thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-24--NFL's Saints Shielded Catholic Church Amid Abuse Crisis: Report

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE - In this Oct. 23 , 2016 , file photo , a New Orleans Saints helmet rests on the playing field before an NFL football game in Kansas City , Mo .
The Saints are going to court to keep the public from seeing hundreds of emails that allegedly show team executives doing public relations damage control for the area 's Roman Catholic archdiocese to help it contain the fallout from a burgeoning sexual abuse crisis .
( AP Photo/Jeff Roberson , File ) NEW ORLEANS ( AP ) — The New Orleans Saints are going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hundreds of emails that allegedly show team executives doing public relations damage control for the area ’ s Roman Catholic archdiocese to help it contain the fallout from a burgeoning sexual abuse crisis .
Attorneys for about two dozen men suing the church say in court filings that the 276 documents they obtained through discovery show that the NFL team , whose owner is devoutly Catholic , aided the Archdiocese of New Orleans in its “ pattern and practice of concealing its crimes.
” “ Obviously , the Saints should not be in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Saints ’ public relations team is not in the business of managing the public relations of criminals engaged in pedophilia , ” the attorneys wrote in a court filing .
“ The Saints realize that if the documents at issue are made public , this professional sports organization also will be smearing itself.
” Saints attorneys , in court papers , disputed any suggestion that the team helped the church cover up crimes , calling such claims “ outrageous.
” They further said that the emails , exchanged in 2018 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and should not be “ fodder for the public.
” The archdiocese is also fighting the release of the emails .
The National Football League , which was advised of the matter by plaintiffs ’ attorneys because the Saints ’ emails used the team ’ s nfl.com domain , has not commented on the case .
NFL policy says everyone who is a part of the league must refrain from “ conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in ” the NFL .
Ties between local church leaders and the Saints @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Archbishop Gregory Aymond and Gayle Benson , who inherited the Saints and the New Orleans Pelicans basketball team when her husband , Tom Benson , died in 2018 .
The archbishop was at Gayle Benson ’ s side as she walked in the funeral procession .
Attorneys for the men suing the church say “ multiple ” Saints personnel , including Senior Vice President of Communications Greg Bensel , used their team email to advise church officials on “ messaging ” and how to soften the impact of the archdiocese ’ s release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ credibly accused ” of sexual abuse .
“ The information at issue bears a relationship to these crimes because it is a continuation of the Archdiocese ’ s pattern and practice of concealing its crimes so that the public does not discover its criminal behavior , ” the plaintiffs ’ attorneys wrote .
“ And the Saints joined in.
” Attorneys for the Saints acknowledged in a court filing that the team assisted the archdiocese in its publishing of the credibly accused clergy list , but said that was an act of disclosure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A handful of Saints emails that emerged last year in the clergy abuse litigation included an October 2018 exchange in which Bensel asked an archdiocese spokeswoman whether there might be “ a benefit to saying we support a victims right to pursue a remedy through the courts.
” The fight over the emails is part of a flurry of claims filed against the archdiocese over its employment of George F. Brignac , a longtime schoolteacher and deacon who was removed from the ministry in 1988 after a 7-year-old boy accused him of fondling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accusation followed claims that Briganc abused several other boys , including one case that led to his acquittal in 1978 on three counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile .
Church officials permitted Brignac , 85 , to act as a lay minister until local news accounts of his service in 2018 prompted his ouster and an apology from the archdiocese .
The AP last year reported that Brignac , despite his supposed defrocking , also maintained access to schoolchildren and held leadership roles as recently as 2018 in the Knights of Columbus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — in which Brignac told a reporter he had touched boys but never for “ immoral purposes ” — Brignac was indicted last month on a rape charge that could land him behind bars for the rest of his life .
The prosecution came more than a year after a former altar boy told police that Brignac repeatedly raped him beginning in the late 1970s .
Police said the abuse began when the boy was 7 and continued until he was 11 .

FILE - In this Oct. 23, 2016, file photo, a New Orleans Saints helmet rests on the playing field before an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo. The Saints are going to court to keep the public from seeing hundreds of emails that allegedly show team executives doing public relations damage control for the area's Roman Catholic archdiocese to help it contain the fallout from a burgeoning sexual abuse crisis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File) ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Saints are going to court to keep the public from seeing hundreds of emails that allegedly show team executives doing public relations damage control for the area’s Roman Catholic archdiocese to help it contain the fallout from a burgeoning sexual abuse crisis.
Attorneys for about two dozen men suing the church say in court filings that the 276 documents they obtained through discovery show that the NFL team, whose owner is devoutly Catholic, aided the Archdiocese of New Orleans in its “pattern and practice of concealing its crimes.”
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“Obviously, the Saints should not be in the business of assisting the Archdiocese, and the Saints’ public relations team is not in the business of managing the public relations of criminals engaged in pedophilia,” the attorneys wrote in a court filing. “The Saints realize that if the documents at issue are made public, this professional sports organization also will be smearing itself.”
Saints attorneys, in court papers, disputed any suggestion that the team helped the church cover up crimes, calling such claims “outrageous.” They further said that the emails, exchanged in 2018 and 2019, were intended to be private and should not be “fodder for the public.” The archdiocese is also fighting the release of the emails.
The National Football League, which was advised of the matter by plaintiffs’ attorneys because the Saints’ emails used the team’s nfl.com domain, has not commented on the case. NFL policy says everyone who is a part of the league must refrain from “conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in” the NFL.
A court-appointed special master is expected to hear arguments in the coming weeks on whether the communications should remain confidential.
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The Associated Press, which has extensively covered clergy sexual abuse in a series of stories over the past year, filed a motion with the court supporting the release of the documents as a matter of public interest.
“This case does not involve intensely private individuals who are dragged into the spotlight,” the AP argued, “but well-known mega-institutions that collect millions of dollars from local residents to support their activities.”
Ties between local church leaders and the Saints include a close friendship between New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond and Gayle Benson, who inherited the Saints and the New Orleans Pelicans basketball team when her husband, Tom Benson, died in 2018. The archbishop was at Gayle Benson’s side as she walked in the funeral procession.
Gayle Benson has given millions of dollars to Catholic institutions in the New Orleans area, and the archbishop is a regular guest of hers at games and charitable events for the church.
Attorneys for the men suing the church say “multiple” Saints personnel, including Senior Vice President of Communications Greg Bensel, used their team email to advise church officials on “messaging” and how to soften the impact of the archdiocese’s release of a list of clergy members “credibly accused” of sexual abuse.
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“The information at issue bears a relationship to these crimes because it is a continuation of the Archdiocese’s pattern and practice of concealing its crimes so that the public does not discover its criminal behavior,” the plaintiffs’ attorneys wrote. “And the Saints joined in.”
A Saints spokeswoman Friday said team officials had no comment.
Attorneys for the Saints acknowledged in a court filing that the team assisted the archdiocese in its publishing of the credibly accused clergy list, but said that was an act of disclosure — “the opposite of concealment.”
A handful of Saints emails that emerged last year in the clergy abuse litigation included an October 2018 exchange in which Bensel asked an archdiocese spokeswoman whether there might be “a benefit to saying we support a victims right to pursue a remedy through the courts.”
“I don’t think we want to say we ‘support’ victims going to the courts,” Sarah McDonald, the archdiocese’s communications director, replied, “but we certainly encourage them to come forward.”
The fight over the emails is part of a flurry of claims filed against the archdiocese over its employment of George F. Brignac, a longtime schoolteacher and deacon who was removed from the ministry in 1988 after a 7-year-old boy accused him of fondling him at a Christmas party. That accusation followed claims that Briganc abused several other boys, including one case that led to his acquittal in 1978 on three counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile.
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Church officials permitted Brignac, 85, to act as a lay minister until local news accounts of his service in 2018 prompted his ouster and an apology from the archdiocese. The AP last year reported that Brignac, despite his supposed defrocking, also maintained access to schoolchildren and held leadership roles as recently as 2018 in the Knights of Columbus.
Following a new wave of publicity — in which Brignac told a reporter he had touched boys but never for “immoral purposes” — Brignac was indicted last month on a rape charge that could land him behind bars for the rest of his life. The prosecution came more than a year after a former altar boy told police that Brignac repeatedly raped him beginning in the late 1970s. Police said the abuse began when the boy was 7 and continued until he was 11.
The archdiocese, meanwhile, has settled several lawsuits against Brignac and included the former deacon in the list of more than 50 names it released in late 2018 of “credibly accused” clergy.
A lawyer for the archdiocese said earlier this month that the plaintiffs’ attorneys seeking the release of the Saints emails were engaged in a “proverbial witch hunt with respect to decades-old abuse.”
The attorney, E. Dirk Wegmann, told the special master that the plaintiffs only want the Saints emails released so they can give them to the media and “unfairly try to tar and feather the archdiocese.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-24--Elizabeth Warren Is Ready To Move Past The Early States

