Good morning! Here is your news briefing for Tuesday January 28, 2020
THE EPOCH TIMES
“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.” PETER DRUCKERGood morning, As a deadly virus continues to spread in China, the United States is considering expanding screenings of people who arrive from China. Passengers traveling from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak of viral pneumonia, are already being checked at five airports. Epoch Times’ Zachary Stieber reports that the CDC could expand screening as early as this week. Read the full story here. College Professors 95 Times More Likely to Donate to Democrats Than Republicans: Study NBA Cancels Lakers-Clippers Game Over Kobe Bryant’s Death John Bolton Denies ‘Coordination’ After New York Times Leaks Book Details Supreme Court Allows Trump Administration to Enforce ‘Public Charge’ Immigration Rule The Chinese regime is likely underreporting the true scale of the coronavirus outbreak, according to a Harvard virologist. Read moreA number of rockets struck the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, injuring at least one staffer and causing some material damage as clashes in the region over the weekend left at least five anti-government protesters dead. Read moreA conservative group that claims it is being targeted by Michigan authorities for its political views on the basis of controversial research by the Southern Poverty Law Center has won a round in court after a federal judge denied state officials’ request to dismiss the lawsuit. Read moreMore than four out of five likely voters agree that political correctness has gone too far, a December poll shows. Read moreThe Supreme Court has voted to allow the Trump administration to enforce its new rule that restricts the eligibility of new immigrants who are deemed to likely become “public charges” if they receive visas. Read more See More Top StoriesKobe Bryant’s Death Reminds Us What’s Really Important By Nicole Russell At 41, Kobe Bryant, former LA Lakers player and five-time NBA Champion, husband, and father of four, has died alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gianna in a plane crash in Calabasas, California, according to multiple reports on Sunday. Read moreKilling Trump, and Other Iranian Ambitions By Michael Ledeen From Adam Kredo of the Washington Free Beacon: “Following Iran’s announcement of a three million dollar bounty for the assassination of President Donald Trump, U.S. officials and terrorism experts are warning that Tehran has significantly expanded its terror capabilities in America, potentially allowing the Islamic Republic to conduct a domestic attack.” Read more See More OpinionsFraser Howie Interview Part 1: China’s Obsolete Growth Model By Valentin Schmid (February 26, 2015) In 2011, most people still thought China, as a nation, had less debt than Europe or the United States because of its relatively low government debt levels. Then came Fraser Howie’s seminal book “Red Capitalism”… Read moreIn November last year, China made the official decision to rewrite both the Bible and the Quran in order to “reflect socialist values.” Naturally, this is a political tool that is needed as part of the crackdown on the Muslim Uyghur minority that has been such a thorn in the side of the Chinese socialist regime. The Chinese Communist Party… China Writes Its Own Bible and QuranCopyright © 2020 The Epoch Times, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in to receive newsletter communications from The Epoch Times. Our mailing address is: The Epoch Times229 W. 28 St.Fl. 5New York, NY 10001 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list or remove my account. |
SUNBURN
| Animal lovers rejoice. Tonight, Red Dog Blue Dog hosts the sixth annual Celebrity Bartender fundraiser at Township starting at 6 p.m.Representing the GOP behind the bar crew are Rep. Alex Andrade, Rep. Colleen Burton, Sen. Joe Gruters and VISIT FLORIDA CEO Dana Young. Democrats tending bar include Rep. Tracie Davis, Sen. Gary Farmer, DEM Director Jared Moskowitz and Sen. Jason Pizzo.In addition to getting some face time with the lineup of lawmakers and agency heads, those swinging by have the opportunity to do something good.Red Dog Blue Dog provides funding to support community-wide efforts to help more homeless animals find loving homes, reunite lost pets with their owners, and promote responsible pet ownership.And don’t be afraid to tip your bartenders — all proceeds, including tips, will benefit the Animal Shelter Foundation, the Leon County Humane Society, and Last Hope Rescue. Those looking to help a little more after grabbing a drink can cut a check to the Animal Shelter Foundation, which will split the proceeds after the event.An added perk: Uber is hooking up attendees with discounted rides to and from the event.If you can’t attend, fret not. You can still show your support by sending Red Dog Blue Dog a few bucks through their website.___Good news about great people — “Dane and Brooke Eagle expecting first child” — The Cape Coral Republican announced he and wife, Dr. Brooke Iwanski Eagle, are expecting their first child. “It’s a boy!” Eagle announced in a social media post. “Brooke and I are incredibly thrilled to announce we are adding a little more love to our family. Baby Eagle is due in June!” That will be in the thick of a major congressional campaign for Rep. Eagle, one of eight Republican candidates in a GOP primary to succeed U.S. Rep. Francis Rooney. So, expect the child to be born in Florida’s 19th Congressional District. A picture shared online shows the Eagles holding a sign that reads: “COMING SOON … Baby Boy Eagle. June 2020. Made in Iceland.”Time for a new Eagle cam in Cape Coral. |
| Today’s Sunrise House committees are considering bills to loosen regulations on wine containers and craft distilleries and allow college athletes to be compensated for the use of their names, images and likenesses. Senators will consider repealing the Best and Brightest bonus program for teachers and create early release programs for elderly and seriously ill inmates.Also, on today’s Sunrise:— The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta will hear arguments over the implementation of Amendment 4, which restored voting rights for former felons.— LGBTQ advocates visit The Capitol to speak out against a spate of legislation they say is blatantly discriminatory.— A teachers’ association leader says she believes a measure sponsored by Republican State Rep. Jamie Grant is meant to cripple labor unions.— The Florida Coalition for Children is highlighting a study that shows Florida is in the Top 10 best-performing states for caring for children in foster care.— Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri talks about something new: The Florida Sheriffs Research Institute. Law enforcement is creating its own think tank to push back on some of the criminal justice reforms under consideration in the legislature— A Florida woman is accused of misusing the 9-1-1 system by calling and texting to complain about her husband. Police say 69-year-old Sylvia Shumaker of Largo contacted 9-1-1 several times to ask for things like a counselor and how to file for divorce. When officers arrived at her home, they say she was highly intoxicated. Shumaker was charged with misuse of the 9-1-1 system.To listen, click on the image below: |
| Days until New Brexit deadline — 3; Super Bowl LIV in Miami — 5; Great American Realtors Day — 6; Iowa Caucuses — 6; Eighth Democratic presidential debate in Manchester — 10; Capitol Press Corps press skits — 13; New Hampshire Primaries — 14; Pitchers and catchers begin reporting for MLB Spring Training — 14; South Beach Wine and Food Festival — 22; Ninth Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas — 22; Roger Stone’s sentencing — 23; Nevada caucuses — 25; “Better Call Saul” Season 5 premiers — 26; 10th Democratic presidential debate in Charleston — 28; South Carolina Primaries — 32; Super Tuesday — 35; Last day of 2020 Session (maybe) — 45; Florida’s presidential primary — 49; “No Time to Die” premiers — 69; Florida Chamber Summit on Prosperity and Economic Opportunity — 108; “Top Gun: Maverick” premiers — 150; Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee begins — 167; Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” premiers — 171; 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo start — 178; Florida primaries for 2020 state legislative/congressional races — 203; First Presidential Debate in Indiana — 245; Republican National Convention begins in Charlotte — 209; First Vice Presidential debate at the University of Utah — 253; Second Presidential Debate scheduled at the University of Michigan — 261; Third presidential debate at Belmont — 268; 2020 General Election — 280. |
| Top story “Randall Hunt resigns from Florida Lottery after background check turns up domestic violence complaint” via Jason Garcia and Beth Kassab of the Orlando Sentinel — “In his letter of resignation, Mr. Hunt acknowledges his decision is based on what is in the best interest of his growing family, and business opportunities. His resignation was accepted,” Ron DeSantis spokesman Helen Ferre said. DeSantis gave Hunt the Lottery job Nov. 15, putting him in charge of a state agency with more than 400 employees and an annual revenue of nearly $7 billion. But the appointment was subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate, which commissions comprehensive background checks that includes a criminal-history screening by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. That FDLE screening turned up a January 2017 incident in which the Sanford Police Department had investigated Hunt for domestic-violence battery following a dispute with his wife.Tweet, tweet: |
| Dateline: Tally “Ron DeSantis announces speech and debate initiatives, funded by one of his biggest donors” via Colleen Wright of the Miami Herald — Flanked by students on the Omni Middle School debate team, DeSantis laid out some details of a new partnership between the Florida Department of Education and the Billi and Bernie Marcus Foundation. The initiative, he said, will expand opportunities for civics, speech and debate programs in middle and high schools and create a “first of its kind” national competition. Marcus pledged $5 million over the next three years to the Florida Education Foundation. DeSantis said he set aside $375,000 in his proposed budget for the civics and debate initiative. Marcus, a Georgia businessman who now resides in Boca Raton, was an early supporter of DeSantis. In 2017, he donated $250,000 to DeSantis’ political action committee, Fund for Florida’s Future.Ron DeSantis announces a push for more education in speech and debate.“Legislative wild card would authorize sports betting in Florida” via Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald — House and Senate leaders confirmed they are engaged in an effort to reach a deal with the Governor that would update Florida’s gambling laws by allowing organized sports betting and bring in new revenue from the Seminole Tribe. “The House and Senate have begun informal discussions on what a compact and gaming bill would look like,” Sen. Travis Hutson told the Herald/Times. He said he and Senate President Bill Galvano have been working on a proposal with their counterparts in the House, Rep. Mike LaRosa and House Speaker José Oliva. “We’re going after the big items and, if we can agree to them, we’ll work on laying out the details and the policy,’’ LaRosa said. “Hopefully, we get something accomplished.”Tweet, tweet:“Florida GOP votes for resolution backing E-Verify requirements for private employers” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — The Republican Party of Florida Executive Committee passed a formal resolution urging passage of E-Verify requirements. The position stands in contrast to that of many members of the Legislature. Most notably, Galvano and Oliva both say this could place too much burden on employers. That falls in line with complaints from agriculture, hospitality and construction business leaders. But DeSantis has made the language a priority for the ongoing Legislative Session. RPOF Chair Gruters said it’s important for the party to rally around DeSantis on the issue.“Senate, DeSantis seek to scuttle ex-Sheriff’s lawsuit” via Jim Saunders of the News Service of Florida — Galvano and DeSantis are asking a federal judge to reject a lawsuit filed by former Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, who contends his constitutional rights were violated when he was removed from office. Lawyers for Galvano and DeSantis filed briefs seeking dismissal of the lawsuit, in part arguing that the Senate is shielded from liability for legislative acts. The Senate held a Special Session in October and removed Israel from office after DeSantis suspended him because of alleged “neglect of duty and incompetence” related to two mass shootings. A brief filed by Senate attorneys said the decision to remove Israel from office “reflected a discretionary, policy decision regarding the qualifications of a constitutional officer to hold office.”Proposed bill would move Office of Energy — A bill proposed by a House committee would transfer oversight of the Office of Energy from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to the Department of Environmental Protection, Bruce Ritchie of POLITICO Florida reports. A spokesperson for Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried’s office said the proposal was a power grab by the Governor’s office. “The Office of Energy has been the most successful under the Department of Agriculture and we have done the most good for the people of Florida,” Franco Ripple said. DeSantis’ office did not respond to a request for comment on the House proposal. The House Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee will consider the bill when it meets Tuesday.Assignment editors — Fried will host a press conference to discuss a proposed committee bill that would transfer oversight of the Office of Energy from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to the Department of Environmental Protection, 10 a.m., Plaza Level of the Capitol.“Koch group targets Florida Senators in licensing deregulation push” via Gray Rohrer of the Orlando Sentinel — Americans for Prosperity, the group backed by industrialist Charles Koch, is sending mail pieces to residents in 27 Senate districts, urging them to call their Senator to pass a series of bills aimed at reducing fees and other requirements to get licenses for occupations such as barbers, interior designers, electricians and others. Similar measures failed to pass the Senate last year. “There’s a lot of red tape, but fortunately, you’re not alone. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle can come together to help you cut red tape to get back to work,” the mail piece states. “Call (your Senator) and ask her/him to cut red tape and reform occupational licensing.”Americans for Prosperity is launching a web campaign targeting 27 Senate districts.“PIFF outlines priorities for 2020 Legislative Session” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics — The Personal Insurance Federation of Florida is backing a slate of reforms aimed at reducing litigation costs during the 2020 Legislative Session. The group says excessive lawsuits have hampered the post-Hurricane Michael recovery effort in Northwest Florida and the high cost is adding to the burden of those still recovering from the storm. At the top of PIFF’s list was legislation to end “contingency fee multipliers.” The multiplier allows courts to award higher fees to attorneys who take cases on contingency to compensate them for the higher risk. SB 914 by Republican Sen. Jeff Brandes would end the multiplier under most circumstances. It cleared its first of three committee stops last week.“Frank Artiles client could get $8 million for water cleanup” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics — Rep. Brad Drake and Sen. Manny Diaz have filed appropriations requests that would set aside millions for a private company to clean up Florida waterways. Drake’s request (HB 9253) would direct $8 million in funds to Freytech to remove algae and nonnative bacteria from water bodies across the state. Diaz’ appropriations request also weighs in at $8 million and likewise specifies that $7 million would be spent on operations and $1 million would be spent on fixed capital outlay. Freytech is represented by former Republican Sen. Artiles, who began working as a lobbyist in April 2019, two years after he resigned his seat in the Senate. Artiles began representing Freytech in July 2019. |
| Legislation “New legislation seeks ‘transparency’ in prescription drug pricing, pharmacy process” via Florida Politics — The measure began as a proposed committee bill in the House Health Market Reform Subcommittee. Andrade filed it (HB 7045). The bill would require manufacturers to disclose more about price hikes. Drugmakers would be compelled to give 60 days’ advance notice of price hikes, and annual reports every April of those hikes would be due to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation and the Office of Insurance Regulation. The bill also makes provision for so-called “pharmacy audits,” which scrutinize pharmacy billing for potential discrepancies and irregularities in charging, with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in the potential crosshairs.Alex Andrade is seeking more transparency in pharmacy costs.“Senate eyes changes in employee health insurance” via the News Service of Florida — A Senate committee introduced legislation that would make changes to prescription drug benefits, require the state to competitively bid the insurance program to managed-care plans in nine regions and strike a 2017 law that required four different benefit plans to be offered to employees. The bill (SPB 7046) did not draw debate before the Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee voted unanimously to move forward with it. The proposal would amend a 2019 law that authorized the introduction of a prescription-drug formulary to make clear that pharmacy benefit managers working on behalf of the state cannot “substitute their judgment over the judgment of the prescriber regarding whether a prescription drug is medically necessary” for the treatment of a patient.“Lawmakers throw support behind major pre-K reform bill” via Emily Mahoney of the Tampa Bay Times — Florida lawmakers threw bipartisan support behind a bill to make major changes in how the state’s prekindergarten programs are measured for success and penalized if they fall short. Senate Bill 1688, sponsored by Sen. Gayle Harrell, would measure programs’ effectiveness in a way that combines children’s progress made over the course of the program with their test scores at the end of pre-K, plus the quality of the children’s interactions with teachers. Pre-K is “essential,” Harrel told the Senate Education Committee. “It is one of the most important things we do in brain development.”Tweet, tweet:“Senate panel OKs bill mandating moments of silence in schools” via AG Gancarski of Florida Politics — Ocala Republican Sen. Dennis Baxley’s bill (SB 946) would require public school principals to compel teachers to offer time for silent reflection at the beginning of the school day. “This bill deals with what we all deal with,” Baxley said, “the tyranny of the urgent.” “We live frantic lives … I see it in my own grandchildren,” the Senator said, not elaborating on what that looks like. This proposal would replace the current statute, which calls for a “brief meditation period.”“Senate moves to boost environmental fines” via Jim Turner of the News Service of Florida — With little comment, the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee unanimously supported the proposal (SB 1450), which would make numerous changes in the amounts and duration of penalties for violating Florida environmental laws. Bill sponsor Gruters said, “Floridians deserve the strongest reasonable protections” and that many penalties the Department of Environmental Protection can impose haven’t been increased since 2001. “Every three hours of every day of the week, seven days a week, of 365 days a year, there is a spill somewhere in Florida,” Gruters said. “We’re way past the time of not addressing this issue.” Most of the changes would increase penalties by 50%.“Florida could use drones to fight pythons, invasive species” via Brendan Farrington of The Associated Press — A bill unanimously approved by a Senate committee would allow two state agencies to use drones in the effort to eradicate invasive plants and animals. The bill would create an exception to a current law that prohibits law enforcement from using drones to gather information and bans state agencies from using drones to gather images on private land. It would allow the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Forest Service to fly drones to manage and eradicate invasive species on public lands. Sen. Ben Albritton said he had been told that drones equipped with LIDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, might be able to identify pythons.“Rescue animals could become Florida’s official state pet” via The Associated Press — Democratic Sen. Kevin Rader said he filed the legislation after reading rescue animals have become the official state pet or animal of elsewhere, including California, Colorado, Tennessee, Georgia, Illinois and Ohio. “The intent of this designation is to raise public awareness of the many animals waiting for forever homes,” Rader said. “Hopefully, this will encourage more Floridians to adopt pets out of our shelters.” The bill has one more committee stop before reaching the full Senate. An identical House bill is waiting for approval in two committees before going to the full chamber.“Senate committee approves bill to increase penalties for veterans’ monument desecration” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — A bill (SB 1690) from Democratic state Sen. Victor Torres, a Marine veteran and former police officer representing Orlando, known as the “Historical Memorials Protection Act,” sailed through the Senate Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability with a unanimous vote and high praise. The bill’s companion, HB 1251, was introduced by a fellow veteran, Republican state Rep. Spencer Roach. The bills would elevate the crime of damaging veterans’ and other memorials to a third-degree felony, which could be punishable by up to five years in prison. SB 1690 and HB 1251 also would make vandals liable to pay the full cost of repair or replacement, and to face triple damages of legal costs. The bills specifically exclude Confederate monuments.“Digital advertising could be coming to an Uber near you” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — Brandes is sponsoring a bill (SB 1352) that would provide a pathway for transportation network companies such as Uber and Lyft to incorporate digital advertising into their business model. The framework would allow both drivers and their companies to earn additional revenue. The signs would be illuminated and digitally operated. The bill limits the signs to no taller than 20 inches and no wider than 54 inches. Regardless of the size, the sign could not extend beyond the rear or front windshield or otherwise impair the driver’s vision. The signs could only operate while the vehicle is running. Brandes’ bill also requires the advertisements to abide by all state guidelines regarding lighting requirements. |
| In The Capitol Assignment editors — The For-Eye Care Foundation, the charitable arm of the Florida Society of Ophthalmology, will celebrate Florida Children’s Week by offering free vision screenings for children, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., 2nd-floor Rotunda.Assignment editors — The Florida Sheriffs Association and more than 30 Florida sheriffs will host a news conference to launch the Florida Sheriffs Research Institute, which will include the release of the Institute’s first report on Truth in Sentencing, 9:15 a.m., 4th-floor Rotunda. It will also be streamed live on Facebook at facebook.com/floridasheriffsassociation/.Assignment editors — Sen. Rader and Rep. Tina Polsky will hold a news conference to discuss SB 184/HB 91 Holocaust Education Act of 2020, which seeks to strengthen the requirements to teach the Holocaust in schools, having the Department of Education create curriculum standards, and requiring both charter schools and private schools accepting government vouchers to participate in this education, 10:30 a.m., outside Senate Chambers, 4th-Floor Rotunda.Assignment editors — Rep. Cary Pigman and the Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists will hold a news conference on HB 607, relating to the Autonomous Practice by APRNs, including Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists and nurse practitioners, to practice to the full extent of their education and training without physician supervision and protocols, 11:30 a.m., 4th-Foor Rotunda.Assignment editors — State Sen. Janet Cruz and Rep. Tracie Davis join members of the nonpartisan faith-based group Faith in Public Life and grassroots advocates hold a news conference to support the Florida Family Leave Act, which would require Florida employers to create provisions to allow new mothers to take paid family leave, 11:30 a.m., 4th-Floor Rotunda.Assignment editors — Lt. Gov. Jeanette Núñez will chair the first meeting of the Florida Complete Count Committee, 2 p.m., Cabinet Meeting Room.Happening Thursday — The Florida Juvenile Justice Association will hold its legislative reception, bringing together hundreds of stakeholders, public servants, advocates, law enforcement and lawmakers, 5:30 p.m., Historic Capitol Building. |
| Todays cmte. mtgs. The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee meets to consider HB 183 from Rep. Mel Ponder, which seeks to allow local elected officials to bring guns to government meetings, 8 a.m., Room 404, House Office Building.The Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Subcommittee and the House Justice Appropriations Subcommittee meet to consider SB 700 and HB 615 from Sen. Keith Perry and Reps. Clovis Watson and Anthony Sabatini, which seeks to allow juveniles to have their criminal records expunged if they complete diversion programs. Senate subcommittee meets at 8:30 a.m., Room 37, Senate Office Building. House subcommittee meets 4:30 p.m., Morris Hall, House Office Building.The Senate Education Appropriations Subcommittee meets to consider SB 486 from Sen. Rob Bradley, which seeks to eliminate the teacher bonus program known as “Best and Brightest,” 8:30 a.m., Room 412, Knott Building.The Senate Agriculture, Environment and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee meets to hear a presentation from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on derelict vessels, 8:30 a.m., Room 110, Senate Office Building.The House Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee meets to consider HB 659 from Rep. Jason Fischer, which seeks to allow FWC and Florida Forest Service employees to use drones in managing and eradicating invasive plans and species, 9 a.m., Morris Hall, House Office Building.The House Health Quality Subcommittee meets to consider HB 647 from Rep. Brad Drake, which seeks to make several changes to laws regulating recreational vehicle parks, 9 a.m., Room 306, House Office Building.The House Local, Federal & Veterans Affairs Subcommittee meets to consider HB 305 from Rep. Bob Rommel, which seeks to preempt local governments from regulating employers over issues like job-classification determinations and hours of work, 9 a.m., Room 12, House Office Building.The House Transportation & Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee meets to consider HB 1135 from Rep. Grant, which seeks to change rules on license plates and create new specialty plates, 9 a.m., Reed Hall, House Office Building.The Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee meets to consider SB 82 from Chair Aaron Bean, which seeks to overhaul the iBudget program, which provides Medicaid-funded services to people with developmental disabilities, 11 a.m., Room 412, Knott Building.The House Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee meets to consider HB 1343 from Rep. Bobby Payne, which seeks to revamp rules on stormwater, sewage facilities and septic systems, noon, Room 12, House Office Building.The House Business & Professions Subcommittee meets to consider HB 1165 from Rep. Holly Raschein, which seeks changes in regulations of wine containers and craft distilleries, noon, Room 212, Knott Building.The House Government Operations & Technology Appropriations Subcommittee meets to consider HB 1193 from Rep. Blaise Ingoglia, which seeks to reduce or eliminate regulations on several occupational licenses, noon, Morris Hall, House Office Building.The House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee meets to consider HB 827 from Rep. Cyndi Stevenson, which seeks to permit the licensing of recovery care centers, where patients can stay up to 72 hours after surgery, noon, Room 404, House Office Building.The House Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee meets to consider HB 1371 from Reps. Randy Fine and Mike Caruso, which seeks to change flashing yellow crosswalk lights to red lights or be removed, noon, Reed Hall, House Office Building.The Senate Health Policy meets to consider SB 120 from Sen. Pizzo, which seeks to would authorize public schools to purchase the drug naloxone, used in opioid overdoses, and allow trained employees to administer the drug, 1:30 p.m., Room 412, Knott Building.The Senate Criminal Justice Committee meets to consider SB 1416 from Chair Keith Perry, which seeks stricter penalties for people who assault bus drivers and other similar workers, 1:30 p.m., Room 37, Senate Office Building.The Senate Agriculture Committee meets to consider SB 48 from Sen. Lauren Book, which seeks to ban declawing of cats “unless the procedure is necessary for a therapeutic purpose,” 1:30 p.m., Room 301, Senate Office Building.The Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee meets to hear a presentation about policy considerations over emerging facial-recognition technologies, 1:30 p.m., Room 110, Senate Office Building.The House Health Market Reform Subcommittee meets to consider HB 1279 from Rep. Clay Yarborough, which seeks to require the state Agency for Health Care Administration to publish a report identifying the health care services with the largest cost differentials, 3:30 p.m., Room 306, House Office Building.The House Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee meets to consider HB 901 from Rep. Mel Ponder, which seeks changes to vocational-rehabilitation programs for people with disabilities, 3:30 p.m., Room 212, Knott Building.The House Insurance & Banking Subcommittee meets to consider HB 1409 from Rep. Michael Grant, which seeks public-records exemptions for a variety of information submitted by insurers to the state, 3:30 p.m., Room 404, House Office Building.The House PreK-12 Innovation Subcommittee meets to consider HB 1079 from Rep. Jason Fischer, which seeks a referendum for electing Duval County School Superintendents, 3:30 p.m., Reed Hall, House Office Building.The House Workforce Development & Tourism Subcommittee meets to consider PCB WTS 20-01, which seeks to permit college athletes in Florida to be compensated for the use of their names, images and likenesses, not for on-field play, 3:30 p.m., Room 12, House Office Building.The Senate Judiciary Committee meets to consider SB 28, a claim bill from Minority Leader Audrey Gibson, which seeks to compensate 76-year-old Clifford Williams for serving 43 years for a murder he did not commit, 4 p.m., Room 110, Senate Office Building.The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee meets to consider SB 1564 from Sen. Kelli Stargel, which seeks to prevent insurers from using customers’ genetic information to make policy decisions about various forms of insurance, 4 p.m., Room 412, Knott Building.The Senate Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee meets to consider SB 682 from Sen. Dennis Baxley, which seeks to set up a “Florida Guide to a Healthy Marriage,” available on court clerk websites and potentially issued to marriage-license applicants, 4 p.m., Room 301, Senate Office Building. |
| Gov. Club buffet Sweet corn, sausage and potato chowder; mixed garden salad with dressings; smoky bacon & black-eyed pea salad; red bliss potato salad; deli board with lettuce, tomatoes, cheeses and breads; Ronnie’s fried chicken; blackened redfish with Cajun rémoulade; grilled pork tenderloin with warm applesauce; white rice pilaf; Broccolini; grilled asparagus; s’mores for dessert. |
| Statewide “Florida officials monitoring spread of coronavirus” via Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — DeSantis called coronavirus a “significant public health threat” and said Florida officials have been monitoring its spread. “We have had a number of people who have been in that area of China and had some concerns about whether they had contracted the coronavirus,” he said at an event in Boca Raton. “Everybody to this date who has been tested has come back negative. We do not have a confirmed case in the state of Florida.” DeSantis didn’t say how many people have been tested. He said state health officials were working closely with the federal Centers for Disease Control. “It’s something that we obviously view as a significant public health threat,” he said.Ron DeSantis says the state is keeping tabs on the spread of coronavirus.“Florida has some of the worst highway safety laws in the country, watchdog group says” via David Lightman of the Miami Herald — Florida ranks as one of the nation’s worst states for safety laws and enforcement, according to a new report from a watchdog group. Florida is one of 12 states that fall “dangerously behind” laws recommended by the Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety. Nationwide, 47% of the 22,697 people killed in passenger vehicle riders were not wearing seat belts. Among the problems the group found in Florida: Inadequate primary rear seat belt laws, which means law enforcement cannot stop a vehicle simply because a seat belt is unbuckled. The state does have a primary front seat belt law.“Parkland shooter’s jail tape remains under wraps” via Brittany Wallman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — If attorneys for the Parkland shooter get their way, the public will never see a video of him attacking a guard at the Broward County jail. During a court hearing in the assault case, prosecutors argued that the video should be aired in open court, to back up their argument that Nikolas Cruz committed multiple offenses he could be sentenced for. Defense attorneys said it should not be released. Cruz, 21, faces four charges in the Nov. 13, 2018, attack on Sgt. Ray Beltran, 42, in the Broward County Main Jail in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Barring a guilty plea by Cruz, the case will go to a jury trial later this year. |
| I’m listening In August, DeSantis appointed Julia Nesheiwat as Florida’s first-ever chief resilience officer. During initial meetings with local officials, Nesheiwat shared the wisdom she brings to the job — including stints with the military and in academia — as well as her experience in creating a federal bureau.Technology, collaboration and cutting back on fossil fuel emissions should be an essential part of Florida’s strategy to adapt to climate change, Nesheiwat told Brendan Rivers of WUSF.“I’ve been traveling the state to take an inventory of the vulnerability assessments that local officials have done so we can build our plans and strategies,” Nesheiwat said. “There are compacts between local governments — I was just in Southeast Florida for their compact’s Climate Summit. The East Central Resiliency Compact just did a signing ceremony — being able to work with all those compacts has been tremendous.”Julia Nesheiwat is listening as Florida’s first-ever climate czar.One misconception Nesheiwat found is the belief that issues with sea-level rise and the effects of climate change are limited only to coastlines.“We tend to forget factors like precipitation, inland flooding, and aging infrastructure,” she said. “The last four hurricanes were all Category 5, so we’re dealing with stronger storms.”On setting up a statewide resilience plan, Nesheiwat’s goal is to set up and Adaptation Master Plan, which “could give confidence to the market and lay a clear road map for the next 10, 20, 30, or 40 years.”When asked if local governments also have a responsibility to look into emissions reductions: “Everyone has a responsibility.” |
| Mother Nature “Duke gets backing to collect hurricane costs” via the News Service of Florida — Duke Energy Florida should get approval to collect $171.3 million from customers to cover costs related to last year’s Hurricane Dorian, staff members of the Florida Public Service Commission have recommended. The commission is slated during a Feb. 4 meeting to take up Duke’s request to collect the money. The Category 5 Dorian did not make landfall in Florida. But Duke said in a December filing that it mobilized 7,800 employees and contractors to be able to restore power if the hurricane barreled into the state, as had been initially predicted. The utility would begin collecting the money from customers in March, with the extra charges lasting for a year.“Lower number of shark bites off Florida coast may not be good news. Here’s why.” via Kimberly Miller of the Palm Beach Post — Florida Atlantic University scientists believe warmer coastal waters — 1.8 degrees in the past decade — between Boca Raton and Jupiter have thrown the sharks off course, halting their journey north of the area or pushing them farther out to sea. FAU shark expert Stephen Kajiura began tracking the blacktips’ yearly sojourn a decade. The decrease in numbers between 2011 and 2019 has been nearly 60 %, from a peak shark abundance of 12,128 to 4,955 last year. “These animals play an important role in the ecosystem, and lots of sharks are indicative of a healthy ecosystem,” Kajiura said. “If you are missing the boys at the top, then suddenly you have the potential for things to be very out of whack.” |
| 2020 “How record-high turnout in Iowa could shuffle the 2020 race” via David Siders, Natasha Korecki, Elena Schneider and Maya King of POLITICO — It might not be enough to blunt the momentum swinging nationally to Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. But for Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar, high turnout in the Iowa caucuses may be their only chance. “The national conversation seems to be moving past Pete, past Elizabeth, to Bernie and Biden. That’s where I think everything’s heading, or returning,” said Doug Herman, who was a lead mail strategist for Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns. “It’s kind of a reset back to the beginning of the race.” But if there is high turnout in Iowa, he said, “It may help the other candidates: It may be what they need to stay viable.”High turnout in Iowa could bolster Pete Buttigieg.“Elizabeth Warren bet big on Iowa. Will her elaborate organization be enough?” via Annie Linskey and Holly Bailey of The Washington Post — That “year of organizing” will have its ultimate test in one week. And it has been almost microscopic. The campaign made a detailed study of almost all of the state’s more than 1,600 precincts to determine how to maximize support. It divided Iowa into nine zones and made an early investment deploying numerous operatives in each one, including remote towns and areas unlikely to support Warren. To decide whom to invite to her intimate clutches, the campaign mounted an extensive data-gathering effort to uncover not only who supports her, but also who might switch under the right circumstances. Warren’s town hall gatherings are now populated with some of the voters her organizers have identified as undecided. |
| Bloomberg talks healthcare, capitalism Michael Bloomberg is not your typical Democrat, especially in his views on the American health care system.In an interview with the Tampa Bay Times, the Democratic presidential candidate built on some of the same talking points as his rivals — building on Obamacare, lowering drug costs and protecting people the preexisting conditions. But in other ways, the former New York City Mayor takes a different take, particularly with a conventional foe: hospitals.“Hospitals don’t have hunting lodges for the trustees,” Bloomberg told reporter Steve Contorno. “They’re not wasting money.”Mike Bloomberg does not parrot all the Democratic talking points.According to Bloomberg, one problem is patients who expect each hospital all the needed items instead of taking somebody and “drive them to another hospital to share a piece of equipment.”Rising costs of unnecessary medical care and hospitals ordering tests to justify new equipment was a significant issue during Barack Obama’s administration. But Democrats are not talking about that right now.For Bloomberg, there would be some cost for health insurance to middle-class Americans, although he couldn’t say how much that would be: “You’d love to have them not pay anything. That’s not practical.”Bloomberg holds the same attitude on student debt, believing that consumers should shoulder some of the blame: “We want (colleges) to have lots of buildings and lots of programs. It drives the price up and then we complain about the price.”America doesn’t need big structural change, as touted by Warren; Bloomberg feels that the country needs someone who can better manage its capitalist system.“No system is perfect,” Bloomberg told the Times. “But this one’s a lot better than the others.” |
| Peachy Breaking overnight — “John Bolton was concerned that Donald Trump did favors for autocratic leaders, book says” via Michael Schmidt and Maggie Haberman of The New York Times — Bolton, the former national security adviser, privately told Attorney General William Barr last year that he had concerns that Trump was effectively granting personal favors to the autocratic leaders of Turkey and China, according to an unpublished manuscript. Barr responded by pointing to a pair of Justice Department investigations of companies in those countries and said he was worried that Trump had created the appearance that he had undue influence over what would typically be independent inquiries. Bolton’s account underscores the fact that the unease about Trump’s seeming embrace of authoritarian leaders also existed among some of the senior Cabinet officers entrusted by the president to carry out his foreign policy and national security agendas.John Bolton expressed concerns to AG William Barr about Donald Trump granting favors to the autocratic leaders of China and Turkey.“President’s defense attacks Joe Biden and declines to mention Bolton” via The Washington Post — The defense began its promised assault on former Vice President Biden and his son, Hunter, describing what they said was significant evidence of corruption that made Trump’s interest in the case proper. Pam Bondi, one of the president’s lawyers, accused Democrats of denying the legitimacy of investigations into the Bidens because the House case depends on the premise that Trump was only interested in the negative political impact on his rival. Meanwhile, the defense has ignored revelations from Bolton, the president’s former national security adviser, that directly contradict their case.“Pam Bondi makes the case against the Bidens” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Bondi’s first turn in the spotlight as part of Trump’s defense team placed her on offense, not just against the Democratic House impeachment managers, but also against the Biden family. Bondi put on her old prosecutor’s hat and went right after the Ukrainian natural gas company, Burisma Holdings, contending it was so deeply corrupt that the Bidens’ roles not only were suspect but warranted investigation. Bondi then detailed the timelines of Burisma, its founder Mykola Zlochevsky, Hunter Biden‘s participation on the company’s board, various investigations of corruption, and Vice President Biden‘s efforts in Ukraine, including getting the Ukrainian government to fire Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin.“A great triggering occurs after Bondi lays out Biden corruption during the impeachment trial” via Bonchie of Red State — There went forth the sound of a great triggering this afternoon after Bondi took to the Senate floor to deliver a devastating fact case against Hunter Biden. The common refrain you hear from Democrats and the media is that Hunter Biden is irrelevant. Yet, they then want to deny Republicans the right to show that investigating him was a legitimate pursuit. It’s an attempt to have it both ways and Bondi was having none of it. Enough of the double standards. Democrats don’t get to claim that Trump had no legitimate reason to investigate in Ukraine while at the same time demanding no efforts be made to show there was a legitimate reason. That’s not how this works.“Ted Cruz’s new gig: Top podcaster” via Marianne Levine of Politico — In 2016, Cruz fought a deeply personal and bitter battle against Trump for the Republican nomination for President. But four years later, the Texas Republican has the top podcast in the country defending the President as he faces his impeachment trial. The podcast, titled “Verdict with Ted Cruz” features Cruz and Michael Knowles, a conservative political commentator, and is taped at the end of the Senate impeachment trial every day, even if that means 2 a.m. So far, it’s had more than 500,000 downloads and has even earned a retweet from Trump promoting it. It’s now the No. 1 podcast on iTunes, surpassing “The Joe Rogan Experience” and The New York Times’ “The Daily.” |
