shareblue--2020-01-09--Mnuchin doesn't want voters to know Trump's travel costs until after the election

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is working to prevent Americans from knowing until after the next election just how much they are paying to protect Donald Trump and his adult children as they travel , the Washington Post reported on Wednesday .
The issue comes as Mnuchin negotiates with senators to move the Secret Service back under the Treasury Department , where the agency resided prior to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003 .
Democratic senators are demanding the Secret Service disclose costs related to the president 's travel within 120 days — or four months — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Post reported .
Mnuchin wants to delay the reporting until after the 2020 election .
During the 2016 campaign , Trump promised that he would `` rarely leave the White House because there 's so much work to be done . ''
Since taking office , Trump has regularly spent long weekends at Trump-branded properties .
During 2019 , CNN reported Trump spent one of every five days at a golf club .
The cost to protect Trump and his family during their frequent trips away from Washington is adding up fast , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Taxpayers paid about $ 96 million on travel by President Obama and his family over the course of eight years .
The Post estimates Trump may have cost the taxpayers more than that in his first year in office alone .
However , the Post notes that the exact figure is unavailable because the Secret Service has not reported required reports on the figures in all of 2016 and 2017 .
Further , the White House refused to share information about the costs of Trump 's travel with the Government Accountability Office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year with a proposal to move the Secret Service to the Treasury Department , '' Sen. Dianne Feinstein ( D-CA ) said in a statement to the Post .
`` 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 . ''
Mnuchin strongly objected , suggesting instead an annual report to Congress beginning in 2021 , according to the Post .
The lack of transparency has irked government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actions here are an attempt at stripping away transparency and accountability , '' Jenna Grande , press secretary for Citizens For Responsibility and Ethics in Washington ( CREW ) , said in an email .
`` How efficiently and cost-effectively taxpayer dollars are being spent is a concern shared by all Americans . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is working to prevent Americans from knowing until after the next election just how much they are paying to protect Donald Trump and his adult children as they travel, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday.
The issue comes as Mnuchin negotiates with senators to move the Secret Service back under the Treasury Department, where the agency resided prior to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003.
Democratic senators are demanding the Secret Service disclose costs related to the president’s travel within 120 days — or four months — after the bill becomes law, the Post reported. Mnuchin wants to delay the reporting until after the 2020 election.
During the 2016 campaign, Trump promised that he would “rarely leave the White House because there’s so much work to be done.” Since taking office, Trump has regularly spent long weekends at Trump-branded properties. During 2019, CNN reported Trump spent one of every five days at a golf club.
The cost to protect Trump and his family during their frequent trips away from Washington is adding up fast, according to an analysis by the Post. Taxpayers paid about $96 million on travel by President Obama and his family over the course of eight years. The Post estimates Trump may have cost the taxpayers more than that in his first year in office alone.
However, the Post notes that the exact figure is unavailable because the Secret Service has not reported required reports on the figures in all of 2016 and 2017. Further, the White House refused to share information about the costs of Trump’s travel with the Government Accountability Office.
“Secretary Mnuchin came to me last year with a proposal to move the Secret Service to the Treasury Department,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said in a statement to the Post. “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.”
Mnuchin strongly objected, suggesting instead an annual report to Congress beginning in 2021, according to the Post.
The lack of transparency has irked government watchdog groups.
“Secretary Mnuchin’s actions here are an attempt at stripping away transparency and accountability,” Jenna Grande, press secretary for Citizens For Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), said in an email.
“How efficiently and cost-effectively taxpayer dollars are being spent is a concern shared by all Americans.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-01-09--Trump says Iran might have shot down Ukraine jet because it was in a 'rough neighborhood'

Donald Trump on Thursday said he suspected a Ukrainian jet was targeted in Iran by `` mistake . ''
Trump 's comments follow news reports that U.S. officials believe it 's `` highly likely '' a Ukrainian passenger jet that crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran was mistakenly shot down by Iranian missiles intended for other targets .
`` Well , I have my suspicions , '' Trump said Thursday of the crash , which killed all 176 people aboard the plane including Ukrainians , Iranians , and Canadians .
`` It 's a tragic thing when I see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But somebody could 've made a mistake on the other side , '' Trump added .
`` It was flying ... in a pretty rough neighborhood .
...
Some people say it was mechanical .
Personally , I do n't think that 's even a question . ''
Until now , the reason for the crash — which took place hours after Iran fired missiles at Iraqi military bases that house American troops — has been a mystery .
Iranian officials claimed `` technical '' problems were responsible for the crash , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , aviation experts have suspected the plan was shot down intentionally .
And now , Trump as well as unnamed U.S. officials say that they suspect Iranian missiles were behind the crash .
Trump made the comments during an event in which he announced he was rolling back environmental protections against energy and infrastructure projects .
But Trump also spoke about the escalating tensions between the United States and Iran , following his order for the drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani .
Members of Congress on both sides of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying the administration 's briefing about the rationale for the strike was `` insulting and demeaning , '' as the administration gave few details for the strike and simply asked for lawmakers to trust their decision .
`` It is not acceptable for officials within the executive branch of government ... to come in and tell us that we ca n't debate and discuss the appropriateness of military intervention against Iran , '' Sen. Mike Lee ( R-UT ) said on Wednesday after the briefing .
`` It 's un-American , it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Trump , however , said he thought the briefing was great .
`` I had calls from numerous senators and numerous congressmen and women saying it was the greatest presentation they ever had , '' Trump said on Thursday .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump on Thursday said he suspected a Ukrainian jet was targeted in Iran by “mistake.” Trump’s comments follow news reports that U.S. officials believe it’s “highly likely” a Ukrainian passenger jet that crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran was mistakenly shot down by Iranian missiles intended for other targets.
“Well, I have my suspicions,” Trump said Thursday of the crash, which killed all 176 people aboard the plane including Ukrainians, Iranians, and Canadians.
“It’s a tragic thing when I see that, it’s a tragic thing. But somebody could’ve made a mistake on the other side,” Trump added. “It was flying … in a pretty rough neighborhood. … Some people say it was mechanical. Personally, I don’t think that’s even a question.”
Until now, the reason for the crash — which took place hours after Iran fired missiles at Iraqi military bases that house American troops — has been a mystery.
Iranian officials claimed “technical” problems were responsible for the crash, according to the Washington Post. However, aviation experts have suspected the plan was shot down intentionally.
And now, Trump as well as unnamed U.S. officials say that they suspect Iranian missiles were behind the crash.
Trump made the comments during an event in which he announced he was rolling back environmental protections against energy and infrastructure projects. But Trump also spoke about the escalating tensions between the United States and Iran, following his order for the drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have been in an uproar, saying the administration’s briefing about the rationale for the strike was “insulting and demeaning,” as the administration gave few details for the strike and simply asked for lawmakers to trust their decision.
“It is not acceptable for officials within the executive branch of government … to come in and tell us that we can’t debate and discuss the appropriateness of military intervention against Iran,” Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) said on Wednesday after the briefing. “It’s un-American, it’s unconstitutional, and it’s wrong.”
Trump, however, said he thought the briefing was great.
“I had calls from numerous senators and numerous congressmen and women saying it was the greatest presentation they ever had,” Trump said on Thursday.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-01-09--GOP lawmaker forgets to fill in blanks on bill he copied from anti-abortion group

