard to this inspector general . β
Trump said Atkinson would be removed from office in 30 days , the required amount of time he must wait after informing Congress . He wrote that he would nominate an individual β who has my full confidence β at a later date .
According to two congressional officials , Atkinson has been placed on administrative leave , meaning he will not serve out the 30 days . One of the officials said Atkinson was only informed of his removal on Friday night . The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because Atkinson β s administrative leave had not been announced .
Atkinson β s firing thrusts the president β s impeachment back into the spotlight as his administration deals with the deadly spread of the coronavirus . As Trump was removing Atkinson , the number of U.S. deaths due to the virus topped 7,000 . By the time of his remarks Saturday , it was over 8,100 .
The top Democrat on the Senate intelligence panel , Virginia Sen. Mark Warner , said it was unconscionable that Trump would fire Atkinson in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic .
β We should all be deeply disturbed by ongoing attempts to politicize the nation β s intelligence agencies , β Warner said .
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff , D-Calif. , who led the House impeachment inquiry , said β the president β s dead of night decision puts our country and national security at even greater risk. β House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , said the firing β threatens to have a chilling effect against all willing to speak truth to power. β And Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , said Trump β fires people for telling the truth . β
Tom Monheim , a career intelligence professional , will become the acting inspector general for the intelligence community , according to an intelligence official who was not authorized to discuss personnel changes and spoke only on condition of anonymity . Monheim is currently the general counsel of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency .
Atkinson had hinted of frustration on the job in a March letter to Schumer , in which he said β the past six months have been a searing time for whistleblowers. β Atkinson was responding to a letter Schumer had sent to agency inspectors general asking them to document and investigate any instances of retaliation after Trump had threatened the anonymous whistleblower .
In the letter to Schumer , obtained by the AP , Atkinson said support for whistleblowers would be rendered meaningless if β whistleblowers actually come forward in good faith with information concerning an extraordinary matter and are allowed to be vilified , threatened , publicly ridiculed , or β perhaps even worse , utterly abandoned by fair weather whistleblower champions . β
Late Saturday , Schumer tweeted that he had spoken to Atkinson and thanked him for his service . Schumer said he told Atkinson that β history will remember him as a hero and those who retaliated against him as scoundrels . β | 6e6f37be84777012 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
taxes | Fox News | http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/04/12/obamas-pay-112k-in-2012-taxes-on-60k-income/ | Obamas release 2012 tax returns, report $609G in income | 2013-04-12 | taxes | President Obama made less in 2012 than in any other year since taking office , with about 40 percent of the nearly $ 609,000 in income that he and first lady Michelle Obama reported coming from book sales .
Obama , who renewed his call for higher taxes on top earners in the budget he released Wednesday , paid $ 112,214 in taxes last year , putting his effective federal tax rate at 18.4 percent . The Obamas donated almost one-quarter of their income to charity , according to tax returns released by the White House .
Most of the $ 608,611 that the Obamas reported in adjusted gross income came from the president 's salary , as he reported $ 394,840 in wages . An additional $ 258,772 came from royalties from his books , including his 1995 memoir `` Dreams From My Father , '' his 2006 political book , `` The Audacity of Hope , '' and a 2010 children 's book , `` Of Thee I Sing : A Letter to My Daughters . ''
Income from Obama 's books has fallen off since 2009 , when his books sales surged after his inauguration . The Obamas made $ 5.5 million that year -- his first year in office -- but the figure dropped precipitously the next year to $ 1.73 million . In 2011 , the Obamas reported about $ 790,000 in income .
The president and Mrs. Obama signed their tax returns on Monday -- one week before the April 15 deadline for Americans to file their 2012 returns .
Itemized deductions of $ 258,385 brought the Obama 's taxable income down to $ 335,026 . The first family deducted $ 45,056 in interest on the mortgage for their home in Chicago , plus $ 36,554 in state and local taxes and $ 26,751 in real estate taxes .
Through withholding and estimated tax payments during the year , the Obamas paid $ 129,029 to the Internal Revenue Service -- an overpayment of $ 16,815 . The Obamas directed that , rather than receive a refund , the overpayment will be applied to their taxes for next year .
The Obamas also claimed $ 39,875 in income from outside the United States . A White House official said all of that income came from book royalties , but did not disclose details about which countries the income came from . The official was not authorized to comment publicly on Obama 's taxes and spoke on condition of anonymity .
The president and first lady reported donating $ 150,034 -- or 24.6 percent of their income -- to 33 charities . That 's a slight dip from the previous year , when the Obamas donated more than $ 172,000 . The largest contribution last year was a $ 103,871 donation to Fisher House Foundation , which provides humanitarian services to military members , veterans and their families . Other charitable groups that received donations from the president for $ 5,000 or less include the American Red Cross , Habitat for Humanity , Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the United Negro College Fund .
The president and the first lady also paid $ 29,450 in income taxes to Illinois , according to their state tax returns .
The White House also released tax returns for Vice President Joe Biden and his wife , Jill Biden . The Bidens paid $ 87,851 in federal income taxes on $ 385,072 in adjusted gross income , for an effective federal tax rate of 22.8 percent . The vice president and his wife paid state income taxes in two states -- $ 13,531 in Delaware and $ 3,593 in Virginia . They reported donating $ 7,190 to charity . | J2xwYfQlWZABuMyv | 2 | Taxes | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
sexual_misconduct | Newsmax | https://www.newsmax.com/rebeccacosta/sexual-harassment-weinstein-safety/2017/12/06/id/830222/ | What Women Can and Should Do About Sexual Harassment | 2017-12-06 | Women's Issues, Sexual Assault, Sexual Misconduct | Any time I suggest there are things women can do to avoid sexual harassment I come under immediate fire . β You β re blaming the victim ! β β Why should women change when men are the perpetrators ? β β Why are you shifting the responsibility to women ? β
For the record , sexual assault is not permissible under any circumstances . It doesn β t matter if it β s men groping other men , men taking advantage of women , or whether the offender is powerful , a peer , or complete stranger . If it isn β t consensual , it β s off limits .
On the other hand , consider this : You don β t leave your front door wide open and say , β Why do I have to change when it β s the thief β s behavior that β s the problem ! β You don β t walk down a dark alley on the bad side of town alone , leave your keys in the ignition , or taunt street gang members . And you don β t go to a hotel room late at night for a business meeting .
I β m not saying that if you do you deserve to be harassed or assaulted . No , far from it . But neither do I accept the outlook that women are dependent on the law and others to protect them . There are precautions women can and should take . And the more we deny women the opportunity to take control before an incident can occur , the less empowered they feel .
I am a woman . I rose up through the ranks in Silicon Valley during the 1980s and 90s to become one of only 3 women CEOs in technology at that time . Surrounded by male executives , engineers , scientists , and investors , there should be no doubt in anyone β s mind as to whether I experienced my share of offensive advances , offers , and suggestions .
But here is where I part company with my sisters who are calling for the heads of Weinstein , Franken , Lauer , Rose , Conyers , Keillor , Moore , and others . I took as many measures as I could to avoid situations where I could be vulnerable . Obviously , I wasn β t successful at eliminating all harassment . But as sure as I run my own business today , I β m confident I avoided many more incidents than I fell victim to .
And while I β m certain to hear from folks who insist I β m making women responsible for the sexual misconduct which is now coming to light , for those interested in taking measures to head off harassment , these are some of the workarounds I found helpful :
1 . Avoid dinner meetings when possible . And if you can β t avoid dinner , ask if you can pick the restaurant . Then suggest one you know has valet parking .
When dinner is over , excuse yourself to the restroom , flag down a busboy , waiter , etc. , Hand them your valet ticket and a nice tip and tell them you need the valet to have your car running outside the front entrance . In this way , a man can not offer to β walk you to your car . β
And here β s another thing . Never agree to drive a man to his car . Always have a large empty box you can plunk into the front passenger seat . Just point to the box and say β I would , but . . . β
2 . Avoid traveling together on a plane . This way you will not have to sit closely together for long stretches of time and can also avoid sharing ground transportation .
3 . Check into different hotels . Claim you reserved your room too late or are collecting rewards points from another chain . While you β re at it , make sure to ask for a room that is not on the ground floor .
4 . Never meet in a man β s hotel room ( even a suite ) , or go to their home to conduct business . Suggest a public place .
5 . When you meet in an office or conference room leave the door open . And if and when it makes sense , invite other members of your team to the meeting .
6 . Working late is often necessary , but these days there is very little that can not be done at home . If you do need to stay late find a friend who also has some catching up to do . The buddy system works .
7 . Avoid discussing personal issues . This can easily be mistake for receptivity . If you are asked about your marriage , children , sexual likes or dislikes , etc. , use a segue like , β Oh , that β s not very interesting . . . but you know what IS really interesting ? '' and then insert a business , sports , or other neutral topic .
8 . Company celebrations , holiday parties and other social gatherings ( especially those involving alcohol ) are land mines . Participate and be sociable , but leave early before the fun gets out of hand .
9 . If a man is getting suggestive , excuse yourself to go to the restroom . Often a long break in the momentum will bring a perpetrator to his senses . If this doesn β t work then make an excuse to leave the room immediately .
10 . Do not accept gifts . When I received flowers , I was quick to say thank you and tell the sender they were so beautiful I wanted everyone to enjoy them and placed them in the front lobby . If a man brings you coffee , lunch , etc. , thank him and make sure to pay for it . This sends a clear message .
There are of course dozens and dozens of ways to quash the opportunity for sexual harassment , but you get the picture . I found the best way to deal with unwanted advances is to do everything in my power to avoid confrontation , danger , embarrassment , and worse . The fact is , by thinking and acting ahead of time , I felt empowered . And empowerment is the opposite of victimization .
Yet , even taking as many precautions as I did , I could not sidestep all of the unsolicited attention my gender garnered .
If I had known then , what I know now , I would have done what Gretchen Carlson suggests in her book `` Be Fierce . '' I would have told others what happened . I would have put the details down in writing . I would have skipped going to Human Resources who put the interest of the company first and foremost . I would have hired an experienced lawyer to help me navigate a touchy situation . By taking these steps , Carlson was not only able to protect her career from injury , she stopped Fox News ' Roger Ailes .
And though Carlson is to be praised and admired for her courage , I see the problem of sexual harassment differently . I want to empower women before-the-fact . I don β t want women to think there is nothing they can do until harassment , or worse yet , an assault , has already occurred . I don β t want women to think the only way to advance in their careers is to look the other way , or sue . And I don β t want women to hold out false hope that men will suddenly behave and obey laws that have been put into place to protect the vulnerable .
Rebecca D. Costa is an American sociobiologist , author , and host of the syndicated radio program `` The Costa Report . '' She is an expert in the field of `` fast adaptation . '' Costa β s first book , `` The Watchman β s Rattle : A Radical New Theory of Collapse , '' was an international bestseller . Her follow-on book , titled `` On the Verge , '' was released in 2017 . Costa β s work has been featured in The New York Times , Washington Post , USA Today , SF Chronicle , The Guardian , etc . For more information , visit www.RebeccaCosta.com . To read more of her reports β Click Here Now . | e6f7836bd03c2cf4 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
federal_budget | International Business Times | http://www.ibtimes.com/paul-ryan-budget-2014-path-prosperity-cuts-obamacare-maintains-cost-saving-measures-1121605 | Ryan Dislikes Obamacare, Loves Its Revenue | 2013-03-12 | federal_budget | U.S. House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan , R-Wis. , has always been , and continues to be , an aggressive opponent of the Affordable Care Act , commonly known as Obamacare . And yet , the conservative congressman β s latest budget actually relies on key components of the health care overhaul law to achieve its professed goal of balancing the federal budget in 10 years .
The 2014 budget , once again titled β The Path to Prosperity , '' makes several references to the β egregious β and bankrupting policies supported by Obamacare , such as the law β s new health care exchange subsidies and Medicaid expansion for the poor . An enormous $ 1.8 trillion of the total $ 4.6 trillion in deficit reduction outlined by the plan comes from repealing the ACA .
But as pointed out by ThinkProgress on Tuesday , while the Ryan budget guts the law β s public benefits , it maintains the cost-saving measures and new revenue created by the legislation .
For instance , Ryan β s budget holds onto the $ 716 billion in Medicare cuts included in the ACA but , on page 40 of the proposal , simply writes those savings will be used β toward shoring up Medicare , not paying for new entitlements. β However , Obamacare currently does not remove money from Medicare to pay for itself .
That accusation , commonly thrown around by President Barack Obama β s 2012 challenger Mitt Romney , has been shown to be false by multiple sources . In August 2012 , the fact-checking website Politifact wrote the ACA does not rely on funding from the Medicare trust fund , but instead β uses a number of measures to try to reduce the rapid growth of future Medicare spending . Those savings are then used to offset costs created by the law -- especially coverage for the uninsured -- so that the overall law does n't add to the deficit . β
The Ryan budget , while stating it will not raise β more β revenue than the β current policy , β still shows on page 78 that the GOP blueprint maintains the nearly $ 800 billion in revenue created by the ACA .
Like his previous plan , the tax proposals included in Ryan β s newest budget don β t come close to generating the revenue needed to reach his professed goal of pushing government spending down to 19.1 percent of the GDP by 2023 .
The proposal includes the following tax cuts : Reduces the top marginal tax rate to 25 percent ( down from the recently reinstituted top rate of 39.6 percent ) and reducing the next rate to 10 percent ; reduces the corporate tax rate by 10 percentage points down to 25 percent ; and repeals both the alternative minimum tax and tax provisions included in the ACA .
`` Because the Ryan plan would restructure the code but collect the same amount of revenue as today β s system , this budget would have to eliminate trillions of dollars in tax preferences , '' the Tax Policy Center reports . `` Ryan , like President Obama and most members of Congress , prefers to call these loopholes . But in reality , targets would almost certainly include popular preferences such as deductions for mortgage interest , state and local taxes , and charitable gifts as well as the exclusion of employer-sponsored health insurance from taxable income . ''
According to an analysis by the Center for American Progress , the budget would almost certainly add to the federal deficit .
β Last year the Tax Policy Center estimated that these provisions would generate revenue equaling just 15.8 percent of GDP in 2022 . Extrapolating to 2023 suggests that Rep. Ryan is missing about $ 840 billion of revenue in 2023 alone , and approximately $ 7 trillion over the entire 10-year period from 2014 through 2023 . After accounting for the added interest costs from all of these unpaid-for tax cuts , Ryan β s budget would still be about $ 1.2 trillion in the red in 2023 , β the organization wrote Tuesday .
As previously mentioned , the GOP budget aims to boost defense spending by $ 500 billion over a decade , which Ryan wrote is necessary to β keep our safety by rebuilding our military. β The U.S. currently spends as much on its military as the next five-highest-spending nations combined .
But because Americans ( according to the Ryan vision ) purportedly need to cure themselves of their addiction to government entitlements , the budget contains cuts to a category known as β nondiscretionary spending. β But that category , for which Ryan has called for $ 900 billion in reductions , includes cuts to programs such as : veterans β health care ; food , drug and consumer product safety ; federal law enforcement and several other public services . Nondiscretionary spending has never consumed more than 3.2 percent of the nation β s GDP .
As noted by Ezra Klein , the goal of Ryan β s budget does not appears to be deficit reduction . Instead , the former GOP presidential nominee β s plan β is intended to do nothing less than fundamentally transform the relationship between Americans and their government . β
At various points Ryan outlines the β many challenges β facing the U.S. β unemployment , the national debt , the housing crisis , gas prices , student loan debt . But most of the budget doesn β t pose any real answers to those challenges , particularly because it would not spur job creation .
Note the way Ryan explains why deep budget cuts are necessary :
β Unless we change course , we will have a debt crisis . Pressed for cash , the government will take the easy way out : It will crank up the printing presses . The final stage of this intergenerational theft will be the debasement of our currency . Government will cheat us of our just rewards . Our finances will collapse . The economy will stall . The safety net will unravel . And the most vulnerable will suffer . β
The introduction to the document also includes a passage that appears to indicate the federal government is attempting to β displace β communities :
β We are a self-governing people . Yet , if we can β t manage our own affairs , we can hardly govern a nation . It β s in the assembly hall and the boardroom - in the town meeting and the state legislature - that we learn how to govern . And that β s where we forge our common bonds . Yes , government is one of those bonds . But it can β t unite 300 million people - not on its own . It needs our communities to tie us together .
Today , our communities - our families , in particular - face many dangers : rising health-care costs , a stagnant economy , a massive debt , an uncertain world . These dangers require a lean , dynamic government - one that can protect its people and keep its word . They also require government to respect its limitsβto understand it plays a role in our lives , but not the leading one . β
The Congressional Budget Office has not evaluated the long-term budgetary impact of the plan .
β Unfortunately , we can not conduct such an analysis at this time because we have not produced new long-term budgetary projections under current law since significant changes in law were enacted in early January , β the CBO wrote to Ryan on Monday .
That means the 10-year budget projections included in the legislation comes from Ryan β s baseline himself , and has not been confirmed by the non-partisan agency . | Qav2UEiA5Mmmc2tW | 1 | Economy And Jobs | -0.8 | Federal Budget | -0.4 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
immigration | Daily Kos | http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/3/28/1648196/-Trump-s-precious-border-wall-hits-a-funding-snag | Trump's precious border wall hits a funding snag | 2017-03-28 | immigration | Donald Trump 's `` big , beautiful '' border wall might turn out to be like so many other things he fixates onβa figment of his imagination . Although the White House had wanted Congress to fold an initial outlay for Trump β s wall into a government funding bill , the GOP 's governance meltdown has necessitated Democratic help in keeping the government funded by the April 28 deadline . Democrats , in turn , have threatened to withhold their votes if any funding for the wall is included in that bill .
β Senate Democrats are prepared to fight this all the way , β Sen. Chuck Schumer told attendees of a National Council of La Raza event Tuesday .
In order to avoid yet another GOP # fail in the form of a government shutdown , Republican leadership is weighing the idea of separating money for the wall from the government funding bill . Politico writes :
While no decision has been made by GOP leadership , Republican lawmakers may decide to decouple the two to avoid a confrontation with Democrats . If they do , the chances of getting Trump β s wall funding passed this spring become slim . β It remains to be seen , β said Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn ( R-Texas ) in an interview . β What I would like to see is a plan for how the money would be spent and a good faith discussion about what border security is really composed of . We haven β t had that. β Asked about the prospects for a lapse in government funding , Cornyn was definitive : β There β s not going to be a shutdown . β
Trump had aimed to get about $ 1.4 billion for the wall out of the initial funding bill with more to follow in a subsequent funding measure . But it turns out building the $ 20- to $ 50-billion wall is equally as unpopular as the man who insists on building it , with only 35 percent of American taxpayers supporting the wall , especially if taxpayers are footing the bill . That leaves very little incentive for Congressional Republicans to supply funding for an unpopular project being pushed by a pr * sident with abysmal approval ratings .
This little funding snafu is going to absolutely tweak Trump , who 's been obsessed with building the wall since the day he announced his candidacy . Trump put his weight behind health care mostly because he was desperate to get a winβany winβunder his belt , but the wall is his baby . If Congress stiffs him on it , there 'll be hell to pay on Capitol Hill . | 0mCkCAGWdx0fnaC9 | 0 | Immigration | -0.8 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
general_news | Vox | http://www.vox.com/2016/7/3/12062334/american-revolution-liberals | The American Revolution was a huge victory for equality. Liberals should celebrate it. | 2016-07-04 | Holidays, General News | 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? The left is turning its back on the Revolution. Hereβs why thatβs a mistake. by Jeff Stein Back in January 2016, the New Yorker published a cover showing Americaβs most famous presidents recoiling in horror at the image of Donald Trump on the TV screen: The cover was widely mocked by liberal commentators β not because of its attack on Trump but for suggesting that the depicted presidents represented a moral standard worthy of our praise and respect. βWhat is distasteful about Trump is not that he offends old-fashioned American values,β wrote Mother Jonesβs Tim Murphy in one typical reaction. βTrump is distasteful because he taps into certain old-fashioned American values β nativism, brash tough talk, slow-burning authoritarianism; family dynasties β that have played a not-inconsequential role throughout our history.β The criticisms extended to several eras of American presidents. But it was also symbolic of the modern leftβs drift from the legacy of the Revolution in particular, and toward its fundamental break with the traditional heroes of our national pantheon. Over the last generation, liberals have become increasingly emboldened in their denunciations of Americaβs founders, says Yale historian Steven Pincus. The American left stands poised to throw the Revolution overboard, to dismiss the spirit and legacy of 1776 as merely the cause of a racist, sexist, hypocritical aristocracy we should firmly reject. Theyβd be wrong to do so. The modern left may have fallen out of step with our revolutionary heritage. But it should reclaim it: For all its warts, the Revolution really did unleash an egalitarian vision of America that frontally assaulted economic and social inequality. Itβs a tradition liberals should celebrate and cherish, while expanding and enlarging its scope and ambitions. The American Revolution ushered in a movement that tore down systems of privilege in favor of more egalitarian ways of organizing society. The Revolution ended structures of primogeniture and challenged the idea of a landed gentry. It made popular sovereignty an inviolable promise of American government, at least in principle. It helped ignite popular movements not just in America but across the globe. The definitive version of this interpretation comes from The Radicalism of the American Revolution, a 1991 book by Brown historian Gordon Wood. The Revolution, Wood writes, βwas as radical and as revolutionary as any in history,β destroying beliefs about the superiority of the wealthy that had stood for centuries: [The Revolution] brought respectability and even dominance to ordinary people long held in contempt and gave dignity to their menial labor in a manner unprecedented in history and to a degree not equaled elsewhere in the world. The Revolution did not just eliminate monarchy and create republics; it actually reconstituted what Americans meant by public or state power and brought about an entirely new kind of popular politics. The Revolution did not merely create a political and legal environment conducive to economic expansion; it also released powerful and popular entrepreneurial and commercial energies that transformed the economic landscape of the country. In short, the Revolution was the most radical and most far-reaching event in American history. Woodβs book produces an exhaustive chronicle of just how massive the Revolutionβs social and economic changes were β the explosion of popular religion; the wrenching of a culture from a monarchy to a republic; the sudden growth of public education for boys and girls. The most prominent figures in the revolutionary story β the politicians we remember β were indeed wealthier and more vested in protecting their economic self-interest than the modern left would like. But the Founding Fathers are just one small part of the Revolutionβs story. This is what the American left has forgotten most fundamentally about the American Revolution: that its foot soldiers were anything but aristocrats. βI was part of the civil rights movement, and when I look at the early days of the Revolution I see the same thing: a sweeping, widespread, town-by-town popular uprising,β says Ray Raphael, author of The Spirit of β74: How the American Revolution Began, about the Massachusetts farmers who began the movement. βWhen people say the Revolution is a pile of shit because it was all elites, theyβre missing this was really a bottom-up revolt.β More than 90 percent of people in Massachusetts were behind the Revolution, and Raphael notes that the exception was largely gentry tied through patronage or business to the crown. The leaders at the convention were slow converts to the revolutionary cause, spurred on by overwhelming populist sentiment. βIt was the most ground-up expression of democracy you could imagine. Thatβs part of the Revolution,β Raphael says. βYou donβt want to turn your head on that.β I should acknowledge the strength behind the most basic objection to celebrating the Revolution: Many of the founders were racist, sexist colonizers determined to wipe American Indians from the continent. Those charges are true. No one should ever forget that while opposed to slavery as a matter of principle, many of the founders created commercial fortunes by owning other human beings. That part of the foundersβ story has been erased far too frequently throughout our history. And thatβs why itβs understandable that many on the left have overcorrected by saying July 4, 1776, must be understood primarily as an affirmation of that part of their world: Itβs important to denounce the founders for their racism and acquiescence to slavery. Thatβs obviously correct and necessary. The problem is that by applying 21st-century views on race and gender to an 18th-century context, we risk missing the real legacy of the Revolution. The founders were indeed racists by any modern standard. But even within its own time, the Revolution was a force for both racial and economic equality β and can remain the blueprint for those goals more than 240 years later. When the Revolution began in 1776, slavery was legal in every colony. Only Pennsylvania even had an abolition society. Slavery had existed on American soil for two centuries without being substantially challenged by whites. The American Revolution changed that. Pennsylvaniaβs emancipation act of 1780, the first of its kind, was written by revolutionary leaders and explicitly cited the fight against British rule as its inspiration. Similar Northern emancipation acts followed: in Massachusetts and New Hampshire in 1783, and then in Connecticut and Rhode Island the next year. βPoliticians, preachers, and propagandists unfurled the rhetoric of natural rights,β Paul J. Polgar, a historian at the College of William & Mary, wrote in a 2011 essay for the Journal of the Early Republic, βand the immediate post-Revolutionary period witnessed the emergence of abolition societies as far south as Virginia.β βSlavery was legal in every colony, and the Revolution led directly to the abolition of slavery in the northern United States,β says Mary Beth Norton, a professor in Cornellβs history department, in an email. Even the elites in Philadelphia got swept up by this sentiment. The Declaration of Independence, which has so completely conquered the American imagination that it appears bloodless in a modern context, reflected just how powerful those ideas proved. βThe philosophy of the Declaration of Rights not only preached revolution, it preached the universal revolution,β writes Carl Becker in his 1922 book, The Declaration of Independence. βDeclaring that the inalienable rights were the same for all men and the only sure foundation of political institutions, it implied that the institutions proper to one people were so to all people.β Despite the revisionist attempts of Confederate reactionaries, Becker writes, the declarationβs sweeping odes to equality were meant to apply to both white and black Americans. βIt taught that beneath all local and temporary diversity, beneath the superficial traits and talents that distinguish men and nations, all men are equal in the possession of a common humanity,β Becker says. Abraham Lincoln once remarked, βI have never had a feeling politically that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence.β Heβs hardly alone. Indeed, nearly every major movement for social, economic, or racial equality in America has cloaked itself in the rhetoric initially established during the revolutionary era. The modern American left that wants to distance itself from the Declaration of Independence is also thus breaking with: I could go on, but the pattern here is clear: The path to progress has come not from rejecting the declaration and Revolution β but by broadening its scope to those the founders wrongfully neglected. Understand the world with a daily explainer plus the most compelling stories of the day, compiled by news editor Sean Collins. The Senate has confirmed Kash Patel. Trump appears intent on remaking the executive branch as he sees fit. The news is changing rapidly. Follow here for the latest updates, analysis, and explainers. Patrick Reis and Christian Paz discuss the first month of Trumpβs second term as president and what lies ahead. Russell Vought and his radical philosophy, explained. ο»ΏHeβs talking to Putin and fighting with Zelenskyy. Is Kyivβs nightmare scenario finally unfolding? The president is claiming total control over agencies that, by law, are independent. 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. | 7557c0e457c7ff0a | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
white_house | Guest Writer - Right | http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/01/18/obama-chelsea-manning-traitor-snowden-nobel-column/96716332/ | Obama should give back his Nobel: Column | 2017-01-18 | white_house | The last major decision of President Barack Obama was to commute the sentence of a traitor whose most recent accomplishment since giving battlefield secrets to Osama bin Laden was undergoing a taxpayer-funded sex change transition . It was a fitting end to a failed presidency that leaves President-elect Donald Trump mess after mess to clean up on the world stage .
Let β s revisit the curious case of Chelsea Manning ( born Bradley Edward Manning ) . He was court martialed in 2013 , β three years after Manning was first detained in Iraq for suspicion of having leaked the video of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack that killed several Iraqi civilians . He was subsequently charged with the leak of 750,000 documents that were a mix of U.S. military battlefield reports from Iraq and Afghanistan and diplomatic cables , β according to ABC News .
This was no small leak β news outlets routinely describe Manning β s actions as the most β extensive β or β biggest β such breach of military secrets in American history . This person will forever be mentioned in the same breath as Benedict Arnold , John Walker , Robert Hanssen , Edward Snowden and Aldrich Ames .
Manning gave our military secrets to WikiLeaks , which published it for our enemies . Remember Osama bin Laden ? The information Manning stole was found on the notorious terrorist β s computer during the raid that sent him to his everlasting reward , according to evidence submitted by the government during Manning β s trial .
Manning helped our enemies by leaking sensitive information to a foreign organization . Period . He was arrested , confessed , and subsequently sentenced to 35 years in a military prison . His actions put America at risk and endangered the lives of β foreigners in dangerous countries who were identified as having helped American troops or diplomats , β according to The New York Times .
Afghans , Syrians , and Iraqis β brave people who continue to live in treacherous places β were put in extreme danger by Manning . These people helped America with the understanding that their actions would be kept secret . Because of Manning , their lives and the lives of their families are forever in peril . In future battles , when our military is looking for allies among local populations , who will trust that America can keep their secrets or can guarantee their safety ?
Somewhere along the way , his days of trying to destroy America safely behind him , Brad decided he was Chelsea and demanded the government pay for his conversion from man to woman . And we did , as taxpayers ponied up $ 50,000 for a traitor to receive everything from β counseling to hormone therapy , andβ¦gender reassignment surgery β .
Fast forward to Tuesday , when Manning β s strange tale ended with Obama commuting his sentence over the objection of Defense Secretary Ash Carter . A β former intelligence official described being β shocked β to learn of Obama 's decision , adding that the β entire intelligence community is deflated by this inexplicable use of executive power. β The official said the move was β deeply hypocritical given Obama 's denunciation of WikiLeaks ' role in the hacking of the ( Democratic National Committee ) , β β a CNN report said .
Obama cultivated a reputation as being critical of those who leak information , as Manning and Snowden did . But whatever anger Obama harbored for those who wish to harm America melted away when presented with the opportunity to strike one more blow for his extreme left-wing social ideology ( a worldview which did Hillary Clinton no favors in non-urban areas during the election ) .
After eight years , Obama β s duties as commander in chief were less important to him than making the politically correct decision to deliver the traitor Manning a more comfortable life . Obama , tired of saluting those who serve , slapped them in the face on the way out the door .
Obama has repeatedly destroyed the morale of our troops and weakened American security . His reach for a foreign policy legacy led to the disastrous nuclear deal with Iran , which was sold by an arrogant staff that laughed about lying to reporters who β literally know nothing β as Obama national advisor Ben Rhodes said to The New York Times magazine . Obama has left our alliances with key allies in tatters , the final insult coming when the U.S. failed to stand up for Israel during a recent vote in the United Nations Security Council .
Obama did too much in Syria , not too little : Column
And , most obscenely , Obama stood idly by and watched the unfolding slaughter of innocent civilians in Syria β s Aleppo , a bloodbath that will stain his legacy the way the Rwandan Genocide stains Bill Clinton β s . Together , the last two Democratic presidents ineptly looked on as upwards of 1.5 million people were murdered .
If Obama felt one shred of shame , he would send his 2009 Nobel Peace Prize back with a note of apology to the people of Aleppo .
The necessity and urgency of American leadership and a foreign policy vision unclouded by the extreme liberal ideology demanded by Obama β s political base can not be understated . Trump β s work is now more than just moving American foreign policy forward ; he must dig out of the deep hole left him by the Obama administration .
America β s weakness invited the Russians to attempt to muck around in our election . It invited the Chinese to snatch our military equipment from the water . It makes our friends question America β s ability to know the difference between right and wrong , or to do anything about it .
Scott Jennings served as Special Assistant to President George W. Bush from 2005-2007 .
In addition to its own editorials , USA TODAY publishes diverse opinions from outside writers , including our Board of Contributors . To read more columns like this , go to the Opinion front page and follow us on Twitter @ USATOpinion . | 74uQj2jQtyma33eo | 2 | Politics | -0.2 | White House | -0.1 | Barack Obama | -0.1 | Nobel Prize | -0.1 | null | null |
white_house | The Hill | http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/367232-trump-button-tweet-sparks-backlash | Trump button tweet sparks backlash | 2018-01-03 | white_house | 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 tweet that he commands a β much bigger & more powerful β nuclear launch button than North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sparked a backlash while renewing fears about the possibility of nuclear war .
The warning has also prompted a number of Trump critics to again question the president β s fitness as commander in chief .
Trump tweeted in response to a New Year β s Day statement from Kim about his own β nuclear button , β which came as South Korea took steps toward deescalating the situation by opening talks with Pyongyang .
β North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the β Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times , β β Trump tweeted . β Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button , but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his , and my Button works ! β
Lawmakers , national security experts and media figures , most of them already vocal critics of the president , voiced deep concern over Trump β s tweet , calling it rash and unnerving for a man who has thousands of nuclear weapons at his disposal while confronting an unpredictable , nuclear-armed enemy .
Democratic lawmakers called for a new measure that would require Trump to gain congressional approval for a preemptive nuclear strike against North Korea .
β Congress needs to pass this Monday β on the first day of votes in 2018 β legislation restricting Trump β s ability to launch a preemptive nuclear strike without authorization , β tweeted Rep. Ro Khanna Rohit ( Ro ) KhannaDemocratic lawmaker : It 'defies logic ' for Trump to push Ukraine to investigate Biden Overnight Health Care : CDC links vitamin E oil to vaping illnesses | White House calls Pelosi drug price plan 'unworkable ' | Dem offers bill for state-based 'Medicare for All ' Justice Democrats official denies that progressives struggle with electability MORE ( D-Calif. ) , a member of the House Armed Services Committee .
Republicans and members of the administration have sometimes been put in difficult positions because of the president β s tweets , and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison ( Mitch ) Mitchell McConnellGOP senators balk at lengthy impeachment trial Graham : Senate trial 'must expose the whistleblower ' Graham says Schiff should be a witness in Trump impeachment trial MORE ( R-Ky. ) has said that he wishes Trump would tweet less .
Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen Kirstjen Michele NielsenChad Wolf becomes acting DHS secretary Senate paves way for Trump 's next DHS chief Divided Supreme Court leans toward allowing Trump to end DACA MORE on Tuesday said β the president speaks for himself β in response to a question about the button tweet .
β I think we have to continue , as he said , to take the threat from North Korea very seriously , β Nielsen told reporters . β Certainly at DHS we 're doing all we can to prepare for any possible scenario that would involve the homeland , whether it be from North Korea or any other nation state or terror-status area . β
Trump β s tweet on Tuesday night came at the end of a busy day on the social media platform for the president , though it followed a period of uncharacteristic silence from Trump on North Korea . Asked about Kim 's remarks earlier this week , the president simply said , β We 'll see . β
Trump β s tweets appeared to be part of an effort to thrust himself back into the spotlight after returning to Washington from vacation in Florida .
He fired off a barrage of tweets throughout the day on a litany of subjects : threatening to cut off aid to Pakistan and the Palestinians , calling for the imprisonment of a top aide to Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton2020 Democrats make play for veterans ' votes The Memo : Democrats confront prospect of long primary Manafort sought to hurt Clinton 2016 campaign efforts in key states : NYT MORE , rejecting Democratic demands on immigration and claiming credit for the lack of commercial airline deaths in 2017 .
Immediately after his North Korea tweet , Trump announced he would hand out awards next Monday for β THE MOST DISHONEST & CORRUPT MEDIA β and directed viewers to tune into Sean Hannity β s program on Fox News .
The president threatened Kim just minutes after Fox News aired a segment about his speech , in which the North Korean leader claimed he has nuclear weapons that could reach the U.S .
Some of Trump β s fiercest critics went as far as to say the president β s tone and temperament were enough to warrant his removal from office .
β This Tweet alone is grounds for removal from office under the 25th Amendment . This man should not have nukes , β tweeted Richard Painter , who worked as an ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush .
The 25th Amendment of the Constitution allows for the vice president and the majority of the Cabinet to declare the president `` unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office '' and remove him . It has never been invoked .
Others said the message violated Twitter β s terms of service and called on the social media platform to block Trump β s account .
β You can save the world by not allowing threats that will end up killing millions of people 's lives , β the singer will.i.am tweeted at Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey . β This is scary & ridiculous ... Publishing global death threats on twitter is n't β freedom of speech . β β
CNN β s Brian Stelter raised the possibility of a terms-of-service violation during a Tuesday night appearance on the network , and also suggested the behavior would be treated much differently if another world leader did the same thing .
β If this were the leader of Germany or China or Brazil , what would we say ? β Stelter asked . β How would we cover these tweets ? We would say these are the messages from a person who is not well , from a leader who is not fit for office . β
Twitter told βββ the message did not violate its rules .
Rep. Jim Himes James ( Jim ) Andres HimesThe Hill 's 12:30 Report : Dems , GOP dig in for public impeachment hearings βββ 's Morning Report - Witness transcripts plow ground for public impeachment testimony Democrats sharpen their message on impeachment MORE ( D-Conn. ) , who sits on the House Intelligence Committee , expressed fear that Trump β s tweet could result in a fatal miscalculation with North Korea .
β That would get real very quickly , β Himes said on CNN .
β I guess the president regards this as a show of strength , β the congressman added . β But as everybody who has ever been on a first-grade playground recognizes , it β s usually the person who is most aggressively pounding their chest that is in fact the weak one . β
Eliot Cohen , a State Department official in the George W. Bush administration who has been an outspoken critic of Trump , said the president β s provocative comments were dangerous and juvenile and suggested his aides should rein him in .
β Spoken like a petulant ten year old . But one with nuclear weapons β for real β at his disposal . How responsible people around him , or supporting him , can dismiss this or laugh it off is beyond me , β Cohen tweeted . | htvAkElUyuoPfLRP | 1 | North Korea | -2 | White House | -0.7 | Politics | -0.65 | null | null | null | null |
healthcare | Fox News | http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/01/14/numbers-key-obamacare-demographic-group-come-in-well-below-estimates/ | Insurers raise cost concerns after ObamaCare demographic data released | 2014-01-14 | healthcare | Insurers have raised concerns that too few young people are signing up for heath insurance through the ObamaCare exchanges after newly released statistics showed that less than a quarter of people who have enrolled are between the ages of 18 and 34 .
According to the numbers released Monday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services , only 24 percent β or 489,460 β of the 2.2 million people who signed up for ACA were in the coveted 18-to-34 age range . That means the government has hit only 18 percent of its stated goal of registering 2.7 million adults in the 18-to-34 age range .
Experts have predicted that the program will need roughly 40 percent of enrollees to be in that prime demographic in order to be fiscally solvent . Adults ages 55 to 64 made up 33 percent of the total number of Americans who signed up , the largest group represented in the data .
ObamaCare needs so-called 'invincibles ' -- healthy young adults -- to sign up in coming months to help offset the costs of older and less healthy enrollees . If that doesn β t happen , insurers could be forced to raise the rates , making the costs and future of ObamaCare uncertain .
`` This is concerning to us that we 're seeing this portion come in so old , '' Marty Anderson , marketing director for Wisconsin-based Security Health Plan , told the Wall Street Journal .
Allan Einboden , chief executive of Scott & White Health Plan , told the Journal that the data was `` more negative than we thought it was going to be , '' and added that several requests to pre-authorize surgeries for enrollees in the first days of their coverage had executives worried about costs .
Robert Laszewski , a consultant who works with insurers , told The New York Times that `` You need healthy people of all ages ... the program is not ramping up fast enough to guarantee a good balance of healthy and sick people , which you need to sustain the program . ''
Administration officials , though , were upbeat in describing the numbers Monday . They said they 're in a `` solid place , '' and noted that this age group makes up just 26 percent of the general population .
Monday β s report was the first time the government has released demographic data on the performance of President Obama β s signature health care overhaul . In all , about 1.8 million people enrolled in new individual health plans through the law in December , bringing the total number of new enrollments between Oct. 1 and Dec.28 to about 2.2 million .
`` There 's no way to spin it : youth enrollment has been a bust so far , '' Brendan Buck , a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner , said in a statement following the release . `` When they see that ObamaCare offers high costs for limited access to doctors β if the enrollment goes through at all β it 's no surprise that young people are n't rushing to sign up . ''
As analysts have told βββ , insurance companies have said they may want to take advantage of the `` risk pool '' provisions -- which involve the federal government covering 80 percent of any losses associated with an older and unhealthier base of customers .
According to HHS , 79 percent of ObamaCare customers selected a plan with financial assistance . While only 2.2 million people have actually signed up , 44.5 million called or visited state and federal websites .
Of the 2.2 million who have signed up , 54 percent are female and 46 percent are male , HHS said .
Individuals and families are able to choose from four plans offered through the federal marketplace -- bronze , silver , gold and platinum .
Sixty percent selected a silver plan , while 20 percent selected a bronze plan , according to HHS . | 1OMueJwwQsnFUkee | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
polarization | Julian Zelizer | https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/18/opinions/justice-for-j6-rally-rewriting-history-zelizer/index.html | What's really behind the 'Justice for J6' rally | 2021-09-20 | Polarization, Capitol Chaos, Violence In America, Donald Trump, 2020 Election | Editorβs Note: Julian Zelizer, a CNN political analyst, is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University and author of the book, βBurning Down the House: Newt Gingrich, the Fall of a Speaker, and the Rise of the New Republican Party.β Follow him on Twitter @julianzelizer. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion on CNN.CNN βThe so-called βJustice for J6β rally, a right-wing protest Saturday to support the insurrectionists facing criminal charges in the January 6 attack, was smaller than expected. It also lacked the mayhem and violence the Department of Homeland Security feared might break out.Julian Zelizer CNNBut that doesnβt mean it wasnβt dangerous.The rally in Washington, DC, was part of a dangerous attempt to rewrite the history of that dark day in America.For months, Trump spread baseless lies about widespread election fraud, claimed the election had been βstolen,β and urged his followers to take action. It didnβt help that many Republican members of Congress repeated those lies. Fueled by the false belief that they were defending democracy, members of the mob stormed the Capitol building while Congress was certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election, chanting, βStop the steal,β and βHang Mike Pence.βNow, it seems the organization behind βJustice for J6,β which is led by a former Trump campaign operative, wants to free many of the insurrectionists of responsibility and cast them as victims. A permit application the organizers submitted to the US Capitol Police Board said the event was supposed to βbring awareness and attention to the unjust and unethical treatment of nonviolent Jan. 6 political prisoners.βTrump has already given credence to this narrative in a statement that repeated the Big Lie. βOur hearts and minds are with the people being persecuted so unfairly relating to the January 6th protest concerning the Rigged Presidential Election,β Trump said on Thursday. Although the claims being made about the legal process donβt match the facts, this narrative has already taken root.Shortly after January 6, many Congressional Republicans condemned Trump and distanced themselves from the violence. In February, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said, βFormer President Trumpβs actions preceding the riot were a disgraceful, disgraceful dereliction of duty.β He went on to add, βThereβs no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day.βThe sense of outrage didnβt last long. Republicans soon embarked on an effort to rewrite the narrative. Many downplayed or denied the violence, and Rep. Andrew Clyde went so far as to compare what happened to a βnormal tourist visit.β Many other Congressional Republicans stopped talking about January 6 altogether while others worked to prevent a bipartisan commission from being established. The goal was to move on, with an eye toward the 2022 midterm elections.Meanwhile, former President Trump continued to distort the facts by falsely claiming that the crowds in Washington that day were peaceful. The rioters, he said, were βhugging and kissing the police and the guards.β False suggestions that Antifa or Black Lives Matter were responsible for the riot picked up steam on social media and right-wing radio shows.According to a newly released poll by the Public Religion Research Institute, those lies have taken hold among the right. While most Americans blame Trump, White supremacists and the conservative media for January 6, a majority of Republicans, see it differently β and place most of the blame on liberal or left-wing activists.This is incredibly dangerous β not only because these are distortions and lies but also because they diminish what little chance our elected leaders have to hold Trump and his enablers accountable.To be sure, some Republicans, such as former President George W. Bush have pushed back. On the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attack, Bush delivered a speech in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, comparing domestic extremists to international ones. βThey are children of the same foul spirit and it is our continuing duty to confront them,β he said.But those voices are all too rare. More common are the Republicans who remain silent as Trump and others spout lies about the January 6 attack and who was really involved.We live in an era of disinformation and conspiracy theories. Trump could be on the cusp, as Jonathan Chait argued in New York Magazine, of transforming this disaster into βa glorious uprising behind which he could rally his adherents.βAs the midterm elections heat up, it is important that Americans are not fooled. The implications of the attack on Congress β which was directly connected to a presidentially-led effort to overturn the election β canβt be forgotten or excused.Stay up to date on the latest opinion, analysis and conversations through social media. Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion and follow us @CNNOpinion on Twitter. We welcome your ideas and comments.Reckoning with January 6 must be a paramount issue on the ticket in 2022 as voters decide which party is best suited to control the House and Senate. The twisted stories about what happened must be continually challenged and the government must do more to ensure that accountability in our democracy wonβt go by the wayside. The country needs a thorough, nonpartisan investigation to connect the campaign to delegitimize the 2020 election to the violence that unfolded on January 6. | d0cd9bf303be955e | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | HuffPost | http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/obama-large-us-ground-war-against-isis-would-be-a-mistake_5649f541e4b045bf3defe6eb?utm_hp_ref=politics | Obama: Large U.S. Ground War Against ISIS Would Be 'A Mistake' | 2015-11-16 | White House, Politics | You have the right to opt-out of the sale or sharing of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences. | 2ceb2bd5bc256301 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
coronavirus | Fox Online News | https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/hollywood-moms-advice-mothers-day-social-distancing | Hollywood moms share advice on how to celebrate Motherβs Day while social distancing | coronavirus | Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox . Sign up here .
Mother β s Day is going to be very different this year .
The Hollywood Museum is postponing its Mother β s Day tribute , which would have exhibited personal photographs from several stars over the years , due to the coronavirus pandemic . However , some beloved TV and movie moms who would have participated in the event still believe there are plenty of unique , fun ways you can say β thank you β to the special lady in your life .
Here are some of the ways they suggested to Fox News on how you can make this Sunday an unforgettable holiday , no matter how far away you are :
MARLO THOMAS AND PHIL DONAHUE REFLECT ON THEIR 40-YEAR MARRIAGE : β WE WANTED TO PROTECT IT β
Joyce Bulifant , who originally signed on to play Mrs. Brady in β The Brady Bunch β before having better luck on β The Mary Tyler Moore Show , '' said her greatest role has been that of mom . β Seeing the way [ my children ] care for their [ own ] children , for others and for me β that far outweighs any success I have achieved on the screen , β said the mother of three who shared they all β fill her heart with love. β β For this year , tell your mom all of the advice she has given you and what advice has helped you the most . Also , candy , flowers and a card can be delivered . β
β DALLAS β STAR CHARLENE TILTON SAYS FAITH HAS KEPT HER OUT OF β DARK PLACES β DURING CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
Ilene Graff , who famously played Marsha Cameron Owens on β Mr . Belvedere β from 1985 until 1990 , revealed she can β t imagine what life was like before motherhood came calling . β I can β t even remember what life was like before Nikka came along , β the actress explained . β She has brought an entirely new kind of love and commitment that makes life worth living in a whole different way . She has always been interesting and funny . I loved being the chauffer , the dance mom , the musical theater mom , the chorus mom β didn β t love being the soccer mom , though . It β s something I β m so grateful for . Nikka is the best ! β
β Motherhood has made me more β real , β β continued the mother of one . β β¦ It gave me a real depth of love I couldn β t even imagine . And it certainly gives you something to do every day ! β During these unprecedented times , the 71-year-old said it β s crucial now more than ever to express your gratitude to mom . β It β s hard living so far away from my daughter and this year the distance feels even farther away than usual , β she admitted . β It β s the simple things like a phone call , a card call , Zoom β anythingβ¦ that will make this Mother β s Day as pleasant as possible . Keep reaching out to your family and friends on a daily basis . Get in touch with a couple of people each day just to check in and say hi . The contact is important as we year for community and closeness . β
MEGHAN MARKLE , PRINCE HARRY RELEASE NEW VIDEO OF ARCHIE FOR HIS FIRST BIRTHDAY
Karen Grassle , who starred as Caroline Ingalls on β Little House on the Prairie , β suggested now is the perfect time to give your mom the gift of a fun lesson on technology . β Show her how to use her phone or computer , β said the actress . β You can also have a Zoom brunch with the whole family at a prearranged time . No dishes ! If there are a number of members of the family , divide up the week and each one call one day each during the shelter in place , especially if she β s in a retirement or nursing home . β
The mother of one also shared that if teaching isn β t your thing , another simple gesture can be just as loving on the matriarch β s special day . β As yourself this : what would make her life smoother now ? A run to the grocery store ? β For the star , motherhood has been her greatest role . β It has taught me what unconditional love it , β she said . β I β m grateful I didn β t miss this wonderful to love and grow . Motherhood is a great teacher . β
VICTORIA β S SECRET MODEL LAIS RIBEIRO ON HOMESCHOOLING HER SON : β SOMETIMES I HAVE TO CHEAT AND GO ON GOOGLE '
Dee Wallace , who starred in β E.T. , β β Cujo β and β The Howling , β said this Mother β s Day won β t be a scary affair for her . β The specialists all told me I would never conceive , β said the mother of one . β I said β God and I have a different plan ! β She β s 31 and my best friend . She β s the best production I have ever starred in ! Gabrielle is the center of everything in my life . She has taught me love , perseverance , understanding , patients and joy . She is my success . β
The actress said that when it comes to showing mom how thankful you are , it β s the thought that counts . β The great thing about energy is you can connect with it anywhere , β she explained . β Send her energetic hugs , love and messages of appreciation . Whether mom is still with you or has made her transition , your energy and connection will reach her energy . Always , always go back to the state of love : for mom , the Earth , your body , your thoughts . If we could be the loving mom to ourselves that the β loving mom β represents , we β d all be a lot happier . β
NATALIE WOOD β S DAUGHTER CALLS ROBERT WAGNER β COURAGEOUS β FOR SPEAKING OUT IN DOC : β I WAS JUST SO PROUD OF HIM β | zWFD3deHvv65s1xc | 2 | Social Distancing | -0.8 | Quarantine | -0.8 | Public Health | -0.8 | Coronavirus | -0.8 | Life During Covid-19 | -0.8 | |
supreme_court | Washington Post | https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/recent-supreme-court-decisions-show-it-can-be-hard-for-presidents-to-dictate-its-direction/2020/06/18/30498388-b178-11ea-8758-bfd1d045525a_story.html | Recent Supreme Court decisions show it can be hard for presidents to dictate its direction | 2020-06-18 | supreme_court | But a series of liberal decisions by the conservative-led Supreme Court this week is showcasing the shakiness of such promises , in an era when candidates of both parties are making increasingly explicit pledges to name justices who will faithfully carry out their agenda .