Ivan Alvarado / Reuters Banners for Democratic 2020 U.S. presidential candidate and U.S .
Senator Elizabeth Warren ( D-MA ) are placed at a Warren 's campaign office in Indianola , Iowa , U.S. , January 23 , 2020 .
REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado The presidential campaign of Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has hired 1,000 staffers in 31 different states , including some that won ’ t cast ballots until early April , according to a new memo from her campaign manager , Roger Lau .
The hires reflect the Warren campaign ’ s plan for a long fight ahead to collect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win the Democratic nomination to challenge President Donald Trump .
But they will also cause head-scratching among Democratic operatives who have questioned the Warren campaign ’ s decision to build significant operations in later states when her continued presence in the race may rely on victories in the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire .
“ Our immediate goal is to secure the close to 2,000 delegates necessary to win the Democratic nomination , ” Lau wrote in the memo , which was sent to supporters on Friday morning .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ built and executed our plan to win .
We expect this to be a long nomination fight and have built our campaign to sustain well past Super Tuesday and stay resilient no matter what breathless media narratives come when voting begins.
” Lau barely touched on those four early-voting states in the memo , spending only two sentences discussing them .
While Warren has built extensive organizing operations in Iowa and New Hampshire , she is spending far less on television ads and other paid media than her competitors for the nomination , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states later in the electoral calendar .
The memo extensively discussed the Warren team ’ s efforts to organize volunteers in states voting on Super Tuesday and beyond , specifically noting that the campaign already has “ several hundred organizing staffers ” on the ground in states that vote between Super Tuesday – which is on March 3 – and early April .
( Roughly 40 % of the delegates to the Democratic National Convention will be awarded by Super Tuesday . )
“ We knew that this primary process was never going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the memo .
“ We also know that you can ’ t just stand up an organization overnight or buy your way to the nomination .
While billionaires may be able to buy their way into the conversation , it will be a broad , grassroots effort and organization that delivers the Democratic nomination.
” Warren has often criticized billionaire media mogul and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg for the more than $ 100 million he has spent on his campaign for the Democratic nomination so far .
That spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states , which place a heavy emphasis on retail politics and voter interaction , a move Warren has called undemocratic .
Warren ’ s operation is now extensive enough that it ’ s easier to list the states where she doesn ’ t have staff than the states where she does .
States without staffers on the ground include Connecticut , Rhode Island , New Jersey , Maryland , West Virginia , Kentucky , Indiana , Louisiana , North Dakota , South Dakota , Nebraska , Kansas , Montana , Wyoming , Idaho @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warren campaign will have staffers in all 50 states by mid-April .
He also elaborated on the campaign ’ s plan for the general election , saying that Warren will keep her campaign offices in Iowa and other states up for grabs in November open after the primaries end .
“ For states that will be part of Elizabeth Warren ’ s path to victory in the Electoral College , it ’ s especially critical that we don ’ t lose momentum or stall the infrastructure after the primary has passed when we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the even bigger contest in November , ” he wrote .

Banners for Democratic 2020 U.S. presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) are placed at a Warren's campaign office in Indianola, Iowa, U.S., January 23, 2020. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado Ivan Alvarado / Reuters
The presidential campaign of Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has hired 1,000 staffers in 31 different states, including some that won’t cast ballots until early April, according to a new memo from her campaign manager, Roger Lau.
The hires reflect the Warren campaign’s plan for a long fight ahead to collect the more than 2,000 delegates necessary to win the Democratic nomination to challenge President Donald Trump. But they will also cause head-scratching among Democratic operatives who have questioned the Warren campaign’s decision to build significant operations in later states when her continued presence in the race may rely on victories in the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire.
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“Our immediate goal is to secure the close to 2,000 delegates necessary to win the Democratic nomination,” Lau wrote in the memo, which was sent to supporters on Friday morning. “For the last 13 months we have built and executed our plan to win. We expect this to be a long nomination fight and have built our campaign to sustain well past Super Tuesday and stay resilient no matter what breathless media narratives come when voting begins.”
Public polling shows that Warren is in striking distance of winning Iowa, but significantly trailing Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire and former Vice President Joe Biden in Nevada and South Carolina.
Lau barely touched on those four early-voting states in the memo, spending only two sentences discussing them. While Warren has built extensive organizing operations in Iowa and New Hampshire, she is spending far less on television ads and other paid media than her competitors for the nomination, instead dedicating those dollars to organizing in states later in the electoral calendar.
The memo extensively discussed the Warren team’s efforts to organize volunteers in states voting on Super Tuesday and beyond, specifically noting that the campaign already has “several hundred organizing staffers” on the ground in states that vote between Super Tuesday – which is on March 3 – and early April. (Roughly 40% of the delegates to the Democratic National Convention will be awarded by Super Tuesday.)
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“We knew that this primary process was never going to be easy,” Lau wrote in the memo. “We also know that you can’t just stand up an organization overnight or buy your way to the nomination. While billionaires may be able to buy their way into the conversation, it will be a broad, grassroots effort and organization that delivers the Democratic nomination.”
Warren has often criticized billionaire media mogul and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg for the more than $100 million he has spent on his campaign for the Democratic nomination so far. That spending has allowed Bloomberg to skip the early states, which place a heavy emphasis on retail politics and voter interaction, a move Warren has called undemocratic.
Warren’s operation is now extensive enough that it’s easier to list the states where she doesn’t have staff than the states where she does. States without staffers on the ground include Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Louisiana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and New Mexico. Lau said the Warren campaign will have staffers in all 50 states by mid-April.
He also elaborated on the campaign’s plan for the general election, saying that Warren will keep her campaign offices in Iowa and other states up for grabs in November open after the primaries end.
“For states that will be part of Elizabeth Warren’s path to victory in the Electoral College, it’s especially critical that we don’t lose momentum or stall the infrastructure after the primary has passed when we have a chance to keep building for the even bigger contest in November,” he wrote.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-24--How Joe Rogan’s Bernie Sanders Endorsement Split Progressives

“ He ’ s been insanely consistent his entire life , ” Rogan said during an interview with New York Times opinion writer Bari Weiss , who is frequently at the center of social media maelstroms .
“ Him as a human being when I was hanging out with him , I believe in him .
I like him , I like him a lot.
” Politically , the move was a vindication of Sanders ’ claim that he can attract support from right-leaning voters , who make up much of Rogan ’ s fan base , with a progressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argued it was a betrayal of people of color and the LGBTQ community , who are a core part of the Democratic party ’ s base .
“ If your idea of movement building is welcoming bigots without accountability while simultaneously shaming other progressives who may not agree 100 % with your approach on advancing progressive goals , it ’ s going to be very hard for many folks to overlook that blatant inconsistency , ” Charlotte Clymer , a Human Rights Campaign staffer , tweeted after the Sanders campaign promoted Rogan ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to HuffPost on the record .
HRC put out a separate statement calling on Sanders to reconsider the endorsement .
Rogan , who has 5.7 million followers on Twitter and says his podcast gets close to 200 million downloads a month ( including YouTube views ) , is difficult to pin down ideologically .
He describes himself as mostly liberal , but espouses reactionary views .
He has used his show to boost fringe far-right characters including white nationalist Stefan Molyneux , anti-feminist YouTuber Sargon of Akkad , Proud Boys founder Gavin McGinnes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the actor Roseanne Barr , who used the platform to boost the QAnon conspiracy theory .
Rogan has criticized feminists , compared a black neighborhood to “ Planet of Apes , ” and obsessed about “ real women ” getting “ fucked over ” by transgender athletes .
Rogan is ( clearly ) a staunch critic of “ politically correct ” culture , and has become popular within the alt-right , the fringe ideology that believes “ white identity ” is under attack by social justice liberals .
“ The Joe Rogan Experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s foremost vectors for anti-wokeness , ” Justin Peters wrote in Slate last year .
“ With its mellow , welcoming vibe , its pretense of common sense , and its general reluctance to push back on any of its guests ’ ideas save for only the battiest , the podcast has become the factory where red pills get sugarcoated.
” “ Sharing a big tent requires including those who do not share every one of our beliefs , while always making clear that we will never compromise our values , ” Briahna @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement , saying the goal of the campaign was to build a multi-racial , multi-generational coalition to defeat Trump .
“ Bernie has been a big supporter of the LGBT movement all along and a big supporter of me , ” Christine Hallquist , who was the first openly transgender gubernatorial nominee of a major party , told HuffPost .
“ Joe Rogan is of course distasteful but he has seven-plus million followers ...
I ’ m willing to make deals with the devil in order to defeat Donald Trump.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ privileged white males and we need their votes , ” she said .
“ Some purists give me a hard time , but remember folks , we are in desperate times and we are already seeing the rights of the transgender community being removed .
We are at war right now .
And whenever you go to war , some ugly things happen.
” Sanders has made a point of using right-wing media to sell his left-wing agenda to a broader audience .
Early on in his campaign , he participated in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ described his plan to abolish private health insurance and provide every American with government health care , many of Fox ’ s hand-picked audience members cheered in support .
Notably , his primary progressive opponent , Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
, has refused to go on Fox News , a network she described as a “ hate-for-profit racket.
” Bernie has been a big supporter of the LGBT movement all along and a big supporter of me .
Joe Rogan is of course distasteful but he has seven-plus million followers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deals with the devil in order to defeat Donald Trump .
Christine Hallquist , the first openly transgender gubernatorial nominee of a major party “ I do feel like there is a sense of a wink and nod going on here from the Bernie campaign .
That it is okay to have these kinds of views and be part of my campaign , ” progressive strategist Murshed Zaheed told HuffPost .
“ It is not in dispute that communities of color , LGBTQ communities have been under direct assault ...
The Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to suppress and hurt these communities .
The question becomes as a Democrat , what do we stand for ?
Sanders has long argued that Democrats ’ focus on identity politics is not enough to win elections .
After Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election , Sanders said it was “ not good enough for someone to say , ‘ I ’ m a woman !
Vote for me !
’ What we need is a woman who has the guts to stand up to Wall Street , to the insurance companies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fossil fuel industry .
”

