thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-24--How Low Can Dems Go On Unemployment Benefits?

WASHINGTON ― The extra $ 600 a week Congress added to unemployment benefits is set to expire in a matter of days , and Republicans and Democrats remain as far apart as ever on a deal to extend the money ― both between their parties and within them .
Democratic leaders won ’ t have much time to negotiate before benefits expire .
In fact , even though the extra money was supposed to last until the end of July , many recipients will get their final $ 600 on Saturday or Sunday , because most states pay benefits on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday .
( Regular state unemployment benefits , which are much lower , will continue . )
“ They passed a $ 2 trillion tax cut , ” Jayapal said of Republicans , referring to their 2017 tax law .
“ Now they want to say that they ’ re not going to give 600 bucks to people at a time when they ’ ve lost their jobs , they ’ ve lost their health care , they ’ ve lost all certainty , they ’ re under so much stress .
People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was a number she could live with , given that Republicans are strongly opposed to extending the full $ 600 over their concerns that people might make more on unemployment than they were at their jobs , Jayapal said it was “ crazy ” that anyone would talk about cutting the dollar amount .
Jayapal also wants automatic triggers so that the $ 600 phases out only as economic conditions improve and not on an arbitrary deadline ― like in January after , say , Joe Biden wins the presidency and Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deficit again .
“ We will have to see the conditions and the circumstances .
There may be some sort of trade-off in terms of length , ” Ocasio-Cortez said , mentioning that if the extra benefits went for a full year , she could maybe consider a lower amount .
Republicans have been coy about how much extra money they want to give workers .
Some have suggested dollar amounts as low as $ 100 or $ 200 .
Some have said they should replace the benefits with a “ return to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lump sum for people who return to their jobs .
And others are now talking about seeing if state workforce agencies are ready to figure out how to pay individualized sums to match a portion of people ’ s previous earnings .
Congress has never supplemented unemployment benefits like this .
In every recession since World War II , lawmakers have tacked on extra weeks of benefits for workers who use up the standard 26 weeks provided by states .
The only other time Congress gave the jobless an actual raise was in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just $ 25 to weekly benefits .
On top of unemployment , lawmakers are also trying to find a balance on a number of other sticking points , including a state and local government bailout , individual stimulus checks , more money for coronavirus testing and contact tracing , funds for school reopenings , hazard pay for workers , and family leave policies .
The House passed a Democratic bill that did all those things back in May , while the Senate confirmed some judges as unemployment claims mounted and the academic year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reopen safely .
All of this is to say that a final deal would be complicated and doesn ’ t look like it could quickly materialize , though White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has told reporters in the last two days that lawmakers and the administration have advanced the ball from their own 20-yard line to their own 35-yard line .
The slow progress has led to some lawmakers toying with the idea of a temporary extension for the extra unemployment benefits ― just long enough so that Congress can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lapsing , but short enough to keep the pressure on .
But even that idea is controversial .
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer ( D-Md . )
told reporters this week that he doesn ’ t favor a temporary extension because he wanted to give people “ the security they are not going to be let down and fall through the cracks in September and October .
”

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WASHINGTON ― The extra $600 a week Congress added to unemployment benefits is set to expire in a matter of days, and Republicans and Democrats remain as far apart as ever on a deal to extend the money ― both between their parties and within them.
Senate Republicans have delayed unveiling their own legislation to extend the benefits all week, with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) now saying Republicans in his chamber will release their bill on Monday.
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Democratic leaders won’t have much time to negotiate before benefits expire. In fact, even though the extra money was supposed to last until the end of July, many recipients will get their final $600 on Saturday or Sunday, because most states pay benefits on the weekend and July 31 is a Friday. (Regular state unemployment benefits, which are much lower, will continue.)
And when lawmakers finally get around to hashing out final language with Republicans, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) may find that many Democrats in her own caucus won’t accept an amount lower than $600.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told HuffPost this week that it would be difficult for her to vote for anything less than “the full $600.”
“They passed a $2 trillion tax cut,” Jayapal said of Republicans, referring to their 2017 tax law. “Now they want to say that they’re not going to give 600 bucks to people at a time when they’ve lost their jobs, they’ve lost their health care, they’ve lost all certainty, they’re under so much stress. People are dying.”
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When HuffPost asked if there was a number she could live with, given that Republicans are strongly opposed to extending the full $600 over their concerns that people might make more on unemployment than they were at their jobs, Jayapal said it was “crazy” that anyone would talk about cutting the dollar amount.
“Why would you under any circumstance talk about cutting that number, when we have so much devastation?” she asked.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) during a committee hearing on the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump on Capitol Hill Dec. 11, 2019. Jayapal, co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said it would be "crazy" to talk about anything less than $600 in extra weekly benefits. Drew Angerer via Getty Images
Jayapal also wants automatic triggers so that the $600 phases out only as economic conditions improve and not on an arbitrary deadline ― like in January after, say, Joe Biden wins the presidency and Republicans suddenly start claiming they care about the deficit again.
And Jayapal isn’t alone.
A number of liberal Democrats that HuffPost talked to this week seemed extremely hesitant to talk about any amount less than $600. And some said they wanted additional assurances beyond the current policies.
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said she didn’t know why automatic triggers weren’t included in the legislation passed in March. She added that it would be tough for her to vote for any deal short of the current $600.
“We will have to see the conditions and the circumstances. There may be some sort of trade-off in terms of length,” Ocasio-Cortez said, mentioning that if the extra benefits went for a full year, she could maybe consider a lower amount.
But Ocasio-Cortez said she didn’t see how Democrats could come down significantly from $600 and still meet people’s needs.
A full year of benefits, automatic stabilizers, and a renewal of the entire $600 is far from the deal Republicans are considering.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that when Republicans finally unveil their coronavirus bill, it will “continue some temporary federal supplement to unemployment insurance while fixing the obvious craziness of paying people more to remain out of the workforce.”
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Democrats originally pushed for $600 because they wanted the government to match laid-off workers’ lost wages, but state labor departments use ancient software that couldn’t handle millions of individualized federal payments. So they went with $600 because it’s roughly the difference between the average weekly wage and the average state benefit.
Republicans have been coy about how much extra money they want to give workers. Some have suggested dollar amounts as low as $100 or $200. Some have said they should replace the benefits with a “return to work bonus” that would provide a lump sum for people who return to their jobs. And others are now talking about seeing if state workforce agencies are ready to figure out how to pay individualized sums to match a portion of people’s previous earnings.
Unemployed workers, for their part, have consistently reported that they can’t even get their state unemployment department to pick up the phone if they have a problem with their claim.
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, who has represented the administration in Capitol Hill negotiations, said Thursday the Republican proposal would be ”based on approximately 70% wage replacement.” If he had in mind a flat dollar amount, 70% wage replacement would imply something between $300 and $400.
Congress has never supplemented unemployment benefits like this. In every recession since World War II, lawmakers have tacked on extra weeks of benefits for workers who use up the standard 26 weeks provided by states. The only other time Congress gave the jobless an actual raise was in 2009, when a stimulus bill added just $25 to weekly benefits.
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The extra money is a testament to the depth of the coronavirus recession, with the highest jobless rate since the Great Depression. And the economy could suffer further if the extra money goes away.
On top of unemployment, lawmakers are also trying to find a balance on a number of other sticking points, including a state and local government bailout, individual stimulus checks, more money for coronavirus testing and contact tracing, funds for school reopenings, hazard pay for workers, and family leave policies. The House passed a Democratic bill that did all those things back in May, while the Senate confirmed some judges as unemployment claims mounted and the academic year loomed with no national plan for schools to reopen safely.
All of this is to say that a final deal would be complicated and doesn’t look like it could quickly materialize, though White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has told reporters in the last two days that lawmakers and the administration have advanced the ball from their own 20-yard line to their own 35-yard line.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin arrives at the Capitol for a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell about the COVID-19 relief plan, on Thursday, July 23, 2020. Mnuchin has been representing the White House in Capitol Hill negotiations. Tom Williams via Getty Images
The slow progress has led to some lawmakers toying with the idea of a temporary extension for the extra unemployment benefits ― just long enough so that Congress can come up with a deal without benefits lapsing, but short enough to keep the pressure on.
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But even that idea is controversial. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) told reporters this week that he doesn’t favor a temporary extension because he wanted to give people “the security they are not going to be let down and fall through the cracks in September and October.”
And chief deputy whip Dan Kildee (D-Mich.), who is the sponsor of a bill to extend the extra $600 for the rest of the year, said a temporary extension would just add uncertainty for families and the economy.
“Everybody knows what they need to know now to make this decision,” Kildee said.
But most rank-and-file Democrats told HuffPost they would absolutely support a temporary extension.
Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair, said he would support anything that prevented a lapse for people receiving those benefits, and that sentiment was echoed by nearly every Democrat we talked to.
“As opposed to letting it lapse? Yeah,” Budget Chairman John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-24--'PAW Patrol' Fact-Checks Kayleigh McEnany After She Said Show Was Canceled

The sad part is that someone in the White House wrote up this random piece of misinformation for the press @ @ @ @ @ binder ... ..but no one thought to check whether Trump had raised Taliban bounties or @ @ @ @ @ `` I was not on that call . ''
) https : //t.co/kiVRF7OVXW