Two Republican-appointed members of the court , including Trump β s first pick , Neil M. Gorsuch , and Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. , have made clear that their opinions will not always be predictable when it comes to issues important to Republicans . They each joined with liberal justices to defeat Trump administration priorities this week .
The court has also refused to take up cases for the next term that had been championed by conservatives , including cases on gun rights and California β s sanctuary cities law .
These twists have deeply frustrated conservatives . β The left and the right are playing to a different set of rules , β said Ralph Reed , chairman of the Faith & Freedom Coalition , a conservative religious group , after the Gorsuch ruling on Monday . β They seem to be able to appoint people who largely if not universally hew to the party line . On the right it feels sometimes that at best you are batting .500 sometimes . β
The surprises have prompted both Trump and his Democratic opponents to redouble their arguments , as they head toward Election Day , on the need to build as big a court majority as possible . At the same time , they are injecting more anxiety and uncertainty into the process .
The stakes are high , with conservatives holding a narrow 5-4 majority on the court and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , 87 , widely expected to retire in the next few years , possibly along with other colleagues . That could give the next president the opportunity to influence the court for a generation .
The moves by Roberts and Gorsuch have also served to bolster the case , long made in public by Roberts , that the courts are not simple extensions of the political branches of government . β We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges , Bush judges or Clinton judges , β Roberts said in 2018 , after Trump verbally criticized a federal judge .
Democratic court-watchers caution that this week β s rulings may not define the court term . The court is expected to issue opinions as soon as next week that could favor Trump and the Republican Party on questions regarding the release of Trump β s tax returns , abortion restrictions in Louisiana , religious exemptions to contraception mandates and the structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau .
β I don β t think that people should form judgments yet about the trajectory of this conservative majority yet until these rulings are out , β said Brian Fallon , executive director of Demand Justice , a progressive group that has supported restructuring the court to weaken the conservative influence .
For advocates on the right , however , the shocks of this week revive previous traumas that dates back to the presidencies of Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan , who appointed justices who repeatedly ruled against the conservative movement β s priorities , especially later in their careers .
The decision by Gorsuch to chart his own course is particularly painful for some conservatives , given that he was vetted for Trump by a small network of conservative legal scholars , including leaders of the Federalist Society , who offered public assurances of their credentials .
After this week β s ruling on gay rights , conservative writer Varad Mehta despaired of the years-long push to elevate conservative justices .
β The whole point of the Federalist Society Judicial project , the whole point of electing Trump to implement it , was to deliver Supreme Court victories to social conservatives , β he tweeted . β If they can β t deliver anything that basic , there β s no point to either . β
But other conservatives cautioned against overinterpreting the recent opinions , which amounted to a small slice of the decisions issued by the court this term . β Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh were the most-vetted justices in history by a Republican president . Their records were robust and the process was thorough , β said Carrie Severino , president of the Judicial Crisis Network , a conservative group . β That said , I β m sure the process can be improved even further β as it has in the last several decades β for the sake of advancing the rule of law even more so . β
Trump , during the 2016 campaign , announced a list of potential appointees to assure conservatives that he would pick someone to their liking , an apparently successful effort to persuade some on the right who were otherwise uncomfortable with Trump to support him .
In response to the rulings this week , Trump promised to double down on the strategy , though he has not yet publicly acknowledged that it was Gorsuch β s vote the undermined his administration β s fight to prevent workplace protections for gay , lesbian and transgender employees .
β These horrible & politically charged decisions coming out of the Supreme Court are shotgun blasts into the face of people that are proud to call themselves Republicans or Conservatives , β Trump wrote on Twitter . β Do you get the impression that the Supreme Court doesn β t like me ? β
The Trump campaign has argued the court debate will once again work to its benefit this year .
β The President β s record appeals to conservatives who supported him in 2016 , β Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said . β Contrast that with the vision of Joe Biden , who has proven he will bend to the will of the extreme left , and has even been endorsed by Planned Parenthood , which supports abortion-on-demand . β
But Democratic voters , long thought to care less about the court than their GOP counterparts , may have begun to close the gap in their interest in judicial selection .
β Progressives are galvanized on this issue of the courts like never before , β said Nan Aron , president of the Alliance for Justice , a liberal group focused on judicial selection .
One galvanizing episode was Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell β s refusal to allow a hearing for former president Barack Obama β s final Supreme Court pick , Merrick Garland . That kept the spot open until Trump won , allowing him to appoint Gorsuch instead and seal the court β s conservative majority .
Democrats were upset enough by the conservative strength on the court that several candidates in the recently concluded presidential primaries embraced plans to remake the structure of the court , by expanding its membership or rotating justices off the bench .
Biden did not embrace those plans , though he did back down from his past opposition to β litmus tests β around court picks . As a senator , he voted against the confirmations of Roberts and Justice Clarence Thomas and in favor of the more liberal justices on the court .
Biden praised Friday β s decision , on procedural grounds , to allow the continuation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program , which allows undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children to stay in the country .
β The Supreme Court β s ruling today is a victory made possible by the courage and resilience of hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients who bravely stood up and refused to be ignored , β Biden said . β As Justice Roberts said , the Trump administration β s action was capricious and arbitrary . β
During his 2016 campaign , Trump was explicit in promising policy outcomes from his Supreme Court picks . During a presidential debate , he predicted that Roe v. Wade would be overturned β automatically β if he was able to appoint two or three justices to the court . Since he took office , he has been able to appoint two justices to fill seats that had previously been filled by Republican nominees .
Another court pick is likely during the president β s next term . Ginsburg has suffered four bouts with cancer and was hospitalized earlier this year for the nonsurgical treatment of a gallbladder condition . Many court-watchers expect her to step down during the next presidential term .
Republican strategists , who credit the 2018 confirmation of Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh for increasing GOP turnout in the midterm elections , say a vacancy on the court this year would be a political boon .
β A court pick or two would change everything , β said Scott Reed , a Republican strategist who works for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce . β There is nothing that energizes the conservative electorate like the Supreme Court . β
Public perceptions of the court have shifted amid increased partisanship in recent years , with disapproval of the way the court is handling its job peaking at 52 percent in 2016 before falling to 42 percent last year , according to Gallup . A poll last year by Marquette University Law School found that 36 percent of the country said politics mainly motivated the court β s decisions , compared to 64 percent who said it was mainly the law .
Roberts , as the leader of the court , has made maintaining the public perception of the court a top priority .
In addition to responding to Trump β s comments on occasion , after Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) warned last March that Gorsuch and Kavanaugh would β pay a price β for voting against abortion rights , Roberts said β threatening statements of this sort . . . are dangerous. β He also promised that the justices β will continue to do their job , without fear or favor , from whatever quarter . β
An appointee of George W. Bush , Roberts has periodically sided with liberals on the court in key moments , including a case that preserved key parts of the Affordable Care Act and a case that rejected the Trump administration β s desire for a citizenship question in the 2020 U.S. Census .
β Roberts is playing a little bit more of a long game and trying to bend the arc of the universe just a bit more slowly , β Fallon said . β He is trying to achieve those same gains that his colleagues on the conservative majority have in mind , but to do it off the front pages . β
Whatever the end goal , the Roberts approach is likely to decrease public pressure on more radical changes that would remake the structure or balance of the court . | Ju1Na3LLMxfRZJqo | 0 | Supreme Court | -0.1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
terrorism | Newsmax | http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/us-russia-probe-syria/2017/04/07/id/783177/ | US Probing: Did Russia Take Part in Syria Chemical Weapons Attack? | 2017-04-07 | Terrorism, Chemical Weapons, Russia, Syria | The United States is looking into whether Russia participated in the Syrian chemical weapons attack that provoked President Donald Trump 's airstrikes against the Assad government , a revelation that could have dramatic implications for relations between Washington and Moscow .
On Friday , senior U.S. military officials said a drone belonging to either Russia or Syria was seen hovering over the site of the chemical weapons attack after the assault earlier this week . Russia is one of Syria 's most important patrons and has long resisted U.S. efforts to push President Bashar Assad from power .
Even as Trump advisers insisted that Thursday night 's U.S. missile strike did not mark a significant shift in American policy , he called on other nations to help `` end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria . ''
The president approved the strike while in Florida for a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping . He did not respond to shouted questions about the assault from reporters as he opened meetings with Xi on Friday .
The strikes β59 missiles launched from the USS Ross and USS Porter β hit the government-controlled Shayrat air base in central Syria , where U.S. officials say the Syrian military planes that dropped the chemicals had taken off . The U.S. missiles hit at 8:45 p.m. in Washington , 3:45 Friday morning in Syria . The missiles targeted the base 's airstrips , hangars , control tower and ammunition areas , officials said .
Russia condemned the move as an act of `` aggression . '' But there was widespread praise from other nations , including Saudi Arabia and Turkey , which support the Syrian opposition .
British Prime Minister Theresa May 's office says the action was `` an appropriate response to the barbaric chemical weapons attack launched by the Syrian regime , and is intended to deter further attacks . '' France , Italy and Israel also welcomed the strikes .
In Washington , Republican leaders applauded Trump 's actions , despite the president launching the strike without congressional authorization . Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell called Trump 's decision `` entirely correct . ''
`` I think the president had the authority to do what he did , and I 'm glad he did it , '' McConnell said .
Democrats were muted in their response . Sen. Dianne Feinstein , R-Calif. , said the strikes were `` a limited but necessary response '' and called on Trump to `` develop a comprehensive strategy to end Syria 's civil war . ''
The Syrian military said at least 7 people were killed and several were wounded in the strikes on the air base .
The U.S. assault marked a striking reversal for Trump , who warned as a candidate against the U.S. being pulled into the Syrian civil war that began six years ago .
U.S. officials placed some of the blame on Russia , which has brokered a 2013 agreement with Washington to strip Syria of its chemical weapons stockpiles . Secretary of State Rex Tillerson , in Florida with Trump , said Moscow had failed to live up to its obligations .
`` Either Russia has been complicit or Russia has been simply incompetent in its ability to deliver on its end of the agreement , '' Tillerson said .
The U.S. Tomahawk missiles , fired from warships in the Mediterranean Sea , targeted an air base in retaliation for the attack that America believes Syrian government aircraft launched with the nerve agent sarin mixed with chlorine gas . The president did not announce the attacks in advance , though he and other national security officials ratcheted up their warnings to the Syrian government throughout the day Thursday .
The strike came as Trump was hosting Xi in meetings focused in part on another pressing U.S. security dilemma : North Korea 's nuclear program . Trump 's actions in Syria could signal to China that the new president is n't afraid of unilateral military steps , even if key nations like China are standing in the way .
Trump had advocated greater counterterrorism cooperation with Russia , Assad 's most powerful military backer . Just last week , the Trump administration signaled the U.S. was no longer interested in trying to push Assad from power over his direction of a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and led to the worst refugee crisis since World War II .
U.S. officials portrayed the strikes as an appropriate , measured response and said they did not signal a broader shift in the Trump administration 's approach to the Syrian conflict . But there could be other problems . Russian military personnel and aircraft are embedded with Syria 's , and Iranian troops and paramilitary forces are also on the ground helping Assad fight the array of opposition groups hoping to topple him .
Before the strikes , U.S. military officials said they informed their Russian counterparts of the impending attack . The goal was to avoid any accident involving Russian forces .
Nevertheless , Russia 's Deputy U.N. ambassador Vladimir Safronkov warned that any negative consequences from the strikes would be on the `` shoulders of those who initiated such a doubtful and tragic enterprise . ''
The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin believes that the U.S. strike on a Syrian air base is an `` aggression against a sovereign state in violation of international law . '' Iran 's foreign ministry also condemned the strike and called it a violation of international law .
The U.S. also notified its partner countries in the region prior to launching the strikes .
Trump 's decision to attack Syria came three-and-a-half years after President Barack Obama threatened Assad with military action after an earlier chemical weapons attack killed hundreds outside Damascus . Obama had declared the use of such weapons a `` red line . '' At the time , several American ships in the Mediterranean were poised to launch missiles , only for Obama to abruptly pull back after key U.S. ally Britain and the U.S. Congress balked at his plan .
He opted instead for the Russian-backed plan that was supposed to remove and eliminate Syria 's chemical weapons stockpiles .
The world learned of the chemical attack earlier in the week in footage that showed people dying in the streets and bodies of children stacked in piles . The international outcry fueled an emotional response from Trump , who appeared to abandon his much-touted `` America First '' vision for a stance of humanitarian intervention , akin to that of previous American leaders .
The show of force in Syria raises legal questions . It 's unclear what authority Trump is relying on to attack another government . When Obama intervened in Libya in 2011 , he used a U.N. Security Council mandate and NATO 's overall leadership of the mission to argue that he had legal authority β arguments many Republicans opposed . Trump ca n't rely on either justification here . | a93eabda6b4b98b5 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
media_bias | Axios | https://www.axios.com/debate-biden-trump-hunter-newswhip-3b54c777-c007-4228-8fc5-9ab9e5f821c4.html | Hunter Biden saga dominates online debate | 2020-10-27 | Media Industry, Facts And Fact Checking, 2020 Election Fact Checking, Hunter Biden, Media Bias | Verifying you are human. This may take a few seconds. | a49d7f36f8ead561 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/16/politics/christie-bridge-scandal/index.html?hpt=po_c1 | Christie administration lawyers up; subpoenas going out | 2014-01-16 | politics | Story highlights CNN has obtained some of the names of those subpoenaed
Subpoenas for documents to be issued to 17 individuals , three groups
No subpoena for Gov . Christie at this point in bridge scandal
Members of Christie 's team are accused of exacting political retribution
Chris Christie 's administration got outside legal help on Thursday as a special state legislative committee decided to issue 20 subpoenas to launch its formal investigation of a scandal over alleged political retribution by top aides to the New Jersey governor .
The subpoenas for 17 individuals and three organizations seek documents for now , said Democratic Assemblyman John Wisniewski , chairman of the panel .
He refused to identify any recipients , saying they should learn of their subpoenas through being served instead of the news media .
But CNN has obtained some of the names of those subpoenaed , including top current and former Christie administration officials .
According to a source familiar with the subpoenas , among those served are : Kevin O'Dowd , Christie 's chief of staff , David Samson , a close adviser , Bridget Anne Kelly , former deputy chief of staff , Bill Stepien , two-time Christie campaign manager , Charlie McKenna , Christie 's chief counsel , Regina Egea , incoming chief of staff , Michael Drewniak , Christie 's chief spokesman , Nicole Davidman Drewniak , Bill Baroni , top New Jersey official at Port Authority and Christie appointee , Patrick Foye , Port Authority executive director , Maria Comella , Colin Reed and Matt Mowers .
JUST WATCHED Key players subpoenaed in bridge scandal Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Key players subpoenaed in bridge scandal 01:20
The committee is also looking at entities that had to do with the governor 's re-election , the source said .
Christie fired Kelly and asked Stepien to leave his political operation after last week 's release of explosive e-mails on the scandal .
One name not on the list so far is Christie , as Wisniewski said there was `` no intention '' to subpoena the Republican governor at this time because no documents made public so far showed a `` direct link '' to him .
Christie 's office announced earlier his administration retained an outside law firm to help deal with the scandal involving traffic gridlock around the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee last September .
E-mails made public last week suggested the lane closures that caused four days of jammed roads were orchestrated by top Christie aides to punish the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee for not endorsing the governor 's re-election .
Also Thursday , the New Jersey Senate announced its own investigation in coordination with Wisniewski 's panel , widening the political response to the controversial closing of access lanes to the nation 's busiest bridge .
U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman is also looking into the bridge matter , bringing the total number of investigations to four , including an internal review by Christie 's office .
Christie has promised cooperation with `` appropriate '' investigations of the matter , which could harm the presidential ambitions of the early front-runner for the Republican nomination in 2016 .
He appeared to refer to the scandal when he told a Thursday morning event involving Superstorm Sandy recovery efforts that `` no one , I can assure you , ever told me or anyone on my team that it was going to be easy . ''
`` Whatever test they put in front of me , I will meet those tests , '' Christie said to applause .
Separately , a source close to Christie said the governor believes the investigations into the scandal will be a long process .
Christie does not intend to address the controversy in his inaugural address after he gets sworn in for a second term next week , the source told CNN 's Dana Bash on condition of not being identified .
Documents made public last week suggested that top staffers in Christie 's administration orchestrated the traffic logjam in Fort Lee as payback for the failure of the town 's Democratic mayor to endorse the governor for re-election .
Those served will have two weeks to supply the requested documents , Wisniewski said , adding he expected his committee to meet again in mid-February to consider what it had received and possible next steps .
Christie said last week he knew nothing about any decision by aides to close highway lanes as political punishment , but Wisniewski and other Democrats label such a scenario as implausible .
The traffic gridlock occurred two months before Christie was re-elected to a second term .
In a document made public Thursday by Democratic Sen. Jay Rockefeller , chairman of the Senate Commerce , Science and Transportation Committee , the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said a traffic study initially cited as the reason for the lane closures was an `` aberrational '' event conducted outside normal protocol .
The authority 's response to questions from Rockefeller also said Christie 's top appointee to the Port Authority leadership , David Wildstein , ordered the lane closures and suggested that he failed to heed warnings about their impact .
In addition , Wildstein ordered a Port Authority manager `` not to communicate information about the lane reduction '' to officials in Fort Lee and indicated `` he would control the communication about the toll lane closures , '' according to the response .
Wildstein resigned from the Port Authority late last year as the controversy unfolded .
Despite polls showing Christie as the early favorite for the Republican presidential nomination two years from now , the bridge crisis has grabbed national attention and forced the normally combative governor to adopt a more conciliatory posture .
`` Gov . Christie made clear last week that he will conduct an internal review to uncover the facts surrounding the lane closures in Fort Lee , '' his office said Thursday . `` His administration is fully cooperating with the U.S. attorney inquiry and other appropriate inquiries and requests for information . ''
The Christie administration has retained Gibson , Dunn & Crutcher LLP as outside counsel in a move the administration hopes `` will bring an outside , third party perspective to the situation . ''
Randy Mastro , a former assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York , will head the legal team .
Mastro has experience in organized crime cases and led the federal racketeering lawsuit that forced the International Brotherhood of Teamsters to hold democratic elections and to undergo court supervision . Mastro also is a former deputy mayor of New York .
On the other side , the Democratic-led State Assembly panel investigating the scandal will be assisted by attorney Reid Schar , a key figure in the federal prosecution of former Illinois Gov . Rod Blagojevich .
On Tuesday , Christie addressed the scandal briefly in his State of the State address , saying `` mistakes were clearly made . '' He also tried to shift the focus to policy initiatives , repeatedly imploring Democrats to work with him .
The allegation of political payback first made by Democrats was subsequently magnified by e-mails that state legislators released last week .
Kelly 's name appeared in e-mails with Wildstein , including one in which she wrote : `` Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee . ''
Other exchanges suggested that Stepien was aware of the maneuvering that led to traffic gridlock .
While the e-mails do not link Drewniak , the governor 's spokesman , to the traffic jam scandal or even suggest it , they indicate that he had dinner with Wildstein two days before the transportation official resigned . Wildstein thanked Drewniak for his `` sound advice , '' and the two men later e-mailed back and forth about how to announce his departure from the Port Authority .
Federal officials also are looking at New Jersey 's use of $ 25 million in Superstorm Sandy relief funds for a marketing campaign promoting the Jersey Shore 's recovery that featured Christie and his family .
In a statement Monday , Christie 's office said the `` Stronger than the Storm '' campaign was part of an `` action plan '' approved by the Obama administration and developed with the goal of showing that the New Jersey Shore was open for business several months after the storm that devastated parts of the mid-Atlantic in October 2012 .
The campaign took place the same year that Christie was running for re-election .
On Tuesday , the federal Housing and Urban Development agency described the investigation as a routine audit `` and not an investigation of the procurement process . '' | 3bf8FB6y9WfWNnrC | 0 | Politics | -1.7208 | Chris Christie | -1.2751 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
white_house | Washington Times | http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jun/15/mcconnell-obama-threat-first-amendment/ | McConnell: Obama a threat to First Amendment | 2012-06-15 | white_house | The Senate β s top Republican on Friday portrayed the Obama administration as an Orwellian-style authority bent on stifling free speech of dissidents and whose β radicalism β threatens the First Amendment .
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , in a speech at the American Enterprise Institute , a Washington conservative-leaning policy group , said the president β s push for strict donor- and contribution-disclosure requirements on most outside groups that spend money on political advertisements is a β political weapon β that can be used to target certain groups while leaving others alone .
β And that β s precisely what those who are pushing this legislation have in mind , β the Kentucky Republican said . β This is nothing less than an effort by the government itself to exposes its critics to harassment and intimidation . β
The president β s so-called Disclose Act is a direct response to a 5-4 Supreme Court ruling in 2010 that struck down most limits on corporate and union spending in elections on the grounds they violated First Amendment guarantees of free speech . That case , Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission , has been chastised by Democrats but generally applaud by Republicans .
Mr. McConnell said the Disclose Act highlights β an administration that has shown an alarming willingness itself to use the powers of government to silence these groups . β
He said the push by the administration and Democratic leaders to require donor groups to disclose the names of their supporters stems from liberals β deep suspicion of capitalism and the private sector .
β All these efforts are for the purpose of limiting the ability of those engaged in private enterprises β or certain disfavored private groups or associations β to influence the direction of our country by participating in the electoral process , β he said .
The minority leader urged conservatives to unite and fight the administration to protect First Amendment rights .
β We β ve all got to unite against these tactics , wherever we see them , β he said . β If you see these things , speak up . Call out the offenders . Get ready for the criticism . And fight back . β
Mr. McConnell also blasted Obama senior campaign adviser David Axelrod for recent comments suggesting that , if the president is re-elected in November , the administration may push for a constitution amendment for more strict campaign finance reform .
β Amending the First Amendment for the first time in history would be the ultimate act of radicalism , β he said .
Sen. Charles E. Schumer of New York , the Senate β s third-ranking Democrat , pushed back at Mr. McConnell , calling his speech β an exercise in twisted logic and doublespeak . β
β As [ former Supreme Court Justice Louis D. ] Brandeis said , sunlight is the greatest disinfectant , β Mr. Schumer said . β Senator McConnell is apparently now afraid of sunlight because the hundreds of millions of dollars being spent for his candidates and against the president , if disclosed , would create an enormous backlash . β | PDS7kxRVTItATiow | 2 | White House | -0.8 | Politics | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
voting_rights_and_voter_fraud | Washington Times | http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/mar/29/noncitizens-voting-research-irks-liberal-professor/ | How liberal professors are blackballing studies confirming Trumpβs claim of voter fraud | 2017-03-29 | voting_rights_and_voter_fraud | More than 90 political scientists have signed an open letter calling for the blacklisting of studies done by Virginia professors who estimated that thousands , and perhaps millions , of noncitizens register to vote and vote illegally in U.S. elections .
Political science professor Jesse Richman of Old Dominion University in Norfolk is one of three academics who have produced research on noncitizen voting . The research has irked liberal professors who contend that their surveys show that β zero β of some 20 million noncitizens vote in the U.S .
The anti-Richman study professors circulated an open letter that states : β The scholarly political science community has generally rejected the findings in the Richman et al . study and we believe it should not be cited or used in any debate over fraudulent voting . β
Mr. Richman discussed the β open letter β in his ODU blog entry , titled β Why I would sign the β open letter β if it were true . β
β I β m not signing it because it contains several critical distortions and mistakes , β Mr. Richman wrote .
President Trump contends that millions voted illegally in the 2016 election , and most backed Democrat Hillary Clinton . He says he plans to appoint a task force to investigate .
Mr. Richman has accused the Trump team of misconstruing his studies , and says there was not enough noncitizen voting to change Mrs. Clinton β s popular vote success . But he stands by his team β s basic finding that a significant number of noncitizens illegally register to vote .
Conservative activists are driving the anti-fraud vote movement , without much help from establishment Republicans .
Mr. Richman and his associates relied heavily on the Cooperative Congressional Election Study ( CCES ) , spearheaded by Harvard professor Stephen Ansolabehere , other scholars and the polling firm You.Gov . The biennial study on voters and their views is produced by a consortium of 28 universities . Its lengthy questionnaire inquires about voters β citizenship status , and a significant number of respondents anonymously acknowledged they were not citizens when they voted .
The most frequent journalistic synopsis of Mr. Richman β s studies is that 38,000 to as many as 2.8 million noncitizens voted in the 2008 presidential election .
β I agree with the authors of the letter that the upper end of this interval may have played an unfortunate role in the president β s rhetoric , β Mr. Richman wrote . β I have , as noted above , attempted to push back against this . I will continue to do so as I think it is important that people not get fooled by an extreme upper end estimate that is almost certainly way way way too high . β
Mr. Ansolabehere and others wrote in a 2015 rebuttal to Mr. Richman and his fellow researchers that the CCES sample size of people who said they were noncitizens was too small , and that respondents in some cases had changed their status from noncitizen to citizen . Mr. Ansolabehere did not sign the open letter .
Mr. Richman responded to the rebuttal : β These critical tests lack statistical power. β He has published a point-by-point explanation for why he and his colleagues β work is basically sound .
β We show that even if their response error argument is correct , there is still significant evidence of non-citizen participation in the U.S. electoral system , β Mr. Richman wrote .
Separate from the CCES study , a 2013 National Hispanic Survey found that 13 percent of noncitizen Hispanics said they were registered to vote . Within the margin of error , that percentage could mean that 800,000 to 2.2 million noncitizen Hispanics are registered , based on U.S. Census Bureau statistics for that demographic , a nonprofit research group told The βββ .
The Times earlier this month reported on a civil lawsuit filed by voters against Frederick County , Maryland .
The plaintiffs acquired documents and could compare lists of disqualified noncitizens for jury duty with voter registration rolls . The research found that nearly 180 noncitizens were registered to vote in 2007 , 2008 and 2009 , and that 63 actually voted . What a more comprehensive analysis of voter rolls would show is unknown since Maryland does not do such cross-checking .
In Virginia , the Public Interest Legal Foundation discovered that 1,000 noncitizens registered to vote in six countries and two cities . Of them , 200 voted .
Mr. Richman ended his blog post by saying that academics should debate all studies rather than boycott them .
β Ultimately , I believe that the debate over fraudulent voting can best advance through a thoughtful exchange of views rather than an attempt to discourage citation or consideration of any study , β he said .
Tom Fitton , president of the watchdog group Judicial Watch , which operates an anti-voter fraud unit , backed Mr. Richman β s findings .
β The Left is desperate to preserve the ability to steal elections , so a blacklist of inconvenient but valid research would be par for the course , β Mr. Fitton said in an email . β Judicial Watch has analyzed the study and believe it to be solid research . β | 2Fu3V4JsvpvEjRsF | 2 | Voting Rights And Voter Fraud | 0.5 | Elections | -0.4 | Higher Education | 0.1 | null | null | null | null |
economy_and_jobs | National Review (News) | https://www.nationalreview.com/news/economy-grows-at-record-pace-in-third-quarter-remains-below-pre-pandemic-levels/ | Economy Grows at Record Pace in Third Quarter, Remains Below Pre-Pandemic Levels | 2020-11-19 | Economy And Jobs, Labor, Economic Policy, Business, Coronavirus, Life During Covid-19 | National Review BlackRock, Vanguard Pause Corporate Meetings to Avoid Violating SEC Guidance Targeting ESG Activism Trump Administration Designates Eight Cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations House Oversight Investigating Underreported Foreign Funding at American Universities Trump Administration Pulls Approval of NYC Congestion Toll Ernst Pushes for Kelly Loefflerβs Confirmation as SBA Administrator Ahead of Senate Vote The economy grew at a record pace during the third quarter as it rebounds from the coronavirus pandemic, although it has not fully recovered to its pre-pandemic heights. GDP increased by an annualized rate of 33.1 percent during the third quarter, a stark contrast to the second quarterβs annualized rate of 31.4 percent contraction, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. The figure is a measure of how much the economy would have grown if the third quarter rate had endured for a whole year. The third quarter growth rate was slightly below economistsβ predictions of 32 percent growth. However, the economy would have to have grown an additional 13 percent to return to its level before the pandemic hit. The economic contraction of earlier this year was spurred by lockdown orders and stay at home measures, while the third quarterβs rebound came as businesses opened again across the country, boosted by the $2.2 trillion in coronavirus stimulus funds the CARES Act provided. The recovery is expected to slow down in the fourth quarter as stimulus funding expires, and the economy is expected to end the year about 3.6 percent smaller than it was when the fourth quarter of last year ended. Unemployment remains high, but initial jobless claims decreased by 40,000 to 751,000 during the week ending Saturday, the lowest level since shutdowns caused massive layoffs in March, the Labor Department said Thursday. About half of the 22 million jobs that disappeared in March and April as businesses shuttered have been recovered as of September. Send a tip to the news team at NR. As the bodies were turned over, βhundreds of βinnocent Gazansβ dance to music, and happily film this tragic event,β the Israeli government said. Gotham-mayhem pics still jolt while Hollywood-glam pics merely amuse. Europe can again become the place the world talks about when it talks about the economic frontier. Europeans have nothing to lose but their August of leisure. Thereβs moral equivalence, and then thereβs a total moral inversion. Trump breaks things only to pretend he is fixing them. On the sights, sounds, and tastes of a mammoth capital, and a bit beyond. Β© 2025 National Review Newsletters Β© 2025 National Review End your day with an after-hours roundup of NRβs top stories and biggest headlines. You have been subscribed! Check out our full lineup of newsletters to get more of our insight delivered straight to your inbox. | 96e80665f616e4f3 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
media_bias | Washington Times | https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jan/2/jill-abramson-ex-new-york-times-editor-rips-papers/ | Ex-New York Times editor Jill Abramson rips paper's 'unmistakably anti-Trump' bias | 2019-01-02 | media_bias | Jill Abramson , the Harvard lecturer who served as the first and only female executive editor of The New York Times from 2011 to 2014 , has some harsh words for her former employer in her upcoming book , saying its β unmistakably anti-Trump β agenda risks damaging its credibility .
In β Merchants of Truth : The Business of News and the Fight for Facts , β reviewed by Fox News , Ms. Abramson complains about the unabashed liberal bent taken on by her successor , executive editor Dean Baquet .
β Though Baquet said publicly he didn β t want the Times to be the opposition party , his news pages were unmistakably anti-Trump , β she wrote , according to Fox News . β Some headlines contained raw opinion , as did some of the stories that were labeled as news analysis . β
Citing late New York Times owner and publisher Adolph Ochs , Ms. Abramson wrote that β the more anti-Trump the Times was perceived to be , the more it was mistrusted for being biased . Ochs β s vow to cover the news without fear or favor sounded like an impossible promise in such a polarized environment . β
Ms. Abramson said part of the problem lies within the generational split at The Times , with younger writers coming to accept a more opinionated form of journalism .
β The more β woke β staff thought that urgent times called for urgent measures ; the dangers of Trump β s presidency obviated the old standards , β she wrote , Fox News reported .
Ms. Abramson said the paper enjoyed a significant β Trump bump β in digital subscriptions since the president took office and now that demand is driving coverage .
β Given its mostly liberal audience , there was an implicit financial reward for the Times in running lots of Trump stories , almost all of them negative : they drove big traffic numbers and , despite the blip of cancellations after the election , inflated subscription orders to levels no one anticipated , β she wrote , according to Fox News .
Ms. Abramson was an investigative reporter , Washington bureau chief , managing editor and executive editor at The Times from 1997 to 2014 . She also previously worked for The Wall Street Journal for 10 years as an investigative reporter and deputy bureau chief .
This isn β t the first time she β s criticized the paper β s news coverage . In June , she said it was in serious need of a β course correction . β
β I fear sounding like a jealous old-timer . I β ve resisted critiquing the place publicly , but this [ expletive ] is bad , β Ms. Abramson said at the time . β It β s making horrible mistakes left and right . β | Vdd6GBF6pxdP79jV | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
us_senate | Reason | http://reason.com/blog/2017/04/04/heres-the-10-step-process-to-engage-the | Hereβs The 10 Step Process to Engage The Senateβs βNuclear Optionβ | 2017-04-04 | US Senate, Nuclear, Neil Gorsuch, Politics | Unless something changes in the next few hours , it appears that at least 41 Democrats , according to The Washington Post and other media outlets , will attempt to block the nomination of Neil Gorsuch on the Senate floor . That could potentially cause Republicans to trigger the so-called `` nuclear option '' and vote to kill the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees .
That number is key in Congress ' 100-member upper chamber , where 60 votes are required to do pretty much anything ( except appoint federal judges to courts other than the Supreme Court , but more on that in a minute ) .
If Republicans ca n't get 60 votes to close off debate on Gorsuch 's nomination , Democrats would be able to filibuster and grind the Senate to a halt until Gorsuch is withdrawn from the confirmation process . The 60-vote threshold in the Senate is a somewhat unique element in parliamentary bodies around the world and one of the things that makes the U.S. Senate `` the world 's most deliberative body . ''
It 's also something of an illusion , just like all the other rules that govern how Congress operates . That 's because all the rules can be rewritten with a simple majority voteβyes , even rules that say a super-majority is needed for this or that .
The filibuster has survived for so long purely because of a bipartisan , institutional belief that it matters . Any group of 51 senators ( or fewer , in the days when the nation had fewer states ) could have killed the filibuster at any time , but that great protection against majoritarianism carries on , counter-intuitively , because no majority has ever sought to kill itβprobably because all majorities eventually become minorities , and no minority has ever made the mistake of goading the majority into killing it , as the Democrats appear willing to do this week .
Still , this is n't the first time the filibuster has been weakened substantially . Democrats struck the first blow against the filibuster in 2013 by rewriting the rules so the 60-vote threshold no longer applied to all federal court appointments except appointments to the Supreme Court .
It 's widely assumed that if Republicans ca n't get eight Democrats to vote in favor of cloture on Gorsuch this week , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Kentucky ) will trigger the so-called `` nuclear option '' and abolish the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees .
Here 's how it would go downβwith Republicans following the same path as Democrats did in 2013 .
Step 1 : The Senate will vote to invoke `` cloture , '' which ends debate on whatever issue is before the chamber . Under Rule XXII , the Senate requires 60 votes to approve cloture and end a debate .
Step 2 : Assuming cloture fails ( if it succeed , no nuclear option would be necessary ) , a Republican senator will move to reconsiderβaka , revoteβon the cloture motion . After it fails a second time , Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Kentucky ) will raise a point of order declaring that all Supreme Court nominees can be approved with a simple majority vote .
Step 3 : The Senate President pro tempore gets to rule on whether points of order are approved ( that is , in line with the Senate 's rules ) or overruled , based on Senate rules and precedent . In this case , Senate President Orrin Hatch ( R-Utah ) would presumably rule that McConnell 's point of order is overruled , because Senate rules and precedent say cloture is required for Supreme Court nominees .
Step 4 : Here 's where the change really happens . McConnell gets overruled , but he 's allowed under Senate rules to appeal the ruling of the Senate president . If he wants to invoke the `` nuclear option , '' he will appeal Hatch 's decision , which triggers an immediate vote ( meaning there can be no debate before the vote ) on Hatch 's ruling .
Step 5 : The vote on the Senate president 's ruling is a simple majority vote . If a majority of the Senate votes `` nay '' on Hatch 's interpretation of the Senate rules , a new precedent is set to guide future votes on U.S. Supreme Court nomineesβnamely , a precedent saying cloture is not required .
Step 6 : Democrats will likely appeal that vote , with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-New York ) raising a point of order and asking the President pro tempore if cloture is required for U.S. Supreme Court nominees .
Step 7 : Hatch will cite the just-taken vote as a new Senate precedent that the threshold for approving Supreme Court nominees is a simple majority . He will overrule Schumer 's point of order .
Step 8 : Schumer can appeal this ruling and call for a vote on the Senate President 's ruling . Just like what happened in Step 4 , this triggers an immediate vote .
Step 9 : The Republican majority will defeat Schumer 's appeal , and Hatch 's interpretation of the rules ( the new interpretation , which says only a simple majority is needed ) will be confirmed .
Step 10 : Finally , after all the parliamentary shenanigans , the Senate will return to the question of Gorsuch 's nomination . With the new precedent in place , a simple majority vote will approve Gorsuch 's nominee and make him the 113th member of the U.S. Supreme Court .
As Peter Suderman wrote in 2013 when then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid ( D-Nevada ) did this , the Senate is basically a very elaborate , expensive version of Calvinball . That 's the fictional sport from the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes played and invented by the two title characters . There are a slew of complicated rules associated with the game , most of which are arbitrary and some of which are utterly nutty , but the most important thing to know about the game is that any of the rules can be changed at any time , usually by any player , except perhaps when there are rules prohibiting some players from making those changes .
`` It 's a game , in other words , with an awful lot of complex and arcane rules that tend to evolve over time and are generally determined by the players themselvesβrules that usually have to be obeyed , except when they do n't , '' Suderman wrote . `` This is not an exact description of how the Senate works , but it 's close enough . And it 's a reasonably useful context in which to understand the most recent squabble over the filibuster . ''
A similar move with Gorsuch 's nomination would preserve the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees , a tool both parties might someday wish they still had at their disposal . | e83d556fe38016c4 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
education | National Review | https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/12/most-absurd-politically-correct-moments-last-decade/ | The Most Absurd PC Moments of the 2010s | 2019-12-31 | education | Attendees at the Women β s March in Washington D.C. , in 2017 . ( Shannon Stapleton/Reuters )
A lot has happened in the last decade β including a lot of things being called racist , sexist , offensive , or insensitive .
Here , in no particular order , are 24 of the most absurdly politically correct moments of the decade :
1 . A college diversity-training course taught that it was culturally insensitive to expect people to be on time .
A Clemson University training course taught its attendees that it is offensive to expect people to be on time , because β time may be considered fluid β in other cultures.-
According to a piece in Everyday Feminism , β trigger warning β is actually in itself a trigger β because it could β be re-traumatizing for folks who have suffered military , police , and other forms of violence. β ( The piece recommended using β content warning β instead . )
3 . A professor was accused of sexual harassment for saying that effort is 10 percent of the grade .
A Brooklyn College of City University of New York professor says he was forced to change his syllabus after he was accused of β sexual harrassment β for stating that effort was 10 percent of the grade .
4 . A campus survey included a trigger warning to caution college students that it may contain β anatomical names of body parts . β
The survey was distributed at several major universities β because , apparently , college students just might not be able to handle the kinds of words that most kids hear in their middle-school biology classes .
5 . University researchers demanded that we accept people who β identify as real vampires . β
Apparently , it β s the least we can do to prevent anti-vampire discrimination .
6 . A Seattle-area councilman was concerned about the city hosing poop off of its sidewalks because he thought that it might seem too racially insensitive .
The area in question reportedly stank like β urine and excrement β β but one councilman was worried that hosing it down could be a microaggression .
7 . A bathing-suit advertisement was criticized for being β sexist β because it depicted a woman in a bathing suit .
I thought it was normal for product advertisements to depict the product that they β re selling β but apparently , I was wrong .
8 . Some feminists decided that β pussyhats β were both racist and transphobic .
Why ? Well , because not all women have vaginas , and not all vaginas are pink , of course .
9 . A professor claimed that the small chairs in preschools are sexist , β disempowering , β and β problematic . β
Apparently , it makes no difference that preschoolers are small people .
10 . College students decided against bringing a camel to school for a β Hump Day β event , due to concerns about racism .
Students at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota were worried that the presence of a camel might offend Middle Eastern students .
11 . A school in Seattle reportedly insisted that Easter eggs be called β spring spheres . β
Maybe calling them , simply , β eggs β would still have been too religious ? Hard to say .
12 . A group of Berkeley students insisted that they could not take their in-class exam due to their lack of privilege .
Apparently , test-taking was just too emotionally taxing for some University of Berkeley students to be able to handle .
13 . The phrase β long time , no see β was reportedly declared to be β derogatory β toward Asians .
A student at Colorado State University said she was told that she shouldn β t use the phrase β despite the fact that even NPR admits that β it is so widespread as a greeting that there β s nothing to indicate the term β s origins , be they Native American or Mandarin Chinese . β
14 . A college newspaper changed its name from β The Bullet β because its editors were concerned that that name was too dangerous .
The University of Mary Washington changed its newspaper β s name from β The Bullet β to β The Blue and GrayPress β β because its editors were worried that the old name β propagated violence . β
15 . Lecturers were warned that capital letters might scare students and that they should avoid using them .
Journalism lecturers at Leeds Trinity University were instructed to avoid using all caps when communicating with students , because it might make them too afraid to do the assignment .
16 . A campus-wide email told white students to stop wearing hooped earrings , because doing so was cultural appropriation .
A resident assistant at Pitzer College sent an email to her entire school claiming that white girls wearing hooped earrings was offensive to β the black and brown bodies who typically wear hooped earrings . β
17 . A campus Christian club was found guilty of discrimination for requiring its leaders to be Christians .
Apparently , the Chico State University club β s rules violated a 2011 executive order .
18 . Oxford University law students were told that they didn β t have to learn about rape or violence law if they found it too triggering .
Undergraduate law students were reportedly allowed to leave during any lessons about such material if they felt uncomfortable .
According to a piece in the Huffington Post , the adverb has β deprived β β most women β β of self-satisfaction and appreciation . β
20 . A liberal author demanded that β normal people β avoid wearing any kind of red hat , because all red hats can be too scary .
22 . Evergreen State University told professors to take student protesters β feelings into account when grading them .
Apparently , their β emotional commitment β to protesting should be taken into account when evaluating their academic work . ( Apparently , grading classwork based on , you know , classwork would be too insensitive . )
23 . A lot of college kids were upset about The Vagina Monologues .
Several colleges and universities either canceled or adapted performances of The Vagina Monologues over concerns about excluding women without vaginas . One school , Southwestern University in Texas , canceled theirs for another reason : because a white lady wrote it . | nHmY6DxB0KKxCK47 | 2 | Education | -1 | Woke Culture | -0.8 | Cancel Culture | -0.6 | Political Correctness | -0.6 | Public Opinion | 0 |
gun_control_and_gun_rights | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/13/politics/gun-laws-battle/index.html?hpt=po_c1 | Countdown to new wave in gun violence battle | 2013-01-13 | Gun Control And Gun Rights | What proposals do you want to see to reduce gun violence ? Share them at CNN iReport , Facebook , Twitter , or in the comments below .
( CNN ) -- When a set of recommendations to reduce gun violence hits President Barack Obama 's desk on Tuesday , it will trigger a new stage in a decisive political battle consuming Washington . And it will show just how much America may have changed in the wake of last month 's massacre in Newtown , Connecticut .
The proposals from a White House task force may include some with broad support on issues involving mental health . But one of the most intense flashpoints is already known : The group , overseen by Vice President Joe Biden , is expected to support reinstating an assault weapons ban .
`` I would say that the likelihood is they will not be able to get an assault weapons ban through this Congress , '' National Rifle Association President David Keene said Sunday .
But the powerful gun rights lobbying group is gearing up for a fight , which , CNN has learned , will include an ad campaign .
`` When a president takes all the power of his office and is willing to expend political capital , you do n't want to make predictions , '' Keene said on `` State of the Union . ''
Keene said he also does not believe Congress will pass a ban on high-capacity magazines .
The NRA argues that such bans wo n't help stop gun violence and that they infringe on Second Amendment rights .
But Sen. Chris Murphy , D-Connecticut , said the NRA 's prediction is wrong . `` I think that this issue is going to continue to move , '' he told `` State of the Union , '' speaking from Newtown .
`` The NRA does not represent gun owners anymore . This is not your father 's NRA . It represents gun manufacturers , '' Murphy said .
While the NRA does receive large sums of money from gun makers , Keene insisted that manufacturers are `` not our constituency . ''
`` Our constituency is twofold , '' he said . `` It 's the American people who want to own guns and use them legally , and it 's the Second Amendment itself . ''
Biden told reporters last week , amid meetings with a wide array of groups , that he had never heard so much support for `` the need to do something about high-capacity magazines . ''
Sen. Dianne Feinstein , who is pushing a ban similar to one that expired in 2004 , has said she believes it will make it through Congress .
`` All of the things that society regulates , but we ca n't touch guns ? That 's wrong , '' Feinstein said in December after 27 people , including 20 children at Sandy Hook Elementary School , were killed in Newtown by a gunman who then shot himself to death .
Obama set up the task force and instructed the group to have proposals by the end of January . Biden said last week he will have a set of recommendations ready for the president by Tuesday .
While the NRA , with 4.2 million members , holds a great deal of sway , it faces a country deeply concerned about the kinds of weapons that have been used in numerous mass killings . It 's also facing a new foe : a political action committee created by former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband , Mark Kelly .
Giffords was shot in the head in a mass shooting two years ago that killed six people .
`` With Americans for Responsible Solutions engaging millions of people about ways to reduce gun violence and funding political activity nationwide , legislators will no longer have reason to fear the gun lobby , '' the two vowed in a USA Today op-ed last week .
Obama made clear Saturday that he 's ready for a fight over how to respond to gun violence .
In his weekly radio address , he gave a list of challenges ahead , including protecting `` our children from the horrors of gun violence . ''
`` These , too , will be difficult missions for America . But they must be met , '' he said .
The Obama administration will try to pass an assault weapons ban , an administration official said Friday .
Sen. Joe Manchin , D-West Virginia , told CNN he believes that a ban on assault weapons alone , `` in the political reality that we have today , will not go anywhere . '' A strong advocate for Second Amendment rights with an `` A '' rating from the NRA , he has expressed openness to changing laws but argues that other aspects of society should change as well . `` It has to be a comprehensive approach , '' he argued Sunday on `` State of the Union . ''
Sen. Chuck Schumer , D-New York , on Sunday called on the nation 's largest gun retailers to `` participate in a temporary moratorium on selling assault-style rifles until Congress has considered legislation to reduce gun violence , '' his office said in a statement .
`` Since the Sandy Hook massacre , sales of assault-style rifles have skyrocketed and are poised to grow even further during an upcoming 'Gun Appreciation Day ' organized by extreme pro-gun activists , '' the statement said .
The group behind the event , scheduled for January 19 , uses its website to encourage Americans to `` go to your local gun store , gun range or gun show with your Constitution , American flags and your 'Hands off my Guns ' sign to send a loud and clear message . ''
Dick 's Sporting Goods , one of the largest sporting goods retailers , suspended sales of certain semi-automatic rifles nationwide after the Newtown massacure .
Another likely point of contention between gun rights activists and those supporting stricter gun control is a call for universal background checks .
Biden has said several groups that his task force met with support such checks for all gun buyers , including those who purchase through private sales .
Keene has also told CNN that he does not support instituting background checks for purchases at gun shows .
He said Sunday the NRA does support the idea that people who are ruled mentally incompetent should be listed as not allowed to purchase firearms .
In the interview Sunday , Keene complained that Biden 's panel did n't really listen to what the NRA had to say .
Despite promises that the task force had not reached conclusions before hearing from all sides , `` the conclusions were reached , '' he argued . `` We suspected all they wanted to be able to do was to say he had talked to us , and now they were going to go forward to do what they wanted to do . ''
Another question facing Biden 's panel is how to tackle images of shootings in entertainment .
His task force met with leaders of the the film , TV and video game industries .
It 's unknown what the task force may suggest as a response to what Obama has described as a culture that often `` glorifies guns and violence . ''
Meanwhile , across the country , Americans of all stripes are debating the issue in person , in town hall meetings , and in social media . | 31af3de18763c16a | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
race_and_racism | Washington Times | http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/4/jed-babbin-police-political-war-stoked-by-radical-/ | OPINION: Wild claims of police oppression fit the radical narrative | 2015-01-04 | race_and_racism | The deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner at the hands of police last year have reignited the war liberals have waged against our cops . It β s β our cops β β not β the cops β β because no matter what our race , religion , economic circumstance , we all rely on the police for our families β safety .
