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The Serious Side - part 7

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Post by carolhathaway Sat 09 Nov 2019, 16:26

I will never forget these days 30 years ago:
I was at university, learning for a test on November 10th, so I was sitting in my room, concentrating on my books. The next morning, my clockradio woke me up with these words which of course woke me up faster than anything else could have done. At university we were discussing these unbelievable news, as much as we had discussed the news from the GDR the months before: 
GDR citizens escaping via Hungary because they had started removing their borders to Austria (a friend of me and her family had always met their relatives on vacation because people in the GDR needed an allowance to go on vacation to other countries, and my friend's relatives' allowance was cancelled because too many hadn't returned).
GDR citizens trying to reach the West German embassy in Prague (Czechowlovakia's capital), being stopped by police and military, but 4,000 of them still managed to go there and had to spend months before they were allowed to leave to West Germany (one of the most moving moments of all times was when our Secretary of State, Genscher, spoke to them at the balcony saying: "Dear fellow countrymen, we have come here to tell you that today your departure..." - nobody was able to understand what he said afterwards because 4,000 people were yelling and shouting). They left Prague in 14 trains, and a few days later there were another 5,000 people in the embassy and 2,000 waited outside, they simply couldn't be stopped.
The increasing demonstrations every monday in Leipzig and other cities, joined by ten thousands of people. The GDR celebrating it's 40th birthday, Gorbatchov telling the leaders: "Life punishes those who delay." While about 50,000 people were demonstrating for changes outside.

Anyway, after the wall had come down, I went home for the weekend, and I took my younger sisters for a car ride. We tried to get as close to the border as possible. It was just about 30 miles away, but after 15 miles there was no way to get any closer, I had and still have never seen the roads more crowded. So we stopped the car and watched all the GDR cars driving on our roads, and since I had collected all sweets from my parents and our neighbours they had in their homes, we spread amongst all kids in these cars, and I will never forget their and our disbelief that this was made possible.
My husband - whom I met two years later - told me that on November 11th, his grandma rang his famiky and told them that her second daughter had arrived. She had lived only 15 miles away from her parents, but in the GDR, so they it was difficult for them to visit. And suddenly, it was possible! And of course, my husband and his parents went there, and they had the most wonderful family reunion you can imagine. By the way: it took them 36 hours to get there, 36 hours for 15 miles...
When I returned to university that Sunday evening, it felt almost surreal: there were ten thousands of GDR citizens in that city who simply came to visit. There weren't enough trains running back, so all churches opened all night and welcomed them to sleep there. Many shops were still open (on Sunday, shops and supermarkets in Germany are closed generally). And they all sold bananas, for really high prices ( bananas, ananas, melones, oranges etc were scarce goods in the GDR). 
And since every GDR citizen got 100 DM (about 50 Euros) when visiting West Germany, they were able to buy goods.

In January 1990, my family visited the GDR for the first time. Most roads and border crossings at that time were provisional - over the last about 30years nobody had been allowed to use them - and the roads and houses in the town we visited were nearly condemned. There was a terrible smell everywhere because everybody was heating with brown coal, and the factories didn't seem to use any industrial filters. Everybody was really nice and kind, and you knew immediately who was East German or West German because of the very different clothes. My mom wanted a cup of coffee, so we went to a cafe and thought that it must have been totally crowded because lots of people were queuing to get inside, and we joined them. Suddenly, somebody asked us to go inside - and the cafe was nearly empty. We asked the waiter why everybody was waiting but not us, and he said: "They are used to wait for everything, and if they don't have to wait, it's too stressful for me and ny collegues. You'll pay us in West German money which is good for us." We were protesting, but in the end we sat there, had coffee, tea (both dreadful) and delicious cake - while others were standing outside, looking through the windows. Definetely an uncomfortable atmosphere...

Lots of mistakes were made since that time, I simply don't know how it should have been done better, and it's always easier to judge about the past. I am grateful!
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The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 Empty Re: The Serious Side - part 7

Post by annemarie Sun 10 Nov 2019, 15:40

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7669957/Mulvaney-wants-join-lawsuit-listen-Trump-insists-not-testify.html

[size=34]Mick Mulvaney wants to join a lawsuit against Donald Trump to find out if he has to listen to his boss who insists he not testify in the impeachment inquiry – after the acting chief of staff already defied a congressional subpoena[/size]


  • Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney is seeking to join a lawsuit that lists Donald Trump as a defendant 

  • He wants to get a judge ruling on whether he should listen to the president, who has ordered him not to testify in the impeachment inquiry 

  • Trump said he wouldn't allow Mulvaney to testify because it would validate a 'corrupt investigation' 

  • 'Because I don't want to give credibility to a corrupt witch hunt,' he told reporters Friday as he left the White House 

  • Earlier Friday morning Mulvaney defied a Congressional subpoena claiming that he has 'absolute immunity' from testifying 

  • The lawsuit comes as reports indicate Trump and Mulvaney's relationship has soured recently  


By KATELYN CARALLE, U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER and NIKKI SCHWAB, SENIOR U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 09:10 EST, 10 November 2019 | UPDATED: 09:56 EST, 10 November 2019

     



Mick Mulvaney, Donald Trump’s acting chief of staff, wants to join a lawsuit against his boss to get a court ruling on whether he has to listen to the president, who has forbidden several administration officials from testifying in the impeachment inquiry.
Late Friday night, the day Mulvaney defied a congressional subpoena by refusing to show up on Capitol Hill, the Trump official’s lawyers asked a judge if Mulvaney should continue to abide by the president's orders, The New York Times reported.
Mulvaney’s lawyers are asking to join a lawsuit already filed against Trump by a former White House official.
The already active lawsuit lists congressional leaders and “the Honorable Donald J. Trump” as the defendants – but Mulvaney’s lawyers insist the top administration official is mainly targeting the congressional leaders.

His steps have gone against some other administration officials, who have flat out defied subpoenas and refused to comply with the Democratic-led proceedings without asking outside counsel for advice.
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Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, in seeking to join a lawsuit against Donald Trump that would give him a court ruling on whether he had to listen to his boss, who has ordered him not to testify in the impeachment inquiry
The president claimed last month that his aides and executive branch officials are immune from being compelled to testify by Congress. 
Trump said on Friday that he wouldn't allow Mulvaney to testify on Capitol Hill because he didn't want to validate a 'corrupt investigation.'
'Because I don't want to give credibility to a corrupt witch hunt,' the president said outside the White House. 'I'd love to have Mick go up, frankly, I think he'd do great. I'd love to have him go up.'
House Democrats wanted Mulvaney to sit for a deposition Friday behind closed doors on Capitol Hill as part of the impeachment inquiry, but Mulvaney did not cooperate claiming 'absolute immunity.' 
A senior administration official told DailyMail.com that Mulvaney didn't receive a subpoena from the Democrats until 6:36 p.m. Thursday night, which compelled him to be at the U.S. Capitol to testify at 9 a.m. Friday. 
'While Mick is immune from compulsion, making the subpoena unenforceable, the subpoena is also independently unenforceable based on lack of reasonable notice,' the source said.  'The Committee knows that no court in the country will enforce a subpoena on less than 15 hours notice.' 
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Trump said Friday that by allowing acting Mulvaney to testify on Capitol Hill he'd be giving 'credibility to a corrupt witch hunt' 
[size=10][size=18]Mulvaney admits withholding Ukraine aid tied to investigations




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The senior official also pointed out that 'the Committee didn’t mention the time they sent the subpoena to Mick in their statement this morning when they were complaining about 8:59 a.m.' 
The trio of Democratic chairs charged with impeachment proceedings originally sent a letter to Mulvaney Tuesday ordering him to testify Friday.  
'Past Democrat and Republican Administrations would not be inclined to permit Senior Advisers to the President to participate in such a ridiculous, partisan, illegitimate proceeding - and neither is this one,' principal Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley responded then. 
Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway echoed Gidley Wednesday answering 'I'm told no' when asked if Mulvaney would testify. 
News of Mulvaney’s intent to join in on a lawsuit against the president comes as reports emerged that his relationship with Trump has soured as House Democrats prepare to open public hearings into whether the president should be impeached. 
Democrats want to hear from Mulvaney after the acting chief of staff confirmed there had been a quid pro quo with the president of Ukraine - that the White House had held up $400 million in military aid to push for an investigation into the 2016 Democratic National Committee hack. 
Mulvaney later walked back those comments.  
Trump has pushed a conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, was behind the cyber attack. 
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Mulvaney defied a congressional subpoena by not showing up to testify on Friday. Democrats are interested in hearing from Mulvaney after he outlined a quid pro quo during his October 17 press conference (pictured). He later walked back on those remarks 


On Friday, Trump insisted that he'd be happy for White House aides to testify in Capitol Hill. 'What I don't like is when they put all these people I never met before, when they put the head of the never Trumpers on the stand,' the president said. 
He's dubbed Purple Heart winner Alexander Vindman a 'never Trumper.' Vindman's testimony was released publicly Friday.  
 'And even those people were OK, they were fine,' Trump said of the witnesses who testified before the impeachment inquiry thus far. 
'Now the rest is up to the lawyers. I have to do what the lawyers say to a certain extent, not always, but to a certain extent,' the president continued. 
He then doubled down on his previous point. 
'It validates a corrupt investigation,' Trump said. 'Adam Schiff is a corrupt politician,' he added, referring to the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, which is leading the probe.   
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Post by annemarie Sun 10 Nov 2019, 23:38

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7670289/Trump-CBS-News-fired-woman-accused-leaking-video-no-longer-Freedom-Press.html

[size=34]Donald Trump laments there is 'no longer Freedom of the Press' after CBS News fired the woman accused of leaking a hot mic video of an ABC News anchor revealing the network spiked a bombshell Jeffrey Epstein story[/size]


  • Donald Trump claims the U.S. doesn't have Freedom of Press anymore

  • His assertion came after a CBS employee was fired for allegedly leaking a hot-mic video of an ABC reporter from her time working there

  • 'ABC is as bad as the rest of them. Journalistic standards are nonexistent today. The press is so dishonest that we no longer have Freedom of the Press!' he tweeted 

  • In the August video, the ABC reporter Amy Robach complained her Jeffrey Epstein story was killed off three years ago 

  • Ashley Bianco claimed on Friday she did not leak the hot mic video of Amy Robach 

  • The 25-year-old was fired from her job at CBS on Thursday after ABC went to the network and accused her of leaking the footage

  • Bianco admitted during her interview with Megyn Kelly that she had saved the clip to the network's system over the summer

  • Says she never touched it again

  • Bianco said staffers often clipped footage of anchors off the air to put together funny videos to use later as behind-the-scenes clips 

  • Bianco warned that the actual leaker was still inside the network  


By KATELYN CARALLE, U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER and CHEYENNE ROUNDTREE and LOUISE BOYLE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 13:25 EST, 10 November 2019 | UPDATED: 13:36 EST, 10 November 2019




Donald Trump claimed Sunday that the First Amendment right of Freedom of Press 'no longer' exists following the firing of a CBS News employee accused of leaking a hot mic video of an ABC News reporter.
In the video captured in August, ABC News anchor Amy Robach revealed, on a hot mic, that the Disney-owned network spiked an interview with Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre three years earlier.
Ashley Bianco, 25, is accused of being the former ABC employee to leak the hot-mic footage. She was fired from her current post at CBS after only days on the job.
'ABC is as bad as the rest of them. Journalistic standards are nonexistent today. The press is so dishonest that we no longer have Freedom of the Press!' Trump lamented in a tweet Sunday morning.

Trump is an avid critic of the press, which he calls the 'fake news media,' and often rails against outlets and specific reporters who he deems covers his administration particularly negative.  
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Donald Trump claimed Sunday the U.S. 'no longer has Freedom of the Press' after CBS News fired an employee after ABC News claimed she had leaked a hot mic video from August
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Trump said ABC News is just as bad as the rest of the media after the hot mic video leaked revealed an ABC reporter was complaining the network killed her bombshell Jeffrey Epstein story. The president often calls the press the 'fake news media'
Along with the comments Sunday, Trump also reposted a Fox News video where the right-leaning network’s anchor Jesse Watters reported on the new revelations of the video regarding Epstein, which was first shared by Project Veritas. 
Watters, in the clip posted to Twitter, also bashed ABC News for engaging in reporting that 'smeared' now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh when he had women accuse him of nearly 40-year-old sexual misconduct, but refusing to do the same with the Epstein accuser.
'Watters World is calling for an independent investigation into ABC News,' Watters said in the video Trump reposted to his Twitter. 'The media wants to protect the Trump whistleblower but tries to fire the Epstein whistleblower... The media has gone completely bad.'
The producer who was fired for 'leaking' ABC News anchor Amy Robach's hot mic revelation that the network killed off her Jeffrey Epstein story claimed she is innocent during an interview with Megyn Kelly released Friday.
Bianco, an Emmy-winning producer for CBS This Morning, was fired on Thursday after the network was informed by her old employer ABC that she had 'leaked' the footage.
But Bianco tearfully told Kelly on Friday she had only saved the clip when she watched from her desk as Robach ranted about ABC killing her story back in August. 
Bianco said she was told Robach knew she was on a hot mic and that it was being broadcast to all the network affiliates, so Bianco went back to her desk and clipped the video in the network's system. 
She said she marked the footage to watch back later, admitting she 'did it just for office gossip.'
Bianco claims she never touched the video afterwards, tearing up as she swore she didn't leak the video and warned ABC the leaker was still inside the network.  
Right before the interview dropped, Project Veritas, which first published the bombshell tape, released a statement from who they claim is the actual ABC whistleblower, backing up Bianco's claims that she is innocent. 
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 20781212-7666301-Ashley_Bianco_claimed_on_Friday_she_did_not_leak_the_hot_mic_vid-m-21_1573248839911
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 20781206-7666301-Bianco_admitted_during_her_interview_with_Megyn_Kelly_that_she_h-m-22_1573248845415

Fired producer Ashley Bianco claimed on Friday she did not leak the hot mic video of Amy Robach ranting about ABC killing off her Jeffrey Epstein story. Bianco admitted during her interview with Megyn Kelly that she had saved the clip to the network's system back in August, but says she never touched it again

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On Tuesday, Project Veritas published a video it obtained of Robach in a discussion with her producer about the nixed story back in August, venting: 'I've had this interview for years. I've had this interview with Virginia Roberts. We would not put it on the air'
[size=10][size=18]ABC News host reveals they had Epstein story years ago




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Bianco told Kelly she had worked as a crash producer for ABC for three years, editing clips together.  
She said: 'I was watching the comments while I was at my desk and I had seen what she was saying. I went to my manager and I was like, ''Do you see what she's saying? Does she know she's on a hot mic?'''
Robach's assistant told Bianco that the anchorwoman knew she was on a hot mic and it was being broadcast to all the network affiliates, so Bianco went back to her desk and clipped the video in the network's system. 
She said staffers often clipped footage of anchors while they were off the air to put together funny videos to use later as behind-the-scenes clips.   
Bianco said she didn't tell her manager she had saved the hot mic moment.
She added: 'This is something everyone saw. The whole day everyone was talking about it, running around, taking videos of it.'
Kelly asked Bianco point blank, 'Did you leak the tape?' 
'I did not,' Bianco replied.
She added she has never spoken to James O'Keefe of Project Veritas, saying: 'I didn't even know who he was until this week… I've never communicated with anyone over there.
'It wasn't me. 'I'm not the whistleblower. I'm sorry to ABC but, the leaker is still inside. I never did any of that. I may have accessed it. But I never leaked it, I never showed it to anyone, I didn't talk about the situation outside the company.'
Bianco said she was devastated and humiliated by her firing at CBS, which she had just started four days before she was let go. 
'I just want my career back. I just want people to know I didn't do it,' she concluded.  
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Right before the interview dropped Project Veritas, which first published the bombshell tape, released a statement from who they claim is the actual ABC whistleblower, who backed up Bianco's claims that she is innocent
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 20780970-7666301-The_insider_says_Bianco_is_wrongly_accused_adding_I_came_forward-a-9_1573248511249


The insider says Bianco is 'wrongly accused', adding: 'I came forward with this information bearing no motives other than to have this information public'
On Friday afternoon, Project Veritas, which first published the video of Robach, released a statement on behalf of an ABC insider, who they claim is actually the person responsible for leaking the video. 
The insider said Bianco is 'wrongly accused', adding: 'I came forward with this information bearing no motives other than to have this information public.' 
The ABC insider added: 'It is terrible that you have been lashed out at by the company. I know some may put the burden of guilt on me, but my conscience is clear. 
'The actions of the company towards you are the result of their own and not anyone else. The public outcry, from coast to coast, of all people, creeds, and political affiliations, is clear.
'I have not one doubt that there will always be support for you, and you will have prosperous careers. For neither you, nor I, have done anything wrong.'
When contacted for comment, Bianco hung up on DailyMail.com. Following her firing, Bianco has removed her social media. 
The insider goes on to apologize to Robach, saying she's 'the only person deserving of an apology. I am most certainly sorry.' 
[size=18]Megyn Kelly arrives at Baccarat Hotel after teasing first interview




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Moments before she dropped the interview, Kelly was beaming as she was seen jumping out of a taxi cab on Friday afternoon 
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The interview will be Kelly's first step in making her comeback since she parted ways with NBC where she had signed a $69 million deal hosting the third hour 
They continued: 'Not for my actions or for this to center around you, but for what is clear to have happened. When I first stumbled across this, my initial reaction was outrage. But this soon turned towards empathy. 
'I cannot imagine doing all the hard work to only have it shelved. If the past few years have taught us anything, it is the truth that some of us have endured many hardships in this industry. From the spiking of stories regarding prominent and powerful people in this world, and to yours. 
'I believe you are an outstanding reporter and have done such tremendous work in the community as well.' 
Then to the ABC insider's 'fellow man', the ABC insider writes: 'I came forward with this information bearing no motives other than to have this information public. 
'I did not and do not seek any personal gain from this information whether it be financial or otherwise and will always decline. When I became aware of this moment, I had the same reaction as many of you did. Anger, confusion and sadness. 
'I care not about petty political quarrels and only hope for the best in all of us. ' 
Early on Friday morning, Kelly had dramatically announced that she had interviewed  Bianco and teased that she would release the interview some point later in the day on her newly launched Instagram page and YouTube channel. 
The interview will be Kelly's first step in making her comeback since she parted ways with NBC where she had signed a $69 million deal. 
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DailyMail.com can reveal the staffer is Ashley Bianco, an Emmy-winning producer, who contacted the former Fox News star directly in order to have her voice heard, a source said 
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Bianco was fired from CBS on Thursday after the network was informed by her old employer ABC that she had 'leaked' footage of Robach ranting about ABC shutting down her Epstein story out of concern of pushback from the British royal family
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On Friday morning, a film crew was spotted leaving Kelly's apartment and loading up their gear into a rental van 
[size=18]Megyn Kelly announces interview with ABC Epstein leaker




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On Tuesday, Project Veritas published a video it obtained of Robach in a discussion with her producer about the nixed story back in August, venting: 'I've had this interview for years. I've had this interview with Virginia Roberts. We would not put it on the air.' 
The 46-year-old was referring to Jeffrey Epstein's underage sex slave who accused the pedophile of lending her out for sex with his friends, including Prince Andrew. 
Robach said ABC didn't let the story go to air because the palace threatened to sue the network and there were concerns Prince William and Kate Middleton would no longer grant ABC any interviews. 
There has been a good deal of backlash against ABC ever since the video first emerged, with many people pointing out that none of the network's news programs have mentioned the story.
CBS is also facing backlash for firing Bianco after ABC informed its counterparts at the network that Bianco was responsible for the leak and was now working for their news division, according to journalist Yashar Ali.
The hot mic video was also recorded just two months after ABC News president James Goldston was pictured dining with Prince Charles and President Trump at Winfield House during the administration's state visit to London back in June. 
Then-Prime Minister Theresa May and Sarah Huckabee Sanders were also seated at the same table as the three men.  
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Robach believes her story never made the air because the palace threatened to sue the network and that there were concerns that Prince William and Kate Middleton would no longer grant the station interviews
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The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 20631214-7657033-Roberts_has_accused_Epstein_of_lending_her_out_for_sex_with_his_-a-1_1573219093108

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The footage of Robach was released on Tuesday, where she vented that ABC didn't air her interview with Virginia Roberts, a sex slave of Jeffrey Epstein's. Roberts has accused Epstein of lending her out for sex with his friends while she was underage, including to Prince Andrew 
Robach is visibly frustrated in the video, as she details having filmed the interview with Roberts years before Epstein's arrest. 
'I've had the story for three years. I've had this interview with Virginia Roberts. We would not put it on the air,' says Robach at the start of the video.
'First of all I was told, 'Who's Jeffrey Epstein? No one knows who that is this is, this is a stupid story.''  
There were also legal issues too she reveals and concerns about possible backlash. 
'Then the palace found out that we had her whole allegations about Prince Andrew and threatened to sue us a million different ways,' explains Robach. 
'We were so afraid we wouldn't be able to interview Kate and Will, so I think that had also quashed the story.'  
'Then the palace found out that we had her whole allegations about Prince Andrew and threatened to sue us a million different ways,' Robach explains. 
'We were so afraid we wouldn't be able to interview Kate and Will, so I think that had also quashed the story. And then Alan Dershowitz was also implicated because of the planes.'


Dershowitz, Epstein's former lawyer, who flew on the so-called 'Lolita Express', according to flight logs. In legal documents Roberts claimed to have had sex with Dershowitz on the jet with another girl present. He has denied the claims.
A clearly frustrated Robach goes on to detail what the interview entailed at the time she was trying to get it on air.
'[Virginia] told me everything. She had picture, she had everything. She was in hiding for 12 years, we convinced her to come out. We convinced her to talk to us,' Robach says.
'It was unbelievable what we had. [Bill] Clinton. We had everything. I tried for three years to get it on to no avail.
'And now it's all coming out and it's like these new revelations and I freaking had all of it. I I'm so pissed right now like every day I get more and more pissed cause I'm just like, oh my god, what we had was unreal.'
Robach also said that at the time, one of the attorneys for the victims said: 'There will come a time when we will realize Jeffrey Epstein was the most prolific  pedophile this country has ever known.' She then adds: 'And I had it all three years ago.'  
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Amy Robach was spotted skipping work on Wednesday, heading to the gym to blow off some steam instead, following her explosive hot mic revelation where she said ABC shut down her Jeffrey Epstein story, exclusive DailyMail.com photos show
Robach was speaking in the wake of Epstein's death, which she gave her opinion about as well while speaking to her producer.
'So do I think he was killed? 100% Yes, I do,' Robach says.
She notes that Epstein 'made his whole living blackmailing people,' before stating: 'There were a lot of men in those planes. A lot of men who visited that Island, a lot of powerful men who came into that apartment.' 
There is then a call for other members of the media to share any video or recordings they might have that shows outlets choosing not to run stories about Epstein. 
'Project Veritas intends to continue its investigation into corruption in the Mainstream Media,' the non-profit activist group stated. 
'We encourage that Brave insiders at these organizations come forward with any information they have, so that the public knows what is really going on within these media companies.' 
Robach also released a statement on Tuesday.  
'As a journalist, as the Epstein story continued to unfold last summer, I was caught in a private moment of frustration. I was upset that an important interview I had conducted with Virginia Roberts didn't air because we could not obtain sufficient corroborating evidence to meet ABC's editorial standards about her allegations,' said Robach in a statement after the release of the video.
'My comments about Prince Andrew and her allegation that she had seen Bill Clinton on Epstein's private island were in reference to what Virginia Roberts said in that interview in 2015. I was referencing her allegations – not what ABC News had verified through our reporting.'
She then added: 'The interview itself, while I was disappointed it didn't air, didn't meet our standards. In the years since no one ever told me or the team to stop reporting on Jeffrey Epstein, and we have continued to aggressively pursue this important story.' 
The Duke of York has vehemently denied Roberts' allegations, which were struck from the record by a judge in legal proceedings in 2015 as being 'immaterial and impertinent'.   
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said this is a matter for ABC.

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Post by party animal - not! Mon 11 Nov 2019, 09:53

And now this

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/11/donald-trump-jr-walks-out-of-triggered-book-launch-after-heckling-from-supporters

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Post by annemarie Mon 11 Nov 2019, 10:21

Donald Trump Jr walks out of Triggered book launch after heckling – from supporters
Event at University of California is cut short amid anger at his refusal to take questions from the audience


Andrew Gumbel in Los Angeles
Sun 10 Nov 2019 22.29 ESTLast modified on Mon 11 Nov 2019 04.12 EST


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The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 3401
 A pro-Trump supporter protests at the UCLA campus in Westwood, California on Sunday. Some were unhappy that Trump Jr refused to take questions. Photograph: Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images
Donald Trump Jr ventured on to the University of California’s overwhelmingly liberal Los Angeles campus on Sunday, hoping to prove what he had just argued in his book – that a hate-filled American left was hell-bent on silencing him and anyone else who supported the Trump presidency.
But the appearance backfired when his own supporters, diehard Make America Great Again conservatives, raised their voices most loudly in protest and ended up drowning him out barely 20 minutes into an event scheduled to last two hours.
The audience was angry that Trump Jr and his girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, would not take questions. The loud shouts of “USA! USA!” that greeted Trump when he first appeared on the stage of a university lecture hall to promote his book Triggered: How The Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us quickly morphed into even louder, openly hostile chants of “Q and A! Q and A!”

[size=16] Donald Trump Jr wants to trigger and expose liberals, and they’re letting him

Poppy Noor

The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 Poppy_Noor,_L

 
Read more


The 450-strong audience had just been told they would not be allowed to ask questions, “due to time constraints”.
At first, Trump and Guilfoyle tried to ignore the discontent, which originated with a fringe group of America Firsters who believe the Trump administration has been taken captive by a cabal of internationalists, free-traders, and apologists for mass immigration.
When the shouting would not subside, Trump Jr tried – and failed – to argue that taking questions from the floor risked creating soundbites that leftwing social media posters would abuse and distort. Nobody was buying that.
In minutes, the entire argument put forward by the president’s son – that he was willing to engage in dialogue but that it was the left that refused to tolerate free speech – crumbled.

