npr--2020-01-23--Impeachment Trial Recap: Congress Has The Power, Democrats Argue

Congress has the power to impeach and remove a president over conduct that may not violate black-letter law — and President Trump 's actions qualify , House Democratic impeachment managers argued Thursday .
The Constitution does n't specify that a president must technically have broken a law in order to be impeached , said Rep. Jerry Nadler , D-N.Y. , although Democrats also underscored that Trump did break at least one law in the Ukraine affair .
All the same , the framers of the Constitution clearly intended to give discretion to the House and the Senate about impeachment so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a president accountable , Nadler said .
`` Abuse of power is clearly an impeachable offense under the Constitution .
To be honest , this should not be a controversial statement , '' Nadler said .
`` I find it amazing that the president rejects it .
Yet he does . ''
Accordingly Democrats evidently felt they had to make that aspect of their case clear as they continued their arguments against Trump into a second day .
Nadler , chairman of the House Judiciary Committee , laid out what he called the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is pursuing it .
Then his compatriots detailed why they believed Trump 's actions in the Ukraine affair last year had been for his own benefit , not that of the nation .
Another impeachment manager , Rep. Zoe Lofgren , D-Calif. , observed later in the evening that Trump had broken the law in the Ukraine affair , as the Government Accountability Office concluded this month .
The articles of impeachment passed by the House do n't rely on that lawbreaking , she said , because it was simply part of what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Trump .
`` He simply did n't care , '' Lofgren said .
`` He did n't care he was breaking the law . ''
The president offered his own commentary on Twitter , including about a putative deal in which Republicans might agree to admit a witness such as former national security adviser John Bolton in exchange for one sought by Republicans — perhaps Hunter Biden , son of former Vice President Joe Biden .
Trump 's defense team is expected to begin its full response in the chamber on Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in judgment of Trump and a few House lawmakers who 've been deputized to handle the press for Trump during breaks in floor action , continued to fault Democrats ' arguments and the ongoing trial .
Nadler opened his case on Thursday by quoting from framers of the Constitution reassuring their contemporaries about the then-new presidency of the then-new United States .
Among other things , they said , per Nadler , impeachment would ensure that no chief executive could escape accountability by committing transgressions more nebulous than those defined crisply by criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the United States did n't have a formal statute for `` bribery , '' one of the crimes delineated by the Constitution that could trigger impeachment , until decades after its adoption .
And , he said , even though the criminal code today is well established — Trump is effectively immune from it .
The Justice Department has opined , in a lesson retaught by the Russia investigation , that prosecutors can not indict the president .
Nadler read a quote he said was from Attorney General William Barr , whom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for presidents : `` That 's OK , because they can be impeached ... that 's the safeguard . ''
Nadler then invoked other supporters of Trump to aid his argument .
He played a video clip from law professor Alan Dershowitz , who is on Trump 's defense team , and a video clip that featured someone sitting in his own audience : Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , who had been a House manager for the Clinton impeachment .
In the tape , a younger Graham was exploring the meaning of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crimes and misdemeanors . ''
`` What 's a high crime ?
What about if an important person hurt somebody of low means ?
It 's not very scholarly but I think it 's the truth , '' Graham said .
`` I think that 's what they meant by high crimes .
Does n't have to be a 'crime . '
It 's just when you start using your office and you 're acting in a way that hurts people . ''
Nadler then invoked other examples , including one involving President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of articles of impeachment in the House but who resigned before they were passed .
One key piece of evidence was a recording on which Nixon is overheard telling aides to get the CIA to lean on the FBI to quash the Watergate investigation .
That evidence , which became known as `` the smoking gun , '' was central to the loss of political support for Nixon and the certainty of his impeachment , Nadler said — but no law explicitly prohibited what the president was doing .
The technicality of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to make it plain to Americans , and most members of Congress , that Nixon 's actions were wrong and that his claim to office was forfeit .
Nadler urged senators to keep these examples in mind when Trump 's defenders argue that the president has n't been accused of breaking a law and accordingly ca n't be impeached .
Not only has he broken one , as Lofgren later said , that 's not pertinent , Nadler argued .
`` This view is completely wrong , '' Nadler said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it conflicts with every relevant consideration . ''
The other impeachment managers followed Nadler with a thesis more closely confined to the Ukraine affair : Trump conditioned official acts on the expectation of political favors by his Ukrainian counterpart , they argued .
Trump and Republicans argue that he did n't do anything wrong .
The military assistance for Ukraine that was frozen in 2019 was released , they observe — and Ukraine 's president did n't commit to the political investigations Trump wanted .
Republicans reject Democrats ' `` attempted extortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counterattacked with a bit of opposition research : Sen. Joni Ernst , R-Iowa , mocked the Democrats for getting on their `` high horse '' about Ukraine assistance when , she said , some of the managers had opposed legislation supporting it in the House .
Mostly , Thursday appeared to proceed in the way that Wednesday had : The 100 members of the Senate are confined to the chamber and its environs and may not have their cellphones .
They focused on their notes .
They quaffed milk .
Republican members were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of North Carolina — an unsubtle commentary about how captivating they considered the Democrats ' presentations .
A few spinners were visible on senators ' desks and at least one , Sen. Tom Cotton , R-Ark.
, toyed with his during remarks by Rep. Adam Schiff , D-Calif .
Senators also got into a rhythm of standing and stretching and milling around in the back of the chamber and its cloakrooms .
Much of that activity appeared to take place roughly around 10 minutes before the hour , when the members were prompted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brakkton Booker and Kelsey Snell contributed to this report .