The sad part is that someone in the White House wrote up this random piece of misinformation for the press secretary to read from her binder.....but no one thought to check whether Trump had raised Taliban bounties or election interference with Putin ("I was not on that call.") https://t.co/kiVRF7OVXW


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-24--A Teen Skipped Graduation Because Of COVID-19, So Her Name Wasn't Said At The Ceremony

Josh Jackson Jessie Skyy Turney-Zapata decided not to attend her high school graduation ceremony out of concerns about the coronavirus .
So the school left her out of the ceremony entirely .
But as Turney-Zapata and her family watched , they saw that she was left out of the nearly two-hour Covenant Christian Academy celebration in Huntsville , Alabama .
Her name was never called .
Her accomplishments were never recited .
The only record of her having attended the school was in a brief slideshow of pictures of all the new graduates .
Texts and calls flooded in from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inquiring whether the senior had actually graduated , even though she has already started an online post-secondary program at Full Sail University .
Turney-Zapata , 16 , had chosen not to attend the graduation ceremony in person out of concern for the spread of COVID-19 .
When her mom told the school of her decision and said the family would be watching the ceremony online , the school superintendent replied that they would miss her , according to emails reviewed by HuffPost .
Nothing was said about removing her name from the ceremony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was intentionally snubbed , making her wonder if she had essentially been forced to choose between attending a crowded event and getting recognized or prioritizing social distancing and being effectively erased from the ceremony .
As one of the few Black students at the school , she said she had been repeatedly isolated and singled out over the years .
Now Turney-Zapata found herself wondering if the school ’ s decision to not speak her name was racially motivated .
“ It was bad enough I couldn ’ t participate and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard to graduate early and get to this point ― to find out that nobody was even going to acknowledge it , it really hurt , it really hurt , ” said Turney-Zapata , a singer , who skipped a grade and is now studying for an audio arts certificate online .
In response to questions about the incident , Covenant Christian Academy said that it did not single out Turney-Zapata and that the action reflected a long-standing policy to leave out the names of students who do not attend their graduation ceremony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family a link to the livestream , the school did not mean to convey that the teen would be included in the event , wrote Greg Gillman , executive pastor of the Rock Family Worship Center , a church associated with the school .
Four students in total chose not to attend the graduation ceremony this year , and none of the four was mentioned during the ceremony or in the printed program .
Five hundred people were allowed to attend the event at Covenant Christian Academy , with each of the graduating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guests , according to emails reviewed by HuffPost .
Gillman noted that such numbers comply with Alabama guidelines and that the school took precautions like separating every row in the audience and leaving seats between households .
“ Please rest assured that neither Sylvia [ DeVine , the school superintendent ] nor anyone else at CCA treated Jessie differently because she chose not to walk in the graduation ceremony due to concerns over COVID-19 , which was absolutely her right and prerogative , or for any other reason , ” wrote Gillman .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ their standard , long-standing practices for graduation ceremonies at CCA and treated her absence in the same manner as others who chose not to walk for graduation this year or in any prior years.
” Additionally , Gillman dismissed concerns that Turney-Zapata may have been treated differently because of her race in this or other incidents over the years , stating that “ neither Jessie nor her family were ever subjected to any policies that others were not subjected to in like fashion.
” He said that he was shocked by such an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any such incident , it certainly should have been brought to someone ’ s attention at CCA long ago so it could have been swiftly addressed.
” The school ’ s ceremony ― originally scheduled for May but delayed because of COVID-19 ― appears to have flouted at least some of Alabama ’ s social distancing rules , though the school did not specifically respond to questions on this matter by press time .
At the start of the ceremony , the students crowded together on the stage were wearing masks , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their facial covering , video shows .
The obvious question then is why the school asked students to choose between attending a crowded event to be honored for their accomplishments or not being honored at all at a time when COVID-19 cases in Alabama are on the rise .
Indeed , a pastor at the Rock Family Worship Center recently tested positive for the virus .
The local public school system also held in-person graduation ceremonies this year .
After watching the ceremony from home , Turney-Zapata burned with embarrassment as those texts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her name wasn ’ t called .
She immediately went into the living room to play with her siblings in an effort to distract herself .
She couldn ’ t ignore her parents ’ sorrow , though .
She went to write in her journal and then cried with her mom until falling asleep .
“ For me looking back on it , the only thing I can think of ― there ’ s a little Black girl , trying to get something , trying to jump past everybody else , and at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she just doesn ’ t want to come over here , then she ’ s not going to get acknowledged , ” the teen said .
“ Even though they knew I would be watching it with my whole family , they never said my name .
They proceeded to say that those called out were the class of 2020 , which excluded me .
It hurts not getting acknowledged like the rest , ” she said on the video .
“ With that being said , I do not regret protecting my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

Jessie Skyy Turney-Zapata decided not to attend her high school graduation ceremony out of concerns about the coronavirus. So the school left her out of the ceremony entirely. Josh Jackson
Jessie Skyy Turney-Zapata, her siblings and her parents were piled on her bed Tuesday night, ready to watch a livestream of the 16-year-old’s high school graduation ceremony. Her mom had texted the livestream link to friends and family in three separate group chats, reminding them to tune in at 6 p.m. sharp. The house hummed with anticipation.
But as Turney-Zapata and her family watched, they saw that she was left out of the nearly two-hour Covenant Christian Academy celebration in Huntsville, Alabama. Her name was never called. Her accomplishments were never recited. The only record of her having attended the school was in a brief slideshow of pictures of all the new graduates. Texts and calls flooded in from family members asking what had happened, inquiring whether the senior had actually graduated, even though she has already started an online post-secondary program at Full Sail University.
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Turney-Zapata, 16, had chosen not to attend the graduation ceremony in person out of concern for the spread of COVID-19. When her mom told the school of her decision and said the family would be watching the ceremony online, the school superintendent replied that they would miss her, according to emails reviewed by HuffPost. Nothing was said about removing her name from the ceremony.
The teen and her family believe she was intentionally snubbed, making her wonder if she had essentially been forced to choose between attending a crowded event and getting recognized or prioritizing social distancing and being effectively erased from the ceremony. As one of the few Black students at the school, she said she had been repeatedly isolated and singled out over the years. Now Turney-Zapata found herself wondering if the school’s decision to not speak her name was racially motivated.
“It was bad enough I couldn’t participate and I missed prom. I had worked so hard to graduate early and get to this point ― to find out that nobody was even going to acknowledge it, it really hurt, it really hurt,” said Turney-Zapata, a singer, who skipped a grade and is now studying for an audio arts certificate online.
In response to questions about the incident, Covenant Christian Academy said that it did not single out Turney-Zapata and that the action reflected a long-standing policy to leave out the names of students who do not attend their graduation ceremony in person. In sending the Turney-Zapata family a link to the livestream, the school did not mean to convey that the teen would be included in the event, wrote Greg Gillman, executive pastor of the Rock Family Worship Center, a church associated with the school. Four students in total chose not to attend the graduation ceremony this year, and none of the four was mentioned during the ceremony or in the printed program.
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The private school’s long-standing policy was apparently not reconsidered in light of the coronavirus pandemic. There were “no others who were expressing concerns to not attend over COVID19, so a change of policy was not considered in the moment,” said Gillman.
Five hundred people were allowed to attend the event at Covenant Christian Academy, with each of the graduating students able to invite up to 12 guests, according to emails reviewed by HuffPost. Gillman noted that such numbers comply with Alabama guidelines and that the school took precautions like separating every row in the audience and leaving seats between households.
“Please rest assured that neither Sylvia [DeVine, the school superintendent] nor anyone else at CCA treated Jessie differently because she chose not to walk in the graduation ceremony due to concerns over COVID-19, which was absolutely her right and prerogative, or for any other reason,” wrote Gillman. “Sylvia and CCA were simply following their standard, long-standing practices for graduation ceremonies at CCA and treated her absence in the same manner as others who chose not to walk for graduation this year or in any prior years.”
Additionally, Gillman dismissed concerns that Turney-Zapata may have been treated differently because of her race in this or other incidents over the years, stating that “neither Jessie nor her family were ever subjected to any policies that others were not subjected to in like fashion.” He said that he was shocked by such an allegation: “If there ever were any such incident, it certainly should have been brought to someone’s attention at CCA long ago so it could have been swiftly addressed.”
The school’s ceremony ― originally scheduled for May but delayed because of COVID-19 ― appears to have flouted at least some of Alabama’s social distancing rules, though the school did not specifically respond to questions on this matter by press time. At the start of the ceremony, the students crowded together on the stage were wearing masks, but as the ceremony proceeded, most shed their facial covering, video shows.
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In Alabama, people are currently required to maintain six feet of distance from those not in their household at “non-work gatherings” and to wear masks in public when they are within 6 feet of others. Video of the event shows that those rules were disregarded.
The obvious question then is why the school asked students to choose between attending a crowded event to be honored for their accomplishments or not being honored at all at a time when COVID-19 cases in Alabama are on the rise. Indeed, a pastor at the Rock Family Worship Center recently tested positive for the virus. The local public school system also held in-person graduation ceremonies this year.
Turney-Zapata graduated early at the age of 16. Her father, Josh Jackson, took this socially distanced graduation photo. Josh Jackson
After watching the ceremony from home, Turney-Zapata burned with embarrassment as those texts poured in from family members asking why her name wasn’t called. She immediately went into the living room to play with her siblings in an effort to distract herself. She couldn’t ignore her parents’ sorrow, though. She went to write in her journal and then cried with her mom until falling asleep.
“For me looking back on it, the only thing I can think of ― there’s a little Black girl, trying to get something, trying to jump past everybody else, and at the end of the day, if she just doesn’t want to come over here, then she’s not going to get acknowledged,” the teen said.
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Children who “attend” Covenant Christian Academy are actually home-schooled. Per Alabama law, home-schooled children must still technically be enrolled in a private school. Home-schooling families like Turney-Zapata’s use the schools for course materials, extracurricular activities and field trips.
Jessie’s mother, Hannah Turney-Zapata, said the family often felt singled out at Covenant Christian Academy. Hannah, who is Black, is married to a white man, a fact that she felt put her family under additional scrutiny from school leaders. Ironically, she had chosen to home-school her children in part over fears of racism within the local public school system.
Earlier this year, a school administrator singled out the mother and daughter by asking if they were immigrants ― even though Jessie had been enrolled at the school since she was 3, they said.
“I don’t want to be the angry Black woman and I don’t want to see what’s not there, but every year, every single year, it’s just a problem. I’ve talked to the principal too many times,” the mother said.
“They lose my paperwork every year. I have to resubmit things every year. I’ve been told to follow rules no other family has to follow.”
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This week, family members from as far away as the U.S. Virgin Islands tuned in to watch the teen graduate. On Wednesday, the younger Turney-Zapata posted a Facebook video explaining what had happened.
“Even though they knew I would be watching it with my whole family, they never said my name. They proceeded to say that those called out were the class of 2020, which excluded me. It hurts not getting acknowledged like the rest,” she said on the video. “With that being said, I do not regret protecting my family [by staying home].”
Hannah Turney-Zapata said the simple act of wearing a mask or seeking to socially distance has become exceptionally polarized in their community, and now, her daughter may have borne the brunt of such divisiveness.
“Wearing a mask is not about keeping people safe in Huntsville, Alabama,” said the mother. “It’s about being one of those crazy liberals. It’s not about the disease.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-24--Judge Won't Block Federal Agents From Arresting Portland Protesters

