thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-18--‘A lot of white liberals are racist’: Black Guns Matter founder defends supporter attacked at Sander

‘A lot of white liberals are racist’: Black Guns Matter founder defends supporter attacked at Sanders rally

A rally for 2020 Democrat front-runner Bernie Sanders was briefly interrupted when an attendee was tackled while wearing a Black Guns Matter shirt , and the organization 's founder is coming to the victim 's defense .
Footage taken from Sanders 's rally at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver on Sunday night shows a white Sanders supporter tackling a person of color sporting the shirt .
The violence began after the two men exchanged words about the piece of clothing , which said `` Black Guns Matter , '' referring to the organization started by Philadelphia gun rights activist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equates to racism ? ''
the man wearing the `` Black Guns Matter '' shirt can be heard asking in a video of the incident released Monday .
`` Yes , that 's what you 're equating them to , '' the Sanders supporter replied .
`` You 're equating black guns to black people , black lives , that 's exactly what you 're doing .
I hope those guns are as important to you as other people 's lives . ''
The two men then took turns accusing each other of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person of color .
Sanders , meanwhile , never paused his speech , and security chose to separate the two men instead of throwing them out of the event .
`` Black people and their ability to own firearms has historically been very restricted , '' the victim later told CBS4 , adding that the white man , identified only as Tyler , was the aggressor in the altercation .
He also shared that he got the shirt from a concealed carry class .
Toure , speaking to the Washington Examiner on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who the Black Guns Matter supporter is but said he 'd like to find out .
`` It speaks to his open-mindedness that he ’ s a Black Guns Matter supporter at a Sanders rally trying to be objective , '' Toure said .
`` A lot of white liberals are racist , '' he continued .
`` That ’ s just the reality of it .
Nothing makes a racist more upset than someone speaking out for black people ’ s lives . ''
Toure , who unsuccessfully ran as a Libertarian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , started Black Guns Matter as a way to educate residents in urban areas about gun rights .
His work has taken him across all 50 states to speak about the legacy of gun control in America 's black neighborhoods .
“ What Black Guns Matters means to us is saving lives in urban America , '' added Toure . ''
We teach urban Americans how to deescalate violent situations and to be politically educated so they can become a political force .
We are educating and informing people .
”

A rally for 2020 Democrat front-runner Bernie Sanders was briefly interrupted when an attendee was tackled while wearing a Black Guns Matter shirt, and the organization's founder is coming to the victim's defense.
Footage taken from Sanders's rally at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver on Sunday night shows a white Sanders supporter tackling a person of color sporting the shirt. The violence began after the two men exchanged words about the piece of clothing, which said "Black Guns Matter," referring to the organization started by Philadelphia gun rights activist Maj Toure.
"Black Guns Matter equates to racism?" the man wearing the "Black Guns Matter" shirt can be heard asking in a video of the incident released Monday.
"Yes, that's what you're equating them to," the Sanders supporter replied. "You're equating black guns to black people, black lives, that's exactly what you're doing. I hope those guns are as important to you as other people's lives."
The two men then took turns accusing each other of racism before the white man attacked the person of color. Sanders, meanwhile, never paused his speech, and security chose to separate the two men instead of throwing them out of the event.
A white liberal calling a Black man racist for supporting the #SecondAmendment while ATTACKING US.
THIS is why we own GUNS. #BlackGunsMatter @newyorkpost @CBSDenver @DailyMail pic.twitter.com/2kdUWQW7pg — Maj Toure (@MAJTOURE) February 18, 2020
"Black people and their ability to own firearms has historically been very restricted," the victim later told CBS4, adding that the white man, identified only as Tyler, was the aggressor in the altercation. He also shared that he got the shirt from a concealed carry class.
Toure, speaking to the Washington Examiner on Tuesday, said he doesn't personally know who the Black Guns Matter supporter is but said he'd like to find out.
"It speaks to his open-mindedness that he’s a Black Guns Matter supporter at a Sanders rally trying to be objective," Toure said.
"A lot of white liberals are racist," he continued. "That’s just the reality of it. Nothing makes a racist more upset than someone speaking out for black people’s lives."
Toure, who unsuccessfully ran as a Libertarian candidate for Philadelphia City Council last year, started Black Guns Matter as a way to educate residents in urban areas about gun rights. His work has taken him across all 50 states to speak about the legacy of gun control in America's black neighborhoods.
“What Black Guns Matters means to us is saving lives in urban America," added Toure." We teach urban Americans how to deescalate violent situations and to be politically educated so they can become a political force. We are educating and informing people.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-19--Michael Flynn defense: Suppression of FISA report warrants 'death penalty' for prosecution

Retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn ’ s legal defense team pressed for the dismissal of his case on Tuesday , arguing he should have been informed of events related to him described in the Justice Department watchdog ’ s findings on Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act abuses before he pleaded guilty .
Led by Sidney Powell , a former federal prosecutor who took over the former Trump national security adviser ’ s legal defense last summer , Flynn 's lawyers condemned prosecutors for what they claimed was the concealment of the Justice Department ’ s improper targeting of their client as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s December report .
Powell focused on a briefing the FBI gave to then-candidate Donald Trump , Flynn , and others during the 2016 campaign .
She also accused Brandon Van Grack , a member of former special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s team and currently a lead prosecutor on the case , of ignoring the concerns she raised and hiding exculpatory evidence — known as Brady material — from her client for years .
“ The facts of this case stand in stark contrast to the government ’ s wishful and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concedes the government ’ s outrageous misconduct documented in the IG Report .
He simply proceeds with the bald and specious assertions that it was not that bad or does not apply to Mr. Flynn , ” Powell wrote in a court filing submitted on Tuesday .
“ The IG Report , however , belies his claim , and Mr. Van Grack ’ s contention that he satisfied the government ’ s obligations by providing this information before Mr. Flynn ’ s sentencing now proves the point that he suppressed it when it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before his guilty plea on December 1 , 2017 , and before what was scheduled to be his sentencing on December 18 , 2018.
” Van Grack told the court last week “ the errors and misconduct described in the OIG report … do not amount to ‘ egregious government misconduct ' necessitating the dismissal of the charge against the defendant for making material false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
” Flynn , 61 , pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying to investigators in January of that year about his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time the Russian ambassador to the United States .
But with his sentencing approaching he changed his tune in January , telling the U.S. District Court in Washington , D.C. , “ I am innocent of this crime . ''
In a filing earlier this year , Powell pointed to a section of Horowitz ’ s report which showed the intelligence briefing the FBI gave to Trump ’ s team in August 2016 during the presidential campaign was a “ pretext ” to gather evidence to help in the counterintelligence investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FBI agent who led that briefing , known as “ SSA 1 ” in Horowitz ’ s report but believed to be FBI supervisory special agent Joseph Pientka , was the same official who accompanied FBI special agent Peter Strzok in their controversial January 2017 interview of Flynn .
“ The fact of the briefing is neither exculpatory nor impeaching , ” the Justice Department retorted last week .
“ SSA 1 ’ s participation in a briefing of the defendant in August 2016 has no impact on whether the defendant lied to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said on Tuesday that “ contrary to the government ’ s response , the IG Report establishes that SSA 1 was chosen and inserted into the presidential briefing for the very purpose of collecting information on Mr. Flynn ” and that “ this act was outrageous government misconduct that alone warrants dismissal of this prosecution.
” “ It is not possible to separate this evidence and information from SSA 1 ’ s later participation in the White House interview of Mr. Flynn , ” Powell argued .
Horowitz 's report identified at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Justice Department and the FBI ’ s use of British ex-spy Christopher Steele ’ s salacious and unverified dossier when pursuing FISA warrants to wiretap Trump campaign associate Carter Page in 2016 and 2017 .
According to the FBI , four members of Trump 's campaign , including Flynn , were initially being scrutinized as part of the Trump-Russia inquiry .
At the conclusion of his investigation , Mueller did not establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin .
The FBI never told Trump ’ s campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempting to infiltrate his campaign , and Horowitz criticized the bureau for using an intelligence briefing to gather evidence against Trump and Flynn .
The Justice Department said last week that Horowitz 's report “ does not allege that SSA 1 ’ s participation in the briefing amounted to misconduct.
” But Horowitz ’ s report did conclude that `` the FBI 's use of this briefing for investigative reasons could potentially interfere with the expectation of trust and good faith among participants in strategic intelligence briefings , thereby frustrating their purpose.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s defense every day from January 24 , 2017 , to the day this Court entered its Brady order , and it was material for every day of the 305 days from the time this Court entered that order until Mr. Flynn appeared before this Court on December 18 , 2018 , ostensibly to be sentenced , ” Powell argued on Tuesday .
“ Had Mr. Flynn been sentenced that day , he would have been serving time while Mr. Van Grack hid this extraordinary information that not only magnifies by ten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assessment of Mr. Flynn ’ s honesty but also evinces an unprecedented act of investigatory intrusion into a trusted presidential briefing.
” Powell claimed that “ the extraordinary nature of the conduct revealed in the IG Report … warrants imposition of the ‘ death penalty ’ for this prosecution.
” As part of his plea deal , Flynn agreed to cooperate with Mueller , admitting his guilt in 2017 and reaffirming it in 2018 .
But he filed to withdraw his guilty plea in January after the Justice Department asked Judge Emmet Sullivan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months in prison , though afterwards the department said it believed probation would also be appropriate .
The sentencing hearing for Flynn scheduled for the end of the month was canceled amid legal battles over whether Flynn ’ s previous attorneys provided him adequate representation .
Attorney General William Barr recently selected Jeffrey Jensen , the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri , to review the criminal case against Flynn .

Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn’s legal defense team pressed for the dismissal of his case on Tuesday, arguing he should have been informed of events related to him described in the Justice Department watchdog’s findings on Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act abuses before he pleaded guilty.
Led by Sidney Powell, a former federal prosecutor who took over the former national security adviser’s legal defense last summer, Flynn's lawyers condemned prosecutors for what they claimed was the concealment of the Justice Department improperly targeting their client as laid out in Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s December report.
Powell focused on a briefing the FBI gave to then-candidate Donald Trump, Flynn, and others during the 2016 campaign. She also accused Brandon Van Grack, a member of former special counsel Robert Mueller’s team and a lead prosecutor on the case, of ignoring the concerns she raised and hiding exculpatory evidence, known as Brady material, from her client for years.
“The facts of this case stand in stark contrast to the government’s wishful and illusory arguments. Mr. Van Grack effectively concedes the government’s outrageous misconduct documented in the IG Report. He simply proceeds with the bald and specious assertions that it was not that bad or does not apply to Mr. Flynn,” Powell wrote in a court filing submitted on Tuesday. “The IG Report, however, belies his claim, and Mr. Van Grack’s contention that he satisfied the government’s obligations by providing this information before Mr. Flynn’s sentencing now proves the point that he suppressed it when it was most important to Mr. Flynn: before his guilty plea on December 1, 2017, and before what was scheduled to be his sentencing on December 18, 2018.”
Van Grack told the court last week that “the errors and misconduct described in the OIG report … do not amount to ‘egregious government misconduct' necessitating the dismissal of the charge against the defendant for making material false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”
Flynn, 61, pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying to investigators in January of that year about his conversations with Sergey Kislyak, who was at the time the Russian ambassador to the United States. But with his sentencing approaching, Flynn changed his tune in January, telling the U.S. District Court in Washington, “I am innocent of this crime."
In a filing earlier this year, Powell pointed to a section of Horowitz’s report that showed the intelligence briefing the FBI gave to Trump’s team in August 2016 during the presidential campaign was a “pretext” to gather evidence to help in the counterintelligence investigation into Trump’s campaign. The FBI agent who led that briefing, known as “SSA 1” in Horowitz’s report and believed to be FBI supervisory Special Agent Joseph Pientka, was the same official who accompanied FBI Special Agent Peter Strzok in their controversial January 2017 interview of Flynn.
“The fact of the briefing is neither exculpatory nor impeaching,” the Justice Department retorted last week. “SSA 1’s participation in a briefing of the defendant in August 2016 has no impact on whether the defendant lied to SSA 1 five months later.”
Powell said on Tuesday that “contrary to the government’s response, the IG Report establishes that SSA 1 was chosen and inserted into the presidential briefing for the very purpose of collecting information on Mr. Flynn” and that “this act was outrageous government misconduct that alone warrants dismissal of this prosecution.”
“It is not possible to separate this evidence and information from SSA 1’s later participation in the White House interview of Mr. Flynn,” Powell argued.
Horowitz's report identified at least 17 "significant errors or omissions" in the Justice Department's and the FBI’s use of British ex-spy Christopher Steele’s salacious and unverified dossier when pursuing FISA warrants to wiretap Trump campaign associate Carter Page in 2016 and 2017. According to the FBI, four members of Trump's campaign, including Flynn, were initially being scrutinized as part of the Trump-Russia inquiry. At the conclusion of his investigation, Mueller did not establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.
The FBI never told Trump’s campaign about its concerns that Russians might be attempting to infiltrate his campaign, and Horowitz criticized the bureau for using an intelligence briefing to gather evidence against Trump and Flynn.
The Justice Department said last week that Horowitz's report “does not allege that SSA 1’s participation in the briefing amounted to misconduct.”
But Horowitz’s report did conclude that "the FBI's use of this briefing for investigative reasons could potentially interfere with the expectation of trust and good faith among participants in strategic intelligence briefings, thereby frustrating their purpose.”
“It was material to Mr. Flynn’s defense every day from January 24, 2017, to the day this Court entered its Brady order, and it was material for every day of the 305 days from the time this Court entered that order until Mr. Flynn appeared before this Court on December 18, 2018, ostensibly to be sentenced,” Powell argued on Tuesday. “Had Mr. Flynn been sentenced that day, he would have been serving time while Mr. Van Grack hid this extraordinary information that not only magnifies by ten the importance of SSA 1’s assessment of Mr. Flynn’s honesty but also evinces an unprecedented act of investigatory intrusion into a trusted presidential briefing.”
Powell claimed that “the extraordinary nature of the conduct revealed in the IG Report … warrants imposition of the ‘death penalty’ for this prosecution.”
As part of his plea deal, Flynn agreed to cooperate with Mueller, admitting his guilt in 2017 and reaffirming it in 2018. But he filed to withdraw his guilty plea in January after the Justice Department asked Judge Emmet Sullivan to sentence Flynn to up to six months in prison, though afterward, the department said it believed probation would also be appropriate.
The sentencing hearing for Flynn scheduled for the end of the month was canceled amid legal battles over whether Flynn’s previous attorneys provided him adequate representation.
Attorney General William Barr recently selected Jeffrey Jensen, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, to review the criminal case against Flynn.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-19--Devin Nunes expects to discuss FISA court makeup with Trump

Rep. Devin Nunes said government surveillance will likely be a topic of discussion when President Trump visits California this week .
Trump is scheduled to make a trip to the San Joaquin Valley on Wednesday , his first visit to the area since taking office , as part of a four-day swing in the West to boost Republicans ahead of the 2020 election .
Politics , agriculture , and water supply are expected to dominate the conversation , but Nunes , whose district is located in the valley , spoke briefly Tuesday about another pressing topic bound to come up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a chance to talk to him [ Trump ] , '' the congressman told Fox News host Sean Hannity .
`` I 'm sure this will come up : What is the FISA court going to look like in the future ?
That 's something that 's got to be fixed .
This two-tier justice system that we have in this country is just totally unacceptable . ''
Nunes , as the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee , has been a leader in raising awareness to alleged FISA abuses against Carter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump 's 2016 campaign .
He also defended Trump 's tweets about the Justice Department at a time when the president 's commentary about politically sensitive investigations has bothered Attorney General William Barr .
Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz released a report late last year that identified at least 17 ” significant errors or omissions '' in the Justice Department and the FBI ’ s use of British ex-spy Christopher Steele ’ s salacious and unverified dossier when pursuing FISA warrants to wiretap Page in 2016 and 2017 as part of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ties to Russia .
At the conclusion of his investigation , special counsel Robert Mueller did not establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin .
A recent FISA court filing made public said the Justice Department found that `` in view of the material misstatements and omissions , '' the final two orders targeting Page `` were not valid . ''
With three FISA provisions expected to sunset in March , GOP lawmakers have threatened to take a stand against David Kris , a former Justice Department lawyer picked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reform process , as some talk about begrudgingly abolishing the FISA court if their concerns about it being used to target political opponents are not addressed .
Democrats in the House have requested FISA documents as they consider potential reforms and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham requested `` transcribed interviews '' with 17 DOJ and FBI employees as part of a separate inquiry .

Rep. Devin Nunes said government surveillance will likely be a topic of discussion when President Trump visits California this week.
Trump is scheduled to make a trip to the San Joaquin Valley on Wednesday, his first visit to the area since taking office, as part of a four-day swing in the West to boost Republicans ahead of the 2020 election.
Politics, agriculture, and water supply are expected to dominate the conversation, but Nunes, whose district is located in the valley, spoke briefly Tuesday about another pressing topic bound to come up.
"I'm going to have a chance to talk to him [Trump]," the congressman told Fox News host Sean Hannity. "I'm sure this will come up: What is the FISA court going to look like in the future? That's something that's got to be fixed. This two-tier justice system that we have in this country is just totally unacceptable."
Nunes, as the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, has been a leader in raising awareness of alleged FISA abuses against Carter Page, who was a member of Trump's 2016 campaign. He also defended Trump's tweets about the Justice Department at a time when the president's commentary about politically sensitive investigations has bothered Attorney General William Barr.
Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz released a report late last year that identified at least 17 ”significant errors or omissions" in the Justice Department and the FBI’s use of British ex-spy Christopher Steele’s salacious and unverified dossier when pursuing FISA warrants to wiretap Page in 2016 and 2017 as part of a counterintelligence investigation into the Trump team's ties to Russia.
At the conclusion of his investigation, special counsel Robert Mueller did not establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.
A recent FISA court filing made public said the Justice Department found that "in view of the material misstatements and omissions," the final two orders targeting Page "were not valid."
With three FISA provisions expected to sunset in March, GOP lawmakers have threatened to take a stand against David Kris, a former Justice Department lawyer picked to advise the FISA court on the reform process, as some talk about begrudgingly abolishing the FISA court if their concerns about it being used to target political opponents are not addressed. Democrats in the House have requested FISA documents as they consider potential reforms and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham requested "transcribed interviews" with 17 DOJ and FBI employees as part of a separate inquiry.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-19--Bloomberg would sell business and financial interests if elected, top adviser says

