pbs--2020-01-13--Trump says Senate should dismiss impeachment case without a trial

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — President Donald Trump says the Senate should simply dismiss the impeachment case against him , an extraordinary suggestion as the House prepares to transmit the charges to the chamber for the historic trial .
The Republican president is giving mixed messages ahead of the House ’ s landmark vote that will launch the Senate proceedings in a matter of days , only the third presidential impeachment trial in American history .
Trump faces charges that he abused power by pushing Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden and then obstructed Congress .
First Trump was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then he said almost the opposite Sunday by tweeting that the trial shouldn ’ t happen at all .
“ Many believe that by the Senate giving credence to a trial ” over charges he calls a hoax , Trump tweeted , “ rather than an outright dismissal , it gives the partisan Democrat Witch Hunt credibility that it otherwise does not have .
I agree !
” The idea of dismissing the charges against Trump is as unusual as it is unlikely .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell signed on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservative senators , but he does not have enough support in the Republican-held chamber to actually do it .
It would require a rare rules change similar to the approach McConnell used for Supreme Court confirmations .
Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned Sunday that senators will “ pay a price ” if they block new witness testimony with a trial that Americans perceive as a “ cover-up ” for Trump ’ s actions .
“ It ’ s about a fair trial , ” Pelosi told ABC ’ s “ This Week.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting for witnesses or not , they will have to be accountable.
” She said , “ Now the ball is in their court to either do that or pay a price.
” Voters are divided over impeachment largely along the nation ’ s deeply partisan lines and the trial is becoming a high-stakes undertaking at the start of a presidential election year .
A House vote to transmit the articles to the Senate will bring to a close a standoff between Pelosi and McConnell over the rules for the trial .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yet ending one showdown merely starts another across the Capitol as the parties try to set the terms of debate over high crimes and misdemeanors .
Democrats want new testimony , particularly from former White House national security adviser John Bolton , who has indicated he will defy Trump ’ s orders and appear if subpoenaed .
Trump doesn ’ t want his brash former aide to testify .
Republican allies led by McConnell , R-Ky. , are ready to deliver swift acquittal without new testimony .
Trump first said Sunday it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chairman Adam Schiff who should both testify , which would be unlikely .
The president said he shouldn ’ t have to carry the “ stigma ” of impeachment because he ’ s done nothing wrong .
Pelosi said the House vote last month means Trump will be “ impeached forever ” and “ for life.
” McConnell is reluctant to enter a divisive Senate debate over witnesses that could split his party and prolong a trial that is already expected to consume weeks of floor time .
He is seeking a speedy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the presidential impeachment trial of Bill Clinton in 1999 , which would start the proceedings and then vote later on hearing new testimony .
One leading Republican , Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina , has already predicted that the trial would end ” in a matter of days.″ Graham and Sen. Josh Hawley , R-Mo .
are leading the effort to dismiss the charges against Trump .
Trump delayed nearly $ 400 million in aide as Ukraine battled Russia on its border while he pushed the country ’ s new president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump pays close attention to a conspiracy theory pushed by his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani about Biden and his son Hunter Biden , who served on the board of a gas company in Ukraine while his father was vice president .
No evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens has emerged .
Some GOP senators want to turn the impeachment trial away from the Democrats ’ case and toward the theories being pursued by Giuliani .
GOP Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said Sunday he wants to hear from the Bidens “ and find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that.
” At least one Republican up for reelection , Sen. Susan Collins of Maine , said last week she was in talks with GOP colleagues on a process that would allow them to hear more testimony as Democrats want .
The Democratic-run House has not yet set the timing for this week ’ s vote to transmit the impeachment articles to the Senate .
Pelosi will meet behind closed doors with House Democrats to decide next steps on Tuesday morning ahead of the party ’ s presidential primary debate that evening , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 .
Once the Republican-led Senate receives the charges , the trial is expected to begin swiftly .
While some Democrats have grumbled about the delay , Pelosi and other party leaders defended the strategy , saying it produced new potential evidence and turned public attention on the upcoming trial .
“ One of the things that holding on to the articles has succeeded doing is fleshing out McConnell and the president ’ s desire to make this a cover up , ” Schiff , D-Calif. , said on CBS ’ “ Face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which were recalled by witnesses in the House investigation , could cut different ways in testimony .
He was said to have compared the Ukraine actions to a “ drug deal ” he wanted no part of and warned that Giuliani was a “ hand grenade ” about to go off .
House Democrats , who did not issue a subpoena for Bolton last year , did not rule out doing so now .
Pelosi also left open the door to filing more articles of impeachment against Trump .
“ Let ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a future that will not have Donald Trump in the White House , one way or another .
Ten months from now we will have an election , if we don ’ t have him removed sooner , ” she said .

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says the Senate should simply dismiss the impeachment case against him, an extraordinary suggestion as the House prepares to transmit the charges to the chamber for the historic trial.
The Republican president is giving mixed messages ahead of the House’s landmark vote that will launch the Senate proceedings in a matter of days, only the third presidential impeachment trial in American history. Trump faces charges that he abused power by pushing Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden and then obstructed Congress.
First Trump was suggesting his own ideas for trial witnesses, then he said almost the opposite Sunday by tweeting that the trial shouldn’t happen at all.
“Many believe that by the Senate giving credence to a trial” over charges he calls a hoax, Trump tweeted, “rather than an outright dismissal, it gives the partisan Democrat Witch Hunt credibility that it otherwise does not have. I agree!”
The idea of dismissing the charges against Trump is as unusual as it is unlikely. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell signed on to an outlier proposal circulating last week among conservative senators, but he does not have enough support in the Republican-held chamber to actually do it. It would require a rare rules change similar to the approach McConnell used for Supreme Court confirmations.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned Sunday that senators will “pay a price” if they block new witness testimony with a trial that Americans perceive as a “cover-up” for Trump’s actions.
“It’s about a fair trial,” Pelosi told ABC’s “This Week.” “The senators who are thinking now about voting for witnesses or not, they will have to be accountable.”
She said, “Now the ball is in their court to either do that or pay a price.”
Voters are divided over impeachment largely along the nation’s deeply partisan lines and the trial is becoming a high-stakes undertaking at the start of a presidential election year.
A House vote to transmit the articles to the Senate will bring to a close a standoff between Pelosi and McConnell over the rules for the trial. The House voted to impeach Trump last month.
Yet ending one showdown merely starts another across the Capitol as the parties try to set the terms of debate over high crimes and misdemeanors.
Democrats want new testimony, particularly from former White House national security adviser John Bolton, who has indicated he will defy Trump’s orders and appear if subpoenaed.
Trump doesn’t want his brash former aide to testify. Republican allies led by McConnell, R-Ky., are ready to deliver swift acquittal without new testimony.
Trump first said Sunday it’s Pelosi and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff who should both testify, which would be unlikely.
The president said he shouldn’t have to carry the “stigma” of impeachment because he’s done nothing wrong. Pelosi said the House vote last month means Trump will be “impeached forever” and “for life.”
WATCH: Uncertainty continues to loom over Senate impeachment trial
McConnell is reluctant to enter a divisive Senate debate over witnesses that could split his party and prolong a trial that is already expected to consume weeks of floor time.
He is seeking a speedy acquittal and has proposed a process similar to the presidential impeachment trial of Bill Clinton in 1999, which would start the proceedings and then vote later on hearing new testimony.
One leading Republican, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, has already predicted that the trial would end ”in a matter of days.″ Graham and Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. are leading the effort to dismiss the charges against Trump.
Trump delayed nearly $400 million in aide as Ukraine battled Russia on its border while he pushed the country’s new president to investigate political rival Joe Biden. Trump pays close attention to a conspiracy theory pushed by his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani about Biden and his son Hunter Biden, who served on the board of a gas company in Ukraine while his father was vice president. No evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens has emerged.
Some GOP senators want to turn the impeachment trial away from the Democrats’ case and toward the theories being pursued by Giuliani. GOP Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said Sunday he wants to hear from the Bidens “and find out — get to the bottom of that.”
At least one Republican up for reelection, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, said last week she was in talks with GOP colleagues on a process that would allow them to hear more testimony as Democrats want.
The Democratic-run House has not yet set the timing for this week’s vote to transmit the impeachment articles to the Senate. Pelosi will meet behind closed doors with House Democrats to decide next steps on Tuesday morning ahead of the party’s presidential primary debate that evening, the last before the Iowa caucuses Feb. 3.
Once the Republican-led Senate receives the charges, the trial is expected to begin swiftly.
While some Democrats have grumbled about the delay, Pelosi and other party leaders defended the strategy, saying it produced new potential evidence and turned public attention on the upcoming trial.
“One of the things that holding on to the articles has succeeded doing is fleshing out McConnell and the president’s desire to make this a cover up,” Schiff, D-Calif., said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
Bolton’s remarks, which were recalled by witnesses in the House investigation, could cut different ways in testimony. He was said to have compared the Ukraine actions to a “drug deal” he wanted no part of and warned that Giuliani was a “hand grenade” about to go off.
House Democrats, who did not issue a subpoena for Bolton last year, did not rule out doing so now. Pelosi also left open the door to filing more articles of impeachment against Trump.
“Let’s be optimistic about the future … a future that will not have Donald Trump in the White House, one way or another. Ten months from now we will have an election, if we don’t have him removed sooner,” she said.


