thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-13--The Race To End Mass Incarceration In America’s Second Largest City

When she was elected in 2012 , Lacey became the first woman and the first Black person to serve as district attorney in Los Angeles .
Criminal justice reform advocates were cautiously optimistic that Lacey would be open to some change .
She grew up in the then-mostly Black neighborhood of Crenshaw , near gang violence and drug dealing .
She remembers watching the 1965 Watts riots on television and hearing complaints about racist cops brutalizing members of the community .
But when she talks about how her background has influenced her , she emphasizes the victims of criminals — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials .
The district attorney race might be “ the most important item before voters in 2020 , ” the Los Angeles Times editorial board argued in October .
If that sounds hyperbolic , consider that this DA ’ s office is the largest local prosecutorial agency in the country .
Like most district attorneys , the top LA prosecutor has vast discretion about how aggressively to pursue certain crimes .
With the country ’ s second-largest city as a proving ground , the next DA might be able to demonstrate that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inevitably lead to an explosion in crime — and that police can be held accountable for harming civilians without a breakdown in civil order .
Lacey personally reviews officer-involved shootings and makes the final call on whether to press charges , she told HuffPost .
It ’ s a conflict of interest to have any prosecutor who must work closely with police on other cases decide whether to press charges against officers , the DA ’ s opponents say .
In San Francisco , Gascón created an independent unit inside the district attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shootings by police officers and decided whether to prosecute .
If elected , he has said he plans to do the same in Los Angeles .
Rossi has said she would appoint independent prosecutors in cases where police officers kill or severely injure members of the community .
Beyond increasing accountability for law enforcement , Gascón and Rossi are campaigning on dramatically changing the district attorney office ’ s overall approach to criminal justice .
They argue that they can make communities safer by putting fewer people in prison and expanding access to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history is on their side : Los Angeles incarcerates people at four times the rate that San Franciso does ― but during the period of time when Lacey and Gascón were both in office , violent crime rates went slightly up in Los Angeles and slightly down in San Francisco .
Studies have shown that lengthy prison sentences can actually increase the risk of recidivism .
Asked about the ACLU ’ s report , Lacey accused the organization of focusing on “ a short timeframe ” to portray the DA ’ s office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( The report covered people who received death sentences while Lacey was DA . )
She justified the death penalty as justice for victims of the most horrific acts of violence .
Many of the victims in the capital cases she oversaw were people of color , she said .
To underscore her point , Lacey pulled out an iPad and opened a photo album labeled “ Death Penalty Victims.
” As she swiped through the photos of Black and brown women and children , she recounted the victims ’ names , their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed .
Although it is true that Lacey eventually supported S.B .
10 , California ’ s cash bail reform law , she first worked with state lawmakers to weaken the bill .
In a 2017 letter to the state senator who introduced the legislation , Lacey wrote that the initial version of the bill was too “ dramatic ” and said she opposed it .
The amended version of the bill that Lacey ultimately supported replaced cash bail with risk assessments — a system in which an individual ’ s arrest and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statistical estimate of how likely they are to miss a court date or break the law if they are not held in pretrial detention .
Because of bias in other parts of the criminal justice system , risk assessments will likely also create racial disparities in who is held in pretrial detention , Rossi told The Justice Collaborative .

California has been at the forefront of criminal justice reform, slowly undoing policies that contribute to mass incarceration and disproportionately punish the poor and people of color. But in LA County, home to more than 10 million people, District Attorney Jackie Lacey has resisted change, opposing almost every reform measure that’s come up during her eight years in office.
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When she was elected in 2012, Lacey became the first woman and the first Black person to serve as district attorney in Los Angeles. Criminal justice reform advocates were cautiously optimistic that Lacey would be open to some change. She grew up in the then-mostly Black neighborhood of Crenshaw, near gang violence and drug dealing. She remembers watching the 1965 Watts riots on television and hearing complaints about racist cops brutalizing members of the community. But when she talks about how her background has influenced her, she emphasizes the victims of criminals — not the victims of unaccountable law enforcement officials.
When Lacey was in her late 20s, her father was shot in the leg while mowing the front lawn. Lacey watched him change from a “very strong, Southern macho guy” to a man who lived in fear that someone would come back to get him. “I see how crime affects communities of color,” she told HuffPost in an interview last month.
Now, criminal justice activists want Lacey gone. On Wednesday afternoons, members of Black Lives Matter LA gather outside Lacey’s downtown office to protest her failure to prosecute police officers who have killed members of the community. More than 500 people have died at the hands of law enforcement since Lacey took office, but her office has prosecuted only one case. Last year, Lacey declined to prosecute a former Los Angeles Police Department officer who killed an unarmed Black man — even after the police chief called on her office to file charges.
The ground-level agitation against Lacey, combined with a nationwide push to elect progressive prosecutors, has brought out two serious challengers in the March 3 primary race for district attorney. Former San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón announced his run in October and has secured the LA County Democrats’ endorsement. As one of the leading progressive prosecutors in the country, Gascón oversaw major reforms during his eight-year tenure in San Francisco before moving home to LA. Earlier in his career, he was a high-ranking officer in the LAPD.
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Former public defender Rachel Rossi — who has seen firsthand the harm prosecutors can cause when they imprison people who do not pose a public safety threat — is also running for Lacey’s seat. Although she has less name recognition than her opponents, Rossi’s experience as a public defender has earned her support from voters who are typically skeptical of prosecutors.
The district attorney race might be “the most important item before voters in 2020,” the Los Angeles Times editorial board argued in October. If that sounds hyperbolic, consider that this DA’s office is the largest local prosecutorial agency in the country. Like most district attorneys, the top LA prosecutor has vast discretion about how aggressively to pursue certain crimes. With the country’s second-largest city as a proving ground, the next DA might be able to demonstrate that a meaningful decrease in incarceration doesn’t inevitably lead to an explosion in crime — and that police can be held accountable for harming civilians without a breakdown in civil order.
Progressive district attorney candidates George Gascón (second to left) and Rachel Rossi (far right) participate in a summit on reforming the Los Angeles County jail system. Jesse Grant via Getty Images
Two years ago, Lacey walked out of her own town hall meeting after being interrupted by Black Lives Matter supporters chanting, “You help killer cops.” Lacey hasn’t met with members of the group since then. “She’s not willing to be held accountable by the constituents who elected her,” said Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter LA.
Lacey describes herself as a progressive and thinks some of her critics are being unfair. With Black Lives Matter, it became “we’re here to tell you off, we’re here to embarrass you and humiliate you,” she told HuffPost.
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Instances where police officers shoot civilians without legal justification “are difficult cases to prove,” Lacey said. “The law allows officers to use deadly force if they reasonably believe that their life or someone else’s life is in danger,” she continued. “So our position is we do our best, we follow the law.”
Lacey personally reviews officer-involved shootings and makes the final call on whether to press charges, she told HuffPost. It’s a conflict of interest to have any prosecutor who must work closely with police on other cases decide whether to press charges against officers, the DA’s opponents say. In San Francisco, Gascón created an independent unit inside the district attorney’s office that focused on investigating shootings by police officers and decided whether to prosecute. If elected, he has said he plans to do the same in Los Angeles. Rossi has said she would appoint independent prosecutors in cases where police officers kill or severely injure members of the community.
As DA, Gascón also faced protests for failing to prosecute officers who shot civilians. In 2018, he filed a restraining order against a frequent protester who wrote #JailKillerCops in chalk on the side of Gascón’s house. He has also blamed laws governing the use of deadly force by police for his office’s record on pursuing charges — but unlike Lacey, Gascón has been an outspoken critic of those use-of-force laws and has pushed for reform.
Until recently, California law allowed police officers who had a “reasonable” belief they were in danger to shoot. This standard allowed police to get away with killing people who were unarmed. Last year, California passed a law limiting police officers to using deadly force only when “necessary.”
Lacey agrees with the current law but her opponents have called for further reform. Gascón has said he’d push for a single definition of the “necessary” standard for all 55 law enforcement agencies in LA County. That standard would require law enforcement to attempt to de-escalate a situation first and to use force only as a last resort.
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Rossi has described the current law as a “watered-down version of where we should be,” cautioning that prosecutors should not “hide behind the law.”
“Under the law we even had prior to the most recent reform, there are cases where we can and should have presented those cases to a grand jury for potential filing,” Rossi told the Appeal.
Gascón’s criticism of the “unreasonably permissive” use-of-force laws carries weight with some activists in LA. “He hasn’t prosecuted police the way we would like a prosecutor to do,” said Abdullah, the Black Lives Matter LA co-founder, “but part of what he was saying in that moment is that there are legal barriers to prosecution that he supported lifting.”
Black Lives Matter doesn’t endorse candidates — and Abdullah said she personally feels most comfortable with Rossi — but she appreciates that Gascón and his campaign have continuously reached out to the group to discuss policy, she said. Patrisse Cullors, a Black Lives Matter co-founder from LA, has endorsed both Rossi and Gascón.
Beyond increasing accountability for law enforcement, Gascón and Rossi are campaigning on dramatically changing the district attorney office’s overall approach to criminal justice. They argue that they can make communities safer by putting fewer people in prison and expanding access to mental health and drug treatment. Recent history is on their side: Los Angeles incarcerates people at four times the rate that San Franciso does ― but during the period of time when Lacey and Gascón were both in office, violent crime rates went slightly up in Los Angeles and slightly down in San Francisco. Studies have shown that lengthy prison sentences can actually increase the risk of recidivism.
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To break that cycle, Gascón and Rossi have both pledged not to prosecute low-level offenses like public urination, open container violations, stealing of necessities and trespassing when those offenses are related to the offender experiencing poverty or homelessness. “This stuff is not about being soft, it’s not about looking the other way, it’s not about giving people a pass,” Gascón told HuffPost. “It’s about actually applying science and research to make sure we enhance community safety by having the right level of intervention.”
When left-leaning states began legalizing marijuana — a move welcomed by criminal justice reform advocates because of the racial disparities in enforcing cannabis laws — Lacey opposed efforts to do the same in California. She visited “marijuana stores” in Colorado and “saw a lot of young people, a lot of 18-, 19-, 20-year-olds, sitting inside those doors looking drugged out,” Lacey said. “So I just went with my conscience. If you ask me, do our children need more drugs around? No. And, you know, I just could not vote to legalize it based on that.”
After Californians voted to legalize weed, Gascón’s office unilaterally dismissed thousands of marijuana convictions in San Francisco, without requiring individuals to petition to have their records expunged. At the same time, Lacey — whose office previously prosecuted more people for violating marijuana laws than any other prosecutor’s office in California — encouraged Angelinos to turn the courts to grant expungement, a time-consuming process that can require assistance from lawyers. “Very few people took the legal action required to clear their records,” Lacey acknowledged a year later when she announced a partnership with the nonprofit Code for America to follow Gascón’s lead and proactively clear marijuana convictions.
“She visited ‘marijuana stores’ in Colorado and ‘saw a lot of young people, a lot of 18-, 19-, 20-year-olds, sitting inside those doors looking drugged out,’ Jackie Lacey said.”
Lacey has also broken with her constituents on the death penalty. Even after a majority of Los Angeles voters supported ballot measures to repeal the death penalty in 2012 and 2016 (both measures failed statewide), Lacey continued to pursue death sentences. Last year the American Civil Liberties Union found that all of the 22 defendants sentenced to death during Lacey’s time in office were people of color.
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Asked about the ACLU’s report, Lacey accused the organization of focusing on “a short timeframe” to portray the DA’s office as a “capital punishment machine.” (The report covered people who received death sentences while Lacey was DA.) She justified the death penalty as justice for victims of the most horrific acts of violence. Many of the victims in the capital cases she oversaw were people of color, she said. To underscore her point, Lacey pulled out an iPad and opened a photo album labeled “Death Penalty Victims.” As she swiped through the photos of Black and brown women and children, she recounted the victims’ names, their ages and the gruesome ways they were killed.
Lacey met with the ACLU before they released their report. She claimed they told her that her “process” in capital cases appeared to be fair. ACLU deputy legal director Jeffery Robinson said Lacey mischaracterized their meeting. “In terms of her process, she was the only one who was impressed with her process,” Robinson said.
“She kept lauding it, saying, ‘Look at my capital circumstances committee. I’m a Black woman. My committee has all these diverse people on it,’” Robinson said. But Lacey’s process is not good enough as long as her office is obtaining death sentences only against people of color, he continued. “For a person in an office where its job is to hold other people accountable for their actions, this is shameful,” he said.
Both Gascón and Rossi have pledged to never seek the death penalty and to reexamine death penalty cases involving individuals who have mental illnesses or who were under 21 at the time of the offense.
District Attorney Jackie Lacey announces that film producer Harvey Weinstein has been charged with raping a woman and sexually assaulting another at a news conference in Los Angeles on Jan. 6, 2020. Damian Dovarganes/ASSOCIATED PRESS
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The March 3 primary marks the most competitive race of Lacey’s career. She was backed by the outgoing district attorney in her first race and ran for reelection unopposed in 2016. It is also the first time the tough-on-crime prosecutor has campaigned against the backdrop of a nationwide progressive prosecutor movement.
Facing two challengers from the left, Lacey has at times highlighted some of her progressive credentials. In September, she released a statement describing her commitment to reforming cash bail, a system that forces poor people into pretrial incarceration while letting those who can afford to pay bail await trial in freedom.
Although it is true that Lacey eventually supported S.B. 10, California’s cash bail reform law, she first worked with state lawmakers to weaken the bill. In a 2017 letter to the state senator who introduced the legislation, Lacey wrote that the initial version of the bill was too “dramatic” and said she opposed it. The amended version of the bill that Lacey ultimately supported replaced cash bail with risk assessments — a system in which an individual’s arrest and conviction history can be used to make a statistical estimate of how likely they are to miss a court date or break the law if they are not held in pretrial detention. Because of bias in other parts of the criminal justice system, risk assessments will likely also create racial disparities in who is held in pretrial detention, Rossi told The Justice Collaborative.
Those appeals to progressive priorities aside, Lacey is largely copying the fear-based playbook that has been wielded against progressive challengers in other district attorney races. She also enjoys the benefits of being a two-term incumbent.
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Lacey told a local television station in December that Gascón “doesn’t care about your safety, [and] he certainly didn’t seem to care about the safety of the people of San Francisco.” The Los Angeles Police Protective League (the police union) has contributed $1 million to a PAC devoted to smearing Gascón as dangerously lenient on crime.
In 2018, five reform candidates lost their primary races for prosecutor posts in California, having faced similar fear-mongering from their opponents. Part of the challenge for progressive candidates is that voters aren’t used to paying attention to district attorney races. Nationwide, 85% of prosecutors run unopposed, meaning there isn’t usually any choice for voters to make. Even when there is a choice, voters who prefer more progressive candidates may also distrust anybody who holds the top prosecutor’s job.
Rossi said she has met people who say, “Oh, prosecutor, I don’t care about that race, they’re gonna throw me in jail.” Being able to respond that she wants to “completely change what a prosecutor is” gives her credibility among voters who might otherwise ignore the race, Rossi said, noting that she has never prosecuted a case.
Some voters may also be influenced for ― or against ― different DA candidates by the Trump administration’s attacks on the nationwide progressive prosecutor movement. In August, Attorney General William Barr spoke at a conference for the Fraternal Order of Police and slammed “district attorneys that style themselves as ‘social justice’ reformers.” These prosecutors, Barr claimed without evidence, “spend their time undercutting the police, letting criminals off the hook, and refusing to enforce the law.”
Two days later, William McSwain, a Trump-appointed federal prosecutor in Pennsylvania, told Fox News host Tucker Carlson that progressive Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner was a “Soros-funded” prosecutor who was making the city more dangerous. McSwain publicly blamed Krasner for a shooting in Philadelphia that injured six police officers.
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Barr attacked progressive prosecutors again in a speech this week, accusing them of “putting everyone in danger.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-13--Democrats Call For Stephen Miller's Resignation In New Resolution

