pbs--2020-04-14--Record absentee ballots sustain turnout in Wisconsin primary

Despite safety concerns and a legal battle over holding an election during the coronavirus pandemic , turnout in Wisconsin ’ s Democratic presidential primary this month was roughly the same as in recent election cycles , driven by a state record for absentee ballots and thousands of people who still went to the polls amid the public health crisis .
Up until the day before the election , it was unclear whether voting would even take place .
Democrats , led by Wisconsin Gov .
Tony Evers , pushed to delay the election for public health reasons , but Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spilled into the courts .
In a pair of last-minute rulings , the state Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the election would proceed as planned on April 7 .
Ultimately , a total of 924,151 people voted in the Democratic presidential primary — down from approximately 1 million votes in the state ’ s 2016 primary race and 1.1 million in 2008 .
Former Vice President Joe Biden beat Sen. Bernie Sanders by a wide margin , in what turned out to be the last contested primary of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race the day after the election .
Sanders endorsed Biden on Monday , the day the state released the election results .
Wisconsin also held statewide and local elections on the same day as the primary , and turnout surged in a closely watched race for a seat on the state ’ s Supreme Court .
Turnout topped 1.5 million , the second-highest total for a state Supreme Court election in Wisconsin in two decades .
Overall , nearly 1.1 million voters mailed in absentee ballots out of a total 1.5 million votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — a major increase from previous elections and a record for Wisconsin .
The state has not yet released more detailed statistics for absentee ballots , but it was clear from the initial returns that in-person voting was down across the state .
The primary came in the midst of a monthlong stay-at-home order in Wisconsin .
Nevertheless , thousands of voters did show up at the polls , waiting in line for hours in some parts of the state .
Many wore face masks and stood several feet apart as they waited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for avoiding the spread of the coronavirus , which causes the COVID-19 illness .
“ People really were risking their health and their safety and their lives in order to exercise their right to vote , ” Jill Karofsky , a district court judge and the winner of the state Supreme Court race , said in a phone interview .
Cities across the state consolidated polling locations due to a lack of poll workers and concerns that in-person turnout would be lower than expected .
Milwaukee , which usually has 181 polling sites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 7 .
Green Bay had just two polling sites open , down from around 30 .
“ We ended up with lines lasting over four hours .
People who couldn ’ t wait that long left and didn ’ t get a chance to vote , ” said Bill Galvin , an alderperson on the Green Bay Common Council .
Elsewhere , the lines were shorter and there was less crowding .
The city of Kenosha closed half of its 21 polling sites , said Bill Siel , a city official , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lines at polling sites in the city .
But Siel and other officials said in-person voting should not have taken place at all during the pandemic , particularly because it happened during the state-wide stay-at-home order .
“ We ’ re waiting to see if there will be a spike [ in coronavirus cases ] from all that contact ” at polling sites , Siel said .
“ I definitely think there could have been a much better way to conduct this election.
” In the fight by Democrats to delay the primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was impractical and could lead to voter fraud .
Democrats claimed Republicans wanted the election to proceed as planned because it would lead to lower turnout and help GOP candidates in state and local elections .
In the final week before the election , Republicans also appealed a lower court ruling extending the deadline for absentee voting .
Hours before the election , the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the extension , adding to the sense of uncertainty in the final hours before polls were set to open .
The state was hurt by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end , and different confusing court orders that came out , ” said Mark Graul , a Republican strategist in Wisconsin .
The final turnout was all the more impressive given the challenges surrounding the election , he added .
“ The fact that we were able to pull this election off under these circumstances , with this turnout , was remarkable , ” Graul said .
Others said Wisconsin was a cautionary tale for states that haven ’ t held elections yet this year .
Several states moved their primaries to June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ States that have not had their primary elections yet need to take a good hard look at everything that went right and wrong in Wisconsin and make some real tough decisions , ” said Galvin .
Charles Franklin , the director of the Marquette Law School Poll , said the results in Wisconsin proved voter enthusiasm remains high despite the pandemic .
“ We saw the potential here for absentee voting substantially driven by the voters themselves , ” Franklin said .

Despite safety concerns and a legal battle over holding an election during the coronavirus pandemic, turnout in Wisconsin’s Democratic presidential primary this month was roughly the same as in recent election cycles, driven by a state record for absentee ballots and thousands of people who still went to the polls amid the public health crisis.
Up until the day before the election, it was unclear whether voting would even take place. Democrats, led by Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, pushed to delay the election for public health reasons, but Republicans opposed the delay and the political fight spilled into the courts. In a pair of last-minute rulings, the state Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the election would proceed as planned on April 7.
Ultimately, a total of 924,151 people voted in the Democratic presidential primary — down from approximately 1 million votes in the state’s 2016 primary race and 1.1 million in 2008.
Former Vice President Joe Biden beat Sen. Bernie Sanders by a wide margin, in what turned out to be the last contested primary of the year. Sanders dropped out of the race the day after the election. Sanders endorsed Biden on Monday, the day the state released the election results.
Wisconsin also held statewide and local elections on the same day as the primary, and turnout surged in a closely watched race for a seat on the state’s Supreme Court. Turnout topped 1.5 million, the second-highest total for a state Supreme Court election in Wisconsin in two decades.
Overall, nearly 1.1 million voters mailed in absentee ballots out of a total 1.5 million votes cast, according to state election data — a major increase from previous elections and a record for Wisconsin. The state has not yet released more detailed statistics for absentee ballots, but it was clear from the initial returns that in-person voting was down across the state.
The primary came in the midst of a monthlong stay-at-home order in Wisconsin. Nevertheless, thousands of voters did show up at the polls, waiting in line for hours in some parts of the state. Many wore face masks and stood several feet apart as they waited to vote, observing social distancing guidelines for avoiding the spread of the coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 illness.
“People really were risking their health and their safety and their lives in order to exercise their right to vote,” Jill Karofsky, a district court judge and the winner of the state Supreme Court race, said in a phone interview.
Cities across the state consolidated polling locations due to a lack of poll workers and concerns that in-person turnout would be lower than expected. Milwaukee, which usually has 181 polling sites, had just five in operation on April 7.
Green Bay had just two polling sites open, down from around 30. “We ended up with lines lasting over four hours. People who couldn’t wait that long left and didn’t get a chance to vote,” said Bill Galvin, an alderperson on the Green Bay Common Council.
Elsewhere, the lines were shorter and there was less crowding. The city of Kenosha closed half of its 21 polling sites, said Bill Siel, a city official, and there were fewer issues with long lines at polling sites in the city.
But Siel and other officials said in-person voting should not have taken place at all during the pandemic, particularly because it happened during the state-wide stay-at-home order.
“We’re waiting to see if there will be a spike [in coronavirus cases] from all that contact” at polling sites, Siel said. “I definitely think there could have been a much better way to conduct this election.”
In the fight by Democrats to delay the primary, Republicans argued that expanding absentee voting was impractical and could lead to voter fraud. Democrats claimed Republicans wanted the election to proceed as planned because it would lead to lower turnout and help GOP candidates in state and local elections.
In the final week before the election, Republicans also appealed a lower court ruling extending the deadline for absentee voting. Hours before the election, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the extension, adding to the sense of uncertainty in the final hours before polls were set to open.
The state was hurt by the “chaos and pandemonium at the end, and different confusing court orders that came out,” said Mark Graul, a Republican strategist in Wisconsin. The final turnout was all the more impressive given the challenges surrounding the election, he added.
“The fact that we were able to pull this election off under these circumstances, with this turnout, was remarkable,” Graul said.
Others said Wisconsin was a cautionary tale for states that haven’t held elections yet this year. Several states moved their primaries to June in response to the public health crisis.
“States that have not had their primary elections yet need to take a good hard look at everything that went right and wrong in Wisconsin and make some real tough decisions,” said Galvin.
Charles Franklin, the director of the Marquette Law School Poll, said the results in Wisconsin proved voter enthusiasm remains high despite the pandemic. “We saw the potential here for absentee voting substantially driven by the voters themselves,” Franklin said.


pbs--2020-04-14--Trump to halt WHO payments to review past virus warnings on China

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says he has directed a halt to U.S. payments to the World Health Organization pending @ @ @ @ @ about the coronavirus and China .
Trump says the outbreak could have been contained at @ @ @ @ @ had the U.N. health agency done a better job investigating reports coming out of China @ @ @ @ @ world depends on the World Health Organization to work with countries to make sure accurate @ @ @ @ @ shared in a timely manner .
Trump claims the organization failed to carry out its @ @ @ @ @ must be held accountable .
But Trump says the U.S. will continue to engage with @ @ @ @ @ what he calls meaningful reforms .
This story is developing and will be updated .