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The campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) promoted an endorsement from controversial comedian Joe Rogan on Thursday, igniting a debate among progressive activists: Should a candidate vying to lead the Democratic Party tout an endorsement from a man with a history of making racist and transphobic comments and elevating white nationalists?
When Sanders went on Rogan’s podcast in August, the interview quickly became one of Rogan’s most listened-to episodes. On Monday, Rogan revealed on his podcast that he’ll “probably vote for Bernie.”
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“He’s been insanely consistent his entire life,” Rogan said during an interview with New York Times opinion writer Bari Weiss, who is frequently at the center of social media maelstroms. “Him as a human being when I was hanging out with him, I believe in him. I like him, I like him a lot.”
Later in the week, Sanders tweeted the video clip of Rogan’s endorsement. It too went viral, in large part because progressive activists and detractors criticized Sanders for elevating Rogan.
Politically, the move was a vindication of Sanders’ claim that he can attract support from right-leaning voters, who make up much of Rogan’s fan base, with a progressive economic platform. But several progressive activists argued it was a betrayal of people of color and the LGBTQ community, who are a core part of the Democratic party’s base.
“If your idea of movement building is welcoming bigots without accountability while simultaneously shaming other progressives who may not agree 100% with your approach on advancing progressive goals, it’s going to be very hard for many folks to overlook that blatant inconsistency,” Charlotte Clymer, a Human Rights Campaign staffer, tweeted after the Sanders campaign promoted Rogan’s endorsement. Clymer declined to speak to HuffPost on the record. HRC put out a separate statement calling on Sanders to reconsider the endorsement.
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Rogan, who has 5.7 million followers on Twitter and says his podcast gets close to 200 million downloads a month (including YouTube views), is difficult to pin down ideologically. He describes himself as mostly liberal, but espouses reactionary views. He has used his show to boost fringe far-right characters including white nationalist Stefan Molyneux, anti-feminist YouTuber Sargon of Akkad, Proud Boys founder Gavin McGinnes, homophobic YouTuber Steven Crowder, and the actor Roseanne Barr, who used the platform to boost the QAnon conspiracy theory. Rogan has criticized feminists, compared a black neighborhood to “Planet of Apes,” and obsessed about “real women” getting “fucked over” by transgender athletes.
Rogan is (clearly) a staunch critic of “politically correct” culture, and has become popular within the alt-right, the fringe ideology that believes “white identity” is under attack by social justice liberals. “The Joe Rogan Experience has become one of the internet’s foremost vectors for anti-wokeness,” Justin Peters wrote in Slate last year. “With its mellow, welcoming vibe, its pretense of common sense, and its general reluctance to push back on any of its guests’ ideas save for only the battiest, the podcast has become the factory where red pills get sugarcoated.”
Sanders’ campaign said that reaching Rogan’s audience sits squarely within the senator’s idea of a political revolution and the notion that voters — regardless of political party — can unite behind basic progressive policies to fight for a more just society.
“Sharing a big tent requires including those who do not share every one of our beliefs, while always making clear that we will never compromise our values,” Briahna Joy Gray, Sanders’ spokesperson, said in a statement, saying the goal of the campaign was to build a multi-racial, multi-generational coalition to defeat Trump.
The Sanders campaign did not respond to HuffPost’s request for further comment.
“Bernie has been a big supporter of the LGBT movement all along and a big supporter of me,” Christine Hallquist, who was the first openly transgender gubernatorial nominee of a major party, told HuffPost. “Joe Rogan is of course distasteful but he has seven-plus million followers ... I’m willing to make deals with the devil in order to defeat Donald Trump.”
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Hallquist, who ran for governor of Vermont in 2018 and says she plans on endorsing Sanders for president, understands concerns about the campaign promoting Rogan’s endorsement. But she sees it as a necessary compromise.
“There is a contingent of privileged white males and we need their votes,” she said. “Some purists give me a hard time, but remember folks, we are in desperate times and we are already seeing the rights of the transgender community being removed. We are at war right now. And whenever you go to war, some ugly things happen.”
Sanders has made a point of using right-wing media to sell his left-wing agenda to a broader audience. Early on in his campaign, he participated in a Fox News town hall. When he described his plan to abolish private health insurance and provide every American with government health care, many of Fox’s hand-picked audience members cheered in support. Notably, his primary progressive opponent, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), has refused to go on Fox News, a network she described as a “hate-for-profit racket.”
“Bernie has been a big supporter of the LGBT movement all along and a big supporter of me. Joe Rogan is of course distasteful but he has seven-plus million followers ... I’m willing to make deals with the devil in order to defeat Donald Trump.” - Christine Hallquist, the first openly transgender gubernatorial nominee of a major party
It’s a difference in strategy more than policy. Sanders’ platform includes strong protections for the LGBTQ community: ensuring federal recognition of non-binary identities, opposing “religious liberty” legislation intended to discriminate on the basis of gender and sexual identity, a universal housing program and the Equality Act. But his critics warn that welcoming someone who opposes those protections undermines his commitment to persecuted groups.
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Sanders isn’t the only candidate to face an endorsement-related controversy. Last year one of Warren’s campaign surrogates, trans activist Ashlee Marie Preston, was found to have tweeted racist, homophobic and misogynistic comments. Preston apologized for her past comments.
“I do feel like there is a sense of a wink and nod going on here from the Bernie campaign. That it is okay to have these kinds of views and be part of my campaign,” progressive strategist Murshed Zaheed told HuffPost. “It is not in dispute that communities of color, LGBTQ communities have been under direct assault ... The Trump administration has used every mechanism in his disposal to suppress and hurt these communities. The question becomes as a Democrat, what do we stand for?
“Rogan can be whatever he wants. Rogan can vote for whoever he wants. But the issue is whether a Democratic campaign should be promoting him as a key endorsement,” said Zaheed, who supports Warren.
Sanders has long argued that Democrats’ focus on identity politics is not enough to win elections. After Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election, Sanders said it was “not good enough for someone to say, ‘I’m a woman! Vote for me!’ What we need is a woman who has the guts to stand up to Wall Street, to the insurance companies, to the drug companies, to the fossil fuel industry.”
But balancing mass economic populist appeal with sensitivity to marginalized groups isn’t easy. What the Sanders campaign saw as a way to reach disaffected white men who overwhelmingly voted for Trump in 2016, others interpreted as an obstacle to justice.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-24--Early Voting Means 2020 Primary Is Already Here For Millions

Early voting in the crush of Super Tuesday states that hold primaries on March 3 amounts to a parallel campaign for the Democratic nomination .
While much of the focus is on who will come out on top in the traditional first four voting states , early voting will allow a much broader swath of voters to play a key role in picking the nominee .
These states will test the organizational strength of the White House hopefuls .
The campaigns must balance the demands of the first four states — Iowa , New Hampshire , South Carolina and Nevada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential supporters in the Super Tuesday states that follow .
Some campaigns must manage that two-step while their candidate is stuck in Washington participating in President Donald Trump ’ s impeachment trial .
“ We need supporters for Mike Bloomberg to vote early , independent of whatever is going on , ” said Will Dubbs , deputy states director for Bloomberg ’ s campaign .
“ It is just very , very important for us to make sure we bank those votes , and we can concentrate our efforts elsewhere.
” Bernie Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a way to boost turnout among core constituencies like young , minority and working-class voters .
Early voting opens new opportunities for people with strict work schedules or other barriers to voting to find time to cast ballots beyond the typical Election Day , spokeswoman Sarah Ford said .
The campaign of Pete Buttigieg , the former mayor of South Bend , Indiana , is educating volunteers in Minnesota , Colorado , California and Texas about the early voting process .
And Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar rallied in her home state recently to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ generate enthusiasm among voters who have sent her to the U.S. Senate three times , while freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar campaigned on behalf of Sanders .
The biggest early voting state , California , will mail ballots to more than 12 million voters starting Feb. 3 , the same day as the Iowa caucuses , though not all of those voters will get a Democratic primary ballot .
Colorado , North Carolina and Texas , which offer combinations of mail-in and in-person early voting , are also likely to have a high percentage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a voting expert who directs the United States Elections Project at the University of Florida .
It ’ s difficult to predict how many people will take advantage of early voting , McDonald said .
While early voting offers an opportunity for campaigns to ensure their most intense supporters cast ballots early , many primary voters will wait until they begin seeing the results in earlier voting states in case their preferred candidates drop out .
At least one state , Minnesota , gives voters an option to retrieve their ballot and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before Election Day .
California has by far the largest population of would-be early voters .
Paul Mitchell , who runs the nonpartisan Political Data Inc. that analyzes and sells voter data , predicts about a quarter of the state ’ s eventual Democratic electorate will have cast ballots by the time Nevada holds its caucuses on Feb. 22 .
He projects that will increase to 40 % by the time South Carolina votes on Feb. 29 .
“ If you have people who are with you now , you need to bank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If you ’ re running a campaign and can turn out 1 million voters on Election Day , if you can get 200,000 of them to vote early , that reduces your workload.
” While early voting is an important component of campaign strategy , some experts and campaign veterans doubt its overall effect on a race ’ s outcome .
Robby Mook , who managed Democrat Hillary Clinton ’ s 2016 campaign , said the voters who are likely to vote early are a campaign ’ s most hardcore supporters who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what .
“ You ’ re often cannibalizing from what you were going to get on Election Day anyway , ” he said .
“ The question every campaign , if it ’ s honest , is asking itself is : ‘ How many new votes have I turned out ?
’ ” But other observers say early voting can affect candidates ’ momentum .
Take California , which takes weeks to finish counting its ballots .
The first reported votes on election night will be a reflection of the votes that came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly well with those voters , he or she could get an initial boost of energy , even if the results change as later votes roll in in the following weeks .