This is a political war that liberals have waged for decades in protests , newspapers and even in song . According to the Progressives Today website , protesters in Portland , Oregon , sang β Deck the halls with rows of dead cops , β on Dec. 28 . The β brave protesters , β according to the report , did so while blocking streets in supposed demonstration against the death of Michael Brown .
These are the same sorts of people who have β at least three times β invited Wesley Cook to speak at college commencements . The latest , held at Goddard College in Vermont , was announced in September by interim college President Bob Kenny . He said , β Choosing [ Cook ] as their commencement speaker , to me , shows how this newest group of Goddard graduates expresses their freedom to engage and think radically and critically in a world that often sets up barriers to do just that . β
That announcement drew condemnation from Maureen Faulkner . Who is she to object ? She is the widow of Philadelphia cop Daniel Faulkner , whom Cook β now known as Mumia Abu-Jamal β murdered in 1981 . First condemned to death for the brutal killing , Abu-Jamal is serving a life sentence without parole . He delivered his address by video recorded in his jail cell to satisfy the Goddard students β hunger for β thinking radically and critically . β
But for the success of this political war on police , people such as New York Mayor Bill de Blasio would probably not be in office , men such as Al Sharpton wouldn β t be prominent in a liberal parody of the civil rights movement ( and as an adviser to President Obama ) and newspapers such as The New York Times wouldn β t be waging the war on their editorial pages . And cop killers such as Mumia β as he is popularly known β wouldn β t be lionized .
People such as Mr. Obama , Mr. de Blasio and the editors who wrote The New York Times editorial grew up among the protesters . They exhibit the groupthink that depends on a narrative that police are racist oppressors of the black community . One retired police officer I know is disgusted by them . He has told me many times that these liberals need to understand how the supposedly oppressed minority relies on the cops to come when they call . He says they should ride along with a police patrol one night in a minority community to see just how the people depend on the police to protect them from the crime that truly oppresses too many black communities .
Mr. Obama and Mr. de Blasio have earned the distrust and resentment of the police . Mr. Obama , from the moment he came into office , took sides against the police even when he acknowledged that he didn β t know the facts . In 2009 , he said a Cambridge , Massachusetts , police officer β acted stupidly β in arresting his pal , a Harvard professor , and then held his β beer summit β between the arresting officer and the professor . When Trayvon Martin was killed by George Zimmerman , who wasn β t a police officer , Mr. Obama said the youth could have been his son or even himself years ago . When a grand jury decided against an indictment of the police officer who shot Michael Brown , Mr. Obama stuck with the β police as oppressors β narrative . Whenever a president β s words could have led to lesser tensions between police and minority communities , Mr. Obama sowed discord .
Mr. de Blasio earned the distrust and resentment of New York β s Finest by word and deed . During his campaign , he reportedly stepped away from his New York Police Department protective detail , fearing they would eavesdrop on his political maneuvers . He campaigned against the β stop and frisk β policy that has been upheld by the courts ( despite accusations of racial bias ) and is responsible for reducing New York β s crime rates . When Garner β s death did not result in an indictment of the police officer involved , Mr. de Blasio spoke about how he and his wife have had to talk to their son β for years about the dangers that he may face. β Which dangers ? From the police , of course . Mr. de Blasio said , β We β ve had to literally train him , as families have all over this city for decades , in how to take special care in any encounter he has with the police officers who are there to protect him . β
It β s no wonder that police blame Mr. de Blasio for stoking the fear and resentment of the police that they believe led to the assassinations of two police officers Dec. 20 . The mayor earned , by conscious effort , the protests that led to officers turning their backs to him .
The shooting deaths of police officers rose more than 50 percent nationwide last year . It β s time for the president , the mayor and the media to calm this resentment and these fears . But they don β t .
The New York Times predictably chose to defend Mr. de Blasio and accuse the NYPD of β disgraceful β conduct in turning their backs on him and harboring a β snarling sense of victimhood. β The cops don β t understand that the snarling sense of victimhood is politically permitted only to liberals such as those who sing β Deck the halls with rows of dead cops . β
The NYPD officers aren β t snarling . They β re out there every day and every night protecting the people who throw curses at them . For the New York cops , and all good cops nationwide , we should give thanks .
β’ Jed Babbin is a former deputy undersecretary of defense in the George H.W . Bush administration and co-author of β The Sunni Vanguard β ( London Center for Public Policy , 2014 ) . | guBXypDI8XFAqEON | 2 | Race And Racism | -1.2 | Police | 0.7 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
white_house | Politico | https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/15/trump-appointees-loyalty-interviews-364616 | Trump team launches a sweeping loyalty test to shore up its defenses | 2020-07-15 | white_house | βββ Dispatch : July 16 Last year , βββ reported that a top Trump administration health official was using tax dollars to hire GOP consultants to boost her image . Now , an inspector general report confirms the story .
White House officials have said the interviews are a necessary exercise to determine who would be willing to serve in a second term if President Donald Trump is reelected . But officials summoned for the interviews say the exercise is distracting from numerous policy priorities , like working to fight the pandemic , revitalizing the economy or overhauling regulation , and instead reflect the White House β s conviction that a β deep state β is working to undermine the president .
It β s β an exercise in ferreting out people who are perceived as not Trump enough , β said one person briefed on the meetings .
β If they β re spending time trying to hunt down leakers , that β s time they β re taking away from advancing an agenda , β said a former senior administration official who β s spoken with officials undergoing the interviews . β And that β s irresponsible . β
The interview process , along with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows β ongoing hunt for leakers , shows how the White House β less than four months before the presidential election β remains consumed by loyalty and optics despite urgent policy problems such as a raging coronavirus pandemic , nationwide worries about reopening schools and historically high unemployment . This week β s White House drama over Anthony Fauci , the nation β s top infectious-disease doctor , highlighted the persistent internal concern about whether government officials are in line with Trump β s preferred policy approaches β such as the president β s desire to downplay the latest coronavirus surges .
The reinterviewing exercise is being led by Johnny McEntee , a 30-year-old who 's been a Trump aide since the 2016 campaign and was installed earlier this year as chief of the White House personnel office and is responsible for filling thousands or jobs across the federal agencies .
The interviews can take the form of general questions , such as an appointee β s career goals , but can also veer into territory meant to test a person β s perceived loyalty , like asking for the appointee 's thoughts on the U.S. relationship with China or probing questions about why an appointee was chosen for his or her current job . Interviewers have also asked people to give examples of ways they are supporting the administration .
β It just seems like you could be a rocket scientist , but all they care about is whether you are MAGA , β said one senior administration official familiar with the interview process . β It is fair to do something to prepare to fill jobs in a second term , but right now , it is hard to know what the metrics are with this personnel office for being successful . There is no set criteria for what makes a good political appointee . β
McEntee , a former body man for Trump , did not respond to a request for comment . A White House official who defended the process said it β s part of the personnel office β s preparations for a second term , including gauging the officials β postelection plans .
The head of the presidential personnel office under President Barack Obama called the interviews unusual . β I could definitely see that kind of questioning being uncomfortable and creating unease among political appointees , β said Rudy Mehrbani , who also vetted appointees while in the White House counsel β s office under Obama . β If you are working in one subject area like Peace Corps or USAID , that does not mean you are signing on to the administration β s position on funding for reproductive rights . β
Political appointees at the Defense Department , including a top layer of officials β undersecretaries β are going through reinterviews with the White House personnel office this month , according to a current Defense official and two former officials . During the interviews , the representatives from the personnel office are forcing senior leaders to answer questions about their loyalty to the president with an eye toward keeping their jobs in a second Trump term , the people said .
Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman countered that the interviews with the White House personnel office were set up by the Defense department β so that our political appointees could discuss second-term opportunities at the department and throughout the administration. β
In other areas of the government , the personnel tests come at a moment when Trump appointees are already struggling to manage portfolios that have ballooned during the pandemic . For instance , HHS staff have now spent more than five months juggling the round-the-clock response to the coronavirus while handling other ongoing policy goals , like the president β s focus on securing lower drug prices before the election β a balancing act that officials described as exhausting even before facing de facto loyalty tests .
Five political appointees in disparate roles across HHS said they β d either scheduled their meetings with the personnel office or were awaiting an appointment .
βββ NEWSLETTERS βββ Playbook Sign up today to receive the # 1-rated newsletter in politics . Sign Up Loading By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from βββ . You can unsubscribe at any time . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply .
The interviews also have exposed some Trump appointees to unexpected risks : Labor Department officials were forced to quarantine after meeting with a White House personnel staffer who later tested positive for the novel coronavirus , Bloomberg Law first reported .
β You would think they would want to shore up the bench in response to the pandemic or start getting ready to fill expected gaps because people get sick or they leave , β Mehrbani added . β In the run up to a transition , historically , there is lots of turnover . Those are the things the personnel office should be tending to . β
For Trump β s true believers , the interviews are viewed as a mandatory part of working in the Trump administration .
β If we β re going to extend this amount of capital on you , and push for you , they should ask more questions . I β m glad they β re doing it finally , β one White House official said . β The fact that PPO is finally considering whether people are aligned with the president β it β s long overdue . β | JOptaf3MWTk5J2Tq | 0 | Politics | 0.3 | White House | -0.2 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
economy_and_jobs | Fox News Digital | http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/17/california-cuts-off-water-to-community-farmers-in-unprecedented-drought-move/ | Community, farmers face water cut-off after California drought decision | 2015-07-14 | Agriculture, Economy And Jobs | It seems you clicked on a bad link and stumbled upon our 404 page | 508642920ef434fc | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
culture | Fox Online News | https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/taylor-swifts-political-instagram-post-causes-spike-in-voter-registration-organization-says | Taylor Swiftβs political Instagram post causes spike in voter registration, organization says | culture | New voter registration has surged in the wake of pop superstar Taylor Swift β s rare political statement on Sunday .
Fox News obtained data from Vote.org on Tuesday that shows new voter registration spiked nationwide , and in her home state of Tennessee , after the singer β s post .
Kamari Guthrie , the director of communications for Vote.org , told BuzzFeed News that the organization was β up to 65,000 registrations in a single 24-hour period β since Swift β s post .
Vote.org said 56,669 people registered nationwide in August , and 190,178 registered in September .
So far , 153,978 people have registered nationwide in October , and we 're just nine days in .
`` Taylor 's post has helped bring out young voters : a majority of new registrations since Sunday have been from people between 18 and 29 years old ( about 64K out of the 105K total new registrations ) , β Vote.org said in a statement regarding Swift β s Instagram post . β We 're especially happy to see that because we know voting is habit-forming ; statistically , a young person who votes in 2018 is 55 percent more likely to vote again in 2020 . β
The organization also said it received at least 2,144 voter registrations from Tennessee residents in the past 36 hours since her post , almost half of the 5,183 people who have registered to vote there in October .
TRUMP SAYS HE LIKES TAYLOR SWIFT β ABOUT 25 PERCENT LESS β AFTER MARSHA BLACKBURN DIG
On Sunday , Swift broke her political silence with an Instagram message . She bashed Republican Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn , currently a state congresswoman .
`` As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office , I can not support Marsha Blackburn , '' Swift told her 112 million Instagram followers . `` Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me . ''
Swift said the congresswoman `` voted against equal pay for women . She voted against the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act , which attempts to protect women from domestic violence , stalking , and date rape . She believes businesses have a right to refuse service to gay couples . She also believes they should not have the right to marry . ''
TAYLOR SWIFT BASHES BLACKBURN IN FAVOR OF TENNESSEE DEMS , BREAKING POLITICAL SILENCE
`` These are not MY Tennessee values , '' the `` Fearless '' singer said online .
Swift wrote she will be voting for Democrat Phil Bredesen for the Senate , and also for Rep. Jim Cooper , a Democrat who 's running for re-election .
In 2016 , Blackburn won her House re-election race , defeating Democrat Tharon Chandler . She represented Tennessee β s 7th congressional district . Blackburn received more than 72 percent of the vote , The New York Times reported . Blackburn is running to replace Republican Sen. Bob Corker β s seat . Corker announced last year that he will be retiring from the Senate . Bredesen is running against Blackburn .
Following Swift 's endorsements , President Trump told reporters on Monday that he likes her music β about 25 percent less . β
`` I 'm sure Taylor Swift has nothing or does n't know anything about her , '' Trump said of the 28-year-old singer . `` Let 's say that I like Taylor 's music about 25 percent less now , OK ? '' | 3898jg4jKSt4pyrx | 2 | Taylor Swift | 0.1 | Elections | 0 | Midterm Elections | 0 | Culture | 0 | null | null | |
politics | NPR Online News | http://www.npr.org/2017/04/10/523145951/elections-to-replace-some-trump-cabinet-picks-looking-tighter-than-anticipated | Elections To Replace Some Trump Cabinet Picks Looking Tighter Than Anticipated | 2017-04-10 | politics | Elections To Replace Some Trump Cabinet Picks Looking Tighter Than Anticipated
Democrats are hoping to prove that the growing opposition to President Trump is very real with an upset in one β or possibly even two β upcoming special congressional elections .
Their best chance is in Georgia 's 6th District , where Republicans are scrambling to stop Democrat Jon Ossoff from winning the contest outright with a majority of the vote in an April 18 all-party primary .
But now there 's growing concern over a previously sleepy race in Kansas to replace new CIA Director Mike Pompeo . Fearing a low-turnout election and an underperforming GOP candidate , Republicans are sending in their cavalry at the eleventh hour to prevent an upset in the race that 's headed to the polls Tuesday .
That 's still an unlikely outcome , but if Democrats keep the race in ruby red Kansas close , it could give them more momentum and optimism heading into Georgia the following week .
A 30-year-old documentary filmmaker and former congressional staffer , Ossoff has become a vehicle for the anti-Trump sentiment nationwide . He announced this week that he had raised an eye-popping $ 8.3 million in the race β an unheard of number for a congressional contest in such a short time . But 95 percent of that came from out-of-state donors , with the help of progressive blogs and celebrity endorsements .
Still , that money has allowed him to dwarf his opponents on air and build an impressive field organization that 's put him just within reach of winning with a majority outright on April 18 β a nearly unthinkable feat in an 18-candidate field .
Republicans , at this point , just need to keep Ossoff below 50 percent and force him into a June 20 runoff , where they feel much better about the chances that one of several candidates who have emerged as top-tier challengers β most likely former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel , Johns Creek City Councilman Bob Gray , state Sen. Judson Hill or former state Sen. Dan Moody β would have against Ossoff then .
National Republican groups have poured about $ 4 million into the race to knock down Ossoff , looking to tie him to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. β still toxic with the GOP base and a motivating factor to turn out their voters , Republicans say β at and to argue he 's tried to embellish his national security credentials .
One ad last week from the Congressional Leadership Fund , a superPAC with ties to House leadership , went for the jugular by pointing out Ossoff 's documentary company had received money from `` Al Jazeera , a media outlet that has been described as a mouthpiece for terrorists . ''
This is the type of district that 's primed for a possible upset β even though now-Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price won re-election easily here time after time , Trump carried Georgia 's 6th District by only 1 point last year after Mitt Romney won it by 23 points in 2012 . This is the northern Atlanta suburbs β a growing , diverse and well-educated area , just like the places where Trump struggled mightily last fall .
With the GOP field fractured , Ossoff has been able to corral his considerable resources into a sizable advantage , and his best shot is to deliver a knockout punch and win the April 18 contest outright . If he 's pushed into a runoff , and the race becomes a more traditional contest and GOP attacks have more time to permeate , winning Tom Price 's old House seat looks much harder for Ossoff .
This contest on Tuesday is giving Republicans some late heartburn , as they 're worried about a low-turnout contest , a depressed GOP base and an underperforming nominee .
Unlike the Georgia district up for grabs next week , the 4th Congressional District in Kansas , which includes Wichita , is one Trump won comfortably by 27 points . But the race has largely flown under the radar , and Republicans worry their base may not show up for GOP nominee Rob Estes , the state treasurer .
So in the eleventh hour , Republicans are now sending in their cavalry . The National Republican Congressional Committee went up with an ad last week hitting Democratic nominee James Thompson on his position on abortion rights , Vice President Pence has recorded a robo-call on Estes ' behalf and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz β who won Kansas big in the state 's presidential caucuses last year β will campaign with Estes on Monday .
Also working against Republicans is Gov . Sam Brownback 's unpopularity in the state , and Thompson has tried to tie Estes to the governor .
Ultimately , the late help will still probably be enough to pull Estes over the finish line on Tuesday , and there 's been no major late surge of interest by national Democrats in the race that would signify that they have a real chance of pulling off an upset . In fact , the state party turned down requests from Thompson for help last month .
But a closer-than-expected result could only give Democrats more momentum and optimism heading into Georgia the following week .
If there 's an upset in Georgia and if the Kansas contest is close , expect progressive activists to turn their sights to this May 25 contest between Republican Greg Gianforte and Democrat Rob Quist to become the state 's lone representative in the House .
Democrats have been able to break through in the state 's gubernatorial and Senate races ( though Sen. Jon Tester is a top target in 2018 ) but they have n't held the state 's only House seat in almost two decades .
And without a significant late shift toward Quist , Gianforte , a wealthy software executive who ran unsuccessfully for governor last year , still looks poised to win .
Progressive groups such as the Daily Kos and Democracy for America have looked to boost Quist , a banjo-playing folk and bluegrass singer who has written his own campaign song . The Democratic nominee , who 's making his first run for office , has jabbed at Gianforte for keeping a low profile while Quist has held town halls across the state .
Quist , however , has his own problems with tax liens , which he has blamed on medical costs and insurance prices , according to Montana Public Radio . The GOP superPAC Congressional Leadership Fund has already hit Quist with $ 700,000 in attack ads , too , painting him as too liberal .
Ultimately , the GOP-lean of the state which Trump won by 21 points and Gianforte 's deep pockets still looks like too much for Democrats to overcome . But , like Kansas , this one could take on a life of its own late in the game .
If Democrats are able to pull off wins in any of these contests , the party will be crowing that this spells doom for President Trump and Republicans in the 2018 midterms . And , to be sure , it would be a devastating blow for any House seat this early on in Trump 's already-struggling presidency to switch hands β especially ones previously held by his Cabinet members .
Ultimately , House special elections are snapshots in time β and right now Democrats need to be able to prove their opposition to Trump , with protests and marches , is n't just all talk and no results . Winning one of these races would prove they can turn their grass-roots ' anti-Trump sentiment into real blowback at the ballot box .
But it 's also not a guarantee of future success , and if Ossoff wins , for example , he 'd start out with a target on his back in 2018 , when the weird dynamics of a multicandidate field are n't in play and he 'd have much more trouble raising millions of dollars if he is n't the only game in town .
However , if Ossoff does n't win , that is n't a signal , either , of Democratic fortunes in 2018 . Democrats have plenty of other targets beyond Georgia 's 6th District to put the House in play , as well . Midterm elections of a first-term president are a referendum on the commander in chief , and if Trump 's approval continues to sink and his administration continues to be mired in controversy , there will by myriad opportunities for Democrats .
Beyond that trio of more compelling contests , there are two other vacancies still to be voted on . The 23-way California contest to succeed now-state Attorney General Xavier Becerra in California 's 34th Congressional District was whittled down April 4 , with Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez and Los Angeles Planning Commissioner Robert Lee Ahn advancing to a June 6 runoff .
Progressive groups had hoped to get one of their favorite candidates through in this Los Angeles district where Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders beat Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary last year . But with that vote splintered , Ahn was able to edge through , benefiting from a growing Asian population in the district .
Gomez was the front-runner to begin with , and probably remains as such in the runoff . He raised the most money of any candidate in the race and has secured endorsements from many Democratic insiders , including Becerra .
In South Carolina , whoever wins the GOP nomination in the 5th Congressional District will be a near-lock to succeed White House Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney .
The overwhelming number of votes in this race will come from York County , the largest area of the district that 's seen a boom as a growing suburb of Charlotte . Former state Rep. Ralph Norman , whose family owns a major real estate development company in the area , already has a base in the area , and he resigned from the Legislature to focus on the race . State House Speaker Pro Tempore Tommy Pope represents part of the district 's base in Columbia , too , and he already has name recognition in the state from being the lead prosecutor on the high-profile 1994 case of Susan Smith , the mother who was found guilty of drowning her two young sons in a car .
The primary is on May 2 , and Republicans in the state say Pope and Norman have the best chance to advance to a likely May 16 runoff if no candidate gets a majority . But former state GOP Chairman Chad Connelly , who was faith engagement director for the Republican National Committee , has run a strong campaign too and could pull in votes from heavily evangelical voters .
Ultimately , the GOP primary is shaping up to be a contest about who 's the most conservative , and do n't expect to see candidates shirk away from Trump as they play up their praise of Mulvaney . Whoever wins the nomination will be the heavy favorite come June .
Democrats have n't held the seat since John Spratt , the then-Budget Committee chairman , was defeated by Mulvaney in 2010 , and the seat has only gotten more Republican since then , voting for Trump by almost 20 points . | On55B2ls2pg86ZTN | 1 | Democratic Party | 0.8 | Politics | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
china | Bloomberg | https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-07/trump-wants-a-china-deal-and-a-stocks-rally-he-may-not-get-both?srnd=premium | Trump Wants China Deal and Stocks Rally. He May Not Get Both | 2019-03-07 | china | LISTEN TO ARTICLE 4:05 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Share Tweet Post Email
President Donald Trump wants the stock market to celebrate if he strikes a trade deal with China . Investors may struggle to deliver .
The outcome of the talks could fall short of the definitive resolution of trade tensions that equities investors have priced in . Instead , the most likely scenario is an accord with few details , or a paucity of specifics on which tariffs will stay and which may go .
Or , as Secretary of State Michael Pompeo pointed out this week , Trump could walk away from the table during a meeting with China β s Xi Jinping -- as he did with North Korea β s Kim Jong Un -- potentially taking trade tension to a new level .
The reality is that trade friction could remain a fixture of American policy . Trump , the self-proclaimed β Tariff Man , β has drawn bipartisan support for his tough stance with China . Even Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has praised the president for using tariffs as a negotiating tool .
β The flaw in how the market thinks is that it β s less concerned than it should be about the longer-term outlook for free trade and what it could mean for corporate profitability , and whether the current global trading system is going to work as it has in the future , β said Ronald Temple , co-head of multi-asset and head of U.S. equity at Lazard Asset Management .
Trump β s dilemma , as he seeks to reignite the rally that drove stocks higher the past two months , is that he β s raised expectations . His tweets in the past week that negotiations are β moving along nicely β means markets may be vulnerable if the pact doesn β t live up to its billing .
A prime example of what β s at stake came Sunday , when reports surfaced that an accord eliminating tariffs was imminent . While stock futures registered small gains in the hours after the news , U.S. equities have been down in the three days since .
Anything could happen , as Trump himself said on Wednesday : It β s β either going to be a good deal or it β s not going to be a deal . ''
He β s pushing for U.S. negotiators to close a trade deal with China soon , concerned that he needs a big win on the international stage -- and the stock-market bump that would come with it -- in advance of his re-election campaign . He has taken note of market gains that have followed signs of progress and has told his advisers he β s concerned that the lack of an agreement could undermine stocks , βββ News has reported .
Trump has repeatedly taken credit for equities strength , citing his own economic policies as the key driver . The S & P 500 has risen around 30 percent since he was elected , and is up about 10 percent in 2019 .
Investors view the outlook for the relationship between the world β s two largest economies as a possible tipping point that could spark a sustained slowdown in global growth . Markets appear to have a binary set of expectations from Trump on trade , and he has a similarly black-and-white view of how investors would act on a deal .
β In the short-term , the best news is that tariffs go to zero , β said Michael Kushma , chief investment officer for global fixed income at Morgan Stanley Investment Management . If Trump walks away from the negotiating table during Xi β s visit , markets would take that β very negatively , β Kushma said . β The market is not ready at all for any further escalation . β
Chances are the U.S. may push to retain some tariffs to force China to stick to concessions . With trade weighing on the outlook for both economies -- the Federal Reserve noted it as a headwind in its latest Beige Book -- neither side can afford that scenario .
Bond traders are also keenly focused on the trade negotiations -- the outlook for the Fed may hinge on a deal . Rates markets have more or less given up on policy tightening this year after the Fed β s dovish pivot . But that could change on an accord .
β If you resolve the China trade issue , that removes one potential significant risk to global growth , which theoretically could make the Fed more willing to raise at some point , β said Stephen Myrow , managing partner at Beacon Policy Advisors in Washington and a former Treasury official .
And therein lies the catch that exposes Trump β s goal of trying to rally markets on a deal : A turbocharged equities market could very well revive Fed rate-hike bets for 2019 .
Chalk up that risk -- higher borrowing costs -- as something that might work to cap gains in U.S. stocks . | wW1c7ZI6fRib9aAL | 1 | Trade | 0.3 | Stock Market | 0.1 | China | 0 | null | null | null | null |
free_speech | Townhall | https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2020/05/29/why-twitter-censored-the-president-trumps-tweet-about-the-minneapolis-riots-n2569654 | Why Twitter Censored President Trump's Tweet About The Minneapolis Riots | 2020-05-29 | free_speech | As we all were last night , President Trump was watching Minneapolis descend into total anarchy . Our own Julio Rosas is there documenting the insanity . The looting has not subsided . The violence intensified . And it culminated in the police headquarters in the city β s third precinct being evacuated , overrun by rioters , and then set ablaze . Police and firefighters were reportedly given orders to stand down . It was chaos .
Minneapolis Mayor @ Jacob_Frey said he decided to sacrifice the police precinct to rioters in order to maintain the safety of the public . The building was ransacked and torched . https : //t.co/bUkQjNJOaM # BlackLivesMatter # antifa β Andy NgΓ΄ ( @ MrAndyNgo ) May 29 , 2020
The second night of protests was sparked due to the horrific death of George Floyd , who died in police custody . It β s all on video . Floyd , arrested for a false document charge , is seen pleading with officers that he couldn β t breathe . That β s because one officer put his knee on his neck and kept it there for nearly ten minutes . Floyd died as a result . All four officers were fired , and the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation was investigating this tragic incident as well for civil rights violations . It β s considered a top priority . Yet , Minneapolis is a warzone . Rosas has documented many protests , some with very hostile crowds , and he said last night that he β d never seen anything like what he was experiencing in Mill City .
I can β t stand back & watch this happen to a great American City , Minneapolis . A total lack of leadership . Either the very weak Radical Left Mayor , Jacob Frey , get his act together and bring the City under control , or I will send in the National Guard & get the job done right ..... β Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) May 29 , 2020
.... These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd , and I won β t let that happen . Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way . Any difficulty and we will assume control but , when the looting starts , the shooting starts . Thank you ! β Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) May 29 , 2020
I can β t stand back & watch this happen to a great American City , Minneapolis . A total lack of leadership . Either the very weak Radical Left Mayor , Jacob Frey , get his act together and bring the City under control , or I will send in the National Guard & get the job done right . These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd , and I won β t let that happen . Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way . Any difficulty and we will assume control but , when the looting starts , the shooting starts . Thank you !
Yeah , want to guess why the social media company censored the latter tweet ?
`` This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about glorifying violence . However , Twitter has determined that it may be in the public β s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible , '' it reads .
The people who are rioting are not there for justice or to support getting justice for Floyd . They β re thugs that are destroying these communities before our eyes . There were fires everywhere last night . Maybe a bit far with the shootings comment , but Trump is president and we have a First Amendment . Also , is the remark `` glorifying '' or saying what actually happens when looting begins in any situation where riots erupt ? It 's a bit nit-picky . Yes , Twitter is a private company , though one could easily argue that it β s one that really serves a public utility . I don β t know . If there was something that truly violated the terms of service , maybe I wouldn β t raise my eyebrows here . This isn β t it . And all this did , as Minneapolis burns , is rehash concerns from conservatives that Twitter and the rest of the lefty social media enterprise , is biased and selectively enforces their service rules .
The President did not glorify violence . He clearly condemned it . @ Jack and Twitter 's biased , bad-faith `` fact-checkers '' have made it clear : Twitter is a publisher , not a platform . https : //t.co/lTm3Pxxaqg β The White House ( @ WhiteHouse ) May 29 , 2020 | zMrhTUJSdw6v5AAR | 2 | Twitter | -0.2 | Free Speech | -0.1 | Online Censorship | -0.1 | Donald Trump | -0.1 | George Floyd Riots | -0.1 |
transportation | BBC News | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47310215 | Trump seeks to recoup 'wasted' California high-speed rail funds | 2019-02-20 | Donald Trump, Transportation, General News | President Donald Trump has continued to escalate tensions with California by calling on the state to return billions in federal funds for a high-speed rail .
His administration plans on cancelling $ 929m ( Β£711m ) in grants for what Mr Trump has called a `` failed '' project .
These federal funds account for a quarter of the California rail project .
Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom called it `` political retribution '' for the California-led lawsuit against Mr Trump 's national emergency declaration .
The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it is looking into cancelling the $ 929m grant as well as recovering a $ 2.5bn grant already being spent by the state .
In a tweet on Wednesday , Mr Trump again lambasted the state over the project , saying : `` Send the Federal Government back the Billions of Dollars WASTED ! ''
Just a day prior to the announcement , a coalition of 16 US states led by California said they were suing the president to block his `` misuse of presidential power '' over building a US-Mexico border wall .
All but one of the states involved are governed by Democrats .
The battle between Donald Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom , carried out in speeches , tweets and legal filings , now includes a hefty price tag . The US government has spent billions helping construct a high-speed rail line in California . Now , after cost overruns and cutbacks in the scope of the ambitious project , the president wants the federal money back .
That may be difficult to pull off - and will surely face an extended court battle - but that 's not the point . Mr Newsom is fighting the president over emergency funding for the border wall , so the Trump administration is going after the state 's rail funding .
This latest drama puts the conflict between the conservative White House and the most prosperous and populous state in the nation , one fully controlled by Democrats , in stark relief .
California 's leaders have offered their state as a `` counter-proposal '' to Trump 's America - a demonstration that progressive policies and regulations can go hand-in-hand with economic growth and well-being . It 's the antithesis of the Trumpist view that restrained regulation and limited government involvement open the path to success .
It 's a battle over ideology and principles - a civil war conducted in courts and the court of public opinion .
Following the news of the lawsuit , Mr Trump had slammed Democrats , `` the radical left '' , the 9th Circuit courts , and taunted California over the rail project .
Gov Newson said in a statement on Tuesday that `` it 's no coincidence that the administration 's threat comes 24 hours after California led 16 states in challenging the president 's farcical 'national emergency ' '' .
`` This is clear political retribution by President Trump , and we wo n't sit idly by . This is California 's money , and we are going to fight for it . ''
California 's initial plans , approved in 2008 , involved a high-speed rail linking San Francisco and Los Angeles with an estimated cost of $ 77bn .
Since then , overrunning costs and delays have plagued the project and in his state address last week , Gov Newsom said they would be scaling the project down and focusing on connecting regions in the Central Valley for now .
At the time , Mr Trump attacked the project , saying the state owed the government $ 3.5bn for the `` green disaster '' . On Tuesday , his administration took steps towards collecting those funds .
Gov Newsom hit back by saying Mr Trump 's claims were `` fake news '' .
California and the federal government signed an agreement in 2010 over this funding .
Per the agreement , the federal government is allowed to take the money back if the state does not make `` adequate progress '' or `` fails to complete the project or one of its tasks '' or if the state can not meet the funding-match requisite , CNBC reported .
California has not yet met the $ 2.5bn funding match , and so it has not been able to use the $ 929m .
Federal Railroad Administration chief Ronald Batory said in a letter on Tuesday to the state 's rail authority that California has `` materially failed to comply with the terms of the agreement '' .
The letter cited the governor 's altered plans for the system along with California 's inability to match the federal funds as grounds for terminating the award .
California 's rail authority has not yet responded to the letter .
Art Bauer , a California Senate Transportation Committee staffer , told the Los Angeles Times he could not recall any precedent for such an action , but that `` the governor unwittingly gave the federal government a reason to back away from the project '' . | 7d0941140b078025 | 1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
ebola | NPR Online News | http://www.npr.org/blogs/goatsandsoda/2014/10/13/355671751/on-front-lines-against-ebola-training-a-matter-of-life-or-death | On Front Lines Against Ebola, Training A Matter Of Life Or Death | 2014-10-13 | ebola | On Front Lines Against Ebola , Training A Matter Of Life Or Death
One of the biggest roadblocks in West Africa to containing the Ebola outbreak is the lack of isolation wards for people who are infected .
President Obama has announced plans to build 17 new Ebola Treatment Units in Liberia . Those new medical facilities will require thousands of additional workers who are trained and willing to work in them .
Without health care workers who are n't scared to work , we are n't going to be able to do anything [ toward ] combating the virus and its ongoing spread .
In Monrovia , efforts are also underway to start training local doctors , nurses and janitors on how to safely take care of patients who are sick with the deadly disease . The World Health Organization has taken over a two-story concrete hotel there and transformed the ground floor into a mock Ebola treatment unit .
On a recent day , trainees dressed in white Tyvek suits , gloves , goggles and face masks were trying to restrain an Ebola patient thrashing around on the ward . In the process , several of them get splattered with blood . The blood is fake , but the process feels incredibly real ; one of the trainees even runs out of the room .
The exercise is part of a one-week course to try to get new workers ready to handle the challenges of an Ebola ward . Dr. Srinivas Murthy , an infectious disease specialist from the University of British Columbia , is one of the WHO staff guiding the trainees .
`` Who got sprayed with blood ? '' Murthy asks . `` If you 're actively doing something else , you can continue to do those things . And then when the hygienist is available and you have a moment , you can have it sprayed down .
`` But to panic when you have an exposure is not the right thing to do because , remember , whenever you 're not calm , problems happen , '' he says .
These trainees are on their last day of the course . They 'll spend the following week shadowing the staff inside a real Ebola ward before they 're certified to work in the new treatment units .
Murthy says teaching this group how to protect themselves around highly infectious patients is the most important lesson of the course .
`` Without health care workers who are motivated to work , and without health care workers who are n't scared to work , we are n't going to be able to do anything [ toward ] combating the virus and its ongoing spread , '' he says .
WHO hopes to be able to train several thousand new workers in the coming months .
This is the second group of trainees to go through the course . Of the 72 people in the class , 40 of them are health care workers of some sort : doctors , nurses , physicians ' assistants and even medical students . The rest are hygienists who will be in charge of cleaning and disinfecting the Ebola wards .
All of them are Liberian , and all of them have to work in head-to-toe protective gear . As they move through the mock Ebola treatment unit or ETU , many of them are having problems with their goggles fogging up . One doctor rips a glove and struggles to pull on another one over the torn latex . Sweat drips around the edges of their surgical masks .
This group spends two hours tending to `` patients '' in this staged ward . At the final station there 's a corpse β actually a leggy female mannequin β that needs to be put in a body bag .
Everyone on the team is exhausted and overheated in their protective suits . One of the hygienists starts disinfecting the corpse before the doctor gets a chance to confirm that she 's dead . An argument breaks out over who 's supposed to fetch the body bag .
`` There 's no need for argument ; you are a hygienist , '' says Dr. Lucretia Kumauyah , a Liberian physician who 's part of the training staff . `` If they send you for a body bag , go and get it . That should n't be an argument . ''
Kumauyah tries to keep the team focused on the task of bagging the body and carrying it to the morgue . She scolds them sternly about a breakdown in protocol over the protective suits .
Several of the team members keep fiddling with their goggles , pulling them away from their faces , which could allow the virus to reach their eyes . One of the nurses has let his surgical mask fall down so far that his entire nose is exposed .
`` That 's the reason you can not enter the ETU alone , '' she says . `` You should always have someone observing you . You sweating ? If you can not make it ... what do we say ? Get out . ''
After the team finally disposes of the body , they head to the exit , where they 're sprayed off with a chlorine solution . Taking off the protective gear also must be done carefully to make sure there 's no exposure to the virus .
Dr. Patrick Lahai Kamara , one of the trainees , is soaked in sweat as he steps out of the mock treatment unit .
`` It 's not easy ; it 's very hot , '' he says . `` Little by little , we 'll get used to it . ''
Kamara just graduated from medical school last December . He 's been working at Redemption Hospital in Monrovia , but Redemption has n't been treating Ebola cases . Despite the fact that almost a hundred health care workers in Liberia have died during this outbreak , Kamara says he feels an obligation to treat Ebola patients .
`` Nobody is happy for what happened to the doctors that have died , '' he says . `` But it 's just like the soldiers ; whenever there 's war in the country , the first people you think that will go and fight for the nation are the soldiers . In time of health crisis , I think we physicians , we should be the ones on the front line . ''
If something goes wrong , he says , at least he died fighting a just cause .
As more and more Ebola treatment units are built , Liberia needs to find thousands of other workers who are also willing to take that risk . | NHIzP9JEOw9UeykR | 1 | Public Health | 0.7 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
elections | Los Angeles Times | http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-updates-everything-president-trump-again-faults-obama-for-russia-s-1498265914-htmlstory.html | Trump appears to acknowledge Russian election meddling β and blames Obama | 2017-06-24 | Presidential Elections, Elections | In tweets, Trump lauds tax bill, lashes out at media and sends mixed messages on bipartisanshipPresident Trump on Friday morning signed a sweeping tax-cut measure β his first major legislative achievement β before heading off for a Christmas vacation at his Mar-a-Lago property in Palm Beach, Fla.Today, it was my great honor to sign the largest TAX CUTS and reform in the history of our country. Full remarks: https://t.co/kMxoxEB68G pic.twitter.com/OeAoA0sLfx β Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2017The president also privately signed a short-term spending bill to fund government operations through Jan. 19. Congress approved it Thursday, after Republican leaders were unable to bridge differences in their own party as well as with Democrats to get agreement on funding for the full fiscal year. The stopgap bill punts fights on immigration and other issues to January.Will be signing the biggest ever Tax Cut and Reform Bill in 30 minutes in Oval Office. Will also be signing a much needed 4 billion dollar missile defense bill. β Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2017The tax bill, approved earlier this week in Congress in largely party-line votes, slashes corporate tax rates from 35% to 21% and also includes a host of other provisions for individuals, all intended to boost the economy.It also ends fines for people who donβt carry health insurance, though that doesnβt take effect until the start of 2019, and other marquee components of President Obamaβs healthcare law remain.Remember, the most hated part of ObamaCare is the Individual Mandate, which is being terminated under our just signed Tax Cut Bill. β Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2017The tax billβs passage marked a significant victory for a president hungry for one after chaos and legislative failures during his first year in office β including an effort to repeal the healthcare law β despite Republican control of Congress.With all my Administration has done on Legislative Approvals (broke Harry Trumanβs Record), Regulation Cutting, Judicial Appointments, Building Military, VA, TAX CUTS & REFORM, Record Economy/Stock Market and so much more, I am sure great credit will be given by mainstream news? β Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2017Trump also ended the year with his sights still trained on the way the media portray him, tweeting that the βmainstreamβ media βNEVER talk about our accomplishments in their end of year reviews.ββThe President has accomplished some absolutely historic things during this past year.β Thank you Charlie Kirk of Turning Points USA. Sadly, the Fake Mainstream Media will NEVER talk about our accomplishments in their end of year reviews. We are compiling a long & beautiful list. β Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2017He singled out for praise conservative nonprofit Turning Point USA, whose founder praised Trump during an appearance on Fox News..@charliekirk11 on @foxandfriends: βThe president has accomplished some absolutely historic things in the last year.β pic.twitter.com/rhn2Osqt0o β Fox News (@FoxNews) December 22, 2017Trumpβs laudatory tweet comes just days after his son, Donald Trump Jr., spoke at a Turning Point-sponsored summit in West Palm Beach, Fla. It also follows the publication of a New Yorker expose alleging racial bias within the nonprofit and possible violations of campaign finance law.Earlier, the president touted a Fox News appearance by his daughter Ivanka, who pitched the tax bill to the co-hosts of morning talk show βFox & Friendsβ:The president said Friday that he originally planned to sign the bill early next year, but moved it up on the spur of the moment after watching morning media coverage of the legislation.The first major overhaul of the nationβs tax laws since 1986 could add $1.5 trillion to the national debt over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Republican leaders have said theyβre willing to take that step in pursuit of a boost to the economy. But some in the GOP worry their party could face a political backlash without an aggressive public relations tour.Trump, meanwhile, continued to send mixed messages about his desire to work across the aisle. In a tweet, he contended anew that Democrats βonly want to raise your taxes.β95% of Americans will pay less or, at worst, the same amount of taxes (mostly far less). The Dems only want to raise your taxes! β Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2017But that came just hours after he tweeted a pitch for bipartisanship:At some point, and for the good of the country, I predict we will start working with the Democrats in a Bipartisan fashion. Infrastructure would be a perfect place to start. After having foolishly spent $7 trillion in the Middle East, it is time to start rebuilding our country! β Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2017Some White House aides and Republican leaders are looking warily ahead at the midterm election year, when typically a presidentβs party loses seats in Congress. Thatβs all the more true for presidents whose approval ratings dip below 50%, and Trumpβs have never been that high.Additionally, the new tax law that they see as the GOPβs top talking point is unpopular. Only about 1 in 3 voters have supported the legislation in recent days, according to several polls. About half of Americans believe the plan will hurt their personal finances. And 2 in 3 voters say the wealthy will get the most benefits, according to a USA Today/Suffolk University poll released last week.But in yet another early morning tweet, Trump called the bill βvery popularβ and referred to the move by some large corporations to publicly announce pay raises or new investments after the legislation received congressional approval.Our big and very popular Tax Cut and Reform Bill has taken on an unexpected new source of βloveβ - that is big companies and corporations showering their workers with bonuses. This is a phenomenon that nobody even thought of, and now it is the rage. Merry Christmas! β Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2017Democrats countered with a list of 32 corporations β among them Home Depot, Pfizer, T-Mobile and Mastercard β that have announced billions in stock buybacks, which, along with higher dividends and executive bonuses, are more common responses than wage increases from companies with new cash.Read Moreβ This post contains reporting from the Associated Press and Los Angeles Times staff writers Noah Bierman, Brian Bennett and Alex Wigglesworth. | 33b730d2c544c0aa | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
supreme_court | New York Times (News) | https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/02/us/politics/judge-kavanaugh-supreme-court-justices.html | How Brett Kavanaugh Would Transform the Supreme Court | 2018-09-02 | Supreme Court | Advertisement Supported by By Adam Liptak WASHINGTON β Most Supreme Court appointments are in a way inconsequential. A conservative replaces a conservative, a liberal replaces a liberal, and the courtβs basic direction is unchanged. That is not the case with the nomination of Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, whose Senate confirmation hearings will begin on Tuesday. Judge Kavanaugh is considerably more conservative than the justice he would replace, Anthony M. Kennedy. But there is a more subtle, and important, reason that President Trumpβs pick of Judge Kavanaugh could remake the court. His confirmation would result in a rare replacement of the courtβs swing justice, moving Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. β a much more reliably conservative vote than Justice Kennedy β to the courtβs ideological center. It has been more than 80 years since a chief justice was the swing vote. If Chief Justice Roberts assumes that position, legal scholars said, he will lead a solid five-member conservative majority that would most likely restrict access to abortion, limit the use of race-conscious decisions in areas like college admissions, uphold voting restrictions, expand gun rights, strike down campaign finance regulations and give religion a greater role in public life. Advertisement βJohn Roberts would be the least swinging swing justice in the post-World War II era,β said Justin Driver, a law professor at the University of Chicago. That would be a major break from the role that Justice Kennedy, a moderate conservative who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan, played for years on the court. Justice Kennedy at times voted with the courtβs four-member liberal wing on issues like abortion, affirmative action, gay rights and the death penalty. Justice Kennedy and Chief Justice Roberts were on the opposite sides of 51 closely divided decisions in which Justice Kennedy joined the courtβs liberals, according to data collected by Lee Epstein and Andrew D. Martin of Washington University in St. Louis and Kevin Quinn of the University of Michigan. All of those precedents are at risk, Professor Epstein said. Only one of the previous five Supreme Court confirmation hearings concerned a nominee who would go on to change the ideological balance on the court. That was a dozen years ago, and it led directly to the Citizens United decision on campaign finance. Advertisement In that change on the court, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. replaced the more moderate Justice Sandra Day OβConnor. That made Justice Kennedy the sole justice at the courtβs ideological center. transcript βPlease raise your right hand.β These are the Supreme Court confirmation hearings β βThis is day two.β β youβre probably all familiar with. βBigly.β βYou just said βbigly.ββ βBigly.β Big partisan productions β βA charade and a mockery.β βAnything else you want to say, Judge Bork?β β that dominate the headlines and the airwaves. This is how they used to be. [crickets] Yeah, there actually werenβt any. So how did we get from here β [crickets] β to here? Weβll start in 1937 with former Senator Hugo Black, whoβs being congratulated. Thatβs because heβs just been confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice. Heβs also been outed as a former member of the Ku Klux Klan. So to explain himself, he gets on the radio. βI did join the Klan. I later resigned. I never rejoined.β People are not happy. Theyβre basically asking: How could the Senate Judiciary Committee let this guy through? Answer: Since the first hearing back in 1873, for this guy, there were no standard ways of holding hearings for Supreme Court nominees. They didnβt have to go and testify, and the hearings didnβt need to be made public. The senators reviewed the nominees among themselves. But then came a couple of amendments to the Constitution. The upshot is they gave more voting power to the people. So the senators needed to start paying more attention to public opinion. And theyβre paying attention when Blackβs controversial confirmation drives Americans to ask: Why are these hearings private? Itβs a big reason why the next nominee to come along gets a public hearing. And itβs not just a public hearing, itβs the first that includes no-holds-barred questioning by the committee. Things are beginning to change. Then World War II comes, and goes. America is suddenly a superpower. Business booms, suburbs grow. βThe protest took the form of a boycott.β And we see the beginning of the modern civil-rights era. In 1954, the court rules to end racial segregation in schools. And this marks a point where we really start to see the court using its power to shape parts of American society. That means Americans take a greater interest in who is on the court. That means even more pressure on senators to vet these candidates. Starting with the first nominee after the Brown decision, almost every nominee will have a public hearing. Now change is in full swing. βI Have a Dream,β the march from Selma, βThe Feminine Mystique.β The court keeps making controversial rulings on race discrimination, gender discrimination, personal privacy. That means more public interest, more pressure on senators, more issues to parse in the hearings. So the hearings get longer. But just wait. 1981 β game changer. βGood evening. Sandra OβConnor ββ First woman nominated to the Supreme Court, first nomination hearing to be televised. The longer senators talk, the more TV time they get. The more TV time they get, the more they can posture for voters watching at home. [senators talking] So the more they talk. With the cameras rolling, weβll see 10 out of the 12 longest hearings ever. One of those is for Robert Bork β βWith a negative recommendation of 9 to 5.β β who famously doesnβt make the cut. Now onto the aughts. Thereβs an 11-year gap between nominees. Meanwhile, America has become more politically divided, so has the Senate. βOver and over again ββ βWait just a second ββ βHow many times do we do this before ββ Hereβs Chief Justice Roberts to explain what happened next. βI mean, you look at two of my colleagues, Justice Scalia and Justice Ginsburg, for example. Maybe there were two or three dissenting votes between the two of them.β Yep, three votes against Ginsburg in 1993. No votes against Scalia in 1986. βNow you look at my more recent colleagues and the votes were, I think, strictly on party lines.β Thatβs pretty much right. βAnd that doesnβt make any sense.β And thatβs how we got here. βIβm not looking to take us back to quill pens.β Very long β βNah, I just asked you where you were at on Christmas.β [laughter] Always very political β βSo your failure to answer questions is confounding me.β β very public Supreme Court confirmation hearings. Also, something else to notice: Sometimes these nominees give pretty similar answers. βThe right to privacy is protected under the Constitution in various ways.β βAnd it protects the right to privacy in a number of ways.β βIn various places in the Constitution.β βIn a variety of places in the Constitution.β βItβs protected by the Fourth Amendment.β βThe Fourth Amendment certainly speaks to the right of privacy.β βItβs founded in the Fourth Amendment.β βThe first and most obvious place is the Fourth Amendment.β Justice Alito joined Justice Kennedyβs majority opinion in 2010 in the courtβs 5-to-4 decision in Citizens United, which overruled part of a 2003 opinion by Justice OβConnor. Justice Alito also joined Justice Kennedyβs majority opinion in 2007 in another 5-to-4 decision, that one sustaining the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. Seven years earlier, the court had struck down a very similar Nebraska law, with Justice OβConnor in the majority. But the differences between Justice OβConnor and Justice Kennedy pale in comparison to the ones between Justice Kennedy and Chief Justice Roberts. They were on opposite sides in blockbusters cases on climate change, the rights of people detained at GuantΓ‘namo Bay, Cuba, whether the death penalty is available for child rape, prison overcrowding, life without parole for juvenile offenders and gay rights. βJustice Kennedyβs departure is likely to lead to far more dramatic change in the court than the departure of Justice OβConnor did,β said Irv Gornstein, executive director of the Supreme Court Institute at Georgetown University. Adam LiptakSupreme Court reporter βI try to make the Supreme Court accessible to readers. I strive to distill and translate complex legal materials into accessible prose, while presenting fairly the arguments of both sides and remaining alert to the political context and practical consequences of the courtβs work.β Political science data on the justicesβ voting patterns confirm that analysis. βThe shift in the courtβs center from Kennedy to Roberts is likely to be far more important than the 2006 shift from OβConnor to Kennedy,β Professor Epstein said. βOβConnor and Kennedy were much closer, ideologically speaking, than Roberts and Kennedy.β Advertisement By contrast, the other appointments since 2005 did not alter the courtβs basic direction. Chief Justice Robertsβs replacement of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Justice Neil M. Gorsuchβs replacement of Justice Antonin Scalia substituted conservatives for conservatives. Justice Sonia Sotomayorβs replacement of Justice David H. Souter and Justice Elena Kaganβs replacement of Justice John Paul Stevens substituted liberals for liberals. While Chief Justice Roberts, 63, would represent a sharp change as the swing justice, that does not mean that the court will make a sudden leap to the right. Chief Justice Roberts is generally inclined to move in incremental steps, and he cares about the Supreme Courtβs legitimacy and prestige. βIt is a jolt to the legal system when you overrule a precedent,β he said at his confirmation hearings in 2005. That did not stop him from joining a decision in June that overruled a 40-year-old precedent in a decision that dealt a sharp blow to public labor unions. In general, though, a court with the chief justice at its center would most likely move steadily to the right in measured steps. βI would be somewhat surprised if any of the cases relating to affirmative action, abortion, same-sex marriage or the death penalty are flat out overruled,β Professor Gornstein said. βBut it would not surprise me in the slightest if the court never upholds another affirmative action plan, never finds another restriction on abortion to impose an undue burden, never extends the rights of gays and lesbians beyond where they are now, and never again expands the category of persons who may not receive the death penalty.β Republicans are confident that they can quickly confirm Judge Kavanaugh. Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean of the law school at the University of California, Berkeley, said there was a good way to determine where the Supreme Court would head if that happens. Advertisement βThe key is,β he said, βthe many areas where Kennedy was with the liberals in 5-4 decisions: abortion, affirmative action, gay and lesbian rights, criminal punishments and allowing proof of discrimination based on disparate impact. In all of these areas of law, Kavanaugh replacing Kennedy likely will mean a significant change.β In 2016, in Whole Womanβs Health v. Hellerstedt, Justice Kennedy joined the courtβs four liberals to strike down parts of a Texas law that would have drastically reduced the number of abortion clinics in the state, leaving them only in the largest metropolitan areas. That same year, he wrote the majority opinion in Fisher v. University of Texas, upholding a race-conscious admissions program at the stateβs flagship university. Both decisions would almost certainly have come out differently had Justice Gorsuch, Mr. Trumpβs first appointee, and Judge Kavanaugh been on the court. Advertisement βThe courtβs jurisprudence on affirmative action and abortion have been administered last rites many times,β Professor Driver said. βBut if Kavanaugh is confirmed, it is virtually assured that they will be extinguished sooner rather than later.β While Judge Kavanaugh may face few obvious obstacles to his confirmation, his Senate hearings will still be bruising for other reasons. There is lingering bitterness among liberals over the Republican blockade of Judge Merrick B. Garland, President Barack Obamaβs Supreme Court nominee. Democrats argue that they have not seen the documents they need to assess Judge Kavanaughβs record, a clamor that grew over the weekend as the White House said it was withholding 100,000 pages, citing executive privilege. And some Democrats question the legitimacy of a Supreme Court appointment by a president under investigation over his campaignβs ties to Russia and what critics call obstruction of justice. Judge Kavanaugh is 53. If he joins the Supreme Court, he will most likely serve for decades. His views may shift. Other Republican appointees, including Justices Stevens and Souter, drifted left over time. Even Chief Justice Roberts, in a rare deviation from his conservative track record, voted with the courtβs liberals in two cases saving aspects of Mr. Obamaβs health care law. But recent appointees have almost never disappointed their supporters, and Judge Kavanaugh is not likely to be an exception. βA dominant narrative of the Supreme Court during the last five decades has been the apostasy of Republican-appointed justices,β Professor Driver said. βKavanaughβs confirmation would almost certainly spell the end of that story line, and cement a generation of G.O.P. constitutional orthodoxy.β Advertisement Thirteen years ago, Chief Justice Robertsβs performance at his confirmation hearings was so smooth and winning that Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, said he had βretired the trophyβ for an outstanding performance by a judicial nominee. Chief Justice Roberts has since joked about the βodd historical quirkβ that gives chief justices only one vote. If Judge Kavanaugh is confirmed, Chief Justice Roberts will still have just one vote. But it will be the crucial one. Follow Adam Liptak on Twitter: @adamliptak. Advertisement | 548da9c54cf7194c | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
elections | New York Times (Opinion) | https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/15/opinion/united-states-voting-mandatory.html | Make Voting Mandatory in the U.S. | 2020-03-08 | California, Elections, Voting Rights And Voter Fraud | Advertisement Supported by By Dambisa Moyo Around the world, citizens appear to be re-engaging with democracy. In May, voter turnout at the European parliamentary elections reached a 20-year high, and in 2018 turnout for the United States midterm elections was the highest in a hundred years. Yet in each instance, voter turnout reached just a feeble 50 percent. In the context of recent history, that was a surge. In the 2014 United States midterms, only 37 percent of the electorate voted, rising to 50 percent in 2018. In Europe, this yearβs turnout was 50 percent β up from 42 percent in 2014. While turnouts are higher in United States presidential elections β 60 percent in 2016 β can we say that democracy is thriving when 40 to 50 percent of voters still opt to stay at home? The United States is generally near the bottom of the list of well-off countries in its rate of voter participation. Shortly after the 2014 elections, Senator Bernie Sanders admonished the country, saying βAmericans should be embarrassed.β The low voter turnout, he wrote in The Guardian, βwas an international disgrace.β Low voter turnout encourages politicians to design policies that cater to the interests of the few over the many. This, in turn, promotes societal division and harms the economy. In the United States, nearly half the people who donβt vote have family incomes below $30,000, and just 19 percent of likely voters come from low-income families. So itβs hardly surprising that the Economist Intelligence Unitβs Democracy Index downgraded the United States from a βfull democracyβ to a βflawed democracyβ in 2017, based on diminished voter engagement and confidence in the democratic process. 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 | 2cd351e80bc926bb | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
coronavirus | National Review (News) | https://www.nationalreview.com/news/fda-set-to-approve-pfizer-covid-vaccine-for-12-15-year-olds-by-next-week-report/ | FDA Set to Approve Pfizer COVID Vaccine for 12-15 Year Olds by Next Week: Report | 2021-05-03 | Coronavirus, Coronavirus Recovery, Coronavirus Vaccine, Public Health, Safety And Sanity During COVID-19, Schools, Education | National Review BlackRock, Vanguard Pause Corporate Meetings to Avoid Violating SEC Guidance Targeting ESG Activism Trump Administration Designates Eight Cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations House Oversight Investigating Underreported Foreign Funding at American Universities Trump Administration Pulls Approval of NYC Congestion Toll Ernst Pushes for Kelly Loefflerβs Confirmation as SBA Administrator Ahead of Senate Vote The Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents aged 12 to 15 by early next week, according to a new report. The authorization could come as soon as the end of this week, the New York Times reported on Monday. If the FDA gives the green light, the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionβs advisory panel will likely convene the next day to review the clinical trial data and make recommendations for the shotsβ use in adolescents, the report says. The news comes weeks after Pfizer announced results from its trial in adolescents showed the vaccine is at least as effective in that age group as it is in adults. As of now, the Pfizer vaccine has been authorized for use in individuals aged 16 and older. The drugmaker reported that none of the adolescents who received the vaccine in its clinical trial developed symptomatic infections. Pfizer announced in late March that participants showed strong antibody responses and experienced similar side effects to those seen in people ages 16 to 25. βWe can assure the public that we are working to review this request as quickly and transparently as possible,β Stephanie Caccomo, a Food and Drug Administration spokeswoman said, according to the Times. Moderna is also expecting results from its own clinical trial involving adolescents ages 12 to 17 soon, as well as results for children 6 months to 12 years old in the second half of 2021. Such approval would help bring the country closer to reaching herd immunity and would likely help ease the concerns of vaccinated adults who have been stuck in limbo, unsure how to return to a level of normalcy with their unvaccinated children. Send a tip to the news team at NR. Gotham-mayhem pics still jolt while Hollywood-glam pics merely amuse. Europe can again become the place the world talks about when it talks about the economic frontier. Europeans have nothing to lose but their August of leisure. Thereβs moral equivalence, and then thereβs a total moral inversion. Trump breaks things only to pretend he is fixing them. On the sights, sounds, and tastes of a mammoth capital, and a bit beyond. There is no way to meet the goal of reducing deficits by $1 trillion without significant cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Β© 2025 National Review Newsletters Β© 2025 National Review | 8a7120183cb9bbfc | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
agriculture | Fox Online News | http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/08/07/russia-blocks-agricultural-imports-from-western-countries-in-response-to/ | Russia blocks agricultural imports from Western countries in response to sanctions | 2014-08-07 | agriculture | Russia announced Thursday that it had banned imports of meat , fish , milk and milk products and fruit and vegetables from the United States , the European Union , Australia , Canada and Norway .