pbs--2020-01-11--2 U.S. troops killed by roadside bomb in Afghanistan

Two U.S. service members were killed and two others injured when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan , the U.S. military said in a statement Saturday .
In keeping with defense department rules , the U.S. military did not identify the service members .
The Taliban immediately took responsibility for the attack .
A Taliban spokesman , Qari Yusouf Ahmadi , said it occurred in the southern Kandahar province .
More than 2,400 U.S. service members have been killed in Afghanistan .
Last year was one of the deadliest for the United States , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington engaged in peace talks with the Taliban .
The latest attack seemed certain to stall fresh efforts to restart the on-again , off-again peace talks between Washington and the Taliban .
U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has been pressing the insurgents to declare a cease-fire or at least reduce violent attacks .
That would give a window in which the U.S. and the Taliban could forge an agreement to withdraw all of America ’ s troops .
That agreement would also set out a road map for direct Afghan-to-Afghan talks , mapping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Taliban leadership decided at the end of December to support a temporary cease-fire to allow for a peace deal to be signed , but they never said when it would go into effect .
The final approval required from their leader , Maulvi Hibatullah Akhundzada , was never announced .
Earlier Saturday , both NATO and Afghan officials had confirmed a roadside bomb hit a U.S. army vehicle , without mentioning casualties .
In a short statement , a NATO spokesman said that officials were still “ assessing the situation and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available.
” An Afghan official said the attack had taken place in the Dand district of Kandahar province .
The official was not authorized to speak with media and requested anonymity .
The Taliban now control or hold sway over roughly half of Afghanistan .
The militants continue to stage near-daily attacks targeting Afghan and U.S. forces , even as they hold peace talks with the U.S. Scores of Afghan civilians are also killed in the crossfire or by roadside bombs planted by militants .
In November , two U.S. service members were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Logar province .
The U.S. military at the time said preliminary reports did not indicate it was caused by enemy fire , although the Taliban claimed to have shot down the helicopter — a claim the U.S military dismissed as false .
The U.S. currently has about 13,000 troops in Afghanistan .
About 5,000 of them are doing counterterrorism missions .
The remainder are part of a broader NATO mission to train , advise and assist the Afghan security forces .
U.S .
Ambassador John Bass left Kabul last week , ending his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diplomat .
Associated Press writer Kathy Gannon in Islamabad contributed to this report .

Two U.S. service members were killed and two others injured when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said in a statement Saturday.
In keeping with defense department rules, the U.S. military did not identify the service members.
The Taliban immediately took responsibility for the attack. A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yusouf Ahmadi, said it occurred in the southern Kandahar province.
More than 2,400 U.S. service members have been killed in Afghanistan. Last year was one of the deadliest for the United States, with 23 American troops killed, even as Washington engaged in peace talks with the Taliban.
The latest attack seemed certain to stall fresh efforts to restart the on-again, off-again peace talks between Washington and the Taliban.
U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has been pressing the insurgents to declare a cease-fire or at least reduce violent attacks. That would give a window in which the U.S. and the Taliban could forge an agreement to withdraw all of America’s troops. That agreement would also set out a road map for direct Afghan-to-Afghan talks, mapping out the country’s post-war future.
The Taliban leadership decided at the end of December to support a temporary cease-fire to allow for a peace deal to be signed, but they never said when it would go into effect. The final approval required from their leader, Maulvi Hibatullah Akhundzada, was never announced.
Earlier Saturday, both NATO and Afghan officials had confirmed a roadside bomb hit a U.S. army vehicle, without mentioning casualties. In a short statement, a NATO spokesman said that officials were still “assessing the situation and will provide more information as it became available.”
An Afghan official said the attack had taken place in the Dand district of Kandahar province. The official was not authorized to speak with media and requested anonymity.
The Taliban now control or hold sway over roughly half of Afghanistan. The militants continue to stage near-daily attacks targeting Afghan and U.S. forces, even as they hold peace talks with the U.S. Scores of Afghan civilians are also killed in the crossfire or by roadside bombs planted by militants.
In November, two U.S. service members were killed when their helicopter crashed in eastern Logar province. The U.S. military at the time said preliminary reports did not indicate it was caused by enemy fire, although the Taliban claimed to have shot down the helicopter — a claim the U.S military dismissed as false.
The U.S. currently has about 13,000 troops in Afghanistan. About 5,000 of them are doing counterterrorism missions. The remainder are part of a broader NATO mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan security forces.
U.S. Ambassador John Bass left Kabul last week, ending his two-year tenure as America’s top diplomat.
Associated Press writer Kathy Gannon in Islamabad contributed to this report.


pbs--2020-01-14--Democrats release new Ukraine documents ahead of impeachment trial

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — House Democrats have released a trove of documents they obtained from Lev Parnas , a close associate of President Donald Trump ’ s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani , as they prepare to send articles of impeachment to the Senate for Trump ’ s trial .
The documents made public Tuesday add new context to the Democrats ’ charges that Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate Democrats as he withheld military aid to the country .
The materials show that Parnas was in constant communication with Giuliani and also Ukrainian officials as he worked as an intermediary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a previously undisclosed letter from Giuliani to Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskiy before he took office .
In the letter , Giuliani announces himself as Trump ’ s personal lawyer and requests a meeting with Zelenskiy “ as personal counsel to President Trump and with his knowledge and consent.
” The documents — including phone records , texts and flash drives turned over by Parnas — were sent to the House Judiciary Committee by three other House committees “ to be included as part of the official record that will be transmitted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Impeachment , ” according to a statement .
Some of the materials were made public while others were marked as sensitive .
In a statement , four Democratic House committee chairmen said that they have continued their inquiry so the House impeachment managers “ can present to the Senate the most complete factual record possible ” before the impeachment trial .
“ Despite the president ’ s unprecedented and sweeping obstruction of our impeachment inquiry , we have continued to collect additional evidence relevant to the president ’ s scheme to abuse his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2020 election for the president ’ s benefit , ” wrote House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff , House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel , House Oversight and Reform Chairman Carolyn Maloney and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler .
Parnas and his business partner , Igor Fruman , both U.S. citizens who emigrated from the former Soviet bloc , were indicted last year on charges of conspiracy , making false statements and falsification of records .
Prosecutors allege they made outsize campaign donations to Republican causes after receiving millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : House votes on sending articles of impeachment to Senate Among the documents released Tuesday is a handwritten note on stationery from the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Vienna that says “ get Zalensky to Annonce that the Biden case will be Investigated.
” Trump asked Zelenskiy in a July call to investigate his political rival , Democrat Joe Biden , and his son Hunter .
Hunter Biden served on the board of a gas company based in Ukraine .
In a letter outlining the evidence , the Democrats said that Parnas ’ attorney confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Several of the documents show Parnas communicating with Giuliani and another attorney , Victoria Toensing , about the removal of Marie Yovanovitch , who was the time the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine .
Her removal , pushed by Trump , was at the center of the Democrats ’ inquiry .
Yovanovitch testified in the House impeachment hearings and said she was the victim of a smear campaign .
On April 23 , the day before Yovanovitch was directed to return home , Giuliani texted Parnas , “ He fired her again.
” Parnas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happens this time I ’ ll call you tomorrow my brother.
” The release of documents comes after a federal judge earlier this month said that Parnas could turn over documents to Congress as part of the impeachment proceedings .
Democrats voted in December to impeach Trump for abuse of power and for obstruction of Congress .

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats have released a trove of documents they obtained from Lev Parnas, a close associate of President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, as they prepare to send articles of impeachment to the Senate for Trump’s trial.
The documents made public Tuesday add new context to the Democrats’ charges that Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate Democrats as he withheld military aid to the country. The materials show that Parnas was in constant communication with Giuliani and also Ukrainian officials as he worked as an intermediary.
Among the documents is a screenshot of a previously undisclosed letter from Giuliani to Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskiy before he took office.
In the letter, Giuliani announces himself as Trump’s personal lawyer and requests a meeting with Zelenskiy “as personal counsel to President Trump and with his knowledge and consent.”
The documents — including phone records, texts and flash drives turned over by Parnas — were sent to the House Judiciary Committee by three other House committees “to be included as part of the official record that will be transmitted to the Senate along with the Articles of Impeachment,” according to a statement. Some of the materials were made public while others were marked as sensitive.
MORE: See the new evidence from the Trump impeachment investigation
In a statement, four Democratic House committee chairmen said that they have continued their inquiry so the House impeachment managers “can present to the Senate the most complete factual record possible” before the impeachment trial.
“Despite the president’s unprecedented and sweeping obstruction of our impeachment inquiry, we have continued to collect additional evidence relevant to the president’s scheme to abuse his power by pressing Ukraine to interfere in the 2020 election for the president’s benefit,” wrote House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, House Oversight and Reform Chairman Carolyn Maloney and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler.
Parnas and his business partner, Igor Fruman, both U.S. citizens who emigrated from the former Soviet bloc, were indicted last year on charges of conspiracy, making false statements and falsification of records. Prosecutors allege they made outsize campaign donations to Republican causes after receiving millions of dollars originating from Russia.
WATCH LIVE: House votes on sending articles of impeachment to Senate
Among the documents released Tuesday is a handwritten note on stationery from the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Vienna that says “get Zalensky to Annonce that the Biden case will be Investigated.” Trump asked Zelenskiy in a July call to investigate his political rival, Democrat Joe Biden, and his son Hunter. Hunter Biden served on the board of a gas company based in Ukraine.
In a letter outlining the evidence, the Democrats said that Parnas’ attorney confirmed that Parnas had written the notes.
Several of the documents show Parnas communicating with Giuliani and another attorney, Victoria Toensing, about the removal of Marie Yovanovitch, who was the time the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. Her removal, pushed by Trump, was at the center of the Democrats’ inquiry. Yovanovitch testified in the House impeachment hearings and said she was the victim of a smear campaign.
On April 23, the day before Yovanovitch was directed to return home, Giuliani texted Parnas, “He fired her again.” Parnas texted back, “I pray it happens this time I’ll call you tomorrow my brother.”
The release of documents comes after a federal judge earlier this month said that Parnas could turn over documents to Congress as part of the impeachment proceedings.
Democrats voted in December to impeach Trump for abuse of power and for obstruction of Congress.


pbs--2020-01-14--Trump supporters hail his Milwaukee visit as Democrats dig in for 2020

Although the 2020 presidential election cycle has proven fluid and unpredictable so far , a near certainty is that Wisconsin @ @ @ @ @ state this fall .
With that likelihood in mind , President Trump is holding a @ @ @ @ @ .
Yamiche Alcindor joins Judy Woodruff from the rally venue to share what Wisconsin voters @ @ @ @ @ impeachment and Iran .

