theguardian--2020-01-08--Trump sparked the Iran crisis. Now he must walk away from the brink of war | Michael H Fuchs

In the midst of a dangerous national security crisis like the situation with Iran , the chances for peace often rest on one side hitting the brakes .
It is time for the United States to de-escalate .
That is what a true global leader would do .
In the wake of the Iranian missile attack on Iraqi bases where US and Iraqi troops are stationed , the messages coming from both governments are mixed .
It ’ s hard to interpret any attack – even if in retaliation – as anything but dangerous and provocative .
But the lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran a face-saving way to show strength while avoiding massive escalation .
By not announcing more military action , Trump ’ s initial response could be viewed as avoiding further escalation as well .
But Trump ’ s litany of threats , increased sanctions , vague request that Nato get more involved in the region , and lack of strategy or goals are not exactly calming .
Trump ’ s policies of the last three years have done nothing but escalate tensions and brought us to the brink of war .
The danger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tit-for-tat escalation could spiral out of control even further .
America ’ s military capabilities are unparalleled and could cause unconscionable devastation .
Iran ’ s missiles can hit targets across the region , its proxies reach from Lebanon to Syria to Iraq , and America ’ s partners from Israel to Europe and beyond could be in Iran ’ s crosshairs .
A war with Iran of any sort – conventional , asymmetric , or proxy – would be terrible for all .
Iran ’ s attacks on Iraqi bases must be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not have to be – and should not be – a military one .
The only responsible path forward is a diplomatic one .
The United States can show that attacks against American troops are unacceptable while opening an off-ramp to de-escalation .
Great powers like America do not need to wield the sword to prove their strength ; true strength right now would be the world ’ s most powerful nation choosing restraint and diplomacy .
No one disputes America ’ s military power ; but with Trump in office , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America has the capacity to achieve its goals through peaceful means .
America must start to walk away from the brink right now .
The United States should convene an immediate session of the UN security council which includes Iran .
That would provide the United States the opportunity to condemn Iran ’ s actions and rally others to do the same , while also allowing Iranian officials to come to the UN headquarters to participate , thus creating a chance for a quiet meeting between US and Iranian officials .
Other diplomatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The United States must continue to enhance security measures to protect US personnel and interests around the world .
The missile attacks may be the extent of Iran ’ s retaliation , but there is certainly no guarantee of that .
There are many other steps Trump could take to change course – rejoin the nuclear deal , reverse sanctions , lift the travel ban on Iranians , etc – but we should have absolutely no faith in the ability or desire of the Trump administration to execute a responsible Iran policy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump withdrew from the deal that had stopped Iran ’ s nuclear weapons program , leading Iran to restart its nuclear program .
Trump ramped up economic pressure and sent more US troops to the region , and tensions grew .
Then the US killed Gen Qassem Suleimani , signaling a significant escalation , to which Iran responded with an attack on Iraqi bases where US and Iraqi troops are stationed .
It is up to Congress and the American people to force Trump to adopt a more pragmatic path .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive branch its authority to determine when America goes to war , and the current crisis with Iran is exactly the kind of moment that requires intense coordination between the legislative and executive branches .
The president can not start a war without congressional authorization , and with the erratic Trump in office , Congress must make that clear by cutting off the use of funds for war with Iran .
This is not just about how to de-escalate – it ’ s about recognizing that America fundamentally needs to change its disastrous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acute tensions is possible , the risks will remain as long as the United States pursues a reckless policy .
America is far worse off today towards Iran and in the Middle East than it was when Trump took office – even worse off than we were on 1 January 2020 .
Today , Iran is advancing its nuclear program , America has suspended its anti-Isis campaign , Iraq ’ s parliament has voted to evict US troops from the country , and we are in a dangerous military standoff with Iran .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult and this administration is not capable of it .
Over the long run , future administrations will need to reorient America ’ s goals and policies .
America needs to re-enter the nuclear deal and begin negotiations to strengthen it ; work with partners like Iraq – without a large US troop presence – in countering potential threats like a resurgence of Isis ; and adopt a broader regional policy that focuses on protecting US interests and standing up for human rights and democracy rather than picking sides in a regional civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arabia .
Achieving US goals in the region will not be possible with a mere de-escalation of tensions – we need to find a new path towards Iran and the Middle East .

In the midst of a dangerous national security crisis like the situation with Iran, the chances for peace often rest on one side hitting the brakes.
It is time for the United States to de-escalate. That is what a true global leader would do.
In the wake of the Iranian missile attack on Iraqi bases where US and Iraqi troops are stationed, the messages coming from both governments are mixed. It’s hard to interpret any attack – even if in retaliation – as anything but dangerous and provocative. But the lack of casualties from its attack could allow Iran a face-saving way to show strength while avoiding massive escalation.
By not announcing more military action, Trump’s initial response could be viewed as avoiding further escalation as well. But Trump’s litany of threats, increased sanctions, vague request that Nato get more involved in the region, and lack of strategy or goals are not exactly calming. Trump’s policies of the last three years have done nothing but escalate tensions and brought us to the brink of war.
The danger is still very real, and more tit-for-tat escalation could spiral out of control even further. America’s military capabilities are unparalleled and could cause unconscionable devastation. Iran’s missiles can hit targets across the region, its proxies reach from Lebanon to Syria to Iraq, and America’s partners from Israel to Europe and beyond could be in Iran’s crosshairs. A war with Iran of any sort – conventional, asymmetric, or proxy – would be terrible for all.
The only responsible path forward is a diplomatic one
Iran’s attacks on Iraqi bases must be condemned, but America’s response does not have to be – and should not be – a military one. The only responsible path forward is a diplomatic one. The United States can show that attacks against American troops are unacceptable while opening an off-ramp to de-escalation.
Great powers like America do not need to wield the sword to prove their strength; true strength right now would be the world’s most powerful nation choosing restraint and diplomacy. No one disputes America’s military power; but with Trump in office, it is very much in question whether America has the capacity to achieve its goals through peaceful means.
America must start to walk away from the brink right now. The United States should convene an immediate session of the UN security council which includes Iran. That would provide the United States the opportunity to condemn Iran’s actions and rally others to do the same, while also allowing Iranian officials to come to the UN headquarters to participate, thus creating a chance for a quiet meeting between US and Iranian officials. Other diplomatic channels should be pursued as well.
The United States must continue to enhance security measures to protect US personnel and interests around the world. The missile attacks may be the extent of Iran’s retaliation, but there is certainly no guarantee of that.
There are many other steps Trump could take to change course – rejoin the nuclear deal, reverse sanctions, lift the travel ban on Iranians, etc – but we should have absolutely no faith in the ability or desire of the Trump administration to execute a responsible Iran policy.
This crisis was sparked by Donald Trump. Trump withdrew from the deal that had stopped Iran’s nuclear weapons program, leading Iran to restart its nuclear program. Trump ramped up economic pressure and sent more US troops to the region, and tensions grew. Then the US killed Gen Qassem Suleimani , signaling a significant escalation, to which Iran responded with an attack on Iraqi bases where US and Iraqi troops are stationed.
America is far worse off today towards Iran and in the Middle East than it was when Trump took office
It is up to Congress and the American people to force Trump to adopt a more pragmatic path. For too long Congress has ceded to the executive branch its authority to determine when America goes to war, and the current crisis with Iran is exactly the kind of moment that requires intense coordination between the legislative and executive branches. The president cannot start a war without congressional authorization, and with the erratic Trump in office, Congress must make that clear by cutting off the use of funds for war with Iran.
This is not just about how to de-escalate – it’s about recognizing that America fundamentally needs to change its disastrous course. Even if de-escalation of the acute tensions is possible, the risks will remain as long as the United States pursues a reckless policy. America is far worse off today towards Iran and in the Middle East than it was when Trump took office – even worse off than we were on 1 January 2020. Today, Iran is advancing its nuclear program, America has suspended its anti-Isis campaign, Iraq’s parliament has voted to evict US troops from the country, and we are in a dangerous military standoff with Iran.
Digging out of this hole will be difficult and this administration is not capable of it. Over the long run, future administrations will need to reorient America’s goals and policies. America needs to re-enter the nuclear deal and begin negotiations to strengthen it; work with partners like Iraq – without a large US troop presence – in countering potential threats like a resurgence of Isis; and adopt a broader regional policy that focuses on protecting US interests and standing up for human rights and democracy rather than picking sides in a regional civil war between dictatorships like Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Achieving US goals in the region will not be possible with a mere de-escalation of tensions – we need to find a new path towards Iran and the Middle East.


