thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-20--Rally organizer: ‘Specific threats’ against pro-gun speakers in Virginia

The group organizing today ’ s gun rally in Richmond , Virginia , has issued a last-minute alert warning of threats against its speakers .
“ One of our members with access to police intelligence has advised us that specific threats have been uncovered to three of the speakers at the rally .
Yet , just a few days ago , when specifically asked about any such threats , the Capitol Police denied knowing of any and have not shared any such information to date , ” said the alert from the Virginia Citizens Defense League .
The VCDL also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the city , police may have underestimated the size of the pro-gun crowd headed to state capitol grounds to protest sweeping gun control legislation moving through the newly elected , Democratic-majority General Assembly .
“ VCDL is concerned that the police may not have fully considered the crowd size that is coming , even though we have indicated it could be as much as 120,000 .
Be prepared to move to an overflow area if directed to do so , ” said the alert .
There were no other details on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile , state officials have warned of the potential for violence from pro-gun and far-right groups , though there have been no further details released on that either .
Gun control advocates have said they 've received death threats .
The media and gun control activists have raised fears that the pro-gun crowd will be violent .
But the “ lobby day ” leaders have repeatedly vowed to make their case against gun control peacefully , as they have at dozens of meetings around the state to push county and city officials to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ VCDL has noted that it has been hosting “ lobby day ” on the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday peacefully since 2002 and has gone along with Gov .
Ralph Northam ’ s emergency decree banning guns from inside the caged-in rally area closest to the capitol .
But it has also asked armed members outside the gun-free zone to `` watch over us . ''
The city has taken several precautions to prevent any violence , clashes , or attacks .
The Federal Aviation Administration has also issued a ban on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has raised concerns of a repeat of the deadly clash in Charlottesville , Virginia , in August 2017 during a “ Unite the Right ” rally .
Crowd sizes for today ’ s rally have ranged from 50,000-130,000 , and buses of pro- and anti-gun protesters are arriving from as far away as Texas .

The group organizing today’s gun rally in Richmond, Virginia, has issued a last-minute alert warning of threats against its speakers.
“One of our members with access to police intelligence has advised us that specific threats have been uncovered to three of the speakers at the rally. Yet, just a few days ago, when specifically asked about any such threats, the Capitol Police denied knowing of any and have not shared any such information to date,” said the alert from the Virginia Citizens Defense League.
RIGHT NOW: State and #Richmond police prepare for thousands of people from across the country to flood the Capitol for a gun- rights rally. @WAVY_News pic.twitter.com/bkOFtxXCLR — Kiahnna Patterson (@KPattersonWAVY) January 20, 2020
The VCDL also warned that despite a big police presence in the city, police may have underestimated the size of the pro-gun crowd headed to state capitol grounds to protest sweeping gun control legislation moving through the newly elected, Democratic-majority General Assembly.
Public safety is everyone's responsibility. Remember, if you see suspicious activity, report it to local law enforcement. Keep these 5W's in mind. pic.twitter.com/2cwy1LjdNO — VACapitol2020 (@VACapitol2020) January 20, 2020
“VCDL is concerned that the police may not have fully considered the crowd size that is coming, even though we have indicated it could be as much as 120,000. Be prepared to move to an overflow area if directed to do so,” said the alert.
There were no other details on the “threats” to pro-gun speakers.
Richmond, across from the security line into the capitol pic.twitter.com/B0YIQmNnVZ — Lois Beckett (@loisbeckett) January 20, 2020
Meanwhile, state officials have warned of the potential for violence from pro-gun and far-right groups, though there have been no further details released on that either. Gun control advocates have said they've received death threats.
The media and gun control activists have raised fears that the pro-gun crowd will be violent. But the “lobby day” leaders have repeatedly vowed to make their case against gun control peacefully, as they have at dozens of meetings around the state to push county and city officials to approve "gun sanctuary" resolutions.
The extremists headed to Richmond aren't responsible gun owners. Some are openly calling for violence and even a second civil war. And lax gun laws enable them to access arsenals and ammunition and parade around the public square with too little regulation. #IStandWithVirginia — Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) January 19, 2020
VCDL has noted that it has been hosting “lobby day” on the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday peacefully since 2002 and has gone along with Gov. Ralph Northam’s emergency decree banning guns from inside the caged-in rally area closest to the capitol. But it has also asked armed members outside the gun-free zone to "watch over us."
The city has taken several precautions to prevent any violence, clashes, or attacks. The Federal Aviation Administration has also issued a ban on drones in the area. The state has raised concerns of a repeat of the deadly clash in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017 during a “Unite the Right” rally.
Crowd sizes for today’s rally have ranged from 50,000-130,000, and buses of pro- and anti-gun protesters are arriving from as far away as Texas.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-20--Bernie Sanders chartering private jet to Wednesday campaign rally

DES MOINES , Iowa — Sen. Bernie Sanders will be flying a private jet to his Wednesday campaign stop in Cedar Falls , the Washington Examiner has learned , a consequence of the Senate impeachment trial that will keep him in D.C. for most of the day , six days a week .
The Sanders campaign is not comfortable with disclosing its candidate 's new form of transportation , worried about the optics of flying private as a left-wing populist , according to people close to the campaign .
Instead , the campaign has taken an official `` no comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , the Vermont senator faced attacks from Hillary Clinton aides over his travel accommodations during his 2016 White House bid .
After he dropped out and endorsed Clinton in the general election , Sanders repeatedly requested a private jet to various campaign stops around the country .
Clinton 's aides criticized the environmentally unfriendly form of travel and the $ 342,000-plus cost .
“ I ’ m not shocked that while thousands of volunteers braved the heat and cold to knock on doors until their fingers bled in a desperate effort to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ King Bernie Sanders would only deign to leave his plush D.C. office or his brand new on the lake if he was flown around on a cushy private jet like a billionaire master of the universe , ” said then-Clinton rapid response director Zac Petkanas .

DES MOINES, Iowa — Sen. Bernie Sanders will be flying a private jet to his Wednesday campaign stop in Cedar Falls, the Washington Examiner has learned, a consequence of the Senate impeachment trial that will keep him in D.C. for most of the day, six days a week.
The Sanders campaign is not comfortable with disclosing its candidate's new form of transportation, worried about the optics of flying private as a left-wing populist, according to people close to the campaign. Instead, the campaign has taken an official "no comment" position when receiving inquiries.
Last year, the Vermont senator faced attacks from Hillary Clinton aides over his travel accommodations during his 2016 White House bid. After he dropped out and endorsed Clinton in the general election, Sanders repeatedly requested a private jet to various campaign stops around the country.
Clinton's aides criticized the environmentally unfriendly form of travel and the $342,000-plus cost.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-20--Buttigieg says Trump harming 'mental health' of minorities

DES MOINES , Iowa — Pete Buttigieg said President Trump 's policies and rhetoric hurt the mental health of young minorities and transgender people during a forum on issues facing black and Hispanic communities .
`` No question , '' the former South Bend , Indiana , mayor , 38 , said Monday when asked by a moderator about whether Trump is hurting the psychological well-being of minority children in the country .
`` When you believe the leader of your own country does n't see you or does n't want you to succeed , of course it is bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minority communities has been a major concern for Buttigieg 's campaign , which has some of the lowest approval ratings among black voters out of the major 2020 Democrats .
During an interview with the New York Times earlier this month , Buttigieg was asked about his nickname `` Mayo Pete . ''
Although he claimed not to be familiar with it , Buttigieg did say he wished to be associated with a different condiment .
`` Hopefully , it ’ s at least a better flavor .
I don ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually hate flavored mayo — they do this avocado stuff now , and it — because I only use mayo when I ’ m making tuna salad .
And I want it as straightforward as possible . ''

DES MOINES, Iowa — Pete Buttigieg said President Trump's policies and rhetoric hurt the mental health of young minorities and transgender people during a forum on issues facing black and Hispanic communities.
"No question," the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor, 38, said Monday when asked by a moderator about whether Trump is hurting the psychological well-being of minority children in the country. "When you believe the leader of your own country doesn't see you or doesn't want you to succeed, of course it is bad for your health."
Issues facing minority communities has been a major concern for Buttigieg's campaign, which has some of the lowest approval ratings among black voters out of the major 2020 Democrats.
During an interview with the New York Times earlier this month, Buttigieg was asked about his nickname "Mayo Pete." Although he claimed not to be familiar with it, Buttigieg did say he wished to be associated with a different condiment.
"Hopefully, it’s at least a better flavor. I don’t know," Buttigieg said. "I actually hate flavored mayo — they do this avocado stuff now, and it — because I only use mayo when I’m making tuna salad. And I want it as straightforward as possible."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-20--Biden camp mocks New York Times endorsement snub: 'We got the endorsement that actually equals votes

Biden camp mocks New York Times endorsement snub: 'We got the endorsement that actually equals votes!'

Joe Biden 's campaign is spinning the New York Times 's endorsement snub with a viral clip from the newspaper 's video footage .
`` We got the endorsement that actually equals votes ! ''
Biden campaign manager Greg Schultz tweeted Monday , along with the video .
In the recording , a female elevator operator in the Times building woman gushes over Biden , 77 , during a ride to his interview with the paper 's editorial board , saying that she loved him and that he was her `` favorite . ''
`` You got a camera ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 'll take one , OK ? ''
Biden told her , offering to snap a selfie with the supporter .
`` You are awesome .
Oh my God , '' she replied .
The interaction has been watched more than 180,000 times on Twitter as of Monday afternoon , more than the videos made for Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar combined .
[ Read more : 'Health is a serious concern ' : New York Times says Biden and Sanders are too old to be president ] On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hedged by endorsing Warren , 70 , and Klobuchar , 59 , for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination , two women candidates from opposing points on the center-left side of the political spectrum .
`` Amy Klobuchar has emerged as a standard-bearer for the Democratic center .
Her vision goes beyond the incremental .
Given the polarization in Washington and beyond , the best chance to enact many progressive plans could be under a Klobuchar administration , '' the board wrote .
`` Three years into the Trump administration , we see little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figure in Washington for another .
Good news , then , that Elizabeth Warren has emerged as a standard-bearer for the Democratic left . ''
Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders , the front-runners in the Democratic primary , did not make the board 's final four contenders , instead rating former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker .
Booker , 50 , dropped out of the race earlier in January .