Impeachment Trial Recap: Congress Has The Power, Democrats Argue
Enlarge this image toggle caption AP AP
Updated at 9:43 p.m. ET
Congress has the power to impeach and remove a president over conduct that may not violate black-letter law — and President Trump's actions qualify, House Democratic impeachment managers argued Thursday.
The Constitution doesn't specify that a president must technically have broken a law in order to be impeached, said Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., although Democrats also underscored that Trump did break at least one law in the Ukraine affair.
All the same, the framers of the Constitution clearly intended to give discretion to the House and the Senate about impeachment so they would not be circumscribed in holding a president accountable, Nadler said.
"Abuse of power is clearly an impeachable offense under the Constitution. To be honest, this should not be a controversial statement," Nadler said. "I find it amazing that the president rejects it. Yet he does."
Accordingly Democrats evidently felt they had to make that aspect of their case clear as they continued their arguments against Trump into a second day.
Nadler, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, laid out what he called the legal theory for impeachment as the House is pursuing it. Then his compatriots detailed why they believed Trump's actions in the Ukraine affair last year had been for his own benefit, not that of the nation.
Another impeachment manager, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., observed later in the evening that Trump had broken the law in the Ukraine affair, as the Government Accountability Office concluded this month.
The articles of impeachment passed by the House don't rely on that lawbreaking, she said, because it was simply part of what Democrats call a broader abuse of power by Trump.
"He simply didn't care," Lofgren said. "He didn't care he was breaking the law."
Trump dares Dems on witnesses
The president offered his own commentary on Twitter, including about a putative deal in which Republicans might agree to admit a witness such as former national security adviser John Bolton in exchange for one sought by Republicans — perhaps Hunter Biden, son of former Vice President Joe Biden.
Trump's defense team is expected to begin its full response in the chamber on Saturday.
Other Republicans, including senators sitting in judgment of Trump and a few House lawmakers who've been deputized to handle the press for Trump during breaks in floor action, continued to fault Democrats' arguments and the ongoing trial.
"That's the safeguard"
Nadler opened his case on Thursday by quoting from framers of the Constitution reassuring their contemporaries about the then-new presidency of the then-new United States.
Among other things, they said, per Nadler, impeachment would ensure that no chief executive could escape accountability by committing transgressions more nebulous than those defined crisply by criminal law.
Indeed, as Nadler argued, the United States didn't have a formal statute for "bribery," one of the crimes delineated by the Constitution that could trigger impeachment, until decades after its adoption. And, he said, even though the criminal code today is well established — Trump is effectively immune from it.
The Justice Department has opined, in a lesson retaught by the Russia investigation, that prosecutors cannot indict the president.
Nadler read a quote he said was from Attorney General William Barr, whom he said accepted the limitation on accountability for presidents: "That's OK, because they can be impeached ... that's the safeguard."
Nadler then invoked other supporters of Trump to aid his argument. He played a video clip from law professor Alan Dershowitz, who is on Trump's defense team, and a video clip that featured someone sitting in his own audience: Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who had been a House manager for the Clinton impeachment.
Loading...
In the tape, a younger Graham was exploring the meaning of the Constitution's definition of "high crimes and misdemeanors."
"What's a high crime? What about if an important person hurt somebody of low means? It's not very scholarly but I think it's the truth," Graham said. "I think that's what they meant by high crimes. Doesn't have to be a 'crime.' It's just when you start using your office and you're acting in a way that hurts people."
The Nixon precedent
Nadler then invoked other examples, including one involving President Richard Nixon, who was the subject of articles of impeachment in the House but who resigned before they were passed.
One key piece of evidence was a recording on which Nixon is overheard telling aides to get the CIA to lean on the FBI to quash the Watergate investigation.
That evidence, which became known as "the smoking gun," was central to the loss of political support for Nixon and the certainty of his impeachment, Nadler said — but no law explicitly prohibited what the president was doing.
The technicality of a law wasn't necessary, he argued, to make it plain to Americans, and most members of Congress, that Nixon's actions were wrong and that his claim to office was forfeit.
Nadler urged senators to keep these examples in mind when Trump's defenders argue that the president hasn't been accused of breaking a law and accordingly can't be impeached.
Not only has he broken one, as Lofgren later said, that's not pertinent, Nadler argued.
"This view is completely wrong," Nadler said. "It has no supporting congressional text ... and it conflicts with every relevant consideration."
Riding spinners
The other impeachment managers followed Nadler with a thesis more closely confined to the Ukraine affair: Trump conditioned official acts on the expectation of political favors by his Ukrainian counterpart, they argued.
Trump and Republicans argue that he didn't do anything wrong. The military assistance for Ukraine that was frozen in 2019 was released, they observe — and Ukraine's president didn't commit to the political investigations Trump wanted.
Republicans reject Democrats' "attempted extortion" metaphor and on Thursday they also counterattacked with a bit of opposition research:
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, mocked the Democrats for getting on their "high horse" about Ukraine assistance when, she said, some of the managers had opposed legislation supporting it in the House.
Mostly, Thursday appeared to proceed in the way that Wednesday had: The 100 members of the Senate are confined to the chamber and its environs and may not have their cellphones.
They focused on their notes. They quaffed milk. Republican members were offered fidget spinners by Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina — an unsubtle commentary about how captivating they considered the Democrats' presentations.
A few spinners were visible on senators' desks and at least one, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., toyed with his during remarks by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.
Senators also got into a rhythm of standing and stretching and milling around in the back of the chamber and its cloakrooms. Much of that activity appeared to take place roughly around 10 minutes before the hour, when the members were prompted by their fitness trackers.
NPR reporters Brakkton Booker and Kelsey Snell contributed to this report.