theguardian--2020-01-08--Why I am endorsing Elizabeth Warren | Julián Castro

At an Elizabeth Warren rally in Brooklyn on Tuesday night , Julián Castro , who dropped out of the presidential race less than a week earlier , urged the audience to support Warren .
Here is an abridged version of his remarks : Now , as you all know , I also ran for president , and I ’ m proud of the campaign that we ran .
I ran for president because I have a vision for an America where everyone counts , where every voice is heard .
I ran for president because I felt tremendously blessed with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in life , and I wanted to make sure that everybody , no matter who you are , could have that same kind of opportunity .
Some of y ’ all know that I have a twin brother , Joaquín .
My brother is here tonight .
Don ’ t clap too loud , or I ’ m gon na get jealous .
You know , Joaquín and I grew up in the west side of San Antonio with my mother and my grandmother .
My grandmother had come over to the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her parents had passed away .
She never finished elementary school , so she worked as a maid , a cook , and a babysitter .
She raised our mother as a single parent .
And my mom raised my brother and me as a single parent , too .
We grew up and are proud products of the public schools of Texas .
And just to think that only two generations after our grandmother got here , like I bet a lot of your family members did , one of her grandsons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of her grandsons is representing the neighborhood she grew up in as a congressman for the 20th congressional district of Texas .
And chairing the Congressional Hispanic Caucus .
And the other one had the opportunity to serve in President Obama ’ s cabinet and to run for president of the United States of America .
That is America .
That is the possibility of our country .
That is the story of so many people in our country .
And now , I ’ m here because I believe in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that those same kind of opportunities that my brother and I were blessed with , and that so many people here as well have been fortunate to have , of a good education , of the chance to get a good job .
To get decent healthcare , to be able to reach for your dreams – that we make that possible for every single person in this country in the years to come .
And I had the opportunity to see all of the candidates .
At one time , y ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had 25 candidates that were running in this cycle .
Twenty-five .
I had the opportunity to see all of the candidates , to get to know many of the candidates , to understand them .
This is what I understand about Elizabeth Warren : she is a fighter for everyday Americans !
She ’ s a fighter because she has also struggled and lived that American dream .
Elizabeth Warren grew up the daughter of a janitor .
She grew up to become a public school teacher .
And a law professor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And a champion for consumers everywhere in this country .
She knows what sacrifice is like – after her father had a heart attack , her mom had to take a minimum-wage job at Sears to make ends meet .
She understands because she ’ s listened to people for many years , throughout this country .
She ’ s a fighter because she knows that too often the deck is stacked against people who just want a shot at reaching their dreams .
She knows that too often today in Washington , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can afford big lobbyists and lawyers to write in special provisions and legislation .
She knows that we need to get big money out of politics .
And let me tell you something , I don ’ t have to guess what kind of president she ’ s going to be , because I ’ ve seen firsthand what kind of a senator she is .
I had the opportunity to serve as secretary of housing and urban development for President Obama .
As part of that , I worked with Senator Warren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and finance committee that has jurisdiction over Hud , and I remember one day going to lunch and we were going to lunch in the Senate dining room , and I was , you know , looking forward to the lunch , and I thought that we ’ d have a nice leisurely lunch and you know , get to know each other and have some small talk .
Boy , was I in for a rude awakening .
She wasn ’ t there for small talk .
She was there to know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make sure that more people could stay in their homes .
She was there to know what we were gon na do to make sure that we saw to it that homeless people got a place to live .
She ’ s a fighter for everyday Americans that simply want a shot .
So I know that that ’ s the kind of president that she ’ s gon na be .
And here ’ s the thing .
We ’ re meeting at a very special moment in this entire campaign cycle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month away from when the voting starts in Iowa .
February 3rd is the Iowa caucus .
That ’ s right .
Twenty-seven days .
And look , I have tremendous respect for everybody who ’ s running in this race .
This is perhaps the most talented field of people – there ’ s an embarrassment of riches , of people who have a great vision , and great integrity , a great track record , experience .
It has been said many times in many different campaign seasons , but you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more true this year than ever before – any one of the folks that are running would make a better president than the president that we have sitting in the Oval Office today .
But here ’ s the thing that I saw : so many times when we would get out there and I ’ d be having a conversation with somebody and they ’ d be nodding their head in Des Moines or in Davenport , or somewhere in Iowa or in Manchester , New Hampshire , and I thought I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ d say you know , I really , really like you , I love what you ’ re talking about but , my first choice is Elizabeth Warren .
You ’ re in my top three , but my first choice is Elizabeth Warren .
More than any other candidate in this race , more than any other candidate that ’ s going to be on that debate stage in a few days , Elizabeth Warren is the candidate who can unite the entire Democratic party .
She can bring people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sides .
People believe in her vision .
You have a preponderance of younger voters , that support Elizabeth and older voters that also support Elizabeth .
You have people in small towns and people in big cities that support Elizabeth .
You have folks that are dreaming about a country that we can have that represents the best of who we are .
And think about what it ’ s going to take to defeat Donald Trump in November of 2020 .
Consistently , when you talk to people on the ground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warren .
You find that they ’ re willing to support her .
You find that she has the best damn organization in these early states .
In Iowa and New Hampshire and Nevada , all around our country .
The level of enthusiasm is tremendous .
And so I wanted to come here tonight to tell you that I am proud to support Senator Elizabeth Warren for president of the United States of America .
I ’ m proud to support her on behalf of all the people that we were fighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m proud to support her on behalf of every single person who is sleeping on the street tonight and needs a safe , decent , affordable place to live .
I ’ m proud to support her on behalf of people like Ms Swain that I met in Waukee , Iowa .
Who had lived in a trailer park for 40 years until she got a letter from a private equity group , telling her that they ’ d just bought out her trailer park and they were raising her rent more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to support Senator Warren on behalf of so many people who are going broke because they got sick .
Proud to support her on behalf of parents of children with disabilities who simply want to see their child be able to get the kind of education that they deserve .
And I ’ m proud to support her on behalf of each and every one of those migrants out there that is simply dreaming of a better life in the United States of America , so that we can say in the years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , no more separating families , no more playing games with people seeking asylum , we can do this in a better , more effective , more humane way .
And the person that is going to lead us to a better America for everyone is Senator Elizabeth Warren .
Help me welcome the next president of the United States of America , Elizabeth Warren .