“I’m willing to listen…” Trump began.
“Q and A! Q and A!” the audience yelled back.
“We’ll go into the lion’s den and talk …” Trump tried again.
“Then open the Q and A!” came the immediate response.
Guilfoyle, forced to shout to make herself heard, told students in the crowd: “You’re not making your parents proud by being rude and disruptive.”
She and Trump Jr left the stage moments later.
The fiasco pointed to a factional rift on the Trump-supporting conservative right that has been growing rapidly in recent weeks, particularly among “zoomers” – student-age activists. On one side are one of the sponsors of Trump Jr’s book tour, Turning Point USA, a campus conservative group with a track record of bringing provocative rightwing speakers to liberal universities.
On the other side are far-right activists – often referred to as white supremacists and neo-Nazis, although many of them reject such labels – who believe in slamming the door on all immigrants, not just those who cross the border without documents, and who want an end to America’s military and diplomatic engagement with the wider world.
A number of the loudest voices at Sunday’s event were supporters of Nick Fuentes, a 21-year-old activist with a podcast called America First that has taken particular aim at Turning Point USA and its 25-year-old founder, Charlie Kirk. In a number of his own recent campus appearances, Kirk has faced questions accusing him of being more interested in supporting Israel than in putting America first. He has responded by calling his detractors conspiracists and racists.

On Sunday, Kirk appeared alongside Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle but said nothing.
Two Fuentes supporters, delighted with the outcome of Trump Jr’s appearance, later told the Guardian the pro-Trump movement was being infected with “fake conservatism” and that the president himself was at the mercy of a cabal of deep state operatives who wouldn’t let him do many of the things he campaigned on.
The pair, who called themselves Joe and Orion Miles, said: “It was an absolute disaster for them. We wanted to ask questions about immigration and about Christianity, but they didn’t want to face those questions.”

Also, if Trump Jr was expecting “triggered” leftwingers to clamour for his silence, he did not get it. No more than 35 protesters showed up and, despite making a lot of noise with drums and whistles and shouts of “Trump-Pence Out Now!”, resisted taunts and insults from provocateurs in Make America Great Again hats from across a line of metal barriers.[/size]

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The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 Empty Re: The Serious Side - part 7

Post by annemarie Mon 11 Nov 2019, 13:45

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7672651/The-State-Department-released-military-aid-Ukraine-not-Trump-allege-sources.html

[size=34]The State Department released the promised military aid to Ukraine after lawyers told them it was illegal to freeze it, allege sources, contradicting Donald Trump who claims he personally authorized it[/size]


  • Sources claim it was US State Department who authorized release of military aid

  • Trump previously said he decided to release the frozen aid money to Ukraine 

  • Undercuts Trump's insistence of no bribery involved in Zelensky phone call 

  • Trump is accused of trying to pressure the new Ukrainian president to go public with an investigation into his political rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter 

  • Testimonies during Democrat impeachment inquiry claimed release of air money was dependent on Zelensky bowing to Trump's demands

  • In a joint September 25 news conference with Trump at the United Nations in New York, Zelensky denied he felt pressured to investigate the Bidens 


By SOPHIE TANNO FOR MAILONLINE 
PUBLISHED: 07:37 EST, 11 November 2019 | UPDATED: 07:39 EST, 11 November 2019




Sources have claimed it was the State Department who released promised military aid to Ukraine and not Donald Trump, who claims he personally authorized it amid a Democratic impeachment inquiry. 
Trump has previously stated he was the one who decided to release part of the money, a sum of around $141 million, on September 11.
The president has used that claim to insist there had been no bribery involving military aid during a July phone call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. 
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 20801874-7667881-image-a-86_1573315230090

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Sources have claimed it was the State Department who released promised military aid to Ukraine and not Donald Trump, who claims he personally authorized it amid a Democratic impeachment inquiry 
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 20801886-7672651-Trump_personally_appealed_to_Ukrainian_President_Volodymyr_Zelen-m-24_1573475095155

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Trump personally appealed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate Biden
Five sources familiar to the matter told Bloomberg that the money was actually authorized to be released several days earlier by the State Department and the president had no legal power to block the funds.   

According to the sources, State Department lawyers found the White House Office of Management and Budget, and subsequently the president, had no legal power to block the release of the money to Ukraine.  
Trump told reporters last month he was persuaded to release the military aid in a phone call that day with Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio and has denied there was any quid pro quo with the Ukrainian president. 
The White House freeze on aid to Ukraine has become a key point in the Democrat's impeachment probe against him. Trump personally appealed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate Biden. A whistleblower's complaint about that call triggered the probe, which also focuses on allegations that Trump was holding up the military aid.
Trump said he first spoke with Volodymyr Zelensky in April, but it was his contact with Zelensky on July 25 that sparked the impeachment probe after Trump demanded that the Ukrainian Government investigate Opposition candidate Joe Biden and his son.  
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had reportedly planned to bow to Donald Trump's demands and investigate Joe Biden before the promised release of aide and the whistleblower scandal hit. Zelensky and Trump are pictured in September 
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 20746916-7672651-It_is_suggested_Zelensky_would_have_made_the_announcement_in_an_-a-26_1573475190046

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It is suggested Zelensky would have made the announcement in an interview with with Fareed Zakaria on CNN. Zakaria, pictured, confirmed a interview was in the pipeline
Testifying before House lawmakers, officials have claimed that the release of some $400 million in much-needed aid to Ukraine was dependent on Zelensky bowing to Trump's demands.
Bill Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine testified last month that he was told that U.S. security military aid to the country was contingent on Kiev putting out a statement they were investigating the Bidens and the 2016 election.


His testimony was buttressed last Tuesday by ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland, who testifies he personally told a top Ukrainian official the aid was likely contingent on a public statement about investigating corruption.
According to a report in the New York Times last week,  Zelensky had planned to bow to Trump and investigate Joe Biden before the promised release of aid and the whistleblower scandal hit.
Petro Burkovskiy, a senior fellow at the Democratic Initiatives Foundation, told the newspaper Zelensky's aides were in support of 'bowing to what was demanded', despite the 'high cost'.
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 20801908-7667881-First_to_speak_in_a_hearing_involving_three_Democratic_run_commi-a-2_1573326130911

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Bill Taylor, (pictured), the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, who raised alarms in internal messages about holding up U.S. military aid
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 20861630-7672651-image-a-34_1573475816703

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Taylor's testimony was buttressed last Tuesday by ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland (pictured), who testifies he personally told a top Ukrainian official the aid was likely contingent on a public statement about investigating corruption
[size=18]Trump demands name of Ukraine whistleblower be revealed





[/size]




But the public announcement detailing plans to investigate Biden did not go ahead after news of the military aid freeze became public knowledge and Trump released the funds.
After news broke that a White House whistleblower had filed a complaint about his July 25 call with Zelenskiy, Trump said the conversation was 'perfect' and that he had asked his Ukrainian counterpart to do 'whatever he can in terms of corruption because the corruption is massive.'
During the call, Trump asked Zelensky for 'a favor,' requesting an investigation into a conspiracy theory related to a Democratic computer server hacked during the 2016 election campaign.
Trump also pushed Zelensky to investigate Biden and his son. Trump then advised Zelensky that Giuliani and Attorney General Bill Barr would be contacting him about the request, according to a summary of the called released by the White House.
In a joint September 25 news conference with Trump at the United Nations in New York, Zelensky denied he felt pressured to investigate the Bidens.
'I'm sorry, but I don't want to be involved, to democratic, open elections of U.S.A.,' the Ukrainian leader said. 'We had, I think, good phone call. It was normal. We spoke about many things, and I think, and you read it, that nobody push it. Push me.'
Trump then chimed in: 'In other words, no pressure.'

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Post by annemarie Mon 11 Nov 2019, 16:20

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7672997/Louisiana-judge-says-rapist-shorter-sentence-pays-victim-150-000.html

[size=34]Louisiana judge sparks outrage by offering to lower rapist's 12-year prison sentence if he pays his victim $150,000 - which she flat out REJECTS[/size]


  • Judge Bruce Bennett said he would consider lowering Sedrick Hills sentence if he paid his victim 

  • Hills raped his victim 16 years ago, when she was just 15, but he was convicted last year 

  • He was sentenced to 12 years in prison but Bennett said he would reduce it if the victim agreed to him paying $150,000 in restitution 

  • She refused the offer, saying no amount of money could excuse what he had done



By JENNIFER SMITH FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 09:59 EST, 11 November 2019 UPDATED: 10:18 EST, 11 November 2019



     

     

     

     

     
  • [email=?subject=Read%20this:%20Louisiana%20judge%20sparks%20outrage%20by%20offering%20to%20lower%20rapist%27s%2012-year%20prison%20sentence%20if%20he%20pays%20his%20victim%20$150,000%20-%20which%20she%20flat%20out%20REJECTS%C2%A0&body=Louisiana%20judge%20sparks%20outrage%20by%20offering%20to%20lower%20rapist%27s%2012-year%20prison%20sentence%20if%20he%20pays%20his%20victim%20%24150%2C000%20-%20which%20she%20flat%20out%20REJECTS%C2%A0%0A%0AJudge%20Bruce%20Bennett%20sentenced%20Sedrick%20Hills%2C%2044%2C%20to%2012%20years%20in%20prison%20last%20week%20for%20raping%20the%20woman%2C%20whose%20identity%20is%20being%20protected%2C%20in%202003%20when%20she%20was%20just%2015.%0A%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-7672997%2FLouisiana-judge-says-rapist-shorter-sentence-pays-victim-150-000.html%3Fito%3Demail_share_article-top%0A%0A%0AMost%20Read%20Articles%3A%0A%0AShocking%20moment%20a%20female%20teacher%2C%2032%2C%20is%20caught%20on%20video%20brutally%20beating%20a%2016-year-old%20special%20needs%20high%20school%20student%20and%20stomping%20on%20her%20head%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-7670065%2FShocking-moment-female-teacher-32-caught-video-brutally-beating-student.html%3Fito%3Demail_share_article-top_most-read-articles%0A%0ADriver%2C%2022%2C%20is%20killed%20alongside%20his%20passenger%2C%2023%2C%20in%20a%20furiously%20speeding%20%2450%2C000%20Porsche%20that%20crashed%20into%20a%20median%20and%20launched%20into%20the%20second%20story%20of%20a%20New%20Jersey%20office%C2%A0%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-7670449%2FTwo-people-killed-red-Porsche-crashes-second-story-New-Jersey-office.html%3Fito%3Demail_share_article-top_most-read-articles%0A%0AFortnite%20cheat%20FaZe%20Jarvis%2C%2017%2C%20quits%20LA%20and%20his%20%C2%A311.6m%20mansion%20to%20return%20to%20the%20UK%20while%20telling%20his%20two%20million%20followers%20%27you%27re%20all%20going%20to%20make%20mistakes%20in%20your%20life%27%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-7671137%2FBanned-Fortnite-gamer-Faze-Jarvis-tells-YouTube-fans-moving-UK-LA-mansion.html%3Fito%3Demail_share_article-top_most-read-articles%0A%0A]e-mail[/email]
     



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The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 20866220-7672997-image-a-2_1573484192862
Louisiana District Court Judge Bruce Bennett made the offer last week
A Louisiana judge has outraged a rape victim by saying he would give her rapist a lower sentence if the man agreed to pay her $150,000. 
Judge Bruce Bennett sentenced Sedrick Hills, 44, to 12 years in prison last week for raping the woman, whose identity is being protected, in 2003 when she was just 15. 
He was convicted last year after new DNA evidence linked him to the crime

Bennett said that he would lower his sentence if the victim agreed to accept $150,000 in restitution from him. 
She refused the offer this week, saying no amount of money would excuse what he had done. 
'I don't think money is going to provide any restitution for what he's done,' the woman, now 31, said last Thursday after a hearing in the case. 
It is unclear if Hills has access to $150,000 to give her. 
Both the prosecution and the defense said they were surprised by the offer.  
The victim had read her impact statement in court, saying Hills took at least 16 years of her life. She asked the judge to take the same from him.
'This whole experience has been like a movie, but a bad movie, a horror movie,' she said. 'I've been fighting this over half my life. I'm tired. I'm angry. 

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'Stuff like this deteriorates a person. It deteriorates who I am. I'm still trying to figure out who I am,' she said.
Thursday's sentencing ended months of delays in the case prompted by a black female juror's allegation that a white male juror made racist remarks about Hills, who is black. 
Bennett ruled last month that the juror's allegation was not corroborated by other jurors, each of whom had testified at a hearing ordered by a state appeals court. 
The judge refused to grant Hills a new trial.
Hills was formally charged in 2014 after DNA evidence linked him to the sexual assault, Bennett said. 
He was convicted in August 2018 of forcible rape and another sexual assault-related charge. [/size]

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Post by party animal - not! Mon 11 Nov 2019, 17:28

Thanks for posting, Annemarie. Truly shocking -  so this is a judge!? Money pays for everything does it? And people can be bought off?

He should be struck off

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Post by annemarie Tue 12 Nov 2019, 16:20

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7675219/U-S-Republicans-say-inquiry-not-established-impeachable-offense.html

[size=34]GOP plans to defend Trump by saying Democrats didn't prove 'impeachable offense' and that Ukraine was biased toward Hillary Clinton[/size]


  • Republican lawmakers circulating 18-page memo on impeachment inquiry 

  • Democrats say Trump abused power by pressing Ukraine to investigate Bidens 

  • Current and former administration officials testified in House in recent weeks

  • GOP claims Ukraine was biased toward Trump's 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton 


By REUTERS and ARIEL ZILBER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 21:59 EST, 11 November 2019 | UPDATED: 07:08 EST, 12 November 2019

     



Congressional Republicans said on Monday that weeks of closed-door impeachment testimony have not established that President Donald Trump pressed Ukraine to investigate his political rivals for his own benefit or that he has committed an impeachable offense.
As the Democratic-led investigation heads into a critical new public phase this week, Republican staff of the House of Representatives Intelligence, Oversight and Foreign Affairs committees released an 18-page memo to update party lawmakers on evidence gathered to date.
'The body of evidence to date does not support the Democrat allegation that President Trump pressured Ukraine to conduct investigations into the president's political rivals for his political benefit in the 2020 election,' said the memo, which was reviewed by Reuters.
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 20895440-7675219-image-m-34_1573541118428

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The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 20895442-7675219-image-m-35_1573541129476

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Republicans in Congress will argue that President Trump did not do anything that rises to the level of an impeachable offense. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is seen left. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is seen right
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Democrats say Trump (seen above in New York on Monday) abused the power of his office by threatening to withhold aid from Ukraine if its government did not investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter
[size=10][size=18]President Trump fumes over impeachment as public hearing loom




[/size][/size]



'The evidence gathered does not establish an impeachable offense,' it added.
Democrats are trying to determine whether Trump abused his office for political gain by asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a July 25 phone call to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, now a 2020 Democratic president candidate, and his businessman son, Hunter Biden, who sat on the board of a Ukrainian gas company.


The inquiry has heard testimony from officials who were concerned that Trump and his administration sought to tie nearly $400million in security aid for Ukraine to the investigations, which could benefit his 2020 re-election bid.
Trump denies wrongdoing and says he is the victim of a witch hunt by Democrats.
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Republicans will also argue that Trump had reason to be skeptical of Ukraine because of its support for his 2016 political rival, Hillary Clinton 
The new memo provides talking points for Republican lawmakers, including those on the House Intelligence Committee, who are expected to mount a defense of Trump at public hearings set to begin Wednesday.
According to the document, Trump 'holds a deep-seated, genuine, and reasonable skepticism of Ukraine due to its history of pervasive corruption.' 
It cites media reports of Ukrainian officials backing Trump's former Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, in the 2016 US presidential election.
'Seen in this light, any reluctance on the president's part to meet with President Zelensky or to provide taxpayer-funded assistance to Ukraine is entirely reasonable,' the memo said.
The contents of Trump's call with Zelensky were revealed in a whistleblower complaint by an anonymous intelligence official. 
The whistleblower's account has largely been confirmed by testimony and other evidence.

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Post by annemarie Tue 12 Nov 2019, 21:08

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7676701/Trump-says-Dreamers-tough-hardened-criminals-Supreme-Court-hears-DACA-arguments.html


[size=34]'We own this': White House's lawyer tells Supreme Court that judges CAN'T stop Donald Trump from ending Obama's DACA program as justices lean toward letting president cancel illegal immigrants' reprieve and he claims some are 'hardened criminals'[/size]


  • Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Tuesday in a case that will decide the fate of more than 600,000 illegal immigrants known as 'Dreamers'

  • They were guaranteed a reprieve from deportations in 2012 when Barack Obama went around Congress with an executive order

  • The 'DACA' order applied to people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as minors or whose families overstayed their visas 

  • Donald Trump said Tuesday that some of them are 'hardened criminals' but promised to cut a deal with Democrats if the high court ends the program

  • Trump has long sought leverage to get his promised U.S.-Mexico border wall funded, and a DACA 'fix' would be powerful if the court agrees with him 

  • DACA recipients can lose their protected status if they are convicted of felonies, significant misdemeanors or multiple low-level misdemeanors

  • They can also be denied DACA protecion if they are confirmed to be gang members, whether or not they have been convicted of a crime

  • Trump rescinded the DACA order, triggering lawsuits ─ three of which have made it to America's highest court, which is considering them as a package 

  • Justices on Tuesday seemed inclined to rule that courts can't prohibit a president from reversing his predecessor's executive orders

  • Reporters in the court chamber said justices seemed inclined to allow Trump to have his way 


By DAVID MARTOSKO, U.S. POLITICAL EDITOR FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and WIRES
PUBLISHED: 08:48 EST, 12 November 2019 | UPDATED: 12:41 EST, 12 November 2019

     


U.S. Supreme Court justices seemed inclined on Tuesday to let President Donald Trump end an Obama-era program that has spared from deportation hundreds of thousands of people who were under 18 when they became illegal immigrants.
The high court will next year decide the fate of those young people who were brought to the U.S. as minors or were part of families that overstayed their visas, and have remained here under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. 
'Some of the justices seemed to suggest the DACA rescission decision might not even be reviewable by courts,' a Reuters reporter who heard the Supreme Court's oral arguments wrote on Twitter, referring to Trump's decision to discontinue the program.
'But even if it is, they seem likely to find that the administration's reasoning ... was minimally sufficient,' Lawrence Hurley wrote. That reaSoning came in a memo signed by then-Homeland Security secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco, who argued the adminiistration's case, declared of the DACA program's cancellation: 'We own this,' Hurley reported. 
Bloomberg reporter Greg Stohl summed up the oral arguments on Twitter, saying that the nine justices 'seem inclined to let Trump cancel DACA.'  
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The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday in a case that will likely decide whether President Donald Trump's decision to end the DACA program is beyond the ability to challenge in court
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Trump tried to poison the well against illegal immigrants who received amnesty under the Obama-era Defetrred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, saying Tuesday that many of them are vicious criminals
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Trump also promised to work with Congress to save the DACA program if he wins in court, a move that would use recipients' fate as leverage to secure funding for his long-sought border wall
Christian Farias, a writer with the Knight First Amendment Institute, said after the hearing that Chief Justice John Roberts is likely to be a swing vote between conservative and liberal justices. 
Roberts, he tweeted, 'may be amenable to affirming that the president had the power to rescind #DACA, but that his administration needs to do it in a way that satisfies both courts and the public. Split the baby.'
As the justices prepared to hear oral arguments in the landmark immigration case, Trump was bashing its plaintiffs and hoping America's nine most senior justices would hand him a bargaining chip to use with Congress.
Trump said in a tweet that some had grown violent, an unintended consequence of a 2012 executive order his predecessor had signed without the legal authority to put pen to paper.
'Many of the people in DACA, no longer very young, are far from “angels.” Some are very tough, hardened criminals. President Obama said he had no legal right to sign order, but would anyway,' Trump wrote.
People living under DACA's umbrella can lose their protected status if they are convicted of felonies or serious misdemeanors, or if they are members of gangs that participate in illegal activity. By the time Trump took office, the Homeland Security Department had deported more than 1,500 for those reasons.  
The president also signaled on Tuesday that a court order ending the DACA program's no-deportation guarantee wouldn't be the final chapter for the young and youngish U.S. residents known colloquially as 'Dreamers.' 
'If [the] Supreme Court remedies with overturn, a deal will be made with Dems for them to stay!' Trump wrote, a likely reference to his past attempts to tie a permanent DACA fix to legislation funding his long-promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.  
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Martin Batalla Vidal, a recipient of a deportation reprieve under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, sued the Trump administration after the president moved to end the program that he sees as illegitimate
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Obama sidestepping Congress to launch DACA despite saying beforehand that he lacked the power to make broad changes to immigration law on his own
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Trump has seen three high-profile immigration cases reach the Supreme Court during his time in office; one ruling vindicated his travel ban and the other struck down his attempt to put a citizenship question on the 2020 U.S. Census
The Mexican immigrant fighting Trump's attempt to end the DACA program iwas nervous about the case finally being heard, even though a legendary Republican lawyer argued his side on Tuesday.
Ted Olson, a former U.S. solicitor general under President George W. Bush, delivered a hotly anticipated oral argument. Best known for winning the landmark Bush v. Gore case in 2000, the attorney has since slid to the left.
Olson sued in 2009 to overturn a California constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. And last year, when Trump asked him to join the legal team representing him in Robert Mueller's Russia probe, he turned him down flat. 
Now he's opposing Trump again in a case testing the Obama-era DACA program. 
Martín Batalla Vidal, 29, is the lead plaintiff. The certified nursing assistant at a rehabilitation clinic for traumatic brain injury in Queens, New York, has described the legal journey since then as stressful, with people sending him hateful messages. He has had to sacrifice days at work so he could go to protests, press conferences and meetings with attorneys.


'I don't know what is going to happen,' said Batalla Vidal, who lives with his mother, and two of his three brothers. 
He crossed the U.S.-Mexico border with his mother and one brother when he was 7 years old. His other two brothers are U.S. citizens.
DACA protects more than 600,000 people. Opponents say the program, and unsuccessful bills in Congress designed to make it permanent, reward people for breaking the law, encourage illegal immigration and hurt American workers.
Trump ordered an end to DACA in 2017, but federal courts in different states including New York, where Batalla Vidal sued, blocked him from ending it immediately.
Its protections will remain in effect at least until the Supreme Court issues its decision, likely in the heat of the 2020 presidential election season. Participants of the program can renew their status, but no new applicants can sign up.
President Barack Obama created DACA in 2012, providing social security numbers, work permits and protection from deportation to people who, in many cases, have no memory of any home other than the U.S.
The Trump administration argues that the program is unlawful because Obama lacked the authority to adopt it in the first place. Obama said on several occasions that he couldn't make that kind of immigration policy without Congress passing a new law.
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U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts (seated at center) could be the key swing vote in the DACA case pending before the Supreme Court

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Luz Aurora Vidal and her son, Martín Batalla Vidal, lined up to take a bus to Washington on Monday to watch the Supreme Court oral arguments in person
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Ted Olson, a former U.S. solicitor general under President George W. Bush, is best known for winning the landmark Bush v. Gore case in 2000; but he has since slid to the left, suing to overturn a California constitutional amendment banning sameh-sex marriage and refusing to join Donald Trump's legal team in the Robert Mueller Russia probe
[size=18]DACA protesters storm stage and interrupt Joe Biden




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After a federal judge ruled in Batalla Vidal's favor, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the administration's appeal of his and other cases from around the country. That development came in June.
'Nobody thought we would get this far,' he told the Associated Press after speaking last week in a conference at LaGuardia Community College, where he studies criminal justice as an undergraduate student. 'I have my family, my community, which has had my back since day one.'
All were on Roberts, the conservative justice closest to the court's center who also is keenly aware of public perceptions of an ideologically divided court.
It's the third time in three years that the Trump administration has relied on the nine justices to rescue a controversial policy blocked by lower courts. Trump made tough talk on immigration a central part of his 2016 campaign.
The court sided with the president in allowing him to enforce a travel ban on visitors from some majority Muslim countries, but it blocked his administration from adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census.
Roberts was the only member of the court who voted with the majority both times, siding with four conservatives on the travel ban and four liberals in the census case. His vote could be decisive a third time.
[size=18]President Trump proposed 2019 'Dreamers' deal for border security




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Demonstrators protested at the Supreme Court on Sunday after walking all the way from New York City
There are two questions before the Supreme Court: whether federal judges can even review the decision to end the program and, if they can, whether the way the administration has gone about winding down DACA is legal.
In that sense, the case resembles the dispute over the census citizenship question, which focused on the process the administration used in trying to add the question to the 2020 census. In the end, Roberts wrote that the reason the administration gave for wanting the question 'seems to have been contrived.'
There also are similarities to the travel ban case, in which the administration argued that courts had no role to play and that the executive branch has vast discretion over immigration, certainly enough to justify Trump's dramatic ─ and ultimately vindicated ─ policy shift. 
In that decision, Roberts wrote that immigration law gives the president 'broad discretion to suspend the entry of aliens into the United States,' and that '[t]he President lawfully exercised that discretion.'
The Supreme Court fight over DACA has played out in a kind of legal slow motion. The administration first wanted the justices to hear and decide the case by June 2018. The justices said no. 
The Justice Department returned to the court a year ago, but the justices did nothing for more than seven months before agreeing to hear arguments. That delay bought DACA recipients at least two extra years.
In part the court's slow pace can be explained by a preference to have Congress legislate a lasting resolution of the issue. But Trump and Congress failed to strike a deal on DACA.
[size=18]President Trump on DACA in April: Democrats really let them down




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Michelle Lainez, 17, originally from El Salvador but now living in Gaithersburg, Md., spoke during a rally outside the Supreme Court  on Friday
[size=18]Federal judge ruled the government must restore the DACA program




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Janet Napolitano, the University of California president who served as Obama's homeland security secretary when DACA was created, said the administration seems to recognize that ending DACA protections would be unpopular.
'And so perhaps they think it better that they be ordered by the court to do it as opposed to doing it correctly on their own,' Napolitano said in an interview with The Associated Press. She is a named plaintiff in the litigation.
Current solicitor general Noel Francisco, who argued the administration's case, pushed back against that criticism.
'We think the way we did it is entirely appropriate and lawful. If we did it in a different way, it would be subject to challenge,' Francisco said at a Smithsonian Institution event exploring the high court's current term.
The Trump administration has said it moved to cut off the program under the threat of a lawsuit from Texas and other states, raising the prospect of a chaotic end.
Then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions determined DACA was unlawful because Obama did not have the authority to adopt it. Sessions cited an expansion of the DACA program and a similar effort to protect illegal immigrants who are parents of American children that were struck down by federal courts. 
A 4-4 Supreme Court tie in 2016 let the lower court rulings stand.
[size=18]Trump in 2018: No DACA fix without border wall funding




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Batalla Vidal has seen his name splashed in legal documents since 2016 when he first sued over the DACA program in a New York court
Texas and other Republican-led states eventually did sue and won a partial victory in a federal court in Texas.
The administration's best argument is a simple one, said Josh Blackman, a professor at South Texas College of Law in Houston: 'The Supreme Court should allow the Trump Administration to wind down a policy it found to be unlawful, even if reasonable judges disagree about DACA's legality.'
Trump has said he favors legislation on DACA, but that it will take a Supreme Court ruling for the administration to spur Congress to act.
On at least one point, Trump and his DACA critics agree.
'Only legislation can bring a permanent sense of stability for all of these people,' said Microsoft president Brad Smith. Microsoft joined the challenge to the administration because, Smith said, 66 employees are protected by DACA.
The Department of Homeland Security is continuing to process two-year DACA renewals so that in June 2020, hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients will have protections stretching beyond the election and even into 2022.
If the high court rules for the administration, it is unclear how quickly the program would end or Congress might act.