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says he has directed a halt to U.S. payments to the World Health Organization pending a review of its warnings about the coronavirus and China.
Trump says the outbreak could have been contained at its source and spared lives had the U.N. health agency done a better job investigating reports coming out of China.
The president says the world depends on the World Health Organization to work with countries to make sure accurate information about health threats are shared in a timely manner.
Trump claims the organization failed to carry out its “basic duty” and must be held accountable.
But Trump says the U.S. will continue to engage with the organization in pursuit of what he calls meaningful reforms.
This story is developing and will be updated.


pbs--2020-04-14--Democratic bills call for racial breakdown of COVID-19 cases

NEW YORK ( AP ) — Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday introduced legislation to compel federal health officials to post data daily that breaks down COVID-19 cases and deaths by race and ethnicity .
The lawmakers say the demographic data is needed to address any disparities in the national response to the coronavirus outbreak , which is taking a disproportionate toll on African Americans and other nonwhite populations .
“ Because of government-sponsored discrimination and systemic racism , communities of color are on the frontlines of this pandemic , ” Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren , one of several sponsors of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement .
“ To effectively slow the spread of the virus and ensure our response is robust and equitable , we need comprehensive national data on who is getting infected , who is getting treatment , and who is dying.
” READ MORE : Health care workers are 10 % -20 % of U.S. coronavirus cases The latest Associated Press analysis of available state and local data shows that more than 30 % of those who have died from COVID-19 are African American , although blacks make up roughly 13 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the analysis .
The Democratic lawmakers sent a letter March 28 to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar urging federal release of the demographic data .
The data has not been released .
If passed , the legislation introduced in the House and Senate on Tuesday would require HHS to collect data on race , ethnicity , sex , age and socioeconomic status , among other demographic information on those tested and treated for COVID-19 .
The information would be posted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ethnicity data pertaining only to March hospitalizations in 14 states , which showed black Americans as roughly one-third of those patients .
The legislation also requires HHS to provide a summary of final COVID-19 statistics in a report to Congress , no more than 60 days after the public health emergency has ended .
“ History has shown us that in the face of any public health crisis , communities of color disproportionately suffer , ” said Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley , who is black and among dozens of lawmakers spearheading the legislation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less likely to have access to quality and affordable health care and more likely to live with underlying conditions .
The stark racial disparities in COVID-19 cases and deaths are a disturbing reminder of that reality.
” The legislation has more than 80 Democratic sponsors , including those who represent New York City , the epicenter of the U.S. virus outbreak .
READ MORE : Navy removes 126 personnel from hospital ship after virus infects 7 “ Now is the time for our nation ’ s leaders to use race-based data to finally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Rep. Karen Bass , the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus , said in a statement .
The AP analysis , based on data through Monday , found that of the 11,400 COVID-19 victims whose demographic data was publicly shared by officials , more than 30 % were black .
African Americans account for 13.3 % of the 246 million people who live in the areas covered by the analysis , which encompasses data from 20 states and the cities of Houston , Memphis , Philadelphia and Washington , D.C .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the nation as of Tuesday afternoon .
The cities were included separately because they are in states that lack comprehensive statewide demographic COVID-19 death data .
The AP ’ s analysis was one of the first attempts to examine the racial disparities of COVID-19 cases and deaths nationwide .
Associated Press writer Kat Stafford and Data Editor Meghan Hoyer contributed to this report .

NEW YORK (AP) — Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday introduced legislation to compel federal health officials to post data daily that breaks down COVID-19 cases and deaths by race and ethnicity.
The lawmakers say the demographic data is needed to address any disparities in the national response to the coronavirus outbreak, which is taking a disproportionate toll on African Americans and other nonwhite populations.
“Because of government-sponsored discrimination and systemic racism, communities of color are on the frontlines of this pandemic,” Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, one of several sponsors of the legislation in the Senate, said in a statement. “To effectively slow the spread of the virus and ensure our response is robust and equitable, we need comprehensive national data on who is getting infected, who is getting treatment, and who is dying.”
READ MORE: Health care workers are 10%-20% of U.S. coronavirus cases
The latest Associated Press analysis of available state and local data shows that more than 30% of those who have died from COVID-19 are African American, although blacks make up roughly 13% of the population in the areas covered in the analysis.
The Democratic lawmakers sent a letter March 28 to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar urging federal release of the demographic data. The data has not been released.
If passed, the legislation introduced in the House and Senate on Tuesday would require HHS to collect data on race, ethnicity, sex, age and socioeconomic status, among other demographic information on those tested and treated for COVID-19. The information would be posted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
The CDC so far has released racial and ethnicity data pertaining only to March hospitalizations in 14 states, which showed black Americans as roughly one-third of those patients.
The legislation also requires HHS to provide a summary of final COVID-19 statistics in a report to Congress, no more than 60 days after the public health emergency has ended.
“History has shown us that in the face of any public health crisis, communities of color disproportionately suffer,” said Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley, who is black and among dozens of lawmakers spearheading the legislation in the House. “We are less likely to have access to quality and affordable health care and more likely to live with underlying conditions. The stark racial disparities in COVID-19 cases and deaths are a disturbing reminder of that reality.”
The legislation has more than 80 Democratic sponsors, including those who represent New York City, the epicenter of the U.S. virus outbreak.
READ MORE: Navy removes 126 personnel from hospital ship after virus infects 7
“Now is the time for our nation’s leaders to use race-based data to finally address these disparities and save black lives,” Rep. Karen Bass, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said in a statement.
The AP analysis, based on data through Monday, found that of the 11,400 COVID-19 victims whose demographic data was publicly shared by officials, more than 30% were black. African Americans account for 13.3% of the 246 million people who live in the areas covered by the analysis, which encompasses data from 20 states and the cities of Houston, Memphis, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. There have been more than 247,000 deaths in the nation as of Tuesday afternoon.
The cities were included separately because they are in states that lack comprehensive statewide demographic COVID-19 death data. The AP’s analysis was one of the first attempts to examine the racial disparities of COVID-19 cases and deaths nationwide.
Associated Press writer Kat Stafford and Data Editor Meghan Hoyer contributed to this report.


pbs--2020-04-14--WATCH: Trump announces he'll direct WHO funding to be frozen during coronavirus briefing