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The Iowa caucuses are more than a week away, but millions of Americans are already free to vote.
Early voting in the crush of Super Tuesday states that hold primaries on March 3 amounts to a parallel campaign for the Democratic nomination. While much of the focus is on who will come out on top in the traditional first four voting states, early voting will allow a much broader swath of voters to play a key role in picking the nominee.
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In Minnesota, in-person early voting began Jan. 17. Vermont’s deadline to mail out its absentee ballots was the same day. Many of the 14 Super Tuesday states will offer some form of early voting between now and mid-February.
These states will test the organizational strength of the White House hopefuls. The campaigns must balance the demands of the first four states — Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada — while also making sure to target potential supporters in the Super Tuesday states that follow. Some campaigns must manage that two-step while their candidate is stuck in Washington participating in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial.
Several campaigns said they’ve been working to perfect this balance for months.
“Super Tuesday has never really been March 3 for us,” said Pete Kavanaugh, an adviser for former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign. “In our minds and from a resource allocation perspective, Super Tuesday begins in early February.”
Jared Mollenkof has his photo taken after voting at the Minneapolis Early Voting Center, on Jan. 17, 2020. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire businessman, is ignoring the early states entirely and using his nearly bottomless resources to campaign hard in the Super Tuesday states.
“We need supporters for Mike Bloomberg to vote early, independent of whatever is going on,” said Will Dubbs, deputy states director for Bloomberg’s campaign. “It is just very, very important for us to make sure we bank those votes, and we can concentrate our efforts elsewhere.”
Bernie Sanders, meanwhile, sees early voting as a way to boost turnout among core constituencies like young, minority and working-class voters. Early voting opens new opportunities for people with strict work schedules or other barriers to voting to find time to cast ballots beyond the typical Election Day, spokeswoman Sarah Ford said.
“Early voting is another vehicle to make sure those people have the opportunity to vote for Bernie,” she said.
The campaign of Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is educating volunteers in Minnesota, Colorado, California and Texas about the early voting process. And Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar rallied in her home state recently to mark the start of early voting and generate enthusiasm among voters who have sent her to the U.S. Senate three times, while freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar campaigned on behalf of Sanders.
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Davis Senseman slept in an RV outside a Minnesota polling place with friends so that they could be some of the first people to vote in the presidential election.
“With Elizabeth Warren I finally had a candidate that I’m really excited about,” said Senseman, a 42-year-old attorney. “I want to do this first because I’m for something, not voting against something.”
The biggest early voting state, California, will mail ballots to more than 12 million voters starting Feb. 3, the same day as the Iowa caucuses, though not all of those voters will get a Democratic primary ballot. Colorado, North Carolina and Texas, which offer combinations of mail-in and in-person early voting, are also likely to have a high percentage of early voters, said Michael McDonald, a voting expert who directs the United States Elections Project at the University of Florida.
It’s difficult to predict how many people will take advantage of early voting, McDonald said. While early voting offers an opportunity for campaigns to ensure their most intense supporters cast ballots early, many primary voters will wait until they begin seeing the results in earlier voting states in case their preferred candidates drop out. At least one state, Minnesota, gives voters an option to retrieve their ballot and change their votes up to a week before Election Day.
California has by far the largest population of would-be early voters. Paul Mitchell, who runs the nonpartisan Political Data Inc. that analyzes and sells voter data, predicts about a quarter of the state’s eventual Democratic electorate will have cast ballots by the time Nevada holds its caucuses on Feb. 22. He projects that will increase to 40% by the time South Carolina votes on Feb. 29.
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“If you have people who are with you now, you need to bank those votes,” he said. “If you’re running a campaign and can turn out 1 million voters on Election Day, if you can get 200,000 of them to vote early, that reduces your workload.”
In Colorado, where everyone is mailed a ballot, state officials expect 60% of voters to send their ballots back early. In North Carolina, about a quarter of people could vote early, McDonald predicted.
While early voting is an important component of campaign strategy, some experts and campaign veterans doubt its overall effect on a race’s outcome. Robby Mook, who managed Democrat Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign, said the voters who are likely to vote early are a campaign’s most hardcore supporters who would have supported that candidate no matter what.
“You’re often cannibalizing from what you were going to get on Election Day anyway,” he said. “The question every campaign, if it’s honest, is asking itself is: ‘How many new votes have I turned out?’”
But other observers say early voting can affect candidates’ momentum. Take California, which takes weeks to finish counting its ballots. The first reported votes on election night will be a reflection of the votes that came in earliest. If a candidate does particularly well with those voters, he or she could get an initial boost of energy, even if the results change as later votes roll in in the following weeks.
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“If campaigns can use the mechanics of the election to drive their votes to get cast in those earlier tranches, you can have a greater impact on the national narrative,” Mitchell said.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-24--Trump’s New 'Birth Tourism' Policy Is A Way To Control Women

On Friday , a new policy to stop pregnant women from traveling to the U.S. for “ birth tourism ” will go into effect .
Consular officers can now deny visitor visas to women who they have “ reason to believe ” will give birth in America in order to get their child U.S. citizenship .
The policy is already controversial because it gives officers , who are not medical experts , broad discretion to determine whether or not someone is pregnant .
If an officer thinks a woman is likely to have a baby in the U.S. , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s “ primary purpose ” for travel is birth tourism , and prevent them from entering the country .
The Trump administration has a history of stomping on reproductive rights , especially regarding women of color .
While Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) largely stopped detaining pregnant women under a President Barack Obama directive , Trump reversed that order and the number of expecting mothers in detention has jumped by 52 % since he took office .
Scott Lloyd , the former director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement ( ORR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ORR custody from getting abortions , and allegedly tracked their menstrual cycles .
And Trump has talked about using an executive order to end birthright citizenship , to stop immigrants from having what he calls “ anchor babies.
” The topic of “ birth tourism ” recently made headlines after a woman traveling from Hong Kong to Saipan , a United States territory in the Pacific , was forced to take a pregnancy test before boarding the flight .
She had to sign a medical release form that said she had “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] pregnant lady , ” according to a blog post the woman wrote .
Though there are no credible statistics on how widespread birth tourism is , media coverage usually focuses on women from China and Russia .
The new policy does not apply to the 39 countries whose citizens can travel to the U.S. without a visa — like France , Ireland and New Zealand — and it ’ s unclear how it will work for foreign travelers from other countries .
In an email to HuffPost , a State Department spokesperson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of pregnancy if “ they had a specific articulable reason to believe a visa applicant may be pregnant and planning to give birth in the United States.
” The spokesperson did not answer HuffPost ’ s question about how an officer would determine whether or not someone is pregnant , how far along they are , and if a medical professional would be involved in a screening .
“ It ’ s clearly a huge violation of a woman ’ s privacy and dignity , ” said Sung Yeon Choimorrow , the executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Women ’ s Forum .
“ There is so much room for subjectiveness in this .
What types of questions are you going to ask ?
The whole thing is just so absurd.
” Even more concerning is that an officer with no medical background now has the power to decide if someone is pregnant and if they deserve medical treatment in the U.S. , said Dr. Carolyn Sufrin , an obstetrician-gynecologist who teaches at Johns Hopkins University .
“ It ’ s just completely outside of the realm of what they can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rule specifies that pregnant women seeking medical treatment in the U.S. can be granted visas if they have the means to pay for their medical bills , the policy also states that pregnant women have to prove , “ to the satisfaction of a consular officer , ” that they have a “ legitimate reason ” for seeing an American doctor .
This phrasing leaves serious , potentially life-saving decisions up to people with no medical background , according to Ellmann .
“ They may say , ‘ Well , we don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basis , because you can get the treatment , which may or may not be that good , right outside of the United States , ’ ” said Jeffrey Gorsky , a lawyer who worked in the State Department ’ s visa office for 36 years .
Dr. Sufrin said that even if the State Department does plan to involve medical professionals , it would be highly unethical for any doctor to be involved in a process that denies medical care to someone based on factors such as their nationality , citizenship status @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gorsky said the rule seems extremely hard to implement , especially given the fact that women interested in “ birth tourism ” can apply for long-term travel visas years before they are pregnant .
He thinks the new policy is more symbolic than practical ― a muscle flex for Trump ’ s anti-immigration base .