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Post by party animal - not! Tue 12 Nov 2019, 23:09

https://qz.com/1747199/sotomayor-on-daca-this-is-about-our-choice-to-destroy-lives/

party animal - not!
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Post by annemarie Wed 13 Nov 2019, 00:46

[size=70]Sotomayor on DACA: “This is about our choice to destroy lives.”
By Ephrat Livni in Washington DC3 hours ago[/size]

US Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor is usually quick on the draw at oral arguments, peppering attorneys with questions. Today, however, she waited to weigh in, only to then make a scathing characterization of the government’s case for rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
Introduced in 2012, the Obama-era administrative immigration policy protects some youth brought to the United States as children without proper documentation. The Trump administration rescinded it in 2017. The dispute before the court centers around two major questions: Whether courts can even review the decision, and if so, whether the Department of Homeland Security legal memos supporting the about-face adequately justify such a move.
US solicitor general Noel Francisco is arguing that the decision to rescind is justified by the fact that DACA, which granted immigration officers discretion to not prosecute deportations of certain Dreamers, exceeds presidential power. And he contends that the memos supporting the decision adequately addressed all concerns.
Sotomayor allowed almost everyone else on the bench to pose questions before she laid out her view that the government wasn’t being straight. She believes it is claiming to be concerned about the legality of DACA and the importance of law enforcement but actually playing political games with major consequences. It’s using the law as a pretext to harm a class of undocumented immigrants that she argues is harmless.
Referring to the memos in question, Sotomayor asked Francisco, ”Where is the political decision made clearly? That this is not about the law; this is about our choice to destroy lives.”

[size=40]The memos

The Dreamers, along with institutions where they work and study, challenged the Trump administration’s change of policy, arguing that it didn’t adequately lay out a rationale for a change that no only affects Dreamers, their families, and communities, but all Americans.
Businesses, the military, universities, and the economy also rely on the policy. As such, all those interest were entitled to an explanation that proved the government fully weighed all aspects of the policy change, they say. Because they rely on predictability and clarity in administrative law decisions, they’ve successfully argued in lower courts that, based on their reliance interests, they were entitled to more consideration and elucidation than the memos provided.
Whether the justices will ultimately agree with that claim remains to be seen, but many expressed concerns that the government’s memos may not have been sufficient. Justice Neil Gorsuch was the first to turn discussion to the reliance interests of all the parties affected by DACA.
Justice Stephen Breyer said that he had his law clerks count the number of institutions that submitted and signed onto amicus briefs attesting to their reliance on DACA. He laid out the total for the solicitor general. “There are 66 healthcare organizations. There are three labor unions. There are 210 educational associations. There are six military organizations. There are three home builders, five states plus those involved, I think, municipalities and cities, 129 religious organizations, and 145 businesses [and industry associations],” he said.
Breyer conceded that these organizations’ interests “are not quite the same as those of the 700,000 [Dreamers] who have never seen any other country.” Still, he didn’t seem convinced that the administration laid out the case for changing its policy in light of the many entities who say they relied on the policy’s continuation.

[size=40]Practically, speaking

Sotomayor also challenged how practical the change of policy really is. She noted that agencies always have to prioritize what actions to take. “I don’t see anything in the [Immigration and Nationality Act] that takes away the discretion of the agency in ordering its enforcement policies,” she told Francisco.
The justice noted that immigration authorities don’t even have the resources to deport all of the more troubling cases. So why not make certain people who did not decide to violate the law but end up on the wrong side of it as children a very low deportation priority?
“I’ve always had some difficulty in understanding what’s wrong with an agency saying, we’re going to prioritize our removals,” Sotomayor said. “And for those people, like the DACA people…who haven’t committed crimes, who are lawfully employed, who are paying taxes, who pose no threat to our security, and there’s a whole list of prerequisites, we’re not going to exercise our limited resources.”
Still, Francisco insisted that “a few more words” explaining why DACA was illegal, according to the Trump administration, and more fully addressing the reliance interests wouldn’t make any difference. After Sotomayor suggested that the government was using the law as a pretext for a political decision—thus choosing to destroy lives—and being impractical and wasteful of precious resources in the process, the solicitor general pushed back.
“The Department of Homeland Security is a law enforcement agency, and a law enforcement agency doesn’t have to push its dubious power to not enforce the law to its logical extreme,” Francisco responded curtly.[/size]

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The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 Empty Re: The Serious Side - part 7

Post by annemarie Wed 13 Nov 2019, 13:46

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7677105/Tourists-struggle-4ft-high-water-Venice-streets-flood-again.html

[size=34]Mayor blames global warming after two die as Venice is hit by 'apocalyptic' floods and suffers its second-highest water levels EVER[/size]


  • St Mark's Square in Venice was submerged by more than three feet of water and the basilica there flooded 

  • Venice officials said the tide had peaked at nearly 6ft 2in last night, only inches short of the record set in 1966

  • One man in his 70s, was electrocuted when water entered his home and a second fatality was also reported

  • The governor of the Veneto region said Venice was facing 'total, apocalyptic devastation' after the flooding 

  • Today there was anger among shopkeepers over a barrier protection system delayed by costs and corruption 


By HENRY MARTIN and TIM STICKINGS FOR MAILONLINE and AFP
PUBLISHED: 09:44 EST, 12 November 2019 | UPDATED: 08:40 EST, 13 November 2019

     


The mayor of Venice has blamed climate change for disastrous floods which left his city in the grip of 'apocalyptic destruction' today. 
The second-highest tide in Venice history flooded the city's historic church, brought misery to tourists and shopkeepers and left many of its squares and alleyways deep underwater.   
St Mark's Square was submerged by more than three feet of water - so deep that one man even swam across it - while the adjacent St Mark's Basilica was flooded for just the sixth time in 1,200 years. 
Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said the floods were 'the result of climate change' and warned of severe damage after the tide peaked at nearly 6ft 2in last night, just short of the record 6ft 5in set in 1966. 

One person, a man in his 70s, was electrocuted when water entered his home on the barrier island of Pellestrina. Another fatality was also reported elsewhere in the city.  
Today there was fury in Venice over delays to a barrier protection system which could have prevented the disaster, a project which has been set back by rising costs and corruption scandals.  
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Submerged: A woman crosses the flooded St Mark's Square this morning where Venice's 1,200-year-old basilica (pictured behind her) was flooded by the high tide 
[size=10][size=18]Man swims across St. Mark's square in Venice during flooding




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A ferry is stranded on the docks as Venetians woke today to devastating scenes after the second highest tide recorded in the lagoon city flooded its historic basilica and left many of its squares and alleyways deep underwater
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Wading in the water: The mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, walks in the submerged St Mark's Square today as Venice responds to one of the worst episodes of flooding in its history - which the mayor has blamed on climate change 
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Inside the basilica: Floodwater overruns part of the centuries-old St Mark's Basilica in the low-lying St Mark's Square today
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Under water: People stand on steps in Venice this morning while others wade into the water with boots and waterproof gear
[size=18]St. Mark's square becomes a lake as flood season begins in Venice




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Tourists lugging heavy suitcases waded in thigh-high galoshes or barefoot through the submerged alleys, as water taxi and gondola drivers baled sewage-tainted water out of their trashed vessels
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A woman wears bin bags as she carries her suitcase while wading through high water today 
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A gondola rests over a barrier near a footbridge after severe flooding in the city
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A Banksy artwork of a migrant child is seen partially submerged by the floodwater in Venice today 
Luca Zaia, the premier of the Veneto region, told Italian media that the city was 'faced with total, apocalyptic devastation'. 
'I'm not exaggerating - 80 per cent of the city is under water, the damage is unimaginable,' he said. 
Mayor Brugnaro said Venice was 'on its knees' and warned that the city had suffered 'widespread devastation' as he waded through the flooded St Mark's Square.  
'A high tide of 187cm [74 inches] is going to leave an indelible wound,' calling the floods a 'dramatic situation'. 
In addition, the flood alarm rang out once more today to signal that the tide is rising again after it receded somewhat overnight. 
The mayor said the floods were 'the effects of climate change' and demanded that the long-delayed barrier protection project 'must be finished soon'. 


The so-called 'Moses' plan involves 78 moveable gates under the sea that can be raised to protect Venice's lagoon during high tides.  
Work on the project has been ongoing since 2003, but it has been plagued by rising costs, corruption scandals and delays and there is no completion date in sight. 
In addition, a recent attempt to test part of the barrier caused worrying vibrations and engineers discovered parts had rusted.  
'They've done nothing, neglected it. It doesn't work and they have stolen six billion euros. The politicians should all be put in jail,' said local Dino Perzolla, 62.  
Zaia, the regional governor, told Italian TV that the barriers were almost complete, but said it was not clear if they would work against such intense flooding. 
Scientists have warned that Venice and much of Italy's northern Adriatic coastline could disappear entirely by 2100 because of rising sea levels.  
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A boat rests on the shore after it was dragged there by high tides and strong winds in northern Italy last night 
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People wade through water which submerged most of this rubbish bin and threatened shop windows in Venice today 
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People walk through water outside La Fenice theatre today where the electrical system at La Fenice theater was deactivated after waters entered the service area
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Hotels including the Gritti Palace (left) and businesses including French brand Celine (right) suffered severe flood damage 
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A man spreads his arms as he stands knee-deep in water in St Mark's Square, the centrepiece of Venice 
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Chairs and pews are stacked inside St Mark's Basilica in Venice after the church was flooded for only the sixth time ever 
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Shop assistants clean up a flooded glassware shop in Venice today after the high-water mark reached more than six feet 
[size=18]Venice awash with flood water as high tide sweeps through lagoon city




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A man lifts a trolley above the water while others wade through the high tide this morning after intense flooding yesterday 
[size=18]Footage captures flood waters bursting through glass in Venice




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Tourists pull their suitcases along specially-constructed walkways today after the streets and alleys were submerged 
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Stranded: A Venetian ferry lies on its side near a bridge today after high waters caused huge damage in Venice
[size=18]People walk in deep water with their belongings in flooded Venice




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The basilica's sixth flood in 1,200 years was its fourth in the last 20, and the vestibule of the church was inundated with water today. 
The flood sparked fears for the collection of rich mosaics and artworks in the basilica but there was no immediate word on their condition today. 
In addition, the electrical system at La Fenice theatre was switched off after floodwaters entered a service area, and firefighters tackled a blaze at the Ca' Pesaro modern art gallery which was caused by a short circuit. 
Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte announced he was on his way to Venice later today to inspect the scale of the damage. 
One of his colleagues, education minister Lorenzo Fioramonti, also raised global warming as a likely cause and said 'the consequences of climate change do not allow for delay'. 
Mayor Brugnaro said he would declare a disaster zone and ask the government to call a state of emergency, which would allow funds to be freed to address the damage.  
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This gondola jetty was dragged inland to the flooded St Mark's Square, with the basilica behind it after the flooding 
[size=18]Venice streets are covered in water after heavy floods hit city




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A woman wearing gloves picks up items from the floor of a shop selling masks as the clean-up begins following the floods 
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Pedestrians take pictures of a small boat today which was dragged up to the pavement by the severe floods in Venice
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The mayor of Venice said the floods - which left boats such as this one stranded - were 'the effects of climate change' and demanded that a long-delayed barrier protection project 'must be finished soon'
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The pillars of a fence are strewn across the ground and partly submerged in water as the flooding caused huge damage
The 'acqua alta,' or high waters, rose above six feet as the flood alarm sounded across Venice yesterday. 
'It was unbelievable, the water rose so quickly,' said resident Tiziano Collarin, 59, as he surveyed the damage. 'Windows were blown out, there are those who have lost everything.' 
Marina Vector, who was today scooping buckets of water out of the shop she runs with her husband, said the flooding was 'apocalyptic, enough to give you goosebumps'. 
'The storm was so bad it broke the marble flood barrier out front. Nothing's survived,' she said.    
Professor Nigel Wright, an expert in flood risk management at Nottingham Trent University, said the flood was a 'double whammy of an extreme high tide and the low pressure from a storm raising the sea level'. 
'The city has long planned for a defence system around the Venice lagoon, but such plans take a long time to plan, agree and implement,' he said. 
London's Thames barrier took over 20 years to be finished after the 1953 floods that were its motivation, he said, also pointing to a similar lag period in the Netherlands.  
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A shopkeeper slops water out of his flooded shop in Venice early this morning after near-record flooding yesterday 
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The exceptionally intense 'acqua alta,' or high waters, peaked at six feet as the flood alarm sounded across the Italian city of canals, the tide monitoring centre said (pictured: A greengrocer pushes his cart through St Mark´s Square)
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Keeping their feet dry: People walk on a temporary platform set up in front of St. Mark's Basilica in a flooded Venice
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The next day: Stranded gondolas are pictured on the Riva degli Schiavoni, after being washed away during an exceptional overnight 'Alta Acqua' high tide water level early on November 13 
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Stranded gondolas washed away at Riva degli Schiavoni, with the San Giorgio Maggiore basilica in the background on Wednesday 
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A stranded taxi boat is pictured on Riva degli Schiavoni after being washed away during a high tide 
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Stranded gondolas on Riva degli Schiavoni on Wednesday the day after powerful rainstorms hit Italy with the worst affected areas in the south and in Venice, where there was widespread flooding
A man in his 70s died on the barrier island of Pellestrina, apparently of electrocution, said Danny Carrella, an official on the island of 3,500 inhabitants.
Italian media also reported that a second man had died during the flooding, although there were no further details.  
Amid the carnage, tourists were seen wading through flooded streets to seek shelter as a fierce wind whipped up waves in St. Mark's Square - where one man even went for a swim. 
Venice residents have been urged to take pictures and video footage of the damage to their homes in order to claim compensation later. 
At least 60 boats were damaged in the floods, according to civil protection authorities, including some pedestrian ferry boats. Three barges are said to have sunk. 
Tourists with heavy suitcases were forced to wade barefoot through the submerged alleyways while gondoliers baled water out of their trashed vessel. 
Two French visitors who were caught out said they had 'effectively swum' after some of the wooden platforms placed around the city overturned.
Antique pieces of furniture could be seen submerged in low-lying hotels and homes while shopkeepers slopped water out of their flooded businesses.     
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People wearing raincoats and tall boots help to carry a table along the waterside in Venice today following the flooding 
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A man stands inside his cafe where water has covered the floor and chairs and tables have been stacked to keep them dry 
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Three people walk in a flooded area of Venice today, one of them taking a picture on his phone and all three of them with waterproof covers on their feet
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Two shopkeepers try to clean their store after the passage of the exceptionally high tide that reached 187cm on November 12 in Venice 
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A shoe store in disarray with wet and damaged cardboard boxes and litter strewn across the floor 
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Damage suffered by a fabric store in Venice with shopkeepers desperately trying to prevent their goods from getting to the flood water 
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A woman uses an electric pump to move water from the shop floor of a pharmacy after the ancient city was struck by exceptionally high floods 
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The effects the flood water has on businesses can be devastating. Here the flood waters reach up to the level of the mannequins inside a shop last night in Venice 
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A room in the flooded Gritti Palace is pictured during an exceptional 'Alta Acqua' high tide water level on November 12 
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People cross a flooded square during an exceptional 'Alta Acqua' high tide water level on November 12, in Venice
The head of the Venice hotel association said the damage was enormous, with many hotels losing electricity and lacking pumps to remove water. 
Tourists with ground floor rooms were had to be evacuated to higher floors as the waters rose Tuesday night, the association director Claudio Scarpa told ANSA.   
German tourist Gabi Brueckner, 58, said the nighttime drama had been 'horrifying'.
She echoed the mayor in blaming climate change and said she feared like many people that 'it will get worse and at some point Venice will drown'.   
Water taxis attempting to drop people off at the glamorous and historic hotels along the Grand Canal discovered the gangways had been washed away, and had to help passengers clamber through windows.    
The overnight surge triggered several fires, including one at the International Gallery of Modern Art Ca' Pesaro, with hundreds of calls to the fire brigade. 
In addition, around 150 firefighters were deployed to rescue people stranded on jetties and to recover boats broken free from their moorings.  
Much of Italy has been pummelled by torrential rains in recent days with widespread flooding as a result, especially in the southern heel and toe of the country. Further bad weather is forecast for the coming days.
In Matera, this year's European Capital of Culture, rain water cascaded through the streets and inundated the city's famous cave-dwelling district. 
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The entrance to St. Mark's Basilica is flooded on the occasion of a high tide in Venice last night 
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A room in the flooded Gritti Palace is pictured during an exceptional 'Alta Acqua' high tide water level on November 12
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Since 2003, a massive infrastructure project has been underway to protect the city, but it has been plagued by cost overruns, scandals and delays (pictured: A room in the flooded Gritti Palace is pictured during the high tide) 
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People walk in a flooded St.Mark's Square during a period of seasonal high water in Venice

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Post by annemarie Wed 13 Nov 2019, 13:50

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7680903/President-Erdogan-waves-Washington-hotel-window-prepares-meet-Donald-Trump.html

[size=34]President Erdogan waves from a window of his Washington hotel as he prepares for controversial White House meeting with Donald Trump today - despite strong objections from congress[/size]


  • Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet Donald Trump at the White House

  • Pair are due to discuss security, the Middle East, and Turkey's ties with Russia 

  • Talks will also focus on Syria, just weeks after Trump effectively green-lit Turkey's invasion of the country by withdrawing US troops 

  • Meeting also comes amid public impeachment hearings on Capitol Hill


By CHRIS PLEASANCE FOR MAILONLINE  and AP
PUBLISHED: 07:16 EST, 13 November 2019 | UPDATED: 08:25 EST, 13 November 2019

     





Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet Donald Trump at the White House today - just weeks after the President effectively green-lit Turkey's invasion of northern Syria by withdrawing US troops.
Erdogan, who is being accompanied on the trip by wife Emine, waved to supporters from the window of the Willard Hotel in Washington on Tuesday evening ahead of the summit.
The meeting will be a welcome distraction for Trump as impeachment hearings get underway on Capitol Hill, but the summit will be far from smooth sailing.
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Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan is in Washington ahead of a meeting with Donald Trump at the White House which will take place Wednesday
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Erdogan, who is being accompanied on the trip by wife Emine (right), was pictured waving to supporters after arriving at the Willard Hotel in Washington on Tuesday
[size=10][size=18]Turkey's Erdogan arrives in DC ahead of controversial Trump talks




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While relations between the two men may be good, relations between their respective countries are at their lowest point in decades, with Turkey rebuffing the U.S. and turning toward Russia on security issues.
Ankara has also faced a Washington backlash over attacks on Kurdish civilians during its incursion into Syria last month.
Talks are also expected to focus on Turkey's decision to buy a Russian air defense system and its attack on U.S.-allied Kurdish forces in northern Syria.  
Trump says Turkey has been a critical U.S. ally for decades, cites the strong economic upside to the relationship and maintains that the two countries have enough in common to overcome their differences. 
Some in Congress say Erdogan should never have been invited to the White House in the first place.
Last month, the House overwhelmingly passed a bill to sanction senior Turkish officials and its army for the military incursion into Syria to fight the Kurds. 
Erdogan sees Kurdish forces in Syria as an extension of a separatist Kurdish group that's been fighting inside Turkey since the 1980s.
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Trump and Erdogan (pictured during their last meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels last year) are expected to discuss security and the Middle East
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Top of the agenda will be Syria, just weeks after Trump effectively green-lit Erdogan's invasion of the country by withdrawing US troops from Kurdish areas in the north (pictured, the site of an explosion in the town of Suluk)
In the Senate, two Democrats introduced legislation denouncing Turkey's targeting of journalists, political opponents, dissidents, minorities and others. 
They said the Turkish government had imprisoned more than 80,000 Turkish citizens, closed more than 1,500 non-governmental organizations on terrorism-related grounds and dismissed or suspended more than 130,000 civil servants from their jobs.
'This is not the time or place to be extending hospitality and exchanging niceties with a dictator,' said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat who sits on the Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees.
In October, Trump moved U.S. troops in Syria out of the way of invading Turkish troops, a decision that critics said amounted to abandoning America's Kurdish allies to be attacked.
'It has upended what was an oasis of stability, damaged U.S. credibility and standing on the world stage and strengthened the hands of Russia, Iran' and the Syrian government of Bashar Assad, Shaheen said.
Trump administration officials have said the president told Turkey not to invade Syria. But when Erdogan insisted, they say Trump decided to move 28 Green Berets operating on the Turkey-Syria border so they wouldn't be caught in a crossfire between Turkish-backed forces and the Kurds.
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Also on the agenda will be Turkey's tightening relations with Russia, including its purchase of Russian S-400 anti-aircraft systems (pictured, a joint Russian-Turkish patrol in Syria)
A State Department official said Trump is not rewarding Erdogan with a White House visit but is conducting diplomacy. The official said high-level consultations are needed because of the volatile situation in Syria that has displaced tens of thousands of people.
Amnesty International recently released a report documenting killings, human rights violations and possible war crimes caused by Turkey-backed forces in northern Syria.
'There has been a callous disregard for civilian lives, including attacks on residential areas,' said Margaret Huang, executive director of Amnesty International USA. 'Over 100,000 people have fled this offensive and there are fears that the displaced are not getting access to food, to clear water, or to medical supplies.'
She said Trump must send a message to Erdogan that these actions and unlawful behavior must stop and that those responsible be held accountable.
A senior State Department official said that the U.S. is following up on reports of human rights violations and indiscriminate killings. The official was not authorized to discuss the issue publicly and spoke only on condition of anonymity.
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The summit will provide a welcome distraction for Trump, with the first day of public hearings in the impeachment inquiry due to get underway 
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House Chairman Adam Schiff, Democrat of California will make an opening statement and begin questioning of the witnesses at 10am Wednesday
The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights has urged Turkey to investigate reported cases of summary executions committed by a Turkish-backed armed group in northern Syria. The U.N. cited video footage showing fighters with the Ahrar al-Sharqiya armed group filming themselves capturing and executing three Kurdish captives on a highway in northern Syria.
The State Department has looked into these killings and has asked Turkey to investigate. The Turks have told the U.S. that the Syrians have set up a commission, the official said, but it's unclear what, if any, action the panel will take.
Turkey reached truce agreements with Russia and the United States last month that halted the incursion and forced Kurdish fighters to retreat from Turkey's southern border. But Erdogan claims the Kurds have not vacated border areas and says he will give Trump a list of attacks carried out by Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish-led force.
On the U.S. side, Trump will be expressing continued concern about Erdogan's purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system. The U.S. and fellow NATO nations say the S-400 would aid Russian intelligence and compromise a U.S.-led fighter jet program.
The U.S. has since kicked Erdogan out of a multinational program producing components of America's high-tech F-35 fighter jet. In response, Erdogan attended an annual Russian air show this summer in Moscow and expressed interest in buying the latest Russian Su-35 fighter jets.
Trump has not yet decided whether to impose congressional sanctions on Turkey for the S-400 purchase.
During his visit, Erdogan will be trying to get Turkey back in the F-35 program and also try to end an ongoing prosecution against a major Turkish bank, said Max Hoffman at Center for American Progress. Halkbank is accused of carrying out a scheme to evade sanctions against Iran by moving billions of dollars of Iranian oil revenue illegally.
Birol Baskan, a scholar at the Middle East Institute, says Turkey needs the U.S. on its side to balance Russia and Iran's interests in Syria. 'The problem is, the U.S. seems not to be interested in doing that,' Baskan said.
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Post by annemarie Wed 13 Nov 2019, 19:40

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7680537/Daniel-Goldman-Democrat-lawyer-set-Trumps-new-nemesis-impeachment-probe.html

[size=34]Democrats deploy the lawyer Donald Trump fears most: Federal prosecutor with 'brains and swagger' will quiz impeachment witnesses - and he has ALREADY said the president committed a felony to get elected[/size]


  • Public impeachment hearings into Trump begin Wednesday at 10am Eastern

  • Witnesses will be questioned by Democrat Adam Schiff and Republican Devin Nunes, followed by members of three committees 

  • Schiff and Nunes have called in star lawyers to help with their questioning 

  • Assisting Schiff will be Daniel Goldman, a former Manhattan prosecutor who helped take down members of the Russian mob and Italian Mafia 

  • 43-year-old married father of five is a Yale and Stanford law graduate

  • Trump launched Hail Mary attempt to claim Goldman had a conflict of interest, tweeting that the 'high-paid' attorney had 'worked for him'

  • Goldman was a federal prosecutor during the Trump presidency but became an MSNBC contributor who said Trump had committed a felony 


By CHRIS PLEASANCE FOR MAILONLINE 
PUBLISHED: 07:57 EST, 13 November 2019 | UPDATED: 13:04 EST, 13 November 2019

     



Public impeachment hearings into Donald Trump begin Wednesday with witnesses set to be grilled by high-ranking Democrats and Republicans
Two star lawyers are also expected to play a prominent role in the questioning, including the man who looks set to become Trump's new nemesis - Daniel Goldman.
Goldman, who will be assisting Intelligence Committee chair Adam Schiff with his interrogations, is a former federal prosecutor in the feared Manhattan office, who spent a decade helping to take down some of New York's most-wanted.
Working as part of the Violent & Organized Crime Unit for the Southern District of New York he helped bring cases against both the Italian Mafia and Russian mob.