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Invoking the movie “ Mutiny on the Bounty , ” President Donald Trump suggested Tuesday that objections by governors to his claim of absolute authority over when to lift guidelines aimed at fighting the coronavirus were tantamount to insurrection .
Democratic and Republican governors sounded the alarm after Trump asserted that he and he alone will determine when and how to reopen the economy , despite clear constitutional limitations on federal powers .
Watch the briefing in the player above .
Trump , for his part , indicated he was relishing the fight with state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run by Democrats — who have voiced fears that the president ’ s ambitious timetable could lead to a resurgence of a virus that is still killing more than 1,000 Americans a day .
“ A good old fashioned mutiny every now and then is an exciting and invigorating thing to watch , especially when the mutineers need so much from the Captain , ” Trump tweeted Tuesday , adding , “ Too easy !
” Anxious to put the crisis behind him and to deflect criticism of his handling of the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roll back federal social distancing recommendations that expire at the end of the month .
He is set to launch a new advisory council that will hash out plans to reopen the American economy , which has dramatically contracted as businesses have shuttered , leaving millions of people out of work .
But after weeks of saying he would leave major decisions in the hands of states , Trump abruptly reversed course on Monday , claiming that his power , despite clear constitutional limitations , was absolute .
“ When somebody is president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is total , ” Trump said at the White House .
“ The governors know that.
” He declined to offer specifics about the source of his asserted power , claiming he would provide a legal briefing at a later date .
But governors in both parties made clear they saw things differently , and said they would decide when it ’ s safe to begin a return to normal operations , just as they were the ones who closed things down .
“ The president ’ s position is just absurd , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andrew Cuomo in an appearance Tuesday on “ CBS This Morning.
” “ It ’ s not the law .
It ’ s not the Constitution .
We don ’ t have a king .
We have a president.
” New Hampshire Republican Gov .
Chris Sununu told CNN , “ All of these executive orders are state executive orders and so therefore it would be up to the state and the governor to undo a lot of that.
” Arkansas Gov .
Asa Hutchinson , also a Republican , said he , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the states .
“ I welcome national guidance and assistance , ” he said .
“ But we will do what is needed in the best interest of Arkansans and I think that ’ s what the people expect.
” READ MORE : Trump to halt WHO payments to review past virus warnings on China Trump on Tuesday also directed his administration to freeze funding to the World Health Organization , pending a review of its warnings about the coronavirus and China , claiming the international body didn ’ t deliver adequate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. valuable response time .
“ The WHO failed in this basic duty and must be held accountable , ” Trump said .
Meanwhile , presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden tweeted that he ’ s “ not running for office to be King of America ” and respects “ the great job so many of this country ’ s governors — Democratic and Republican — are doing under these horrific circumstances.
” While Trump has issued national recommendations advising people to stay home , it has been governors and local leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shuttering schools and closing nonessential businesses .
Some of those orders carry fines or other penalties .
Cuomo said that , if Trump ordered him to reopen New York ’ s economy before he thought it was ready , he would refuse , setting up a “ constitutional challenge between the state and the federal government.
” “ That would go into the courts and that would be the worst possible thing he could do at this moment , ” Cuomo said on CNN ’ s “ New Day.
” At a later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between states and the White House was a distraction from more important things “ This is no time for any division between the federal and state governments , ” he said .
Trump , who has long tried to pass blame to governors , slapped back , accusing Cuomo of “ calling daily , even hourly , begging for ” lifesaving supplies .
“ I got it all done for him , and everyone else , and now he seems to want Independence !
” he tweeted .
“ That won ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his approach later Tuesday as he met with people who have recovered from COVID-19 , including former pro football player Mark Campbell and Karen Whitsett , a member of the Michigan House .
“ I ’ m going to be making a decision pretty quickly , ” he said , “ and it ’ s being done in conjunction with governors .
We have tremendous support from governors and what I do is going to be done in conjunction with governors .
”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Invoking the movie “Mutiny on the Bounty,” President Donald Trump suggested Tuesday that objections by governors to his claim of absolute authority over when to lift guidelines aimed at fighting the coronavirus were tantamount to insurrection.
Democratic and Republican governors sounded the alarm after Trump asserted that he and he alone will determine when and how to reopen the economy, despite clear constitutional limitations on federal powers.
Watch the briefing in the player above.
Trump, for his part, indicated he was relishing the fight with state officials — particularly those in hard-hit states run by Democrats — who have voiced fears that the president’s ambitious timetable could lead to a resurgence of a virus that is still killing more than 1,000 Americans a day.
“A good old fashioned mutiny every now and then is an exciting and invigorating thing to watch, especially when the mutineers need so much from the Captain,” Trump tweeted Tuesday, adding, “Too easy!”
Anxious to put the crisis behind him and to deflect criticism of his handling of the pandemic, Trump has been discussing how to roll back federal social distancing recommendations that expire at the end of the month. He is set to launch a new advisory council that will hash out plans to reopen the American economy, which has dramatically contracted as businesses have shuttered, leaving millions of people out of work.
But after weeks of saying he would leave major decisions in the hands of states, Trump abruptly reversed course on Monday, claiming that his power, despite clear constitutional limitations, was absolute.
“When somebody is president of the United States, the authority is total,” Trump said at the White House. “The governors know that.” He declined to offer specifics about the source of his asserted power, claiming he would provide a legal briefing at a later date.
But governors in both parties made clear they saw things differently, and said they would decide when it’s safe to begin a return to normal operations, just as they were the ones who closed things down.
“The president’s position is just absurd,” said New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo in an appearance Tuesday on “CBS This Morning.” “It’s not the law. It’s not the Constitution. We don’t have a king. We have a president.”
New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu told CNN, “All of these executive orders are state executive orders and so therefore it would be up to the state and the governor to undo a lot of that.”
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, also a Republican, said he, too, expected the call to remain with the states.
“I welcome national guidance and assistance,” he said. “But we will do what is needed in the best interest of Arkansans and I think that’s what the people expect.”
READ MORE: Trump to halt WHO payments to review past virus warnings on China
Trump on Tuesday also directed his administration to freeze funding to the World Health Organization, pending a review of its warnings about the coronavirus and China, claiming the international body didn’t deliver adequate early reports on the virus and cost the U.S. valuable response time.
“The WHO failed in this basic duty and must be held accountable,” Trump said.
Meanwhile, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden tweeted that he’s “not running for office to be King of America” and respects “the great job so many of this country’s governors — Democratic and Republican — are doing under these horrific circumstances.”
While Trump has issued national recommendations advising people to stay home, it has been governors and local leaders who have instituted mandatory restrictions, including shuttering schools and closing nonessential businesses. Some of those orders carry fines or other penalties.
Cuomo said that, if Trump ordered him to reopen New York’s economy before he thought it was ready, he would refuse, setting up a “constitutional challenge between the state and the federal government.”
“That would go into the courts and that would be the worst possible thing he could do at this moment,” Cuomo said on CNN’s “New Day.”
At a later briefing, Cuomo stressed that any tug-of-war between states and the White House was a distraction from more important things
“This is no time for any division between the federal and state governments,” he said.
Trump, who has long tried to pass blame to governors, slapped back, accusing Cuomo of “calling daily, even hourly, begging for” lifesaving supplies. “I got it all done for him, and everyone else, and now he seems to want Independence!” he tweeted. “That won’t happen!”
Trump appeared to soften his approach later Tuesday as he met with people who have recovered from COVID-19, including former pro football player Mark Campbell and Karen Whitsett, a member of the Michigan House.
“I’m going to be making a decision pretty quickly,” he said, “and it’s being done in conjunction with governors. We have tremendous support from governors and what I do is going to be done in conjunction with governors.”


pbs--2020-04-16--Trump says new guidelines aim to lift some restrictions

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — President Donald Trump said he ’ s prepared to announce new guidelines allowing some states to quickly ease up on social distancing even as business leaders told him they need more coronavirus testing and personal protective equipment before people can safely go back to work .
The industry executives cautioned Trump that the return to normalcy will be anything but swift .
The new guidelines , expected to be announced Thursday , are aimed at clearing the way for an easing of restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus , while keeping them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ultimate decisions will remain with governors .
“ We ’ ll be opening some states much sooner than others , ” Trump said Wednesday .
WATCH : Trump says data ‘ encouraging ’ for releasing guidelines on reopening the country But in a round of calls with business leaders earlier in the day , Trump was warned that a dramatic increasing in testing and wider availability of protective equipment will be necessary for the safe restoration of their operations .
The new guidelines come as the federal government envisions a gradual recovery from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures may be needed in some places at least until a vaccine is available — a milestone unlikely to be reached until next year .
Trump said at his daily briefing that data indicates the U.S. is “ past the peak ” of the COVID-19 epidemic , clearing the way for his plans to roll out guidelines to begin to “ reopen ” the country .
He called the latest data “ encouraging , ” saying the numbers have “ put us in a very strong position to finalize guidelines for states on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the White House coronavirus task force coordinator , added that data from across the country showed the nation “ improving ” but that Americans had to recommit to social distancing to keep up the positive momentum .
She said nine states have fewer than 1,000 cases and just a few dozen new cases per day .
She said those would likely be the first to see a lifting in social distancing restrictions at the direction of their governors under the guidelines set to be released Thursday .
Birx said the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noting it is now seeing a surge in cases from the Boston metro area after seeing a spike several weeks ago from cases from New York .
Trump consulted dozens of high-profile CEOs , union officials and other executives via conference calls Wednesday .
He received a mixed message from the industry leaders .
They , too , said they want to get the economy going but had worries about how to safely do so .
In a tweet midway through Trump ’ s round of conference calls with the executives , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on getting America back to work , and soon.
” But participants in a morning call that included dozens of leading American companies raised concerns about the testing issue , according to one participant who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private discussion .
Another person who participated in Wednesday ’ s calls said it was stressed to Trump that expansion of testing and contact tracing was crucial , as well as guidelines for best practices on reopening businesses in phases or in one fell swoop .
The participant said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration that there was about to be a massive rush on personal protective equipment .
Many businesses that are now shuttered will need the protective equipment to keep their employees and customers safe .
Trump was told “ the economy will look very different and operations will look very different , ” one participant said .
Mark Cuban , the billionaire entrepreneur and owner of the Dallas Mavericks , was among several representatives from major sports leagues to speak with Trump .
During a Fox News Channel interview ahead of the calls , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the “ best of the best ” to help shape his approach on reopening the economy .
Still , Cuban did not embrace Trump ’ s push to reopen parts of the economy May 1 .
“ This is such a moving target that I think the biggest mistake we can make is rush to a decision , ” said Cuban , who previously had been critical of Trump ’ s response to the pandemic .
“ But I ’ m going to help him in every way I can , whatever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ panel , which Trump dubbed the new Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups , also could help give Trump a measure of cover .
If cases surge once restrictions are lifted , as many experts have warned , Trump will be able to tell the public he didn ’ t act alone and the nation ’ s top minds — from manufacturing to defense to technology — helped shape the plan .
Rich Nolan , president and CEO of the National Mining Association , who participated in one of the calls with Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tax relief as well as “ making sure that people are optimistic about the economy and they feel safe coming back to work.
” “ I think you ’ ll see steps to reopen the country at different rates in different states in the not too distant future , ” Nolan said .
The launch of the council was not without hiccups .
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka didn ’ t know until he heard his name announced in the Rose Garden on Tuesday that he would be part of the advisory group , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the union .
“ We were not asked , ” Bobb said in an email .
It was “ just announced.
” Maryland Gov .
Larry Hogan said Trump has appointed some “ smart people ” to his task force who could offer state leaders helpful guidelines as they negotiate the way forward .
“ There are certain roles that only the federal government can play and should play , but I think the governors are going to make their own decisions within those recommended guidelines , ” Hogan said .
Associated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brian Witte in Annapolis , Maryland , and Cathy Bussewitz in New York contributed reporting .
Madhani reported from Chicago .