npr--2020-01-24--Sketch Artist Captures 'Something Unusual' At Senate Trial

The public 's view of President Trump 's impeachment trial is limited .
In an era of ubiquitous cameras , no photographs are allowed in the Senate chamber .
The only video comes from a set of cameras operated by government employees that 's used by the television networks .
There are n't many camera angles .
To give the public a closer view , news outlets are employing a low-tech solution .
Art Lien has been giving readers of The New York Times a different view of each day 's events .
From the gallery above the Senate floor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pencil to 9-by-12 inch sheets of paper and looks for the tiny details that the cameras can miss .
On Thursday , Lien drew Sen. Richard Burr , R-N.C. , with one of the contraptions on his desk .
Burr reportedly gave them out to his Republican colleagues .
`` This was sort of iconic yesterday .
We noticed that several of the senators had fidget spinners on their desks , '' Lien tells NPR 's Ari Shapiro on All Things Considered .
`` I 'm looking for color , '' Lien says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , something that says something or tells some kind of story . ''
On Tuesday , Lien says he found Sen. James Risch of Idaho `` catching a few winks '' while sitting in between Republican colleagues Mike Crapo , also of Idaho , and Roy Blunt of Missouri .
`` Sen. Risch on the very first day fell asleep , '' Lien says .
`` It was that late night , but this was only 5:30 .
...
He was the first to go .
Actually , I have n't seen any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His spokesperson said he was just simply listening with his eyes closed , but his head was definitely going down and down and down , '' according to Lien .
Lien has been a courtroom sketch artist since 1976 , mainly covering the Supreme Court .
It was n't until 1986 that the Senate voted to allow complete television coverage of its proceedings .
Lien says introducing the cameras made it easier to cover Congress .
`` I was so glad when they brought in cameras .
...
Things move very slowly at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Congress .
And it 's just a very , very tough assignment .
And actually , when I went there last week for the swearing in of the senators , my heart kind of sank .
You know it was like , 'Oh my god , this is such a hard job . '
`` It 's hard to keep it interesting , Lien says , especially when the trial lasts hours and hours each day .
But the cameras in the chamber have helped him narrow his attention .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every corner , '' he says .
`` It 's just , you have to look harder .
One wonderful thing about now is that I do n't have to cover the wide shot of the chamber because that 's on television .
I do n't have to cover the speaker , but I get to sort of roam around and look for other elements that I think are more interesting to me . ''
NPR 's Connor Donevan and Justine Kenin produced and edited the audio version of this story .