Joe Biden's campaign is spinning the New York Times's endorsement snub with a viral clip from the newspaper's video footage.
"We got the endorsement that actually equals votes!" Biden campaign manager Greg Schultz tweeted Monday, along with the video.
We got the endorsement that actually equals votes! https://t.co/jLAfFZ0MuX — Greg Schultz 🥁 (@schultzohio) January 20, 2020
In the recording, a female elevator operator in the Times building woman gushes over Biden, 77, during a ride to his interview with the paper's editorial board, saying that she loved him and that he was her "favorite."
"You got a camera? [When] we get out, we'll take one, OK?" Biden told her, offering to snap a selfie with the supporter.
"You are awesome. Oh my God," she replied.
The interaction has been watched more than 180,000 times on Twitter as of Monday afternoon, more than the videos made for Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar combined.
[Read more: 'Health is a serious concern': New York Times says Biden and Sanders are too old to be president]
The NYT video of Biden in the elevator now has more than 6x the views on Twitter than the NYT opinion videos for Warren and Klobuchar ... combined pic.twitter.com/u0KgxwCjMl — Peter Hamby (@PeterHamby) January 20, 2020
On Sunday night, the New York Times hedged by endorsing Warren, 70, and Klobuchar, 59, for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, two women candidates from opposing points on the center-left side of the political spectrum.
"Amy Klobuchar has emerged as a standard-bearer for the Democratic center. Her vision goes beyond the incremental. Given the polarization in Washington and beyond, the best chance to enact many progressive plans could be under a Klobuchar administration," the board wrote. "Three years into the Trump administration, we see little advantage to exchanging one over-promising, divisive figure in Washington for another. Good news, then, that Elizabeth Warren has emerged as a standard-bearer for the Democratic left."
Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the front-runners in the Democratic primary, did not make the board's final four contenders, instead rating former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker. Booker, 50, dropped out of the race earlier in January.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-20--New York Times's dual endorsement tries to cut the cake and eat it too

What 's more woke than endorsing one woman for president ?
Endorsing two .
This was the cowardly , craven choice of the editorial board at the New York Times .
After weeks of hyping `` The Endorsement '' as an unprecedented display of transparency and a monumental decision from the newspaper of record , the Times published its editorial and an hourlong documentary of the process .
As the `` radical , '' they endorse Elizabeth Warren , who 's keeping at third place nationally but flailing in fourth in critical early states .
As the `` realist , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ path to the Democratic nomination is contingent on a blowout performance in the Iowa caucuses .
In other words , the Times offered a boost to Klobuchar to bump Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg 's early state polling down a peg and pave a wider path for Warren to win the nomination .
It 's journalistic cowardice dressed up as feminism and blinded by self-importance , and it just goes to show how truly out of touch the editorial board is with the electorate .
That Warren had earned its endorsement was evident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sure to elucidate its bias in the tone and tenor of its questioning .
Warren 's interview with the editorial board opened with leading questions to allow her to attack Biden and President Trump .
They did n't ask a single question throughout the hourlong interview about her lies about her ethnicity to advance her legal career , or about being fired for being pregnant .
In contrast , two of the first three questions directed towards Buttigieg were about whether he `` did n't just want to make a lot of money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at McKinsey .
So Warren 's endorsement was a foregone conclusion .
But Klobuchar 's the result of the editorial board 's inability to comprehend , let alone tackle , the liberal-leftist civil war ensuing within the Democratic Party .
The editorial board 's contempt for Trump is expected .
But its outright dismissal of the dominant front-runner , Biden , and leftist leader , Bernie Sanders , as well as its latent contempt for Buttigieg , is eerily foreboding for the state of the media 's relationship with the Democratic Party .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ both unfavorable with the nonwhite members of the electorate , overlooking the three candidates most overwhelmingly likely to become the nominee and the only one likely to become president .
And not only that , but they resorted to petty ageism to back a candidate who is already older than our oldest president was on his Inauguration Day .
In a way , its decision was almost a concession that legacy media wo n't decide the primary .
Why pretend that they can ?

What's more woke than endorsing one woman for president? Endorsing two.
This was the cowardly, craven choice of the editorial board at the New York Times.
After weeks of hyping "The Endorsement" as an unprecedented display of transparency and a monumental decision from the newspaper of record, the Times published its editorial and an hourlong documentary of the process. As the "radical," they endorse Elizabeth Warren, who's keeping at third place nationally but flailing in fourth in critical early states. As the "realist," they endorse Amy Klobuchar, whose path to the Democratic nomination is contingent on a blowout performance in the Iowa caucuses.
In other words, the Times offered a boost to Klobuchar to bump Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg's early state polling down a peg and pave a wider path for Warren to win the nomination. It's journalistic cowardice dressed up as feminism and blinded by self-importance, and it just goes to show how truly out of touch the editorial board is with the electorate.
That Warren had earned its endorsement was evident from the start. The Times made sure to elucidate its bias in the tone and tenor of its questioning. Warren's interview with the editorial board opened with leading questions to allow her to attack Biden and President Trump. They didn't ask a single question throughout the hourlong interview about her lies about her ethnicity to advance her legal career, or about being fired for being pregnant. In contrast, two of the first three questions directed towards Buttigieg were about whether he "didn't just want to make a lot of money" in taking a coveted consulting job at McKinsey.
So Warren's endorsement was a foregone conclusion. But Klobuchar's the result of the editorial board's inability to comprehend, let alone tackle, the liberal-leftist civil war ensuing within the Democratic Party.
The editorial board's contempt for Trump is expected. But its outright dismissal of the dominant front-runner, Biden, and leftist leader, Bernie Sanders, as well as its latent contempt for Buttigieg, is eerily foreboding for the state of the media's relationship with the Democratic Party. They chose two of the candidates, both unfavorable with the nonwhite members of the electorate, overlooking the three candidates most overwhelmingly likely to become the nominee and the only one likely to become president. And not only that, but they resorted to petty ageism to back a candidate who is already older than our oldest president was on his Inauguration Day.
In a way, its decision was almost a concession that legacy media won't decide the primary. Why pretend that they can?


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-20--Democrats fear impeachment could render Iowa contest moot

NEWTON , Iowa — Supporters of 2020 Democrats Amy Klobuchar , Bernie Sanders , and Elizabeth Warren will have a common scapegoat if their candidates fall short in the Iowa caucuses : President Trump 's Senate impeachment trial .
It remains unclear just how much time the trio , plus Sen. Michael Bennet from Colorado , will be forced off the trail due to impeachment .
The trial opened Thursday with ceremonial swearings-in of Chief Justice John Roberts in a presiding role and senators as jurors .
Its substantive portion opens on Tuesday .
Until then , Warren , 70 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for president squeezed in visits to Iowa and other early voting states .
But if Warren falls short in Iowa , being away for the impeachment trial is an obvious culprit , said supporter Jessica Chapman , 24 .
However , being forced back to Washington could also be a potential political asset .
`` A strategy could definitely be to tell supporters they were n't in the state , '' Chapman told the Washington Examiner .
`` No one really has talked about how they 're not here .
As long as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her constitutional duty , that sends a more important message than if she was just campaigning all day . ''
The bulk of Iowa caucusgoers say in polls that they could still on which candidate to support , putting pressure on those in the historically large field of candidates to spend as much time as they can in Iowa ahead of the Feb. 3 caucuses in order to cement their support .
“ We have seen that campaign rallies can give a small turnout boost , ” said Michael McDonald , a political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The impeachment hearings themselves disadvantage the candidates that need to persuade voters the most , ” said Basil Smikle , former executive director of the New York State Democratic Party .
But instead of schmoozing voters , Sanders of Vermont , Warren of Massachusetts , and Klobuchar of Minnesota will instead be stuck in Washington six days a week to hear arguments in Trump ’ s trial .
Democrats also are n't expecting any sort of cooperation from GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on how long the exact process is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the impeachment hearings could hurt these Senators a lot , '' said Jackie Tharp , 58 , an undecided voter who lives outside of Des Moines , Iowa .
`` The Democratic Party is so spread out , and we do n't have a clear candidate yet .
There needs to be a game plan for these candidates on what they 're going to do while these impeachment hearings are going on . ''
[ Also read : GOP senator urges Democratic colleagues running for president to recuse themselves from impeachment trial ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RealClearPolitics of national primary polls at 20.3 % , just behind former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s 20.7 % and ahead of former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg ’ s 18.7 % .
Warren is in fourth place at 16 % , and Klobuchar is at 7 % .
“ If you 're a candidate that 's got high name recognition and/or has existed early on in a very substantial ground game , which would be a good amount of money or [ having ] a tremendous amount of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then I think you 'll be fine . ''
That means Sanders and Warren , who each have high name recognition , could be less negatively affected by impeachment than Klobuchar .
`` If you 're someone like an Amy Klobuchar , where voters have not seen you over the last four years , for example , where showing up ... really is that much more critical than , say , some of the other candidates , [ then ] yes , I think the loss of time away from the campaign trail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Impeachment is not the only factor candidates can point to when brushing off Iowa results .
For the first time , the party will report the raw vote counts each candidate receives during the first and final rounds of candidate preferences in Iowa .
The new data point to argue that they still have support , and it could make the ultimate Iowa `` winner '' up for debate .
Downplaying Iowa results adds to a larger growing pressure against Iowa ’ s outsized influence on the Democratic presidential nominating process given the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ There are more questions raised about whether Iowa , New Hampshire , because of [ how ] their demographics are , really —how long they will continue to be as important in the process because of the changing demographics of the country and the importance of diversity , ” Smikle said .
Presidential-drop-out-turned-Warren-supporter and former Mayor , who is skipping competing in Iowa , both support ending Iowa 's first-in-the-nation status .