John McGuire , a Republican member of Virginia 's House of Delegates , filed an anti-abortion bill on Wednesday similar to those already being pushed in multiple states by the National Right to Life Committee .
The title of that proposed bill , however , was left partially blank : `` [ NAME OF STATE ] Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Abortion Act . ''
The bill appears to be a carbon copy of one drafted by the anti-choice NLRC , a legislation mill for state-based anti-abortion restrictions .
The NLRC has pushed virtually identical language in several states across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have enacted these bans , though several have been blocked in the courts as unconstitutional .
The error was first spotted by Virginia political strategist Ben Tribbett , who cited it as an example of the state 's new GOP minority `` phoning it in already . ''
Wednesday marked the first day of the 2020 legislative session , the first under Democratic control since the 1999 elections .
Frustrated by a lack of federal legislation to prohibit abortions , the anti-abortion movement has been increasingly focused on carefully named and incremental state-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impossible for women and gender minorities to access abortion .
Those bills are typically distributed with the assumption that the state names will be filled in before introduction .
Despite its Orwellian name , McGuire 's bill would prohibit the abortion method known as `` dilation and evacuation , '' or D & E , except in cases of `` serious health risk . ''
According to the Guttmacher Institute , D & E is the most commonly used method used in the second trimester and has been documented as safe since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obstetricians and Gynecologists says this approach `` is evidence-based and medically preferred because it results in the fewest complications for women compared to alternative procedures . ''
McGuire did not respond to an inquiry about the legislation or its origin .
McGuire 's bill is unlikely to become law under the new Democratic controlled state legislature .
Gov .
Ralph Northam ( D ) and the new Democratic majorities in the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate announced an 11-point `` Virginia 2020 '' policy agenda on Tuesday that expressly promised to `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reproductive rights '' and to `` [ o ] verturn laws that have injected politics into women ’ s healthcare . ''
McGuire , who was just reelected to a second two-year term in the House of Delegates in November , announced days after his victory that he would seek the Republican nomination to challenge Rep. Abigail Spanberger ( D-VA ) in 2020 .
As a lawmaker , he voted against ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment last year , despite having listed himself as a co-sponsor in 2018 .
Published with permission of @ @ @ @ @

John McGuire, a Republican member of Virginia’s House of Delegates, filed an anti-abortion bill on Wednesday similar to those already being pushed in multiple states by the National Right to Life Committee.
The title of that proposed bill, however, was left partially blank: “[NAME OF STATE] Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Abortion Act.”
The bill appears to be a carbon copy of one drafted by the anti-choice NLRC, a legislation mill for state-based anti-abortion restrictions. The NLRC has pushed virtually identical language in several states across the country, and a dozen states have enacted these bans, though several have been blocked in the courts as unconstitutional.
The error was first spotted by Virginia political strategist Ben Tribbett, who cited it as an example of the state’s new GOP minority “phoning it in already.” Wednesday marked the first day of the 2020 legislative session, the first under Democratic control since the 1999 elections.
Frustrated by a lack of federal legislation to prohibit abortions, the anti-abortion movement has been increasingly focused on carefully named and incremental state-based restrictions intended to make it all but impossible for women and gender minorities to access abortion. Those bills are typically distributed with the assumption that the state names will be filled in before introduction.
Despite its Orwellian name, McGuire’s bill would prohibit the abortion method known as “dilation and evacuation,” or D&E, except in cases of “serious health risk.” According to the Guttmacher Institute, D&E is the most commonly used method used in the second trimester and has been documented as safe since the late 1970s. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says this approach “is evidence-based and medically preferred because it results in the fewest complications for women compared to alternative procedures.”
McGuire did not respond to an inquiry about the legislation or its origin.
McGuire’s bill is unlikely to become law under the new Democratic controlled state legislature. Gov. Ralph Northam (D) and the new Democratic majorities in the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate announced an 11-point “Virginia 2020” policy agenda on Tuesday that expressly promised to “[r]estore women’s reproductive rights” and to “[o]verturn laws that have injected politics into women’s healthcare.”
McGuire, who was just reelected to a second two-year term in the House of Delegates in November, announced days after his victory that he would seek the Republican nomination to challenge Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) in 2020. As a lawmaker, he voted against ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment last year, despite having listed himself as a co-sponsor in 2018.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-01-09--Lawmakers from both parties say 'trust me' not a valid excuse for Iran strike

The Trump administration made its case on Capitol Hill for killing a powerful Iranian general , but Democrats — and a handful of Republicans — said the classified briefings Wednesday were short on details and left them wondering about Donald Trump 's next steps in the volatile Mideast .
Democrats said that by not disclosing many details of the threat that prompted the U.S. to kill Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani , Trump is asking the American public to trust the very intelligence reports he has often disparaged .
Top Trump administration officials have repeatedly stressed that the undisclosed intelligence about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ required action — that Trump would have been negligent not to strike Iran .
But Democrats want more information about what led Trump to kill Soleimani — a man whose hands were “ drenched in both American and Iranian blood , ” according to Trump .
`` Trust us .
That 's really what it all boils down to , '' Rep. Eliot Engel , D-N.Y. , the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee , said after a classified briefing top administration officials gave members of the House .
`` But I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a satisfactory answer for me , '' Engel said .
In contrast , Sen. Jim Risch , the Republican chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , called the Senate 's meeting `` one of the best briefings '' he 's had as a member of Congress .
He said the information was `` crystal clear . ''
Some Republicans joined Democrats in criticizing the administration 's presentations .
Sen. Mike Lee , R-Utah , said it was `` probably the worst briefing I 've seen , at least on a military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've served in the United States Senate . ''
He said he found it `` insulting and demeaning '' for administration briefers to warn lawmakers against debating the merits of further military action against Iran because that would only embolden Tehran .
`` It is not acceptable for officials within the executive branch of government ... to come in and tell us that we ca n't debate and discuss the appropriateness of military intervention against Iran .
It 's un-American , it 's unconstitutional , and it 's wrong , '' Lee said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support a war powers resolution introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine ( D-VA ) .
At one point , Sen. Chris Coons ( D-DE ) , a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , asked when , if not in this instance , would the administration consult Congress , according to a Senate aide familiar with the private session but unauthorized to discuss it by name .
The answer from the top officials was basically a disinterest in consulting Congress , the aide said , leading some senators to storm out .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a similar resolution to limit Trump 's military actions regarding Iran .
Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he thought the congressional briefings offered lawmakers a compelling argument that the intelligence supported the strike on Soleimani .
But he noted that only eight lawmakers — the top four lawmakers in the House and Senate and chairmen and vice chairmen of the intelligence committees in both chambers — are the only members of Congress who are authorized to see all the intelligence .
`` One of the challenges , of course , is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Congress do not have , access to the intelligence that I think was the most compelling , '' Esper said .
`` That 's just simply the nature of the intelligence , and it 's restricted to the Gang of Eight . ''
Democrats also are skeptical of the timing of the strike , which comes in the run-up to a Senate impeachment trial and at the start of a presidential election year .
It 's the same skepticism that some Republicans expressed in 1998 when they accused President Bill Clinton of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and delay a pending impeachment resolution against him .
Rep. Mark Meadows ( R-NC ) , a top Trump defender , said afterward that `` there 's no question '' the killing was justified .
Asked if she was convinced by the briefing that Iranian attacks were imminent before the Soleimani strike , Sen. Marsha Blackburn ( R-TN ) said , `` Yes .
My questions were answered and satisfied . ''
`` There were so many important questions that they did not answer , '' said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D-VA ) called the briefing `` profoundly unconvincing '' and said `` no case was made '' that the Iranian attacks were imminent .
`` I leave this ( briefing ) more troubled than I went into it . ''
The White House so far has ignored calls to declassify the written notification that Trump sent to Congress after the military operation , as required by the 1973 War Powers Act .
Some lawmakers have said it was `` vague '' and inconsistent with details other administrations have provided Congress about military operations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be classified in the first place .
One lawmaker , who has read the classified notification Trump sent Congress , and another individual familiar with it said the two-page document did not describe any imminent , planned attacks or contain any new information .
The lawmaker , who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the classified document , said the letter gave an historic account of past attacks that have been reported publicly .
It 's unclear if more detailed information about the intelligence that led to the strike on Soleimani will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the gravity of the situation requires a clear explanation of the Iranian threat to Congress and the public , disclosure of any possible classified information does risk exposing sources and methods which could then leave us blind to Iran 's next threat to U.S. lives , '' said Norman Roule , former national intelligence manager for Iran at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence .
The lack of casualties from Iran 's retaliatory strikes Tuesday on Iraqi bases housing American troops could tamp down Democrats ' demand for more information , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think Trump only embraces U.S. intelligence that fits his agenda .
While in office , Trump has repeatedly disagreed or refused to accept U.S. intelligence assessments on a range of key national security topics , including Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election , Iran 's compliance with the nuclear deal and the role of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi .

The Trump administration made its case on Capitol Hill for killing a powerful Iranian general, but Democrats — and a handful of Republicans — said the classified briefings Wednesday were short on details and left them wondering about Donald Trump’s next steps in the volatile Mideast.
Democrats said that by not disclosing many details of the threat that prompted the U.S. to kill Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Trump is asking the American public to trust the very intelligence reports he has often disparaged.
Top Trump administration officials have repeatedly stressed that the undisclosed intelligence about imminent threats to Americans in the Mideast required action — that Trump would have been negligent not to strike Iran. But Democrats want more information about what led Trump to kill Soleimani — a man whose hands were “drenched in both American and Iranian blood,” according to Trump.
“Trust us. That’s really what it all boils down to,” Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said after a classified briefing top administration officials gave members of the House.
“But I’m not sure that ‘trust me’ is a satisfactory answer for me,” Engel said.
In contrast, Sen. Jim Risch, the Republican chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called the Senate’s meeting “one of the best briefings” he’s had as a member of Congress. He said the information was “crystal clear.”
Some Republicans joined Democrats in criticizing the administration’s presentations.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said it was “probably the worst briefing I’ve seen, at least on a military issue, in the nine years I’ve served in the United States Senate.”
He said he found it “insulting and demeaning” for administration briefers to warn lawmakers against debating the merits of further military action against Iran because that would only embolden Tehran.
“It is not acceptable for officials within the executive branch of government … to come in and tell us that we can’t debate and discuss the appropriateness of military intervention against Iran. It’s un-American, it’s unconstitutional, and it’s wrong,” Lee said, adding that he now planned to support a war powers resolution introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA).
At one point, Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, asked when, if not in this instance, would the administration consult Congress, according to a Senate aide familiar with the private session but unauthorized to discuss it by name. The answer from the top officials was basically a disinterest in consulting Congress, the aide said, leading some senators to storm out.
The House is expected to vote this week on a similar resolution to limit Trump’s military actions regarding Iran.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he thought the congressional briefings offered lawmakers a compelling argument that the intelligence supported the strike on Soleimani. But he noted that only eight lawmakers — the top four lawmakers in the House and Senate and chairmen and vice chairmen of the intelligence committees in both chambers — are the only members of Congress who are authorized to see all the intelligence.
“One of the challenges, of course, is not everybody has, in fact most members of Congress do not have, access to the intelligence that I think was the most compelling,” Esper said. “That’s just simply the nature of the intelligence, and it’s restricted to the Gang of Eight.”
Democrats also are skeptical of the timing of the strike, which comes in the run-up to a Senate impeachment trial and at the start of a presidential election year. It’s the same skepticism that some Republicans expressed in 1998 when they accused President Bill Clinton of using military strikes on Iraq to interrupt and delay a pending impeachment resolution against him.
Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC), a top Trump defender, said afterward that “there’s no question” the killing was justified.
Asked if she was convinced by the briefing that Iranian attacks were imminent before the Soleimani strike, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said, “Yes. My questions were answered and satisfied.”
Democrats weren’t convinced.
“There were so many important questions that they did not answer,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) called the briefing “profoundly unconvincing” and said “no case was made” that the Iranian attacks were imminent. “I leave this (briefing) more troubled than I went into it.”
The White House so far has ignored calls to declassify the written notification that Trump sent to Congress after the military operation, as required by the 1973 War Powers Act. Some lawmakers have said it was “vague” and inconsistent with details other administrations have provided Congress about military operations. They wondered why it had to be classified in the first place.
One lawmaker, who has read the classified notification Trump sent Congress, and another individual familiar with it said the two-page document did not describe any imminent, planned attacks or contain any new information. The lawmaker, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the classified document, said the letter gave an historic account of past attacks that have been reported publicly.
It’s unclear if more detailed information about the intelligence that led to the strike on Soleimani will ever be publicly released.
“Whereas the gravity of the situation requires a clear explanation of the Iranian threat to Congress and the public, disclosure of any possible classified information does risk exposing sources and methods which could then leave us blind to Iran’s next threat to U.S. lives,” said Norman Roule, former national intelligence manager for Iran at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
The lack of casualties from Iran’s retaliatory strikes Tuesday on Iraqi bases housing American troops could tamp down Democrats’ demand for more information, but it might not silence critics who think Trump only embraces U.S. intelligence that fits his agenda.
While in office, Trump has repeatedly disagreed or refused to accept U.S. intelligence assessments on a range of key national security topics, including Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, Iran’s compliance with the nuclear deal and the role of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.


shareblue--2020-01-10--This week in wins: Virginia makes history with its first woman speaker of the House

The year 2020 is here , and progressives are already seeing victories from the coasts to the heartland .
This week saw Virginia welcome its first woman speaker of the House in the state 's 400-year history , while Kansas worked to expand health care to tens of thousands of residents .
Citizens in New York could soon see automatic voter registration soon , and the notorious RBG starts the new year cancer-free .
Read on to catch up on this week 's wins .
Eileen Filler-Corn becomes Virginia 's 56th speaker of the House of Delegates After electoral victories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Virginia House of Delegates and elected Eileen Filler-Corn as the first woman to be speaker of the House of Delegates in the commonwealth 's 401-year history , WTVR reported on Wednesday .
`` I must acknowledge the tremendous honor I feel at being the first woman Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates , '' Filler-Corn said .
`` This session brings many firsts .
We will have the first women of color to lead committees , and have a historically diverse group of committee chairs and vice-chairs , '' she added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and all state-wide elected offices , including the governor .
The party has laid out an ambitious progressive agenda for the coming year , including gun safety legislation , measures to expand access to voting , and criminal justice reform , according to WTVR .
Democratic Gov .
Laura Kelly worked out an agreement with state lawmakers to expand Medicaid in the state .
The agreement could lead to an additional 150,000 Kansas residents receiving health insurance , the Associated Press reported on Thursday .
`` Compromise is hard , '' Kelly told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but it is so worth it . ''
She noted that the agreement will still need to be approved by the legislature and signed into law , and that she is `` more optimistic than ever that Kansas will reach that point . ''
Kelly made Medicaid expansion a key platform in her 2018 campaign , the AP noted .
Kelly defeated Republican Kris Kobach in that race , and Kelly spent the weeks since the election negotiating with Republican legislators in order to fulfill her promise .
If Kansas expands Medicaid , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do so since the Affordable Care Act was passed into law .
A recent study found low-income people in southern states are less likely to see their health deteriorate in states that expanded Medicaid under the ACA .
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg announced Wednesday that she is cancer-free , CNN reported .
The 86-year-old justice , who was treated in 2019 for a malignant tumor on her pancreas , told CNN , `` I 'm cancer free .
That 's good . ''
Ginsburg is widely acknowledged as one of four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has faced down cancer four times since 1999 , according to CNN .
Led by a Democratic majority , the New York state Senate passed a bill on Thursday making it much easier for state residents to register to vote , CNN reported .
Under the bill , residents would be automatically registered if they use the services of certain government agencies like the Department of Motor Vehicles or the state health department .
`` At a time in our country when voting rights are under assault , New York must live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader , '' state Sen. Michael Gianaris , the bill 's sponsor , told CNN .
`` Access to the ballot box should be easy and fair , and enacting automatic voter registration would go a long way towards improving our democracy . ''
If the bill is passed by the New York Assembly and signed into law , it will go into effect in two years .
Federal court blocks effort to penalize immigrants for using public benefits The 2nd U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals blocked an attempt by the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefits from becoming permanent residents , the AP reported on Wednesday .
The court ruling is the first one to put forth a nationwide injunction on the proposed rule being implemented .
The Trump administration rule seeks to deny green cards to immigrants who would potentially need to use public benefits such as Medicaid or food stamps , the AP noted .
Further , immigrants make up a very small portion of those who receive public benefits , since many are ineligible to receive them .
California governor takes steps to help the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced Wednesday that his administration is making surplus public land available for temporary homeless shelters , KGO/ABC 7 News reported .
The announcement came via an executive order signed by Newsom , which also calls for mental health and drug treatment services .
`` I believe that there is no issue that Californians agree on more than the need to end homelessness , '' Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf told ABC .
The executive order came out of a request Newsom made last summer , asking agencies to find surplus land that could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration created a map with 100 such locations .
Check back next week for more good news .