A top adviser to former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the presidential candidate would avoid financial conflicts of interest if elected president .
Bloomberg would place his company in a blind trust , and a trustee would then sell the organization , according to Bloomberg 's senior campaign adviser Tim O'Brien .
O'Brien told the Associated Press that all proceeds from the company 's sale would go toward Bloomberg Philanthropies , which funds campaigns to counter climate change and public health issues .
“ We want to be 180 degrees apart from Donald Trump around financial conflicts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Associated Press .
“ We think it ’ s one of the biggest stains on the presidency , and Trump ’ s record is his refusal to disengage himself in his own financial interests .
And we want to be very transparent and clean and clear with voters about where Mike is on these things.
” O'Brien did not provide a timeline as to when the sale would occur nor what would happen to Bloomberg Philanthropies .
By contrast , Trump said he would not sell his businesses during an interview with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the presidency in 2016 .
However , Trump noted he would transfer managerial roles to his grown children and distance himself from the company 's decision-making process .
`` My executives will run it with my children .
It 's a big company .
It 's a great company .
But I 'm going to have nothing to do with management , '' Trump said .
`` You know , when you sell real estate , that 's not like going out and selling a stock .
That takes a long time .
@

A top adviser to former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the presidential candidate would avoid financial conflicts of interest if elected president.
Bloomberg would place his company in a blind trust, and a trustee would then sell the organization, according to Bloomberg's senior campaign adviser Tim O'Brien. O'Brien told the Associated Press that all proceeds from the company's sale would go toward Bloomberg Philanthropies, which funds campaigns to counter climate change and public health issues.
“We want to be 180 degrees apart from Donald Trump around financial conflicts of interest,” O’Brien told the Associated Press. “We think it’s one of the biggest stains on the presidency, and Trump’s record is his refusal to disengage himself in his own financial interests. And we want to be very transparent and clean and clear with voters about where Mike is on these things.”
O'Brien did not provide a timeline as to when the sale would occur nor what would happen to Bloomberg Philanthropies.
By contrast, Trump said he would not sell his businesses during an interview with Fox News's Chris Wallace after winning the presidency in 2016. However, Trump noted he would transfer managerial roles to his grown children and distance himself from the company's decision-making process.
"My executives will run it with my children. It's a big company. It's a great company. But I'm going to have nothing to do with management," Trump said. "You know, when you sell real estate, that's not like going out and selling a stock. That takes a long time."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-20--'Unlawful spying': Top Republicans urge Jerry Nadler 'not miss' opportunity to amend FISA

With parts of the law up for renewal next month , two top House Republicans urged the Democratic chairman of the Judiciary Committee to move ahead with reforming the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to prevent the failures described in the Justice Department watchdog report from happening again .
Reps. Devin Nunes of California and Doug Collins of Georgia , staunch defenders of President Trump and critics of the actions taken by the Justice Department and the FBI during the Trump-Russia investigation , said they were encouraged that FISA 's counterterrorism authorities would likely be renewed in bipartisan fashion , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York to address what they argued are insufficient restraints on the secretive spy court .
“ Given that we expect to consider reform legislation shortly after we return from recess , it is critical we do not miss this opportunity to amend the law so no future president or presidential campaign must endure similar misuse of surveillance powers , ” Nunes and Collins wrote on Wednesday .
“ Any legislation devoid of necessary reforms to address the abuses of the intelligence community against a presidential campaign and even our sitting President , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top-level FBI officials , misses that mark.
” DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz conducted an investigation into allegations of FISA abuses .
His report , released in December , identified at least 17 “ significant errors or omissions ” in the Justice Department 's and the FBI ’ s use of British ex-spy Christopher Steele ’ s salacious and unverified dossier when pursuing FISA warrants to wiretap Trump campaign associate Carter Page in 2016 and 2017 .
At the conclusion of his investigation , special counsel Robert Mueller did not establish any criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kremlin .
Nadler has requested FISA documents while the judiciary panel considers potential reforms .
During an oversight hearing with FBI Director Christopher Wray earlier this month , Nadler said he was troubled by what Horowitz had uncovered .
“ The inspector general has found deep and systemic problems with how the FBI has used the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to target United States citizens , ” Nadler said .
“ Simply put , the FBI failed to live up to its responsibilities , and that requires action .
Congress must address these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such a powerful tool in the hands of the FBI . ''
Nunes and Collins urged Nadler to follow through on that action .
“ Reforms to FISA must ensure that the intelligence community and law enforcement are deterred from ever again wielding their significant powers against a president or presidential campaign based largely on a garbage dossier and false evidence , ” the GOP duo wrote .
Nunes , the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee , and Collins , the ranking member on the judiciary panel , summed up Horowitz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a U.S. presidential campaign.
” Wray testified this month that the behavior of some in the DOJ and the FBI was “ utterly unacceptable ” and agreed that there had been at least some illegal surveillance .
Wray said he was working to “ claw back ” any information gleaned from the Page FISAs .
The DOJ has conceded that at least two of the four Page FISA orders were invalid .
In a rare public order , the FISA court criticized how the FBI handled the Page applications as `` antithetical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and demanded an evaluation from the bureau .
The FISA court also ordered a review of all FISA filings handled by Kevin Clinesmith , the FBI lawyer who altered a key document about Page in the third renewal process .
He is now under criminal investigation by U.S. Attorney John Durham , a prosecutor from Connecticut who was tasked by Attorney General William Barr with investigating the Trump-Russia inquiry .
“ Moreover , and potentially even worse for the integrity of our country ’ s intelligence apparatus , these lies may have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our presidential election , as described by Russia expert Dr. Fiona Hill in November 2019 , ” Nunes and Collins said Wednesday .
“ People inside the top echelons of our nation ’ s premier law enforcement agency appear to have allowed their disdain for a presidential candidate to cloud their judgment , eventually submitting to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court surveillance applications predicated on political opposition research that was potentially part of a foreign nation ’ s malign influence operations.
” Hill , an impeachment witness and former member of the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s dossier was a “ rabbit hole ” that “ very likely ” contained Russian disinformation and that Steele “ could have been played ” by the Russians .
“ We ask that you continue working in a bipartisan fashion to address FISA reforms , and do not ignore historic abuses directed against the campaign of a President you don ’ t support , ” Nunes and Collins told Nadler .

With parts of the law up for renewal next month, two top House Republicans urged the Democratic chairman of the Judiciary Committee to move ahead with reforming the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to prevent the failures described in the Justice Department watchdog report from happening again.
Reps. Devin Nunes of California and Doug Collins of Georgia, staunch defenders of President Trump and critics of the actions taken by the Justice Department and the FBI during the Trump-Russia investigation, said they were encouraged that FISA's counterterrorism authorities would likely be renewed in bipartisan fashion, but they called on Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York to address what they argued are insufficient restraints on the secretive spy court.
“Given that we expect to consider reform legislation shortly after we return from recess, it is critical we do not miss this opportunity to amend the law so no future president or presidential campaign must endure similar misuse of surveillance powers,” Nunes and Collins wrote on Wednesday. “Any legislation devoid of necessary reforms to address the abuses of the intelligence community against a presidential campaign and even our sitting President, including lies and fraud engaged in by top-level FBI officials, misses that mark.”
DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz conducted an investigation into allegations of FISA abuses. His report, released in December, identified at least 17 “significant errors or omissions” in the Justice Department's and the FBI’s use of British ex-spy Christopher Steele’s salacious and unverified dossier when pursuing FISA warrants to wiretap Trump campaign associate Carter Page in 2016 and 2017. At the conclusion of his investigation, special counsel Robert Mueller did not establish any criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.
Nadler has requested FISA documents while the judiciary panel considers potential reforms. During an oversight hearing with FBI Director Christopher Wray earlier this month, Nadler said he was troubled by what Horowitz had uncovered.
“The inspector general has found deep and systemic problems with how the FBI has used the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to target United States citizens,” Nadler said. “Simply put, the FBI failed to live up to its responsibilities, and that requires action. Congress must address these systemic failures if we are to leave such a powerful tool in the hands of the FBI."
Nunes and Collins urged Nadler to follow through on that action.
“Reforms to FISA must ensure that the intelligence community and law enforcement are deterred from ever again wielding their significant powers against a president or presidential campaign based largely on a garbage dossier and false evidence,” the GOP duo wrote.
Nunes, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, and Collins, the ranking member on the judiciary panel, summed up Horowitz’s findings as “unlawful spying on a U.S. presidential campaign.”
Wray testified this month that the behavior of some in the DOJ and the FBI was “utterly unacceptable” and agreed that there had been at least some illegal surveillance. Wray said he was working to “claw back” any information gleaned from the Page FISAs. The DOJ has conceded that at least two of the four Page FISA orders were invalid.
In a rare public order, the FISA court criticized how the FBI handled the Page applications as "antithetical to the heightened duty of candor" and demanded an evaluation from the bureau. The FISA court also ordered a review of all FISA filings handled by Kevin Clinesmith, the FBI lawyer who altered a key document about Page in the third renewal process. He is now under criminal investigation by U.S. Attorney John Durham, a prosecutor from Connecticut who was tasked by Attorney General William Barr with investigating the Trump-Russia inquiry.
“Moreover, and potentially even worse for the integrity of our country’s intelligence apparatus, these lies may have been propagated as Russian disinformation intended to disrupt our presidential election, as described by Russia expert Dr. Fiona Hill in November 2019,” Nunes and Collins said Wednesday. “People inside the top echelons of our nation’s premier law enforcement agency appear to have allowed their disdain for a presidential candidate to cloud their judgment, eventually submitting to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court surveillance applications predicated on political opposition research that was potentially part of a foreign nation’s malign influence operations.”
Hill, an impeachment witness and former member of the National Security Council, testified that Steele’s dossier was a “rabbit hole” that “very likely” contained Russian disinformation and that Steele “could have been played” by the Russians.
“We ask that you continue working in a bipartisan fashion to address FISA reforms, and do not ignore historic abuses directed against the campaign of a President you don’t support,” Nunes and Collins told Nadler.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-19--Campaign confirms Bloomberg will not stand on box during Democratic debate

Michael Bloomberg 's presidential campaign said they would not attempt to make the former New York City mayor appear taller @ @ @ @ @ debut .
Campaign officials told NBC News on Wednesday that the candidate would `` *NOT* @ @ @ @ @ during the Wednesday debate .
The confirmation follows President Trump blasting the mayor as `` @ @ @ @ @ he wanted a box to stand on in the debate .
On Tuesday , Trump @ @ @ @ @ his own campaign before adding the box barb .
`` Mini Mike , Major Party @ @ @ @ @ !
Good luck in the debate tomorrow night and remember , no standing on boxes @ @ @ @ @ .
[ Read more : Michael Bloomberg has burrowed his way under President Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ is the second Democratic debate in February and the first debate overall in which Bloomberg @ @ @ @ @ Democratic caucus occurs in Nevada on Saturday .