NEWTON, Iowa — Supporters of 2020 Democrats Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren will have a common scapegoat if their candidates fall short in the Iowa caucuses: President Trump's Senate impeachment trial.
It remains unclear just how much time the trio, plus Sen. Michael Bennet from Colorado, will be forced off the trail due to impeachment. The trial opened Thursday with ceremonial swearings-in of Chief Justice John Roberts in a presiding role and senators as jurors. Its substantive portion opens on Tuesday.
Until then, Warren, 70, and her fellow Democratic lawmakers running for president squeezed in visits to Iowa and other early voting states. But if Warren falls short in Iowa, being away for the impeachment trial is an obvious culprit, said supporter Jessica Chapman, 24. However, being forced back to Washington could also be a potential political asset.
"A strategy could definitely be to tell supporters they weren't in the state," Chapman told the Washington Examiner. "No one really has talked about how they're not here. As long as her campaign makes clear she's filling her constitutional duty, that sends a more important message than if she was just campaigning all day."
The bulk of Iowa caucusgoers say in polls that they could still change their minds on which candidate to support, putting pressure on those in the historically large field of candidates to spend as much time as they can in Iowa ahead of the Feb. 3 caucuses in order to cement their support.
“We have seen that campaign rallies can give a small turnout boost,” said Michael McDonald, a political science professor at the University of Florida.
“The impeachment hearings themselves disadvantage the candidates that need to persuade voters the most,” said Basil Smikle, former executive director of the New York State Democratic Party.
But instead of schmoozing voters, Sanders of Vermont, Warren of Massachusetts, and Klobuchar of Minnesota will instead be stuck in Washington six days a week to hear arguments in Trump’s trial. Democrats also aren't expecting any sort of cooperation from GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on how long the exact process is expected to take.
"I think the impeachment hearings could hurt these Senators a lot," said Jackie Tharp, 58, an undecided voter who lives outside of Des Moines, Iowa. "The Democratic Party is so spread out, and we don't have a clear candidate yet. There needs to be a game plan for these candidates on what they're going to do while these impeachment hearings are going on."
[Also read: GOP senator urges Democratic colleagues running for president to recuse themselves from impeachment trial]
Sanders is in second place in the RealClearPolitics average of national primary polls at 20.3%, just behind former Vice President Joe Biden’s 20.7% and ahead of former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s 18.7%. Warren is in fourth place at 16%, and Klobuchar is at 7%.
“If you're a candidate that's got high name recognition and/or has existed early on in a very substantial ground game, which would be a good amount of money or [having] a tremendous amount of volunteers,” Smikle said, “then I think you'll be fine."
That means Sanders and Warren, who each have high name recognition, could be less negatively affected by impeachment than Klobuchar.
"If you're someone like an Amy Klobuchar, where voters have not seen you over the last four years, for example, where showing up ... really is that much more critical than, say, some of the other candidates, [then] yes, I think the loss of time away from the campaign trail is hurtful,” Smikle said.
Impeachment is not the only factor candidates can point to when brushing off Iowa results. For the first time, the party will report the raw vote counts each candidate receives during the first and final rounds of candidate preferences in Iowa. The new data point gives fuel to candidates to argue that they still have support, and it could make the ultimate Iowa "winner" up for debate.
Downplaying Iowa results adds to a larger growing pressure against Iowa’s outsized influence on the Democratic presidential nominating process given the state's overwhelmingly white voter base.
“There are more questions raised about whether Iowa, New Hampshire, because of [how] their demographics are, really —how long they will continue to be as important in the process because of the changing demographics of the country and the importance of diversity,” Smikle said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-20--'May the best woman win': New York Times hedges by endorsing Warren and Klobuchar for 2020

After traling their announcement all weekend .
the New York Times editorial board announced that it could not decide between two choices for democratic presidential nominee , one one the left , the other a centrist .
Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota got the endorsement , which was declared Sunday on an episode of The Weekly podcast .
A 3,452-word rumination by the editorial board concluded : `` May the best woman win . ''
The board wrote : `` Amy Klobuchar has emerged as a standard-bearer for the Democratic center .
Her vision goes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Washington and beyond , the best chance to enact many progressive plans could be under a Klobuchar administration . ''
The two candidates take different approaches to their candidacies , with Klobuchar , 59 , offering a pragmatic approach and Warren , 70 , pitching a left-wing vision of dramatic structural change .
`` Three years into the Trump administration , we see little advantage to exchanging one over-promising , divisive figure in Washington for another .
Good news , then , that Elizabeth Warren has emerged as a standard-bearer for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ May the best woman win , '' the editorial board said .
The editorial board had narrowed down its choices to four candidates : Warren and Klobuchar , former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg , and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker , who dropped out of the race after his interview with the editorial board .
In his interview with the editorial board , former Vice President Joe Biden , 77 , pushed back against concerns that he was too old to be president and defended his foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disagreements with President Barack Obama on Afghanistan policy .
Members of the editorial board expressed concern that he was not inspiring enough , among other concerns .
It is unclear how much endorsements from newspapers and prominent public figures helps a candidate .
The New York Times has a hit-or-miss record with endorsing candidates .
In 2016 , it endorsed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination , calling her `` one of the most broadly and deeply qualified presidential candidates in modern history . ''
Ohio Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican nomination , calling eventual nominee Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz `` equally objectionable for different reasons . ''
It also endorsed Clinton in the 2008 Democratic primary race rather than Obama after early state nominating contests had started , and Obama had won Iowa and Clinton finished first in New Hampshire .
`` The next president needs to start immediately on challenges that will require concrete solutions , resolve , and the ability to make government work .
Mrs. Clinton is more qualified , right now , to be president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the paper endorsed eventual nominee John Kerry , also after the then-Massachusetts senator and future secretary of state had won state contests in Iowa , New Hampshire , and elsewhere .
In general election races , the New York Times has endorsed the Democratic nominee in every election since 1960 .
The Des Moines Register , a newspaper prominent in Iowa politics , has not yet revealed its primary endorsement .
The Quad-City Times , a regional paper in Eastern Iowa , endorsed Klobuchar on Saturday .

After traling their announcement all weekend. the New York Times editorial board announced that it could not decide between two choices for democratic presidential nominee, one one the left, the other a centrist.
Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota got the endorsement, which was declared Sunday on an episode of The Weekly podcast. A 3,452-word rumination by the editorial board concluded: "May the best woman win."
The board wrote: "Amy Klobuchar has emerged as a standard-bearer for the Democratic center. Her vision goes beyond the incremental. Given the polarization in Washington and beyond, the best chance to enact many progressive plans could be under a Klobuchar administration."
The two candidates take different approaches to their candidacies, with Klobuchar, 59, offering a pragmatic approach and Warren, 70, pitching a left-wing vision of dramatic structural change.
"Three years into the Trump administration, we see little advantage to exchanging one over-promising, divisive figure in Washington for another. Good news, then, that Elizabeth Warren has emerged as a standard-bearer for the Democratic left," the board said.
“May the best woman win," the editorial board said.
The editorial board had narrowed down its choices to four candidates: Warren and Klobuchar, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, who dropped out of the race after his interview with the editorial board.
In his interview with the editorial board, former Vice President Joe Biden, 77, pushed back against concerns that he was too old to be president and defended his foreign policy record, noting that he had disagreements with President Barack Obama on Afghanistan policy. Members of the editorial board expressed concern that he was not inspiring enough, among other concerns.
It is unclear how much endorsements from newspapers and prominent public figures helps a candidate. The New York Times has a hit-or-miss record with endorsing candidates.
In 2016, it endorsed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination, calling her "one of the most broadly and deeply qualified presidential candidates in modern history." Ohio Gov. John Kasich got its endorsement for the Republican nomination, calling eventual nominee Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz "equally objectionable for different reasons."
It also endorsed Clinton in the 2008 Democratic primary race rather than Obama after early state nominating contests had started, and Obama had won Iowa and Clinton finished first in New Hampshire.
"The next president needs to start immediately on challenges that will require concrete solutions, resolve, and the ability to make government work. Mrs. Clinton is more qualified, right now, to be president," it said.
In 2004, the paper endorsed eventual nominee John Kerry, also after the then-Massachusetts senator and future secretary of state had won state contests in Iowa, New Hampshire, and elsewhere.
In general election races, the New York Times has endorsed the Democratic nominee in every election since 1960.
The Des Moines Register, a newspaper prominent in Iowa politics, has not yet revealed its primary endorsement. The Quad-City Times, a regional paper in Eastern Iowa, endorsed Klobuchar on Saturday.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-21--Justice delayed: 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed appears in Guantanamo courtroom as trial app

Justice delayed: 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed appears in Guantanamo courtroom as trial approaches