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced the import ban on orders from the country 's president , Vladimir Putin , in response to sanctions imposed on Russia by the West over the crisis in Ukraine . The ban has been introduced for one year .
The decision shows that Putin has no intention of bowing to Western pressure over Ukraine and will instead try to strike back at the West . It also demonstrated that the Kremlin is ready to inflict damage on Russia while pursuing its course in Ukraine .
Medvedev also said that Russia is considering banning Western carriers from flying over Russia on flights to and from Asia -- a move that would significantly swell costs and increase flight time . He said the decision on that has n't been made yet .
Russia may also introduce restrictions regarding imports of planes , navy vessels and cars , Medvedev said , but added that the government will realistically assess its own production potential .
The move follows the latest round of sanctions against Russia imposed by the EU last week , which for the first time targeted entire sectors of the Russian economy . The U.S. and the EU have accused Russia , which annexed Ukraine 's Crimean Peninsula in March , of fomenting tensions in eastern Ukraine by supplying arms and expertise to a pro-Moscow insurgency , and have imposed asset freezes and loan bans on a score of individuals and companies .
Medvedev argued that the ban would give Russian farmers , who have struggled to compete with Western products , a good chance to increase their market share . But experts said that local producers will find it hard to fill the gap left by the ban , as the nation 's agricultural sector has continued to suffer from poor efficiency and shortage of funds .
While the government claimed it will move quickly to replace Western imports by importing more food from Latin America , Turkey and ex-Soviet nations to avoid empty shelves and price hikes , analysts predicted that it will further speed up inflation .
Russia depends heavily on imported foodstuffs β most of it from the West β particularly in the largest and most prosperous cities such as Moscow , where imported food fills an estimated 60-70 percent of the market . Food and agricultural imports from the U.S. amounted to $ 1.3 billion last year , according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture , and in 2013 the EU 's agricultural exports to Russia totaled 11.8 billion euros ( $ 15.8 billion ) .
Medvedev made it clear that Russia hopes that the sanctions will make the West revise its policy and stop trying to pressure Russia with sanctions .
`` Until the last moment we hoped that our partners would understand that sanctions only lead to a deadlock , and no one needs them , but they did n't , '' he said . `` We hope our partners will put a pragmatic economic approach above bad policy considerations , and they will start thinking instead of trying to scare us . '' | a4Tn2XuDlM9C0wLz | 2 | Russia | 0.4 | Agriculture | 0 | World | 0 | null | null | null | null |
politics | HuffPost | https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/scott-walker-power-grab_us_5c0808fde4b0844cda4f500a | Scott Walker Signs Wisconsin GOPβs Massive Power Grab Into Law | 2018-12-14 | Politics | Washington Bureau Chief, HuffPost Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) signed legislation Friday that strips power away from newly elected Democrats and keeps it squarely in the hands of Republicans in the Legislature. Voters largely rejected Wisconsin Republicans in the midterm elections. Both Walker and the GOP attorney general, Brad Schimel, lost their re-election bids. Democrats also won a majority of the votes in state legislative races, but theyβll still be in the minority because of the gerrymandered map. During his time in office over the last eight years, Walker has steadily consolidated power in the governorβs office. The new bills weaken the offices of governor and attorney general and shift control back over to the Legislature. Walker signed them during a press conference Friday afternoon, arguing that his Democratic successor will still be a powerful executive. He also criticized the βhype and hysteriaβ surrounding the debate. There was some speculation that Walker would veto portions of the legislation, but in the end, he signed the SB 884 β and two other bills β into law, with no changes. βNo matter what I do, these things remain consistent...he (@Tony4WI) will still have executive power.β ~@GovWalker @tmj4 pic.twitter.com/LgzGud6Lh2 The measures will, among other things, give the Legislature control over a state economic development agency, limit early voting (which is generally known to increase voter turnout and thus help Democrats), remove responsibilities from the attorney general, and prevent the governor from withdrawing Wisconsin from a lawsuit against the federal government over the Affordable Care Act. During his press conference, Walker said he liked early voting, but it was unfair for some areas to have longer early voting periods than others. The entire state will now be limited to two weeks of early voting. Tony Evers, the incoming Democratic governor, would also have to get permission from lawmakers to adjust programs run jointly by the state and federal government and to ban guns from the state Capitol. The governor would no longer be allowed to renominate officials whose confirmation has been rejected by the state Senate, which is currently controlled by Republicans. Current law allows appointees to be renominated or serve in a provisional capacity. βToday, Governor Walker chose to ignore and override the will of the people of Wisconsin,β Evers said in a statement. βThis will no doubt be his legacy. The people demanded a change on November 6th, and they asked us to solve problems, not pick petty, political fights.β Walker argued that his term didnβt end on the day of the election, and he still has the votersβ support to govern βfor a full four-year term.β When a reporter asked Walker why he waited until the last minute to implement these changes β and didnβt hand these powers over to the Legislature earlier in his term β he reiterated, βItβs one of those, where, our term doesnβt stop just because an election is behind held.β Republicans have argued that the moves would simply give the Legislature more opportunity for oversight. Conveniently for Walker, their newfound desire for accountability comes just as heβs leaving office. We have allowed far too much authority to move to the executive branch. #WIForward In Michigan, the GOP Legislature is also looking to limit the power of the stateβs attorney general and secretary of state over lawsuits and campaign finance reforms. Republicans are also losing control of those two offices in the new year, after voters chose Democratic candidates in the midterm elections. Both Wisconsin and Michigan are following in the footsteps of North Carolina Republicans, who used similar tactics in 2016. Although many Republicans have been silent on what is going on in Wisconsin, at least one influential Republican businessman in the state has condemned his party for its power grab. The next four years will change America forever. But HuffPost won't back down when it comes to providing free and impartial journalism. For the first time, we're offering an ad-free experience to qualifying contributors who support our fearless newsroom. We hope you'll join us. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest β we could use your help again. We won't back down from our mission of providing free, fair news during this critical moment. But we can't do it without you. For the first time, we're offering an ad-free experience. to qualifying contributors who support our fearless journalism. We hope you'll join us. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest β we could use your help again. We won't back down from our mission of providing free, fair news during this critical moment. But we can't do it without you. For the first time, we're offering an ad-free experience. to qualifying contributors who support our fearless journalism. We hope you'll join us. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages. βWhat they are planning for the Republican Party of Wisconsin will malign its integrity and lead to its downfall,β Sheldon Lubar wrote in an email to Walker, referring to the GOP leaders in the Legislature. βWorse, it will damage Wisconsin as it ignores the will of the majority of Wisconsin voters.β βItβs a great bookend for Scott Walkerβs career as governor,β said Mike Tate, who served as Wisconsin Democratic Party chairman from 2009 to 2015. βHe started out divisive and misleading, trying to be like, βOh, this isnβt a big deal, as I radically restructure how the state works and rig it in favor of those at the very top.β And now, theyβre doing the exact same thing and trying to make it as permanent as possible.β You have the right to opt-out of the sale or sharing of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences. | 57626f15fafaf3b3 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
elections | Guest Writer - Left | http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/19/opinion/campaign-stops/the-wall-street-primary.html?ref=opinion&mtrref=www.nytimes.com&gwh=2D20B4B325C8CE6DB48B8612A7AAF2AA&gwt=pay&assetType=opinion | OPINION: The Wall Street Primary | 2016-04-19 | New York, Presidential Elections, Elections | Since the 2008 economic recession , the financial sector has attracted plenty of righteous scorn . Mr. Sanders has harnessed that disgust and resentment to great effect . The Occupy Wall Street movement has played a large role in making Mr. Sanders β s message more broadly acceptable . Marina Sitrin , one of the early organizers of the movement , said it had β normalized looking at the roots of the problem rather seeing them as individual . β
Still , Democrats who work in finance have been frustrated by Mr. Sanders β s broad anti-Wall Street rhetoric . The people I spoke to noted that the β Wall Street β Mr. Sanders rails against isn β t just made up of plutocratic hedge-fund types and predatory lenders , but money managers trying to help middle-class workers retire comfortably , and bankers trying to help small-business owners get a loan .
Todd H. Baker , a lawyer and lifelong Democrat who has worked as an executive at three large banks , wrote recently in The New York Daily News that Mr. Sanders β s campaign should not β smear β people like him as part of the problem , or call campaign contributions from the financial sector a β sign of corruption . β
This election cycle seems to be proving that Wall Street has lost some of its political influence . In the first half of 2015 , securities and investment workers gave $ 30 million to try and elect Jeb Bush . But piles of Wall Street money couldn β t save Mr. Bush , who proved to be a startlingly inept candidate ill suited for the Trump era .
Securities and investment employees have donated roughly $ 21 million to Mrs. Clinton β s campaign and the outside groups that support her , according to the Center for Responsive Politics . By comparison , that sector has given $ 12 million to Mr. Cruz and $ 3 million to Mr. Kasich ; it doesn β t even crack the top 20 list of industries that have donated to Mr. Sanders .
During her time representing New York in the United States Senate , Mrs. Clinton had a mixed record on financial regulation . She proposed several bills to crack down on Wall Street , but they died without garnering support from her colleagues . In October 2008 , as the economy was mid-nosedive , Mrs. Clinton was one of 39 Democratic senators who voted for the $ 700 billion bailout of the financial system , a fact that Mr. Sanders won β t let her live down .
Whatever happens today in New York , it does seem as though voters β trust in large institutions on Wall Street β along with the news media , Congress and political parties writ large β has eroded to the point of invisibility . | 6bb032813bf361a5 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
coronavirus | Newsmax - Opinion | https://www.newsmax.com/patrickbuchanan/wartime-president-self-isolation/2020/03/20/id/959185/ | Americans May Rebel Against Long Coronavirus War | 2020-03-20 | Public Health, Privacy, Liberty, Freedom, Coronavirus | `` It 's a war , '' says President Donald Trump of his efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic , and likening his role to that of `` wartime president . ''
New York Gov . Andrew Cuomo welcomed the president 's claim to his commander in chief role in the crisis and his resolve , `` The president and I agreed yesterday . . . we 're fighting the same war β and this is a war . ''
Some measures already taken do call to mind actions in wartime .
Where Ford , Chrysler , GM and other great auto companies shifted production to jeeps , tanks and bombers in 1942 , U.S. auto factories have today been shut down to prevent the spread of the virus .
This month , millions of Americans will be added to unemployment rolls , and millions of senior citizens and elderly have already followed government directives to `` self-isolate '' or `` shelter in place . ''
There is talk of quarantines lasting not days or weeks , as Americans knew in the days of measles , mumps , chickenpox , scarlet fever and polio , but months .
While a new social solidarity and spirit of self-sacrifice seem to be manifesting themselves in this pandemic , can it endure ?
Is the country prepared for months , or years , of social isolation , if that is what is required to win this war ?
Consider . The Chinese government , whose word is admittedly suspect , claims to have achieved a deceleration in the daily number of new coronavirus infections . The South Koreans say they , too , have broken and reversed the momentum of the spread of the virus .
On March 3 , the number of new cases of the coronavirus reported across South Korea was 852 . On St. Patrick 's Day , March 17 , exactly two weeks later , the count was 85 new casesβ a plunge of 90 % .
Exactly how far behind South Korea we are can not be known until more tens of thousands of Americans are tested , and we learn how many cases of the disease are out there undiscovered and unreported .
But whatever the success of Asian nations in containing the virus , are we politically and socially able to impose the same draconian measures ?
Ordering people to `` shelter in place '' in their own homes , not just for days or weeks but months β can this be done in a free society , as it can be done in the surveillance state of Communist China ?
Can mayors and governors of beach towns along the East Coast from Maine to Miami , and the Gulf Coast from Florida to Texas , keep tens of millions from gathering on beaches this summer ?
Last week , we saw college kids cavorting on Florida 's beaches , despite warnings that any one among them infected with COVID-19 could transmit it to the rest , leading to grave illness and , in some cases , death .
Moreover , they could become carriers of the disease to parents and siblings .
They did not seem to care . As Prohibition proved , Americans are a rule-breaking people .
Scores of thousands are injured in auto accidents and thousands killed each year from driving under the influence of alcohol β despite tough laws against drunk driving .
Since the 1960s , laws against the use of marijuana , cocaine , heroin , fentanyl , have not halted the rampant ingestion of illegal narcotics and dangerous drugs .
We are endlessly admonished that climate change poses an existential threat to the planet .
But have the elites who profess to believe this given up flying in private jets ?
Have Americans given up their SUVs or ceased to heat their homes with oil and gas ?
Are parents going to be able to confine to their homes children whose lives are built around friends on playgrounds ? Is the crowd on Martha 's Vineyard going to give up socializing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus ?
In the 1960s , we were told that the correlation between cigarette smoking and lung cancer , emphysema and heart disease , is absolute . Yet 34 million Americans continue to risk shortening their lives by smoking .
Seniors and elderly , among whom the mortality rate from the coronavirus is the highest β15 % of those over 80 in one estimate β may shelter in place for months .
But if , in diverse cities , minority communities come out for block parties in summer , are we going to have the police march them back into their homes ?
A prediction : The longer the orders to shelter in place and self-isolate remain in force , the greater the probability they will begin to be ignored and people will take the risks to end their isolation and be with friends .
Will Americans suffer in social isolation , inside their own homes for months , while a state-induced Great Depression washes over the land ?
Patrick Buchanan has been an adviser to three presidents , a two-time candidate for the Republican presidential nomination , and the nominee for the Reform Party in 2000 . He was also a founding member of `` The McLaughlin Group , '' which began on NBC , and CNN 's `` Capital Gang '' and `` Crossfire . '' His latest book is : `` The Greatest Comeback : How Richard Nixon Rose From Defeat to Create the New Majority . '' For more of his reports , Go Here Now . | 36aeded2ad209045 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
national_security | Washington Times | https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/feb/1/us-withdraws-inf-treaty-russia/ | US withdraws from nuclear arms treaty with Russia | 2019-02-01 | national_security | President Trump announced Friday that he is pulling the U.S. out of its Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia , saying Moscow has been cheating for years on the 1987 pact .
β The United States has fully adhered to the INF Treaty for more than 30 years , but we will not remain constrained by its terms while Russia misrepresents its actions , β Mr. Trump said in a statement . β We can not be the only country in the world unilaterally bound by this treaty , or any other . β
He said the withdrawal will be completed in six months unless Russia comes back into compliance by destroying all of its violating missiles , launchers and associated equipment .
NATO said it β fully supports β Mr. Trump β s move . NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Russia β is in material breach β of the INF Treaty and must use the next six months to return to full , verifiable compliance β or bear sole responsibility for its demise . β
Mr. Trump said the U.S. stands ready β to engage with Russia on arms control negotiations that meet these criteria , and , importantly , once that is done , develop , perhaps for the first time ever , an outstanding relationship on economic , trade , political , and military levels . β
β This would be a fantastic thing for Russia and the United States , and would also be great for the world , β he said .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the withdrawal was justified because β Russia has jeopardized the United States β security interests β by deploying a particular missile system in Europe .
The treaty , which had prohibited the U.S. and Russia from building or deploying land-based missiles and launch systems with a range of 300 to 3,400 miles , was designed to block the spread of so-called β tactical nukes β around the globe , particularly in Europe , partly out of fear the less powerful bombs were more likely to be used in an actual shooting war .
U.S. officials since 2014 have accused Moscow of breaching the INF , specifically through the deployment of a cruise missile known as the Novator 9M729 .
β We can no longer be restricted by the treaty while Russia shamelessly violates it , β Mr. Pompeo told reporters at the State Department Friday morning .
β Russia β s violations put millions of Europeans and Americans at greater risk , β he said . β It is our duty to respond appropriately . β
β Countries must be held accountable when they break the rules , β Mr. Pompeo added .
Russia has acknowledged the 9M729 system β s existence but has claimed it does not violate the treaty .
The six-month period before the U.S. fully pulls out of the treaty is β Russia β s final chance β to restore the commitment , according to a senior administration official .
β Russia continues to deny its violation , β the official said Friday , and β is the one that has created a threat that exists that we successfully ended about 30 years ago . β
β We can not be the only country bound by a treaty , β the official told reporters . β What purpose does it serve for the U.S. to be unilaterally bound to the treaty ? β
The six-month waiting period is standard for most international treaties . It is intended to give other parties a final opportunity to restore its commitment .
β For [ Russian President Vladimir ] Putin this is very much about his neighbors , China being one of them , β the senior administration official said . β For the United States , this is strictly about the threat this poses to arms control . β
China and Iran are not bound by the INF treaty . Each country has thousands of the missiles in dispute and banned by the existing treaty .
Analysts say China , particularly , has developed large numbers of missiles that would violate the treaty , including the so-called DF-26 missile , informally dubbed the β Guam Killer . β
Republican Sen. James Risch of Idaho , chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , said he supports the move .
β I know that we have the unanimity of our allies in this decision , and we will continue to consult with them over the next six months as we approach the withdrawal date , β Mr. Risch said .
He said the treaty has become outdated and hasn β t stopped Russia from cheating .
β For the past several years , the Russian government has systematically violated the INF Treaty and deployed systems that undermine the stability that the treaty helped create , β he said . β Russian actions represent a material breach of the treaty , and it is abundantly clear : The United States is the only country limited by the INF Treaty . β
He said Moscow has had β endless opportunities to change their bad behavior β but has failed to do so .
β The time has come to set the treaty aside and develop alternative avenues toward the security the treaty once provided , β Mr. Risch said .
Some experts have argued that Russia developed the land-based missile because Moscow can not compete with comparable U.S. sea- and air-based systems , which were not restricted by the treaty .
The decision was not a surprise to the Kremlin , which has claimed the Trump administration has long been determined to undermine the deal . Foreign Minister Dmitry Ryabkov , Russia β s top negotiator on the pact , denied again Friday that Russia had violated the terms of the INF and said Moscow was still willing to abide by its terms despite the U.S. withdrawal .
β We believe that the treaty is needed . It serves the interests of our security and European security , β Mr. Ryabkov said in an interview broadcast Friday , the Agence France-Presse news service reported . β It would be extremely irresponsible to undermine it with unilateral steps . β
He also accused the Trump administration of using the rejection of the treaty as a way to bleed Russia financially .
β They are probably beginning [ an arms ] race to exhaust us economically , β Mr. Ryabkov said .
Washington and Moscow also are discussing a possible extension of the START nuclear treaty for five more years . That agreement , which took effect in 2011 , seeks to limit the size of the U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals .
Some experts believe that Mr. Trump β s announcement about the INF Treaty means that the START pact could be ended as well .
A senior administration official said the U.S. has β not made any decisions about its extension . β
β We β re in the middle of an interagency process to evaluate our options , β the official said of START . β We are presently dealing with the Russians on this . We are working through some implementation challenges with them . β
β’ David R. Sands and Guy Taylor contributed to this story . | VpWvzKpuBbJmZ4Ny | 2 | Russia | -1.5 | Nuclear Arms Treaty | -0.6 | Defense And Security | 0.5 | National Security | 0.4 | null | null |
religion_and_faith | CBN | http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/2017/trump-world-religion-tour | A President, a Pope, and Peace: Steering World Religions to Common Ground? | 2017-05-24 | Religion And Faith | THE VATICAN β President Donald Trump's first overseas foreign trip as president has finally brought him to the Vatican, where he came face-to-face with Pope Francis.This world religion trip has had it all: kings in the Islamic world, a prime minister in Israel, and now the Pope in Rome.Today, as Pope Francis greeted President Trump with a warm "Welcome," Trump responded, "Thank you very much. It's a great honor."It has been a religious whirlwind for a president whose goal is to root out terrorism by rallying the three major religions in a bid for peace. The Pope's gift to President Trump was in that vein β a sculpted olive tree, symbolizing peace."We could use some peace," Trump said.The Pope also gave the president a few books to read, including The Joy of the Gospel, which talks about having a personal relationship with Jesus, along with fighting for social justice around the world.CBN News has had an up-close view of the events unfolding on the president's trip. We were part of a select group of press who came to the Vatican to witness a bit of history.Senior administration officials tell CBN News the world religion tour intentionally included the Vatican, to help reset Trump's relationship with the Pope. It got a bit testy during the presidential campaign.The POTUS/Pope spat goes back to when the Pontiff took issue with candidate Trump's insistence on building a "big beautiful border wall." Pope Francis said someone who thinks about building walls and not bridges is not a Christian. And Trump fired back."For a religious leader to question a person's faith is disgraceful," Trump had charged. "I am proud to be a Christian and as president I will not allow Christianity to be consistently attacked and weakenedβ¦ [The Mexican government is] using the pope as a pawn and they should be ashamed of themselves for doing so, especially when so many lives are involved and when illegal immigration is so rampant.""A person who says 'no walls, but bridges,' and the other who says 'walls, not bridges,' is something which you cannot reconcile," Italian newspaper columnist Massimo Franco said.Nina Shea, with the Hudson Institute, tells CBN News the president's visit to the Vatican is an opportunity to mend fences."Certainly the Pope is leader of a church that has millions of followers," Shea said. "It's important that he make peace with Pope Francis and vice/versa."There are stark contrasts between the two leaders. They don't see eye-to-eye on immigration, climate change, or dealing with Syrian refugees. They do agree on stopping religious persecution and combating human trafficking.There are plenty of important issues in a world that just gets darker by the day. The president believes the world's three major religions can have a big say in the outcome.Trump: 'Peace Is Possible'Trump's visit to Rome came right after he wrapped up a whirlwind tour of Israel, where he called for peace between the Jewish state and her Palestinian neighbors.Speaking at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, Trump sounded optimistic as he declared his belief that both sides were eager to move forward in the peace process."We know that peace is possible if we put aside the pain and disagreements of the past," the president said."As I have repeatedly said, I am personally committed to helping Israelis and Palestinians achieve a peace agreement, and I had a meeting this morning with President Mahmoud Abbas and I can tell you that the Palestinians are ready to reach for peace β and, from my meeting with my friend Benjamin Netanyahu, I can tell you Israelis are ready to reach for peace as well," he continued.Watch CBN News Chief Political Correspondent David Brody's analysis of Donald Trump's speech below:"Making peace will not be easy," he acknowledged. "We all know that. Both sides will face tough decisions. But with determination, compromise, and the belief that peace is possible, Israelis and Palestinians can make a deal."Addressing his "good friend" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the president reiterated his commitment to stand with the Jewish state."I stand in awe of the accomplishments of the Jewish people, and I make this promise to you: My administration will always stand with Israel," he pledged. "Through your hardships, you have created one of the most abundant lands in the world. A land that is rich not only in history, culture, and opportunity, but especially in spirit.Netanyahu for his part thanked the U.S. president for a speech "that in so few words said so much."The Art of the Mideast Deal'Peace in the Middle East,' how many times have we heard that before? But will things be different now that President Trump is on the scene? The peace process has never seen anything quite like him.Before Trump was president, he was known as one of the best deal makers in the entire world. Well, now he's come to Israel, hoping for what he calls "the ultimate deal" β peace between Israelis and the Palestinians.In a speech Tuesday at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, he assured the Jewish state that he is "personally committed" to making that a reality."Palestinians are ready to reach for peace," Trump said. "Benjamin Netanyahu wants peace."Striking a Mideast peace deal, however, is not going to be an easy task. There are plenty of stumbling blocks ahead. But one thing is for sure: All roads lead to Jerusalem.The ultimate stumbling block in any sort of two-state solution: The fact that both Palestinians and Israelis see Jerusalem as their capital. The official U.S. policy is that it's disputed territory, but as a candidate, Trump told CBN News he was ready to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem."Well I am for that 100 percent. We are for that 100 percent," candidate Trump told us in an interview on the campaign trail at Liberty University.But things are different now that Trump is president. He's dialing it back.He told us in an interview after becoming president, "Well, there is certainly a chance of it. Absolutely. But we are going to be β we are doing very detailed studies on that and it will come out very soon. I hate to do that because that is not usually me, studies," he said, adding, "But this has two sides to it. It's not easy."That's because a provocative step like moving the embassy to Jerusalem may disrupt the peace process before it gets going. So, Trump's trip to the Mideast came without an embassy announcement. That has been disappointing to many Israelis.Trump did make history, though. He became the first sitting U.S. president to come to Israel and visit the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Some see that as acceptance β as the United States' acceptance β of Jerusalem. But some members of the Trump administration won't say the wall is part of Israel. It's all part of a very sensitive process."It's not easy. I've heard it's one of the toughest deals of all. But I have a feeling that we're going to get there eventually. I hope," President Trump said."I do look forward our discussions, which I think are peppered with possibility," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.There is hope, and it comes from an unlikely customer: Iran.The administration believes additional Arab nations, like Saudi Arabia, will be willing to work more closely with Israel and stand together against a common enemy, thus advancing the peace process.CBN News talked with Walid Phares, a former foreign policy advisor on the Trump presidential campaign."Definitely President Trump has the intention," Phares said. "He has the heart to it. He wants to achieve it as something big that no previous president has been able to solve, but realities are realities, not just in our politics here in the United States, but in the Middle East."President Trump knows he will have his hands full getting the Palestinians to the table to negotiate. His meeting in Bethlehem with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was an attempt to see what is possible."We have no problem with Judaism. We have a problem with the occupation," Abbas said during a meeting with Trump in Bethlehem, Tuesday morning.For his part, President Trump is keeping his cards close to the vest. He hasn't signaled what a peace plan would look like or how to get there. That's an intentional move. It's part of his deal-making DNA. The question is β will that and his big personality be able to push this peace process over the finish line?We'll see.Meeting with AbbasEarlier Tuesday morning Trump met briefly with Abbas. While the U.S. president avoided using the term 'two-state solution,' Abbas minced no words in presenting new ideas for the resumption of peace talks with Israel."We are keen to open the door to dialogue with our Israeli neighbors in order to create a genuine peace," the P.A. leader said. "Our problem is with the occupation and settlements and the failure of Israel to recognize the state of Palestine in the same way we recognize it. The problem is not between us and Judaism; it is between us and occupation."Following Monday's visits to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hosted President Trump for a visit that both leaders described as exceptionally warm.After their private meeting, the men emerged and gave public comments."We had a terrific discussion today and when I say terrific, it encompasses everything," said the prime minister.He expressed his appreciation for Trump and his strong stance on issues like getting rid of the Iran nuclear deal and combating radical terrorism, noting a major difference between Trump and former President Barack Obama."For the first time in my lifetime, I see a real hope for change," Netanyahu remarked.Watch the full press conference below.Trump called Netanyahu a "great friend" and ally, though he stopped short of promising to rip up the Iran nuclear deal. He was also silent on the controversial two-state solution, which some tout as the way to bring lasting peace to the Middle East."I've heard it's one of the toughest deals of all, but I have a feeling we'll get there eventually -- I hope," Trump said on the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian relationship.Trump also spoke about his visit earlier in the day to one of the Jewish religion's most important sights."I was deeply moved by my visit today to the Western Wall," he said. "It will leave an impression on me forever."Trump is first sitting U.S. president to visit the Western Wall. Donning a yarmulke, he prayed and placed a note in a crevice of the wall. Watch below.After giving their comments, Trump and Netanyahu left for a private dinner with their wives at the prime minister's residence.A Game Changer for Israel?The president's trip marks a pivotal moment for the U.S. relationship with the Jewish state and the future of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians."Your visit here, Mr. President, is truly historic," Netanyahu told Trump earlier after greeting the U.S. commander in chief at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport.. "Never before has a first trip of a president of the United States included a trip to Israel. Thank you, Mr. President."The president also took a tour of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is believed to be the place of Jesusβ crucifixion, burial and resurrection. Watch below.CBN's David Brody explains what you can expect to see from the president's trip to Israel! Watch below:"We love Israel. We respect Israel. And I send you the warmest greetings from your friend and ally, all of the people of the United States of America. We are with you," Trump said.The epicenter of the 30-hour visit of President Trump is Jerusalem's historic King David Hotel. The president will be guarded by a small army of 10,000 police and soldiers. Israelis are greeting the president with a mixture of anxiety and optimism."President Trump's coming today and we are celebrating and honoring his visit," Mike Evans told CBN News.Evans, with the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem, posted signs and banners around Jerusalem to welcome the president. Evans believes the new alliance Trump forged in Saudi Arabia with the Sunni states will benefit Israel."This is going to be a game changer for the State of Israel," Evans said. "They cannot resolve anything without Sunni cooperation. Even if it's plausible deniability, the Syrian crisis, the ISIS crisis, even the Palestinian crisis, the Sunnis are critical mass for that. He has succeeded with that."This alliance also presents a bulwark against Iran's regional ambitions. But recent statements and actions by the administration concern some Israelis."There's no doubt about that because it is a change from the tension of the Obama administration," CBN News Senior Editor John Waage said. "But there are concerns that the administration has not been speaking with one voice [about issues] that are very important to Israelis."One of them being the move of the [U.S.] embassy, which you have some members of the administration saying Tel Aviv is still the capital of Israel and others saying we believe Jerusalem is the capital of Israel," Waage explained. "The administration has to speak with one voice on this and right now they are not."These mixed messages are one reason a recent poll fell from 80 percent of Israelis who believed Trump was pro-Israel to 56 percent now. Yet Evans believes Trump will keep his promise."He never promised us he'd do it in six months," Evans said. "He promised us he'd do it in his presidency."Jerusalem is also a key issue to evangelical Christians who voted overwhelmingly for Trump."Trump may ask for patience, he may get patience. But in the end they want to see that happen and right now that's at odds with U.S. policy in the State Department," Waage said. "So Trump has some sorting out within his own administration as to whether he can truly make good on that promise."On Monday, Trump plans to visit to major religious sites in Jerusalem. First the Church of the Holy Sepulcher where many believe Jesus rose from the dead and the Western Wall below the Temple Mount where the two Jewish Temples stood.Trump met with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and plans to meet later with Netanyahu at the Prime Minister's residence. On Tuesday, he will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem. Trump says his goal is to restart peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.RELATED LINKS:Cameras Capture Personal Moment Between Trumps and NetanyahusPresident Trump Tours Church of the Holy SepulchreFirst Lady Visits Israeli Hospital that Treats Both Arabs and JewsPresident Trump and Saudi King Celebrate Facility to Fight Terrorism'Jobs, Jobs, Jobs' Trump Signs Historic Mega-Billion Deal with SaudisOnly on The Brody File: Franklin Graham's Advice for President Trump: Don't Kiss Up to Saudi Arabia | c994ce9af3d2027a | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
foreign_policy | Wall Street Journal - News | https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-bucked-national-security-aides-on-proposed-iran-attack-11561248602 | Trump Bucked National-Security Aides on Proposed Iran Attack | foreign_policy | WASHINGTONβPresident Trump bucked most of his top national-security advisers by abandoning retaliatory strikes in Iran on Thursday . In private conversations Friday , Mr. Trump reveled in his judgment , certain about his decision to call off the attacks while speaking of his administration as if removed from the center of it .
β These people want to push us into a war , and it β s so disgusting , β Mr. Trump told one confidant about his own inner circle of advisers . β We don β t need any more wars . β
In these conversations , Mr. Trump bemoaned the costs of a drone shot down by Iranβabout $ 130 million before research and developmentβbut told people the dollar figure would resonate less with U.S. voters than the potential casualties . The president has said estimates provided to him showed as many as 150 people could have been killed . He noted to confidants that each one of those Iranians had families , which would mean that hundreds more would be affected .
Share Your Thoughts How should the Trump administration react to Iran β s downing of a drone over the Gulf of Oman ? Join the conversation below .
β I don β t want to kill 150 Iranians , β he told reporters on Saturday , adding that he has Iranian friends back home in New York . β I don β t want to kill 150 of anything or anybody , unless it β s absolutely necessary . β
On Saturday , Mr. Trump backed a new course of action : another round of sanctions on Tehran to be formally announced on Monday , though he didn β t offer any additional detail . The administration β s current package of sanctions against Iran has pushed the country β s economy into a multiyear contraction and increased tensions in the region . But the measures have yet to persuade Tehran to open negotiations with Mr. Trump , who is seeking an agreement to curb Iran β s nuclear ambitions .
While many of Mr. Trump β s top advisers backed a more aggressive set of strike options , Marine Gen. Joe Dunford , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , struck a more wary note , which had an outsize influence on the president .
Mr. Trump himself Saturday publicly described the conflict within his own team that remained a sore spot for some involved . He praised Gen. Dunford for counseling caution , while singling out his past disagreements with his hawkish national-security adviser John Bolton , who was the driving force behind the proposed strikes .
Mr. Trump described Gen. Dunford , who officials said has developed a personal rapport with the president , as a β terrific man and a terrific general. β He raised Mr. Bolton β s support for the Iraq war during President George W. Bush β s administration , saying it was a big mistake .
β John Bolton is doing a good job , but he takes generally a tough posture , β Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House . β The only one that matters is me . β
The president is known for seeking a range of opinions , and he did that again amid rising tensions with Iran , even reaching out to Fox News host Tucker Carlson , according to people familiar with those conversations . Mr. Carlson has opposed military intervention in Iran on his prime-time television show .
Mr. Trump said he wants a certain amount of division within his team as he makes a decision , and suggested he was proud about how that reflected on him .
β Everybody was saying I β m a warmonger , and now they β re saying I β m a dove , β Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House . β And I β m neither , if you want to know the truth . I β m a man with common sense . β
But members of Mr. Trump β s team weren β t as pleased with the president about the internal schism , which appeared to strain the fragile alliance within this group at yet another period of transition , according to administration officials . It was unclear whether the division within the teamβwhich includes Mr. Trump β s third national-security adviser , second secretary of state and third official in charge of the Defense Departmentβwould heal or continue to fester .
As an illustration of the behind-the-scenes squabbling Saturday , one administration official said the Pentagon thwarted agreed-upon plans in Iran by using backchannels to provide Mr. Trump with inaccurate estimates of casualties . This official said a Pentagon attorney sent the estimate to the White House Counsel β s Office , which gave it to the president .
But another administration official dismissed the accusations as sour grapes . One official said the number of 150 casualties was generated at the White House , not the Pentagon , which routinely uses a β collateral damage assessment β of its own with any significant military operation . But the military β s range of options didn β t include a number that high , two officials said .
Spokesmen for the White House and Pentagon declined to comment .
β As senior military adviser to the president , Gen. Dunford did provide his military advice on Iran , β said Col. Pat Ryder , a spokesman for Gen. Dunford . β However , I have nothing further to provide in regards to President Trump β s comments . As a matter of policy , we do not discuss deliberations . β
Mr. Trump , for his part , acknowledged that the estimate came from attorneys , but ultimately was delivered to him by a general . Asked whether it was Gen. Dunford , the Pentagon β s top military officer , President Trump declined to say directly , responding : β I had a long talk with Dunford . He β s a great gentleman . β
The attack on a U.S. drone was just the latest in a series of provocative actions from Tehran and prompted a national-security team meeting Thursday morningβa breakfast in the White Houseβat Mr. Bolton β s request .
The breakfast is a weekly meeting for Mr. Bolton , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan . On Thursday , it also included Gen. Dunford , who officials said has emerged as an influential voice inside the Pentagon , and Mark Esper , whom Mr. Trump has said he will nominate to replace Mr. Shanahan atop the Defense Department .
A response to Iran dominated the discussion and , according to many officials , a unanimous agreement was reached to recommend military action . That recommendation included strikes against a few Iranian targets , according to a person familiar with the planning .
But Gen. Dunford , who canceled a trip to Afghanistan scheduled for Saturday as tensions with Iran escalated , rarely provides such specific advice , and didn β t at the Thursday breakfast , according to many officials familiar with the planning . Gen. Dunford typically offers a straight analysis of each option , making clear the costs without weighting one option over the other , these people said .
Military officials have long said they don β t seek a conflict with Iran . They were concerned about casualties and about ensuring any strike option was proportional , but they also worried about an Iranian response . The U.S. military β s presence in the region has been reduced over the years and no one wanted to stumble into a conflict with the military operating with reduced capabilities , a number of officials said .
Mr. Pompeo was supportive of strikes at the breakfast , but also more understanding of the reluctance that others perceived coming from the Defense Department , administration and White House officials . Vice President Mike Pence supported the strikes in a national-security meeting later that morning , then supported the president β s decision to halt them , according to these officials .
At that national-security meeting , the recommended option was presented to the president , officials said . Casualties were discussed and the president agreed to the plan , one official said . β The president acknowledged there may be casualties . Full stop , β the official said .
On Saturday , Mr. Trump said his team had brought him β a great plan , β but added that the casualty estimate was imprecise . He made clear that no final approval would be given until later .
β They gave me very odd numbers , β Mr. Trump said about his national-security team . β I wanted an accurate count . β
That estimate came later on Thursday : 150 potential casualties , or about 40 to 50 at each strike , Mr. Trump explained on Saturday .
But one administration official disputed that estimate , saying it was a worst-case scenario for a strike that happened in the middle of the day . The strikes were planned for the middle of the night , when there would have been a few casualties at each location , the official said .
That still may have been too many for Mr. Trump . β Anything is a lot when you shoot down an unmanned β drone , the president said Saturday , when asked about the casualty estimates .
President Trump has said he will nominate Mark Esper to run the Defense Department . An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to him as Mike Esper ( 6/22/2019 ) | FRnVnrqqkKKAR1pJ | 1 | Foreign Policy | -0.6 | Iran | -0.4 | Donald Trump | 0.2 | null | null | null | null | |
white_house | USA TODAY | https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/12/01/former-trump-lawyer-michael-cohen-asks-judge-no-prison-time/2173040002/ | Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen asks judge for no prison time on guilty pleas | 2018-12-01 | white_house | NEW YORK β Michael Cohen , President Donald Trump 's ex-personal lawyer , has asked a federal judge to spare him prison time for his guilty pleas in crimes that implicated his former boss in questionable actions or potential illegality .
Expressing repentance , contrition and shame in a sentencing memorandum filed late Friday , the 52-year-old former fixer for the president cited his continuing cooperation with Special Counsel Robert Mueller , whose investigation Trump has been angrily branded a `` witch hunt '' in numerous statements and tweets .
Attorneys for Cohen said he had also met twice with federal prosecutors in New York and answered questions regarding `` an ongoing investigation '' that was not described further in the memo .
The lawyers also described Cohen 's cooperation with New York State officials who are investigating potential nonprofit and tax problems involving the Donald J. Trump Foundation , Trump 's private charity , and the president himself .
`` In the context of this raw , full-bore attack by the most powerful person in the United States , Michael , formerly a confidante and adviser to Mr. Trump , resolved to cooperate , and voluntarily took the first steps toward doing so even before he was charged , '' Cohen attorneys Guy Petrillo and Amy Lester wrote in the sentencing memorandum .
They filed the memo with Manhattan U.S. District Court Judge William Pauley , who is scheduled to sentence Cohen on Dec. 12 .
Instead of angling for a presidential pardon or clemency , they wrote , Cohen lawyer took responsibility for his actions .
Cohen voluntarily `` contributed , and is prepared to continue to contribute , to an investigation that he views as thoroughly legitimate and vital , '' the attorneys wrote .
`` Michael 's decision to cooperate and take full responsibility for his own conduct well reflects his personal resolve , notwithstanding past errors , to re-point his internal compass true north toward a productive , ethical and thoroughly law-abiding life , '' they wrote .
They argued that many of Cohen 's actions underlying the criminal charges against him were the work of an employee and adviser with `` fierce loyalty '' to Trump who carried out his boss 's instructions .
They filed the sentencing recommendation little more than 24 hours after Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about potential plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow , a venture that was investigated by Mueller .
In his plea , Cohen said preliminary planning for the project continued during the 2016 presidential campaign for months longer than Trump , presidential campaign officials , and others acknowledged at the time .
Cohen pleaded guilty in August to campaign finance violations and fraud in a case filed by the U.S. Attorney 's Office for the Southern District of New York .