Michael Bloomberg's presidential campaign said they would not attempt to make the former New York City mayor appear taller during his Democratic primary debate debut.
Campaign officials told NBC News on Wednesday that the candidate would "*NOT*" be on a box during the Wednesday debate. The confirmation follows President Trump blasting the mayor as "Mini Mike" and claiming he wanted a box to stand on in the debate.
NEW: Campaign officials tell @NBCNews that Mike Bloomberg will *NOT* stand on a box during tonight's debate, despite Trump's repeated claims that he requested one to boost his height — Josh Lederman (@JoshNBCNews) February 19, 2020
On Tuesday, Trump accused Bloomberg of illegally funding his own campaign before adding the box barb. "Mini Mike, Major Party Nominations are not for sale! Good luck in the debate tomorrow night and remember, no standing on boxes!" the president said.
[Read more: Michael Bloomberg has burrowed his way under President Trump's skin]
.....Mini is illegally buying the Democrat Nomination. They are taking it away from Bernie again. Mini Mike, Major Party Nominations are not for sale! Good luck in the debate tomorrow night and remember, no standing on boxes! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 18, 2020
Wednesday's debate is the second Democratic debate in February and the first debate overall in which Bloomberg will participate. The next Democratic caucus occurs in Nevada on Saturday.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-20--Kellyanne Conway says Bloomberg should fire staffers after his first Democratic debate appearance

Kellyanne Conway said 2020 Democrat Michael Bloomberg should start firing campaign staffers after his first presidential debate appearance .
Conway sounded off on the former New York City mayor ’ s performance on Twitter while he contended with his primary opponents on the debate stage in Las Vegas Wednesday night .
The White House adviser insinuated that Bloomberg performed poorly , insisting he should fire any staffers who claim he did the opposite .
“ Mike Bloomberg should fire two groups of people tonight : those who helped with debate prep and those who squeal 'GREAT JOB !
! '
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she tweeted .
Conway also retweeted several other accounts critical of Bloomberg ’ s debate performance , including a tweet from the New York Times that highlighted a moment in the debate when Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren slammed Bloomberg for his past comments on women .
`` I ’ d like to talk about who we ’ re running against , '' Warren said , `` a billionaire who calls women fat broads and horse-faced lesbians .
And no , I ’ m not talking about Donald Trump ; I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a rally in Phoenix , President Trump weighed in on Bloomberg ’ s appearance as well .
The president took the stage after the opening moments of the Democratic debate and said the billionaire was getting `` pounded . ''
`` I hear he 's getting pounded tonight .
I hear they 're pounding him , '' Trump said .
`` I think he spent all this money , he has maybe 15 points . ''

Kellyanne Conway said 2020 Democrat Michael Bloomberg should start firing campaign staffers after his first presidential debate appearance.
Conway sounded off on the former New York City mayor’s performance on Twitter while he contended with his primary opponents on the debate stage in Las Vegas Wednesday night. The White House adviser insinuated that Bloomberg performed poorly, insisting he should fire any staffers who claim he did the opposite.
“Mike Bloomberg should fire two groups of people tonight: those who helped with debate prep and those who squeal 'GREAT JOB!!' as he exits the debate stage,” she tweeted.
Mike Bloomberg should fire two groups of people tonight: those who helped with debate prep and those who squeal "GREAT JOB!!" as he exits the debate stage #DemocraticDebate — Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) February 20, 2020
Conway also retweeted several other accounts critical of Bloomberg’s debate performance, including a tweet from the New York Times that highlighted a moment in the debate when Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren slammed Bloomberg for his past comments on women.
"I’d like to talk about who we’re running against," Warren said, "a billionaire who calls women fat broads and horse-faced lesbians. And no, I’m not talking about Donald Trump; I’m talking about Mayor Bloomberg."
A Top Ten Debate Moment - Instant Classic https://t.co/JtkphCv92m — Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) February 20, 2020
Speaking at a rally in Phoenix, President Trump weighed in on Bloomberg’s appearance as well. The president took the stage after the opening moments of the Democratic debate and said the billionaire was getting "pounded."
"I hear he's getting pounded tonight. I hear they're pounding him," Trump said. "I think he spent all this money, he has maybe 15 points."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-20--Mick Mulvaney calls Republicans hypocrites on deficits: 'A lot less interested' under Trump than Oba

Mick Mulvaney calls Republicans hypocrites on deficits: 'A lot less interested' under Trump than Obama

Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney accused his own party of being hypocritical when it comes to deficits .
Mulvaney , the former director of the Office of Management and Budget , made the admission during a Wednesday night speech at the Oxford Union , according to the Washington Post .
“ My party is very interested in deficits when there is a Democrat in the White House .
The worst thing in the whole world is deficits when Barack Obama was the president .
Then Donald Trump became president , and we ’ re a lot less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stated .
The acting chief of staff called the growing deficit `` extraordinarily disturbing '' but added that neither of the parties nor voters care about the issue .
In addition , Mulvaney 's speech , which lasted about an hour , touched on climate change , impeachment , and the `` deep state . ''
Last month , the Congressional Budget Office announced that the federal budget deficit will exceed the $ 1 trillion indefinitely , after reaching that mark in September .
In its annual report , the agency said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mark in the 2020 fiscal year , up from $ 984 billion the year before , and then rise in future years to roughly $ 1.7 trillion in 2030 .

Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney accused his own party of being hypocritical when it comes to deficits.
Mulvaney, the former director of the Office of Management and Budget, made the admission during a Wednesday night speech at the Oxford Union, according to the Washington Post.
“My party is very interested in deficits when there is a Democrat in the White House. The worst thing in the whole world is deficits when Barack Obama was the president. Then Donald Trump became president, and we’re a lot less interested as a party,” he stated.
The acting chief of staff called the growing deficit "extraordinarily disturbing" but added that neither of the parties nor voters care about the issue. In addition, Mulvaney's speech, which lasted about an hour, touched on climate change, impeachment, and the "deep state."
Last month, the Congressional Budget Office announced that the federal budget deficit will exceed the $1 trillion indefinitely, after reaching that mark in September. In its annual report, the agency said that the deficit would eclipse the trillion dollar mark in the 2020 fiscal year, up from $984 billion the year before, and then rise in future years to roughly $1.7 trillion in 2030.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-19--Kushner pitching aid to Central America to curb border migration

Senior White House adviser Jared Kushner is planning an initiative to revive and bolster U.S. aid to Central America in exchange for cooperation on illegal immigration , a proverbial carrot to the stick of President Trump 's freezing of aid in response to high levels of migration from the region .
Kushner , the Treasury Department , and the Mexican government are planning an investment conference in Mexico City that would provide incentives for governments to curb U.S.-bound migration and for individuals to stay in their home countries .
As part of the deal , Honduras , Guatemala , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures , someone familiar with the matter told Bloomberg .
The event is expected to take place in March or April , with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin a potential attendee .
The administration hopes , in part , to recast U.S. foreign aid , which Trump has frequently decried as wasteful , as an exchange .
The administration suspended more than $ 500 million in development assistance pledged to Central American countries last year amid a surge of migrants crossing the U.S. border , but later released a portion of this after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador cited an agreement by the United States and Mexico to deliver $ 10 billion in development aid to Mexico and Central America .
Lopez Obrador came into office pledging to spend $ 30 billion on Central American development over five years and has stressed the contribution from the U.S. to fulfilling this pledge regularly .
Kushner pursued a similar initiative in Bahrain , intended to raise $ 50 billion in investment , infrastructure , and tourism to the West Bank , the Gaza Strip , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal fell apart amid a boycott by Palestinian leaders who wanted to precondition the aid on a two-state plan .