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On Friday, a new policy to stop pregnant women from traveling to the U.S. for “birth tourism” will go into effect. Consular officers can now deny visitor visas to women who they have “reason to believe” will give birth in America in order to get their child U.S. citizenship.
The policy is already controversial because it gives officers, who are not medical experts, broad discretion to determine whether or not someone is pregnant. If an officer thinks a woman is likely to have a baby in the U.S., they can automatically conclude that a person’s “primary purpose” for travel is birth tourism, and prevent them from entering the country.
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Women’s health advocates and experts said the rule is a blatant attempt to control women and that it could prevent expecting mothers from receiving life-saving medical care.
“It’s hugely discriminatory and also is putting women’s lives at risk,” said Nora Ellmann, a research associate for women’s health and rights at the Center for American Progress. “The rule is positioning pregnant women as a national security threat.”
The Trump administration has a history of stomping on reproductive rights, especially regarding women of color. While Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) largely stopped detaining pregnant women under a President Barack Obama directive, Trump reversed that order and the number of expecting mothers in detention has jumped by 52% since he took office. Scott Lloyd, the former director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), blocked pregnant immigrant teenagers in ORR custody from getting abortions, and allegedly tracked their menstrual cycles. And Trump has talked about using an executive order to end birthright citizenship, to stop immigrants from having what he calls “anchor babies.”
“The rule is positioning pregnant women as a national security threat.” - Nora Ellmann, research associate for women’s health and rights at the Center for American Progress
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The topic of “birth tourism” recently made headlines after a woman traveling from Hong Kong to Saipan, a United States territory in the Pacific, was forced to take a pregnancy test before boarding the flight. She had to sign a medical release form that said she had “a body size/shape resembling to a [sic] pregnant lady,” according to a blog post the woman wrote. Though there are no credible statistics on how widespread birth tourism is, media coverage usually focuses on women from China and Russia.
The new policy does not apply to the 39 countries whose citizens can travel to the U.S. without a visa — like France, Ireland and New Zealand — and it’s unclear how it will work for foreign travelers from other countries.
In an email to HuffPost, a State Department spokesperson said officers would only raise the topic of pregnancy if “they had a specific articulable reason to believe a visa applicant may be pregnant and planning to give birth in the United States.” The spokesperson did not answer HuffPost’s question about how an officer would determine whether or not someone is pregnant, how far along they are, and if a medical professional would be involved in a screening.
Women’s health advocates worry the dystopian process will involve an officer behind a glass window sizing up a woman’s body, which could result in discrimination based on gender, age and size.
“It’s clearly a huge violation of a woman’s privacy and dignity,” said Sung Yeon Choimorrow, the executive director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum. “There is so much room for subjectiveness in this. What types of questions are you going to ask? The whole thing is just so absurd.”
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The rule also makes the false assumption that pregnant women only travel to give birth in another country, when they might be going overseas for business or vacation, Choimorrow added.
Even more concerning is that an officer with no medical background now has the power to decide if someone is pregnant and if they deserve medical treatment in the U.S., said Dr. Carolyn Sufrin, an obstetrician-gynecologist who teaches at Johns Hopkins University. “It’s just completely outside of the realm of what they can and should be doing.”
Though the rule specifies that pregnant women seeking medical treatment in the U.S. can be granted visas if they have the means to pay for their medical bills, the policy also states that pregnant women have to prove, “to the satisfaction of a consular officer,” that they have a “legitimate reason” for seeing an American doctor. This phrasing leaves serious, potentially life-saving decisions up to people with no medical background, according to Ellmann.
“They may say, ‘Well, we don’t think that’s a sufficient basis, because you can get the treatment, which may or may not be that good, right outside of the United States,’” said Jeffrey Gorsky, a lawyer who worked in the State Department’s visa office for 36 years.
Dr. Sufrin said that even if the State Department does plan to involve medical professionals, it would be highly unethical for any doctor to be involved in a process that denies medical care to someone based on factors such as their nationality, citizenship status, or for any other reason.
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Gorsky said the rule seems extremely hard to implement, especially given the fact that women interested in “birth tourism” can apply for long-term travel visas years before they are pregnant. He thinks the new policy is more symbolic than practical ― a muscle flex for Trump’s anti-immigration base.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-24--14 Dead, Hundreds Injured After Earthquake Hits Eastern Turkey

ASSOCIATED PRESS People look at a collapsed building after a 6.8 earthquake struck Elazig city centre in the eastern Turkey on Friday .
ANKARA , Turkey ( AP ) — An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 rocked eastern Turkey on Friday , killing at least 14 people , injuring more than 300 and leaving several trapped in the wreckage of toppled buildings , Turkish officials said .
Rescue teams from neighboring provinces were dispatched to the affected areas , working in the dark with floodlights , and Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said troops were on standby to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one injured person from the rubble of a collapsed building in the eastern Elazig province .
At least three people were believed to be trapped in a building in the area , where officials said 4 or 5 structures were toppled , including one at least 4 stories high .
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter that all measures were being taken to “ ensure that the earthquake that occurred in Elazig and was felt in many provinces is overcome with the least amount of loss.
” He said the ministers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environment were sent to the afflicted region .
The quake struck at 1755 GMT , 8:55 p.m. local time , at a depth of 6.7 kilometers near the town of Sivrice in Elazig , the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency , or AFAD , said .
It was followed by several aftershocks , the strongest with magnitudes 5.4 and 5.1 .
AFAD said 8 people were killed in Elazig and another 6 in nearby Malatya province .
At least 315 people were injured in the two provinces , regional officials said .
People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were too afraid to go indoors were being moved to student dormitories or sports center amid freezing conditions .
Elazig Governor Cetin Oktay Kaldirim told NTV television that a fire broke out in a building in Sivrice , near the epicenter , but was quickly brought under control .
The Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said the quake measured 6.5. , while the U.S. Geological Survey gave the preliminary magnitude as 6.7 , and said the quake affected not only Turkey but also Syria , Georgia and Armenia .
NTV said the earthquake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent people running outdoors in panic .

People look at a collapsed building after a 6.8 earthquake struck Elazig city centre in the eastern Turkey on Friday. ASSOCIATED PRESS
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 rocked eastern Turkey on Friday, killing at least 14 people, injuring more than 300 and leaving several trapped in the wreckage of toppled buildings, Turkish officials said.
Rescue teams from neighboring provinces were dispatched to the affected areas, working in the dark with floodlights, and Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said troops were on standby to help.
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TV footage showed rescuers pull out one injured person from the rubble of a collapsed building in the eastern Elazig province. At least three people were believed to be trapped in a building in the area, where officials said 4 or 5 structures were toppled, including one at least 4 stories high.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter that all measures were being taken to “ensure that the earthquake that occurred in Elazig and was felt in many provinces is overcome with the least amount of loss.”
He said the ministers for the interior, health and the environment were sent to the afflicted region.
The quake struck at 1755 GMT, 8:55 p.m. local time, at a depth of 6.7 kilometers near the town of Sivrice in Elazig, the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, or AFAD, said. It was followed by several aftershocks, the strongest with magnitudes 5.4 and 5.1.
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Elazig is some 750 kilometers (465 miles) east of the capital, Ankara.
AFAD said 8 people were killed in Elazig and another 6 in nearby Malatya province. At least 315 people were injured in the two provinces, regional officials said.
People in Elazig whose homes were damaged or were too afraid to go indoors were being moved to student dormitories or sports center amid freezing conditions.
Elazig Governor Cetin Oktay Kaldirim told NTV television that a fire broke out in a building in Sivrice, near the epicenter, but was quickly brought under control.
I nterior Minister Suleyman Soylu was at a meeting on earthquake preparedness when the quake struck.
The Kandilli seismology center in Istanbul said the quake measured 6.5., while the U.S. Geological Survey gave the preliminary magnitude as 6.7, and said the quake affected not only Turkey but also Syria, Georgia and Armenia.
Different earthquake monitoring centers frequently give differing estimates.
NTV said the earthquake was felt in several Turkish provinces and sent people running outdoors in panic.
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Turkey sits on top of two major fault-lines and earthquakes are frequent. Two strong earthquakes struck northwest Turkey in 1999, killing around 18,000 people.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-24--Mike Pompeo Cursed, Yelled At NPR's Mary Louise Kelly For Asking About Ukraine

[ Pompeo ] asked , “ Do you think Americans care about Ukraine ?
” He used the F-word in @ @ @ @ @ .
He asked if I could find Ukraine on a map .
I said yes @ @ @ @ @ for aides to bring us a map of the world with no writing .
I @ @ @ @ @ put the map away .
He said , “ people will hear about this .
@

[Pompeo] asked, “Do you think Americans care about Ukraine?”
He used the F-word in that sentence and many others.
He asked if I could find Ukraine on a map. I said yes, and he called out for aides to bring us a map of the world with no writing. I pointed to Ukraine. He put the map away.
He said, “people will hear about this.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-24--Listen: Newly Released Audio Appears To Capture Trump Ordering Marie Yovanovitch Out

“ Get rid of her !
” an angry voice that appears to be Trump ’ s can be heard saying on the recording .
“ Get her out tomorrow .
I don ’ t care .
Get her out tomorrow .
Take her out .
OK ?
Do it.
” The White House has not denied the voice is Trump ’ s , according to ABC .
A voice that appears to be indicted Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas can be heard on the tape disparaging Yovanovitch before Trump ’ s tirade .
“ The biggest problem there , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is , we got ta get rid of the ambassador .
She ’ s still left over from the Clinton administration , ” he says .
( In fact , Yovanovitch joined the Foreign Service during the Reagan administration . )
“ She ’ s basically walking around telling everybody , ‘ Wait , he ’ s gon na get impeached , just wait , ’ ” the voice believed to be Parnas ’ s adds as men at the table laugh .
It ’ s unclear why Trump would issue an order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dinner with Parnas , a Ukrainian American businessman who had no role in the federal government .
But his attorney , Joseph Bondy , told Maddow he believed Trump was giving the order to his aide John DeStefano , who was with the group at the time .
Bondy said Donald Trump Jr. was also present .