| D.C. matters “How Vladimir Putin outfoxed Trump in Venezuela” via Jessica Donati, Andrew Restuccia and Ian Talley of The Wall Street Journal — The Trump administration’s bid to replace Venezuela’s authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro hit a roadblock after a meeting with Russian officials in Rome last year — and has never recovered. The Trump administration, confident Maduro would fall, didn’t foresee Russia leading the way for other countries to eclipse the sanctions. In turn, the administration’s reluctance to impose sanctions on Russian enterprises and others kept Venezuela’s oil and gold flowing to buyers. Russia now handles more than two-thirds of Venezuela’s crude oil, current and former administration officials said, including helping to conceal export destinations. The lifeline has helped Maduro slow the economy’s free fall, consolidate his grip on power and weaken the opposition.Vladimir Putin outfoxed Donald Trump in Venezuela.“Supreme Court allows Trump’s wealth test for green cards” via Adam Liptak of The New York Times — The Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to move forward with plans to deny green cards to immigrants who are thought to be likely to make even occasional and minor use of public benefits like Medicaid, food stamps and housing vouchers. The vote was 5 to 4, with the court’s conservative justices in the majority. The court’s brief order gave no reasons for lifting preliminary injunctions that had blocked the new program. Challenges to the program will continue to move forward in courts around the nation. The administration announced in August that it would revise the so-called public charge rule. In the past, only substantial and sustained monetary help or long-term institutionalization counted, and fewer than 1 % of applicants were disqualified on public-charge grounds.“Former Florida GOP Chair says he ‘would not have been allowed to stay in America’ under new Trump immigration rule” via Colin Wolf of Creative Loafing Tampa Bay — Al Cardenas responded to the 5-4 ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court — which makes it harder for poor, legal immigrants to receive green cards — by saying he wouldn’t have been allowed to stay in America. The ruling, which was initially pushed by White House senior adviser Stephen Miller granted the Trump administration’s previous request to expand its ability to refuse green cards or visas for legal immigrants determined to be a “public charge,” or dependent on public assistance, like Medicaid, food stamps or housing assistance. “Sadly, I would not have been allowed to stay in America, prior to 1966, under this wealth test,” tweeted Cardenas.“Florida lawmakers in D.C. aim to stamp out hair-based discrimination” via Allison Stevens of Florida Phoenix — Democrats Al Lawson, Frederica Wilson, Alcee Hastings, and Val Demings are among the U.S. House lawmakers pushing a bill that would ban discrimination based on hair textures and styles. The bill, known as the CROWN Act, would clarify that discrimination based on race or national origin encompasses hair texture and style. Backers say the bill — which names styles commonly associated with black people, such as dreadlocks, cornrows, twists, and Bantu knots — would improve equity in education, employment, housing, and other public programs. The issue is of particular concern to black women, whose hair is more likely than white women’s hair to be perceived as “unprofessional,” according to a 2019 study of 2,000 black and white women.“Partisan anxieties surface during John Kelly appearance in Sarasota” via Billy Cox of the Herald Tribune — The Marine general who told Trump that he would “be impeached” if he hired a “yes man” … reiterated his contention Monday … That was one of the many lines at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall from retired Gen. Kelly, who resigned as Trump’s Chief of Staff last January … His pronouncement that “I believe in my heart and soul that the press, the media, is a necessary component of our democracy” drew about as much applause as his follow-up observation that “some individuals on both sides of the discussion have lost their subjectivity and are picking sides.” Kelly also tried to strike a balance on the decision to kill Qasem Soleimani early this month. The leatherneck who joined the Trump administration as Director of Homeland Security in 2017 reminded listeners the decision to get Soleimani was made a year after he stepped down. |
| The trail “GOP congressional candidate accuses primary opponent of being a terrorist” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — A group of George Buck supporters showed up to a fundraising event for rival Amanda Makki waving a sign accusing Makki of being a terrorist. She’s not and Buck himself condemned the accusation. Buck and Makki are two of five Republican candidates for Florida’s 13th Congressional District, which is currently held by Rep. Charlie Crist. Buck already came under fire once for implying in an email early last month that progressive U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar should be hanged. A photo, since removed, showed up on protest organizer Ken Gorey’s Facebook page over the weekend calling Makki a terrorist.George Buck supporters showed up outside an Amanda Makki fundraiser and falsely accused her of being a terrorist.Happening today — Former state Rep. Jason Brodeur holds a campaign event in Volusia County in his bid for SD 9, 5 p.m., Blue Springs Brewery, 1070 South Volusia Ave., Orange City.“Superintendent Rocky Hanna fundraiser draws broad support from local leaders” via Tallahassee Reports — Hanna, who recently filed for reelection, won his first four-year term in 2016 by defeating incumbent superintendent Jackie Pons. So far, Hanna is the only candidate in the race. The list of sponsors includes Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey, super lobbyists Brian Ballard and Sean Pittman, public relations expert Ron Sachs, and former Congresswoman and Florida gubernatorial candidate, Gwen Graham. |
| Local “Councilman: Investigation found cause to fire Aaron Zahn from JEA with cause” via David Bauerlein of the Florida Times-Union — Jacksonville City Council member Rory Diamond got a briefing from the Office of General Counsel about its investigation, which will be in the hands of the JEA board when it decides whether Zahn will receive any compensation on his way out the door. “I can say unequivocally that the general counsel’s office found cause under Aaron Zahn’s contract to fire him,” Diamond said. He said part of the investigation examined statements Zahn made during a special meeting called by Diamond and City Council member Ron Salem to examine a controversial employee incentive plan. “They didn’t just find some cause,” Diamond said. “They found lots of cause, including directly lying to me and Councilman Salem, and even potentially falsifying documents.”Rory Diamond says there was plenty of cause to fire Aaron Zahn.“Jerry Demings seeks Orlando’s support for transportation tax” via Ryan Gillespie of the Orlando Sentinel — Demings brought his countywide push for an added penny sales tax to fund transportation to the Orlando council chambers … The county Mayor discussed opportunities to expand mass transit, such as substantial investments to the Lynx bus system and the potential for added SunRail routes to places like Apopka and International Drive. He already had a staunch supporter in Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer but gained support from a clear majority of the council, eager for portions of the projected $596 million to advance needs in their pockets of the city. A cut of the money created by adding a penny to the county’s 6.5% tax will be distributed to cities across Orange County based on population.“Polk School Board shake-up? Melony Bell hints at removing Billy Townsend” via Kimberly Moore of the Lakeland ledger — In a hearing on creating term limits for school board members, Bell singled out Townsend — although not by name — in offering her support to limit school board members throughout the state to two four-year terms. “We have a school board member in Polk County — and I’ll go on the record — that most likely needs to be removed and the Governor has not removed him, and it’s taken time after time after time, and he just disrupts the whole school board, the teachers, the association,” Bell said during a hearing in the Florida House PreK-12 Innovation Subcommittee.“Boca Council to begin process of lifting ban on medical marijuana” via Dale King of the Boca Raton Tribune — The Boca Raton City Council is expected this week to begin the process of lifting the municipality’s ban on the dispensing of medical marijuana. The first of two public hearings on an ordinance to remove “medical marijuana treatment center dispensing facilities” from the list of prohibited uses will be held during Tuesday’s council meeting at 6 p.m. in City Hall. No vote will be taken that night, says the agenda. Another hearing will be held during the first regular council meeting in February when the vote is likely to be taken after the completion of the hearing.“The fight over Airbnbs: Will a bill open up floodgates for rentals in Palm Beach County?” via Hannah Morse of the Palm Beach Post — The bill intends to preempt local government from regulating vacation rentals. Vacation rental platforms and the Florida Vacation Rental Management Association support the bill. For different reasons, the Palm Beach County tax collector disapproves of the bill. A bill sponsor told a House subcommittee that the bill would not impact an HOA’s ability to enforce rules that prohibit short-term vacation rentals from being run inside their gates. But for Beth Rappaport, president of the Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations (COBWRA), language is key. In its current iteration, the bill says in part that property owners have “constitutionally protected property rights” that gives them the “right to use their residential property as a vacation rental.”“St. Augustine Beach planning board members resign” via Sheldon Gardner of The St. Augustine Record — The chair and vice-chair of the city of St. Augustine Beach’s Comprehensive Planning and Zoning Board have resigned, citing disrespect by city staff as one of the reasons for their departure. Jane West, former chair, and Elise Sloan, former vice-chair, sent a joint letter to commissioners announcing their resignation. The board advises the Commission on a variety of development matters. The two have served about 16 years on the board combined and made recommendations to commissioners under at least five different Mayors, according to the letter. The letter says that while board members’ findings and recommendations were given “due consideration” under the former Mayor and current Commissioner Undine George, their recommendations are increasingly being “ignored if not outright negated.”“Whither Weeki Wachee? Iconic Florida roadside attraction, city and river on verge of change” via Barbara Behrendt of the Tampa Bay Times — The most pressing issue at hand is preserving and restoring the Weeki Wachee River after years of recreational overuse. The state and local agencies charged with protecting the natural resource want the community to know what public use is doing to the river and what might be necessary to stop it. The draft of a yearlong carrying-capacity study of the Weeki Wachee River showed that human activity on the river is degrading the water system and the lands that surround it. The study does not recommend setting a limit on how many people the river should carry. But it indicates that people who get out of their boats and climb up on the riverbanks are responsible for degrading the shoreline.There are some big changes in store for the iconic Weeki Wachee.“UCF to fire 3 faculty members accused of helping student get Ph.D. in exchange for grants” via Leslie Postal of the Orlando Sentinel — UCF plans to fire two professors and the director of its Institute for Simulation and Training because they helped a student fraudulently obtain a doctoral degree in exchange for the student assisting the institute in securing grants, the university announced. The university also started the process to revoke the student’s Ph.D., which, UCF documents show, was completed using work from other students and amounted to plagiarism. UCF officials began an investigation in 2016 when someone called a university hotline to report a student was “being unusually helped” in exchange for “providing and overseeing research funds” for a lab at the Institute for Simulation and Training, letters sent to the three employees show. The student worked for an “agency” that provided research funding, the documents show.“Volcano Bay visitor sues Universal in first lawsuit over electric shock incident; Universal blames her in response” via Gabrielle Russon of the Orlando Sentinel — In a legal fight against a woman who says she suffered an electrical shock at Volcano Bay last summer, Universal argues it didn’t know about the electrical problems, so it had no duty to warn visitors. Universal also blamed the woman, saying she hadn’t used “reasonable care for her own safety,” in the response filed last month to what appears to be the first lawsuit in Orange Circuit Court stemming from June 2 when several Universal lifeguards and visitors said they experienced electrical currents running up their bodies and the sensation of being zapped.“O yeah! Oprah Winfrey magazine list ranks Stuart in Top 10 ‘charming towns to visit ASAP‘” via Jennifer Sangalang of Treasure Coast Newspapers — Stuart ranked No. 6 in the O Magazine story, which lists small towns from Alaska to Pennsylvania. It’s one of three Florida locations mentioned. Editors of this month’s issue invite readers to “hit the roads less traveled” with their pick of 60 low-key cities. The O Magazine staff writes: “Stuart is formally known as the Sailfish Capital of the World, thanks to its proximity to the St. Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon. The small town’s tropical climate is perfect for snowbirds who enjoy getting away during the bitter winter months, but are looking for a less popular destination.” The magazine links to the city’s official website, too. |
| Top opinion “Michael Bloomberg: A new future for Puerto Rico includes making it our 51st state” via the Orlando Sentinel — For decades, Puerto Ricans and their interests have been ignored by Washington. And there’s a simple reason why: They don’t have a vote in Congress. There’s a clear solution to this challenge that a majority of Puerto Ricans support. And it’s a solution that, polls show, two-thirds of all Americans also support: statehood. But most candidates for president have been too afraid to back it. They tiptoe around it, to avoid alienating any voters. Not me. I’ll state it clearly: I support statehood for Puerto Rico. And as president, I will work to pass a bill making it a reality, subject to approval by the people of Puerto Rico — who will make the ultimate decision. |
| Opinions “Why home addresses of legislators should remain public” via Tampa Bay Times editorial — Police officers and judges face dangerous criminals every day, which is why their home addresses and telephone numbers are kept private under Florida law. But now Sen. Stargel wants the Florida Legislature to extend that same secrecy to state legislators — even though the Lakeland Republican cannot cite any credible threat to warrant the privilege. This is an assault on open government by lawmakers who live in a bubble and don’t want to be held accountable by the media or the voters. The bill continues a growing assault on public openness by the Legislature, which has granted a range of records exemptions in recent years that only make it harder to expose public corruption and incompetence.“Lake’s state Representatives either extremists or useless” via Lauren Ritchie of the Orlando Sentinel — The most colorful is Sabatini, who claims to be Republican. How can someone tout their “conservative” view but file a bill allowing the government to tell parents what they should and shouldn’t permit doctors to do to their children? This is a mystery. Somehow, parents have managed to raise kids without the help of a young politician who has none of his own. Ironically, Sabatini’s bill would butt heads with one filed by state Sen. Stargel, a Lakeland Republican who represents the southern half of Lake County. She filed something called a “Parental Rights Bill” that declares people have the right to raise their own children. As if they don’t already. Sigh. This is what happens when extremists try to write laws without adult supervision.“Julio Fuentes: Lawmakers can help more Floridians access responsible credit” via Florida Politics — A recent report shows that only 28% of Hispanic-owned businesses received full funding they sought from financial institutions for growing and operating their businesses. This is why the Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce strongly urges the Florida legislature to pass the Access to Responsible Credit Pilot Program (HB857/SB894). Small-dollar, credit-building loans are important to start businesses, pay for home repairs or cover unexpected medical bills. They are frequently most needed by those with low or no credit scores. The legislation slightly increases the legally allowable profit, or interest rates, for lenders who issue loans under $3,000 from 30% to 36%. The Access to Responsible Credit Pilot Program will support a private-sector solution that is a “win-win” for business owners and consumers. |
| Movements “Personnel note: Jim Fogler named president and CEO of Florida Press Association” via Florida Politics — Publishing industry veteran Fogler has been selected as the new President and CEO of the Florida Press Association and Intersect Media Solutions, the organizations announced Monday. In his new role, Fogler will become the chief advocate for publishers in Florida and oversee management services to multiple state media associations. He also will lead Intersect Media Solutions, a $40 million for-profit enterprise. “Fogler is dedicated to building strong teams that create, and effectively execute meaningful solutions to solve business needs and challenges,” said Howard Griffin, Gannett’s Senior Vice President of National Retail Sales and board chairman at Intersect Media.Jim Fogler is the new president of the Florida Press Association. Image via the Florida Press Association.Anthony Seijas joins Altis Cardinal — Seijas, a 27-year veteran of the real estate field, has joined Altis Cardinal as a principal primarily to continue expanding the real estate firm’s multifamily platform. The bulk of Seijas experience was built over 26 years at Lennar, where he was regional vice president, overseeing homebuilding operations in South Florida, and at Rialto Capital Advisors, a Lennar subsidiary where he was managing director. “Anthony is an outstanding real estate professional with a sterling reputation in the industry, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to our team,” said Frank Guerra, principal and founder of Altis Cardinal. “His experience, relationships, and institutional pedigree will continue to elevate the multifamily platform within Altis Cardinal which includes ground-up development and reposition investments, as well as strengthening our capital markets relationships.” |
| Aloe “The Falcon And The Winter Soldier set to arrive on Disney+ this summer” via Ben Travis of Empire — After the announcement that WandaVision has moved up from 2021 to a release later this year, it now seems that’s not the only Marvel show on Disney+ that’s coming early — The Falcon And The Winter Soldier could also be launching sooner than expected. According to Deadline, the show following Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes — the former having just inherited Cap’s shield — will be with us in August, a late summer launch that’s earlier than the initial ‘Fall’ announcement. It makes sense that FATWS (as nobody is yet calling it) will arrive sooner in the year if WandaVision is also to be squeezed into the final months of 2020.Coming to Disney+ this summer, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is one of many new MCU-focused original shows.“‘Transformers’ franchise gets a revamp with two separate films in the works” via Justin Kroll of Variety — Paramount Pictures is looking to revamp its “Transformers” franchise in a big way; two simultaneous scripts are now in active development. Paramount’s most recent take on the franchise was 2018’s “Bumblebee,” a coming-of-age tale that was produced on a smaller budget than other “Transformers” films. That different approach went over well with both critics and audiences, grossing $465 million worldwide and opening up a new opportunity to continue the franchise, with the studio now expanding the “Transformers” universe with the development of two scripts. Details behind both scripts are still vague, but sources say they present an opportunity to build out multiple storylines within the franchise. |
| Super Bowl’ing “Super Bowl week has begun in Miami, and local officials are already looking forward to the next one in South Florida” via Safid Deen of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — We’re six days away from the record 11th Super Bowl in Miami, and game officials are ecstatic about this week’s events and activities leading up to Sunday’s grand spectacle. They’re even excited about the experience they provide locals and visitors this week could lead to another Super Bowl in the area in the next five to seven years, too. But first, let’s celebrate this one. “This is going to be hopefully the best Super Bowl we’ve seen,” Dolphins vice chairman, president and CEO Tom Garfinkel said during a news conference at the Miami Beach Convention Center to kick off the festivities. “The only one that’s going to be better will be the next one the Miami Dolphins are playing in.”“Our region’s greatest threat is also the No. 1 threat to future Super Bowls in Miami” via Adam Beasley and Alex Harris of the Miami Herald — The Super Bowl is at Hard Rock Stadium. Still, the real party is 15 miles south at Bayfront Park. That popular stretch of green space that abuts the bay is the home of Super Bowl Live, where concerts, food festivals and water shows will entertain the hundreds of thousands of tourists who will soon pack our hotels. A message for visitors and locals alike: Enjoy the circus now. There’s no telling when — or more importantly, how many more times — it will be back. Because the lapping water in downtown Miami that makes for such an idyllic backdrop is, year by year, inching closer to the top of the sea wall. At some point, assuming experts’ projections are correct, the wall will be breached, the ocean and land will become one, and Miami will be forever changed.“FPL solar installation powers Super Bowl festivities” via Florida Politics — The installation covers nearly 400 feet of walkway around the FPL Solar Amphitheater at Bayfront Park and features seven solar trees. FPL said the 500-panel structure generates about 250 kilowatt-hours of energy, enough to cover the amphitheater’s power consumption during concert season. The structure isn’t temporary — the utility company said it “will serve as a lasting landmark and symbolize Miami’s sustainable and resilient future.” The solar installation is a partnership between FPL, Bayfront Park Management Trust, the City of Miami and Live Nation. In addition to generating solar energy, the array serves as a research hub and test bed for groundbreaking “bifacial solar panel” technology, which, unlike traditional panels, can produce power on both sides.FPL Bayfront Park solar installation is powering several Super Bowl LIV festivities.“Why Chiefs’ decision in historic red vs. red matchup matters” via Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports — There is a deep history and meaning to the color red, especially in sports. And when you understand its meaning, it comes as no surprise why the Chiefs picked their home jerseys for the biggest game of the season. This is as evenly matched a Super Bowl as we’ve seen in recent years. Most betting lines have the Chiefs (14-4) as slim one-point favorites over the NFC champion 49ers (15-3). What’s in a jersey color? Perhaps the slightest of advantages, steeped in tens of thousands of years of human evolution. For all of recorded human history, red has represented activity, assertiveness, blood and bloodshed. Red is an aggressive, dynamic and activity producer. |
| Happy birthday Celebrating today is ace fundraiser Debbie Aleksander. |
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DAYBREAK
| Your First Look at Today’s Top Stories – Daybreak InsiderHaving trouble viewing this email? View the web version.SPONSORED BYDaybreakInsider.com @DaybreakInsiderTUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 20201.Dershowitz: Abuse of Power is Not Impeachable Offense The Harvard Law professor spoke before the Senate yesterday (NY Post). Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal editorial board on the Bolton revelation: Mr. Bolton’s lawyer, Chuck Cooper, says he submitted the draft of his client’s memoir to the White House for security-clearance screening on Dec. 30. Yet the New York Times account of what the book says about Mr. Trump and Ukraine appears a month later—on the eve of the Senate vote on witnesses. The timing is Kavanaugh-esque (WSJ). From Byron York: On the first and most important issue, there is no way to assess what Bolton has written because no one in the public — and that appears to include the news organizations that broke the Bolton story — has read what Bolton has written. What, precisely, did Bolton say, and in what words did he say it? The public is entirely in the dark (Washington Examiner). From Erick Erickson: If the leak came from the Bolton team, there’d be more precise quoting from the manuscript. This is someone from the review process within national security doing the leaking (Twitter). From Ari Fleischer: Someone inside the NSC has subverted the purpose of their job so they can provide disclosures of information to the NYT. This now a betrayal of why they work at the NSC. At least the whistleblower went thru official channels. This is disgusting (Twitter). Rich Lowry lists “15 times that Schiff related a stilted, distorted, or flatly erroneous version of events” (National Review). 2.Sanders Leads in New Hampshire From the story: Sanders has taken the lead in the poll of “likely” New Hampshire voters with 29% followed by Joe Biden at 22% and Elizabeth Warren with 16% and Pete Buttigieg with 10%. This is an 11 point swing from their last poll, which had Biden leading (Boston Herald). But Sanders has some supporters that have others nervous (Hot Air). Advertisement3.US Cities Report Surgical Mask Shortages as Coronavirus Spreads First reported in Seattle (Fox News). Some want the wet markets in China to close permanently (WSJ). Another story notes “Wuhan’s mayor, Zhou Xianwang, said on Sunday that some 5 million people left the city during the Lunar New Year travel rush, raising new fears of a global pandemic” (NY Post). 4.Washington Post Suspends Reporter for Tweets on Kobe Bryant Felicia Sonmez posted a link to an article on his rape allegations from 2003 (New York Times). The since-deleted tweets (Mediaite). The Washington Post Guild is backing the reporter (Twitter). Meanwhile, Kobe updates (NY Times). David French shares his Kobe experience (Time). 5.Gallup: Americans Are Much More Satisfied Now than During Obama Years On key issues of economy, terrorism, military strength, and race relations, there is a double-digit difference to the positive in each. Gallup Advertisement6.Common Core Leads to Yet Another Failing YearFrom the story: … the class of 2019, the first to experience all four high school years under Common Core, is the worst-prepared for college in 15 years, according to a new report. The Federalist 7.Court Rules Woman Must Donate Embryos Fertilized by Ex HusbandIt was part of their prenup. NY Post 8.New DOT Rule Would Allow Airlines to Reject Emotional Support Animals Especially those that aren’t dogs and serve no clear purpose. CN Traveler AdvertisementCopyright © 2020 DaybreakInsider.comSUBSCRIPTION INFO This newsletter is never sent unsolicited. It is only sent to people who signed up from one of the Salem Media Group network of websites OR a friend might have forwarded it to you. We respect and value your time and privacy. Unsubscribe from The Daybreak Insider OR Send postal mail to: The Daybreak Insider Unsubscribe 6400 N. Belt Line Rd., Suite 200, Irving, TX 75063 Were you forwarded this edition of The Daybreak Insider? Get your own free subscription Copyright © 2020 Salem Media Group and its Content Providers. All rights reserved. |
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AXIOS
Axios AMSubscribe
By Mike Allen
⚡ Virginia became the critical 38th state (three-quarters of the states) to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, clearing the way for court fights on adding it to the Constitution because of an expired deadline for ratification, AP reports from Richmond.
- Both chambers of the state legislature advanced the resolutions on bipartisan votes overseen by women, Senate President Pro Tem Louise Lucas and House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn — the first women to hold those titles.
Today’s Smart Brevity™ count: 1,196 words … 4½ minutes.
1 big thing: Echo chambers get worse
New data paints a stark picture of how polarized our media diets have become, based on political affiliation, Axios’ Sara Fischer reports.
- Why it matters: It’s not just news — it’s culture, too. The trend extends beyond news and information to entertainment and leisure.
A Pew Research Center report finds that when it comes to news, Republicans tend to trust Fox News more than any other source, while Democrats tend to trust a variety of news sources about equally.
- Dems’ top choice is CNN, closely followed by NBC News, ABC News, CBS News and PBS.
- When compared to a similar poll taken in 2014, the results suggest that “Republicans have grown increasingly alienated from most of the more established sources, while Democrats’ confidence in them remains stable, and in some cases, has strengthened,” Pew concluded.
Entertainment has its own echo chambers:
- A 2019 media study from the Norman Lear Center at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism found Democrats tend to favor cartoon comedy, like “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy.”
- Republicans tend to like shows that put them in a good mood and that have characters they could identify with — “America’s Funniest Home Videos” and “Deadliest Catch.”
2. Republicans brace for domino effect
During the trial, senators stash their phones in this cabinet outside an entrance to the Senate floor. Photo: Alayna Treene/Axios
If at least four Senate Republicans vote with Democrats this week to subpoena witnesses in President Trump’s impeachment trial, the party fears a potential domino effect, with additional GOP senators — especially those up for re-election in November — falling, Axios’ Alayna Treene reports from the Capitol.
- “You don’t want to be one of the first four. But no one gives a f— about the fifth vote,” a GOP Senate aide told Axios. “Especially for all of the 2020-ers. If it turns into a free vote, why wouldn’t you vote for witnesses?”
What we’re hearing: Sources close to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tell Axios that, if it appears that at least 51 senators will vote for witnesses, McConnell and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer will likely try to hash out an agreement rather than going straight to a vote.
- If the Senate goes that route, Republicans are likely to demand their own list of witnesses — with Hunter Biden at the top.
This has created a dilemma for some Democrats: They’re eager for more information, but recognize that a vote for witnesses could open the door for Republicans to use the impeachment stage to try to kneecap Joe Biden.
- “They want us to become complicit” in destroying the Bidens, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) told reporters. “I would strongly argue against becoming co-conspirators.”
3. Trump team shifts from complacency to urgency
Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) answers questions from reporters, including Axios’ Alayna Treene (front and center). Photo: Samuel Corum/Getty Images
Just days ago, Republicans were optimistic President Trump’s defense team could cruise to an acquittal by the end of this week. But many believe his lawyers now face a steep climb to stop new witnesses, which would extend the trial, Axios’ Alayna Treene reports from the Capitol.
- The bottom line: Allegations in excerpts of former national security adviser John Bolton’s forthcoming book, leaked to the N.Y. Times, have shifted the dynamic of the impeachment trial and threaten to upend Republicans’ plans.
What we’re hearing: Republican senators and their aides are frustrated about the way the Bolton manuscript leaked.
- Some privately vented suspicions that White House counsel Pat Cipollone knew its contours before a Saturday assertion by Trump’s defense team that “no evidence anywhere” linked Ukraine aid to investigations.
- A GOP aide told Axios: “My boss was pissed to read about it in the Times.”
- The White House National Security Council said in a statement that Bolton’s manuscript had been submitted for pre-publication review but that “no White House personnel outside the NSC have reviewed the manuscript.”
The president’s defense team hardly acknowledged the Bolton leak yesterday during arguments on the Senate floor.
- The first mention of Bolton came around 8:30 p.m., when Alan Dershowitz asserted that even if Trump did what Bolton claims, it “would not constitute an impeachable offense.”
- Share this story.
🥊A new independent expenditure group, Fix Our Senate, will launch today to go after Mitch McConnell, Alayna scoops.
4. Auschwitz survivors warn of rising anti-Semitism
Photo: Czarek Sokolowski/AP
Above, dignitaries place candles at a memorial site at the Auschwitz Nazi death camp in Oswiecim, Poland, yesterday on the 75th anniversary of the Soviet army’s liberation of the camp. (G0 deeper.)
N.Y. Times Quote of the Day … Marian Turski, 93, historian and survivor of Auschwitz:
Don’t be indifferent. That’s what I want to say today to my daughter, my grandchildren and their peers, wherever they are. Don’t be indifferent when you witness historical lies.
5. 🕊️ Trump to unveil Mideast peace plan today
In March, President Trump welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House. Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
Between the lines, from Jonathan Swan: President Trump has spent three years accruing political capital with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
- Today, with the release of the administration’s Middle East peace plan, we will learn how much of it Trump is willing to spend.
- If he offers the Palestinians their own state, that move alone would meet opposition in conservative Israeli circles.
- But Trump has done so much for Netanyahu that it’s hard to imagine Netanyahu defying him even if he faces internal pressure.
The Trump administration team, led by Jared Kushner, is releasing this plan after having only very limited contact with the Palestinians.
- The Trump team is hoping that supportive statements from Arab neighbors, and some European countries typically supportive of the Palestinians, will encourage the Palestinian people to pressure their leaders to go back to the negotiating table.
6. “The Good-Enough Candidacy”
Photo illustration by Delcan and Co. for The New York Times
Mark Leibovich, writing in the N.Y. Times Magazine about a Suburban ride through Iowa with Joe Biden, says the campaign is all about survival (“He doesn’t want a revolution. He doesn’t have a movement. He could still win this thing”):
- “I’m still here,” Biden said. “And I’m still winning.”
Leibo notes: “An aura of fatalism runs through the Biden enterprise.”
- Keep reading (subscription).
🌈 Scoop: Mike Bloomberg releases his LGBTQ equality plan today, aligning with other Dems’ calls to return to Obama-era protections, Axios’ Orion Rummler reports.
7. I kept reading and writing about Wuhan, …
… epicenter of the coronavirus, but I had no sense of the scale of the city of 11 million (more than New York City, which is 8.5 million for the five boroughs) until I ran across this aerial view:
Photo: Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images
😷 Talker: Asian demand for face masks soars on virus fears.
8. “The universe just puts things in your life”
A Manhattan subway sign has been fixed. Photo: Carlo Allegri/Reuters
🗞️ A worthy read … “The Bridge Between Michael Jordan and LeBron James: Kobe Bryant … Bryant became the new giant after Jordan and then passed the torch to James, who developed a special bond with the retired Lakers star,” by the N.Y. Times’ Scott Cacciola (subscription):
At 41, Bryant was just six years older than James — but Bryant came from a different generation, from an era that overlapped with the late stages of Jordan’s career …
As opponents, Bryant and James were hypercompetitive. But as Bryant neared retirement, their relationship seemed to become more close-knit. Both men had won championships. Both had built legacies that were secure.
Both, like Jordan before them, had signature-sneaker deals with Nike. Both were businessmen with growing off-court ambitions, and both were raising young daughters.
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THE WASHINGTON POST MORNING MIX
| Sign up for this newsletterRead onlineThe morning’s most important stories, curated by Post editors. (Jabin Botsford/The Post)Bolton revelations roil GOP senators, renew pressure to call witnessesThe president’s team of lawyers pressed their case that he did nothing wrong in withholding aid to Ukraine but key moderate Republican senators say disclosures from John Bolton’s manuscript strengthen the case for hearing from more witnesses.IMPEACHMENT TRIAL ● By John Wagner, Brittany Shammas and Mike DeBonis ● Read more » Bolton book roils Washington as onetime allies turn on former national security adviserThe manuscript includes more than a dozen pages on John Bolton’s interactions with President Trump over Ukraine, according to one person familiar with the project.By Karen DeYoung and Josh Dawsey ● Read more » Takeaways from the Trump team’s day on defenseTrump’s lawyers started their day of arguments under the cloud of the Bolton revelations. How did they do?The Fix | Analysis ● By Amber Phillips ● Read more » Russia, Hong Kong place restrictions on travel from China in bid to limit coronavirus outbreakHong Kong announced the closure of half its border crossings with China, including all rail links. Flights will also be slashed in half. Meanwhile, three far-eastern Russian regions said they would close their borders until Feb. 7.By Gerry Shih and Simon Denyer ● Read more » U.S. to expand screening of passengers from China at 20 airportsThe U.S. government warned Americans to avoid all nonessential travel to China as that country grapples with an outbreak that has claimed at least 100 lives and infected more than 4,400 people.By Gerry Shih, Lena Sun, Simon Denyer and Joel Achenbach ● Read more » When I needed Kobe Bryant to open up, only one thing worked: Talking about our daughtersIn 2018, I tried to find a way to connect with Kobe Bryant. I found it by asking about fatherhood.Perspective ● By Kent Babb ● Read more » OpinionsOur expectations for Republican senators are so low it’s astonishingBy Catherine Rampell ● Read more » Trump’s lawyers suffer from Bolton-induced amnesiaBy Dana Milbank ● Read more » Why ‘too much delay’ is such a bogus argument against bringing in BoltonBy Harry Litman ● Read more » If senators fail to call Bolton, their trial is a farceBy Editorial Board ● Read more » Let’s celebrate slow economic growthBy Charles Lane ● Read more » The worst way to handle the Kobe Bryant rape caseBy Molly Roberts ● Read more » More NewsTrump’s Middle East peace plan expected to offer Palestinians conditional statehoodNo Palestinians attended the White House preview of what is described as a highly detailed proposal for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which dates from 1948.By Anne Gearan, Steve Hendrix and Ruth Eglash ● Read more » Democratic unity splinters in key swing state as party prepares to take on Trump in 2020Democratic leaders in Pennsylvania are split on whether environmental awareness or fossil fuel jobs hold the keys to the state’s future.Campaign 2020 ● By Tim Craig ● Read more » Second Harvey Weinstein accuser takes the witness stand to describe alleged 2006 sexual assaultMimi Haleyi, a former production assistant, gave a tearful recounting of the episode on Monday.By Shayna Jacobs ● Read more » To fight a new employment law, Uber pits California drivers against one anotherCritics call the “name your price” system a race to the bottom. Uber is arguing the changes establish driver independence.By Faiz Siddiqui ● Read more » A college football coach said Hitler was undeniably ‘a great leader.’ Now he’s suspended.Newly hired Grand Valley State University offensive coordinator Morris Berger spoke highly of Adolf Hitler during an interview with a student newspaper.By Michael Brice-Saddler ● Read more » We think you’ll like this newsletterCheck out Carolyn Hax for Post columnist Carolyn Hax’s latest advice column every day. Sign up » |
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POLITICO PLAYBOOK
POLITICO Playbook: A story that shows how this White House rolls
By JAKE SHERMAN and ANNA PALMER
01/28/2020 06:03 AM EST
Presented by
DRIVING THE DAY
HOW THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WORKS … From Jake, Sarah Ferris and Heather Caygle: AS YOU MIGHT’VE READ HERE, the USMCA was the TRUMP administration’s top legislative priority, and to its credit, the White House steered it through a Congress beset by partisanship by partnering with House Democrats. And on Wednesday, the WHITE HOUSE is hosting a big signing ceremony for the deal.
OF COURSE, IT IS UNDENIABLE FACT THAT DEMOCRATS played a big role in this deal — just ask the White House, which told reporters for months that the fate of the bill was in Speaker NANCY PELOSI’S hands. Her trade working group negotiated with USTR ROBERT LIGHTHIZER — and earned plaudits from many in the administration for being honest brokers.
BUT NOW THAT IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE, DEMOCRATS are out in the cold. In a closed-door meeting Monday night, PELOSI briefly mentioned that President DONALD TRUMP would sign the trade deal this week, touting the provisions that Democrats helped get added. She mentioned the White House ceremony, and said, “not that Democrats were invited,” according to multiple people in the room.
WAIT. HOW ABOUT WAYS AND MEANS CHAIRMAN RICHIE NEAL (D-Mass.), whose committee was the center of gravity in getting the deal tweaked and passed?Not invited, sources told us. Rep. ROSA DELAURO (D-Conn.), a member of the trade working group? She said she didn’t get the invite.