The year 2020 is here, and progressives are already seeing victories from the coasts to the heartland. This week saw Virginia welcome its first woman speaker of the House in the state’s 400-year history, while Kansas worked to expand health care to tens of thousands of residents. Citizens in New York could soon see automatic voter registration soon, and the notorious RBG starts the new year cancer-free.
Read on to catch up on this week’s wins.
Eileen Filler-Corn becomes Virginia’s 56th speaker of the House of Delegates
After electoral victories in 2019, Democrats reclaimed control of the Virginia House of Delegates and elected Eileen Filler-Corn as the first woman to be speaker of the House of Delegates in the commonwealth’s 401-year history, WTVR reported on Wednesday.
“I must acknowledge the tremendous honor I feel at being the first woman Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates,” Filler-Corn said. “This session brings many firsts. We will have the first women of color to lead committees, and have a historically diverse group of committee chairs and vice-chairs,” she added.
Democrats now control both legislative chambers and all state-wide elected offices, including the governor. The party has laid out an ambitious progressive agenda for the coming year, including gun safety legislation, measures to expand access to voting, and criminal justice reform, according to WTVR.
Kansas governor brokers deal to expand health care to 150,000 residents
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly worked out an agreement with state lawmakers to expand Medicaid in the state. The agreement could lead to an additional 150,000 Kansas residents receiving health insurance, the Associated Press reported on Thursday.
“Compromise is hard,” Kelly told supporters at a news conference, “but it is so worth it.” She noted that the agreement will still need to be approved by the legislature and signed into law, and that she is “more optimistic than ever that Kansas will reach that point.”
Kelly made Medicaid expansion a key platform in her 2018 campaign, the AP noted. Kelly defeated Republican Kris Kobach in that race, and Kelly spent the weeks since the election negotiating with Republican legislators in order to fulfill her promise.
If Kansas expands Medicaid, it would be the 37th state to do so since the Affordable Care Act was passed into law. A recent study found low-income people in southern states are less likely to see their health deteriorate in states that expanded Medicaid under the ACA.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg announced she started 2020 free from cancer
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg announced Wednesday that she is cancer-free, CNN reported.
The 86-year-old justice, who was treated in 2019 for a malignant tumor on her pancreas, told CNN, “I’m cancer free. That’s good.”
Ginsburg is widely acknowledged as one of four liberal justices on the Supreme Court, and has faced down cancer four times since 1999, according to CNN.
New York Senate passes automatic voter registration bill
Led by a Democratic majority, the New York state Senate passed a bill on Thursday making it much easier for state residents to register to vote, CNN reported. Under the bill, residents would be automatically registered if they use the services of certain government agencies like the Department of Motor Vehicles or the state health department.
“At a time in our country when voting rights are under assault, New York must live up to its potential as a progressive leader,” state Sen. Michael Gianaris, the bill’s sponsor, told CNN. “Access to the ballot box should be easy and fair, and enacting automatic voter registration would go a long way towards improving our democracy.”
If the bill is passed by the New York Assembly and signed into law, it will go into effect in two years.
Federal court blocks effort to penalize immigrants for using public benefits
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked an attempt by the Trump administration to prevent immigrants who use public benefits from becoming permanent residents, the AP reported on Wednesday. The court ruling is the first one to put forth a nationwide injunction on the proposed rule being implemented.
The Trump administration rule seeks to deny green cards to immigrants who would potentially need to use public benefits such as Medicaid or food stamps, the AP noted. Further, immigrants make up a very small portion of those who receive public benefits, since many are ineligible to receive them.
California governor takes steps to help the homeless population
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday that his administration is making surplus public land available for temporary homeless shelters, KGO/ABC 7 News reported. The announcement came via an executive order signed by Newsom, which also calls for mental health and drug treatment services.
“I believe that there is no issue that Californians agree on more than the need to end homelessness,” Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf told ABC.
The executive order came out of a request Newsom made last summer, asking agencies to find surplus land that could be used to address homelessness. The Newsom administration created a map with 100 such locations.
Check back next week for more good news.


shareblue--2020-01-10--Kentucky GOP wants to ban undocumented students from state colleges

An anti-immigrant bill being pushed by the Republican majority leadership in the Kentucky Senate could reportedly make it all but impossible for state colleges and universities to accept undocumented students , according to the Louisville Courier-Journal and the ACLU .
The bill , if passed , would affect DREAMers , migrants brought to the United States as children , many of whom were given protective status under the last presidential administration .
Another bill , filed by a member of the House GOP majority , would expressly defund institutions that enroll undocumented students .
State Sen. Danny Carroll ( R @ @ @ @ @ @ @ designed by leadership as its top-priority `` SB 1 , '' aimed at prohibiting so-called `` sanctuary cities '' in the Commonwealth of Kentucky .
As written , according to the ACLU of Kentucky , it would `` deny college admission to students without proper identification , including DREAMERS . ''
In an email , Carroll denied that the bill would have this effect , saying it `` does not address 'dreamers ' in any way . ''
But Republican state Senate President Robert Stivers told the Courier-Journal that under the bill , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be '' able to enroll at public institutions of higher learning .
He said this ban should extend to DREAMers brought to the country when they were young through not fault of their own , many of who were granted protections by President Barack Obama 's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ( DACA ) program .
`` That is also part of it , because individuals who came here illegally — one way or another — they should not be able to attain the status of a person who is here legally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appropriate naturalization process , '' he told the outlet .
A similar bill , filed by state Rep. Les Yates ( R ) , is even more explicit .
It would expressly defund any state college or university that enrolls undocumented students .
Neither Stivers nor Yates responded to requests for comment about the bills .
The legislation comes days after Gov .
Andy Beshear ( D ) succeeded former Republican Gov .
Matt Bevin .
His office did not respond to specific questions about the proposed higher education exclusions , but did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` received and are analyzing the contents of ( SB 1 ) .
As attorney general , Gov .
Beshear assured there were no sanctuary cities in Kentucky , so that the state continued to receive federal dollars . ''
Such a statewide ban is not unprecedented .
Georgia has implemented a prohibition on even DACA recipients enrolling at its top colleges and universities and a federal court recently declined to intervene to stop it .
Immigration advocates say the proposed legislation in Kentucky would be a huge attack on kids who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people face unprecedented attacks from the Trump administration , local and state governments should be making it easier — not harder — for undocumented students to access higher education , '' José Alonso Muñoz , national communications manager for United We Dream , said Friday in a text message .
`` Barring undocumented students from enrolling in colleges and universities is cruel , '' Muñoz added .
`` Education should be a human right , and local and state governments should be working to remove barriers for all who want it , regardless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permission of The American Independent Foundation .

An anti-immigrant bill being pushed by the Republican majority leadership in the Kentucky Senate could reportedly make it all but impossible for state colleges and universities to accept undocumented students, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal and the ACLU.
The bill, if passed, would affect DREAMers, migrants brought to the United States as children, many of whom were given protective status under the last presidential administration.
Another bill, filed by a member of the House GOP majority, would expressly defund institutions that enroll undocumented students.
State Sen. Danny Carroll (R) filed a bill on Tuesday, designed by leadership as its top-priority “SB 1,” aimed at prohibiting so-called “sanctuary cities” in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. As written, according to the ACLU of Kentucky, it would “deny college admission to students without proper identification, including DREAMERS.”
In an email, Carroll denied that the bill would have this effect, saying it “does not address ‘dreamers’ in any way.”
But Republican state Senate President Robert Stivers told the Courier-Journal that under the bill, those without legal immigration status “should not be” able to enroll at public institutions of higher learning. He said this ban should extend to DREAMers brought to the country when they were young through not fault of their own, many of who were granted protections by President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
“That is also part of it, because individuals who came here illegally — one way or another — they should not be able to attain the status of a person who is here legally, either by birth or by the appropriate naturalization process,” he told the outlet.
A similar bill, filed by state Rep. Les Yates (R), is even more explicit. It would expressly defund any state college or university that enrolls undocumented students.
Neither Stivers nor Yates responded to requests for comment about the bills.
The legislation comes days after Gov. Andy Beshear (D) succeeded former Republican Gov. Matt Bevin. His office did not respond to specific questions about the proposed higher education exclusions, but did note an earlier statement saying they had “received and are analyzing the contents of (SB 1). As attorney general, Gov. Beshear assured there were no sanctuary cities in Kentucky, so that the state continued to receive federal dollars.”
Such a statewide ban is not unprecedented. Georgia has implemented a prohibition on even DACA recipients enrolling at its top colleges and universities and a federal court recently declined to intervene to stop it.
Immigration advocates say the proposed legislation in Kentucky would be a huge attack on kids who have done nothing wrong.
“As undocumented people face unprecedented attacks from the Trump administration, local and state governments should be making it easier — not harder — for undocumented students to access higher education,” José Alonso Muñoz, national communications manager for United We Dream, said Friday in a text message.
“Barring undocumented students from enrolling in colleges and universities is cruel,” Muñoz added. “Education should be a human right, and local and state governments should be working to remove barriers for all who want it, regardless of citizenship status.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-01-10--Wisconsin dairy farmers suffer massive blow thanks to Trump's trade war