Senior White House adviser Jared Kushner is planning an initiative to revive and bolster U.S. aid to Central America in exchange for cooperation on illegal immigration, a proverbial carrot to the stick of President Trump's freezing of aid in response to high levels of migration from the region.
Kushner, the Treasury Department, and the Mexican government are planning an investment conference in Mexico City that would provide incentives for governments to curb U.S.-bound migration and for individuals to stay in their home countries. As part of the deal, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador would pledge to enact business-friendly measures, someone familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. The event is expected to take place in March or April, with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin a potential attendee.
The administration hopes, in part, to recast U.S. foreign aid, which Trump has frequently decried as wasteful, as an exchange. The administration suspended more than $500 million in development assistance pledged to Central American countries last year amid a surge of migrants crossing the U.S. border, but later released a portion of this after the countries cooperated on several measures.
Last year, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador cited an agreement by the United States and Mexico to deliver $10 billion in development aid to Mexico and Central America. Lopez Obrador came into office pledging to spend $30 billion on Central American development over five years and has stressed the contribution from the U.S. to fulfilling this pledge regularly.
Kushner pursued a similar initiative in Bahrain, intended to raise $50 billion in investment, infrastructure, and tourism to the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and neighboring Arab countries. But the deal fell apart amid a boycott by Palestinian leaders who wanted to precondition the aid on a two-state plan.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-19--White House calls Assange accusations a 'total fabrication'

London 's Westminster Magistrates ' Court heard from Assange 's lawyer , Edward Fitzgerald , that President Trump offered the Australian whistleblower a pardon contingent on him lying about how his organization gained access to leaked emails from Democratic National Committee and then-candidate Hillary Clinton .
Fitzgerald said former California Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher was instructed by Trump to visit Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy , where he was living under asylum , and offer a deal if Assange said , `` Russia had nothing to do with the DNC leaks . ''
Grisham shot back at the claims , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fabrication and a total lie . ''
`` The President barely knows Dana Rohrabacher other than he ’ s an ex-congressman , '' said Grisham .
`` He ’ s never spoken to him on this subject or almost any subject .
It is a complete fabrication and a total lie .
This is probably another never ending hoax and total lie from the DNC . ''
Assange faces 18 charges in the United States , including conspiracy to commit computer intrusion , for his role in publishing DNC emails during the 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's 2018 investigation into Russian collusion in the presidential election found a back channel between Wikileaks and the Russian Directorate of the General Staff , or GRU .
Mueller , however , found no direct connection between Trump and the Russian intelligence network .
Assange , who published a quarter-million U.S. diplomatic cables at the beginning of the Iraq War , faces 175 years in prison if found guilty of computer-related crimes in the U.S .

White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham slammed accusations made by lawyers of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
London's Westminster Magistrates' Court heard from Assange's lawyer, Edward Fitzgerald, that President Trump offered the Australian whistleblower a pardon contingent on him lying about how his organization gained access to leaked emails from Democratic National Committee and then-candidate Hillary Clinton. Fitzgerald said former California Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher was instructed by Trump to visit Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy, where he was living under asylum, and offer a deal if Assange said, "Russia had nothing to do with the DNC leaks."
Grisham shot back at the claims, calling the alleged deal a "complete fabrication and a total lie."
"The President barely knows Dana Rohrabacher other than he’s an ex-congressman," said Grisham. "He’s never spoken to him on this subject or almost any subject. It is a complete fabrication and a total lie. This is probably another never ending hoax and total lie from the DNC."
Grisham on Assange: “The President barely knows Dana Rohrabacher other than he’s an ex-congressman. He’s never spoken to him on this subject or almost any subject. It is a complete fabrication and a total lie. This is probably another never ending hoax and total lie from the DNC" — Jim Acosta (@Acosta) February 19, 2020
Assange faces 18 charges in the United States, including conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, for his role in publishing DNC emails during the 2016 presidential election.
Special counsel Robert Mueller's 2018 investigation into Russian collusion in the presidential election found a back channel between Wikileaks and the Russian Directorate of the General Staff, or GRU. Mueller, however, found no direct connection between Trump and the Russian intelligence network.
Assange, who published a quarter-million U.S. diplomatic cables at the beginning of the Iraq War, faces 175 years in prison if found guilty of computer-related crimes in the U.S.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-19--Mick Mulvaney: 'The deep state is real, and it’s our job to go out and fix it'

White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney decried the `` deep state '' in a Wednesday speech to Oxford University 's debating society .
According to Andrew Muir , a journalist and student in attendance , Mulvaney argued that the idea of a `` deep state '' working to undermine the elected government is `` absolutely 100 % true . ''
Mulvaney says , `` It 's our job to go out and fix it . ''
The White House acting chief of staff also argued that civil servants must follow administration orders or quit .
What should we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aggressive language suggests the Trump administration is preparing to weaponize its `` deep state '' concerns in the run-up to the November elections .
The intent here will be to mobilize conservative voters in common fury over a supposed conspiracy against Trump 's presidency — a conspiracy that only they can put down by casting their votes for President Trump on Election Day .
But there are risks here .
Mulvaney 's war cry for a `` fix it '' purge of unidentified public servants raises concerns of undue efforts to politicize or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certainly true that many government officials are opposed to Trump and have , at least at times , sought to undermine him .
That should stop .
But many others , across the military , intelligence services , and other institutions of government , have done their duty — including Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman .
It 's simply not the case that Trump has the ability to demand absolute allegiance from those who serve in the federal government .
Their first and final allegiance is to the Constitution .
This is especially pertinent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Justice Department .
According to Muir , Mulvaney 's address carried other interesting tidbits .
Mulvaney warned that Britain 's decision to push ahead with the installation of Chinese Huawei 5G technology would lead to a `` direct and dramatic impact for us to share information with the U.K. '' The Trump administration is concerned Huawei will use its network access to steal information and degrade the effectiveness of the U.S.-British intelligence alliance .
Mulvaney also derided the idea of taxing individuals over their environmental activities .
Muir reports that Mulvaney said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifestyle , including paying more taxes , is not something we ’ re interested in doing . ''
The key takeaway is Mulvaney 's `` deep state '' comments .
We have a clear sign that the Trump administration is going to make this a top issue in the presidential election .

White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney decried the "deep state" in a Wednesday speech to Oxford University's debating society.
According to Andrew Muir, a journalist and student in attendance, Mulvaney argued that the idea of a "deep state" working to undermine the elected government is "absolutely 100% true." Mulvaney says, "It's our job to go out and fix it." The White House acting chief of staff also argued that civil servants must follow administration orders or quit.
What should we make of all this?
Mulvaney's aggressive language suggests the Trump administration is preparing to weaponize its "deep state" concerns in the run-up to the November elections. The intent here will be to mobilize conservative voters in common fury over a supposed conspiracy against Trump's presidency — a conspiracy that only they can put down by casting their votes for President Trump on Election Day.
But there are risks here.
Mulvaney's war cry for a "fix it" purge of unidentified public servants raises concerns of undue efforts to politicize or neuter the civil service. It's certainly true that many government officials are opposed to Trump and have, at least at times, sought to undermine him. That should stop.
But many others, across the military, intelligence services, and other institutions of government, have done their duty — including Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman. It's simply not the case that Trump has the ability to demand absolute allegiance from those who serve in the federal government. Their first and final allegiance is to the Constitution. This is especially pertinent in light of Trump's interference with the Justice Department.
According to Muir, Mulvaney's address carried other interesting tidbits.
Mulvaney warned that Britain's decision to push ahead with the installation of Chinese Huawei 5G technology would lead to a "direct and dramatic impact for us to share information with the U.K." The Trump administration is concerned Huawei will use its network access to steal information and degrade the effectiveness of the U.S.-British intelligence alliance.
Mulvaney also derided the idea of taxing individuals over their environmental activities. Muir reports that Mulvaney said, "Asking people to change their lifestyle, including paying more taxes, is not something we’re interested in doing."
The key takeaway is Mulvaney's "deep state" comments. We have a clear sign that the Trump administration is going to make this a top issue in the presidential election.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-19--If you can't buy them, join them: Trump seeks consulate in Greenland

The Trump administration 's new budget request returns the president 's interest in Greenland to the forefront with a proposal to spend $ 587,000 to build a permanent U.S. consulate on the ice-covered island .
Influence with , or even ownership of , Denmark 's autonomous Arctic Circle territory is highly coveted by major power rivals Russia , China , and the United States because of the island 's location and supply of uranium and rare earth minerals .
When the Wall Street Journal reported last year that Trump had floated the idea to advisers , with varying degrees of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press and public erupted in laughter .
`` Essentially , it ’ s a large real estate deal , '' Trump said , speaking to reporters at the time .
`` A lot of things can be done .
It ’ s hurting Denmark very badly , because they ’ re losing almost $ 700 million a year carrying it .
So they carry it at a great loss . ''
Greenland said at the time that the Danish-held territory was not for sale and `` can not be sold , '' seemingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump 's new proposal comes with congressional support , however .
Speaking to Politico , a State Department official cited American nationals living on the island , which is home to the U.S. 's northernmost military base , and the desire for a greater strategic presence as factors in the State Department 's decision to establish a consulate .
`` It ’ s not very expensive ...
It ’ s a start .
And it says that we ’ re at least there and attempting to play , '' the official said .