Judy Woodruff:
There have been few certainties in what has been a very fluid 2020 presidential election cycle so far. But it is likely that Wisconsin will again be one of the battleground states this fall that will help decide whether President Trump wins a second term.
Mr. Trump is campaigning tonight in Milwaukee, the state's largest city.
And our own Yamiche Alcindor is on the ground there.
Hello, Yamiche.
So, you have been trying to get a sense of how both sides in this presidential cycle, both Democrats and Republicans, are trying the appeal to voters.


pbs--2020-01-14--Anti-LGBT adoption bill heads to Tennessee governor

NASHVILLE , Tenn. ( AP ) — Tennessee lawmakers kicked off the first day of the 2020 legislative session Tuesday by approving a proposal that would assure continued taxpayer funding of faith-based foster care and adoption agencies even if they exclude LGBT families and others based on religious beliefs .
The GOP-controlled Senate passed the measure , which was approved by the House last April , amid warnings by critics of the bill ’ s possible negative consequences on Tennessee ’ s reputation .
It now goes to the governor .
“ We are off to a fine start this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joked while debating against the bill as the lone Republican opposed .
Seven states to date have enacted similar legislation : Kansas , Oklahoma , Texas , Alabama , South Dakota , Virginia and Michigan .
One of those states , Michigan , agreed in settling a lawsuit to no longer turn away LGBT couples or individuals because of religious objections .
Nationally , supporters argue that such measures are needed to protect against potential lawsuits hostile to the group ’ s religious beliefs .
However , critics counter that the proposals attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ qualified families seeking t o adopt or foster needy children .
“ This bill is solely about freedom , ” said Sen. Paul Rose , the Republican sponsor of the bill .
Rose conceded he thought the bill wasn ’ t necessary , pointing out that President Donald Trump ’ s administration is currently proposing a rule that would impose the same protections .
Yet he said he was advancing the bill this year because there was no guarantee Trump would be reelected later this year .
Trump ’ s proposal would rescind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agencies from receiving federal funds if they discriminated against families based on sexual orientation and gender identity .
Ultimately , 20 Republicans approved the bill while five other Republican members simply voted “ present ” even after some questioned the bill ’ s benefits .
Dickerson was the only Republican to join the Senate ’ s five Democrats in opposition .
The proposal now goes to Republican first-term Gov .
Bill Lee for his consideration , though he declined to say Tuesday whether he would sign it .
Dickerson said the bill would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where children could be sent , adding “ I expect that waiting list to increase somewhat , ” he said .
He added , “ This will have a direct fiscal impact on the state , not to mention the humanitarian impact and emotional impact on those children who … will now be in a foster setting for a longer time.
” In 2011 , Illinois declined to renew its state contract with Catholic Charities adoption services due to its policy of refusing child placement to same-sex couples .
Catholic Charities has also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Massachusetts and San Francisco over concerns they would be required to act against their religious beliefs .
If the proposal becomes law , current adoption practices in Tennessee aren ’ t expected to change .
Some faith-based agencies already do not allow gay couples to adopt .
But this measure would provide legal protections to agencies that do .
For example , denied applicants couldn ’ t sue an agency for damages if the religious belief or moral conviction was cited as a reason .
Over in the House , lawmakers had less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some political action did unfold .
GOP Rep. David Byrd confirmed to reporters that he doesn ’ t plan to seek reelection this year .
Byrd is accused of sexual misconduct by three women when he was their high school basketball coach and a teacher decades ago , before he was elected .
He was reelected in 2018 despite the accusations .
Byrd said he told GOP colleagues in an August closed door gathering that he wouldn ’ t run again , as The Tennessean has reported .
He went until Monday without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my caucus I wouldn ’ t go run , and I hate to go back on my word , even though I ’ m getting a lot of pressure put on me in my district to run , ” Byrd told The Associated Press .
Byrd had apologized to one of the women in a phone call she recorded in early 2018 , but he didn ’ t detail his action and denied anything happened with other students .
He said he might change his mind and run for reelection if protests continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filed for his seat .

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers kicked off the first day of the 2020 legislative session Tuesday by approving a proposal that would assure continued taxpayer funding of faith-based foster care and adoption agencies even if they exclude LGBT families and others based on religious beliefs.
The GOP-controlled Senate passed the measure, which was approved by the House last April, amid warnings by critics of the bill’s possible negative consequences on Tennessee’s reputation. It now goes to the governor.
“We are off to a fine start this session,” state Sen. Steve Dickerson joked while debating against the bill as the lone Republican opposed.
Seven states to date have enacted similar legislation: Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, South Dakota, Virginia and Michigan. One of those states, Michigan, agreed in settling a lawsuit to no longer turn away LGBT couples or individuals because of religious objections.
Nationally, supporters argue that such measures are needed to protect against potential lawsuits hostile to the group’s religious beliefs. However, critics counter that the proposals attack LGBT rights and limit the number of qualified families seeking t o adopt or foster needy children.
“This bill is solely about freedom,” said Sen. Paul Rose, the Republican sponsor of the bill.
Rose conceded he thought the bill wasn’t necessary, pointing out that President Donald Trump’s administration is currently proposing a rule that would impose the same protections. Yet he said he was advancing the bill this year because there was no guarantee Trump would be reelected later this year.
Trump’s proposal would rescind an Obama-era rule that prevented foster care agencies from receiving federal funds if they discriminated against families based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Ultimately, 20 Republicans approved the bill while five other Republican members simply voted “present” even after some questioned the bill’s benefits.
Dickerson was the only Republican to join the Senate’s five Democrats in opposition. The proposal now goes to Republican first-term Gov. Bill Lee for his consideration, though he declined to say Tuesday whether he would sign it.
Dickerson said the bill would allow certain groups to limit the families where children could be sent, adding “I expect that waiting list to increase somewhat,” he said.
He added, “This will have a direct fiscal impact on the state, not to mention the humanitarian impact and emotional impact on those children who … will now be in a foster setting for a longer time.”
In 2011, Illinois declined to renew its state contract with Catholic Charities adoption services due to its policy of refusing child placement to same-sex couples. Catholic Charities has also stopped handling adoptions in Washington D.C., Massachusetts and San Francisco over concerns they would be required to act against their religious beliefs.
If the proposal becomes law, current adoption practices in Tennessee aren’t expected to change. Some faith-based agencies already do not allow gay couples to adopt. But this measure would provide legal protections to agencies that do.
For example, denied applicants couldn’t sue an agency for damages if the religious belief or moral conviction was cited as a reason.
Over in the House, lawmakers had less on tap on opening day, but some political action did unfold.
GOP Rep. David Byrd confirmed to reporters that he doesn’t plan to seek reelection this year. Byrd is accused of sexual misconduct by three women when he was their high school basketball coach and a teacher decades ago, before he was elected. He was reelected in 2018 despite the accusations.
Byrd said he told GOP colleagues in an August closed door gathering that he wouldn’t run again, as The Tennessean has reported. He went until Monday without confirming it publicly.
“I told my caucus I wouldn’t go run, and I hate to go back on my word, even though I’m getting a lot of pressure put on me in my district to run,” Byrd told The Associated Press.
Byrd had apologized to one of the women in a phone call she recorded in early 2018, but he didn’t detail his action and denied anything happened with other students.
He said he might change his mind and run for reelection if protests continue over the allegations. Another Republican has filed for his seat.


pbs--2020-01-14--WATCH LIVE: House votes on sending articles of impeachment to Senate

The House of Representatives is expected to vote Wednesday on a resolution that will trigger the start of a Senate impeachment trial into President Donald Trump ’ s actions on Ukraine .
The House will vote on a resolution to send articles of impeachment to the Senate on Wednesday .
Watch live in the video player above .
The House resolution would send two articles of impeachment against Trump — abuse of power and contempt of Congress — to the Senate , establish a team of “ managers ” who will act as prosecutors in the case against Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After Wednesday ’ s vote , the Republican-led Senate is expected to formally open the trial Thursday and begin arguments next week .
The Senate is charged with determining whether Trump should be removed from office , after the House voted nearly along party lines in December to approve the two articles of impeachment against the president .
Since then , Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has so far withheld the articles from the Senate , she said , in order to ensure a fair trial .
“ We wanted the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ witnesses with firsthand knowledge of what happened , ” Pelosi told ABC ’ s George Stephanopoulos .
Over the past three weeks , Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have pushed Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to include witness testimony as part of the rules in the Senate trial .
So far , McConnell has rejected calls to hear from additional witnesses and argued in favor of adopting rules used in the impeachment trial of former President Bill Clinton .
“ If the existing case is strong , there ’ s no need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopen the investigation .
If the existing case is weak , House Democrats should not have impeached in the first place , ” McConnell said Tuesday from the Senate floor .
Possible witnesses could include former national security adviser John Bolton , who unexpectedly announced that he would testify in the Senate trial if subpoenaed .
Trump was impeached after a House inquiry probed whether his administration had withheld a White House visit and military aid from Ukraine in exchange for the announcement of investigations into one of the president ’ s potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden and his son , Hunter .
During the impeachment hearings , several current and former government officials expressed concern about Trump ’ s conduct , with some arguing it undermined national security .