At an Elizabeth Warren rally in Brooklyn on Tuesday night, Julián Castro, who dropped out of the presidential race less than a week earlier, urged the audience to support Warren. Here is an abridged version of his remarks:
Now, as you all know, I also ran for president, and I’m proud of the campaign that we ran. I ran for president because I have a vision for an America where everyone counts, where every voice is heard. I ran for president because I felt tremendously blessed with the opportunity that I’ve had in life, and I wanted to make sure that everybody, no matter who you are, could have that same kind of opportunity.
Some of y’all know that I have a twin brother, Joaquín. My brother is here tonight. Don’t clap too loud, or I’m gonna get jealous. You know, Joaquín and I grew up in the west side of San Antonio with my mother and my grandmother. My grandmother had come over to the United States in 1922 from northern Mexico because her parents had passed away. She never finished elementary school, so she worked as a maid, a cook, and a babysitter. She raised our mother as a single parent. And my mom raised my brother and me as a single parent, too. We grew up and are proud products of the public schools of Texas.
And just to think that only two generations after our grandmother got here, like I bet a lot of your family members did, one of her grandsons – she only had two grandkids – one of her grandsons is representing the neighborhood she grew up in as a congressman for the 20th congressional district of Texas. And chairing the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
And the other one had the opportunity to serve in President Obama’s cabinet and to run for president of the United States of America. That is America. That is the possibility of our country. That is the story of so many people in our country.
And now, I’m here because I believe in a person who is going to make sure that those same kind of opportunities that my brother and I were blessed with, and that so many people here as well have been fortunate to have, of a good education, of the chance to get a good job. To get decent healthcare, to be able to reach for your dreams – that we make that possible for every single person in this country in the years to come.
And I had the opportunity to see all of the candidates. At one time, y’all remember, at one time we had 25 candidates that were running in this cycle. Twenty-five. I had the opportunity to see all of the candidates, to get to know many of the candidates, to understand them. This is what I understand about Elizabeth Warren: she is a fighter for everyday Americans!
She’s a fighter because she has also struggled and lived that American dream. Elizabeth Warren grew up the daughter of a janitor. She grew up to become a public school teacher.
And a law professor. And a United States senator. And a champion for consumers everywhere in this country.
She knows what sacrifice is like – after her father had a heart attack, her mom had to take a minimum-wage job at Sears to make ends meet. She understands because she’s listened to people for many years, throughout this country. She’s a fighter because she knows that too often the deck is stacked against people who just want a shot at reaching their dreams. She knows that too often today in Washington, the power goes to special interests who can afford big lobbyists and lawyers to write in special provisions and legislation. She knows that we need to get big money out of politics.
And let me tell you something, I don’t have to guess what kind of president she’s going to be, because I’ve seen firsthand what kind of a senator she is.
I had the opportunity to serve as secretary of housing and urban development for President Obama.
As part of that, I worked with Senator Warren, who sits on the Senate banking and finance committee that has jurisdiction over Hud, and I remember one day going to lunch and we were going to lunch in the Senate dining room, and I was, you know, looking forward to the lunch, and I thought that we’d have a nice leisurely lunch and you know, get to know each other and have some small talk. Boy, was I in for a rude awakening.
She wasn’t there for small talk. She was there to know what I was going to do to make sure that more people could stay in their homes. She was there to know what we were gonna do to make sure that we saw to it that homeless people got a place to live.
She’s a fighter for everyday Americans that simply want a shot. So I know that that’s the kind of president that she’s gonna be. And here’s the thing. We’re meeting at a very special moment in this entire campaign cycle. We’re less than a month away from when the voting starts in Iowa. February 3rd is the Iowa caucus. That’s right. Twenty-seven days.
And look, I have tremendous respect for everybody who’s running in this race. This is perhaps the most talented field of people – there’s an embarrassment of riches, of people who have a great vision, and great integrity, a great track record, experience. It has been said many times in many different campaign seasons, but you know what? I think this is more true this year than ever before – any one of the folks that are running would make a better president than the president that we have sitting in the Oval Office today.
But here’s the thing that I saw: so many times when we would get out there and I’d be having a conversation with somebody and they’d be nodding their head in Des Moines or in Davenport, or somewhere in Iowa or in Manchester, New Hampshire, and I thought I had them sold on my candidacy, they’d say you know, I really, really like you, I love what you’re talking about but, my first choice is Elizabeth Warren.
You’re in my top three, but my first choice is Elizabeth Warren. More than any other candidate in this race, more than any other candidate that’s going to be on that debate stage in a few days, Elizabeth Warren is the candidate who can unite the entire Democratic party. She can bring people together. She can appeal to all sides. People believe in her vision.
You have a preponderance of younger voters, that support Elizabeth and older voters that also support Elizabeth. You have people in small towns and people in big cities that support Elizabeth. You have folks that are dreaming about a country that we can have that represents the best of who we are.
And think about what it’s going to take to defeat Donald Trump in November of 2020. Consistently, when you talk to people on the ground, you find that they like Elizabeth Warren. You find that they’re willing to support her. You find that she has the best damn organization in these early states. In Iowa and New Hampshire and Nevada, all around our country.
The level of enthusiasm is tremendous. And so I wanted to come here tonight to tell you that I am proud to support Senator Elizabeth Warren for president of the United States of America.
I’m proud to support her on behalf of all the people that we were fighting for in our campaign. I’m proud to support her on behalf of every single person who is sleeping on the street tonight and needs a safe, decent, affordable place to live.
I’m proud to support her on behalf of people like Ms Swain that I met in Waukee, Iowa. Who had lived in a trailer park for 40 years until she got a letter from a private equity group, telling her that they’d just bought out her trailer park and they were raising her rent more than 60%. I’m proud to support Senator Warren on behalf of so many people who are going broke because they got sick. Proud to support her on behalf of parents of children with disabilities who simply want to see their child be able to get the kind of education that they deserve.
And I’m proud to support her on behalf of each and every one of those migrants out there that is simply dreaming of a better life in the United States of America, so that we can say in the years to come no more kids in cages, no more separating families, no more playing games with people seeking asylum, we can do this in a better, more effective, more humane way.
And the person that is going to lead us to a better America for everyone is Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Help me welcome the next president of the United States of America, Elizabeth Warren.


theguardian--2020-01-08--Evangelicals using religion for political gain is nothing new. It is a US tradition | Reverend Willi

Evangelicals using religion for political gain is nothing new. It is a US tradition | Reverend William Barber

Last Friday the Trump 2020 campaign held its first rally at a megachurch .
King Jesus international ministries , located outside of Miami , Florida , hosted the Evangelicals for Trump Coalition kick-off .
Before boasting about his commitment to fight for the religious right ’ s agenda , the president bowed his head to receive prayers from prosperity preacher Paula White and other religious nationalists who offer spiritual cover for a corrupt and immoral administration .
As a bishop of the church , I am troubled anytime I see Christianity used to justify the injustice , deception , violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if Donald Trump had a perfect personal moral résumé , his policy agenda is an affront to God ’ s agenda to lift the poor and bless the marginalized .
The distorted moral narrative these so-called Evangelicals for Trump have embraced is contrary to God ’ s politics , which have nothing to do with being a Democrat or Republican .
But this misuse of religion is not new .
It has a long history in the American story .
When the segregationist George Wallace faced the moral challenge of Dr Martin Luther @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1960s Alabama , he also called upon religious leaders to vouch for him .
“ By no stretch of the imagination is George C Wallace a racist , ” Dr Henry L Lyon , the pastor of Montgomery ’ s Highland Avenue Baptist church , testified .
“ He has shown fairness to all people , regardless of race or color , ” the Rev RL Lawrence , a Methodist minister , concurred .
They were vouching for the same Wallace who had infamously declared in his inaugural address : “ Segregation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
” But they had adopted a false morality that framed King as an “ agitator ” and Wallace as a fair-minded defender of tradition and God ’ s good order .
This misuse of religion is , sadly , an American tradition .
Colonists who cheated Native Americans out of land and forced enslaved Africans to build a new nation worshiped a God whose demand for justice troubled their conscience .
“ I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just , ” Thomas Jefferson wrote , acknowledging the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberty he had appealed to in the Declaration of Independence and the practice of bondage that his plantation and the economy surrounding it depended upon .
This conflict did not only exist within Jefferson ’ s soul .
It divided every major denomination of the American church in the 19th century .
When abolitionists insisted on pointing out the immorality of human bondage , plantation owners responded by paying preachers and theologians to write justifications of race-based chattel slavery .
They imagined a world in which the bodies and souls of black Africans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white civilization .
Slavery was not simply a justifiable evil .
It was , according to America ’ s slaveholder religion , a positive good .
Just as they would argue in the 20th century that segregation was best for black and white people , evangelicals for Jefferson Davis contended that slavery was as good for the souls of black Africans as it was for the pocketbook of the plantation owner .
No one who has read American history can be surprised by the hypocrisy of Evangelicals for Trump .
But we can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will inevitably come from their public arrogance .
While Davis and Wallace had power , they did not have to listen to the cries of those who suffered from the injustice they used the Bible to justify .
They found religious leaders who were willing to tell them lies in order to have access to their power .
But the ignorance they intentionally cultivated led them to misjudge the political realities of their day .
The Confederate States of America could not last .
Wallace ’ s 1968 run for president revealed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theme of false religionists lying to despotic rulers runs throughout the Bible .
Moses and Miriam had to contend with pharaoh ’ s religionists in Egypt , just as Elijah had to face the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel .
When Jesus proclaimed good news to the poor in ancient Palestine , he had to deal with religious leaders who twisted scripture to support the same governing authorities that had sought to kill him when he was a baby .
Religious hypocrisy is not new .
But Jesus and the prophets of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this abuse of the holy .
“ Do you expect me to overlook obscene wealth you ’ ve piled up by cheating and fraud ?
” God asks through the prophet Micah .
“ Do you think I ’ ll tolerate shady deals and shifty scheming ?
I ’ m tired of the violent rich bullying their way with bluffs and lies.
” These are the biblical values we have heard too little about in our public life .
Yes , there is a circle of Evangelicals for Trump who speak loudly about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with scripture .
But that circle pales in comparison to the great cloud of moral witnesses that stretches from Moses and Miriam to Micah and Elijah ; from Jesus and the disciples to Fredrick Douglass and Lucretia Mott ; from Ella Baker and Martin Luther King to the moral movements for justice and equity in our world today .
These moral witnesses have shown us what it means to push this nation toward a more perfect union .
They have demonstrated what true faith in public life looks like .
In this moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a coalition of moral witnesses for truth .
• None William J Barber , II is co-chair of the Poor People ’ s Campaign : A National Call for Moral Revival , which is mobilizing poor people and their allies for a mass assembly and march on Washington in June 2020