The Trump administration's new budget request returns the president's interest in Greenland to the forefront with a proposal to spend $587,000 to build a permanent U.S. consulate on the ice-covered island.
Influence with, or even ownership of, Denmark's autonomous Arctic Circle territory is highly coveted by major power rivals Russia, China, and the United States because of the island's location and supply of uranium and rare earth minerals.
When the Wall Street Journal reported last year that Trump had floated the idea to advisers, with varying degrees of seriousness, of buying Greenland, the press and public erupted in laughter.
"Essentially, it’s a large real estate deal," Trump said, speaking to reporters at the time. "A lot of things can be done. It’s hurting Denmark very badly, because they’re losing almost $700 million a year carrying it. So they carry it at a great loss."
Greenland said at the time that the Danish-held territory was not for sale and "cannot be sold," seemingly putting an end to further speculation.
Trump's new proposal comes with congressional support, however.
Speaking to Politico, a State Department official cited American nationals living on the island, which is home to the U.S.'s northernmost military base, and the desire for a greater strategic presence as factors in the State Department's decision to establish a consulate.
"It’s not very expensive ... It’s a start. And it says that we’re at least there and attempting to play," the official said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-19--Trump takes 2020 lead, 52%-48%, all Democrats ‘probably lose’

A politically resilient President Trump has pushed into the lead of the 2020 White House race , riding the public ’ s good feelings about the economy and the view by voters that all leading Democratic candidates will “ probably lose , ” according to the latest election survey .
By a 52 % to 48 % margin , Trump is leading the generic “ Democrat ” in the race , a significant margin for a president who just beat back impeachment to stay in office .
The latest Economist/YouGov survey also found that most voters believe that Trump will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by at least 19 percentage points .
While White House officials are buoyed by the results and other polls showing a post-impeachment surge , some told Secrets that they believe the race is extremely tight and unclear due to the emergence of former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg in the race .
But what they are pleased with is the finding in the survey and others that the economy is tops on the minds of voters and that the president is getting credit for its advances as well as those on Wall Street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has unified the party , which is upset with Republican Utah Sen. Mitt Romney ’ s vote to convict the president in the impeachment process and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ’ s tearing up of the State of the Union address .
`` Utah Senator Mitt Romney ’ s vote to convict the president on one impeachment count does not sit well with Republicans .
In this poll , only 21 % of Republicans have a favorable rating of Romney ; 70 % are unfavorable ( Democrats , on the other hand , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 % . )
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ’ s ripping up of the text of the president ’ s speech after the State of the Union gets criticism : Americans disapprove 48 % to 38 % .
Those who disapprove include 21 % of Democrats and 51 % of independents . ''

A politically resilient President Trump has pushed into the lead of the 2020 White House race, riding the public’s good feelings about the economy and the view by voters that all leading Democratic candidates will “probably lose,” according to the latest election survey.
By a 52% to 48% margin, Trump is leading the generic “Democrat” in the race when voters were asked "Who do you think will win," a significant margin for a president who just beat back impeachment to stay in office.
The latest Economist/YouGov survey also found that most voters believe that Trump will probably beat all of his Democratic challengers by at least 19 percentage points.
While White House officials are buoyed by the results and other polls showing a post-impeachment surge, some told Secrets that they believe the race is extremely tight and unclear due to the emergence of former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg in the race.
Economist/YouGov
But what they are pleased with is the finding in the survey and others that the economy is tops on the minds of voters and that the president is getting credit for its advances as well as those on Wall Street.
The survey also found that Trump has unified the party, which is upset with Republican Utah Sen. Mitt Romney’s vote to convict the president in the impeachment process and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s tearing up of the State of the Union address.
Said the survey analysis:


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-20--Katie Hill: 'I made the right call in stepping down' from Congress after alleged affairs with aides

Former Rep. Katie Hill acknowledged that she made the right decision in stepping down from her California congressional seat last year .
Hill , 32 , was emersed in scandal after photos published in October showed her naked in a hotel room , brushing the hair of a female staffer who worked on her 2018 campaign .
Additional photos were later published that showed her holding a bong while undressed , and she was further accused of having an affair with a staffer in her congressional office .
The Democrat apologized and admitted she had an affair with the female @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other affair allegation and resigned days later .
In an interview Thursday morning , Hill told George Stephanopoulos of ABC News , `` I strongly feel that I made the right call in stepping down , for several reasons , '' adding that she `` did not want to be a liability to my colleagues.
” '' We knew from the people who had the photos , that had obtained the photos , that there were hundreds more images and text messages that were out there , that I had no idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued .
Hill also called the attacks against her `` bi-phobic '' and chalked up some of the heat she faced as a result of her being both bisexual and a woman , saying , `` The bisexuality was a huge part of it . ''
`` If the ultimate outcome was that this destroyed me , and I committed suicide , then what does that , what does that tell them ? ''
Hill said when she was asked how she got through the controversy .
`` And that ca n't — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The former congresswoman also said that her biggest mistake was not setting boundaries on her campaign trail .

Former Rep. Katie Hill acknowledged that she made the right decision in stepping down from her California congressional seat last year.
Hill, 32, was emersed in scandal after photos published in October showed her naked in a hotel room, brushing the hair of a female staffer who worked on her 2018 campaign. Additional photos were later published that showed her holding a bong while undressed, and she was further accused of having an affair with a staffer in her congressional office.
The Democrat apologized and admitted she had an affair with the female campaign aide; however, she denied the other affair allegation and resigned days later.
In an interview Thursday morning, Hill told George Stephanopoulos of ABC News, "I strongly feel that I made the right call in stepping down, for several reasons," adding that she "did not want to be a liability to my colleagues.”
"We knew from the people who had the photos, that had obtained the photos, that there were hundreds more images and text messages that were out there, that I had no idea what they could be," she continued.
Former Rep. Katie Hill breaks silence months after resigning from Congress in one-on-one with @ABC News' @GStephanopoulos: "I made the right call." https://t.co/Nkaau0xBSI pic.twitter.com/MJqSOwAFzg — ABC News (@ABC) February 20, 2020
Hill also called the attacks against her "bi-phobic" and chalked up some of the heat she faced as a result of her being both bisexual and a woman, saying, "The bisexuality was a huge part of it."
"If the ultimate outcome was that this destroyed me, and I committed suicide, then what does that, what does that tell them?" Hill said when she was asked how she got through the controversy. "And that can't — that couldn't be my final story."
The former congresswoman also said that her biggest mistake was not setting boundaries on her campaign trail.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-19--Ted Cruz calls climate movement 'an emotional primal scream'

Sen. Ted Cruz warned Democrats could destroy the country if they are allowed to implement aggressive reforms to combat climate change .
`` What is dangerous about the climate movement is it has become an emotional primal scream , rather than being driven by science , '' the Texas Republican said in a campaign ad released Tuesday .
The minute-and-a-half ad features prominent Democrats who issue dire warnings about a warming planet and implore the public to take climate change more seriously .
`` By 2030 , no more cars .
By 2035 , no more production of electricity , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying at a campaign event .
Freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also makes an appearance .
`` The world is going to end in 12 years if we do n't address climate change , '' the New York Democrat said .
Cruz warned political leaders who are calling for aggressive climate change reforms are also advocating for a more socialized American economic system .
`` Climate is a good excuse to say you 've got to have socialism , or else , all of humanity is going to die , '' Cruz said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Green New Deal and a new push by Democrats to ban fracking is too dangerous to even consider .
`` It would be hard to find something more economically devastating , '' he said .

Sen. Ted Cruz warned Democrats could destroy the country if they are allowed to implement aggressive reforms to combat climate change.
"What is dangerous about the climate movement is it has become an emotional primal scream, rather than being driven by science," the Texas Republican said in a campaign ad released Tuesday.
The minute-and-a-half ad features prominent Democrats who issue dire warnings about a warming planet and implore the public to take climate change more seriously.
"By 2030, no more cars. By 2035, no more production of electricity," the video shows Sen. Elizabeth Warren saying at a campaign event.
Freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also makes an appearance. "The world is going to end in 12 years if we don't address climate change," the New York Democrat said.
Cruz warned political leaders who are calling for aggressive climate change reforms are also advocating for a more socialized American economic system.
"Climate is a good excuse to say you've got to have socialism, or else, all of humanity is going to die," Cruz said.
The senator also said legislation such as the Green New Deal and a new push by Democrats to ban fracking is too dangerous to even consider.
"It would be hard to find something more economically devastating," he said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-19--'You lost me': Whoopi Goldberg chides AOC on The View for 'dismissing' old people

Whoopi Goldberg ripped into Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for what she perceived as attempts from the New York Democrat to dismiss the points of view of America 's senior citizens .
`` You know , I was very happy when you were elected because I thought it was a great step in a good direction , '' Goldberg told Ocasio-Cortez , who appeared on The View Wednesday .
`` And then , you lost me because it felt like you were saying to people like me that I was too old and didn ’ t do enough . ''
`` And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I feel like I love young people .
I was once one .
But you 're on my shoulders , '' the co-host added .
`` And to sort of hear it sound like you were dismissing us bothered the hell out of me . ''
The freshman congresswoman responded by rattling off senior members of the Democratic House leadership whom she respects , including Reps. Barbara Lee , Maxine Waters , and the late Elijah Cummings .
Goldberg appeared unconvinced by Ocasio-Cortez 's answer , however .
`` Cool , '' she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next question .
The segment came after one of Ocasio-Cortez 's advisers , Robert Hockett , referred to Sen. Dianne Feinstein , an 86-year-old Democrat , as `` elderly '' and an `` old-timer . ''
The congresswoman has also had many high-profile disagreements with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi , who is 79 years old .
Goldberg mentioned both politicians in her critique .