Demonstrators have taken to the streets to oppose racial injustice since George Floyd ’ s death by Minneapolis police two months ago , and many have spiraled into violence .
President Donald Trump decried the disorder and sent in federal agents early this month to quell the unrest despite outcry from Democratic leaders in Oregon .
The clash has further inflamed the nation ’ s political tensions and triggered a crisis over the limits of federal power in states as Trump moves to send U.S. officers to other Democratic-led cities to combat crime .
It ’ s playing out as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order ” reelection strategy after the coronavirus crashed the economy .
Protesters in Portland have been targeting the federal courthouse , setting fires outside and vandalizing the building that U.S. authorities say they have a duty to protect .
Federal agents have used tear gas , less-lethal ammunition that left one person critically injured and other force to scatter protesters , and they have made arrests .
David Morrell , an attorney for the U.S. government , called the motion “ extraordinary ” and told the judge in a hearing this week that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few threadbare declarations ” from witnesses and a Twitter video .
Morrell called the protests “ dangerous and volatile.
” Before the aggressive language and action from federal officials , the unrest had frustrated Mayor Ted Wheeler and other local authorities , who had said a small cadre of violent activists were drowning out the message of peaceful protesters .
But the Democrat says the federal presence is exacerbating a tense situation and he ’ s repeatedly told them to leave .
Wheeler , who was tear-gassed as he joined protesters this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for not bringing the protests under control before federal officers arrived and for standing by as Portland police used tear gas and other tactics .
Homeland Security acting Secretary Chad Wolf denied that federal agents were inflaming the situation in Portland and said Wheeler legitimized criminality by going to the front of the crowd of demonstrators where fires were lit and people were trying to pull down the protective fence .
Trump has called protesters “ agitators & anarchists.
” With less than four months until Election Day , he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic rival Joe Biden is elected in November and Democrats have a chance to make the police reforms they have endorsed after the Floyd ’ s death .
In the lawsuit , Oregon had asked the judge to immediately command agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security , the Customs and Border Protection , the Federal Protective Service and the U.S .
Marshals Service to stop detaining protesters without probable cause , to identify themselves before arresting anyone and to explain why an arrest is taking place .
The number doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when federal officers again used tear gas to force thousands of demonstrators from crowding around a U.S. courthouse , a target of two months of nightly protests .
Protesters projected lasers on the building and tried to take down a security fence .
They scattered as clouds of gas rose up and agents fired crowd control munitions , which critically injured a demonstrator this month .
U.S. Judge Michael Simon had previously ruled that journalists and legal observers are exempt from police orders requiring protesters to disperse once an unlawful assembly has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalists should have to leave when ordered .
His order is in effect for two weeks , and he said journalists and observers must wear clear identification .
A freelance photographer covering the protests for The Associated Press submitted an affidavit saying he was beaten with batons and hit with chemical irritants and rubber bullets this week .

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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A U.S. judge Friday denied an order sought by Oregon’s top law enforcement officer to stop federal agents from arresting people during nightly protests in Portland that have roiled the progressive city and pitted local officials against the Trump administration.
U.S. District Court Judge Michael Mosman said the state lacked standing to sue on behalf of protesters.
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Demonstrators have taken to the streets to oppose racial injustice since George Floyd’s death by Minneapolis police two months ago, and many have spiraled into violence. President Donald Trump decried the disorder and sent in federal agents early this month to quell the unrest despite outcry from Democratic leaders in Oregon.
The clash has further inflamed the nation’s political tensions and triggered a crisis over the limits of federal power in states as Trump moves to send U.S. officers to other Democratic-led cities to combat crime. It’s playing out as Trump pushes a new “law and order” reelection strategy after the coronavirus crashed the economy.
Protesters in Portland have been targeting the federal courthouse, setting fires outside and vandalizing the building that U.S. authorities say they have a duty to protect. Federal agents have used tear gas, less-lethal ammunition that left one person critically injured and other force to scatter protesters, and they have made arrests.
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum sued the Trump administration last week, alleging federal agents have arrested protesters without probable cause, whisked them away in unmarked cars and used excessive force. U.S. authorities deny those accusations.
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She sought a temporary restraining order to “immediately stop federal authorities from unlawfully detaining Oregonians.”
David Morrell, an attorney for the U.S. government, called the motion “extraordinary” and told the judge in a hearing this week that it was based solely on “a few threadbare declarations” from witnesses and a Twitter video. Morrell called the protests “dangerous and volatile.”
Before the aggressive language and action from federal officials, the unrest had frustrated Mayor Ted Wheeler and other local authorities, who had said a small cadre of violent activists were drowning out the message of peaceful protesters. But the Democrat says the federal presence is exacerbating a tense situation and he’s repeatedly told them to leave.
Wheeler, who was tear-gassed as he joined protesters this week, has faced opposition from all sides, for not bringing the protests under control before federal officers arrived and for standing by as Portland police used tear gas and other tactics.
Homeland Security acting Secretary Chad Wolf denied that federal agents were inflaming the situation in Portland and said Wheeler legitimized criminality by going to the front of the crowd of demonstrators where fires were lit and people were trying to pull down the protective fence.
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Trump has called protesters “agitators & anarchists.” With less than four months until Election Day, he’s warned that violence will worsen if his Democratic rival Joe Biden is elected in November and Democrats have a chance to make the police reforms they have endorsed after the Floyd’s death.
In the lawsuit, Oregon had asked the judge to immediately command agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Protective Service and the U.S. Marshals Service to stop detaining protesters without probable cause, to identify themselves before arresting anyone and to explain why an arrest is taking place.
The action comes as U.S. agents have arrested 18 people in Portland this week as the clash with protesters turned chaotic for another night.
The number doesn’t include arrests made early Friday, when federal officers again used tear gas to force thousands of demonstrators from crowding around a U.S. courthouse, a target of two months of nightly protests. Protesters projected lasers on the building and tried to take down a security fence. They scattered as clouds of gas rose up and agents fired crowd control munitions, which critically injured a demonstrator this month.
The protesters who were arrested face federal charges including assaulting federal officers, arson and damaging federal property, U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams said. All the defendants are local, and they were released after making a court appearance.
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U.S. officers “working to protect the courthouse have been subjected to nightly threats and assaults from demonstrators while performing their duties,” according to a statement from Williams’ office.
Homeland Security acting Secretary Chad Wolf previously said 43 federal arrests had been made as of Tuesday.
The Oregon attorney general’s motion was one of several lawsuits against authorities’ actions. A different federal judge late Thursday blocked U.S. agents from arresting or using physical force against journalists and legal observers at demonstrations.
U.S. Judge Michael Simon had previously ruled that journalists and legal observers are exempt from police orders requiring protesters to disperse once an unlawful assembly has been declared. U.S. lawyers intervened, saying journalists should have to leave when ordered.
“This order is a victory for the rule of law,” said Jann Carson, interim executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon.
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The judge said First Amendment concerns held more sway than law enforcement objections.
“None of the government’s proffered interests outweigh the public’s interest in accurate and timely information about how law enforcement is treating” protesters, Simon wrote.
His order is in effect for two weeks, and he said journalists and observers must wear clear identification. A freelance photographer covering the protests for The Associated Press submitted an affidavit saying he was beaten with batons and hit with chemical irritants and rubber bullets this week.
The U.N. human rights office said Friday that protesters and journalists in American cities, including Portland, must be able to take part in peaceful demonstrations without risking arbitrary arrest, detention, unnecessary use of force or other violations of their rights.
The Justice Department’s inspector general says it will review the conduct of federal agents who responded to unrest in Portland and in Washington after concerns emerged from members of Congress and the public.
___
Follow Gillian Flaccus on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/gflaccus.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-24--Pelosi 'Couldn't Have Been Prouder' of Ocasio-Cortez's Response To GOP Rep's Sexism