Last Friday the Trump 2020 campaign held its first rally at a megachurch. King Jesus international ministries, located outside of Miami, Florida, hosted the Evangelicals for Trump Coalition kick-off. Before boasting about his commitment to fight for the religious right’s agenda, the president bowed his head to receive prayers from prosperity preacher Paula White and other religious nationalists who offer spiritual cover for a corrupt and immoral administration.
As a bishop of the church, I am troubled anytime I see Christianity used to justify the injustice, deception, violence and oppression that God hates. Even if Donald Trump had a perfect personal moral résumé, his policy agenda is an affront to God’s agenda to lift the poor and bless the marginalized. The distorted moral narrative these so-called Evangelicals for Trump have embraced is contrary to God’s politics, which have nothing to do with being a Democrat or Republican. But this misuse of religion is not new. It has a long history in the American story.
When the segregationist George Wallace faced the moral challenge of Dr Martin Luther King Jr and the civil rights movement in 1960s Alabama, he also called upon religious leaders to vouch for him. “By no stretch of the imagination is George C Wallace a racist,” Dr Henry L Lyon, the pastor of Montgomery’s Highland Avenue Baptist church, testified. “He has shown fairness to all people, regardless of race or color,” the Rev RL Lawrence, a Methodist minister, concurred. They were vouching for the same Wallace who had infamously declared in his inaugural address: “Segregation yesterday, segregation today, segregation forever!” But they had adopted a false morality that framed King as an “agitator” and Wallace as a fair-minded defender of tradition and God’s good order.
This misuse of religion is, sadly, an American tradition. Colonists who cheated Native Americans out of land and forced enslaved Africans to build a new nation worshiped a God whose demand for justice troubled their conscience. “I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just,” Thomas Jefferson wrote, acknowledging the basic moral contradiction between the principle of liberty he had appealed to in the Declaration of Independence and the practice of bondage that his plantation and the economy surrounding it depended upon. This conflict did not only exist within Jefferson’s soul. It divided every major denomination of the American church in the 19th century.
When abolitionists insisted on pointing out the immorality of human bondage, plantation owners responded by paying preachers and theologians to write justifications of race-based chattel slavery. They imagined a world in which the bodies and souls of black Africans were dependent on the paternalistic supervision of white civilization. Slavery was not simply a justifiable evil. It was, according to America’s slaveholder religion, a positive good. Just as they would argue in the 20th century that segregation was best for black and white people, evangelicals for Jefferson Davis contended that slavery was as good for the souls of black Africans as it was for the pocketbook of the plantation owner.
No one who has read American history can be surprised by the hypocrisy of Evangelicals for Trump. But we can learn from the history how their undoing will inevitably come from their public arrogance. While Davis and Wallace had power, they did not have to listen to the cries of those who suffered from the injustice they used the Bible to justify. They found religious leaders who were willing to tell them lies in order to have access to their power. But the ignorance they intentionally cultivated led them to misjudge the political realities of their day. The Confederate States of America could not last. Wallace’s 1968 run for president revealed the limits of his political imagination.
Religious hypocrisy is not new. But Jesus and the prophets of the Bible make clear that God hates this abuse of the holy
This theme of false religionists lying to despotic rulers runs throughout the Bible. Moses and Miriam had to contend with pharaoh’s religionists in Egypt, just as Elijah had to face the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel. When Jesus proclaimed good news to the poor in ancient Palestine, he had to deal with religious leaders who twisted scripture to support the same governing authorities that had sought to kill him when he was a baby.
Religious hypocrisy is not new. But Jesus and the prophets of the Bible make clear that God hates this abuse of the holy. “Do you expect me to overlook obscene wealth you’ve piled up by cheating and fraud?” God asks through the prophet Micah. “Do you think I’ll tolerate shady deals and shifty scheming? I’m tired of the violent rich bullying their way with bluffs and lies.” These are the biblical values we have heard too little about in our public life.
Yes, there is a circle of Evangelicals for Trump who speak loudly about values they have long tried to associate with scripture. But that circle pales in comparison to the great cloud of moral witnesses that stretches from Moses and Miriam to Micah and Elijah; from Jesus and the disciples to Fredrick Douglass and Lucretia Mott; from Ella Baker and Martin Luther King to the moral movements for justice and equity in our world today. These moral witnesses have shown us what it means to push this nation toward a more perfect union. They have demonstrated what true faith in public life looks like. In this moment, we must remember and follow them as a coalition of moral witnesses for truth.


theguardian--2020-01-08--Iran crisis: Donald Trump receives praise and calls for caution after missile strike – video report

The US president announced on Wednesday that Iran appeared to be 'standing down ' after it launched more than a @ @ @ @ @ hosting US and coalition troops .
While Israel 's prime minister , Benjamin Netanyahu , @ @ @ @ @ US president , other world leaders struck a more cautious note .
European commission president @ @ @ @ @ for dialogue to replace the use of weapons .
In Washington , the US Senate @ @ @ @ @ Americans now feared for their safety .

The US president announced on Wednesday that Iran appeared to be 'standing down' after it launched more than a dozen missiles at Iraqi bases hosting US and coalition troops.
While Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, showed his support for the US president, other world leaders struck a more cautious note. European commission president Ursula von der Leyen called for dialogue to replace the use of weapons.
In Washington, the US Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said Americans now feared for their safety.


theguardian--2020-01-08--'We eliminated the world’s top terrorist,' Trump says as he imposes fresh sanctions on Iran – video

Donald Trump described the missile assassination of the Iranian general Qassem Suleimani as 'decisive action to stop a ruthless terrorist @ @ @ @ @ 'Last week we eliminated the world ’ s top terrorist . '
Additional economic sanctions @ @ @ @ @ the White House conference as Trump called for Europe to break away from the 'foolish @ @ @

Donald Trump described the missile assassination of the Iranian general Qassem Suleimani as 'decisive action to stop a ruthless terrorist', before adding: 'Last week we eliminated the world’s top terrorist.'
Additional economic sanctions on Iran were announced during the White House conference as Trump called for Europe to break away from the 'foolish' nuclear deal


theguardian--2020-01-09--Trump backs away from further military confrontation with Iran

Donald Trump backed away from further military confrontation with Iran on Wednesday after days of escalating tensions , saying Tehran appeared to be standing down following missile attacks on two Iraqi bases hosting US and coalition troops .
Flanked by the vice-president , Mike Pence , the defense secretary , Mark Esper , and other high ranking military officials in uniform , Trump delivered remarks in the Grand Foyer of the White House , hours after Iran declared the attack to be retaliation for the US drone strike last week that killed the senior Iranian Gen Qassem Suleimani .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is a good thing for all parties concerned and a very good thing for the world , ” Trump said , reading from teleprompters .
“ No American or Iraqi lives were lost because of the precautions taken , the dispersal of forces , and an early warning system that worked very well.
” Later , the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff , General Mark Milley , said the nature of the missile damage at the targeted bases suggested the attack was intended to take US and allied lives .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I saw and what I know , that they were intended to cause structural damage , destroy vehicles and equipment and aircraft and to kill personnel .
That ’ s my own personal assessment , ” Milley said .
Satellite images showed the missiles destroyed buildings at al-Asad base in Anbar province .
A few hours after the president spoke , the fortified diplomatic area in Baghdad , the Green Zone , was hit by two rockets .
Initial reports suggest they were fired locally , and caused no casualties , but they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraqi militias , some with close ties to Tehran .
Trump ’ s speech was notably more sober than his more bellicose statements and tweets in the immediate aftermath of Suleimani ’ s killing , in which he threatened to bomb Iranian cultural sites , a potential war crime .
The United States , in recent days , deployed 3,500 paratroopers to the Middle East and Americans were urged to leave the region over safety concerns .
Trump said the United States would continue evaluating options “ in response to Iranian aggression ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regime would be imposed .
He did not elaborate .
Iran is already so heavily sanctioned that few experts believe that further US measures would make much economic difference .
The president stressed the considerable power of the United States military but said that his administration did not seek conflict .
“ Our missiles are big , powerful accurate lethal and fast .
Under construction are many hypersonic missiles , ” Trump said .
“ The fact that we have this great military and equipment , however , it does not mean we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not want to use it.
” The president , who is campaigning for re-election in November , has faced fierce criticism from senior Democrats in recent days over his administration ’ s handling of the standoff .
Joe Biden , the former vice-president seen as the frontrunner for the presidential nomination , accused Trump brought the United States “ dangerously close ” to war with Iran .
Senior administration officials briefed Congress behind closed doors on the decision to target Suleimani and other aspects of the crisis , but they were castigated on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evasive on major issues .
“ There were so many important questions that they did not answer , ” said Democratic senator Chuck Schumer .
“ As the questions began to get tough , they walked out.
” Republican senator Mike Lee called it “ the worst briefing I ’ ve had on a military issue in my nine years ” in the Senate , according to CNN .
Lee called the administration ’ s handling of the crisis “ un-American ” and “ completely unacceptable ” .
On Thursday , the House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powers resolution that demands an end to US military action against Iran without congressional approval .
Trump ’ s address came after Iran launched more than a dozen missiles at Iraqi bases hosting US and coalition troops .
Al-Asad airbase in Iraq ’ s Anbar province was hit 17 times , including by two ballistic missiles that failed to detonate , according to the Iraqi government .
A further five missiles were targeted at a base in the northern city of Erbil in the assault , which began at about 1.30am local time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UN secretary general , the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations , Majid Takht Ravanchi , described the strikes as a “ measured and proportionate ” act of self-defence permitted under the UN Charter , adding that Iran “ does not seek escalation or war ” .
However , while both sides appeared to step back from confrontation in the short term , analysts have warned that the standoff may continue to play out through proxies in the Middle East .
Security experts have also warned of possible Iranian cyber attacks on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader , Ali Khamenei , described the bombings as “ a slap in the face ” for the US but warned Tehran still had a wider goal of expelling its enemy from the region .
The Iranian president , Hassan Rouhani , said the “ final answer ” to the assassination would be to “ kick all US forces out of the region ” .
In his Wednesday address , Trump again vowed that he would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon and urged world powers to quit a 2015 nuclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 and work for a new deal , an issue that has been at the heart of rising tensions between Washington and Tehran .
Iran has denied it seeks nuclear weapons , and rejected new talks .
“ The time has come for the United Kingdom , Germany , France , Russia and China to recognize this reality , ” Trump said .
“ They must now break away from the remnants of the Iran deal or JCPOA .
And we must all work together toward making a deal with Iran , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peaceful place.
” Trump also said he would ask Nato to “ become much more involved in the Middle East process ” , without elaborating .
Trump in the past has repeatedly criticized the alliance and further alienated his European partners by failing to warn them about the Suleimani killing .
There was no immediate reaction from Iranian officials to Trump ’ s comments .
The semi-official Fars news agency described the US president ’ s remarks as a “ big retreat from threats ” .
Ned Price , a former CIA official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council during Barack Obama ’ s administration , said that the speech had moved the United States somewhat away from the brink of war with Iran .
“ President Trump ’ s reckless approach has created a dangerous reality in which the best case scenario would be avoiding war with Iran , ” Price said .
“ With his address today , Trump may have met that exceedingly low bar , but just barely .
At the same time , his actions are not consequence-free .
Far from it , as Americans around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under increased threat from an array of challenges.
” But Price also noted that by authorizing the Suleimani killing , Trump had “ galvanized Tehran ’ s proxy and military forces into action ” .
“ If history is any guide , they will seek to take on a months ’ or even years ’ -long effort to seek vengeance for Suleimani ’ s death , taking advantage of their presence throughout the region and even beyond , ” Price added .
Additional reporting : Michael Safi in Beirut , Oliver Holmes and @ @ @ @