In that case , Cohen implicated Trump in secret hush money payoffs during the campaign to stop two women from publicizing sexual affairs they said they had with the former developer and reality TV star . Trump has denied their accounts .
Federal prosecutors are expected to file their own sentencing memo with Pauley . They are expected to discuss Cohen 's cooperation with investigators in that memo .
More : Trump β s business ties to Russia stretch back more than 30 years , from big building projects to beauty pageants
More : Michael Cohen , Donald Trump and Russia : Prosecutors document series of lies by president 's former fixer
More : Michael Cohen said he paid hush money at 'direction ' of Trump
More : From Trump fixer to Mueller informant : Timeline of Michael Cohen 's role in Russia probe
The White House did not immediately respond to a request Saturday for comment on the filing by Cohen 's defense team .
After Cohen 's latest guilty plea on Thursday , Trump called Cohen a `` weak person '' and accused him of providing false testimony to Mueller 's legal team in a bid for lighter punishment .
β He β s got himself a big prison sentence . And he β s trying to get a much lesser prison sentence by making up this story , β Trump said as he left Washington for this weekend 's Group of 20 economic summit in Buenos Aires , Argentina . `` He 's lying about a project that everybody knew about . I mean , we were very open about it . ''
Cohen 's defense team supplemented the sentencing recommendation with 37 letters submitted to the judge from family and friends who have known the former Trump attorney over the years .
Maurice Cohen , Michael 's 83-year-old father , described his son as `` the oxygen in the air that I breathe , '' and begged that `` you wo n't take my oxygen away . ''
The friends characterized Cohen as someone who regularly helped those in need , contributed to charity and reached out to friends from an American Muslim family following inflammatory Trump statements about Muslims during the presidential campaign .
`` Michael asked us out to dinner to apologize for his ( Trump 's ) hurtful comments , distancing himself from the public position , and even expressing his shame and his children 's embarrassment at his association with such a view , '' Ranya Idliby wrote .
Cohen was long a pugnacious and loyal attorney and informal fixer for Trump . But the relationship ruptured as Trump investigations by Mueller and federal prosecutors enmeshed Cohen .
Cohen 's attorneys provided first-hand descriptions focused on Trump and the two women who said they had sexual affairs with him : Karen McDougal , a former Playboy model , and Stormy Daniels , a stripper and porn star .
They wrote that Cohen did not personally pay `` Woman-1 , '' an apparent reference to McDougal . Instead , they wrote , Cohen `` participated in payment planning discussions with Client-1 , '' a reference to Trump , `` and the Chairman and CEO of Corporation-1 , '' believed to be David Pecker , a Trump friend who is the chief executive of American Media , publisher of The National Enquirer and other supermarket tabloids .
The National Enquirer reportedly paid McDougal for her story but did not publish it , protecting Trump from damaging publicity during the 2016 presidential campaign .
Cohen 's attorneys wrote that Client-1 failed to `` reimburse '' the company for burying McDougal 's account .
They also mention Woman-2 , an apparent reference to Daniels , whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford . Cohen paid Daniels `` in coordination with and at the direction of Client-1 , and others within the Company , '' the attorneys wrote , referring to Trump and The Trump Organization .
`` Michael kept his client contemporaneously informed and acted on his client β s instructions , '' they wrote in another reference to Trump . `` This is not an excuse , and Michael accepts that he acted wrongfully . ''
Regarding the planning discussions about a potential Trump Tower in Moscow , Cohen 's attorneys wrote that Cohen `` foreshortened the chronology of events '' he provided to Congress because he was aware of `` the strongly voiced mantra of Client-1 that investigations of such ties were politically motivated and without evidentiary support . ''
Cohen knew that Trump and his public spokesmen `` were seeking to portray contact with Russian representatives in any form by Client-1 , the Campaign or the Trump Organization as having effectively terminated before the Iowa caucuses of February 1 , 2016 , '' they wrote .
Cohen knew he acted wrongly , they wrote , but justified the lies in part on grounds that the Moscow construction deal never materialized .
`` Michael regrets that his vigor in promoting Client-1 β s interests in the heat of political battle led him to abandon good judgment and cross legal lines , '' the attorneys wrote .
At least one of the friends who wrote to the sentencing judge on Cohen 's behalf also noted the attorney 's loyalty to Trump β and appeared to question whether it had been reciprocated .
Businessman Faisal Hassan asked for leniency `` toward this very good man whose greatest weakness has been his blind loyalty toward those who have misused his trust and his good name . '' | JReZGjqg7PO31aFm | 1 | White House | -0.1 | Michael Cohen | -0.1 | Politics | 0 | null | null | null | null |
china | Christian Science Monitor | http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Security-Watch/terrorism-security/2014/0929/Beijing-warns-against-foreign-intervention-as-Hong-Kong-protesters-block-roads | Beijing warns against foreign intervention, as Hong Kong protesters block roads | 2014-09-29 | china | Protesters in Hong Kong who say China has reneged its promise for free and fair elections in 2017 blocked major roads in the center of town , refusing to back down after police this weekend fired tear gas and baton charged peaceful demonstrators .
Hong Kong authorities withdrew riot police today according to the BBC . But roads remained blocked and some banks and schools were closed .
Tens of thousands of people confronted riot police over the weekend , with many using umbrellas to block tear gas . Some media outlets have dubbed the protests the β Umbrella Revolution . β
Police said they used tear gas 87 times at nine different locations on Sunday , Agence France-Press reports . Seventy-eight people were arrested on Sunday and 26 people were taken to hospitals .
Student groups launched boycotts of classes on Sept. 22 to protest the Chinese government β s decision to restrict elections in Hong Kong . As the Associated Press reported , Beijing decided last month that the Chinese government would restrict candidates for the β first-ever elections for Hong Kong β s leader β in 2017 instead of allowing open nominations .
The standoff represents the worst unrest Hong Kong has seen since China gained rule over the area in 1997 from Britain under a β one country , two systems β agreement .
The Chinese government has warned against foreign intervention with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying saying ,
We are resolutely opposed to any foreign country using any method to interfere in China 's internal affairs . We are also resolutely opposed to any country , attempting in any way to support such illegal activities like β Occupy Central. β We are fully confident in the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong , because I believe this is in keeping with the interests of all the people in China , the region and the world .
Reuters reported a drop in Chinese tourists planning on coming to Hong Kong with protests expected to again escalate on China β s National Day holiday on Oct. 1 .
As the BBC β s Celia Hatton reports from Beijing , the protests have placed Chinese government officials in an uncomfortable position as they try to clamp down on potential political challenges while avoiding memories of Tiananmen Square in 1989 .
But if the protesters hold their ground , how far will Beijing allow events to spiral before getting directly involved ? The sight of Chinese troops confronting Hong Kong protestors , particularly students , would be a disaster for Beijing , leading to an international outcry . Beijing could revisit the dark days following its violent response to 1989 β s Tiananmen protests . So , for now , Chinese leaders face an unusual set of political constraints . The Communist Party is unwilling to cede political control to the people of Hong Kong by refusing to allow direct elections in 2017 . As a result , the party is putting its faith in the abilities of the Hong Kong police to deal with the fall-out from that decision .
The photo-sharing service Instagram has been blocked in mainland China as has the search term β Occupy Central β on Chinese micro-blogging site Weibo , the New York Times reports .
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Hong Kong β s chief executive Leung Chun-ying told the public that rumors about the Chinese army intervening were unfounded .
β I hope the public will keep calm . Do n't be misled by the rumors . Police will strive to maintain social order , including ensuring smooth traffic and ensuring the public safety , β he said . | 7ZAoYCcEwM04Jq6g | 1 | China | -0.8 | Hong Kong | 0 | World | 0 | null | null | null | null |
free_speech | Reason | https://reason.com/archives/2017/09/26/when-the-government-declared-w | When the Government Declared War on the First Amendment | 2017-09-26 | Free Speech | One hundred years ago , the U.S. government declared war on the First Amendment .
It all started with President Woodrow Wilson . On April 2 , 1917 , Wilson urged the nation into battle against Germany in order to `` make the world safe for democracy . '' But the president also set his sights on certain enemies located much closer to home . `` Millions of men and women of German birth and native sympathyβ¦live among us , '' Wilson observed . `` If there should be disloyalty , it will be dealt with with a firm hand of repression . ''
That firm hand came in the form of the Espionage Act , which Congress passed in June 1917 and Wilson eagerly signed into law . Among other things , the act made it illegal to `` convey information with intent to interfere with the operation or success of the armed forces of the United States or to promote the success of its enemies . '' That sweeping language effectively criminalized most forms of anti-war speech . If convicted of obstructing the war effort , the guilty party faced up to $ 10,000 in fines and up to 20 years in prison .
With that law in place , Wilson 's threats of repression soon became reality . In August , the federal government arrested and imprisoned Charles Schenck , the general secretary of the Socialist Party . His crime ? Printing and distributing thousands of anti-war leaflets . Schenck maintained that the First Amendment clearly protected his right to speak out in that manner against U.S. militarism , but his arguments fell on deaf ears .
On March 3 , 1919 , the U.S. Supreme Court upheld his conviction . `` When a nation is at war , '' declared Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. in Schenck v. United States , `` many things that might be said in time of peace are such a hindrance to its effort that their utterance will not be endured so long as men fight . '' He waved away the First Amendment consideration . `` The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic , '' he wrote . Censors have been quoting that sentence ever since .
One week later , Holmes dismissed the First Amendment yet again , this time upholding an Espionage Act conviction of the union leader and perennial Socialist Party presidential candidate Eugene Debs , who had been arrested in 1917 after giving a mildly anti-war speech at an afternoon picnic . `` This man is the palpitating pulse of the sedition crusade , '' federal prosecutor F.B . Kavanaugh had declared during the trial .
`` One purpose of [ Debs ' ] speech , whether incidental or not does not matter , was to oppose not only war in general but this war , '' Holmes wrote in Debs v. United States , `` and that the opposition was so expressed that its natural and intended effect would be to obstruct recruiting . ''
So much for `` Congress shall make no lawβ¦abridging the freedom of speech . '' Debs would languish in prison until 1921 , when he was finally pardoned by President Warren G. Harding .
These old cases have important lessons to teach us today . For starters , they demonstrate why the exercise of fundamental rights should never be subject to majority approval . The Espionage Act was passed by a democratically elected legislature and enforced by a democratically elected president , and it was probably in tune with the will of most Americans at that time . But of course , the whole point of the First Amendment is to place certain rights beyond the reach of the majority .
These cases also demonstrate the importance of an independent judiciary that is prepared to check the other branches of government when they go too far . It is no coincidence that Holmes was the justice who led the Court in trashing the First Amendment in Schenck and Debs . Far too often throughout his long career on the bench , he advocated judicial deference to majoritarian government .
`` A law should be called good , '' Holmes once wrote , `` if it reflects the will of the dominant forces of the community , even if it will take us to hell . '' That sort of judicial pacifism should have no place on the Supreme Court . | d694ccda1277ffe9 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
elections | Politico | http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0712/78542.html | Mitt Romney rips Obama campΓΒ’Γ’β¬ÒβΒ’s ΓΒ’Γ’βΒ¬ΓΕdishonestyΓΒ’Γ’β¬ÒβΒ’ | 2012-07-16 | elections | Romney also said releasing his taxes would give Obama 's team more to 'pick through . ' | AP Photos Mitt rips Obama camp 's 'dishonesty '
Mitt Romney on Monday accused President Barack Obama of running a β campaign based on falsehood and dishonesty , β while brushing aside suggestions from anxious conservatives to release more than two years of tax returns .
β A campaign based on falsehood and dishonesty does not have long legs , β Romney said on β Fox and Friends , β later adding : β The president only has one thing going , and that is constant attacks on me . They β re dishonest . They β re misdirected . And I think the American people recognize that kind of politics as something of the past . It may work in Chicago , but it β s not going to work across America . β
The presumptive Republican nominee also dismissed calls from some in the GOP to release more of his tax returns , arguing it would only give the Obama campaign β more things to pick through , more things for their opposition research to make a mountain out of , and to distort and to be dishonest about . β
Romney tried to flip the transparency card back at the president .
β If we want to talk about transparency , the real issue is , why has this president used his presidential power and executive privilege to keep the information about the Fast and Furious program from being explained to the American people ? β the former Massachusetts governor said , referring to Obama β s assertion of executive privilege over documents related to the disastrous β gun-walking β operation .
Romney also responded to former Obama chief of staff and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel β s call for Romney to β stop whining β when the Obama campaign attacks him . β I think when people accuse you of a crime , you have every reason to go after them pretty hard , β Romney said in response to the Chicago mayor .
The Washington Post reported Monday the Romney campaign was trying to move past a week of talking about the candidate β s years working at Bain Capital by launching a new wave of attacks accusing the Obama administration of handing out business to campaign donors while middle-class families suffered .
β I think it β s wrong . I think it stinks to high heaven . I think the administration has to explain how it is they would consider giving money to campaign contributors , β Romney said on Fox . | 6bHXldQIVLrvXBz4 | 0 | Presidential Elections | -0.4 | Elections | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
middle_east | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/30/opinion/miller-obama-least-bad-option/index.html?hpt=op_t1 | Obama is mulling the least bad option | 2013-08-30 | Syria, Middle East | Story highlights Aaron Miller says President Obama seems to be leaning to the least bad option in Syria
He says limited strike may be risky but less so than doing nothing or trying for regime change
Miller : If Obama does n't act after large chemical weapons attack , he 'll be written off as ineffective
Among the most enduring urban legends about high-level policy-making in the U.S. government is the proverbial memo with three options : 1. do nothing ; 2. do everything ; 3. find a middle ground and muddle through .
And yet in truth , Barack Obama really does have only three options in Syria . It appears that the president , rightly the avoider-in-chief when it comes to Syria , has chosen option three , the least bad alternative . And here 's why .
This is n't really an option . Forget the fact that the president a year ago drew his own red line against Bashar al-Assad 's use of chemical weapons . Disregard the reality that this is reportedly the largest single deployment of chemical weapons since Saddam Hussein used them against the Kurds in 1988 ; dismiss the fact that 100,000 Syrians have died in this civil conflict ; and the president is accused of fiddling , Nero-like , while Syria burns .
Just focus on the events of the past five days in Washington . What has been emanating from administration officials both on and off the record is the most well-advertised and telegraphed military action in the history of modern warfare . Rarely do we get this kind of preview of the operation , its size and character .
Combine that with the Secretary of State John Kerry 's brief but powerful statement of moral outrage the other day and the president 's PBS interview , and you get as authoritative a commitment to strike as is humanly imaginable .
Indeed , forceful statements and actions of the past few days have now constituted their own red line . And if the president does n't enforce it , he will be truly damaged goods when it comes to foreign policy for the remainder of his term .
Neither his regional allies ( Israel and the Saudis ) nor his adversaries ( Iran , Hezbollah , Russia ) will find him credible or believable . As it is now , everyone says no to the U.S. without much cost or consequence .
From the beginning , Sens . John McCain and Lindsay Graham and a whole host of liberal interventionists and neoconservatives outside the government have repeatedly called for a more robust policy on Syria , even suggesting that the president , by not acting sooner , enabled all of this misery to unfold . Syria , the president 's critics maintain , is a major threat to U.S. interests -- and to our allies in the region -- and only a takedown of the al-Assad regime through supporting the opposition and direct application of U.S. military power will begin to address the problem .
The argument has not called for boots on the ground but for extensive use of no-fly zones , the use of U.S. air and missile power to degrade the regime and military support for the opposition .
President Obama has wisely and willfully avoided this approach . And he continues to avoid it now . The reason has to do with the general problem of an open-ended military commitment and the lack of correlation between the use of U.S. military power and its relation to the end state .
JUST WATCHED Obama : Syria strikes would be limited Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Obama : Syria strikes would be limited 05:49
Syria is in the throes of a brutal civil war . The opposition is composed of more than 1,000 disparate rebel groups , the most effective allied with al Qaeda and other Sunni extremists . A victory of the latter would be a blow to U.S. interests . Ousting al-Assad wo n't be cheap or easy . It took eight months to get rid of Libya 's Moammar Gadhafi , and he had no weapons of mass destruction , no serious air defenses or military capacity and no credible allies . And look at the end result : a post-Gadhafi environment in which there are too many guns , grievances and regional rivalries and no credible central authority .
And Libya pales in comparison with Syria 's complexities . Devising a serious military strategy to get rid of al-Assad -- serious weapons for the rebels ; no-fly or -drive zones ; and sustained air/missile strikes against Syrian military units , infrastructure and leadership targets -- also means U.S. responsibility for what follows . Barack Obama has avoided this option because he rightly does n't want America getting stuck with the check for Syria .
The option the U.S. is likely to undertake -- focused more narrowly on trying to deter the Syrians from using chemical weapons again and degrading al-Assad 's military capacity in the process -- is far from ideal . Although I think the administration 's military actions will be far more devastating than the limited strikes being talked about , it is unlikely to change the arc of the battlefield balance .
There are other downsides , too . Once the glass ceiling against the use of force is broken , the expectations and pressures to use it again will grow . There 's always the danger too of a response by Hezbollah or Syria against Israel , however unlikely . And sooner or later , al-Assad will commit some other horror that will require another U.S. response . This kind of episodic intervention without a real strategy can undermine American credibility , too .
To be sure , there are real risks in acting on option three , and Obama most assuredly is a reluctant warrior . Indeed , in view of the parliamentary opposition to British Prime Minister David Cameron 's willingness to join the U.S. , he may be a lonely warrior , too . But he 's going to war with Syria nonetheless . Al-Assad 's apparent use of chemical weapons , the president 's own words and those of others in his administration leave him no other choice . | 0691b5ac80b5f538 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
sexual_misconduct | The Flip Side | https://www.theflipside.io/archives/jeffrey-epstein | Jeffrey Epstein | sexual_misconduct | Some suggest that Congress β remove Trump from office , so that he can not abuse incumbency to subvert the electoral process , but let the American people make the judgment on whether or not he gets a second termβ¦ Removing Trump from office for the remainder of his term would disable him from abusing presidential power again and protect the integrity of the electoral process from inappropriate interference . At the same time , letting him run for a second term would permit the American electorate to decide whether Trump , despite his attempt to subvert the system , should have another chanceβ¦ Decoupling removal from disqualification lowers the stakes and changes the constitutional calculus . As long as Trump can run again , Republicans can not hide behind a claim that they are [ the ] ones protecting voter choice by opposing impeachment. β Edward B. Foley , Politico
β It is customary , when faced with the grotesque inequalities of the criminal-justice system , to decry the preferential treatment that people such as Jeffrey Epstein enjoy . Rather than complain that Epstein got too much justice , it would be far more productive to complain that most people get too little . Adequately funded criminal defense , bail reform , and other commonsense changes would do far more to improve the system than the prosecution of an occasional billionaire. β Ken White , The Atlantic
β There β s no doubt that the judicial system must examine the accusations against Mr. Epstein , and that the Justice Department will have many questions about Mr. Acosta β s apparent leniency toward him . Congress digging into this case , however , is a poor use of lawmakers β limited time and resources . More dangerous , in the midst of the Trump administration β s war on congressional oversight in general , such hearings carry a high risk of turning the Epstein case into a partisan battle β and Mr. Acosta into a political martyr around whom the president and his followers feel moved to rallyβ¦ better to let the legal system and the court of public opinion carry this particular burden. β Editorial Board , New York Times
Regarding Acosta , β perhaps there was nothing [ he ] , amid mounting criticism , could have said at Wednesday β s press conference to make things right . But the proper approach , obvious to many , was to show some contrition . He could have acknowledged his mistakes and apologized for them . He could have highlighted why others shouldn β t discount victims of sexual abuse in the future as he once did . He could have even resigned . Acosta chose another path . He gave an astonishingly Trumpian performance : admit no error , shift responsibility , and blame the media . β Matt Ford , New Republic
β It took a network of people putting their own personal , financial , and sexual interests over the safety and dignity of girls to keep Epstein β s alleged child-abuse operation running . It will take a network that β s just as substantial to uncover the extent of Epstein β s possible crimes . It β s perverse , but there β s a direct relationship between the magnitude of a system of abuse and the magnitude of the effort required to end it . The fact that so many people appear to have known about and participated in Epstein β s alleged child-trafficking enterprise has not been a liability for him ; indeed , it has been his foremost strength. β Christina Cauterucci , Slate
β When most people get out of jail , they can barely get a job at a fast food joint . Not our man Epsteinβ¦ Celebrities were still turning up at Epstein-hosted parties even after he was released from jail . The NYPD seemingly waived requirements that Epstein , a convicted sex offender , report in on a regular basis β [ a ] kindness the department doesn β t extend to the nonwhite or non-wealthy . More than a few charities and nonprofits continued to line up at the trough for a chance at his moneyβ¦ the Jeffrey Epstein scandal is something , I predict , that will come to be viewed in future years as one of the defining events that brings our age of excess to a close . β Helaine Olen , Washington Post
β The Epstein case is first and foremost about the casual victimization of vulnerable girls . But it is also a political scandal , if not a partisan one . It reveals a deep corruption among mostly male elites across parties , and the way the very rich can often purchase impunity for even the most loathsome of crimes. β Michelle Goldberg , New York Times
The right argues that Bevin β s loss was an outlier , but nevertheless is concerned about what the overall results say about GOP prospects .
β Perhaps the most historic , in the sense of era-defining , moment in the history of the Academy Awards was that standing ovation Roman Polanski got when he was given Best Director honors in 2003 . There they are , leading Hollywood liberals , leaping to their feet to cheer for a man who , at age 43 , gave a 13-year-old girl Quaaludes for the purpose of having sex with her and sodomizing her . Polanski suffered in no significant way for his crimeβ¦
β The Jeffrey Epstein case should end a nearly 50-year era in which the mandarins of our cultures β the intellectuals , writers , and artists β almost unanimously ignored , laughed off , or even outright celebrated sexual exploitation of girls and very young women , even in many cases prepubescent onesβ¦ Epstein β s habits were so unremarkable that Bill Clinton and Donald Trump were happy to be associated with him . Clinton and Trump were not outliers . They were simply symptoms of a disease . β
Regarding Acosta , some note that in 2005 β police brought the case to the local prosecutor , Barry Krischer , an elected Democratic official . But Krischer wasn β t interested in pursuing felony charges against Epstein , a well-known donor to political candidates ( mostly Democrats ) ... When Krischer refused , [ local police ] took the case to federal law enforcement . Federal prosecutors , it is important to note , generally have no jurisdiction over sex crimes . But they agreed to investigate whether Epstein violated federal law by , among other things , using the facilities of interstate commerce to induce young girls into prostitutionβ¦
β The U.S. Attorney β s Office determined that federal charges against Epstein might not stick . But they were able to leverage their investigation to extract a pleaβ¦ While the punishment was inadequate to the crime , from all reports , the experienced , career prosecutors reporting to Acosta felt it was better than any alternative . The deal put Epstein behind bars , allowed his victims to seek restitution , and put the public on notice that Epstein is a sexual predator . β
β The vast majority of criminal cases end with plea bargains β about 94 % at the state level and 97 % at the federal levelβ¦ Perhaps one of the only good things to come from Epstein β s case is the exposure of inappropriate or fraudulent plea deals in the justice system that let accused criminals walk away from a trial , and force others to plead guilty without a chance to claim innocence . Plea bargains guarantee efficiency : costly , time-consuming trials are avoided more often than not . But at what cost ? β¦
β If anything , Acosta is a symptom of a justice system that is broken and rotting from within . He is not responsible for Epstein β s crimes , but he did facilitate a deal that resulted in a total lapse of accountability . President Trump must decide if this past failure requires Acosta β s resignation . And we must decide what to do about a criminal justice system that let a monster walk free . β
β On social media , lots of people seem to think that any revelations from this prosecution will be devastating to the party they oppose and avert their eyes from the possibility that Epstein could start talking about sordid and criminal behavior by prominent figures in their preferred party . Investigate them all , name them all , indict them all , prosecute them all . No figure is so important to a political party or the country that we need to avert our eyes from underage sex trafficking . β
It β s worth noting that β conservative ideas were much more popular when not associated with the Republican party . In Washington State , voters narrowly rejected bringing affirmative action back to state contracting and university admissionsβ¦ β β In Seattle , the self-proclaimed socialist city-council member appears to have lost her seat to a pro-business challenger . In Colorado , voters gave fiscal conservatives a big win by rejecting letting the state keep any tax revenues above the state spending cap , money that the state Taxpayer β s Bill of Rights currently guarantees as refunds to taxpayers . In Sussex County , N.J. , voters approved , by a 2-to-1 margin , a referendum directing the local freeholder board to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement . ( Washington , Colorado , New Jersey β notice these are places where Republican candidates have had no luck lately . ) β
β If a dozen drones or missiles can do the kind of damage to the world economy as did those fired on Saturdayβshutting down about 6 percent of world oil productionβimagine what a U.S.-Iran-Saudi war would do to the world economy . In recent decades , the U.S. has sold the Saudis hundreds of billions of dollars of military equipment . Did our weapons sales carry a guarantee that we will also come and fight alongside the kingdom if it gets into a war with its neighbors ? β¦ the nation does not want another war . How we avoid it , however , is becoming difficult to see . John Bolton may be gone from the West Wing , but his soul is marching on . β
Others note , β I β d hate to be a Democratic member of Congress trying to convince Joe Sixpack that this is a whole new ballgame . The transcript shows Trump being Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky trying to ingratiate himself with the big dog by , for instance , mentioning that he stays at Trump hotels . Trump β s conversation is typically scattershot , wandering all over the field , leaving a reasonable listener puzzled about what the takeaways are supposed to beβ¦ β β I think Joe Sixpack β s response is going to be a hearty shrug . After all that has emerged about Trump so far , his approval rating is closely tracking Obama β s approval at the same point in his presidency . To get Mr. Sixpack β s attention you are going to have to do better than this . β | nGssKEPlOF1TBy5Y | 1 | Arts And Entertainment | -0.8 | Entertainment | -0.8 | Health | 0 | null | null | null | null | |
elections | Politico | http://www.politico.com/story/2014/05/may-primaries-to-test-gop-establishment-clout-106330.html?hp=f1 | May primaries to test GOP establishment clout | 2014-05-05 | elections | The tea party vs. establishment theme has also defined several Republican races . May primaries to test GOP
The month of May will go a long way toward answering one of the overriding questions of Election 2014 : Can the Republican establishment finally tame the tea party and retake the Senate ?
A month-long series of primaries , stretching across 10 states from the Deep South to the Pacific Northwest , is the first major electoral clash between the GOP β s two wings since 2012 . It kicks off Tuesday in North Carolina , where the party establishment has lined up behind state House Speaker Thom Tillis against a tea party-aligned foe , Greg Brannon , and another contender who has galvanized the Christian right , Mark Harris .
Republicans in Washington have been pushed around by grass-roots activists for two straight elections . The infighting helped produce poor nominees and cost the party control of the Senate , as some tea party-backed candidates couldn β t win general elections and other establishment-backed contenders floundered .
β If you nominate the wrong candidate , as we have been prone to do sometimes , it diminishes your chances in the general election , β said Sen. Saxby Chambliss ( R-Ga. ) , whose announced retirement triggered a crowded May 20 primary race for his seat . ( He is staying neutral in the fight . ) β It makes it more of an uphill battle if you have a candidate who is not appealing across the board . β
This year , the national party has shifted tactics . The GOP β s Senate campaign committee has aggressively courted critics on the right while other establishment-aligned groups have sought to prop up their preferred candidates . Republican officials have trained candidates of all stripes , even putting them through β campaign schools β to gird them for the stresses of the trail . And national party officials have stood up to outside groups targeting sitting GOP senators , at times suggesting they β re more interested in raising money from activists than helping the broader party β s cause .
The primaries over the next several weeks will provide the first solid clues whether the approach is working or the GOP is in for more of the same .
( On the Ground : How Lindsey Graham outmaneuvered the tea party )
Texas Sen. John Cornyn , who ran the NRSC in 2010 and 2012 , said the past two elections β have been a learning experience for all of us. β The tea party , he said , was the β wind at our backs in 2010 , β helping the party pick up seven seats that year , even though it left several potential wins on the table .
β Then we got divisions within the Republican Party that produced candidates who could get nominated but who couldn β t get elected in the general election , β Cornyn said . β And that β s obviously not the goal . β
The tea party vs. establishment theme has also defined Republican races in Kentucky and Georgia β two other seats central to the fight for the Senate majority β that will be decided on May 20 . GOP leaders also believe they can compete in the liberal-leaning state of Oregon if they nominate Monica Wehby , a neurosurgeon and first-time candidate with a moderate profile , that day .
The Nebraska primary on May 13 will test whether the likes of Ted Cruz and Sarah Palin can push first-time candidate Ben Sasse past former state Treasurer Shane Osborn , though the GOP establishment has largely sat out the race because the seat is virtually certain to stay in Republican hands . That same day , the party establishment is bound to get a win in West Virginia , with Rep. Shelley Moore Capito cruising to the nomination and tea party groups are largely staying out of the contested primary .
In key House races , tea party forces are looking to upset longtime incumbents , including the oldest congressman , 91-year-old Ralph Hall , in a Texas runoff , as well as Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson in one of the country β s most expensive House primaries .
Party leaders tried different tacks the past two elections in response to the tea party β s ascendancy .
In 2010 , the National Republican Senatorial Committee and GOP leaders hand-picked candidates in states such as Florida , Colorado , Delaware , Nevada and Kentucky . In each of those instances , tea party activists rose up and defeated the candidates backed by the party establishment . Florida and Kentucky , with the elections of Marco Rubio and Rand Paul , respectively , amounted to clear success stories for the party β s right wing . But embarrassing losses in the three other states denied the party the Senate majority .
In 2012 , the NRSC and party leaders stayed out of primaries altogether . In some cases , they got the candidates they wanted β but the hopefuls went on to lose anyway in North Dakota , Ohio and Montana . But in other cases , candidates backed by the right wing emerged from contested primaries β namely Todd Akin in Missouri and Richard Mourdock in Indiana β went on to make gaffes over abortion and rape , again costing the party a clear shot at capturing the Senate .
After the failures of the past two elections , senior aides at the NRSC , led by political director Ward Baker and executive director Rob Collins , did extensive research on what went wrong , discussing past pitfalls with officials and consultants who worked on virtually every GOP campaign since 2006 .
So in 2014 , the NRSC has tried to meet with every candidate running for an open seat or a Democratic seat , and to offer strategic advice for anyone interested and at least 17 β campaign schools β for candidates and staff seeking money from the party committee . Republican candidates flying into Washington have even been greeted by video trackers at airports dispatched by the NRSC to test how they might respond if an opponent were to send an operative bearing a camera to follow their every move . | 07wfzJFhd2auI9wH | 0 | Republican Party | 0.7 | Election2014 | -0.1 | Elections | 0 | null | null | null | null |
elections | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/12/politics/clinton-cruz-northern-marianas-guam-caucuses/index.html | Clinton wins first N. Marianas caucuses; one Guam GOP delegate favors Cruz | 2016-03-12 | Presidential Elections, Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, Elections | Rubio spokesman Alex Conant quickly tweeted that Rubio 's victory showed that the Florida senator can be a unifier .
`` DC 's changed a lot in last decade . It 's a minority-majority city that 's embracing the future . And today voted for it , '' Conant tweeted .
Rubio picked up 10 delegates in the vote , and John Kasich picked up 9 .
DC 's changed a lot in last decade . It 's a minority-majority city that 's embracing the future . And today voted for it https : //t.co/IlqSh9SzsM
The results came soon after Texas Sen. Ted Cruz picked up nine of the 12 delegates awarded in Wyoming 's county conventions . GOP front-runner Donald Trump gained one delegate , as did Rubio . One delegate is uncommitted .
The other 14 delegates will be elected April 16 at the state convention .
Earlier Saturday , Hillary Clinton won the first-ever Northern Mariana Islands Democratic caucuses , according to final results from the local Democratic Party . Cruz , meanwhile , picked up a delegate in Guam , but the territory 's other five delegates remain uncommitted .
In the Northern Mariana Islands , Clinton received 102 total votes ( 54 % ) , compared to 65 votes for Bernie Sanders ( 34 % ) . An additional 22 votes were cast for `` uncommitted . ''
The former secretary of state picked up four additional delegates with her win , while Sanders earned two delegates . Clinton already had the support of an unpledged superdelegate from the Northern Marianas .
This is Clinton 's 14th victory in her quest for the Democratic presidential nomination and her second in a U.S. territory . She won the American Samoa caucus on Super Tuesday , March 1 . Bernie Sanders has won nine contests , most recently his upset victory over Clinton in Michigan on March 8 .
Voting was held Saturday evening on the islands Tinian , Saipan and Rota . It was the only Democratic contest held this weekend .
In Washington , thousands showed up during the day to both vote for their choice for the GOP nominee as well as delegates to this summer 's convention in Cleveland . Mid-afternoon , during a light rain , hundreds of D.C. Republican voters were standing in a line which stretched for three city blocks -- and had been for several hours -- as they waited to get inside to vote .
Some people waited in line for two hours to get inside .
`` It 's a pretty exciting thing , here in Washington , D.C. , '' Patrick Mara , executive director of the DC Republican Party , told CNN . `` These are very dedicated , devoted Republicans . ''
Some of those waiting in line said they showed up because this was a unique opportunity .
`` We know that there are not that many Republicans in the city , so we 're happy everyone came out , '' District resident Peggy Ehrhardt told CNN .
Some supporters of Trump and John Kasich were on hand hoping to sway those waiting in line to support their candidate . There was also a woman handing out anti-Trump stickers to the folks waiting .
Another woman waiting to vote told CNN , `` This is pretty remarkable ... I 'm in line because this is a one chance where a Republican vote in D.C . counts . ''
Also Saturday , Cruz picked up a delegate from the faraway territory of Guam , but the big winner on the island this weekend was `` uncommitted . ''
Guam 's Republican Party met early Saturday morning -- Friday evening in Eastern Time -- to elect delegates to this summer 's convention in Cleveland . Six delegates were elected , but only one of them , Guam Gov . Eddie Calvo , has publicly endorsed a presidential candidate : Ted Cruz , according to party Executive Director Juan Carlos Benitez .
Benitez , himself a delegate , remains uncommitted , as do the other four elected delegates .
Benitez said the entire Guam delegation , the six delegates elected Saturday as well as the party chairman and the territory 's two RNC reps , who all serve as automatic convention delegates , will meet within the next two weeks to hear from the four presidential campaigns and announce their endorsements .
Guam does not hold a traditional primary or caucus , in which candidates win delegates based on a presidential preference vote . Instead , delegates are elected directly at a party convention , and those elected delegates are free to support whomever they choose . Both the Republican and Democratic parties allow Guam and the other U.S. territories to participate in the presidential nomination process , although territories may not vote in the general election .
Guam Republicans met at the Dusit Thani Guam Resort in Tumon , where they heard phone calls , videos and letters from the four remaining candidates .
Cruz sent a letter that said in part , `` It 's Guam 's time . ... Guam is of great strategic importance to the United States . It is time we treat it as such . '' Rubio sent a videotape calling for a new generation of leaders , and John Kasich made a live phone call in which he discussed veteran 's health benefits and the Veterans Administration .
I just got off the phone with the great people of Guam ! Thank you for your support ! # VoteTrump today ! # Trump2016 β Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) March 12 , 2016
Trump described his call in a tweet late Friday night : `` I just got off the phone with the great people of Guam ! Thank you for your support ! # VoteTrump today ! '' | 06f29aee5261dc50 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | Julian Zelizer | http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/20/opinions/democrats-cooperate-trump-zelizer/index.html | OPINION: Should Democrats cooperate with Trump? | 2016-11-20 | politics | ( CNN ) A fight has broken out among congressional Democrats about how to respond to President-elect Donald Trump . Now that the dust from the election has started to settle , there are two contradictory arguments about what the strategy should be in the coming months .
Sen. Bernie Sanders , whose populist campaign rocked the Democratic Party , indicated he would work with Trump if the President-elect was serious about pursuing policies that take on corporate power and benefit working Americans . Sanders is not alone . According to The New York Times , Sen. Charles Schumer has spoken with Trump several times and next week plans to announce a series of initiatives , like infrastructure and mandatory paid maternity leave , they can work on together . In essence , at least on paper , these Democrats are willing to `` normalize '' the Trump presidency and pursue the possibility of bipartisan compromise should that be offered . Even President Obama , acting in the role of a statesman , has made a series of statements since the election urging Democrats to give Trump a chance . `` I do n't think he is ideological , I think ultimately he is pragmatic in that way and can serve him well as long as he 's got good people around him and he has a good sense of direction . ''
Other Democrats are not biting . Still feeling the heat from the election , they insist that Donald Trump is more dangerous than your `` normal '' Republican politician . His views on many issues , including immigration and gender , are so far outside the regular political spectrum that it does n't make sense for their party to try to compromise . His appointment of Steve Bannon as a senior adviser is an outrageous and unacceptable move that brings the voices of the alt-right into the highest levels of power . Rather than offering an olive branch , Democrats like the retiring Sen. Harry Reid are calling on their colleagues to stand firm against this president . `` We have a responsibility to be the voice of the millions of Americans , '' he tweeted , `` who are afraid that they are unwelcome in Donald Trump 's America . '' This is not time , they say , to play nice .
What to do ? The danger with too much talk about compromise is that Democrats will fall into the same trap that President Obama faced in his first two years in the White House , when Democrats controlled both the House and Senate yet the administration wanted to see if bipartisanship was possible . During those crucial years , the President continued to reach out his hand to Republicans in Congress only to have them bite it in return . He continually bargained against himself , only to find that most Republicans had no interest in reaching deals .
Right now there is no reason for Democrats to believe that Donald Trump will refrain from pursuing a fairly radical political agenda . With united government and a rightward GOP , he will be under intense pressure to move forward with the most radical elements of his agenda : a draconian immigration crackdown , rolling back regulations on climate change , regressive tax cuts , deregulating the financial sector , harsh national security measures targeting Muslims and more . As Politico reported , bankers are pretty optimistic from what they are seeing in the transition that this White House will be extremely friendly to them . House Speaker Paul Ryan is planning to move forward with plans to privatize Medicare .
JUST WATCHED Sanders : Democrats will work with Trump if ... Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Sanders : Democrats will work with Trump if ... 01:18
Trump 's announcement of his first three major appointments -- Sen. Jeff Sessions to be attorney general , Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn to be national security adviser , and Rep. Mike Pompeo to head the CIA -- were all indications that the Trump from the campaign trail is the Trump who will be president . Sessions , who a Republican Senate refused to confirm for a federal judgeship in 1986 because of his personal comments on race , is an opponent of civil rights laws and an advocate for cracking down on the rights of immigrants , legal and illegal . He was one of the first to defend Trump 's remarks on the `` Access Hollywood '' tape .
Flynn has a long paper trail of making blistering and radical statements about Muslims , even supporting candidate Trump 's call for a temporary ban on their entry into the United States . At the Republican convention , he joined the crowd in calling for Hillary Clinton to be `` locked up . '' Pompeo was a driving force behind the Benghazi investigation .
Even if there is a chance Trump is serious about an infrastructure package that would help provide jobs , Democrats would have to be willing to give the Republicans a major policy victory -- that would help to cement some of the coalition that Trump built with disaffected white voters -- with the knowledge they would help him in advancing the rest of his policies .
There are also many questions being raised by Democrats about the kind of package Trump is thinking about . As Ronald Klain wrote in The Washington Post , the plan consists primarily of unfunded tax cuts for investors and contractors , and its not at all clear how many jobs this will actually create . Working with Trump , as if he was just any Republican president , would also help give him legitimacy in the public mind . Given the kind of campaign he has run , which included the themes of xenophobia , sexism , anti-Semitism and Islamophobia , this is a high risk maneuver . If Democrats are serious that they see no place for these ideas at the political table , that some things must remain out of bounds in American politics , then starting to cut deals with Trump -- with someone like Bannon by his side -- will send a dangerous message that will be impossible to erase .
As Jamelle Bouie argued in Slate , `` The simple truth is that Trump 's use of explicit racism -- his deliberate attempt to incite Americans against different groups of nonwhites -- was integral to his campaign . It was part and parcel of his 'populism ' and told a larger story : that either at home or abroad , foreigners and their 'globalist ' allies were cheating the American worker , defined as a white working-class man with a factory job . '' Supporting Trump 's infrastructure plan , Bouie writes , `` legitimizes and gives fuel to white tribalism as a political strategy . ''
The obstructionist and confrontational approach might be less palatable ; it certainly does not sound as good in public and will put Democrats in the uncomfortable position of doing exactly what they did n't think Republicans should do . But sometimes there are pivotal moments when a party needs to take a strong and principled stand . In this case , there are practical reasons to do so , avoiding a deal with the president of a coalition prepared to strip away the most basic elements of their agenda . But more importantly , the party needs to make a decision about entering into any kind of an alliance with a politician whose ideas and arguments were so antithetical to every ideal that the party has been fighting for over the past few decades . While some Democrats might worry about how this would `` look '' to the public , they should remember that it did n't look good for Republicans to be obstructionists and they now have control of the White House , Congress , and 34 state legislative bodies .
Nor do Democrats need to engage in the kind of scorched earth obstructionism that we have seen with the GOP . They can keep funding the government , raising the debt ceiling and confirming justices and reasonable Cabinet appointments , though they should be willing to ask tough questions and oppose picks that do n't seem acceptable . But what they do n't have to do is start working with the Republicans on their legislative agenda ; they can also keep the White House on the defensive through oversight and investigation if there is any evidence of wrongdoing or abuse of power .
Democrats are at the crossroads . Before jumping into the traditional celebration of bipartisanship , Democrats need to be thinking carefully about whether these are really normal times and what the costs can be of making a decision to work with President-elect Trump . | zmiThcnork7s4thK | 0 | Democratic Party | 2.8 | Donald Trump | -2.45 | Politics | 0 | null | null | null | null |
russia | New York Post (News) | https://nypost.com/2022/08/04/russia-prosecutors-seek-9-5-year-sentence-for-brittney-griner/ | Brittney Griner sentenced to 9 years for cannabis possession, smuggling in Russia | 2022-08-04 | Russia, Brittney Griner, WNBA, World, Ukraine War, Foreign Policy, Sports, Basketball, Marijuana Legalization | WNBA star Brittney Griner was convicted Thursday in Russia of cannabis possession and sentenced to nine years in prison β despite her insistence that she βmade an honest mistakeβ and her tearful pleas for mercy.Standing in a cage reserved for defendants at the Khimki court outside Moscow, Griner, 31, remained stone-faced upon hearing the verdict.As part of the punishment phase, Griner also will be required to pay a $16,300 fine. Asked if she understood the sentence, Griner replied in English: βYes, I understand, your honor.βLater, as she was being led out of the courtroom in handcuffs, Griner told a gaggle of reporters: βI love my family.βMinutes after sentencing, the White House released a statement on behalf of President Biden, condemning the outcome of Grinerβs drug trial.βToday, American citizen Brittney Griner received a prison sentence that is one more reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney,β the statement read. βItβs unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates.βBiden vowed to βwork tirelessly and pursue every possible avenueβ to bring Griner and American Paul Whelan, who is also jailed in Russia, home βas soon as possible.β13 Brittney Griner is escorted in handcuffs after the courtβs verdict in Khimki outside Moscow, Russia. REUTERS13 Brittney Griner stands inside a defendantsβ cage during a court hearing in Khimki outside Moscow, Russia, August 4, 2022. EVGENIA NOVOZHENINA/REUTERS POOL13 Griner inside a Russian cell. REUTERSSpeaking outside of the courthouse, Grinerβs Russian legal team said they have not been contacted about efforts to facilitate a prisoner exchange.βMaybe weβll hear something. I donβt know. It has not been discussed with us,β attorney Maria Blagovolina saidWhite House national security spokesman John Kirby said Thursday that a US offer β widely suspected to be an offer to swap Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for Griner and Whelan β was still on the table.βWeβre still open to having our proposal seriously and positively considered,β Kirby said Thursday. βWe want them to take the offer thatβs on the table because itβs a good one, itβs a fair one and itβll help to bring Paul and Brittney homeβKirby refused to comment on the details of the proposal, but said that negotiations were continuing.βConversations are ongoing on multiple levels,β he said.Grinerβs lawyer said that her clientβs mood following the verdict was βbadβ and she was feeling βdisheartened.β She said they were βvery surprisedβ by the verdict and planned to appeal the case.βWe certainly believe this sentencing does not match the act that was committed,β Blagovolina said. βMoreover, it goes completely against legal precedent related to this statute, taking into consideration the quantity (of cannabis) and Grinerβs admission of guilt.βShe added: βWe are definitely going to appeal. We certainly disagree, are surprised and disappointed with the Khimki courtβs ruling today.β13 Brittney Griner (center) is escorted into the courtroom on Aug. 4. AP13 Griner confers with attorneys Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov before Thursdayβs hearing. REUTERS13 Griner holds a photo in the courtroom. AP13 The 6-foot-9 WNBA star faced close to a decade in Russian prison. ReutersEarlier at Thursdayβs hearing, Griner, with her voice quivering, acknowledged her βmistakeβ and pleaded for leniency.βI want the court to understand that this was an honest mistake that I made while rushing, under stress, trying to recover from COVID and just trying to get back to my team,β Griner said, referring to her packing vape cartridges in her luggage on her way to Russia in February.βI know everybody keeps talking about political pawn and politics, but I hope that is far from this courtroom,β she continued. βI made an honest mistake and I hope that in your ruling, that it doesnβt end my life here.βSpeaking from the White House after the sentencing, Kirby said it was not uncommon for Russian courts to throw the book at foreigners.βHistorically speaking, foreigners that are arrested on drug charges and then convicted under their system tend to get much higher sentences than [Russian citizens],β he saidβShe shouldnβt have even been on trial β sheβs wrongfully detained,β Kirby continued. βWe find the sentence reprehensible in its scope.βGriner, who pleaded guilty to the charges, said she did not intend to break Russian law, and that her parents had taught her to take ownership of her errors.In the course of her trial, Griner testified that she inadvertently placed cannabis cartridges into her bag while βstress-packingβ for her trip to Russia, where she was contracted to play basketball for a local team during WNBAβs off-season.The two-time Olympic champion insisted that she did not plan to bring the vape cartridges containing 0.7 grams of cannabis oil to Russia, or use them there, because she was aware of local drug laws.Lawyers for the Phoenix Mercury center have presented character witnesses from the Russian team and written testimony from a doctor who said he prescribed her cannabis for pain treatment.Her lawyers claimed that Griner brought the cartridges with her to Russia inadvertently and only used cannabis as medicine and only while in Arizona, where medical marijuana is legal.13 Griner seen at the airport. Russian Federal Customs Service13 Surveillance footage of Brittney Griner in the Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow, Russia. Russian Federal Customs ServiceA prosecutor, Nikolai Vlasenko, argued that Griner packed the cannabis oil deliberately.Grinerβs lawyer, Blagovolina, did not rule out the possibility of petitioning for clemency if the athleteβs appeal attempt fails, saying: βWeβll do everything possible to get her freed. She certainly does not deserve to serve 9 years.βGriner on Thursday passed through her attorneys a private message to her family in the US, which was not shared with the media.βThe family wants her to come home.β Blagovolina, her attorney, said. βEveryone is waiting for her.βHer guilty verdict and 9-year sentence were met with universal condemnation in American diplomatic and government circles.Elizabeth Rood, Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Moscow, who followed Grinerβs trial and attended the hearing on Thursday, delivered a statement outside the Khimki courthouse, in which she called the WNBA starβs sentencing βa miscarriage of justice.ββThe US Department of State has determined that Ms. Griner was wrongly detained,β Rood said. βNothing in todayβs decision changes that determination.βShe added that Secretary of State Antony Blinken, President Biden and the entire American government βremain committed to bringing Ms. Griner home safely to her family, friends and loved ones.βBlinken, who was attending an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gala dinner in Cambodia when the verdict was announced in Russia, released a statement, saying that Griner sentencing βcompounds the injustice of her wrongful detention.βKirby said in an interview with MSNBC that Blinken will likely try to speak about Griner with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the meeting in Cambodia.13 Surveillance footage shows the WNBA star at the airport. Russian Federal Customs Service13 Grinerβs lawyer, Blagovolina, did not rule out the possibility of petitioning for clemency if Grinerβs appeal attempt fails. Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS via ZUMA Press/KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images/Russian Federal Customs ServiceWhite House national security spokesperson John Kirby said in an interview with MSNBC that Blinken will likely try to speak about Griner with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the meeting in Cambodia.βI have no doubt that if he has an opportunity to buttonhole Mr. Lavrov, he will do so. And if he doesnβt, if it doesnβt just happen organically, Iβm sure Secretary Blinken will reach out and have that communication,β Kirby said.Russian officials have scoffed at US statements about the case, saying theyβve shown disrespect for Russian law. They remained poker-faced, urging Washington to discuss the issue through βquiet diplomacy without releases of speculative information.β13 Grinerβs lawyer, Blagovolina, did not rule out the possibility of petitioning for clemency if Grinerβs appeal attempt fails. Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS via ZUMA Press 13 Griner on Thursday passed through her attorneys a private message to her family in the US, which was not shared with the media. KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty ImagesBefore Grinerβs trial began in July, the State Department designated her as βwrongfully detained,β moving her case under the supervision of its special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, effectively the governmentβs chief hostage negotiator.Then last week, in an extraordinary move, Blinken spoke to his Russian counterpart, Lavrov, urging him to accept the US offer.White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Monday that Russia has made a βbad faithβ response to the US governmentβs offer, a counteroffer that American officials donβt regard as serious. She declined to elaborate.Jean-Pierre on Thursday again pressed Moscow to accept the US offer.βWe urge Russia to accept that proposal,β she said at a White House press briefing. βIβm not able to share more publicly at this time, but we are willing to take every step necessary to bring home our people, as we demonstrated with Trevor Reed. And thatβs what weβre going to do here. I can assure you, that this is something the President and our national security team are focused on every single day. βWith Post Wires | 7c60fb86a5e4c303 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
impeachment | Reuters | https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-impeachment-senators/impeachment-trial-could-complicate-democratic-senators-u-s-presidential-bids-idUSKBN1XA17K | Impeachment trial could complicate Democratic senators' U.S. presidential bids | 2019-10-31 | Presidential Elections, Democratic Party, Impeachment, Elections | WASHINGTON ( βββ ) - Democratic U.S. senators vying for the party β s 2020 presidential nomination face the increasing likelihood of being tethered to Washington for President Donald Trump β s impeachment trial just as they need to ramp up efforts in early-voting states .