Alex Wong via Getty Images Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) on June 27 , 2019 , at the Capitol in Washington .
WASHINGTON ― House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) said Friday that she “ couldn ’ t have been prouder ” of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) for her eloquent speech on the House floor in response to Rep. Ted Yoho ( R-Fla. ) , who accosted her at the Capitol and reportedly called her a “ fucking bitch.
” In an interview with MSNBC ’ s Andrea Mitchell , Pelosi was asked about President Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama-era anti-segregation housing rule for suburban communities .
The president nixed the rule in a pitch to “ suburban housewives ” as he flounders in the polls with suburban women voters .
Pelosi said the president ’ s move amounts to “ bigotry , fearmongering , condescension and distortion ” and then made the connection to Yoho ’ s verbal assault on Ocasio-Cortez .
“ It ’ s actually sort of in the same vein of Mr. Yoho , and weren ’ t we proud of Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez ?
” the House speaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two young granddaughters and a mother of four , during the course — I just want to say , ‘ You go , congresswoman .
You go , congresswoman.
’ But it ’ s the same condescension and disrespect.
” Ocasio-Cortez ’ s speech went viral and has been described as the most important feminist speech in a generation .
She said Yoho ’ s behavior highlights a culture of “ impunity ” that allows powerful men to make “ dehumanizing ” comments about women , even when they are colleagues .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ― he said if people misconstrued his comments , he apologized for “ their misunderstanding ” ― and took exception to the way Yoho invoked his image as a family man .
“ What Mr. Yoho did was give permission for men to use that language against his daughters , ” Ocasio-Cortez said .
“ Having a daughter does not make a man decent .
Having a wife does not make a decent man .
Treating people with dignity and respect makes a decent man.
” What was clear from Ocasio-Cortez ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day was his problem and continues to be his problem , ” Pelosi said .
“ She ’ s not taking any insult from him in terms of any diminishment of competence that she has as to who she is.
” Pelosi added that Yoho may have thought “ he had license to do that ” to Ocasio-Cortez because Trump has used similar language about women throughout his life .
“ That is well-known to people , ” Pelosi said .
“ Perhaps [ it is ] accepted as something that passes for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ side of the aisle .
”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on June 27, 2019, at the Capitol in Washington. Alex Wong via Getty Images
WASHINGTON ― House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Friday that she “couldn’t have been prouder” of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) for her eloquent speech on the House floor in response to Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.), who accosted her at the Capitol and reportedly called her a “fucking bitch.”
In an interview with MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell, Pelosi was asked about President Donald Trump’s recent repeal of an Obama-era anti-segregation housing rule for suburban communities. The president nixed the rule in a pitch to “suburban housewives” as he flounders in the polls with suburban women voters.
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Pelosi said the president’s move amounts to “bigotry, fearmongering, condescension and distortion” and then made the connection to Yoho’s verbal assault on Ocasio-Cortez.
“It’s actually sort of in the same vein of Mr. Yoho, and weren’t we proud of Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez?” the House speaker said. “As a grandmother of two young granddaughters and a mother of four, during the course — I just want to say, ‘You go, congresswoman. You go, congresswoman.’ But it’s the same condescension and disrespect.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s speech went viral and has been described as the most important feminist speech in a generation. She said Yoho’s behavior highlights a culture of “impunity” that allows powerful men to make “dehumanizing” comments about women, even when they are colleagues.
She also knocked Yoho for his nonapology apology ― he said if people misconstrued his comments, he apologized for “their misunderstanding” ― and took exception to the way Yoho invoked his image as a family man.
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“What Mr. Yoho did was give permission for men to use that language against his daughters,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “Having a daughter does not make a man decent. Having a wife does not make a decent man. Treating people with dignity and respect makes a decent man.”
What was clear from Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks is that “what happened that day was his problem and continues to be his problem,” Pelosi said. “She’s not taking any insult from him in terms of any diminishment of competence that she has as to who she is.”
Pelosi added that Yoho may have thought “he had license to do that” to Ocasio-Cortez because Trump has used similar language about women throughout his life.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-24--LeBron James Helping Florida Ex-Felons Pay Fees So They Can Vote

A voting rights group founded by NBA superstar LeBron James is raising funds to help people in Florida with felony records pay outstanding court debts that prevent them from voting , the group announced Friday .
More Than A Vote , a campaign the Los Angeles Lakers player started with other Black athletes and artists last month to fight Black voter suppression , is partnering with the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition ( FRRC ) , a group that helped end Florida ’ s lifetime voting ban for most people with felony convictions in 2018 .
They hope to raise $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who ’ s also a member of More Than A Vote , said in a statement that the thinking is simple : “ We believe that your right to vote shouldn ’ t depend upon whether or not you can pay to exercise it.
” The right to vote should not come with a price tag .
# MoreThanAVote @ morethanavote is stepping up to help @ FLRightsRestore ’ s efforts to pay these fines and restore our democracy : https : //t.co/48p39iS1fA pic.twitter.com/mbhoLeVgii — More Than A Vote ( @ morethanavote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around 1.4 million Floridians with felony convictions , the FRRC said .
And as of 2016 , one in five Black citizens in Florida were disenfranchised .
As Politico noted , as many as 775,000 people in Florida with felony convictions face financial penalties that render them ineligible to vote until they can pay them .
Those penalties come in the form of restitution , court fines or other fees associated with their past convictions .
Last week , the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Florida ’ s rule blocking people from voting if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which Gov .
Ron DeSantis ( R ) signed into law last year .
In her dissenting opinion , Justice Sonia Sotomayor argued the law disenfranchises people “ simply because they are poor.
” The FRRC , which has already raised more than $ 1.5 million for its fines and fees program , hopes teaming up with James ’ campaign will raise awareness around the issue .
“ This partnership will improve lives and strengthen our democracy , ” FRRC executive director Desmond Meade said , adding , “ We look forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on our communities and the lives of those who are hoping to vote and have their voices heard.
” While the deadline to register for Florida ’ s August primary has already passed , residents have until Oct. 5 to register for the presidential election on Nov. 3 .
Joe Biden , the presumptive Democratic nominee , currently holds a 13-point lead over President Donald Trump in the state , according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday .

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A voting rights group founded by NBA superstar LeBron James is raising funds to help people in Florida with felony records pay outstanding court debts that prevent them from voting, the group announced Friday.
More Than A Vote, a campaign the Los Angeles Lakers player started with other Black athletes and artists last month to fight Black voter suppression, is partnering with the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC), a group that helped end Florida’s lifetime voting ban for most people with felony convictions in 2018. They hope to raise $100,000.
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Miami Heat Forward Udonis Haslem, who’s also a member of More Than A Vote, said in a statement that the thinking is simple: “We believe that your right to vote shouldn’t depend upon whether or not you can pay to exercise it.”
The right to vote should not come with a price tag. #MoreThanAVote @morethanavote is stepping up to help @FLRightsRestore’s efforts to pay these fines and restore our democracy: https://t.co/48p39iS1fA pic.twitter.com/mbhoLeVgii — More Than A Vote (@morethanavote) July 24, 2020
There are around 1.4 million Floridians with felony convictions, the FRRC said. And as of 2016, one in five Black citizens in Florida were disenfranchised. As Politico noted, as many as 775,000 people in Florida with felony convictions face financial penalties that render them ineligible to vote until they can pay them.
Those penalties come in the form of restitution, court fines or other fees associated with their past convictions. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Florida’s rule blocking people from voting if they have any of those outstanding fees, which Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed into law last year. In her dissenting opinion, Justice Sonia Sotomayor argued the law disenfranchises people “simply because they are poor.”
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The FRRC, which has already raised more than $1.5 million for its fines and fees program, hopes teaming up with James’ campaign will raise awareness around the issue.
“This partnership will improve lives and strengthen our democracy,” FRRC executive director Desmond Meade said, adding, “We look forward to the positive impact it will have on our communities and the lives of those who are hoping to vote and have their voices heard.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-24--Trump Administration Plows Ahead On Alaska’s Pebble Mine