With three hours to ago Trump himself launched a Hail Mary attempt to get Goldman out, tweeting that Goldman was 'a high priced outside lawyer,' and adding: 'Did that lawyer ever work for me, which would be a conflict?'
Technically Goldman did; he was assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York from November 2007 until November 2017.
But he has hardly made any secret of his hostility to the president since then, declaring on MSNBC that Trump had committed a 'felony' to get elected. 

[size=18]LIVE: TRUMP IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS








[size=32]LIVE

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Daniel Goldman, a former New York prosecutor who helped take down Mafia hitmen and Russian mobsters, will lead Democrats in questioning impeachment witnesses
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Goldman, who has also worked as a legal commentator for MSNBC in which he was frequently critical of Donald Trump, will be given 45 minutes to quiz each witness 

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Yale and Stanford-law educated, Goldman clerked for two Bill Clinton-appointed federal judges before joining the famously independent Southern District of New York. 
It nicknames itself the sovereign district and was once -ironically - led by Rudy Giuliani, in his days as a Mafia buster, which was what Goldman initially became.
He joined as assistant district attorney in 2007 and in 2009 he was involved in the prosecution and subsequent conviction of Fotios 'Freddy' Geas, a hit-man for the Genovese crime family.
Geas was sentenced to life in prison in 2011 alongside his brother, Ty, and former Genovese crime boss Arthur 'Artie' Nigro.
The trio were convicted of the contract killing of rival mob boss Adolfo 'Big Al' Bruno, who was gunned down outside a club in Massachusetts in 2003, and the murder of mob figure Gary Westerman in the same year.
Goldman's talents were also put to work busting a wide-ranging insurance racket being run by the Russian mob.
In 2012, federal prosecutors led by Preet Bharara - who was later fired by Trump - indicted 35 people in a $275million no-fault insurance scam, which was the largest of its kind ever uncovered at the time.
Among the accused was reputed Russian mobster Mikhail Zemlyansky, also known as 'Russian Mike', and three of his associates: Skinny Mike, Fat Mike and Mike B.
Prosecutors said Zemlyansky exploited legislation guaranteeing car accident victims up to $50,000 in damages even if nobody was found to be at fault.
The scheme involved more than 100 clinics, thousands of patients, 10 corrupt doctors and three lawbreaking lawyers, prosecutors said.
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During his ten years as a prosecutor with the Southern District of New York's Violent & Organized Crime Unit, he helped secure convictions against Mikhail 'Russian Mike' Zemlyansky (left) for fraud, and Genovese family hitman Fotios 'Freddy' Geas (right)
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Goldman was also involved in the prosecution of gambler Billy Walters for insider trading, and was specifically hired to the team because of his courtroom 'swagger'
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Family man: Daniel Goldman married his wife Corinne in Mexico in 2013. She is a Penn law school graduate
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Relaxing at home: Daniel and Corinne Goldman live in New York with their five young children
In 2015 Zemlyansky was convicted of fraud and sentenced to 15 years in jail. In total, 30 people were convicted in the case.
Two years later, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke Cucinella specifically requested Goldman for her team to lead a prosecution against Las Vegas gambler Billy Walters for insider stock trading.
Cucinella knew the trial would attract media attention, and wanted Goldman on board for his 'swagger' and ability to control a courtroom.
Walters was eventually found guilty on all counts and sentenced to five years. 
Speaking to the Washington Post about Goldman, Bharara said: 'He was one of the go-to trial guys, and there’s no case that’s too complex for him. 
'He’s a great prosecutor and he’s got a very powerful presence.
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Facing off against Goldman will be Steve Castor, who has served Republicans on the Oversight committee for a decade
'To the extent the public will be watching and looking for a credible questioner, I think they will be very impressed with Dan Goldman.'
Goldman quit the Southern District in November 2017, and worked as a legal analyst for MSNBC, commenting at length on the Russia investigation.
In December 2018, he told Morning Joe anchor Joe Scarborough - as Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen changed his plea to guilty - that the president had committed a crime to get elected.
'I think legally we already now know that the president has committed a felony to obtain the office of the presidency,' he told the show.
'He is likely not going to be charged with that.' 
In December last year, shortly after Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations, Goldman told The Independent that he would be 'comfortable' charging the President with the same crime.
'As a former prosecutor I would feel comfortable charging the president with felony campaign finance fraud based on what we know now, so long as Michael Cohen could be used as a witness - and if the president could actually be indicted,' he said. 
He was first recruited by Adam Schiff to help coordinate Democrat investigations into Trump in February this year, as six House committees ran separate probes into the President which have now been brought together in the impeachment inquiry.
That ended a lucrative period of private practice and media appearances for the 43-year-old married father of five. 
The public phase of the inquiry begins 10am Wednesday, with Ukraine diplomat Ambassador William Taylor and then Deputy Assistant Secretary George Kent testifying.
Each of the men will be questioned by Schiff and top-ranking Republican Devin Nunes, although Schiff says he will hand a significant portion of his time - up to 45 minutes - to Goldman.
The Republicans have their own attorney, Steve Castor, who has been a lawyer for the Oversight and Government Affairs Committee for more than a decade.
[size=18]President Trump fumes over impeachment as public hearings loom




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Central to the impeachment hearing will be whether Donald Trump used his office to secure personal gain, including pressuring Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky (left) to dig up political dirt on rival Joe Biden
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House Chairman Adam Schiff, Democrat of California, will make an opening statement and begin questioning of the witnesses before Goldman takes over
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Ambassador William Taylor and State Department official George Kent are the first witnesses at Wednesday's televised impeachment hearing
Democrat and Republican representatives from three committees will then have five minutes each to question the witnesses.
At issue is whether Donald Trump abused his position as President to advance his own private interests - specifically digging up dirt on rival Joe Biden.
'Did the President—directly or through agents—seek to use the power of the Office of the President and other instruments of the federal government in other ways to apply pressure on the head of state and government of Ukraine to advance the President's personal political interests, including by leveraging an Oval Office meeting desired by the President of Ukraine or by withholding U.S. military assistance to Ukraine?' Adam Schiff wrote in a memo ahead of the hearings.
'Did the President and his Administration seek to obstruct, suppress or cover up information to conceal from the Congress and the American people evidence about the President's actions and conduct?'
President Trump is sure to weigh in on the hearings as they get underway, with Goldman likely to be among his top targets. 
He has repeatedly sought to attack the inquiry in public, while his administration has fiercely resisted subpoenas for witnesses and documents.


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The committee room in the Longworth House Office Building that will host the House Intelligence Committee's open impeachment hearings against President Trump on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC
[size=18]Trump: I'm not worried as public impeachment hearings approach




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'A total Impeachment Scam by the Do Nothing Democrats!' Trump tweeted on Tuesday. He could try to provide online commentary – or change the subject. 
He will be hosting Turkish President Recep Erdogan, and has scheduled a press conference, which gives him the ability to preempt or try to steer TV coverage. 
Trump has also repeatedly hyped the transcript of an additional call he held with the Ukrainian president, saying he would release it this week.
Trump mocked the hearings in a Saturday tweet: 'I recommend that Nervous Nancy Pelosi (who backed up Schiff's lie), Shifty Adam Schiff, Sleepy Joe Biden, the Whistleblower (who miraculously disappeared after I released the transcript of the call), the 2nd Whistleblower (who also disappeared), & the I.G., be part of the list!' 
The New York Times reported Tuesday Trump had spoken about firing the IG, who holds an independent post.
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Post by annemarie Wed 13 Nov 2019, 22:34

[size=34]Florida county becomes latest place to declare itself a 'second amendment sanctuary' to protect its residents against attempts to introduce gun control laws[/size]


  • Lake County Commission declared itself as a 'Second Amendment Sanctuary'

  • The central Florida county wants to block state gun laws affecting its citizens

  • Commissioner Josh Blake said it was to combat proposed forced gun buybacks 

  • Democrat presidential candidates pledged to bring in tighter gun restrictions

  • But a Florida gun control group branded the resolution new as meaningless 


By CHRIS DYER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 08:45 EST, 13 November 2019 | UPDATED: 10:08 EST, 13 November 2019

     


A Florida county has become the latest to declare itself a 'Second Amendment Sanctuary' in an attempt to block any future gun laws affecting its citizens.
Lake County Commission in central Florida passed a resolution to protect its residents from having their assault weapons taken away by state legislation. 
Commissioner Josh Blake, who proposed the resolution, said the move was in response to mandatory gun buyback proposals made by some Democratic presidential candidates during their bids to win the party nomination. 
Passed by a 4-0 vote on Tuesday, the resolution is similar to dozens already enacted by other counties and cities across country.

Blake described the resolution as drawing a line in the sand, according to the Orlando Sentinel. 
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Lake County Commissioner Josh Blake proposed the 'Sanctuary' resolution in response to mandatory gun buyback proposals
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Lake County Commission (above) when it passed a 'Second Amendment Sanctuary' resolution by a vote of 4-0
He said: 'It doesn't mince words, and I hope it sends a message to what can best be described as the authoritarian control freaks who see it as their job to forcibly disarm their fellow citizens.'
But an official from gun control group, the Florida Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, branded the resolution as meaningless.
Andy Pelosi, who co-chairs the group, said: 'I think it's really just posturing by the gun lobby and their supporters. It really doesn't have any teeth.'


Blake singled out former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke, who pulled out of the race to become the Democrat presidential nominee last week. 
He also targeted Senators Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California, accusing them of trying to 'forcibly disarm their fellow citizens'.
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Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke speaks before a Democratic Party fundraising dinner in Des Moines, Iowa. While campaigning to become Democrat presidential nominee he pledged to stop the ownership of Ar-15 assault rifles 
[size=18]Beto 'Hell yes, we ARE going to take your AR-15s and AK-47'




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The commissioner also attacked their support of mandatory buybacks of 'assault weapons', the Orlando Sentinel reports.
While still on the campaign trail in Houston, O'Rourke angered gun enthusiasts when asked if he proposed stopping the ownership of assault rifles he said: 'Hell, yes, we're going to take your AR-15, your AK-47.'
The Lake County resolution is the latest in a string of other similar proposals across the US designed to combat tighter gun laws imposed at higher levels. 
Counties in Illinois, such as Effingham County, began the drive to challenge stricter gun legislation when they passed resolutions last year.
Earlier this month Mohave County in Arizona unanimously passed a similar resolution that it could not 'unconstitutionally infringe on the people's right to keep and bear arms'.
Texas counties have also approved such resolutions, as had a rural California city that passed its own version in the summer.

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Post by annemarie Thu 14 Nov 2019, 18:51

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7683089/Erdogan-lashes-Congress-recognizing-Armenian-genocide.html

[size=34]Turkish president Recep Erdogan lashes out at Congress in astonishing White House press conference for recognizing Armenian genocide and demands Donald Trump hand over U.S. resident who strongman accuses of plotting a coup[/size]


  • Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan was a problem guest at the White House

  • He denied the Armenian Genocide ever occurred and said he returned a letter President Trump sent him about Turkey's invasion of Syria

  • 'Don't be a tough guy. Don't be a fool!' Trump wrote Erdogan after Syria invasion

  • Erdogan said he gave the letter back to the White House 

  • 'This letter was re-presented to Mr. President this afternoon,' he said 

  • He also pushed for the extradition of the Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Erdogan claims engineered a failed 2016 coup 


By DAVID MARTOSKO, U.S. POLITICAL EDITOR FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and WIRES
PUBLISHED: 18:28 EST, 13 November 2019 | UPDATED: 18:40 EST, 13 November 2019

     





Turkey's leader became a problematic White House guest on Wednesday — denying the Armenian Genocide ever occurred, demanding the U.S. hand over an Islamic cleric he regards as a terrorist coup-plotter, and complaining that America's Kurdish allies in northern Syria are terrorists as well.
President Donald Trump stood alongside Recep Tayyip Erdogan and listened during a joint press conference in the East Room, with five hawkish Republican senators - including some critical of Turkey - sitting a few yards away.
In a final slap, Erdogan said he had rejected a famous letter from Trump urging him not to invade Syria, returning it to the president's envoy.
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Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan was a problem guest at the White House during his press conference with Donald Trump
[size=10][size=18]'I'm too busy to watch it,' Trump talks his impeachment hearing




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'We have nothing to hide,' Erdogan insisted, blasting Congress for recognizing mass killings of Armenians a century ago under the Ottoman Empire. About 1.5 million ethnic Ottoman Armenians were systematically killed between 1914 and 1923.
Erdogan said Wednesday that he was willing to 'open the archives reciprocally' with Armenia 'and establish a history commission.'
'I believe the [U.S.] Senate will take the United States out of this vicious cycle,' he sniped, complaining that Congress has continued to draw global attention to a sore spot for Ankara.
Reality star Kim Kardashian, who is Armenian-American, has directly lobbied Trump on the issue during White House visits in the past year.
This month Kardashian praised the House of Representatives on Twitter for passing a resolution recognizing the genocide. 


The genocide is just one of the areas that is subject of tension between the United States and Turkey.
Other topics that came up Wednesday include an Islamic cleric living in the U.S. that Turkey wants extradited and Ankara's invasion of Syria, which sparked criticism from Republican lawmakers in Trump's party.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of Turkey's fiercest critics for its action in Syria, sat in the press conference and in an Oval Office meeting before hand. He expressed appreciation for the chance to speak with Erdogan.
'I've never had an opportunity like this before. I appreciate it. The purpose of this meeting is to have an American civics lesson for our friends in Turkey. And there's a pony in there somewhere if we can find it,' Graham said in the Oval Office.
To which Trump replied: 'And I think we will.'  
But another bone Erdogan picked during the 40 minute press conference is his government's long-term push for the extradition of the Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Erdogan claims engineered a failed 2016 coup.
The Turkish president said Wednesday that he had submitted 'a great deal of documents and evidence' about Gulen and his followers to the Trump administration, calling the Pennsylvania resident a 'ringleader of [a] terrorist organization.'
'They have killed 251 people in Turkey. They tried to undertake a coup against the government—the state—and more than 2,000 people have been injured. And the ringleader is living an on area of 400 acres in the United States running his network all around the globe,' Erdogan claimed. 'And this is something unacceptable.' 
Trump turned a deaf ear to objections from members of Congress, including many Republicans, when he said he would roll out the red carpet for Erdogan.
The U.S.-Turkish relationship has been under severe strain following Erdogan's ordering of an October invasion of US-allied Kurdish territory in northern Syria.
Trump ordered American troops stationed in the border area to withdraw ahead of the Turkish military action, while exhorting Erdogan in an extraordinarily undiplomatic letter to avoid too much bloodshed.
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Turkey's leader pushed for the extradition of the Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Erdogan claims engineered a failed 2016 coup
[size=18]Donald and Melania Trump welcome Turkish president to White House




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'Don't be a tough guy. Don't be a fool!' Trump wrote in the missive.
Erdogan was reported to have thrown it in the trash. On Wednesday he said he gave it back to Trump on Wednesday.
'This letter was re-presented to Mr. President this afternoon,' he said, emphasizing that 'we gave back the letter that we have received.' 
Trump's troop withdrawal gave Turkey, a fellow NATO member, a green light for what could be an indefinite occupation of a large swath of Syria.
This outraged many in Congress, which saw the move as an abandonment of the Kurds, who died in large numbers while fighting alongside U.S. forces against ISIS jihadists there.
Trump said Wednesday that the U.S. has 'a great relationship with the Kurds. We're with them now. We get along with them.'
He also said Erdogan 'has a great relationship' with most Kurdish factions, calling talk of tensions 'a misnomer.' 
'Many Kurds live currently in Turkey and they're happy and they're taken care of, including health care,' he claimed. 
'We have no problems with the Kurds,' Erdogan insisted. 'We have problems with terrorist organizations. Some terrorists coming out of the Kurds.'
'We're just fighting terrorists, period,' he said. 'If they are a terrorist, that is a terrorist. If you don't fight back then tomorrow you have to pay a very hefty price.' 
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President Erdogan also said he returned to the White House a letter President Trump wrote him after Turkey invaded Syria
There are several factions at work in the region with Kurdish roots, including some supported by the United States.  
The Kurdistan Workers' Party, known by the Kurdish acronym PKK, has the goal of creating an independent Kurdistan. Both the United States and Turkey have designated it a terrorist group.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) was founded in North Syria to protect the area from rising Islamic state. It's mainly made up of ethnic Kurds and its formation was encouraged by the U.S.
Edorgan views the Kurd who fight with SDF as an extension of PKK terrorist group and has asked the U.S. to hand over its Syrian Kurdish commander Mazloum Kobani.

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The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 Empty Re: The Serious Side - part 7

Post by annemarie Fri 15 Nov 2019, 14:33

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7686889/Trump-Jr-s-book-No-1-bestseller-edge.html

[size=34]NYT suggests Don Jr.'s new book Triggered has topped its Bestseller List through 'BULK BUYING'[/size]


  • Triggered tops the hardcover nonfiction list that will go to print November 24 

  • A dagger on the NYT appears next to the listing, indicating some of the sales for Don Jr.'s new book Triggered were 'bulk'

  • President Donald Trump tweeted his congratulations to his son, saying 'wow' 

  • Don Jr.'s girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle also tweeted to say she was 'proud' 

  • But when it become clear that the NYT was saying bulk sales were involved, the Trump camp turned on it

  • They claimed it was a plot by 'Democrats' to smear him

  • A source for Don Jr. called the claims 'silly' and 'another excuse to pick at him' 

  •  The Republican National Committee has been offering the book as a fundraising incentive and denied 

  • A spokesman for the Republican National Committee said they have offered 'Triggered' but were not buying it in bulk


By LAUREN FRUEN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and ASSOCIATED PRESS
PUBLISHED: 14:16 EST, 14 November 2019 | UPDATED: 19:10 EST, 14 November 2019

     








Donald Trump Jr.'s inner circle slammed The New York Times Thursday for suggesting his new book 'Triggered' topped the Bestseller List through 'bulk buying.'  
'Triggered' tops the hardcover nonfiction list that will appear in the November 24 edition of the Times. It currently ranks fourth on Amazon's bestseller list and at number 44 in Barnes & Noble's Top 100 list. 
In the NYT, a dagger symbol appears next to the listing, indicating that some of the sales were 'bulk purchases.'
It does not say where the bulk buying has come from and the list does not say how many books have been sold. 

The New York Times says 'rankings reflect unit sales reported on a confidential basis by vendors'. 
A source close to Don Jr. told DailyMail.com the dagger on the listing was 'ridiculous', 'silly' and 'another excuse to pick at him.'
And the source said his books are 'massively outselling' his closest rivals and claimed the dagger is a ploy by the 'Democrats and their friends in the media.' 
They did not, however, address whether bulk purchasing had taken place.
A feud with the Times was a rapid reversal for the Trump camp after a Washington D.C. reception with Ivanka and Jared Kushner toasting Don Jr.'s bestseller status on Wednesday evening.
His father tweeted in celebration of the book becoming a New York Times bestseller and Don Jr. tweeted that it was 'the book liberals don't want you to read, saying: 'It would TRIGGER our haters coast to coast if we made the NYT list!'
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Donald Trump Jr.´s 'Triggered' is a No. 1 New York Times bestseller, although not without an edge. Don Jr. is pictured at a book signing in Palm Spring this month
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A dagger symbol appears next to the listing, indicating that some of the sales were 'bulk purchases,' often meaning that the author or someone associated with the author bought a substantial number of copies
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Among those celebrating was President Donald Trump, who tweeted: Congratulations Don!'
One theory about the alleged bulk purchasing which surfaced on Twitter was a Republican National Committee offer of a 'hand-signed' copy of the book to supporters who donate at least $50.
But Steve Guest, spokesman for the RNC, said Thursday that copies were bought 'to keep up with demand,' not in a 'large bulk purchase.'
The source close to Don Jr. told DailyMail.com that he was a bestseller on his own merits.
'Don sold more books in the last week than the number 2 and 3 nonfiction books on the New York Times list combined,' the source said.
'You could erase all of the books sold through the RNC [Republican National Committee] and that would still be a fact. 
'If Don's book was only successful because of so-called "bulk buys" as Democrats and their friends in the media claim, how do they square that with the fact that he also topped Amazon's non-fiction charts this past week for books currently available and held multiple book signings across the country that sold 1000+ books a piece.' 
It was unclear which Democrats the friend of Don Jr. was referring to.   
Don Jr.'s girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle rushed to defend the sales. 
Former Fox News host Guilfoyle retweeted Republican political strategist Andrew Surabian, who argued: 'Triggered was the top non-fiction book out this week on the Amazon charts & Don did multiple book signings where he sold 1000+ books a piece. 
'Bookscan data will show he sold more books than the #2 & #3 books combined. Media/Dems want to pretend otherwise, but he was #1 on merit.'   


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Don Jr.'s girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle tweeted her congratulations after the list was released 
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 21024472-7686889-Don_Jr_himself_thanked_supporters_writing_I_dedicated_Triggered_-a-85_1573769344204


Don Jr. himself thanked supporters, writing: 'I dedicated #Triggered to the Deplorables and you guys made it #1... let's do it again at the voting booth in November. You are the best!!! #MAGA'
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Kimberly Guilfoyle retweeted Republican political strategist Andrew Surabian

[size=34]HOW DOES THE NEW YORK TIMES MEASURE BOOK SALES[/size]


According to The New York Times: 'Rankings reflect unit sales reported on a confidential basis by vendors offering a wide range of general interest titles published in the United States. 
'The panel of reporting retailers is comprehensive and reflects sales in tens of thousands of stores of all sizes and demographics across the United States.
'Sales are defined as completed transactions by vendors and individual end users during the period on or after the official publication date of a title. 
'Institutional, special interest, group or bulk purchases, if and when they are included, are at the discretion of The New York Times Best-Seller List Desk editors based on standards for inclusion that encompass proprietary vetting and audit protocols, corroborative reporting and other statistical determinations. 
'When included, such bulk purchases appear with a dagger (†).
'Sales are statistically weighted to represent and accurately reflect all outlets proportionally nationwide.' 
The paper told electricliterature.com in 2018: 'If we were to equate The New York Times best seller lists with covering baseball, we would include the major leagues, minor leagues and all the way down to the little leagues while doing what we can to exclude any attempts made by people to manipulate the lists.' 



And Don Jr. himself thanked supporters, who have turned out in their thousands to hear him speak on the book. 
He wrote: 'I dedicated #Triggered to the Deplorables and you guys made it #1... let's do it again at the voting booth in November. You are the best!!! #MAGA.'  He also retweeted the note from Surabian defending his book sales.  
'Triggered' also placed high on the weekly report compiled by NPD BookScan, which tracks around 85% of the print market.
 According to BookScan, 'Triggered' sold 71,000 copies last week, second only to Jeff Kinney´s latest 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid.' 
NPD could not immediately determine how many of those sales were bulk sales. 
The dispute took some of the celebratory edge off after a Trump get-together in Washington D.C.'s Hay-Adams Hotel Wedenesday. which saw Kushner say of the New York Times: 'For one day, and for one hour, we'll say that they did some real news.'
Jared was seen later in the evening leaving the Off The Record bar in The Hay-Adams Hotel in Washington DC with wife Ivanka who was dressed in a silky pajama-inspired suit.







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Jared Kushner, the President's son-in-law and senior adviser, is seen far right giving a toast to his brother-in-law, Donald Trump Jr (center). Don Jr's girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, is seen left looking on
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The Kushners were photographed leaving the Off The Record bar in the Hay-Adams Hotel across the street from the White House on Wednesday
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Ivanka Trump appeared to be at east as she enjoyed a night out with her husband in Washington, DC, on Wednesday
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HIvanka clutched a purse while leaving the bar while her husband held a copy of her brother's bestselling book

The video was posted to the Twitter feed belonging to Sebastian Gorka, a British-Hungarian-American pro-Trump media commentator who is also a pitchman for fish oil pills. Gorka captioned the video: 'They're going mad. But he did it!'
In his toast, Kushner praised Don Jr's political activism.
'I've seen him and his siblings travel the country and really fall in love with so many of the different things this country has...and the impact that he is having is incredible,' Kushner said.
'We are very proud of his book.'
Sean Spicer, the former White House Press Secretary, was also on hand to congratulate the President's eldest son, thanks to a calendar which opened up since he was booted this week from Dancing With The Stars hours after the president called for his Twitter followers to vote to keep him in.
Don Jr's media tour promoting the book included an explosive appearance on the ABC daytime talk show The View.
The episode featuring the President's eldest son and his girlfriend Guilfoyle last Thursday was The View's most watched episode in more than six months.
With all of its insults and yelling, the episode drew in just over three million people, according to the latest Nielsen Media Research data.
The week before Don Jr's appearance had an average audience of 2.5 million.
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Post by annemarie Fri 15 Nov 2019, 14:36

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7689897/Former-Ambassador-Ukraine-Marie-Yovanovitch-testifies-second-day-impeachment-hearings.html

[size=34]Fired US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch testifies to Congress about 'smear' campaign she says Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani waged against her based on 'false allegations'[/size]


  • Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, is testifying Friday on Capitol Hill before the House Intelligence Committee in the second televised impeachment hearing 

  • Yovanovitch spoke to lawmakers behind closed doors last month as part of the House's impeachment inquiry

  • She testified that Giuliani's associates 'may well have believed that their personal financial ambitions were stymied by our anti-corruption policy in Ukraine' 

  • Yovanovitch talked about a campaign by Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and a group of Ukrainians to oust her from her role as ambassador to the country 

  • The longtime diplomat was removed from her post after Giuliani and his allies spread information, swatted down by a series of witnesses, that she was working against Trump, she claimed 

  • This comes after top diplomat in Ukraine Bill Taylor and George Kent, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, gave their testimony on Capitol Hill Wednesday 


By EMILY GOODIN, SENIOR U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER and NIKKI SCHWAB, SENIOR U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 08:57 EST, 15 November 2019 | UPDATED: 09:29 EST, 15 November 2019

     



Former Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch launched the second day of public hearings into the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump - a day expected to focus on efforts by Rudy Giuliani, the president's personal lawyer, to oust her from the administration. 
While Wednesday's impeachment witnesses Bill Taylor and George Kent played to the head - the duo of long-time public servants talked at length about American foreign policy in Ukraine - Yovanovitch's testimony is expected to tug at the heart.
She's expected to re-tell the dramatic saga of her dismissal from her diplomatic post in Kiev - and point a finger at Giuliani, who she says was in cahoots with a top Ukrainian prosecutor, with both men wanting her gone.