REP. HENRY CUELLAR — one of the biggest champions of the trade deal in the House Democratic Caucus — said he was not included in the event. But two officials in his district — Laredo’s Democratic Mayor Peter Saenz, and a local county commissioner — did receive the invite to the White House. “It’s a little petty of him,” the Texas Democrat said in an interview, referring to the president. “Actually, there were more Democrats who voted in favor than Republicans in the House side.”
WE HEARD LATE MONDAY that the White House was considering a few invites to friendly Democrats. There was some internal tension, though, because, as several White House sources pointed out, there may be someone in the building who isn’t exactly interested in celebrating with Democrats because of impeachment.
LIKE AN OLD FAUCET, IT KEEPS ON LEAKING OUT … NYT’S MIKE SCHMIDT and MAGGIE HABERMAN: “Bolton Was Concerned That Trump Did Favors for Autocratic Leaders, Book Says”: “John R. Bolton, the former national security adviser, privately told Attorney General William P. Barr last year that he had concerns that President Trump was effectively granting personal favors to the autocratic leaders of Turkey and China, according to an unpublished manuscript by Mr. Bolton.
“Mr. Barr responded by pointing to a pair of Justice Department investigations of companies in those countries and said he was worried that Mr. Trump had created the appearance that he had undue influence over what would typically be independent inquiries, according to the manuscript. Backing up his point, Mr. Barr mentioned conversations Mr. Trump had with the leaders, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and President Xi Jinping of China. …
“Mr. Bolton wrote in the manuscript that Mr. Barr singled out Mr. Trump’s conversations with Mr. Xi about the Chinese telecommunications firm ZTE, which agreed in 2017 to plead guilty and pay heavy fines for violating American sanctions on doing business with North Korea, Iran and other countries. A year later, Mr. Trump lifted the sanctions over objections from his own advisers and Republican lawmakers.
“Mr. Barr also cited remarks Mr. Trump made to Mr. Erdogan in 2018 about the investigation of Halkbank, Turkey’s second-largest state-owned bank. The Justice Department was scrutinizing Halkbank on fraud and money-laundering charges for helping Iran evade sanctions imposed by the Treasury Department.”
— DOJ response: “While the Department of Justice has not reviewed Mr. Bolton’s manuscript, the New York Times’ account of this conversation grossly mischaracterizes what Attorney General Barr and Mr. Bolton discussed. There was no discussion of ‘personal favors’ or ‘undue influence’ on investigations, nor did Attorney General Barr state that the president’s conversations with foreign leaders was improper.”
THE LATEST ON WITNESSES … WE DID A ROUND OF CHATS with Republicans and Democrats late Monday — before the most recent NYT blockbuster — on where they saw the witness debate, and here’s what we gleaned: REPUBLICANS feel decent because they believe Monday should have been the day GOP senators broke toward demanding witnesses, and they didn’t. At this point, in their view, it’s still just Sen. SUSAN COLLINS of Maine and Sen. MITT ROMNEY of Utah. This might be wishful thinking, it might be reality.
BEHIND THE SCENES … BURGESS EVERETT and JOHN BRESNAHAN: “Romney ‘made a strong pitch’ for witnesses during a closed-door lunch of Senate Republicans on Monday, according to Republicans familiar with the meeting. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) urged his colleagues to wait until after Trump’s defense team finishes its presentation and senators go through a lengthy question-and-answer session to make a decision on what’s become the biggest issue of the trial.
“But Romney is already making his move. And though he serves on the Republican whip team, Romney is now effectively working against party leaders and arguing to colleagues that the proper way to test each side’s contention is to hear from people directly involved in the Ukraine saga.
“‘It has been pointed out so far by both the House managers as well the defense that there has not been evidence of a direct nature of what the president may have side or what his motives were or what he did,’ Romney said on Monday evening. ‘The article in the New York Times I think made it pretty clear that [Bolton] has some information that may be relevant. And I’d like to hear relevant information before I made a final decision.’” POLITICO
BUT, OF COURSE, as the NYT story showed, this is about as fluid of a situation as can be, so the caucus politics are impossible to predict — and even the sources we talk to cannot say with certainty how it will all shake out. Sen. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.) said Monday that Bolton might be relevant to hear from, and people like Sen. PAT TOOMEY (R-Pa.) are proposing witness swaps — if the pro-witness crowd is able to reach the four-vote threshold.
THE FLOW CHART OF POSSIBLE OUTCOMES HERE is complex, and this situation could break in so many ways. The overall vote on allowing witnesses could fail, or it could pass. If it passes, then what? Maybe a deal for witnesses never comes together, and in that case, maybe a bunch of individual votes on witnesses fail. Or maybe a deal does come together. Can you see Democrats accepting any deal that includes a Bolton-for-Biden swap? Now that we have the book leaks, is hearing from Bolton worth putting either Biden through testifying for Democrats?
ANOTHER ARGUMENT that Republicans are making: Why drag out the trial if the president will try to block BOLTON’S testimony, and he’ll eventually be acquitted?
HERE IS AN INTERESTING SCENARIO TO PONDER: Imagine if the vote for witnesses is tied 50-50 — so three Republicans join with all Democrats — and the tie-breaking vote went to Chief Justice JOHN ROBERTS. What would he do?
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WSJ EDITORIAL BOARD on frequent WSJ op-ed contributor JOHN BOLTON: “The report that John Bolton’s book draft implicates President Trump more closely to ordering a delay in military aid to Ukraine is hardly a surprise and won’t—and shouldn’t—change the impeachment result. It does, however, complicate the trial task for Republican Senators, and our advice is for Mr. Trump’s former national security adviser to tell the public now what he says in his book. …
“Whoever leaked the book’s contents wants to use Mr. Bolton to turn the Senate impeachment trial into a larger political drama. But we’ve known Mr. Bolton long enough to doubt that he’d want to sandbag Republican Senators or the President he worked for. He’s a straight-shooter, even if he sometimes aims right between the eyes.” WSJ
MARIANNE LEVINE: “‘It’s going to be harmful’: Republicans weaponize Trump team attacks on Biden”
FOR TV PRODUCERS: Senate Minority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER is doing a news conference at 11 a.m. with Sens. RON WYDEN (D-Ore.) and JACK REED (D-R.I.).
Good Tuesday morning.
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NEW DEM FUNDRAISING NUMBERS, via JAMES ARKIN: SENATE MAJORITY PAC, the super PAC associated with Senate Democrats, raised $61 million in 2019. SMP has more than $47 million cash on hand. The fundraising haul is a significant uptick. SMP raised $21.8 million in 2017 and had $13.7 million cash on hand during the last off-year cycle.
BIDEN MAKES LAST PITCH TO IOWANS, via Zach Montellaro: “Former Vice President Joe Biden is launching his final television ad in Iowa ahead of the caucuses there, urging voters to imagine what a Biden administration could accomplish after President Donald Trump is defeated.
“The ad, shared first with POLITICO, will begin running on television in Iowa markets on Tuesday and makes an implicit electability argument for Biden. ‘Imagine all the progress we can make in the next four years,’ Biden, who is narrating the ad, says before listing affordable health care, fighting climate change and banning assault weapons. ‘What we imagine today, you can make a reality. But first we need to beat Donald Trump.’
“The campaign told POLITICO that the ad would run in five Iowa television markets and statewide on Hulu through the caucuses, which will take place next Monday.” With the ad: POLITICO
BERNIE SURGING — “Celebrity star-power fuels Bernie’s final Iowa sprint,” by Holly Otterbein in Iowa City, Iowa: “Inside the campaign, some aides call it ‘Bernchella.’ As Bernie Sanders attempts to surge to a first-place finish in Iowa, the Vermont senator is tapping famous politicians and celebrities to campaign for him in one final star-studded week before the caucuses.
“The luminaries cut across the culture, from politics to music to movies and more. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, filmmaker and liberal stalwart Michael Moore, actor Kendrick Sampson, and recording artists Bon Iver and Vampire Weekend — who inspired the Coachella-derived nickname — are among those who have or will be stumping for him.” POLITICO
PETE TRYING TO STAY IN IT … NYT’S REID EPSTEIN in West Des Moines: “How Pete Buttigieg Tailors His Message to Black and White Voters”
— “Bloomberg’s rise sets off alarms on the left,” by Christopher Cadelago and Sally Goldenberg: “Progressive allies of Elizabeth Warren have approached the Democratic National Committee to lobby for an unusual cause: including billionaire Mike Bloomberg in upcoming presidential primary debates.
“The move, described to POLITICO by a co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, reflects the desire of liberal activists to pin down the former New York mayor, who has avoided verbal combat with his opponents by waging a self-funded campaign that plays by its own rules. But the entreaty also speaks to progressives’ growing unease with Bloomberg’s relative success: After spending hundreds of millions of dollars, he has vaulted into double digits in national polls and amassed a giant staff of A-level operatives.” POLITICO
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BIG DOWN-BALLOT NEWS — “Rep. Doug Collins expected to run for Senate, setting up GOP primary clash,” by Melanie Zanona, James Arkin and John Bresnahan: “Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) is planning to announce a run for the Senate, according to multiple sources, challenging appointed GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler and complicating Republicans’ path to holding onto a battleground Senate seat this year.
“Loeffler and Collins will both be running to complete the term of former Georgia Sen. Johnny Isakson, who resigned at the end of last year due to health concerns. The election is an all-party contest in November, with the top-two challengers facing off in a January runoff if no candidate tops 50 percent of the vote. The announcement is expected to come soon. Collins’ office declined to comment.” POLITICO
TRUMP’S TUESDAY — The president will greet Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu in the Blue Room at 11:55 a.m. He will deliver a joint address with Netanyahu in the East Room at noon. Afterward, Trump will bid him farewell in the Diplomatic Reception Room at 12:35 p.m. Trump will receive his intel briefing at 2 p.m. in the Oval Office.
THE PRESIDENT will leave the White House at 4:40 p.m. en route to Wildwood, N.J. He will speak at a campaign rally at 7 p.m. at the Wildwood Convention Center. Afterward, he will travel back to Washington, and is expected back at the White House by 10:30 p.m.
PLAYBOOK READS
BEN SCHRECKINGER: “Lobbyist bought tropical land from Biden’s brother”: “In 2005, Joe Biden’s brother bought an acre of land with excellent ocean views on a remote island in the Caribbean for $150,000. He divided it into three parcels, and the next year a lobbyist close to the Delaware senator bought one of the parcels for what had been the cost of the entire property. Later, the lobbyist gave Biden’s brother a mortgage loan on the remaining parcels.
“The Virgin Islands land deal, reported here for the first time, furthers a pattern in which members of the Biden family have engaged in financial dealings with people with an interest in influencing the former vice president.
“In this case, a Biden staffer left the Senate in the early ’90s to become a lobbyist. Both before and after the land transaction, his clients benefited from Biden’s support and appropriations requests. A firm the lobbyist co-founded — which features a testimonial from Biden praising his ‘emotional investment’ in his work on its website — specializes in federal contracts for niche law enforcement and national security programs for which Biden long advocated.
“After the land deal, Joe Biden vacationed elsewhere on the tiny island, which once protected a nearby submarine base before it became a tropical getaway, on at least three occasions.” POLITICO
HAPPENING TODAY … MIDDLE EAST PEACE PLAN AT THE WHITE HOUSE — “Trump’s Middle East peace plan expected to offer Palestinians conditional statehood,” by WaPo’s Anne Gearan, Steve Hendrix and Ruth Eglash: “President Trump said he will release details of his Middle East peace plan Tuesday, and the long-awaited package is expected to propose a dramatic remapping of the West Bank while offering Palestinians a pathway to statehood if they meet a set of tests. …
“The package is expected to propose a redrawn border between Israel and the West Bank that would incorporate large Jewish settlements into Israel proper, while continuing some forms of Israeli security control over the territory Israel seized in 1967 and has occupied since, according to two people familiar with the plan who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the proposal has not been released. …
“It is expected to offer limited autonomy to Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem that would increase over about a three-year timeline if Palestinian leadership undertook new political measures, renounced violence and took other steps in negotiation with Israel, the people familiar with the plan said.”
— TIMES OF ISRAEL: “Settler leader on trip to D.C. ‘losing sleep’ over ‘horrible’ Trump deal,” by Jacob Magid: “The Jordan Valley mayor spoke to The Times of Israel at 3 a.m. local time, saying he was unable to sleep because he was worried about the plan, which he deemed as ‘horrible for settlements.’”
DIPLOMATIC DANCE … NYT’S ANNIE KARNI in Washington and DAVID HALBFINGER in Jerusalem: “Gantz Makes the Best of Being a Third Wheel at the White House”
— AP: “Netanyahu pulls request for immunity on corruption charges”
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CORONAVIRUS UPDATE … SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: “Hong Kong government to drastically cut cross-border travel with mainland by closing railways, reducing bus services and cutting flights by half” … “Beijing Sars hospital to reopen as death toll passes 100, while medical shortage slows Wuhan efforts”
NEWS AND ADVANCE (Lynchburg, Va.): “Liberty University announces Pompeo as commencement speaker”
MEDIAWATCH — “Pompeo’s clash with NPR grows after journalist is barred from plane,” by Matthew Choi: “Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s quarrel with NPR escalated on Monday after one of the radio network’s reporters was barred from flying on the secretary’s plane during an upcoming trip to Ukraine.
“Michele Kelemen, a veteran reporter for the network, was removed from the list of reporters allowed to fly with Pompeo on a trip to Eastern Europe, only days after the secretary reportedly exploded at another NPR reporter for asking questions about Ukraine. The State Department Correspondents’ Association swiftly condemned the move in a statement on Monday.
“‘Michele is a consummate professional who has covered the State Department for nearly two decades,’ the statement said. ‘We respectfully ask the State Department to reconsider and allow Michele to travel on the plane for this trip.’ … The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.” POLITICO
— THE STORY EVERYONE’S TWEETING ABOUT … “Washington Post Suspends a Reporter After Her Tweets on Kobe Bryant,” by NYT’s Rachael Abrams: “The Washington Post suspended one of its reporters, Felicia Sonmez, after she posted tweets on Sunday about Kobe Bryant in the hours after his death. Over 200 Post journalists criticized the paper’s decision on Monday. …
“Ms. Sonmez received an email from The Post’s executive editor, Martin Baron, at 5:38 p.m., before she was told that she would be placed on leave. The reporter shared the three-sentence email with The New York Times.
“‘Felicia,’ Mr. Baron wrote. ‘A real lack of judgment to tweet this. Please stop. You’re hurting this institution by doing this.’”
— WAPO COLUMNIST ERIK WEMPLE: “The Post’s misguided suspension of Felicia Sonmez over Kobe Bryant tweets”
MEDIAWATCH — POLITICO’s Melissa Cooke, who has been managing TV and radio bookings, has been promoted to communications director. … Shalini Sharma is joining NBC News as editorial director for digital video, overseeing the features team. She previously was head of global video at Thrive Global and is a Fast Company and ABC alum. … CNN’s Noah Gray is becoming managing producer for field operations, overseeing live shots and logistics around D.C. He’ll continue to cover the campaign trail’s early states.
PLAYBOOKERS
Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at politicoplaybook@politico.com.
SPOTTED at the National Museum of African American History and Culture on Monday to celebrate Walmart’s $5 million gift to the museum: Reps. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), Al Lawson (D-Fla.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Steve Womack (R-Ark.), Dan Bartlett, Jessica Jacoby Lemos, Bruce Harris, Spencer Crew, Janet Murguía, Madalene Mielke, Matthew Spikes, Tasha Cole, Yolonda Addison, Donni Turner, Kwabena Nsiah, Darryn Harris, Paul Nicholas, Greg Mathis and Moyer McCoy.
TRANSITIONS — Daniel Penchina is launching Penchina Partners, a firm focused on progressive policy, philanthropy and political efforts. He was previously president of Voices for Progress, where he was recently succeeded by Sandra Fluke.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD — John Dillard, principal at OFW Law, and Laura Dillard, associate at France Law LLC, welcomed Luke Philip Dillard on Jan. 9. He joins big brother George. Pic
BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Robert Satloff, executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. How he got his start: “I had a crossroads decision after my first year of graduate school: accept a job offer to be a cub reporter at a major, big-city newspaper (now much shrunken in size) or accept a U.S. government scholarship to an Arabic immersion program at Middlebury College. Thankfully, I made the right choice, escaped a career in journalism and took the plunge into Middle East studies that has kept me solvent for 35 years.” Playbook Q&A
BIRTHDAYS: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) is 73 … Rep. Antonio Delgado (D-N.Y.) is 43 … Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) is 72 … Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.) is 51 … Christy Gibson … Fed Gov. Lael Brainard … POLITICO’s Ray Gurganus and Peter King … Terry McNaughton … Nick Iacono is 3-0 … Jeff Selingo … Helen Kalla … Bloomberg columnist Justin Fox … Grant Campbell … former Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.) is 64 … former Rep. Tom Downey (D-N.Y.) is 71 … former Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.) is 69 … Lynnette Johnson Williams, SVP at Edelman … Leslie Jones, VP for working lands at Environmental Defense Fund, is 51 … Maria Comella, global head of regional public affairs and policy at WeWork … Matt DoBias … Frank Purcell … Alexandra Thornton …
… Skip Rutherford, dean of the Clinton School of Public Service and longtime Arkansas politico, is 7-0 (h/t daughter Mary Rutherford Jennings) … Ted Greener,executive director of public affairs at the Association of American Railroads … Reginald Darby, deputy COS and legislative director for Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) (h/t Rachel Harris) … Sam Greene … Anne Manhart … Daniel Remler … Allison Barber … Katie Varoga … Jon Erpenbach is 59 … Roberta Gassman … Achim Bergmann (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) … John Milewski … Susan Johannesmann … Jen Millikin … Missy Lieberman, manager of government relations at the Pew Charitable Trusts … Peggy Greenberg … CNN’s Jay McMichael … Ariel Bas Rick Warren is 66 … Fred Nation … Stephanie Adams
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THE FLIP SIDE
| View this email in your browser Tuesday, January 28, 2020Editor’s Note: It’s National News Literacy Week! Stay tuned for an exciting update from yours truly :)Bolton’s BookOn Sunday, The New York Times reported that “President Trump told his national security adviser in August that he wanted to continue freezing $391 million in security assistance to Ukraine until officials there helped with investigations into Democrats including the Bidens, according to an unpublished manuscript by the former adviser, John R. Bolton.” New York TimesFrom the LeftThe left sees the claims as confirmation of Trump’s misconduct and calls for Bolton’s testimony.“There now exists a credible claim made by a longtime figure in Republican politics and the conservative movement that, if proven out, directly implicates the President of the United States in a quid pro quo. This isn’t Lev Parnas, a somewhat shady Ukrainian businessman under criminal indictment, saying a bunch of things about Trump. Parnas, Republican senators might be OK with dismissing. It’s a hell of a lot harder to dismiss someone with the resume of Bolton… If you are a Republican senator on the fence about whether to allow witnesses in this trial, it’s going to be very hard after this Bolton news to find a way to vote against hearing from him.” Chris Cillizza, CNN “Sure, the odds still overwhelmingly favor acquittal. But trials, not unlike wars, can be unpredictable. Just as the United States has gone to war against much weaker enemies, mistakenly expecting an easy stride to victory, this trial could suddenly move in a wholly unexpected direction. Half the country or more wants the Senate to convict and remove Trump from office. A Pew poll found a majority of 51% want him gone; 63% think Trump has acted illegally, and 70% think he has acted unethically. As we know, it’s Republican voters senators worry about. But even a large majority of Republicans, according to a Reuters poll, say the trial should hear witnesses.” Frida Ghitis, CNN “Mr. Bolton’s account is particularly important because an integral part of the case Mr. Trump’s lawyers made in their first presentation to the Senate on Saturday was that no direct testimony established Mr. Trump’s motives in freezing military aid to Ukraine. That was already a distortion, since acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said at a news conference that the president had told him the aid freeze was connected to the politicized investigations he sought. But now, senators know that Mr. Bolton reportedly had a similar conversation… “Excuses by Republicans for not [calling witnesses] are flimsy: for example, that a subpoena of Mr. Bolton would violate the president’s right to shield communications with aides under the doctrine of executive privilege. In fact, since the substance of Mr. Bolton’s account is already public, and it’s unlikely the White House can prevent the publication of his manuscript, the question is moot.” Editorial Board, Washington Post “Bolton submitted his manuscript to the White House on Dec. 30 for review against disclosure of classified information, according to a letter from Bolton’s lawyer. The White House says the manuscript’s distribution was restricted to some members of the National Security Council staff. But senators — especially Republicans — have a right to wonder whether the president’s legal team might have known these revelations were coming. And they have a right to wonder what else the White House knows but hasn’t told [them]… “Republican senators need to take a deep breath and take stock. Bolton has essentially proffered his testimony. He will tell what he knows very soon, either at this trial or in the pages of a book to be released just weeks from now. A quick and dirty coverup will not get endangered GOP senators past the election. It won’t even get them through the winter. Bolton must speak.” Eugene Robinson, Washington Post “Mr. Bolton, a hard-line conservative with decades of service in Republican administrations, is no anti-Trump zealot, which makes his allegations against the president that much more devastating… “Republicans have already admitted how bad the president’s behavior was. Back in September, Senator Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican and one of Mr. Trump’s staunchest defenders, said: ‘What would’ve been wrong is if the president had suggested to the Ukrainian government that if you don’t do what I want you to do regarding the Bidens, we’re not going to give you the aid. That was the accusation; that did not remotely happen.’ Except that it did, as Mr. Bolton is apparently willing to say under oath.” Editorial Board, New York Times From the RightThe right is skeptical that the new claims will change the outcome of the impeachment trial but generally supports Bolton testifying.“The New York Times’s story contains no ‘bombshells,’ notwithstanding the media hype. Anyone paying attention, or who has read Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson’s Nov. 18 letter to House Members, knows that Mr. Trump mistrusted Ukraine and considered cutting off aid. Anyone who read the rough transcript of Mr. Trump’s July 25 call with Ukraine’s President knows he wanted an investigation of Hunter and Joe Biden. All Mr. Bolton reportedly adds is news of a conversation in which Mr. Trump made a direct connection between the two that nearly everyone already assumed… “This still isn’t close to a high crime or misdemeanor. Mr. Trump’s reckless judgment was resisted by his staff and Senators like Mr. Johnson, and the President eventually changed his mind. Ukraine never opened an investigation, the U.S. aid was delivered on time, and Mr. Trump met with Ukraine’s President in New York. There was no crime, and Mr. Trump’s military support for Ukraine continues to be far more robust than Barack Obama’s.” Editorial Board, Wall Street Journal “Just imagine where we’d be if Adam Schiff had done his job properly and subpoenaed John Bolton in the first place… Bolton suggested publicly that he had information germane to the probe but said a court would need to litigate the issues of executive privilege. Schiff was more interested in issuing an impeachment before Christmas than hearing from ‘a witness who had a direct conversation,’ and dropped the effort to get testimony from Bolton.” Ed Morrissey, Hot Air Nevertheless, “What matters most is what the truth is, not how any of this information made its way into public view. The best way to assess that bottom-line question is for Bolton to testify, under oath in some capacity, for the purposes of the trial. Fully justified objections to House Democrats’ embarrassingly flawed, cynical process do not ultimately outweigh the value of learning what Bolton knows.” Guy Benson, Townhall “If the Trump defense had taken the position that we should assume for argument’s sake that the president put pressure on Ukraine but, in the end, he folded, the Bolton revelation would be a big nothing… All foreign policy involves pressure and quid pro quo. There is a good-faith basis to suspect the Bidens were involved in corrupt self-dealing. It is ridiculous to suggest that Ukraine’s defense, let alone American national security, was in any way compromised… “But they decided to contest the underlying facts, where the president’s case is weakest. They decided to fight on quid pro quo… so now they will have to deal with John Bolton’s account and the rising demands that he be called as a witness.” Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review “Bolton isn’t some rando with obvious ideological motives coming out of the woodwork to accuse Trump of misconduct. He’s his own former NSA, allegedly prepared to confirm that what all of those Democratic witnesses believed was happening with Ukraine actually was happening with Ukraine, according to Trump himself. He doesn’t have a strong ideological motive, especially after Trump went and eliminated Qassem Soleimani. If you want to believe he’d lie because he’s a disgruntled employee, okay, but at the moment it looks like the main political beneficiary of that lie would be Democratic frontrunner Bernie Sanders, a man with zero in common with Bolton politically.” Allahpundit, Hot Air Some note that “the words are from the New York Times, not Bolton. Neither the [Times] report nor any other [what] has quoted even a word from the Bolton book… there is no way to assess what Bolton has written because no one in the public, and that appears to include the news organizations that broke the Bolton story, has read what Bolton has written. What, precisely, did Bolton say, and in what words did he say it? The public is entirely in the dark.” Byron York, Washington ExaminerOn the bright side… El Paso Zoo reprises wildly popular ‘Quit Bugging Me’ event for Valentine’s Day. KTSMThe Flip Side team spends hours each night scanning the news, fact-checking, and debating one another, so your 5 minutes each morning can be well spent. If you’ve found value in our work, we welcome you to help sustain our efforts and expand our reach. Any support you can provide is greatly appreciated!Were you forwarded this by a friend? Sign up hereOur ArchivesShareTweetForwardCopyright © 2020 The Flip Side, All rights reserved. You can unsubscribe from this list here. |
AMERICAN MINUTE
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| View as Webpage American Minute with Bill FedererAround the World: Explorers from Magellan & Drake to Space ShuttleIn 1519, the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan set out on the first voyage to circumnavigate the world. Sailing for Spain, Magellan began his search for a route to the East Indies by traveling down the coast of South America.Magellan’s fleet reached Cape Virgenes and concluded that they had found a passage because the waters were brine and deep. Four ships went through the 373-mile long passage which Magellan called “Estrecho de Todos los Santos” or “Canal of All Saints,” as the date was November 1st, “All Saints’ Day.” It came to be called the “Strait of Magellan.”On the other side of the strait, Magellan saw the sea very still and peaceful, so he gave it the Portuguese name “Mar Pacifico” meaning “Pacific Ocean.”The Pacific Ocean was first seen by a European six years earlier in 1513, when Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama, though he called it “Mar del Sur,” meaning “Southern Sea.”Magellan sailed for weeks without sighting land. His food supplies dwindled and rotted, and men began to perish from scurvy, malnourishment, and dehydration. They sighted a small uninhabited island, restocked supplies, and set sail again on JANUARY 28, 1521.They reached the Marianas, Guam, and then the Philippine Islands, which were later named for King Philip II of Spain.Magellan communicated with native tribes through his Malay interpreter, Enrique.They traded gifts with Rajah (King) Siaiu of Mazaua who guided them to the Island of Cebu. The story was that on the Island of Cebu, Magellan met Rajah Humabon, who had an ill grandson.Magellan (or one of his men) was able to cure or help this young boy, and in gratitude Chief Humabon and his queen Hara Amihan were baptized as Christians, along with 800 of followers.Afterwards, Rajah Humabon and his ally Datu Zula entangled Magellan in a conflict with a neighboring chieftain, Datu Lapu-Lapu of the Island of Mactan. Magellan had hoped to convert Datu Lapu-Lapu to Christianity, but the chief was dismissive.On the morning of April 27, 1521, Datu Lapu-Lapu with around 1,500 of his troops confronted the Spaniards on the beach.Magellan was hit by a bamboo spear, surrounded and then killed.Magellan’s crew continued to sail the ship, Victoria, and finally made it back to Spain in September of 1522. The Philippine Islands went on to become the most Christian nation in Asia, with 93% of its population of 93.3 million being Christian.The Treacherous World of the 16th Century and How the Pilgrims Escaped It: The Prequel to America’s FreedomThe second expedition to circumnavigate the globe was in 1577 led by Sir Francis Drake. Francis Drake was born around 1540 amidst religious upheaval in England. During the Prayer Book Rebellion, 1549, his poor farmer father, Edward Drake, fled with his family to the coast where they lived on an old laid-up ship.Edward Drake was ordained as a Protestant minister and preached to sailors in the King’s Navy, afterwards becoming a vicar of Upchurch on the Medway. Profoundly influenced, Francis Drake would later have religious services on his ship twice a day.Around the age of 12, Francis Drake was apprenticed to a ship transporting merchandise from France. The ship’s master, having no children, eventually bequeathed the ship to Francis, which began his prosperous sailing career.During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Francis Drake sailed numerous times to the Caribbean for trade.He also raided Spanish ships and settlements, resulting in King Philip II of Spain calling him a pirate, El Draque, and offering the equivalent of six million dollars for his life.In 1577, almost 60 years after Magellan, Francis Drake began the second voyage to circumnavigate the world.Drake sailed down the coast of South America and, before reaching Tierra del Fuego , passed through the Strait of Magellan in September of 1578.His ship was then blown south where he saw from a distance Drake Passage, which was not actually traversed till Willem Shouten’s 1616 Dutch expedition – the first expedition to pass Cape Horn.Francis Drake sailed through violent storms and raided the Pacific Spanish coast of America as far north as California.At Mocha Island, hostile Mapuche attacked Drake, seriously injuring him with an arrow.In 1579, Drake anchored north of San Francisco at “Drake’s Bay.” In the name of the Holy Trinity, he claimed California for the English Crown, calling it Nova Albion, which is Latin for “New Britain.”Turning west, Drake sailed to the Moluccas Spice Islands of Indonesia where his ship, Golden Hind, almost sank on a reef.Drake made it across the Indian Ocean, around Cape of Good Hope and up the coast of Africa back to England in 1580, where he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I.In 1588, Sir Francis Drake helped repel the Spanish Armada from invading England. Sir Francis Drake died aboard the ship, Defiance, JANUARY 28, 1596, after a failed attempt to capture San Juan, Puerto Rico.Almost two centuries after Drake, Captain James Cook sailed the HMS Endeavour around the globe, 1768–1771, being the first circumnavigation not to lose personnel to scurvy .Captain William Bligh’s HMS Bounty was initially to sail the globe, picking up breadfruit in Tahiti, but delays, weather, and a mutiny on April 28, 1789, prevented it.When Acting Lieutenant Fletcher Christian mutinied, Captain William Bligh and 18 of his crew, were set adrift in a small boat. Bligh and his men, in a little less than two months, traveled 3,500 nautical miles in the open sea to Kupang, Indonesia, then to Jakarta, where they found a ship headed back to Britain, arriving April of 1790.Matthew Fontaine Maury, the first superintendent of the U.S. Naval Observatory, was known as the “Pathfinder of the Seas” for pioneering the charting of sea and wind currents. He wrote in Physical Geography of the Sea, 1855: “The Bible called the earth ‘the round world,’ yet for ages it was the most damnable heresy for Christian men to say that the world is round … Finally, sailors circumnavigated the globe, and proved the Bible to be right, and saved Christian men of science from the stake.”American Minute-Notable Events of American Significance Remembered on the Date They OccurredIn 1873, French novelist Jules Verne wrote Around the World in 80 Days.In 1929, the German-built Graf Zepplin made the first round-the-world flight (Weltrundfahrt) in 21 days.In 1931, Wiley Post made the first fixed wing flight around the world in a little over 8 days.In 1933, Wiley Post made the first solo-flight around the world in just over 7 days. He discovered the jet stream and pioneered use of the gyroscopic auto-pilot, radio direction finder, and the pressure suit.In 1982, Ross Perot, Jr. and Jay Coburn, flying the Spirit of Texas, completed the first round-the-world flight by helicopter.The first person to orbit the earth in space was Russian-Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on April 12, 1961, followed by American astronaut John Glenn, February 20, 1962.From 1981 to 2011, the Space Shuttle program flew 135 missions which orbited the earth launching satellites, interplanetary probes , the Hubble Space Telescope, as well as performing scientific experiments and building the International Space Station.In 1984, astronauts Captain Bruce McCandles and Brigadier General Robert Lee Stewart stepped out of the S pace Shuttle Challenger and performed the first un-tethered extravehicular activities using Manned Maneuvering Units, while orbiting a million feet above the earth.In an interview with Reasons to Believe, October 1, 2000, General Bob Stewart stated: “Your first view of the home planet is breathtaking. Maybe that’s how God intended it to be viewed …”General Stewart continued: “I had been teaching a Sunday school class here at High View Baptist Church in Woodland Park and the class had decided that they wanted to study Genesis … The message I hope to get across is that you don’t have to give up your intellect to be a Christian … It gets harder to reach a person for Christ when that person is highly educated and sure of the primacy of science in this world …… This universe was brought into existence out of nothingness; that it is especially fine-tuned for the existence of life on this rare, if not unique planet; and that God did it …”General Stewart , who had been a combat helicopter pilot in Vietnam, logged 289 hours in space. He continued: “I led off with a primer on relativity so my class could see the historical and logical background of this theory and lose their fear of it. This was necessary because I intended to talk about the creation event in terms of the big bang, and I wanted my class to understand that this was not just something physicists thought up in a vacuum. I wanted to approach the existence of human beings on this planet from the standpoint of their unique relationship to the Creator and back that up with some modern numerical biology statistics concerning the probabilities of life existing at all from random processes …”General Stewart flew in the Space Shuttle Atlantis in 1985, and was scheduled for a third flight on the Space Shuttle Columbia, but it was canceled due to the Challenger disaster. He concluded his interview: “I hope to continue to challenge the person who is scientifically oriented with the idea that life would be prohibitively unlikely unless it were created by God … In my life I have made a remarkable transition from a person whose faith was in science to the exclusion of religion, to being a person who holds the Scriptures to be truth with science just catching up after 4000 years.”The courage and risks of space travel were realized with the loss the Space Shuttle Columbia, which broke apart on re-entry in February 1, 2003, killing the entire crew.The same fate was experienced by the Space Shuttle Challenger, which exploded just 73 seconds after lift-off on JANUARY 28, 1986.The Challenger’s entire seven member crew was killed, including a high school teacher-the first private citizen to fly aboard the craft. In his address to the nation, President Ronald Reagan stated: “Today is a day for mourning … a national loss … The members of the Challenger crew were pioneers … The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future …”Reagan continued: “The crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved good-bye and ‘ slipped the surly bonds of earth’ to ‘touch the face of God.'”President Reagan added: “There’s a coincidence today. On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship off the coast of Panama.… In his lifetime the great frontiers were the oceans, and a historian later said, ‘He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it.’ Well, today we can say of the Challenger crew: Their dedication was, like Drake’s, complete.”America’s God and Country Encyclopedia of QuotationsSchedule Bill Federer for informative interviews & captivating PowerPoint presentations: 314-502-8924 wjfederer@gmail.comAmerican Minute is a registered trademark of William J. Federer. Permission is granted to forward, reprint, or duplicate, with acknowledgment.www.AmericanMinute.comhttps://www.themaven.net/americanminute/Click to shop AMERICAN MINUTE store Donate to American Priorities. Thank you!Miracles in American History-Volume TWO (D.James Kennedy Ministry)Faith in History TCTArchivesMiracles in American History CTVN CBN “Liberty” Special Today’s Bible reading View as Webpage |
THE HILL