Daniel Strauss and Julian Borger in Washington

Donald Trump backed away from further military confrontation with Iran on Wednesday after days of escalating tensions, saying Tehran appeared to be standing down following missile attacks on two Iraqi bases hosting US and coalition troops.
Flanked by the vice-president, Mike Pence, the defense secretary, Mark Esper, and other high ranking military officials in uniform, Trump delivered remarks in the Grand Foyer of the White House, hours after Iran declared the attack to be retaliation for the US drone strike last week that killed the senior Iranian Gen Qassem Suleimani.
“Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned and a very good thing for the world,” Trump said, reading from teleprompters. “No American or Iraqi lives were lost because of the precautions taken, the dispersal of forces, and an early warning system that worked very well.”
Later, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General Mark Milley, said the nature of the missile damage at the targeted bases suggested the attack was intended to take US and allied lives.
“I believe, based on what I saw and what I know, that they were intended to cause structural damage, destroy vehicles and equipment and aircraft and to kill personnel. That’s my own personal assessment,” Milley said. Satellite images showed the missiles destroyed buildings at al-Asad base in Anbar province.
A few hours after the president spoke, the fortified diplomatic area in Baghdad, the Green Zone, was hit by two rockets. Initial reports suggest they were fired locally, and caused no casualties, but they were a reminder of the threat of Iraqi militias, some with close ties to Tehran.
00:33 Blasts and sirens heard in Baghdad's Green Zone – video
Trump’s speech was notably more sober than his more bellicose statements and tweets in the immediate aftermath of Suleimani’s killing, in which he threatened to bomb Iranian cultural sites, a potential war crime. The United States, in recent days, deployed 3,500 paratroopers to the Middle East and Americans were urged to leave the region over safety concerns.
Trump said the United States would continue evaluating options “in response to Iranian aggression” and that additional sanctions on the Iranian regime would be imposed. He did not elaborate. Iran is already so heavily sanctioned that few experts believe that further US measures would make much economic difference.
The president stressed the considerable power of the United States military but said that his administration did not seek conflict.
“Our missiles are big, powerful accurate lethal and fast. Under construction are many hypersonic missiles,” Trump said. “The fact that we have this great military and equipment, however, it does not mean we have to use it. We do not want to use it.”
The president, who is campaigning for re-election in November, has faced fierce criticism from senior Democrats in recent days over his administration’s handling of the standoff. Joe Biden, the former vice-president seen as the frontrunner for the presidential nomination, accused Trump brought the United States “dangerously close” to war with Iran.
Senior administration officials briefed Congress behind closed doors on the decision to target Suleimani and other aspects of the crisis, but they were castigated on both sides of the aisle for being evasive on major issues.
“There were so many important questions that they did not answer,” said Democratic senator Chuck Schumer. “As the questions began to get tough, they walked out.”
Republican senator Mike Lee called it “the worst briefing I’ve had on a military issue in my nine years” in the Senate, according to CNN. Lee called the administration’s handling of the crisis “un-American” and “completely unacceptable”.
On Thursday, the House of Representatives will vote on a war powers resolution that demands an end to US military action against Iran without congressional approval.
Trump’s address came after Iran launched more than a dozen missiles at Iraqi bases hosting US and coalition troops. Al-Asad airbase in Iraq’s Anbar province was hit 17 times, including by two ballistic missiles that failed to detonate, according to the Iraqi government. A further five missiles were targeted at a base in the northern city of Erbil in the assault, which began at about 1.30am local time on Wednesday.
In a letter to the UN secretary general, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations, Majid Takht Ravanchi, described the strikes as a “measured and proportionate” act of self-defence permitted under the UN Charter, adding that Iran “does not seek escalation or war”.
However, while both sides appeared to step back from confrontation in the short term, analysts have warned that the standoff may continue to play out through proxies in the Middle East. Security experts have also warned of possible Iranian cyber attacks on critical infrastructure.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, described the bombings as “a slap in the face” for the US but warned Tehran still had a wider goal of expelling its enemy from the region. The Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, said the “final answer” to the assassination would be to “kick all US forces out of the region”.
In his Wednesday address, Trump again vowed that he would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon and urged world powers to quit a 2015 nuclear accord with Iran that Washington abandoned in 2018 and work for a new deal, an issue that has been at the heart of rising tensions between Washington and Tehran. Iran has denied it seeks nuclear weapons, and rejected new talks.
“The time has come for the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia and China to recognize this reality,” Trump said. “They must now break away from the remnants of the Iran deal or JCPOA. And we must all work together toward making a deal with Iran, that makes the world a safer and more peaceful place.”
Trump also said he would ask Nato to “become much more involved in the Middle East process”, without elaborating. Trump in the past has repeatedly criticized the alliance and further alienated his European partners by failing to warn them about the Suleimani killing.
There was no immediate reaction from Iranian officials to Trump’s comments. The semi-official Fars news agency described the US president’s remarks as a “big retreat from threats”.
Ned Price, a former CIA official who also worked on the National Security Council during Barack Obama’s administration, said that the speech had moved the United States somewhat away from the brink of war with Iran.
“President Trump’s reckless approach has created a dangerous reality in which the best case scenario would be avoiding war with Iran,” Price said. “With his address today, Trump may have met that exceedingly low bar, but just barely. At the same time, his actions are not consequence-free. Far from it, as Americans around the world and our partners are now under increased threat from an array of challenges.”
But Price also noted that by authorizing the Suleimani killing, Trump had “galvanized Tehran’s proxy and military forces into action”.
“If history is any guide, they will seek to take on a months’ or even years’-long effort to seek vengeance for Suleimani’s death, taking advantage of their presence throughout the region and even beyond,” Price added.
Additional reporting: Michael Safi in Beirut, Oliver Holmes and Ghaith Abdul-Ahad in Baghdad


theguardian--2020-01-09--Congress to vote on curbing president's war powers – as it happened

Here is some more reaction from both sides of the aisle - but in surprisingly parallel directions , rather than the usual polar opposite .
Democratic 2020 candidate Cory Booker just tweeted about the Capitol Hill briefing on the US-Iran crisis .
Booker and other Democrats running for president have had their campaigns rudely interrupted by the rising tension over Iran .
Less prominent 2020 candidate Tulsi Gabbard was , seconds ago , on CNN saying more or less the same thing .
Meanwhile , Republican maverick Senators of the day , Rand Paul of Kentucky , and Utah ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Lee told Fox News that the congressional briefing was “ lame ” and that it was “ wrong ” for the senior Trump administration briefers - the secretary of state , defense secretary , chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and director of the CIA - to tell GOP members of congress that there must be “ no dissension ” in the ranks over any warlike actions from Donald Trump .
It seems the members were given very luke warm , unreassuring assurances over whether Congress would be involved in any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran .
Lee called it the worst briefing he ’ d ever heard in his nine years in the Senate .
Republican senator Mike Lee blasts the Trump administrations post-Iran briefing , says they were told they could not dissent from Trump , could n't debate it , and if Trump needed justification to go to war `` I 'm sure we could think of something '' pic.twitter.com/bfyPqoSf8c

Maanvi Singh in San Francisco (now) and Joanna Walters in New York (earlier)