Democrats in the House and the Senate introduced a joint resolution Thursday demanding the resignation of White House senior adviser Stephen Miller over his white nationalist views and racist , anti-immigrant policies .
Sen. Kamala Harris ( D-Calif. ) and Rep. Joaquin Castro ( D-Texas ) introduced the resolution in their respective chambers .
It condemns Miller “ for his trafficking in bigotry , hatred , and divisive political rhetoric and policies that are inconsistent with the trust and confidence placed in him as a Senior Advisor to the President , ” according to the text .
“ Stephen Miller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and xenophobic policies that have defined the Trump administration , ” Harris said in a statement .
“ His white supremacist , anti-immigrant ideology has no place in our country , let alone the White House.
” Harris led a large group of senators in December in demanding the White House fire Miller in light of leaked emails that showed more evidence of his white nationalist beliefs .
The resolution cited the emails ’ content as one of the reasons to condemn Miller and call for his removal .
In November , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of bombshell reports analyzing 900 emails Miller sent to far-right website Breitbart from 2015 to 2016 , when he was working for then-Sen. Jeff Sessions ( R-Ala. ) .
The emails revealed Miller actively influencing Breitbart stories related to race and immigration by encouraging writers and editors to look to explicitly white supremacist texts and websites .
At the time of the email leak , HuffPost contacted the office of every member of Congress to ask whether Miller should resign .
More than 80 representatives and over 20 senators ― all Democrats ― @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Castro .
“ It is unacceptable for the Trump administration to knowingly install a known white nationalist and believer of white supremacist ideology in a position of power and influence over federal policy , ” Castro said in a statement Thursday .
“ Stephen Miller ’ s presence in the Trump White House has allowed him to sow hate into federal policy , grind our immigration system to a halt , and encourage the President ’ s own xenophobic beliefs.
” The resolution also cites Miller ’ s responsibilities as the architect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policies , including separating migrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border , detaining migrant children in inhumane conditions and banning immigration from several majority-Muslim countries .
“ Americans , and in particular the Latino community , will never forget it was President Trump and Stephen Miller ’ s hateful rhetoric that helped inspire the deadly attack in El Paso where 22 individuals were killed for being Latino , ” said Castro , who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus .
“ When we see the families suffering at the border or being torn apart by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stephen Miller as the main architect of the Administration ’ s cruel anti-immigrant policies .
He must be removed from the White House immediately to stop further damage to our country and our communities.
” The SPLC said Thursday that it fully supports the resolution condemning Miller , adding that all members of Congress should be demanding the White House remove him from power .
“ Stephen Miller is a bigot whose anti-immigrant vitriol has poisoned our national policy , ” SPLC Action Fund CEO Karen Baynes-Dunning said in a statement .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our government and should certainly not be allowed to influence the policies of our nation .
”