Whoopi Goldberg ripped into Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for what she perceived as attempts from the New York Democrat to dismiss the points of view of America's senior citizens.
"You know, I was very happy when you were elected because I thought it was a great step in a good direction," Goldberg told Ocasio-Cortez, who appeared on The View Wednesday. "And then, you lost me because it felt like you were saying to people like me that I was too old and didn’t do enough."
"And so, that has bothered me because I feel like I love young people. I was once one. But you're on my shoulders," the co-host added. "And to sort of hear it sound like you were dismissing us bothered the hell out of me."
The freshman congresswoman responded by rattling off senior members of the Democratic House leadership whom she respects, including Reps. Barbara Lee, Maxine Waters, and the late Elijah Cummings. Goldberg appeared unconvinced by Ocasio-Cortez's answer, however.
"Cool," she simply responded before moving on to the next question.
The segment came after one of Ocasio-Cortez's advisers, Robert Hockett, referred to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, an 86-year-old Democrat, as "elderly" and an "old-timer." The congresswoman has also had many high-profile disagreements with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who is 79 years old. Goldberg mentioned both politicians in her critique.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-19--Virginia lawmakers killed right-to-work repeal. Congress should learn from them

Virginia ’ s General Assembly recently killed — for this year , anyway — legislation to repeal the state ’ s long-standing right-to-work law .
The bill had been introduced by Big Labor partisans in the state House and Senate , who thought the new Democratic majorities would hand union officials the power to compel workers to subsidize a union or else be fired .
Meanwhile , across the Potomac in Washington , the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives voted to pass H.R .
2474 , the so-called PRO Act , a bill designed to overturn right-to-work laws in all 27 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a swath of other giveaways to Big Labor .
House Democrats should learn from their Virginia counterparts ’ failed attempts at repeal : Right-to-work laws enjoy broad support among the public .
They are important for the economy and essential for protecting workers ’ individual freedom to make decisions about their workplace .
One reason Virginia lawmakers didn ’ t want to vote on right-to-work repeal may have to do with the fact that most people don ’ t agree with forced unionism .
A found that 82 % agree that “ no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private organization , like a labor union , against his will.
” The poll broke down support along party lines , which helps explain why repeal bills failed in Virginia ’ s Democrat-controlled State House : “ Most Democrats favor right-to-work laws , and their support nearly matches that of Republicans.
” The poll found that 71 % of people would vote for a right-to-work law , while only 21 % said they would vote against it .
As those who blocked the repeal effort likely understood , Big Labor ’ s massive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overcome voters ’ anger over granting a special interest to the power to dragoon unwilling workers into subsidizing union activities .
Those in Congress who voted to do just that should take note .
Right-to-work states hold a huge advantage in creating jobs and expanding their economies because “ many manufacturing and supply chain companies and the site-selection consultants who serve them will only consider ‘ right to work ’ states for new investments.
” That ’ s according to a issued by Virginia ’ s Department of Planning and Budget in response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law .
It found that right to work has been critical to the commonwealth ’ s robust economy : “ Over the previous 18 months , Virginia announced nearly 60 projects in the manufacturing and supply chain sectors that represented 8,400 jobs and $ 6 billion in capital investment.
” “ VDEP [ the Virginia Economic Development Partnership ] believes many of these announcements would not have occurred if Virginia were not a ‘ right to work ’ state at the time the companies made their location decisions , ” the impact statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new projects , bringing 37,000 total jobs and more than $ 11 billion in capital investment , would be at risk if the General Assembly were to eliminate right to work .
These benefits are not specific to the Old Dominion .
A recent National Institute for Labor Relations Research of Department of Labor data found that the percentage growth in the number of people employed in right-to-work states ( 10.8 % ) was more than twice that of forced-unionism states ( 5.0 % ) over the past decade .
Economic growth is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every state ’ s right-to-work law is freedom .
These laws protect workers from being forced to pay union dues or fees just to get or keep a job .
The issue boils down to individual freedom versus union coercion ; individual workers should be the ones to decide if a union deserves their financial support rather than paying because otherwise , they would be fired .
That win-win combination of freedom for workers and the positive economic benefits that right-to-work states enjoy makes it all the more shocking that 66 House Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Act , which would wipe out the very protections their own constituents enjoy .
For their voters , come Election Day , the choice will be clearer than ever : On the one side , the freedom and jobs that right to work provides , and on the other , handing union bosses the power to force workers to pay up or be fired .
Mark Mix is the president of the National Right to Work Committee .

Virginia’s General Assembly recently killed — for this year, anyway — legislation to repeal the state’s long-standing right-to-work law. The bill had been introduced by Big Labor partisans in the state House and Senate, who thought the new Democratic majorities would hand union officials the power to compel workers to subsidize a union or else be fired.
Meanwhile, across the Potomac in Washington, the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives voted to pass H.R. 2474, the so-called PRO Act, a bill designed to overturn right-to-work laws in all 27 states that currently have them and grant a swath of other giveaways to Big Labor.
House Democrats should learn from their Virginia counterparts’ failed attempts at repeal: Right-to-work laws enjoy broad support among the public. They are important for the economy and essential for protecting workers’ individual freedom to make decisions about their workplace.
One reason Virginia lawmakers didn’t want to vote on right-to-work repeal may have to do with the fact that most people don’t agree with forced unionism. A Gallup poll found that 82% agree that “no American should be required to join any private organization, like a labor union, against his will.”
The poll broke down support along party lines, which helps explain why repeal bills failed in Virginia’s Democrat-controlled State House: “Most Democrats favor right-to-work laws, and their support nearly matches that of Republicans.” The poll found that 71% of people would vote for a right-to-work law, while only 21% said they would vote against it.
As those who blocked the repeal effort likely understood, Big Labor’s massive forced-dues-funded political war chest can’t overcome voters’ anger over granting a special interest to the power to dragoon unwilling workers into subsidizing union activities. Those in Congress who voted to do just that should take note.
Right-to-work states hold a huge advantage in creating jobs and expanding their economies because “many manufacturing and supply chain companies and the site-selection consultants who serve them will only consider ‘right to work’ states for new investments.”
That’s according to a fiscal impact statement issued by Virginia’s Department of Planning and Budget in response to the bill to repeal the right-to-work law. It found that right to work has been critical to the commonwealth’s robust economy: “Over the previous 18 months, Virginia announced nearly 60 projects in the manufacturing and supply chain sectors that represented 8,400 jobs and $6 billion in capital investment.”
“VDEP [the Virginia Economic Development Partnership] believes many of these announcements would not have occurred if Virginia were not a ‘right to work’ state at the time the companies made their location decisions,” the impact statement continues. It also says that 349 new projects, bringing 37,000 total jobs and more than $11 billion in capital investment, would be at risk if the General Assembly were to eliminate right to work.
These benefits are not specific to the Old Dominion. A recent National Institute for Labor Relations Research analysis of Department of Labor data found that the percentage growth in the number of people employed in right-to-work states (10.8%) was more than twice that of forced-unionism states (5.0%) over the past decade.
Economic growth is a benefit, but the principle behind every state’s right-to-work law is freedom. These laws protect workers from being forced to pay union dues or fees just to get or keep a job. The issue boils down to individual freedom versus union coercion; individual workers should be the ones to decide if a union deserves their financial support rather than paying because otherwise, they would be fired.
That win-win combination of freedom for workers and the positive economic benefits that right-to-work states enjoy makes it all the more shocking that 66 House Democrats from right-to-work states voted for the PRO Act, which would wipe out the very protections their own constituents enjoy.
For their voters, come Election Day, the choice will be clearer than ever: On the one side, the freedom and jobs that right to work provides, and on the other, handing union bosses the power to force workers to pay up or be fired.
Mark Mix is the president of the National Right to Work Committee.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-19--Top Iranian official says his meeting with Democratic senator scared Trump

Iran ’ s foreign minister said his meeting with a Democratic senator alarmed the Trump administration because it allowed him to talk directly to “ the American nation.
” Mohammad Javad Zarif and Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy met last week at a security conference in Munich .
President Trump questioned whether Murphy violated U.S. law by meeting with the foreign minister , and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he hoped anyone who communicates with Zarif reflected the Trump administration ’ s position on Iran .
“ Trump and Pompeo are afraid of a senator hearing facts from the Iranian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday .
The official added that he has met with other U.S. lawmakers in the past two decades , but did not disclose with whom .
Murphy said he met with Zarif because it 's “ dangerous not to talk to one ’ s enemies.
” “ I have no delusions about Iran — they are our adversary , ” he added .
Tensions between Washington , D.C. , and Iran escalated in January when the United States killed Iran ’ s top general , Qassem Soleimani , in a drone strike in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Iraqi military bases housing U.S. troops .

Iran’s foreign minister said his meeting with a Democratic senator alarmed the Trump administration because it allowed him to talk directly to “the American nation.”
Mohammad Javad Zarif and Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy met last week at a security conference in Munich. President Trump questioned whether Murphy violated U.S. law by meeting with the foreign minister, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he hoped anyone who communicates with Zarif reflected the Trump administration’s position on Iran.
“Trump and Pompeo are afraid of a senator hearing facts from the Iranian foreign minister,” Zarif told reporters Wednesday.
The official added that he has met with other U.S. lawmakers in the past two decades, but did not disclose with whom.
Murphy said he met with Zarif because it's “dangerous not to talk to one’s enemies.”
“I have no delusions about Iran — they are our adversary,” he added.
Tensions between Washington, D.C., and Iran escalated in January when the United States killed Iran’s top general, Qassem Soleimani, in a drone strike in Iraq. Iran retaliated with missile strikes on Iraqi military bases housing U.S. troops.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-20--‘National satisfaction’ reaches 15-year high, ‘greatly increases’ Trump reelection