9 Jan 2020 00.10 GMT Lindsey Graham said that fellow Republican senators Mike Lee and Rand Paul were “overreacting” and that those seeking to limit the president’s war powers were “empowering the enemy”. Just asked Graham about the criticism from Paul and Lee over Iran briefing. “I think they’re overreacting. I’m going to let people know ..to play this game with the war powers act, which I think is unconstitutional, is that whether you mean to or not, you’re empowering the enemy” pic.twitter.com/pnlISwkORb — Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 8, 2020 Lee told Fox News that it was “wrong” for the Trump administration to insist that there must be “no dissension” in the GOP over warlike actions from the president.
8 Jan 2020 23.45 GMT In the aftermath of the Iran missile attacks, there’s been a spread of online disinformation. The Guardian’s Jim Waterson reports: Iran’s missile attacks on two Iraqi airbases have been accompanied by a spread of online disinformation, falsely labelled images and claims of news sources being hacked, which have added to jitters in the region regarding the attacks. Iranian state television said on Wednesday that at least 80 “American terrorists” were killed, despite the US making clear that it had not sustained any casualties as a result of rocket attacks on Iraqi military bases hosting American troops. The attacks occurred in retaliation for the US’s assassination of the powerful Iranian general Qassem Suleimani. Iran has a long history of running state-backed disinformation campaigns which attempt to influence opinion overseas, with Facebook regularly banning Iranian pages it believes are spreading false and divisive material aimed at audiences in the US and UK. Twitter suspended an account impersonating the Israeli journalist Jack Khoury, which had been used to promote false claims that hundreds of US soldiers had been injured in the attacks and claimed they had been secretly evacuated to a hospital in Tel Aviv by a military aircraft. False claims spread online after Iran missile attack on Iraqi airbases Read more
8 Jan 2020 22.44 GMT Top US General: Iran intended to kill Americans The chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, Mark Milley, told reporters that Iran’s missile attack had been intended to kill American personnel and cause damage to the al-Asad airbase. “I believe, based on what I saw and what I know, is that (the strikes) were intended to cause structural damage, destroy vehicles and equipment and aircraft and to kill personnel. That’s my own personal assessment,” Milley said. “But the analytics is in the hands of professional intelligence analysts. So they’re looking at that.” The defense secretary, Mark Esper, said the intent has yet to be determined.
Updated at 22.54 GMT
8 Jan 2020 22.23 GMT Evening summary Hello again, US politics watchers, I take my leave now after a lively day but hand you over to my colleague, Maanvi Singh, in California to take you through the next few hours of US-involved geopolitical events and reaction here in the United States. Key events so far today: The US House will vote tomorrow on new legislation to curb the president’s war powers, after Donald Trump failed to consult or inform Congress before he ordered the assassination of Iranian general Qassem Suleimani last week.
tomorrow on new legislation to curb the president’s war powers, after Donald Trump failed to consult or inform Congress before he ordered the assassination of Iranian general last week. Rockets have been falling in the heavily-fortified “Green Zone” around the US Embassy and military facilities in Baghdad . Details scarce so far.
and military facilities in . Details scarce so far. Boris Johnson and Justin Trudeau spoke on the phone about the US-Iranian crisis and the crash of a Ukrainian flight outside Tehran earlier today in which many Canadian passengers were killed.
and spoke on the phone about the US-Iranian crisis and the crash of a Ukrainian flight outside Tehran earlier today in which many Canadian passengers were killed. The British foreign secretary, Dominic Raab , and US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo , are meeting in Washington this hour.
, and US secretary of state, , are meeting in Washington this hour. Donald Trump gave a live televised address at the White House this morning, in which he said “Iran appears to be standing down” after its relatively restrained missile strike on US facilities in Iraq overnight, and pledged more sanctions against Iran, but also appealed to the Islamic republic to explored “shared priorities” with the US, such as Islamic State.
8 Jan 2020 21.59 GMT “No evidence of imminent threat” - Booker Here is some more reaction from both sides of the aisle - but in surprisingly parallel directions, rather than the usual polar opposite. Democratic 2020 candidate Cory Booker just tweeted about the Capitol Hill briefing on the US-Iran crisis. Just stepped out of a 75-minute briefing regarding President Trump’s military actions in Iraq—we were provided no evidence of an imminent threat. I remain deeply skeptical that he had justification for this attack. — Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) January 8, 2020 Booker and other Democrats running for president have had their campaigns rudely interrupted by the rising tension over Iran. Cory Booker on the campaign trail in Iowa yesterday. The Iowa caucuses on February 3 will be the first voting event in the Democratic party process to nominate its 2020 candidate to face Donald Trump at the election in November Photograph: Patrick Semansky/AP Less prominent 2020 candidate Tulsi Gabbard was, seconds ago, on CNN saying more or less the same thing. Meanwhile, Republican maverick Senators of the day, Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Utah’s Mike Lee, are also exasperated. Lee told Fox News that the congressional briefing was “lame” and that it was “wrong” for the senior Trump administration briefers - the secretary of state, defense secretary, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and director of the CIA - to tell GOP members of congress that there must be “no dissension” in the ranks over any warlike actions from Donald Trump. It seems the members were given very luke warm, unreassuring assurances over whether Congress would be involved in any near future further actions of aggression towards Iran. Lee called it the worst briefing he’d ever heard in his nine years in the Senate. Republican senator Mike Lee blasts the Trump administrations post-Iran briefing, says they were told they could not dissent from Trump, couldn't debate it, and if Trump needed justification to go to war "I'm sure we could think of something" pic.twitter.com/bfyPqoSf8c — Andrew Lawrence (@ndrew_lawrence) January 8, 2020
Updated at 22.12 GMT


theguardian--2020-01-09--If your customers are left-leaning, Twitter could be the place for you | Gene Marks

Thinking of expanding your small business ’ s presence on social media ?
It ’ s important to know your demographics .
If you ’ re targeting Twitter as your platform , then know this : those demographics are definitely going to be left of center .
That ’ s the conclusion from a study released recently by the Knight Foundation .
The foundation , in order to , as they say , “ better understand the landscape of political news and engagement on Twitter ” , funded a two-part project that looked at more than 86m tweets for clues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that journalists play .
Their conclusion : Twitter is left-leaning .
How much so ?
According to the study ’ s authors , their scoring analysis found that over half ( 57 % ) of the users they looked at were what they defined as “ center-left ” and another 10 % were classified as “ extreme left ” .
Only 8 % of users were considered to be “ center-right ” with the remainder being at the extreme right .
Not only is Twitter skewed heavily to the left , but that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ study ’ s data revealed that the center and extreme left were the most vocal and engaged segments , particularly when it came to current political news .
That means that their views tended to be overrepresented .
“ Most Twitter users , even those with a relatively diverse following , are likely seeing a left-skewed version of politics , ” the authors concluded .
Why is this important data for business owners ?
It ’ s because Twitter is mostly made up of a specific type of demographic .
“ It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distorted mirror of Americans ’ political views , ” says the study ’ s authors .
“ Moderate conservative voices who might share information diets and views closer to their center-left counterparts are largely absent on Twitter .
This may shed at least some light as to why political discussions on the platform often feel like a thorny environment for finding common ground.
” This is the Twitter community .
Is that good or bad for your company ?
That depends .
As small business owners , we have lots of options – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for spending our limited marketing money .
Choosing the right platform can make the difference between growth or failure .
Social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook have grown significantly in popularity over the past decade and many social media pundits say our businesses need a presence there or risk losing out .
But the smartest business owners I know choose where they spend their time and money wisely .
They figure out where their customers ( and prospective customers ) are and invest in those areas .
Are your customers – or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter ?
If your company sells products or provides services that would appeal more to a left-leaning or progressive audience , then good for you : Twitter could be a great place .
If you ’ re left-leaning , active politically and want a forum to express your views without fearing that some of your customers may take offense , then Twitter might be a less risky outlet .
But just be careful .
It ’ s an election year .
Choosing the wrong audience to sell your products or express your political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – could be harmful to your business .
On Twitter , that audience is left of center .
For your business , that may be a good thing .
Or maybe not .