[size=18]LIVE: TRUMP IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS CONTINUE








[size=32]LIVE

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Former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch arrived Friday to Capitol Hill in the second public impeachment hearing by the House Intelligence Committee
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Yovanovitch already spoke to lawmakers behind closed doors last month as part of the House's impeachment inquiry
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The longtime diplomat was removed from her post after Giuliani and his allies spread information, swatted down by a series of witnesses, that she was working against Trump, she claimed 
Democrats plan to paint Yovanovitch as the victim of the Trump administration - a career official who had her work derailed by the forces against her.

Republicans, however, will try and down play the actions against Yovanovitch, and will argue the president has the right to fire whatever ambassador he wants.   
Other diplomats, in their testimony, praised Yovanovitch's professional work and called her the victim of a 'smear' campaign.  
In October, Yovanovitch sat down with lawmakers from the three committees tasked with impeachment proceedings and told the story of her dismissal.
She said about a year ago - in November or December 2018 - she was warned by Ukrainian officials that President Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani was up to something with Yuriy Lutsenko, the former top prosecutor in the Ukraine. 
'Basically, it was people in the Ukrainian government who said that Mr. Lutsenko, the former prosecutor general, was in communication with Mayor Giuliani, and that they had plans, and that they were going to, you know, do things, including to me,' Yovanovitch told members of Congress.
Yuri Lutsenko's predecessor Viktor Shokin is the prosecutor that then Vice President Joe Biden pressured Ukraine to fire because he wasn't doing enough to root out corruption.
Trump is being investigated for allegations he with held nearly $400 million in military assistance from the Ukraine unless officials agreed to investigate the Bidens and unproven allegations about the 2016 election.
The president has denied any wrong doing and the money eventually made it to the Ukraine.  
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President Donald Trump says he didn't watch Wednesday's blockbuster hearing but railed against it anyway
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Top U.S. diplomats accused Donald Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani of running a 'smear' campaign to force out Yavonovitch, who was recalled from her post to Washington. She says no reason was ever provided for her ouster
[size=18]Nancy Pelosi accuses President Trump of bribery and abusing power




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Yovanovitch explained that she believed Lutsenko was 'looking to hurt [her] in the U.S.' because she continued to pressure him to go after corruption, but that effort had stalled. 'And so, we continued to encourage him, and I don't think he really appreciated it,' she said.
Lutsenko, she said, tried to set up meetings with the U.S. attorney general and with the FBI, she would reroute him to the FBI's legal attaché at the embassy. Yovanovitch said Lutsenko was trying to give them information, which she came to believe was dirt on herself.
She'll also testify that Giuliani was talking to Ukrainian officials about Biden as early as February 2019 - and that she believed the aim of these conversations was to hurt the former vice president should he announce a presidential run.
Biden threw his hat into the ring in late April.
'Yeah, I mean, looking backwards to what happened in the past, with a view to finding things that could be possibly damaging to a presidential run,' Yovanovitch said.
She said Ukrainian Minister of the Interior Arsen Avakov 'told me I really needed to watch my back.' Yovanovitch was told by Avakov that Giuliani had partnered with two Florida-based Ukrainians Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman - they've since been arrested on campaign finance violations - and were in discussions with Lutsenko. 'And they were very interested in having a different ambassador at post, I guess for - because they wanted to have business dealings in Ukraine, or additional business dealings.'
'And I didn't understand that because nobody at the embassy had ever met those two individuals,' she continued. 'And, you know, one of the biggest jobs of an American ambassador of the U.S. embassy is to promote U.S. business.'
She called what was happening 'exceedingly strange.'
She then tussled with Giuliani over getting a visa for Shokin, as the Trump lawyer wanted to talk to the ousted prosecutor about 'corruption.' Yovanovitch testified that she believed this included chatter about her.
As this was happening, Yovanovitch was left in a lurch.
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House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., began the hearing at 9am with opening remarks 
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A demonstrator holds signs outside Longworth House Office Building, Friday ahead of Yovanovitch's testimony to the House Intelligence Committee in the second public impeachment hearing of Trump's efforts to tie U.S. aid for Ukraine to investigations of his political opponent
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The seat for former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch to testify before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday


When The Hill printed Ukrainian smears about her - and she requested Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to intervene - she was told 'that there was concern that the rug would be pulled out from under the State Department.'
'By whom?' a lawmaker asked, according to the transcript.
'The president,' Yovanovitch replied.
She sought advice from Gordon Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union, who had been a Trump donor. Sondland would eventually be a point guy on Ukraine and will testify in public next Wednesday.
He suggested to tweet something nice.
'You need to, you know, tweet out there that you support the President, and that all these are lies and everything else,' Yovanovitch testified she was told.
Yovanovitch's  tenure in Ukraine came to a dramatic end.
First on April 24 and then into the early hours of April 25, Director General of the Foreign Service Carol Perez made two calls to Yovanovitch. In the first she advised Yovanovitch to board the 'next plane home to Washington.' And hour later Perez called again. 'She said that there was a lot of concern for me, that I needed to be on the next plane home to Washington. And I was like, what? What happened? And she said, I don't know, but this is about your security. You need to come home immediately. You need to come home on the next plane,' Yovanovitch recalled.
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Photographers await the arrival of Marie Yovanovitch, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, to testify as part of the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump
[size=18]Trump gives cagey response when questioned on impeachment hearings




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She had been recalled and told by Acting Assistant Secretary of State Philip T. Reeker that Pompeo 'was no longer able to' protect her from the president.
'That apparently, as I stated in my statement, the President had been - had wanted me to leave since July of 2018 and - or the summer, I should say, the middle of the summer of 2018 - and that the Secretary had tried to protect me but was no longer able to do that,' she testified.
Her reaction, she said, was 'shocked' - and she assumed Lutsenko and Giuliani were behind it.
The president's view of Yovanovitch was cemented after the White House released the so-called transcript of Trump's July 25 conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This was the conversation that worried the whistleblower that put the impeachment investigation into action.
On the call, Trump is quoted saying that Yovanovitch, 'the woman, was bad news and the people she was dealing with in the Ukraine were bad news.' Trump added, 'Well, she's going to go through some things.'
Yovanovitch told the lawmakers she was again 'shocked.' 'I didn't know what it meant,' she said of Trump's last utterance. 'I was very concerned. I still am.'
Asked if she felt threatened she answered 'yes.' 
Yovanovitch was nominated by President Barack Obama to be Ambassador to Ukraine in May 2016 and unanimously confirmed by Senate in July 2016 by voice vote. She served in that post until she was recalled in May by the Trump Administration.
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Post by annemarie Fri 15 Nov 2019, 14:39

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7687997/RNC-hold-winter-meetings-Trump-National-Doral.html

[size=34]Republican National Committee will hold its winter meetings at Trump National Doral in Florida after president was forced to cancel G7 summit there amid accusations he was trying to enrich himself[/size]


  • The RNC will hold its winter meetings at Trump National Doral in Florida

  • It comes weeks after President Trump canceled the Group of Seven summit of world leaders at Doral 

  • The RNC said the majority of their meetings, to this point, have not been held at any Trump properties

  • Reportedly, political candidates and political groups spent more than $8million at Trump properties since the 2016 election 


By ASSOCIATED PRESS
PUBLISHED: 19:54 EST, 14 November 2019 | UPDATED: 07:45 EST, 15 November 2019

     




The Republican National Committee confirmed Thursday it would hold its winter meetings at Trump National Doral, bringing business to one of the president's struggling properties.
The news comes weeks after President Donald Trump canceled plans to host next year's Group of Seven summit of world leaders in Doral, Florida, after facing accusations that he was using the presidency to enrich himself.
In a statement, RNC spokesman Michael Ahrens confirmed that the group´s multi-day event will be held in January at Trump's golf resort, which is located near Miami International Airport.
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A view of the clubhouse at Trump National Doral in Doral, Florida. It will host the Republican National Committee's winter meetings in January
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The Republican National Committee confirmed Thursday it would hold its winter meetings at Trump National Doral, weeks after President Trump canceled plans to host next year's Group of Seven summit 



The RNC said the contract was signed in March and noted that the majority of RNC meetings have not been held at Trump properties.
'The media is obsessed with our spending at Trump properties and has covered it ad nauseam,' Ahrens said. 'As we have stated multiple times, we continue to hold events at them because they have fantastic service and secure spaces that fit our needs.'
The RNC winter meetings will be the second time in two years for Republicans to hold a major meeting at the resort. According to The Washington Post, a GOP event in Doral last year produced about $630,000 in revenue for Trump's company.
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President Trump, recently canceled having world leaders from the Group of Seven summit at his Trump National Doral resort. But Doral is hosting the RNC for its winter meetings in January 
[size=18]Donald Trump passionately touts Doral resort for next year's G7




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Critics have noted that the Doral resort, the biggest source of revenue among Trump's 17 golf properties, appears to have been struggling since even before he became president.
Financial disclosure reports filed by the president show revenue is barely growing, up just $1million last year, to $76million. And the Trump Organization itself has admitted it was struggling, arguing in a tax appeal to local authorities last year that it is 'seriously underperforming.' according to a Washington Post review of tax appeal documents.
A Trump business hosted 192 political candidates or political groups, who spent a combined $8million since the November 2016 election, the New York Times reported.

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Post by annemarie Sat 16 Nov 2019, 02:25

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7690173/Everywhere-Marie-Yovanovitch-went-turned-bad-Donald-Trump-blasts-fired-Ukraine-ambassador.html

[size=34]Trump blames ousted US ambassador Marie Yovanovitch for Somalia's CIVIL WAR when she was a Bill Clinton envoy[/size]


  • President Trump tore into Marie Yovanovitch on Twitter about an hour into her Capitol Hill testimony 

  • 'Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad,' he wrote, using Somalia and Ukraine as examples 

  • Yovanovitch is telling the House Intelligence Committee how she was smeared by Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani  


By EMILY GOODIN, U.S POLITICAL REPORTER and NIKKI SCHWAB, SENIOR U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 10:50 EST, 15 November 2019 | UPDATED: 15:43 EST, 15 November 2019

     



President Trump blasted former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch in a series of tweets an hour into her Capitol Hill testimony. 
'Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad,' he wrote. 'She started off in Somalia, how did that go? Then fast forward to Ukraine, where the new Ukrainian President spoke unfavorably about her in my second phone call with him.'
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff voiced concerns that it was 'witness intimidation in real time.'  
Yovanovitch started off her Friday testimony before the House Intelligence Committee by detailing some of the 'hardship posts' she had endured as a career diplomat - like Somalia - and became emotional when talking about the July 25 call between Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky that the president was referring to in his tweet. 
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Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch is testifying before the House Intelligence Committee Friday as part of the impeachment inquiry 
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About an hour in, President Trump took to Twitter and attacked the former ambassador 
[size=10][size=18]Marie Yovanovitch explains feeling 'threatened by Trump' in hearing




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The call transcript, which kicked off the scandal that led to House Democrats opening up an impeachment inquiry, included a back-and-forth between Trump and Zelensky where the American president said Yovanovitch, 'the woman, was bad news and the people she was dealing with in Ukraine were bad news.' 
Zelensky agreed. 
He asked Trump to provide 'any additional information' he might have about Yovanovitch 'for the investigation to make sure that we administer justice in our country with regard to the Ambassador to the United States from Ukraine.' 
In the call transcript, which isn't verbatim, Zelensky butchers Yovanovitch's name. 
'It was great that you were the first one who told me she was a bad ambassador because I agree with you 100 percent,' Zelensky goes on. 'Her attitude towards me was far from the best as she admired the previous president and she was on his side.' 
'She would not accept me as the new president well enough,' Zelensky added.   
 At that, Trump responded, 'Well, she's going to go through some things.' Trump also said he'd have his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani - who Yovanovitch blames for running a 'smear' campaign against her - give Zelensky a call. 
During Friday's hearing, Yovanovitch choked up as she said, 'I  was shocked and devastated that I would feature in a phone call between two heads of state in such a manner where President Trump said that I was bad news to another world leader and that I would be going through some things.' 
She added that she felt 'shocked, appalled, devastated' and also threatened by the last thing Trump said about her on the call.   
 Asked to describe how she felt threatened, she replied she didn't know exactly. 
'It's not a very precise phrase, but I think -- it didn't feel like I was -- I really don't know how to answer the question any further except to say that it kind felt like a vague threat and so I wondered what had that meant,' she told the committee. 'It was a concern to me.'
The conversation between Trump and Zelensky came three months after Yovanovitch was recalled home and told by State Department officials that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo could no longer defend her against the president of the United States, who had wanted her gone for months. 
Trump defended ousting her in his tweets during the testimony.  
 'It is a U.S. President’s absolute right to appoint ambassadors,' he said.  'They call it "serving at the pleasure of the President."' 
[size=18]Trump reacts to Marie Yovanovitch's testimony




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'The U.S. now has a very strong and powerful foreign policy, much different than proceeding administrations. It is called, quite simply, America First! With all of that, however, I have done FAR more for Ukraine than O,' he added, an apparent reference to President Obama.     
Schiff gave Yovanovitch the chance to respond to the president’s criticism - starting with his complaint about Somalia.
‘I don't think I have such powers not in Mogadishu and Somalia and not in other places. I actually think that where I've served over the years I and others have demonstrably made things better,’ she said.
Schiff asked her if tweets like these from the president would intimidate other witnesses from testifying.
‘Ambassador, you've shown the courage to come forward today and testify. Notwithstanding the fact that you were urged by the White House or State Department not to, notwithstanding the fact that as you testified earlier the president implicitly threatened you in that call record, and now the president in real time is attacking you, what effect do you think that has on other witnesses willingness to come forward and expose wrongdoing in,’ Schiff asked her.
‘It's very intimidating,’ she replied.
‘It's designed to intimidate, is it not?,’ Schiff said.
‘I mean, I can't speak to what the president is trying to do, but I think the effect is trying to be intimidating,’ she replied.
Schiff, who has been trying to get other administration officials to testify, said witness intimidate is taken ‘very seriously.’
‘I want you to know, ambassador, that some of us here take witness intimidation very seriously,’ he said.
Schiff doubled down on his witness intimidation charge in a break in the hearing.
‘What we saw was witness intimidation in real time by the President of the United States. Once again going after this dedicated and respected career public servant – in an effort to not only chill her but to chill others who may come forward. We take this kind of witness intimidation and obstruction of inquiry very seriously,’ he told reporters outside the hearing room.
He did not respond to a question as to whether witness intimidation is an impeachable offense. 
White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham pushed back on Schiff's allegation Friday afternoon. 
'The tweet was not witness intimidation, it was simply the president's opinion, which he is entitled to,' Grisham said. 'This is not a trial, it is a partisan political process—or to put it more accurately, a totally illegitimate, charade stacked against the President. There is less due process in this hearing than any such event in the history of our country.' 
'It’s a true disgrace,' the press secretary added. 
And Trump pushed back on Schiff's characterization of his tweet amounting to witness intimidation when posed the question by a reporter later Friday afternoon. 
'I don't think so at all,' the president said. 
'I have freedom of speech just as other people do,' Trump also commented. 
 During his brief Q&A at the end of a speech about healthcare pricing, the president attacked the impeachment inquiry's process. 
'I'll tell you what tampering is. Tampering is when Shifty Schiff doesn't let us have lawyers. Tampering is when Schiff doesn't let us have witnesses, doesn't let us speak,' the president said. 
He said that he had tuned into the hearing Friday and complained that the Republicans were given 'no due process whatsoever.' 
'We're not allowed to do anything,' Trump scoffed. 'It's a disgrace that's happening.'

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The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 Empty Re: The Serious Side - part 7

Post by annemarie Sat 16 Nov 2019, 13:46

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7692249/Obama-warns-Democrats-not-deluded-accepting-radical-plans-2020-hopefuls.html

[size=34]Barack Obama warns Democrats not to be 'deluded' into accepting radical plans by Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders for healthcare and immigration because 'average Americans' won't vote for them[/size]


  • Barack Obama has told wealthy Democratic donors that he believes average American voters will not be enticed by radical policy proposals

  • He further told the audience that he does not believe a winning 2020 coalition will be driven by 'the activist wing' of the Democratic Party

  • Obama's comments appear to be a rebuke of candidates Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders - both of whom have called for massive systemic shake-ups

  • On Twitter, many liberals expressed disappointment with Obama's remarks, claiming he had turned his back on his 'hope and change' mantra

  • Last month, the POTUS denounced 'woke culture' and 'purity tests' during an appearance with wife Michelle at the annual Obama Foundation summit


By ANDREW COURT FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 02:27 EST, 16 November 2019 | UPDATED: 04:51 EST, 16 November 2019

     





Barack Obama has cautioned Democrats against veering too far left ahead of the 2020 election, claiming that the 'average American' voter will likely be turned off by radical policy proposals.  
The former President made the remarks to a room of wealthy donors at a Democracy Alliance meeting on Thursday night, with many interpreting his comments as a rebuke of the bold measures being championed by 2020 hopefuls Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. 
'Even as we push the envelope and we are bold in our vision we also have to be rooted in reality.,' Obama told the audience at the event, according to The New York Times. 
He added: 'The average American doesn't think we have to completely tear down the system and remake it'.

The 58-year-old further told the crowd that a winning coalition of voters will not be driven by 'certain left-leaning Twitter feeds' or 'the activist wing of our party.'  
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Barack Obama hcautioned Democrats against veering too far left ahead of the 2020 election in a speech made to wealthy donors at a Democracy Alliance meeting on Thursday night
The former POTUS was slo quoted as saying: 'I don't think we should be deluded into thinking that the resistance to certain approaches to things is simply because voters haven't heard a bold enough proposal and if they hear something as bold as possible then immediately that's going to activate them'. 
Up until now, Obama has resisted weighing in on the Democratic primaries, and he has not endorsed a specific candidate. 
Despite failing to publicly support his former Vice President Joe Biden for the nomination, Obama's new comments appear to be a tacit endorsement of Biden's more centrist agenda. 
Back in May, Biden famously told donors 'nothing would fundamentally change' if he were to be elected. 
On the other hand, Sanders and Warren have proposed numerous radical plans, including a proposal to eliminate private health insurance in favor of a Medicare-for-all system. 
The pair also propose free college tuition and eliminating student loans. 
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Many have  interpreted Obama's comments to be a rebuke of the bold measures being championed by 2020 hopefuls Elizabeth Warren (pictured) and Bernie Sanders
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Warren and Sanders (pictured) have both called for massive systemic shake-ups
Obama's remarks were derided by many liberals on Twitter on Friday night, with one suggesting that the POTUS has turned his back on the 'hope and change' mantra he ran on back in 2008. 
Meanwhile, another wrote: 'I campaigned for him in 2008 and then he just abandoned everyone in the movement he created. Imagine if he had used all that goodwill to achieve something?' 
 A third person chimed in: 'I supported Obama, and this is infuriating. Not only did he not deliver much change, he now wants to 'warn' us vs 2020 progressives who might? Why? Is that what he's been paid to say?'


While Obama has been shy in sharing his opinion on the Democratic primaries, he has previously taken a swipe at 'woke culture' and notions of purity.    
Last month, the former Commander-in-chief spoke with wife Michelle at the annual Obama Foundation summit in Chicago, where he stated: 'This idea of purity and you're never compromised and you're always politically woke and all that stuff, you should get over that quickly.
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Obama is pictured during at the Democracy Alliance meeting on Thursday night 
'The world is messy. There are ambiguities. People who do really good stuff have flaws ...
'Like if I tweet or hashtag about how you didn't do something right or used the wrong verb or then, I can sit back and feel good about myself: 'Man, you see how woke I was? I called you out.'
'You know that's not activism, that's not bringing about change.'

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The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 Empty Re: The Serious Side - part 7

Post by annemarie Sat 16 Nov 2019, 17:36

[size=45]Trump administration says it will penalize fewer banks who violate FHA regulations[/size]

Published: Oct 29, 2019 6:07 a.m. ET





 





 

HUD, DOJ plan to issue fewer violations against major mortgage lenders under the False Claims Act



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Ben Carson, secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), announced that the Trump administration was changing how it handles instances in which mortgage lenders violate financial regulations.

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The Trump administration is revising its approach to regulating lenders who provide loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration in a bid to bring banks back into this market.
U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson and Attorney General William Barr released a memorandum of understanding (MOU) outlining how their agencies will approach lenders who violate FHA regulations.
Specifically, HUD and the Justice Department will reduce how frequently they bring claims against companies based on the False Claims Act, a law that makes companies liable if their actions defraud the federal government.
“The market hates uncertainty,” Carson told attendees at a mortgage industry conference Monday while announcing the agreement with the Justice Department. “This MOU is part of a comprehensive plan to bring greater clarity to regulatory expectations within the FHA program.”

The FHA loan program is designed to serve low- to moderate-income Americans by offering them mortgages that require lower down payments and credit scores.
Moving forward, HUD will initially take administrative action against any lenders that violate financial regulations in an effort to avoid settlements under the False Claims Act. In some cases, HUD may still approach the Justice Department about a possible False Claims Act violation. And in instances where a third party alerts the Justice Department about possible violations, the two departments will coordinate their investigations.


Under the Obama administration, the Justice Department reached large settlements with many lenders including Bank of America BAC, +0.70%  , Wells Fargo WFC, +0.58%  and JPMorgan Chase JPM, +0.72%  under the auspices of the False Claims Act. The settlements were intended to resolve issues related to FHA lending activity at these banks, such as underwriting loans that did not comply with federal rules. Quicken Loans previously sued the federal government after being threatened with a fine for a supposed False Claims Act violation.
All told the Justice Department collected around $7 billion through these settlements from lenders, FHA Commissioner Brian Montgomery said Monday, according to a report from housing industry news website HousingWire.
Banks have largely exited the FHA market
Banks previously comprised a significant share of the FHA market, but have pulled back in recent years. Back in 2010, nearly 44% of FHA mortgages were written by bank. As of 2018, depository banks only account for roughly 13% of the market.
The fear of being sued by the federal government for alleged violations of FHA regulations is what has steered banks and credit unions away from this market, Carson argued Monday. “We know that at least part of the reason for the decade-long decline in depository participation is because of uncertainty about how federal agencies apply the False Claim Act,” he said.
Banks themselves have echoed this sentiment. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon criticized the FHA’s use of the False Claims Act (FCA) in levying fines against FHA lenders. “A first step to increasing participation in the FHA program could be the communication of support for only using the FCA, as originally intended, to penalize intentional fraud rather than immaterial or unintentional errors,” Dimon wrote in his annual letter back in 2017.
While non-bank lenders — meaning mortgage companies that don’t also hold consumers’ deposits — have risen up to fill some of that gap, government officials have argued that banks’ pull-back from this market may be hurting consumers. In particular, the pull-back has affected lower-income and first-time home-buyers who tend to seek FHA loans because they require lower down payments. It has also increased the risk to the FHA, because non-bank lenders aren’t always as well-capitalized as banks that hold deposits, meaning they are more likely to suffer losses in instances where a borrower forecloses.
“This trend impacts consumer access to credit and increases counterparty risk to FHA’s Single Family mortgage insurance programs,” the FHA said in its most recent annual report on the state of its mortgage insurance fund.
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Post by annemarie Sun 17 Nov 2019, 12:39

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7694241/Louisianas-Democrat-governor-stuns-Trump-WIN-election-beating-Republican-rival.html

[size=34]Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards stuns Trump to WIN re-election by beating Republican donor Eddie Rispone in nail-biting race the president made a test of his own popularity[/size]


  • Democrat John Bel Edwards has been reelected as Louisiana governor

  • The election came down to the wire with Edwards securing 51.3% of the vote 

  • The result is a bitter blow for President Trump who publicly endorsed Edward's GOP rival Eddie Rispone 

  • Trump traveled to Louisiana three times in the past five weeks to encourage Louisianans to flip the state red

  • POTUS was desperate to capture Louisiana's governorship after Democrats recently ousted a Republican governor in Kentucky 

  • Trump was uncharacteristically silent on Twitter following the Democrat victory, which has been seen as a referendum on his popularity ahead of 2020 

  • 2020 Democratic hopeful Amy Klobuchar taunted Trump on Twitter following the GOP loss in Louisiana  


By ANDREW COURT FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and ASSOCIATED PRESS
PUBLISHED: 23:15 EST, 16 November 2019 | UPDATED: 04:31 EST, 17 November 2019

     



John Bel Edwards has been re-elected as Louisiana governor, marking a bitter blow to President Donald Trump who publicly endorsed GOP rival Eddie Rispone. 
The shock victory was declared late Saturday night, after the President used the runoff election in the Deep South as a test of his own popularity and political prowess heading into the 2020 Presidential race.  
Trump made three trips to Louisiana in the past five weeks to rally for Rispone, and he took to Twitter several times on Saturday encouraging Louisianans to head to the polls and turn the state red. 
However, the Commander-in-chief's pleas weren't enough to get the GOP contender over the line, with Edwards narrowly clinching victory around 10pm local time.  