| © Getty Images Welcome to The Hill’s Morning Report. Happy Tuesday! Our newsletter gets you up to speed on the most important developments in politics and policy, plus trends to watch. Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver are the daily co-creators, so find us @asimendinger and @alweaver22 on Twitter and recommend the Morning Report to your friends. CLICK HERE to subscribe! Former national security adviser John Bolton’s charge that President Trump tied aid to Ukraine to investigations into a political rival has added a dimension of volatility to the impeachment trial as questions mount about whether the Senate will vote to hear from additional witnesses. Bolton’s claim, which he made in a draft of a book manuscript described by The New York Times, made waves in Washington. For Democrats, the national security hawk’s “bombshell” comments validate their call to seek additional witnesses. Across the aisle, they scattered Republican senators, who were not on the same page on Monday. As Jordain Carney writes, top Republicans did not see the tempest coming. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters the news “caught everybody by surprise.” The trial’s focus now turns to a potential vote to debate seeking Senate witnesses and how moderate Republicans would line up. Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican, said the upper chamber could vote on Friday or Saturday on whether to add witnesses. Trump’s ultimate acquittal on two articles of impeachment was not in serious doubt on Monday. Two GOP senators — Susan Collins (Maine) and Mitt Romney (Utah) — said they are likely to vote to include witnesses and trial documents, believing the report describing Bolton’s manuscript is relevant to the evidence the Senate is weighing. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) reiterated in a statement early Monday that she remains “curious” about what Bolton would have to say. In the halls of the Senate, there is speculation that retiring Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) might support witnesses, although the two have largely kept their own counsel when questioned by reporters. © Getty Images To most Senate Republicans, Bolton’s leaked revelations were unwelcome, triggering shrugs and dismissals among those eager to move on. Thune said the information was not a “game changer,” while others panned The New York Times account as a marketing opportunity for Bolton and his memoir, with its March publication timeline. Some GOP lawmakers also said they doubted that any testimony by Bolton would change the basic facts behind the president’s defense. “Unless there’s a witness who’s going to change the outcome, I can’t imagine why we’d want to stretch this out for weeks and months,” said Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.). “And if we call any witnesses who are subject to privilege, it would take weeks and months.” The Hill: McConnell struggles to maintain GOP unity post-Bolton. Niall Stanage: The Memo: Bolton furor raises stakes for GOP senators. Politico: Republicans struggle to get on message after Bolton rocks trial. Peter Baker, The New York Times: John Bolton’s account upends Trump’s denials, but will it upend Trump? The trial continues today as the president’s legal team concludes its arguments. The president’s lawyers on Monday defended a key figure who is another member of Trump’s legal team. Trump attorney Jane Raskin delivered a 15-minute statement on the Senate floor focused entirely on Rudy Giuliani. She said Democrats used the former New York City mayor’s involvement in Ukraine to distract from what Trump’s legal team argued is an impeachment case void of evidence (The Hill). “The House managers would have you believe that Mr. Giuliani is at the center of this controversy,” Raskin said. “They’ve anointed him the proxy villain of the tale, the leader of a rogue operation. … But I suggest to you he’s front and center in their narrative for one reason alone: to distract from the fact that the evidence does not support their claims.” Kenneth Starr, best known for his role in the Clinton impeachment in 1999, also made his debut on the Trump team on Monday. Starr warned against the repercussions of the growing use of impeachment in American politics, saying that the U.S. is living in an “age of impeachment” (The Hill). The president’s team is expected to wrap up its defense without using all of the 24 hours allotted over a total of three days. Senators will soon have 16 hours to ask questions of the prosecution and defense teams in writing, posed through Chief Justice John Roberts, who presides. The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board: The John Bolton Report: The former NSC adviser should tell the public what he knows. The Hill: Bolton, publishers deny coordinating book leak with The New York Times. LEADING THE DAYCAMPAIGNS & POLITICS: The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is feeling the wrath of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). As Jonathan Easley reports, Sanders’s supporters and various DNC members are venting frustration at Chairman Tom Perez over his appointments to the committees that will oversee the rules and party platform at the Milwaukee national nominating convention this summer. According to Sanders allies, the committees are currently packed with Democrats who have an anti-Sanders bias and were previously aligned with the Clintons. Among them are John Podesta, the former campaign chairman for Hillary Clinton in 2016, Maria Cardona, Alex Padilla and former Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), a top Sanders critic who will co-chair the rules committee. DNC members are also frustrated that the committee leaders are mostly “at-large” delegates, prominent lobbyists and big Washington names rather than state-elected members who represent the grassroots of the party. They also complain that the nominees were foisted on them at midnight only hours before a weekend vote. As for Sanders, the Vermont Independent continues to hold a slight advantage in polls with less than a week to go until the Iowa caucuses. The possibility of Sanders taking home Iowa before going on the next week to win in New Hampshire is creating consternation within the Democratic ranks (NBC News). The New York Times: In Iowa, the “Not Sanders” Democrats find voters torn. The Hill: Sanders surges to first in New Hampshire: poll. Politico Magazine: The Democrats’ Bernie bind. Morning Consult: Michael Bloomberg at 12 percent nationally, as Sanders’ popularity erodes among older voters. © Getty Images > Georgia GOP fight: Senate Republicans are preparing for a bruising intraparty battle in Georgia between Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) and Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), who is expected to announce plans to challenge her in November. The looming GOP fight will be among the most high-profile on the 2020 calendar. For now, the two will face off in a jungle primary in November, with the top two finishers slated to compete in a runoff two months later. However, allies of Collins in the statehouse are angling to pass legislation to create a traditional primary in May (The Hill). Loeffler, who took over for former Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) three weeks ago, remains a political unknown back home and has tried to rectify that in a few ways: Pitching herself as a close ally and backer of the president and running introductory ads. She has pledged to spend $20 million of her own money on the race, which some Republicans had hoped would ward off a GOP challenge. “Collins is a talented politician who would be better off challenging an unpopular governor in 2022 than a $50 million dollar guillotine in this year’s Senate race,” said one national GOP strategist. “I really wish he wouldn’t throw away a promising career like this. He’ll be unrecognizable to his own mother by November.” Collins’s likely entrance also has not dissuaded top Republicans from supporting her. According to an NRSC official, the committee will continue to back her campaign. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said in December that he would fully support her (Politico). Like many GOP primaries, the wild card continues to be Trump, who made it known to Gov. Brian Kemp (R) that he wanted Collins to get the appointment. Trump’s nudge for Collins came after he spent months as one of his top defenders on Capitol Hill throughout the House impeachment process, which he’s continued to do during the Senate trial. “Doug’s been center stage. It’s really hard, when you’re getting all this attention, to get off the stage. So it’s probably a little heady and I’m sure he’s enjoying that,” a Georgia Republican source said. “He’s got a following. He goes on Hannity and Hannity calls him ‘Sen. Collins.’ I think some of that stuff is intoxicating.” “It’s going to be a little messy,” the source said of the looming primary race. “Actually, it’s going to be very messy.” NPR: Election officials from 50 states will meet in Washington this week amid historic focus on voting and interference. The Hill: The Iowa Democratic caucuses, mapped. IN FOCUS/SHARP TAKESCHINA VIRUS: Trump on Monday offered China any help necessary as a deadly coronavirus continued spreading near Wuhan, China, threatening to overtake efforts to stop it using travel bans, shuttered schools and new scheduling for public holiday celebrations (Reuters). The State Department advised Americans to “reconsider” traveling anywhere in China because of the new virus, which has killed 106 people (The New York Times). Mongolia closed its vast border with China, and Hong Kong and Malaysia announced they are barring entry to visitors from the Chinese province at the center of the outbreak (The Associated Press). Financial markets, rattled by the outbreak and unsure if the epidemic will become a pandemic, took a hit on Monday (The Hill). The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told reporters on Monday the government is monitoring 110 individuals from 26 states to determine whether they have the coronavirus. Of those people, 32 tested negative, five tested positive and the remaining test results are pending. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials believe the virus is not spreading in the United States (ABC News). © Getty Images *** WHITE HOUSE & ADMINISTRATION: Trump today at noon will release a long-awaited Mideast peace plan, he announced, accompanied by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House (The New York Times). “It’s the closest we’ve ever come” to an agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians, Trump said, challenging critics who believe the plan is weighted against Palestinians. The president also met on Monday with Israel’s Gen. Benny Gantz, who is campaigning to defeat Netanyahu in an unprecedented third election on March 2, and predicted that “we will ultimately have the support of the Palestinians.” Foreign policy analysts have suggested Trump’s peace plan — three years in the making and unveiled during his own impeachment trial and while Netanyahu battles charges of corruption — is a backdrop for an ally before Israeli voters head to the polls. The description of a peace plan in Washington takes place as Netanyahu’s bid for parliamentary immunity from prosecution on corruption charges gets underway at home today. © Getty Images OPINIONIowa and New Hampshire highlight the crisis of local news — and its national importance, by Joe Ferullo, opinion contributor, The Hill. https://bit.ly/3aJAcBQ Is the coronavirus a global emergency? What we don’t know can be dangerous, by Dr. Marc Siegel, opinion contributor, The Hill. https://bit.ly/2O3RSi2 WHERE AND WHENThe House meets at 10 a.m. The Senate convenes today at 1 p.m. to continue the impeachment trial. The president welcomes Israel’s Netanyahu to the White House for a second day; the two leaders deliver joint remarks and discuss peace in the Middle East. This afternoon, Trump flies to the Garden State to rally for New Jersey Rep. Jefferson Van Drew, who recently switched his party affiliation to Republican and captured the president’s endorsement. Van Drew has been described in some news accounts as a flip-flopper after he left voicemail messages with constituents in November assuring them he would not vote for Trump (The Philadelphia Inquirer). Vice President Pence heads today to Madison, Wis., to speak at a midday event promoting school choice, organized by the group Hispanics for School Choice. Pence will appear in the rotunda of the Wisconsin State Capitol.You’re invited to The Hill’s Thursday newsmaker event, “A More Perfect Union?” from 8 to 11 a.m. in Washington. Speakers include Reps. Will Hurd (R-Texas), Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) and Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.). Information is HERE. ELSEWHERE➔ Anti-Semitism: Close to 200 survivors of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp traveled to Poland on Monday to mark 75 years since the Nazi atrocities came to an end there during World War II. Many of those who traveled to the camp where 1.1 million people perished were elderly Jews and non-Jews from Israel, the United States, Australia, Peru, Russia, Slovenia and elsewhere. Some sounded emotional warnings about rising hatred and anti-Semitism they see in the world today (The Associated Press). ➔ Courts: The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that the Trump administration can withhold green cards sought by immigrants if the government believes they may need federal assistance to live in the United States. The ruling allows the administration to implement its controversial policy while a challenge proceeds in the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals (The Hill). ➔ Jeffrey Epstein: New York prosecutors on Monday said they still want to question Britain’s Prince Andrew about his ties to Epstein, the late financier who committed suicide in a New York City jail while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking charges (The New York Times). During a damaging BBC interview last year, the Duke of York, who is a son of Queen Elizabeth II, denied knowledge of wrongdoing by Epstein. The prince, 59, pledged his assistance to U.S. investigators but has now been banished from royal duties and public appearances in Great Britain. He has delivered “zero cooperation,” complained U.S. prosecutor Geoffrey Berman in Manhattan. ➔ State watch: Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) on Monday announced a proposal to raise the state’s gas tax by 4 cents a year for three years to replenish a $3.4 billion fund for infrastructure projects, including rail (The Washington Post). THE CLOSERAnd finally … While we’re talking about infrastructure, a wily driver didn’t fool the Arizona Department of Public Safety while cruising the HOV lanes on Friday. A faux skeleton strapped to the passenger seat dressed in a camouflage hat looked a bit stiff zooming down the highway. Troopers ticketed a 62-year-old male driver and tweeted a photo: “Think you can use the HOV lane with Skeletor riding shotgun? You’re dead wrong!” (Arizona Republic). © Twitter The Morning Report is created by journalists Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver. We want to hear from you! Email: asimendinger@thehill.com and aweaver@thehill.com. We invite you to share The Hill’s reporting and newsletters, and encourage others to SUBSCRIBE! TO VIEW PAST EDITIONS OF THE HILL’S MORNING REPORT CLICK HERETO RECEIVE THE HILL’S MORNING REPORT IN YOUR INBOX SIGN UP HEREMORNING REPORT SIGN UPFORWARD MORNING REPORTPrivacy Policy | Manage Subscriptions | UnsubscribeEmail to a friend | Sign Up for Other NewslettersThe Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006©2020 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc. |
ROLL CALL
Morning Headlines
View from the gallery: Senators’ personal habits on full display as week 2 begins
Monday was the sixth full day for the third presidential impeachment trial in U.S. history, and the 100 senators dealt with a new crop of Senate pages and showed signs of restlessness during a presentation with long stretches of discussion about constitutional standards. Read More…
Dershowitz argues Trump cannot be convicted without a criminal offense
Alan Dershowitz, former Harvard Law School professor and controversial defense attorney, made his debut in the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on Monday with a deep history lesson and an argument that the president cannot be convicted without an actual criminal offense. Read More…
John Bolton shows that in Washington, irony never dies
The emergence of John Bolton as a potentially critical witness in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial is deeply ironic. After years of depicting Bolton as practically unhinged, Democrats now deem him a solid, stable foundation upon which to rest their case. Republicans have flipped too — and might flip in greater numbers in the coming days. Read More…Click here to subscribe to Fintech Beat for the latest market and regulatory developments in finance and financial technology.
The Bolton bombshell and the moral lessons of Watergate
OPINION — As they wrestle with their decisions leading up to the eventual vote on whether to remove President Donald Trump from office, wavering senators might draw moral guidance from the lives of two Watergate figures who died recently. When their obituaries appeared, they were primarily familiar to those of us who once wallowed in Watergate. Read More…
Key Votes 2019: Amid partisan acrimony, legislative wins in Congress were hard to come by
Throughout 2019, Democrats sang from the same hymnal: We sent hundreds of bills with bipartisan support over to the Senate, where they went to die. “The Democrats exaggerate,” Factcheck.org concluded, when they complain about the dozens of bills awaiting action. Still, there’s no escaping the fact that legislating has screeched to a halt in the Senate. Read More…
With Iowa and New Hampshire still up in the air, Democratic race has 2016 echoes
ANALYSIS — Iowa will scramble the overall Democratic race, since the fallout from caucuses will affect New Hampshire, fundraising, media coverage and the narrative about who is ahead nationally. The shape of the Democratic contest continues to look a good deal like 2016, though the current field is much larger than the two-person contest of four years ago. Read More…
Doug Collins’ Senate bid could set up competitive GOP fight in Georgia
Georgia Rep. Doug Collins is expected to announce a run for Senate this week, setting up a competitive fight against the state’s newly appointed senator that could jeopardize GOP control of the seat. Read More…
House Democrats are making McConnell, not Trump, their new boogeyman
While Democrats in Washington are attacking Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s management of the presidential impeachment trial, it’s his role in blocking House-passed legislation that is getting the most campaign airtime so far this year. That House Democrats are using McConnell as their foil speaks to the realities confronting them this cycle. Read More…
Trump campaign to deploy Cabinet secretaries, lawmakers, allies to Iowa
The Trump campaign says it will dispatch high-level government appointees to stump in Iowa ahead of the state’s Monday caucuses, setting up potential pitfalls for Cabinet secretaries and other officials bound by ethics restrictions on their politicking. Read More…
Lowey to discuss earmarks with at-risk freshman Democrats
House Democratic leaders are moving ahead with their sales pitch for the return of earmarks. Appropriations Chairwoman Nita M. Lowey is set to meet with a group of freshman House Democrats and others deemed vulnerable in the 2020 elections to talk about a possible return of local projects in the spending bills for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. Read More…
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BRIGHT
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| Tuesday, January 28, 2020 Republicans Call John Bolton Leak Kavanaugh 2.0 Senate Democrats are calling for the witness testimony of Trump’s former National Security Advisor John Bolton. Republican Senators are likening the last-minute information revelation from Bolton’s upcoming tell-all book, to the allegations that surfaced at the end of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation proceedings. The New York Times leaked information from Bolton’s book claiming the book outlines the potential testimony of Bolton. The book alleges Trump told Bolton to continue freezing security assistance to Ukrainian officials. From Fox News: “The Republican National Committee, in a mass email on Monday, cited the fact no other witnesses in the course of the impeachment inquiry testified that Trump himself connected the aid with investigations into the 2020 presidential candidate’s family and that Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he was not pressured to start such investigations.” Bolton and his book publishers have denied coordinating with any media sources. More on Bolton: Bolton Book Leak Happened The Same Day His Book Became Available for Pre-Order, Tristan Justice from The Federalist George W. Bush Blasted John Bolton in 2008: ‘I Don’t Consider Bolton Credible,’ Sean Davis and Mollie Hemingway from The Federalist Hunter Biden Agrees to Pay Child Support Hunter Biden, the son of Democratic front-runner Joe Biden, agreed to pay child support after impregnating an Arkansas woman and denying paternity. From CNBC: “Hunter Biden, the son of leading Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden, has agreed to pay an undisclosed amount of monthly child support to an Arkansas woman who bore him a baby out of wedlock, avoiding a hearing Wednesday that put him at risk of being held in contempt of court.” Biden refused to disclose his financial situation, even after Judge Holly Meyer ordered he disclose such information. According to CNBC, Biden’s hearing will be postponed until March 13. Stephen King Bends A Knee To Ultra-Woke Social Justice Warriors Leftists attacked author Stephen King for saying “quality” should always be more important than diversity in art. Instead of standing his ground, King penned an op-ed for the Washington Post scolding the Academy Award nominations for their lack of racial and sexual diversity. According to King, the whole Academy Away business is “rigged in favor of the white folks.” King also attacked the diversity of the voting council. From Washington Post: “One eight years ago, 94 percent of the 5,7000 voters were white … 77 percent were male and 54 percent were more than 60 years old. This year, women make up 32 percent of voters (up only 1 percent from last year) and minority members equal 16 percent of the total. Not good enough. Not even within shouting distance of good enough.” Yet another celebrity is bending a knee to the ultra-woke social justice warriors attempting to overtake American culture. What I’m Reading TodayChief Justice Roberts Must Overrule The Judiciary’s Proposed Assault On The Federalist Society (Daily Wire)Will Any 2020 Democrat Align With Americans On Abortion? ‘In A Word, No’ (The Federalist)Iran-Linked Lobby Behind Obama Nuclear Deal Is Back in Action (RealClearInvestigations)Rashida Tlaib Retweets Modern-Day ‘Blood Libel And Media Remains Silent (The Federalist)Your Tuesday laugh: ‘A Border Wall Is Immoral,’ Say Political Party Advocating For Infanticide (Babylon Bee) Celebrity Roundup Here are some of the best dressed celebrities from the 2020 Grammys (Elle) Celebrities and fans alike mourn the death of NBA Star Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna (Marie Claire) ABC’s “The Bachelor” is creating an odd spinoff called “Listen to Your Heart,” beloved Chris Harrison will host the show (ET Online) Kim Kardashian’s daughter, North West, is easily the most fashion 6-year-old out there (US Weekly) The royal court explains how Meghan Markle and Prince Harry could be replaced by Princess Beatrice and Eugenie (Fox News)BRIGHT is brought to you by The Federalist. |
| Today’s BRIGHT Editor Chrissy Clark is a staff writer at The Federalist. She writes on the 2020 campaign trail and loves to create video content on political topics. She has work featured in The Daily Signal and received a degree in political science from Michigan State University. Follow her on social media @chrissyclark_ Copyright © BRIGHT, All rights reserved. www.GetBRIGHTemail.com Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Note: By using some of the links above, Bright may be compensated through the Amazon Affiliate program and Magic Links. However, none of this content is sponsored and all opinions are our own. |
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THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
| Washington Examiner’s Examiner Today NewsletterView this as website ADVERTISEMENT HIGHLIGHTSTrump defense: Giuliani a ‘minor player’ and ‘shiny object designed to distract’New John Bolton claim ramps up pressure on GOP to call witnessesState Department removes NPR reporter from Pompeo travel pool after feud with outlet House Democrats to vote to override state ‘right-to-work’ laws, boosting labor movement The Democrat-led House is set next week to vote on legislation to override the 27 states that have given workers a right to work without being forced to join a union or to give it a cut of their paycheck. Former EPA officials say farmers won’t get the aid they’re claiming from Trump water rule rewrite Environmentalists and former EPA officials are questioning whether farmers, touted by the Trump administration as one of the biggest beneficiaries of its rewrite of Obama clean water protections, would benefit from the new rule at all. ‘How much does it cost?’: Stephanie Grisham accuses John Bolton of selling out ‘potential national security’ White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham accused former national security adviser John Bolton of potentially harming United States national security to sell a book. Editorial: If the Green New Deal can’t make it in Portland, it can’t make it anywhereHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi might have written it off as the “Green Dream,” but a little less than a year after six presidential hopefuls in the Senate co-sponsored Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s long-shot legislation, one city has decided to turn its own small-scale, local “Green New Deal” into a reality. ADVERTISEMENT Alan Dershowitz: John Bolton book allegations against Trump ‘would not constitute an impeachable offense’Harvard professor and Trump legal team member Alan Dershowitz defended the president from claims made in former national security adviser John Bolton’s forthcoming book, asserting that the claims would not amount to an impeachable offense even if they are true. John Bolton worried Trump was granting favors to autocratic leaders: BookFormer national security adviser John Bolton expressed concern to Attorney General William Barr that President Trump “was effectively granting personal favors” to the leaders of China and Turkey, according to a draft of his forthcoming book. ‘Attacking a nine-year-old:’ Ted Cruz snaps at reporter for comparing Hunter Biden to his children Sen. Ted Cruz engaged in a back-and-forth with a reporter while arguing that President Trump was justified in asking leaders in Ukraine to launch investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son. Biden says America can ‘help’ China with its problems MARION, Iowa — Former Vice President Joe Biden talked down the threat of China to the United States and the global order, saying bipartisan concerns about the nation’s rise were “bizarre.” Kevin McCarthy: Work on ‘tax cuts 2.0’ underway House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said that efforts are underway to produce another round of tax cuts following President Trump’s comments in Davos that Congress should take up another tax cut package. Doug Collins to challenge Kelly Loeffler for Georgia Senate seat Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia will challenge fellow Republican and incumbent Sen. Kelly Loeffler to represent the Peach State in the Senate. Biden supporters fret over his ability to withstand Trump attacks Joe Biden said Senate Republican calls for him as a witness in President Trump’s Senate impeachment trial reflect the strength of his Democratic presidential bid. But his supporters aren’t so sure. Senate GOP: Witness deal ‘going to be a group of individuals’ Senate Republicans said a deal to call witnesses will include those on the GOP list, including Hunter Biden, the son of former Vice President Joe Biden. THE ROUNDUPAuschwitz survivors plead, ‘never forget’Trump aides, allies brace for possibility that multiple witnesses will appear at trialMitt makes his moveADVERTISEMENT |
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AMERICAN THINKER
| View this email in your browserRecent ArticlesThe Democrats and Their Prophetic Failure. Again.Jan 28, 2020 01:00 am Are Democrats a cult? They sure are acting like one given some recent incidents. Read More… Guess the State: Democrat-Run Fiasco EditionJan 28, 2020 01:00 am Since 1931, no other state has had single-party Dem rule at the state level as long as this one. And it shows. Read More… God’s Anointed Leader Isn’t Always What We ExpectJan 28, 2020 01:00 am It turns out that millions of us who held our noses and voted for Trump have been quite pleasantly surprised. Read More… Obama Prefers a Republican PresidentJan 28, 2020 01:00 am In recent years, facts have been revealed that support this theory. Read More… Remember: Pay Little Attention to Current National General Election PollsJan 28, 2020 01:00 am I would trust only the polls that are two weeks or less out from the election. Read More… Triangulation: Erdogan’s Secret WeaponJan 28, 2020 01:00 am Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been teasing the “West” by dealing with its designated adversary, even to the point of being willing to suffer the predictable consequences. Read More… Recent Blog Posts Gun-grabber David Hogg puts out a statement so stupid everyone is now dumber Jan 28, 2020 01:00 am David Hogg said something so idiotic that it would make Billy Madison look like a genius, all courtesy of his Harvard education. Read more… After two days of defense, Schiff’s impeachment ploy is becoming clear Jan 28, 2020 01:00 am Now that we see and hear Schiff’s case be completely devastated by Trump’s defense team, one has to wonder how the House managers had the gall to stand up and spew the lies each of them put forth over twenty-three hours. Read more… Greta’s smile Jan 28, 2020 01:00 am Greta Thunberg recently traded in her normal scowl for a smile. But why? Read more… Hold onto your hats: Hillary says she’s got the urge to run again Jan 28, 2020 01:00 am In an interview with Variety magazine, Hillary says she has the urge to run, that 2016 was an anomaly, and that she can win this time around. Read more… Signs of political collapse in Iran Jan 28, 2020 01:00 am Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei seems to intend to consolidate his regime so he can thwart the crises that have been plaguing it. Read more… John Bolton preoccupied the media today, but it’s clear there’s no “there there” Jan 28, 2020 01:00 am At the impeachment, Pam Bondi put the focus back where it belongs, on Biden, while various commentators lambaste Bolton for what’s really a dud, not a bombshell. Read more… Islamist groups making inroads in local politics in America Jan 28, 2020 01:00 am Sadia Covert in Dupage County, Illinois is just one example. Read more… Prediction: Warren will blow it in Iowa Jan 28, 2020 01:00 am She won’t even finish as runner-up in any of the first four primary contests. Read more… A Trump win: For now, he can withhold green cards from foreigners on welfare Jan 28, 2020 01:00 am In a separate concurrence, Neil Gorsuch strongly rebuked lower courts that issue nationwide injunctions blocking President Trump’s executive orders. Read more… In the Weinstein trial, a woman testifies that Weinstein raped her twice. Jan 28, 2020 01:00 am It seems as if one rape would have been sufficient, but the accuser wanted to reclaim “some power” by spending more time alone with a predator. Read more… Prince Andrew refuses to talk, even as there’s more news tying him to Epstein Jan 28, 2020 01:00 am Despite Prince Andrew’s denials about participating in Jeffrey Epstein’s debauchery, Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s alleged procurer, turns out to have had a very active friendship with the Prince. Read more… It’s official: No room for pro-life Democrats Jan 28, 2020 01:00 am Mayor Pete throws a lot of Catholics and Hispanic women under the bus! Read more… What does Putin want from Libya? Jan 28, 2020 01:00 am How far will the Russians go to protect their investments in Libya? Read more… What’s Bolton up to with that new move to play Schiff’s game? Jan 27, 2020 01:00 am White House officials say Bolton’s sudden about-face on testifying was his bid to sell a book. Read more… Schiff’s reaction to Trump’s lawyers turns heads Jan 27, 2020 01:00 am The walls close in on the Human Lemur. Read more… View this email in your browserAmerican Thinker is a daily internet publication devoted to the thoughtful exploration of issues of importance to Americans. |
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THE FEDERALIST
| Your daily update of new content from The Federalist Be lovers of freedom and anxious for the fray January 28, 2020 How The Coronavirus Could Destabilize The Chinese Government And WorldBy Willis L. Krumholz and Robert Delahunty If the coronavirus keeps spreading, the implications for international security and the global economy could be staggering — and not only in terms of public health. Full articleAfter Offing Quentin For The Crime Of Being A White Male, ‘The Magicians’ Is Falling ApartBy Libby Emmons After the hero is killed in ‘The Magicians,’ season five opens in a reckless assortment of ensemble stories that neither capture the imagination nor drive a cohesive plot forward. Full articleLast-Second Impeachment Game-Playing Is Kavanaugh 2.0By Tristan Justice Donald Trump’s opponents are reverting to the same failed tactics to derail the president’s agenda for the crime of winning the 2016 election. Full articleIG Report Proves Obama Administration Spied On Trump Campaign Big TimeBy Margot Cleveland The IG report established that the Obama administration spied on the Trump campaign, and the spying was much worse than previously thought. Full articleHow Alex P. Keaton Predicted The New Conservative MovementBy David Marcus Alex P. Keaton, the countercultural conservative from the 1980s sitcom ‘Family Ties,’ tells us a lot about the new conservative movement. Full articleKobe Bryant’s Life Is A Reminder Of The Reality Of RedemptionBy John Daniel Davidson Bryant’s death was met with denunciations of him on Twitter. But his life proved that redemption is possible, even for famous people with checkered lives. Full article2020 Guide To State Proposals To Protect Children From Transgender ExploitationBy Chad Felix Greene It is vital that Americans support and promote these efforts, state by state, to ensure children have the opportunity to stay children as long as possible. Full articleBloomberg Ad Champions His Support For Baby Health And…Baby DeathBy Keith Stanglin Why should we be so pleased and moved that infant mortality decreased at the same time we were free to kill as many of these same babies just before birth? Full articleDemocrats’ ‘Equality’ Act Would Be A Big Nudge Towards A U.S. Social Credit SystemBy Stella Morabito When you federalize thought policing, which is essentially what the Equality Act does, it appears to create a social credit system that nationalizes the punishment of wrong think. Full articleCourt Rebuffs Attempt To Make Politically Engaged Missourian Register As A LobbyistBy Zac Morgan Missouri’s theory would have rendered every Planned Parenthood or NRA activist who joins a ‘lobby day’ to meet with their representatives in the capitol as registered lobbyists. Full articleAre Neocons Really Back In The Trump Administration?By Sumantra Maitra There may be neoconservatives cheering that drone strike, as neoconservatives are wont to do, but it is unlikely that they are the ones driving policy. Full articleHow Arlen Specter Set An Impeachment Precedent Senators Might Not Want To FollowBy Christopher Jacobs Those chattering about President Trump’s impeachment trial have largely ignored one unique precedent, in the form of two words uttered by a senator from Pennsylvania: Not proved. Full articleBolton’s Former Top Deputy Blasts Bolton’s Book Maneuvering As ‘Dangerous’ And ‘Inexplicable’By Chrissy Clark John Bolton’s former Chief of Staff, Fred Fleitz, is calls on John Bolton to withdraw his upcoming book from publication until after the 2020 election. Full articleGeorge W. Bush Blasted John Bolton In 2008: ‘I Don’t Consider Bolton Credible’By Sean Davis and Mollie Hemingway After Bolton trashed Bush in an op-ed, the former president complained that he had expended political capital on Bolton and got little in return. Full articleAfter Urging Bolton Testimony, Romney Refuses To Say If He Supports Calling Biden, Schiff, Whistleblower As WitnessesBy Madeline Osburn Romney calls for Bolton to testify, but as for other potential witnesses, he will make a decision “after listening to the White House’s defense.” Full articleBolton Book Leak Happened The Same Day His Book Became Available For Pre-OrderBy Tristan Justice Leaked details of former National Security Advisor John Bolton’s new book came on the same day Bolton’s book became available for pre-order. Full article IMPEACHMENT AS PERFORMANCE ART It seems so odd that the strongest motivating political factors for those sitting in the Senate today largely go unmentioned by any of the cable news outlets covering the events. Have you noticed? You can be forgiven if you haven’t. The largest motivating political factor for Adam Schiff is to gain what he views as rightfully his: the much desired Senate seat of Dianne Feinstein, oldest member of the Senate (who departed from the trial early last night by almost an hour). When it seemed like Feinstein was going to retire, Schiff stood up a fundraising operation and was clearly going to run for the seat in what would be a crowded and fractious primary – but then she decided to return, and he was rebuffed. Now, Schiff wants to use the impeachment process to gain enough popularity that he is Gov. Gavin Newsom’s selection for the plum job, with unanimous backing from the Democratic base as the hero who led the charge against Trump. Read more of The Transom by signing up for a free trial today. follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend Copyright © 2020 The Federalist, All rights reserved. unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences |
CONSERVATIVE DAILY NEWS
| Your daily update of new content from The Federalist Be lovers of freedom and anxious for the fray January 28, 2020 How The Coronavirus Could Destabilize The Chinese Government And WorldBy Willis L. Krumholz and Robert Delahunty If the coronavirus keeps spreading, the implications for international security and the global economy could be staggering — and not only in terms of public health. Full articleAfter Offing Quentin For The Crime Of Being A White Male, ‘The Magicians’ Is Falling ApartBy Libby Emmons After the hero is killed in ‘The Magicians,’ season five opens in a reckless assortment of ensemble stories that neither capture the imagination nor drive a cohesive plot forward. Full articleLast-Second Impeachment Game-Playing Is Kavanaugh 2.0By Tristan Justice Donald Trump’s opponents are reverting to the same failed tactics to derail the president’s agenda for the crime of winning the 2016 election. Full articleIG Report Proves Obama Administration Spied On Trump Campaign Big TimeBy Margot Cleveland The IG report established that the Obama administration spied on the Trump campaign, and the spying was much worse than previously thought. Full articleHow Alex P. Keaton Predicted The New Conservative MovementBy David Marcus Alex P. Keaton, the countercultural conservative from the 1980s sitcom ‘Family Ties,’ tells us a lot about the new conservative movement. Full articleKobe Bryant’s Life Is A Reminder Of The Reality Of RedemptionBy John Daniel Davidson Bryant’s death was met with denunciations of him on Twitter. But his life proved that redemption is possible, even for famous people with checkered lives. Full article2020 Guide To State Proposals To Protect Children From Transgender ExploitationBy Chad Felix Greene It is vital that Americans support and promote these efforts, state by state, to ensure children have the opportunity to stay children as long as possible. Full articleBloomberg Ad Champions His Support For Baby Health And…Baby DeathBy Keith Stanglin Why should we be so pleased and moved that infant mortality decreased at the same time we were free to kill as many of these same babies just before birth? Full articleDemocrats’ ‘Equality’ Act Would Be A Big Nudge Towards A U.S. Social Credit SystemBy Stella Morabito When you federalize thought policing, which is essentially what the Equality Act does, it appears to create a social credit system that nationalizes the punishment of wrong think. Full articleCourt Rebuffs Attempt To Make Politically Engaged Missourian Register As A LobbyistBy Zac Morgan Missouri’s theory would have rendered every Planned Parenthood or NRA activist who joins a ‘lobby day’ to meet with their representatives in the capitol as registered lobbyists. Full articleAre Neocons Really Back In The Trump Administration?By Sumantra Maitra There may be neoconservatives cheering that drone strike, as neoconservatives are wont to do, but it is unlikely that they are the ones driving policy. Full articleHow Arlen Specter Set An Impeachment Precedent Senators Might Not Want To FollowBy Christopher Jacobs Those chattering about President Trump’s impeachment trial have largely ignored one unique precedent, in the form of two words uttered by a senator from Pennsylvania: Not proved. Full articleBolton’s Former Top Deputy Blasts Bolton’s Book Maneuvering As ‘Dangerous’ And ‘Inexplicable’By Chrissy Clark John Bolton’s former Chief of Staff, Fred Fleitz, is calls on John Bolton to withdraw his upcoming book from publication until after the 2020 election. Full articleGeorge W. Bush Blasted John Bolton In 2008: ‘I Don’t Consider Bolton Credible’By Sean Davis and Mollie Hemingway After Bolton trashed Bush in an op-ed, the former president complained that he had expended political capital on Bolton and got little in return. Full articleAfter Urging Bolton Testimony, Romney Refuses To Say If He Supports Calling Biden, Schiff, Whistleblower As WitnessesBy Madeline Osburn Romney calls for Bolton to testify, but as for other potential witnesses, he will make a decision “after listening to the White House’s defense.” Full articleBolton Book Leak Happened The Same Day His Book Became Available For Pre-OrderBy Tristan Justice Leaked details of former National Security Advisor John Bolton’s new book came on the same day Bolton’s book became available for pre-order. Full article IMPEACHMENT AS PERFORMANCE ART It seems so odd that the strongest motivating political factors for those sitting in the Senate today largely go unmentioned by any of the cable news outlets covering the events. Have you noticed? You can be forgiven if you haven’t. The largest motivating political factor for Adam Schiff is to gain what he views as rightfully his: the much desired Senate seat of Dianne Feinstein, oldest member of the Senate (who departed from the trial early last night by almost an hour). When it seemed like Feinstein was going to retire, Schiff stood up a fundraising operation and was clearly going to run for the seat in what would be a crowded and fractious primary – but then she decided to return, and he was rebuffed. Now, Schiff wants to use the impeachment process to gain enough popularity that he is Gov. Gavin Newsom’s selection for the plum job, with unanimous backing from the Democratic base as the hero who led the charge against Trump. Read more of The Transom by signing up for a free trial today. follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend Copyright © 2020 The Federalist, All rights reserved. unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences |
THE BLAZE
CAFFEINATED THOUGHTS
| Connect: Facebook Twitter YouTubeView this email in your browser“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer,” (Psalm 19:14, ESV).Joni Ernst to Release a Book in MayBy Shane Vander Hart on Jan 27, 2020 05:53 pm U.S. Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, is set to release a new book on May 26, 2020, entitled ‘Daughter of the Heartland: My Ode to the Country that Raised Me.’ Read in browser » Buttigieg Pressed On Abortion During Fox News Town HallBy Shane Vander Hart on Jan 27, 2020 04:42 pm Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg was pressed on abortion and the Democratic platform’s exclusion of pro-life Democrats during his Fox News town hall. Read in browser » Joe Walsh Criticizes Republicans for Climate Change DenialBy Shane Vander Hart on Jan 27, 2020 01:35 pm Former U.S. Rep. and presidential candidate Joe Walsh: “When it comes to climate change as a Republican I always feel the need to apologize to my audience.” Read in browser » Eight Texas Towns Become Sanctuaries for the UnbornBy Lisa Hudson on Jan 27, 2020 08:35 am Big Spring, Colorado City, and Rusk join five other communities in Texas that have taken bold steps toward further reducing abortions by passing anti-abortion ordinances. Read in browser » Recent Articles: Cindy Axne Promotes Universal Background Checks and Assault Weapons Ban Respecting Gun Rights: A Tale of Two States – Iowa and Virginia Iowa Secretary of State Releases Fast Track Filing for Biennial Reports Amendment Declaring No Right to Abortion Clears Iowa Senate Committee National Pro-Life Group Gives Ernst and King an A, Fails Finkenauer, Loebsack, and AxneLaunched in 2006, Caffeinated Thoughts reports news and shares commentary about culture, current events, faith and state and national politics from a Christian and conservative point of view. Caffeinated Thoughts P.O. Box 57184 Des Moines, IA 50317 (515) 321-5077 Editor, Shane Vander Hart Connect: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.ShareTweetShareForwardCopyright © 2020 Caffeinated Thoughts, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. |
THE WASHINGTON POST MORNING MIX
| Sign up for this newsletterRead onlineStories from all over. NOxycodone pain pills prescribed for a patient with chronic pain lie on display.A tech company gave doctors free software — rigged to encourage them to prescribe opioids, prosecutors sayPractice Fusion accepted $1 million in kickbacks from a major opioid manufacturer in exchange for boosting their sales, according to court documents filed Monday.By Antonia Farzan ● Read more » A GOP lawmaker, the son of an Auschwitz survivor, compared doctors treating transgender children to Nazis. He regrets it.Deutsch told The Washington Post late Monday that he did not intend to equate those crimes with the medical practices that would be affected by South Dakota House Bill 1057.By Katie Shepherd ● Read more » ‘Vile man’: Mother of viral meme star orders Rep. Steve King to stop using her son’s image in campaign adLaney Griner, who’s son is the popular meme “Success Kid,” sent a cease-and-desist letter to King and his campaign Monday.By Allyson Chiu ● Read more » A cooler in the water led investigators to an alleged ‘serial’ baby-killer, now charged in five deaths over 9 yearsPolice say Paul Allen Perez killed five infants between 1992 and 2001, going entirely undetected until a fisherman’s grim discovery put investigators on his trail.By Meagan Flynn ● Read more » John Altobelli, coach killed with family and Bryant in helicopter crash, was ‘Kobe of the junior college baseball world’A celebrated sports figure in his own right, the longtime baseball coach of the Orange County College Pirates had grown close to Kobe Bryant as their daughters played basketball together.By Teo Armus ● Read more » We think you’ll like this newsletterCheck out The Trailer for news and insight on political campaigns around the country, from David Weigel. 435 districts. 50 states. Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings. Sign up » |
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THE DISPATCH
The Morning Dispatch: A Trip Down Memory Lane
Plus, the Supreme Court slaps down some uppity district courts.