“Get rid of her!” an angry voice that appears to be Trump’s can be heard saying on the recording. “Get her out tomorrow. I don’t care. Get her out tomorrow. Take her out. OK? Do it.” The White House has not denied the voice is Trump’s, according to ABC.
A voice that appears to be indicted Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas can be heard on the tape disparaging Yovanovitch before Trump’s tirade. “The biggest problem there, I think where we need to start is, we gotta get rid of the ambassador. She’s still left over from the Clinton administration,” he says. (In fact, Yovanovitch joined the Foreign Service during the Reagan administration.)
“She’s basically walking around telling everybody, ‘Wait, he’s gonna get impeached, just wait,’” the voice believed to be Parnas’s adds as men at the table laugh.
It’s unclear why Trump would issue an order to get rid of Yovanovitch at a dinner with Parnas, a Ukrainian American businessman who had no role in the federal government. But his attorney, Joseph Bondy, told Maddow he believed Trump was giving the order to his aide John DeStefano, who was with the group at the time. Bondy said Donald Trump Jr. was also present.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-25--Washington Post Editorial Board Issues Ominous Impeachment Warning To GOP Senators, Trump

Maybe not today , maybe not tomorrow .
But The Washington Post editorial board has warned that the evidence Democrats @ @ @ @ @ impeachment trial of Donald Trump over his Ukraine misconduct will eventually catch up to the @ @ @ @ @ whether they ignore it or not.
” In an editorial published Friday , the board @ @ @ @ @ D-Calif. ) and his co-House impeachment managers had laid out “ the hard evidence ” @ @ @ @ @ Trump “ used presidential powers to pressure Ukraine into announcing investigations that would aid his @ @ @ @ @ he engaged in unprecedented obstruction of Congress ’ s subsequent investigation.
” “ Mr .
@ @ @ @ @ whether or not GOP senators demand relevant testimony and documents during the trial , more @ @ @ @ @ , ” it concluded .
“ Those who choose now to disregard the evidence against @ @ @ @ @ obstruction will be reduced to watching in the months and years to come as the @ @ @ @ @ against their abdication of constitutional duty — grows steadily stronger .
”

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Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow.
But The Washington Post editorial board has warned that the evidence Democrats have presented in the Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump over his Ukraine misconduct will eventually catch up to the president and Republican senators “whether they ignore it or not.”
In an editorial published Friday, the board said Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and his co-House impeachment managers had laid out “the hard evidence” to the GOP-controlled Senate that Trump “used presidential powers to pressure Ukraine into announcing investigations that would aid his reelection campaign, and that he engaged in unprecedented obstruction of Congress’s subsequent investigation.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-25--Supercut Shows Why Lindsey Graham Is 'Most Shameless Man In American Politics'

The Intercept ’ s Mehdi Hasan nails the hypocrisy of Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-S.C. ) in a new video @ @ @ @ @ “ the most shameless man in American politics.
” Hasan notes in the clip released @ @ @ @ @ “ lot of competition ” when it comes “ to shameless , hypocritical , dishonest @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) and Sen. Ted Cruz @ @ @ @ @ But it ’ s Lindsey Graham , who in my view , is the worst @ @ @ @ @ he continued , noting how before Graham actually “ put a lot of effort into @ @ @ @ @ reasonable , sober , sensible , moderate Republican ” before morphing into a staunch defender @ @ @ @ @ But today , there ’ s no position he won ’ t abandon , no @ @ @ @ @ perform , no lie he won ’ t tell , ” Hasan added .

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The Intercept’s Mehdi Hasan nails the hypocrisy of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) in a new video that calls the GOP lawmaker “the most shameless man in American politics.”
Hasan notes in the clip released Friday that Graham has a “lot of competition” when it comes “to shameless, hypocritical, dishonest politicians” — from President Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas.)
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“But it’s Lindsey Graham, who in my view, is the worst of the lot,” he continued, noting how Graham actually “put a lot of effort into cultivating an image of a reasonable, sober, sensible, moderate Republican” before morphing into a staunch defender of the president.
“But today, there’s no position he won’t abandon, no U-turn he won’t perform, no lie he won’t tell,” Hasan added.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-24--Adam Schiff Implores Republicans To Show 'Courage' In Final Argument

Schiff ’ s speech wrapped up a three-day opening argument by House Democrats on why the Senate should remove Trump from office on articles of impeachment that charge he pressured Ukraine to interfere in the 2020 election and hindered Congress ’ s efforts to investigate .
Schiff began by arguing that Trump ’ s obstruction posed a lasting threat to the country and that if Congress lets it stand this time , “ there will never be ” an impeachment again .
The next step will be convincing Republicans in the Senate that they should go against the president who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to allow more witness testimony .
Addressing stone-faced Republican senators , Schiff called for a “ fair ” trial ― something he said could be done only if the White House stopped being allowed to obstruct the process by blocking key documents and witnesses .
Schiff quoted a 1966 remark from Sen. Robert F. Kennedy : “ Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence .
Yet it is the one essential , vital quality for those who seek to change the world which yields most painfully to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the heartfelt views , right or wrong , are in conflict with the popular opinion of our constituents ?
” he said .
“ What happens when the devotion to our love of country and oath and value depart from the momentary passion of a large number of people back home ?
Those are the times that try our souls.
” Schiff also offered a mocking rebuttal of the arguments that he expects the president ’ s lawyers to make over the next few days ― including that the president himself has said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump ’ s defense team will give a roughly three-hour preview of its argument for why the president should be allowed to remain in office .
The president has said his call with the president of Ukraine requesting an investigation of a political rival was “ perfect ” and said he did nothing wrong .
“ This is a well-known principle of criminal law that if the defendant says he didn ’ t do it , he couldn ’ t have done it , ” Schiff said , to laughter in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come from Trump ’ s team : that President Barack Obama also withheld aid at times ― although not for personal benefit and not secretively .
Schiff said they ’ d likely argue that Trump ’ s targeted rival , former Vice President Joe Biden , was corrupt , which he said would be promoting the same message Trump was hoping to get across by pushing Ukraine to announce an investigation of Biden and his son Hunter .
He warned Trump ’ s allies would argue about the process and say it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threaten that , since he might assert executive privilege over witness testimony , there was no point in approving witnesses at all .
Schiff said Trump ’ s defenders would also likely say Democrats just “ hate the president , ” something he said was both untrue and an effort to distract from what Trump did .
“ You ’ ll also hear the defense [ say ] , ’ They hate the president .
They hate the president .
You should not consider the president ’ s misconduct because they hate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I will leave you to your own judgments about the president .
I only hate what he ’ s done to this country.
” In the face of extensive evidence of Trump ’ s pressure campaign against Ukraine and the Trump administration ’ s nearly complete refusal to cooperate with the impeachment investigation , some Senate Republicans instead focused on a single comment in Schiff ’ s closing speech , in which he referenced a CBS report that said GOP senators were told by a Trump confidant that their “ heads will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote against Trump .

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WASHINGTON ― Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) on Friday night implored Republican senators to show “moral courage” as they consider whether to remove President Donald Trump from office for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
“Real political courage doesn’t come from disagreeing with our opponents but from disagreeing with our friends, and with our own party,” Schiff said.
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Schiff’s speech wrapped up a three-day opening argument by House Democrats on why the Senate should remove Trump from office on articles of impeachment that charge he pressured Ukraine to interfere in the 2020 election and hindered Congress’s efforts to investigate. Schiff began by arguing that Trump’s obstruction posed a lasting threat to the country and that if Congress lets it stand this time, “there will never be” an impeachment again.
Next, Schiff read part of the articles aloud on the Senate floor. After each paragraph, he said, “That has been proved.”
The next step will be convincing Republicans in the Senate that they should go against the president who leads their party, including by voting to allow more witness testimony. Addressing stone-faced Republican senators, Schiff called for a “fair” trial ― something he said could be done only if the White House stopped being allowed to obstruct the process by blocking key documents and witnesses.
Schiff quoted a 1966 remark from Sen. Robert F. Kennedy: “Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change the world which yields most painfully to change.”
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Schiff said that his own denunciations of the president don’t count as courageous because he represents a liberal district and his constituents agree with him.
“But what happens when the heartfelt views, right or wrong, are in conflict with the popular opinion of our constituents?” he said. “What happens when the devotion to our love of country and oath and value depart from the momentary passion of a large number of people back home? Those are the times that try our souls.”
Schiff also offered a mocking rebuttal of the arguments that he expects the president’s lawyers to make over the next few days ― including that the president himself has said he did nothing wrong. On Saturday, Trump’s defense team will give a roughly three-hour preview of its argument for why the president should be allowed to remain in office. The president has said his call with the president of Ukraine requesting an investigation of a political rival was “perfect” and said he did nothing wrong.
“This is a well-known principle of criminal law that if the defendant says he didn’t do it, he couldn’t have done it,” Schiff said, to laughter in the chamber.
Schiff predicted other arguments likely to come from Trump’s team: that President Barack Obama also withheld aid at times ― although not for personal benefit and not secretively. Schiff said they’d likely argue that Trump’s targeted rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, was corrupt, which he said would be promoting the same message Trump was hoping to get across by pushing Ukraine to announce an investigation of Biden and his son Hunter.
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He warned Trump’s allies would argue about the process and say it was unfair to the president, or threaten that, since he might assert executive privilege over witness testimony, there was no point in approving witnesses at all.
Schiff said Trump’s defenders would also likely say Democrats just “hate the president,” something he said was both untrue and an effort to distract from what Trump did.
“You’ll also hear the defense [say], ’They hate the president. They hate the president. You should not consider the president’s misconduct because they hate the president,’” Schiff said. “I will leave you to your own judgments about the president. I only hate what he’s done to this country.”
In the face of extensive evidence of Trump’s pressure campaign against Ukraine and the Trump administration’s nearly complete refusal to cooperate with the impeachment investigation, some Senate Republicans instead focused on a single comment in Schiff’s closing speech, in which he referenced a CBS report that said GOP senators were told by a Trump confidant that their “heads will be on a pike” if they vote against Trump.
“That’s not true,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a key swing vote, said as Schiff spoke, shaking her head several times. Several other Republicans in the chamber gasped.
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Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), another moderate seen as crucial to calling witnesses in the trial, told reporters afterward that Schiff’s presentation was satisfactory until he referred to the CBS report.
“He was doing fine with ‘moral courage’ until he got to the head on the pike. That’s where he lost me,” Murkowski said.
Democrats, meanwhile, downplayed the comment and said it shouldn’t overshadow what has otherwise been a stellar performance as lead House impeachment manager.
“Our job is to sit here and weigh the evidence, and a misstep for three sentences in a closing ― it doesn’t affect the evidence at all,” Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-24--If The Senate Doesn't Stop Trump, Nobody Will, Dems Warn In Last Day Of Arguments