With the ballots counted, Edwards received 51.3% of the vote in comparison to Rispone's 48.7% 
Shortly after the results were announced, Edwards took to the stage to address supporters in Baton Rouge, describing his victory as 'sweet'. 
The centrist Democrat struck a conciliatory tone, saying he hoped the state could come together after the hard-fought contest. 
'Our shared love for Louisiana is always more important than our differences,' he stated. 
He also specifically mentioned Trump in his victory speech, saying: 'As for the President, God bless his heart.' 
Trump, meanwhile, chose to ignore the election results on Twitter, gloating instead about his good health after undergoing a physical examination.  
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Democrat John Bel Edwards (pictured) has been reelected as Louisiana governor, marking a bitter blow for President Donald Trump who publicly endorsed GOP rival Eddie Rispone
[size=10][size=18]Full victory speech for Governor John Bel Edwards' re-election




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Supporters of Edwards are seen celebrating after the shock win was declared on Saturday night
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Trump travelled to Louisiana three times in the past five weeks to endorse little-known GOP candidate Eddie Rispone. The pair are pictured together on November 14
The President was desperate to capture Louisiana's governorship for the GOP after Democrats ousted a Republican incumbent in Kentucky just 11 days ago despite Trump's intervention. 
Trump and Rispone tried to nationalize the election in Louisiana, a state the President won by 20 percentage points in 2016. 


However, things conspired against the Republican party, with 70-year-old Rispone relatively unknown in the state. 
The wealthy GOP donor was not among the top-tier candidates Republican leaders hoped would challenge Edwards, and he failed to capture the public imagination despite pouring more than $12 million of his own money into the race.
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The election came down to the wire, with Democrat Edwards clinching  51.3% of the vote share to claim victory
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70-year-old Rispone is seen looking despondent as the results rolled in on Saturday night. Trump remained uncharacteristically silent on Twitter as Democrats won the hard-fought contest
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The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 21100702-7694241-Despite_numerous_pleas_from_Donald_Trump_Eddie_Rispone_failed_to-a-37_1573982946426


Despite numerous pleas from Donald Trump, Eddie Rispone failed to clinch victory on Saturday
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Edwards, a former state lawmaker from rural Tangipahoa Parish, isn't exactly a national Democrat. He repeatedly spruiked his centrist views and credentials on the campaign trail
[size=18]Governor John Bel Edwards says 'God bless his heart' about Trump




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Meanwhile, 53-year-old Edwards, a former state lawmaker from rural Tangipahoa Parish, is also a  centrist Democrat - a factor that helped make him more palatable in conservative Louisiana.
The West Point graduate and former Army Ranger opposes gun restrictions, signed one of the nation´s strictest abortion bans and talks of working well with Trump.  
'They talk about I'm some sort of a radical liberal. The people of Louisiana know better than that. I am squarely in the middle of the political spectrum,' Edwards has previously said. 'That hasn't changed, and that´s the way we've been governing.'
The Democrat highlighted his bipartisan work with the majority-GOP state Legislature to end years of budget crises, pass the first K-12 statewide teacher raise in a decade and overhaul criminal sentencing laws.
The GOP loss comes less than two weeks after the Republican governor of Kentucky was ousted in the gubernatorial election, despite the support of President Trump.  
Democrat Andy Beshear defeated GOP incumbent Matt Bevin in an election that went down to the wire. 
On Saturday, Democratic hopeful Amy Klobuchar taunted Trump about the election upsets in both Louisiana and Kentucky.  
'Second governor’s race in two weeks in red state where Trump campaigned & a Dem won... where else can we send him?' she gleefully posted.  
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 21110464-7694241-On_Saturday_Democratic_hopeful_Amy_Klobuchar_taunted_Trump_about-a-38_1573982946427


On Saturday, Democratic hopeful Amy Klobuchar taunted Trump about the election upsets in both Louisiana and Kentucky
[size=18]Trump goes after 'totalitarian' Democrats at Louisiana rally




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Post by annemarie Sun 17 Nov 2019, 12:43

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7693221/White-House-budget-official-testifies-impeachment-probe-Saturday.html

[size=34]Mike Pence aide tells impeachment inquiry that Trump's Ukraine phone call was 'unusual and inappropriate' in bombshell deposition after she defied White House to testify[/size]


  • Jennifer Williams, who serves as Pence's  adviser for Europe and Russia, testified behind closed doors in the impeachment inquiry earlier this month

  • Williams was listening in on the July 25 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky -  now at the center of the impeachment probe 

  • Williams says Trump's request to have Ukraine investigate his political rival Joe Biden was 'unusual and inappropriate'

  • She further claimed that it appeared Trump's conversation with Zelensky appeared motivated by his own 'personal political agenda'


By ANDREW COURT FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and REUTERS
PUBLISHED: 14:04 EST, 16 November 2019 | UPDATED: 04:28 EST, 17 November 2019


A foreign policy aide to Vice President Mike Pence has testified that Donald Trump's July 25 phone call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky - during which he pressed for an investigation into political rival Joe Biden - was 'unusual and inappropriate'.
Jennifer Williams, who serves as Pence's special adviser for Europe and Russia, was listening in on the call which is now at the heart of the impeachment inquiry into the Commander-in-chief.  
Williams, a long-serving Foreign Service Officer, testified to investigators behind closed doors earlier this month, defying orders from the White House who warned her not to do so. 
A transcript of Williams' deposition was finally released by the House Intelligence Committee on Saturday. 

Williams' testimony reveals that she felt Trump's request to have the Ukraine investigate Biden seemed tied to his own 'personal political agenda' as opposed to 'a broader foreign policy objective of the United States.' 
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Jennifer Williams, who serves as Pence's special adviser for Europe and Russia, was listening in on the call which is now at the heart of the impeachment inquiry into President Trump. She testified to investigators earlier this month
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Williams serves as an aide to Vice President Pence (left). A transcript of Williams' deposition was finally released by the House Intelligence Committee on Saturday.
She also stated that she could not explain why almost $400 million in military aid to the Eastern European country was held up for several months despite being approved by Congress.   
Investigators in the impeachment inquiry are trying to determine whether Trump held up the aid as an incentive for Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden. The President has steadfastly denied accusations of a quid pro quo.  
[size=10][size=18]Special advisor to Mike Pence arrives for impeachment probe




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Elsewhere on Saturday, the House of Representatives also released a transcript of an earlier closed-door deposition by Tim Morrison, a White House aide with the National Security Council focusing on Europe and Russia policy.
As did Williams, Morrison told lawmakers he had concerns about Trump's remarks to Ukrainian President Zelensky. 
Williams and Morrison are scheduled to testify publicly next week.
'I was not comfortable with any idea that President Zelensky should allow himself to be involved in our politics,' said Morrison, who was also listening in on the July 25 call.
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Donald Trump's July 25 phone call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (left) - during which he pressed for an investigation into political rival Joe Biden - is at the center of the impeachment inquiry
[size=18]Trump asked Ukraine president to investigate Biden: call summary




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Tim Morrison, the top Russia official on President Trump's National Security Council, (pictured) also told lawmakers he had concerns about Trump's remarks to Ukrainian President Zelensky
House investigators on Saturday also heard closed-door testimony from a White House budget official about the holdup of military aid to Ukraine. Mark Sandy, a career official of the Office of Management and Budget, is the first person from OMB to testify before the inquiry after three political appointees defied congressional subpoenas to appear.
Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin, a member of the Judiciary and Oversight Committees, said Sandy was brought in to shed light on whether military aid was held up for political reasons.
'This is a technical part of our investigation,' Raskin told reporters outside the interview room. 'We want to know exactly how the president translated his political objective to shake down the Ukrainian government for the favors he wanted (into) the budget process.'
On Friday, Trump used Twitter to criticize a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, while she was testifying to an impeachment hearing, an extraordinary moment that Democrats said amounted to witness intimidation. Trump defended his attack on Yovanovitch, saying he had the right to free speech.
Yovanovitch, a career diplomat, testified on the second day of televised impeachment hearings, which will resume next week.
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 21106710-7693221-image-m-10_1573957062618

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On Friday, Trump used Twitter to criticize a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch (pictured), while she was testifying to an impeachment hearing
[size=18]Marie Yovanovitch explains feeling 'threatened by Trump' in hearing




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annemarie
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Post by annemarie Sun 17 Nov 2019, 12:53

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7692589/Lebanon-bank-staff-union-discuss-ending-strike-receiving-security-plan-union.html

[size=34]White House budget official Mark Sandy defies President Trump's orders and arrives at impeachment inquiry to testify behind closed doors about the holdup of $400million in military aid to Ukraine[/size]


  • Mark Sandy walked into a closed session of impeachment inquiry on Saturday

  • First person from Office of Management and Budget to testify before the inquiry

  • Three political appointees defied congressional subpoenas to appear

  • Trump's pressure on Ukraine is at the heart of the inquiry into whether he misused U.S. foreign policy to undermine former Vice President Joe Biden

  • Sandy's testimony comes after Trump launched a Twitter attack on a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine while she was testifying to an impeachment hearing


By REUTERS
PUBLISHED: 06:44 EST, 16 November 2019 | UPDATED: 19:24 EST, 16 November 2019

     




A White House budget official walked into a closed session of the U.S. House of Representatives impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump on Saturday, where he testified about the holdup of military aid to Ukraine.
Mark Sandy, a career official of the Office of Management and Budget, is the first person from OMB to testify before the inquiry after three political appointees defied congressional subpoenas to appear.
Sandy complied with a subpoena issued to compel his testimony, an official working on the impeachment inquiry said.
Trump's pressure on Ukraine is at the heart of the Democratic-led inquiry into whether the Republican president misused U.S. foreign policy to undermine former Vice President Joe Biden, one of his potential opponents in the 2020 election.
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 Wire-21095696-1573926866-203_634x414

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Mark Sandy, a career employee in the White House Office of Management and Budget, arrives at the Capitol to testify on Saturday 
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 Wire-21095694-1573926863-99_634x437

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Sandy is the first person from OMB to testify before the inquiry after three political appointees defied congressional subpoenas to appear
[size=10][size=18]Budget official Mark Sandy arrives to testify for impeachment probe





[/size][/size]





On Friday, Trump launched a Twitter attack on a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine while she was testifying to an impeachment hearing in Congress, in an extraordinary moment that Democrats said amounted to witness intimidation.
Trump blasted Marie Yovanovitch, a career diplomat, as she explained on the second day of televised impeachment hearings how she had fought corruption in Ukraine and how the Trump administration abruptly removed her from her post earlier this year.
While Yovanovitch's testimony dominated headlines on Friday, a closed-door deposition lawmakers held later in the day with David Holmes, an U.S. embassy official in Kiev, could prove more consequential.


Holmes told lawmakers he overheard a phone call between Trump and Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, in which the president inquired about Ukraine's willingness to carry out investigations of Biden and his son, Hunter, who sat on the board of a Ukrainian energy company.
The phone call occurred one day after the now-infamous July 25 phone conversation between Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart at the heart of the impeachment probe.
'So, he's gonna do the investigation?' Trump asked Sondland, referring to Ukrainian president Volodmyr Zelenskiy, according to Holmes' testimony.
'He's gonna do it,' replied Sondland, adding the Ukrainian president would do 'anything you ask him to,' according to Holmes.
The testimony by Holmes, an aide to top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine Bill Taylor, ties Trump more directly to the pressure campaign in Ukraine to investigate the Bidens led Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani.
[size=18]Marie Yovanovitch is sworn into the Trump impeachment hearing




[/size]




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On Friday, Trump launched a Twitter attack on a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch (pictured) while she was testifying to an impeachment hearing in Congress
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Democrats have said that Trump's tweets amounted to witness intimidation 
Holmes' statement appears to contradict Sondland's previous sworn testimony about his interactions with Trump, in which he did not mention the July 26 phone call with the president.
Sondland, who has already revised his testimony once, is scheduled to testify publicly on November 20.
Representative Eric Swalwell, a Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told reporters on Saturday that House leaders were considering bringing Holmes in for a public hearing.
'In that (Holmes) statement that was released there was a lot to be concerned about, particularly that more witnesses described the president's obsession with investigating his political opponents,' Swalwell said.

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Post by party animal - not! Sun 17 Nov 2019, 15:50

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/white-house-official-mark-sandy-testifies-in-closed-door-impeachment-hearing/

Budget man defies Trump to testify how the Ukraine money had to be for Trump

party animal - not!
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Post by party animal - not! Sun 17 Nov 2019, 15:51

Great photo!

https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/17/trump-suffers-louisiana-loss-071300

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Post by annemarie Sun 17 Nov 2019, 17:26

I'm hoping this means that people are waking up and seeing what a horrible man he is. I also hope it means we have a chance to get him out in the election.

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Post by annemarie Sun 17 Nov 2019, 21:03

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7695413/Child-slave-labor-Madagascar-mica-mines-young-children-working-13-hour-days-pennies.html

[size=34]EXCLUSIVE: Heartbreaking victims of child slave labor as young as THREE who work 16-hour days in 100 degree heat mining mica to power phones - and take home less than one dollar each week[/size]


  • NBC News will air an expose on children in Madagascar as young as three who are working in slave-like conditions to mine the mica that powers phones and cars 

  • Cynthia McFadden traveled to the country for the report, the first part of which will air Monday on Today during the 7am to 9am hours followed by part two on NBC Nightly News

  • In an exclusive clip obtained by DailyMail.com, McFadden meets a young mother and her four children who are all under the age of five

  • The five family members are paid less than $3 each week to work from 5am until 6pm, and each day split a bowl of rice for their one meal 

  • McFadden told DailyMail.com that when she heard this, she 'had to walk away' and compose herself before returning to the shoot 

  • During the taping, one of the foreman boasted about  the benefits of using children to mine mica because of their small hands


By CHRIS SPARGO FOR DAILYMAIL.COM 
PUBLISHED: 14:37 EST, 17 November 2019 | UPDATED: 15:47 EST, 17 November 2019

     


The mineral that is used to power planes, cars and phones, lends luster to paints and cosmetics and even serves as thermal insulation is being mined by children in Madagascar.
A multi-part NBC News investigation that is set to air on Today during the 7am to 9am hours on Monday takes a closer look at mica, and the young children who spend 13 hours a day in the blistering heat as they bang away at rocks in search of the mineral.
Cynthia McFadden traveled to Madagascar for this report, and even she had to step away at one point after becoming overcome with tears.
'This story eats at me, makes me angry. We confronted several of the companies in Madagascar who process and ship the mica. They are well aware that children are a vital part of their business model,' McFadden told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview. 

'They tell us there is nothing they could do. I pray that when people see our story they will demand that companies clean this up.'  
Video of McFadden touring one of the sights even captured the moment that the foreman extolled the virtues of the children and their little hands. 
SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO 
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 21126562-7695413-image-a-13_1574018766524

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Worker: NBC News will air an expose on children in Madagascar as young as three (one young girl above) who are working in slave-like conditions to mine the mica that powers phones and cars
[size=10][size=18]Inside the heartbreaking world of child slave labor miners




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[/size][/size]





The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 21126560-7695413-image-a-14_1574018766526

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Young: Cynthia McFadden traveled to the country for the report, the first part of which will air Monday on Today at 9am followed by part two on NBC Nightly News
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 21126524-7695413-image-a-15_1574018766586

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Making change: 'I remember thinking to myself, "If you don’t feel anything about what you are seeing you are not doing your job; if you feel too much you can’t do your job,"' McFadden told DailyMail.com
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 21126536-7695413-image-a-22_1574018967596

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Devastation: The most heartbreaking moment in the preview obtained by DailyMail.com is when McFadden meets a young mother (above with her two sons) who is hard at work mining for mica
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 21126528-7695413-image-a-19_1574018766603

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Harrowing: In an exclusive clip obtained by DailyMail.com, McFadden (above left) meets a young mother and her four children who are all under the age of five
The most heartbreaking moment in the preview obtained by DailyMail.com is when McFadden meets a young mother who is hard at work mining for mica - alongside her four children, who all appear to be under the age of five.
'We see a mother of four working with her kids sorting mica in well over 100 degrees weather. There is no shade. They had been there five hours already, they will be there six more to go,' says McFadden. 
'All of them working. Except the baby who just stares. The five share one cup of rice a day. That is all they can afford on the $3.00 a week they earn.'


That is when it all became too much to process for McFadden, who noted that she 'had to walk away' and compose herself before returning to the shoot. 
'I remember thinking to myself, "If you don’t feel anything about what you are seeing you are not doing your job; if you feel too much you can’t do your job,"' she told DailyMail.com.
She also spoke about the area being remote and poverty stricken, making the situation even more grim for those who are working day and night just to stay alive.
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 21126532-7695413-image-a-17_1574018766595

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Workers: 'It was a physically arduous trip. The area is remote, rarely seen by outsiders. There are designated “red” or “no-go” zones by some aid groups because of local violence,' explained McFadden
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 21126554-7695413-image-a-18_1574018766602

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Conditions: The five family members are paid less than $3 each week to work from 5am until 6pm, and each day split a bowl of rice for their one meal
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 21126526-7695413-image-a-20_1574018766603

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Grim reality: McFadden told DailyMail.com that when she heard this, she 'had to walk away' and compose herself before returning to the shoot
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 21126516-7695413-image-a-16_1574018766589

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Change: 'We confronted several of the companies in Madagascar who process and ship the mica. They are well aware that children are a vital part of their business model. They tell us there is nothing they could do'
'It was a physically arduous trip. The area is remote, rarely seen by outsiders. There are designated “red” or “no-go” zones by some aid groups because of local violence,' explained McFadden. 
'We slept in very primitive shelters with no running water. And an added personal hurdle: I was traveling with a broken ankle, scrambling around mica pits in a cast.'
She now hopes her new expose, which will role out over the course of this week, finally makes a change. 
'This story eats at me, makes me angry,' said McFadden. 
'We confronted several of the companies in Madagascar who process and ship the mica. They are well aware that children are a vital part of their business model. They tell us there is nothing they could do. 
'I pray that when people see our story they will demand that companies clean this up.'

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Post by annemarie Mon 18 Nov 2019, 01:51

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7695745/Trump-administration-ousts-homelessness-official-plan-crackdown-streets.html

[size=34]Trump team ousts top homelessness official just as the administration plan a crackdown on the streets of California[/size]


  • Matthew Doherty, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, said he had left his post at the Trump administration's request

  • The move was unexpected and comes just as the White House plans a sweeping crackdown aimed at homelessness in California

  • Doherty, a holdover from the Obama administration, was seen as an obstacle by the regime as it 'explores options for a crackdown on homelessness'


By JAMES GORDON FOR DAILYMAIL.COM 
PUBLISHED: 17:21 EST, 17 November 2019 | UPDATED: 17:22 EST, 17 November 2019
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Matthew Doherty, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, said he had left his post at the Trump administration's request


         
  • [email=?subject=Read%20this:%20Trump%20team%20ousts%20top%20homelessness%20official%20just%20as%20the%20administration%20plan%20a%20crackdown%20on%20the%20streets%20of%20California&body=Trump%20team%20ousts%20top%20homelessness%20official%20just%20as%20the%20administration%20plan%20a%20crackdown%20on%20the%20streets%20of%20California%0A%0AMatthew%20Doherty%2C%20executive%20director%20of%20the%20U.S.%20Interagency%20Council%20on%20Homelessness%2C%20said%20he%20had%20left%20his%20post%20at%20the%20Trump%20administration%27s%20request.%20The%20move%20was%20unexpected.%0A%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-7695745%2FTrump-administration-ousts-homelessness-official-plan-crackdown-streets.html%3Fito%3Demail_share_article-top%0A%0A%0AMost%20Read%20Articles%3A%0A%0APrince%20%27I-didn%27t-party-or-do-PDAs%27%20Andrew%20is%20pictured%20doing%20plenty%20of%20both%20at%20wild%20parties%20on%20the%20French%20Riviera%20in%202007%20%28and%20he%20looks%20a%20wee%20bit%20sweaty%20too%29%C2%A0%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-7695233%2FVideos-Prince-Andrew-partying-nightclubs-beautiful-young-women-French-Riviera.html%3Fito%3Demail_share_article-top_most-read-articles%0A%0AHusband%2C%2031%2C%20stalked%20his%20estranged%20wife%2C%2029%2C%20after%20she%20filed%20for%20a%20divorce%20he%20%27wouldn%27t%20accept%27%20and%20sent%20her%20photos%20of%20guns%20before%20he%20shot%20and%20killed%20her%20and%20three%20of%20their%20sons%2C%20aged%20three%20to%2011%2C%20in%20a%20murder-suicide%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-7694867%2FHusband-31-stalked-estranged-wife-29-shooting-three-sons-dead.html%3Fito%3Demail_share_article-top_most-read-articles%0A%0ALouisiana%27s%20Democrat%20governor%20John%20Bel%20Edwards%20stuns%20Trump%20to%20WIN%20re-election%20by%20beating%20Republican%20Eddie%20Rispone%20in%20race%20the%20president%20cast%20as%20an%20impeachment%20referendum%20and%20test%20of%20his%20own%20popularity%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-7694241%2FLouisianas-Democrat-governor-stuns-Trump-WIN-election-beating-Republican-rival.html%3Fito%3Demail_share_article-top_most-read-articles%0A%0A]e[/email]



Matthew Doherty, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), has left his position at the request of the Trump administration.
Doherty wrote an email to co-workers that the administration 'no longer wishes to have me.'  
Doherty had been appointed to the role in 2015 under President Obama.
His ousting comes at an unexpected time as President Trump has just recently pledged to attempt to solve the country's homelessness problem, especially in California, according to The Washington Post. 

'It has been an incredible honor to serve at USICH, and I do feel like I am leaving on my own terms,' Doherty said in an email seen by The Post. 'I believe that I have been able to keep my integrity intact; but, they have now told me to pack my things up and go.'
It is not clear who will now lead the organization, although Doherty is still listed on its website as its executive director. 
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 20053092-7601961-image-a-62_1571775222938

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President Donald Trump (pictured) has publicly condemned San Francisco's growing housing and homeless crisis after visiting the state in mid-September
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 20053510-7601961-image-a-76_1571776689483

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Pictured: Homeless residents on Skid Row in Los Angeles in tents that have become common place during the state's housing crisis
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 20053516-7695745-The_State_of_California_and_Facebook_s_pledge_will_directly_help-a-78_1574028946891

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The President has noted how urgent California's homelessness problem had become stating the problem affects the quality of life of its biggest cities. 
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People walk in Skid Row while new school supplies were donated to thousands in September
The USICH, created in 1987, works to coordinate the federal government's response to homelessness across 19 agencies, including the Housing and Urban Development, Education, and Labor and Commerce departments. 
An official told The Post the USICH had not been included in any conversations regarding what to do about the country's homelessness problem.
Trump has promised to fix the homelessness problem but has yet to introduce a concrete solution.
The President noted how urgent California's homelessness problem had become stating the problem affects the quality of life of its biggest cities. 
'The people of San Francisco are fed up, and the people of Los Angeles are fed up,' Trump told reporters in September. 'We're looking at it, and we'll be doing something about it.' 


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Tent housing homeless people line a street in downtown Los Angeles pictured in May 2019
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California has the highest poverty rate in the country and has around 130,000 people identified as homeless. Pictured, San Francisco's Mission district
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Pictured: a tent encampment in Los Angeles that spans the better part of a residential block 
The administration had been focusing on a homeless encampment in Los Angeles called Skid Row.
Trump has asked aides to come up with a solution calling the issue as a 'disgrace.'
'We may do something to get that whole thing cleaned up,' he said in July. 'It's inappropriate.'
Administration officials have even floated the idea of setting up tent cities made from tents for the homeless or creating other temporary facilities using existent government facilities. 
[size=18]Sacramento is plagued by growing homeless crisis




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[size=34]CALIFORNIA'S HOMELESS CRISIS[/size]


As of last year, there were 130,000 homeless people living in California. 
The problem has become so severe that tourism is down in major cities including Los Angeles and San Francisco, and residents, like Novak, are shuttering businesses and selling their homes. 
While the direct cause of the crisis is difficult to trace, it is due in large part to the swelling of property prices thanks to Silicon Valley and L.A. combined with a shortage of affordable options or outreach. 
It has led to tent cities popping up across the state, often in expensive neighborhoods, because the homeless population simply has nowhere else to go. 
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Los Angeles - 59,000 homeless
A worrying report last year by the L.A. Times found that the city's homeless population had gone up by 75 percent in the last six years. 
It was due in large part to a huge number of residents losing homes and then struggling to compete with younger house-hunters who could afford more than them. 
The count earlier this year for the city's homeless population was 59,000 which marked a six percent increase on 2018. 
Three quarters of that number are unsheltered, living on the street. 
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The number of homeless people reached 59,000  in Los Angeles this year, representing an increase of 12% on the previous year. The number eight years previously was just shy of 40,000

San Francisco - 8,011  homeless 
In San Francisco, a city with a population of 884,363, nearly 10 percent is homeless at 8,011. 
The majority (5,000) are living on the street. 
San Francisco's problem has been among the most documented and one of the most unsettling symptoms of it is the vast amount of human waste scattered around the city.
The excretion problem, coupled with the growing number of discarded, dirty needles, has also led to health scares. 
Sacramento - 5,570 homeless
Over the last two years, the rate of homelessness has risen in Sacramento by 19 percent. 
More than a tenth of that number, 688, were children, and 70 percent were living without shelter.


Last edited by annemarie on Mon 18 Nov 2019, 01:56; edited 1 time in total

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Post by Way2Old4Dis Mon 18 Nov 2019, 01:52

HaHaHaHaHaHa!!!!!!!

This is the funniest one yet. Hubris, anyone?


You know who I am
Yahoo/Inbox


Elise Stefanik 
To:

Nov 17 at 4:51 PM
Unsubscribe
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 Mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fd15k2d11r6t6rl.cloudfront.net%2Fpublic%2Fusers%2FIntegrators%2F669d5713-9b6a-46bb-bd7e-c542cff6dd6a%2Fc97b04930a1b43a1a88ea13d3e030a4d%2FEliseForCongress_Logo.png&t=1574041090&ymreqid=289c68cf-2910-c4e7-1ca0-24000101c100&sig=VvZFUk950u
XXXXX,

If you have watched any of the impeachment hearings, seen President Trump’s twitter feed - then you know who I am.

I am Rep. Elise Stefanik and I am the 35-year-old Republican Congresswoman standing between the Democrats and our American Democracy.

The House Democrats are trying to cover up the truth about President Trump from the American people! During this week’s first public impeachment hearings after weeks of secret meetings and depositions, Chairman Adam Schiff continuously interrupted and tried to block Republican members from asking questions.

[size=16]The Leftist Democrats don’t want us to ask questions because they don’t want the American people to hear the answers: They know that their entire impeachment inquiry is based on lies and secrecy!