Happy Tuesday! With all the recent developments, twists and turns, shifting loyalties, the impeachment saga can at times be tough to wrap your head around. We get it. For simplicity’s sake, allow Reason’s Peter Suderman to clear things up for you.Peter Suderman@petersudermanTrump didn’t do the thing he’s accused of doing, but if he did it was fine, and in fact that’s exactly what he did, get over it, because it’s not only fine, it’s precisely what we want from a president, and can you believe that Biden did the same thing, shame on him.January 27th 20204,561 Retweets21,042 Likes
Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories
- More than 80 people have now died from coronavirus during the current outbreak in China, and markets tumbled Monday amid growing concerns about China’s handling of the situation. Three thousand people have now contracted the virus, with more than 100 people being evaluated for the disease in the U.S.
- Former Whitewater prosecutor Ken Starr made his debut as a member of Trump’s impeachment team Monday, making the case that Congress had grown too quick to use impeachment powers in our current “age of impeachment.”
- With the Iowa caucuses just a week away, Bernie Sanders has taken a commanding lead as the state’s moderates struggle to decide whether to back Joe Biden, Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, or Pete Buttigieg.
- Rep. Doug Collins, a Georgia Republican and staunch Trump ally who played a prominent role in his House impeachment defense, is planning to primary recently appointed Sen. Kelly Loeffler later this year.
John Bolton, Then and Now
Throughout the course of President Trump’s impeachment and trial, one of the most important things he’s had going for him has been that almost none of the figures testifying against him had any substantial previous public profile. Bill Taylor, Gordon Sondland, Marie Yovanovitch, Fiona Hill, Alexander Vindman—were all individuals unknown to the average U.S. voter. So Trump surrogates and allies were able to portray each one—including Taylor and Sondland, hand-picked by top Trump advisers—as a grasping deep-stater with an ax to grind against the president, and whose testimony could thus be safely discounted.
John Bolton is different. The man who upended Trump’s trial this week, confirming that the president said he wouldn’t release military aid to Ukraine until that country committed to his desired investigations, is a longtime fixture in GOP politics: a prominent official in both the Bush and Trump White Houses and a mainstay on Fox News during the Obama years who commanded the respect of movement and professional conservatives alike.
But the fact that Bolton may now play a major antagonistic role in the Trump trial, of course, changes the calculation quite a bit. It’s hard to believe that anyone other than Lou Dobbs would think it possible to portray Bolton as a “tool of the left” or an avatar of the Deep State but it’s already begun.
It’s worth remembering what top Republicans said about Bolton when he was chosen as Trump’s national security adviser in March 2018—and when he departed last September.
Sen. Lindsey Graham: “Selecting John Bolton as National Security Adviser is good news for America’s allies and bad news for America’s enemies. I have known John Bolton for well over a decade and believe he will do an outstanding job as President Trump’s new National Security Adviser … President Trump could not have made a better choice in terms of having a reliable, seasoned, national security confidante.”
Rep. Lee Zeldin: “Ambassador John Bolton is ridiculously knowledgeable and will be a great National Security Adviser. The leaks coming out of the National Security Council will end, Obama administration holdovers will be gone and the team, chemistry and work product will all be improved. Ambassador Bolton is a very underrated, amazing American, and I applaud this extraordinarily talented pick.”
Rep. Jim Banks: “Ambassador Bolton is an excellent choice for National Security Adviser. He is a solid conservative and will bring a wealth of experience to the role. During this critical time, the American people will be fortunate to have his leadership as we rebuild our national defense.”
Sen. Marco Rubio: “I know John Bolton well and believe he is an excellent choice who will do a great job as National Security Adviser.”
Sen. Mitch McConnell: “As he departs the position of National Security Advisor, I want to thank Ambassador John Bolton for his many years of valuable service to our country. Personally, I have always appreciated John’s candid and clear advice. He possesses something crucial—the ability to understand the world the way it is. He knows there are many threats to American interests, and that those threats will not recede if we retreat … I wish him well wherever his career next takes him.”
Sen. Ted Cruz: “John Bolton is a friend, and he has devoted his life to defending our national security, including providing wise counsel to multiple administrations.”
Gorsuch Cracks Back at Injunction Dysfunction
In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court on Monday announced it would allow the Trump administration to implement a new policy that will deny entry to any alien seeking admission to the United States if “he or she is likely at any time to become a public charge” defined as anyone “who is likely to become primarily dependent on the government for subsistence.”
The court’s decision was limited, allowing the policy to go into effect only while lower courts continue to consider the merits of the myriad cases challenging its legality. A statewide injunction remains in effect in Illinois. And the policy will not apply to refugees seeking asylum and other exempted visa programs.
While this decision did not address the scope of the administration’s immigration authority, it was interesting for another reason: It was yet another indication of the court’s unhappiness with the influx of nationwide injunctions. According to the Department of Justice, there have been more than 40 nationwide injunctions issued so far during the Trump administration, compared with 20 issued throughout President Barack Obama’s eight years in office. In response, Attorney General William Barr called on the “judiciary to re-examine a practice that embitters the political life of the nation, flouts constitutional principles, and stultifies sound judicial administration, all at the cost of public confidence in our institutions.”
With Justice Clarence Thomas joining, Justice Gorsuch took those district judges to task in Monday’s concurring opinion for abandoning their appropriate role in the legal system—to redress specific harms to specific parties who bring cases before them—in favor of behaving like mini-Supreme Courts, halting federal policies nationwide without regard for the court’s own particular jurisdiction to do so.
“When a district court orders the government not to enforce a rule against the plaintiffs in the case before it, the court redresses the injury that gives rise to its jurisdiction in the first place,” Gorsuch wrote. “But when a court goes further than that, ordering the government to take (or not take) some action with respect to those who are strangers to the suit, it is hard to see how the court could still be acting in the judicial role of resolving cases and controversies.”
Such nationwide injunctions, Gorsuch argued, rob the executive branch of its authority to set its own policies, since a single loss in any one of the country’s 94 judicial districts is enough to put the policy on hold indefinitely.
“And all that can repeat, ad infinitum, until either one side gives up or this Court grants certiorari,” he wrote. “What in this gamesmanship and chaos can we be proud of?”
This isn’t the first these justices have signaled their disapproval of the injunction trend. In 2018, Justice Thomas wrote a similar concurring opinion to the 2018 travel ban decision that Justice Gorsuch joined.
Worth Your Time
- “It’s a sad day in L.A.” In this mournful piece for The Ringer, Paolo Uggetti reports the many public ways Los Angelenos are working through their sorrow about the death of Kobe Bryant. “‘RIP to the greatest. Mamba Forever,’ said one of the notes. ‘Tom Brady has nothing on your dynasty,’ said another. A third simply said, ‘You were L.A.’”
- FOMO—fear of missing out—is one of the more useful neologisms of our Urban Dictionary age. But Patrick McGinnis, who coined the term in 2004, thinks there’s another that more pertinent to our era: FOBO, the fear of a better option that, he contends in this Politico piece, has paralyzed the Democratic primary.
- For anyone interested in how malignant astroturf social media operations take on a life of their own and evolve over time, this Medium post on the subject, which digs into research funded by the Mozilla Foundation, is well worth a read.
Presented Without Comment
Something Fun
Despite never being one for Game of Thrones, one of your Morning Dispatchers has been getting into Netflix’s response to it: The Witcher, based on the novels of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, which became popular over the last decade after they were made into a series of well-received video games.
We got a kick out of this interview with Sapkowski—who says he didn’t play a large role in bringing his characters to the screen, as “I do not like working too hard or too long. By the way, I do not like working at all. ‘Let he who is without sin cast the first stone at me.’”
Toeing the Company Line
- Legal beagles rejoice: There’s a new episode of Advisory Opinions to consume! In this week’s episode, Sarah and David break down the Bolton news, dive into the history behind Congress’s inability to rein in the bloated executive branch, and take a look back at the extraordinary life of Kobe Bryant.
- Speaking of Sarah: Be sure to give her latest piece on the site a read, which looks at the importance of Goldman Sachs’ decision to stop taking companies public if their board is comprised entirely of white men.
- Also on the web, Gregg Nunziata argues that, actually, the Founding Fathers intended for there to be more impeachments than we’ve seen over the history of our country.
Let Us Know
As the president’s surrogates start to turn on John Bolton, which of his vices should they go after first?
- His habit of touching his glasses when he talks—plainly the tic of a dishonest man.
- His stubbornly anachronistic facial hair—not the mark of a person in step with the political times.
- His bad habit of never leaking to The Dispatch.
Reporting by Declan Garvey (@declanpgarvey), Andrew Egger (@EggerDC), Sarah Isgur (@whignewtons), and Steve Hayes (@stephenfhayes).
Subscriber comments
| Kevin Durant?2 hr“More than 80 people have now died from coronavirus during the current outbreak in China, and markets tumbled Monday amid growing concerns about China’s handling of the situation.”——————————One of the hidden downsides of a deadly virus named after a beer is that my dad is going to make a ‘Corona virus’ joke every time he suspects me of being hungover from now into eternity😑😑😑Reply |
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DESERET NEWS
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MEET THE PRESS FIRST READ
| From NBC’s Chuck Todd, Mark Murray and Carrie Dann. FIRST READ: For the GOP on impeachment, it’s Trump’s way or the highwayAfter Sen. Mitt Romney voiced support Monday for calling witnesses after news of John Bolton’s claims from his new book, the newest GOP senator – Georgia’s Kelly Loeffler – fired back at her GOP colleague. (Later on Monday, we learned why Loeffler might have fired off that tweet – GOP Rep. Doug Collins, one of Trump’s biggest defenders in the House, is planning to primary her.) It’s all a reminder that, for Republicans in the Trump Era, there is no breathing room – unless you’re a Susan Collins or Lisa Murkowski. It’s Trump’s way or the highway. And it’s exactly how the president wants it – if you remember from the Jeff Flake and Bob Corker retirements, the defeat of Rep. Carlos Curbelo, the primary opposition to Mark Sanford. Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty ImagesIt’s also a profound change from 20 years ago, when then-Sen. Joe Lieberman could criticize Bill Clinton’s behavior – and then become his party’s VP running mate. (Of course, Lieberman would later become a man without a party…) Over the past three years, our national politics has pretty much been reduced to this choice: Are you helping Trump, or are you thwarting him? And there’s very little in between for members of Congress and senators who might want to go in a different direction. Throwing spaghetti against the wallPresident Trump’s lawyers on Monday were throwing so much spaghetti against the wall – to see what would stick – the Senate chamber might have been the kitchen in an Olive Garden. You had: Ken Starr – yes, THAT Ken Starr – criticizing the use of impeachment as a tool: “Like war, impeachment is hell…” Jay Sekulow maintaining that no witness has testified that Trump himself said there was any connection between Ukraine’s security assistance and an investigation into the Bidens (even though John Bolton is now claiming the president told him this). Alan Dershowitz saying that, even if Bolton’s claims are true, they’re not an impeachable offense: “Let me repeat: nothing in the Bolton revelations, even if true, would rise to the level of an abuse of power or an impeachable offense.” Jane Raskin contending that Rudy Giuliani’s activities with Ukraine had nothing to do with 2020 politics. And Pam Bondi and Eric Herschmann arguing that the Bidens NEEDED to be investigated. Got all of that? If you’re a regular watcher of Sean Hannity, it might have made sense. But if not, it was all over the place. TWEET OF THE DAY: Biden v. Joni Ernst https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/122200710138977075 Impeachment trial update: Last day for the president’s defenseIt’s the third and final day of arguments for the president’s legal team, per NBC’s Kasie Hunt and the NBC Capitol Hill team. The Senate gavels in at 1:00 pm ET. Where are we? Last Tuesday: procedural jousting over the organizing resolution; rules passed around 2:00 am ET Last Wednesday: prosecution opening arguments, 8 hours Last Thursday: prosecution, 8 hours Last Friday: prosecution, 8 hours Last Saturday: White House defense Sunday: off Yesterday: White House defense Today: White House defense Tomorrow: Senators’ questions Thursday: Senators’ questions Friday: Deliberations? Saturday: Vote on witnesses? Sunday: off Monday: Iowa caucuses Tuesday: State of the Union 2020 VISION: Third slogan’s the charm for Warren? First, there was Elizabeth Warren’s “I’ve got a plan for that.” Then came the messaging from her campaign and surrogates that she’s the “unity candidate” – best able to unify the Biden-versus-Bernie voters. And now comes a third slogan for Warren just days before the Iowa caucuses: “Women win,” report NBC’s Ali Vitali, Deepa Shivaram and Molly Roecker. “‘I just want to be clear: Women win!’ she declared Sunday night to cheers in Cedar Rapids.” More: “‘People ask in different ways,’ Warren said when asked by NBC News about her new closing pitch Sunday night. ‘They ask about it. I’m glad to talk about it right up front.’ And the new riffs directly take on the electability argument, presenting her gender as an asset against Trump.”On the campaign trail today: The activity in Iowa: Joe Biden campaigns in Muscatine, Davenport and Clinton… Pete Buttigieg holds town halls in Ottumwa, Osceola and Indianola… Tom Steyer hits Ankeny and Des Moines… Andrew Yang is in Perry, Nevada… And Michael Moore and Ben & Jerry stump for Bernie Sanders in Iowa… In New Hampshire, Ashley Judd stumps for Warren, as Tulsi Gabbard remains in the Granite State… And President Trump holds a politically rally in Wildwood, N.J.Dispatches from NBC’s campaign embeds: Pete Buttigieg can’t quite shake questions about his lack of support in the black community, NBC’s Priscilla Thompson reports. While campaigning in Iowa yesterday, Buttigieg’s first question of the evening was how Buttigieg could give votes confidence that he can build a larger coalition. His response echoed many of his earlier statements – first, he has to do well in Iowa. “It is certainly more challenging when you’ve been here a matter of months in presidential politics instead of decades. And you have seen even African-American candidates struggled to get out of single digits in the South. So even though we’ve done better with minority voters here in the Midwest, folks in the South are very skeptical and not without reason,” Buttigieg said. And Michael Bloomberg’s last conversation with Donald Trump, reported by NBC’s Amanda Golden: “Bloomberg said he talked to President Trump once before he got into office, and said that the last time he spoke to him was between when he got elected and when he took office – ‘We had a pleasant conversation. He asked what he should do, I said hire people smarter than you and he said there aren’t any, and you know I said look you got to get people that have knowledge of each of these areas – defense and finance and commerce and all of these things that he knows nothing about. And he said, well he did know something about it. But I said if you could get good people and delegate to them, then you can have a decent administration and he said, well, thank you very much. He couldn’t have been more polite, as I remember.’” DATA DOWNLOAD: 70 percent 70 percent. That’s the average share of votes in 2016 that Hillary Clinton won in the states and congressional districts where Bernie Sanders has earned major presidential endorsements, per NBC’s Liz Brown-Kaiser. Of the eight U.S. representatives and senators who have endorsed Sanders in the 2020 race, Hillary Clinton won an average of 72 percent of the vote in those states and districts. Ilan Omar (MN-5): Clinton won 73 percent of the vote in 2016 Rashida Tlaib (MI-13): 78 percent Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14): 77 percent Ro Khanna (CA-17): 73 percent Pat Leahy (VT-SEN): 57 percent Peter Welch (VT-AT LARGE): 57 percent Mark Pocan (WI-2): 65 percent Pramila Jayapal (WA-7): 80 percent Average: 70 percent That 70 percent average is in contrast to Clinton’s 59 percent average in the states and districts from Joe Biden’s and Elizabeth Warren’s major endorsers; 58 percent for Pete Buttigieg’s major endorsers; and 45 percent for Amy Klobuchar’s endorsers. THE LID: Granite State of Mind Don’t miss the pod from yesterday, when we broke down what you need to know about the latest data out of New Hampshire.ICYMI: News clips you shouldn’t miss The Trump administration’s Middle East peace plan is expected to allow conditional statehood for Palestine. The Washington Post asks if Elizabeth Warren’s ground game in Iowa will get her over the edge. The New York Times looks into how employees of color on the Buttigieg campaign spoke up about issues in the workplace. The State Department has kicked an NPR reporter off an upcoming foreign trip after a dustup between one of her colleagues and Mike Pompeo. POLITICO looks into a Virgin Islands property deal between Joe Biden’s brother and a lobbyist.Thanks for reading. If you’re a fan, please forward this to a friend. They can sign up here. We love hearing from our readers, so shoot us a line here with your comments and suggestions. Thanks, Chuck, Mark and Carrie. |
REALCLEARPOLITICS
01/28/2020Share: Carl Cannon’s Morning NoteButtigieg and Abortion; Impeachment; Battle Hymn Good morning. It’s Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020. On this date 112 years ago, Julia Ward Howe became the first woman elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. She was a fitting member: If not for her there might not have been an American Academy of Arts and Letters — or, rather, there might be two, one North and one South.In 1908, Julia Ward Howe was only two years from death. What she had accomplished by then, however, sounds like the work of three lifetimes. A trailblazing writer before the Civil War who authored the most inspiring song of the war and afterward became a tireless advocate for causes ranging from prison reform to women’s suffrage, Howe was always at the front lines of freedom.I’ll have more on this remarkable American in a moment. First, I’d point you to RealClearPolitics’ front page, which presents our poll averages, videos, breaking news stories, and aggregated opinion pieces spanning the political spectrum. We also offer original material from our own reporters, columnists, and contributors, including the following:* * *Buttigieg Won’t Say if He Backs Northam on Late-Term Abortion. The candidate refuses to state at what point in a pregnancy abortion should be banned, if at all, angering some pro-life Democrats, Susan Crabtree reports.WH Lawyers Have Already Closed the Case on Impeachment. Peter J. Wallison asserts that the presentation made Saturday effectively undercut House managers’ arguments.Democrats’ Dubious Impeachment Subtext of Treason. Michael Tracey writes that the T-word appears throughout the House Judiciary Committee’s 658-page impeachment report, but lays low in final articles produced by the majority for good reason.Why Goldman Sachs Should Quit the Virtue Signaling. RealClearMarkets editor John Tamny takes aim at CEO David Solomon’s new initiative.Ending Legacy Admissions Is a Terrible Idea. Anthony DiMauro explains in RealClearEducation.Stop an Injustice to Religious Schools. In RealClearReligion, David Benger and Nathan Berkeley spotlight a case now before the Supreme Court.United in Faith to Address Income Inequality. Also in RCR, Ro Khanna and Francis Rooney argue that expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit is one way for believers of all stripes to help those in need.Belief in Dark Matter vs. Belief in God. RealClearScience editor Ross Pomeroy examines a prominent point put forth in a new book, “What Science Is and How It Really Works.”* * *Born in New York City in 1819, Julia Ward pursued a writing career early in life. What might have seemed like an interruption in that career — her marriage to social reformer Samuel Gridley Howe — helped give her work focus. Her husband was an ardent abolitionist, and Julia threw herself into the movement with passion and purpose.After Fort Sumter, the struggle to end slavery merged with the fight to keep the United States intact, and in 1861 the Howes found themselves in a group reviewing Union troops outside of Washington. Their visit was cut short by a skirmish with raiding Confederates, but on their trip back to the capital city, the Howes serenaded federal troops with a hypnotic tune they’d heard that very morning sung by other soldiers. It began, “John Brown’s body lies a-mouldering in the grave…” and ended with the chorus: “His soul goes marching on!”The “weird melody,” as Howe called it, was apparently composed in the 1850s by a part-time songwriter named William Steffe, who sold insurance in Philadelphia. His up-tempo ditty was intended as a welcome song for a visiting fire company from Baltimore. It began, “Say, bummers will you meet us…”Copyright law being less rigorous at that time than today, this catchy tune was soon appropriated by others, often by those who put religious lyrics to it. In one version, the opening line became, “Say, brothers will you meet us on Canaan’s happy shore…” In these versions, the chorus “Glory, glory hallelujah” began appearing.The day Howe and her husband sang the John Brown version back to Union soldiers — who applauded wildly — their family pastor, Unitarian minister James Freeman Clarke, was also in the carriage. He asked Julia if she might pen some more uplifting lyrics “for that inspiring tune.”She did so, that very night. Her poem appeared a few weeks later in the February edition of The Atlantic Monthly, without a byline but with a memorable title suggested by Atlantic editor James T. Fields: “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”This was a religious number, an abolitionist battle cry and a patriotic song all rolled into one, and it provided a noble purpose for the soldiers marching to war, many to their deaths. Union military commanders certainly understood its power. And officers in both armies appreciated how the men drew encouragement from the musicians in their ranks.Robert E. Lee expressed pleasure at being serenaded spontaneously by a unit of Confederate soldiers from North Carolina. “I don’t believe we can have an army without music,” he said. Hundreds of songs were played during that war, every regiment having a favorite, with “Dixie” emerging as a Southern standard. This catchy ditty was even fancied by Abraham Lincoln, but suffice it to say that “I Wish I Was in Dixie” suffered by comparison to “as He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free.”An anonymous Confederate major is said to have told his Union counterparts days after Appomattox, “Gentlemen, if we’d had your songs, we’d have licked you out of your boots.”In hindsight, probably not, as the North had a lot going for it besides better music, not least of which was an infinitely nobler cause. And no song better captured that truth than the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”Union soldiers held prisoner at Richmond’s Libby Prison sang it loudly after hearing the news of Gettysburg. Released before the war ended, one of those captives, a Methodist chaplain from Ohio named Charles Cardwell McCabe, related the story to an audience at the U.S. Capitol that included President Lincoln.“I made a brief address and wound up as requested by singing the ‘Battle Hymn,’” McCabe recalled in a letter to his wife. “When we came to the chorus, the audience rose. Oh, how they sang! I kept time for them with my hand and the mighty audience sang in exact time. Some shouted out loud at the last verse, and above all the uproar, Mr. Lincoln’s voice was heard: ‘Sing it again!’”As a people we have kept singing it, too, when we needed it most. That hymn, and the sentiments it evokes, have been an American touchstone through the years. It was sung in the Washington National Cathedral after 9/11. It was invoked memorably as a prose-poem by Martin Luther King Jr. on the capitol steps in Montgomery, Ala., in March 1965.“How long?” King asked. “Not long. Because mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored. He’s loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword. His truth is marching on. He has sounded forth the trumpet that will never call retreat!” Carl M. Cannon Washington Bureau chief, RealClearPolitics @CarlCannon (Twitter) ccannon@realclearpolitics.com Having trouble viewing this email? | [Unsubscribe] | Update Subscription Preferences Copyright © 2020 RealClearHoldings, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email becuase you opted in at our website. Our mailing address is: RealClearHoldings666 Dundee RoadBldg. 600Northbrook, IL 60062 Add us to your address book |
NOQ REPORT
- Own a piece of history: Nancy Pelosi (sucks) pens now on sale
- Conspiracy theory or truth? ‘100,000 infected by coronavirus’
- ‘The Gentlemen’ is the middle finger woke movie audiences deserve
- Pam Bondi exposes the shocking amount of money Burisma paid Hunter Biden for his father’s influence
- What to do to destroy a party
- Senator Kelly Loeffler, a Mitt Romney mega-donor, chastises him for siding with Democrats
- How many misleading media bombshells do we need to live through?