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House voted Wednesday to send two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate and approve House prosecutors for only the third impeachment trial in American history.
The House voted to approve a resolution to send articles of impeachment to the Senate on Wednesday. Watch in the video player above. Watch all of the day’s events here.
The nearly party-line vote moved Trump’s impeachment from Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Democratic-run House to the Republican-majority Senate, where Trump expects acquittal, even as new evidence is raising fresh questions about his Ukraine dealings.
The vote was 228-193, coming at the start of a presidential election year and one month after the House impeached Trump. The president is charged with abuse of power over his pressure on Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden, using military aid to the country as leverage. Trump was also charged with obstructing Congress’ ensuing probe.
“We are here today to cross a very important threshold in American history,” Pelosi said, addressing the House before the vote. Earlier, she declared: “This is what an impeachment is about. The president violated his oath of office, undermined our national security, jeopardized the integrity of our elections.”
Trump, during an event at the White House, rejected the charges as a “hoax.”
The seven-member prosecution team will be led by the chairmen of the House impeachment proceedings, Reps. Adam Schiff of the Intelligence Committee and Jerry Nadler of the Judiciary Committee, two of Pelosi’s top lieutenants for only the third presidential impeachment in the nation’s history.
“If McConnell makes this the first trial in history without witnesses, it will be exposed for what it is and that is an effort to cover up for the president,” Schiff said.
Ahead of Wednesday’s session, Schiff released new records from Lev Parnas, an associate of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, about the Ukraine strategy. including an exchange with another man about surveilling later-fired Ambassador Maria Yovanovitch.
Schiff said the new evidence should bring more pressure on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is reluctant to allow witnesses to testify.
“If McConnell makes this the first trial in history without witnesses, it will be exposed for what it is and that is an effort to cover up for the president,” Schiff said.
Later Wednesday, the House managers are to walk the articles across the Capitol to the Senate in a dramatic procession. The Senate trial is set to start Thursday.
McConnell opened the Senate dismissing what he called a rushed impeachment that is more about the politics of Democrats who don’t like Trump than the charges against him.
“This isn’t really about Ukraine policy or military money,” McConnell said. “This has been naked partisanship all along.”
During Pelosi’s press conference announcing managers, Trump tweeted that impeachment was “another Con Job by the Do Nothing Democrats. All of this work was supposed to be done by the House, not the Senate!”
Trump’s trial will be only the third presidential impeachment trial in U.S. history, and it comes against the backdrop of a politically divided nation in an election year.
The Senate is expected to transform into an impeachment court as early as Thursday, although significant proceedings wouldn’t begin until next Tuesday after the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The Constitution calls for the chief justice to preside over senators, who serve as jurors and swear an oath to deliver “impartial justice.”
The managers are a diverse group with legal, law enforcement and military courtroom experience, including Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Sylvia Garcia of Texas, Val Demings of Florida, Jason Crow of Colorado and Zoe Lofgren of California.
McConnell, who is negotiating rules for the trial proceedings, is under competing pressure from his party for more witnesses, from centrists who are siding with Democrats on the need to hear full testimony and conservatives mounting Trump’s defense.
Senate Republicans signaled they would reject the idea of simply voting to dismiss the articles of impeachment against Trump, as Trump himself has suggested. McConnell agreed he does not have the votes to do that.
McConnell said Tuesday. “Our members feel we have an obligation to listen to the arguments.”
A mounting number of senators say they want to ensure the ground rules include the possibility of calling new witnesses.
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine is leading an effort among some Republicans, including Mitt Romney of Utah and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska for votes on witnesses.
Romney said he wants to hear from John Bolton, the former national security adviser at the White House, who others have said raised alarms about the alternative foreign policy toward Ukraine being run by Giuliani.
Democrats have been pushing Republicans to consider new testimony, arguing that fresh information has emerged during Pelosi’s monthlong delay in transmitting the charges.
Republicans control the chamber, 53-47, and are all but certain to acquit Trump. But it takes just 51 votes during the trial to approve rules or call witnesses. Just four GOP senators could form a majority with Democrats to insist on new testimony. It also would take only 51 senators to vote to dismiss the charges against Trump.
At Tuesday’s private GOP lunch, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky warned that if witnesses are allowed, defense witnesses could also be called. He and other Republicans want to subpoena Biden and his son, Hunter, who served on the board of a gas company in Ukraine, Burisma, while his father was vice president.
McConnell prefers to model Trump’s trial partly on the process used for President Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial in 1999. It, too, contained motions for dismissal or calling new witnesses.
McConnell is hesitant to call new witnesses who would prolong the trial and put vulnerable senators who are up for reelection in 2020 in a bind with tough choices. At the same time, he wants to give those same senators ample room to show voters they are listening.
Associated Press writers Matthew Daly, Andrew Taylor and Padmananda Rama contributed to this report.
WATCH LIVE: All the events on the day Trump’s articles of impeachment are delivered to the Senate


pbs--2020-01-14--Fireworks expected in last Democratic debate before Iowa caucuses

DES MOINES , Iowa ( AP ) — Rougher shoving and sharper jabs are expected as a tighter field of Democrats takes the stage for Tuesday night ’ s final debate before Iowa ’ s leadoff presidential caucuses .
Just six candidates are gathering in Des Moines , all anxious for a televised boost before the Feb. 3 caucuses that could give one or more of them momentum for the primaries that will then come hot and heavy .
Or the Iowa results could all but end their White House hopes .
Some of the fiercest clashes could center on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts , fellow progressives who until now have largely avoided criticizing each other .
Warren chastised Sanders over the weekend following a report that his campaign instructed volunteers to speak poorly of her to win over undecided voters .
The tensions escalated on Monday after CNN reported Sanders told Warren in a private 2018 meeting that he didn ’ t think a woman could win the election , a charge that Sanders vigorously denied but that Warren said was true .
The feuding will likely expand to include nearly every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stepped up his attacks on former Vice President Joe Biden over his past support of the Iraq War , broad free-trade agreements and entitlement reform , among other issues .
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar , who has had several strong debates , will be looking for another opportunity to highlight her candidacy as she remains mired in the middle of the pack in polling .
Billionaire Tom Steyer will have to answer criticism that he ’ s trying to buy his way to the White House .
And with two surveys showing Pete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former mayor of South Bend , Indiana , will need a breakout moment to regain strength before the caucuses .
Those shifting dynamics mean Tuesday ’ s debate could be unlike any of the others that came before it this cycle .
The generally polite disputes over policy items including health care and immigration are about to be replaced by increasingly bitter and personal knocks .
And it will happen as many Democratic voters are just beginning to tune into the race .
“ The debates are always important — but this one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these candidates , ” said Scott Brennan , a former Iowa Democratic Party chair and current committeeman .
“ We ’ ve got at least four people who are bunched right there together at the top .
So how do you break out ?
” READ MORE : Presidential caucuses are complicated .
Why do some states use them ?
Not to be forgotten amid the focus on the Democratic race , President Donald Trump ’ s reelection campaign announced it would fly a banner in the skies over Des Moines for several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was countering by hosting a campaign rally in Milwaukee .
The debate , on the campus of Drake University and televised on CNN , marks the first forum with an all-white lineup .
Businessman Andrew Yang , an Asian American candidate who appeared in the December debate , failed to hit the polling threshold for Tuesday ’ s event .
And New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker ended his campaign on Monday after he didn ’ t make the debate stage , leaving just one black candidate — former Massachusetts Gov .
Deval Patrick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the first debate since Trump authorized the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani , which heightened tensions throughout the Middle East .
Biden advisers see that development as a boon to his candidacy , allowing him to argue he ’ s a steady , experienced alternative to Trump .
But it could easily become a problem if Biden fails to answer what will likely be pointed attacks from Sanders on his support for the Iraq War .
While Biden acknowledged over a decade ago his vote was a mistake , he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for his support , at times misleadingly asserting that he opposed the war from the start .
Sanders is eager to take the fight to Biden , as his advisers believe his message on income inequality and major structural change can appeal to the same white working-class voters who make up much of Biden ’ s base .
While Sanders and Warren have , until this weekend , publicly defended each other on the debate stage and in media interviews , Sanders ’ team is expecting attacks from the Massachusetts senator on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warren campaign is responsible for leaking what they say is an inaccurate description of their 2018 private meeting , as reported by CNN .
But in a statement later Monday , Warren said the description of their meeting was correct .
“ Among the topics that came up was what would happen if Democrats nominated a female candidate .
I thought a woman could win ; he disagreed , ” Warren said in a statement .
“ I have no interest in discussing this private meeting any further because Bernie and I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on punditry.
” The clashes could offer an opportunity for candidates who stay above the fray .
While Klobuchar sparred with Buttigieg during the last debate , she ’ s previously sought to tamp down tensions among her opponents and avoided taking moderators ’ bait to go after other candidates .
And Steyer , who has largely flown under the radar throughout the campaign , could look to capitalize on a handful of recent polls that have shown him gaining traction in some of the early primary states .