With the U.S. House of Representatives set to vote on Thursday on next steps in the impeachment probe , lawmakers there anticipate the investigation could wrap up by year β s end or early 2020 , at which point the process will move to the Senate .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , a Republican , has said a trial requiring the presence of the full Senate could take place six days a week . That would keep the six Democratic presidential candidates who serve in the chamber off the campaign trail right before the first nominating contests in Iowa and New Hampshire on Feb. 3 and Feb. 11 , respectively .
But the timing might not be all bad news . Some Democratic strategists said the White House contenders could benefit from their prominent perch as voters are largely transfixed by the Senate proceedings .
β While the impeachment trial might place some limitations on candidate travel for those who are in the Senate , it also is likely that primary voters and most Americans will be tuned in and watching the trial so senators will be getting a lot of media attention , β said Jim Demers , a longtime Democratic consultant in New Hampshire who supports Senator Cory Booker β s presidential bid .
The last time the Senate held an impeachment trial , of President Bill Clinton in 1998 , it lasted five weeks .
The current impeachment inquiry by the Democratic-led House of Representatives is focused on Trump β s request during a July 25 telephone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that he investigate former Vice President Joe Biden , a Democratic political rival , and his son Hunter Biden , who had served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company .
Federal law prohibits candidates from accepting foreign help in an election .
The trial could come at an especially crucial time for Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont . They are battling former Vice President Joe Biden to emerge as the clear front-runner for the nomination , and both senators are positioned to finish near the top in Iowa and New Hampshire .
Senate Republicans view the trial as a potential stumbling block that could bolster other Democratic contenders such as Biden , who will be free to campaign while his rivals have to remain in Washington , one Republican aide told βββ .
A trial also could complicate the already-struggling presidential bids of Senators Booker , Michael Bennet , Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar , who will need the critical stretch before the nominating contests to continue raising money and introducing themselves to voters .
β It β s bad timing for those senators , β said Jeff Link , a Democratic strategist in Iowa who advised Barack Obama β s 2008 presidential campaign . β They all need to find a way to break through the noise and communicate from the trial . β
Asked last week how a trial would affect his campaigning in early states , Booker replied , β I don β t know , and this is going to be very strong words : I don β t care .
β I only have one choice : to do my job , politics be damned , β Booker said .
Because senators will act as a de-facto jury in an impeachment trial , they will remain mostly silent while on the Senate floor . But nothing will prevent them from speaking to the media when the chamber is not in session .
Jim Manley , once a top aide to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , said that will give the candidates a β huge platform β during the proceedings .
β You can find ways to raise your visibility , whether it β s taking questions in the Capitol or going on TV at night , β Manley said . β It β s going to be wall-to-wall coverage . They β re not going to be suffering from a lack of options to stay visible . β
Those options will include so-called β earned media , β which gets the candidates on televisions across the country without their campaigns having to spend money on advertising .
While campaigns are typically won on the local level , Peter Daou , a Democratic strategist who advised Hillary Clinton β s 2008 presidential campaign , said being part of a β very historic moment β would help the candidates .
β Overall , the message it sends to voters is a net positive for them , β Daou said .
Link said Warren β s strong organization in Iowa may allow her to better withstand an extended absence from the trail .
Warren told reporters in New Hampshire this week that β some things are more important than politics . I took an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States , and that β s what this impeachment is all about . β
Other campaigns are considering alternative ways to stay connected with voters .
Booker β s team may hold β weekends of action β focused on early-voting states with phone and texting banks . They are also considering having Booker video conference into house parties and record messages for supporters , a campaign aide said .
Candidates may also tap family members , other elected officials or high-profile supporters to campaign in their stead in the weeks ahead of the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary .
β Plenty of people that will be able to fill in for me , including my husband , β Klobuchar told CNN earlier this month .
β I have a constitutional duty , but I can do two things at once , β she added . β There is more than one way to reach out to people . β | 736812746c6610a1 | 1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
elections | New York Times - News | http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/30/us/politics/some-in-iowa-surprised-by-hillary-clintons-ease-with-faith.html?ref=politics | Some in Iowa Surprised by Hillary Clintonβs Ease With Faith | 2016-01-30 | elections | β What does the Sermon on the Mount really mean ? β Mrs. Clinton said , referring to the sermon in which the eight Beatitudes are outlined by Jesus Christ , including β Blessed are the meek. β β It sure does seem to favor the poor and the merciful , and those who in worldly terms don β t have a lot , but who have the spirit that God recognizes as the core of love and salvation . β
For all the efforts her campaign has made to reintroduce Mrs. Clinton over the past eight months , her religiousness remains little-known . More than four in 10 voters , regardless of party affiliation , said they believed Mrs. Clinton was not very religious , according to a Pew Research Center study on β Faith and the 2016 Campaign β released on Wednesday . Among Democrats and voters who lean toward the Democratic Party , about two-thirds said Mrs. Clinton was at least β somewhat β religious ; 27 percent said she was not .
Though Republican candidates aggressively court evangelicals , who make up a particularly powerful conservative constituency in Iowa , Democrats β whose voters are a more diverse lot , in sectarian terms β tend to be more cautious in talking about religion . ( Mrs. Clinton β s main opponent , Senator Bernie Sanders , who is Jewish , has said he is β not particularly religious . β )
But for Mrs. Clinton , a candidate who struggles with questions of authenticity , her evident ease at discussing her faith and Scripture β and how they help explain why she is running for president β might well help her connect not just to the faithful but to nonreligious voters as well .
β It doesn β t reach the bulk of Democratic voters , β said Mike McCurry , a former White House press secretary to Bill Clinton who is now a professor of public theology at Wesley Theological Seminary . β But in Hillary β s case , what you want to hear is about character and values and what motivates her . β
On Wednesday , during a quick fund-raising trip to Philadelphia , Mrs. Clinton spoke with 50 African-American pastors at Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church , in what she called a β stimulating and inspirational meeting. β The same night , Mr. Clinton told a crowd in Mason City , Iowa , that β if you really want to understand Hillary , you just have to understand β she was raised a Methodist , and mentioned one of her favorite spirituals : β If I Could Help Somebody . β
β I won β t bore you with all the verses , β Mrs. Clinton said , β but the last line is , β If I can help somebody when I travel along , then my living will not be in vain . β β | ofiRnVFdIEDZZNpg | 0 | Religion And Faith | 0.1 | Presidential Elections | 0 | Hillary Clinton | 0 | Elections | 0 | null | null |
politics | Fox News Digital | http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/09/29/planned-parenthood-president-says-proud-organization-actions-amid-controversy/ | Planned Parenthood president says she's 'proud' of organization's actions amid controversy | 2015-09-29 | US House, Politics | It seems you clicked on a bad link and stumbled upon our 404 page | a6c167f6f82ab4d9 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
democratic_party | Fox Online News | http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/07/21/dems-new-slogan-mercilessly-mocked-compared-to-papa-john-s-ad.html | Demsβ new slogan mercilessly mocked, compared to Papa Johnβs ad | 2017-07-21 | democratic_party | Democrats , after lengthy deliberations , reportedly have settled on a new slogan β and it β s not exactly getting rave reviews .
The winner , according to Vox , is : β A Better Deal : Better Skills , Better Jobs , Better Wages . ''
The slogan drew immediate taunts given its obvious similarity to the Papa John β s tagline , β Better Ingredients . Better Pizza . Papa John β s . β
But considering the party has been scrambling to regroup with an effective message and strategy since its November thumping β all toward the goal of retaking at least one chamber of Congress next year β Obama-era communications pros greeted the slogan with a collective facepalm .
β If your slogan uses a colon or a comma , back to the drawing board , β tweeted Jon Favreau , former speechwriter for then-President Barack Obama .
β Fire every consultant involved , β added Jon Lovett , a former speechwriter for Obama and Hillary Clinton .
And in a more colorful tweet , he ruled , β ALLOW ME TO SECOND ANYONE WITH A F -- -ING BRAIN : THIS SLOGAN IS GARBAGE . Hoping it 's not real . β
The Republican National Committee press shop gleefully circulated their put-downs overnight .
Unclear is whether the Democrats might revisit the choice before formally announcing it .
Vox congressional reporter Jeff Stein first reported on the slogan , saying he was told it would be released on Monday . He initially omitted the β Better Deal β part but then corrected himself .
Stein added , β Another member noted that this is the result of months of polling and internal deliberations among the House Democratic caucus . β
A Politico report earlier this month that previewed part of the slogan β β A Better Deal β β also said the slogan was being polled in battleground House districts .
After the party β s White House loss , Democrats faced intense criticism for building last year β s message around opposition to then-candidate Donald Trump β with not enough focus on what their candidates , including presidential nominee Hillary Clinton , would do . The electoral map also exposed a failure to connect to key blue-collar voting blocs in battleground states like Ohio and Pennsylvania .
The effort to craft a new slogan apparently is being led by congressional Democratic leaders and has been a rocky process all along . House Democrats recently asked people to vote on a new slogan β with the options largely focusing again on resisting or mocking Republicans .
One of them was : β I mean , have you seen the other guys ? β
The supposed winning message , though , might be rooted in a rallying cry from former Clinton VP nominee Sen. Tim Kaine .
As noted by Ezra Levin at the liberal Indivisible Project , Kaine advertised a May op-ed with a tweet that said , β Better Skills . Better Jobs . Better Wages . My thoughts on why Dems need a stronger economic message in @ USATODAY . β | Tsi0G4hB3JY8soMK | 2 | Democratic Party | -0.8 | Politics | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
supreme_court | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/23/us/supreme-court-preview-summary/index.html?hpt=po_t1 | High court poised for a week of high-stakes rulings | 2013-06-23 | Supreme Court | Story highlights Four major rulings are among the 11 remaining to be announced
The issues include same-sex marriage , affirmative action and voting rights
The justices have already secretly voted on the pending cases
The court will have at least two more public sessions
Inside the marble walls at the Supreme Court , the last days of June are called the `` flood season , '' a frantic push to finish its work for the summer . The stakes are especially high this term , with four major rulings left to be announced .
What the justices decide in the next week or so could fundamentally change lives and legacies on a range of politically explosive issues .
The court will meet in at least two more public sessions to release opinions in its remaining 11 cases , among them :
-- Same-sex marriage : A pair of appeals testing whether gays and lesbian couples have a fundamental constitutional right to wed .
-- Affirmative action : May race continue to be used as a factor in college admissions , to achieve classroom diversity ?
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-- Voting rights : The future of the Voting Rights Act , and continued federal oversight of elections in states with a past history of discrimination .
`` It 's almost unimaginable the number of things that the Supreme Court is going to decide that will affect all Americans , '' said Thomas Goldstein , a top Washington attorney and publisher of SCOTUSblog.com .
`` What would surprise me this term is if the court upheld use of affirmative action or the ( enforcement tool behind the ) Voting Rights Act . And I think it would be a big surprise if the court did anything radical when it came to same-sex marriage -- either saying there was a constitutional right to it , or rejecting that claim outright and forever . I think that 's something they 're going to try and tread that middle ground path . ''
The court will not say precisely when these hot-button opinions will be released , but it could wrap its work by Thursday . Depending on how long it takes the justices to finish up , that internal deadline might slide into early July .
Oral arguments have ended for the term , and the justices have already secretly voted on the pending cases . Individual justices have been assigned to write the one or more opinions , as well as separate dissents . Only they and their law clerks know how this will end .
And no one is talking -- continuing an unbroken tradition of discretion rare in leak-loving Washington .
`` At the Supreme Court , those who know , do n't talk . And those who talk , do n't know , '' Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has said , echoing similar comments from her colleagues .
The high court holds fast to an unofficial but self-imposed deadline to have all draft opinions finished by June 1 . They are circulated to colleagues , and subsequent dissents and concurrences must be submitted by June 15 . Nothing is final until the decision is released to the public . Votes can and do change at the last minute .
Justices and their law clerks are holed up in chambers , working overtime to frame and craft the final opinions , making sure every fact , every footnote , every legal theory is fully checked and articulated .
The nine members know they are writing their legacies with these four issues . The outcome may be disputed , but the constitutional reasoning -- at least in the justices ' own minds -- must be sound .
`` Getting themselves organized , identifying the different majorities , getting opinions written and circulated in dissents and concurrencies will really test their capabilities in the final days , '' Goldstein said .
The opinion-writing exercise is little-known , and the court likes it that way . Consistently predicting the outcome is a time-honored Washington parlor game , but rarely successful .
There has been particularly intense focus on the same-sex marriage cases . Thousands of activists rallied at the court when the case was argued in March .
-- Federal benefits . The Defense of Marriage Act , or DOMA , is a 1996 law saying that , for federal purposes , marriage is defined as only between one man and one woman . That means federal tax , Social Security , pension , and bankruptcy benefits , family medical leave protections -- and a thousand more such provisions -- do not apply to gay and lesbian couples . Edie Windsor , an 84-year-old New York woman , is the key plaintiff in the DOMA fight . She was forced to pay more than $ 363,000 in extra estate taxes after the death of her longtime spouse , Thea Spyer .
-- State referendums . The California high court had earlier concluded same-sex marriage is legal , but the 2008 voter-approved Proposition 8 abolished it . The U.S. Supreme Court is being asked to establish same-sex marriage as a constitutional right , but it could instead decide a more narrow question : whether a state , through referendum , can revoke that right once it has been recognized .
The political , social , and legal stakes of this long-simmering debate will once again put the high court at the center of national attention , as it was in last summer 's ruling upholding most of the massive health care reform law championed by President Barack Obama .
Nine states now allow gays and lesbians to legally wed : Connecticut , Iowa , Maine , Maryland , Massachusetts , New Hampshire , New York , Vermont , and Washington , as well as the District of Columbia . Delaware , Rhode Island and Minnesota recently passed laws that take effect this summer .
It is estimated about 120,000 legally married gay and lesbian couples live in the United States .
There is division within the ranks of both sides about whether the court will -- and should -- issue a sweeping ruling on the constitutional `` equal protection '' question . Some activists and politicians -- even some justices themselves -- think the elected branches may be in a better position to drive the same-sex marriage issue , not the courts .
Voters in three states last November approved same-sex marriage , marking the first time the ballot was used to approve such unions . California is the only state to allow and then revoke same-sex marriage .
`` This is a conservative court -- conservative ideologically and conservative in the sense that they like to take baby steps , and it seems very unlikely that they would make some big radical move requiring all states to recognize same-sex marriages , '' Goldstein said . `` They are much more likely to do something a little more modest . The other thing about them is that they do n't want to be on the wrong side of history . It seems pretty clear where this is going , with a much broader recognition of same-sex marriage , and so the justices do n't want to call that into question when the country is headed in that direction . ''
In fact , the court has set itself up to `` punt '' on both Proposition 8 and DOMA , avoiding for now consideration of the constitutional questions .
Such a `` legal letdown '' could turn on `` standing , '' or the legal authority or eligibility of those involved in the lawsuit to argue the case . California 's governor has refused to defend Proposition 8 in court , leaving a coalition of private groups to step in . Can they satisfy court scrutiny by establishing they would suffer tangible harm if the lower court ruling stands ?
The justices could also `` DIG '' it , that is , have the case `` dismissed as improvidently granted . '' Basically , the justices would be saying they should not have taken the Proposition 8 appeal in the first place .
Justice Sonia Sotomayor at the March oral argument suggested as much : `` If the issue is letting the states experiment and letting the society have more time to figure out its direction , why is taking a case now the answer ? '' Some of her conservative colleagues seemed to agree as well .
The difference between rejecting the case on standing or DIG grounds would be important . A DIG would be likely to mean lower court rulings striking down Proposition 8 would hold , allowing California gay and lesbian couples to marry if they chose . How quickly that would happen is unclear because further legal challenges could be filed .
But a `` standing '' ruling would likely nullify everything , perhaps forcing both sides to start all over again in the lower courts , and limiting the reach of gay marriage to perhaps only a few California counties . Another statewide referendum , likely to be held next year , could finally settle the matter . Recent polls show growing support for same-sex marriage in California , reflecting a trend nationwide .
DOMA has its own sticky procedural questions . Obama now supports gay marriage , and has refused to defend the 1996 federal law . That has left House Republicans as the official parties in support of DOMA .
So the court could also dismiss that case on standing grounds . Most legal analysts , however , expect a more substantive ruling , one based on DOMA 's merits .
Picking winners and losers at this stage is a subjective , even partisan , exercise . The court itself will be both cheered and vilified however it rules . But as an institution , it has survived similar crises of confidence over its discretionary authority in rulings involving slavery , racial integration , corporate power , abortion -- even Bush v. Gore .
Reaction to these big cases will be swift and furious from the professional punditry and halls of government . Some individual Americans stand to gain from the decisions , while others could be hurt financially and emotionally .
All of this is entrusted in the hands of nine judges . The Supreme Court usually gets the last word in these matters , regardless of who disagrees with the decisions .
Justice Robert Jackson , on the court from 1941 to 1954 , put it this way : `` We are not final because we are infallible , but we are infallible only because we are final . '' | fed7ca680ede55d2 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | Politico | https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/23/government-shutdown-2018-trump-white-house-1074565 | Trump owns the shutdown. And heβs OK with that. | 2018-12-23 | politics | Amid all the disarray , President Donald Trump is resuming a partisan mantle he views as a unifier for the right : border warrior . | Evan Vucci/AP Photo Government Shutdown Trump owns the shutdown . And he β s OK with that . The president spent the weekend digging in on his position , and aides say he accepts a closure that could drag into the new year .
President Donald Trump is now the β proud β owner of a government shutdown β his third . And he doesn β t seem to mind .
The threat of an extended shutdown is far less of a concern to the president than not making good on his central campaign pledge to build a border wall and looking like a fraud , according to White House aides and Trump allies . Trump spent the weekend digging in on his position behind closed doors , meeting with hard-line conservatives and signaling through his top aides that he could stomach a closure that could drag on well into the new year .
Mick Mulvaney , the acting White House chief of staff , set the bar on Sunday .
β I don β t think things are going to move very quickly here for the next couple of days , β he told Chris Wallace in an interview on Fox News .
The holiday shutdown comes amid a series of tumultuous Cabinet shakeups β Trump announced on Sunday that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis would depart earlier than expected β a stock market rout and turbulence from the Republican congressional ranks over the president β s decision to pull troops from Syria and scale back the U.S. presence in Afghanistan .
Amid all the disarray , Trump is resuming a partisan mantle he views as a unifier for the right : border warrior .
Rep. Mark Meadows ( R-N.C. ) , the House Freedom Caucus chairman , compared Trump β s stand to the Battle of the Alamo , offering that the historic struggle between Texans and victorious Mexicans is remembered β not because they won there , [ but ] because they fought there . β
Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-S.C. ) , who lunched with Trump and Meadows on Saturday at the White House , argued that Democrats and their leaders were the reason the country was in for a protracted confrontation .
β Sen . Schumer , we β re not going to abandon the wall , β Graham said later Saturday , referring to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) . β We β re going to build a wall , and to all those Americans who want us to abandon the wall and open up the border , that β s what this fight β s about . β
The president β s aides , in private , have half-heartedly tried to pin the blame on Democrats β despite their boss β saying earlier this month in the Oval Office that he would be proud to shut down the government for border security , suggesting that the American people were with him on the issue .
Trump , who cast the southern border wall in political terms as a β total winner , β even as polls show that majorities of Americans don β t support the structure , is marching out senior administration officials to assert that he β s been β very clear β about his expectations for funding various β physical barriers. β β We are open to a lot of different options along those lines , β one of the officials said .
Mulvaney said on Sunday that the president β s wall demands were β absolutely necessary . β
Republicans are not uniformly falling in line . Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee blasted Trump for failing to avoid the partial shutdown , dismissing his hardening negotiating posture on immigration as β a made-up fight so that the president could look like he β s fighting . β
Trump did not arrive voluntarily at his latest choice to pursue the wall at all costs . Last week , he came under withering attacks from conservatives β notably commentators and hosts who appear on Fox News β who urged the president to veto a Senate-approved bill without wall funding that would have averted the shutdown .
Republicans close to the president said he was shocked by the swift reaction , particularly given everything he β d done up to that point , and that he had come to see this hinge moment as his best , and possibly last , chance to extract significant wall funding .
As the shutdown became a reality , some advisers have urged Trump to focus entirely on the border and Democrats β intransigence , despite their backing similar security funding before he became president . One ally said the goal was to center the clash on who is with Trump and who is against him . As Graham put it , β This is about them hating Trump so much , wanting him to lose , they can β t understand that America needs to win . β
Trump β s reelection campaign has leapt quickly at the chance to capitalize on the stalemate and paint him as an authentic promise-keeper . One Trump campaign appeal to supporters tarred Democrats as insensitive to the safety of Americans . β FIGHT BACK , β it implored . β Donate to become an Official Build the Wall Member. β And other Trump-backed groups are running ads and circulating petitions to Republicans .
For the president , the border wall is about far more than a structure , allies concede . The White House has long seen his β Build the wall β promise as an indicator for how far his early pledges alone could take him with voters he β ll need to secure reelection .
β The wall is important , but it β s more the underlying anti-immigrant message that β s the key , β a former White House official said .
In addition to saying Mexico would pay for the wall β a goal the administration maintains is still viable , albeit most likely retroactively β others of Trump β s big early claims remain unfulfilled and look increasingly doubtful .
During his 2016 campaign , Trump estimated he would complete the entire border wall within two years from the time he started . β We β ll start quickly , β he added . β And it β ll be a real wall . β
While the wall has yet to come to fruition , the president has been filling the void with more words .
Trump repeatedly boasts about how much of the wall has already been built , even though little if any building has happened , let alone during his presidency . To keep up appearances during the midterm elections , aides handed out signs that read β Finish the Wall . β
Well before the recent conservative backlash reared , one threat the president β s team identified on the subject was supporters beginning to doubt his ability to deliver .
Though Trump could continue to point a finger at Congress , which has given him only a fraction of what he wants for border security , another person close to the president noted that the government-funding exercise was one area where he had the ultimate say .
For now , it β s a function of leverage , which the ally acknowledged Democrats have . | Qmsgqd0PG4mmcvcJ | 0 | Politics | -0.1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
healthcare | USA TODAY | http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/12/16/obamacare-boasts-biggest-day-ever-thursday-healthcaregov/95523966/ | Obamacare boasts biggest day ever Thursday on HealthCare.gov | 2016-12-16 | healthcare | More people signed up for insurance on HealthCare.gov on Thursday than any time since the launch of the Affordable Care Act exchanges three years ago , President Obama announced Friday .
More than 670,000 people signed up for coverage ahead of the Dec. 15 deadline for Jan. 1 coverage . And that 's despite the fact about 1 million people had to leave their contact information as they could n't get on the site . About 600,000 people signed up last year on Dec. 15 .
The traffic jam prompted the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ( CMS ) to announce late Thursday that the deadline for enrollment on the federal exchange was extended until 11:59 PM PST on Dec. 19 . HealthCare.gov handles enrollment for 38 states . Deadlines for state exchanges vary , but several allow enrollment for Jan. 1 coverage for a few more days .
Signups rose steadily this week . On Monday , more than 325,000 Americans selected plans on HealthCare.gov . On Tuesday , more than 380,000 Americans selected plans on HealthCare.gov , marking two of the biggest days in HealthCare.gov history .
Obama , Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell , Sen. Cory Booker , D-N.J. , and comedian Bill Murray were among those doing videos to encourage enrollment .
The administration has been aggressively promoting the law as Republican members of Congress and President-elect Donald Trump vow to repeal it next month . Even with a repeal , however , people who do n't have insurance through their jobs will still be required to buy it at least through 2017 and likely longer . A plan to replace the ACA could take several years .
Earlier this week , Burwell went on a four-city tour to Tampa , Orlando , New York and East Newark , N.J. , to meet with people who benefited from the ACA and encourage Americans to get covered .
In-person assistance is available at http : //localhelp.healthcare.gov and operators are available in English or Spanish 24 hours a day , seven days a week at 1-800-318-2596 . | 3hAVnzl8IUc7v2Km | 1 | Obamacare | 0.5 | Healthcare | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
elections | NPR Online News | http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/08/30/160358395/romney-makes-his-own-case-for-change | A Fine Night For Romney, But No Game Change | 2012-08-30 | elections | It 's been the political world 's obsession for weeks leading into the Republican National Convention in Tampa .
Would nominee Mitt Romney manage what would be miraculous for any candidate , and in a handful of days and one big speech wash away the problems of a modern candidacy ?
Turns out Romney 's moment Thursday night was a fine one , if not a great one .
His speech continued the campaign 's concerted effort to reach out to skeptical female voters , reminding the audience that his strong mother ran for Senate .
It spoke to those disillusioned with President Obama , and criticized his record on the economy and lack of business experience , while stressing his own .
And it had its genuinely moving interludes β the must-have humanizing moments the often stiff and always private candidate was advised to serve up to the likeability gods .
Romney , who appeared a bit exhausted from the start , teared up when talking about his mother , and again when he expressed the heart-tugging longing he and his wife , Ann , experience for the days when their house was filled with their five sons and all their noise and rambunctiousness .
But the speech , and its already familiar themes , seemed unlikely to light a fire under the small slice of America 's electorate still deciding whom to vote for , or whether to even head to the polls .
The night , however β with the exception of the awfully strange , quixotic appearance by Clint Eastwood speaking to an invisible Obama , who he pretended was sitting on a real chair onstage β was chock-a-block with powerful testimonials for the newly minted nominee .
Mormon church members recalled his kindnesses when he led a congregation in Boston . Business partners talked about a successful , hands-on penny pincher . A Massachusetts official who worked for him while he was governor described him as `` authentic . ''
And there was a truly charming biographical video , stressing family and hard work , with home movies featuring Romney 's father , a Michigan governor and auto company executive , and captivating images of young Ann and Mitt Romney and their brood .
That personal , strong program was interrupted by the Eastwood `` interlude '' ( that 's how a clearly startled Romney campaign began describing the actor 's unscripted performance ) , and a speech by rising GOP star Florida Sen. Marco Rubio , who started strong but flagged .
Romney had an effective night , if it did n't end up being a great night .
That was enough for supporters like Janice Adkison , 52 , of Florida , who said she has had to warm to Romney .
`` My husband and I both had reservations , '' she said , citing concerns about Romney 's lack of magnetism . `` But the more we learned about his personal life , his family , his business , the more impressed we were , '' she said as she left the hall after the balloons and confetti had dropped . `` We do n't need a celebrity ; we need a leader . ''
Enough for Adkison and supporters like her , and maybe more Americans β if they did n't switch channels when Eastwood was talking to his imaginary president . | 0JwnV3T1BSYdUIxV | 1 | GOP Convention | 0.5 | Presidential Elections | 0 | Elections | 0 | null | null | null | null |
white_house | NPR Online News | https://www.npr.org/2018/07/24/631945025/ivanka-trump-shuts-down-fashion-brand-firm-cites-limitations-from-ethics-rules | Ivanka Trump Shuts Down Fashion Brand; Firm Cites Limitations From Ethics Rules | 2018-07-24 | white_house | Ivanka Trump Shuts Down Fashion Brand ; Firm Cites Limitations From Ethics Rules
Ivanka Trump is closing her fashion company , saying her commitments in helping her father in Washington β and the limits imposed on her business as a result β have left her with no other option .
`` After 17 months in Washington , I do not know when or if I will ever return to the business , '' Ivanka Trump said in a statement , `` but I do know that my focus for the foreseeable future will be the work I am doing here in Washington , so making this decision now is the only fair outcome for my team and partners . ''
The move comes after Trump faced scrutiny for her commercial enterprises as she joined her father to work as a senior adviser in the White House . Questions of potentially preferential treatment were raised after China granted more than a dozen trademarks to Trump 's company . Chinese officials said there was nothing improper with the government handled the trademark applications .
The fashion and clothing brand generated at least $ 5 million for Trump via the trust she formed to control it last year , according to documents that the White House released in June . Taken together , Trump and her husband , Jared Kushner , reported earnings of at least $ 82 million in 2017 .
Confirming the shutdown , the company released a statement saying , `` This decision has nothing to do with the performance of the brand and is based solely on Ivanka 's decision to remain in Washington indefinitely . ''
The company also cited the `` strict limitations on the business '' that were put in place when Trump resigned to take up a job in the government .
The original business had been structured around growth , the company said , adding that the restrictions placed on it due to ethics rules `` limited the brand 's ability to grow β both domestically and abroad . ''
Abigail Klem , president of the Ivanka Trump brand , called its closure `` a very difficult decision for Ivanka . ''
Critics had questioned several instances when Trump 's role in her father 's administration was seen overlapping with the business that bore her name .
After she appeared on 60 Minutes with President Trump , for instance , the company pushed out an ad for the expensive bracelet she had worn during the segment . And less than two weeks into the administration taking office , Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway said on Fox News , `` Go buy Ivanka 's stuff . ''
Existing Ivanka Trump products will continue to be sold under existing licensing contracts that have put the company 's wares on shelves at stores such as Lord & Taylor , Dillard 's and Bloomingdale 's , and online at Zappos , Amazon and other sites .
Ivanka Trump first ventured into the fashion business in 2007 , when she started selling a line of jewelry . She launched her brand in its current form in 2014 . Soon afterward , the company added footwear and handbags , before expanding into areas from denim and activewear to baby bedding products .
The number of full-time employees at the Ivanka Trump brand was n't included in a news release about the closure . The company 's website currently lists a staff of 12 .
In her statement about winding down the company , Trump added , `` While we will not continue our mission together , I know that each of them will thrive in their next chapter . '' | ztYcDaABlW301XRY | 1 | Politics | -0.3 | White House | -0.2 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
justice_department | Townhall | http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2013/05/20/doj-targeted-fox-news-reporter-n1601365 | DOJ Targeted Fox News Reporter by Monitoring Movements | 2013-05-20 | justice_department | It turns out President Obama 's Department of Justice was n't just targeting Associated Press reporters . The Washington Post has revealed DOJ specifically targeted Fox News ' Reporter James Rosen , who covers the State Department . DOJ not only monitored Rosen 's phone calls , but his movements .
When the Justice Department began investigating possible leaks of classified information about North Korea in 2009 , investigators did more than obtain telephone records of a working journalist suspected of receiving the secret material .
They used security badge access records to track the reporter β s comings and goings from the State Department , according to a newly obtained court affidavit . They traced the timing of his calls with a State Department security adviser suspected of sharing the classified report . They obtained a search warrant for the reporter β s personal e-mails .
The case of Stephen Jin-Woo Kim , the government adviser , and James Rosen , the chief Washington correspondent for Fox News , bears striking similarities to a sweeping leaks investigation disclosed last week in which federal investigators obtained records over two months of more than 20 telephone lines assigned to the Associated Press .
At a time when President Obama β s administration is under renewed scrutiny for an unprecedented number of leak investigations , the Kim case provides a rare glimpse into the inner workings of one such probe .
Court documents in the Kim case reveal how deeply investigators explored the private communications of a working journalist β and raise the question of how often journalists have been investigated as closely as Rosen was in 2010 . The case also raises new concerns among critics of government secrecy about the possible stifling effect of these investigations on a critical element of press freedom : the exchange of information between reporters and their sources .
β Search warrants like these have a severe chilling effect on the free flow of important information to the public , β said First Amendment lawyer Charles Tobin , who has represented the Associated Press , but not in the current case . β That β s a very dangerous road to go down . β
Last week during testimony on Capitol Hill , Attorney General Eric Holder denied any involvement in the secret monitoring of AP reporters and said he recused himself from the case . Holder said his Deputy Attorney General James Cole signed off on the subpoenas allowing for the secret monitoring of personal and work phones of AP editors and reporters . So , who exactly signed off on the creepy monitoring of Rosen ? Was it Holder ? Or did he `` recuse '' himself from that case too ? The law requires the Attorney General to sign off on intrusive monitoring of the press .
The big question after the revelations of the AP being monitored came out nearly two weeks ago was , `` How far does this go ? What other media outlets were monitored ? '' It turns out , this was n't just an overreach into the Associated Press , but an overreach into the press in general . You can bet this is n't the end of this thing . | VPnxMInXWxp18lxo | 2 | Justice | -1.6 | Justice Department | -1.6 | Fox News | -0.3 | null | null | null | null |
business | The Verge | https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/2/24059114/tesla-recall-brake-system-font-size-power-steering | Teslaβs latest screwup involves making the font size of its braking system too small | 2024-02-02 | Business, Tesla, Energy, Transportation, Sustainability, Electric Vehicles, Public Safety | The company is recalling all 2.19 million vehicles it sold to correct the mistake. The company is recalling all 2.19 million vehicles it sold to correct the mistake. by Andrew J. Hawkins Teslaβs latest massive recall is a weird one. Itβs not about reported problems with sudden braking or driver monitoring alerts or seat belts. Nope, this one is all about font size. It turns out that the font size for Teslaβs brake warning system is a bit too small. How small? Smaller than 3.2 millimeters, or one-eighth of an inch, as prescribed by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). So the company has to recall all 2.19 million vehicles it has on the road today β again. It may seem minor, but font size can correlate to safety when all your vehicleβs controls are ported through a touchscreen. According to the recall notice filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), visual warning indicators that are smaller than the prescribed size βcould reduce the driverβs detection of it when illuminated, increasing the risk of a collision.β According to the recall notice: An incorrect font size is displayed on the instrument panel for the Brake, Park, and Antilock Brake System (ABS) warning lights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 105, βHydraulic and Electric Brake Systemsβ and 135, βLight Vehicle Brake Systems.β The recall applies to the following vehicles: Hereβs a look at how the improved font sizes look compared to the old ones, via Tesla hacker Green: As per usual, this is not a recall in the traditional sense. Tesla says it will push out an over-the-air software update to correct the font size to comply with FMVSS, which is how it typically corrects these mistakes. This is the second time Tesla has had to issue a software fix to its entire fleet in recent months. Last December, the company was forced to push an update to fix a number of issues with its Autopilot system, including a lack of adequate warnings. And more recalls may be to come! Reuters reported this morning that NHTSA has upgraded its probe into Teslaβs power steering loss issues to an engineering analysis β which is the step that comes right before a recall. A number of Tesla owners have posted complaints to Reddit and other message boards in recent months about power steering loss, often while driving. Update February 2nd 1:21PM ET: Updated to include tweet showing increased font sizes. A weekly newsletter by David Pierce designed to tell you everything you need to download, watch, read, listen to, and explore that fits in The Vergeβs universe. 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. | dea2e877bcbb6b1e | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
palestine | CNN (Web News) | http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/24/world/meast/mideast-crisis/index.html | U.N. shelter in Gaza hit, 16 dead | 2014-07-24 | Gaza, Israel, Palestine, Hamas, Middle East | Story highlights CNN crew visits school , finds shattered concrete in courtyard , shrapnel in walls
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the killing must stop now
Palestinian government says strike killed 16 people and injured more than 200
IDF says it 's investigating and it 's possible a rocket from Gaza was responsible
At least 16 people were killed and many more were wounded when a U.N. shelter in northern Gaza was hit during Thursday 's fighting , officials said .
John Ging , director of the U.N. 's Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs , confirmed to CNN 's Christiane Amanpour that 16 died in the strike . Numbers were still coming in as to how many people were wounded , he said .
A Palestinian government statement condemned the incident , calling it `` Israeli brutal aggression that targeted '' Gaza 's displaced . It demanded an end to the `` Israeli war machine . ''
The strike wounded more than 200 , most of them women and children , the statement said . It also said the death toll was 16 .
It 's unclear who was behind the incident . The Israeli military said it could have been a rocket fired from Gaza that fell short of Israel and exploded .
JUST WATCHED U.N. : There 's no excuse for firing at shelters Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH U.N. : There 's no excuse for firing at shelters 06:13
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U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon , who met with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Cairo , was irate .
`` I am telling to the parties -- both Israelis and Hamas , Palestinians , that it is morally wrong to kill your own people , '' he said . `` Whole world has been watching , is watching with great concern . You must stop fighting . And enter into dialogue .
`` Whatever grievances you may have , this is wrong . Why are you continuing to kill people ? There are many other ways to resolve this issue without killing each other . ''
The coordinates of the school in Beit Hanoun , which was serving a shelter for families in Gaza , had been given to the Israeli military , said a U.N. spokesman , Chris Gunness .
Footage from the school showed pools of blood and images from hospitals showed absolute chaos . There were so many victims than many gurneys included two wounded children .
One father carried his small daughter into the hospital . There was n't much the dad could do but try to comfort his little girl as she cried and begged for him not to leave her .
In another area a mortician wrapped up the body of a 1-year-old girl who was killed .
All the while people wandered through the halls , trying desperately to find where their loved ones had been taken .
A CNN crew that visited the school three hours after the hit discovered a one-inch deep hole in the concrete in the courtyard where people were killed and injured . It appeared shrapnel struck people within a 30-meter radius . Walls were hit as high as about eight meters above the ground .
CNN personnel did n't see the remnants of any rocket or missile .
Some witnesses told CNN there were three to four explosions .
An Israel Defense Forces statement said militants had shot at the Israeli military and the IDF responded with `` fire toward the origins of the shooting . ''
The IDF said it had told people at the school to evacuate because of the fighting in the area and given a four-hour window to get people out . Israeli officials told CNN they had warned U.N. officials for three days to evacuate .
Shortly after the strike , Gunness tweeted that the coordinates of the shelter had been given to the Israeli military and that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency had twice tried to coordinate with the Israeli military to evacuate the civilians at the shelter .
The shelter is in an area that has seen intense fighting recently .
Gunness posted : `` Precise co-ordinates of the UNRWA shelter in Beit Hanoun had been formally given to the Israeli army . ... `` Then minutes later , he tweeted : `` Over the course of the day UNRWA tried 2 coodinate with the Israeli Army a window for civilians 2 leave & it was never granted . ... ''
It is unclear how many people were in the shelter , but U.N. schools can typically hold up to 1,500 people .
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency , which is helping shelter Palestinians displaced by the conflict , said that 140,000 residents have taken refuge in 83 schools in Gaza that are swerving as shelters
On Wednesday , Ban announced he was ordering a review of incidents where rockets were placed at United Nations Relief and Works Agency schools . Ban demanded that militants stop endangering civilians by putting rockets at the shelters .
Thursday 's hit at the shelter is just the latest violence that has raged for more than three weeks between Israel and Hamas in Gaza . Hundreds have died , including many children .
JUST WATCHED School attack leads to finger pointing Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH School attack leads to finger pointing 04:15
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Thursday 's strike marks the third time a U.N. school serving as a shelter has been hit .
The first occurred on July 22 in eastern Gaza , where about 300 people were staying , the UNRWA said . The second occurred Wednesday in central Gaza at a shelter were about 1,500 were staying .
News of Thursday 's hit on the shelter also comes as the Israeli military said the number of airstrikes it was launching had been lowered .
Israel Defense Forces said it hit 35 terror targets overnight . A day earlier , the number was 187 .
The Israeli military also reported a sharp fall in the number of rockets fired from Gaza early Thursday , although as the day wore on , more rockets were lofted toward Israel , some in the direction of the international airport in Tel Aviv .
But the human cost of the conflict remains clear . It can be seen in the blocks of rubble that line Gaza neighborhoods , where the Israeli military has relentlessly bombed . It 's evident in the frayed nerves of Israeli citizens who dive into bomb shelters as Hamas rockets fly in their direction on a daily basis .
At least 797 people have been killed and more than 5100 wounded since the start of an Israeli operation on Gaza , said Dr. Ashraf al-Qidra , a spokesman for the Gaza Health Ministry . On Thursday , 107 people were killed , he said .
An Israeli military representative said Thursday that the violence has killed 32 soldiers and three civilians .
Two Palestinian men were shot and killed during a demonstration in the West Bank in support of residents of Gaza , Palestinian lawmaker Mustafa Barghouti said .
He said more than 15,000 people were marching when Israeli soldiers fired . More than 100 people were wounded , he said . The health minister in Ramallah said 185 of the wounded were brought there for treatment .
Mosques using loudspeakers called for people to donate blood at hospitals , Palestinian television reported .
Protesters were `` throwing rocks , firebombs and fireworks '' at Israeli security forces , the Jerusalem Post reported . The newspaper , which put the size of the demonstration at 10,000 people , said 13 Israeli police officers were injured .
Kerry was back in Cairo , continuing his shuttle diplomacy to forge a truce a day after meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders as well Secretary-General Ban .
JUST WATCHED CNN crew turned back by gunfire in Gaza Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH CNN crew turned back by gunfire in Gaza 02:33
JUST WATCHED US bans Israel flights , citing rocket attack Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH US bans Israel flights , citing rocket attack 03:30
JUST WATCHED U.N. calls for immediate end to violence Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH U.N. calls for immediate end to violence 02:11
`` Over the last few days , Secretary Kerry has been engaged with the Israelis , Palestinians , Egyptians , Europeans , the U.N. , the Arab League , Qatar , Jordan , Turkey and the UAE ( United Arab Emirates ) to determine how to achieve an end to the current violence and build a process that can create a sustainable path forward , '' White House Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz said .
The diplomatic effort was n't solely limited to the United States , as several Middle Eastern nations worked to try to win Hamas ' agreement for an Egyptian-led cease-fire . Hamas said Turkey and Kuwait were also involved .
Meanwhile , Delta Air Lines joined Air Canada and United Airlines in resuming flights to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv , airline spokesman Morgan Durrant said . It has been a day and a half since the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration imposed the prohibition of flights to the city because of security concerns .
On Thursday , Lufthansa Group canceled all Lufthansa , Germanwings , Austrian Airlines , Swiss and Brussels Airlines flights flying to and from Tel Aviv through Friday . Lufthansa said in a statement that it `` acknowledges the considerable efforts '' Israel has made to protect the airport using its `` Iron Dome '' -- system that targets incoming rockets and fires an interceptor missile to destroy them in the air .
When Lufthansa is assured that protection can be `` verifiably guaranteed '' it will resume flights .
Passengers who were booked on canceled flights can rebook free of charge or have their ticket price refunded , the carrier added .
The canceling of flights has caused some controversy which continued Thursday with CNN 's Wolf Blitzer asking Israeli Finance Minister Yair Lapid about it .
The FAA 's ban was `` a major setback to Israel , '' Blitzer said .
Yair responded by saying that Los Angeles International Airport was `` ten times '' more dangerous that Ben Gurion International though he acknowledges that a rocket had landed about a mile from the airport .
`` It 's totally safe to fly to Israel , '' he said , `` and I recommend it by the way to everyone who wants to come in . '' | 19dbc1d6435fcc5b | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
coronavirus | Townhall | https://townhall.com/tipsheet/reaganmccarthy/2020/12/01/bipartisan-covid-relief-n2580870 | Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Propose COVID Relief Package as Negotiations Stall | 2020-12-01 | Coronavirus, Bipartisanship, US Senate, Economic Policy | A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a COVID relief package on Tuesday morning that represents a compromise between Republicans and Democrats as negotiations are stalled. The package totals $908 billion, and includes funding for unemployment insurance, state and local governments, vaccine development, education, housing subsidies, child care, the paycheck protection program (PPP), and other COVID-related causes. Co-sponsors of the legislation includes Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Susan Collins (R-ME) and others. The $908 billion price tag is higher than Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell would like, and lower than Speaker Pelosi prefers. The lawmakers hope to put pressure on leadership of both parties to cut a compromised deal, together with the Trump administration, so that American families and small businesses can get the additional relief. Democratic leadership has failed to come to the table to negotiate thus far, and has blocked every attempt by Republicans to pass an additional relief package. Stephen Miller Ends CNN Host's Career! Trump Torches Critics! Dems Plan Elon Musk Impeachment While Media Panics Over 'Constitutional Crisis' Democrats Enraged at Trump Wins Threaten Impeachment and Revolution CNN Hosts Humiliated: Mass Exodus Underway?! Speaker Johnson on DOGE, Israel, Reforming FBI & More | This Week on Capitol Hill Parents Want Their Rights Back Something Remarkable Happened When Trump Saved Women's Sports From Gender Ideology Chaos In DC: RFK Jr Rips Democrats to Shreds Tax Cuts on the Line: AFPβs Akash Chougule Optimistic About GOPβs βOne Big, Beautiful Billβ Donald Trump Rips Reporters During DC Plane Crash Briefing Trump's Victories Are Causing Mass Democrat Panic This Week on Capitol Hill: Trump's Last Call for Hamas RFK Jr. Confirmed! Big Pharma in Shambles Over MAHA Agenda?! Media's Panic Attack Over DOGE Sends Liberal Elites & Dems Packing JD Vance's Knock-Out Punch To Margaret Brennan WILDCARD WEDNESDAY: DOGE, Bill Belichick, and Droves of Democrats Brave, Bold, and Bada**: Stacy Washington Something Remarkable Happened During Trump's First Oval Office Interview Dems' Humiliating Moment During Fiery DOGE Hearing Is This the End of Margaret Brennan's Career? WILDCARD WEDNESDAY: Things You Should Hear About, but Arenβt Chaos? Congressman Wesley Hunt Is Loving It. Brett Favre Talks Trump, Parkinson's, and Much More The Circus and the Tidal Wave: WILDCARD WEDNESDAY Joe & Mika Rage: Liberal Media Melts Down When Trump Takes Control! Townhall.com is the leading source for conservative news and political commentary and analysis. Copyright Β© Townhall.com/Salem Media. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you | c8bed43c32d5e6fc | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
elections | Salon | http://www.salon.com/2016/11/16/voter-suppression-helped-make-donald-trump-president-now-hell-make-it-worse/ | Voter suppression helped make Donald Trump president β now heβll make it worse | 2016-11-16 | Voting Rights And Voter Fraud, Donald Trump, Supreme Court, Elections | Donald Trump is going to be president . That not only means he will be able to fill former justice Antonin Scalia 's vacant seat on the Supreme Court , but he will also quite likely get to replace one of the liberal members of the court , such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg ( age 83 ) or Stephen Breyer ( age 78 ) . As I previously reported , same-sex marriage and to a lesser extent abortion rights are both shielded from immediate legal threats , thanks to protections offered by previous Supreme Court decisions .
Unfortunately , the same can not be said of voting rights , which are in serious and pressing danger from a Trump presidency .
`` It β s not the apocalypse yet , '' Dale Ho , the director of the voting rights project at the American Civil Liberties Union , explained over the phone . `` It could be the apocalypse . I β m not going to say it β s not going to be the apocalypse . But on voting , we β re obviously not in as good a position as we expected to be in , and we β re going to have to wait and see . β
Ho cautioned supporters of voting rights to not give up and lose hope . For instance , he noted , the Fifth Circuit Court , the most conservative of the circuit courts , struck down a restrictive Texas voter-ID law in July . Nine out of the court 's 15 judges β five Democratic appointees and four Republican appointees β backed the decision to overturn the law .
This suggests , Ho said , `` that we have penetrated the consciousness of moderate conservatives on this issue . '' For instance , he said , we can not know for certain how Justice Anthony Kennedy , the court 's most prominent middle-road conservative , is likely to rule on voting-rights cases .
But while it 's not yet time to give up hope entirely and move to New Zealand , there is cause to be worried about the fate of voting rights in this country . The possibility of Trump 's naming not just one but two right-wing justices to the high court creates two major sources of headaches for voting rights advocates .
The first is the current right-wing efforts to restrict voting rights .
`` For the last five years , we were largely in a defensive posture on voting rights , '' Ho explained , noting that in 2013 Scalia joined the 5-4 majority in voting to weaken the Voting Rights Act . On the state level there has also been an onslaught of attacks on voting rights , from voter-ID and voter-registration restrictions to challenges of efforts to make the voting process itself easier . In response , there has been a rash of lawsuits attacking these restrictions .