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Democrats in the House and the Senate introduced a joint resolution Thursday demanding the resignation of White House senior adviser Stephen Miller over his white nationalist views and racist, anti-immigrant policies.
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) introduced the resolution in their respective chambers. It condemns Miller “for his trafficking in bigotry, hatred, and divisive political rhetoric and policies that are inconsistent with the trust and confidence placed in him as a Senior Advisor to the President,” according to the text.
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NEW: Congressman @JoaquinCastroTX, chair of the @HispanicCaucus, has introduced a resolution condemning the presence of white nationalist Stephen Miller in the White House and has called for his immediate resignation from office. pic.twitter.com/Y5J4xrPXQt — Gabe Ortíz (@TUSK81) February 13, 2020
“Stephen Miller is the hateful force behind the cruel and xenophobic policies that have defined the Trump administration,” Harris said in a statement. “His white supremacist, anti-immigrant ideology has no place in our country, let alone the White House.”
Harris led a large group of senators in December in demanding the White House fire Miller in light of leaked emails that showed more evidence of his white nationalist beliefs. The resolution cited the emails’ content as one of the reasons to condemn Miller and call for his removal.
In November, the Southern Poverty Law Center published a series of bombshell reports analyzing 900 emails Miller sent to far-right website Breitbart from 2015 to 2016, when he was working for then-Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.). The emails revealed Miller actively influencing Breitbart stories related to race and immigration by encouraging writers and editors to look to explicitly white supremacist texts and websites.
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At the time of the email leak, HuffPost contacted the office of every member of Congress to ask whether Miller should resign. More than 80 representatives and over 20 senators ― all Democrats ― called for Miller’s removal, including Castro.
“It is unacceptable for the Trump administration to knowingly install a known white nationalist and believer of white supremacist ideology in a position of power and influence over federal policy,” Castro said in a statement Thursday. “Stephen Miller’s presence in the Trump White House has allowed him to sow hate into federal policy, grind our immigration system to a halt, and encourage the President’s own xenophobic beliefs.”
The resolution also cites Miller’s responsibilities as the architect of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, including separating migrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border, detaining migrant children in inhumane conditions and banning immigration from several majority-Muslim countries.
“Americans, and in particular the Latino community, will never forget it was President Trump and Stephen Miller’s hateful rhetoric that helped inspire the deadly attack in El Paso where 22 individuals were killed for being Latino,” said Castro, who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. “When we see the families suffering at the border or being torn apart by ICE raids, we can look to Stephen Miller as the main architect of the Administration’s cruel anti-immigrant policies. He must be removed from the White House immediately to stop further damage to our country and our communities.”
The SPLC said Thursday that it fully supports the resolution condemning Miller, adding that all members of Congress should be demanding the White House remove him from power.
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“Stephen Miller is a bigot whose anti-immigrant vitriol has poisoned our national policy,” SPLC Action Fund CEO Karen Baynes-Dunning said in a statement. “Hate and bigotry have no place in our government and should certainly not be allowed to influence the policies of our nation.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-13--Major Newspaper Chain McClatchy Files For Bankruptcy

Major newspaper chain McClatchy filed for bankruptcy on Thursday , in another sign of the broader decline of local news across the U.S .
In a letter on the company ’ s website , CEO Craig Forman announced McClatchy was filing for Chapter 11 protection to address the company ’ s debt and pension obligations , in order for it to “ continue our digital transformation.
” The publisher operates 30 newsrooms in 14 states , including The Sacramento Bee in California , the Fort-Worth Star Telegram in Texas and the Miami Herald in Florida .
It said its local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout this process.
” “ We will maintain the same unwavering commitment to delivering the strong , independent journalism that is essential to our local communities , ” Forman wrote .
McClatchy ’ s financial troubles are a reflection of the struggles of local news to survive in the U.S. in recent years , amid dramatic shifts in the way people consume news .
More than 1,400 cities and towns in the U.S. lost a newspaper over the past 16 years , per a 2019 Associated Press analysis of data from the University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which began in 1857 as a small paper in Sacramento , advertising revenue dropped by 80 % and daily print circulation by nearly 59 % from 2006 to 2018 , McClatchy D.C. reported .
If the court approves the company ’ s bankruptcy plan , ownership would move from longtime family control to a hedge fund , Chatham Asset Management LLC .
The company has been pursuing a “ digital transformation ” over several years , with about 40 % of its subscriber and advertising revenues now coming from online editions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of this effort , the company said in November that throughout 2020 its papers would begin to release only digital editions on Saturdays .
In November , the company reported significant signs of financial distress , revealing that its $ 120 million pension fund payment due in 2020 “ greatly exceeds the company ’ s anticipated cash balances and cash flow .
”

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Major newspaper chain McClatchy filed for bankruptcy on Thursday, in another sign of the broader decline of local news across the U.S.
In a letter on the company’s website, CEO Craig Forman announced McClatchy was filing for Chapter 11 protection to address the company’s debt and pension obligations, in order for it to “continue our digital transformation.”
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The publisher operates 30 newsrooms in 14 states, including The Sacramento Bee in California, the Fort-Worth Star Telegram in Texas and the Miami Herald in Florida. It said its local news outlets would “operate as usual throughout this process.”
“We will maintain the same unwavering commitment to delivering the strong, independent journalism that is essential to our local communities,” Forman wrote.
McClatchy’s financial troubles are a reflection of the struggles of local news to survive in the U.S. in recent years, amid dramatic shifts in the way people consume news.
More than 1,400 cities and towns in the U.S. lost a newspaper over the past 16 years, per a 2019 Associated Press analysis of data from the University of North Carolina.
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We're still reporting & shining a light in dark corners, so keep the news tips coming & keep reading. @McClatchy files bankruptcy to shed costs of print legacy and speed shift to digital https://t.co/tghUYOeXZF — Tara Copp (@TaraCopp) February 13, 2020
For McClatchy specifically, which began in 1857 as a small paper in Sacramento, advertising revenue dropped by 80% and daily print circulation by nearly 59% from 2006 to 2018, McClatchy D.C. reported.
If the court approves the company’s bankruptcy plan, ownership would move from longtime family control to a hedge fund, Chatham Asset Management LLC.
The company has been pursuing a “digital transformation” over several years, with about 40% of its subscriber and advertising revenues now coming from online editions, per a news release Thursday. As part of this effort, the company said in November that throughout 2020 its papers would begin to release only digital editions on Saturdays.
In November, the company reported significant signs of financial distress, revealing that its $120 million pension fund payment due in 2020 “greatly exceeds the company’s anticipated cash balances and cash flow.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-12--Marie Yovanovitch Receives Diplomacy Award After Being Targeted By Trump

Marie Yovanovitch , the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine who was attacked by President Trump amid the heated impeachment inquiry , received an award for her excellent conduct in diplomacy .
The Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University gave Yovanovitch the Trainor Award during a ceremony on Wednesday .
Every year , the Trainor Award is given to an “ outstanding American or foreigner for distinction in the conduct of diplomacy , ” according to the Institute .
Yovanovitch warned about the leadership within the State Department as she received the award at a university auditorium .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ her hearing with lawmakers during the House impeachment inquiry in November .
“ Right now , the State Department is in trouble , ” Yovanovitch said during the award ceremony , The New York Times reported .
“ Senior leaders lack policy vision , moral clarity and leadership.
” '' One of the things that has sustained me is the support of all of you , ” Former U.S. Amb .
to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch , who testified in the impeachment probe , says at Georgetown University as she reflects about the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ABC News ( @ ABC ) February 12 , 2020 Trump publicly disparaged Yovanovitch in November as she testified before the House Intelligence Committee .
During her testimony , the diplomat detailed how she felt threatened by the president and targeted in a smear campaign despite her long tenure as a diplomat .
Yovanovitch , who was recalled from her ambassadorship in May , appeared astonished when Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff ( D-Calif. ) read Trump ’ s live tweets , which disparaged her diplomatic career , to her during the hearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his infamous July 25 call with the Ukrainian president ― which prompted a whistleblower report and eventual impeachment proceedings ― saying that she was “ bad news ’ and was “ going to go through some things.
” At Georgetown on Wednesday , Yovanovitch said that her experience with Trump gave her a new perspective on life .
“ When you ‘ go through some things ’ ... you have to dig deep a little bit .
So I ’ ve tried to be grateful for the silver linings , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from family and friends .
Yovanovitch has since retired from her career in diplomacy , which spanned 33 years year under six U.S. presidents .
She wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post last week urging Americans to stand up to the government in defense of democracy .
“ I have seen dictatorships around the world , where blind obedience is the norm and truth-tellers are threatened with punishment or death , ” she wrote .
“ We must not allow the United States to become a country where standing up to our @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine who was attacked by President Trump amid the heated impeachment inquiry, received an award for her excellent conduct in diplomacy.
The Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University gave Yovanovitch the Trainor Award during a ceremony on Wednesday. Every year, the Trainor Award is given to an “outstanding American or foreigner for distinction in the conduct of diplomacy,” according to the Institute.
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Yovanovitch warned about the leadership within the State Department as she received the award at a university auditorium. It was her first public appearance since her hearing with lawmakers during the House impeachment inquiry in November.
“Right now, the State Department is in trouble,” Yovanovitch said during the award ceremony, The New York Times reported. “Senior leaders lack policy vision, moral clarity and leadership.”
"One of the things that has sustained me is the support of all of you,” Former U.S. Amb. to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, who testified in the impeachment probe, says at Georgetown University as she reflects about the past year. https://t.co/sNEqed9nze pic.twitter.com/PPFj1vjvv0 — ABC News (@ABC) February 12, 2020
Trump publicly disparaged Yovanovitch in November as she testified before the House Intelligence Committee. During her testimony, the diplomat detailed how she felt threatened by the president and targeted in a smear campaign despite her long tenure as a diplomat.
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Yovanovitch, who was recalled from her ambassadorship in May, appeared astonished when Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) read Trump’s live tweets, which disparaged her diplomatic career, to her during the hearing.
She said she found the president’s behavior “very intimidating.”
Trump had previously insulted Yovanovitch during his infamous July 25 call with the Ukrainian president ― which prompted a whistleblower report and eventual impeachment proceedings ― saying that she was “bad news’ and was “going to go through some things.”
At Georgetown on Wednesday, Yovanovitch said that her experience with Trump gave her a new perspective on life.
“When you ‘go through some things’... you have to dig deep a little bit. So I’ve tried to be grateful for the silver linings,” she said, noting that she received immense support from family and friends.
Yovanovitch has since retired from her career in diplomacy, which spanned 33 years year under six U.S. presidents.
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She wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post last week urging Americans to stand up to the government in defense of democracy.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-13--Mitch McConnell Tells Trump To Stop Tweeting In The Lamest Possible Way