GUANTANAMO BAY , Cuba — Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will appear in a Guantanamo Bay courtroom this week , more than 18 years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks he is alleged to have masterminded and a year before he will finally face a jury .
In the nearly two decades since 19 al Qaeda terrorists crashed hijacked planes into the World Trade Center buildings , the side of the Pentagon , and a field near Shanksville , Pennsylvania , killing nearly 3,000 people , the five men believed to be responsible have yet to face a trial .
The United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a criminal conspiracy in planning and executing the 9/11 plot , listing the names of all 2,977 victims killed on Sept. 11 , 2001 , in the 90-page 2011 charging sheet .
The five , who were arraigned in 2012 , were also charged with attacking civilians , hijacking , terrorism , violations of the rules of war , and more .
Mohammed , dubbed “ KSM '' and described as “ the principal architect of the 9/11 attacks ” in the 9/11 Commission Report , was a close ally of al Qaeda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on trial alongside Walid bin Attash , Ramzi bin al Shibh , Ammar al Baluchi , and Mustafa al Hawsawi .
Now 55 , he looks much different than he did in the famous post-capture scowling picture of him in 2003 when he was overweight , mustached , and disheveled in a stretched T-shirt partially covering his hairy back .
Now , he shows up in court in traditional Pakistani clothing with a white tunic and turban , as well as a dyed-red beard and , sometimes , a camouflage vest .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 160 people — victims ' families , the prosecution , five defense teams , the judge and his staff , military members , more than a dozen journalists , and roughly a dozen nongovernmental observers — to Cuba on charter plane that took off from Andrews Air Force Base outside D.C. on Saturday morning .
Mohammed 's defense team is led by Gary Sowards , who represented the Unabomber , Ted Kaczynski , whose domestic bombing campaign killed three people .
After multiple scuttled military commissions , battles over classified information , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ penalty trial for the alleged brains behind 9/11 , along with additional alleged plotters and other al Qaeda members , has been set for this time next year at the U.S. naval base .
Brig .
Gen. Mark Martins of the U.S. Army , a 60-year-old West Point graduate , has been the lead prosecutor on the 9/11 case for nearly a decade .
The U.S. tried to have Mohammed turned over by Qatar in 1996 , but the gulf state allowed Mohammed to escape to Afghanistan , where he planned the 9/11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ born in Pakistan in 1964 or 1965 , was captured there in 2003 and faced interrogations at secret CIA “ black sites ” in Afghanistan and Poland before being transferred to Guantanamo Bay in 2006 , where he faced further questioning by the FBI .
The CIA waterboarded Mohammed 183 times .
A judge must rule on whether confessions made to the FBI will be admissible , with defense teams seeking to suppress it .
James Mitchell , an Air Force psychologist who helped design the CIA ’ s enhanced interrogation program and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be grilled by the defense this week .
Bruce Jessen , who also helped design the interrogation program , is expected to testify as well .
The case has been delayed many times , following unfavorable Supreme Court decisions under President George W. Bush and an abandoned effort by President Barack Obama to try the men in a New York City federal court .
The military commissions , authorized by a 2009 law , are a hybrid between a military tribunal and a civilian court .
Air Force Col. Shane Cohen , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the trial would begin Jan. 11 , 2021 .
The military panel jury selection is scheduled to begin eight months before the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks .
Mohammed , who joined the Muslim Brotherhood as a teenager while living in Kuwait and attended several colleges in North Carolina in the 1980s , confessed to planning the 9/11 attacks in 2007 .
“ I was responsible for the 9/11 operation , from A to Z , ” Mohammed said in a statement to a Guantanamo Bay tribunal .
“ I was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the organizing , planning , follow-up , and execution of the 9/11 operation.
” Mohammed claimed to feel “ sorry ” for what he ’ d done , saying , “ I ’ m not happy that 3,000 been killed in America , ” and , “ I don ’ t like to kill children and the kids.
” When the judge in a 2008 hearing informed him he could be sentenced to death for his crimes , Mohammed welcomed `` martyrdom ” and told the judge , “ In Allah I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is what I wish .
I ’ ve been looking to be martyred for a long time.
” He has since backed away from this .
Mohammed also confessed to planning assassination plots against presidents and a pope and is suspected of participating in other terror attacks , including the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993 that killed six people , Richard Reid ’ s “ shoe bomber ” 2001 attempt to blow up an airliner , and the 2002 Bali nightclub bombing in Indonesia that killed 202 people .
He also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daniel Pearl in 2002 .
“ I decapitated with my blessed right hand the head of the American Jew , Daniel Pearl , in the city of Karachi , Pakistan , ” Mohammed said in 2007 .
Mohammed hasn ’ t been charged for Pearl ’ s murder , though that could happen after the 9/11 case finishes .
All five defendants are due to appear in court on Tuesday .
If the trial ends with convictions , it will likely be years before any sentence is carried out .
A military commissions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Then , the defendants have the right to appeal their case all the way to the Supreme Court .

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba — Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will appear in a Guantanamo Bay courtroom this week, more than 18 years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks he is alleged to have masterminded and a year before he will finally face a jury.
In the nearly two decades since 19 al Qaeda terrorists crashed hijacked planes into the World Trade Center buildings, the side of the Pentagon, and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing nearly 3,000 people, the five men believed to be responsible have yet to face a trial.
The U.S. government alleges that the plotters carried out a criminal conspiracy in planning and executing the 9/11 plot, listing the names of all 2,977 victims killed on Sept. 11, 2001, in the 90-page 2011 charging sheet. The five, who were arraigned in 2012, were also charged with attacking civilians, hijacking, terrorism, violations of the rules of war, and more.
Mohammed, dubbed “KSM" and described as “the principal architect of the 9/11 attacks” in the 9/11 Commission Report, was a close ally of al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden and will be on trial alongside Walid bin Attash, Ramzi bin al Shibh, Ammar al Baluchi, and Mustafa al Hawsawi.
Now 55, he looks much different than he did in the famous post-capture scowling picture of him in 2003 when he was overweight, mustached, and disheveled in a stretched T-shirt partially covering his hairy back. Now, he shows up in court in traditional Pakistani clothing with a white tunic and turban, as well as a dyed-red beard and, sometimes, a camouflage vest.
The era-shaping events of Sept. 11 brought more than 160 people — victims' families, the prosecution, five defense teams, the judge and his staff, military members, more than a dozen journalists, and roughly a dozen nongovernmental observers — to Cuba on a charter plane that took off from Andrews Air Force Base outside D.C. on Saturday morning. Mohammed's defense team is led by Gary Sowards, who represented the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski, whose domestic bombing campaign killed three people.
After multiple scuttled military commissions, battles over classified information, and accusations of torture, the death penalty trial for the alleged brains behind 9/11, along with additional alleged plotters and other al Qaeda members, has been set for this time next year at the U.S. naval base. Brig. Gen. Mark Martins of the U.S. Army, a 60-year-old West Point graduate, has been the lead prosecutor on the 9/11 case for nearly a decade.
The United States tried to have Mohammed turned over by Qatar in 1996, but the country allowed Mohammed to escape to Afghanistan, where he planned the 9/11 attacks. Mohammed, who was likely born in Pakistan in 1964 or 1965, was captured there in 2003 and faced interrogations at secret CIA “black sites” in Afghanistan and Poland before being transferred to Guantanamo Bay in 2006, where he faced further questioning by the FBI. The CIA waterboarded Mohammed 183 times.
A judge must rule on whether confessions made to the FBI will be admissible, with defense teams seeking to suppress them. James Mitchell, an Air Force psychologist who helped design the CIA’s enhanced interrogation program and personally waterboarded Mohammed, is due to be grilled by the defense this week. Bruce Jessen, who also helped design the interrogation program, is expected to testify as well.
The case has been delayed many times, following unfavorable Supreme Court decisions under President George W. Bush and an abandoned effort by President Barack Obama to try the men in a New York City federal court. The military commissions, authorized by a 2009 law, are a hybrid between a military tribunal and a civilian court.
Air Force Col. Shane Cohen, who is presiding, announced last summer that the trial would begin Jan. 11, 2021. The military panel jury selection is scheduled to begin eight months before the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
Mohammed, who joined the Muslim Brotherhood as a teenager while living in Kuwait and attended several colleges in North Carolina in the 1980s, confessed to planning the 9/11 attacks in 2007.
“I was responsible for the 9/11 operation, from A to Z,” Mohammed said in a statement to a Guantanamo Bay tribunal. “I was the operational director for Sheikh Osama bin Laden for the organizing, planning, follow-up, and execution of the 9/11 operation.”
Mohammed claimed to feel “sorry” for what he’d done, saying, “I’m not happy that 3,000 been killed in America,” and, “I don’t like to kill children and the kids.”
When the judge in a 2008 hearing informed him he could be sentenced to death for his crimes, Mohammed welcomed "martyrdom” and told the judge, “In Allah I trust.” He said: ”This is what I wish. I’ve been looking to be martyred for a long time.”
He has since backed away from this.
Mohammed also confessed to planning assassination plots against presidents and a pope and is suspected of participating in other terror attacks, including the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993 that killed six people, Richard Reid’s “shoe bomber” 2001 attempt to blow up an airliner, and the 2002 Bali nightclub bombing in Indonesia that killed 202 people.
He also admitted to killing Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002. “I decapitated with my blessed right hand the head of the American Jew, Daniel Pearl, in the city of Karachi, Pakistan,” Mohammed said in 2007. Mohammed hasn’t been charged for Pearl’s murder, though that could happen after the 9/11 case finishes.
All five defendants are due to appear in court on Tuesday. If the trial ends with convictions, it will likely be years before any sentence is carried out. A military commissions appeals court would review the verdict. Then, the defendants have the right to appeal their case all the way to the Supreme Court.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-21--Alternative programming: Trump heads to Davos as part of strategy to make impeachment a sideshow