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Rougher shoving and sharper jabs are expected as a tighter field of Democrats takes the stage for Tuesday night’s final debate before Iowa’s leadoff presidential caucuses.
Just six candidates are gathering in Des Moines, all anxious for a televised boost before the Feb. 3 caucuses that could give one or more of them momentum for the primaries that will then come hot and heavy. Or the Iowa results could all but end their White House hopes.
State polling shows Iowans’ preferences too close to call.
Some of the fiercest clashes could center on Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, fellow progressives who until now have largely avoided criticizing each other.
Warren chastised Sanders over the weekend following a report that his campaign instructed volunteers to speak poorly of her to win over undecided voters. The tensions escalated on Monday after CNN reported Sanders told Warren in a private 2018 meeting that he didn’t think a woman could win the election, a charge that Sanders vigorously denied but that Warren said was true.
The feuding will likely expand to include nearly every candidate on stage. Sanders has recently stepped up his attacks on former Vice President Joe Biden over his past support of the Iraq War, broad free-trade agreements and entitlement reform, among other issues. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who has had several strong debates, will be looking for another opportunity to highlight her candidacy as she remains mired in the middle of the pack in polling. Billionaire Tom Steyer will have to answer criticism that he’s trying to buy his way to the White House.
And with two surveys showing Pete Buttigieg losing support in Iowa, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, will need a breakout moment to regain strength before the caucuses.
Those shifting dynamics mean Tuesday’s debate could be unlike any of the others that came before it this cycle. The generally polite disputes over policy items including health care and immigration are about to be replaced by increasingly bitter and personal knocks. And it will happen as many Democratic voters are just beginning to tune into the race.
“The debates are always important — but this one’s probably the most important for these candidates,” said Scott Brennan, a former Iowa Democratic Party chair and current committeeman. “We’ve got at least four people who are bunched right there together at the top. So how do you break out?”
READ MORE: Presidential caucuses are complicated. Why do some states use them?
Not to be forgotten amid the focus on the Democratic race, President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign announced it would fly a banner in the skies over Des Moines for several hours before the debate. Trump himself was countering by hosting a campaign rally in Milwaukee.
The debate, on the campus of Drake University and televised on CNN, marks the first forum with an all-white lineup. Businessman Andrew Yang, an Asian American candidate who appeared in the December debate, failed to hit the polling threshold for Tuesday’s event. And New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker ended his campaign on Monday after he didn’t make the debate stage, leaving just one black candidate — former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick — in the race.
This will be the first debate since Trump authorized the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, which heightened tensions throughout the Middle East.
Biden advisers see that development as a boon to his candidacy, allowing him to argue he’s a steady, experienced alternative to Trump. But it could easily become a problem if Biden fails to answer what will likely be pointed attacks from Sanders on his support for the Iraq War.
While Biden acknowledged over a decade ago his vote was a mistake, he’s struggled to offer a clear answer for his support, at times misleadingly asserting that he opposed the war from the start.
Sanders is eager to take the fight to Biden, as his advisers believe his message on income inequality and major structural change can appeal to the same white working-class voters who make up much of Biden’s base.
While Sanders and Warren have, until this weekend, publicly defended each other on the debate stage and in media interviews, Sanders’ team is expecting attacks from the Massachusetts senator on the debate stage. They believe that the Warren campaign is responsible for leaking what they say is an inaccurate description of their 2018 private meeting, as reported by CNN. But in a statement later Monday, Warren said the description of their meeting was correct.
“Among the topics that came up was what would happen if Democrats nominated a female candidate. I thought a woman could win; he disagreed,” Warren said in a statement. “I have no interest in discussing this private meeting any further because Bernie and I have far more in common than our differences on punditry.”
The clashes could offer an opportunity for candidates who stay above the fray. While Klobuchar sparred with Buttigieg during the last debate, she’s previously sought to tamp down tensions among her opponents and avoided taking moderators’ bait to go after other candidates.
And Steyer, who has largely flown under the radar throughout the campaign, could look to capitalize on a handful of recent polls that have shown him gaining traction in some of the early primary states.


pbs--2020-01-14--WATCH LIVE: Trump kicks off election year with Wisconsin rally

MILWAUKEE ( AP ) — President Donald Trump heads to battleground Wisconsin on Tuesday to rally supporters just down the street from where Democrats will meet in six months to nominate his opponent , a campaign trip that coincides with the Democratic presidential debate in neighboring Iowa .
Trump ’ s rally is expected to begin at 8 p.m .
ET .
Watch live in the video player above .
Counter-protests and other related events organized by both Democrats and the Trump administration were planned in Milwaukee ahead of the rally at an arena in the heart of downtown .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ national convention nearby .
It will be the Republican president ’ s first appearance in Wisconsin since July .
He scheduled the rally for roughly the same time as a Democratic candidate debate about 375 miles to the west in Des Moines , a counter to the last time candidates will square off before Iowa ’ s Feb. 3 caucuses .
That marks the beginning of voting by Democrats to select Trump ’ s challenger .
Wisconsin ’ s primary is April 7 .
Winning back Wisconsin is a key part of Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision to pick Milwaukee to host the national convention .
Trump , who won the state by fewer than 23,000 votes in 2016 , knows its importance as well and is expected to make frequent visits in the coming months .
Wisconsin is part of the “ blue wall ” of states , in addition to Michigan and Pennsylvania , that Trump carried in 2016 but that Democrats feel they can win back .
Democrats were to push health care issues ahead of Tuesday ’ s rally , with a morning event at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the state Democratic Party chairman and others planned to speak against Trump ’ s health care policies and for the need to uphold the current law , enacted under former President Barack Obama , that guarantees coverage for people with pre-existing conditions .
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee arena is expected to be surrounded by protesters .
A group called The Coalition to March on the DNC said more than a dozen groups were joining for the event .
Meanwhile , an immigrant and refugee advocacy group , Voces de la Frontera , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration ’ s treatment of immigrants and refugees .
Some Trump supporters began lining up Monday evening behind barricades outside the arena to make sure they could get in .
Linda Sorenson , who set up folding chairs and blankets with her sister-in-law Elizabeth Sorenson and said she would be seeing her 10th Trump rally , said it was fun “ to meet other people who love the president , or like him , as much as we do.
” “ He ’ s exciting , ” she told the Milwaukee Journal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for other Republicans , but no one I wanted to come out to see.
” Before the president ’ s rally , Trump ’ s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner was to hold an event touting the administration ’ s criminal justice reform efforts .
Kushner was to be joined by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson , of Wisconsin , and Ja ’ Ron Smith , deputy assistant to the president , for a discussion about enactment of the First Step Act , a law designed to overhaul the criminal justice system , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and help former inmates rejoin society .
The law , which Trump signed a little over a year ago , won rare bipartisan support and backing from a few black ministers , leaders and lawmakers who forged an allegiance with Trump .
They also planned to discuss The Joseph Project , a faith-based program Johnson helped create in late 2015 that connects inner-city Milwaukee workers with jobs in Sheboygan County .
Kushner , in a statement , called the First Step Act part of Trump ’ s effort to “ uplift and revitalize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Republicans are trying to win over black voters in big cities such as Milwaukee that will play a huge role in deciding the next president .
Democrats have been organizing in Milwaukee and other urban areas to reach out more aggressively to minority voters , trying to improve upon lower turnout in 2016 that was part of what helped fuel Trump ’ s victory .
One of those organizers in Milwaukee , Angela Lang , said Kushner ’ s event seemed like an attempt to woo minorities but that Trump shouldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about is mass incarceration and criminal justice reform .
“ Everyone knows when you come to Milwaukee that ’ s code for black and brown voters , ” she said .
“ But black voters are more than just single-issue voters.
” The Associated Press ’ Scott Bauer wrote this report .
The PBS NewsHour produced the video .

MILWAUKEE (AP) — President Donald Trump defended his decision to kill a top Iranian general and slammed Democrats as weak on national security as the Democratic presidential candidates prepared to take the stage for their final debate before primary voting commences.
Offering his own counter-programming to Tuesday night’s debate, Trump appeared in battleground Wisconsin as Democrats gathered next door in Iowa, which holds its kickoff caucuses in less than three weeks on Feb. 3.
In front of a crowd of thousands in downtown Milwaukee — not far from where Democrats will hold their convention this summer — Trump took on the leading Democratic candidates, including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
“Bernie and the radical left cannot protect your family, nor can they protect our country,” Trump told supporters at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panther Arena.
He criticized former Vice President Joe Biden’s tendency to mix up locations, including recently confusing Iran with Iraq.
“When you do that you can’t really recover,” Trump said.
While Democratic voters try to decide who is their best candidate to take on Trump, the president has been contending with the House vote to impeach him. After weeks of delay, the House will vote Wednesday to send its articles of impeachment to the Senate. Republicans hold the majority in the Senate and there is nowhere near the 67 votes needed for Trump’s removal.
In Milwaukee, Trump accused Democrats of wasting America’s time with “demented hoaxes” and “witch hunts” while “we’re creating jobs and killing terrorists.”
Winning back Wisconsin is a key part of Democrats’ 2020 strategy — and one of the reasons the party chose Milwaukee to host its national convention in July. Trump won the state by fewer than 23,000 votes in 2016, cracking Democrats’ long-held “blue wall,” along with Michigan and Pennsylvania. Trump is expected to make frequent return visits in the coming months as he works to maintain his edge.
Vice President Mike Pence warmed up the rally crowd by praising Trump and panning the Democratic candidates as too far left for the state.
“You know, I heard they’ve got another debate tonight. If it’s anything like the other ones, those people are going to be standing so far on the left I think that stage is going to tip over,” Pence quipped.
Trump supporters began lining up Monday evening outside the arena to make sure they would be able to get inside.
“I think the Wisconsin vote is very important, very important,” said Brenda Stoetzer, 60, from Hickory Hills, Illinois. “And we need to just spread the message here that, you know, Trump is helping the people, the ordinary people. He’s not making the rich richer. He’s making everyone richer.”
“I think he’s done right by the whole country,” agreed Nancy Freye, 65, who lives in Madison, Wisconsin. “He’s fighting for all of us every day. I don’t know how you can even get anything done, but he does. So good for him and for us.”
Trump spent much of the rally defending his record, including his decision to order the strike that killed top Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, whom he labeled the “world’s No. 1 terrorist.” Trump’s decision came under intense criticism from Democrats and raised questions about whether it really prevented an imminent attack, as some Trump administration officials have claimed.
“The Democrats are outraged that we killed this terrorist monster, even though this monster was behind hundreds and hundreds of deaths,” Trump told the crowd, adding that “thousands of people” don’t have legs and arms right now “because of this son of a bitch.”
Democrats, he said, “should be angry about his crimes, not the decision to end his wretched life.”
Trump’s rally was interrupted several times by protesters, who also demonstrated oyside.
Meanwhile, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner held an event to highlight the administration’s criminal justice reform efforts with Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. Trump signed the First Step Act, a law designed to overhaul the criminal justice system, reduce the number of people in prison and help former inmates rejoin society. It was a rare bipartisan victory, with backing from black leaders and lawmakers who forged an allegiance with Trump.
Democrats and Republicans are trying to win over black voters in big cities such as Milwaukee that will play a huge role in deciding who will become the next president. Lower African American turnout in 2016 was part of what helped fuel Trump’s victory.
One of those organizers in Milwaukee, Angela Lang, said Kushner’s event seemed like an attempt to woo minorities. But she said Trump shouldn’t assume that all black voters care about is mass incarceration and criminal justice reform.
“Everyone knows when you come to Milwaukee that’s code for black and brown voters,” she said. “But black voters are more than just single-issue voters.”
Wisconsin’s primary is April 7.
Associated Press writers Kevin Freking in Washington and Carrie Antlfinger in Milwaukee contributed to this report.