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said he’s prepared to announce new guidelines allowing some states to quickly ease up on social distancing even as business leaders told him they need more coronavirus testing and personal protective equipment before people can safely go back to work.
The industry executives cautioned Trump that the return to normalcy will be anything but swift.
The new guidelines, expected to be announced Thursday, are aimed at clearing the way for an easing of restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while keeping them in place in harder-hit places. The ultimate decisions will remain with governors.
“We’ll be opening some states much sooner than others,” Trump said Wednesday.
WATCH: Trump says data ‘encouraging’ for releasing guidelines on reopening the country
But in a round of calls with business leaders earlier in the day, Trump was warned that a dramatic increasing in testing and wider availability of protective equipment will be necessary for the safe restoration of their operations.
The new guidelines come as the federal government envisions a gradual recovery from the virus, in which disruptive mitigation measures may be needed in some places at least until a vaccine is available — a milestone unlikely to be reached until next year.
Trump said at his daily briefing that data indicates the U.S. is “past the peak” of the COVID-19 epidemic, clearing the way for his plans to roll out guidelines to begin to “reopen” the country.
He called the latest data “encouraging,” saying the numbers have “put us in a very strong position to finalize guidelines for states on reopening the country.”
Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator, added that data from across the country showed the nation “improving” but that Americans had to recommit to social distancing to keep up the positive momentum.
She said nine states have fewer than 1,000 cases and just a few dozen new cases per day. She said those would likely be the first to see a lifting in social distancing restrictions at the direction of their governors under the guidelines set to be released Thursday.
Birx said the White House was particularly concerned about Rhode Island, noting it is now seeing a surge in cases from the Boston metro area after seeing a spike several weeks ago from cases from New York.
Trump consulted dozens of high-profile CEOs, union officials and other executives via conference calls Wednesday.
He received a mixed message from the industry leaders. They, too, said they want to get the economy going but had worries about how to safely do so.
In a tweet midway through Trump’s round of conference calls with the executives, the president said the participants were “all-in on getting America back to work, and soon.”
But participants in a morning call that included dozens of leading American companies raised concerns about the testing issue, according to one participant who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private discussion.
Another person who participated in Wednesday’s calls said it was stressed to Trump that expansion of testing and contact tracing was crucial, as well as guidelines for best practices on reopening businesses in phases or in one fell swoop.
The participant said those on the call noted to the administration that there was about to be a massive rush on personal protective equipment. Many businesses that are now shuttered will need the protective equipment to keep their employees and customers safe.
Trump was told “the economy will look very different and operations will look very different,” one participant said.
Mark Cuban, the billionaire entrepreneur and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, was among several representatives from major sports leagues to speak with Trump. During a Fox News Channel interview ahead of the calls, he credited the president with gathering some of the “best of the best” to help shape his approach on reopening the economy.
Still, Cuban did not embrace Trump’s push to reopen parts of the economy May 1.
“This is such a moving target that I think the biggest mistake we can make is rush to a decision,” said Cuban, who previously had been critical of Trump’s response to the pandemic. “But I’m going to help him in every way I can, whatever he needs me to do.”
The panel, which Trump dubbed the new Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups, also could help give Trump a measure of cover. If cases surge once restrictions are lifted, as many experts have warned, Trump will be able to tell the public he didn’t act alone and the nation’s top minds — from manufacturing to defense to technology — helped shape the plan.
Rich Nolan, president and CEO of the National Mining Association, who participated in one of the calls with Trump, said there was also discussion about tax relief as well as “making sure that people are optimistic about the economy and they feel safe coming back to work.”
“I think you’ll see steps to reopen the country at different rates in different states in the not too distant future,” Nolan said.
The launch of the council was not without hiccups.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka didn’t know until he heard his name announced in the Rose Garden on Tuesday that he would be part of the advisory group, according to Carolyn Bobb, a spokeswoman for the union.
“We were not asked,” Bobb said in an email. It was “just announced.”
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Trump has appointed some “smart people” to his task force who could offer state leaders helpful guidelines as they negotiate the way forward.
“There are certain roles that only the federal government can play and should play, but I think the governors are going to make their own decisions within those recommended guidelines,” Hogan said.
Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in Washington, Brian Witte in Annapolis, Maryland, and Cathy Bussewitz in New York contributed reporting. Madhani reported from Chicago.


pbs--2020-04-15--Trump says he's confident U.S. is past the peak of COVID-19

Well , the president announced a very long list of people that are going to be part of this White House task force to looking at reopening the government .
And he said that those leaders are going to be helping him think about which parts of the economy can be reopened and how to do that .
Now , today , we heard that , on a call with business leaders , those business leaders were telling the president that much more testing needs to be done in order to open large parts of the government .
We 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did n't know that their names would be on the list of people to be part of this task force until after the White House announced their names .
So there are some people that are saying this is a chaotic task force and that this is being rolled out too swiftly .
But the president is still adamant that he understands the way that this should work and the way it 's going to work .
So tomorrow is going to be a big day .
Another thing that I want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hard turn here , Judy , but the president was also railing against the idea that he 's trying to push for some confirmations through the Senate , and that they 're not being confirmed because Congress and the Senate in particular are out on recess .
So , the president is also saying that he might push to adjourn Congress in order to get those nominations done .
From what we can tell here at the `` NewsHour , '' he ca n't actually do that .
There was a Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that that was n't possible .
The other thing is that he said that he had confirmed some 448 judicial nominees .
That 's not accurate .
The president has confirmed about 193 judges .
So , that 's about 200 less than what he was talking about today .
So , apart from the fact that we 're talking about this council , there was that — also that other piece of news .

Yamiche Alcindor:
Well, the president announced a very long list of people that are going to be part of this White House task force to looking at reopening the government.
And he said that those leaders are going to be helping him think about which parts of the economy can be reopened and how to do that.
Now, today, we heard that, on a call with business leaders, those business leaders were telling the president that much more testing needs to be done in order to open large parts of the government.
We're also hearing that there are executives who didn't know that their names would be on the list of people to be part of this task force until after the White House announced their names. So there are some people that are saying this is a chaotic task force and that this is being rolled out too swiftly.
But the president is still adamant that he understands the way that this should work and the way it's going to work. So tomorrow is going to be a big day.
Another thing that I want to say — it's a bit of a hard turn here, Judy, but the president was also railing against the idea that he's trying to push for some confirmations through the Senate, and that they're not being confirmed because Congress and the Senate in particular are out on recess.
So, the president is also saying that he might push to adjourn Congress in order to get those nominations done.
From what we can tell here at the "NewsHour," he can't actually do that. There was a Supreme Court ruling during the Obama administration that said that that wasn't possible.
The other thing is that he said that he had confirmed some 448 judicial nominees. That's not accurate. The president has confirmed about 193 judges. So, that's about 200 less than what he was talking about today.
So, apart from the fact that we're talking about this council, there was that — also that other piece of news.


pbs--2020-01-06--The latest timetable for Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate

Well , former National Security Adviser John Bolton saying he 's willing to testify if subpoenaed by the Senate is potentially a huge development .
But it 's potentially , because we 're not sure if we 're actually going to see John Bolton subpoenaed by the Senate .
Of course , this is a Senate that is controlled by the Republicans .
I talked to some Democratic aides today , who said this puts more pressure on Mitch McConnell to come forward because John Bolton had a front seat to many of the actions and meetings that led up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But there are Republicans also who say they would be interested in seeing John Bolton testify , Senator Mitt Romney being one of them .
But he stopped short , as many senators have , of saying that he would vote to subpoena John Bolton .
That said , I want to remind people what John Bolton might be able to say if he was subpoenaed and testified before the Senate .
So here 's some of the things .
First , he objected very strongly to Ukraine being pushed to investigate Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to alert White House lawyers to say , hey , Gordon Sondland , the European ambassador , and Mick Mulvaney , the acting chief of staff , they 're trying to get this done .
And he said , no , that we should n't be doing that .
He also called to push Ukraine to do these investigations a — quote — `` drug deal '' and called Rudy Giuliani , the president 's personal attorney , a hand grenade that would get everyone blown up .
The other thing , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ August to try to urge the president personally to withhold — to let go of this aid and give it to Ukraine .
So far — at that moment , he was unsuccessful in convincing President Trump to do that .
But that 's just three things that John Bolton can be talking about , including much , much more .

Yamiche Alcindor:
Well, former National Security Adviser John Bolton saying he's willing to testify if subpoenaed by the Senate is potentially a huge development.
But it's potentially, because we're not sure if we're actually going to see John Bolton subpoenaed by the Senate. Of course, this is a Senate that is controlled by the Republicans.
I talked to some Democratic aides today, who said this puts more pressure on Mitch McConnell to come forward because John Bolton had a front seat to many of the actions and meetings that led up to the impeachment of President Trump.
But there are Republicans also who say they would be interested in seeing John Bolton testify, Senator Mitt Romney being one of them. But he stopped short, as many senators have, of saying that he would vote to subpoena John Bolton.
That said, I want to remind people what John Bolton might be able to say if he was subpoenaed and testified before the Senate. So here's some of the things.
First, he objected very strongly to Ukraine being pushed to investigate Democrats. And he actually told an aide to alert White House lawyers to say, hey, Gordon Sondland, the European ambassador, and Mick Mulvaney, the acting chief of staff, they're trying to get this done. And he said, no, that we shouldn't be doing that.
He also called to push Ukraine to do these investigations a — quote — "drug deal" and called Rudy Giuliani, the president's personal attorney, a hand grenade that would get everyone blown up.
The other thing, he met personally with President Trump sometime in August to try to urge the president personally to withhold — to let go of this aid and give it to Ukraine.
So far — at that moment, he was unsuccessful in convincing President Trump to do that. But that's just three things that John Bolton can be talking about, including much, much more.


pbs--2020-01-06--With Soleimani's death, foreign policy enters 2020 primary spotlight

They are some of the gravest questions candidates have to confront , questions about the use of military force and @ @ @ @ @ deploy if they become president .
This weekend , the Democrats hoping to unseat the @ @ @ @ @ been weighing in on his pivotal decision to strike out at a top Iranian commander @

Judy Woodruff:
They are some of the gravest questions candidates have to confront, questions about the use of military force and how and when they would deploy if they become president.
This weekend, the Democrats hoping to unseat the current commander in chief have been weighing in on his pivotal decision to strike out at a top Iranian commander.
Amna Nawaz begins there.