The state of Wisconsin , famous for its cheese , lost 10 % of its dairy farms in 2019 , Dairy Herd Management reported on Thursday .
The loss of 818 dairies was the largest decline in Wisconsin history .
Trouble for dairy farmers started in 2018 , when Donald Trump engaged in a protracted trade war with China .
In retaliation for increased tariffs from the United States , China placed tariffs on a number of U.S. agricultural exports .
As a result , exports of U.S. dairy to China dropped by more than 50 % in 2019 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rolled out a multibillion dollar bailout for farmers as the trade war dragged on , promising to make up for the financial damage caused by Trump 's policies .
However , milk producers say the aid is not enough .
Paul Bleiberg , vice president of government relations at the National Milk Producers Federation , told CNBC that the bailout `` fell short of where the damages were . ''
The comments mirrored a statement made in late 2018 by Jim Malhern , president of the National Milk Producers Federation .
`` This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sure farmers were not the victims of this trade policy , '' Malhern told the New York Times .
`` I think most agriculture producers feel that the payments have not come close to making up for the damage for the tariffs . ''
According to Dairy Herd Management , the rate of dairy farmer loss in Wisconsin `` has more than doubled in the last few years . ''
Democratic leaders were quick to call out Trump 's role in exacerbating problems in the dairy industry .
`` We have a genuine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making it worse , '' Ben Wikler , chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin , wrote on social media on Friday .
`` These family farms are the lifeblood of so many of Wisconsin 's local economies who are now suffering because of Trump 's broken promises to have their backs , '' Philip Shulman , spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin , said in an emailed statement .
`` Instead of trying to buy them off with bailouts , he should wake up to the reality thousands of other farmers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ More broadly than dairy farmers , the rate of farm bankruptcies has dramatically increased during Trump 's tenure .
An August 2019 analysis showed farm bankruptcies in the midwest have increased by 45 % since Trump started his trade war with China .
`` Trump has repeatedly broken his promise to look out for the dairy industry , '' Maddie McComb , spokesperson for the DNC , said in a statement .
`` Now farmers are paying the price as over 800 farms closed last year in Wisconsin and thousands more struggle to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It 's clear that the crisis facing American farmers is escalating and the best solution is to defeat Trump in November . ''
Trump narrowly carried Wisconsin in the 2016 election , edging out Hillary Clinton by less than 25,000 votes out of a total of 2.8 million votes cast .
Democrats are hoping to win the state in 2020 , and will host the party 's July national nominating convention in Milwaukee .
This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Wisconsin Democratic Party spokesman Philip Shulman 's name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ referred to him as Phillip Shulman .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

The state of Wisconsin, famous for its cheese, lost 10% of its dairy farms in 2019, Dairy Herd Management reported on Thursday. The loss of 818 dairies was the largest decline in Wisconsin history.
Trouble for dairy farmers started in 2018, when Donald Trump engaged in a protracted trade war with China. In retaliation for increased tariffs from the United States, China placed tariffs on a number of U.S. agricultural exports.
As a result, exports of U.S. dairy to China dropped by more than 50% in 2019, according to CNBC.
The Trump administration rolled out a multibillion dollar bailout for farmers as the trade war dragged on, promising to make up for the financial damage caused by Trump’s policies.
However, milk producers say the aid is not enough.
Paul Bleiberg, vice president of government relations at the National Milk Producers Federation, told CNBC that the bailout “fell short of where the damages were.” The comments mirrored a statement made in late 2018 by Jim Malhern, president of the National Milk Producers Federation.
“This [bailout] was supposed to make sure farmers were not the victims of this trade policy,” Malhern told the New York Times. “I think most agriculture producers feel that the payments have not come close to making up for the damage for the tariffs.”
According to Dairy Herd Management, the rate of dairy farmer loss in Wisconsin “has more than doubled in the last few years.”
Democratic leaders were quick to call out Trump’s role in exacerbating problems in the dairy industry.
“We have a genuine dairy farm crisis, and Trump is making it worse,” Ben Wikler, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, wrote on social media on Friday.
“These family farms are the lifeblood of so many of Wisconsin’s local economies who are now suffering because of Trump’s broken promises to have their backs,” Philip Shulman, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, said in an emailed statement. “Instead of trying to buy them off with bailouts, he should wake up to the reality thousands of other farmers across our state are facing.”
More broadly than dairy farmers, the rate of farm bankruptcies has dramatically increased during Trump’s tenure. An August 2019 analysis showed farm bankruptcies in the midwest have increased by 45% since Trump started his trade war with China.
“Trump has repeatedly broken his promise to look out for the dairy industry,” Maddie McComb, spokesperson for the DNC, said in a statement. “Now farmers are paying the price as over 800 farms closed last year in Wisconsin and thousands more struggle to make ends meet under Trump’s watch. It’s clear that the crisis facing American farmers is escalating and the best solution is to defeat Trump in November.”
Trump narrowly carried Wisconsin in the 2016 election, edging out Hillary Clinton by less than 25,000 votes out of a total of 2.8 million votes cast.
Democrats are hoping to win the state in 2020, and will host the party’s July national nominating convention in Milwaukee.
This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Wisconsin Democratic Party spokesman Philip Shulman’s name. A previous version of this story referred to him as Phillip Shulman.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-01-10--White House considers expanding travel ban to more countries

The White House is considering expanding its much-litigated travel ban to additional countries amid a renewed election-year focus on immigration issues by Donald Trump , according to four people familiar with the deliberations .
A document outlining the plans has been circulating the White House , but the countries that would be affected are blacked out , according to two of the people , who spoke on condition of anonymity because the measure has yet to be finalized .
The expanded ban could cover several countries that were included when Trump announced the first iteration of the ban by executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removed amid rounds of litigation .
Iraq , Sudan , and Chad , for instance , had originally been affected by the order ; the Supreme Court upheld a watered-down version of it by a 5-4 vote .
The most recent iteration of the ban includes restrictions on five majority-Muslim nations : Iran , Libya , Somalia , Syria , and Yemen , as well as Venezuela and North Korea .
The White House did not immediately respond to questions about the effort , which appeared timed for release in conjunction with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ban , which was announced on Jan. 27 , 2017 .
That ban sparked an uproar , with massive protests across the nation against what many derided as a “ Muslim ban '' and chaos at airports , where passengers were detained .
The latest deliberations come as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi prepares to transmit to the Senate the articles of impeachment the Democratic-led House passed against Trump late last year , launching a formal impeachment trial just as the 2020 election year gets underway .
Trump in December became just the third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the House .
The Republican-controlled Senate is not expected to remove him from office .
Trump ran his 2016 campaign promising to crack down on illegal immigration and spent much of his first term fighting lawsuits trying to halt his push to build a wall along the southern border , prohibit the entry of citizens from several majority-Muslim countries and crack down on migrants seeking asylum in the United States , amid other measures .
He is expected to press those efforts again this year as he ramps up his reelection campaign .