People are practically giddy with the economic improvement under President Trump , and they believe by a 2-1 margin that it will only get better .
The latest Gallup survey also found that the good feelings have helped Trump to sustain his highest approval rating at 49 % , which “ greatly increases Trump 's chances of being re-elected.
” In the survey , 45 % are satisfied with the state of the nation .
It hasn ’ t been that high since 2005 , shortly after former President George W. Bush ’ s second inauguration .
“ Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time when Americans are increasingly positive about the state of the nation .
The percentage who are satisfied with the way things are going in the U.S. had already improved from 36 % to 41 % in a Jan. 3-16 poll , before the rise in Trump 's job approval rating in late January .
The latest survey finds a further increase in national satisfaction , with 45 % now satisfied , the highest since February 2005 , ” said the Gallup analysis .
It came with several other notable economic numbers that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : • 63 % of U.S. adults rate current economic conditions as either excellent or good .
Just 9 % rate them as poor .
• By 61 % to 33 % , people say the economy is getting better rather than worse .
• Gallup 's Economic Confidence Index , a summary of ratings of current conditions and whether the economy is getting better or worse , is +41 .
This is essentially the same as last month , but both readings represent a return to the prior high of +44 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive headline from Gallup for Trump , a string that started before the Senate trial on his House impeachment .
It also comes as other polls show that the public believes that Trump will win reelection in the fall .
But as with much in American politics , the partisan split was huge .
Still , in its “ bottom line ” analysis , Gallup said that key election factors are falling in place for Trump ’ s reelection : '' Americans are more positive about the state of the nation than they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Trump and the GOP appear to be benefiting .
Still , in this era of extreme party polarization , that puts his approval rating at 49 % , as Republicans ' already high ratings have risen further while Democrats ' negative opinions of him are n't budging .
Independents ' ratings of Trump have improved , but they are still more likely to disapprove than approve of the job he is doing .
The significance of the trend is clear .
An approval rating near 50 % greatly increases Trump 's chances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemed unlikely with his approval stuck near 40 % for most of his term . ''

People are practically giddy with the economic improvement under President Trump, and they believe by a 2-1 margin that it will only get better.
The latest Gallup survey also found that the good feelings have helped Trump to sustain his highest approval rating at 49%, which “greatly increases Trump's chances of being re-elected.”
In the survey, 45% are satisfied with the state of the nation. It hasn’t been that high since 2005, shortly after former President George W. Bush’s second inauguration.
“Trump's elevated job approval rating comes at a time when Americans are increasingly positive about the state of the nation. The percentage who are satisfied with the way things are going in the U.S. had already improved from 36% to 41% in a Jan. 3-16 poll, before the rise in Trump's job approval rating in late January. The latest survey finds a further increase in national satisfaction, with 45% now satisfied, the highest since February 2005,” said the Gallup analysis.
It came with several other notable economic numbers that show American confidence in the Trump economy:
63% of U.S. adults rate current economic conditions as either excellent or good. Just 9% rate them as poor.
By 61% to 33%, people say the economy is getting better rather than worse.
Gallup's Economic Confidence Index, a summary of ratings of current conditions and whether the economy is getting better or worse, is +41. This is essentially the same as last month, but both readings represent a return to the prior high of +44 in October 2000.
It was the latest positive headline from Gallup for Trump, a string that started before the Senate trial on his House impeachment.
It also comes as other polls show that the public believes that Trump will win reelection in the fall.
But as with much in American politics, the partisan split was huge.
Still, in its “bottom line” analysis, Gallup said that key election factors are falling in place for Trump’s reelection:
"Americans are more positive about the state of the nation than they have been in over a decade, and Trump and the GOP appear to be benefiting. Still, in this era of extreme party polarization, that puts his approval rating at 49%, as Republicans' already high ratings have risen further while Democrats' negative opinions of him aren't budging. Independents' ratings of Trump have improved, but they are still more likely to disapprove than approve of the job he is doing.
The significance of the trend is clear. An approval rating near 50% greatly increases Trump's chances of being reelected, a prospect that seemed unlikely with his approval stuck near 40% for most of his term."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-19--US demands Russia release Ukrainians, calls situation ‘grim, dire'

The Trump administration has turned up the heat on Russia ’ s control of Ukraine ’ s Crimean Peninsula and demanded that Moscow release journalists and fishermen recently sized in the six-year clash .
`` The U.S. calls for the immediate release and return to Ukraine of all the Ukrainians unjustly held by Russia , and that includes these fishermen who were improperly seized , ” said James S. Gilmore III , the U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation .
Gilmore has focused on efforts to end the Russian military takeover of the territory , and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the annexation .
“ We 're really coming into a rather grim anniversary , ” the former Virginia governor told reporters in a conference call .
He dismissed those who ’ ve suggested that the situation is a regional affair , an off-shoot of local fights during the Soviet era , and said that Moscow is breaking international law .
“ Unfortunately , Russia has chosen to ignore these commitments or the rules of engagement when they sent troops and saboteurs into the Crimean Peninsula and into eastern Ukraine .
Now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is some type of just local conflict of some kind in the former Soviet space , but it goes really to the fundamental principles of how peace is going to be maintained in Europe and beyond , and throws all of that into doubt .
Now , the situation in Russia-occupied Crimea is very dire , ” he said .
Gilmore noted that Russia has arrested journalists and recently expanded its control to the Sea of Azov bordered by Crimea , Ukraine , and Russia , seizing three Ukraine fishermen in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an effort to try to actually take over and capture the Sea of Azov completely , which is not proper .
There ’ s no international law that supports that .
These people should not be taken in this way , ” said the ambassador .

The Trump administration has turned up the heat on Russia’s control of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and demanded that Moscow release journalists and fishermen recently sized in the six-year clash.
"The U.S. calls for the immediate release and return to Ukraine of all the Ukrainians unjustly held by Russia, and that includes these fishermen who were improperly seized,” said James S. Gilmore III, the U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation.
Gilmore has focused on efforts to end the Russian military takeover of the territory, and he drew attention to the coming six-year anniversary of the annexation.
"The U.S. calls for the immediate release and return to Ukraine of all the Ukrainians unjustly held by Russia, and that includes these fishermen who were improperly seized." The transcript from my interview yesterday is available here: https://t.co/AKof7LjtpX pic.twitter.com/PDPkREHCxR — Ambassador James S. Gilmore III (@USAmbOSCE) February 19, 2020
“We're really coming into a rather grim anniversary,” the former Virginia governor told reporters in a conference call.
He dismissed those who’ve suggested that the situation is a regional affair, an off-shoot of local fights during the Soviet era, and said that Moscow is breaking international law.
“Unfortunately, Russia has chosen to ignore these commitments or the rules of engagement when they sent troops and saboteurs into the Crimean Peninsula and into eastern Ukraine. Now, some people on the call might think this is some type of just local conflict of some kind in the former Soviet space, but it goes really to the fundamental principles of how peace is going to be maintained in Europe and beyond, and throws all of that into doubt. Now, the situation in Russia-occupied Crimea is very dire,” he said.
Gilmore noted that Russia has arrested journalists and recently expanded its control to the Sea of Azov bordered by Crimea, Ukraine, and Russia, seizing three Ukraine fishermen in the area.
“This gives the appearance of an effort to try to actually take over and capture the Sea of Azov completely, which is not proper. There’s no international law that supports that. These people should not be taken in this way,” said the ambassador.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-02-20--MSNBC's Chris Matthews on Democratic debate: 'The boxing match in which no one pulled back'

MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews compared the harshness of the Las Vegas Democratic debate to an old boxing match from the 1950s after the candidates took repeated shots at one another .
Matthews , 74 , was on the network 's post-debate coverage Wednesday night when he discussed the brutality of the attacks from some candidates .
He began by saying the event was unlike anything he 's ever seen , calling it the equivalent of the `` Roman Colosseum '' before he began dropping the boxing reference .
`` It was boxing in the 1950s .
You wait for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone like that , to get a cut over their eye , and then you keep punching the cut over their eye over and over and over again .
That ’ s what they did to Bloomberg .
That ’ s what Elizabeth Warren did to Michael Bloomberg , '' he explained .
`` She knew his weakness was the [ nondisclosure agreements ] , and she kept punching the spot , and it kept bleeding and bleeding .
He had no way to stop it . ''
Sen. Elizabeth Warren , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specifically for his treatment of women and the litany of sexual harassment claims and settlements that have been made .
In addition to calling the Massachusetts senator a `` fighter '' who `` hit every other single candidate , '' Matthews also referenced former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg 's strategy of hitting Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota for not remembering the name of the Mexican president .
He said of Buttigieg 's attacks , `` He kept punching her weak spot , her wound over and over again .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which nobody pulled back and said , 'Enough , ' '' he added .
`` And nobody clenched .
Everybody kept fighting .
I ’ ll tell you , I think Trump probably likes the look of it .
I ’ m not sure he 's right .
On first view , it looks awful and bloody , everybody attacking each other .
Circular firing squad , all those cliches .
But maybe what we saw was a lot of passion . ''

MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews compared the harshness of the Las Vegas Democratic debate to an old boxing match from the 1950s after the candidates took repeated shots at one another.
Matthews, 74, was on the network's post-debate coverage Wednesday night when he discussed the brutality of the attacks from some candidates. He began by saying the event was unlike anything he's ever seen, calling it the equivalent of the "Roman Colosseum" before he began dropping the boxing reference.
"It was boxing in the 1950s. You wait for the other guy, Carmen Basilio, or someone like that, to get a cut over their eye, and then you keep punching the cut over their eye over and over and over again. That’s what they did to Bloomberg. That’s what Elizabeth Warren did to Michael Bloomberg," he explained. "She knew his weakness was the [nondisclosure agreements], and she kept punching the spot, and it kept bleeding and bleeding. He had no way to stop it."
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, as Matthews referenced, repeatedly hammered at Bloomberg specifically for his treatment of women and the litany of sexual harassment claims and settlements that have been made.
In addition to calling the Massachusetts senator a "fighter" who "hit every other single candidate," Matthews also referenced former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg's strategy of hitting Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota for not remembering the name of the Mexican president. He said of Buttigieg's attacks, "He kept punching her weak spot, her wound over and over again."
"It was the boxing match in which nobody pulled back and said, 'Enough,'" he added. "And nobody clenched. Everybody kept fighting. I’ll tell you, I think Trump probably likes the look of it. I’m not sure he's right. On first view, it looks awful and bloody, everybody attacking each other. Circular firing squad, all those cliches. But maybe what we saw was a lot of passion."