The pro-industry Trump administration has given its blessing to a massive proposed open-pit copper and gold mine in southwest Alaska , concluding that the project will not significantly damage the pristine environment .
The final environmental impact statement , published Friday , is the latest twist in a nearly 20-year fight over a Canadian company ’ s push to construct North America ’ s largest gold and copper mine at the headwaters of Bristol Bay , the most productive sockeye salmon fishery in the world .
The Obama administration worked to block Pebble Mine construction over concerns that it could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Trump and his team breathed new life into the project , and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determined Friday that the project would have no “ measurable ” effect on salmon stocks or the watershed .
Pebble Limited Partnership , the company behind the project , must still secure permits from the Corps and the state before it can begin construction .
In a statement last week , CEO Tom Collier said the final environmental analysis “ will mark one of the most significant milestones ” and show “ the tremendous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean for the residents of Southwest Alaska.
” “ We also know the project will make significant contributions to Alaska ’ s overall economy – something that is even more important given today ’ s time of tremendous economic uncertainty , ” Collier said .
Alaska native tribes that rely on the salmon fishery argue the risk of environmental disaster outweighs any potential economic benefits .
The United Tribes of Bristol Bay said in a statement on Thursday that the final EIS ignores science and community concerns .
“ Our cultures , communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and protecting this for generations to come is far more important than short-term profits , ” Ralph Andersen , the group ’ s president , said .
” The project would permanently destroy thousands of acres of wetlands and more than one hundred miles of streams , forever devastating our region .
Industrial mining is simply not compatible with our vision for the future in Bristol Bay and we will do whatever it takes to stop this toxic project.
” Pebble Limited Partnership plans to extract some 1.4 billion tons of gold- and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worth as much as $ 500 billion .
The operation would permanently damage more than 2,200 acres of wetlands and more than 100 miles of streams , according to the final EIS .
“ The last minute change in a transportation route won ’ t mitigate the nightmare this project poses to water , fish , indigenous people and the region ’ s whole way of life , ” Joel Reynolds , a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council , said in a Friday statement .
“ Pebble Mine is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to happen , and we will challenge it at every step.
” Friday ’ s action comes two days after Congress passed what ’ s been hailed as the most significant conservation legislation in a generation .
President Donald Trump has promised to sign the bill into law , which will fix crumbling national park infrastructure and permanently fund a decades-old conservation program .
Meanwhile , the president and his team ― the most anti-conservation administration in history , according to a recent analysis ― continue their race to advance extraction and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of environmental safeguards .
On Thursday , for example , the Interior Department approved a 211-mile mining road that will cut through a portion of Alaska ’ s pristine Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve .

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The pro-industry Trump administration has given its blessing to a massive proposed open-pit copper and gold mine in southwest Alaska, concluding that the project will not significantly damage the pristine environment.
The final environmental impact statement, published Friday, is the latest twist in a nearly 20-year fight over a Canadian company’s push to construct North America’s largest gold and copper mine at the headwaters of Bristol Bay, the most productive sockeye salmon fishery in the world.
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The Obama administration worked to block Pebble Mine construction over concerns that it could destroy the bay and salmon fishery. But Trump and his team breathed new life into the project, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determined Friday that the project would have no “measurable” effect on salmon stocks or the watershed.
Pebble Limited Partnership, the company behind the project, must still secure permits from the Corps and the state before it can begin construction. In a statement last week, CEO Tom Collier said the final environmental analysis “will mark one of the most significant milestones” and show “the tremendous economic opportunity a project like Pebble could mean for the residents of Southwest Alaska.”
“We also know the project will make significant contributions to Alaska’s overall economy – something that is even more important given today’s time of tremendous economic uncertainty,” Collier said.
Alaska native tribes that rely on the salmon fishery argue the risk of environmental disaster outweighs any potential economic benefits. The United Tribes of Bristol Bay said in a statement on Thursday that the final EIS ignores science and community concerns.
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“Our cultures, communities and economies rely on our clean water and protecting this for generations to come is far more important than short-term profits,” Ralph Andersen, the group’s president, said. ”The project would permanently destroy thousands of acres of wetlands and more than one hundred miles of streams, forever devastating our region. Industrial mining is simply not compatible with our vision for the future in Bristol Bay and we will do whatever it takes to stop this toxic project.”
Pebble Limited Partnership plans to extract some 1.4 billion tons of gold- and copper-rich material over a 20-year period, worth as much as $500 billion. The operation would permanently damage more than 2,200 acres of wetlands and more than 100 miles of streams, according to the final EIS.
Environmental groups promise to continue fighting the administration in court.
“The last minute change in a transportation route won’t mitigate the nightmare this project poses to water, fish, indigenous people and the region’s whole way of life,” Joel Reynolds, a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in a Friday statement. “Pebble Mine is a failed investment and an environmental disaster waiting to happen, and we will challenge it at every step.”
Friday’s action comes two days after Congress passed what’s been hailed as the most significant conservation legislation in a generation. President Donald Trump has promised to sign the bill into law, which will fix crumbling national park infrastructure and permanently fund a decades-old conservation program.
Meanwhile, the president and his team ― the most anti-conservation administration in history, according to a recent analysis ― continue their race to advance extraction and other development projects and roll back a slew of environmental safeguards. On Thursday, for example, the Interior Department approved a 211-mile mining road that will cut through a portion of Alaska’s pristine Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-24--How Hotels And Private Equity Firms Are Plying Congress For A New Bailout

As the coronavirus pandemic has crushed demand for hotel rooms , these loans now face a wave of defaults .
Hotel owners like CMBS deals because they offer lower interest rates than other lending arrangements , but those cheaper rates come at a price .
Most CMBS deals require stricter repayment terms with more limited flexibility than traditional bank loans .
If a hotel gets into trouble on a CMBS loan , it ’ s designed to be very difficult to cut them a break .
“ In fact , we have a letter that we created that well over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Treasury ― Democrats and Republicans alike ― asking them to help solve this problem , ” Rogers said in an interview with Rupesh Patel , a Florida hotel owner and industry analyst .
The thoroughly bipartisan letter , sent to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell in June , warned that if the CMBS “ crisis ” goes unchecked , “ it may lead to a wave of foreclosures , exacerbating the current downturn in the U.S. economy and ultimately result in permanent job loss in multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To put it more precisely : Hotels and investors that agreed to a specific risky type of loan are now asking for a specific generous government rescue .
And the lobbying organization may or may not have actually written the letter that purported to be from members of Congress .
A spokeswoman for the letter ’ s lead Republican author , Rep. Van Taylor ( Texas ) , said the congressman “ absolutely ” wrote the letter , not the hotel association , and that “ hundreds ” of his constituents had reached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Securitized commercial loans are used for all manner of businesses , including multifamily housing , warehouses and shopping malls .
An AHLA spokesperson said Rogers simply misspoke about orchestrating the letter .
The organization supported the missive , but it did not write it , the spokesperson added .
Rogers had in mind the organization ’ s own letters to policymakers , she said , characterizing his remark as an “ honest mistake.
” The hotel industry and its peers in commercial real estate have not been shy about their need for more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instance , the AHLA and related trade groups directly asked the Senate Banking Committee for looser eligibility standards for the programs Congress created in March to help businesses weather the pandemic recession .
In a letter to Congress of its own , the union said that its own analysis of the $ 14 billion ’ s worth of CMBS loans near default revealed that most of the money “ was owed by large private equity companies , real estate investment trusts or other sophisticated real estate investors ” ― the major institutions that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defaulted en masse before .
In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis , billions of dollars worth of CMBS collapsed .
It was , of course , a disaster for major investors .
But the results for workers were not terribly significant , Unite Here argued .
New investors took over the hotels , which continued to operate without “ loss of hotel jobs or loss of local tax revenue in our experience.
” In the podcast interview this week , Rogers displayed little modesty about his lobbying prowess .
He described @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to qualify for payroll money even though their parent companies were too large to qualify .
He also took credit for subsequent changes to the program ’ s deadlines and the amount of money recipients were required to spend on payroll .
“ We were able to get the affiliation rules waived so that it applied to virtually every hotel in the country , ” Rogers said .
“ Then we came back and got the PPP extensions .
And then we came back and got the PPP flexibility that moved all those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as opposed to June 30 .
”