Sen. Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) advised Thursday that President Donald Trump would be wise to heed the advice of Attorney General William Barr and curb his tweeting habits .
The Senate majority leader and staunch Trump defender was asked to weigh in on Barr ’ s reaction to Trump ’ s tweets during an interview with Fox News ’ Bret Baier .
The attorney general had said in an ABC interview earlier Thursday that the president ’ s “ constant background commentary ” was making it “ impossible to do my job.
” “ I think it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Justice criminal cases , ” Barr said in that interview .
“ My reaction to that is the president made a great choice when he picked Bill Barr to be attorney general .
I think the president should listen to his advice , ” McConnell said of the comments .
“ I think that if the attorney general said that it ’ s getting in the way of doing his job , maybe the president should listen to the attorney general , ” McConnell replied .
McConnell dodged a third time when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump tweet that set off the fiasco , in which he seemed to confirm concerns that Barr had intervened in the Roger Stone case to recommend a more lenient sentence , was “ inappropriate political interference.
” “ The attorney general has said it ’ s making it difficult for him to do his job .
I think the president ought to listen to the attorney general , ” the GOP senator repeated .
Trump set off a firestorm Wednesday when he tweeted “ congratulations to Attorney General Bill Barr for taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of control and perhaps should not have even been brought , ” amid outrage over the suddenly walked-back sentencing recommendation for Stone , a longtime friend and adviser to the president .
Stone was convicted last November of witness tampering and lying to Congress , and on Monday , a team of Justice Department prosecutors recommended he get seven to nine years in prison .
Following an early-morning tweet from the president Tuesday that the sentence was “ horrible and very unfair , ” the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that afternoon suggesting Stone should be imprisoned but that seven to nine years was excessive .
All four prosecutors subsequently quit the case .
Other Republicans , including one of Trump ’ s most devout allies , Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-S.C. ) , also suggested that the tweet was not appropriate .

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Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) advised Thursday that President Donald Trump would be wise to heed the advice of Attorney General William Barr and curb his tweeting habits.
The Senate majority leader and staunch Trump defender was asked to weigh in on Barr’s reaction to Trump’s tweets during an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier. The attorney general had said in an ABC interview earlier Thursday that the president’s “constant background commentary” was making it “impossible to do my job.”
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“I think it’s time to stop the tweeting about Department of Justice criminal cases,” Barr said in that interview.
“My reaction to that is the president made a great choice when he picked Bill Barr to be attorney general. I think the president should listen to his advice,” McConnell said of the comments.
“So, you have a problem with the president’s tweeting as well?” Baier pressed.
“I think that if the attorney general said that it’s getting in the way of doing his job, maybe the president should listen to the attorney general,” McConnell replied.
MITCH MCCONNELL on BILL BARR's tweeting comment:
“The president made a great choice when he picked Bill Barr to be the attorney general and I think the president should listen to his advice." pic.twitter.com/lGZxA6asnb — JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) February 13, 2020
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McConnell dodged a third time when Baier asked him to comment on whether the Trump tweet that set off the fiasco, in which he seemed to confirm concerns that Barr had intervened in the Roger Stone case to recommend a more lenient sentence, was “inappropriate political interference.”
“The attorney general has said it’s making it difficult for him to do his job. I think the president ought to listen to the attorney general,” the GOP senator repeated.
Trump set off a firestorm Wednesday when he tweeted “congratulations to Attorney General Bill Barr for taking charge of a case that was totally out of control and perhaps should not have even been brought,” amid outrage over the suddenly walked-back sentencing recommendation for Stone, a longtime friend and adviser to the president.
Stone was convicted last November of witness tampering and lying to Congress, and on Monday, a team of Justice Department prosecutors recommended he get seven to nine years in prison. Following an early-morning tweet from the president Tuesday that the sentence was “horrible and very unfair,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia filed a new recommendation that afternoon suggesting Stone should be imprisoned but that seven to nine years was excessive. All four prosecutors subsequently quit the case.
Other Republicans, including one of Trump’s most devout allies, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), also suggested that the tweet was not appropriate.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-13--Democrats Up Attacks To Blunt Michael Bloomberg's Rise

Struggling to recover from poor showings in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary , Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden took the lead in attacking Bloomberg .
Biden , the former vice president , said on ABC 's “ The View ” that “ I do n't think you can buy an election , '' while Warren took Bloomberg to task for his 2008 comments that ending a discriminatory housing practice helped trigger the economic meltdown .
Biden and billionaire Tom Steyer also joined forces in slamming Bernie Sanders after the Vermont senator and self-described democratic socialist won New Hampshire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa with Pete Buttigeig , the former mayor of South Bend , Indiana .
Biden said Sanders had n't done enough to explain how he 'd pay for his “ Medicare for All ” proposal to replace private insurance with a government-run program .
Steyer said that “ refusal to tell us how he will pay for his plan adds unnecessary financial risk to achieving health care as a right for every person.
” The sniping reflects the remarkably fluid state of the Democratic race even after two states that typically winnow presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House hopefuls are trying to blunt Bloomberg , who gained attention by flooding the national airwaves with hundreds of millions of dollars in advertisements and is on the verge of being admitted into next week 's presidential debate .
And the lagging candidates are trying to prove that they still have the mettle to stay in the race , even if their path is becoming increasingly difficult .
Warren told The Associated Press on Thursday that she has raised $ 6 million since the Feb. 3 Iowa caucuses , a haul that could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave the campaign because of her disappointing showings so far .
She called the race “ wide open . ''
That 's especially true as moderates are struggling to coalesce around a candidate .
Biden has long argued that he 's the most electable , in part because his centrist approach has broad appeal and could make it easier for Democrats to defeat President Donald Trump in the fall .
That 's at risk of being undermined by his middling finish in Iowa and New Hampshire .
He 's now staking his campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carolina primary , which is the first race in a state with a significant black population .
But before then , candidates will face voters in Nevada , which holds its Democratic caucuses on Feb. 22 .
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar , whose moderate presidential campaign surpassed expectations in New Hampshire this week , raced to Nevada after a Senate vote Thursday to try to keep momentum going .
Biden received more bad news when Nevada 's most politically powerful union , the casino workers ' Culinary Union , said it would n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state 's caucuses .
The former vice president warned his supporters on Wednesday that an endorsement was unlikely , but the confirmation of that was still a blow .
“ We 've known Vice President Biden for many years .
We know he 's been our friend , '' Geoconda Argüello-Kline , the secretary-treasurer for the Culinary Union , said at a Thursday afternoon news conference .
“ We know all of these candidates , and we respect each one of them . ''
Buttigieg , who placed second in New Hampshire , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play for Nevada .
But the state could pose a challenge for him as it 's the first place he 'll have to win over voters of color , something polls have suggested would be difficult .
As the candidates fight , Bloomberg has tried to appear above the fray , mostly maintaining his focus on the delegate-rich swath of states that vote on March 3 .
He spent part of Thursday campaigning in North Carolina , where he did n't respond to any of his Democratic rivals ' attacks .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans look unaffordable and unreasonable and undoable .
Well , that ’ s not going to work against me , ” Bloomberg told hundreds in Raleigh , contrasting Sanders , who has promoted massive government spending to expand health care coverage but also to eliminate debt and combat climate change .
Bloomberg did opt to hit back at Trump , who has repeatedly mocked the former mayor in a series of tweets .
Bloomberg tweeted in response : “ We know many of the same people in NY .
Behind your back they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carnival barking clown .
They know you inherited a fortune & squandered it with stupid deals and incompetence .
I have the record & the resources to defeat you .
And I will .
”