β The hope was that , in the course of litigating these cases , a new set of legal rules , whether under the Voting Rights Act or under the Constitution , would emerge that would stop or at least put a dent into some of these voter suppression tactics , '' Ho continued .
Now the concern is that `` many of these voter-suppression tactics that we β re seeing are either going to be left in place or spread , '' he added .
But with another conservative certain to replace Scalia , the chance of that happening has dimmed dramatically . If Trump has the chance to replace a liberal judge with a second conservative , this will make it particularly hard to cobble together five votes to shoot down these types of voting restrictions .
The second problem for voting rights advocates under a Trump presidency is that it 's going to be much harder to expand the franchise . As Ho explained , there 's a fledgling wave of efforts to challenge both partisan gerrymandering and felon disenfranchisement in the lower courts . Trump 's election only diminishes the likelihood that the Supreme Court will agree , for instance , that it 's wrong to bar people from voting for life because they committed one felony in their youth .
Existing restrictions on voting rights already in place did a lot to help elect Trump . As my colleague Matthew Rozsa reported , `` swing states were able to restrict the franchise in ways that may have been consequential in Trump β s winning the Electoral College tally ( he lost to Hillary Clinton in the popular vote ) . ''
Rozsa wrote , `` In Wisconsin , for example , voter ID laws disproportionately targeted nonwhite voters and , according to the executive director of Milwaukee β s Election Commission , resulted in the city β s turnout dropping by roughly 41,000 voters . '' He noted , `` Trump won the state by fewer than 18,000 votes . ''
Trump campaigned on a platform that , at the very least , channeled and evoked white-nationalist sentiment . That dovetailed perfectly with restrictions on voting rights , which are often explicitly aimed at reducing the number of people of color who show up at the polls . In case there was any real hope that Trump did n't mean all that racist stuff he said to get elected , his initial staffing decisions suggest he 's dead serious about pursuing an agenda rooted in white-supremacist ideology . ( This type of ideology has always been centered on voter suppression , from the days of Jim Crow to the modern era of voter-ID laws . )
Steve Bannon , who served as the executive chairman for Breitbart News ( frequently been described as a white nationalist website ) and then became CEO of the Trump campaign , has now been appointed as Trump 's chief White House strategist . This move cements Bannon 's role as the Joseph Goebbels of the Trump operation and suggests that white nationalist ideology will be central to the Trump administration . In addition , Trump has hired for his transition team Kris Kobach , the Kansas secretary of state with a long career of working against immigrant rights and voting rights .
Voter suppression is about winning elections , but it 's also about racism . In North Carolina , a voter-suppression law was struck down by the Fourth Circuit Court in August . In its decision , the court said that the law targeted `` African Americans with almost surgical precision . '' Four Supreme Court justices were ready to side with the state and against the circuit court . But with Scalia 's seat vacant , there was no fifth vote in favor of this overtly racist law .
With Trump at the helm and his well-documented enthusiasm for racism in play , getting a fifth vote to further restrict voting rights in the future is much less likely to be a problem . | 9bdb9bde558f5954 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
elections | Guest Writer - Right | http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/03/10/big-question-about-hillary-clinton-what-if-fbi-is-onto-her.html | OPINION: The big question about Hillary Clinton: What if the FBI is onto her? | 2016-03-10 | Hillary Clinton, Presidential Elections, Elections | What if Hillary Clinton is in legal hot water and she knows it but won β t admit it ? What if she has decided to go on the offensive and make her case that she did nothing unlawful with her emails that contained state secrets ?
What if the essence of her defense is that other secretaries of state used non-secure email devices and thus it was lawful for her to do so , as well as the point that none of her emails was β marked classified β at the time she sent or received them ? What if these defenses do not hold up to even cursory examination ?
What if the other secretaries of state to whom she refers are Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice ? What if neither of them diverted all of their emails to a private server ? What if neither of them sent or received state secrets -- secrets that under the law of the land are marked β confidential , β β secret β or β top secret , β not β classified β -- using a non-secure email account ?
What if neither of them hired an information technology expert and paid him to divert both a standard State Department email stream and a secret State Department email stream to a private server in one of their homes ?
What if neither Powell nor Rice is currently running for president ? What if neither Powell nor Rice has had his or her behavior as secretary of state referred to the FBI for a criminal investigation by the inspector general of the State Department ?
What if the law of the land is that a document or email contains state secrets by virtue of the information or data in the document or email and not by virtue of any warning label ? What if the legal definition of a `` state secret '' in the U.S. is `` information the revelation of which could cause harm to the security of the United States '' ?
What if it is the law of the land that people in the government to whom state secrets are entrusted are required to recognize the secrets when they see them and protect them from intentional or inadvertent revelation ?
What if it is the law of the land that everyone in the government to whom state secrets are entrusted receives a multi-hour tutorial from the FBI on how to protect state secrets ? What if the successful completion of that tutorial is a legal prerequisite to the receipt of a national security clearance and thus the receipt of state secrets ?
What if that tutorial reminds the people to whom secrets are being reposed that it is their legal obligation to recognize and accept and understand the law before they can receive any state secrets ? What if , in order to confirm that understanding , all people who receive the tutorial are required to sign an oath at the end of the tutorial recognizing , accepting and understanding the law and agreeing to be bound by it ? What if Clinton signed just such an oath ?
What if Clinton had no intention of complying with the oath she signed at the time she signed it ? What if we know that because we know she hired the information technologist to divert her emails the same week she received the FBI tutorial ? What if she never told the FBI that she planned to divert all her emails -- including those that would contain state secrets -- to a private non-secure email server in her home ?
What if it is the law of the land that the failure to secure state secrets is a felony , known as espionage ? What if it is the law of the land that espionage can be committed by a person who intends to expose state secrets or by a person who doesn β t care if she exposes state secrets ? What if the FBI explained to Clinton in her first day as secretary of state that the grossly negligent exposure of state secrets constitutes espionage ?
What if before Clinton was secretary of state , she was a U.S. senator from New York for eight years ? What if during that time , she was a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee ? What if during her time in the Senate , she was exposed to hundreds of military-related state secrets ?
What if Clinton is smart enough and shrewd enough and experienced enough to recognize a state secret when she sees one ?
What if the FBI has seen emails in which Clinton ordered subordinates deliberately to avoid State Department secure channels of communications and to send state secrets to her through channels she knew were not secure ? What if Clinton passed on state secrets to others who had no security clearances ? What if she did so knowing she was sending state secrets from her non-secure server to other non-secure servers ?
What if Clinton sent or received more than 2,000 emails that contained state secrets ? What if she authored more than 100 of them herself ? What if some of the 2,000 emails were so secret that the FBI agents investigating her lack the security clearances to view those emails ?
What if Clinton did all this so that she could keep her behavior as secretary of state secret and away from all officials in the State Department outside her inner circle , away from the president and away from the American people ? What if she orchestrated and carried out a conspiracy to violate the Espionage Act ?
What if the FBI is onto her ? What if the Democrats are not ? | 19ef21d7301aa9de | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
china | Bloomberg | https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-11-26/trump-signals-u-s-likely-to-go-ahead-with-china-tariff-increase?srnd=premium | Trump Signals U.S. Likely to Go Ahead With China Tariff Increase | 2018-11-26 | china | LISTEN TO ARTICLE 2:28 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Share Tweet Post Email
President Donald Trump said he β ll likely push forward with plans to increase tariffs on $ 200 billion of Chinese goods , indicating he would also slap duties on all remaining imports from the Asian nation if negotiations with China β s leader Xi Jinping fail to produce a trade deal .
Trump , in an interview with the Wall Street Journal published Monday , said he β s prepared to impose tariffs on a final batch of $ 267 billion of Chinese shipments if he can β t make a deal with Xi when they meet at the Group of 20 meeting in Argentina , which starts Nov. 30 . The rate could be either 10 percent or 25 percent , Trump said .
Trump said that Apple Inc. β s iPhones and laptops imported from China could be hit by new tariffs . Americans could β very easily β handle a 10 percent duty , he said .
Read More : Apple Shares Fall as Trump Suggests 10 % Tariff on IPhones
The Trump administration has complained that U.S. companies aren β t getting a fair deal in China .
β The only deal would be China has to open up their country to competition from the United States , β the president said , according to the newspaper . β As far as other countries are concerned , that β s up to them . β
In September , the Trump administration plunged deeper into a trade war with China by imposing a 10 percent tariff on $ 200 billion of Chinese goods , and said the rate will rise to 25 percent on Jan. 1 . The U.S. is unlikely to accede to demands from Beijing to refrain from increasing the tariff , Trump said .
`` This is largely a negotiation tactic , '' said Tao Dong , vice chairman for Greater China at Credit Suisse Private Banking in Hong Kong . `` Putting high stakes pressure onto the other side seems to be a consistent pattern from the Trump administration . ''
China β s foreign ministry urged the U.S. to work toward a positive outcome at the planned Group of 20 meeting . Teams from the U.S. and China are working to follow through on a Nov. 1 phone call between Trump and Xi during which the leaders agreed to reach a β mutually acceptable proposal , β a foreign ministry spokesman told reporters in Beijing on Tuesday .
The U.S. already imposed tariffs on $ 50 billion on Chinese products earlier this year , which Beijing retaliated against on a dollar-for-dollar basis . China has since added retaliatory duties on an additional $ 60 billion of American products .
In the Crosshairs Consumer goods will be top target if U.S. imposes tariffs on remaining Chinese imports Source : United States International Trade Commission
Chinese officials have said their key outcome from the Trump-Xi meeting is to convince the U.S. to hold off from the tariff increase , the Wall Street Journal reported , without identifying the officials .
Trump told the Journal that his advice to American companies caught up in the trade conflict is to build factories in the U.S. and make their products domestically .
β With assistance by Kevin Hamlin , Miao Han , Natalie Lung , and David Ramli | Aeie4dEXy9ffPPc8 | 1 | Tariffs | -0.3 | Trade | -0.1 | China | 0 | null | null | null | null |
media_bias | Armstrong Williams | https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/06/07/armstrong-williams-mainstream-media-gets-black-eye-over-hunter-bidens-laptop-staff-commentary/ | Mainstream media gets black eye over Hunter Bidenβs laptop | 2024-06-11 | Media Bias, Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, Hunter Biden Laptop, Liberal Media Bias, Biden Family, Biden Administration, Donald Trump, FBI, Propaganda, Polarization | Armstrong Williams: As Trump taps tariffs to fix economy, history is not on his side | e153e3b414da9d69 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
white_house | Fox Online News | https://www.foxnews.com/health/trump-executive-order-kidney-disease-care | Trump signs executive order revamping kidney disease care, includes better access to home dialysis, transplants | white_house | President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday paving the way for an overhaul of the way kidney disease , which affects 30 million Americans , is treated in the U.S .
The president 's move would lead to sweeping changes in treatment as well as prevention , including improving access to dialysis treatment in the home and enabling people with failing kidneys to have opportunities sooner to get a transplant .
`` This is a first , second and third step , it β s more than just a first step , β said Trump just before signing the executive order . β We β re going to come up with solutions over a period of five years and 10 years , that I think most people won β t believe . β
And because a severe organ shortage complicates the call for more transplants , the administration also aims to ease financial hardships for living donors , said the officials , who spoke on the condition of anonymity ahead of the announcement .
STEVIE WONDER SAYS HE 'LL UNDERGO KIDNEY TRANSPLANT LATER THIS YEAR
Another key change : steps to help the groups that collect deceased donations do a better job . Officials cited a study that suggests long term it may be possible to find 17,000 more kidneys and 11,000 other organs from deceased donors for transplant every year .
Federal health officials have made clear for months that they intend to shake up a system that today favors expensive , time-consuming dialysis in large centers over easier-to-tolerate at-home care or transplants that help patients live longer .
β For 50 years , we have had basically a stagnant system of how we treat people with chronic kidney disease , β Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II said in a briefing held Wednesday morning .
β Right now every financial incentive is toward dialysis and not toward transplantation and long-term survivorship , β Azar , whose father experienced traditional and at-home dialysis before getting a living donor transplant , told a Senate hearing in March . β And you get what you pay for . β
About 30 million American adults have chronic kidney disease , costing Medicare a staggering $ 113 billion .
Careful treatment β including control of diabetes and high blood pressure , the two main culprits β can help prevent further kidney deterioration . But more than 700,000 people have end-stage renal disease , meaning their kidneys have failed , and require either a transplant or dialysis to survive . Only about a third received specialized kidney care before they got so sick .
More than 94,000 of the 113,000 people on the national organ waiting list need a kidney . Last year , there were 21,167 kidney transplants . A fraction β 6,442 β were from living donors , according to the United Network for Organ Sharing , which oversees the nation β s transplant system .
β The longer you β re on dialysis , the outcomes are worse , β said Dr. Amit Tevar , a transplant surgeon at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center , who praised the Trump administration initiatives being announced Wednesday .
Too often , transplant centers don β t see a kidney patient until they β ve been on dialysis for years , he said . And while any transplant is preferable , one from a living donor is best because those organs β work better , longer and faster , β Tevar said .
βMedicare payment changes that would provide a financial incentive for doctors and clinics to help kidney patients stave off end-stage disease by about six months .
βA bonus to kidney specialists who help prepare patients for early transplant , with steps that can begin even before they need dialysis .
βAdditional Medicare changes so that dialysis providers can earn as much by helping patients get dialysis at home as in the large centers that predominate today . Patients typically must spend hours three or four times a week hooked to machines that filter waste out of their blood .
Home options include portable blood-cleansing machines , or what β s called peritoneal dialysis that works through an abdominal tube , usually while patients are sleeping .
Today , about 14 % of patients in kidney failure get at-home dialysis or an early transplant . By 2025 , the goal is to have 80 % of people with newly diagnosed kidney failure getting one of those options , officials said .
These changes are being implemented through Medicare β s innovation center , created under the Obama-era Affordable Care Act and empowered to seek savings and improved quality . The Trump administration is relying on the innovation center even as it argues in federal court that the law that created it is unconstitutional and should be struck down entirely .
Other initiatives will require new regulations , expected to be proposed later this year . Among them :
βAllowing reimbursement of lost wages and other expenses for living donors , who can give one of their kidneys or a piece of their liver . The transplant recipient β s insurance pays the donor β s medical bills . But they are out of work for weeks recuperating and one study found more than a third of living kidney donors reported lost wages , a median of $ 2,712 , in the year following donation . Details about who pays β and who qualifies β still have to be worked out .
βClearer ways to measure how well the nation β s 58 organ procurement organizations collect donations from deceased donors . Some do a better job than others , but today β s performance standards are self-reported , varying around the country and making it hard for government regulators or the OPOs themselves to take steps to improve .
β Some OPOs are very aggressive and move forward with getting organs allocated and donors consented , and there are those that are a little more lackadaisical about it , β said Pittsburgh β s Tevar . Unlike the medical advances in transplantation , β we haven β t really made big dents and progress and moves in increasing cadaveric organs or increasing live donor options . β
This story is based on reporting by The Associated Press . | WJX6EIfNAb2hmmSD | 2 | Executive Orders | 0.6 | Politics | 0.6 | Healthcare | 0.3 | White House | 0.1 | Donald Trump | 0 | |
technology | The Hill | https://thehill.com/homenews/house/434642-nunes-sues-twitter-users-for-more-than-250m | Nunes sues Twitter, users for more than $250M | 2019-03-18 | technology | Rep. Devin Nunes Devin Gerald NunesOvernight Defense : Trump hosts ErdoΔan at White House | Says Turkish leader has 'great relationship with the Kurds ' | Highlights from first public impeachment hearing GOP zeroes in on alleged Ukraine meddling during impeachment testimony βββ 's 12:30 Report : Democrats open televised impeachment hearings MORE ( R-Calif. ) , the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee and its former chairman , is suing Twitter and a number of its users for more than $ 250 million .
The lawsuit filed Monday alleges the social media giant censored conservative voices by `` shadow-banning '' them , which Nunes says potentially impacted the 2018 midterm election results . Others named in the lawsuit include GOP operative Liz Mair , Mair Strategies , `` Devin Nunes ' Mom '' ( @ DevinNunesMom ) and `` Devin Nunes ' cow '' ( @ DevinCow ) , two parody accounts that mocked the Trump ally and California Republican .
Nunes accuses Twitter of `` facilitating defamation on its platform '' by `` ignoring lawful complaints about offensive content and by allowing that content to remain accessible to the public '' despite alleged violations of its terms of service and rules .
`` Twitter , by its actions , intended to generate and proliferate the false and defamatory statements about Plaintiff in order to influence the outcome of the 2018 Congressional election and to intimidate Plaintiff and interfere with his important investigation of corruption by the Clinton campaign and alleged Russian involvement in the 2016 Presidential Election , '' the lawsuit reads .
The suit alleges Mair `` relentlessly smeared and defamed '' the California Republican in citing allegedly false reports accusing him of being involved with a winery embroiled in a scandal involving the solicitation of underage prostitutes and cocaine . Nunes has strongly denied the accusations in the report .
The lawsuit also accuses the social media platform of failing to remove `` libelous '' statements made about Nunes posted by Twitter handles @ DevinNunesMom and @ DevinCow .
`` Defendant , Devin Nunes β Mom , is a person who , with Twitter β s consent , hijacked Nunes β name , falsely impersonated Nunes β mother , and created and maintained an account on Twitter ( @ DevinNunesMom ) for the sole purpose of attacking , defaming , disparaging and demeaning Nunes , '' it states .
Some of the remarks cited in the lawsuit include the following : `` Devin Nunes β Mom stated that Nunes had turned out worse than Jacob Wohl ; falsely accused Nunes of being a racist , having 'white supremacist friends ' and distributing 'disturbing inflammatory racial propaganda . ' ''
The lawsuit goes on to state that while the `` full scope of the conspiracy '' remains unknown , including the names of participants and the extent of any Democratic donor involvement , Nunes β s legal team reserves the right to amend the complaint as more information becomes available .
This is a tweet Devin Nunes included in his complaint . pic.twitter.com/fjwuIaDQhK β andrew kaczynski ( @ KFILE ) March 19 , 2019
The suit asks for $ 250 million in compensatory damages and an additional $ 350,000 in punitive damages .
The @ DevinNunesMom account has been suspended , but the @ DevinCow account remained intact as of Monday evening .
Republicans in the House have been highly critical of Silicon Valley companies , arguing there is an anti-conservative bias .
Twitter previously denied allegations of shadow banning , attributing the situation to an algorithm intended to reduce the presence of white supremacists and other extremists on the platform . The social media platform has strongly denied political ideology plays a role in the company 's content decisions . | xW4iFXDimKhEgS7t | 1 | Technology | -0.3 | Twitter | -0.2 | Social Media | -0.2 | Devin Nunes | 0 | Free Speech | 0 |
campaign_rhetoric | Fox Online News | https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-bloomberg-2020 | Trump warns 2020 Dems that Bloomberg will turn his back on them | campaign_rhetoric | President Trump claimed Thursday that if Mike Bloomberg doesn β t win the Democratic presidential nomination , the billionaire business and media mogul will spend β very little of his money β to help the eventual nominee defeat the Republican incumbent -- despite claims to the contrary .
Taking aim at the former New York City mayor , Trump tweeted on Thursday morning that β Mini Mike Bloomberg is playing poker with his foolhardy and unsuspecting Democrat rivals . He says that if he loses ( he really means when ! ) in the primaries , he will spend money helping whoever the Democrat nominee is . By doing this , he figures , they won β t hit him as hard .... during his hopeless 'presidential ' campaign . They will remain silent ! β
The president then claimed : β The fact is , when Mini losses , he will be spending very little of his money on these 'clowns ' because he will consider himself to be the biggest clown of them all -- and he will be right ! β
This prediction by Trump would appear to fly in the face of plans by an allied Bloomberg group to spend millions attacking Trump over the airwaves regardless of whether Bloomberg wins .
β Obsessed much ? It should n't be this easy to distract the President of the United States , β he responded on Twitter .
Bloomberg has repeatedly said he would back the eventual nominee , regardless of whether he captures the nomination . And earlier this month his presidential campaign manager said that Bloomberg would fund whomever wins the nomination .
β Mike Bloomberg is either going to be the nominee or the most important person supporting the Democratic nominee for president , β campaign manager Kevin Sheekey told NBC News . β He is dedicated to getting Trump out of the White House . β
BLOOMBERG 2020 AD SPENDING UP TO A QUARTER OF A BILLION DOLLARS
And Bloomberg , through a super PAC , went up in November with a massive $ 100 million ad buy to run digital spots that attack the president in the crucial general election battleground states of Michigan , Wisconsin , Pennsylvania , and Arizona .
The ads β which Bloomberg β s team says will run through the end of the presidential primary season , even if Bloomberg doesn β t win the nomination β do not feature him beyond the legally required disclaimers .
In his tweet , Bloomberg also linked to a Mediate story on how β Fox and Friends β spotlighted a new TV commercial by Bloomberg that refers to an alleged incident in which Trump β at a Pentagon briefing β verbally attacked military leaders in the room .
The narrator in the ad calls Trump β an erratic and out of control president . β
Bloomberg flirted with a White House run early last year . But in March , with former Vice President Joe Biden gearing up for a presidential run , Bloomberg decided against launching a campaign because he felt he and the former vice president would split the center-left Democratic vote .
But in late November -- with Biden battling other top-tier contenders Sens . Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts as well as then-South Bend , Ind. , Mayor Pete Buttigieg -- Bloomberg jumped into the race . He said that he was concerned none of the current candidates could defeat Trump in next year 's election .
He has already spent a quarter-billion dollars to run ads on behalf of his White House bid . | yTMkgqAlrEvUnDTV | 2 | Michael Bloomberg | -0.1 | Election2020 | 0 | Campaign Rhetoric | 0 | Democratic Party | 0 | Presidential Elections | 0 | |
elections | Daily Beast | http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/09/10/black-millennials-don-t-help-donald-trump.html | Black Millennials: Don't Help Donald Trump | 2016-09-10 | elections | With the election less than two months away , there still remains plenty of cause for concern regarding the black vote and Hillary Clinton . Clinton and the Democrats inevitably were going to win the lion β s share of the black vote , but that has never been enough . Clinton needs to win a share of the black vote similar to Barack Obama β s to ensure that the Democrats retain the White House . And black voters need to flex their electoral might to show that 2008 and 2012 were not flukes buoyed by America β s first black president . Presently , neither seem foregone conclusions , and the majority of the uncertainty resides with young black voters .
A recent report by The New York Times describes the frustrations of many young black voters in two vital swing statesβOhio and Floridaβregarding this election , and their bewildering reluctance to support Clinton .
β He β s a racist , and she is a liar , so really what β s the difference in choosing both or choosing neither , β said a young black woman from Ohio , who participated in the Times β focus group .
β She was part of the whole problem that started sending blacks to jail , β said a young black man in the focus group .
Additionally , only 70 percent of African Americans under 35 in Florida , Ohio , Pennsylvania and Virginia plan on voting for Clintonβ8 percent plan on voting for Trump , and 18 percent are undecided or backing another candidate . In 2012 , Obama won 92 percent of black voters under 45 nationally .
As a young black voter myself I β ve heard countless reasons why black millennials may not want to vote for Clinton this year . While each argument may consist of some valid points , on average they display a myopic naΓ―vetΓ© that undermines the progress they intend to forge and projects some of the less desirable narratives attributed to millennials .
I β ve spoken to older African Americans too , and many remain perplexed by the willful disenfranchisement expressed by this younger generation . Also , this generation β s fixation on the Clintons of the 1990sβwith an emphasis on their faults and not their successesβinstead of the Clintons of today remains baffling to the older generation .
African Americans do not condone Hillary β s β super predators β comment from 1996 ; nor do they embrace Bill β s tough on crime policies , which were an extension of the policing measures of the two previous presidential administrations . Yet America was far less racially progressive in the 1990s than it is today .
And besides , the Clintons β policies on racial questions didn β t begin and end with crime . They actively sought the black vote , welcomed the opinions of African Americans , and hired African Americans for administration and cabinet positions at rates that were previously unheard of . He defended and saved affirmative action at a moment when it was on death row . It β s disingenuous of people to forget all these good things .
Additionally , older African Americans remember how Bill Clinton won traditionally Republican states such as Georgia , Arkansas , Louisiana , Tennessee , and Kentucky on his way to the White House in 1992 . The Clintons dismantled Richard Nixon β s Southern Strategy , which hinged on stoking the racial animus of white Americans to win Southern states and secure the presidency for Republicans . That β s a big part of why the GOP became hell bent on destroying the Clintons .
And while they failed at that , they succeeded at defeating Al Gore , his chosen successor , and facilitating racial divisions . The parallels between unprecedented Republican attacks on Bill Clinton β s and Obama β s presidencies due to their ability to create radical electoral shifts by engaging and enfranchising African Americans should be obvious for anyone who reexamines the 1990s .
Yet irrationally , some young black voters have instead chosen to fixate on the mistakes of the Clintons , and parrot the disparaging conservative rhetoric of the 1990s regarding them . And in doing so , black millennials may be contributing to creating another improbable window for a divisive Republican candidate to claim the presidency .
In addition to a bizarre mis-recollection of the 1990s , these black millennials also exude a desire for perfection and a reluctance to settling . Since neither candidate is perfect in their eyes , they say they are now forced to chosen between the lesser of two evils , and they argue that there is an inherent injustice in being forced into this situation . Plenty of young white millennials who supported Bernie Sanders expressed similar sentiments .
But this amounts to willful disenfranchisement . Willfully disengaging or voting for a third party candidate who more closely embodies their idea of perfection seems an adequate recourse for some young black voters instead of settling for one of the two major candidates . Yet the collective impact of this action will only result in stunting the progress black millennials hope to achieve .
The increased weight of black voices in American society does not stem from a national , progressive moral epiphany or even the presence of the Obamas in the White House . Our louder voice exists now because African Americans voted at unprecedented rates for two consecutive presidential elections , and our enhanced electoral voice forced America to listen to us . In 2012 , 66 percent of eligible African American voters voted , surpassing the percentage of white votersβfor the first time in historyβby 2 percent . In 2008 , 65 percent voted .
The young black voters who remain reluctant to vote for Clinton assume that our societal influence has become the new norm . They have remained focused on striving to improve American society and simultaneously oblivious to the profound threat posed by a Trump presidency for African Americans and other minorities . This is a privileged perspective that older African Americans struggle to comprehend .
For American society , this election is about sustaining the social progress and racial equity forged during Obama β s presidency . Trump offers only social regression . Young black voters will play a pivotal role in deciding the next president , and their misguided inclination to support apathy or willful disenfranchisement when confronted with a resurgent white nationalist movement and enflamed racial divisions may be one of the most tragic realities of this entire election . | lOaqCBGT1rafpWOO | 0 | Presidential Elections | -1.7 | Millennials | 0 | Elections | 0 | null | null | null | null |
palestine | NPR Online News | https://www.npr.org/2020/01/28/800296507/white-house-to-unveil-mideast-peace-plan-despite-palestinian-rejection | White House To Unveil Mideast Peace Plan β Despite Palestinian Rejection | 2020-01-28 | palestine | Trump Says His Mideast Peace Plan Provides A 'Realistic Two-State Solution '
President Trump says his long-awaited Mideast peace plan unveiled Tuesday is a road map for a `` realistic two-state solution '' that envisions Jerusalem as Israel 's `` undivided capital . ''
However , the plan limits the sovereignty of a future Palestinian state . Israel would be in charge of maintaining security over the state of Palestine , which would be `` fully demilitarized . '' The proposal also allows Israel to declare sovereignty over certain areas of the occupied West Bank , including Israeli settlements and the Jordan Valley .
Trump heralded the plan as a `` historic breakthrough , '' even though the Palestinian leadership , which severed relations with the U.S. administration as it took a series of pro-Israel moves , rejected it before the proposal was formally released .
`` After 70 years of little progress , this could be the last opportunity they ever have , '' Trump said at a joint briefing at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu . `` My vision presents a win-win opportunity for both sides β a realistic two-state solution that resolves the risk of Palestinian statehood to Israel 's security . ''
The U.S. plan has been in the making since the earliest days of Trump 's administration , when the president assigned his senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner the task of trying to forge the elusive deal .
Trump lauded his own proposal as far more specific than other peace plans to date . He said it includes a detailed territorial map of the borders showing `` territorial compromises [ Israel ] is willing to make , '' adding that it marks the first time Israel has authorized the release of such information .
He also said the U.S. would open a new embassy in `` Eastern Jerusalem '' to the Palestinians .
The Trump administration believes that in addition to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state , this plan could lead to a peace agreement that ends the Israeli-Palestinian conflict .
But Palestinians were outraged by the proposal . Opposition even appeared to unite longtime Palestinian political rivals the Palestinian Authority and Hamas , which governs the Gaza Strip . Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas chaired an emergency meeting with Hamas , and called it a `` new phase of Palestinian dialogue and joint work , '' according to local media .
Trump has described the plan as the `` deal of the century , '' but Abbas called it the `` smack of the century , '' saying it was an unacceptable attempt to `` liquidate the Palestinian issue . ''
Hamas leader Ismael Haniyeh said in a statement that `` the new plot against Palestine is doomed to failure and Palestine will vanquish the colonizers at the end . ''
In announcing the plan alongside Trump , with whom he has close ties , Netanyahu said Tuesday that `` I 've agreed to negotiate peace with the Palestinians on the basis of your peace plan . It 's a great plan for Israel . It 's a great plan for peace . ''
On Monday , Trump met separately with Netanyahu and with Benny Gantz , the leader of Israel 's Blue and White political alliance , Netanyahu 's principal political opponent . Gantz also has expressed his approval of the plan .
Trump said at the time that the Palestinians `` probably wo n't want [ the plan ] initially , '' but `` I think in the end they 're going to want it . ''
`` So , we 'll see what happens , '' he added . `` Without them , we do n't do a deal . And that 's OK . ''
After Trump ordered the U.S. Embassy moved to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv in December 2017 , the Palestinians largely broke off relations with the White House . The move , however , proved extremely popular with Israelis .
In June , the White House released the first half of its peace proposal : a $ 50 billion investment plan billed as a `` new vision '' for the Palestinian territories . The U.S. made the creation of the investment fund contingent upon Palestinian acceptance of the second , political part of the peace plan , released Tuesday .
Some analysts questioned the merits of the plan . `` While Trump claims a revolutionary approach to the peace process , this plan actually recycles past failed efforts : it places Palestinians on probation while they prove their worthiness of statehood , using conditions that are malleable and ill-defined ; it seeks to induce Palestinian capitulation through economic largesse ; and it removes the onus on Israel to make any concessions until Palestinians declare their full surrender , '' Tareq Baconi , Israel/Palestine analyst for International Crisis Group , said in a statement .
The proposal comes at a politically fraught moment for both Trump and Netanyahu . Trump is currently on trial in the Senate after he was impeached on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress . Netanyahu was formally indicted Tuesday on criminal corruption charges .
Israel 's prime minister `` is trying to make this major diplomatic decision , even though his government is a temporary government , in part to shore up support for him domestically as someone who can champion Israel in the international arena , '' Natan Sachs of the Center for Middle East Policy at The Brookings Institution tells NPR .
Sachs also notes that when U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon were facing impeachment , they pushed forward with diplomatic efforts in the Middle East .
The plan includes proposals on several core issues that have been major obstacles to progress in previous attempts to forge a comprehensive peace . They include :
In April , Netanyahu pledged to annex West Bank settlements in a move aimed at galvanizing support among his right-wing voter base . He later extended that pledge to include annexation of the Jordan Valley , where Palestinians are seeking an independent state . Late last year , U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the U.S. does not view settlements as a violation of international law , upending the decades-old U.S. policy that settlements are an obstacle to peace .
Trump said that no Israelis or Palestinians would be uprooted from their homes . According to the plan , Israeli `` enclaves , '' or settlements , `` located inside contiguous Palestinian territory will become part of the State of Israel and be connected through an effective transportation system . '' A map included in the plan shows 15 such enclaves .
The proposal does not stick to Israel 's pre-1967 borders and mutually-agreed-on territory swaps as a starting point for peace negotiations β which had been U.S. policy under President Barack Obama and which Netanyahu described as indefensible . Instead , the plan `` contemplates a Palestinian state that encompasses territory reasonably comparable in size to the territory of the West Bank and Gaza pre-1967 . ''
Israel would annex the entire Jordan Valley , according to the plan . Areas in a future Palestinian state would include parts of the West Bank , connected to the Gaza Strip through a tunnel . It also would include two areas of desert , connected by a thin passage , near Israel 's border with Egypt .
Israel would not need to wait until before taking control of areas allocated to it under the plan , U.S . Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said in a call to reporters .
Palestinians have long sought their own state , and much of the international community has supported that desire . In 2002 , then-President George W. Bush called for a Palestinian state as part of his Road Map for Peace . In 2009 , Netanyahu supported a `` demilitarized '' Palestinian state , but by 2015 , he had reversed course , declaring his own policy `` null and void . ''
On Tuesday , Trump said he told Abbas in a letter `` that the territory allocated for his new state will remain open and undeveloped for a period of four years , '' in which Palestinians may deliberate and study the deal and `` achieve the criteria for statehood . ''
According to the plan , the U.S. and Israel would judge whether Palestinians have met that criteria .
Those include implementing a governing system that protects certain rights ; establishing `` transparent , independent , and credit-worth financial institutions '' ; ending all programs that `` promote hate '' ; achieving `` civilian and law enforcement control over all of its territory '' ; and demilitarizing its population .
It adds that `` sovereignty is an amorphous concept that has evolved over time . ''
The limits that the plan would place on Palestinian sovereignty are particularly clear when it comes to security .
`` Israel will have the overriding security responsibility and control over the entire territory , from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea , '' Friedman told reporters .
Even so , the plan expresses `` the aspiration that the Palestinians will be responsible for as much of their internal security as possible . ''
It also calls for a Palestinian state to be `` fully demilitarized . '' And Israel would have the power to expand its internal security role at any time if it deems the Palestinians are not meeting specific criteria , such as possessing certain weapons .
Both Israelis and Palestinians view the disputed city of Jerusalem as their capital . When the U.S. moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018 , it sparked huge protests by Palestinians .
Under the Trump administration 's plan , Jerusalem would remain united and would be the capital of Israel . `` We believe that returning to a divided Jerusalem , and in particular having two separate security forces in one of the most sensitive areas on earth , would be a grave mistake , '' the proposal states .
It envisions the capital of a Palestinian state in portions of East Jerusalem located beyond existing walls , which Israel says it needs for security , that cut it off from the heart of the city . The plan suggests naming it Al Quds , the Arabic word for Jerusalem .
Jerusalem is home to major holy sites for Muslims , Jews and Christians . The status quo for these sites would be preserved , including Jordan 's role as custodian of the Muslim sites .
Some 750,000 Palestinians were displaced during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war . More than seven decades later , Israel denies first-generation Palestinian displaced persons and their descendants the right to return to communities from which they had been expelled or had abandoned .
Under the plan , `` there shall be no right of return by , or absorption of , any Palestinian refugee into the State of Israel . '' Rather , the refugees would be absorbed into a Palestinian state or integrated into their current host countries . Additionally , up to 50,000 Palestinians may be accepted by Organization of Islamic Cooperation member countries .
The proposal also will `` endeavor to raise a fund to provide some compensation to Palestinian refugees , '' without specifying where the money might come from . | 3S22Ad1mfGXe91Vl | 1 | Palestine | -2.1 | Israel | 0.7 | Donald Trump | 0.3 | Middle East | 0 | World | 0 |
coronavirus | CBS News (Online) | https://www.cbsnews.com/news/second-wave-coronavirus-likely/ | Second wave of coronavirus is "very likely," doctor warns | 2020-05-06 | Public Health, Healthcare, DHS, Coronavirus | Watch CBS News By Jenn Leser May 5, 2020 / 6:33 AM EDT / CBS News As states begin to reopen and social distancing rules are relaxed, public health officials are warning about a possible second wave of coronavirus cases later this year. Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider, an internal medicine physician at Sutter Health in San Francisco, said Monday on CBSN that public health officials agree another round of cases is "very, very likely to happen." Ungerleider said a potential second wave coinciding with flu season could cause a lot of confusion due to the overlap in symptoms between the viruses. "This may put a heavy strain on an already taxed healthcare system, so I think we need to be preparing for this now," Ungerleider said. The lag time between infection and symptoms could also cause an increase in cases in the U.S. as social distancing rules are relaxed. "City and state officials, as well as the public, need to prepare and to understand that places may need to quickly reissue stay-at-home orders if in fact these local outbreaks start occurring," Ungerleider said. "We need to continue focusing on expanding testing and contact tracing." Ungerleider said that since the novel coronavirus is only 16 weeks old, there's a lot we don't know yet. "People need to be aware that this virus has not gone away and people need to remain vigilant," she said. Β© 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Copyright Β©2025 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. These cookies are essential for the proper functioning of our Services. Essential cookies cannot be switched off in our systems. You can set your device to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the Service will not work. Please make sure you click on the Save Settings button at the bottom or otherwise confirm your opt-out choice. If you are in California or Colorado and have enabled the Global Privacy Control signal, we will treat this as a request to opt-out of βsales,β βsharingβ and βtargeted advertisingβ for device information. For more information about how to use the Global Privacy Control signal, please see here. For instructions on how to stop receiving marketing emails from us, please see here. | 8083332bb81a23c5 | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
foreign_policy | Newsmax | http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/john-mccain-praises-donald-trump-afghanistan/2017/08/22/id/809023/ | McCain Praises Trump on Afghanistan: 'Big Step in Right Direction' | 2017-08-22 | Foreign Policy, White House, Donald Trump, John McCain, Afghanistan | Sen. John McCain on Monday night released a statement praising President Donald Trump 's vision for Afghanistan , saying it 's a `` big step in the right direction . ''
The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee had been impatient and critical of the administration recently for its lack of a strategy in the war-torn country .
But McCain liked what he heard from the president 's primetime speech .
`` I commend President Trump for taking a big step in the right direction with the new strategy for Afghanistan , '' the Arizona Republican wrote .
`` The unfortunate truth is that this strategy is long overdue , and in the interim , the Taliban have made dangerous inroads . Nevertheless , I believe the President is now moving us well beyond the prior administration 's failed strategy of merely postponing defeat , '' McCain wrote .
`` It is especially important that the newly announced strategy gives no timeline for withdrawal , rather ensures that any decision to reduce our commitment in the future will be based on conditions on the ground , '' McCain wrote .
Trump reversed course on Afghanistan , saying in his speech that withdrawing U.S. forces from Afghanistan would create a vacuum that would be filled by terrorists .
The president denounced `` arbitrary timetables '' and would n't commit to sending more troops , but he 's expected to approve a Pentagon recommendation of sending an additional 4,000 troops .
`` For the last 16 years we have faltered , '' McCain said in his statement .
`` Now we must keep up the right level of effort , in the right places , with the right authorities and resources , together with our allies and partners , and see this conflict through to success , '' McCain wrote .
`` To do this , the President must conduct himself as a wartime commander in chief . He must speak regularly to the American people , and to those waging this war on their behalf , about why we are fighting , why the additional sacrifices are worth it , and how we will succeed , '' McCain wrote . | 9cce3cd3d602b2b7 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
politics | NBC News Digital | https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-intel-republicans-call-schiff-resign-chairman-after-mueller-report-n988356 | House Intel Republicans call on Schiff to resign as chairman after Mueller report | 2019-03-28 | Adam Schiff, Donald Trump, US House, Politics | All nine Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee have signed a letter calling for its chairman, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, to step down, citing his claims that there was evidence that President Donald Trump's campaign colluded with the Russians during the 2016 race.Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas, introduced the scathing letter during a public committee hearing Thursday and then read it aloud."Your willingness to continue to promote a demonstrably false narrative is alarming," Conaway said. "The findings of the special counsel conclusively refute your past and present exertions, and have exposed you of having abused your position to knowingly promote false information.""Your actions both past and present are incompatible with your duty as chairman of this committee," Conaway added. "As such, we have no faith in your ability to discharge your duties in a manner consistent with your constitutional responsibility, and urge your immediate resignation as chairman of the committee."Nine members of the House Intelligence Cmte have just called for Chairman Adam Schiffβs βimmediate resignation as chairman of the committee.β For two years he misled the public on collusion, and the American people no longer have faith in his ability to lead. He should step down. pic.twitter.com/QecxGGeopt β Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) March 28, 2019Schiff then defended himself, listing off a series of events investigated by Mueller that he deemed inappropriate, including when the president's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., set up a meeting at Trump Tower with a Kremlin-linked lawyer and her Russian entourage after they offered unspecified Russian government "dirt" on Democratic president candidate Hillary Clinton."My colleagues may think it is OK that the Russians offered dirt on a Democratic candidate for president as part of what was described as the Russian government's attempt to help the Trump campaign. You might think that's OK," Schiff said. "My colleagues might think it's OK that when it was offered to the son of the president, who had a pivotal role in the campaign, that the president's son did not call the FBI, he did not adamantly refuse that foreign help. No, instead that son said that he would love the help of the Russian."Referring to former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn, who admitted to lying to the FBI about the substance of his conversations with the then-Russian ambassador, Schiff continued: "You might think it's OK that the national security adviser-designate secretly conferred with Russian ambassador about undermining sanctions, and you might think it's OK he lied about it to the FBI. You might say that's all OK.""But I don't think its OK. I think it's immoral. I think it's unethical, and I think it is unpatriotic," Schiff said. "And yes, I think it is corrupt. And evidence of collusion.""Now, I have always said whether this amounts to proof of conspiracy is another matter. Whether the special counsel could prove beyond a reasonable doubt the proof of that crime would be up to the special counsel, and I would accept his decision and I do," the California lawmaker added.Schiff, who had long been one of the loudest Democratic voices on the issue of Russian interference, has been a target of Republicans in the days since special counsel Robert Muellerβs investigation ended.Trump himself tweeted earlier Thursday that Schiff βshould be forced to resignβ from Congress and said he had βspent two years knowingly and unlawfully lying and leaking.βSpeaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Thursday that "Republicans are afraid of the truth" β "they're just scaredy cats... afraid of a leader" who's "calm, professional, patriotic," she said at her weekly press conference."I'm so proud of the work of Chairman Adam Schiff," said Pelosi, adding that Schiff's GOP predecessor on the Intelligence Committee, Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., had engaged in "irresponsible, almost criminal behavior.""Itβs their own insecurity. Their own fear of the truth, their fear of the facts and their fear of an effective patriotic leader in his measured way whoβs going to make sure that the American people know the truth," she added.Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., who sits on the House Intelligence Committee with Schiff, defended her colleague, saying that the attacks on him were "orchestrated from the White House.""The president tweeted about it, then members all signed a letter and then they spent, each of them, the majority of their time not talking about questions they had for those that were there to testify but systemically trying to attack the integrity of Adam Schiff," she said on MSNBC. "And it was reprehensible. Iβve never seen anything like that."Congressman Adam Schiff, who spent two years knowingly and unlawfully lying and leaking, should be forced to resign from Congress! β Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2019Earlier this week, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif, Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway and numerous GOP lawmakers called on Schiff to resign as chairman for having claimed there was "more than circumstantial" evidence that Trump's presidential campaign conspired with the Kremlin in an effort to win the 2016 presidential election.McCarthy reiterated those calls at his weekly press conference Thursday, saying that Pelosi should remove Schiff to "restore trust in the Intelligence Committee.""All Americans should be concerned with the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee taking the position of judge and jury," McCarthy added after pointing to moments when Schiff said there was evidence of collusion.According to a summary of Mueller's long-awaited findings by Attorney General William Barr, released Sunday, there was no coordination or conspiracy involving Trump, his campaign and the Russian government.The summary also said Mueller had reached no conclusion about whether the president had obstructed justice, though Barr wrote that he decided there was insufficient evidence to pursue an obstruction charge.Throughout the Mueller probe, Schiff had repeatedly suggested more incriminating information would emerge from the investigations into the Trump campaign. "I can tell you that the case is more than that and I can't go into the particulars, but there is more than circumstantial evidence now," he told Chuck Todd on MSNBC's "Meet the Press Daily" in March 2017. | 4f4c8b441fbf1efa | 0 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
national_defense | Reuters | http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/27/us-usa-bergdahl-idUSKBN0L01XS20150127 | Bowe Bergdahl to face desertion charges | 2015-01-27 | national_defense | WASHINGTON ( βββ ) - U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl will be charged with desertion for disappearing from his base in Afghanistan in 2009 , NBC News reported on Tuesday .
U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Berghdal is pictured in this undated handout photo provided by the U.S. Army and received by βββ on May 31 , 2014 . βββ/U.S . Army/Handout via βββ
Bergdahl , who was released from captivity last year in a controversial Taliban prisoner swap , could be charged within a week , the television network said , quoting senior defense officials who were not identified by name .
However , senior Army and defense officials contacted by βββ could not confirm the report .
The officer in charge of the case , General Mark Milley , is reviewing facts and findings submitted by Army investigators last month and has not publicly said whether he will file charges , said spokesman Jim Hinnant . Milley heads the Fort Bragg , North Carolina-based U.S . Forces Command .
Milley is expected to make a decision soon on whether the findings merit a court-martial or some form of administrative punishment . The general also could decide no action against Bergdahl is warranted .
Bergdahl β s attorney , New Haven , Connecticut-based Eugene Fidell , declined to comment on NBC β s report .
Bergdahl is stationed at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio , where he is working as a clerk .
The soldier , who spent five years in captivity after leaving his post , was released in May in exchange for five prisoners from the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay , Cuba . The deal was blasted by some Republicans , and some of his fellow soldiers called him a deserter .
If officials conclude that Bergdahl broke U.S. military law , they could force him to forfeit hundreds of thousands of dollars in back pay accumulated during his captivity and give up future benefits , NBC said .
According to the network , charges against Bergdahl will not say that he left the base with the intent to never return . Citing defense and military officials , the network also said that he could be given a less than honorable discharge .
He would also likely be given consideration for his time in captivity , NBC quoted officials as saying . | 0sio5gyBqDchUGdx | 1 | Bergdahl | -0.3 | Army | -0.3 | National Defense | -0.2 | Defense And Security | -0.2 | null | null |
donald_trump | The Post Millennial | https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-biden-doj-has-opened-a-criminal-investigation-into-trump-for-jan-6-actions | Biden DOJ has opened a criminal investigation into Trump for Jan 6 actions | 2022-07-26 | 2020 Election, Capitol Chaos, Donald Trump, Justice Department, Washington Post | The Department of Justice is now investigating Trump's conversations and phone records surrounding his claim that the 2020 election should have gone in his favor, as part of a criminal probe. In the Biden administration's latest attempt to prevent former President Donald Trump from taking another run at the presidency, the Department of Justice is now investigating Trump's conversations and phone records surrounding his claim that the 2020 election should have gone in his favor, as part of a criminal probe. This is separate from the January 6 Committee's efforts. Witnesses who are being questioned before a grand jury, including aides to former Vice President Mike Pence, have been asked about conversations and communications between then-President Trump and those close to him who were investigating the electoral results in key battleground states after the 2020 general election, according to the Washington Post. Trump was interested in putting together alternate slates of electors that could vote in his favor in the electoral college should results of lawsuits and recounts turn the tide of the votes in his favor. At issue are Trump's communications with Pence, who presided over the the certification of the electoral college votes for Biden, as well as Trump's conversations with his attorneys about what he could and could not do, under the circumstances. In April, the DOJ began looking at phone records of Trump's chief-of-staff Mark Meadows, as well as others. The January 6 Committee, which has undertaken this endeavor, has had multiple televised hearings, and has been outspoken about their desire to get Trump and hold him accountable for the actions of his supporters on January 6. "Many elements of the sprawling Jan. 6 criminal investigation have remained under wraps. But in recent weeks the public pace of the work has increased, with a fresh round of subpoenas, search warrants and interviews. Penceβs former chief of staff, Marc Short, and lawyer, Greg Jacob, appeared before the grand jury in downtown Washington in recent days, according to the people familiar with the investigation," WaPo reports. The Washington Post cites anonymous sources, who state that the DOJ is looking at "seditious conspiracy and conspiracy to obstruct a government proceeding" as well as "potential fraud associated with the false-electors scheme or with pressure Trump and his allies allegedly put on the Justice Department and others to falsely claim that the election was rigged and votes were fraudulently cast." Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a Tuesday interview with NBC that the DOJ will "intend to hold everyone, anyone, who was criminally responsible for the events surrounding January 6th, for any attempt to interfere with the lawful transfer of power from one administration to another, accountable β that's what we do. We don't pay any attention to other issues with respect to that." The FBI has raided the home of former Trump DOJ official Jeffrey Clark to obtain his records, and a trial found Steve Bannon guilty of contempt of Congress for not complying with a subpoena to testify before the Committee. Bannon is due to be sentenced in October. He had claimed that Trump had invoked executive privilege over their communication. This is a breaking story and will be updated. Weβre independent and canβt be cancelled. The establishment media is increasingly dedicated to divisive cancel culture, corporate wokeism, and political correctness, all while covering up corruption from the corridors of power. The need for fact-based journalism and thoughtful analysis has never been greater. When you support The Post Millennial, you support freedom of the press at a time when it's under direct attack. Join the ranks of independent, free thinkers by supporting us today for as little as $1. | ab7b4f77357affc3 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
technology | Townhall | http://townhall.com/tipsheet/christinerousselle/2014/12/25/bill-gates-plays-internet-secret-santa-gives-charitable-gift-n1935128 | Bill Gates Plays Internet Secret Santa, Gives Charitable Gift | 2014-12-25 | technology | Bill Gates , founder of Microsoft and one of the richest men in the world , joined over 200,000 members of the website `` Reddit '' to participate in their annual Secret Santa gift exchange . ( Full disclosure : I also participated . ) In Reddit 's Secret Santa , participants are matched to a random `` giftee , '' and the `` gifter '' can choose whether or not to share their identity . Gates was matched to a 25-year-old woman named Cali , and gave her a Loki helmet ( from the movie Thor ) , a book of pictures of Africa , and a donation in her name to Shot @ Life , a charity that provides vaccinations to children in poor countries .