- OAN: President Trump’s approval rating soars amid impeachment trial
- Susan Collins signals she trusts vindictive liars more than her GOP colleagues
- Mark Meadows highlights major flaw in Democrats’ impeachment premise
| Own a piece of history: Nancy Pelosi (sucks) pens now on salePosted: 28 Jan 2020 05:50 AM PSTThe “somber” moment of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi signing the Articles of Impeachment with collectors’ pens that were exclusively given to members of her caucus made many on the left jealous. But now every American can own a virtually indistinguishable replica of these special writing instruments thanks to Stu Burguiere and Blaze Media.They’re properly priced to signify the year of the Speaker’s birth, $19.40. It’s a bargain when considering their ability to put ink on paper make them more effective and significant than the sham impeachment itself. When the Senate trial ends and President Trump is exonerated, the trial will be forgotten but the pens will last long afterwards.*dying* & it is @StuDoesAmerica’s fault. https://t.co/yUNOSAJiWw— Stacey – A.K.A The Liberty Gypsy (@ScotsFyre) January 27, 2020Forget the gold coins or collectors’ watches. The smart money is on these wonderful pens, sold at an unbelievable price (is Pelosi really that old?) by Stu Burguiere and Blaze Media. When they’re gone, they’re gone, so act now!American Conservative MovementJoin fellow patriots as we form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. We have two priorities until election day: Stopping Democrats and supporting strong conservative candidates. We currently have 7500+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.First Name Last Name Email Address Comments SubmitMixi.Media NewsThe post Own a piece of history: Nancy Pelosi (sucks) pens now on sale appeared first on NOQ Report – Conservative Christian News, Opinions, and Quotes. |
| Conspiracy theory or truth? ‘100,000 infected by coronavirus’Posted: 28 Jan 2020 04:36 AM PSTAmerican media has turned to focusing on the five cases of coronavirus confirmed in the United States while looking at the wildlife trade ban in China. That’s fine by China, who appears to be covering up just how bad the disease has gotten in some areas. The latest reports say there are around 4.500 cases and over 100 deaths. But intrepid souls on the ground who risk jail time for reporting their perspectives say the disease is much, much worse than it’s being reported by the press.Christian conspiracy theorist Dana Ashlie, whose YouTube channel has a modest 127,000 subscribers despite the strength of her reporting, put out a video Sunday that compiled some of what’s being found on the internet. It’s challenging to find this information as the Chinese government has done everything it can to contain reports coming from ground zero of the coronavirus. They are attempting to control the narrative, as they are wont to do, but the handful of leaks from within seem to indicate a much worse scenario than the Chinese Communist Party is telling the world. If it’s as bad as Ashlie and others believe, this report from the NY Post becomes even more terrifying.Half of Wuhan fled before lockdown, raising risk of coronavirus spreadThe exodus from the city of 11 million took place during the 24 days between Dec. 30, when the first reports of infection emerged, and Thursday, when the city was effectively quarantined, Zhou said.The travelers took off for Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore and Japan, as well as other parts of China, the South China Morning Post reported.Seventeen cities in China, encompassing more than 50 million people, have now been locked down as the virus has continued to spread.Anger mounted on social media over officials’ response, with some accusing the government of withholding information in the early days of the outbreak.While I appreciate that our coverage here has been cautionary about both the need for us to be prepared and the risks of blowing it out of proportions, I’ll disagree with my colleagues by saying this is a much bigger story than we’re hearing from the press. China is being hit so hard because they weren’t prepared. This is understandable since there was no way to see it coming. But we don’t have that excuse. We see it coming and should be doing everything we can to prepare. Simple temperature screenings at airports is not enough, as the disease has an incubation period of up to two weeks and someone can be contagious for a week before showing symptoms.One of our writers noted that whatever China reports about the coronavirus, assume reality is worse. This is an understatement. If they’re saying 5,000 people are infected, we should assume it’s at least 50,000. Considering the nature of the virus, we may actually be looking at hundreds of thousands of cases with over half of them not showing a single sign of infection yet.There are times when conspiracy theory alarmism is dangerous. The coronavirus is not one of those times. I’d rather tell people to be prepared and turn out wrong about how bad it is than not tell people and turn out right. This could be a monster of Biblical proportions.American Conservative MovementJoin fellow patriots as we form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. We have two priorities until election day: Stopping Democrats and supporting strong conservative candidates. We currently have 7500+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.First Name Last Name Email Address Comments SubmitMixi.Media NewsThe post Conspiracy theory or truth? ‘100,000 infected by coronavirus’ appeared first on NOQ Report – Conservative Christian News, Opinions, and Quotes. |
| ‘The Gentlemen’ is the middle finger woke movie audiences deservePosted: 28 Jan 2020 04:05 AM PSTThe Gentlemen, Guy Ritchie’s latest film starring Matthew McConaughey, is a fun movie featuring the twists, turns, and gangsters we grew accustomed to from the British filmmaker who made Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. It’s bombastic and oftentimes unexpected with stellar performances by McConaughey, Hugh Grant, Colin Farrell, and others in the star-studded cast.It received a decent 72% on Rotten Tomatoes, but the reviews against it were REALLY against it. In fact, some were borderline unhinged as they attempted to not just give it a poor review but to tarnish anyone involved in the film. It wasn’t the glorification of the drug dealing world that got to them. It wasn’t the violence, murder, or profuse use of foul language. It was the “casual racism” that triggered them, as Christian Toto noted at The Daily Wire:Film critics will accept plenty of flaws in our movie anti-heroes.Professional hit men? Sure, as long as they love dogs as much as John Wick does. Strippers? Assuming they drug and steal from men to battle the patriarchy, no problem.Heaven help films that show shouting racial stereotypes, though. We’re learning that with the release of “The Gentlemen,” a film beyond the pale for select critics.Toto lists some of the examples of utterly offended reviewers lambasting the film’s use of common racist tropes. There were many more. One could argue that the movie would have scored in the 90%-95% range if it were more woke in the way it handled racism, but the jokes and passing comments that triggered the critics were enough to keep them from enjoying and recommending this highly entertaining film.As with many Ritchie films, the surprises came following not-so-subtle hints scattered throughout, and while it had its share of plot holes, it delivered on being fun to watch and oftentimes shocking in how the underworld of top-level British drug dealing dealt with each other.Farrell was exceptional in his supporting role, though don’t expect any award mentions next year. The same goes for Grant who plugged in an uncanny east London cockney accent as a sharp contrast to his standard posh diction and flow. As for McConaughey, it was him playing him if he were an American drug lord in England, which was as enjoyable to watch as it sounds.The things that used to trigger movie critics, namely too much sex, violence, or foul language, are no longer a concern to this new breed of Hollywood kingmakers. But throw in a joke or two about race and their virtue-signaling erupts.American Conservative MovementJoin fellow patriots as we form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. We have two priorities until election day: Stopping Democrats and supporting strong conservative candidates. We currently have 7500+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.First Name Last Name Email Address Comments SubmitMixi.Media NewsThe post ‘The Gentlemen’ is the middle finger woke movie audiences deserve appeared first on NOQ Report – Conservative Christian News, Opinions, and Quotes. |
| Pam Bondi exposes the shocking amount of money Burisma paid Hunter Biden for his father’s influencePosted: 28 Jan 2020 02:32 AM PSTWhen Hunter Biden and his business partner, Devon Archer, joined the board for Ukrainian energy company Burisma, many who were paying attention wondered what he brought to the table. He wasn’t a successful business leader, an expert on Ukraine, or knowledgeable in any way with the energy industry. But Hunter Biden’s father did happen to hold a position of importance to the company. He was Vice President of the United States and the man tasked by the administration to handle foreign policy with Ukraine.How much was having such an important connection worth? For months, it has been reported that he made $50,000 per month, a lofty sum for someone who brought only one apparent benefit to the company. But some news outlets have been reporting that it was actually $83,333 for each of the two American board members, or $2,000,000 per year combined. As Trump impeachment attorney Pam Bondi noted yesterday before the Senate, it was actually higher than that.Why this is importantSince around halfway through the initial impeachment inquiry in the House of Representatives, Democrats have been pushing “abuse of power” as their core complaint against the President. This became the charge in one of their two Articles of Impeachment. In essence, they are accusing the President of going after Joe Biden for no reason other than to hurt him as a possible opponent in the upcoming presidential election.The President has argued that his request for cooperation between Ukraine and the United States in sniffing out corruption in their past that included 2016 election interference and Biden’s engagement with Ukraine was nothing more than that – an attempt to root out corruption. As we learn how deep that corruption really was, the case that it was just for political gain evaporates for all but the most unhinged Trump accusers.At the heart of the matter is Hunter and Joe Biden. If Hunter Biden was paid for essentially nothing of substance within the company, the fact that his father forced the Ukrainian government to fire Viktor Shokin, the Prosecutor General who was investigating Burisma, seems to be the only benefit. And it was costly; between salary and bonuses that the well-connect duo received in a 17-month period while Joe Biden was Vice President, Burisma paid them over $3.1 million.Folks, this is corruption. This is blatant, unambiguous abuse of power on the part of the former Vice President. The lofty salaries and bonuses now seem like a drop in the bucket compared to the financial benefits the energy company received for their investment. A corruption charge filed by the most powerful prosecutor in Ukraine would have cost them much, much more.These are things the Democrats won’t talk about willingly. When they’re forced to address it, they make the feeble claim that it was all just a coincidence that Hunter Biden received direct benefits from the actions of the Vice President and that everyone in Europe knew Shokin was corrupt. But there’s a huge hole in this argument. As we will demonstrate in future articles, Yuriy Lutsenko, the man who replaced Shokin, was the epitome of Ukrainian corruption. If Biden was really concerned about Shokin’s corruption, he should have been flabbergasted by his replacement’s. But he wasn’t. Why? Because Lutskenko closed all cases against Burisma.Burisma paid Hunter Biden and his partner over $3 million. To date, the only possible benefit they received for their payoff (also known as a “board salary”) is having VP Joe Biden get a prosecutor off their back. It was corrupt money well spent in their eyes.American Conservative MovementJoin fellow patriots as we form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. We have two priorities until election day: Stopping Democrats and supporting strong conservative candidates. We currently have 7500+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.First Name Last Name Email Address Comments SubmitMixi.Media NewsThe post Pam Bondi exposes the shocking amount of money Burisma paid Hunter Biden for his father’s influence appeared first on NOQ Report – Conservative Christian News, Opinions, and Quotes. |
| What to do to destroy a partyPosted: 27 Jan 2020 08:04 PM PSTIt is getting harder and harder to understand what is happening to and within the Democrat Party. I am almost beginning to believe that forces of good have taken over that party with the plan of destroying it once and for all, leaving only one viable party in the United States, the Republican Party, the party of Lincoln.Imagine if you were appointed the one in charge of the Democrats, and your secret agenda is to destroy it. What would you do? I suggest as starters that you take your most extreme 4 members who are nothing less than Communist, Anti-Semitic, bullies, and make sure that they steer the party. That will surely turn off many otherwise dedicated voters.Then, it is a great idea to promise to raise taxes. Everyone loves that idea, NOT. It is a great idea to make sure that promises of trillions of dollars are made, enough to denude every one of every penny they hold.Make sure that all your candidates put their hands up in the air to promise that they would provide free money and free medical care for all illegal immigrants. This is a really good one. The electorate realize now that it is not only unaffordable for our present illegals, wait until they realize that everyone in Guatemala with a tumor is getting on the next bus to get our free medical care.So, then, go to the crème de la crème. Let’s promise to get rid of borders. Couple that with the free medical care and automatic welfare, and we will suck the populations of other countries off the map. Why would anyone stay in El Salvador? Armies of families will march into the United States.So, what can we do which is even better? Let’s pursue an impeachment against a president who has incredibly boosted our economy, rebuilt our military, established respect from the rest of the world, and who is actively neutering those renegade countries who insist on arming themselves with weapons of mass destruction. Let’s make sure that the impeachment can never end in anything other than an acquittal and that it be done in a public trial where the world will watch.Think about it. By 2021, the Democrat Party will be shaking their own kind of death rattle. It is what they have been working to accomplish. Let them have it.About Peter TicktinPeter Ticktin of The Ticktin Law Group centers his practice on representing individuals and businesses with creative approaches to achieve the most pragmatically sensible results. Since his admission to The Florida Bar in 1991, Mr. Ticktin has led the fight in HIV litigation, has been a champion for the little guy and gal, against discrimination, and for small business. Ticktin unearthed the robo-signers in the mortgage foreclosure scandal, providing all the states attorney generals with what they needed to win a $30 Billion settlement with the banks.“We believe superior legal work demands creative solutions and we pride ourselves on being cost effective and prioritizing communications with our clients.” said Ticktin.When Peter Ticktin formed The Ticktin Law Group, he trained the firm’s lawyers to find the obvious ways to win, and if there were no obvious ways, to be creative and to find a new way. As a result, over the years, The Ticktin Law Group and Peter Ticktin, personally, have been responsible for cutting edge solutions in several areas of the law including business litigation, trust litigation, and even divorce law. With the mantra that they are “in it to win it,” and with their creative approach, they believe that The Ticktin Law Group provides superior legal work. Clients want results.Peter Ticktin is also very passionate about founding and running The Global Warming Foundation, an organization whose mission is to educate the world about the environmental and economic threats posed by climate change and parallels Donald Trump’s economic doctrine.“There is a need for America to now prosper, so that we can deal with this problem, not just by reducing use of fossil fuels, but by geo-engineering, hence a need for a space force.” said Ticktin.Mr. Ticktin’s practice is representing businesses and individuals with creative approaches to achieve sensible results. He is also instrumental in supervising and attending to other work of The Ticktin Law Group.American Conservative MovementJoin fellow patriots as we form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. We have two priorities until election day: Stopping Democrats and supporting strong conservative candidates. We currently have 7500+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.First Name Last Name Email Address Comments SubmitMixi.Media NewsThe post What to do to destroy a party appeared first on NOQ Report – Conservative Christian News, Opinions, and Quotes. |
| Senator Kelly Loeffler, a Mitt Romney mega-donor, chastises him for siding with DemocratsPosted: 27 Jan 2020 01:49 PM PSTWhen Mitt Romney ran for President in 2012, one of his biggest super PAC donors was Kelly Loeffler. Between her and her husband, Jeffrey C. Sprecher, they contributed $1.5 million to get him elected. Even though the money was wasted on Romney’s horrible campaigning and moderate policies, at least she made a friend who would eventually be a Senator.Today, Loeffler is a Senator as well. Appointed by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Loeffler is the newest member of the Senate, jumping head-first into her job by listening to the impeachment trial shortly after being sworn in. She has heard the same evidence as Romney, but she has come to a completely different conclusion.After 2 weeks, it’s clear that Democrats have no case for impeachment. Sadly, my colleague @SenatorRomney wants to appease the left by calling witnesses who will slander the @realDonaldTrump during their 15 minutes of fame. The circus is over. It’s time to move on! #gapol— Senator Kelly Loeffler (@SenatorLoeffler) January 27, 2020Romney has indicated he is strongly considering voting to hear more witnesses, including former National Security Adviser John Bolton, breaking from his party and demonstrating once again he suffers from arguably the worst case of Trump Derangement Syndrome among any of his Republican colleagues.Bolton is in the news now because a press leak revealed he insinuated in his upcoming book that President Trump told him he was withholding military aid from Ukraine until they complied to his request to investigate corruption that pertained to the United States. It matches the Democrats’ claims as the basis of impeachment and offers Romney an opportunity to attack his nemesis.Imagine a world in which Romney considered the radical progressives of the Democratic Party his actual nemesis.When Mitt Romney ran for president, Kelly Loeffler and her husband donated $1.5 million to help him get elected. Now that she’s his colleague in the Senate, she has seen his true RINO colors. This impeachment scam must end.American Conservative MovementJoin fellow patriots as we form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. We have two priorities until election day: Stopping Democrats and supporting strong conservative candidates. We currently have 7500+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.First Name Last Name Email Address Comments SubmitMixi.Media NewsThe post Senator Kelly Loeffler, a Mitt Romney mega-donor, chastises him for siding with Democrats appeared first on NOQ Report – Conservative Christian News, Opinions, and Quotes. |
| How many misleading media bombshells do we need to live through?Posted: 27 Jan 2020 11:47 AM PSTI am over bombshells. I have no interest in anonymous sources and people close to the President who only speak on the condition of anonymity. Accused felons trying to save themselves by making stuff up is so Michael Cohen. Now I am over John Bolton.The House “solemnly” delivered Articles of Impeachment to the Senate, in a ceremony which included ceremonial pens and a forced march. And breathless coverage from an adoring media. The Articles arrived on Senator McConnell’s desk without alleging any criminal act and a very thin investigative file.Still, a Senate trial was scheduled as required. Then the “bombshells” started.First, the night before the trial, a breathless left-wing press let us all know the Government Accountability Office (GAO) had determined the President broke the law by delaying aid that had been approved by Congress for Ukraine. A few problems. The aid was to be delivered by September 30th and was released a few weeks before that. Additionally, the constitutionality of the law in question has been debated often. In fact, President Obama had been accused of similar violations eight times while in office.Perhaps most interesting is the GAO has 45 days to notify Congress according to the law. The announcement was well outside that window. The law itself also has a specific remedy that is not impeachment. It almost felt like a coordinated hit job.Then, the night before the President’s legal team was set to take the dais in his defense, a tape dropped. The President had actually told someone to fire Ukrainian Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch. Allegedly used the phrase “Take her out” during the discussion. The horror!Except a President can fire an ambassador for wearing a shirt they think is ugly. Or holding foreign policy views contrary to the administration and voicing them to our diplomatic partners. Further the tape was made in 2018, months before Joe Biden announced his candidacy. We all knew Yovanovitch was fired and watched her file what sounded like an HR complaint in the House Intelligence Committee. Given the full context it is also clear President Trump was saying “Taker her out of the position”. This one hit the level of an exasperated eye-roll.The President’s lawyers only took 2 hours on Saturday and pretty much demolished the House repetitive and misleading case. As they were getting ready to speak again on Monday, BOMBSHELL! Former National Security Advisor John Bolton said something in his book manuscript that indicated the President said he might hold aid to Ukraine in exchange for investigations.Bolton’s lawyer responded to the story said the only place the manuscript was submitted was to the National Security Council. The NSC reviews books from members and former members for classified information. The NSC has also been leaking like a sieve since January of 2017. It is also where the whistleblower who launched this whole farce used to work. And according to Breitbart News, one of the people responsible for reviewing these manuscripts is the brother of Democrat star witness Alexander Vindman. Nothing to see here folks.Now I am just furious. If Bolton has something to say, he should just say it. For a long time, I viewed this man as a patriot whose foreign policy views I was not always a fan of. To submit this manuscript now, when he is well aware he is on the Democrat’s list of potential witnesses, is vindictive and self-serving. Got something to say sir? Speak up. I hope your pre-orders, launched today, are dismal.Additionally, I want who ever leaked this to the New York Times identified, prosecuted and fired. At some point, someone needs to serve as an example to their peers. Then the President and his staff should do a thorough evaluation of all NSC staff and change it up. Bureaucrats who think they know better than the citizens who elect the President and their congressional representatives can be made available to the market.Finally, call the offices of our notorious Republican squishes. Romney, Murkowski, Collins are at the top of the list. To call witnesses to testify about the accusation of thought crime and policy disagreements with the President is insane. The impact it will have on the country is horrific. The public will only be subjected to a continuous parade of “breaking news” that will increase the anxiety, division and anger that is already approaching the boiling point.End this ridiculous spectacle at the first opportunity. The very fabric of the country is fraying and the remaining threads cannot continue to hold if bombshells keep dropping.American Conservative MovementJoin fellow patriots as we form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. We have two priorities until election day: Stopping Democrats and supporting strong conservative candidates. We currently have 7500+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.First Name Last Name Email Address Comments SubmitMixi.Media NewsThe post How many misleading media bombshells do we need to live through? appeared first on NOQ Report – Conservative Christian News, Opinions, and Quotes. |
| OAN: President Trump’s approval rating soars amid impeachment trialPosted: 27 Jan 2020 11:43 AM PSTWhat is driving President Trump’s highest approval rating since his inauguration? Is it that the impeachment debacle is dragging out and demonstrating how much of a partisan political hack job it is? Are Americans realizing the doom and gloom the left has been predicting hasn’t hit the economy and that more people are working while also making more money?It’s likely a combination of these two and other facts that support the notion that President Trump truly has made America great again while the Democrats do everything to stop him from doing so. How many American care about what happened in Ukraine? How many American lives have been affected?The longer impeachment drags out, the easier it will be for President Trump to be reelected. Yet, he’s pushing for a speedy end to the debacle. Why? Because despite rising in the polls, he’d rather Congress get back to doing work for the people.American Conservative MovementJoin fellow patriots as we form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. We have two priorities until election day: Stopping Democrats and supporting strong conservative candidates. We currently have 7500+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.First Name Last Name Email Address Comments SubmitMixi.Media NewsThe post OAN: President Trump’s approval rating soars amid impeachment trial appeared first on NOQ Report – Conservative Christian News, Opinions, and Quotes. |
| Susan Collins signals she trusts vindictive liars more than her GOP colleaguesPosted: 27 Jan 2020 10:58 AM PSTThere are two important things we’ve learned about former National Security Adviser John Bolton since a draft section of his upcoming book was leaked to the press:John Bolton is vindictive.John Bolton is a liar.Though these perspectives are commonly held by those who have worked with Bolton over the decades, it seems mainstream media is oblivious to them. They didn’t used to be. The evidence about Bolton that supports these premises came from left-leaning publications. But all is forgotten now that Bolton is the golden boy for Democrats and seems to be justification for Republicans like Senator Susan Collins to do side with them, as usual.We know… Mainstream media lies Adam Schiff lies John Bolton liesIf @SenatorCollins (or any other Republican Senator) willfully sides with liars, they will be anathema to Republican voters and donors.Those who believe lies do so because they WANT to believe them. https://t.co/Wsj7uxGR8H— JD Rucker (@JDRucker) January 27, 2020Calls for additional witnesses have hit a fever pitch following the Bolton leak, and Collins signaled it may be enough to push her over the edge when it a vote.“From the beginning, I’ve said that in fairness to both parties the decision on whether or not to call witnesses should be made after both the House managers and the President’s attorneys have had the opportunity to present their cases.“I’ve always said that I was likely to vote to call witnesses, just as I did in the 1999 Clinton trial.“The reports about John Bolton’s book strengthen the case for witnesses and have prompted a number of conversations among my colleagues.”But there’s a major flaw in her thinking. If she is to believe the Bolton book strengthens the case to call him as a witness, she is acknowledging the credibility of the mainstream media sources who reported the leak, Democrats such as Adam Schiff who have promoted every negative aspect of the Ukraine affair, and John Bolton himself. All three have been demonstrated to be liars. Meanwhile, all of the actual evidence that is NOT a hearsay account points to the fact that the President did nothing wrong and the entire impeachment debacle is a partisan sham.Her colleagues in the Senate understand this for the most part. Every Republican in the House and a handful or Democrats understood it as well. Whatever it is that’s motivating Collins and other Republican Senators who want more witnesses, we know for sure it’s not honesty or intellect.Make no mistake. If Susan Collins and other Republican Senators vote for more witnesses in this partisan impeachment process, they are signaling to Republican voters and donors that they are Democrats who do not want our support.American Conservative MovementJoin fellow patriots as we form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. We have two priorities until election day: Stopping Democrats and supporting strong conservative candidates. We currently have 7500+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.First Name Last Name Email Address Comments SubmitMixi.Media NewsThe post Susan Collins signals she trusts vindictive liars more than her GOP colleagues appeared first on NOQ Report – Conservative Christian News, Opinions, and Quotes. |
| Mark Meadows highlights major flaw in Democrats’ impeachment premisePosted: 27 Jan 2020 09:57 AM PSTDemocrats have long asserted that President Trump was looking for political favors when he asked Ukraine to help investigate 2016 election interference and the Bidens’ dealings with Burisma. They even go so far as to say the President withheld aid to achieve his goal. But as Representative Mark Meadows points out, the evidence seems to show the Democrats are wrong about the President’s goals.It is not contested that the President asked Ukraine for a favor. Even before Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced an impeachment inquiry, the President had ordered the transcript of his call with President Zelensky to be released. Oddly, many on the left still contend that the President has been hiding what he asked from Zelensky ever AFTER he released the transcript. He’s not hiding the fact that he asked for assistance. He’s been extremely forthcoming about it. Democrats have challenged his motivations, but Meadows points out facts that support the President’s claims.This impeachment comes down to two possible ‘deliverables:’ one political, one about corruption.Democrats, without evidence, insist it was political. Trump says it was anti-corruption.Ukraine delivered no political investigations.But they DID pass anti-corruption measures.— Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) January 27, 2020The President went after corruption that influenced our last election and threatened to influence the next. That’s part of his job as President, but the Democrats want him removed from office for it. As Meadows points out, which deliverable came through?American Conservative MovementJoin fellow patriots as we form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. We have two priorities until election day: Stopping Democrats and supporting strong conservative candidates. We currently have 7500+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.First Name Last Name Email Address Comments SubmitMixi.Media NewsThe post Mark Meadows highlights major flaw in Democrats’ impeachment premise appeared first on NOQ Report – Conservative Christian News, Opinions, and Quotes. |
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- Again, Regarding Trump’s Impeachment Trial, Read The Ttranscript!
- Stop With the Silly ‘Centrist’ Labels for Dems
| Americans Hate Overreach: Impeachment Is Helping TrumpPosted: 27 Jan 2020 07:45 PM PSTby Stephen Green: “When you strike at a king, you must kill him.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson What a difference a week makes. On the eve of President Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate, CNN trumpeted a new poll showing that a majority of Americans want President Trump convicted and removed from office. CNN’s senior political writer, Susan Milligan, called it “unwelcome news” because Trump is in a “tight reelection campaign” and because the Republican Senate is “eager to provide him a speedy, witness-free proceeding.” I’d wanted to write a half-column last week calling BS on CNN’s numbers, but decided instead to write about weightier matters, like what Hillary Clinton might say to her fellow pols if you got her drunk enough after the election. We can all agree I made the right call on that one. So why am I writing about it now? Merely as a pretext to look at America’s real reaction to impeachment, now that we’re nearly a week into Adam’s Schifty Nine-Ring Circus. I won’t bore you with a bunch of polls, but literally every item I’ve seen in recent days shows Trump doing better now than at any time in his first term. Just a few headlines, in case you think I’ve been drinking my breakfast: Voters Love The Economy and Credit Trump For It. (“It’s the economy, stupid.” Or as frustrated Dems must be muttering to themselves, “It’s the stupid economy.”)Economic prosperity boosts Trump in election poll, counterweight to his unpopularity. (Leave it to ABC “News” to put the Democrat spin right in the headline.)Fans already camping out, vendors setting up for Trump’s rally in Wildwood. (That’s Wildwood in deep blue New Jersey.)US ‘satisfaction’ best in 15 years, Trump’s high four times Obama’s low.These are not the headlines from a country eager to jettison its chief executive, and the yawns coming from our social media accounts bear that out. Tim Graham wrote for Newsbusters on Sunday that “Social Media Stats Suggest America’s BORED by Impeachment Trial.” The figures come from Axios social media guy Neal Rothschild, who tried to spin the Big Yawn thusly:By blocking Democratic attempts to subpoena new documents, the Republican-controlled Senate made sure no dramatic new information would surface during the first few days of the trial — and made it easier for Americans to tune out.Let me get this straight. The entire presidency is on the line, and yet Americans are looking for reasons not to tune in — and the absence of John Bolton was just the reason we were looking for? Trump’s likeability numbers have never been very high, and yet here he is doing better than ever at a time when his administration is (supposedly) at risk. What’s going on here? Three words: Americans hate overreach. Think back to the 2006 and 2008 election cycles. Voters put so many Democrats into office that Dems fooled themselves into thinking there was some sort of sea change going on — a “permanent Democratic majority,” if you will. What was telling though, if perhaps only in retrospect, was that Barack Obama presented himself to voters in 2009 as a moderate. Never mind that many of us saw through the veil, but Obama thought it necessary to run as a moderate against squishy John McCain, not against some conservative firebrand. Once in office, he and his oh-so-temporal majority went about trying to fundamentally transform the nation — and voters responded to their overreach with yet another wave election in 2010, that one giving the House back to the GOP. The same thing happened to Bill Clinton in 1994. He also ran as a moderate, but once in office he hiked taxes, banned a wide variety of modern sporting rifles, and attempted a Sovietesque takeover of American health care. Voters responded to that overreach by giving the House to the GOP for the first time in 40 years, and the Senate as the icing on the cake. Democrats retook the House in 2018, largely by presenting themselves as a more moderate party, one whose new members had learned the lessons of 2016. Once in power, however, they quickly revealed themselves to be the party of Rashida Tlaib, transgender dominance of women, and impeachment. If ratings and social media are anything to go by, Americans aren’t even enjoying the circus value of the Dem’s quixotic quest to impeach President Trump for the grave sin of colluding with Russia annexing the Sudetenland asking if someone over in Ukraine might look into some very shady business conducted by Biden, Inc. Americans are reacting to this new overreach by giving Trump better marks than he’s enjoyed in three years and one week in office. Well done, Dems. I hope you keep it up, all the way to November 3. ———————— Stephen Green aka (@VodkaPundit), aka “VodkaPundit,” is a contributor to PJ Media. Image added by ARRA News Service editor. Tags: Stephen Green, Americans Hate Overreach, Impeachment, Helping Trump To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Happy Anniversary to Citizens UnitedPosted: 27 Jan 2020 06:41 PM PSTby David Harsanyi: Ten years ago, the Supreme Court overturned portions of a federal law that empowered government to dictate how Americans who were not connected to any candidates and political parties could practice their inherent right of free expression. It was one of the greatest free speech decisions in American history. The case of Citizens United revolved around state efforts to ban a conservative nonprofit group from showing a critical documentary it produced of then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton right before the 2008 Democratic primary elections. At the time, the McCain-Feingold Act made it illegal for corporations and labor unions to engage in “electioneering communication” one month before a primary or two months before the general election. Or, in other words, the law, written by politicians who function without restrictions on speech—and applauded by much of a mass media that functions without restrictions on speech—prohibited Americans from pooling their resources and engaging in the most vital form of expression at the most important time, in the days leading up to an election. “By taking the right to speak from some and giving it to others,” Justice Anthony Kennedy would write for the majority, “the Government deprives the disadvantaged person or class of the right to use speech to strive to establish worth, standing, and respect for the speaker’s voice.” Right after the decision, President Barack Obama famously rebuked the justices during his State of the Union for upholding the First Amendment, arguing that the Supreme Court had “reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests—including foreign corporations—to spend without limit in our elections.” Not a word of what he said was true. First of all, the court hadn’t overturned a century of law (though the age of the law bears absolutely no relevance to its constitutionality). Citizens United reversed portions of a law, less than a decade old, that forbade Americans from contributing as much as they wanted directly to the funding of speech. Corporations would still be banned from donating directly to candidates, as they had been since 1907. Moreover, those corporations, typically unwilling to pick partisan sides for reasons of self-preservation, are still responsible for only a fraction of all political spending, averaging around 1% or less since 2010. Top 200 corporations spend almost nothing on campaigns. Conversely, since 2010, there’s been an explosion in grassroots political activism on both right and left. As Bradley A. Smith points out in The Wall Street Journal today, small-dollar donors are more in demand than ever. Bernie Sanders lives on them, and Donald Trump raised more money from donors who gave less than $200 than any candidate in history. Nothing in Citizens United, of course, made it legal for foreigners to participate in American elections. It is still illegal for anyone running for office to solicit, accept, or receive help from foreign nationals. Obama, like many progressives, would ratchet up the scaremongering over anonymous political speech. Over the past couple of decades, our political class has convinced large swaths of the electorate that private citizens have a civic responsibility to publicly attach their names to every political donation. They do not. As the often-cited 1995 Supreme Court ruling in McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission says: “Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority.” It is true, though, that since the Citizens United decision, streaming services have been able to produce and play documentaries about political candidates like Trump without answering to a government entity. Publishing companies, especially smaller ones, can now print books about political figures without being policed by the state. And you can contribute as much money you want to any independent group that shares your values. As it should be. The very notion that anyone should be restricted from airing his or her views is fundamentally un-American. Then again, even if the floodgates had opened for “special interests”—a euphemism for causes that Democrats dislike—and even if there had been a massive spike in corporate spending on speech, and even if secretive corporate entities started producing documentaries that disparaged favored political candidates and released them days before an election, it still wouldn’t matter. The principle of free expression isn’t contingent on correct outcomes, it is a free-standing, inherent right protected by the Constitution. That principle holds whether people of free will are too lazy or too gullible to resist alleged misinformation. The proper way to push back against rhetoric you don’t like is to rebut it. Or not. It should be up to you. ——————– David Harsanyi (@davidharsanyi) is a senior writer at National Review and the author of “The People Have Spoken (and They Are Wrong): The Case Against Democracy.” This article was shared by The Daily Signal. Tags: IDavid Harsanyi, The Daily Signal, Happy Anniversary, Citizens United To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| The Media Attacks, Defense Team Demolishes Schiff’s Case, Never AgainPosted: 27 Jan 2020 06:27 PM PSTGary Bauerby Gary Bauer: The Media Attacks Like clockwork, just after the president’s defense team decimated Adam Schiff’s entire impeachment case (more on that below), the two main media organs of the left, the New York Times and CNN, came rushing to the rescue. Both outlets dropped a report that every Trump-hater is calling a “bombshell.” Here are my thoughts on the latest “revelations” allegedly from John Bolton’s upcoming book. There are no direct quotes from the Bolton manuscript in either the CNN or New York Times story because neither outlet has actually seen the book manuscript. It was simply “described” to them by “multiple people.” This is yet another attack piece by the liberal media using anonymous sources in a desperate attempt to reverse the last election and force Trump off the ballot in the next election. The reporters for the Times story, Maggie Haberman and Michael Schmidt, are well-known partisan hacks with histories of running reports later debunked as false. (Here and here.) And the left-wing bias at the New York Times goes well beyond these two reporters.Whatever is in Bolton’s book, how would someone have leaked what is or is not in it? The leak could have come from the publisher. The book is currently at the White House, undergoing a review process to ensure it does not violate national security agreements that people like Bolton have to sign when they work in the administration.That review is taking place at the National Security Council (NSC), which was expanded during the Obama years and is still filled with Obama loyalists. The so-called “whistleblower” was at the NSC. Alexander Vindman and his twin brother, Yevgeny, are at the NSC. By the way, one of Yevgeny Vindman’s jobs is to review book manuscripts.A senior NSC employee, responsible for Russia and Ukraine policy, was recently escorted from the White House and placed on leave pending a security investigation. The official had only been there for a few months, after transferring from the State Department. I have no idea what that is all about, but it does seem like a big coincidence. One reason officials are abruptly removed from the White House is that they were caught leaking.Even if Bolton’s claims are accurate, none of it changes the basic facts, which the Trump defense team outlined very well on Saturday. Nonetheless, the target of this Democrat Party press release disguised as a news story is a handful of Republican senators who could force so-called “witnesses” (to what?) to be called, dragging out this process and setting up a Kavanaugh-style situation with new accusations and new demands for witnesses every day. In short, it would be a taxpayer-funded fishing expedition against the president just as the 2020 presidential campaign kicks into high gear. By the way, many in the media are citing polling data showing that Americans overwhelmingly support calling witnesses during the Senate’s impeachment trial. What they fail to point out is that many Republicans support calling Joe and Hunter Biden, as well as the so-called “whistleblower,” who has yet to face any serious public scrutiny or be crossed-examined by the president’s lawyers. Defense Team Demolishes Schiff’s Case President Trump’s defense team finally got the chance to make their case Saturday after Adam Schiff and the other House managers exhausted all their time. The presentation by Michael Purpura, deputy counsel to the president, was particularly effective. Here’s an excerpt of his remarks: “Once you sweep away all of the bluster and innuendo, the selective leaks . . . the staged public hearings, what we’re left with are six key facts that have not and will not change. “First, the transcript shows that the president did not condition either security assistance or a meeting on anything. The paused security assistance funds aren’t even mentioned on the call. “Second, President Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials have repeatedly said that there was no quid pro quo and no pressure on them to review anything. “Third, President Zelensky and high-ranking Ukrainian officials did not even know . . . the security assistance was paused until the end of August, over a month after the July 25 call. “Fourth, not a single witness testified that the president himself said that there was any connection between any investigations and security assistance, a presidential meeting, or anything else. “Fifth, the security assistance flowed on September 11 and a presidential meeting took place on September 25 without the Ukrainian government announcing any investigations. “Finally, the Democrats’ blind drive to impeach the president does not and cannot change the fact as attested to by the Democrats’ own witnesses that President Trump has been a better friend and stronger supporter of Ukraine than his predecessor.” By the way, you may recall that last week I questioned why Adam Schiff was leading the impeachment charge given his own serious credibility issues. I’m pleased to report that the president’s lawyers made it a point to zero in on Schiff during their opening statements. Never Again Today marks the 75th anniversary of the Soviet liberation of the Nazi concentration camps at Auschwitz, revealing some of the worst horrors of the Holocaust. More than one million people were systematically murdered there. In 2005, as then-Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was threatening a second Holocaust by vowing to “wipe Israel off the map,” the United Nations voted to recognize January 27th as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. President Trump issued a proclamation recognizing the significance of this day and reaffirming “our steadfast commitment to confronting the vile poison of anti-Semitism wherever and whenever it arises.” I join President Trump and all men and women of goodwill in standing against the evil of anti-Semitism, and standing proudly with the Jewish state of Israel. Speaking of Israel, Israeli officials noted over the weekend that the country’s aviation system came under sustained cyberattack during last week’s World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem. Israel fended off more than 800 attacks “aimed at disrupting the flight paths of more than 60 planes carrying heads of state, kings and presidents.” The attacks originated from Iran, China, North Korea, Russia, and Poland. ——————- Gary Bauer (@GaryLBauer) is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families Tags: Gary Bauer, Campaign for Working Families, The Media Attacks, Defense Team Demolishes Schiff’s Case, Never Again To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| The New Anti-Semitic MomentPosted: 27 Jan 2020 06:04 PM PSTby Micah Morrison: The impeachment trial of President Trump rolls on, but back in the real world, signs of a different sort of trouble are growing. It now seems clear we are living in a new anti-Semitic moment. From American college campuses to the streets of New York, from the cities of Europe to the Arab countries of the Middle East, reports of anti-Semitism emerge on a daily basis. At Judicial Watch, we have been closely tracking developments. Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton announced in May our legal action to shine a light on Arab government support for anti-Semitic activities at American universities. In September, we warned that rising anti-Semitic incidents in New York City signaled increasing social disorder. The data have been moving in the wrong direction for several years. In November, the Anti-Defamation League released a sweeping global survey showing that nearly twenty-five percent of Europeans “harbor pernicious and pervasive attitudes toward Jews,” with rising numbers in Eastern and Central Europe. The numbers are also up in Russia, South Africa, Brazil and Argentina. The attitudes are bonkers but familiar: the Jews control international finance, the U.S. government, the media; they are too loyal to Israel; they talk too much about the Holocaust. In the U.S., anti-Semitic incidents were up 29% from 2015 to 2018, the Wall Street Journal reports. Numbers from the NYPD show that New York City, which has the largest Jewish population in the country, saw anti-Semitic hate crimes in 2019 jump 26% from the previous year. In December, two assaults on Jews rocked the New York area. On December 10, a crazed duo gripped by anti-Semitic conspiracy theories assassinated a police detective and invaded a kosher market in Jersey City, killing three. Two weeks later, during Hanukah, a lunatic with a machete stormed into a gathering in Monsey, New York, injuring five. The lurid attacks seized headlines, but it’s the quotidian that is really unsettling, the daily reports filtering in largely under the radar: anti-Semitic slurs shouted on the Upper West Side, a man punched in the head; drunks outside a bar in Crown Heights taunt Orthodox Jews, assaults later reported; a subway stalker in a viral moment berating riders about Jewish power; swastikas found scrawled in a schoolyard, on a parked car, at a beachfront cabin; a Jewish child harassed at school for wearing a yarmulke; an Orthodox woman walking with her three-year-old son attacked from behind: “you f—ing Jew,” the assailant says, “your end is coming.” Politicians in New York and Washington responded by doing the conventional things politicians do. Congress put another $30 million into a grants program to harden security at religious sites. Jewish leaders called on social media to crack down on anti-Semitic hate speech. The Trump Administration, acting on a toxic mix of anti-Israel actions and anti-Semitism on American campuses, issued an executive order expanding interpretation of the Civil Rights Act to cover Jews in academic settings. New York’s solutions: money, cops, education. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced $45 million in new funding to protect religious institutions. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio boosted the police presence in neighborhoods with large Jewish populations and announced the creation of new safety coalitions. The head of his Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes said she would focus on education programs in schools. The New York response quickly became mired in disputes. Critics noted that Cuomo’s “new” $45 million for security funding in fact already was in last year’s budget. De Blasio’s hate crimes office seems oddly adrift, understaffed and underfunded. And the mayor himself took to the radio waves to blame anti-Semitic acts on “right-wing forces.” De Blasio’s remarks came in the wake of the kosher market killings and underscored why so many New Yorkers find him such a tiresome wretch—the market murders had zero connection to right-wing ideology. Ditto the Hanukah attack. But the two incidents seemed to crystalize the anti-Semitic moment we find ourselves in: a time of anti-Jewish trends at home and abroad converging from various points on the ideological spectrum, sped up in an age of global social media, often ending in bloodshed. There’s no telling how long the moment will last or what will happen next, but history is not reassuring. —————- Micah Morrison (@micah_morrison) is chief investigative reporter for Judicial Watch. Tags: Judicial Watch, Micah Morrison, New Anti-Semitic Moment To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| GAO Says Federal Trust Fund Bankruptcy Crisis Extends Far Beyond Social Security & MedicarePosted: 27 Jan 2020 05:39 PM PSTby Mark Tapscott: A new report contains blunt warning signs of an approaching fiscal crisis in federal trust funds backing Social Security, Medicare, flood insurance, and many other programs, according to Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.). “The GAO’s new report is another warning sign that Social Security, Medicare, and other trust fund programs on which many Americans rely are in danger of going broke,” Enzi said Jan. 23 in releasing the Government Accounting Office (GAO) analysis. “Congress will need to work in a bipartisan manner to safeguard these programs to ensure they are able to provide for those who need them now, and in the future,” Enzi said in a statement accompanying the release. Enzi and budget panel member Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) requested the report, which took more than a year to complete. Braun said the report highlights the need for political leaders to confront the trust fund problem without further delays. “The nation is $23 trillion in debt and is now running trillion-dollar deficits,” Braun said in the statement. “Congress needs to come together and make tough decisions to preserve these trust fund programs that so many Americans depend on for their way of life, for today and for generations to come.” The collective total for all federal trust fund balances increased between fiscal years 2014 and 2018, according to Enzi and Braun, but that balance will begin declining in 2022, with decreases in Social Security and the Medicare Hospital Insurance funds leading the way. A senior Senate Republican aide speaking on background Friday told The Epoch Times that the crucial message from the GAO analysis is that “while every major federal department has trust funds, many of them are not fully supported by dedicated revenues and are in danger of becoming insolvent in the near future.” The aide pointed to examples in the GAO report of the most seriously deficient trust funds, including: By 2022, the federal Highway Trust Fund will be so depleted that its income will be insufficient to meet projected obligations for infrastructure repairs and construction.By 2025, the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation (PBGC) multi-employer trust fund is rapidly depleting and will not be able pay full benefits in plans that go insolvent.By 2026, the Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust Fund will be so depleted that its income will only be sufficient to pay 89 percent of scheduled benefits.By 2034, the Social Security Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) trust fund will be so depleted that its income will only fund 77 percent of scheduled benefits.When such trust funds’ income and assets aren’t big enough to pay promised benefits, Congress has few options: Appropriate tax dollars from the government’s general revenues to cover the difference, which may require reduced spending in other areas such as national defense; decrease the promised payments or increase federal levies on individuals and corporations. In addition, many of the federal trust funds are linked to programs that legally entitled recipients to the benefits, thus potentially prompting an explosion of litigation in legal challenges to congressional actions to lower payments. “Of the 23 largest trust funds and other dedicated funds we reviewed, 13 have entitlement authority, which legally requires payments to individuals or governments that meet the requirements of the programs,” GAO said in its report. “For example, OASI beneficiaries are legally entitled to benefits based on a formula that takes into account the time they spent working and their earnings, among other factors,” the report continued. “Program sustainability is ultimately determined by whether the government as a whole has the economic capacity to finance the claims on the trust funds at the cost of other competing priorities,” GAO said. The report noted that “hundreds of programs across the federal government are supported in whole or in part by a trust fund or other dedicated fund.” A total of 398 such trust funds were identified by GAO across the federal government. But the problems underlying the trust fund crisis are even more basic than insufficient assets to cover promised payments, according to a spokesman for a Chicago-based group that is highly critical of federal accounting practices. “Consider how the GAO report discusses the spending in these categories using the commonly-accepted term, ‘mandatory spending,’” Truth in Accounting (TIA) Research Director Bill Bergman told The Epoch Times Friday. “Yet the reasons the government has given for not including these unfunded obligations as debts on the balance sheet include an argument that government controls the law and can change the law at any time. If that is true, why do they call it mandatory spending,” Bergman asked. “Another labeling mechanism greasing the wheels for our kick-the-can-down-the-road approach to these programs has been the simple fact that they are called ‘Trust Funds,’ even though they aren’t trusts, and don’t have any funds in them. At least the report puts ‘trust funds’ in quotes, and acknowledges they are really accounting mechanisms,” he said. Such practices, he added, “have helped to anesthetize the public and our representatives in Washington.” ——————– Mark Tapscott provided this article in The Epoch Times. Tags: Mark Tapscott, The Epoch Times, GAO, Federal Trust Fund Bankruptcy Crisis, Extends Far Beyond, Social Security, Medicare To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Australia’s Brush FiresPosted: 27 Jan 2020 05:18 PM PSTby Kerby Anderson, Contributing Author: Most all media reports claim that the terrible brush fires in Australia have been made worse by climate change. That may be true in the broadest sense, but the reality is more complicated. Here are a few pieces of data to consider. Climatologist Roy Spencer reminds us that Australia has had a long history of brush fires going all the way back to the Aborigines. The record number of hectares burned on that continent occurred during the 1974-75 season. And it is worth mentioning, there was above-average precipitation and below-average temperatures that year. This year, Australia hit both a high and a low. The average temperature for 2019 was much higher (in fact 2 degrees higher than just a few years before). And the average precipitation was a record low. If you want to say all of that is due to climate change, feel free to do so. Dr. Spencer explains that neither of these two data points are what the current climate models predict. They merely look like the natural year-to-year variability of weather patterns that ended up giving Australia a year of drought and high temperatures. If this pattern is due to climate change, then you might expect to see the same pattern worldwide. A global survey of wildfire activity found that there is actually less fire activity, not more. More areas are experiencing a decrease in wildfire activity than areas are experiencing more wildfires. We should also acknowledge that some wildfires begin because of human-caused ignition (both accidental and purposeful through arson). And many of those fires are made worse when we don’t clear dead vegetation and follow other fire-management strategies. The reasons we have such devastating fires in Australia this year are due to much more than the simple media claim that it’s climate change. —————- Kerby Anderson (@kerbyanderson) is a radio talk show host heard on numerous stations via the Point of View Network (@PointofViewRTS) and is endorsed by Dr. Bill Smith, Editor, ARRA News Service. Tags: Kerby Anderson, Viewpoints, Point of View, Australia’s Brush Fires To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Democrats: Destroying America to ‘Save’ It . . .Posted: 27 Jan 2020 03:55 PM PST. . . Their impeachment gambit is in direct violation of their constitutional oaths. by Arnold Ahlert: From the 2016 election campaign right through the current travesty of impeachment, the Democrat Party and its march-in-lockstep media allies have made it clear that their hatred of Donald Trump — which necessitates his removal by any means necessary — transcends any resulting damage they have done to the nation. Damage that may be irreparable. Let’s begin with a reality check. The current impeachment effort is only the latest vehicle being used to remove Trump from office. Previous vehicles included the emoluments clause, the Logan Act, the 25th Amendment, and the Russia investigation. Prior to his inauguration, the media campaigned for Democrats to reach a deal with Republicans and persuade Electoral College electors to defect, and The Washington Post reported efforts to impeach Trump had begun 17 minutes after he was sworn into office. Far more important, before Trump’s election, the Obama administration initiated its scandalous Crossfire Hurricane project to investigate Russian collusion with members of Trump’s campaign staff and the president himself. Reality check number two: Any and all collusion that ostensibly occurred did so while the Obama administration was in charge. Moreover, rather than warn fellow Americans from the opposition party that the Russians might be seeking to influence the 2016 election, Barack Obama’s administration instead chose to assume those opposition party members were committing treason, thereby justifying all methods, even felonious ones, used to stop them. On to double standards. The same Democrat/Media Complex that assured Americans for three years Trump’s collusion with Russia was incontrovertible were completely sanguine regarding Obama’s open-mic assurance to then-Russian President Dmitri Medvedev that he’d “have more flexibility” regarding his relationship with Vladimir Putin. And they remained sanguine two years later, when Putin seized the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. That same year, then-Vice President Joe Biden openly bragged about getting Ukraine to fire a prosecutor investigating corruption at Burisma, an energy company paying Biden’s son, Hunter, $83,000 per month by threatening to withhold a billion dollars in foreign aid. By contrast, Trump allegedly threatened (belied by a transcript of the conversation in question) to withhold funds that weren’t ultimately withheld in return for an investigation that was never undertaken. But Trump is the one guilty of a “quid pro quo,” and any investigation into the corrupt machinations of Biden and his son can precipitate impeachment proceedings? Robert Mueller’s investigation was tasked with finding Russian collusion. Yet it somehow managed to avoid determining how the thoroughly discredited Steele dossier — bought and paid for by Hillary Clinton and the DNC — gained credibility among the highest echelons of the nation’s top law-enforcement agency. The bigger picture? Does anyone seriously think President Trump could, among many things, gotten away with having members of his executive branch file warrants with the FISA Court under false pretenses; spying on members of Congress and the press; running weapons to Mexican cartel members; taking out an American citizen with a drone strike; selectively targeting conservative groups using the IRS; communicating with his secretary of state on an unsecured server; and sending pallets of cash to a nation sponsoring worldwide terror — without the deafening clamor for impeachment Barack Obama miraculously avoided? Eight years of the Obama administration clearly demonstrated that the media are willfully blind — and justice is anything but. Yet the weaponization of impeachment has moved this nation into uncharted territory. Americans now live in a nation where private presidential phone calls with foreign counterparts “will be leaked and printed in the major media,” and impeachment will be a “casual affair” to be undertaken routinely, whenever the opposition party has a House majority, even if it is solely used for political gain, Victor Davis Hanson explains. Moreover, as Nancy Pelosi amply demonstrated, timeliness is now irrelevant. “Once a president is impeached,” Hanson adds, “the writ may simply sit until the House majority feels that the climate or polls are ripe to refer the articles to the Senate for trial, whether in days, weeks, months, or years.” Equally irrelevant is the “term high crimes and misdemeanors.” Nothing illuminates that better than charging Trump with obstruction of Congress, a nonsensical assertion borne out of the need for Democrats to keep impeachment front and center, rather than wait for the Supreme Court to ultimately decide what obligations co-equal legislative and executive branches of government have to each other. “Whistleblower” is now a meaningless term. Going forward, anyone with second- or third-hand information, working in coordination with the opposition party, will be deemed acceptable and credible, even as their identity can remain secret indefinitely. Investigations? Testimony can be taken in secret and selectively leaked to the media for partisan advantage, while witnesses can be prevented from answering questions posed by the opposing party. Law enforcement and intel agencies can hire foreign nationals, use operatives to co-opt the media, employ multiple “confidential informants” (read: spies) to glean information about members of the opposing party’s campaign, and unmask private citizens involved with those campaigns, all under the auspices of protecting national security. To advance those investigations, any surveillance requiring a warrant can be rubber-stamped by FISA Court jurists, whose knowledge of being lied to will not precipitate legal consequences, but simply demands for “reform” — from the liars themselves. Remarkably, Democrats and their contemptible allies have done it all while ignoring one of the oldest adages known to man: what goes around comes around. They have not only set the stage for the permanent paralyzation of government, they are well on their way toward making elections utterly irrelevant. In fact, their point man in this charade, documented liar Adam Schiff, has made that abundantly clear. “The president’s misconduct cannot be decided at the ballot box,” he insisted. “For we cannot be assured that the vote will be fairly won.” In other words, American voters are too stupid to be trusted, and unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats running the administrative state must prevail. Thus, an acquittal of Trump by the Senate will be deemed a “miscarriage of justice.” In turn, that miscarriage of justice will make the 2020 election “illegitimate,” unless a Democrat prevails. If Trump wins? Additional impeachment proceedings. If a Democrat becomes president? The only flaw in Hanson’s argument is the traditional cowardice amply demonstrated by a GOP that would likely allow a Democrat Party to continue running roughshod over the Constitution, undoubtedly promoted under the absurd auspices of “saving the republic.” By then, there will be no republic to save. “We are now on new anti-constitutional grounds, and the United States will probably never return to the constitutional customs and traditions of its first 233 years,” Hanson predicts. Thus, Americans are finally discovering what fundamental transformation is really all about. A constitutionally contemptuous Democrat Party, suffused with a lust for uncontested power and thoroughly convinced of its moral superiority, has precipitated the ultimate irony: Democrats had to destroy the nation in order to “save” it. —————– Arnold Ahlert lives in South Florida with his wife and his cat Ziggy. Ziggy is a political analyst who often dismisses the Millennial generation’s gargantuan level of self involvement with a single word. H/T The Patriot Post. Tags: Patriot Post, Arnold Ahlert, Democrats, Destroying America, impeachment gambit,direct violation, constitutional oaths To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Second Amendment Rally Seems to Have Anti-Gun Extremists Disappointed …Posted: 27 Jan 2020 02:54 PM PST… That it was so Peaceful by NRA-ILA: In the days leading up to the annual lobby day in Richmond, Va.—where thousands of Virginians traditionally lobby their legislators on numerous issues – an unprecedented number of supporters of the Second Amendment were expected to show up in opposition to the virulently anti-gun legislative agenda of Governor Ralph Northam and Virginia Democrats. In response, anti-gun advocates and their supporters in the media tried to paint a picture of an impending violent confrontation. Of course, defaming law-abiding gun owners is nothing new for those who abhor the Second Amendment. Any time a violent criminal uses a firearm to commit a heinous act, extremists dedicated to banning firearms attempt to blame anyone who supports our right to keep and bear arms. Every time a state legislature passes legislation to make it easier for American citizens to defend themselves or others—such as by making it easier to carry a firearm for personal protection—those opposed to the idea of personal protection predict future tragedies committed by the law-abiding, or question the rationality of such measures. The recent heroic actions by Texas permit holder Jack Wilson highlight this sad strategy of the anti-gun community. When Texas law was changed so that places of worship could have armed security, former Vice President Joe Biden questioned its rationality. After Jack Wilson saved countless lives, it became yet another reminder of Biden’s gift for gaffes to create problems for the 2020 Democrat presidential candidate. Even after the fact, anti-gun New York billionaire Michael Bloomberg had the audacity to suggest that Wilson should not have been allowed to legally act in the defense of countless congregants facing an imminent lethal threat. Bloomberg’s campaign mouthpiece, Kevin Sheekey, even tried to walk back Bloomberg questioning Wilson’s action this week, claiming, “Mike Bloomberg supports [Jack Wilson’s] right to own a gun with a background check. We salute him, I salute him.” Sheekey went on to say, “The question is where he and Mike Bloomberg disagree, which is should anyone who walks out of an insane asylum be able to get a gun? Mike Bloomberg would say ‘no,’I’m not sure what other people would say.” Of course, this “clarification”has nothing to do with Bloomberg’s assertion that law-abiding citizens cannot be trusted to act responsibly when using a firearm to defend themselves or others. And Sheekey’s use of the term “insane asylum,”which we are pretty sure is not on the list of approved PC terms when discussing mental health, may require additional “clarification.” So, as deplorable as it is to see the anti-gun crowd’s narrative that law-abiding gun owners represent some sort of threat, we are sadly accustomed to it. Before the legislative session had even begun, Virginia Democratic members of Congress threatened law-abiding citizens with the Virginia National Guard to confiscate firearms. The week before gun owners and Second Amendment advocates gathered in Richmond this past Monday to voice their opposition to the Virginia Democrat gun-ban agenda, Governor Northam ramped up the ridiculous rhetoric. Northam and Bloomberg’s bought-and-paid-for Virginia General Assembly had already rushed through legislation to ban firearms at the Capitol. This was just prior to NRA’s own day for legislative action, where we invited members to join us in speaking out against Northam’s extremist agenda. This event, which even Governor Northam described as a “peaceful event,”saw more than 2,000 NRA members gather in Richmond, without incident (as we would expect). Even though gun owners regularly gather by the thousands, and sometimes tens-of-thousands, without any problems, Northam decided to ramp up the anti-gun hysteria ahead of Monday’s event by declaring a “State of Emergency,”and expanding the zones where lawfully possessed firearms are prohibited around the Capitol. And the media fanned the flames of Northam’s attempt to paint law-abiding gun owners as dangerous. Prior to Monday’s event, fear-mongering headlines were everywhere. Time.com went with, “Tensions are High, Extremists are Expected to Attend.” Yahoo! News ran a piece by Bloomberg’s primary anti-gun shill, Shannon Watts, which included in its headline, “Extremists Plan to Rally in Virginia.” An MSNBC.com headline claimed, “As gun rights rally looms in Virginia, Richmond residents fear another Charlottesville.” The day of the event, more of the same, and sometimes worse. Huffington Post proclaimed, “Thousands Of Pro-Gun Activists And Far-Right Extremists Swarm Richmond, Virginia.” Yahoo! News announced, “Tensions Are High, Some Protesters Are Showing Up Armed.” Craig Melvin, an MSNBC anchor, received quite a bit of push-back for stating that “thousands” of “white nationalists” attended the rally. The media, of course, were not alone with hyping the hysteria. Harvard’s own David Hogg apparently took a break from his studies to tweet (his favorite form of communication) a plethora of insults and incendiary jibes at the men and women who took the time to peacefully express their political views. Hogg made references to “white supremacists”and “nazi’s”(sic), said “you’re a fascist”of many attendees, and said some who showed up that “they actually think there (sic) in Call of Duty.” He even took the time to tweet “Donald Trump is an idiot.” So, that’s what you apparently get with a Harvard education these days. Maybe next semester he will take a class on civility, or even English. When the event was over, and no acts of violence had been reported (which was no surprise to anyone actually familiar with law-abiding gun owners), many in the media felt compelled to actually report the rally ended peacefully. That’s not news, unless you spent the days before the event trying to foment fear over the potential for violence. Sadly, it sounds more like disappointment. But the denigration of what was estimated as 22,000+ gun rights activists simply using their collective political voice to oppose attacks on our cherished freedoms didn’t end with the close of this Lobby Day. Before, during, and after the rally, countless media hacks tried to portray the event as less an expression of support for the Second Amendment, and more a gathering of white men who, as Hogg put it, are “white supremacists,”“nazi’s,”and “fascists.” In fact, the rally was incredibly diverse, with men and women from across the racial spectrum. It was far more inclusive than, say, the stage at the last Democrat Presidential debate. One of the more egregious diatribes post-rally came in the form of a GQ column penned by Talia Lavin. While most in the media reported on how peaceful the event was (again, not news, but expected behavior from law-abiding gun owners), Lavin’s fevered, anti-gun imagination projected an image of a rally with “the promise that bloodshed might happen at any time….” But was she even there? Unlikely. Her column appears to be cobbled together from various other news articles, and second-hand reports from “[r]eporter friends who planned to attend,” and a “leftist activist”who claimed she was there. The idea that someone who likely wasn’t even at the event could offer insight as to the mood of the event isn’t Lavin’s only problem. The “research”she did for her GQ piece was filled with errors. She claimed “some 22,000 people from all over the country had turned up to protest the gun control laws recently passed by the Virginia State Senate.” In fact, the rally had been planned for some time, as a protest for all of the anti-gun legislation Governor Northam and his ilk had been threatening to pass since last year. Lavin also claimed that “NRA handed out 1,000 free 30-round magazines to gun owners before the rally.”If by “before the rally”she meant a week before, during our own, separate day for legislative action, then that would be accurate. But that doesn’t fit into the image of a scene she described as “a spectacular arsenal of weaponry.”A description she crafted based, presumably, on photos and video of the event. So we’ll just make an educated guess that her sloppy work resulted in her conflating two different events, either intentionally or not, to feed her negative narrative. Again, rather than doing actual research, Lavin relied on a news article or two to also claim, “The effects on locals amounted to a sweeping petrification. Due to Monday’s event, Richmond natives closed their businesses downtown—from a 7-11 near the Capitol to a barbershop….”Rather than the image of a shuttered downtown Lavin tried to create, many, if not most, businesses remained open, and flourished with the concentrated influx of customers. She also brought up the notion that some groups chose to cancel their own Lobby Day events. Some may have simply not wanted to deal with competing for space with 22,000+ other citizens who were making their political voices heard. Sadly, some may have been scared away by Governor Northam and media hacks like Lavin projecting a sense of impending doom. Lavin quoted from a press release by one group that claimed it canceled because of its fear over “heavily armed white supremacists…seeking to incite violence.” But that came from the rabidly anti-gun Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (formerly the National Coalition to Ban Handguns). It seems far more likely the group saw an opportunity to take advantage of the hysteria created by Northam and the media, get a little attention, and avoid showing up with a handful of activists that would just get dejected and go home early. Now, the name Talia Lavin may sound familiar to some. In 2018 she resigned from her position as “fact-checker”for the New Yorker after she posted a picture of an ICE agent, and implied he had a Nazi tattoo. He did not. So, apparently attention to detail has long been a failure for Talia. Coincidentally, like Hogg, she is also a product of Harvard. So, before, during, and after a rally in Richmond that saw 22,000+ Second Amendment advocates come together to voice their opposition to legislation designed to infringe on the rights of law-abiding gun owners, anti-gun extremists, politicians, and their enablers in the media did everything they could to malign the attendees. They projected an image of impending violence at the thought of so many gun owners in one place, then seemed to imply it was “news”that the rally was peaceful. Again, gun owners gathering together peacefully is not “news;” that’s the norm. Then again, anti-gun extremists, politicians, and their enablers in the media working together to malign law-abiding gun owners, sadly, isn’t really “news”either. It’s just another day that ends with “y.” ——————– NRA-ILA article. Tags: NRA-ILA, Second Amendment Rally, Seems to Have, Anti-Gun Extremists, Disappointed, it was so Peaceful To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Nets Decry Trump’s Legal Team ‘Discrediting’ Days of Dem ‘Evidence’Posted: 27 Jan 2020 02:26 PM PSTby Nicholas Fondacaro: Saturday’s abbreviated impeachment hearing was the first time President Trump’s legal team was able to have the Senate floor all to themselves during opening arguments, and the liberal media were not happy about it. All three of the broadcast networks used their evening newscasts to decry and whine about the arguments Trump’s legal team were making. “Tonight, President Trump’s legal team didn’t even warm up, opening their defense straight to the point,” ABC special correspondent Kyra Phillips began her World News Tonight report. She then complained that Trump lawyer Pat Cipollone was “getting personal, attacking lead House manager Adam Schiff, going after his summary of the President’s phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky at the center of it all.” Schiff’s “summary” of the phone call? That was some major spin from Phillips in order to obfuscate the fact that Schiff had opened up the impeachment hearings by reading from his totally fabricated transcript of the call. Phillips went on to huff: “In their two-hour presentation, the President’s lawyers repeatedly discrediting the Democrats’ evidence that President Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate his political rivals by withholding military aid.” She also didn’t appear to like reporting how “Some Republican senators saying the defense’s case is off to a good start.” Over on CBS Weekend News, chief congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes seemed to disapprove of how “White House counsel Pat Cipollone kicked off the defense by casting the President as the victim of an unfair impeachment.” In paraphrasing the argument from Trump lawyer Michael Purpura as “They insisted there were other reasons for the hold” on military aid to Ukraine, Cordes declared “Those claims run counter to witness testimony.” Cordes followed up with a soundbite of U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland claiming “Was there a quid pro quo? The answer is yes.” She failed to note that that testimony from Sondland had run counter to his original testimony. “Republican senators praised the presentation,” she added with a noticeable groan. AS for the part of NBC Nightly News, White House correspondent Geoff Bennett griped about how “The President’s attorneys also attempting to undercut the credibility of key House witnesses. Including Gordon Sondland who spoke directly with Mr. Trump about the hold on military aid to Ukraine.” The transcripts are below, click “expand” to read:BC’s World News Tonight January 25, 2020 6:35:14 p.m. Eastern TOM LLAMAS: Now the White House’s turn on the floor of the Senate. President Trump’s defense team on the offense today, accusing the Democrats using the impeachment process as a plot to overthrow the 2016 election. This as House impeachment managers filed more than 28,000 pages of their trial records with the secretary of the Senate. ABC’s Kyra Phillips on the hill for us tonight. [Cut to video] KYRA PHILLIPS: Tonight, President Trump’s legal team didn’t even warm up, opening their defense straight to the point. PAT CIPOLLONE (President Trump’s Legal Team): You will find that the President did absolutely nothing wrong. PHILLIPS: Even getting personal, attacking lead House manager Adam Schiff, going after his summary of the President’s phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky at the center of it all. REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): This is the essence of what the President communicates [Transition] I want you to make up dirt on my political opponent, understand? Lots of it. MICHAEL PURPURA (President Trump’s Legal Team): That’s fake. That’s not the real call. PHILLIPS: In their two-hour presentation, the President’s lawyers repeatedly discrediting the Democrats’ evidence that President Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate his political rivals by withholding military aid. PURPURA: Most of the Democratic witnesses have never spoken to the President at all, let alone about Ukraine security assistance. PHILLIPS: President Trump blasting the quote, “totally partisan impeachment hoax.” While his defense team suggested the Democrats are using the trial to influence the election. CIPOLLONE: They’re asking you to tear up all of the ballots across this country. PHILLIPS: Some Republican senators saying the defense’s case is off to a good start. SEN. JONI ERNST (R-IA) Our team entirely shredded the case that has been presented by the House managers. (…) CBS Weekend News January 25, 2020 6:33:43 p.m. Eastern MAJOR GARRETT: The President’s legal team kicked off their opening arguments in the Senate impeachment trial today. Mr. Trump weighed in, of course, on Twitter. Quote: “Any fair-minded person watching the Senate trial today would be able to see how unfairly I have been treated.” Nancy Cordes tonight on the President’s defense. [Cuts to video] PAT CIPOLLONE (President Trump’s Legal Team): You will find that the President did absolutely nothing wrong. NANCY CORDES: White House counsel Pat Cipollone kicked off the defense by casting the President as the victim of an unfair impeachment. CIPOLLONE: They’re asking you to remove President Trump from the ballot in an election that’s occurring in approximately nine months. CORDES: The President’s defense team took aim at the central allegation, that President Trump withheld vital aid to pressure Ukraine into investigating his campaign rival. MICHAEL PURPURA (President Trump’s Legal Team): There is simply no evidence anywhere that President Trump ever linked security assistance to any investigations. CORDES: They insisted there were other reasons for the hold. JAY SEKULOW (President Trump’s Legal Team): Foreign aid generally was undergoing a review in 2019. PURPURA: The President, rightly, had real concerns about whether European and other countries were contributing their fair share to ensuring Ukraine’s security. CORDES: Those claims run counter to witness testimony. AMB. GORDON SONDLAND: Was there a quid pro quo? The answer is yes. CORDES: The defense suggested they were uninformed. PURPURA: Most of the Democrats’ witnesses have never spoken to the President at all. CORDES: Democrats seized on that point to push for more testimony, blocked by the White House. (…) CORDES: Republican senators praised the presentation. (…)—————————– Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) is a News Analyst for the Media Research Center. Tags: Nets Decry, Trump’s Legal Team, ‘Discrediting’ Days of Dem ‘Evidence’ Nicholas Fondacaro, Media Research Center To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Forked Tongues . . .Posted: 27 Jan 2020 01:42 PM PST. . . Well Established liar, Elizabeth Warren, has the nerve to call Bernie Sanders a liar. Editorial Cartoon by AF “Tony” BrancoTags: AF Branco, editorial cartoon, Forked Tongues, Well Established liar, Elizabeth Warren, has the nerve, to call, Bernie Sanders, a liar To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| We, The RiffraffPosted: 27 Jan 2020 01:41 PM PSTby Paul Jacob, Contributing Author: Suppose I disagree with you — say, on whether I have the right to bear arms. I favor, you oppose. (We’re just supposing here.) In the heat of online argument, I call you a scoundrel or other unkind things. I am intemperate but avoid libel or threats. Should I be jailed? (Remember, we’re just supposing here. Don’t call the constables!) You and I would say “No.” But we can’t take our freedom of intemperate speech for granted, or our freedom of any speech at all that ruffles the feathers of rulers like those currently ruling the roost in Virginia. Our forefathers understood the danger of abusing power to squelch dissent. Hence the First Amendment’s sweeping protection of even obnoxious peaceful speech. Yet right after launching a massive assault on our Second Amendment rights, Virginia legislators are now launching a massive assault on our First Amendment rights. House Bill 1627 would make a Class 1 felony of “Harassment by computer”: “threats and harassment,” “indecent language,” “any suggestion of an obscene nature” when directed against the governor or other Virginia potentates in state government. Possible penalties include jail time. Who will decide when rhetoric is mean and vulgar, blunt and honest, or some jumble of all the above? Or when the bill’s ambiguous catchall provisions, if enacted, are being violated? Why, the only* people it’s meant to protect: those in government . . . who don’t like it when the people get angry and loud. This legislation does not defend you and me. It’s the opposite of the First Amendment, designed to keep us plebs — the riffraff — silent. This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob. * The special protection pointedly covers only “the following officials or employees of the Commonwealth: the Governor, Governor-elect, Lieutenant Governor, Lieutenant Governor-elect, Attorney General, or Attorney General-elect, a member or employee of the General Assembly, a justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, or a judge of the Court of Appeals of Virginia.” —————— Paul Jacob (@Common_Sense_PJ) is author of Common Sense which provides daily commentary about the issues impacting America and about the citizens who are doing something about them. He is also President of the Liberty Initiative Fund (LIFe) as well as Citizens in Charge Foundation. Jacob is a contributing author on the ARRA News Service. Tags: Paul Jacob, Common Sense, We, The Riffraff To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| The Double Voting ProblemPosted: 27 Jan 2020 12:33 PM PSTby Hans von Spakovsky & Kaitlynn Samalis-Aldrich: It’s 2020, which means election year is upon us. And although Washington is currently preoccupied with the impeachment melodrama going on in the Senate, we should not lose sight of problems in our voter registration and election process that imperil the integrity of upcoming local, state, and federal elections. When our citizens exercise their right to choose their leaders, their votes shouldn’t be diluted or stolen through fraud or administrative errors. Unfortunately, that remains a problem as demonstrated by the proven cases in the Heritage Foundation’s election fraud database. We recently added 18 instances of election fraud to the database, which contains a sampling of almost 1,300 fraud cases from across the country. There are other cases the database does not yet include but that should concern everyone. Paul Pate, the Iowa Secretary of State, recently referred nine Iowans to Polk County prosecutors for double voting in the 2018 election—that is, voting in Iowa and another state in the same election. Another 27 suspected occurrences of double voting are under investigation. These problems were discovered through the state’s participation in the Electronic Registration Information Center program. Currently 25 states and the District of Columbia are enrolled in the program, which allows states to compare voter registration information. Unfortunately, not enough states are participating in either the Electronic Registration Information Center program or the similar Interstate Crosscheck program. New York and California, the states with the largest voting populations, are not in either program. Some states that do participate don’t do anything with the reports they receive on possible double voters. So it is still relatively easy to vote illegally in more than one state without getting caught or prosecuted. As Secretary Pate correctly said, “One fraudulent vote is too many. It nullifies a legally cast vote. Iowans take the integrity of our elections very seriously, and we will not stand for people trying to cheat the system.” If you think these incidents in Iowa are isolated, look at a recent entry from Heritage’s database. Charles Eugene Cartier Jr., of New Hampshire just pled guilty to double voting in the 2016 general election, voting first in New Hampshire then again in neighboring Massachusetts. He was the fourth person found guilty of duplicate voting in New Hampshire just in the last year. Iowa and New Hampshire aren’t the only states to uncover instances of duplicate voting. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has referred 18 cases of duplicate voting in his state to appropriate prosecutors—all discovered through the state’s participation in the Electronic Registration Information Center. But can one vote actually affect the outcome of an election? Absolutely! From 2013 to 2017, 56 elections in Ohio resulted in a tie vote and 86 were decided by only one vote. The problems in Ohio don’t stop with duplicate voting, either. Secretary LaRose also found 77 non-citizens who cast ballots and 277 aliens who were on the voter rolls. Similarly, Illinois recently was forced to admit it had mistakenly registered 574 aliens through its new “automatic voter registration” system, 16 of whom cast votes in the 2018 election. State officials minimized the problem by saying the glitch in the system that caused this has been fixed. But Illinois has long had a problem with aliens registering and voting, and election officials there never have had any interest in doing anything about it. It has no checks in place to verify that individuals registering to vote are citizens. The U.S. Justice Department prosecuted dozens of aliens for voting in the 1982 election in Chicago, and the U.S. Attorney in Chicago at the time, Dan Webb, estimated that there were thousands of aliens registered and voting in Chicago. In 2012 and 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit issued decisions involving three different aliens who illegally registered and voted in Illinois, two of whom did so through the DMV. This wasn’t prevented by DMV or detected by Illinois election officials; the aliens were caught only when they applied for a change of status with the Department of Homeland Security. Still think we don’t have a problem with alien voting? Last year, Pennsylvania officials admitted that more than 11,000 aliens had registered to vote in the state, also through a glitch in their DMV system. Over the past few years, the Public Interest Legal Foundation has issue a series of reports on aliens who self-reported to election officials that they were registered. That included: 86 aliens registered to vote in Philadelphia;5,556 aliens in Virginia who were removed as registered voters but not before a third of them had cast ballots;More than 1,000 aliens in 11 counties in New Jersey; andAlmost 5,000 aliens in Allegheny County, Pa., sanctuary jurisdictions in seven states, 11 townships in Michigan, and Palm Beach, Fla., many of whom had voted before they were removed.These aliens were removed only because they contacted election officials to inform them that they were not U.S. citizens. There is no telling how many more aliens are illegally registered and voting who are not being detected by election officials. The stakes of the 2020 election are high for all involved. But the stakes are even higher for the voting public who have a right to fair and secure elections. Combating election fraud head-on is the only way to secure our elections, and in turn, the sanctity of the democratic process. ———————- Hans von Spakovsky is an authority on a wide range of issues—including civil rights, civil justice, the First Amendment, immigration, the rule of law and government reform—as a senior legal fellow in The Heritage Foundation’s Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies and manager of the think tank’s Election Law Reform Initiative. More ARRA News Service articles by or about Hans von Spakovsky. Kaitlynn Samalis-Aldrich is an administrative and research assistant at the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies. Tags: Double Voting Problem, Hans von Spakovsky, Kaitlynn Samalis-Aldrich, The Heritage Foundation, The Daily Signal To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| 5 Big Points by Trump’s Lawyers as Defense Opens in Impeachment TrialPosted: 27 Jan 2020 11:48 AM PSTJay Sekulow, personal lawyer to President Donald Trump, arrives Saturday morning for the defense’s opening arguments in the Senate impeachment trial. At far left is White House counsel Pat Cipollone.by Fred Lucas: President Donald Trump’s lawyers took the Senate floor Saturday morning to open their defense in his impeachment trial, wrapping up their initial arguments within two hours. The defense’s opening presentation was unusually brief after House Democrats’ impeachment managers stretched their arguments for about eight hours on each of three days. Trump’s lawyers have Monday and Tuesday to finish their defense, as each side gets three days and up to 24 hours to make their cases to senators. The House’s seven impeachment managers, urging the Senate to remove Trump from office, used all but about three hours of their allotted time. Trump weighed in on Twitter well after the Senate adjourned shortly after noon. Any fair minded person watching the Senate trial today would be able to see how unfairly I have been treated and that this is indeed the totally partisan Impeachment Hoax that EVERYBODY, including the Democrats, truly knows it is. This should never be allowed to happen again!