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic presidential candidates hoping to revive their flagging campaigns increasingly took aim at Michael Bloomberg on Thursday, blasting their billionaire rival for trying to buy his way into the White House and raising questions about his commitment to racial equality.
Struggling to recover from poor showings in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden took the lead in attacking Bloomberg. Biden, the former vice president, said on ABC's “The View” that “I don't think you can buy an election," while Warren took Bloomberg to task for his 2008 comments that ending a discriminatory housing practice helped trigger the economic meltdown.
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Biden and billionaire Tom Steyer also joined forces in slamming Bernie Sanders after the Vermont senator and self-described democratic socialist won New Hampshire and essentially tied for the lead in Iowa with Pete Buttigeig, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana. Biden said Sanders hadn't done enough to explain how he'd pay for his “Medicare for All” proposal to replace private insurance with a government-run program. Steyer said that “refusal to tell us how he will pay for his plan adds unnecessary financial risk to achieving health care as a right for every person.”
Voters, Steyer said, “should have all the facts."
The sniping reflects the remarkably fluid state of the Democratic race even after two states that typically winnow presidential fields have already voted. The White House hopefuls are trying to blunt Bloomberg, who gained attention by flooding the national airwaves with hundreds of millions of dollars in advertisements and is on the verge of being admitted into next week's presidential debate. And the lagging candidates are trying to prove that they still have the mettle to stay in the race, even if their path is becoming increasingly difficult.
Warren told The Associated Press on Thursday that she has raised $6 million since the Feb. 3 Iowa caucuses, a haul that could silence questions about whether she will soon leave the campaign because of her disappointing showings so far. She called the race “wide open."
“There's a lot of froth,” she said. “It's going to be a long process."
That's especially true as moderates are struggling to coalesce around a candidate. Biden has long argued that he's the most electable, in part because his centrist approach has broad appeal and could make it easier for Democrats to defeat President Donald Trump in the fall. That's at risk of being undermined by his middling finish in Iowa and New Hampshire. He's now staking his campaign on success in the Feb. 29 South Carolina primary, which is the first race in a state with a significant black population.
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But before then, candidates will face voters in Nevada, which holds its Democratic caucuses on Feb. 22. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, whose moderate presidential campaign surpassed expectations in New Hampshire this week, raced to Nevada after a Senate vote Thursday to try to keep momentum going.
Biden received more bad news when Nevada's most politically powerful union, the casino workers' Culinary Union, said it wouldn't endorse any of the candidates before the state's caucuses. The former vice president warned his supporters on Wednesday that an endorsement was unlikely, but the confirmation of that was still a blow.
“We've known Vice President Biden for many years. We know he's been our friend," Geoconda Argüello-Kline, the secretary-treasurer for the Culinary Union, said at a Thursday afternoon news conference. “We know all of these candidates, and we respect each one of them."
Buttigieg, who placed second in New Hampshire, is also expected to make a big play for Nevada. But the state could pose a challenge for him as it's the first place he'll have to win over voters of color, something polls have suggested would be difficult.
The result is a muddled middle lane in the primary as Sanders is poised to keep squeaking out victories. On Capitol Hill, Sanders said he thinks “we're on a path to win the nomination."
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“The key to defeating Trump is to have the largest voter turnout in American history," he said. “And I think we have the campaign — for a variety of reasons — to do that.”
Backers of more moderate candidates, meanwhile, are beginning to worry. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., expressed concerns that multiple centrist Democrats in the race might stretch out the primary season.
“We have so many in the primary," said Feinstein, who has backed Biden. “That's what complicates it all. ... It has to sort itself out.”
Biden said Bloomberg will have to defend his record on the debate stage, and he said he doubted there would be contested convention.
“The advantage I have is I've been vetted and vetted and vetted and vetted again,” he said at a New York fundraiser on Thursday. “They're just starting on Mike.”
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As the candidates fight, Bloomberg has tried to appear above the fray, mostly maintaining his focus on the delegate-rich swath of states that vote on March 3. He spent part of Thursday campaigning in North Carolina, where he didn't respond to any of his Democratic rivals' attacks.
Bloomberg rarely mentions his rivals by name but has started making implicit criticisms of Sanders.
“We know the Trump strategy — he makes plans look unaffordable and unreasonable and undoable. Well, that’s not going to work against me,” Bloomberg told hundreds in Raleigh, contrasting Sanders, who has promoted massive government spending to expand health care coverage but also to eliminate debt and combat climate change.
Campaigning with Bloomberg, Steve Benjamin, the mayor of Columbia, South Carolina, said the candidate is "rapidly ascending" in polls and, “as a result, he's going to take a whole lot of incoming fire and arrows."
“This is an opportunity to show the resiliency of this campaign,” Benjamin said.
Bloomberg did opt to hit back at Trump, who has repeatedly mocked the former mayor in a series of tweets. Bloomberg tweeted in response: “We know many of the same people in NY. Behind your back they laugh at you & call you a carnival barking clown. They know you inherited a fortune & squandered it with stupid deals and incompetence. I have the record & the resources to defeat you. And I will.”
___
Associated Press writers Kathleen Ronayne in Raleigh, N.C., Michelle L. Price in Las Vegas, Alexandra Jaffe in New York and Meg Kinnard in Charleston, S.C., contributed to this report.
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___


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-14--John Bolton’s Praise Of ‘Honorable’ John Kelly Backfires Spectacularly

Former national security advisor John Bolton tried praising former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly for going public with his criticism of President Donald Trump .
But given Bolton ’ s own reluctance to go public to apparently save his revelations for a book , it didn ’ t go over very well .
Kelly made headlines on Thursday for speaking in support of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman , who reported Trump ’ s attempts to pressure Ukraine into investigating his political rivals .
He also praised immigrants , in contrast to the president ’ s rhetoric , among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jersey .
John Kelly is an honorable man .
John and I have disagreed at times , as is commonplace at senior government levels , but he has always served his country faithfully .
Conservatives especially have a responsibility to reject baseless attacks upon him .
— John Bolton ( @ AmbJohnBolton ) February 13 , 2020 Bolton last year refused to appear during the House impeachment inquiry for a voluntary deposition , and his attorney said he would sue if subpoenaed .
He said he would testify if called before the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ witnesses were called .
Rep. Adam Schiff ( D-Calif. ) , one of the House impeachment managers , said they approached Bolton to sign an affidavit regarding what he witnessed during his time in the White House .
“ For whatever reason , he apparently was willing to testify before the Senate , but apart from that , seems intent on saving it for his book , ” Schiff said earlier this month on MSNBC .
“ He ’ ll have to answer for that.
” He ’ s already answering for it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message in support of Kelly : Conservatives , especially , have a special responsibility to stand up for the rule of law , our institutions , the separation of powers , the Constitution , and AGAINST a monarchical corrupt president .
You know this John Bolton .
Do something .
— Rachel `` The Doc '' Bitecofer 📈🔭🍌 ( @ RachelBitecofer ) February 13 , 2020 Mr. Bolton , @ AmbJohnBolton We have no interest in anything you have to say , unless you say it under oath .
Testify .
— mollyswordmcdonough🌊 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020

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Former national security adviser John Bolton tried praising former White House chief of staff John Kelly for going public with his criticism of President Donald Trump.
But given Bolton’s own reluctance to speak out ― apparently to save his revelations for a book ― it didn’t go over very well.
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Kelly made headlines on Thursday for speaking in support of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who reported Trump’s attempts to pressure Ukraine into investigating his political rivals. Kelly also praised immigrants, who Trump constantly smears, among other criticisms of the president at an event in New Jersey.
Bolton tweeted:
John Kelly is an honorable man. John and I have disagreed at times, as is commonplace at senior government levels, but he has always served his country faithfully. Conservatives especially have a responsibility to reject baseless attacks upon him. — John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) February 13, 2020
Bolton last year refused to appear during the House impeachment inquiry for a voluntary deposition, and his attorney said he would sue if subpoenaed. He said he would testify if called before the Senate during Trump’s impeachment trial, but GOP leaders allowed no witnesses.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), one of the House impeachment managers, said managers approached Bolton to sign an affidavit regarding what he witnessed during his time in the White House.
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He declined.
“For whatever reason, he apparently was willing to testify before the Senate, but apart from that, seems intent on saving it for his book,” Schiff said earlier this month on MSNBC. “He’ll have to answer for that.”
Bolton is also being asked on Twitter to answer for his message in support of Kelly:
Did you clear this with your publisher first — Letters of Note (@LettersOfNote) February 13, 2020
Honorable would have been for you and Kelly testify for Trump’s impeachment hearings. — David Weissman (@davidmweissman) February 13, 2020
Conservatives, especially, have a special responsibility to stand up for the rule of law, our institutions, the separation of powers, the Constitution, and AGAINST a monarchical corrupt president. You know this John Bolton. Do something. — Rachel "The Doc" Bitecofer 📈🔭🍌 (@RachelBitecofer) February 13, 2020
In fairness, Ambassador, you wouldn't know what honor is if it subpoenaed you for testimony. — Pé Resists (@4everNeverTrump) February 13, 2020
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La la la la la la la la la la la la la
Don’t ever want to hear from you
La la la la la la la la la la la la la
EVER — Denise Wu (@denisewu) February 13, 2020
in or out, john. you can't walk both sides of some fences — Luke Zaleski (@ZaleskiLuke) February 13, 2020
Mr. Bolton, @AmbJohnBolton
We have no interest in anything you have to say, unless you say it under oath.
Testify. — mollyswordmcdonough🌊 (@mollysmcdonough) February 13, 2020
Conservative, liberal or anyone between, we have a responsibility to do the right thing. So do it. — DianaD (@DianaDaschel) February 14, 2020
go eat a pinecone covered in yellow jackets, john — kilgore trout, iowa caucus winner (@KT_So_It_Goes) February 13, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-14--Chris Cuomo Rips Top Donald Trump Allies For Going Full ‘MAGA Merch' With Their Clothes

Chris Cuomo on Thursday called out President Donald Trump ’ s top GOP allies who have been caught on camera @ @ @ @ @ “ MAGA merchandise.
” The host of CNN ’ s “ Cuomo Prime Time ” @ @ @ @ @ ( R-S.C. ) and Rep. Mark Meadows ( R-N.C. ) have both in recent days @ @ @ @ @ with the words “ Team Trump.
” “ Country over party , they say , @ @ @ @ @ But can we really believe where their loyalties lie when the answer may be in @ @ @ @ @ out the full clip here :

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thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-13--Super PAC Follows Through On Buttigieg Campaign Signal About Nevada TV Ads

A super PAC supporting Pete Buttigieg is following through on the campaign ’ s signal that the former South Bend , Indiana , mayor would benefit from advertising in Nevada about his military experience .
VoteVets , a super PAC that supports military veterans in politics that has thrown its support behind Buttigieg , has bought more than $ 500,000 in television advertising in Nevada , The New York Times reported .
VoteVets did not respond to a request for comment .
The buy comes one week after Michael Halle , a strategist on the Buttigieg campaign , tweeted publicly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s military experience was touted “ on the air through the caucus ” in Nevada , which is Feb. 22 .
The tweet was seen as an attempt to skirt federal anti-coordination rules that prevent campaigns from sharing strategy and messaging with outside groups — a rule that has become much fuzzier as the role of social media grows in politics .
While campaign finance rules do not allow direct communication between campaigns and super PACS , there ’ s an exception : “ if the information material to the creation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was obtained from a publicly available source , ” the Federal Election Commission states .
In other words , using Twitter to send a signal to a super PAC is legal .
Buttigieg ’ s campaign didn ’ t deny that this was their strategy , telling Politico , “ If the largest progressive veterans group wants to help spread the word about his service , we welcome it.
” Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg speaks to the media following a Veteran 's and Mental Health Town Hall event at an American Legion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 , in Manchester , N.H. ( AP Photo/Mary Schwalm ) Buttigieg is currently polling around 10 % in Nevada , behind Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) , former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
, according to the FiveThirtyEight polling average .
After coming ahead of Sanders in the delegate count out of Iowa , and in a close second place in New Hampshire , Nevada is the first time Buttigieg will have to contend for the support of a much more diverse base of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 million into the New Hampshire primary alone , in support of Buttigieg .
Interestingly , Buttigieg , who dissolved his own super PAC , Hitting Home PAC , last May , has hit other campaigns for accepting independent expenditures from outside groups .
In an email soliciting donations from supporters , Buttigieg ’ s campaign called out “ dark money groups ” supporting Sanders , writing that the Vermont senator had “ nine Super PACs banding together.
” “ We can ’ t fall behind on our fundraising efforts when Bernie Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of thousands of dollars , ” the email read .
Buttigieg ’ s campaign was referring to nine outside groups — including the Sunrise Movement , Center for Popular Democracy Action , and Our Revolution — that announced they were banding together as an independent expenditure in support of Sanders .
That group , “ People Power for Bernie , ” will also not be allowed to coordinate with the Vermont senator ’ s campaign .