pbs--2020-01-06--Georgia's new GOP senator sworn into office amid impeachment

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Wealthy Republican businesswoman Kelly Loeffler was sworn in Monday as the newest senator from Georgia , a political newcomer who takes office amid a presidential impeachment , swirling tensions with Iran and at the dawn of what looms as a bruising national election .
Georgia GOP Gov .
Brian Kemp appointed Loeffler to the vacant seat despite a preference by President Donald Trump and his conservative allies for Rep. Doug Collins , a Trump loyalist and top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee .
Kemp ’ s choice of Loeffler was seen as a bid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of whom have reacted to Trump ’ s harsh rhetoric and hard-right policies by moving away from the GOP .
Loeffler was sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence .
She replaces three-term GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson , 75 , who stepped down in December because of health issues .
Trump backers criticized Loeffler , 49 , as too moderate and inexperienced when her appointment was announced in December .
She has spent the past several weeks traveling Georgia and trying to win over conservatives with a “ pro-Second Amendment , pro-Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She ’ s already said she plans to vote against removing Trump from office .
“ I don ’ t think there was due process followed in the House proceeding , ” she said , providing no detail but echoing complaints by other Republicans .
The Democratic-controlled House impeached Trump last month after he blocked White House officials from testifying or providing documents about allegations that he pressured Ukraine ’ s leader to provide dirt on Trump ’ s potential Democratic rival , Joe Biden .
Loeffler has won praise from Senate Majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called her “ a terrific appointment ” and said the Senate GOP campaign committee will support her .
She becomes the ninth Republican woman currently serving in the Senate , compared to 17 Democratic women .
She previously served as an executive at Intercontinental Exchange , a behemoth founded by her husband that owns the New York Stock Exchange .
When Kemp selected her , Loeffler was CEO of Bakkt , a financial services firm .
She ’ s also an owner of the Atlanta Dream , a franchise in the Women ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to defend the seat in a special election in November , which under Georgia law will in effect be an open primary with candidates — perhaps multiple ones — from all parties .
If one contender doesn ’ t win more than half the vote , the top two finishers will face a runoff on Jan. 5 , 2021 .
Çollins has declined to rule out challenging Loeffler for the seat in November .
“ We are looking at it , and we ’ ll be making a decision soon , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s “ Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo.
” Loeffler has pledged to spend $ 20 million of her own money , spokesman Ryan Mahoney has said , on what will be her first political campaign .
That ’ s left some Washington Republicans looking skeptically at a Collins run .
“ She ’ s a real conservative , a Trumper , and she ’ s putting $ 20 million behind it , ” said Scott Reed , chief political strategist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce .
“ That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic field against Loeffler , a GOP donor , remains unclear .
The most recognized potential challenger so far is Matt Lieberman , son of former Connecticut senator and vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman .
Also on Georgia ’ s ballot in November will be Republican Sen. David Perdue , who is seeking reelection .
Having both of Georgia ’ s GOP-controlled Senate seats up for grabs this year has raised the state ’ s profile as a political battleground where Republicans still dominate but Democrats are looking for an upset .

WASHINGTON (AP) — Wealthy Republican businesswoman Kelly Loeffler was sworn in Monday as the newest senator from Georgia, a political newcomer who takes office amid a presidential impeachment, swirling tensions with Iran and at the dawn of what looms as a bruising national election.
Georgia GOP Gov. Brian Kemp appointed Loeffler to the vacant seat despite a preference by President Donald Trump and his conservative allies for Rep. Doug Collins, a Trump loyalist and top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee. Kemp’s choice of Loeffler was seen as a bid to court suburban and female voters, many of whom have reacted to Trump’s harsh rhetoric and hard-right policies by moving away from the GOP.
Loeffler was sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence. She replaces three-term GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson, 75, who stepped down in December because of health issues.
Trump backers criticized Loeffler, 49, as too moderate and inexperienced when her appointment was announced in December. She has spent the past several weeks traveling Georgia and trying to win over conservatives with a “pro-Second Amendment, pro-Trump, pro-military and pro-wall” message.
She’s already said she plans to vote against removing Trump from office. “I don’t think there was due process followed in the House proceeding,” she said, providing no detail but echoing complaints by other Republicans. The Democratic-controlled House impeached Trump last month after he blocked White House officials from testifying or providing documents about allegations that he pressured Ukraine’s leader to provide dirt on Trump’s potential Democratic rival, Joe Biden.
Loeffler has won praise from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who called her “a terrific appointment” and said the Senate GOP campaign committee will support her. She becomes the ninth Republican woman currently serving in the Senate, compared to 17 Democratic women.
She previously served as an executive at Intercontinental Exchange, a behemoth founded by her husband that owns the New York Stock Exchange. When Kemp selected her, Loeffler was CEO of Bakkt, a financial services firm. She’s also an owner of the Atlanta Dream, a franchise in the Women’s National Basketball Association.
Loeffler will have to defend the seat in a special election in November, which under Georgia law will in effect be an open primary with candidates — perhaps multiple ones — from all parties. If one contender doesn’t win more than half the vote, the top two finishers will face a runoff on Jan. 5, 2021.
Çollins has declined to rule out challenging Loeffler for the seat in November. “We are looking at it, and we’ll be making a decision soon,” he said Sunday on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo.”
Loeffler has pledged to spend $20 million of her own money, spokesman Ryan Mahoney has said, on what will be her first political campaign. That’s left some Washington Republicans looking skeptically at a Collins run.
“She’s a real conservative, a Trumper, and she’s putting $20 million behind it,” said Scott Reed, chief political strategist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “That’s called peace through strength.”
The potential Democratic field against Loeffler, a GOP donor, remains unclear. The most recognized potential challenger so far is Matt Lieberman, son of former Connecticut senator and vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman.
Also on Georgia’s ballot in November will be Republican Sen. David Perdue, who is seeking reelection. Having both of Georgia’s GOP-controlled Senate seats up for grabs this year has raised the state’s profile as a political battleground where Republicans still dominate but Democrats are looking for an upset.
Nadler contributed from Atlanta, Georgia.


pbs--2020-01-06--Tamara Keith and Lisa Lerer on Soleimani killing, Iowa poll numbers

And that brings us to Politics Monday .
Here to analyze all this is Tamara Keith of NPR and co-host @ @ @ @ @ Podcast , '' and Lisa Lerer , a politics reporter for The New York Times @ @ @ @ @ you .
It is Politics Monday .
But let 's start with the story that @ @ @ @ @ headlines everywhere still .
It 's still very much our lead , Tam , and @ @ @ @ @ move to strike and kill a leading figure in Iran .
From a political standpoint @ @ @ @ @ the American people about the president 's foreign policy , his strategy ?
Because he @ @ @ @ @ , we need to get out of endless wars , even get out of the @ @ @ @ @ this move to escalate .
How is it being seen ?

Judy Woodruff:
And that brings us to Politics Monday.
Here to analyze all this is Tamara Keith of NPR and co-host of "The NPR Politics Podcast," and Lisa Lerer, a politics reporter for The New York Times.
Hello to both of you. It is Politics Monday.
But let's start with the story that, of course, is headlines everywhere still. It's still very much our lead, Tam, and that is the president's move to strike and kill a leading figure in Iran.
From a political standpoint, what does this tell the American people about the president's foreign policy, his strategy? Because he's someone who was saying, we need to get out of endless wars, even get out of the Middle East, and yet this move to escalate.
How is it being seen?