WASHINGTON ― If President Donald Trump can get away with blocking Congress from investigating his pressure campaign against Ukraine , Democrats argued Friday , then the presidency would essentially have unlimited power .
“ We would create a system that allows this president and any future president to really do whatever he or she wants , ” impeachment manager Rep. Val Demings ( D-Fla. ) told senators Friday .
Democrats have accused Trump of engaging in a cover-up in addition to abusing his power .
When the House investigated Trump ’ s involvement with Ukraine , the administration refused to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to testify .
Demings said the administration has blocked more than 70 requests for documents and testimony , but that Democrats have been able to assemble their impeachment articles thanks to more than a dozen “ courageous public servants who were willing to follow the law , comply with subpoenas and tell the truth.
” Democrats are finishing their third and final day of opening arguments Friday , with each impeachment manager taking a few minutes at the top of his or her presentation to thank the increasingly restless senators for listening .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the second of two impeachment articles that Democrats have brought against Trump .
The first article charges Trump with abuse of power for his scheme to pressure Ukraine into announcing an investigation of his highest-polling political opponent , former Vice President Joe Biden , a 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful .
A series of diplomats testified last fall that the pressure campaign on Ukraine subverted U.S. foreign policy for the president ’ s personal benefit .
Democrats said their case is overwhelming , but that it would have been even stronger if more witnesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D-Calif. ) , another of the seven impeachment managers , who worked as a staffer on the House Judiciary Committee during the Watergate hearings in the 1970s , said President Richard Nixon was more forthcoming with aides and documents than Trump has been .
“ No president ever used the official power of his office to prevent witnesses from giving testimony before Congress in such a blanket and indiscriminate manner , ” Lofgren said .
Impeachment manager Rep. Jerry Nadler ( D-N.Y. ) , wrapping up his comments about how Trump had obstructed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ the first and only president ever to declare himself unaccountable.
” On Saturday morning , Trump ’ s defense team is expected to start the first of as many as three days of arguments against removing Trump from office , and then the Senate will vote on whether to call witnesses .
It ’ s unclear if enough Republicans will break ranks ― four are needed ― to vote in favor of gathering more evidence .
Trump attorney Jay Sekulow told reporters on Friday that the “ idea that you obstruct Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He said the courts have said that executive privilege rights are “ fundamentally important rights to weigh our separation of powers under our form of government.
” Rep. Adam Schiff ( D-Calif. ) , who is leading the team of House impeachment managers , said the managers might ask Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to rule on questions of executive privilege ― although he noted that Senate Republicans might overrule him .
“ You can not use executive privilege to hide wrongdoing or criminality or impeachable misconduct , and that is exactly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use it , ” Schiff said .

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WASHINGTON ― If President Donald Trump can get away with blocking Congress from investigating his pressure campaign against Ukraine, Democrats argued Friday, then the presidency would essentially have unlimited power.
“We would create a system that allows this president and any future president to really do whatever he or she wants,” impeachment manager Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) told senators Friday.
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Democrats have accused Trump of engaging in a cover-up in addition to abusing his power. When the House investigated Trump’s involvement with Ukraine, the administration refused to turn over documents or allow key individuals to testify.
Demings said the administration has blocked more than 70 requests for documents and testimony, but that Democrats have been able to assemble their impeachment articles thanks to more than a dozen “courageous public servants who were willing to follow the law, comply with subpoenas and tell the truth.”
Democrats are finishing their third and final day of opening arguments Friday, with each impeachment manager taking a few minutes at the top of his or her presentation to thank the increasingly restless senators for listening. Demings spoke to the obstruction-of-Congress charge, the second of two impeachment articles that Democrats have brought against Trump.
The first article charges Trump with abuse of power for his scheme to pressure Ukraine into announcing an investigation of his highest-polling political opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, a 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful. A series of diplomats testified last fall that the pressure campaign on Ukraine subverted U.S. foreign policy for the president’s personal benefit.
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Democrats said their case is overwhelming, but that it would have been even stronger if more witnesses had testified.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), another of the seven impeachment managers, who worked as a staffer on the House Judiciary Committee during the Watergate hearings in the 1970s, said President Richard Nixon was more forthcoming with aides and documents than Trump has been.
“No president ever used the official power of his office to prevent witnesses from giving testimony before Congress in such a blanket and indiscriminate manner,” Lofgren said.
Impeachment manager Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), wrapping up his comments about how Trump had obstructed congressional investigations, said the president was “the first and only president ever to declare himself unaccountable.”
“Only his will goes,” Nadler said Friday, urging the Senate to remove Trump from office. “He is a dictator. This must not stand.”
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On Saturday morning, Trump’s defense team is expected to start the first of as many as three days of arguments against removing Trump from office, and then the Senate will vote on whether to call witnesses. It’s unclear if enough Republicans will break ranks ― four are needed ― to vote in favor of gathering more evidence.
Trump attorney Jay Sekulow told reporters on Friday that the “idea that you obstruct Congress by exercising constitutional privileges is absurd.” He said the courts have said that executive privilege rights are “fundamentally important rights to weigh our separation of powers under our form of government.”
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who is leading the team of House impeachment managers, said the managers might ask Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to rule on questions of executive privilege ― although he noted that Senate Republicans might overrule him.
“You cannot use executive privilege to hide wrongdoing or criminality or impeachable misconduct, and that is exactly the purpose for which they seek to use it,” Schiff said.
Igor Bobic contributed reporting.
Read more:


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-24--Twitter Has New Beef With Devin Nunes's Lawsuit Over Parody Cow Account

Twitter has filed a new motion to dismiss a $ 250 million lawsuit by Rep. Devin Nunes ( R-Calif. ) against the company and two parody Twitter accounts that mocked him .
Nunes sued Twitter and @ DevinCow and @ DevinNunesMom ( now suspended ) last year , claiming Twitter failed to take action against comments he claimed defamed him .
His lawsuit triggered an explosion in the number of followers of the parody accounts .
Just a reminder that there is a legal fund for @ NunesAlt and I .
Any remaining funds will go to the Democrat who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : //t.co/9l1sxCFuKb — Devin Nunes ’ cow 🐮 ( @ DevinCow ) November 1 , 2019 Twitter argued in a new court filing Wednesday that Nunes can ’ t sue the social media company for remarks in the parody accounts because federal law gives it “ broad immunity ” from liability for the comments of its users , The Fresno Bee reported .
“ Congress granted providers of online platforms like Twitter broad immunity from claims that seek to hold them liable for harms caused by defamatory or otherwise harmful content that appeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were created by third parties , ” the motion to dismiss says .
Nunes argued in his suit last year that Twitter limits conservative viewpoints on its platform due to bias .
Nunes has launched a startling number of lawsuits ; it ’ s not clear if any of them have been successful .
The congressman , who once co-sponsored the Discouraging Frivolous Lawsuits Act , is also suing CNN and the parent company of The Fresno Bee , his hometown newspaper .
He is also suing a group of his own constituents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” after it was revealed that the “ family farm ” he boasts about is in Iowa , not California .
Twitter lost an earlier attempt to jettison Nunes ’ s suit when it argued that the court action couldn ’ t be filed in Virginia , as Nunes had done .
But a judge ruled that one of the account writers lived in Virginia when the suit was filed there , reported The Fresno Bee .
The number of Nunes parody sites exploded after his lawsuit last year .
This is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We ask for your understanding as we try to work out why Devy is suing mother .
Thank you.https : //t.co/SMqec9mFim — Devin Nunez ' Dad ( @ NunesDad ) March 19 , 2019

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Twitter has filed a new motion to dismiss a $250 million lawsuit by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) against the company and two parody Twitter accounts that mocked him.
Nunes sued Twitter and @DevinCow and @DevinNunesMom (now suspended) last year, claiming Twitter failed to take action against comments he claimed defamed him. His lawsuit triggered an explosion in the number of followers of the parody accounts.
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Just a reminder that there is a legal fund for @NunesAlt and I. Any remaining funds will go to the Democrat who runs against Milk Dud🐮#FirstAmendment https://t.co/9l1sxCFuKb — Devin Nunes’ cow 🐮 (@DevinCow) November 1, 2019
Twitter argued in a new court filing Wednesday that Nunes can’t sue the social media company for remarks in the parody accounts because federal law gives it “broad immunity” from liability for the comments of its users, The Fresno Bee reported.
“Congress granted providers of online platforms like Twitter broad immunity from claims that seek to hold them liable for harms caused by defamatory or otherwise harmful content that appeared on the provider’s platform but were created by third parties,” the motion to dismiss says.
Nunes argued in his suit last year that Twitter limits conservative viewpoints on its platform due to bias.
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Nunes has launched a startling number of lawsuits; it’s not clear if any of them have been successful.
The congressman, who once co-sponsored the Discouraging Frivolous Lawsuits Act, is also suing CNN and the parent company of The Fresno Bee, his hometown newspaper. He is also suing a group of his own constituents for calling him a “fake farmer” after it was revealed that the “family farm” he boasts about is in Iowa, not California.
Twitter lost an earlier attempt to jettison Nunes’s suit when it argued that the court action couldn’t be filed in Virginia, as Nunes had done. But a judge ruled that one of the account writers lived in Virginia when the suit was filed there, reported The Fresno Bee.
The number of Nunes parody sites exploded after his lawsuit last year.
This is a very difficult time for the Nunes family. We ask for your understanding as we try to work out why Devy is suing mother. Thank you.https://t.co/SMqec9mFim — Devin Nunez' Dad (@NunesDad) March 19, 2019


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-24--Donald Trump Vows To Save Social Security — From Himself