Thinking of expanding your small business’s presence on social media? It’s important to know your demographics. If you’re targeting Twitter as your platform, then know this: those demographics are definitely going to be left of center.
That’s the conclusion from a study released recently by the Knight Foundation. The foundation, in order to, as they say, “better understand the landscape of political news and engagement on Twitter”, funded a two-part project that looked at more than 86m tweets for clues about the Twitter audience and the role that journalists play.
Their conclusion: Twitter is left-leaning. How much so? According to the study’s authors, their scoring analysis found that over half (57%) of the users they looked at were what they defined as “center-left” and another 10% were classified as “extreme left”. Only 8% of users were considered to be “center-right” with the remainder being at the extreme right.
Not only is Twitter skewed heavily to the left, but that population is also the loudest. The study’s data revealed that the center and extreme left were the most vocal and engaged segments, particularly when it came to current political news. That means that their views tended to be overrepresented. “Most Twitter users, even those with a relatively diverse following, are likely seeing a left-skewed version of politics,” the authors concluded.
Why is this important data for business owners?
It’s because Twitter is mostly made up of a specific type of demographic. “It is important to recognize that Twitter is a distorted mirror of Americans’ political views,” says the study’s authors. “Moderate conservative voices who might share information diets and views closer to their center-left counterparts are largely absent on Twitter. This may shed at least some light as to why political discussions on the platform often feel like a thorny environment for finding common ground.”
This is the Twitter community. Is that good or bad for your company? That depends.
As small business owners, we have lots of options – some believe almost too many options – for spending our limited marketing money. Choosing the right platform can make the difference between growth or failure. Social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook have grown significantly in popularity over the past decade and many social media pundits say our businesses need a presence there or risk losing out. But the smartest business owners I know choose where they spend their time and money wisely. They figure out where their customers (and prospective customers) are and invest in those areas.
Are your customers – or prospective customers – likely to be on Twitter? If your company sells products or provides services that would appeal more to a left-leaning or progressive audience, then good for you: Twitter could be a great place. If you’re left-leaning, active politically and want a forum to express your views without fearing that some of your customers may take offense, then Twitter might be a less risky outlet.
But just be careful. It’s an election year. Choosing the wrong audience to sell your products or express your political views to – particularly in these times – could be harmful to your business. On Twitter, that audience is left of center. For your business, that may be a good thing. Or maybe not.


theguardian--2020-01-09--House votes to limit Donald Trump's war powers amid Iran crisis – live

A Super Pac set up to help defeat the Senate majority leader , Mitch McConnell , is releasing its first attack ad against the top Kentucky Republican .
The 46-second web ad by the “ Fire Mitch .
Save America ” Super Pac is a compilation of clips of late night hosts lambasting McConnell .
It starts with Daily Show comedian Trevor Noah saying McConnell is “ truly the perfect movie villain ” while images of McConnell on the Senate floor and smiling directly into the camera .
The ad shows a clip of comedian Samantha Bee saying “ McConnell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s like the kidney stone of the Senate.
” Thr MSNBC host Joe Scarborough ’ s voice then says “ keeps killing any bill that would protect American democracy ” before going back to Bee saying McConnell has been “ openly bragging about he how he stole a supreme court seat ” – a reference to McConnell ’ s refusal to hold hearings on Barack Obama ’ s nomination of Merrick Garland for the supreme court .
The ad then switches to a clip of McConnell saying “ think of me as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frames McConnell as a nefarious figure in the Senate , a common sentiment among Democrats .
“ Mitch McConnell is the most unpopular senator in the entire country and yet he has enormous power to block progress on so many issues important to all of our families , ” Democratic strategist Eric Hyers , the founder of the Super Pac , said in a statement .
“ He is fueling the cynicism and distrust of Washington and it ’ s time for him to go .
Kentucky and all Americans deserve better.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Super Pac and is set to air on multiple digital platforms .
It ’ s the latest example of Democrats ’ efforts to oust the longtime senator by painting him as a consummate Washington insider motivated by partisanship above all else .
McConnell is up for re-election in 2020 and multiple Democrats are running in the primary for the party nomination to face him .
But Democrat Amy McGrath , the former Democratic congressional candidate , is the heavy favorite .
The Super Pac plans to produce more content against McConnell .

Maanvi Singh in San Francisco (now) and Joan E Greve in Washington (earlier)

10 Jan 2020 01.48 GMT Summary The House voted to limit Donald Trump’s war powers . The measure compels the president to consult Congress before taking further action against Iran. As a “concurrent resolution”, the legislation doesn’t need to be ratified by Trump, but is not legally binding.
voted to limit Donald Trump’s . The measure compels the president to consult Congress before taking further action against Iran. As a “concurrent resolution”, the legislation doesn’t need to be ratified by Trump, but is not legally binding. Still, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi insisted the War Powers Resolution “has real teeth” because “it is a statement of the Congress of the United States”.
insisted the War Powers Resolution “has real teeth” because “it is a statement of the Congress of the United States”. At a rally in Ohio (which is still ondoing), Trump repeated a claim that he ordered a strike on Iranian general Quassem Suleimani because of a threat to the US embassy in Baghdad. The president also derided Congress’ War Powers resolution and implied it would have been impractical to coordinate schedules with lawmakers to discuss the strike before he ordered it.
because of a threat to the US embassy in Baghdad. The president also derided Congress’ War Powers resolution and implied it would have been impractical to coordinate schedules with lawmakers to discuss the strike before he ordered it. Pelosi said she won’t publicly set a deadline to send the articles of impeachment against Trump to the Senate, though Senate Leader Mitch McConnell reportedly expects them as early as tomorrow.
reportedly expects them as early as tomorrow. Western officials believe the Ukrainian airliner that crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran on Wednesday was caused by an Iranian missile. OF the 176 passengers who died, 63 were Canadian. Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau said his government “will not rest” until it got justice. House votes to curb Trump's powers to take military action against Iran Read more
10 Jan 2020 01.22 GMT LA mayor Eric Garcetti has endorsed Joe Biden Joe Biden gained a high-profile supporter in Calfornia, ahead of the state’s March 3 primary. The Los Angeles mayor joined Dianne Feinstein, the state’s senior US senator, in endorsing Biden.
“We need Joe Biden to bring our nation and world together during these most divided and dangerous times,” Garcetti said in a statement. Although Biden is a front-runner in national polls, in California, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are neck and neck with the former vice president. Garcetti weighed entering the 2020 race himself but announced a year ago that he wouldn’t be running.
Updated at 01.23 GMT
10 Jan 2020 00.41 GMT The president is now addressing his order to kill Iranian general Qassem Suleimani without consulting Congress. Trump said he’s ended Suleimani’s “rampage though not only that part of the world” but also “other parts”, implying that Suleimani was targeting the US embassy in Baghdad and other embassies. “He’s no longer a terror — he’s dead,” Trump said.
He derided “Crazy Bernie” and Nancy Pelosi for criticizing his moves against Iran, and mocked Democrats who passed a War Powers Resolutions to prevent him from taking further action without consulting Congress, implying it would have been too difficult to coordinate schedules to discuss the “execution” of the Iranian general before ordering it. Earlier today, Trump claimed he ordered the killing of Suleimani to stop a plot to destroy the US embassy in Baghdad, though he didn’t provide any further details to reporters. The plot was “obvious,” he said, pointing to protesters who stormed the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. Democratic and Republican lawmakers have criticized the Trump administration’s refusal to provide more information on why, exactly, the Iranian general was targeted now.
Updated at 00.49 GMT
10 Jan 2020 00.33 GMT Donald Trump is speaking at a rally in Toledo, Ohio. An Ohio politics reporter fact-checks his claim that “Ohio just had the best year economically”. Trump: "Ohio just had the best year economically in the history of your state ... and this year's going to be even better." Not sure what data he's talking about... state is on track to lose jobs in 2019. — Liz Skalka (@lizskalka) January 10, 2020
10 Jan 2020 00.24 GMT Tom Steyer speaking to the press in the spin room after the sixth Democratic primary debate in December. Photograph: Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images Steyer qualified for the debate after two Fox News polls released today showed Steyer polling double-digits in South Carolina and Nevada. He tied alongside Sen. Elizabeth Warren for third place in Nevada and landed in second place in South Carolina, with at 15%. Joe Biden took the lead spot in both polls. NEW @foxnewspoll places @TomSteyer in 2nd place in South Carolina pic.twitter.com/1SksqZ36bo — Sean Langille (@SeanLangille) January 9, 2020 The debate is scheduled for Jan 14 in Des Moines, Iowa. Along with Steyer, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, and Amy Klobuchar have also qualified. Cory Booker, Deval Patrick and Andrew Yang, the three remaining candidates of color have not yet qualified; they have through tomorrow to do so.
This post was amended on 10 January 2020. A previous version omitted Deval Patrick from the list of candidates of color.
Updated at 11.09 GMT
10 Jan 2020 00.02 GMT Having approved the war powers resolution, the House has now moved on to environmental policy. Members are debating legislation that would require the Environmental Protection Agency to designate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as hazardous. But Donald Trump – who today unveiled a plan to bypass environmental review of major infrastructure projects and has aggressively pursued cuts to environmental projection – insists he cares about the environment, too. Asked whether climate change was a hoax this morning, Trump told reporters “it’s a very serious subject” and he’s going to read a book about it. The New York Times’ Lisa Friedman followed up – and discovered the title of the book he intends to read: Donald J Trump: An Environmental Hero, by Ed Russo. White House confirmation - the book Trump intends to read is indeed 'Donald J. Trump: An Environmental Hero,' by Ed Russo https://t.co/BRkzI0rpC2 — Lisa Friedman (@LFFriedman) January 9, 2020 The book was self-published by Russo, who was an environmental advisor for the Trump Organization.
Updated at 00.20 GMT
9 Jan 2020 23.45 GMT Daniel Strauss A Super Pac set up to help defeat the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, is releasing its first attack ad against the top Kentucky Republican. The 46-second web ad by the “Fire Mitch. Save America” Super Pac is a compilation of clips of late night hosts lambasting McConnell. It starts with Daily Show comedian Trevor Noah saying McConnell is “truly the perfect movie villain” while images of McConnell on the Senate floor and smiling directly into the camera. The ad shows a clip of comedian Samantha Bee saying “McConnell is so good at blocking things he’s like the kidney stone of the Senate.” Thr MSNBC host Joe Scarborough’s voice then says “keeps killing any bill that would protect American democracy” before going back to Bee saying McConnell has been “openly bragging about he how he stole a supreme court seat” – a reference to McConnell’s refusal to hold hearings on Barack Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland for the supreme court. The ad then switches to a clip of McConnell saying “think of me as the grim reaper”. The ad frames McConnell as a nefarious figure in the Senate, a common sentiment among Democrats. “Mitch McConnell is the most unpopular senator in the entire country and yet he has enormous power to block progress on so many issues important to all of our families,” Democratic strategist Eric Hyers, the founder of the Super Pac, said in a statement. “He is fueling the cynicism and distrust of Washington and it’s time for him to go. Kentucky and all Americans deserve better.” The ad is the first one by the Super Pac and is set to air on multiple digital platforms. It’s the latest example of Democrats’ efforts to oust the longtime senator by painting him as a consummate Washington insider motivated by partisanship above all else. McConnell is up for re-election in 2020 and multiple Democrats are running in the primary for the party nomination to face him. But Democrat Amy McGrath, the former Democratic congressional candidate, is the heavy favorite. The Super Pac plans to produce more content against McConnell.
Updated at 00.09 GMT
9 Jan 2020 23.33 GMT The House resolution came about after Donald Trump chose to take unilateral action last week to assassinate the senior Iranian general Qassem Suleimani without consulting or even notifying before Congress. To stop the president from taking further action against Iran without consulting them, House Democrats have invoked the War Powers Act of 1973, which draws out the parameters of presidential and congressional war powers. With the passage of an Authorization for Use of Military Force in 2001 to fight terrorism, and another AUMF in 2002 for the war in Iraq, Congress’ war powers have diminished since 9/11. Now many lawmakers – especially Democrats – are discussing how to rebalance war powers. In the Senate, a similar war powers proposal by Democrat Tim Kaine faces much slimmer odds of passing, though Republican Senator Todd Young, an ex-marine who represents Indiana, and two other Republicans indicated yesterday the would back the plan.
Updated at 00.16 GMT
9 Jan 2020 23.10 GMT Three Republicans voted for the resolution: Thomas Massie, Francis Rooney and Matt Gaetz. Eight Democrats voted against. This is a “concurrent resolution” – which doesn’t go to the president for a signature, and also isn’t usually legally binding. However, House Democrats are arguing that a concurrent resolution under the War Powers Act is a special case, and is binding. The debate over the implications of this resolution has gotten a bit... catty. Good one! Maybe if you were as good at passing legislation as you are at one-liners you would be Speaker of the House.
How embarrassing. https://t.co/glDXsInxNP — Bobby L. Rush (@RepBobbyRush) January 9, 2020
Updated at 00.17 GMT