President Trump will attempt to shift focus from his impeachment trial by flying to Davos , where he will deliver a keynote speech and rub shoulders with world leaders at the World Economic Forum just as the Senate begins hearing opening arguments .
It is all part of strategy his aides believe is demonstrating that impeachment is not getting in the way of delivering on promises .
Last week , Trump invited chief executives of some of America ’ s biggest companies to celebrate the passage of the first phase of a multibillion-dollar agreement with China ; this week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trade deal into law .
But first comes the annual gathering of the global elite in the Alpine ski resort of Davos , where business leaders mingle with other key players from the worlds of charity , politics , and academia .
Greta Thunberg , the 17-year-old Swedish climate activist , will attend , setting up the prospect of a clash with Trump 's record as a climate change skeptic .
The president left Washington on Monday evening to give a speech on Tuesday morning .
White House aides say the address will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themes of successful trade deals , increased defense spending by NATO allies , and a surging stock market .
Presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway suggested the gathering of economic titans offers a stark contrast with his Democratic opponents .
“ He ’ s got a lot to talk about it , to really take on the perils of socialism right there in Davos , ” she told reporters at the White House .
“ A lot of the world ’ s economy can exhale now that China and the U.S. have completed phase one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
It offers the chance of a split screen moment .
On Tuesday , the Senate will resume its impeachment trial with a vote on the rules that will govern proceedings hours after Trump addresses the Davos audience .
Later in the day , he is due to meet Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen , among others .
`` Business as usual '' is the message , whatever might be happening on Capitol Hill .
`` The president has been working hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been dragged out by the Dems , and that will not change , '' White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham told the Washington Examiner .
`` While partisan politics plays out in the swamp , the president has successfully negotiated the phase one China deal and USMCA , and our country continues to enjoy record unemployment and a booming economy , all due to his leadership . ''
Trump will be accompanied by senior officials and cabinet secretaries , including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross .
This will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the forum .
He withdrew last year because of a government shutdown .

President Trump will attempt to shift focus from his impeachment trial by flying to Davos, where he will deliver a keynote speech and rub shoulders with world leaders at the World Economic Forum just as the Senate begins hearing opening arguments.
It is all part of strategy his aides believe is demonstrating that impeachment is not getting in the way of delivering on promises. Last week, Trump invited chief executives of some of America’s biggest companies to celebrate the passage of the first phase of a multibillion-dollar agreement with China; this week, he may sign the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement trade deal into law.
But first comes the annual gathering of the global elite in the Alpine ski resort of Davos, where business leaders mingle with other key players from the worlds of charity, politics, and academia. Greta Thunberg, the 17-year-old Swedish climate activist, will attend, setting up the prospect of a clash with Trump's record as a climate change skeptic.
The president left Washington on Monday evening to give a speech on Tuesday morning.
White House aides say the address will be a chance to hammer his reelection themes of successful trade deals, increased defense spending by NATO allies, and a surging stock market. Presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway suggested the gathering of economic titans offers a stark contrast with his Democratic opponents.
“He’s got a lot to talk about it, to really take on the perils of socialism right there in Davos,” she told reporters at the White House. “A lot of the world’s economy can exhale now that China and the U.S. have completed phase one of the trade deal,” she added.
It offers the chance of a split screen moment. On Tuesday, the Senate will resume its impeachment trial with a vote on the rules that will govern proceedings hours after Trump addresses the Davos audience. Later in the day, he is due to meet Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, among others.
"Business as usual" is the message, whatever might be happening on Capitol Hill.
"The president has been working hard for this country while this impeachment charade has been dragged out by the Dems, and that will not change," White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham told the Washington Examiner. "While partisan politics plays out in the swamp, the president has successfully negotiated the phase one China deal and USMCA, and our country continues to enjoy record unemployment and a booming economy, all due to his leadership."
Trump will be accompanied by senior officials and cabinet secretaries, including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. This will be Trump’s second appearance at the forum. He withdrew last year because of a government shutdown.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-21--'Didn't understand our experiences': Buttigieg receives cold reception from minority Iowans

DES MOINES , Iowa — The Iowa electorate may be overwhelmingly white , but the tough questioning Pete Buttigieg received at a minority voter forum is indicative of the former South Bend , Indiana , mayor 's struggles with expanding his narrow voter base .
Buttigieg 's issues began during Monday afternoon 's question-and-answer session , when two moderators from Vice News grilled him for 15 minutes over his brief governing record .
Of specific interest was his role in overseeing South Bend 's police force , which has been the target of activists over perceived racial bias .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's black police officers left the force under his tenure as mayor , Buttigieg , noticeably uncomfortable , was forced to admit the issue was a blemish on his record .
`` This is an area where I 've admitted we 're not where we want to be , '' he said during the tense exchange .
Buttigieg then objected to the premise of another question about a number of black police officers allegedly being ignored after reaching out to his office to complain about perceived racism in the force , saying that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting were under investigation for misconduct .
`` Sometimes when an individual officer , often as a consequence of being disciplined , was appealing to the mayor 's office to try and go around the process , we asked them to respect the process , '' he said .
Buttigieg 's difficulty in adequately explaining his record was reflected in the comments of 10 attendees who spoke with the Washington Examiner .
None of the individuals , all either black or Hispanic , was impressed by his remarks .
Many of them also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what exactly about the candidate made it impossible to see themselves caucusing for him on Feb. 3 .
`` You know , I 'm not sure why black people do n't like him .
I think it 's interesting to hear people ask about his past with dealing with the police .
I do n't know his record , but how he communicated the stories today on stage told me there is more to the story than what he 's saying , '' said Brandy Miller , 44 , a Biden supporter who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Bernie Sanders .
`` He gives me the sense that if you get on his bad side , that 's it for you . ''
Younger votes had a hard time even remembering who Buttigieg was , often looking at the programming material when asked about his candidacy .
`` As a woman of color , it 's important to show you support your candidate , '' said Biden supporter Patty Richie , 23 .
`` Buttigieg just does n't connect with Latinos or African Americans .
I have no idea why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him , on a personality level or on the issues . ''
Richie 's friend , Karen Delgado , 18 , echoed those sentiments and said she did n't like `` the vibes he was giving off . ''
`` He just did n't leave much of an impression on me .
I feel like that 's the main issue .
It seems like he did n't understand our experiences , '' she said .
`` It 's not enough just to present some policy .
You have to hear us . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ spell doom for his campaign .
Polling consistently finds his support among black voters in the single digits , with a Washington Post survey released earlier this month finding 2 % of black Democrats currently backing his White House bid .
In South Carolina , where blacks make up a majority of Democratic primary voters , Buttigieg 's numbers do n't fare much better .
A Fox News poll taken in the first week of January found his support in the state at 6.3 % .
Some minority Democrats in Iowa were more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would take a lot of time to gain their trust .
With just weeks left before voting begins , many of them thought it might be too late .
`` I 'm a two-time combat veteran , and he 's my second choice , but the reality is , I think people are looking and getting hung up on his past , and I think he needs to be held accountable for those decisions , '' said Biden supporter Alma Puvey , 30 .
`` I think they are having a hard time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of color , do I really connect with him ?
No .
But I do respect the answers he 's giving . ''
In a state such as Iowa , which is over 90 % white , Buttigieg can brush off these concerns for the time being .
Polling in the state and others with similar demographics , such as New Hampshire , show him within striking distance of first place .
A RealClearPolitics average of polls in the first two primary contests have him at 16.3 % support in Iowa and 15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their small share of the population , black activists in Iowa have remained critical of his candidacy .
During a previous campaign stop in Des Moines on Jan. 12 , Black Lives Matter protesters interrupted a town hall Buttigieg was hosting .

DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa electorate may be overwhelmingly white, but the tough questioning Pete Buttigieg received at a minority voter forum is indicative of the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor's struggles with expanding his narrow voter base.
Buttigieg's issues began during Monday afternoon's question-and-answer session, when two moderators from Vice News grilled him for 15 minutes over his brief governing record. Of specific interest was his role in overseeing South Bend's police force, which has been the target of activists over perceived racial bias.
When asked why nearly half of the city's black police officers left the force under his tenure as mayor, Buttigieg, noticeably uncomfortable, was forced to admit the issue was a blemish on his record.
"This is an area where I've admitted we're not where we want to be," he said during the tense exchange.
Buttigieg then objected to the premise of another question about a number of black police officers allegedly being ignored after reaching out to his office to complain about perceived racism in the force, saying that many of the police officers requesting a meeting were under investigation for misconduct.
"Sometimes when an individual officer, often as a consequence of being disciplined, was appealing to the mayor's office to try and go around the process, we asked them to respect the process," he said.
Buttigieg's difficulty in adequately explaining his record was reflected in the comments of 10 attendees who spoke with the Washington Examiner. None of the individuals, all either black or Hispanic, was impressed by his remarks. Many of them also appeared to have a hard time articulating what exactly about the candidate made it impossible to see themselves caucusing for him on Feb. 3.
"You know, I'm not sure why black people don't like him. I think it's interesting to hear people ask about his past with dealing with the police. I don't know his record, but how he communicated the stories today on stage told me there is more to the story than what he's saying," said Brandy Miller, 44, a Biden supporter who is open to businessman Andrew Yang or Sen. Bernie Sanders. "He gives me the sense that if you get on his bad side, that's it for you."
Younger votes had a hard time even remembering who Buttigieg was, often looking at the programming material when asked about his candidacy.
"As a woman of color, it's important to show you support your candidate," said Biden supporter Patty Richie, 23. "Buttigieg just doesn't connect with Latinos or African Americans. I have no idea why, I just don't connect with him, on a personality level or on the issues."
Richie's friend, Karen Delgado, 18, echoed those sentiments and said she didn't like "the vibes he was giving off."
"He just didn't leave much of an impression on me. I feel like that's the main issue. It seems like he didn't understand our experiences," she said. "It's not enough just to present some policy. You have to hear us."
Buttigieg's lack of minority support could spell doom for his campaign. Polling consistently finds his support among black voters in the single digits, with a Washington Post survey released earlier this month finding 2% of black Democrats currently backing his White House bid.
In South Carolina, where blacks make up a majority of Democratic primary voters, Buttigieg's numbers don't fare much better. A Fox News poll taken in the first week of January found his support in the state at 6.3%.
Some minority Democrats in Iowa were more sympathetic to his struggles but acknowledged it would take a lot of time to gain their trust. With just weeks left before voting begins, many of them thought it might be too late.
"I'm a two-time combat veteran, and he's my second choice, but the reality is, I think people are looking and getting hung up on his past, and I think he needs to be held accountable for those decisions," said Biden supporter Alma Puvey, 30. "I think they are having a hard time accepting his decisions. As a woman of color, do I really connect with him? No. But I do respect the answers he's giving."
In a state such as Iowa, which is over 90% white, Buttigieg can brush off these concerns for the time being. Polling in the state and others with similar demographics, such as New Hampshire, show him within striking distance of first place. A RealClearPolitics average of polls in the first two primary contests have him at 16.3% support in Iowa and 15% support in New Hampshire.
Despite their small share of the population, black activists in Iowa have remained critical of his candidacy. During a previous campaign stop in Des Moines on Jan. 12, Black Lives Matter protesters interrupted a town hall Buttigieg was hosting.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-21--Democratic pensioners fight it out as Sanders accuses Biden of slashing Social Security