pbs--2020-01-15--Should Trump be removed? Poll shows Americans are divided equally

Despite an impending impeachment trial and a controversial move to kill a powerful Iranian military general , the partisan divides that have defined President Donald Trump ’ s tenure remain seemingly unmoved .
When it comes to Trump ’ s approval rating , whether he should be removed from office , or if he has done a good job of handling Iran , Republicans and Democrats are falling along party lines , according to the latest PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll .
With the House of Representatives preparing to vote to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate on Wednesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not the Senate should remove Trump from office .
An equal share — 47 percent — either support the U.S. Senate removing Trump from office , or oppose ousting him .
An additional 6 percent of respondents said they were unsure .
Public opinion has been locked in place for months .
In October , 48 percent of Americans said they supported the Senate removing Trump from office and another 48 percent did not support such actions .
Two months later in December , 46 percent of Americans supported Trump ’ s removal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There ’ s not a lot of movement ” in public opinion about the fate of Trump ’ s presidency , said Lee Miringoff , who directs the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion .
Dynamic day-to-day news about global tensions and impeachment are “ reinforcing ” people ’ s existing opinions about Trump , further hardening divisions .
On Dec. 18 , the House voted to impeach Trump over abuse of power and obstruction of Congress tied to his dealings with Ukraine , making him the third president in U.S. history to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate is expected to start trial proceedings against Trump , who said lawmakers should dismiss his impeachment case without a trial .
Despite the historic implications of impeachment and possible ramifications for American democracy , this is “ a Washington story , ” said Democratic strategist Jennifer Holdsworth .
Democratic candidates campaigning to be the next president plan to steer clear of impeachment while on the trail , Holdsworth said , because for voters , the topic pales in importance to issues such as health care , education and cost of living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deeply divided , ” she said , and candidates will try to respond by pitching plans to unify the country during upcoming Democratic presidential debates , caucuses in Iowa and primaries in New Hampshire .
Some contenders can not avoid impeachment , as the senate rules state that all senators , including 2020 candidates Sen. Elizabeth Warren , Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Sen. Bernie Sanders , must be sworn in as jurors for the trial .
On Jan. 3 , a drone was used to kill Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ targeted killing of Soleimani , saying the U.S. “ saved a lot of lives ” and that “ they were planning something.
” Critics pushed back on those remarks and said there was scant evidence that Soleimani and Iran planned any specific attacks , and that the White House had not been sufficiently transparent with Congress about its plans under the War Powers Act .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the killing of Soleimani “ endangered our servicemembers , diplomats and others by risking a serious escalation of tensions with Iran.
” House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limit the president ’ s military authority against Iran , which passed with virtually no Republican votes .
In the days since Soleimani ’ s death , the number of Americans who disapprove of how Trump has handled U.S. relations with Iran is slightly higher than those who approve , the poll suggests .
Forty-nine percent of U.S. adults said they did not support Trump ’ s handling of Iran , while 42 percent of Americans said they did support him .
Another 9 percent of respondents said they were not sure .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly emerges , with 84 percent of Democrats , 49 percent of independents , and just 6 percent of Republicans disapproving of the president ’ s Iran moves .
Since his inauguration , Trump ’ s job approval numbers have hovered in roughly the same place — between the mid-30s and mid-40s , according to Marist ’ s polling data going back to February 2017 .
Right on target , the latest poll finds 41 percent of Americans saying they approve of what Trump has done in office , while 53 percent say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again aligned with partisan politics , with 89 percent of Republicans saying they support Trump as president and 89 percent of Democrats saying they do not .
In recent years , those partisan differences have worn away the ties that once bound Americans together during national tragedies , conservative strategist Rick Wilson said .
A future national emergency could push the nation to the brink , he said , because “ the divisions are so deep and the anger so profound , both sides are going to be so unwilling to work with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is now a partisan test , with both sides focused on figuring out whose side won , “ no matter what the consequential underpinnings are , ” Wilson said .
“ We ’ ve become so mired in partisan outcomes , there ’ s no national interest anymore.
” PBS NewsHour , NPR and Marist conducted a survey Jan. 7-12 that polled 1,259 U.S. adults with a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points and 1,064 registered voters with a margin of error of 3.8 percentage points .

Despite an impending impeachment trial and a controversial move to kill a powerful Iranian military general, the partisan divides that have defined President Donald Trump’s tenure remain seemingly unmoved. When it comes to Trump’s approval rating, whether he should be removed from office, or if he has done a good job of handling Iran, Republicans and Democrats are falling along party lines, according to the latest PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll.
Support for Trump’s removal stays static
With the House of Representatives preparing to vote to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate on Wednesday, Americans are split evenly about whether or not the Senate should remove Trump from office. An equal share — 47 percent — either support the U.S. Senate removing Trump from office, or oppose ousting him. An additional 6 percent of respondents said they were unsure.
Public opinion has been locked in place for months. In October, 48 percent of Americans said they supported the Senate removing Trump from office and another 48 percent did not support such actions. Two months later in December, 46 percent of Americans supported Trump’s removal and 49 percent opposed it.
“There’s not a lot of movement” in public opinion about the fate of Trump’s presidency, said Lee Miringoff, who directs the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. Dynamic day-to-day news about global tensions and impeachment are “reinforcing” people’s existing opinions about Trump, further hardening divisions.
On Dec. 18, the House voted to impeach Trump over abuse of power and obstruction of Congress tied to his dealings with Ukraine, making him the third president in U.S. history to carry that distinction. This week, the Senate is expected to start trial proceedings against Trump, who said lawmakers should dismiss his impeachment case without a trial.
Despite the historic implications of impeachment and possible ramifications for American democracy, this is “a Washington story,” said Democratic strategist Jennifer Holdsworth.
Democratic candidates campaigning to be the next president plan to steer clear of impeachment while on the trail, Holdsworth said, because for voters, the topic pales in importance to issues such as health care, education and cost of living. The nation is “deeply, deeply divided,” she said, and candidates will try to respond by pitching plans to unify the country during upcoming Democratic presidential debates, caucuses in Iowa and primaries in New Hampshire.
Some contenders cannot avoid impeachment, as the senate rules state that all senators, including 2020 candidates Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Sen. Bernie Sanders, must be sworn in as jurors for the trial.
Trump on Iran
On Jan. 3, a drone was used to kill Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani at Baghdad International Airport. Trump defended the targeted killing of Soleimani, saying the U.S. “saved a lot of lives” and that “they were planning something.”
Critics pushed back on those remarks and said there was scant evidence that Soleimani and Iran planned any specific attacks, and that the White House had not been sufficiently transparent with Congress about its plans under the War Powers Act. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the killing of Soleimani “endangered our servicemembers, diplomats and others by risking a serious escalation of tensions with Iran.”
House Democrats drafted new war powers legislation to limit the president’s military authority against Iran, which passed with virtually no Republican votes.
In the days since Soleimani’s death, the number of Americans who disapprove of how Trump has handled U.S. relations with Iran is slightly higher than those who approve, the poll suggests. Forty-nine percent of U.S. adults said they did not support Trump’s handling of Iran, while 42 percent of Americans said they did support him. Another 9 percent of respondents said they were not sure.
Beneath those numbers, a partisan divide quickly emerges, with 84 percent of Democrats, 49 percent of independents, and just 6 percent of Republicans disapproving of the president’s Iran moves.
Trump’s approval rating remains unchanged
Since his inauguration, Trump’s job approval numbers have hovered in roughly the same place — between the mid-30s and mid-40s, according to Marist’s polling data going back to February 2017.
“We’ve become so mired in partisan outcomes, there’s no national interest anymore.”
Right on target, the latest poll finds 41 percent of Americans saying they approve of what Trump has done in office, while 53 percent say they disapprove. Those opinions are once again aligned with partisan politics, with 89 percent of Republicans saying they support Trump as president and 89 percent of Democrats saying they do not.
In recent years, those partisan differences have worn away the ties that once bound Americans together during national tragedies, conservative strategist Rick Wilson said. A future national emergency could push the nation to the brink, he said, because “the divisions are so deep and the anger so profound, both sides are going to be so unwilling to work with each other.”
Everything in public life is now a partisan test, with both sides focused on figuring out whose side won, “no matter what the consequential underpinnings are,” Wilson said. “We’ve become so mired in partisan outcomes, there’s no national interest anymore.”
PBS NewsHour, NPR and Marist conducted a survey Jan. 7-12 that polled 1,259 U.S. adults with a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points and 1,064 registered voters with a margin of error of 3.8 percentage points.