theguardian--2020-01-09--Mnuchin seeks to delay Democratic efforts to release Trump’s secret service spending

The Trump administration is seeking to block Democratic efforts to release Donald Trump ’ s Florida-hopping Secret Service costs – until after November ’ s presidential election , according to several reports .
The dispute over the cost to taxpayers of protecting the president and his adult children comes amid administration efforts to move the service from the Department of Homeland Security to the Treasury , its home until 2003 .
Under the draft legislation , the Secret Service would be required to disclose the costs within 120 days of the legislation becoming law .
But the Treasury secretary , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public accounting until after the election .
A Treasury official told the Washington Post the department would “ decline to comment on individual aspects ” of the negotiations .
Trump ’ s travel and security expenses have long been a source of criticism by Democrats , who argue that Trump ’ s extended “ working-vacations ” at his resorts in Florida and New Jersey should be in the public record .
Since taking office in January 2017 , Trump has made more than 50 visits to his properties outside Washington , despite promising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and avoid the travel costs of his predecessor , which were estimated at $ 96m over eight years .
In March 2017 , the agency asked Congress for an extra $ 60m to cover the additional costs of Trump and his family over the following year , but as the family ’ s travel schedule has expanded , insight into costs is fragmentary at best .
A report by the Government Accountability Office ( GAO ) , put Trump ’ s travel expenses at $ 13.6m for four trips to his Palm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 .
“ This estimate consisted of approximately $ 10.6m for operating costs of government aircraft and boats and $ 3m for temporary duty costs of government personnel supporting the President ’ s travel , including transportation , lodging , and meals and incidental expenses , ” the report found .
At that pace of spending , Trump ’ s travel costs would have exceeded Obama ’ s total before the end of his first year in the White House .
But Trump has made 22 more trips to Mar-a-Lago , at an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secret Service alone .
The agency has said it has spent $ 588,000 since 2017 on golf carts to escort him during golf trips ; at least $ 250,000 was charged to Secret Service credit cards over the first five months of his term according to the watchdog group Property of the People .
Trump ’ s adult sons Eric and Don Jr have made frequent overseas trips to countries including Ireland , Scotland , Dubai and India .
A visit to Uruguay by Eric Trump in 2017 cost taxpayers $ 97,000 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ accounting office , the Secret Service has failed to provided cost reports for 2016 or 2017 , and delayed submitting reports for the last two years , citing staff changes .
An agency spokesperson told the Washington Post it does not discuss “ protective means and methods ” .
That has angered Democratic lawmakers now pushing for greater disclosure as a condition of approving assigning the security agency to the treasury .
“ Secretary Mnuchin came to me last year with a proposal to move the Secret Service to the Treasury department , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year .
“ As part of that effort , I proposed that the cost of presidential travel be included for greater transparency , accountability and oversight associated with protection during travel of presidents and their families.
” But in a letter to the Senate judiciary committee late last year , Mnuchin said he opposed the reporting requirement , arguing that expense records should not be released until December 2020 at the earliest .

The Trump administration is seeking to block Democratic efforts to release Donald Trump’s Florida-hopping Secret Service costs – until after November’s presidential election, according to several reports.
The dispute over the cost to taxpayers of protecting the president and his adult children comes amid administration efforts to move the service from the Department of Homeland Security to the Treasury, its home until 2003.
Under the draft legislation, the Secret Service would be required to disclose the costs within 120 days of the legislation becoming law. But the Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, wants to delay any public accounting until after the election.
A Treasury official told the Washington Post the department would “decline to comment on individual aspects” of the negotiations.
Trump’s travel and security expenses have long been a source of criticism by Democrats, who argue that Trump’s extended “working-vacations” at his resorts in Florida and New Jersey should be in the public record.
Since taking office in January 2017, Trump has made more than 50 visits to his properties outside Washington, despite promising to “rarely leave the White House” and avoid the travel costs of his predecessor, which were estimated at $96m over eight years.
In March 2017, the agency asked Congress for an extra $60m to cover the additional costs of Trump and his family over the following year, but as the family’s travel schedule has expanded, insight into costs is fragmentary at best.
A report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), put Trump’s travel expenses at $13.6m for four trips to his Palm Beach Mar-a-Lago club through February and March 2017.
“This estimate consisted of approximately $10.6m for operating costs of government aircraft and boats and $3m for temporary duty costs of government personnel supporting the President’s travel, including transportation, lodging, and meals and incidental expenses,” the report found.
At that pace of spending, Trump’s travel costs would have exceeded Obama’s total before the end of his first year in the White House.
But Trump has made 22 more trips to Mar-a-Lago, at an estimated cost of $28m to the Secret Service alone. The agency has said it has spent $588,000 since 2017 on golf carts to escort him during golf trips; at least $250,000 was charged to Secret Service credit cards over the first five months of his term according to the watchdog group Property of the People.
Trump’s adult sons Eric and Don Jr have made frequent overseas trips to countries including Ireland, Scotland, Dubai and India. A visit to Uruguay by Eric Trump in 2017 cost taxpayers $97,000.
But according to the government’s accounting office, the Secret Service has failed to provided cost reports for 2016 or 2017 ,and delayed submitting reports for the last two years, citing staff changes. An agency spokesperson told the Washington Post it does not discuss “protective means and methods”.
That has angered Democratic lawmakers now pushing for greater disclosure as a condition of approving assigning the security agency to the treasury.
“Secretary Mnuchin came to me last year with a proposal to move the Secret Service to the Treasury department,” the California senator Dianne Feinstein said last year.
“As part of that effort, I proposed that the cost of presidential travel be included for greater transparency, accountability and oversight associated with protection during travel of presidents and their families.”
But in a letter to the Senate judiciary committee late last year, Mnuchin said he opposed the reporting requirement, arguing that expense records should not be released until December 2020 at the earliest.