Eleventh-hour attacks from Bernie Sanders 's campaign on Joe Biden 's history with Social Security are part of a strategy to undermine the former vice president ’ s leading argument for his candidacy : that he has the instincts voters are looking for in a post-Trump era .
“ It ’ s judgment .
It ’ s like the Iraq War , where now they all say it was a mistake .
But the question is , 'Who said it at the time ? '
” said Nancy Altman , president of Social Security Works and an expert on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was against cuts back when Biden was for them .
That ’ s pretty similar to the Iraq War — ‘ Hey , I got the judgment.
’ ” Vermont Sen. Sanders , 78 , started the month ripping Biden ’ s 2002 vote in favor of the Iraq War , which Sanders opposed as a House member , and Biden 's support for the effort long after .
The issue is bubbling at a critical time in the Democratic presidential primary with just two weeks until the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses .
Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showcased Biden ’ s opposition to expanding Social Security and entitlements through his 36 years in the Senate and eight years as vice president .
`` When I argued that we should freeze federal spending , I meant Social Security as well .
I meant Medicare and Medicaid , I meant veterans ' benefits .
I meant every single , solitary thing in the government , ” Biden on the Senate floor in 1995 .
A 1983 said Biden indicated support for raising the retirement age .
The tension between the two ideological @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their campaigns .
Biden on Saturday called the attacks “ a flat lie , ” noting that found that the Sanders campaign took one of Biden ’ s comments out of context .
In a 2018 video , Biden mocked former Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan ’ s plan to cut entitlement spending , not “ lauded ” it , as the Sanders campaign said .
A fundraising email on Sunday punctuated Biden ’ s exasperation with the attacks .
“ As Democrats , I thought we all knew this election was too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bernie Sanders and his campaign don ’ t care about that , ” the email from Biden said .
“ They ’ ve decided to unleash a barrage of negative attacks lying about and distorting my record.
” Democrats , including Biden , are now generally unified now in wanting to expand Social Security , with disagreements coming down to which tactics are correct .
But that is a recent shift from decades of Democrats playing defense and working on Republicans ’ terms fighting against cuts .
“ Biden ’ s the one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans , and compromise means a bipartisan solution that has cuts in it , ” Altman said .
Biden was part of the Democratic wing that long sought to work with Republicans on Social Security solvency before the party ’ s shift back to an expansion stance .
During his first term , President Barack Obama , along with then-Vice President Biden , tried to negotiate a that would trim cost-of-living adjustments along with a tax increase .
The plan fell through due to Republican opposition to raising taxes .
Sanders is largely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on expansion .
In the 2016 Democratic primary , he pushed leftward , and she came out in support of expanding Social Security after , in 2008 , opposing raising taxes to make up for its shortfall .
The 2016 Democratic Party explicitly called to expand Social Security , including by opposing raising the retirement age and reductions to cost-of-living adjustments .
It was a stark evolution from the party ’ s 2012 that called to protect the program while opposing privatization and “ approaches that insist cutting benefits is the only answer.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to expand some Social Security benefits , Sanders ’ s attacks could give voters pause when considering voting for the former vice president if they associate him with an old Democratic Party establishment that voters rejected in the 2016 general election .
And polls show overwhelming support for the entitlement program .
`` Tea Party-ers agree with union members , '' Altman said .
`` As polarized as we are , we 're not about this issue .
People are very clear : They do n't want it cut , and they certainly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ radically changed . ''

Eleventh-hour attacks from Bernie Sanders's campaign on Joe Biden's history with Social Security are part of a strategy to undermine the former vice president’s leading argument for his candidacy: that he has the instincts voters are looking for in a post-Trump era.
“It’s judgment. It’s like the Iraq War, where now they all say it was a mistake. But the question is, 'Who said it at the time?'” said Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works and an expert on the program’s history. “Sanders was against cuts back when Biden was for them. That’s pretty similar to the Iraq War — ‘Hey, I got the judgment.’”
Vermont Sen. Sanders, 78, started the month ripping Biden’s 2002 vote in favor of the Iraq War, which Sanders opposed as a House member, and Biden's support for the effort long after. The issue is bubbling at a critical time in the Democratic presidential primary with just two weeks until the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses.
Sanders's presidential campaign in recent weeks has showcased Biden’s opposition to expanding Social Security and entitlements through his 36 years in the Senate and eight years as vice president.
"When I argued that we should freeze federal spending, I meant Social Security as well. I meant Medicare and Medicaid, I meant veterans' benefits. I meant every single, solitary thing in the government,” Biden said on the Senate floor in 1995. A 1983 newspaper clip said Biden indicated support for raising the retirement age.
The tension between the two ideological rivals is bubbling to the surface in their campaigns.
Biden on Saturday called the attacks “a flat lie,” noting that PolitiFact found that the Sanders campaign took one of Biden’s comments out of context. In a 2018 video, Biden mocked former Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan’s plan to cut entitlement spending, not “lauded” it, as the Sanders campaign said.
A fundraising email on Sunday punctuated Biden’s exasperation with the attacks.
“As Democrats, I thought we all knew this election was too important to attack other Democrats. But Bernie Sanders and his campaign don’t care about that,” the email from Biden said. “They’ve decided to unleash a barrage of negative attacks lying about and distorting my record.”
Democrats, including Biden, are now generally unified now in wanting to expand Social Security, with disagreements coming down to which tactics are correct. But that is a recent shift from decades of Democrats playing defense and working on Republicans’ terms fighting against cuts.
“Biden’s the one who keeps talking about compromise with the Republicans, and compromise means a bipartisan solution that has cuts in it,” Altman said.
Biden was part of the Democratic wing that long sought to work with Republicans on Social Security solvency before the party’s shift back to an expansion stance.
During his first term, President Barack Obama, along with then-Vice President Biden, tried to negotiate a budget deal that would trim cost-of-living adjustments along with a tax increase. The plan fell through due to Republican opposition to raising taxes.
Sanders is largely credited for pushing the Democrats to unify on expansion. In the 2016 Democratic primary, he pushed Hillary Clinton leftward, and she came out in support of expanding Social Security after, in 2008, opposing raising taxes to make up for its shortfall.
The 2016 Democratic Party platform explicitly called to expand Social Security, including by opposing raising the retirement age and reductions to cost-of-living adjustments. It was a stark evolution from the party’s 2012 platform that called to protect the program while opposing privatization and “approaches that insist cutting benefits is the only answer.”
While Biden now campaigns with a plan to expand some Social Security benefits, Sanders’s attacks could give voters pause when considering voting for the former vice president if they associate him with an old Democratic Party establishment that voters rejected in the 2016 general election. And polls show overwhelming support for the entitlement program.
"Tea Party-ers agree with union members," Altman said. "As polarized as we are, we're not about this issue. People are very clear: They don't want it cut, and they certainly don’t want it privatized or radically changed."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-21--'Difficult to imagine': Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to face psychologist who waterboarded him for CIA