pbs--2020-01-06--Congress demands answers from Trump about Soleimani killing

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — President Donald Trump insists that Iranian cultural sites are fair game for the U.S. military , dismissing concerns within his own administration that doing so could constitute a war crime under international law .
He also warned Iraq that he would levy punishing sanctions if it expelled American troops in retaliation for a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad that killed a top Iranian official .
But Congress is pushing back , in what ’ s expected to be a pivotal week as lawmakers return from a holiday recess .
On Monday , two top Senate Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration ’ s reasoning for the strike on the Iranian official , Gen. Qassem Soleimani , saying there is “ no legitimate justification ” for keeping the information from the public .
And House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said late Sunday the House would introduce and vote this week on a war powers resolution to limit the president ’ s military actions regarding Iran .
In a letter to House Democrats , Pelosi called the airstrike “ provocative and disproportionate ” and said it had “ endangered our servicemembers , diplomats and others by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran.
” A similar resolution was introduced in the Senate .
Congress , which has the sole power to declare war , has complained that Trump did not provide advance notice of his airstrike on Soleimani in Baghdad .
Trump did meet the 48-hour deadline required by the War Powers Act to notify Congress after the deadly drone strike , though the document was classified and no public version was released .
The administration is expected to brief lawmakers on its actions this week .
In their letter to Trump , Senate Minority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate Foreign Relation Committee ’ s Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey said the White House ’ s classified notification sent to Congress late Saturday under the War Powers Act was insufficient and inappropriate .
“ It is critical that national security matters of such import be shared with the American people in a timely manner , they wrote .
“ An entirely classified notification is simply not appropriate in a democratic society.
” They asked that the notification be declassified “ in full.
” White House counselor Kellyanne Conway , speaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” dismissed the letter as a “ partisan action.
” Pelosi said the notification “ raises more questions than it answers .
This document prompts serious and urgent questions about the timing , manner and justification of the Administration ’ s decision to engage in hostilities against Iran.
” Iran has vowed to retaliate for Trump ’ s targeted killing of Soleimani , the head of Iran ’ s elite Quds force .
It has sparked outrage in the Middle East , including in Iraq , where more than 5,000 American troops are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. invasion .
Iraq ’ s parliament voted Sunday in favor of a nonbinding resolution calling for the expulsion of the American forces .
Trump first raised the prospect of targeting Iranian cultural sites Saturday in a tweet .
Speaking with reporters Sunday as he flew back to Washington from his holiday in Florida , he refused to back down , despite international prohibitions .
“ They ’ re allowed to kill our people .
They ’ re allowed to torture and maim our people .
They ’ re allowed to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And we ’ re not allowed to touch their cultural sites ?
It doesn ’ t work that way , ” Trump said .
On Iraq , Trump said the U.S. wouldn ’ t leave Iraq without being paid for its military investments there over the years — then said if the troops do have to withdraw , he would hit Baghdad with economic penalties .
“ We will charge them sanctions like they ’ ve never seen before ever .
It ’ ll make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s any hostility , that they do anything we think is inappropriate , we are going to put sanctions on Iraq , very big sanctions on Iraq.
” He added : “ We ’ re not leaving until they pay us back for it.
” The administration has scrambled to contend with the backlash to the killing of Soleimani , which marked a stark escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. military may well strike more Iranian leaders if the Islamic Republic retaliates .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s threat to attack Iranian cultural sites , a military action that likely would be illegal under the laws of armed conflict and the U.N. charter .
Pompeo defended the targeted killing of Soleimani , saying the administration would have been “ culpably negligent ” in its duty to protect the United States if it had not killed him .
He did not provide evidence for his previous claims that Soleimani was plotting imminent attacks on Americans .
Instead of arguing that an attack had been imminent , Pompeo said it was inevitable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cultural sites , rattled some administration officials .
One U.S. national security official said the president had caught many in the administration off guard and prompted internal calls for others in the government to clarify the matter .
The official , who was not authorized to speak publicly to the issue , said clarification was necessary to affirm that the U.S. military would not intentionally commit war crimes .
Oona Hathaway , an international law professor at Yale and a former national security law official in the Defense Department ’ s legal office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ a pretty clear promise of commission of a war crime.
” The president ’ s threats to Iran did little to quell Tehran ’ s furor over the death of Soleimani .
Iranian state television reported that the country would no longer abide by any limits of the 2015 nuclear deal it signed with the United States and other world powers .
Trump withdrew the U.S. from the deal in 2018 and stepped up economic sanctions on Tehran , actions that accelerated a cycle of hostilities leading to the last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worried that “ the actions the president took will get us into what he calls another endless war in the Middle East .
He promised we wouldn ’ t have that.
” Schumer said Trump lacks the authority to engage militarily with Iran and Congress needs a new war powers resolution “ to be a check on this president.
” To which Pompeo said : “ We have all the authority we need to do what we ’ ve done to date.
” Trump made clear Sunday that he saw little reason to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the military to carry out further actions against Iran .
“ These Media Posts will serve as notification to the United States Congress that should Iran strike any U.S. person or target , the United States will quickly & fully strike back , & perhaps in a disproportionate manner , ” he wrote on Twitter .
“ Such legal notice is not required , but is given nevertheless !
” In response , the House Foreign Affairs Committee tweeted : “ This Media Post will serve as a reminder that war powers reside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Constitution .
And that you should read the War Powers Act .
And that you ’ re not a dictator.
” Some Democrats running to challenge Trump in November questioned whether he had a long-term plan for the Mideast .
Former Vice President Joe Biden said Trump was ill-prepared for the repercussions of the strike on Soleimani and had alienated allies by not alerting them of the plans .
Pete Buttigieg , the former mayor of South Bend , Indiana , said , “ When you ’ re dealing with the Middle East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next and the next and the next move .
This is not checkers .
”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump insists that Iranian cultural sites are fair game for the U.S. military, dismissing concerns within his own administration that doing so could constitute a war crime under international law. He also warned Iraq that he would levy punishing sanctions if it expelled American troops in retaliation for a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad that killed a top Iranian official.
But Congress is pushing back, in what’s expected to be a pivotal week as lawmakers return from a holiday recess. On Monday, two top Senate Democrats called on Trump to immediately declassify the administration’s reasoning for the strike on the Iranian official, Gen. Qassem Soleimani, saying there is “no legitimate justification” for keeping the information from the public.
And House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said late Sunday the House would introduce and vote this week on a war powers resolution to limit the president’s military actions regarding Iran. In a letter to House Democrats, Pelosi called the airstrike “provocative and disproportionate” and said it had “endangered our servicemembers, diplomats and others by risking a serious escalation of tensions with Iran.” A similar resolution was introduced in the Senate.
Congress, which has the sole power to declare war, has complained that Trump did not provide advance notice of his airstrike on Soleimani in Baghdad. Trump did meet the 48-hour deadline required by the War Powers Act to notify Congress after the deadly drone strike, though the document was classified and no public version was released.
The administration is expected to brief lawmakers on its actions this week.
In their letter to Trump, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and the Senate Foreign Relation Committee’s Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey said the White House’s classified notification sent to Congress late Saturday under the War Powers Act was insufficient and inappropriate.
“It is critical that national security matters of such import be shared with the American people in a timely manner, they wrote. “An entirely classified notification is simply not appropriate in a democratic society.” They asked that the notification be declassified “in full.”
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, speaking Monday on “Fox & Friends,” dismissed the letter as a “partisan action.”
Pelosi said the notification “raises more questions than it answers. This document prompts serious and urgent questions about the timing, manner and justification of the Administration’s decision to engage in hostilities against Iran.”
Iran has vowed to retaliate for Trump’s targeted killing of Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds force. It has sparked outrage in the Middle East, including in Iraq, where more than 5,000 American troops are still on the ground 17 years after the U.S. invasion. Iraq’s parliament voted Sunday in favor of a nonbinding resolution calling for the expulsion of the American forces.
Trump first raised the prospect of targeting Iranian cultural sites Saturday in a tweet. Speaking with reporters Sunday as he flew back to Washington from his holiday in Florida, he refused to back down, despite international prohibitions.
“They’re allowed to kill our people. They’re allowed to torture and maim our people. They’re allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people. And we’re not allowed to touch their cultural sites? It doesn’t work that way,” Trump said.
On Iraq, Trump said the U.S. wouldn’t leave Iraq without being paid for its military investments there over the years — then said if the troops do have to withdraw, he would hit Baghdad with economic penalties.
“We will charge them sanctions like they’ve never seen before ever. It’ll make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame,” he said. “If there’s any hostility, that they do anything we think is inappropriate, we are going to put sanctions on Iraq, very big sanctions on Iraq.”
He added: “We’re not leaving until they pay us back for it.”
The administration has scrambled to contend with the backlash to the killing of Soleimani, which marked a stark escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. military may well strike more Iranian leaders if the Islamic Republic retaliates. He tip-toed around questions about Trump’s threat to attack Iranian cultural sites, a military action that likely would be illegal under the laws of armed conflict and the U.N. charter.
Pompeo defended the targeted killing of Soleimani, saying the administration would have been “culpably negligent” in its duty to protect the United States if it had not killed him.
He did not provide evidence for his previous claims that Soleimani was plotting imminent attacks on Americans. Instead of arguing that an attack had been imminent, Pompeo said it was inevitable.
Trump’s threat to attack cultural sites, rattled some administration officials. One U.S. national security official said the president had caught many in the administration off guard and prompted internal calls for others in the government to clarify the matter. The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly to the issue, said clarification was necessary to affirm that the U.S. military would not intentionally commit war crimes.
Oona Hathaway, an international law professor at Yale and a former national security law official in the Defense Department’s legal office, said Trump’s threat amounted to “a pretty clear promise of commission of a war crime.”
The president’s threats to Iran did little to quell Tehran’s furor over the death of Soleimani. Iranian state television reported that the country would no longer abide by any limits of the 2015 nuclear deal it signed with the United States and other world powers. Trump withdrew the U.S. from the deal in 2018 and stepped up economic sanctions on Tehran, actions that accelerated a cycle of hostilities leading to the last week’s killing.
Schumer said he worried that “the actions the president took will get us into what he calls another endless war in the Middle East. He promised we wouldn’t have that.”
Schumer said Trump lacks the authority to engage militarily with Iran and Congress needs a new war powers resolution “to be a check on this president.” To which Pompeo said: “We have all the authority we need to do what we’ve done to date.”
Trump made clear Sunday that he saw little reason to give Congress advanced warning if he orders the military to carry out further actions against Iran.
“These Media Posts will serve as notification to the United States Congress that should Iran strike any U.S. person or target, the United States will quickly & fully strike back, & perhaps in a disproportionate manner,” he wrote on Twitter. “Such legal notice is not required, but is given nevertheless!”
In response, the House Foreign Affairs Committee tweeted: “This Media Post will serve as a reminder that war powers reside in the Congress under the United States Constitution. And that you should read the War Powers Act. And that you’re not a dictator.”
Some Democrats running to challenge Trump in November questioned whether he had a long-term plan for the Mideast.
Former Vice President Joe Biden said Trump was ill-prepared for the repercussions of the strike on Soleimani and had alienated allies by not alerting them of the plans. Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, said, “When you’re dealing with the Middle East, you need to think about the next and the next and the next move. This is not checkers.”