The White House is considering expanding its much-litigated travel ban to additional countries amid a renewed election-year focus on immigration issues by Donald Trump, according to four people familiar with the deliberations.
A document outlining the plans has been circulating the White House, but the countries that would be affected are blacked out, according to two of the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the measure has yet to be finalized.
The expanded ban could cover several countries that were included when Trump announced the first iteration of the ban by executive order in January 2017 but were later removed amid rounds of litigation. Iraq, Sudan, and Chad, for instance, had originally been affected by the order; the Supreme Court upheld a watered-down version of it by a 5-4 vote.
The most recent iteration of the ban includes restrictions on five majority-Muslim nations: Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen, as well as Venezuela and North Korea.
The White House did not immediately respond to questions about the effort, which appeared timed for release in conjunction with the third anniversary of Trump’s first travel ban, which was announced on Jan. 27, 2017.
That ban sparked an uproar, with massive protests across the nation against what many derided as a “Muslim ban” and chaos at airports, where passengers were detained.
The latest deliberations come as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi prepares to transmit to the Senate the articles of impeachment the Democratic-led House passed against Trump late last year, launching a formal impeachment trial just as the 2020 election year gets underway. Trump in December became just the third president in history to be impeached by the House. The Republican-controlled Senate is not expected to remove him from office.
Trump ran his 2016 campaign promising to crack down on illegal immigration and spent much of his first term fighting lawsuits trying to halt his push to build a wall along the southern border, prohibit the entry of citizens from several majority-Muslim countries and crack down on migrants seeking asylum in the United States, amid other measures.
He is expected to press those efforts again this year as he ramps up his reelection campaign.


shareblue--2020-01-10--US adds more Iran sanctions after killing general

Donald Trump ordered new retaliatory economic sanctions on Iran Friday , even as his administration faced persistent questions over its drone strike on an Iranian general that helped ignite the latest crisis with the Islamic Republic .
Trump issued an executive order adding additional U.S. sanctions to an already long list his administration has imposed , aiming to force Iran to accept a new agreement that would curb its nuclear program and halt support for militant groups throughout the Middle East .
Trump , in a statement announcing the new measures , referenced Iran 's nuclear program and use of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the Iranians have threatened U.S. service members , diplomats and civilians — an apparent reference to his administration 's justification for killing Gen. Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike last week in Baghdad .
`` The United States will continue to counter the Iranian regime 's destructive and destabilizing behavior , '' he said .
But Trump and his administration faced continuing questions over its claims of an `` imminent '' threat as justification for killing Soleimani .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and others in the administration have said the threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have not offered evidence to support that .
Members of Congress said officials did not provide sufficient detail or justification in briefings this week .
Define what you mean by imminent ?
Pompeo was asked at Friday 's White House session .
`` I do n't know exactly which minute , '' Pompeo said .
`` We do n't know exactly which day it would have been executed , but it was very clear .
Qassem Soleimani himself was plotting a broad , large-scale attack against American interests and those attacks were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called the killing of Soleimani `` provocative and disproportionate . ''
The new sanctions were in immediate response to Iran 's firing of a barrage of missiles at American bases in neighboring Iraq this week in response to the killing of Soleimani .
No one was injured .
The larger U.S. goal is to force Iran to negotiate a new agreement on limiting its nuclear program .
In 2018 , Trump withdrew from the nuclear agreement signed under President Barack Obama that traded curbs on the program for the easing of sanctions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ additional economic measures that have created hardship in Iran and brought its oil revenue to historic lows but have failed to bring the Iranian government to the negotiating table .
The sanctions added Friday include measures aimed at eight senior Iranian officials involved in what Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called `` destabilizing '' activities throughout the Middle East as well as Tuesday 's missile barrage .
Additional sanctions target anyone involved in the Iranian textile , construction , manufacturing or mining sectors .
They will also impose separate sanctions against the steel and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these actions we will cut off billions of dollars of support to the Iranian regime , '' the treasury secretary said .

Donald Trump ordered new retaliatory economic sanctions on Iran Friday, even as his administration faced persistent questions over its drone strike on an Iranian general that helped ignite the latest crisis with the Islamic Republic.
Trump issued an executive order adding additional U.S. sanctions to an already long list his administration has imposed, aiming to force Iran to accept a new agreement that would curb its nuclear program and halt support for militant groups throughout the Middle East.
Trump, in a statement announcing the new measures, referenced Iran’s nuclear program and use of proxy forces throughout the region while noting that the Iranians have threatened U.S. service members, diplomats and civilians — an apparent reference to his administration’s justification for killing Gen. Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike last week in Baghdad.
“The United States will continue to counter the Iranian regime’s destructive and destabilizing behavior,” he said.
But Trump and his administration faced continuing questions over its claims of an “imminent” threat as justification for killing Soleimani.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and others in the administration have said the threat posed by Soleimani was imminent, but they have not offered evidence to support that. Members of Congress said officials did not provide sufficient detail or justification in briefings this week.
Define what you mean by imminent? Pompeo was asked at Friday’s White House session.
“I don’t know exactly which minute,” Pompeo said. “We don’t know exactly which day it would have been executed, but it was very clear. Qassem Soleimani himself was plotting a broad, large-scale attack against American interests and those attacks were imminent.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the killing of Soleimani “provocative and disproportionate.”
The new sanctions were in immediate response to Iran’s firing of a barrage of missiles at American bases in neighboring Iraq this week in response to the killing of Soleimani. No one was injured. The larger U.S. goal is to force Iran to negotiate a new agreement on limiting its nuclear program.
In 2018, Trump withdrew from the nuclear agreement signed under President Barack Obama that traded curbs on the program for the easing of sanctions. Since then, the administration has added additional economic measures that have created hardship in Iran and brought its oil revenue to historic lows but have failed to bring the Iranian government to the negotiating table.
The sanctions added Friday include measures aimed at eight senior Iranian officials involved in what Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called “destabilizing” activities throughout the Middle East as well as Tuesday’s missile barrage.
Additional sanctions target anyone involved in the Iranian textile, construction, manufacturing or mining sectors. They will also impose separate sanctions against the steel and iron sectors.
“As a result of these actions we will cut off billions of dollars of support to the Iranian regime,” the treasury secretary said.


shareblue--2020-01-10--Trump press secretary won't even do her job for $200,000 donation to charity

White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham dismissed an offer this week from two authors who said they would donate $ 200,000 to charity if she held a press briefing .
The White House has long abandoned the traditional briefings , with the last one being held in March 2019 .
On Thursday , authors Don Winslow and Stephen King offered to donate $ 200,000 to St. Jude Children 's Research Hospital if Grisham agreed to take press corps questions for one hour in the White House briefing room Grisham criticized their offer for having `` strings attached . ''
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with , why not just help children because it ’ s a good thing to do ?
Donations to charity should never come with strings attached , '' she told CNN on Thursday .
Grisham 's boss , Donald Trump , has himself attached `` strings '' to past charitable offers .
In 2012 , Trump offered to donate $ 5 million to charity if then-President Barack Obama released his college records and `` passport applications , '' ostensibly a reference to the racist `` birther '' conspiracy that claims Obama was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has pushed repeatedly .
`` If Barack Obama opens up and gives his college records and applications , and if he gives his passport applications and records , I will give , to a charity of his choice — inner city children in Chicago , American Cancer Society , AIDS research , anything he wants — a check , immediately , for $ 5 million , '' Trump said in a video statement .
Two years later , Trump repeated the offer , increasing the total to $ 50 million .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million for charity if Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-MA ) took a DNA test proving she had Native American ancestry .
Warren is not a member of any American Indian tribes , but has claimed native ancestry in past official law documents .
( She later apologized for the move . )
Though Warren did eventually release DNA results , Trump did not ultimately keep his promise .
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Grisham 's remarks this week .
Rather than holding tradition press briefings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News and Fox Business Network over the past six months .
Trump , who has routinely dubbed himself the `` most transparent '' president `` in history , '' occasionally takes questions at impromptu press gaggles from the White House lawn or driveway .
Hhowever his administration has simultaneously attempted to crack down on access , revoking press passes from many White House reporters .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham dismissed an offer this week from two authors who said they would donate $200,000 to charity if she held a press briefing.
The White House has long abandoned the traditional briefings, with the last one being held in March 2019.
On Thursday, authors Don Winslow and Stephen King offered to donate $200,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital if Grisham agreed to take press corps questions for one hour in the White House briefing room
Grisham criticized their offer for having “strings attached.”
“If you have $200,000 to play with, why not just help children because it’s a good thing to do? Donations to charity should never come with strings attached,” she told CNN on Thursday.
Grisham’s boss, Donald Trump, has himself attached “strings” to past charitable offers.
In 2012, Trump offered to donate $5 million to charity if then-President Barack Obama released his college records and “passport applications,” ostensibly a reference to the racist “birther” conspiracy that claims Obama was not born in the United States, which Trump has pushed repeatedly.
“If Barack Obama opens up and gives his college records and applications, and if he gives his passport applications and records, I will give, to a charity of his choice — inner city children in Chicago, American Cancer Society, AIDS research, anything he wants — a check, immediately, for $5 million,” Trump said in a video statement.
Two years later, Trump repeated the offer, increasing the total to $50 million.
In July 2018, Trump offered $1 million for charity if Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) took a DNA test proving she had Native American ancestry. Warren is not a member of any American Indian tribes, but has claimed native ancestry in past official law documents. (She later apologized for the move.) Though Warren did eventually release DNA results, Trump did not ultimately keep his promise.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Grisham’s remarks this week.
Rather than holding tradition press briefings, Grisham has repeatedly appeared on Fox News and Fox Business Network over the past six months.
Trump, who has routinely dubbed himself the “most transparent” president “in history,” occasionally takes questions at impromptu press gaggles from the White House lawn or driveway. Hhowever his administration has simultaneously attempted to crack down on access, revoking press passes from many White House reporters.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-01-10--Spiritual guru Marianne Williamson ends 2020 White House bid

Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson , the spiritual guru and bestselling author , ended her campaign on Friday , weeks @ @ @ @ @ she did not want to make it tougher for a progressive to win .
She @ @ @ @ @ believe she would be able to gain enough support in the upcoming contests to make @ @ @ @ @ to challenge President Donald Trump .
In a post on her website , Williamson said @ @ @ @ @ able to garner enough votes in the election to elevate our conversation any more than @ @ @ @ @ Williamson has barely registered in the polls and struggled in fundraising since launching her bid @ @ @ @ @ She laid off her entire staff from her campaign at the end of last year @ @ @ @ @ at campaign events in Iowa and New Hampshire in recent weeks .
Her decision leaves @ @ @ @ @ primary .

Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson, the spiritual guru and bestselling author, ended her campaign on Friday, weeks before voting begins, saying she did not want to make it tougher for a progressive to win.
She also said she did not believe she would be able to gain enough support in the upcoming contests to make a difference in the race to challenge President Donald Trump.
In a post on her website, Williamson said “we will not be able to garner enough votes in the election to elevate our conversation any more than it is now.” Williamson has barely registered in the polls and struggled in fundraising since launching her bid for president last January.
She laid off her entire staff from her campaign at the end of last year, but continued to appear at campaign events in Iowa and New Hampshire in recent weeks. Her decision leaves 13 candidates remaining in the primary.


shareblue--2020-01-10--Trump asks US allies for help on Iran after constantly attacking them

As tensions fester with Iran , Donald Trump finds himself turning to the very people and entities he ’ s spent three years dismissing or alienating : NATO , Western allies , and U.S. intelligence agencies .
Trump , who once said that U.S. spy agencies should `` go back to school , '' is now highlighting the intelligence services ' work that led to the fatal air strike against Iran 's most powerful general .
`` There 's some dripping irony , but nobody thinks all of a sudden he loves us , '' said Marc Polymeropoulos , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assignments in the Mideast , Europe , and Eurasia .
Also , after three years of dismissive comments about NATO and other European allies , Trump says he wants them to help more in the Middle East .
He even suggested a new possible name of `` NATOME '' to add emphasis on the Middle East .
Following his order to kill Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani , and the dangerous aftermath of Iran launching missiles at U.S. military installations , Trump said he would like to see more NATO troops in the Middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in scope .
His latest entreaty is also the freshest test of whether he can bend other nations and international alliances to his will and convince them to join with him after years of letting many of those relationships wither .
`` I think NATO should be expanded and we should include the Middle East , absolutely ...
Right now the burden is on us and that 's not fair , '' Trump said Thursday .
Trump noted how the United States had crushed ISIS militants , eliminated their control of territory , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We did Europe a big favor , '' he said .
How receptive U.S. allies in Europe will be to working with the Trump administration on Mideast issues , particularly Iran , remains unclear , especially given how nations like France were dedicated to the Iran nuclear agreement that Trump abandoned .
`` Trump has nothing in the bank with the Europeans .
There 's no goodwill .
There 's no sense of trust — no sense that they can rely on him , '' said Derek Chollet , senior adviser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ German Marshall Fund of the United States .
`` They are not going to be looking to do Donald Trump a favor . ''
Chollet , who likened the U.S. fatal strike on Soleimani to taking a `` baseball bat to the hornet 's nest , '' also said Trump has not been specific — at least not publicly — about what he wants Europe to do .
Help him negotiate a new nuclear deal with Iran ?
Sanction or punish Iran ?
Provide troops in the Middle East so he can pull @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no evidence that I 'm aware of that European leaders are going to sign on to Trump 's agenda , '' Chollet said .
`` If he pulls U.S. forces out of the Middle East , the idea that the Europeans are going to fill the vacuum — there 's no evidence that will happen . ''
Since Soleimani was killed , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has engaged in a brisk round of telephone diplomacy .
He 's spoken to officials from China , Britain , Germany , France , Pakistan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraq , Turkey , Israel , India , Qatar , Belarus , Ukraine , Bahrain , the United Arab Emirates , and the United Nations .
All the calls were about Iraq and Iran , along with other issues .
In a call with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Thursday , Pompeo reiterated Trump 's call for NATO to become more involved in the Middle East .
The State Department said the two agreed NATO could contribute more to regional security and the fight against international terrorism .
Ted Galen Carpenter , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CATO Institute , said Trump 's call for greater NATO involvement is `` not a terribly realistic expectation but it is consistent with Trump ’ s ongoing demand for greater burden sharing by U.S .
allies . ''
`` He seems to have forgotten the European anger over his decision to cancel the Iran nuclear agreement , '' Carpenter said .
European nations have worked to keep the Iran nuclear deal on life support after Trump pulled the United States out of the agreement .
Kenneth Pollack , a former CIA intelligence analyst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military affairs , said he thinks Iran will be careful about ramping up its nuclear program too much , but that the killing of Soleimani has likely changed Tehran 's mindset .
`` A very important element of why Iran signed the Iran deal in 2015 was because they concluded that the U.S. was not going to attack them .
Bush did n't .
Obama did n't .
They thought they did n't need a nuclear weapon to deter the U.S. , '' said Pollack , who is now at the American Enterprise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suddenly changed Tehran 's calculus — that Trump is so aggressive and unpredictable and ignorant — that they will look at this and say 'You know what ?
We need a nuclear weapon . '
'' Trump , who says he is not interested in ousting the Iranian regime , reinstated economic sanctions on Iran after withdrawing from the deal .
He said it gave Tehran too many economic benefits without doing enough to prevent Iran from eventually developing a nuclear weapon .
Britain , France , Germany , the European Union , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2015 pact , but Iran has abandoned its remaining commitments under the deal , although Iran President Hassan Rouhani said Thursday that Tehran would continue to cooperate with U.N. inspectors .
Mike Pence said Thursday that in coming days Trump will be asking the Europeans again to scrap the 2015 Iran nuclear pact .
But even if Trump is successful in getting Iran to the negotiation table , nuclear talks take time , the presidential election is looming , and Iranian military commanders are threatening further retaliatory strikes that would make talks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior analyst on Iranian security and political issues who speaks Farsi , said despite losing its charismatic and capable military general , Iran remains resolute .
`` That means Washington , more so than ever before , is going to need a regional approach to dealing with Iran , '' said Taleblu with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington .
Britain said in a statement Thursday that it stands by the nuclear deal and urged Iran to return to full compliance .
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Trump appears to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballistic missiles and the nuclear accord , but that `` at the moment , everyone is accusing each other of not abiding by the obligations of the treaty . ''