GUANTANAMO BAY , Cuba — Accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the man who waterboarded him at a secret CIA black site are to meet face-to-face in a Guantanamo Bay courtroom Tuesday .
Dr. James Mitchell , 67 , will be questioned by Mohammed 's defense team and those of four other alleged 9/11 plotters in what is expected to be at least a week of testimony in a secretive military proceeding at the U.S. naval base on the island of Cuba .
The architect of the CIA ’ s post-9/11 enhanced interrogation program , labeled torture by critics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used against those considered high-value detainees and al Qaeda members .
Following the attacks that killed more than 3,000 Americans , Mohammed , 55 , a lieutenant of al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden , was captured in Pakistan in 2003 and faced interrogation at CIA sites in Afghanistan and Poland before being transferred to Guantanamo Bay in 2006 , where he faced further questioning by the FBI .
The CIA waterboarded Mohammed 183 times .
The case against the five men , set for trial early next year , has moved slowly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are expected to span two weeks and are the 40th in the case .
A judge must rule on whether confessions made to the bureau will be admissible .
It will be the first time a designer of the contentious program will provide on-the-record insights in the case .
Mitchell , a psychologist and retired Air Force officer , told the Washington Examiner during a chance dinner encounter at Guantanamo Bay ’ s Gold Hill Galley on Monday that he had been instructed not to talk about about his impending testimony .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pair 's first meeting .
“ ‘ Call me Mukhtar , ’ KSM demanded in perfect , easily understood English and with a hint of pride in his voice , ” Mitchell wrote in his 2016 book Enhanced Interrogation .
“ Then , in a lecturing tone , he added , ‘ Mukhtar means ‘ the Brain.
’ I was the amir of the 9/11 attacks.
’ ” Lt. Col. Derek Poteet , one of Mohammed ’ s lawyers , said Sunday : “ I ’ ve tried to think to myself , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had gone through what they went through and then to be again in the same room with the person who had done that to me , and it 's difficult to imagine.
” James Connell , a civilian lawyer for Mohammed ’ s nephew , Ammar al Baluchi , told the Washington Examiner that part of his goal in grilling Mitchell would be to show “ the deep involvement of the FBI ” in the CIA ’ s interrogation program .
“ This is probably one of the most consequential hearings we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , another Baluchi attorney .
Mitchell , sporting a white beard for the hearing , has always defended the methods used against the alleged 9/11 mastermind .
“ I concluded that conducting coercive interrogations on a small number of Islamic terrorists who were actively withholding information that could disrupt a potentially catastrophic attack was justified as long as those methods were lawful , authorized , and carefully monitored , ” he wrote in his book .
`` In the turmoil and confusion after the attacks of 9/11 and under the threat of new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the CIA followed the president ’ s orders and took forward-leaning action that kept Americans safe . ''
Mitchell joined the Air Force in 1975 , where he learned to disarm explosives in the Alaskan wilderness as a bomb technician and spent years as a hostage negotiator in Texas .
He received his master ’ s in psychology at the University of Alaska in the early 1980s and a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Southern Florida in 1986 , where his thesis centered on the effect of diet and exercise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ psychologist at the Air Force Survival School , where he taught military members how to resist harsh interrogations .
The interrogation techniques developed by Mitchell and Dr. Bruce Jessen , who is also expected to testify , included sleep deprivation , isolation , cramped confinement , face slapping , stress positions , shoving detainees against flexible walls , and waterboarding .
He has said waterboarding does not do permanent harm .
“ It sucks , you know , ” he said .
“ I don ’ t know that it ’ s painful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distressing.
” Mitchell , Jessen , and Associates , founded in 2005 , eventually received $ 81 million out of an authorized $ 180 million from the government prior to the contract 's termination in 2009 , although much likely went to paying company employees , some of whom were probably former CIA interrogators .
Mitchell revealed in a 2017 deposition that he received $ 1,800 per day for overseas work and $ 15,000 for travel for his first CIA trip in 2002 , centered on Abu Zubaydah , a suspected al Qaeda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who also waterboarded alleged USS Cole bombing mastermind Abd al Rahim al Nashiri , claimed in his book that CIA leadership later continued pushing him to expand the enhanced interrogations , even as he grew hesitant .
“ You guys have lost your spine '' and `` you guys are pussies , '' Mitchell recounted CIA leaders saying .
“ There was going to be another attack in America , and the blood of dead civilians are going to be on your hands.
” Debate over the CIA program lasted for years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concluding in 2014 that it “ was not an effective means of acquiring intelligence or gaining cooperation from detainees ” and that the interrogations “ were brutal and far worse than the CIA represented to policymakers and others.
” Of the 119 suspected terrorists held in CIA custody at some point , 39 detainees were known to have been subjected to those techniques .
But Republicans , as well as former CIA Directors George Tenet , Porter Goss , and Michael Hayden , pushed back .
`` We have no doubt that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ played a vital role in weakening al-Qaeda while the program was in operation , '' Republican committee members wrote , saying the report 's conclusions were biased .
The CIA , then led by John Brennan , acknowledged “ shortcomings ” and “ mistakes ” but insisted the program “ helped thwart attack plans , capture terrorists , and save lives.
” The agency would later say that “ intelligence acquired from these interrogations has been a key reason why al-Qaeda has failed to launch a spectacular attack in the West since September @ @ @ @ @ @ @ banned the use of the techniques with a 2009 executive order , and a 2015 law limited interrogation methods .

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba — Accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the man who waterboarded him at a secret CIA black site are to meet face-to-face in a Guantanamo Bay courtroom Tuesday.
Dr. James Mitchell, 67, will be questioned by Mohammed's defense team and those of four other alleged 9/11 plotters in what is expected to be at least a week of testimony in a secretive military proceeding at the U.S. naval base on the island of Cuba. The architect of the CIA’s post-9/11 enhanced interrogation program, labeled torture by critics, helped design and implement the program used against those considered high-value detainees and al Qaeda members.
Following the attacks that killed more than 3,000 Americans, Mohammed, 55, a lieutenant of al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, was captured in Pakistan in 2003 and faced interrogation at CIA sites in Afghanistan and Poland before being transferred to Guantanamo Bay in 2006, where he faced further questioning by the FBI. The CIA waterboarded Mohammed 183 times.
The case against the five men, set for trial early next year, has moved slowly. The pretrial hearings that started Tuesday are expected to span two weeks and are the 40th in the case. A judge must rule on whether confessions made to the bureau will be admissible.
It will be the first time a designer of the contentious program will provide on-the-record insights in the case. Mitchell, a psychologist and retired Air Force officer, told the Washington Examiner during a chance dinner encounter at Guantanamo Bay’s Gold Hill Galley on Monday that he had been instructed not to talk about about his impending testimony.
It's a very different scene from the pair's first meeting.
“‘Call me Mukhtar,’ KSM demanded in perfect, easily understood English and with a hint of pride in his voice,” Mitchell wrote in his 2016 book Enhanced Interrogation. “Then, in a lecturing tone, he added, ‘Mukhtar means ‘the Brain.’ I was the amir of the 9/11 attacks.’”
Lt. Col. Derek Poteet, one of Mohammed’s lawyers, said Sunday: “I’ve tried to think to myself, what would it be like if I had gone through what they went through and then to be again in the same room with the person who had done that to me, and it's difficult to imagine.”
James Connell, a civilian lawyer for Mohammed’s nephew, Ammar al Baluchi, told the Washington Examiner that part of his goal in grilling Mitchell would be to show “the deep involvement of the FBI” in the CIA’s interrogation program.
“This is probably one of the most consequential hearings we have had yet,” said Alka Pradhan, another Baluchi attorney.
Mitchell, sporting a white beard for the hearing, has always defended the methods used against the alleged 9/11 mastermind. “I concluded that conducting coercive interrogations on a small number of Islamic terrorists who were actively withholding information that could disrupt a potentially catastrophic attack was justified as long as those methods were lawful, authorized, and carefully monitored,” he wrote in his book. "In the turmoil and confusion after the attacks of 9/11 and under the threat of new ones, possibly involving a nuclear device, the CIA followed the president’s orders and took forward-leaning action that kept Americans safe."
Mitchell joined the Air Force in 1975, where he learned to disarm explosives in the Alaskan wilderness as a bomb technician and spent years as a hostage negotiator in Texas. He received his master’s in psychology at the University of Alaska in the early 1980s and a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Southern Florida in 1986, where his thesis centered on the effect of diet and exercise on hypertension.
He became a clinical psychologist at the Air Force Survival School, where he taught military members how to resist harsh interrogations. The interrogation techniques developed by Mitchell and Dr. Bruce Jessen, who is also expected to testify, included sleep deprivation, isolation, cramped confinement, face slapping, stress positions, shoving detainees against flexible walls, and waterboarding. He has said waterboarding does not do permanent harm.
“It sucks, you know,” he said. “I don’t know that it’s painful. I’m using the word distressing.”
Mitchell, Jessen, and Associates, founded in 2005, eventually received $81 million out of an authorized $180 million from the government prior to the contract's termination in 2009, although much likely went to paying company employees, some of whom were probably former CIA interrogators. Mitchell revealed in a 2017 deposition that he received $1,800 per day for overseas work and $15,000 for travel for his first CIA trip in 2002, centered on Abu Zubaydah, a suspected al Qaeda terrorist whom Mitchell eventually waterboarded.
Mitchell, who also waterboarded alleged USS Cole bombing mastermind Abd al Rahim al Nashiri, claimed in his book that CIA leadership later continued pushing him to expand the enhanced interrogations, even as he grew hesitant.
“You guys have lost your spine" and "you guys are pussies," Mitchell recounted CIA leaders saying. “There was going to be another attack in America, and the blood of dead civilians are going to be on your hands.”
Debate over the CIA program lasted for years, with the Democrat-led Senate Intelligence Committee concluding in 2014 that it “was not an effective means of acquiring intelligence or gaining cooperation from detainees” and that the interrogations “were brutal and far worse than the CIA represented to policymakers and others.” Of the 119 suspected terrorists held in CIA custody at some point, 39 detainees were known to have been subjected to those techniques.
But Republicans, as well as former CIA Directors George Tenet, Porter Goss, and Michael Hayden, pushed back.
"We have no doubt that the CIA's detention program saved lives and played a vital role in weakening al-Qaeda while the program was in operation," Republican committee members wrote, saying the report's conclusions were biased.
The CIA, then led by John Brennan, acknowledged “shortcomings” and “mistakes” but insisted the program “helped thwart attack plans, capture terrorists, and save lives.” The agency would later say that “intelligence acquired from these interrogations has been a key reason why al-Qaeda has failed to launch a spectacular attack in the West since September 11, 2001.”
President Barack Obama banned the use of the techniques with a 2009 executive order, and a 2015 law limited interrogation methods.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-21--Trump administration to add seven countries to its travel ban list

The White House will add seven new countries to its travel ban , including Belarus , Eritrea , Kyrgyzstan , Myanmar , Nigeria , Sudan , and Tanzania .
The announcement could arrive as soon as Monday , the three-year anniversary of the original order , according to administration officials with knowledge of the list , a report by the Wall Street Journal said .
Some countries will only face a ban on certain visa categories and the rule would not ban citizens outright from entering the U.S .
The list of countries is not final .
On the Davos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an interview with the Wall Street Journal his administration 's plans to name additional countries .
He declined to name them , however .
An updated version of the ban was expected later this month , with the new rules expected to antagonize U.S. relations with the countries in question .
Trump signed his original travel ban Jan. 27 , 2017 , one week into into his first term .
The order , which initially applied to seven majority-Muslim countries denying their citizens U.S. visas , inspired massive revolt after the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ban '' on Twitter .
It was amended and upheld in a June 2018 Supreme Court decision , affording the White House a major victory .
A third iteration was later upheld , which restricted entry for some citizens of Iran , Libya , North Korea , Somalia , Syria , Venezuela and Yemen .