pbs--2020-01-06--Julián Castro endorses Elizabeth Warren in presidential race

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Former Obama administration housing chief Julián Castro is endorsing Elizabeth Warren ’ s presidential bid , saying the Massachusetts senator is “ the most qualified , best-equipped candidate to win the nomination ” and defeat President Donald Trump .
In an online video posted Monday featuring the two former 2020 White House rivals , Castro tells Warren , “ No one is working harder than you.
” The pair had remained friendly during months of campaigning .
Castro , also the former mayor of San Antonio , dropped out of the presidential race last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic primary are less than a month away .
Warren ’ s campaign announced minutes after the endorsement that Castro will appear with Warren at a rally Tuesday evening in New York City .
READ MORE : Castro drops out of Democratic presidential race In a statement , Castro said the 3-minute endorsement video explains why “ Elizabeth and I share a vision of America where everyone counts .
An America where people — not the wealthy or well-connected — are put first.
” Warren has for months polled among the still-crowded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationally , along with former Vice President Joe Biden , Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg .
All four enjoyed strong fundraising through the end of 2019 , further evidence the primary could be a long , drawn-out battle .

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Obama administration housing chief Julián Castro is endorsing Elizabeth Warren’s presidential bid, saying the Massachusetts senator is “the most qualified, best-equipped candidate to win the nomination” and defeat President Donald Trump.
In an online video posted Monday featuring the two former 2020 White House rivals, Castro tells Warren, “No one is working harder than you.” The pair had remained friendly during months of campaigning.
Today I'm proud to endorse @ewarren for president. Elizabeth and I share a vision of America where everyone counts. An America where people—not the wealthy or well-connected—are put first. I'm proud to join her in the fight for big, structural change. pic.twitter.com/xDvMEKqpF3 — Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) January 6, 2020
Castro, also the former mayor of San Antonio, dropped out of the presidential race last week. The Iowa caucuses that kick off the Democratic primary are less than a month away.
Warren’s campaign announced minutes after the endorsement that Castro will appear with Warren at a rally Tuesday evening in New York City.
READ MORE: Castro drops out of Democratic presidential race
In a statement, Castro said the 3-minute endorsement video explains why “Elizabeth and I share a vision of America where everyone counts. An America where people — not the wealthy or well-connected — are put first.”
Warren has for months polled among the still-crowded primary’s front-runners in Iowa and nationally, along with former Vice President Joe Biden, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg. All four enjoyed strong fundraising through the end of 2019, further evidence the primary could be a long, drawn-out battle.


pbs--2020-01-05--AP Fact Check: Lest old distortions be forgot

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump closed out the old year by reprising a selection of his most familiar falsehoods and putting a few of his predecessor ’ s accomplishments in his own win column .
A look at some of his rhetoric on impeachment , the economy and more before developments in Iraq shattered the week ’ s holiday-flavored flow .
TRUMP : “ We had the best economic year , I think , in our country ’ s history.
” — remarks to reporters Tuesday .
WHITE HOUSE : “ President Trump ’ s pro-growth policies have led to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans of all backgrounds.
” — news release Tuesday promoting his first three years in office .
THE FACTS : These are exaggerated boasts .
The economy is not the best ever .
It has also failed to grow to the extent Trump promised .
While the United States has enjoyed more than a decade of expansion that has created positive momentum during the Trump era , growth has not eclipsed the 3 % repeatedly promised by the president and members of his administration .
The national economy is healthy , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump said he would produce .
In the late 1990s , growth topped 4 % for four straight years , a level it has not reached on an annual basis under Trump .
Growth reached 7.2 % in 1984 .
The economy grew 2.9 % in 2018 — the same pace it reached in 2015 under President Barack Obama — and hasn ’ t hit historically high growth rates .
Trump criticized Obama during the 2016 campaign for failing to deliver growth above 3 % , only to fall short himself , despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cuts would achieve lasting growth at roughly that level .
“ I think we could go to 4 , 5 , and maybe even 6 % , ultimately , ” Trump said at the end of 2017 .
“ We are back .
We are really going to start to rock.
” Annual growth instead averaged about 2.4 % for the first nine months of last year .
That ’ s down from 2.9 % in 2018 .
Many of the figures cited by the White House reflect the continuation of a recovery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead of Trump administration policies .
TRUMP : “ One of my greatest honors was to have gotten CHOICE approved for our great Veterans .
Others have tried for decades , and failed !
” — tweet Tuesday .
THE FACTS : This was one of Trump ’ s most frequent fabrications of 2019 .
It was Obama who won passage of the Veterans Choice program , which gives veterans the option to see private doctors outside the Department of Veterans Affairs ’ medical system at government expense .
Congress approved the program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into law .
Trump expanded it .
WHITE HOUSE : “ President Trump signed the Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act to ensure VA employees are held responsible for poor performance.
” — news release Tuesday promoting his first three years in office .
THE FACTS : That ’ s not a complete portrait of his record .
The new law has failed in its core mission of protecting whistleblowers who reported potential harm to veterans , according to a government watchdog .
A report released in October by the VA inspector @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under the 2017 law did not consistently conduct sound and unbiased investigations and may not have protected identities of whistleblowers reporting wrongdoing .
It said the office had “ significant deficiencies , ” such as poor leadership , shoddy training of investigators and a failure to push out underperforming senior leaders .
Just one senior manager out of the 8,000 employees fired by VA had been removed by an office created to help keep senior-level managers accountable , according to the findings by the inspector general , Michael Missal .
The VA acknowledged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was working to make changes .
TRUMP : “ … An investigation that was illegally started … The Witch Hunt is sputtering badly , but still going on ( Ukraine Hoax ! )
.
If this … had happened to a Presidential candidate , or President , who was a Democrat , everybody involved would long ago be in jail for treason ( and more ) , and it would be considered the CRIME OF THE CENTURY.
” — tweets Thursday .
THE FACTS : Trump , as is typical , is loose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in placing his predicament in the league of mass murders , terrorism and other grotesque events meriting consideration as crimes of a century .
Aside from that hyperventilation , though , what to make of his claim that he was investigated illegally ?
The Justice Department inspector general ’ s report that Trump and his allies cite in his defense found “ serious performance failures ” up the chain of command in the conduct of the bureau ’ s investigation into ties between Russia and the Trump campaign .
It harshly criticized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eavesdropping on a former campaign aide and cited a host of other problems , The bureau says it is taking dozens of steps to fix some of its most fundamental operations as a result .
Yet the report found the FBI was justified in opening its investigation and it did not find evidence that the bureau had acted with political bias , a conclusion at odds with Trump ’ s insistence that he ’ s the victim of a witch hunt .
Similarly , there is no illegal takeover afoot in the impeachment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laid out in the Constitution , which gives the House the sole power to impeach a president , which it did .
The Senate conducts the impeachment trial .
TRUMP , on the House ’ s vote last month to impeach him : “ What the Democrats did in the House was a disgrace .
What they did — how unfair it was .
We didn ’ t get lawyers .
We didn ’ t have witnesses.
” — remarks Tuesday to reporters .
THE FACTS : This is a distortion .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House Judiciary Committee that drafted the articles of impeachment invited Trump and his lawyers to take part and ask for witnesses .
The witnesses who did come forward were questioned by Republicans on the committee as well as by Democrats .
Earlier hearings by the House Intelligence Committee did not invite Trump or his team .
Those hearings were like the investigative phase of criminal cases , conducted without the participation of the person under investigation .
But lawmakers from both parties questioned the witnesses ; several were invited at the request of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about being shut out of that but when the subsequent Judiciary Committee hearings were opened to his team and him , he declined .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , has been holding up sending the articles of impeachment to the Republican-controlled Senate , which would hold a trial where Trump almost certainly will be acquitted .
She says she wants more clarity about what a trial will look like .
TRUMP , retweeting a “ Team Trump ” claim that his health care policy is working in part because “ pre-existing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ THE FACTS : Not really .
People with preexisting medical problems have health insurance protections because of Obama ’ s health care law , which Trump is trying to dismantle .
One of Trump ’ s major alternatives to Obama ’ s law — short-term health insurance — doesn ’ t have to cover preexisting conditions .
Meanwhile , his administration has been pressing in court for full repeal of the Obama-era law , including provisions that protect people with preexisting conditions from health insurance discrimination .
Republicans say they ’ d put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ haven ’ t spelled them out .
With “ Obamacare ” still in place , preexisting conditions continue to be covered by regular individual health insurance plans .
Insurers must take all applicants , regardless of medical history , and charge the same standard premiums to healthy people and those who had medical problems before or when they signed up .
Before the Affordable Care Act , any insurer could deny coverage — or charge more — to anyone with a preexisting condition who was seeking to buy an individual policy .