A day after indicating he would cut entitlement programs , including Social Security and Medicare , President Donald Trump vowed to save Social Security — from the Democrats .
Trump may have tipped his hand about cutting the programs way too early — well before the election — in an interview Wednesday in Davos , Switzerland , with CNBC reporter Joe Kernen .
Asked by Kernan if “ entitlements ” would “ ever be on your plate ” to cut , Trump responded : “ It ’ d be toward the end of the year ... .
and at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look at that .
You know , that ’ s actually the easiest of all things.
” When Kernen pressed him again , asking if he would “ do some of the things that you said you wouldn ’ t do in the past , ” Trump repeated : “ We ’ re going to look.
” When Trump was campaigning for the presidency , he declared : “ I ’ m not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican , and I ’ m not going to cut Medicare or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kernen that the economy was doing so well that Americans no longer required the same level of Social Security or Medicare .
Democrats pounced .
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) slammed Trump for “ talking about cutting your Social Security ” even while his impeachment trial was underway in the Senate .
On Thursday , Trump vowed in a tweet that he will “ save ” Social Security from the Democrats , who , he insisted without any evidence , want to “ destroy ” the program .
If Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has signaled there could be a second round of tax cuts on the heels of the massive reductions that have benefited mostly the wealthy and corporations .
That could add pressure to the White House to cut entitlements to make up for the budget losses .
Since Trump took office , the deficit has ballooned , hitting $ 1 trillion last year for the first time since 2012 .
It has grown nearly four times as fast as it did under Barack Obama , even as Obama grappled with the fallout from the @ @ @

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A day after indicating he would cut entitlement programs, including Social Security and Medicare, President Donald Trump vowed to save Social Security — from the Democrats.
Trump may have tipped his hand about cutting the programs way too early — well before the election — in an interview Wednesday in Davos, Switzerland, with CNBC reporter Joe Kernen. Asked by Kernan if “entitlements” would “ever be on your plate” to cut, Trump responded: “It’d be toward the end of the year .... and at the right time, we will take a look at that. You know, that’s actually the easiest of all things.”
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When Kernen pressed him again, asking if he would “do some of the things that you said you wouldn’t do in the past,” Trump repeated: “We’re going to look.”
Trump seemed to indicate to Kernen that the economy was doing so well that Americans no longer required the same level of Social Security or Medicare.
Democrats pounced. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) slammed Trump for “talking about cutting your Social Security” even while his impeachment trial was underway in the Senate.
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On Thursday, Trump vowed in a tweet that he will “save” Social Security from the Democrats, who, he insisted without any evidence, want to “destroy” the program.
Democrats are going to destroy your Social Security. I have totally left it alone, as promised, and will save it! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 23, 2020
You said you were cutting social security yesterday. Or was that another beet red-faced demagogue? — Amy Siskind 🏳🌈 (@Amy_Siskind) January 23, 2020
This is another Trump lie pic.twitter.com/GK6s5mBbY5 — whamish2.0 (@wisconsinvotes1) January 23, 2020
If Trump is reelected, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has signaled there could be a second round of tax cuts on the heels of the massive reductions that have benefited mostly the wealthy and corporations. That could add pressure to the White House to cut entitlements to make up for the budget losses. Since Trump took office, the deficit has ballooned, hitting $1 trillion last year for the first time since 2012. It has grown nearly four times as fast as it did under Barack Obama, even as Obama grappled with the fallout from the 2008 recession.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-01-24--New Space Force Seal Boldly Goes Where 'Star Trek' Has Gone Before!

The just-unveiled seal for America ’ s new Space Force looks eerily familiar to the “ Starfleet ” badge that “ Star Trek ” watchers know so well .
Some fans were over the moon — but most were in fusion-reactor meltdown .
The Space Force emblem is decidedly out of this world after the new military division got dinged last week for coming up with woodland camouflage uniforms , which will almost certainly clash with extraterrestrial environments .
The logo was unveiled Friday by President Donald Trump — on Twitter — after his consultation with “ our Great Military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with something strikingly familiar : After consultation with our Great Military Leaders , designers , and others , I am pleased to present the new logo for the United States Space Force , the Sixth Branch of our Magnificent Military !
pic.twitter.com/TC8pT4yHFT — Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) January 24 , 2020 Maj. William Russell , a Space Force spokesperson , told CNN that Trump was the one who chose the new logo from options presented by the Department of the Air Force .
The seal is déjà vu all over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ arrowhead ” symbol , a swoop of an orbit and a galaxy of small stars of the fictional Starfleet Command badge of the fictional United Federation of Planets of the sci-fi TV series that premiered in 1966 .
George Takei , who played Sulu in the original “ Star Trek , ” which launched decades of spinoffs , lamented that “ there is nothing sacred any more ” — and quipped that royalties are expected .
The similarities infuriated former White House ethics chief Walter Shaub , who complained that the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TV show ” and is just one more example of the Trump administration ’ s “ incompetence.
” It 's a seal , not a logo .
And the Space Force seal rips off a TV show .
Are there studies showing a correlation between a regime 's corruption and its incompetence ?
It seems like corruption could breed the sort of disinterest in public service that leads to performance issues .
— Walter Shaub ( @ waltshaub ) January 24 , 2020 The seal is similar to one designed for the Air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1982 to 2019 before it was folded into the U.S. Space Force .
It also featured the arrowhead at the center of a field of stars .
As for “ Star Trek , ” it apparently drew inspiration for its badge from NASA to begin with .
The stars in the Starfleet badge echo those in the NASA logo , which are identical to the ones in the new Space Force logo .
The “ Star Trek ” website calls the Starfleet emblem a “ descendant ” of earlier NASA logos .
None @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” fans from blasting off on the clone .
Talk about an insult !
Star Trek , in all of its iterations , was about transcending divisions between races , genders , nationality , and every other perceived difference that is used to divide humanity .
Anything coming out of this administration is the total opposite of that .
— M Λ Υ Λ David Garcia , Agender is real , and valid ( @ ladygrinning ) January 24 , 2020

Make it so!
The just-unveiled seal for America’s new Space Force looks eerily familiar to the “Starfleet” badge that “Star Trek” watchers know so well. Some fans were over the moon — but most were in fusion-reactor meltdown.
The Space Force emblem is decidedly out of this world after the new military division got dinged last week for coming up with woodland camouflage uniforms, which will almost certainly clash with extraterrestrial environments. The logo was unveiled Friday by President Donald Trump — on Twitter — after his consultation with “our Great Military Leaders.” The great minds came up with something strikingly familiar:
After consultation with our Great Military Leaders, designers, and others, I am pleased to present the new logo for the United States Space Force, the Sixth Branch of our Magnificent Military! pic.twitter.com/TC8pT4yHFT — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2020
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Maj. William Russell, a Space Force spokesperson, told CNN that Trump was the one who chose the new logo from options presented by the Department of the Air Force.
The seal is déjà vu all over again. It features the same main “arrowhead” symbol, a swoop of an orbit and a galaxy of small stars of the fictional Starfleet Command badge of the fictional United Federation of Planets of the sci-fi TV series that premiered in 1966.
George Takei, who played Sulu in the original “Star Trek,” which launched decades of spinoffs, lamented that “there is nothing sacred any more” — and quipped that royalties are expected.
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There is nothing sacred any more. pic.twitter.com/ubyy4OIZrp — George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) January 24, 2020
Ahem. We are expecting some royalties from this... https://t.co/msYcJMlqjh — George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) January 24, 2020
Space Force logo and its two main influences. pic.twitter.com/rDBXXzeIdA — Eric Roston (@eroston) January 24, 2020
The similarities infuriated former White House ethics chief Walter Shaub, who complained that the new Space Force seal “rips off a TV show” and is just one more example of the Trump administration’s “incompetence.”
It's a seal, not a logo. And the Space Force seal rips off a TV show. Are there studies showing a correlation between a regime's corruption and its incompetence? It seems like corruption could breed the sort of disinterest in public service that leads to performance issues. — Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) January 24, 2020
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The seal is similar to one designed for the Air Force Space Command, which existed from 1982 to 2019 before it was folded into the U.S. Space Force. It also featured the arrowhead at the center of a field of stars.
Air Force Space Command seal. Air Force Space Command
The Starfleet fascination among space types in the military isn't new; this was Space Command's logo, which immediately preceeded Space Force pic.twitter.com/Ap3y5gHEWD — Kelsey D. Atherton (@AthertonKD) January 24, 2020
As for “Star Trek,” it apparently drew inspiration for its badge from NASA to begin with. The stars in the Starfleet badge echo those in the NASA logo, which are identical to the ones in the new Space Force logo. The “Star Trek” website calls the Starfleet emblem a “descendant” of earlier NASA logos.
1959: Origins of NASA seal and meatball logohttps://t.co/1Wm2QqYbAT
1964: Star Trek's Starfleet delta insignia first designed by William Ware Theiss and Gene Roddenberryhttps://t.co/8OMhjcMlpY
1982: Air Force Space Command
2020: U.S. Space Force pic.twitter.com/Kr97zQzL8g — Ferris Jabr (@ferrisjabr) January 24, 2020
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None of that history stopped “Star Trek” fans from blasting off on the clone.
Talk about an insult! Star Trek, in all of its iterations, was about transcending divisions between races, genders, nationality, and every other perceived difference that is used to divide humanity. Anything coming out of this administration is the total opposite of that. — M Λ Υ Λ David Garcia, Agender is real, and valid (@ladygrinning) January 24, 2020
I'm pretty sure Starfleet would let transgender people join, though. — Brynn Tannehill (@BrynnTannehill) January 24, 2020
Trump heads the Federation of Plagiarists.https://t.co/eDAupiWxsK — Tea Pain (@TeaPainUSA) January 24, 2020
lol did you just rip off Star Trek? — Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) January 24, 2020
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Either this is a joke or you're about to be the first president to get sued by Jean Luc Picard — James Felton (@JimMFelton) January 24, 2020