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Big hotels, private equity firms and hedge funds are seeking a new government coronavirus bailout, and more than 100 members of Congress from both parties are taking up their cause.
Hotels and major institutional investors are already eligible for an array of emergency government funding programs, from the small business-focused Paycheck Protection Program to the Federal Reserve’s multitrillion-dollar corporate bond-buying program. But a behind-the-scenes lobbying effort could persuade Congress to funnel even more money to these firms, with fewer strings attached.
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At issue are specialty investments known as commercial mortgage-backed securities, or CMBS. Similar in design to the mortgage bonds that crashed the economy in 2008, CMBS pool real estate loans from businesses and then sell pieces of the deal to institutional investors.
As the coronavirus pandemic has crushed demand for hotel rooms, these loans now face a wave of defaults. Hotel owners like CMBS deals because they offer lower interest rates than other lending arrangements, but those cheaper rates come at a price. Most CMBS deals require stricter repayment terms with more limited flexibility than traditional bank loans. If a hotel gets into trouble on a CMBS loan, it’s designed to be very difficult to cut them a break.
Now hotel owners are loudly complaining that their payments are unaffordable. They include some of the most powerful voices in Washington: hedge funds, private equity firms and other major institutional investors.
Only a few months ago, almost no lawmaker on Capitol Hill knew what the acronym CMBS stood for, lobbyist William “Chip” Rogers, president of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, boasted in a podcast interview Wednesday. Today, dozens are pushing to bail them out.
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“In fact, we have a letter that we created that well over 100 members of Congress signed to send to the Treasury ― Democrats and Republicans alike ― asking them to help solve this problem,” Rogers said in an interview with Rupesh Patel, a Florida hotel owner and industry analyst.
The thoroughly bipartisan letter, sent to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell in June, warned that if the CMBS “crisis” goes unchecked, “it may lead to a wave of foreclosures, exacerbating the current downturn in the U.S. economy and ultimately result in permanent job loss in multiple industries and communities across the country.”
The letter did not specifically mention hotels but asked the Federal Reserve to create a “relief plan for these borrowers” on top of the relief plans that Congress has already created for businesses big and small.
To put it more precisely: Hotels and investors that agreed to a specific risky type of loan are now asking for a specific generous government rescue. And the lobbying organization may or may not have actually written the letter that purported to be from members of Congress.
Congress will likely pass one more major coronavirus relief package before going on its August recess. Senate Republicans plan to introduce their opening bid next week, just as eviction protections and expanded unemployment benefits from earlier coronavirus bills expire.
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Rep. Van Taylor (R-Texas) walks down the House steps after a vote on Sept. 18, 2019. Bill Clark via Getty Images
A spokeswoman for the letter’s lead Republican author, Rep. Van Taylor (Texas), said the congressman “absolutely” wrote the letter, not the hotel association, and that “hundreds” of his constituents had reached out to him on the issue. Securitized commercial loans are used for all manner of businesses, including multifamily housing, warehouses and shopping malls.
The letter’s lead Democrat, Rep. Denny Heck (Wash.), said he has focused on heading off another financial crisis since joining Congress in 2013.
“I’ve sent letters to the Fed and Treasury on both residential and commercial MBS asking what they can do to prevent a foreclosure wave because I don’t think widespread foreclosures are good for anyone,” Heck said in a statement. “That includes the hotel industry and its employees. On this aspect of the problem, I am working to bring labor and ownership together to find a solution that protects businesses, protects jobs and averts foreclosures.”
An AHLA spokesperson said Rogers simply misspoke about orchestrating the letter. The organization supported the missive, but it did not write it, the spokesperson added. Rogers had in mind the organization’s own letters to policymakers, she said, characterizing his remark as an “honest mistake.”
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The hotel industry and its peers in commercial real estate have not been shy about their need for more help. Earlier this week, for instance, the AHLA and related trade groups directly asked the Senate Banking Committee for looser eligibility standards for the programs Congress created in March to help businesses weather the pandemic recession.
Lobbyists do frequently ghostwrite such letters for lawmakers in Washington and are commonly involved in drafting legislative language.
Contrary to the letter’s claim, bailing out commercial mortgage-backed securities wouldn’t benefit workers, according to Unite Here, a union that represents 300,000 hospitality employees and that has battled against the hotel industry over unionization efforts at various hotels.
In a letter to Congress of its own, the union said that its own analysis of the $14 billion’s worth of CMBS loans near default revealed that most of the money “was owed by large private equity companies, real estate investment trusts or other sophisticated real estate investors” ― the major institutions that owned the hotels.
One of the largest CMBS borrowers that would benefit from a bailout is Colony Capital, a private equity firm run by Thomas Barrack, chair of President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee, Unite Here said.
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Thomas Barrack speaks at a gala at The Plaza Hotel in New York on Nov. 12, 2018. Jared Siskin via Getty Images
CMBS loans have defaulted en masse before. In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, billions of dollars worth of CMBS collapsed. It was, of course, a disaster for major investors. But the results for workers were not terribly significant, Unite Here argued. New investors took over the hotels, which continued to operate without “loss of hotel jobs or loss of local tax revenue in our experience.”
Michael Greenberger, a University of Maryland law professor and expert on financial derivatives, assailed the letter as an example of undemocratic favoritism for large financial institutions.
“This is sort of special pleading for one group,” Greenberger said. “No doubt that group needs help, but as the days go on, everybody needs help.”
Hotels have received help from the program Congress created in response to the pandemic. The accommodation and food service industry, which includes hotels, got 8% of PPP loans, ranking fifth among all industries.
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In the podcast interview this week, Rogers displayed little modesty about his lobbying prowess. He described how he made sure Congress allowed franchisees to qualify for payroll money even though their parent companies were too large to qualify. He also took credit for subsequent changes to the program’s deadlines and the amount of money recipients were required to spend on payroll.
“We were able to get the affiliation rules waived so that it applied to virtually every hotel in the country,” Rogers said. “Then we came back and got the PPP extensions. And then we came back and got the PPP flexibility that moved all those dates into the end of this year as opposed to June 30.”
The hotel industry may have supported those changes, but lawmakers were transparent about their desire for all manner of businesses to have more flexibility with the payroll funds, which had been authorized in an admittedly rushed manner.
One hotel owner who availed himself of PPP funds was Monty Bennett, a Trump campaign donor whose firm, the Ashford Group of Companies, runs 128 hotels that collectively received $58 million. His companies returned the money amid an outcry since the program was intended for small businesses rather than large publicly traded companies.
Bennett also happens to owe the largest amount of troubled CMBS, according to Unite Here. He said last month that the hotel industry “needs grants along the lines of what the airline industry has received.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-24--Turkey's Hagia Sophia Opens As A Mosque For The First Time In Decades

ISTANBUL ( AP ) — Fulfilling a dream of his Islamic-oriented youth , Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined hundreds of worshipers Friday for the first Muslim prayers in 86 years inside Hagia Sophia , the Istanbul landmark that served as one of Christendom ’ s most significant cathedrals , a mosque and a museum before its conversion back into a Muslim place of worship .
Thousands of other Muslim faithful came from across Turkey and quickly filled specially designated areas outside of the Byzantine era monument to join in the inaugural prayers .
Many others were turned away , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the United States announced a “ day of mourning ” over Hagia Sophia ’ s return as a mosque .
The prayers began with Erdogan reciting from the Quran .
The head of Turkey ’ s religious authority , Ali Erbas , led the ceremony and prayed that Muslims would never again be “ denied ” the right to worship at the internationally celebrated 6th century structure .
Brushing aside international criticism , Erdogan issued a decree restoring the iconic building as a mosque earlier this month , shortly after a Turkish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been illegally made into a museum more than eight decades ago .
The structure , listed as UNESCO World Heritage site , has since been renamed “ The Grand Hagia Sophia Mosque.
” The move sparked dismay in Greece , the United States and among Christian churches who had called on Erdogan to maintain it as a museum as a nod to Istanbul ’ s multi-religious heritage and the structure ’ s status as a symbol of Christian and Muslim unity .
Pope Francis expressed his sadness .
Built by the Byzantine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was turned into a mosque with the 1453 Ottoman conquest of Istanbul .
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk , the founding leader of the secular Turkish republic converted the structure into a museum in 1934 .
Although an annex to the Hagia Sophia , the Sultan ’ s pavilion , has been open to prayers since the 1990s , religious and nationalists group in Turkey have long yearned for the nearly 1,500-year-old edifice , which they regard as the legacy of Ottoman Sultan Mehmet the Conquerer , to be reverted into a mosque .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its captivity chains .
It was the greatest dream of our youth , ” Erdogan said last week .
“ It was the yearning of our people and it has been accomplished.
” Erdogan also described its conversion into a museum by the republic ’ s founding leaders as a mistake that is being rectified .
In neighboring Greece , bells tolled and flags flew at half-staff at hundreds of churches across the country in protest at the decision to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque .
The Greek Orthodox Church leader , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service at Athens Cathedral later Friday .
Churches in Athens , Greece ’ s second-largest city , Thessaloniki , are also organizing vigils .
“ Today is a difficult day .. a shadow hangs over us with the transformation of Hagia Sophia into a mosque — something that genuinely shocks Christians all over the world and not only Greeks , ” Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas said in an interview with private channel Open TV .
“ We have warned for some time that this will create an unbridgeable gap between Turkey and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religious traditions of the predominantly Greek-speaking and Orthodox Christian Byzantine Empire remain influential in Greece .
The church protests also occurred amid a volatile dispute between Greece and Turkey over mineral rights in the eastern Mediterranean , with the Greek military on alert over a planned Turkish maritime survey in waters claimed by Greece .
In New York , the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America , called the inaugural prayers a “ cultural and spiritual misappropriation and a violation of all standards of religious harmony and mutual respect.
” Archbishop Elpidophoros of America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in Washington on Thursday to discuss concerns over the reconversion .
In Istanbul , hundreds had camped near the structure overnight .
Dozens of worshipers broke through one police checkpoint to rush toward Hagia Sophia and social distancing practices , in place due to the coronavirus outbreak , were being ignored , Turkish media reported .
Turkey has vowed to protect Hagia Sophia ’ s artifacts and has said it will remain open to visits by Muslims and non-Muslims outside of prayer hours .
The structure ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ covered with sail-like white drapes during the prayers .