For the last four years , thousands of Redditors have participated in a Reddit Secret Santa gift exchange . A whopping 212,894 users signed up this year , including β for the second year running β Bill Gates . His gift ended up being incredibly thoughtful . User Calid7 , a 25-year-old woman named Cali , writes that she was in shock when she discovered that Gates was her Santa . Not only did he send her a Loki helmet she had listed as her `` pie in the sky wish , '' but he also gifted her a book of gorgeous pictures of Africa ( a place she says she desperately wants to visit ) , a stuffed polio virus microbe , and a donation in her name to Shot @ Life , a program that provides vaccines to kids in poor countries who need them .
This is pretty cool , and it 's a decently thoughtful gift from Gates . It 's cool to see that even someone as rich and powerful as Gates would be willing to sign up to make a random stranger 's Christmas , and at the same time help protect children from dangerous diseases . I just feel bad for the person who got Bill Gates as his giftee -- what on earth could you possibly get him ? ! | eT9uZQk4ADFwldqY | 2 | Charity | 1.7 | Bill Gates | 0.8 | Technology | 0.7 | Holidays | 0 | General News | 0 |
politics | The Hill | http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/330019-trumps-100-days-what-weve-learned | Trump's 100 days: What we've learned | 2017-04-24 | politics | When President Trump took the oath of office three months ago , one question loomed above the others : How would the most unconventional presidential candidate in recent memory govern ?
Here is what we have learned about Trump β s approach to the presidency as he nears the first 100 days of his administration this Saturday .
Besides his get-tough stances on trade , immigration and crime , Trump entered politics with very few deeply held political beliefs . And he β s not been afraid to change his views depending on his circumstances .
Earlier this month , Trump put on a dizzying display by flipping on four policies in one day : Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen , the NATO alliance , China β s currency practices and the Export-Import Bank .
He backed off his promise to label China a currency manipulator during his first 100 days , decided to keep the Ex-Im Bank after criticizing it during the campaign and warmed up to Yellen .
β I said it was obsolete , β Trump said recently of NATO . β It β s no longer obsolete . β
Perhaps his biggest change was his decision to launch cruise missiles at Syria , a major change from campaign rhetoric that saw Trump decry the perils of American military intervention in the Middle East .
With the Syria attack , Trump seemed to be moved by images on television of dead children killed and wounded in a chemical weapons attack the U.S. has pinned on Syrian President Bashar Assad β s military .
He said that seeing β innocent people , including women , small children and even beautiful little babies β had a β big impact β on his view , so much so that β my attitude toward Syria and Assad has changed very much . β
The rapid-fire changes have given some Trump supporters pause , while others call it a positive development .
β It β s a sign of maturity . He β s got his team around him now and is fully briefed on the consequences of his policy decisions and appears to be getting to the right place on almost everything , β said U.S. Chamber of Commerce political analyst Scott Reed .
β Loser β β it β s Trump β s insult of choice , and one he β s lobbed at his opponents hundreds of times . It β s also a label no president wants , but Trump might fear it more than most .
Trump faces the very real prospect of finishing his first 100 days in office without any major legislative achievements to claim . And while that might not be a sign his presidency is doomed to failure , it β s a benchmark for success Trump himself set with an ambitious list of promises during his campaign .
Trump has followed through on several of his 100-day promises , including filling Justice Antonin Scalia β s seat on the Supreme Court with another conservative justice , Neil Gorsuch .
But he has backed off others , while his attempt to repeal and replace ObamaCare foundered in the face of opposition from his own party . And the travel ban , Trump β s most controversial executive action , has been repeatedly blocked by courts .
That thin record could explain why Trump and his staff are pushing Congress to hold another vote on healthcare this week , right before his 100th day . But they β re unlikely to get that win β House GOP leaders have indicated they won β t hold a vote on a proposal that doesn β t have enough votes to pass .
In the meantime , Trump tries to tamp down expectations for his first 100 days .
β No matter how much I accomplish during the ridiculous standard of the first 100 days , & it has been a lot ( including S.C. ) , media will kill ! β he tweeted Friday .
No matter how much I accomplish during the ridiculous standard of the first 100 days , & it has been a lot ( including S.C. ) , media will kill ! β Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) April 21 , 2017
During the campaign , Trump often boasted that his skills as a dealmaker in the business world would make him a great president .
Three months into his presidency , though , Trump has found out the hard way that governing the country is the toughest job he β s ever held .
Trump has marveled at the complexity of the thorny issues he β s tackled as commander in chief , from Syria and China to his effort to overhaul the nation β s healthcare system .
β Nobody knew healthcare could be so complicated , β Trump proclaimed in February .
The president has been unusually candid about his learning curve on North Korea β s nuclear program . Trump has repeatedly demanded that Beijing solve the problem , only to back off after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping .
β After listening for 10 minutes , I realized it β s not so easy , β Trump told The Wall Street Journal . β I felt pretty strongly that they had a tremendous power over North Korea . β¦ But it β s not what you would think . β
And while the White House is loath to admit it , the lack of government experience at the staff level hurt the implementation of the travel ban .
β I think he β s tried to follow through on the things he β s said , but sometimes you get in there and find things aren β t as easy as they look from the outside , β said veteran Republican operative Charlie Black .
In his first 100 days , Trump has modulated some of his foreign policy positions and received a wake-up call about the complexities of dealing with Congress .
Trump still publicly feuds with critics and those in his way , whether that β s Arnold Schwarzenegger or the House Freedom Caucus members who torpedoed the GOP 's healthcare plan .
He still tweets with reckless abandon , even when it damages him politically . Trump β s claim that President Obama wiretapped Trump Tower , presented without evidence , generated weeks of controversy . | N0M36apPNAkJqFp4 | 1 | Donald Trump | -1.2699 | Politics | -1.1148 | null | null | null | null | null | null |
race_and_racism | Fox Online News | http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/07/23/president-obama-take-on-race/ | President Obama's take on race after Zimmerman case | 2013-07-23 | race_and_racism | President Obama rarely misses an opportunity to insert himself into an issue . Last Friday , he appeared in the White House pressroom to comment on the George Zimmerman verdict . The president said he could have been Trayvon Martin . Not likely , given his private schooling and the way he was fast-tracked to success .
The president said the history of African-Americans partially explains the way many black people view the case . He spoke of blacks hearing car doors lock as they cross the street and of white women who clutch their purses tightly when a black person enters an elevator .
Then he touched on the real problem : `` Now , this is n't to say that the African-American community is naive about the fact that African-American young men are disproportionately involved in the criminal justice system , that they are disproportionately both victims and perpetrators of violence . It 's not to make excuses for that fact , although black folks do interpret the reasons for that in a historical context . We understand that some of the violence that takes place in poor black neighborhoods around the country is born out of a very violent past in this country , and that the poverty and dysfunction that we see in those communities can be traced to a very difficult history . ''
OK , but what about poor people in the same neighborhoods who do n't engage in violent behavior ?
Do n't they have the same history , but make different choices ?
It is not news that much poverty in the African-American community stems from broken or never-started families ; or that too many black men leave black women to raise children on their own ; or that the way `` gangsta culture '' is portrayed in the media does not produce an image that is endearing to white employers ; or that public schools in minority neighborhoods are failing to build the foundations necessary for a successful life ; or that the abortion rate among black women is four times higher than non-Hispanic whites among 15-19 year-olds , according to the Guttmacher Institute . Abortion , which the president has done nothing to curtail , also devalues African-American lives .
The politics of race plays a role . When black people kill each other , or murder a white person , the president usually feels no need to comment ( the recent murder of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton being a rare exception ) ; Al Sharpton does n't march , Jesse Jackson does n't call for boycotts , or label Florida an `` apartheid state , '' as he did following the Zimmerman verdict . Are black lives only worth mentioning when they are extinguished by non-blacks ?
There are black people who are disgusted by the behavior , clothing , attitude and language of some young black men . On the Washington Post 's website last week , beneath a transcript of the president 's remarks last Friday , a reader posting under the name `` Chaquita1 '' offered a personal story about recently being on a train and watching an African-American woman give the evil eye to a pair of young African-American males in `` gangsta wear '' making a commotion . They became belligerent , talking about `` the fat lady glaring at them . ''
The woman arose , Chaquita1 wrote , `` and said 'Trayvon Martin died for nothing . His death did not empower you , it should have been a wake-up call . ' She then returned to her seat , looked straight at me and said , 'You have white trash . We have black trash . ' ''
Discussions like this should be included in any `` conversation about race '' the president says he wants , along with how such attitudes and behavior contribute to racial conflict . | E0m1VzlfKbdr6EYh | 2 | Race And Racism | 0.5 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
elections | Politico | http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/2014-election-economy-92053.html | Rising economy shifts 2014 election landscape | 2013-05-20 | elections | Many economists expect growth as house prices and the stock market rise . | REUTERS Economy shifts 2014 landscape
The 2014 midterm election is shaping up as something the United States has not seen in nearly a decade : a campaign run in a strengthening economy with deficits on the decline .
No one is popping champagne corks yet , and risks remain . But the altered terrain , if it holds , could benefit Democrats and challenge Republicans whose rise to power in the House in 2010 came via a tea party movement that blasted President Barack Obama and his party for ignoring a stagnant economy and piling up an endless run of trillion dollar deficits .
Times have changed since 2010 . Barring a fresh crisis β and there are certainly a few that could arise β many economists expect growth to return to a fairly healthy level by next year as house prices and the stock market continue to rise and the jobless rate falls closer to its historic average of 5.8 percent .
The federal deficit is around half the size it was when the tea party reached its apex , due to tax hikes , spending cuts and stronger growth .
Consumer confidence this week hit a level not seen since the financial crisis rocked the economy in 2008 . And economists say there is enough time between now and when voters go to the polls next November for the improvements to actually be felt throughout the economy . Even conservative economists predict somewhat stronger growth next year , while left-leaning forecasters are borderline giddy .
β The fact is the economy is probably going to look and feel very good next year , β said Ian Shepherdson of Pantheon Macroeconomics . β The most likely outlook for Obama and the Democrats is pretty good growth and employment rising strongly . If you step back and look at it , it β s a hugely favorable scenario for them . β
Obama landed himself in trouble early in his term for appearing to spike the ball too soon on economic growth . So he β s hesitant to make that mistake again when growth remains fairly soft and joblessness is still at 7.5 percent . But he β s shown signs of campaigning for the midterms on a message of a renewed prosperity β threatened only by Republican demands for more cuts and threats of fiscal standoff .
β If you read the headlines over the last couple of days , you β d actually see housing recovering ; the economy stronger than expected ; stock market hitting record highs , β Obama said at a fundraiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in Chicago this week . β Our economy is doing better than just about every industrialized country in the world . β
At another recent fundraising event in New York at movie mogul Harvey Weinstein β s town house , Obama blamed GOP partisanship for blocking his efforts to improve the economy even more . β My thinking was after we beat them in 2012 that might break the fever , β he said to a group that included singer Justin Timberlake and actress Jessica Biel . β It β s not quite broken yet , but I am persistent and I am staying at it . β
Democrats down the line are echoing that message and taking credit for progress while arguing that Republicans are standing in the way of a stronger recovery .
β Home values are going up and debt is going down , and all we are telling Republicans is : β Don β t screw this up , β β said Rep. Steve Israel ( D-N.Y. ) , chairman of the DCCC . β The 2014 campaign is going to be a referendum on whether we continue the progress that β s been made or whether we continue to allow House Republicans to obstruct everything and choose partisanship . β
Republicans , who are on comfortable terrain hitting Obama for slow job growth , have had more trouble shifting their message from one focused almost exclusively on austerity-style budget cuts to one reflecting a growing economy and at least a slightly sunnier national mood . Efforts by some GOP leaders in the House to focus on family-friendly issues such education funding and time off at work have largely fallen flat . | dWDm7T9RyuV28GFr | 0 | Elections | -0.1 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
facts_and_fact_checking | The Daily Signal | https://dailysignal.com/2024/10/29/fact-checking-kamala-harris-ellipse-speech | Fact-Checking Kamala Harris' Ellipse Speech | 2024-10-30 | 2024 Presidential Election, Kamala Harris, January 6, Abortion, Economy And Jobs, Facts And Fact Checking, Medicare, Affordable Care Act, Social Security, Tariffs | PoliticsNews PoliticsNews PoliticsNews PoliticsNews InternationalCommentary News LawNews SecurityCommentary News SecurityCommentary SecurityCommentary EducationNews News PoliticsNews News SecurityNews PoliticsNews PoliticsNews PoliticsNews PoliticsNews International News International Commentary International Commentary International News PoliticsAnalysis Energy Commentary PoliticsAnalysis PoliticsAnalysis Commentary Commentary Commentary Commentary PoliticsAnalysis Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, speaks on The Ellipse just south of the White House in Washington, D.C. Oct. 29. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images) Tyler O'Neil / @Tyler2ONeil Tyler O'Neil is senior editor at The Daily Signal and the author of two books: "Making Hate Pay: The Corruption of the Southern Poverty Law Center," and "The Woketopus: The Dark Money Cabal Manipulating the Federal Government." Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, gave her βclosing argumentβ speech for the 2024 presidential election at the Ellipse by the White House, the location former President Donald Trump spoke at on Jan. 6, 2021, before a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. Harris repeatedly condemned Trump, attempted to define herself as different from President Joe Biden, and presented herself as a conciliator when her record suggests the opposite. Here are 6 fact checks of statements from her speech. The Daily Signal depends on the support of readers like you. Donate now Harris began her speech by referencing the Jan. 6 protest at the Capitol. She said of Trump, βHe is the person who stood at this very spot nearly four years ago and sent an armed mob to the United States Capitol to overturn the will of the people in a free and fair election, an election that he knew he lost.β She went on to claim that βAmericans died as a result of that attack,β and she noted that 140 law enforcement officers were injured. The claim that the Jan. 6 protesters were βarmedβ has been disputed. Several carried pepper spray or bear spray. Some wielded flagpoles as clubs and attacked law enforcement officers. Prosecutors charged at least three protesters with having firearms βon Capitol grounds,β or stashed nearby, meaning not necessarily inside the Capitol. Harris is correct that people died, but only two people died directly from the Jan. 6 violence. Seven others died indirectly from events of the day, according to The New York Times. A Capitol Police officer fatally shot protester Ashli Babbitt when she was trying to break through a door, and another protester died in a stampede of fellow rioters. Others died of natural causes or suicide, but the stress from the violence and commotion of the day could have contributed to those deaths. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, initially thought to have died from an attack, actually died of natural causes, although the stress from the dayβs events could have prompted his strokes. Harris repeated three lies about Trumpβs agenda on abortion. βHe would ban abortion nationwide, restrict access to birth control and put IVF treatments at risk, and force states to monitor womenβs pregnancies,β Harris said. βJust Google Project 2025.β Trump has pledged to leave the issue of abortion up to the states, even saying he would not sign a federal law restricting the practice. Although Trump briefly mentioned that he would consider restrictions on contraception, he immediately reversed his position and has not returned to it. As for IVF, an acronym for βin vitro fertilization,β Trump has not only not opposed it, but pledged to subsidize it with federal tax dollars. As for Project 2025βa project launched by The Heritage Foundation in partnership with over 100 conservative organizations to empower a conservative president to undermine the deep state and restore the ConstitutionβTrump has stated that he has not read it and does not support it. The project consists of three major parts: βMandate for Leadership,β a list of policies Heritage recommends; a database of conservatives who would be interested in joining a conservative administration; and trainings for those in the database. The claim about forcing states to monitor womenβs pregnancies comes from a twisting of a policy advocated in the Mandate for Leadership. Even left-leaning outlets like PolitiFact have rightly branded this claim false. The Project 2025 document does not call for the federal government to force states to monitor womenβs pregnancies. It does, however, urge the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to require every state to submit abortion data. Currently, the CDC does not require states to submit abortion data, but many of them do. When seeking to distinguish herself from Biden, Harris said, βMy presidency will be different because the challenges we face are different.β βOur top priority as a nation four years ago was to end the pandemic and rescue the economy. Now, our biggest challenge is to lower costs,β she said. Yet Harris appeared not to consider inflation her top priority. Her speech largely focused on Trump, abortion, and a few other issues. She did briefly return to costs when she pledged to cut down on price gouging, however. βI will enact the first-ever federal ban on price gouging on groceries,β she pledged. She also pledged to cap the costs of drugs like insulin. By focusing her price remarks on alleged price gouging, Harris suggested that inflation is largely due to greedy companies jacking up prices too high. Yet as Heritage Foundation research fellow EJ Antoni pointed out, there is a far more obvious culprit: government spending. As Antoni noted, βOne of the functions of money is that of a measuring tool. If a yardstick were to shrink from 36 inches down to just 30, it would take 120 of these shortened yardsticks to cover the distance of a football field, instead of 100. As the dollar has lost value, it takes more dollars to measure the value of the things we buy.β While Americans feel the pain of inflation, so do businesses. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, βbusinesses have gotten the short end of the stick,β Antoni explained. βThe producer price index is used to measure inflation on the products and services businesses buyβsometimes called wholesale inflationβand that index has risen 17.5% since Biden took office. Conversely, the consumer price index, the widely cited metric for inflation faced by American families, is up 17.1% over that same time.β βBusinesses have actually been sheltering consumers from some cost increases in an effort to maintain market share and not lose customers,β he wrote. βThat also explains why, according to the Biden administrationβs Census Bureau, total corporate profits have fallen for the last six quarters after adjusting for inflation.β βIf alleged price gouging were really the cause of inflation, did businessmen magically become greedy when Biden took office?β Antoni asked. βWere corporations never greedy in the 40 years leading up to Bidenβs inflationary expansion of government? Businesses havenβt even passed all their higher costs on to consumers; if theyβre trying to be greedy, theyβre doing it all wrong.β Harris accused Trump of cynically using immigration as a campaign issue rather than attempting to solve the problem. βPoliticians have got to stop treating immigration as an issue to scare up votes in an election,β she said. βI will work with Democrats and Republicans to sign into law the border security bill that Donald Trump killed.β βWe will quickly remove those who arrive here unlawfully, prosecute the cartels, and give Border Patrol the support they most desperately need,β she added. βI will work with Congress to pass immigration reform, including an earned path to citizenship for hard-working immigrants.β Yet her narrative does not align with reality. Biden only supported the βborder security billβ earlier this year, while he issued multiple executive orders on his first day in office, reversing Trump policies like the Migrant Protection Protocols (commonly known as βRemain in Mexicoβ) and instituting a system of catch-and-release. Furthermore, not every Democrat in the Senate even voted for the bill Biden supported earlier this year, and critics have warned that the bill would have cemented Bidenβs open-border policies into law. Trump, by contrast, directed his administration to crack down on illegal immigration when he was in office, creating new policies to prevent illegal entries. Harris claimed that she does not consider people who disagree with her to be the enemy. βI pledge to listen to experts, to those who will be impacted by the decisions I make, and to people who disagree with me,β she said. βUnlike Donald Trump, I donβt believe people who disagree with me are the enemy. He wants to put them in jail. Iβll give them a seat at my table.β βI pledge to be a president for all Americans, and to always put country above party and self,β she added. Yet Harrisβ record suggests she does consider those who disagree with her to be the enemy. David Daleiden and the Center for Medical Progress released a slew of undercover sting videos showing Planned Parenthood staff admitting to selling aborted babiesβ body parts for profit in 2014. (Planned Parenthood denied it did so.) Harris, who received funding from Planned Parenthood during her 2016 Senate campaign, directed her office to search Daleidenβs home, seizing his video footage and preparing a legal case against him. Her successor as California attorney general, Xavier Becerra (now secretary of Health and Human Services), filed 15 felony charges against Daleiden and his center in 2017. βI would say this is an abuse of the criminal process,β Peter Breen, special counsel at the Thomas More Society, told PJ Media in 2020. βI could point you to undercover investigations that are being shown on the evening news in Los Angeles. Under the standard they are applying to David, those would be felonies.β In May 2020, Daleiden sued Becerra and Harris, claiming Harris conspired with Planned Parenthood to violate his civil rights by prosecuting him for the undercover investigation. That case remains pending. Harris also targeted the conservative groups Americans for Prosperity and American Freedom Law Center. Her office demanded that those groups turn over their IRS Schedule B tax forms, which include donor information. Both groups refused to hand over the forms, citing concerns for donor anonymity. Harrisβ office threatened to suspend their nonprofit registrations and fine their leaders. The Supreme Court ultimately upheld their rights to protect donor anonymity in a 2021 ruling. In the U.S. Senate, Harris served on the Senate Judiciary Committee. She aggressively questioned Trumpβs nominees on issues arguably unrelated to their official positions. She pressed nominees over their membership in the Catholic fraternal organization the Knights of Columbus, because it upholds the Catholic Churchβs position against abortion. She also joined her colleagues in pressing Allison Rushing, another Trump judicial nominee, about her participation in events with Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal organization. As Harris spoke Tuesday night, Biden rallied Latino voters and condemned a remark about Puerto Rico during Trumpβs rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who spoke before Trump, called Puerto Rico an βisland of garbage.β βTheyβre good, decent honorable people,β Biden said of Puerto Ricans. βThe only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters. His demonization of these people is unconscionable and itβs un-American.β Speaking about Hinchcliffe Tuesday, Trump told ABC, βI donβt know him, someone put him up there. I donβt know who he is.β No related posts. Thank you for reading The Daily Signal. In this historic time for our country, our reporters are hard at work covering the Trump administration and the Deep Stateβs attempts to sabotage his America First agenda. By donating to The Daily Signal today, you will help cut through the liberal mediaβs spin and provide honest, thorough, and responsible reporting to decision-makers in Washington and millions of Americans across the country Please support honest and powerful journalism today with your gift to The Daily Signal. Β© 2024 The Daily Signal Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | f965b71b27df0e59 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
sexual_misconduct | USA TODAY | https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/02/19/trump-administrations-domestic-violence-scandal-resonates-abused-ex-reagan-official/326179002/ | Trump administration's domestic violence scandal resonates for abused ex of Reagan official | 2018-02-19 | sexual_misconduct | The domestic violence news out of the White House this month was all too familiar to Charlotte Fedders .
Thirty-three years ago , she was the administration official 's wife accusing her prominent spouse of serial abuse . Her then-husband , John Fedders , was the tall , handsome lawyer with a very different public image than the one his family saw at home . Like Jennifer Willoughby , ex-wife of President Trump 's former staff secretary Rob Porter , Charlotte Fedders says she , too , was regularly called the same abusive name `` to the point where it did n't mean too much anymore . ''
Fedders ' 1987 bestselling book , Shattered Dreams , became a TV movie starring Lindsay Wagner .
`` It has just brought too many memories with all the similarities , '' Fedders says , citing her own black eyes and broken window . `` It β s been hard . ''
Back then , Fedders said , no one talked about this kind of abuse in the upper-middle-class , country-club world she then inhabited . So she stayed for 17 years after her 1966 wedding through the belittling , the physical abuse β including during her first pregnancy β and the weeks of silent treatment she and their children often got .
`` I thought we had put a lot of this stuff behind us , us as a country , '' says Fedders , 74 . `` And it 's very disturbing to know that someone would be in the White House that close to the president without a full security clearance with this past that people knew about . ''
One prominent difference between Fedders and the Porter story : She says she `` never said a thing '' about the abuse when administration officials were vetting her ex-husband to be the chief of enforcement at the Securities and Exchange Commission .
`` I was afraid I β d be in real trouble if he found out , '' Fedders says .
Women in prominent , affluent families may tolerate physical and emotional abuse because of fears that disclosure could harm families ' reputations and careers , pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris writes in her new book The Deepest Well , which examines the health effects of these experiences on children .
When more affluent people do n't talk about domestic violence , the problem continues , and it perpetuates the idea that `` adversity is a problem for only certain communities , '' wrote Harris , who heads the Center for Youth Wellness in San Francisco .
Domestic abuse survivor and advocate L.Y . Marlow grew up in Philadelphia housing projects but knew stigma about abuse is spread across socioeconomic , racial and ethnic groups . A decade ago , she launched the advocacy group Saving Promise , named after her granddaughter , Promise , who Marlow wanted to prevent from becoming the fifth generation of women in her family to become domestic abuse victims .
`` Unfortunately , sometimes it takes high-visibility people and circumstances for something to become part of the national agenda , '' says Marlow , whose group is working with the Harvard school of public health on domestic violence prevention . `` The 'Me Too ' and 'Time 's Up ' movements did n't get elevated until celebrities said something , even though the other stories are no less important . ''
When Fedders recently read a blog post Willoughby wrote last April , titled `` Why I Stayed , '' it was like she could have written parts about her own former life .
`` Everyone loved him , '' Willoughby wrote . `` People commented all the time how lucky I was . ''
People used to say that about Fedders ' 6-foot-10 ex-husband , too , including that `` He just must be so wonderful to live with as he 's extremely charming and smart , '' she says . After The Wall Street Journal wrote a story detailing the abuse and possible financial improprieties revealed in her divorce proceedings , Fedder says , `` I think he was very surprised that the rest of the country didn β t still feel that way . ''
Fedders , 74 , now lives in northern Virginia , where she still gets the same $ 400 a month in alimony , which is supplemented by Social Security and a small inheritance . She retired from her job as a nurse in 2016 . Her ex-husband tried unsuccessfully to get a 25 % share of the book profits . Charlotte Fedders used the money to help pay for their five sons ' college education , to which John Fedders did not contribute .
FBI and White House have conflicting timelines on Rob Porter background check
Trump says he 's 'totally opposed ' to domestic violence as House launches Porter investigation
`` I don β t have a whole lot of money or too many of the things I used to have , but my life is great now , '' says Fedders , who sees her 10 grandchildren regularly .
Only one of the now-grown children has any contact with their father , Fedders says . Visitation stopped 28 years ago after Andrew , then 12 , told his father , `` Take me home . Violence is not the answer , '' after he was shoved against a wall for misbehaving in an elevator .
`` They are all wonderful men who treat their wives like princesses , '' Fedders says . `` They never raise their hands or their voices . ''
When he reposted a video of the Facebook Live Fedders did with βββ last week , her oldest son , Luke , commented , `` You CAN be a man from an abused household and NOT continue the violence . Five of us can attest to that , thanks to how we were raised by a strong woman/mother . '' | 6hv8lQzeFYP44fw4 | 1 | Donald Trump | -0.6 | Women's Issues | 0.5 | Sexual Misconduct | -0.3 | Ronald Reagan | 0 | null | null |
national_security | The Hill | http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/397339-gop-lambasts-trump-over-performance-in-helsinki | GOP lambasts Trump over performance in Helsinki | 2018-07-16 | national_security | 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 refusal to denounce Russia β s meddling in the 2016 election sparked a backlash Monday from Republican lawmakers , including prominent voices on national security and foreign policy .
The sharpest criticism came from Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain John Sidney McCain2020 Democrats make play for veterans ' votes The Memo : Democrats confront prospect of long primary Defending their honor as we hear their testimony MORE ( R-Ariz. ) , who blasted Trump β s joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin as β one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory . β
The 81-year-old senator , a frequent critic of Trump but one who has often expressed confidence in the president β s national security team , said he found it β painful and inexplicable β how his advisers could allow such β blunders and capitulations . β
β No prior president has ever abased himself more abjectly before a tyrant , β he fumed in a statement .
Other GOP lawmakers β even some of Trump β s staunchest allies on Capitol Hill , like Sens . Thom Tillis Thomas ( Thom ) Roland TillisThis week : House kicks off public phase of impeachment inquiry Progressive veterans group launches campaign labeling Trump as a 'national security threat ' Trump rules out total rollback of Chinese tariffs MORE ( N.C. ) and Orrin Hatch Orrin Grant HatchTrump awards Medal of Freedom to racing industry icon Roger Penske Trump holds more Medal of Freedom ceremonies than predecessors but awards fewer medals Trump to award Medal of Freedom to former Attorney General Edwin Meese MORE ( Utah ) β were critical of the outcome of the Helsinki summit , where Putin denied that Russia meddled in the U.S. election .
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr Richard Mauze BurrGOP senators balk at lengthy impeachment trial Graham : Senate trial 'must expose the whistleblower ' GOP chairman says Senate impeachment trial could last 6-8 weeks MORE ( R-N.C. ) pushed back on Trump giving credence to those denials .
Burr said his panel β found no reason to doubt β U.S. intelligence findings that β Putin ordered an influence campaign aimed at the 2016 U.S. elections with the goal of undermining faith in our democratic process . β
He said Russia had conducted a β coordinated cyberattack β on state election systems and β hacked critical infrastructure . β
Putin β is not our friend , β Burr said , and he urged Trump not to β tolerate hostile Russian activities against us or our allies . β
Republicans on Capitol Hill have generally been leery to criticize Trump publicly or to risk getting into personal spats with him . But even GOP leaders scrambled to distance themselves from the president β s remarks in Helsinki .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison ( Mitch ) Mitchell McConnellGOP senators balk at lengthy impeachment trial Graham : Senate trial 'must expose the whistleblower ' Graham says Schiff should be a witness in Trump impeachment trial MORE ( R-Ky. ) , who has at times pushed back on Trump drawing moral equivalence between U.S. and Russian policy , warned that Russia should not be trusted .
β I have said a number of times , I β ll say it again : The Russians are not our friends , β McConnell told reporters . β And I entirely believe the assessment of our intelligence community . β
Speaker Paul Ryan Paul Davis Ryan Retirees should say 'no thanks ' to Romney 's Social Security plan California Governor Newsom and family dress as 2020 Democrats for Halloween DC 's liaison to rock ' n ' roll MORE ( R-Wis. ) warned that Russia β remains hostile to our most basic values and ideals . β
β There is no question that Russia interfered in our election and continues attempts to undermine democracy here and around the world , β he said . β The United States must be focused on holding Russia accountable and putting an end to its vile attacks on democracy . β
The comments by GOP leaders echoed broad criticism from analysts and pundits at news outlets ranging from CNN and NBC to Fox News .
Bret Baier of Fox News called the press conference β surreal , β while his network colleague Brit Hume called Trump β s reference to the probe into Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton2020 Democrats make play for veterans ' votes The Memo : Democrats confront prospect of long primary Manafort sought to hurt Clinton 2016 campaign efforts in key states : NYT MORE β s private email server to deflect questions about Russian interference a β lame response , to say the least . β
U.S. Senate candidate and 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney Willard ( Mitt ) Mitt RomneyJon Huntsman expected to run for governor in Utah Trump Jr 's 'Triggered ' debuts at No . 1 on NY Times bestseller list Club for Growth extends advertising against House Dems over impeachment MORE also weighed in with his own criticism .
β President Trump β s decision to side with Putin over American intelligence agencies is disgraceful and detrimental to our democratic principles , β Romney said in a tweet . β Russia remains our number one geopolitical adversary ; claiming a moral equivalence between the United States and Russia not only defies reason and history , it undermines our national integrity and impairs our global credibility . β
GOP lawmakers had publicly urged Trump ahead of the meeting to warn Putin not to interfere again in American elections . Instead , the president declined to criticize Russia even when asked pointedly to do so during a 45-minute joint press conference .
Trump even sided with Russia over his own intelligence agencies β conclusion about Russia β s meddling in the election .
β I have great confidence in my intelligence people , but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today , β Trump told reporters in Helsinki .
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker Robert ( Bob ) Phillips CorkerLindsey Graham basks in the impeachment spotlight βββ 's 12:30 Report β Presented by Nareit β White House cheers Republicans for storming impeachment hearing GOP senators frustrated with Romney jabs at Trump MORE ( R-Tenn. ) pronounced himself β disappointed β and β saddened β by what he saw as Trump β s soft response to Russian interference in the U.S. election and its aggressive tactics in Ukraine and the Middle East .
β The president should have been more forceful in talking about those grievances , β said Corker , who β s not seeking reelection this year . β Putin only understands strength and I did not think this was a good moment for our country . β
GOP lawmakers mostly kept under wraps any misgivings they felt about Trump giving equal footing to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a summit in Singapore last month , which gave Kim significant concessions .
But they made their unhappiness with Trump β s Russia dealings plain on Monday .
Sen. Ben Sasse Benjamin ( Ben ) Eric SasseTrump circuit court nominee in jeopardy amid GOP opposition Trump has officially appointed one in four circuit court judges Senators press NSA official over shuttered phone surveillance program MORE ( R-Neb . ) panned Trump β s attempt to spread the blame for poor U.S.-Russian relations as β bizarre and flat-out wrong . β
β America wants a good relationship with the Russian people but Vladimir Putin and his thugs are responsible for Soviet-style aggression , β he warned . β When the president plays these moral equivalence games , he gives Putin a propaganda win he desperately needs . β
Corker said that while he shares Trump β s desire to have good relations with Russia , he felt the president β s remarks after meeting with Putin β made us look as a nation more like a pushover and I was disappointed in that . β
Former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel Charles ( Chuck ) Timothy HagelAlmost 100 former officials , members of Congress urge Senate action on election security GOP Senate candidate said Republicans have 'dual loyalties ' to Israel White House aide moves to lobbying firm MORE ( Neb . ) , who served as secretary of Defense under President Obama , said Trump β failed America , our interests today , in every way . β
Republicans have long held an advantage over Democrats on the issue of national security , but Trump β s conciliatory stance toward Putin could erode the president β s credibility on the issue .
Democratic leaders pounced on Monday in hopes of tying the GOP broadly to Trump as soft on Russia .
β What , if anything , will Congress do in response to this awful trip ? β Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer Charles ( Chuck ) Ellis SchumerOvernight Health Care : Trump officials making changes to drug pricing proposal | House panel advances flavored e-cig ban | Senators press FDA tobacco chief on vaping ban Chad Wolf becomes acting DHS secretary Schumer blocks drug pricing measure during Senate fight , seeking larger action MORE ( N.Y. ) told reporters at a press conference . β Where are our Republican colleagues ... who know in their heart that the president is giving away the store to Vladimir Putin ? β
Trump β s chummy appearance with Putin also drew criticism from House Republicans like Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce Edward ( Ed ) Randall RoyceMystery surrounds elusive sanctions on Russia Hillicon Valley : Lawmakers struggle to understand Facebook 's Libra project | EU hits Amazon with antitrust probe | New cybersecurity concerns over census | Robocall , election security bills head to House floor | Privacy questions over FaceApp House panel advances bill to protect elections from foreign interference MORE ( R-Calif. ) .
β There is simply no comparing the actions of the United States and Vladimir Putin , β he said in a statement , citing Putin β s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and support for Syrian President Bashar Assad .
Royce argued those aggressive actions by Moscow were to blame for what he called a β low point β in U.S.-Russian relations , not what Trump in a tweet earlier Monday called β many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity . β
Rep. Elise Stefanik Elise Marie StefanikMeadows slams ex-Bush aide 's 'reprehensible ' remark about GOP congresswoman GOP motions to subpoena whistleblower Live coverage : House holds first public impeachment hearing MORE ( N.Y. ) , a Republican on the House Armed Services and Intelligence panels , said she also disagreed with the president and called Russia an β adversary . β
β We must continue to work with our allies to counter Russia β s influence around the world , β she urged . | pblJqo3nW0T7XwbS | 1 | Donald Trump | -0.8 | Vladimir Putin | -0.7 | National Security | 0 | Defense And Security | 0 | null | null |
white_house | CBN | https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/politics/2020/february/what-trump-said-about-religious-liberty-late-term-abortion-and-socialism-in-his-third-state-of-the-union-speech | What Trump Said About Religious Liberty, Late-Term Abortion, and Socialism in His Third State of the Union | 2020-02-05 | State Of The Union, Donald Trump, Socialism, Abortion, Religious Freedom, White House, Politics | CAPITOL HILL - President Donald Trump delivered his third state of the union speech last night in Congress on the eve of his impeachment vote in the Senate .
The commander-in-chief used the speech to re-launch his 2020 campaign highlighting his accomplishments in office like a booming economy , job growth , and trade deals .
He also talked about his fight to uphold religious liberty and took a powerful pro-life stand , calling on Congress to end late-term abortions .
President Trump walked into the same chamber where House Democrats voted to impeach him . He did not shake House Speaker Nancy Pelosi 's hand . Pelosi left off that it was her `` high honor '' and `` distinct privilege '' when introducing the commander-in-chief . And at the end of the night she showed her disdain by tearing apart the pages of his speech as she stood behind him .
But despite delivering the State of the Union address under the cloud of impeachment β Trump did not mention it .
The president 's theme was `` The Great American Comeback '' touting his economic success since taking office .
`` The state of our union is stronger than ever before , '' Trump said .
Also he spoke about defending religious liberty in powerful terms stating :
`` We do not tear down crosses . We do not ban symbols of faith . We do not muzzle preachers and pastors . In America , we celebrate faith . We cherish religion . We lift our voices in prayer , and we raise our sights to the Glory of God ! ''
Next , he called on Congress to fight for the unborn .
`` I am calling on members of Congress to pass legislation finally banning the late-term abortion of babies . ''
Rep. Dan Bishop ( R-NC ) applauded Trump 's pro-life challenge saying , `` The fundamental protection of life in the United States to end , at long last , late-term abortions and certainly we can all agree on that . ''
And Rep. Jody Hice ( R-GA ) said , `` It was shocking to me that Democrats would not even stand to defend late-term abortions it is difficult for me to wrap my mind around that . ''
The absence of some Democrats did not go unnoticed , yet Rep. Ro Khanna ( D-CA ) said it was important for him to attend the event , even if he disagrees with President Trump .
`` I disagree with the president on many things but he 's still the President of the United States and I believe it is my constitutional obligation to listen to the president and try to make the best I can to find any common ground there may be . ''
Lawmakers found common ground with a standing ovation for Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guiado - a surprise guest of the president .
`` Mr. President please take this message back , that all Americans are united with the Venezuelan people in their righteous fight for freedom . Socialism destroys nations but always remember freedom restores the soul , '' Trump said .
Everyone in the chamber rose to their feet again to welcome back Sgt . Townsend Williams in a realtime surprise homecoming .
Then conservatives in the room applauded as radio host Rush Limbaugh was honored on the spot with the Presidential Medal of Freedom . That last-minute move came a day after Limbaugh revealed he 's facing a battle with Stage 4 lung cancer .
`` In recognition of all that you have done for our nation , the millions of people a day that you speak to and inspire , and all the incredible work that you have done for charity , '' Trump announced .
The address wrapped up with the House speaker making it clear what she thought of the president 's speech , visibly tearing up the pages on camera .
Hice added , `` Unbelievable I mean while the President is saying God Bless America , Nancy Pelosi is behind him tearing the speech up . That to me exemplifies the Democratic Party we are dealing with in Washington DC . ''
White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway weighed in too , accusing Pelosi of throwing a `` temper tantrum '' . Conway said , `` America saw an incorrigible child ripping up the State of the Union ... I think it shows you how petty and peevish and partisan the Democratic party has become . ''
Meanwhile , there was at least one bright light from the Democratic side of the aisle during the president 's address . Sen. Kyrsten Sinema ( D-AZ ) is being praised by conservatives for breaking away from her party to stand and applaud the president when he talked about `` opportunity zones '' which give tax breaks for investments to help low-income areas .
The president now prepares for the outcome of the Senate 's Tuesday afternoon vote on the two articles of impeachment . It appears the vote will fall down party lines which means Trump will be acquitted . | 7607dddb964b62ac | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
ebola | Newsmax - News | http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/ebola-doctor-improving-cdc/2014/08/03/id/586515/ | CDC Chief: US Doctor Infected With Ebola 'Improving' | 2014-08-03 | Science, Ebola, CDC | Dr. Kent Brantly , the American stricken with the deadly Ebola virus while in Liberia and brought to the United States for treatment in a special isolation ward was treated with an experimental drug before he returned home , the relief organization for which he works said Sunday evening .
''We praise God for the news that Kent 's condition is improving , '' a statement from Samaritan 's Purse said . `` We can confirm that Kent was able to receive a dose of the experimental serum prior to leaving Liberia . ''
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Brantly , a 33-year-old father of two young children , was able to walk with help from an ambulance after he was flown on Saturday to Atlanta , where he was being treated by infectious disease specialists at Emory University Hospital . `` It 's encouraging that he seems to be improving - that 's really important - and we 're hoping he 'll continue to improve , '' Dr. Tom Frieden , director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta , said on CBS 's `` Face the Nation . `` Frieden told the program it was too soon to predict whether Brantly would survive , and a hospital spokesman later said Emory did not expect to provide any updates on the doctor 's condition on Sunday.Brantly , who works for the North Carolina-based Samaritan 's Purse , a Christian relief organization , was in Liberia responding to the worst Ebola outbreak on record when he contracted the disease . Since February , more than 700 people in West Africa have died from the infection.Ebola is a hemorrhagic virus with a death rate of up to 90 percent of those infected . The fatality rate in the current epidemic is about 60 percent.A second U.S. aid worker who contracted Ebola alongside Brantly , missionary Nancy Writebol , will be brought to the United States on a later flight as the medical aircraft is equipped to carry only one patient at a time . `` Our family is rejoising over Kent 's safe arrival , and we are confident that he is receiving the very best care , '' his wife , Amber , said in a statement that also asked for `` continued prayer '' for Writebol 's recovery.Standard treatment is to provide supportive care . In Atlanta , doctors will try to maintain blood pressure and support breathing , with a respirator if needed , or provide dialysis if patients experience kidney failure , as some Ebola sufferers do.Officials have said that Writebol , a 59-year-old mother of two who worked to decontaminate those entering and leaving an Ebola isolation unit in Liberia , was expected to arrive this week in Atlanta . Emory said she was not expected on Sunday.Writebol 's husband , David , who had been living and working in Liberia with his wife , was expected to travel home separately within the next few days , their missionary organization , SIM USA , said in a statement.Despite public concern over bringing in Ebola patients , the CDC 's Frieden said the United States may see only a few isolated cases in people who have been traveling but did not expect widespread Ebola in the country.The facility at Emory chosen to treat the two infected Americans , set up with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , is one of four in the country with the ability to handle such cases.The Americans will be treated primarily by a team of four infectious disease physicians , and will be able to see relatives through a plate-glass window and speak to them by phone or intercom.Frieden said it was unlikely that Brantly 's wife and children , who left Liberia before he began exhibiting symptoms , had contracted the disease because people who are exposed to Ebola but not yet sick can not infect others.The CDC was not aware of any Ebola patient being treated in the United States previously , a spokeswoman has said . Five people entered the country in the past decade with either Lassa Fever or Marburg , hemorrhagic fevers that are similar to Ebola.President Barack Obama has said that some participants at an Africa summit in Washington this week would be screened for exposure to the virus . Frieden said on Sunday there was no reason to cancel the event . `` There are 50 million travelers from around the world that come to the U.S. each year that are essential to our economy , to our families , to our communities . We 're not going to hermetically seal this country , '' he told Fox News Sunday.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said the agency stood ready to cooperate with companies and investigators working with patients in dire need of treatment.A senior official said the agency would consider providing treatments under special emergency new drug applications , if benefits outweighed potential risks . | 81eb049e084dbeb1 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
white_house | Newsmax | http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/demint-nation-obama-wish/2013/02/13/id/490327 | HeritageΓΒ’Γ’β¬ÒβΒ’s DeMint: Nation CanΓΒ’Γ’β¬ÒβΒ’t Afford ObamaΓΒ’Γ’β¬ÒβΒ’s ΓΒ’Γ’βΒ¬ΓΕWish ListΓΒ’Γ’β¬ÒβΒ’ | 2013-02-13 | Barack Obama, Heritage Foundation, White House, Politics | Heritage plans to β take control of the ideas and our message ; work with hundreds of coalitions around the country to make sure Americans know which ideas work for them , β DeMint says .
Working on the state level is critical to this success . β After all , they are the 50 laboratories of our federal system β and what works in Tallahassee probably is not going to work in Massachusetts , β Feulner says .
Social media is crucial , too . β We have to use everything that β s available , in terms of electronic contacts with young people , β Feulner says . β We β ve got to retrain ourselves that these truths still work and we β ve got to be able to communicate them more successfully . β
In his first βββ TV interview since leaving Congress to lead the Heritage Foundation , former Sen. Jim DeMint said that Americans are smart enough to know that President Barack Obama β s State of the Union speech was nothing more β than a wish list that we can β t afford and that the president can β t get done. β β He talked about a lot of wonderful things that we β d love to do as a country β improve education and clean up the blighted areas , create opportunity β but they can β t do that from Washington , β the former South Carolina Republican tells βββ in an exclusive interview . β There β s no evidence we ever could , and we can β t afford it. β The president continues to think a central-planning concept is what makes America work β and we know it doesn β t , β DeMint adds . β You can β t do this from Washington . It β s really a ground-up phenomenon. β Story continues below the video.DeMint , 61 , who takes over as the Heritage Foundation β s president in April , was interviewed by βββ with Edwin Feulner , a founding trustee and the outgoing president of the influential conservative think tank.A tea party favorite , DeMint had been on Capitol Hill since 1999 , serving six years in the House and seven in the Senate . Last year , Salon.com called him β perhaps the most conservative member of the Senate. β He was seen as a β kingmaker β with Republican congressional candidates because of his fund-raising prowess β and DeMint had said he would not seek a third term in the Senate when his term ended in 2016.DeMint stepped down on Dec. 31 . He was replaced by Rep. Tim Scott.At the Heritage Foundation , DeMint will oversee a budget of $ 80 million.In the βββ interview , Feulner says Americans also should not believe President Obama when he said that his initiatives would not add to the nation β s $ 16.4 trillion debt. β That isn β t the way it works . There is no free money out there . Every time he talks about investments , basically , he β s talking about more government spending , β he says . β I don β t know where he thinks it β s coming from . There is no big tooth fairy in the sky that β s going to give it to him. β Looking toward the upcoming battle over sequestration , DeMint hopes Congress and the president reach a deal before $ 1.2 trillion in broad-based cuts over 10 years begin to take effect. β Unfortunately , with my 14 years in the House and the Senate , the only compromises I β ve ever seen were to spend more money and to grow the government . We can β t keep doing what we β ve been doing . We have to stop spending more than we β re bringing in. β I hope the Republicans will do what they promised and put the country on path to a balanced budget over the next 10 years , β DeMint adds . β They can give the president a little more to borrow in the interim β and we can transition so that it doesn β t disrupt programs. β It just slows the growth and spending . We can do that . We can balance our budget . That β s what we need to shoot for. β Both Heritage Foundation executives say they are most troubled at how Obama has subverted the U.S. Constitution with his steady use of executive orders. β The president β s clearly challenging constitutional boundaries β and he β s doing it to rile the Republicans up and to get them going after him , β DeMint says . β But it β s a tough thing , and we need to do it through the courts. β It β s worrisome that he believes so much in central power and executive power . That β s not what makes America great . We β re a bottom-up nation , with millions of people making their own decisions about what they want to do and what they value. β He β s trying to turn that upside down β and that β s got a lot of people concerned , β DeMint adds.The retired senator says he plans to keep the nation focused on such issues as Heritage β s president. β I wanted to step outside the political arena β not to be partisan , but to work on those ideas that we know make America better and makes lives better for every American . We see them working all over the country. β He pointed to the D.C . Opportunity Scholarship Program , which allows Washington schoolchildren to leave underperforming public schools for those of their parents β choice . The program has a 91 percent high school graduation rate. β All over the country , our ideas are working , β DeMint says . β Heritage is about ideas β and I want to be a part of taking those ideas to the American people. β β We β ve been trying a number of different ways to figure out how to reach every American with the eternal principles that we really believe undergird our ideas , β Feulner adds . β We want everybody to know that these truths work for everybody. β We want to bring everybody together and give everybody the chance of climbing up that opportunity ladder and not have the government cut the bottom two rungs off of that ladder. β In other comments in their wide-ranging βββ interview , DeMint and Feulner say that : | 62d5c3c1c5c63370 | 2 | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null | null |
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