The White House will add seven new countries to its travel ban, including Belarus, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania.
The announcement could arrive as soon as Monday, the three-year anniversary of the original order, according to administration officials with knowledge of the list, a report by the Wall Street Journal said. Some countries will only face a ban on certain visa categories and the rule would not ban citizens outright from entering the U.S. The list of countries is not final.
On the Davos sidelines early Tuesday, President Trump confirmed in an interview with the Wall Street Journal his administration's plans to name additional countries. He declined to name them, however.
An updated version of the ban was expected later this month, with the new rules expected to antagonize U.S. relations with the countries in question.
Trump signed his original travel ban Jan. 27, 2017, one week into into his first term. The order, which initially applied to seven majority-Muslim countries denying their citizens U.S. visas, inspired massive revolt after the president referred to it as a "Muslim Ban" on Twitter.
It was amended and upheld in a June 2018 Supreme Court decision, affording the White House a major victory. A third iteration was later upheld, which restricted entry for some citizens of Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-21--Trump says he does not know 'very angry' Greta Thunberg

President Trump has denied knowing `` anything about '' teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg .
Trump spoke to the Wall Street Journal at the World Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland , on Tuesday .
Trump attended the summit to give a speech about the strength of the U.S. economy and to slam climate change ’ s `` perennial prophets of doom . ''
`` I don ’ t really know anything about her , '' Trump said , adding that she ’ s `` very angry . ''
Thunberg , 17 , also attended the forum at Davos and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ completely .
`` Until we have the technologies that at scale can put our emissions to minus , then we must forget about net-zero .
We need real zero , '' Thunberg said , adding that countries should stop all subsidies to and divest from all fossil fuel ventures .
`` We don ’ t want these things done by 2050 , 2030 , or even 2021 .
We want this done now . ''
Thunberg also hit Trump and the United States for ditching the Paris Climate Accords .
The accords were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the globe .
`` The fact that the USA is leaving the Paris accord seems to outrage and worry everyone , and it should .
But the fact that we ’ re all about to fail the commitments you signed up for in the Paris Agreement doesn ’ t seem to bother the people in power even the least , '' Thunberg said .
In his speech , Trump slammed climate activists as “ radical socialists ” who `` want to see us do badly '' and `` eradicate our liberty .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ prophets of doom : They are the heirs of yesterday ’ s foolish fortune tellers , '' Trump said .

President Trump has denied knowing "anything about" teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg.
Trump spoke to the Wall Street Journal at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday. Trump attended the summit to give a speech about the strength of the U.S. economy and to slam climate change’s "perennial prophets of doom."
"I don’t really know anything about her," Trump said, adding that she’s "very angry."
Thunberg, 17, also attended the forum at Davos and urged attendees to stop using fossil fuels completely.
"Until we have the technologies that at scale can put our emissions to minus, then we must forget about net-zero. We need real zero," Thunberg said, adding that countries should stop all subsidies to and divest from all fossil fuel ventures. "We don’t want these things done by 2050, 2030, or even 2021. We want this done now."
Thunberg also hit Trump and the United States for ditching the Paris Climate Accords. The accords were a nonbinding resolution to limit carbon emissions across the globe.
"The fact that the USA is leaving the Paris accord seems to outrage and worry everyone, and it should. But the fact that we’re all about to fail the commitments you signed up for in the Paris Agreement doesn’t seem to bother the people in power even the least," Thunberg said.
In his speech, Trump slammed climate activists as “radical socialists” who "want to see us do badly" and "eradicate our liberty."
"We must reject the perennial prophets of doom: They are the heirs of yesterday’s foolish fortune tellers," Trump said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-01-21--Robert Mueller’s friends think ‘something happened’ to him during Russia investigation: Reporter

People close to Robert Mueller believe `` something happened '' to the former special counsel over the course of his two-year Russia investigation , according to a reporter .
The Washington Post 's Carol Leonnig , who is the co-author of the new book A Very Stable Genius about President Trump , described on Tuesday how difficult it was for some of Mueller 's close family friends to watch his shaky testimony before Congress last summer .
“ Phil [ Rucker ] and I , my co-author , we are not medical professionals , but over and over again , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are very close to Bob Mueller who found him a different person , a changed person , after two years of this investigation , ” Leonnig told CNN host John Berman .
“ They don ’ t know what that ’ s about , ” Leonnig continued .
“ Some of them do and haven ’ t shared that with us .
But they know that something happened .
He ’ s a different person .
He was stumbling over his words .
You saw him in July in his testimony before Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to who are very , very good family friends of his who said , ‘ I couldn ’ t watch the television anymore , I had to turn it off .
It wasn ’ t the Bob I knew . '
'' After a 22-month investigation , Mueller 's team did not find sufficient evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy took place between the Trump campaign and the Russian government .
He also declined to make a determination about whether Trump may have obstructed justice but did lay out 10 instances of possible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ map to continue investigating and possibly seek impeachment .
Trump is now facing two articles of impeachment stemming from his dealings with Ukraine .
Speculation about Mueller 's health began to swirl when the former FBI director , known for being sharp and competent , appeared to have difficulty hearing lawmakers ' questions and failed to recall key facts from his report when he testified before the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees in July .
In their book , Leonnig and Rucker wrote that when Attorney General William Barr met Mueller before his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his notes , and his `` hands shook as he held the paper .
His voice was shaky , too . ''
Barr and his deputy , Rod Rosenstein , `` couldn ’ t help but worry about Mueller ’ s health.
” The Washington Post reported in July that Mueller 's team denied rumors that the then-74-year-old 's cognitive acuity was wavering , prompting Democrats to compel him to appear publicly .
His resulting performance had some Democrats privately questioning whether Mueller was all there mentally .
“ It was a painful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of us , ” one unnamed House Democrat who questioned Mueller said at the time .
“ Here you have this Vietnam hero and this post-Sept. 11 FBI director .
You could tell he was having a hard time hearing , and it was like , ‘ Ugh !
This is not how I want him to be remembered . '
'' Some critics , Berman said , believe Mueller just was not up to grappling with the `` modern era of political warfare and may have got gamed out by the presidency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ felt very strongly that Bob Mueller was playing a 1950s Boy Scout game , '' Leonnig said .
`` He was being an honorable icon and standard-bearer of the Department of Justice , whereas Bill Barr was playing in Trump ’ s 2000s , and he was messaging this very well .
He was the first person to get out the message : Donald Trump ’ s been exonerated . ''
In early October , it was announced that Mueller had returned to work at the private law firm WilmerHale .

People close to Robert Mueller believe "something happened" to the former special counsel over the course of his two-year Russia investigation, according to a reporter.
The Washington Post's Carol Leonnig, who is the co-author of the new book A Very Stable Genius about President Trump, described on Tuesday how difficult it was for some of Mueller's close family friends to watch his shaky testimony before Congress last summer.
“Phil [Rucker] and I, my co-author, we are not medical professionals, but over and over again, John, we heard from people who are very close to Bob Mueller who found him a different person, a changed person, after two years of this investigation,” Leonnig told CNN host John Berman.
“They don’t know what that’s about,” Leonnig continued. “Some of them do and haven’t shared that with us. But they know that something happened. He’s a different person. He was stumbling over his words. You saw him in July in his testimony before Congress, there were people that I spoke to who are very, very good family friends of his who said, ‘I couldn’t watch the television anymore, I had to turn it off. It wasn’t the Bob I knew.'"
After a 22-month investigation, Mueller's team did not find sufficient evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy took place between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. He also declined to make a determination about whether Trump may have obstructed justice but did lay out 10 instances of possible obstruction that Democrats viewed as a road map to continue investigating and possibly seek impeachment. Trump is now facing two articles of impeachment stemming from his dealings with Ukraine.
Speculation about Mueller's health began to swirl when the former FBI director, known for being sharp and competent, appeared to have difficulty hearing lawmakers' questions and failed to recall key facts from his report when he testified before the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees in July.
In their book, Leonnig and Rucker wrote that when Attorney General William Barr met Mueller before his report was released, Mueller read from his notes, and his "hands shook as he held the paper. His voice was shaky, too." Barr and his deputy, Rod Rosenstein, "couldn’t help but worry about Mueller’s health.”
The Washington Post reported in July that Mueller's team denied rumors that the then-74-year-old's cognitive acuity was wavering, prompting Democrats to compel him to appear publicly. His resulting performance had some Democrats privately questioning whether Mueller was all there mentally.
“It was a painful reminder that age catches up to all of us,” one unnamed House Democrat who questioned Mueller said at the time. “Here you have this Vietnam hero and this post-Sept. 11 FBI director. You could tell he was having a hard time hearing, and it was like, ‘Ugh! This is not how I want him to be remembered.'"
Some critics, Berman said, believe Mueller just was not up to grappling with the "modern era of political warfare and may have got gamed out by the presidency."
“Many of our sources felt very strongly that Bob Mueller was playing a 1950s Boy Scout game," Leonnig said. "He was being an honorable icon and standard-bearer of the Department of Justice, whereas Bill Barr was playing in Trump’s 2000s, and he was messaging this very well. He was the first person to get out the message: Donald Trump’s been exonerated."
In early October, it was announced that Mueller had returned to work at the private law firm WilmerHale.