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ISTANBUL (AP) — Fulfilling a dream of his Islamic-oriented youth, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined hundreds of worshipers Friday for the first Muslim prayers in 86 years inside Hagia Sophia, the Istanbul landmark that served as one of Christendom’s most significant cathedrals, a mosque and a museum before its conversion back into a Muslim place of worship.
Thousands of other Muslim faithful came from across Turkey and quickly filled specially designated areas outside of the Byzantine era monument to join in the inaugural prayers. Many others were turned away, while Orthodox Christian church leaders in Greece and the United States announced a “day of mourning” over Hagia Sophia’s return as a mosque.
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The prayers began with Erdogan reciting from the Quran. The head of Turkey’s religious authority, Ali Erbas, led the ceremony and prayed that Muslims would never again be “denied” the right to worship at the internationally celebrated 6th century structure.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, recites from the Quran during Friday prayers in Hagia Sophia on July 24, 2020. (Turkish Presidency via AP, Pool)
As many as many as 350,000 people took part in Friday’s prayers, the president said.
Brushing aside international criticism, Erdogan issued a decree restoring the iconic building as a mosque earlier this month, shortly after a Turkish high court ruled that the Hagia Sophia had been illegally made into a museum more than eight decades ago. The structure, listed as UNESCO World Heritage site, has since been renamed “The Grand Hagia Sophia Mosque.”
The move sparked dismay in Greece, the United States and among Christian churches who had called on Erdogan to maintain it as a museum as a nod to Istanbul’s multi-religious heritage and the structure’s status as a symbol of Christian and Muslim unity. Pope Francis expressed his sadness.
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Built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in 537, Hagia Sophia was turned into a mosque with the 1453 Ottoman conquest of Istanbul. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founding leader of the secular Turkish republic converted the structure into a museum in 1934.
Although an annex to the Hagia Sophia, the Sultan’s pavilion, has been open to prayers since the 1990s, religious and nationalists group in Turkey have long yearned for the nearly 1,500-year-old edifice, which they regard as the legacy of Ottoman Sultan Mehmet the Conquerer, to be reverted into a mosque.
“This is Hagia Sophia breaking away from its captivity chains. It was the greatest dream of our youth,” Erdogan said last week. “It was the yearning of our people and it has been accomplished.” Erdogan also described its conversion into a museum by the republic’s founding leaders as a mistake that is being rectified.
Muslims pray during Friday prayers in the historic Sultanahmet district of Istanbul, near the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia, in the background, on Friday, July 24, 2020. (AP Photo/Yasin Akgul)
In neighboring Greece, bells tolled and flags flew at half-staff at hundreds of churches across the country in protest at the decision to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque. The Greek Orthodox Church leader, Archbishiop Ieronymos, will hold a special service at Athens Cathedral later Friday. Churches in Athens, Greece’s second-largest city, Thessaloniki, are also organizing vigils.
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“Today is a difficult day .. a shadow hangs over us with the transformation of Hagia Sophia into a mosque — something that genuinely shocks Christians all over the world and not only Greeks,” Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas said in an interview with private channel Open TV. “We have warned for some time that this will create an unbridgeable gap between Turkey and the Christian world.”
Imams read sermons as Friday as dignitaries, including Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, take part in Friday prayers at the Hagia Sophia on July 24, 2020. (Turkish Presidency via AP, Pool)
The history and religious traditions of the predominantly Greek-speaking and Orthodox Christian Byzantine Empire remain influential in Greece. The church protests also occurred amid a volatile dispute between Greece and Turkey over mineral rights in the eastern Mediterranean, with the Greek military on alert over a planned Turkish maritime survey in waters claimed by Greece.
In New York, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, called the inaugural prayers a “cultural and spiritual misappropriation and a violation of all standards of religious harmony and mutual respect.” Archbishop Elpidophoros of America held a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in Washington on Thursday to discuss concerns over the reconversion.
In his sermon, Erbas said Mehmet the Conqueror had endowed Hagia Sophia “to believers on condition that it should remain a mosque until the last day.
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“Any property that is endowed is inviolable in our belief and burns whoever touches it,” Erbas said.
In Istanbul, hundreds had camped near the structure overnight. Dozens of worshipers broke through one police checkpoint to rush toward Hagia Sophia and social distancing practices, in place due to the coronavirus outbreak, were being ignored, Turkish media reported.
Turkey has vowed to protect Hagia Sophia’s artifacts and has said it will remain open to visits by Muslims and non-Muslims outside of prayer hours. The structure’s mosaics depicting Christian figures are being covered with sail-like white drapes during the prayers.
An interior view of the Hagia Sophia Mosque after being converted from a museum back into a mosque. (Photo by Denis Solovykh\TASS via Getty Images)


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-24--Trump’s Campaign Manager Says The Polls Are ‘Askew’

Donald Trump ’ s new presidential campaign manager said Friday that public polls were underestimating support for the president , making a more academic version of his boss ’ assertion that polls showing him badly trailing presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden are “ fake.
” “ National polls keep getting it wrong , ” said Bill Stepien , a former top aide to then-New Jersey Gov .
Chris Christie who replaced Brad Parscale as Trump ’ s campaign manager last week .
“ National polls are often askew from what 2016 exit polls were.
” In a briefing for reporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state-level surveys of the presidential race are undercounting Republicans , noting the percentage of Republican voters in many polling samples is lower than state percentages of registered Republican voters .
Pollsters typically do not weight their results to reflect states ’ party registration breakdowns — as they often do with demographics like gender , race , age or education levels —because survey respondents often say they identify with a party different than the one they are registered with .
For example , many voters in Appalachian regions registered as Democrats years ago , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now consider themselves Republicans .
Stepien ’ s argument , in addition to echoing Trump ’ s recent claim that polls showing him losing were “ fake in 2016 , and now they ’ re even more fake , ” also resembles an argument frequently trotted out to explain GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney ’ s deficit against President Barack Obama in 2012 .
President Donald Trump has long argued that polls showing him trailing presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden are fake .
His advisers made a more advanced version of the argument @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knock-down , drag-out fight to the very end ” between Trump and Biden .
He said the campaign was confident in its strategy and planning , noting it had deployed ground staffers for more than a year in key states like North Carolina .
The Biden campaign only began rolling out state-level staffers in recent weeks .
“ We know here at our headquarters what our internal numbers say , and it ’ s why we exude the quiet confidence in our plan and in our mission , ” Stepien said .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pour resources into Georgia and Texas , two traditionally GOP-leaning states where surveys have shown a close race and where some Republicans have expressed concern about Trump ’ s standing in populous suburban counties .
“ I would invite the Biden campaign to play in Texas .
They should play hard .
They should go after Texas really , really heavily , spend a lot of money in the Dallas and Houston media markets , ” he told reporters .
“ I ’ ll even buy their first ad.
” While Stepien was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending tells a different tale about Trump ’ s standing in Georgia and Texas .
Trump has already spent nearly $ 5 million on ads in Texas , according to the ad tracking service Kantar/CMAG , and $ 3 million in Georgia .
Biden has spent just $ 1 million in Texas and $ 500,000 in Georgia .

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Donald Trump’s new presidential campaign manager said Friday that public polls were underestimating support for the president, making a more academic version of his boss’ assertion that polls showing him badly trailing presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden are “fake.”
“National polls keep getting it wrong,” said Bill Stepien, a former top aide to then-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie who replaced Brad Parscale as Trump’s campaign manager last week. “National polls are often askew from what 2016 exit polls were.”
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In a briefing for reporters, Stepien argued that many national and state-level surveys of the presidential race are undercounting Republicans, noting the percentage of Republican voters in many polling samples is lower than state percentages of registered Republican voters.
Pollsters typically do not weight their results to reflect states’ party registration breakdowns — as they often do with demographics like gender, race, age or education levels —because survey respondents often say they identify with a party different than the one they are registered with. For example, many voters in Appalachian regions registered as Democrats years ago, even though they hold conservative views and now consider themselves Republicans.
Stepien’s argument, in addition to echoing Trump’s recent claim that polls showing him losing were “fake in 2016, and now they’re even more fake,” also resembles an argument frequently trotted out to explain GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s deficit against President Barack Obama in 2012.
President Donald Trump has long argued that polls showing him trailing presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden are fake. His advisers made a more advanced version of the argument on Friday. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI via Getty Images
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Stepien predicted a “knock-down, drag-out fight to the very end” between Trump and Biden. He said the campaign was confident in its strategy and planning, noting it had deployed ground staffers for more than a year in key states like North Carolina. The Biden campaign only began rolling out state-level staffers in recent weeks.
“We know here at our headquarters what our internal numbers say, and it’s why we exude the quiet confidence in our plan and in our mission,” Stepien said.
He also mockingly invited the Biden campaign to pour resources into Georgia and Texas, two traditionally GOP-leaning states where surveys have shown a close race and where some Republicans have expressed concern about Trump’s standing in populous suburban counties.
“I would invite the Biden campaign to play in Texas. They should play hard. They should go after Texas really, really heavily, spend a lot of money in the Dallas and Houston media markets,” he told reporters. “I’ll even buy their first ad.”
While Stepien was publicly bullish, the campaign’s spending tells a different tale about Trump’s standing in Georgia and Texas. Trump has already spent nearly $5 million on ads in Texas, according to the ad tracking service Kantar/CMAG, and $3 million in Georgia. Biden has spent just $1 million in Texas and $500,000 in Georgia.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-24--Reindeer Herders Find Well-Preserved Mammoth Skeleton In Siberian Lake