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 25, 2020Here are five highlights from the opening arguments of the president’s lawyers. 1. ‘Massive Interference in an Election’ The Democrat-controlled House voted Dec. 18 to impeach Trump, alleging he abused his power and obstructed Congress in connection with his July 25 phone call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In the call, the two men briefly discussed Trump’s interest in Zelenskyy’s investigating possible Ukrainian interference in the U.S. presidential election in 2016 as well as Ukrainian-related actions taken by former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden. House Democrats allege that Trump used the power of his office to solicit Ukraine to interfere in the U.S. presidential election in 2020. White House counsel Pat Cipollone countered that it is Democrats’ impeachment effort that seeks to “perpetrate the most massive interference in an election in American history.” “They’re asking you to remove President Trump from the ballot,” Cipollone said. If two-thirds of the Senate, or 67 senators, vote to remove a president from office, they also may disqualify him from holding another federal office. “They’re asking you to do something that no Senate has ever done, and they’re asking you to do that with no evidence, and that’s wrong,” Cipollone said. Cipollone said Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff of California, Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler of New York, and the other five House impeachment managers “hid evidence” from the Senate. The White House counsel pointed to the official transcript of the Trump-Zelenskyy call, ordered released by the president, which shows that both leaders talked about “burden-sharing” in support of Ukraine by other European countries. Cipollone said of the House managers:They come here to the Senate and they ask you [to] remove a president, tear up the ballots in all of your states, and they don’t bother to read the key evidence of the discussion of burden-sharing that’s in the call itself. Now, that’s emblematic of their entire presentation. They have the burden of proof. And they have not come close to meeting it.2. Focus on ‘6 Key Facts’ In 2016, Biden, as vice president, threatened to withhold $1 billion in U.S. aid from Ukraine unless the Eastern European nation fired Viktor Shokin, the state prosecutor who was investigating the Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings. Hunter Biden, the vice president’s son, held a high-paying job on the board of Burisma at the same time his father was the Obama administration’s point man for Ukraine policy. In his July 25 phone call with Zelenskyy, Trump said he would appreciate Ukraine’s investigating the matter along with Ukraine’s possible meddling in the 2016 U.S. election. At the time, unknown to Zelenskyy, Trump had put a hold on $391 million in congressionally approved military aid to the former Soviet republic to counter Russian aggression, which he would lift in September. Deputy White House counsel Mike Purpura said the entire case put forward by House impeachment managers melts under what he said were “six key facts”:First, the transcript shows that the president did not condition either security assistance or a meeting on anything. Second, President Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian officials repeatedly have said there was no quid pro quo and no pressure on them to review anything. Third, President Zelenskyy and high-ranking Ukrainian officials did not even know the security assistance was paused until the end of August, over a month after the July 25 call. Fourth, not a single witness testified that the president himself [Trump] said that there was any connection between any investigations in security assistance, a presidential meeting, or anything else. Fifth, the security assistance flowed on Sept. 11 and a presidential meeting took place on Sept. 25 [at the United Nations] without the Ukrainian government announcing any investigations. Finally, the Democrats’ blind drive to impeach the president does not and cannot change the fact, as attested to by the Democrats’ own witnesses, that President Trump has been a better friend and stronger supporter of Ukraine than his predecessor.On the last point, numerous witnesses who testified at the House impeachment hearings made clear that they supported the Trump administration’s policy of providing lethal weapons to Ukraine to defend itself from Russia. President Barack Obama’s administration had refused to provide such weaponry. 3. ‘Claiming to Be Mind Readers’ Zelenskyy and his aides in Ukraine have said on several occasions that they did not believe the U.S. was pressuring them to begin investigations of Burisma and possible Ukrainian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, which the president’s lawyers were eager to note. “Of course, the best evidence that there was no pressure or quid pro quo is the statements of Ukrainians themselves,” Purpura told senators. “The fact that President Zelenskyy himself felt no pressure on the call and did not perceive there to be any connection between security assistance and investigations would, in any ordinary case in any court, be totally fatal to the prosecution.” “The judge would throw it out,” he said. “The case would be over. What more do you need to know?” During their arguments, House members had told senators that, because of a power disparity, it was highly unlikely that Zelensky would challenge an assertion by Trump. Purpura dismissed this idea Saturday. “How do they try to overcome the direct words from President Zelenskyy and his administration that they felt no pressure? They tell you that the Ukrainians must have felt pressure, regardless of what they said,” Purpura argued, adding:They try to overcome the devastating evidence against them by apparently claiming to be mind readers. They know what’s in President Zelenskyy’s mind better than President Zelenskyy does. President Zelenskyy said he felt no pressure. The House managers tell you they know better. This is really a theme of the House case. Every time the Democrats say that President Trump made demands or issued a quid pro quo to Zelenskyy on the July 25 call, they are saying that President Zelenskyy and his top advisers are being untruthful.Jay Sekulow, one of Trump’s personal lawyers, later followed with a similar point about witnesses in the House impeachment hearings, most of whom declined to say, when asked, that they saw in the call a quid pro quo or a bribe. “This entire impeachment process is about the House managers’ insistence that they are able to read everybody’s thoughts; they can read everybody’s intentions, even when the principal speakers, the witnesses themselves, insist that those interpretations are wrong,” Sekulow said. He said it is well known that Trump is suspicious of foreign aid, noting that the president also reviewed or held up aid to Afghanistan, South Korea, and Pakistan, among other nations. 4. Ukraine Unaware of Hold on Aid The president’s lawyers also asserted that Ukraine wasn’t aware that Trump had put a hold on the $391 million in military aid, and never broached the topic with U.S. officials until an Aug. 28 story appeared in Politico. The article ran more than a month after the July 25 phone call between Trump and Zelenskyy. “We know there was no quid pro quo on the call; we know that from the transcript,” Purpura said. “There couldn’t possibly have been a quid pro quo because the Ukrainians didn’t know the security assistance was on hold. … There can’t be a threat without the person knowing he’s being threatened.” Purpura played video of Democrat-called witnesses telling House members that they did not believe the Ukrainian government was aware that the U.S. aid was being held up until the news story appeared in late August. “The House managers are aware that the Ukrainians’ lack of knowledge on the hold is fatal to their case, so they desperately tried to muddy the water,” Purpura said. During their presentation to the Senate, House Democrats pointed to an October press conference in which acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said the administration held up the money in part because it wanted Ukraine to investigate interference in the 2016 election. Mulvaney said this concern didn’t include an investigation of the Bidens. Responding to Democrats’ repeated assertion that Trump wanted Zelenskyy to do him a favor, and pointing again to the official transcript of the call, Purpura said:As everyone knows by now, President Trump asked President Zelenskyy to do ‘us’ a favor. And he made clear that ‘us’ referred to our country, and not himself. … There was no mention of the paused security assistance on the call, and certainly not from President Trump.During his closing argument late Friday, Schiff asserted that Trump thinks that “he is the state.” 5. ‘Relitigate the Mueller Case’ Sekulow, who also represented Trump in the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign, addressed another Schiff comment from Friday. Schiff asked senators to put themselves in the shoes of Joe Biden, and imagine that Trump had asked for Ukraine to investigate any one of them. “Let me begin by saying that you cannot simply decide this case in a vacuum,” Sekulow told senators. “Mr. Schiff said yesterday, I believe it was his father who [told him], you should put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Let’s for a moment put ourselves in the shoes of the president of the United States right now.” An FBI investigation of Trump for alleged conspiracy with Russia was underway before he was even elected, Sekulow said. Then, a few months into his presidency, Mueller was named as special counsel and investigated the Russian matter for about two years. Sekulow read a portion of the Mueller report clearing Trump and his campaign of any conspiracy or coordination with Russia to influence the 2016 election. “In their opening statement, several of the House managers tried once again to relitigate the Mueller case,” he said. Sekulow pointed out that the Mueller probe cost $32 million in taxpayers’ money and included 2,800 subpoenas, 500 search warrants, and 500 witness interviews. That investigation, he said, was predicated largely on what the Justice Department’s inspector general later determined to be a faulty FBI process of seeking a warrant to surveil a Trump campaign adviser, Carter Page. “The president had reason to be concerned about the information he was being provided,” Sekulow said, referring to the FBI and other intelligence agencies. “Now we can ignore this. We can make believe this did not happen. But it did.” Democrats were making a “straw man argument,” he said:The House managers over a 23-hour period kept pushing this false dichotomy that it was either Russia or Ukraine [that interfered in the 2016 election], but not both. They kept telling you the conclusion of the intelligence community and Mr. Mueller was Russia alone [meddled], with regard to the 2016 elections. The report Bob Mueller wrote was on Russia interference, although there is some information [there] in letters regarding Ukraine.——————— Fred Lucas (@FredLucasWH) is the White House correspondent for The Daily Signal. Ken McIntyre contributed to this report. Ken McIntyre (@KenMac55) contributed to this report. Tags: Fred Lucas, THe Daily Signal, 5 Big Points, by Trump’s Lawyers, Defense Opens, in Impeachment Trial To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| A Tale of Two EnglandsPosted: 27 Jan 2020 10:31 AM PSTby Daniel Greenfield: Call it a tale of two girls. And a tale of two Englands. One is an actress who grew up to marry a prince, lavished with luxuries, amassing a fortune, before her tantrums and antics drove her to depart her newfound royal family for a Canadian billionaire’s manor. The other was put into foster care when she was only 8, by the age of 13 she was being raped by a Muslim sex grooming gang, and by 15, Victoria Agoglia was already dead of a heroin overdose injected by the 50-year-old Muslim pedophile who had been abusing her. Today, she would have been a woman. Unlike Meghan Markle, Victoria never got the opportunity to marry a prince or even grow up. And while the media weeps for Markle, who is departing for Canada because of some tabloid tales, the story of Victoria, once again in the news because of the release of an independent report on the sex grooming gangs of Manchester, shows what true social injustice looks like. It’s not bad publicity for a celebrity. It’s a girl who was abandoned to the worst imaginable abuses because intervening would have been politically incorrect. The report chronicles how Operation Augusta was launched and then scuttled after her death in 2003, despite identifying 97 suspects and 57 victims. The victims were, “mostly white girls aged between 12 and 16”, and the perpetrators were, “mostly men of ‘Asian heritage’”. By ‘Asian’, the report means “predominantly Pakistani men” though at least one of the perpetrators was apparently Tunisian. Constable B, the anonymous cop responsible for some of the most revealing quotes in the report, said, “What had a massive input was the offending target group were predominantly Asian males and we were told to try and get other ethnicities.” Mohammed Yaqoob, the pedophile who had forcibly injected Victoria with heroin and was cleared of manslaughter charges, was not the sort of pedophile the Manchester cops were supposed to find. A meeting at Greater Manchester Police headquarters “acknowledged that the enquiry was sensitive due to the involvement of Asian men” and worried over “the incitement of racial hatred.” There were concerns about “the damaged relations following Operation Zoological.” Those were the police raids targeting Iraqi refugees involved in an alleged Al Qaeda plot to bomb a soccer stadium in Manchester. Some in the GMP didn’t see the point to stopping the rape of young girls because of cultural differences. “There was an educational issue. Asian males didn’t understand that it was wrong, and the girls were not quite there. They were difficult groups to deal with. We can’t enforce our way out of the problem,” Constable B said. And so they didn’t. More young girls and women were raped. Some of the perpetrators were later arrested. The full scope of the abuse and the cover-up will never be known. The independent report tells us a little of the horror. The Muslim sex grooming gangs in South Manchester targeted girls from broken families who were taken to care homes. This was not accident or chance. As the report notes, the “offenders understood that a specific children’s home in Manchester was used as an emergency placement unit for children entering the care system and this maintained a steady supply of victims.” And the Muslim sex groomers made sure to be on hand and ready so that the “children were befriended as soon as they arrived.” These were some of the same tactics used by Muslim sex grooming gangs in Rotherham, Bradford, Huddersfield, Rochdale, Aylesbury, Oxford, Newcastle, Bristol, and Telford, suggesting some level of coordination between grooming gangs from various cities. Possibly over the internet. It’s an angle that the authorities have shown no interest in following up because of its potentially explosive nature. Some previous Muslim sex grooming gangs were set up among taxi drivers. This gang, according to the report, was based out of the “Asian restaurant and takeaway trade.” Again, by Asian, they mean Indian, Afghan and Pakistani cuisine, kabobs and curry, not Egg Foo Yung and General Tso’s Chicken. These traditionally Muslim businesses served as coordinating networks for the rape and abuse of children. The migrant populations that destroyed the English working class, displacing them and taking their jobs, leaving men without purposeful work, wives without husbands, and children with broken homes, then completed the hat trick by drugging, raping, and killing the daughters of the working class. And the authorities shrugged because the girls were the worthless leavings of broken homes and a declining populace, the Mohicans and Incas, the Bushmen and the Picts, ragged remnants of defeated tribes brokenly making way for a new conquest, their daughters subjugated by the arrogant colonizers. There are brief snapshots of the horror of this New Britain: notes from a lost investigation into lost lives. “Carers reported to police that a child had provided information stating that she was being pursued/threatened/coerced into having sex by two men who were Asian,” a brief summary mentions. “A child begged her carers to get her away from Manchester as she was too involved with Asian men. She disclosed that an Asian man known by his nickname ‘made her do things she didn’t want to do’”. While girls have been the focus of many of the stories, some of the predators also went after boys. “Child 14 was a male looked after child who regularly went missing,” the report also notes. There were “references from other young people that he was being prostituted by Asian and gay men.” Despite its thorough documentation, the report ends in a bureaucratic sea of missing information. In 2005, senior officers of the Greater Manchester Police and Manchester City Council members attended a meeting at Manchester Town Hall and announced the shutdown of the investigation. The report mentions that, “The review team has requested a copy of the minutes for that meeting but neither GMP nor Manchester City Council was able to provide a copy.” It’s no doubt been logged and filed in the same place as Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide videos. Constable B’s rough answers tell us certain truths about the cover-up. The investigation of Muslim sex grooming gangs was too likely to offend the wrong people. And the behavior of the Muslim pedophiles, who abused young girls and addicted them to drugs, was attributed to cultural differences. The nameless Constable B tells us the true scope of the problem. Manchester cops like him know that this is habitual and that it’s taking place on a level vastly beyond the scope of Operation Augusta. It’s not 57 girls or 97 suspects. It’s thousands. “We can’t enforce our way out of the problem,” he said. That’s what you say about vast social issues that involve entire communities and a way of life. Muslim sex grooming gangs, like drugs or prostitution, are too widespread to be enforced out of existence because, like college students and pot, the culture doesn’t accept that they are wrong. The police did nothing because these were not isolated crimes by criminals, but clashes of morals and values between two communities, one of which does not believe that child rape is wrong because its sacred texts tell it that Mohammed married Aisha and consummated his marriage when she was 9. There are nearly 2 million child marriages in Pakistan. The notion that a woman’s consent to sexual relations matters is an utterly foreign concept in a culture where unaccompanied women are fair game. The child rapists did not believe that their actions were wrong under Islamic law. And they weren’t. The Manchester City Council and the GMP just accepted this reality as they have accepted it so often. They buried the minutes, shut down the investigation, and walked away from the screams of the girls. They did it for multiculturalism, integration, and community relations. They did it for social justice. We know that no real action was taken because the girls were troubled. They didn’t matter. And their bodies and lives could be sacrificed for the greater good. The real tragedy is not that the rapists didn’t understand it was wrong. It’s that the UK no longer does. As the media moans over Meghan Markle, sob stories rolling in of the injustice of tabloid headlines and the prejudice of the Brits, it is worth remembering those nameless girls who were sacrificed to progress. They were not worked to death in factories. The brand of progress is no longer Dickensian. Instead it’s Markleite. It demands that we look away from the broken bodies in the chimneys of social justice, to bury away these cinderellas of the postmodern age until Blake’s angel comes with his bright key. The princess of social justice is in. And the cinderellas who never get asked to the ball, who never grow up or meet their prince, who are taken by taxi to drug dens, shot up, abused, and then turned out, are obstacles to the brand of progress that Markle, Stormzy, and the rest of the social justice crowd of the ‘Cool New Britain’ that is quick to stomp on offensive speech and quicker to look away from the horrors of the new golden age of acid attacks, sex grooming gangs, and nail bombs at teen girl concerts, represent. There is no fairy godmother for them. Only little black coffins and filing cabinets. Bodies are buried in coffins and the truth is buried in filing cabinets, along with the unasked questions There is a red Mercedes linked to four of the young girls. Who was behind the wheel of the car “used in the procurement of the victims”? Where did it go? Who knows. Ask the GMP. Ask the lost and the dead. The notes and minutes are missing. The truth has been buried in little black coffins along with the bodies of young girls like Victoria. England might once have been theirs. Now it belongs to their abusers. ————– Daniel Greenfield (@Sultanknish) is Shillman Journalism Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center writes for FrontPage Mag and is an investigative journalist and writer focusing on radical Left and Islamic terrorism. Tags: Daniel Greenfield, Sultan Knish, Tale of two girls. Tale of two Englands To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Killing Freelance WorkPosted: 27 Jan 2020 10:17 AM PSTby Penna Dexter, Contributing Author: A California law went into effect January 1 that hurts the very people it was supposed to “protect.” Assembly Bill 5 severely limits independent contracting by placing heavy restrictions on the amount of work freelancers can do before being considered full-time workers. The Daily Signal’s Jarrett Stepman explains that “The law was passed to reduce the negative impact of the ‘gig economy,’ where workers do various jobs on their own time but don’t get the benefits or long-term employment guarantees of a traditional full-time job.” Not everyone wants or needs these benefits. The flexibility of a contract job is appealing to all kinds of folks. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Fewer than 1 in 10 independent contractors would prefer a traditional work arrangement.” But California is removing that choice for lots of its workers. No surprise — companies are already replacing freelancers and independent contractors with fewer full-time workers. Why would California lawmakers want to kill the gig economy? Doing this will only exacerbate California’s homelessness problem. The Wall Street Journal explains that AB5 will benefit labor unions and plaintiff attorneys, major financiers of leftist politicians. But it imposes enormous new labor costs on businesses that rely heavily on contractors. Every Uber driver will have to be an employee, costing the company an estimated $21,000 per worker and necessitating 30-50-% fare increases. Every writer or blogger who contributes a weekly column to a website now must be a full- time employee of the company running the site. Publishers will cope by simply staying away from California workers. The Journal reports that “Several trucking companies are ending contracting relationships with California drivers and offering them relocation packages to move to other states.” The paternalistic left acts as if everyone needs a boss. The state should adopt legislation allowing gig economy workers to pool together to get lower-cost insurance. That would preserve their autonomy and flexibility and help them thrive. —————- Penna Dexter is a radio talk show host heard on numerous stations via the Point of View Network (@PointofViewRTS) and is endorsed by Dr. Bill Smith, Editor, ARRA News Service. Tags: Penna Dexter, Viewpoints, Point of View, Killing Freelance Work To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Again, Regarding Trump’s Impeachment Trial, Read The Ttranscript!Posted: 27 Jan 2020 10:02 AM PSTPat Cipollone, White House Counselby Michael Goodwin: Long before Democrats finished making their marathon impeachment case Friday night, momentum had deserted them. The loops of repetition had gone from annoying to unbearable and the wild assertions got even wilder as their talk, talk, talk became a trial of its own. Despite the historic nature of the event, the public voted by staying away. Many gallery seats sat empty, a fact that recalls a gem from the late Yogi Berra that “If the people don’t want to come out to the ballpark, nobody’s gonna stop them.” Still, even a fraudulent impeachment is not a laughing matter and until the Senate votes, nothing is guaranteed. To that end, President Trump’s team finally got their first turn at bat Saturday and delivered several big hits in a strong start. They began with something Trump has said repeatedly, including to me when I interviewed him Jan. 7: “Read the transcript and you’ll see exactly what it is.” Pat Cipollone, the White House counsel, echoed that view when he told senators the transcript of the president’s call with the president of Ukraine on July 25th “is the best evidence” that Trump “did absolutely nothing wrong.” He cited passage after passage in the transcript that undercut the Dems’ charge of a quid pro quo involving American military aid in exchange for investigations into Ukraine’s role in the 2016 presidential election and Hunter Biden’s lucrative gig with a corrupt energy company. After reading each passage, including those on the need to combat corruption in Ukraine and the presidents’ agreement that Germany and France should pony up more aid, Cipollone noted that Dems did not mention any of those in their presentation. He accused them of hiding evidence that didn’t fit their “predetermined outcome” and of trying to pull off “the most massive interference in election history.” He returned to that point in his team’s final remarks, saying this impeachment amounts to interfering in this year’s election “by removing the President of the United States from the ballot.” Doing that, he said, is the true “abuse of power” that violates the Founders’ intent. It was a clear argument and Cipollone was followed by three more Trump lawyers who stuck to his theme — go on offense and put the motive and conduct of the impeachers on trial. The aim wasn’t just to create reasonable doubt. The goal was to demolish the entire case against the president and expose lead prosecutor Rep. Adam Schiff and Speaker Nancy Pelosi as pure partisans trying to overturn the 2016 election and steal the next one. Some of the defense’s effort involved a meticulous reading of witness transcripts and comparing them to what Dems had said about those witnesses. And some of it was a much more casual effort at drawing contrasts. One of those contrasts simply involved time. Saturday’s session lasted just two hours, yet it was effective in part because it was concise. The fact that the president’s team would be brief in their first at-bat and not use the full 24 hours allotted them in coming days clearly was aimed at reminding the senators and the viewing public of how Dems erred in making the trial a test of endurance. Another contrast was that the president’s team would not insult the senators. Cipollone cited two Dem examples, the first with Rep. Jerry Nadler’s foolish charge that a vote against additional witnesses would amount to a “cover-up” of crimes and a “treacherous” decision. The second insult was Schiff’s reference to a threat allegedly made by the White House that any defecting GOP senator would find that “your head will be on a pike.” It’s telling that while Schiff said he wasn’t sure the CBS story was true, he used it anyway, which forced the White House and senators to deny it. “I know of no Republican senator who has been threatened in any way by anyone in the administration,” said Susan Collins of Maine, whose vote might be in play. Another, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, said Schiff “lost me” with the comment. In opening statements, House managers examined the debunked conspiracy theories invoked by Pres. Trump. A @POTUS confidant tells CBS News that GOP senators were warned: “vote against the president & your head will be on a pike.” Here’s @nancycordes https://t.co/LV1Y6QveIh pic.twitter.com/tLB9EpoWr8— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) January 23, 2020Earlier, Collins wrote a note to Chief Justice John Roberts complaining about Nadler’s claims of cover-ups and treachery. To fair-minded, reasonable people, these incidents show Dems digging themselves a hole with the very people whose votes they need. That’s true, but it’s not the whole story. A better way to understand what they’re up to involves looking back at the vicious attacks on Brett Kavanaugh at his Supreme Court confirmation hearings. The reprehensible smears, based on false accusations of sexual misconduct going back decades, were instantly embraced by every Democrat on the Senate judiciary committee, along with Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer. Kavanaugh was narrowly confirmed in October of 2018, so the battle was lost. But not the war. In the midterm elections just a month later, Dems picked up seven governors’ seats previously held by Republicans without losing a single one they had held. Most important, of course, they flipped the House to take control, with many of their new seats in districts Trump won in the 2016 election. In short, Dems were rewarded for their resistance against Trump and their smears of Kavanaugh. That is the lesson they learned, and it’s why they are again carrying out another scorched-earth attack on Trump and the GOP. This time, their voters and donors demanded impeachment. After Robert Mueller failed to deliver the goods, they immediately seized on the Ukraine call. So while impeachment deserves to die in the Senate and almost certainly will, it is not in the Dems’ political interest to let it die quietly. Buckle up for stormy days. The outrage is ours, not yours, Blas Slow walking and soft pedaling — that’s what Mayor Bill de Blasio is doing about violence at a Queens middle school. Slow walking and soft pedaling — that’s what Mayor Bill de Blasio is doing about violence at a Queens middle school. More than a week after race-baiting Chancellor Richard Carranza bolted from a meeting with irate parents of MS 158 Marie Curie in Bayside, de Blasio finally had something to say. “I would be outraged, too, as a parent, so the chancellor is looking to see . . . if changes are needed,” de Blasio said. There’s no “if” about the need for changes. A videotape shows one student getting a brutal beating and parents say there was also a classroom sexual assault. The mayor claims Carranza takes the situation “very seriously.” That would be news to parents who say discipline at the school has collapsed and that none of the perpetrators was suspended. Carranza, of course, would rather count racial beans and end “white privilege.” Ending violence and classroom chaos — that’s beneath him. ‘Woke’ to acronym acrobatics at NYT Reader Gary Schwartz, noting an insider’s description of The New York Times as “Wokestan,” offers a thought. He writes: “Those everywhere who are woke and those who work at Wokestan are part of the We Obviously Know Everything crowd.” ———————— Michael Goodwin (@mgoodwin_nypost) writes for the New York Post Tags: Michael Goodwin, Adam Schiff, Donald Trump, Trump Impeachment Hearings To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Stop With the Silly ‘Centrist’ Labels for DemsPosted: 27 Jan 2020 09:22 AM PSTby L. Brent Bozell III and Tim Graham: The most abused adjective in political reporting is the label “centrist.” It should tell you everything about the politician. Unfortunately, it tells us far more about those applying the label. The American Conservative Union ratings system has been widely accepted as the voting compass from the perspective of the right. According to the ACU, a centrist would look like Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who has a lifetime ACU score of 44.8%. Reporters could call her a “liberal Republican,” and they should, except that term simply doesn’t exist. (Don’t believe us? Check it out.) Or take Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who is considered a “conservative Democrat,” but that animal doesn’t exist in the Senate. His lifetime ACU rating is 26.7%, putting him in lockstep with the left almost three-quarters of the time. Where this all gets ridiculous is the presidential field. In 2016, Hillary Clinton was regularly pitched as a centrist by the press. Her ACU score from her Senate years, ending in 2009, was 8.1%. But that wasn’t the worst of it. When she picked Sen. Tim Kaine as her running mate, even The Wall Street Journal oozed that Kaine’s “centrist policies” could help Clinton. His ACU score at the time was 1%. (He’s now up to 2.2%.) It’s happening again in this cycle, to the point of absurdity. With extreme socialists like Sen. Bernie Sanders in the race, anyone who isn’t endorsing a socialist position — like redistributing wealth, abolishing private health insurance and shredding the fossil fuel industry — is categorized as a centrist. Defending the leftist lurch that was Obamacare is now the centrist position in this daffy media dictionary. When Joe Biden left the Senate in 2008 to be then-presidential candidate Barack Obama’s running mate, his lifetime ACU score was 12.7%. He’s only lurched further left ever since. But now, suddenly, he’s a “centrist” candidate. Take Ed O’Keefe at CBS News. This election cycle, he has touted “the national front-runner Joe Biden, a moderate, sandwiched between two liberals, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders.” There you have it. Socialists are liberals, and semi-socialists are moderates. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota is perpetually labeled as a centrist because she’s not tap-dancing with Sanders on socialist single-payer health care or free college or the Green New Deal. The New York Times warned last year, “While her approach may appeal to centrists and moderate Republicans in her home state, her breaks with liberal orthodoxy risk alienating the ascendant progressive wing of her party.” Her lifetime ACU rating — i.e., votes, not rhetoric — is 4.7%. Most of the Senate Democrats who showed up for the presidential run live right around Klobuchar’s leftist percentage. Sen. Kamala Harris’ rating is 4.6%; Warren’s is 4.2%; Sen. Michael Bennet’s is 5.5%; Sen. Cory Booker’s is 5.1%. How leftist are they? Their voting record has them to the left of Sanders! He has 6.8%. Candidates such as Mayor Pete Buttigieg who have no ACU rating can be 100% pro-choice and 1,000% LGBTQ Nation and be “centrist.” “The View” co-host Joy Behar calls him a moderate. Enough said. Michael Bloomberg can proclaim the urge to confiscate your guns and give away millions to Planned Parenthood and the Sierra Club, but he’s a “centrist” because he’s a billionaire. ABC’s Mary Bruce described Bloomberg as “a centrist who has become an active proponent of gun reform.” All this nonsense defines for everyone where our political journalists are located on the political spectrum. They think they represent the mainstream. They never have, and this cockeyed labeling shows they’re only getting worse. ————————- L. Brent Bozell III is the president of the Media Research Center. Tim Graham is director of media analysis at the Media Research Center and executive editor of the blog NewsBusters.org. Tags: L. Brent Bozell III, Tim Graham, Stop, Silly ‘Centrist’ Labels, for Dems To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
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| January 28, 2020Featuring the latest analysis, commentary, and research from Manhattan Institute scholarsEDUCATIONPhoto: courtneyk/iStockCharter Schools Benefit Disadvantaged StudentsAmong Democrats, 58% of black voters and 52% of Hispanic voters support charter schools—but their presidential candidates fail to reflect this view. In the latest issue brief in the Issues 2020 series, Max Eden shows how this newfound antipathy flies in the face of the evidence of charter schools’ success in improving educational outcomes for lower-income and minority students. Photo: monkeybusinessimages/iStockCharter Schools Boost Student Achievement in NewarkCharter schools have long been a politically divisive issue. A new report by Marcus Winters finds that attending a charter school in Newark, where Cory Booker helped expand the charter school sector during his tenure as mayor, leads to large improvements in math and reading scores, especially at those run by national organizations (KIPP and Uncommon). Photo: Wavebreakmedia/iStockEvidence for Lifting New York’s Cap on Charter SchoolsNew York City’s high-performing charter schools represent a boon for minority students from impoverished families, but a state law has capped their growth in the city. In a February 2019 issue brief, Ray Domanico provides a snapshot of the evidence on charters, showing how they outperform district schools, without threatening the success of these same schools. IN MEMORIAMPhoto: Joshua Lott/Getty ImagesThe Principled DisrupterClayton Christensen combined visionary business acumen with moral insight. By Amity Shlaes City Journal Online January 27, 2020 Photo: Manhattan Institute/YouTubeRemembering Clayton ChristensenClayton Christensen, renowned professor at the Harvard Business School, died on January 23 at age 67. In 2011, Christensen delivered the Manhattan Institute’s William E. Simon Lecture, where he spoke about “disruptive innovation” in the nonprofit sector. CULTURE & SOCIETYPhoto: Nattakorn Maneerat/iStockWhy Overachievers Are Sabotaging Themselves“Business gurus tell us to strive for ‘excellence’ in our careers and our companies, but there’s a surer and faster way to succeed. Instead of aiming to be a superstar, instead of trying to go the extra mile, follow what we call the Negative Golden Rule: It’s what you don’t do unto others that matters most.” By John Tierney, Roy F. Baumeister January 24, 2020 Based on a new book POLITICSPhoto: Alex Wroblewski/Getty ImagesAbuse of ProcedureThe House Democrats make an underwhelming case for impeachment—one without a constitutional basis. By Adam Freedman City Journal Online January 27, 2020 PODCASTPhoto: adrian825/iStockHow Risk Fuels a Healthy EconomyAllison Schrager joins Brian Anderson to discuss how risk propels economic growth and why government efforts that go too far to mitigate risk undermine America’s economic vitality. CIVIL SOCIETY AWARDSNominations are open for the Manhattan Institute’s 2020 Civil Society Awards. This fall, four winners will each receive a $25,000 award for their efforts to keep our social fabric from fraying, assist those who need it most, and help people change the course of their lives. Nominate an outstanding nonprofit by March 20, 2020. Learn more at civilsocietyawards.com.SUBMIT A NOMINATIONCITY JOURNALCity Journal Winter 2020 Our new issue explores the needless panic over disposable plastic, Los Angeles’s epidemic of drug addiction, how the incarceration of fathers affects children, the promise of next-generation nuclear power, ideological purity tests for artists, and more. Get your print copy today! FEATURED BOOKPhoto: Manhattan InstituteDigital CathedralsToday’s global Cloud is society’s first foundationally new infrastructure in nearly a century. It is comprised of thousands of warehouse-scale computers and history’s biggest network of “information superhighways.” Powering this data behemoth consumes more energy than all global aviation. Yet, as disruptive as the Cloud has already become, we are only at the end of the beginning of what digital masons are building for the 21st century. In Digital Cathedrals, Mark Mills explores this new infrastructure through the lens of energy demand, and the implications for policymakers and regulators, who will be increasingly tempted—or enjoined—to engage issues of competition, fairness, and even social disruptions, along with the challenges of abuse of market power, both valid and trumped up.Buy NowManhattan Institute is a think tank whose mission is to develop and disseminate new ideas that foster greater economic choice and individual responsibility. 52 Vanderbilt Ave. New York, NY 10017 (212) 599-7000SUPPORT MICopyright © 2020 Manhattan Institute, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Manhattan Institute52 Vanderbilt Ave.New York, NY 10017 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list View this email in your browser |
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NATIONAL REVIEW
| WITH JIM GERAGHTYJanuary 28 2020Bernie Is Frightening the DemocratsOn the menu today: Establishment Democrats suddenly realize Bernie Sanders might win the nomination; a lot of ominous signs for Sanders in a general-election matchup; some other observations from the winter meeting of the “Stand Together” groups allied with Charles Koch; and some little-known sterling organizations making a difference.The Sudden Democratic Panic about Bernie SandersOne week before the Iowa caucuses, with Bernie Sanders leading most polls in that state and in New Hampshire, the rest of the Democratic party is suddenly realizing that the Vermont senator could well win the nomination. At NBC News, Politico, and ABC News, the big story … READ MORE |
| ADVERTISEMENTTRENDING ON NATIONAL REVIEW1. A New Ranking of Nations Where Christians Are Persecuted Most2. When There Is No Normal3. The Winter Show’s Many Small TreasuresTOP STORIESMICHAEL BRENDAN DOUGHERTYAll Presidents Are Doves before They’re ElectedThe American electorate can fool themselves into voting for the more dovish candidate every four or eight years. …NR PLUS JIM GERAGHTYDreaming of a Dreamer DealThe network of groups allied to Charles Koch thinks a pro-Dreamer agreement is close to fruition. DENNIS PRAGERWithout Meaning, You Can’t Be HappyThe reason so many young people are depressed, unhappy, and angry is the Left has told them that God and …NEWSAlabama Dem Doug Jones Praises Dershowitz for ‘Some Good Points’ in Impeachment DefenseSenator Doug Jones told reporters that Trump’s defense-team lawyer Alan Dershowitz made “some good points” …RICH LOWRYThere Is No Ukraine WhodunitThe way to make a case against witnesses in the impeachment trial and to inoculate against what Bolton or anyone …DAVID L. BAHNSENThe Warren Fracking Ban: On Public Lands, and Heck, Everywhere ElseElizabeth Warren’s proposed fracking ban was rejected as too radical by the Obama administration — for good …NEWSBiden-Tied Lobbyist Bought Island Property from Biden’s Brother, Gave Him Mortgage LoanIn May 2005, James Biden sold land to Scott Green — a decade-long Senate staffer for Joe Biden in the 1980s. WHAT NR IS READINGThe Case for Nationalism: How It Made Us Powerful, United, and FreeBY RICHARD LOWRY“Makes an original and compelling case for nationalism . . . A fascinating, erudite—and much-needed—defense of a hallowed idea unfairly under current attack.” — Victor Davis HansonLEARN MOREPODCASTSEpisode 283: The New Class… Episode 250: The Sestercentennial… PHOTOSCoronavirus Outbreak Lunar New Year VIDEOChina’s Industrial Core… Trump Lawyer Continues to… NRPLUS ARTICLESThe Fifth Circuit Rejects the Lie… Populism of the Elites Ready for Election Season?National Review subscribers get the most out of National Review. Don’t miss out.SEE MY OPTIONSADVERTISEMENTFollow Us & Share19 West 44th Street, Suite 1701, New York, NY, 10036, USA Your Preferences | Unsubscribe | Privacy View this e-mail in your browser. |
BERNARD GOLDBERG
| A new post from Bernie.Bernie and Donald – Not As Different As You May ThinkBy Bernard Goldberg on Jan 27, 2020 02:00 am Below is a sneak peek of this content! If you think Bernie Sanders can’t win – not only his party’s nomination but the general election too – I have just two words for you: Donald Trump. First, let’s get the obvious out of the way: A reasonable person might say… CONTINUE Read More » More to read:Bernie’s Q&A: Jeff Zucker, Warren vs. Sanders, NFL Concussions, and more! (1/24) — Premium Interactive ($4 members) Off the Cuff: A Democratic Impeachment Conspiracy to Hurt Sanders? (Not Exactly) Breaking News: CNN Has Become a Journalistic Embarrassment Bernie’s Q&A: Impeachment, CNN Debate Bias, the Robach Video, and more! (1/17) — Premium Interactive ($4 members) Off the Cuff: When I Interviewed George Carlin…Become A FanFollow on TwitterForward to a FriendWant emails sent directly to you?SIGN UP NOW In this issue:Bernie and Donald – Not As Different As You May Think Want to Help Spread the Word? Forward this Email!About BernieBernard Goldberg, the television news reporter and author of Bias, a New York Times number one bestseller about how the media distort the news, is widely seen as one of the most original writers and thinkers in broadcast journalism. He has covered stories all over the world for CBS News and has won 13 Emmy awards for excellence in journalism. He won six Emmys at CBS, and seven at HBO, where he now reports for the widely acclaimed broadcast Real Sports. [Read More…] Bernie’s Amazon Page follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend Copyright © 2020 BernardGoldberg.com, All rights reserved. unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences |
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GATEWAY PUNDIT
| Web version Lying Adam Schiff Wants to Control AI-Based Video Analytics Technology After Gateway Pundit Used this Technology to Connect Him to a Ukrainian Arms Dealer Lying Adam Schiff doesn’t care about the US Constitution. He proved it by providing the garbage impeachment indictment to the US Senate. Now he wants… Read more… Congressional Candidate Laura Loomer Files FEC Complaint Against Twitter For Providing In-Kind Corporate Contributions to Her Opponent Republican Congressional Candidate Laura Loomer has filed a formal Federal Election Commission complaint against Twitter for providing in-kind corporate contributions to her opponent, Democrat Congresswoman… Read more… Fred Fleitz, the Former Chief of Staff to John Bolton, Urges Ambassador: “Withdraw Your Book” (VIDEO) John Bolton’s former Chief of Staff Fred Fleitz joined Laura Ingraham on Monday night on ‘The Ingraham Angle.’ Fleitz urged John Bolton, President Trump’s former… Read more… O’Keefe Releases Part 4 #Expose2020 – Two Bernie Field Organizers in South Carolina Admit Sanders Campaign Attracts “Truly Radical People” James O’Keefe strikes again! Project Veritas on Tuesday released part 4 of its #Expose2020 series with an undercover video of two Bernie field organizers in… Read more… South Dakota on Track to Ban Gender Reassignment Surgery and Hormone Therapy for Children The House State Affairs Committee in South Dakota has passed a proposal that will make it illegal for doctors to treat children younger than 16… Read more… SHOCKER: Anti-Gun Trauma Surgeon Behind Fake Death Threat Connected to Clintons, Biden, Pelosi and Other Top Democrats Another day and another lie from a top anti-gun Democrat on the left. As previously reported, Dr. Joseph Sakran tweeted a fake death threat and… Read more… CHINA UPDATE: Hong Kong Closes Schools Till March! — Food Shortages in Affected and Barricaded Areas Live from Hong Kong Barriers are in place around China, preventing individuals from traveling the country as is customary during the Chinese New Year. Food… Read more… Minnesota College Hosts Event for ‘White Students Only’ to ‘Acknowledge That There is a Nasty Little Racist Inside Them’ Minnesota’s Concordia College held an event on Martin Luther King Day for “white students only” to “recognize and acknowledge that there is a nasty little… Read more… Sanders Camp Livid: ‘If the DNC Believes It’s Going to Get Away in 2020 With What it Did in 2016, It Has Another Thing Coming’ Nina Turner, the national co-chairwoman of the Bernie Sanders campaign, is absolutely furious over the appointment of Hillary Clinton lackeys John Podesta and former Rep…. Read more… You Might Like Advertisement Copyright © 2019 All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy This email was sent to rickbulow74@live.com. You are receiving this email because you asked to receive information from The Gateway Pundit. We take your privacy and your liberty very seriously and will keep your information in the strictest confidence. Your name will not be sold to or shared with third parties. We will email you from time to time with relevant news and updates, but you can stop receiving information from us at any time by following very simple instructions that will be included at the bottom of any correspondence you should receive from us. Our mailing address is: 16024 Manchester Rd. | St. Louis, MO 63011 Unsubscribe |