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A super PAC supporting Pete Buttigieg is following through on the campaign’s signal that the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor would benefit from advertising in Nevada about his military experience.
VoteVets, a super PAC that supports military veterans in politics that has thrown its support behind Buttigieg, has bought more than $500,000 in television advertising in Nevada, The New York Times reported. VoteVets did not respond to a request for comment.
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The buy comes one week after Michael Halle, a strategist on the Buttigieg campaign, tweeted publicly that it was “critical” Buttigieg’s military experience was touted “on the air through the caucus” in Nevada, which is Feb. 22.
Pete’s military experience and closing message from Iowa work everywhere especially in Nevada where it’s critical they see this on the air through the caucus. — Michael Halle (@mhalle) February 5, 2020
The tweet was seen as an attempt to skirt federal anti-coordination rules that prevent campaigns from sharing strategy and messaging with outside groups — a rule that has become much fuzzier as the role of social media grows in politics. While campaign finance rules do not allow direct communication between campaigns and super PACS, there’s an exception: “if the information material to the creation, production, or distribution of the communication was obtained from a publicly available source,” the Federal Election Commission states.
In other words, using Twitter to send a signal to a super PAC is legal. Buttigieg’s campaign didn’t deny that this was their strategy, telling Politico, “If the largest progressive veterans group wants to help spread the word about his service, we welcome it.”
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Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg speaks to the media following a Veteran's and Mental Health Town Hall event at an American Legion Hall, Friday, Aug. 23, 2019, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Buttigieg is currently polling around 10% in Nevada, behind Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), according to the FiveThirtyEight polling average. After coming ahead of Sanders in the delegate count out of Iowa, and in a close second place in New Hampshire, Nevada is the first time Buttigieg will have to contend for the support of a much more diverse base of voters.
VoteVets poured more than $1 million into the New Hampshire primary alone, in support of Buttigieg.
Interestingly, Buttigieg, who dissolved his own super PAC, Hitting Home PAC, last May, has hit other campaigns for accepting independent expenditures from outside groups.
In an email soliciting donations from supporters, Buttigieg’s campaign called out “dark money groups” supporting Sanders, writing that the Vermont senator had “nine Super PACs banding together.”
“We can’t fall behind on our fundraising efforts when Bernie Sanders’ dark money groups are stockpiling hundreds of thousands of dollars,” the email read.
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Buttigieg’s campaign was referring to nine outside groups — including the Sunrise Movement, Center for Popular Democracy Action, and Our Revolution — that announced they were banding together as an independent expenditure in support of Sanders.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-14--People Aren’t Buying William Barr’s Rebuke Of Donald Trump

Attorney General William Barr on Thursday appeared to stand up to Donald Trump when he complained the president ’ s “ constant background commentary ” on Twitter and elsewhere makes it “ impossible for me to do my job.
” But news anchors , political pundits , legal analysts , lawmakers , celebrities and others aren ’ t buying the apparent pushback by Barr , whose tenure as attorney general has been marked by Democratic complaints that he views his job as acting as the president ’ s personal lawyer .
Critics suggested Barr ’ s comments to ABC News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Trump to defuse the outrage sparked by his Department of Justice ’ s botched sentencing recommendation for Trump ’ s longtime ally Roger Stone , which Trump had fiercely disagreed with .
Prosecutors originally suggested Stone serve seven to nine years for his crimes , but Justice Department superiors withdrew the recommendation after Trump complained .
All four prosecutors assigned to the case quit in protest .
Barr claimed his intervention in the case was not influenced by Trump .
“ I ’ m not going to be bullied or influenced by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ editorial boards , or the president , '' Bill Barr tells @ ABC News .
`` I can not do my job here at the department with a constant background commentary that undercuts me.
” https : //t.co/14rnEMD65c pic.twitter.com/QuoTgpUVHp — ABC News Politics ( @ ABCPolitics ) February 13 , 2020 Michael Steele , the former chairman of the Republican National Committee , said Barr ’ s interview could be “ a carefully staged message to cool down pissed off DOJ attys whom Barr undercut & to avoid any further internal strife.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Trump because he ’ s already done what Trump wanted , ” Steele tweeted .
Slow your roll if you think Barr is breaking from Trump .
This was a carefully staged message to cool down pissed off DOJ attys whom Barr undercut & to avoid any further internal strife .
This message does not get sideways with Trump because he ’ s already done what Trump wanted .
https : //t.co/jYWYJFovpO — Michael Steele ( @ MichaelSteele ) February 14 , 2020 Rep. Val Demings ( D-Fla. ) told CNN ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be surprised ” if Barr and Trump had been “ in cahoots in terms of Barr making a public statement to the American people.
” MSNBC ’ s Rachel Maddow urged her viewers not to “ abandon our powers of reasoning and common sense ” about the “ official lie that was rolled out today to try to alleviate this crisis.
” CNN ’ s Don Lemon said Barr ’ s statement “ sounds tough , sounds independent , sounds too good to be true because it is too good to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I do n't buy if for one moment .
Barr interfered in the Stone case for purely political reasons and Barr 's sole problem is the inconvenience of Trump saying it out loud .
https : //t.co/rAVeMo9u9s — Susan Hennessey ( @ Susan_Hennessey ) February 13 , 2020 Barr on Trump : `` I think it ’ s time to stop the tweeting about Department of Justice criminal cases '' If you believe Barr is being sincere , you probably also believe his `` summary '' of the Mueller report .
https @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ChrisLu44 ) February 13 , 2020 Barr is more insidious than Trump .
Trump 's a # CarnivalBarkerClown that lies because he does n't even know what the truth is , This liar knows the truth & exactly how to hide it .
Unfortunately the clown Barr protects keeps blowing his cover at being the one covering everything up .
https : //t.co/byrnjoJvG5 — Nancy Lee Grahn ( @ NancyLeeGrahn ) February 14 , 2020 I call bullshit .
What Bill Barr REALLY means is that Trump ’ s tweets saying the quiet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for him to do the crimes and cover-up .
So speaketh the # CoverupGeneral .
https : //t.co/x8vkBJ9tGr — Jon Cooper 🇺🇸 ( @ joncoopertweets ) February 13 , 2020 So Barr says Trump ’ s tweets make it ‘ impossible for me to do my job ? ''
As in his job of letting the President undermine the rule of law ?
— Dan Rather ( @ DanRather ) February 14 , 2020 Barr dishonestly trashed the Mueller report .
Barr has set up a mechanism to launder Rudy 's tinfoil claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's obstruction of Congress and overruled career prosecutors on Stone .
We 're to believe now he 's independent and standing strong Please — Joe Lockhart ( @ joelockhart ) February 13 , 2020 Why does the  @ washingtonpost take this seriously ?
Why repeat the line Barr is feeding you , as if this is somehow genuine ?
We expect so much more of our free press .
https : //t.co/L6a123Wcrm — Joe Cirincione ( @ Cirincione ) February 14 , 2020