ASSOCIATED PRESS Local reindeer herders in Siberia found fragments of a mammoth skeleton a few days ago .
Scientists hope to retrieve the entire skeleton - a rare find that could help deepen the knowledge about mammoths that have died out around 10,000 years ago .
MOSCOW ( AP ) — Russian scientists are working to retrieve the well-preserved skeleton of a woolly mammoth , which has some ligaments still attached to it , from a lake in northern Siberia .
Fragments of the skeleton were found by local reindeer herders in the shallows of Pechevalavato Lake on the Yamalo-Nenets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found part of the animal 's skull , the lower jaw , several ribs , and a foot fragment with sinews still intact .
Woolly mammoths are thought to have died out around 10,000 years ago , although scientists think small groups of them may have lived on longer in Alaska and on Russia ’ s Wrangel Island off the Siberian coast .
Russian television stations on Friday showed scientists looking for fragments of the skeleton in the lakeside silt .
Scientists have retrieved more bones and also located more massive fragments protruding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would take significant time and special equipment to recover the rest of the skeleton — if it had all survived in position .
Yevgeniya Khozyainova of the Shemanovsky Institute in Salekhard said in televised remarks that finding the complete skeleton of a mammoth is relatively rare .
Such finds allow scientists to deepen their understanding of mammoths .
Several well-preserved frozen carcasses of mammoths have been found in the permafrost of northern Siberia .
Siberia is undergoing a heat wave and the U.N. weather agency warned Friday that average temperatures were 10 degrees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last month .

Local reindeer herders in Siberia found fragments of a mammoth skeleton a few days ago. Scientists hope to retrieve the entire skeleton - a rare find that could help deepen the knowledge about mammoths that have died out around 10,000 years ago. ASSOCIATED PRESS
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian scientists are working to retrieve the well-preserved skeleton of a woolly mammoth, which has some ligaments still attached to it, from a lake in northern Siberia.
Fragments of the skeleton were found by local reindeer herders in the shallows of Pechevalavato Lake on the Yamalo-Nenets region a few days ago. They found part of the animal's skull, the lower jaw, several ribs, and a foot fragment with sinews still intact.
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Woolly mammoths are thought to have died out around 10,000 years ago, although scientists think small groups of them may have lived on longer in Alaska and on Russia’s Wrangel Island off the Siberian coast.
Russian television stations on Friday showed scientists looking for fragments of the skeleton in the lakeside silt.
Scientists have retrieved more bones and also located more massive fragments protruding from the silt. They said it would take significant time and special equipment to recover the rest of the skeleton — if it had all survived in position.
Yevgeniya Khozyainova of the Shemanovsky Institute in Salekhard said in televised remarks that finding the complete skeleton of a mammoth is relatively rare. Such finds allow scientists to deepen their understanding of mammoths.
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Several well-preserved frozen carcasses of mammoths have been found in the permafrost of northern Siberia.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-24--As A Candidate, Trump Asked FBI In Intelligence Briefing: 'Are The Russians Bad?'

When the FBI gave candidate Donald Trump his first intelligence briefing in 2016 and warned that foreign agents might try to infiltrate his campaign , Trump asked , “ Are the Russians bad ?
” according to an official summary of the meeting obtained by Politico .
The summary was filed as part of Operation Hurricane , the code name for the FBI investigation launched in August 2016 into suspected Kremlin interference in that year ’ s election and possible ties to the Trump campaign .
Trump-appointed Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe declassified and released the summary of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate Republicans looking to present the FBI as targeting Trump even before his election .
But Trump ’ s own comments about Russia , related in the FBI summary , place him in a less-than-favorable light — revealing him to be either incredibly gullible and unsophisticated in his understanding , or deliberately disingenuous about Russia .
Michael Flynn , who would later go on to be Trump ’ s national security adviser , and former New Jersey Gov .
Chris Christie , Trump ’ s transition team leader , were also at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Pientka presented them with the basics of the threat to U.S. security .
According to Pientka ’ s summary , Trump asked him if the Russians were more dangerous than the Chinese because they have more operatives in the U.S .
The agent said both countries are bad and told the men that the number of operatives was “ not an indicator of the severity of the threat , ” according to the document .
According to the summary , Trump also asked which country , Russia or China , was worse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing bans and was told : “ They are both bad , but Russia is worse.
” Pientka also said he warned the men that foreign agents might try to approach their relatives , friends and campaign staff in the U.S. to obtain “ information pertaining to political , economic , energy , technology and military policy/plans of the U.S. ” in order to “ collect inside information to give their country a competitive advantage over the U.S. ” Trump was also advised to take special care with phone and electronic communications that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summary .
Trump has repeatedly used his personal cell phone for official conversations , despite warnings from aides not to do so .
Pientka , who would continue to be part of the Russia investigation , noted in his summary of the meeting that he was on the alert for any comments on Russia from the Trump team .
“ During the [ intelligence ] briefs , writer actively listened for topics or questions regarding the Russian Federation , ” he wrote .
Former White House Secretary Sarah Sanders told Fox News Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was out to “ take down ” Trump .
But the transcript clearly shows Pientka offering advice to Trump and his team on how to deal with possible overtures by foreign agents .
He was not questioning them .
At the time of the briefing , the FBI had disturbing indications of Russian interference in the 2016 election , including a Kremlin-orchestrated hack of emails from the Democratic National Committee , which were published by WikiLeaks and benefited the Trump campaign .
Despite his repeated insistence that the probe into Russian election interference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has also attacked his predecessor Barack Obama for not being aggressive enough in investigating Russia ’ s actions .
Robert Mueller ’ s special counsel report last year concluded that the “ Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in sweeping and systematic fashion ” in a way that “ favored ” Trump .
The report also noted numerous contacts between members of the Trump campaign and Kremlin representatives .
By 2016 , Trump had a long business history with Russia , and was even working to get a Trump tower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the president ’ s sons , told a golf journalist in 2014 that the Trump Organization had “ all the funding we need out of Russia ” — which he later denied saying .

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When the FBI gave candidate Donald Trump his first intelligence briefing in 2016 and warned that foreign agents might try to infiltrate his campaign, Trump asked, “Are the Russians bad?” according to an official summary of the meeting obtained by Politico.
The summary was filed as part of Operation Hurricane, the code name for the FBI investigation launched in August 2016 into suspected Kremlin interference in that year’s election and possible ties to the Trump campaign.
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Trump-appointed Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe declassified and released the summary of the briefing this week at the behest of Senate Republicans looking to present the FBI as targeting Trump even before his election.
But Trump’s own comments about Russia, related in the FBI summary, place him in a less-than-favorable light — revealing him to be either incredibly gullible and unsophisticated in his understanding, or deliberately disingenuous about Russia.
Michael Flynn, who would later go on to be Trump’s national security adviser, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Trump’s transition team leader, were also at the 13-minute briefing, in which FBI agent Joe Pientka presented them with the basics of the threat to U.S. security.
According to Pientka’s summary, Trump asked him if the Russians were more dangerous than the Chinese because they have more operatives in the U.S.
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The agent said both countries are bad and told the men that the number of operatives was “not an indicator of the severity of the threat,” according to the document.
The FBI agent then shared that when he told Trump and his team that the U.S. is a “world leader in counterintelligence,” Trump asked: “Russia, too?”
According to the summary, Trump also asked which country, Russia or China, was worse when it came to violations of nuclear testing bans and was told: “They are both bad, but Russia is worse.”
“Trump and Christie turned toward each other, and Christie commented, ‘I’m shocked,’” Pientka wrote of their reactions to that information.
Pientka also said he warned the men that foreign agents might try to approach their relatives, friends and campaign staff in the U.S. to obtain “information pertaining to political, economic, energy, technology and military policy/plans of the U.S.” in order to “collect inside information to give their country a competitive advantage over the U.S.”
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Trump was also advised to take special care with phone and electronic communications that could be hacked, according to the summary. Trump has repeatedly used his personal cell phone for official conversations, despite warnings from aides not to do so.
Pientka, who would continue to be part of the Russia investigation, noted in his summary of the meeting that he was on the alert for any comments on Russia from the Trump team. “During the [intelligence] briefs, writer actively listened for topics or questions regarding the Russian Federation,” he wrote.
Former White House Secretary Sarah Sanders told Fox News Friday that the transcript is proof the FBI was out to “take down” Trump. But the transcript clearly shows Pientka offering advice to Trump and his team on how to deal with possible overtures by foreign agents. He was not questioning them.
At the time of the briefing, the FBI had disturbing indications of Russian interference in the 2016 election, including a Kremlin-orchestrated hack of emails from the Democratic National Committee, which were published by WikiLeaks and benefited the Trump campaign.
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Despite his repeated insistence that the probe into Russian election interference was a “witch hunt,” Trump has also attacked his predecessor Barack Obama for not being aggressive enough in investigating Russia’s actions.
Robert Mueller’s special counsel report last year concluded that the “Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in sweeping and systematic fashion” in a way that “favored” Trump. The report also noted numerous contacts between members of the Trump campaign and Kremlin representatives.