Far-left Democrats are pouring money into my district to defeat me, you, and President Trump. Donate NOW to stand up with me for our President and our country. 

Adam Schiff’s abuse of power is vile and disgusting! He is hijacking the impeachment proceedings and trying to take down President Trump by preventing Republicans from revealing the truth about the Democrats’ failing impeachment inquiry.

The Leftist Democrats know that America wants another four years for President Trump, and now they’re trying to overturn the will of the American people by hiding the facts.

Click here to donate to tell the Leftist Democrats that we will stand with President Trump against their lies and deception>>>

I was the first Member to call out Adam Schiff for having secret access to the whistleblower without notifying the Intel Committee. He is the only Member whose staff coordinated directly with the whistleblower, whose lawyer has been calling for a “coup” against the President of the United States since President Trump’s first day in office. We will not allow the Leftist Democrats to subvert the will of the people and destroy our American values!
[/size]
CONTRIBUTE
Here are the FACTS that the Democrats don’t want you to know:
[list=line-height:inherit;font-size:12px;]
[*]The Trump Administration provided defensive lethal aid to Ukraine… the Obama Administration DID NOT. 
[*]There was NO investigation into Joe Biden.
[*]Obama’s own State Department was so concerned with Hunter Biden’s role at Burisma that they raised the problem while preparing the Ambassador for her confirmation. 
[/list]
[size]
Chairman Schiff and the House Democrats chose partisan attacks and obstruction of the truth over answers for the American public. Now it’s time for us to choose to stand with the President against these deceitful, misleading attacks.

Since I've exposed Adam Schiff and his Regime of Secrecy in front of millions of Americans, the far-left Socialist Democrats are trying to attack me. The leftist Democrats have already come after me with sexist comments and blatant lies. They are trying to tear down Republican women, but we will not stop standing with the President and fighting for American values! 


Please donate any amount to my campaign to send a message to the Democrats that we are standing with President Trump and we will not stop fighting for the truth.[/size]
CONTRIBUTE
Thank you for your continued support and encouragement.

Sincerely,

Elise Stefanik

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Post by annemarie Mon 18 Nov 2019, 12:48

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7696365/Jon-Voight-Allison-Krauss-honored-national-medals.html

[size=34]Donald Trump to honor Jon Voight with prestigious National Medal of Arts after actor hailed him as 'the greatest president of this century'[/size]


  • Actor Jon Voight, 80, is one of a group of artists and philanthropists being honored by the president for their contributions to the arts or the humanities

  • Voight is one of Trump's few Hollywood backers and in August hailed him as 'the greatest president of this century' in a video where he slammed the 'radical left'

  • He is one of four who will receive the National Medal of Arts, along with musician Alison Krauss, Sharon Percy Rockefeller, and the musicians of the U.S. military

  • Writer James Patterson is one of four to receive the National Humanities Medal

  • Trump will award the medals during a ceremony at the White House on Thursday

  • While the honors had been an annual affair during past administrations, they have not been awarded since Trump´s inauguration in January 2017 


By ASSOCIATED PRESS
PUBLISHED: 21:24 EST, 17 November 2019 | UPDATED: 02:56 EST, 18 November 2019

     



Donald Trump is to honor actor Jon Voight with a prestigious medal, after the Oscar-winner hailed him as 'the greatest president of this century'.
Voight, 80, is one of a group of artists and philanthropists being honored by the president for their contributions to the arts or the humanities.
He will receive the National Medal of Arts, and be one of the first recipients of prestigious national medals since Trump took office. 
Voight is one of Trump´s few vocal Hollywood backers, and in August hailed him as 'the greatest president of this century.' 

The actor - who is Angelina Jolie's father - posted a clip online of himself speaking to a camera phone, tearing into the 'radical left' and their 'hate...like a venom'.
The president responded to the video, tweeting: 'Thank you Jon, working hard!'
Voight doubled down in September, calling the impeachment effort against President Trump a 'a war against truths and the highest noble man who has defended our country'.
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Jon Voight has previously hailed Trump as 'the greatest president of this century'
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Trump is introduced to the stage by Voight before a campaign speech in 2016
Singer and musician Alison Krauss will also receive the National Medal of Arts, while and mystery writer James Patterson is one of four to receive the National Humanities Medal. 
Trump is also honoring the musicians of the U.S. military, who frequently entertain at White House events.
Trump will award the medals during a ceremony at the White House on Thursday.
While the honors had been an annual affair during past administrations, they have not been awarded since Trump´s inauguration in January 2017. 
The most recent arts or humanities medals were bestowed by President Barack Obama in September 2016.
[size=10][size=18]John Voight says effort to impeach Trump is a 'war against truths'




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The recipients of the National Medal of Arts are:


  • Jon Voight 'for his exceptional capacity as an actor to portray deeply complex characters.' Voight starred in 'Midnight Cowboy,' the 1969 film that won an Academy Award for best picture, and he won the best actor Oscar for 1978´s 'Coming Home.' He appears in the Showtime series 'Ray Donovan.' 



  • Alison Krauss, the bluegrass-country singer and musician, 'for making extraordinary contributions to American music.' The White House misspelled her name in its release.



  • Sharon Percy Rockefeller 'for being a renowned champion of the arts, generous supporter of charity, and a pioneer of new ideas and approaches in the field of public policy.'



  • The Musicians of the United States Military 'for personifying excellence in music and service to country.'


The recipients of the National Humanities Medal are:


  • The Claremont Institute 'for championing the Nation´s founding principles and enriching American minds.'



  • Teresa Lozano Long 'for supporting the arts and improving educational opportunities' through scholarships and philanthropy.



  • Patrick O'Connell, the chef at The Inn at Little Washington, 'for being one of the greatest chefs of our time.'



  • James Patterson 'for being one of the most successful American authors of our time.' Patterson wrote a book about Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who killed himself while awaiting trial on charges of sexually abusing teenage girls. The book includes several references to Trump, including an account of the men´s falling out.



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The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 Wire-21139058-1574046883-76_634x462

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Alison Krauss will be honored by President Donald Trump for her contribution to the art
The National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities solicit candidates for the medals and compile proposed winners. 
The White House, which sometimes adds its own nominees, traditionally approves and announces them ahead of a presidential ceremony.
Trump has had an uneasy if not hostile relationship with many in the arts and the humanities who oppose his policies and have denounced his presidency. 
He has been largely shunned by Hollywood and has skipped events like the annual Kennedy Center gala that is one of Washington´s premier social gatherings after some honorees said they would not attend if Trump was part of the ceremony.
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 Wire-21139060-1574046887-754_634x488

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Author James Patterson will receive the National Humanities Medal
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The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 Empty Re: The Serious Side - part 7

Post by annemarie Mon 18 Nov 2019, 14:42

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7695577/Trump-goes-witness-lambasts-Pence-aide-claimed-call-unusual-inappropriate.html

[size=34]Donald Trump slams ANOTHER impeachment inquiry witness: President blasts Mike Pence's aide Jennifer Williams as a 'Never Trumper' after she claimed his call with the Ukrainian president was 'inappropriate'[/size]


  • Donald Trump bashed a Mike Pence aide after it was revealed  she told Congress that his call with the Ukrainian president was 'unusual and inappropriate' 

  • Jennifer Williams went against White House orders by appearing on Capitol Hill as part of the impeachment inquiry

  • A transcript of her testimony was published Saturday  

  • 'Tell Jennifer Williams, whoever that is, to read BOTH transcripts of the presidential calls, & see the just released ststement from Ukraine,' Trump posted

  • Trump  posted a reminder that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his foreign minister said they felt there was no quid pro quo or pressure from Trump 


By KATELYN CARALLE, U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 16:18 EST, 17 November 2019 | UPDATED: 18:10 EST, 17 November 2019



Donald Trump lambasted on Sunday a Mike Pence aide who testified that the president's July 25 call with his Ukrainian counterpart was 'unusual and inappropriate.'
The president claimed Jennifer Williams, a foreign policy aide to the vice president, is a 'never Trumper' working with Democrats to attack him.
'Tell Jennifer Williams, whoever that is, to read BOTH transcripts of the presidential calls, & see the just released ststement (sic) from Ukraine,' Trump posted to Twitter Sunday afternoon. 'Then she should meet with the other Never Trumpers, who I don't know & mostly never even heard of, & work out a better presidential attack!'
Pence's adviser to Europe and Russia was present during the now-infamous call this summer between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which is the basis for Democrats launching an impeachment inquiry into Trump.

Williams testified to investigators behind closed doors earlier this month, defying orders from the White House who warned her not to do so.
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Donald Trump bashed Mike Pence aide Jennifer Williams after it was revealed Saturday she told Congress in a closed-door testimony that his call with the Ukrainian president was 'unusual and inappropriate'
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 21128080-7695577-image-a-27_1574024797474

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Williams' testifying went against White House orders. 'Tell Jennifer Williams, whoever that is, to read BOTH transcripts of the presidential calls, & see the just released ststement (sic) from Ukraine,' the president tweeted
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The transcript of her testimony shows that Williams said Trump's request to have the Ukraine investigate Biden seemed tied to his own 'personal political agenda' as opposed to'a broader foreign policy objective of the United States.'
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Trump also tweeted a reminder that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his foreign minister said they felt there was no quid pro quo or pressure from Trump
A transcript of Williams' deposition was released by the House Intelligence Committee on Saturday, revealing that she had criticism for the president's conversation with Zelensky. 
The testimony also reveals that she felt Trump's request to have the Ukraine investigate Biden seemed tied to his own 'personal political agenda' as opposed to 'a broader foreign policy objective of the United States.' 
The Ukrainian president, however, has repeatedly said he didn't feel pressured or 'blackmailed' by Trump, despite the transcript, which the White House released in September, revealing the president urged his Ukrainian counterpart to open an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son.
Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Vadym Prystaiko told reporters Thursday that U.S. Ambassador the European Union Gordon Sondland did not detail any relationship between the assistance and probe, according to Interfax, a Ukrainian news agency.


'Ambassador Sondland did not tell us, and did not tell me exactly, about the relation between the [military] assistance and the investigations,' Prystaiko told journalists in Kiev the day after the first public impeachment hearing. 'You should ask him. I do not recall any conversation with me as with foreign minister. It was not we, the Ukrainian officials (who were told this).'
'I have never seen a direct link between investigations and security assistance,' the minister continued. 'Yes, investigations were mentioned, you know, in a presidential conversation. But there was no clear connection between these events.'
Trump said Williams should read the transcripts and listen to Zelensky and Prystaiko's statements.
'Republicans & others must remember, the Ukrainian President and Foreign Minister both said that there was no pressure placed on them whatsoever,' Trump posted in another tweet Sunday. 'Also, they didn't even know the money wasn't paid, and got the money with no conditions. But why isn't Germany, France (Europe) paying?'
Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and insisted there was no quid pro quo. Democrats insist that in the call Trump was making millions in military aid dependent on Ukraine investigating the Bidens.
Sondland will publicly testify next week after already answering lawmaker questions in a closed-door meeting.
[size=18]Budget official Mark Sandy arrives to testify for impeachment probe




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'I have never seen a direct link between investigations and security assistance,' Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vadym Prystaiko (pictured) said last week
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Trump claims the impeachment probe is a 'partisan weapon' being used by Democrats
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He also asked where the whistle-blower is after Republicans requested the anonymous individual be called to testify as part of the inquiry
[size=18]Special advisor to Mike Pence arrives for impeachment probe




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Last week, the ambassador amended his testimony after other witnesses 'refreshed my recollection about conversations involving the suspension of U.S. aid.' He now claims that Trump's actions in Ukraine likely amounted to a quid pro quo.
'I always believed that suspending aid to Ukraine was ill-advised, although I did not know (and still do not know) when, why, or by whom the aid was suspended,' said Sondland in his revised statement.
'After that large meeting, I now recall speaking individually with Mr. Yermak, where I said resumption of U.S. aid would likely not occur until Ukraine provided the public anti-corruption statement that we had been discussing for weeks,' he continued.
Public hearing as part of the impeachment inquiry launched last week with former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor and Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs George Kent on Wednesday. Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch testified publicly on Friday.
Democrats announced that eight more witnesses would testify in open hearings this week, including Sondland.
'The Crazed, Do Nothing Democrats are turning Impeachment into a routine partisan weapon. That is very bad for our Country, and not what the Founders had in mind!!!!' Trump posted Sunday.
'Where is the Fake Whistleblower?' he said in another tweet.
Republican Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee Devin Nunes sent a letter to Chairman Adam Schiff with a list of witnesses the GOP wants to be called as part of the hearings.
Both Hunter Biden and the anonymous whistle-blower, who initially brought attention to the nature of the phone call, where on the list.
Schiff said the Democrats would not be calling those witnesses requested by Republicans on the committee.

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The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 Empty Re: The Serious Side - part 7

Post by annemarie Mon 18 Nov 2019, 14:46

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7697925/Nancy-Pelosi-Chuck-Schumer-DARE-Donald-Trump-impeachment-hearing.html

[size=34]'I like the idea!' Donald Trump says he might TESTIFY in his own impeachment hearing after Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer dare him to show up or answer questions in writing[/size]


  • Speaker Nancy Pelosi claimed that Donald Trump's actions are worse than disgraced former President Richard Nixon 

  • She and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer dared the president to come to Capitol Hill and testify in his own impeachment inquiry hearings

  • Trump responded 'I like the idea' and suggested he could show up or respond to written questions 

  • Nixon was the subject of an impeachment investigation for obstruction of justice, abuse of power and contempt of Congress and resigned in 1974

  • 'At some point, Richard Nixon cared about the country enough to recognize that this could not continue,' Pelosi said in an interview with CBS


By DAVID MARTOSKO, U.S. POLITICAL EDITOR  and KATELYN CARALLE, U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 08:44 EST, 18 November 2019 | UPDATED: 09:40 EST, 18 November 2019

     




Donald Trump appeared to call Nancy Pelosi's bluff on Monday, suggesting after she dared him to testify in an impeachment hearing that he might do it—either in writing or in person.
The president responded to written questions in April from then-special counsel Robert Mueller, but entering statements for the record in an impeachment inquiry would be an unprecedented move in a game with higher stakes.
Pelosi, Trump tweeted, 'suggested ... that I testify about the phony Impeachment Witch Hunt. She also said I could do it in writing. Even though I did nothing wrong, and don’t like giving credibility to this No Due Process Hoax, I like the idea & will, in order to get Congress focused again, strongly consider it!'
The House Intelligence Committee declined comment on Monday. 

The House speaker had said in an interview broadcasted Sunday that Trump should testify if he's upset about the way Democrats have presented witnesses and evidence.   
Trump has 'every opportunity to present his case,' she said on the CBS News program 'Face the Nation.' The president blased the show as 'DEFACE THE NATION' in his two-part tweet on Monday
Pelosi insisted that 'the president could come right before the committee and talk—speak all the truth that he wants, if he wants.' 
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said much the same thing during a Sunday press conference.
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 21155846-7697925-image-a-3_1574084488091

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President Donald Trump is facing an impeachment inquiry led by House Democrats; he appeared to call House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's bluff on Monday, saying he likes the idea of testifying on his own behalf in a hearing, or answering written questions
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Pelosi claimed in a 'Face the Nation' interview that Trump's actions are worse than disgraced former President Richard Nixon's, and that if the president doesn't like how impeachment evidence is being presented he should come and testify himself
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The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 21156384-7697925-image-m-10_1574086850802


The president suggested an unprecedented impeachment defense tactic: testifying in his own defense before articles of impeachment are even presented to the full House of Representatives for a vote
'If Donald Trump doesn't agree with what he's hearing, doesn't like what he's hearing, he shouldn't tweet. He should come to the committee and testify under oath. And he should allow all those around him to come to the committee and testify under oath,' he told reporters. 
'When Donald Trump refuses to come to the committee—now that Speaker Pelosi has invited him—when he doesn’t let all the people around him come before the committee, you gotta ask the question: What is he hiding? Why is he afraid to confront what these people have said?' Schumer asked.
Trump also suggested, without explanation that 'Nervous Nancy Pelosi ... is petrified by her Radical Left knowing she will soon be gone.'
Democrats on her left flank, he said, 'are her BOSS' along with the news media.
Pelosi claimed the crimes she and other Democrats have accused Trump of, including bribery, are worse than those of former President Richard Nixon, who resigned in 1974.
'It's really a sad thing,' the House Speaker said.
'I mean, what the president did was so much worse than even what Richard Nixon did. And at some point, Richard Nixon cared about the country enough to recognize that this could not continue.'
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said during a press conference that the president should come and testify under oath in his own impeachment inquiry hearings
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Congress drafted articles of impeachment against Nixon for obstruction of justice, abuse of power and contempt of Congress. He resigned the U.S. presidency in 1974. The impeachment inquiry into Trump stems from a call with  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky where he requested his Ukrainian counterpart investigate Joe Biden
[size=10][size=18]Nancy Pelosi accuses President Trump of bribery and abusing power




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Articles of impeachment were filed against Nixon for obstruction of justice, abuse of power and contempt of Congress, but he resigned before a vote was cast on whether to formally remove him from office.
The House began its public hearings as part of the impeachment inquiry into Trump last week and will hear from eight more witnesses this week.
The inquiry stems from a whistle-blower complaint that revealed the nature of the president's call with his Ukrainian counterpart was centered around requesting President Volodymyr Zelensky launch a probe into political rival Joe Biden.
The request came just days after the Whtie House froze millions in military aid to Ukraine, causing Democrats to claim the president was setting a quid pro quo of assistance being dependent on the investigation.
Trump denies any wrongdoing and maintains that the inquiry into his actions are a partisan 'witch hunt' – claiming his call with the Ukrainian president was 'perfect.'


Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch publicly testified before the House Intelligence Committee on Friday after the White House prematurely called her back in May from her three-year assignment in Ukraine.
'Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad,' Trump tweeted during Yovanovitch's hearing. 'She started off in Somalia, how did that go? Then fast forward to Ukraine, where the new Ukrainian President spoke unfavorably about her in my second phone call with him.'
'It is a U.S. President's absolute right to appoint ambassadors,' he continued. 'They call it 'serving at the pleasure of the President.' The U.S. now has a very strong and powerful foreign policy, much different than proceeding administrations. It is called, quite simply, America First! With all of that, however, I have done FAR more for Ukraine than O.'
Yovanovitch started off her testimony by detailing some of the 'hardship posts' she had endured as a career diplomat - like Somalia - and became emotional when talking about the July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky that the president was referring to in his tweet.
[size=18]Marie Yovanovitch explains feeling 'threatened by Trump' in hearing




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The White House prematurely recalled former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch (pictured) from her her three-year assignment in May; she publicly testified Friday as part of the impeachment inquiry before the House Intelligence Committee
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Trump tweeted during the hearing that 'everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad' and insisted it was his prerogative as president to appoint ambassadors
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff voiced concerns that Trump's tweet was 'witness intimidation in real time.'
Pelosi, when asked, however, would not say whether she believed it was witness intimidation or not.
She claimed she had not looked enough into the language of the tweets to determine the potential legal implications, but she did say that tweeting at Yovanovitch was a 'mistake.'
'He made a mistake. And he knows her strength and he was trying to undermine it,' Pelosi told CBS in her interview. 'I think even his most ardent supporters have to honestly admit this was the wrong thing for the president to do.'
'He should not frivolously throw out insults. But he does,' she continued. 'I think part of it is his own insecurity as an imposter. I think he knows full well that he's in that office way over his head. And so he has diminish everyone else.'
Before Yovanovitch testified, Pelosi tweeted that she had been 'smeared' by the president's allies and unjustly removed from her post in Ukraine.
'Today, we hear from one of our most respected diplomats, who spent her career as an anti-corruption crusader,' Pelosi tweeted Friday. 'She was viciously smeared by Trump's allies, removed from her post, then threatened by the President on his 'perfect' call.'
Brennan attempted to ask Pelosi about her reaction to Republican talking points regarding the impeachment inquiry, but the California Democrats refused to entertain any questions related to the GOP.





The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 21122574-7695143-image-a-12_1574014238713

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House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff voiced concerns that the president tweeting at Yovanovitch during her hearing could be 'witness intimidation'
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Pelosi, in her CBS interview, would not say if she agreed with Schiff on whether the comment was witness intimidation, but did say it was a 'mistake'
'You know what, if we could just talk about what we want to do. I really have a real discomfort level of responding to what Republicans say because they are in denial about what is happening in the country,' Pelosi told the CBS Sunday morning host. 'So if you want to ask me about where we are going on this, I'm happy to respond to that. But, I find it a waste of my time and yours to just be talking about what Republican say.'
When Brennan said she only wanted to give Pelosi a chance to respond to their argument, the House Speaker cut her off.
'I'm not going to respond,' Pelosi asserted. 'Let it stand. Let their arguments stand, because it's on such quicksand that I don't even want to have it given any more visibility by my dignifying any of their misrepresentations of what they say.
'I'm not here to talk about what they say because they're not facing the reality of what is happening to our country,' she concluded.

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The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 Empty Re: The Serious Side - part 7

Post by LizzyNY Mon 18 Nov 2019, 15:52

I wish we could elect Nancy Pelosi president.
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Post by annemarie Mon 18 Nov 2019, 17:08

Yes, that would be great Lizzy.

We all know he will never testify.

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Post by annemarie Tue 19 Nov 2019, 18:34

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7702481/Democrat-voted-against-impeachment-resolution-warns-misusing-constitutional-weapon.html

[size=34]Democrat Congressman who voted against impeachment inquiry into President Trump says the procedure is 'something you would see in a third-world nation'[/size]


  • Rep.  Jeff Van Drew, a New Jersey Democrat, was one of two Democrats to vote against opening an impeachment inquiry against President Trump

  • He continued to explain his reluctance in a new interview on Fox Nation's 'Maria Bartiromo's Insiders' 

  • Van Drew said he was worried that impeachment is being used to much and that's a sign of 'the deterioration of the nation'


By NIKKI SCHWAB, SENIOR U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 10:54 EST, 19 November 2019 | UPDATED: 12:43 EST, 19 November 2019


         
  • [email=?subject=Read%20this:%20Democrat%20Congressman%20who%20voted%20against%20impeachment%20inquiry%20into%20President%20Trump%20says%20the%20procedure%20is%20%27something%20you%20would%20see%20in%20a%20third-world%20nation%27&body=Democrat%20Congressman%20who%20voted%20against%20impeachment%20inquiry%20into%20President%20Trump%20says%20the%20procedure%20is%20%27something%20you%20would%20see%20in%20a%20third-world%20nation%27%0A%0ARep.%20Jeff%20Van%20Drew%2C%20one%20of%20the%20two%20House%20Democrats%20who%20voted%20against%20opening%20%20an%20impeachment%20inquiry%20into%20President%20Trump%2C%20said%20he%20did%20so%20because%20he%20feared%20the%20tool%20was%20being%20used%20too%20much.%0A%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-7702481%2FDemocrat-voted-against-impeachment-resolution-warns-misusing-constitutional-weapon.html%3Fito%3Demail_share_article-top%0A%0A%0AMost%20Read%20Articles%3A%0A%0AFBI%20investigating%20%27criminal%20enterprise%27%20in%20Jeffrey%20Epstein%27s%20death%2C%20prison%20chief%20admits%2C%20as%20male%20and%20female%20guard%20are%20indicted%20for%20%27browsing%20the%20internet%20for%20eight%20hours%20instead%20of%20checking%20on%20the%20pedophile%20and%20lying%20on%20inspection%20forms%27%20on%20night%20he%20died%C2%A0%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-7702081%2FTwo-Jeffrey-Epstein-prison-guards-arrested-failing-check-him.html%3Fito%3Demail_share_article-top_most-read-articles%0A%0AUS%20woman%20who%20was%20kidnapped%20by%20her%20stepfather%20aged%2011%20and%20taken%20to%20Mexico%20where%20she%20had%20NINE%20of%20his%20children%20during%2019%20YEARS%20of%20captivity%20reveals%20moment%20a%20pair%20of%20strangers%20helped%20her%20escape%20after%20spotting%20her%20in%20a%20grocery%20store%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-7699503%2FWoman-held-captive-stepfather-19-years-abducted-aged-11-reveals-escaped.html%3Fito%3Demail_share_article-top_most-read-articles%0A%0AEpstein%20accuser%20who%20was%20%27assaulted%20by%20his%20female%20associate%27%20says%20the%20financier%20used%20Prince%20Andrew%20as%20BAIT%20to%20get%20her%20to%20his%20private%20island%20when%20she%20was%2015%20-%20and%20urges%20the%20Duke%20of%20York%20to%20speak%20to%20the%20FBI%C2%A0%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-7699303%2FJeffrey-Epstein-victim-urges-Prince-Andrew-speak-FBI-help-survivors.html%3Fito%3Demail_share_article-top_most-read-articles%0A%0A]e[/email]


Rep. Jeff Van Drew, one of the two House Democrats who voted against opening an impeachment inquiry into President Trump, has slammed the impeachment inquiry for being 'something you would see in Europe or third-world nations.' 
'We have to understand, impeachment is something that's supposed to be exceptionally unusual. It is supposed to be fair,' Van Drew said on Fox Nation's 'Maria Bartiromo's Insiders.' 'This has nothing to do with whether you like Donald Trump, or don't like him, or want to see him have a second term or win in an election. This has to do with the institution of impeachment itself and not misusing it.'  
On Halloween, House Democrats minus Van Drew and Rep. Collin Peterson, a Minnesota Democrat, voted 232-196 to open the inquiry, which is in full swing this week with eight witnesses appearing in public hearings before the House Intelligence Committee. 
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Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a New Jersey Democrat, was one of only two Democrats who voted against opening the impeachment inquiry into President Trump. He argues that the tool is being used too much and that's a sign of 'the deterioration of the nation' 
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Rep. Jeff Van Drew also argued that there are a number of issues that President Trump, Republicans and Democrats agree on - and the House should be working toward progress on legislation in the waning in-session days this year 
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President Trump tweeted a quote from Rep. Jeff Van Drew on Monday night, before another day of impeachment hearings was set to take place on Capitol Hill 
[size=10][size=18]Donald Trump: Impeachment hearing is "greatest scam" in US political history




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At the time, Van Drew feared that the partisan move - with only Rep. Justin Amash, the body's lone independent, voting with them - would lead to Trump being cleared in the Senate, where there's a Republican majority, and re-elected next year. 
'At the end of the day we'll have the same president and same candidate and a failed impeachment process, and the only difference would be that the president will have been exonerated of charges,' Van Drew said in a statement last month.   
On Fox Nation, the congressman pointed to the writings of French historian Alexis De Tocqueville, as he aired concerns about impeachment's broader implications. 
'You know, De Tocqueville in 1853 wrote that if a nation was more and more often using ... impeachment as a way of actually removing its leaders, it would show the deterioration of the nation,' Van Drew said. 
He also said impeachment was 'more like something you would see in Europe or third-world nations.'  
In Van Drew's own lifetime, impeachment has been used about every 20 years. It was the impeachment threat - and the fact that he lost Republican support in the Senate - that led to Richard Nixon's resignation in 1973. 