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Attorney General William Barr on Thursday appeared to stand up to Donald Trump when he complained the president’s “constant background commentary” on Twitter and elsewhere makes it “impossible for me to do my job.”
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But news anchors, political pundits, legal analysts, lawmakers, celebrities and others aren’t buying the apparent pushback by Barr, whose tenure as attorney general has been marked by Democratic complaints that he views his job as acting as the president’s personal lawyer.
Critics suggested Barr’s comments to ABC News were simply a coordinated attempt between him and Trump to defuse the outrage sparked by his Department of Justice’s botched sentencing recommendation for Trump’s longtime ally Roger Stone, which Trump had fiercely disagreed with.
Prosecutors originally suggested Stone serve seven to nine years for his crimes, but Justice Department superiors withdrew the recommendation after Trump complained. All four prosecutors assigned to the case quit in protest.
Barr claimed his intervention in the case was not influenced by Trump.
“I’m not going to be bullied or influenced by anybody….whether it’s Congress, newspaper editorial boards, or the president," Bill Barr tells @ABC News.
"I cannot do my job here at the department with a constant background commentary that undercuts me.” https://t.co/14rnEMD65c pic.twitter.com/QuoTgpUVHp — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) February 13, 2020
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Michael Steele, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee, said Barr’s interview could be “a carefully staged message to cool down pissed off DOJ attys whom Barr undercut & to avoid any further internal strife.”
“This message does not get sideways with Trump because he’s already done what Trump wanted,” Steele tweeted.
Slow your roll if you think Barr is breaking from Trump. This was a carefully staged message to cool down pissed off DOJ attys whom Barr undercut & to avoid any further internal strife. This message does not get sideways with Trump because he’s already done what Trump wanted. https://t.co/jYWYJFovpO — Michael Steele (@MichaelSteele) February 14, 2020
Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) told CNN’s Erin Burnett that she “would not be surprised” if Barr and Trump had been “in cahoots in terms of Barr making a public statement to the American people.”
.@RepValDemings says she wouldn't be surprised if Attorney General William Barr and the President were "in cahoots" regarding Barr's comments about Trump's tweets.https://t.co/jZ6NkoORWt pic.twitter.com/nWZHud9po3 — OutFrontCNN (@OutFrontCNN) February 14, 2020
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MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow urged her viewers not to “abandon our powers of reasoning and common sense” about the “official lie that was rolled out today to try to alleviate this crisis.”
CNN’s Don Lemon said Barr’s statement “sounds tough, sounds independent, sounds too good to be true because it is too good to be true.”
“Nobody is buying this,” he added.
Even Fox News host Laura Ingraham acknowledged Barr was “basically telling Trump, ‘Don’t worry, I got this.’”
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Movie director Judd Apatow was among those to call “BS” on Barr’s claims.
BS. He is not pushing back. It’s a drama created to cover up corruption. https://t.co/TLCxoey4iK — Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) February 14, 2020
And others called it “nonsense theatrics” and “show and coverup.”
This is absolutely nonsense theatrics and I don't buy if for one moment. Barr interfered in the Stone case for purely political reasons and Barr's sole problem is the inconvenience of Trump saying it out loud. https://t.co/rAVeMo9u9s — Susan Hennessey (@Susan_Hennessey) February 13, 2020
Barr’s comments are show and coverup. — Mimi Rocah (@Mimirocah1) February 14, 2020
Barr on Trump: "I think it’s time to stop the tweeting about Department of Justice criminal cases"
If you believe Barr is being sincere, you probably also believe his "summary" of the Mueller report. https://t.co/4WmyFND6t0 — Chris Lu (@ChrisLu44) February 13, 2020
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Barr is more insidious than Trump. Trump's a #CarnivalBarkerClown that lies because he doesn't even know what the truth is, This liar knows the truth & exactly how to hide it. Unfortunately the clown Barr protects keeps blowing his cover at being the one covering everything up. https://t.co/byrnjoJvG5 — Nancy Lee Grahn (@NancyLeeGrahn) February 14, 2020
I call bullshit. What Bill Barr REALLY means is that Trump’s tweets saying the quiet part out loud are making it harder for him to do the crimes and cover-up. So speaketh the #CoverupGeneral. https://t.co/x8vkBJ9tGr — Jon Cooper 🇺🇸 (@joncoopertweets) February 13, 2020
So Barr says Trump’s tweets make it ‘impossible for me to do my job?" As in his job of letting the President undermine the rule of law? — Dan Rather (@DanRather) February 14, 2020
Barr dishonestly trashed the Mueller report. Barr has set up a mechanism to launder Rudy's tinfoil claims from Ukraine. Barr has directed Trump's obstruction of Congress and overruled career prosecutors on Stone. We're to believe now he's independent and standing strong
Please — Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) February 13, 2020
I think Bill Barr is shrewd, deliberate, smart, calculating, careful, and full of it — Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) February 14, 2020
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yeah - i call bull-sh*t on that one ... https://t.co/wsKXjwa6VY — Kurt Bardella (@kurtbardella) February 13, 2020
Why does the @washingtonpost take this seriously? Why repeat the line Barr is feeding you, as if this is somehow genuine? We expect so much more of our free press. https://t.co/L6a123Wcrm — Joe Cirincione (@Cirincione) February 14, 2020
Imagine believing this gelatinous tower of bullshit let alone repeating it as if it were fact. https://t.co/F1nmkLk9u4 — Violet Blue® (@violetblue) February 14, 2020
So you're resigning, Bill Barr? No? OK, then this is bullshit whitewash obvious to everybody. https://t.co/CsmA4jtCpT — Matt Ortega (@MattOrtega) February 13, 2020
Proof positive that Barr's bullshit today was just more #BarrCoverUp. Trump hasn't attacked Barr so this was kabuki. More reality show bullshit from #TraitorTrump and the #TrumpCrimeFamily. https://t.co/ifqk9nAJni — Michael Grant (@MichaelGrantBks) February 14, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-13--Documents Reveal DNC ‘Intimately Involved’ In Developing Troubled Iowa Caucus App

While the Democratic National Committee over the last 10 days has tried to distance itself from the troubled app that through the results of the Iowa caucus into disarray , a copy of the contract and internal correspondence provided to Yahoo News demonstrates that national party officials had extensive oversight over the development of the technology .
The Democrats ’ Iowa caucus took place on Feb. 3 but the outcome is still in question following a series of issues related to the failure of an app that was supposed to be used to submit results .
In the days since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has criticized the Iowa Democratic Party , which ran the caucus , and the developer of the app , Shadow Inc. An unaffiliated Democratic operative in Iowa provided Yahoo News with a copy of the contract between Shadow and the Iowa Democratic Party .
The contract , which was signed last Oct. 14 and refers to Shadow as the “ Consultant , ” specified that the company had to work with the DNC and provide the national party with access to its software for testing .
An email provided to Yahoo News also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CEO of the DNC , and the national party ’ s Deputy Chief Technology Officer Kat Atwater were involved in drafting the contract and requested the addition of the provision that gave them access to Shadow and the app .
In the email dated July 30 , 2019 , Atwater provided an IDP official with draft text for the provision detailing the DNC ’ s access to the app .
Atwater , in the email , said the provision was specifically requested by Nanda .
The copies of Atwater ’ s email and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obtained by Yahoo News contained some redactions .
Sources familiar with the original documents confirmed the authenticity of the copies .
Atwater ’ s email was redacted to omit the name of the IDP official she communicated with .
The Shadow contract was redacted to omit signatures and details about how much the company was paid by the IDP .
A source who worked on the caucus said the payment information was redacted from the copy of the contract provided to Yahoo News because there are ongoing questions about how much the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the app .
The source said Shadow has charged the IDP at least $ 60,000 for its work so far .
Shadow Inc. and the firm ’ s CEO , Gerard Niemira , did not respond to multiple requests for comment .
Fallout from the Iowa fiasco continues .
The Associated Press has declined to name a winner , even though the Iowa Democratic Party had said Pete Buttigieg edged out Bernie Sanders in delegates , while Sanders won the popular vote .
The party ’ s state chairman Troy Price announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have suggested Iowa may lose its coveted status as the first state to vote in the next presidential election .
Price did not immediately respond to requests for comment .
Yet the contract demonstrated that the DNC should have had the opportunity to forsee some of the problems .
One provision in the contract says Shadow would provide “ monthly .
written updates to the DNC regarding the Software status and timeline for implementation.
” It also required Shadow to work with outside consultants and cybersecurity specialists , which the DNC could “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They had a lot of thoughts and feelings on how this app was supposed to function and I think there was advice that was given that led to the difficulties you saw on caucus night with people being able to log in , ” the caucus source said .
“ The security steps that were taken made it difficult for an even technologically apt person to log in.
” “ We have staff working around the clock to assist the Iowa Democratic Party to ensure that all votes are counted .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not function adequately , ” Perez said .
“ It will not be used in Nevada or anywhere else during the primary election process .
The technology vendor must provide absolute transparent accounting of what went wrong.
” Price rejected Perez ’ s call for a recount , but said the state party would conduct a recanvass if it was requested by any of the Democratic presidential campaigns .
Both the Buttigieg and Sanders campaigns had released statements saying they believed they were victorious based on their own internal numbers , and each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think there were discrepancies .
Hinojosa responded to that criticism by pointing to an appearance Perez made on MSNBC on Monday where host Chris Hayes asked “ who was responsible ” for the app ’ s failure “ and what will be done to hold the people responsible to account.
” Perez said responsibility was shared between the Iowa party and the DNC .
He also said the DNC was “ learning from our mistakes .
”