As tensions fester with Iran, Donald Trump finds himself turning to the very people and entities he’s spent three years dismissing or alienating: NATO, Western allies, and U.S. intelligence agencies.
Trump, who once said that U.S. spy agencies should “go back to school,” is now highlighting the intelligence services’ work that led to the fatal air strike against Iran’s most powerful general.
“There’s some dripping irony, but nobody thinks all of a sudden he loves us,” said Marc Polymeropoulos, a recently retired 26-year CIA veteran who held assignments in the Mideast, Europe, and Eurasia.
Also, after three years of dismissive comments about NATO and other European allies, Trump says he wants them to help more in the Middle East. He even suggested a new possible name of “NATOME” to add emphasis on the Middle East.
Following his order to kill Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, and the dangerous aftermath of Iran launching missiles at U.S. military installations, Trump said he would like to see more NATO troops in the Middle East because the problems there are international in scope.
His latest entreaty is also the freshest test of whether he can bend other nations and international alliances to his will and convince them to join with him after years of letting many of those relationships wither.
“I think NATO should be expanded and we should include the Middle East, absolutely…Right now the burden is on us and that’s not fair,” Trump said Thursday.
Trump noted how the United States had crushed ISIS militants, eliminated their control of territory, and killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. “We did Europe a big favor,” he said.
How receptive U.S. allies in Europe will be to working with the Trump administration on Mideast issues, particularly Iran, remains unclear, especially given how nations like France were dedicated to the Iran nuclear agreement that Trump abandoned.
“Trump has nothing in the bank with the Europeans. There’s no goodwill. There’s no sense of trust — no sense that they can rely on him,” said Derek Chollet, senior adviser for security and defense policy at The German Marshall Fund of the United States. “They are not going to be looking to do Donald Trump a favor.”
Chollet, who likened the U.S. fatal strike on Soleimani to taking a “baseball bat to the hornet’s nest,” also said Trump has not been specific — at least not publicly — about what he wants Europe to do. Help him negotiate a new nuclear deal with Iran? Sanction or punish Iran? Provide troops in the Middle East so he can pull U.S. forces out?
“There is no evidence that I’m aware of that European leaders are going to sign on to Trump’s agenda,” Chollet said. “If he pulls U.S. forces out of the Middle East, the idea that the Europeans are going to fill the vacuum — there’s no evidence that will happen.”
Since Soleimani was killed, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has engaged in a brisk round of telephone diplomacy. He’s spoken to officials from China, Britain, Germany, France, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Turkey, Israel, India, Qatar, Belarus, Ukraine, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Nations. All the calls were about Iraq and Iran, along with other issues.
In a call with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Thursday, Pompeo reiterated Trump’s call for NATO to become more involved in the Middle East. The State Department said the two agreed NATO could contribute more to regional security and the fight against international terrorism.
Ted Galen Carpenter, a defense and foreign policy analyst at the CATO Institute, said Trump’s call for greater NATO involvement is “not a terribly realistic expectation but it is consistent with Trump’s ongoing demand for greater burden sharing by U.S. allies.”
“He seems to have forgotten the European anger over his decision to cancel the Iran nuclear agreement,” Carpenter said.
European nations have worked to keep the Iran nuclear deal on life support after Trump pulled the United States out of the agreement. Kenneth Pollack, a former CIA intelligence analyst and expert on Middle East politics and military affairs, said he thinks Iran will be careful about ramping up its nuclear program too much, but that the killing of Soleimani has likely changed Tehran’s mindset.
“A very important element of why Iran signed the Iran deal in 2015 was because they concluded that the U.S. was not going to attack them. Bush didn’t. Obama didn’t. They thought they didn’t need a nuclear weapon to deter the U.S.,” said Pollack, who is now at the American Enterprise Institute.
“I think this has suddenly changed Tehran’s calculus — that Trump is so aggressive and unpredictable and ignorant — that they will look at this and say ‘You know what? We need a nuclear weapon.'”
Trump, who says he is not interested in ousting the Iranian regime, reinstated economic sanctions on Iran after withdrawing from the deal. He said it gave Tehran too many economic benefits without doing enough to prevent Iran from eventually developing a nuclear weapon.
Britain, France, Germany, the European Union, China, and Russia have remained in the 2015 pact, but Iran has abandoned its remaining commitments under the deal, although Iran President Hassan Rouhani said Thursday that Tehran would continue to cooperate with U.N. inspectors.
Mike Pence said Thursday that in coming days Trump will be asking the Europeans again to scrap the 2015 Iran nuclear pact. But even if Trump is successful in getting Iran to the negotiation table, nuclear talks take time, the presidential election is looming, and Iranian military commanders are threatening further retaliatory strikes that would make talks unlikely.
Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior analyst on Iranian security and political issues who speaks Farsi, said despite losing its charismatic and capable military general, Iran remains resolute. “That means Washington, more so than ever before, is going to need a regional approach to dealing with Iran,” said Taleblu with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington.
Britain said in a statement Thursday that it stands by the nuclear deal and urged Iran to return to full compliance. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Trump appears to be open to negotiations on Iran’s ballistic missiles and the nuclear accord, but that “at the moment, everyone is accusing each other of not abiding by the obligations of the treaty.”


shareblue--2020-01-10--GOP congressman forced to apologize for saying Democrats are 'in love with terrorists'

On Friday morning , Rep. Doug Collins ( R-GA ) went on social media to apologize for his unsupported claim that Democrats in the House of Representatives who supported a war powers resolution were `` in love with terrorists . ''
`` Let me be clear : I do not believe Democrats are in love with terrorists , and I apologize for what I said earlier this week , '' Collins , the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee and a staunch Trump ally , was forced to admit .
Collins added that he `` committed to working with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fellow citizens to keep all Americans safe . ''
Collins was responding to comments he made Wednesday night , where he claimed without evidence that Democrats `` are in love with terrorists — we see that .
They mourn Soleimani more than they mourn our Gold Star families who are the ones who suffered under Soleimani .
That 's a problem . ''
Before apologizing on Friday morning , Collins went on Fox News and defended his comments , claiming of Democrats , `` their actions betray them at this point . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Iraq fighting terrorists , '' Duckworth , who lost both her legs serving in Iraq , told CNN on Thursday .
`` I do n't need to justify myself to anyone . ''
While Collins apologized for his remarks , Trump 's former U.N .
Ambassador Nikki Haley has yet to apologize for similar comments she made following Trump ordering an airstrike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani .
`` The only ones that are mourning the loss of Soleimani are our Democrat leadership , and our Democrat presidential candidates , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and overwhelming evidence to the contrary .
Many Democrats in Congress acknowledged the murders orchestrated by Soleimani , but simply questioned the wisdom of Trump 's order .
On Thursday , Collins joined all but three of his Republican colleagues in voting against a War Powers Resolution to limit Trump 's offensive military action against Iran .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

On Friday morning, Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) went on social media to apologize for his unsupported claim that Democrats in the House of Representatives who supported a war powers resolution were “in love with terrorists.”
“Let me be clear: I do not believe Democrats are in love with terrorists, and I apologize for what I said earlier this week,” Collins, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee and a staunch Trump ally, was forced to admit. Collins added that he “committed to working with my colleagues in Congress and with my fellow citizens to keep all Americans safe.”
Collins was responding to comments he made Wednesday night, where he claimed without evidence that Democrats “are in love with terrorists — we see that. They mourn Soleimani more than they mourn our Gold Star families who are the ones who suffered under Soleimani. That’s a problem.”
Before apologizing on Friday morning, Collins went on Fox News and defended his comments, claiming of Democrats, “their actions betray them at this point.”
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) was “disgusted” by Collins’ original comments.
“I left parts of my body in Iraq fighting terrorists,” Duckworth, who lost both her legs serving in Iraq, told CNN on Thursday. “I don’t need to justify myself to anyone.”
While Collins apologized for his remarks, Trump’s former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley has yet to apologize for similar comments she made following Trump ordering an airstrike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
“The only ones that are mourning the loss of Soleimani are our Democrat leadership, and our Democrat presidential candidates,” Haley said on Monday, despite obvious and overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Many Democrats in Congress acknowledged the murders orchestrated by Soleimani, but simply questioned the wisdom of Trump’s order.
On Thursday, Collins joined all but three of his Republican colleagues in voting against a War Powers Resolution to limit Trump’s offensive military action against Iran.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.