Nixon ordered a break-in of the Democratic National Committee's headquarters that were located, at the time, in the Watergate building.  
Then, in 1998, Democrat Bill Clinton was impeached, though acquitted in the Senate. Clinton was in trouble for lying under oath about his affair with White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. 
Now, President Trump is accused of holding up $400 million in military aide to Ukraine in order to pressure the country's president to announce that he was opening up an investigation into Joe and Hunter Biden and the 2016 Democratic National Committee hack. 
Still, Van Drew said impeachment should be something that 'should be rarely used.' 
'And as I've mentioned to you before, it is something that during the hundreds of years of American history has never been successfully used,' he said. 
President Trump agreed with Van Drew, sending out a tweet in support Monday night. 
While Clinton and President Andrew Johnson were both impeachment, two-thirds of senators didn't vote to throw them out. 
Van Drew encouraged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi - who was slow to back the inquiry - to focus on 'real issues' for the remaining 14 days Congress is in session this year. 
'There are three or four major issues where the president, the speaker, the Senate all agree on ... USMCA - we can really get that done,' the New Jersey Democrat said, referencing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, which is supposed to replace NAFTA. 'Other issues as well they agree on ... infrastructure. We could get that done.' 
Van Drew said that moderate Democrats, especially, were hungry to get things done.  
'So wouldn't it be wonderful at the end of this presidency, to the benefit of both political parties, but most of all, to the benefit of Americans, if we actually got some of these very important issues finished and taken care of instead?' Van Drew mused. 
'It will not happen in this toxic atmosphere,' the congressman added. 
[size=18]Pence aide Jennifer Williams gives opening statement




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[size=34]OFFICIALS TESTIFYING IN PUBLIC THIS WEEK [/size]


TUESDAY
Jennifer Williams: A State Department staffer detailed to VP Pence who was on the July 25 phone call and said it was 'unusual' for the Bidens to be mentioned
Alexander Vindman: The top Ukraine expert on the NSC; he was on the July 25 call and expressed his concerns about it to NSC lawyers
Kurt Volker: the former special envoy to the Ukraine whose text messages revealed a shadow foreign policy
Tim Morrison: an NSC official who told lawmakers Gordon Sondland acted at President Trump's direction
WEDNESDAY
Gordon Sondland: the EU ambassador who ran a shadow foreign policy in Ukraine with Rudy Giuliani and Rick Perry
Laura Cooper: a Pentagon official who testified about the hold put on U.S. money to the Ukraine
David Hale: a State Department official who testified about efforts to recall then-Ukraine ambassador Marie Yovanovitch
THURSDAY
Fiona Hill: John Bolton's former deputy at NSC who took her concerns about Sondland's action in the Ukraine to the NSC's lawyers

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Post by Donnamarie Wed 20 Nov 2019, 03:54

This Congressman claims that the impeachment process is ‘fracturing the Nation’ but he doesn’t address the role Trump has played in tearing our country apart with his divisiveness and his continued attacks against our own federal government?  As far as the Congress getting things done well the House has passed over 200 pieces of legislation in the House.  Where are all of those bills?  Sitting on Mitch McConnell’s desk.  Wonder when this guy is up for re-election?


Last edited by Donnamarie on Wed 20 Nov 2019, 03:55; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : correct text)
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Post by annemarie Wed 20 Nov 2019, 12:09

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7703655/Report-finds-TWO-MILLION-Americans-not-access-clean-water.html

[size=34]Shocking report finds more than TWO MILLION Americans do not have access to clean water, indoor plumbing or sanitation services - with Native Americans 19 times more likely to lack proper infrastructure[/size]


  • Report found Native Americans and 19 times more likely to be without

  • While black and Latino households are twice as likely than white homes

  • It notes that the issues are a result of the previous infrastructure  designs 

  • These water systems were developed on the basis of systemic racism


By STACY LIBERATORE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 17:50 EST, 19 November 2019 | UPDATED: 18:08 EST, 19 November 2019

     








The United States is deemed a 'first world country', yet a new report has revealed it is suffering from a developing world issue.
Experts have found more than two million Americans do not have access to running water, basic indoor plumbing or sanitation services.
The report revealed that race and poverty play key roles in water access – Native Americans and 19 times more likely to be without, while black and Latino households are twice as likely than their white counterparts.
Many of the water systems are still following the dated infrastructures that were developed the basis of systemic racism, thus cutting off access to areas with minorities. 

The report comes from the nonprofits DigDeep and the US Water Alliance, which went beyond just Census data in order to investigate the country's water crisis.
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Experts have found more than two million Americans do not have access to running water, basic indoor plumbing or sanitation services. The report revealed that race and poverty play key roles in water access – Native Americans and 19 times more likely to be without
'Access to clean, reliable running water and safe sanitation are baseline conditions for health, prosperity, and well-being,' DigDeep CEO George McGraw and US Water Alliance CEO Radhika Fox said in a statement.
'However, they remain out of reach for some of the most vulnerable people in the United States.'


The data stems from a two-year study that discovered six water crisis 'hotposts' in the US, which include the Central Valley of California, areas of Texas, rural counties in Mississippi and Alabama, Appalachian West Virginia, the 'four corners' of the Southwest and Puerto Rico.
With over two million Americans without running water, this means that some 1.4 million homes do not have a shower, toilet or sink.
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The data stems from a two-year study that discovered six water crisis 'hotposts' in the US, which include the Central Valley of California, areas of Texas, rural counties in Mississippi and Alabama, Appalachian West Virginia, the 'four corners' of the Southwest and Puerto Rico
The team found that race was the biggest predictor, as Native Americans, blacks and Latinos were found to suffer the most.
Approximately 58 out of every 1,000 Native American households were found to be without complete plumbing, compared to three out of every 1,000 white households.
The report also found that for 0.5 percent of African-Americans households lacked complete plumbing, nearly twice as many as white homes.
The report notes that this issue is a result of the previous infrastructure that was developed on the basis of systemic racism.
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 The report also found that for 0.5 percent of African-Americans households lacked complete plumbing, nearly twice as many as white homes
'For example, in the 1960s, Roanoke, VA would not extend water lines to black neighborhoods,' the report reads.
'In the early 1900s, Hispanic communities were discouraged from incorporating, which excluded them from water and sanitation initiatives from the 1950s on.'
Also included are 250,000 people in Puerto Rico and 553,000 homeless individuals in the U.S. who may lack water and sanitation access altogether.
In addition to race, the team discovered that economic status also played a key role in water access.
'For both African-American and Latinx households, higher income and educational attainment are positively correlated with access to complete plumbing,' the team wrote.
'Our analysis illustrates a correlation of complete plumbing access with household income, educational attainment (which has been shown to correlate to poverty), and unemployment rates. The analysis found that census tracts with higher average household income had lower percentages of households lacking access to complete plumbing.'
The analysis also found that higher percentages of residents without high school diplomas are correlated with lower levels of complete plumbing access, regardless of race.
However, there is a larger picture that needs to be addressed as well – 785 million people in the world lack access to safe water and two billion do not have access to a proper toilet, according to global nonprofit Water.org.
And climate change is predicted to increase these numbers over the next few decades.
[size=18]2016: Michigan AG announced criminal charges over water crisis




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[size=34]FACT BOX TITLE[/size]


Millions of Americans may be drinking water contaminated with toxic chemicals linked to behavioral problems, birth defects, cancer, high cholesterol levels and infertility, a new report finds.
Researchers from the Environmental Working Group and Northeastern University found 610 sources in 43 states that contained unsafe levels of man-made chemicals in water known as PFAS chemicals.
These locations include public water systems, military bases, airports and even firefighter training sites and affect as many as 19 million Americans.
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A new report as found that 610 locations in 43 US states (map, above) contain unsafe levels of PFAS chemicals, which have been linked to birth defects and cancer

The Great Lake State has been battling a water contamination crisis in Flint since 2014 after the drinking water source was changed from Lake Huron and the Detroit River to the Flint River, which contained high levels of lead.
But PFAS has also been a burden. Residents of two communities in Kalamazoo County were given bottled water last year after tests showed high levels of the chemicals in drinking water, reported Think Progress.
Rounding out the top three were California with 47 and New Jersey with 43 sites.
The map also showed that roughly 20 percent of the sites with unsafe levels were military bases.

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Post by party animal - not! Wed 20 Nov 2019, 14:05

This is shocking, Annemarie. 

Clean drinking water is a legal requirement in the UK. 

Given the size of the country is this a state-by-state thing? Or is it big corporation stuff?

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Post by LizzyNY Wed 20 Nov 2019, 14:46

PAN - Federal, state and local government regulations exist. The pollution problem is the result of corporate misuse of the environment and government's failure to maintain infrastructure - for many reasons.

Because drumpf is a climate-denying capitalist who seems to believe he is living in the early Industrial Revolution, he is doing his best to gut any remaining regulations that would correct the problems we're having . Profit over all and the country be damned.
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Post by party animal - not! Wed 20 Nov 2019, 15:47

Got it,Lizzy - so very little government oversight of relevant corporations.....


By the way, some pretty vital evidence being given on C-Span etc right now by Sondland. The Guardian online also has it blow by blow - with added comments

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Post by annemarie Wed 20 Nov 2019, 17:39

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7705919/Former-White-House-physician-dismisses-Trumps-routine-health-check-claims-balderdash.html

[size=34]Former White House physician dismisses Trump's 'routine health check' claims as 'balderdash' and suggests the president may be struggling with 'neurological issue' after he was unexpectedly taken to hospital[/size]


  • Former Obama doctor, David Scheiner, said he suspected 'small strokes'

  • White House says that Saturday's hospital trip was a 'routine visit'

  • Dr Scheiner said that was 'absolute nonsense' and it appeared an 'urgent' exam 

  • President Trump lashed out at press yesterday for worrying his wife Melania 


By ROSS IBBETSON and KATELYN CARALLE, U.S. POLITICAL REPORT FOR DAILYMAIL.COM FROM HOUSTON, TEXAS
PUBLISHED: 06:41 EST, 20 November 2019 | UPDATED: 07:31 EST, 20 November 2019

     



A former White House physician has expressed concerns for Donald Trump's health, saying he suspects there is a 'neurological issue' after the president's visit to the hospital over the weekend.
Dr. David Scheiner dismissed Trump's claims that it was simply a 'routine visit' as 'absolute balderdash' last night.
'He is having trouble word-finding when he said united shush instead of the United States. These are words, he can't find them,' Scheiner told CNN, 'This is happening over and over again. Comedians joke about it. It's not a joking matter.
'I think there's a neurological issue that's not being addressed. If he had an MRI of his head over there, I would be very pleased. I think he needs it.' 

Scroll down for video. 
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President Trump, 73, bashed the media yesterday for its coverage of his unscheduled visit to Walter Reed Medical Center over the weekend, claiming to reporters in a White House cabinet meeting that CNN worried his wife and employees that he had a heart attack
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Dr. David Scheiner dismissed the Trump administration's claims that it was simply a 'routine visit' as 'absolute balderdash' in an appearance on CNN
[size=10][size=18]Trump says Walter Reed visit was 'routine' and not an emergency




[/size][/size]
Scheiner added: 'The worry that I have is maybe he's having small strokes.'
The president lashed out at the media yesterday for worrying first lady Melania that he had suffered a heart attack when he made an unscheduled visit to Walter Reed Medical Center over the weekend.
'I went for a physical, and I came back,' Trump described to reporters during a cabinet meeting Tuesday when describing the doctor's visit. 'My wife said, 'Darling, are you Ok? What's wrong? Oh, they're reporting that you may have had a heart attack.''
'I said, "Why did I have a heart attack."'
''Because you went to Walter Reed Medical Center,'' he paraphrased he and his wife's conversation.
Trump's visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland on Saturday sparked speculation that he had health concerns, and that his visit was spurred by 'chest discomfort.'
Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer ignored the president's insistence that the appointment was centered around any sort of health issues.
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Trump said his first lady Melania Trump asked if he had suffered a heart attack when he returned from his visit to Walter Reed. She said the media was reporting about his visit and claiming he had 'chest discomfort'
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Trump made an unscheduled visit to Walter Reed Medical Center on Saturday for what he claimed was 'phase one' of his annual physical, which he said he would complete after the new year. The president said he had a 'down day' and wanted to get some routine check ups out of the way
'I wish the president well from whatever he's recovering from,' Schumer told reporters on Tuesday.
Although Trump, 73, blamed CNN for the rumors, it actually originated from a tweet from an opinion contributor for The Hill.
'#BreakingNews Sources tell me from Walter Reed the President was being checked out for chest discomfort. No other information is available at this time,' Andrew Vernon posted to Twitter Saturday night.
Few news outlets reported on the unsubstantiated tweet.
The president shot down these rumors, claiming on Saturday that his visit was just some routine check ups as part of his annual physical.
He said the rest of the physical would be completed after the new year, but he wanted to get some of it done while he had a 'down day' at the White House.
'Visited a great family of a young man under major surgery at the amazing Walter Reed Medical Center. Those are truly some of the best doctors anywhere in the world,' Trump posted to Twitter late Saturday night. 'Also began phase one of my yearly physical. Everything very good (great!). Will complete next year.'
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The president's physician, Navy Commander Sean Conley (pictured center), confirmed in a statement that the check up was part of his routine physical
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'[T]he President has not had any chest pain, nor was he evaluated or treated for any urgent or acute issues,' Conley said is a statement released late Monday night
He reiterated his assertion on Tuesday.
'I went, did a very routine… physical,' Trump told reporters at the White House. 
'I was out of there very quickly,' he continued. 'I got back home, and I get greeted with the news: We understand you had a heart attack. I was called by our people in public relations: 'Sir, are you OK?' I said, 'OK from what?''
'The word is you had a heart attack. CNN said you may have had a heart attack, you had massive chest pains, you went to the hospital,'' Trump detailed words from his public relations office. 
'These people are sick. They're sick,' he asserted. 'And the press really, in this country, is dangerous. We don't have freedom of the press in this country, we have the opposite. We have a very corrupt media. And I hope they can get their acts straight right now, because it's very, very bad and very, very dangerous for our country.'
Late Monday night, Trump's physician, Navy Commander Sean Conley, released a statement confirming the president and his press secretary's claims that the check up was just procedural.
'[T]he President has not had any chest pain, nor was he evaluated or treated for any urgent or acute issues,' Conley said in the statement. 'Specifically he did not undergo any specialized cardiac or neurologic evaluations.'
Trump said he wanted to get part of the physical over with because he would likely be facing a busy January – especially with Democrats controlling the House and conducting an impeachment inquiry against him.
[size=18]President Trump leaving White House for physical exam




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Post by LizzyNY Wed 20 Nov 2019, 18:02

I think the former White House physician is right. Slurring and searching for words is not normal. Small strokes would explain both.
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Post by annemarie Thu 21 Nov 2019, 12:11

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7707509/Donald-Trump-lectures-reporters-black-Sharpie-notes-Sondlands-testimony.html


[size=34]'This is the final word from the President of the United States: I want nothing!' Donald Trump lectures reporters with black-Sharpie notes from EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland's testimony—then claims he hardly knows him[/size]


  • Animated Trump blared at reporters that he had told EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland not to link Ukraine's promise of a Joe Biden probe to any favors

  • Democrats say the presdient demanded a Biden corruption probe as a condition of a White House visit and long-promised military aid money

  • 'That is what I said: "I want nothing." I said it twice,' Trump insisted, repeating part of Sondland's description of a phone call between the two

  • '"What do you want? What do you want? I hear all these theories. What do you want?"' the president said Sondland had asked him

  • 'And now here's my response that he just gave. Ready? You have the cameras rolling? "I want nothing. That is what I want from Ukraine!"'

  • Trump watched the morning hearing in the White House residence before leaving for a tour of a Texas manufacturing plant built by Apple 


By DAVID MARTOSKO, U.S. POLITICAL EDITOR FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and WIRES
PUBLISHED: 13:34 EST, 20 November 2019 | UPDATED: 14:19 EST, 20 November 2019

     




A defiant Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he never asked his top European ambassador to lean on Ukraine's president for a politically motivated investigation of his Democratic rival Joe Biden—insisting he told the diplomat that 'I want nothing' from the former Soviet state.
Watching Ambassador Gordon Sondland's impeachment hearing testimony in the White House residence, the president wrote down a rough transcription of one portion and read it aloud to the press corps as he left for a manufacturing plant tour in Texas.
'"What do you want? What do you want? I hear all these theories. What do you want?"' the president said Sondland had asked him during a September phone call.
'And now here's my response that he just gave. Ready? You have the cameras rolling? "I want nothing. That is what I want from Ukraine!"'

'That is what I said: "I want nothing." I said it twice,' Trump insisted. 
[size=10][size=18]Trump says he told Sondland he wanted 'nothing' from Ukraine




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President Donald Trump held Sharpie-writen notes as he spoke to reporters after watching testimony by U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland
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Trump wrote down on a pad of paper the words Sondland used to describe a phone call with him, in which he told Sondland that he wanted 'nothing' from Ukraine
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U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland explained to Congress that a 'quid pro quo' was in place, conditioning a White House meeting on Ukraine's new president announcing corruption probes tat would include an investigation of Joe Biden
He read his reconstruction of the scene from his own black-Sharpie notes on a White House pad of paper. An official told DailyMail.com that he had been watching 'most of the hearing' starting at 9 o’clock.
He told reporters the same story three times, describing in an ever-more-manic tone what he claims were his marching orders to Sondald.
'I say to the ambassador—response—"I want nothing, I want nothing, I want no quid pro quo",' Trump repeated, pounding the press corps with his message and nothing else. '"Tell Zelinsky, President Zelinsky, to do the right thing".'
'So,' he said again before walking away as shouted questions fell around him, 'Here's my answer: "I want nothing. I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo. Tell Zelinsky to do the right thing".'


The president didn’t address the rest of Sondland’s testimony, speaking for barely 3 minutes.
Although a selective reading of Sondland's words, Trump's animated case recounted his words accurately—particularly about Democrats' contention that a quid-pro-quo arrangement had conditioned military aid on a Biden corruption probe.  
The ambassador testified that the president told him: 'I want no quid pro quo.'  
'He just said, "I want nothing, I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo",' Sondland testified Wednesday morning. 
[size=18]Sondland says he never heard Trump link military aid to Biden probe




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A sea of reporters waited on the South Lawn of the White House for more than an hour on Wednesday while Trump watched Sondland's testimony on TV inside
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House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (left), a Democrat, and Ranking mamber Rep. Devin Nunes (right), a Republican, sparred as Sondland testified
But minutes earlier the ambassador had conceded that there was a 'quid pro quo' in place, linking unspecified corruption investigations and a White House visit that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky desperately wanted. 
Sondland said he did not know until September that what was actually desired was an investigation into the Bidens. 
'I know that members of this committee have frequently framed these complicated issues in the form of a simple question: Was there a "quid pro quo?" As I testified previously, with regard to the requested White House call and White House meeting, the answer is yes,' Sondland said.
The quid pro quo in this case, he said, involved arranging a White House visit for Zelensky in return for an announcement of investigations of Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company, and an unproven theory that Ukraine had interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. 
Biden´s son Hunter was a Burisma board member, and benefited when his father forced Ukraine to fire a prosecutor investigating the firm.
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Trump went all-in with quoting Sondland, turning his defiance into a two-part tweet in which he also focused on Sondland's recollection that he had told the diplomat to 'go tell the truth'
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A frustrated and increasingly isolated Trump stood his ground and seemed to hang his entire presidency on the peg of 30 seconds of Sondland's testimony
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President Trump delivered his statement and walked to Marine One without taking questions on Wednesday
White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement that Sondland’s testimony 'made clear that in one of the few brief phone calls he had with President Trump, the President clearly stated that he "wanted nothing" from Ukraine and repeated "no quid pro quo over and over again".'
'In fact, no quid pro quo ever occurred,' Grisham said. 
'The U.S. aid to Ukraine flowed, no investigation was launched, and President Trump has met and spoken with President Zelensky. Democrats keep chasing ghosts.'
Trump told reporters that Sondland's revelation about the president's 'I want nothing' posture should be an impeachment-killer.
'I would say that means it's all over,' he said, tweeting later that the 'Impeachment Witch Hunt is now OVER!'

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Post by LizzyNY Thu 21 Nov 2019, 14:15

The Democrats need to up the ante on impeachment. It shouldn't just be focused on the bribery issue. How about contempt of Congress? How about violations of the emoluments clause? How about all the violations of existing laws and regulations that he's being sued for?

Add on all the destructive policies he's enacting, his immigration policy, his racism and nationalism and the fact that his mental acuity (never very great)is disintegrating before our eyes. Oh, and the fact that he's a pervert and a liar. There's a lot more to talk about than just bribery or coercion.
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The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 Empty Re: The Serious Side - part 7

Post by party animal - not! Thu 21 Nov 2019, 15:43

Lizzy if you have a minute some pretty damning stuff going on right now - Hill and Holmes - Russia now involved....

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The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 Empty Re: The Serious Side - part 7

Post by LizzyNY Thu 21 Nov 2019, 16:35

PAN - I saw it. Dr. Hill's testimony should have been a slap-in-the-face wake-up call for the Republicans. Too bad it won't work. They have no shame.
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The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 Empty Re: The Serious Side - part 7

Post by annemarie Thu 21 Nov 2019, 18:07

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7711295/Israel-attorney-general-reveal-today-Netanyahu-indicted-corruption-charges.html

[size=34]Benjamin Netanyahu is indicted for fraud, breach of trust and bribery by Israel's attorney general[/size]


  • Benjamin Netanyahu has been indictment over three different corruption cases

  • Israeli attorney general Avichai Mandelblit announced his decision this evening

  • Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing and claims he is victim of a witch-hunt 

  • It is the first time a sitting Israeli prime minister has been charged with a crime 


By OZ KATERJI FOR MAILONLINE and REUTERS
PUBLISHED: 10:41 EST, 21 November 2019 | UPDATED: 12:24 EST, 21 November 2019

     




Israel's attorney general has formally charged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a series of corruption scandals.
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit issued an indictment today charging Netanyahu with fraud, breach of trust and bribery. He was scheduled to address reporters later. 
Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing in the three corruption cases, saying he is a victim of a political witch-hunt.
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit disclosed his decision at a news conference at 7.30pm local time, a Justice Ministry statement said. 

It is the first time a sitting Israeli prime minister has been charged with a crime. 
Mandelblit 'decided to file charges against the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for offences of receiving a bribe, fraud, and breach of trust', a ministry statement added.  
The Serious Side - part 7 - Page 7 21297452-0-image-a-64_1574350344456

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Benjamin Netanyahu is due to find out later this evening if he will be indicted over long-running corruption charges by Israel's attorney general
Police recommended in February that he file criminal charges against Netanyahu in the long-running investigations. 
Netanyahu is suspected of wrongfully accepting $264,000 (£204,000) worth of gifts, which prosecutors said included cigars and champagne, from tycoons and of dispensing favours in alleged bids for improved coverage by an Israeli newspaper and a website.
He could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of bribery and a maximum 3-year term for fraud and breach of trust.
The indictment does not require Netanyahu to resign but is expected to raise pressure on him to step down. 
The most serious charges were connected to so-called 'Case 4000,' in which Netanyahu is accused of passing regulations that gave his friend, telecom magnate Shaul Elovitch, benefits worth over $250 million to his company Bezeq. 
In return, Bezeq's news site, Walla, published favourable articles about Netanyahu and his family.
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Israeli attorney general Avichai Mandelblit is due to announce whether or not Netanyahu will face indictment over corruption charges (File photo)
The relationship, it said, was 'based on a mutual understanding that each of them had significant interests that the other side had the ability to advance'. 
It also accused Netanyahu of concealing the relationship by providing 'partial and misleading information' about his connections with Elovitch.
Two close aides to Netanyahu turned state's witness and testified against him in the case.
The indictment also said that Netanyahu's gifts of champagne and cigars from billionaires Arnon Milchan and James Packer 'turned into a sort of supply line.' It estimated the value of the gifts at nearly $200,000.


The indictment said Netanyahu assisted the Israeli Milchan, a Hollywood mogul, in extending his US visa. It was not immediately clear what, if anything, Packer received in return.
The indictment against Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader, raises more uncertainty over who will ultimately lead a country mired in political chaos after two inconclusive elections this year. 
Netanyahu has failed to build a unity government with his primary opponents, the centrist Blue and White party, who refuse to partner with him because of the serious crimes he has been accused of. 
[size=18]Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu fails to form new government




[/size]




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Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing in the three corruption cases, saying he is a victim of a political witch-hunt
With no agreement over a unity government likely in the near-future, it looks almost certain that Israel will have to hold another general election, a campaign Netanyahu may now have to fight alongside an indictment on corruption charges. 
For the first time in Israeli history, the country's ceremonial president announced that no candidate has been able to form a government.
President Reuven Rivlin informed parliament earlier today that neither Prime Minister Netanyahu nor his chief challenger, retired military chief Benny Gantz, have completed the task of building a coalition in the time allotted to them.
The formal expiration of the presidential mandate kicks off the final 21-day window before new elections must be called.
Netanyahu, Gantz or any other sitting lawmaker can hypothetically present the backing of a majority of parliament's 120 members in the coming weeks. 
But given the prolonged stalemate and unsuccessful mediation efforts it increasingly appears the country is headed toward an unprecedented third election in less than a year.
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