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While the Democratic National Committee over the last 10 days has tried to distance itself from the troubled app that threw the results of the Iowa caucus into disarray, a copy of the contract and internal correspondence provided to Yahoo News demonstrates that national party officials had extensive oversight over the development of the technology.
The Democrats’ Iowa caucus took place on Feb. 3 but the outcome is still in question following a series of issues related to the failure of an app that was supposed to be used to submit results. In the days since the debacle, DNC Chairman Tom Perez has criticized the Iowa Democratic Party, which ran the caucus, and the developer of the app, Shadow Inc.
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An unaffiliated Democratic operative in Iowa provided Yahoo News with a copy of the contract between Shadow and the Iowa Democratic Party. The contract, which was signed last Oct. 14 and refers to Shadow as the “Consultant,” specified that the company had to work with the DNC and provide the national party with access to its software for testing.
“Consultant agrees to work with the DNC Services Corporation / Democratic National Committee (‘DNC’) on an on-going basis as Consultant develops the software,” the contract reads.
The contract also specifies that Shadow agrees to “provide DNC continual access to review the Consultant’s system configurations, security and system logs, system designs, data flow designs, security controls (preventative and detective), and operational plans for how the Consultant will use and run the Software for informational dissemination, pre-registration, tabulation, and reporting throughout the caucus process.”
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An email provided to Yahoo News also appears to show Seema Nanda, the CEO of the DNC, and the national party’s Deputy Chief Technology Officer Kat Atwater were involved in drafting the contract and requested the addition of the provision that gave them access to Shadow and the app. In the email dated July 30, 2019, Atwater provided an IDP official with draft text for the provision detailing the DNC’s access to the app. Atwater, in the email, said the provision was specifically requested by Nanda.
“In discussing our placement in the process with Seema on Friday, she suggested that it would be helpful to include the following provision in the contracts with your vendors,” Atwater wrote to the IDP.
DNC communications director Xochitl Hinojosa responded to questions about the contract language and Atwater’s email by saying the party only wanted access to the app to address potential security concerns.
"We requested access to the tool solely for the purpose of doing security testing,” Hinojosa said.
The copies of Atwater’s email and Shadow’s contract with the IDP obtained by Yahoo News contained some redactions. Sources familiar with the original documents confirmed the authenticity of the copies. Atwater’s email was redacted to omit the name of the IDP official she communicated with. The Shadow contract was redacted to omit signatures and details about how much the company was paid by the IDP.
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A source who worked on the caucus said the payment information was redacted from the copy of the contract provided to Yahoo News because there are ongoing questions about how much the company will ultimately receive due to the issues with the app. The source said Shadow has charged the IDP at least $60,000 for its work so far. Shadow Inc. and the firm’s CEO, Gerard Niemira, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
The Iowa Democratic Party was introduced to Shadow through the state party in Nevada, which also planned to use an app made by the company for its caucus, according to the same source.
In the wake of the Iowa fiasco, the Nevada Democratic Party announced it would not use Shadow’s app for its caucus, which is set for Feb. 22.
Fallout from the Iowa fiasco continues. The Associated Press has declined to name a winner, even though the Iowa Democratic Party had said Pete Buttigieg edged out Bernie Sanders in delegates, while Sanders won the popular vote. The party’s state chairman Troy Price announced his resignation on Wednesday and many experts have suggested Iowa may lose its coveted status as the first state to vote in the next presidential election. Price did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
AP
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In the days since the caucus, DNC Chairman Tom Perez has laid the blame for the app debacle on the Iowa Democratic Party and Shadow for the issues with the results. “What happened last night should never happen again,” Perez said in a statement Feb. 4, the day after the caucus
Yet the contract demonstrated that the DNC should have had the opportunity to forsee some of the problems. One provision in the contract says Shadow would provide “monthly. written updates to the DNC regarding the Software status and timeline for implementation.” It also required Shadow to work with outside consultants and cybersecurity specialists, which the DNC could “choose in its sole discretion.”
According to the source who worked on the caucus, the DNC did have Shadow work with an outside cybersecurity firm. The source blamed the DNC and its security consultants for some of the issues that took place with reporting the results on caucus night.
“They had a lot of thoughts and feelings on how this app was supposed to function and I think there was advice that was given that led to the difficulties you saw on caucus night with people being able to log in,” the caucus source said. “The security steps that were taken made it difficult for an even technologically apt person to log in.”
Hinojosa, the DNC’s communications director, said there were no issues with security features and the login. According to her, all of the problems stemmed from code in the software’s back-end.
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Perez, who was elected chair of the DNC in February 2017, has made security a top priority in the wake of the Russian hack that targeted the party’s leadership during the 2016 election.
“We have staff working around the clock to assist the Iowa Democratic Party to ensure that all votes are counted. It is clear that the app in question did not function adequately,” Perez said. “It will not be used in Nevada or anywhere else during the primary election process. The technology vendor must provide absolute transparent accounting of what went wrong.”
On Feb. 6, Perez tweeted a demand for the Iowa Democratic Party to recalculate the caucus results due to the issues that took place on the night of the vote.
“Enough is enough. In light of the problems that have emerged in the implementation of the delegate selection plan and in order to assure public confidence in the results, I am calling on the Iowa Democratic Party to immediately begin a recanvass,” Perez wrote.
Price rejected Perez’s call for a recount, but said the state party would conduct a recanvass if it was requested by any of the Democratic presidential campaigns. Both the Buttigieg and Sanders campaigns had released statements saying they believed they were victorious based on their own internal numbers, and each requested recanvasses of specific precincts where they think there were discrepancies.
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In an interview with the New York Times on Feb. 9, Perez explicitly blamed the Iowa Democratic Party for the mess and noted the state organization had ultimate responsibility for administering the caucus.
“Troy Price was doing his best, but it wasn’t enough,” Perez said.
AP
The source who worked on the caucus said they found Perez’s comments “extremely frustrating” because he did not disclose the DNC’s extensive role in the app.
“They were intimately involved in this process,” the source said of the DNC, noting the committee’s deputy CTO, Atwater, was on multiple conference calls during the app’s development.
Hinojosa responded to that criticism by pointing to an appearance Perez made on MSNBC on Monday where host Chris Hayes asked “who was responsible” for the app’s failure “and what will be done to hold the people responsible to account.” Perez said responsibility was shared between the Iowa party and the DNC. He also said the DNC was “learning from our mistakes.”
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“Let me be very clear, we all fell short. While the Iowa party administers the election, we provide help,” Perez said, adding, “We have a partnership with our state parties. We’re all in this together. We all succeed together and, when we fall, we fall together. … We fell short and I’m here to say I apologize for that.”
Shadow was launched by Acronym, a nonprofit organization that was established in 2017. In the aftermath of the caucus crisis, Acronym has tried to distance itself from Shadow, particularly as questions have been raised about ties the organization has with top Democrats, including a senior strategist for Buttigieg’s campaign.
The contract Shadow signed with the Iowa Democratic Party specified that the firm would not take on any clients that would interfere or conflict with its work on the Iowa caucus. A section identifying “current Shadow consulting clients” listed just one; the Nevada State Democratic Party.
The document also suggested Shadow staff who were “providing strategic input” to Democratic presidential campaigns participating in the caucus would not work on the app. One Shadow staffer, Sarah Chabolla, was identified under this section. The contract did not specify which campaign Chabolla is working for and she did not immediately respond to multiple requests for comment.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-02-13--Bill Barr Says He Wasn't 'Bullied' By Trump On Roger Stone Sentencing

Attorney General Bill Barr claimed his intervention to reduce the sentencing guidelines for Roger Stone , a confidant and former campaign adviser to President Donald Trump , was not done at Trump ’ s behest .
In an interview with ABC on Thursday , Barr tried to separate the decision — which prompted calls for his resignation — from Trump ’ s influence , saying that lightening the sentencing guidelines was “ the right thing to do.
” “ I ’ m not going to be bullied or influenced by anybody ... whether it ’ s Congress , a newspaper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Barr told ABC .
“ I ’ m going to do what I think is right.
” Barr blamed the firestorm over the decision on Trump ’ s tweets , which he said “ make it impossible for me to do my job.
” On Monday , a team of DOJ prosecutors recommended that Stone face seven to nine years in prison for witness tampering and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia in the 2016 election .
“ I ’ m not going to be bullied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress , newspaper editorial boards , or the president , '' Bill Barr tells @ ABC News .
`` I can not do my job here at the department with a constant background commentary that undercuts me.
” https : //t.co/14rnEMD65c pic.twitter.com/QuoTgpUVHp — ABC News Politics ( @ ABCPolitics ) February 13 , 2020 Trump then raged on Twitter early Tuesday morning that it was “ horrible and very unfair ” and a “ miscarriage of justice ” for Stone to face that potential sentence .
That afternoon , the U.S. Attorney ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intervened and withdrew the earlier sentencing suggestion .
The order to override DOJ prosecutors ’ sentencing guidelines came from the offices of Barr and Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen , The New York Times reported .
“ I think it ’ s time to stop the tweeting about Department of Justice criminal cases , ” Barr said in the Thursday interview .
“ I can not do my job here at the department with a constant background commentary that undercuts me , ” he added later .
Stone was the sixth Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charges brought as part of former special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s Russia investigation .
“ The President wasn ’ t bothered by the comments at all and he has the right , just like any American citizen , to publicly offer his opinions , ” Grisham said in a statement .
“ President Trump uses social media very effectively to fight for the American people against injustices in our country , including the fake news .
The President has full faith and confidence in Attorney General Barr to do his job and @ @ @ @ @

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Attorney General Bill Barr claimed his intervention to reduce the sentencing guidelines for Roger Stone, a confidant and former campaign adviser to President Donald Trump, was not done at Trump’s behest.
In an interview with ABC on Thursday, Barr tried to separate the decision — which prompted calls for his resignation — from Trump’s influence, saying that lightening the sentencing guidelines was “the right thing to do.”
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“I’m not going to be bullied or influenced by anybody ... whether it’s Congress, a newspaper editorial board, or the president,” Barr told ABC. “I’m going to do what I think is right.”
Barr blamed the firestorm over the decision on Trump’s tweets, which he said “make it impossible for me to do my job.”
On Monday, a team of DOJ prosecutors recommended that Stone face seven to nine years in prison for witness tampering and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia in the 2016 election.
“I’m not going to be bullied or influenced by anybody….whether it’s Congress, newspaper editorial boards, or the president," Bill Barr tells @ABC News.
"I cannot do my job here at the department with a constant background commentary that undercuts me.” https://t.co/14rnEMD65c pic.twitter.com/QuoTgpUVHp — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) February 13, 2020
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Trump then raged on Twitter early Tuesday morning that it was “horrible and very unfair” and a “miscarriage of justice” for Stone to face that potential sentence.
That afternoon, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia intervened and withdrew the earlier sentencing suggestion. The order to override DOJ prosecutors’ sentencing guidelines came from the offices of Barr and Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen, The New York Times reported.
All four of the federal prosecutors overseeing the case against Stone abruptly resigned.
Trump responded by praising the attorney general for “taking charge” of the situation in a series of tweets.
“I think it’s time to stop the tweeting about Department of Justice criminal cases,” Barr said in the Thursday interview.
“I cannot do my job here at the department with a constant background commentary that undercuts me,” he added later.
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Stone was the sixth Trump aide or adviser to be convicted of charges brought as part of former special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.
White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham dismissed Barr’s criticism of Trump’s social media habits.
“The President wasn’t bothered by the comments at all and he has the right, just like any American citizen, to publicly offer his opinions,” Grisham said in a statement. “President Trump uses social media very effectively to fight for the American people against injustices in our country, including the fake news. The President has full faith and confidence in Attorney General Barr to do his job and uphold the law.”
And while Barr may claim to be free from Trump’s influence, he’s repeatedly made decisions that plainly dispute that notion.
In January, the New York City Bar Association called for a congressional investigation into Barr, warning his political partisanship “threatens public confidence in the fair and impartial administration of justice.”