pbs--2020-01-15--4 takeaways from January's Democratic debate

Tuesday ’ s Democratic primary debate was the final official debate before the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 3 .
But despite the added time pressure , the six candidates on stage largely avoided attacking one another , so there was no clear winner with less than three weeks left before voting begins .
Former Vice President Joe Biden , Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont , and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg all remain bunched together atop the polls in Iowa and New Hampshire .
The debate also featured Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and billionaire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are some takeaways from the debate .
Candidates argue their electability with less infighting Hanging over Tuesday ’ s debate was the main question on most Democrat voters ’ minds : who is best positioned to beat President Donald Trump in November ?
Unlike the last few debates , where the leading Democrats took targeted swipes at each other , the candidates Tuesday mostly touted their personal experiences and voting records to distinguish themselves from each other and Trump .
Less combative energy on stage resulted in muted performances overall .
Klobuchar was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knock Trump and push back against her fellow Democrats on topics including health care and higher education .
On free college , for example , Klobuchar said her Democratic rivals weren ’ t thinking “ big enough , ” calling for them to rethink the education system .
Still , Klobuchar had mixed success in her attempt to break out during a critical moment for her campaign .
The sharpest exchange of the night featured Sanders and Warren .
Their typically amicable relationship drew attention this week amid reports of the Sanders campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a candidate for elites .
And on Tuesday , news broke of a 2018 meeting in which Sanders allegedly told Warren a woman couldn ’ t win in 2020 .
Warren ’ s ’ team released a description of the meeting , and Sanders has denied her characterization .
When asked about the alleged comments during the debate , Sanders said it was “ incomprehensible ” that he would question the electability of a female candidate .
“ Go to YouTube today .
There ’ s a video of me 30 years ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president of the United States , ” Sanders said .
Warren responded by arguing that female candidates and voters helped Democrats flip control of the House in the 2018 midterms .
“ Look at the men on this stage .
Collectively , they have lost 10 elections .
The only people on this stage who have won every single election that they ’ ve been in are the women : Amy and me , ” Warren said , referring to Klobuchar .
A discussion about the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement also highlighted differences between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticized the trade deal for not mentioning climate change , but Warren said it would help farmers and other workers who have been hurt by Trump ’ s trade policies .
The smallest , least diverse debate group so far One glaring change on Tuesday ’ s debate stage was the lack of racial diversity .
The primary race began with the Democratic Party ’ s most diverse primary field ever .
Now only three non-white candidates remain : entrepreneur Andrew Yang , former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick , and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday ’ s debate after falling short of the tighter donor and polling thresholds set by the Democratic National Committee .
The all-white top-tier could be an issue for a party that has increasingly relied on high turnout from minority voters in general elections .
Nevertheless , the subjects of diversity among the candidates and the importance of minority voters were largely absent in the debate .
At one point Steyer focused on black and brown communities in his discussion of the threat of climate change .
Buttigieg , who has struggled to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tried to make a pitch to black voters .
“ The biggest mistake we could make is to take black votes for granted , and I never will , ” he said .
About half of the debate focused on foreign policy and international relations , amid escalating tension between the U.S. and Iran .
The spotlight on foreign affairs offered candidates an opportunity to provide more detail on how they would handle the country ’ s military involvement in the Middle East should they become president .
Sanders highlighted his longtime opposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the United States should use diplomacy , not military action , to handle international conflicts .
Biden has faced criticism for his vote in support of the Iraq War .
On Tuesday , he acknowledged he made a mistake in voting to go to war , but he also noted efforts under the Obama administration to bring troops home .
“ It was a mistaken vote , but I think my record overall on everything we have done , I ’ m prepared to compare it to anybody ’ s on this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the absence of a nuclear deal with Iran , Klobuchar said that as president she would work to begin negotiations again to prevent Iran from securing a nuclear weapon .
Buttigieg drew on his military background in the foreign policy discussion , criticizing the president for sending more troops to the Middle East , and vowing to keep more military members home with their families .

Tuesday’s Democratic primary debate was the final official debate before the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 3. But despite the added time pressure, the six candidates on stage largely avoided attacking one another. Still, there was no clear winner with less than three weeks left before voting begins.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg all remain bunched together atop the polls in Iowa and New Hampshire. The debate also featured Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and billionaire businessman and environmentalist Tom Steyer.
Here are some takeaways from the debate.
Candidates argue their electability with less infighting
Hanging over Tuesday’s debate was the main question on most Democrat voters’ minds: who is best positioned to beat President Donald Trump in November?
Unlike the last few debates, where the leading Democrats took targeted swipes at each other, the candidates Tuesday mostly touted their personal experiences and voting records to distinguish themselves from each other and Trump. Less combative energy on stage resulted in muted performances overall.
Klobuchar was an exception and took several opportunities to knock Trump and push back against her fellow Democrats on topics including health care and higher education.
On free college, for example, Klobuchar said her Democratic rivals weren’t thinking “big enough,” calling for them to rethink the education system. Nevertheless, Klobuchar had mixed success in her attempt to break out during a critical moment for her campaign.
A crack in the Sanders-Warren pact?
The sharpest exchange of the night featured Sanders and Warren. Their typically amicable relationship drew attention this week amid reports of the Sanders campaign’s attempt to cast Warren as a candidate for elites. And on Tuesday, news broke of a 2018 meeting in which Sanders allegedly told Warren a woman couldn’t win in 2020. Warren’s team released a description of the meeting, and Sanders has denied her characterization.
When asked about the alleged comments during the debate, Sanders said it was “incomprehensible” that he would question the electability of a female candidate.
“Go to YouTube today. There’s a video of me 30 years ago talking about how a woman could become president of the United States,” Sanders said.
Warren responded by arguing that female candidates and voters helped Democrats flip control of the House in the 2018 midterms.
“Look at the men on this stage. Collectively, they have lost 10 elections. The only people on this stage who have won every single election that they’ve been in are the women: Amy and me,” Warren said, referring to Klobuchar.
A discussion about the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement also highlighted differences between Warren and Sanders on trade. Sanders criticized the trade deal for not mentioning climate change, but Warren said it would help farmers and other workers who have been hurt by Trump’s trade policies.
WATCH: As they walked off of the #DemDebate stage — Elizabeth Warren rejected Bernie Sanders’s handshake and they exchanged words https://t.co/1Sglwm1S1X pic.twitter.com/sEHeEJ2gOC — Bloomberg (@business) January 15, 2020
The smallest, least diverse debate group so far
One glaring change on Tuesday’s debate stage was the lack of racial diversity.
The primary race began with the Democratic Party’s most diverse primary field ever. Now only three non-white candidates remain: entrepreneur Andrew Yang, former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. None of them qualified for Tuesday’s debate after falling short of the tighter donor and polling thresholds set by the Democratic National Committee.
The all-white top-tier could be an issue for a party that has increasingly relied on high turnout from minority voters in general elections. Nevertheless, the subjects of diversity among the candidates and the importance of minority voters were largely absent in the debate.
At one point Steyer focused on black and brown communities in his discussion of the threat of climate change. Buttigieg, who has struggled to gain traction with nonwhite voters, also tried to make a pitch to black voters. “The biggest mistake we could make is to take black votes for granted, and I never will,” he said.
A focus on U.S. foreign affairs
About half of the debate focused on foreign policy and international relations, amid escalating tension between the U.S. and Iran. The spotlight on foreign affairs offered candidates an opportunity to provide more detail on how they would handle the country’s military involvement in the Middle East should they become president.
Sanders highlighted his longtime opposition to the war in Iraq and belief that the United States should use diplomacy, not military action, to handle international conflicts.
Biden has faced criticism for his vote in support of the Iraq War. On Tuesday, he acknowledged he made a mistake in voting to go to war, but he also noted efforts under the Obama administration to bring troops home.
“It was a mistaken vote, but I think my record overall on everything we have done, I’m prepared to compare it to anybody’s on this stage,” Biden said.
In the absence of a nuclear deal with Iran, Klobuchar said that as president she would work to begin negotiations again to prevent Iran from securing a nuclear weapon.
Buttigieg drew on his military background in the foreign policy discussion, criticizing the president for sending more troops to the Middle East, and vowing to keep more military members home with their families.


pbs--2020-01-14--Buttigieg says black voters 'who know me best are supporting me'

Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg says he will keep up his effort to appeal to black voters , whose support @ @ @ @ @ his party ’ s nomination .
The former mayor said during Tuesday night ’ s @ @ @ @ @ Iowa , that “ the black voters who know me best are supporting me , @ @ @ @ @ his hometown of South Bend , Indiana .
Buttigieg has built up support in some @ @ @ @ @ has struggled in South Carolina , where black voters comprise the majority of the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ s the first state where candidates ’ mettle with black voters is tested .
Buttigieg @ @ @ @ @ from U.S. Rep. Anthony Brown of Maryland , who earlier this month became the first @ @ @ @ @ Caucus to back Buttigieg ’ s campaign .

Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg says he will keep up his effort to appeal to black voters, whose support will be vital to winning his party’s nomination.
The former mayor said during Tuesday night’s debate in Des Moines, Iowa, that “the black voters who know me best are supporting me,” referencing local leaders in his hometown of South Bend, Indiana.
Buttigieg has built up support in some of the early states but has struggled in South Carolina, where black voters comprise the majority of the Democratic primary electorate. It’s the first state where candidates’ mettle with black voters is tested.
Buttigieg pointed Tuesday to his endorsement from U.S. Rep. Anthony Brown of Maryland, who earlier this month became the first member of the Congressional Black Caucus to back Buttigieg’s campaign.


pbs--2020-01-14--Biden says Trump impeachment trial outcome is 'irrelevant' to his campaign

Joe Biden says the outcome of a Senate impeachment trial against President Donald Trump won ’ t affect his arguments against the Republican president in the 2020 campaign .
And the former vice president said at Tuesday night ’ s Democratic presidential debate that it ’ s “ irrelevant ” whether Trump claims exoneration if the Republican-led Senate votes as expected and doesn ’ t remove him from office .
Biden said House Democrats had “ no choice ” but to impeach the president for Trump ’ s efforts to pressure Ukrainian officials to launch investigations into Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country and his own foreign policy engagement in Ukraine when he was vice president .
Trump ’ s claims about the Bidens have been debunked .
But Biden said he expects Trump and Republicans to continue to allege that the Bidens are corrupt .
“ I did my job , ” Biden said at the debate .
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar said the upcoming Senate trial on President Donald Trump ’ s impeachment “ is a decency check on our government.
” “ This is a patriotism check , ” she added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate , noting the upcoming 2020 election is yet another check .
Klobuchar and her fellow senators running for president will have to contend with the impeachment trial as the push to the Iowa caucuses enters its final days .
Other candidates like Biden and former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg will be able to continue campaigning freely as the Senate trial gets underway .
Klobuchar also criticized her Senate Republican colleagues over reluctance to allow certain witnesses for the Senate trial , saying , “ We ’ ve asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if our Republican colleagues won ’ t allow those witnesses , they may as well give the president a crown and a scepter .
They may as well make him king , ” Klobuchar said .

Joe Biden says the outcome of a Senate impeachment trial against President Donald Trump won’t affect his arguments against the Republican president in the 2020 campaign.
And the former vice president said at Tuesday night’s Democratic presidential debate that it’s “irrelevant” whether Trump claims exoneration if the Republican-led Senate votes as expected and doesn’t remove him from office.
Biden said House Democrats had “no choice” but to impeach the president for Trump’s efforts to pressure Ukrainian officials to launch investigations into Biden’s son Hunter’s business dealings in the country and his own foreign policy engagement in Ukraine when he was vice president.
Trump’s claims about the Bidens have been debunked. But Biden said he expects Trump and Republicans to continue to allege that the Bidens are corrupt.
“I did my job,” Biden said at the debate.
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar said the upcoming Senate trial on President Donald Trump’s impeachment “is a decency check on our government.”
“This is a patriotism check,” she added at Tuesday night’s Democratic presidential debate, noting the upcoming 2020 election is yet another check.
Klobuchar and her fellow senators running for president will have to contend with the impeachment trial as the push to the Iowa caucuses enters its final days. Other candidates like Biden and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg will be able to continue campaigning freely as the Senate trial gets underway.
Klobuchar also criticized her Senate Republican colleagues over reluctance to allow certain witnesses for the Senate trial, saying, “We’ve asked for only four people.”
“And if our Republican colleagues won’t allow those witnesses, they may as well give the president a crown and a scepter. They may as well make him king,” Klobuchar said.


pbs--2020-01-14--Democrats revive debate over which kind of health care system is best

It all comes back to health care .
Even after Democratic presidential candidates had an extended foreign policy discussion at Tuesday ’ s presidential debate in Des Moines , Iowa , they saved the fireworks for another fight over how to expand health insurance coverage .
Former Vice President Joe Biden suggested that Sen. Bernie Sanders wasn ’ t being “ candid ” with voters over the cost of his single-payer insurance idea .
Asked if voters deserved more information on the price of his signature proposal , Sanders maintained his argument that his proposal “ wouldn ’ t bankrupt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out-of-pocket and prescription drug prices .
Sanders said those more moderate candidates misrepresent a plan he said would indeed increase Americans ’ taxes but eliminate the “ absurdity ” of private insurance costs .
Biden proposes making fixes to the existing Affordable Care Act system , and former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg proposes somewhat of a hybrid .
Sen. Amy Klobuchar said “ Medicare for All ” is so impractical that the “ debate isn ’ t real.
” And Buttigieg bristled at the suggestion that adding a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ market isn ’ t a major step forward .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren tried a bit of a twist .
She defended single payer , but noted that Republicans want to roll back even existing coverage .
“ I ’ ll take our side of the argument any day , ” she said of the entire Democratic field .
Noting she would use executive power to cut prescription drug prices , Warren said her $ 20-plus trillion plan costs more than those ideas because they represent only incremental change .

It all comes back to health care.
Even after Democratic presidential candidates had an extended foreign policy discussion at Tuesday’s presidential debate in Des Moines, Iowa, they saved the fireworks for another fight over how to expand health insurance coverage.
Former Vice President Joe Biden suggested that Sen. Bernie Sanders wasn’t being “candid” with voters over the cost of his single-payer insurance idea.
Asked if voters deserved more information on the price of his signature proposal, Sanders maintained his argument that his proposal “wouldn’t bankrupt the country” because it would end out-of-pocket and prescription drug prices. Sanders said those more moderate candidates misrepresent a plan he said would indeed increase Americans’ taxes but eliminate the “absurdity” of private insurance costs.
Biden proposes making fixes to the existing Affordable Care Act system, and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg proposes somewhat of a hybrid.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar said “Medicare for All” is so impractical that the “debate isn’t real.” And Buttigieg bristled at the suggestion that adding a “public option” plan to the existing market isn’t a major step forward.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren tried a bit of a twist. She defended single payer, but noted that Republicans want to roll back even existing coverage. “I’ll take our side of the argument any day,” she said of the entire Democratic field.
Noting she would use executive power to cut prescription drug prices, Warren said her $20-plus trillion plan costs more than those ideas because they represent only incremental change.


pbs--2020-01-14--Biden and Steyer won't meet with Kim Jong Un without preconditions

Former Vice President Joe Biden and businessman Tom Steyer say they would not meet with North Korea ’ s leader @ @ @ @ @ as President Donald Trump has done .
Biden said at Tuesday night ’ s Democratic @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s meetings with Kim Jong Un gave the North Korean leader “ legitimacy @ @ @ @ @ Trump for weakening sanctions against the country .
He said his approach to North Korea @ @ @ @ @ and Japan .
Biden also noted that Kim once described him as a “ rabid @ @ @ @ @ be beaten with a stick.
” Steyer , a billionaire businessman , said the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ its allies in regard to North Korea .
He said staff could meet “ and @ @ @ @ @ get .
”

Former Vice President Joe Biden and businessman Tom Steyer say they would not meet with North Korea’s leader without “preconditions,” as President Donald Trump has done.
Biden said at Tuesday night’s Democratic presidential debate in Iowa that Trump’s meetings with Kim Jong Un gave the North Korean leader “legitimacy,” and he criticized Trump for weakening sanctions against the country. He said his approach to North Korea would include working with China and Japan.
Biden also noted that Kim once described him as a “rabid dog” who “must be beaten with a stick.”
Steyer, a billionaire businessman, said the U.S. would need to work with its allies in regard to North Korea. He said staff could meet “and see how far we can get.”


pbs--2020-01-14--Warren says women on debate stage have outperformed men

Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren declined an opportunity to continue their recent campaign trail feud during Tuesday night ’ s debate , but Warren still took on her progressive opponent .
Sanders again denied that he told Warren in a private 2018 meeting that a woman couldn ’ t win the presidency .
He called it “ incomprehensible ” that he would believe such a thing and said he didn ’ t want to “ waste a whole lot of time ” on the issue “ because this is what Donald Trump … wants.
” He also committed to doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making sure the eventual nominee wins .
Warren has said Sanders did in fact tell her a woman can ’ t win , and on the debate stage , she took on the issue of whether a woman can win head-on .
Warren told the crowd that the male candidates on the stage collectively lost 10 races while she and Sen. Amy Klobuchar were “ the only people on this stage who have won every single election that they ’ ve been in.
” She also argued that female candidates have outperformed men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were pivotal in taking back the House and flipping statehouses during the last midterms .
Warren pivoted to an implicit contrast with Sanders on electability , arguing that “ the real danger ” for Democrats “ is picking a candidate who can ’ t pull our party together .
”

Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren declined an opportunity to continue their recent campaign trail feud during Tuesday night’s debate, but Warren still took on her progressive opponent.
Sanders again denied that he told Warren in a private 2018 meeting that a woman couldn’t win the presidency. He called it “incomprehensible” that he would believe such a thing and said he didn’t want to “waste a whole lot of time” on the issue “because this is what Donald Trump … wants.” He also committed to doing “everything in my power” to making sure the eventual nominee wins.
Warren has said Sanders did in fact tell her a woman can’t win, and on the debate stage, she took on the issue of whether a woman can win head-on. Warren told the crowd that the male candidates on the stage collectively lost 10 races while she and Sen. Amy Klobuchar were “the only people on this stage who have won every single election that they’ve been in.”
She also argued that female candidates have outperformed men, noting that female candidates and voters were pivotal in taking back the House and flipping statehouses during the last midterms.
Warren pivoted to an implicit contrast with Sanders on electability, arguing that “the real danger” for Democrats “is picking a candidate who can’t pull our party together.”