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump closed out the old year by reprising a selection of his most familiar falsehoods and putting a few of his predecessor’s accomplishments in his own win column.
A look at some of his rhetoric on impeachment, the economy and more before developments in Iraq shattered the week’s holiday-flavored flow.
ECONOMY
TRUMP: “We had the best economic year, I think, in our country’s history.” — remarks to reporters Tuesday.
WHITE HOUSE: “President Trump’s pro-growth policies have led to an economic boom that is lifting up Americans of all backgrounds.” — news release Tuesday promoting his first three years in office.
THE FACTS: These are exaggerated boasts. The economy is not the best ever. It has also failed to grow to the extent Trump promised.
While the United States has enjoyed more than a decade of expansion that has created positive momentum during the Trump era, growth has not eclipsed the 3% repeatedly promised by the president and members of his administration. The national economy is healthy, but it has not been as robust as what Trump said he would produce.
In the late 1990s, growth topped 4% for four straight years, a level it has not reached on an annual basis under Trump. Growth reached 7.2% in 1984. The economy grew 2.9% in 2018 — the same pace it reached in 2015 under President Barack Obama — and hasn’t hit historically high growth rates.
Trump criticized Obama during the 2016 campaign for failing to deliver growth above 3%, only to fall short himself, despite White House estimates that the 2017 tax cuts would achieve lasting growth at roughly that level.
“I think we could go to 4, 5, and maybe even 6%, ultimately,” Trump said at the end of 2017. “We are back. We are really going to start to rock.”
Annual growth instead averaged about 2.4% for the first nine months of last year. That’s down from 2.9% in 2018. Many of the figures cited by the White House reflect the continuation of a recovery that began before Trump became president, instead of Trump administration policies.
VETERANS
TRUMP: “One of my greatest honors was to have gotten CHOICE approved for our great Veterans. Others have tried for decades, and failed!” — tweet Tuesday.
THE FACTS: This was one of Trump’s most frequent fabrications of 2019.
It was Obama who won passage of the Veterans Choice program, which gives veterans the option to see private doctors outside the Department of Veterans Affairs’ medical system at government expense. Congress approved the program in 2014, and Obama signed it into law. Trump expanded it.
___
WHITE HOUSE: “President Trump signed the Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act to ensure VA employees are held responsible for poor performance.” — news release Tuesday promoting his first three years in office.
THE FACTS: That’s not a complete portrait of his record. The new law has failed in its core mission of protecting whistleblowers who reported potential harm to veterans, according to a government watchdog.
A report released in October by the VA inspector general found that the accountability office established under the 2017 law did not consistently conduct sound and unbiased investigations and may not have protected identities of whistleblowers reporting wrongdoing.
It said the office had “significant deficiencies,” such as poor leadership, shoddy training of investigators and a failure to push out underperforming senior leaders.
Just one senior manager out of the 8,000 employees fired by VA had been removed by an office created to help keep senior-level managers accountable, according to the findings by the inspector general, Michael Missal.
The VA acknowledged many of the findings and said it was working to make changes.
IMPEACHMENT
TRUMP: “… An investigation that was illegally started … The Witch Hunt is sputtering badly, but still going on (Ukraine Hoax!). If this … had happened to a Presidential candidate, or President, who was a Democrat, everybody involved would long ago be in jail for treason (and more), and it would be considered the CRIME OF THE CENTURY.” — tweets Thursday.
THE FACTS: Trump, as is typical, is loose in accusing his political rivals of treason and in placing his predicament in the league of mass murders, terrorism and other grotesque events meriting consideration as crimes of a century. Aside from that hyperventilation, though, what to make of his claim that he was investigated illegally?
The Justice Department inspector general’s report that Trump and his allies cite in his defense found “serious performance failures” up the chain of command in the conduct of the bureau’s investigation into ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. It harshly criticized the FBI for how it went about eavesdropping on a former campaign aide and cited a host of other problems, The bureau says it is taking dozens of steps to fix some of its most fundamental operations as a result.
Yet the report found the FBI was justified in opening its investigation and it did not find evidence that the bureau had acted with political bias, a conclusion at odds with Trump’s insistence that he’s the victim of a witch hunt.
Similarly, there is no illegal takeover afoot in the impeachment matter. Democrats are following a process laid out in the Constitution, which gives the House the sole power to impeach a president, which it did. The Senate conducts the impeachment trial.
TRUMP, on the House’s vote last month to impeach him: “What the Democrats did in the House was a disgrace. What they did — how unfair it was. We didn’t get lawyers. We didn’t have witnesses.” — remarks Tuesday to reporters.
THE FACTS: This is a distortion. In the House proceedings, Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee that drafted the articles of impeachment invited Trump and his lawyers to take part and ask for witnesses. The witnesses who did come forward were questioned by Republicans on the committee as well as by Democrats.
Earlier hearings by the House Intelligence Committee did not invite Trump or his team. Those hearings were like the investigative phase of criminal cases, conducted without the participation of the person under investigation. But lawmakers from both parties questioned the witnesses; several were invited at the request of Republicans on the committee. Trump complained about being shut out of that but when the subsequent Judiciary Committee hearings were opened to his team and him, he declined.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has been holding up sending the articles of impeachment to the Republican-controlled Senate, which would hold a trial where Trump almost certainly will be acquitted. She says she wants more clarity about what a trial will look like.
HEALTH CARE
TRUMP, retweeting a “Team Trump” claim that his health care policy is working in part because “pre-existing conditions covered.” — tweet Tuesday.
THE FACTS: Not really. People with preexisting medical problems have health insurance protections because of Obama’s health care law, which Trump is trying to dismantle.
One of Trump’s major alternatives to Obama’s law — short-term health insurance — doesn’t have to cover preexisting conditions. Meanwhile, his administration has been pressing in court for full repeal of the Obama-era law, including provisions that protect people with preexisting conditions from health insurance discrimination. Republicans say they’d put new protections in place, but they haven’t spelled them out.
With “Obamacare” still in place, preexisting conditions continue to be covered by regular individual health insurance plans.
Insurers must take all applicants, regardless of medical history, and charge the same standard premiums to healthy people and those who had medical problems before or when they signed up.
Before the Affordable Care Act, any insurer could deny coverage — or charge more — to anyone with a preexisting condition who was seeking to buy an individual policy.


pbs--2020-01-05--Protests across U.S. condemn action in Iran and Iraq

WASHINGTON — Demonstrators in dozens of cities around the U.S. gathered Saturday to protest the Trump administration ’ s killing of an Iranian general and decision to send thousands of additional soldiers to the Middle East .
More than 70 planned protests were organized by CODEPINK and Act Now to Stop War and End Racism , a U.S.-based anti-war coalition , along with other groups .
From Tampa to Philadelphia and San Francisco to New York , protesters carried signs and chanted anti-war slogans .
President Donald Trump ordered Friday ’ s airstrike near Baghdad ’ s international airport that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Iran ’ s elite Quds Force who has been blamed for attacks on U.S. troops and American allies going back decades .
Iran has vowed retribution , raising fears of an all-out war , but it ’ s unclear how or when a response might come .
Protest organizers said the Trump administration has essentially started a war with Iran by assassinating Soleimani .
In Miami , nearly 50 protesters gathered .
Drivers heard people shouting , “ No more drone murders , ” “ We want peace now ” and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran.
” A few hundred demonstrators gathered in Times Square on Saturday chanting “ No justice , no peace , U.S. out of the Middle East !
” “ The United States is trying to use Iraq as a proxy war , ” said Russell Branca , 72 , of Queens .
“ If the United States and Iran are going to fights it ’ s not going to be in the United States and it ’ s not going to be in Iran , it ’ ll be in other places .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ none of this is necessary.
” In Minneapolis , protesters gathered near the University of Minnesota holding signs and chanting .
Among them was Meredith Aby , a longtime leader of the local Anti-War Committee .
“ We need to be pulling out of Iraq , not sending thousands more troops .
We need to be trying to cool things down with Iran , not pouring gasoline on a fire , ” Aby , 47 , said .

WASHINGTON — Demonstrators in dozens of cities around the U.S. gathered Saturday to protest the Trump administration’s killing of an Iranian general and decision to send thousands of additional soldiers to the Middle East.
More than 70 planned protests were organized by CODEPINK and Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, a U.S.-based anti-war coalition, along with other groups.
From Tampa to Philadelphia and San Francisco to New York, protesters carried signs and chanted anti-war slogans.
President Donald Trump ordered Friday’s airstrike near Baghdad’s international airport that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force who has been blamed for attacks on U.S. troops and American allies going back decades. Iran has vowed retribution, raising fears of an all-out war, but it’s unclear how or when a response might come.
Protest organizers said the Trump administration has essentially started a war with Iran by assassinating Soleimani.
In Miami, nearly 50 protesters gathered. Drivers heard people shouting, “No more drone murders,” “We want peace now” and “What do we want? Peace in Iran.”
A few hundred demonstrators gathered in Times Square on Saturday chanting “No justice, no peace, U.S. out of the Middle East!”
“The United States is trying to use Iraq as a proxy war,” said Russell Branca, 72, of Queens. “If the United States and Iran are going to fights it’s not going to be in the United States and it’s not going to be in Iran, it’ll be in other places. And it’s just crazy because none of this is necessary.”
In Minneapolis, protesters gathered near the University of Minnesota holding signs and chanting. Among them was Meredith Aby, a longtime leader of the local Anti-War Committee.
“We need to be pulling out of Iraq, not sending thousands more troops. We need to be trying to cool things down with Iran, not pouring gasoline on a fire,” Aby, 47, said.