Sketch Artist Captures 'Something Unusual' At Senate Trial
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kisha Ravi/NPR Kisha Ravi/NPR
The public's view of President Trump's impeachment trial is limited. In an era of ubiquitous cameras, no photographs are allowed in the Senate chamber. The only video comes from a set of cameras operated by government employees that's used by the television networks. There aren't many camera angles.
To give the public a closer view, news outlets are employing a low-tech solution.
Art Lien has been giving readers of The New York Times a different view of each day's events. From the gallery above the Senate floor, the courtroom sketch artist takes his pencil to 9-by-12-inch sheets of paper and looks for the tiny details that the cameras can miss.
Details such as fidget spinners.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kisha Ravi/NPR Kisha Ravi/NPR
On Thursday, Lien drew Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., with one of the contraptions on his desk. Burr reportedly gave them out to his Republican colleagues.
"This was sort of iconic yesterday. We noticed that several of the senators had fidget spinners on their desks," Lien tells NPR's Ari Shapiro on All Things Considered.
"I'm looking for color," Lien says. "You know, something unusual, something that says something or tells some kind of story."
On Tuesday, Lien says he found Sen. James Risch of Idaho "catching a few winks" while sitting in between Republican colleagues Mike Crapo, also of Idaho, and Roy Blunt of Missouri.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kisha Ravi/NPR Kisha Ravi/NPR
"Sen. Risch on the very first day fell asleep," Lien says. "It was that late night, but this was only 5:30. ... He was the first to go. Actually, I haven't seen any other senators falling asleep."
"His spokesperson said he was just simply listening with his eyes closed, but his head was definitely going down and down and down," according to Lien.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kisha Ravi/NPR Kisha Ravi/NPR
Lien has been a courtroom sketch artist since 1976, mainly covering the Supreme Court. It wasn't until 1986 that the Senate voted to allow complete television coverage of its proceedings. Lien says introducing the cameras made it easier to cover Congress.
"I was so glad when they brought in cameras. ... Things move very slowly at times and then they move very fast in Congress. And it's just a very, very tough assignment. And actually, when I went there last week for the swearing in of the senators, my heart kind of sank. You know it was like, 'Oh my God, this is such a hard job.' "
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kisha Ravi/NPR Kisha Ravi/NPR
It's hard to keep it interesting, Lien says, especially when the trial lasts hours and hours each day. But the cameras in the chamber have helped him narrow his attention.
"I think there probably is something colorful around every corner," he says. "It's just, you have to look harder. One wonderful thing about now is that I don't have to cover the wide shot of the chamber because that's on television. I don't have to cover the speaker, but I get to sort of roam around and look for other elements that I think are more interesting to me."
NPR's Connor Donevan and Justine Kenin produced and edited the audio version of this story.


npr--2020-01-24--Pompeo Won't Say Whether He Owes Yovanovitch An Apology. 'I've Done What's Right'

Pompeo Wo n't Say Whether He Owes Yovanovitch An Apology . '
I 've Done What 's Right' With the State Department facing continued questions over the treatment of Marie Yovanovitch before she was recalled as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would not say on Friday whether he owed the career diplomat an apology .
`` I 've defended every single person on this team , '' Pompeo said in an interview with NPR .
`` I 've done what 's right for every single person on this team . ''
Pressed on whether he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he defended Yovanovitch , Pompeo responded , `` I 've said all I 'm going to say today .
Thank you .
Thanks for the repeated opportunity to do so .
I appreciate that . ''
The exchange with Mary Louise Kelly , co-host of All Things Considered , follows the release by House Democrats last week of messages suggesting that Yovanovitch may have been under surveillance in the days before she was told to return to Washington from her posting in Kyiv last year .
The messages were sent between Robert Hyde @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump supporter , and Lev Parnas , an associate of president Trump 's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani .
Parnas has emerged as a central figure in efforts by Giuliani to pressure the government of Ukraine to investigate political rivals of President Trump .
That campaign is now the focus of the ongoing impeachment trial against President Trump in the Senate .
Possible surveillance of a U.S. ambassador The State Department itself is now investigating the possible surveillance of Yovanovitch , who during testimony before House impeachment investigators in November said she had felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recall , Yovanovitch had been accused of disloyalty by allies of the White House , and during his now-infamous July 25 call with Ukraine 's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy , Trump said of Yovanovitch , `` She 's going to go through some things . ''
In an interview last week with the conservative radio show host Hugh Hewitt , Pompeo said he `` never heard '' that Yovanovitch may have been under surveillance .
In her testimony before the House , Yovanovitch said she was told by the State Department that she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` security . ''
Pompeo has come under criticism — including , at times , from career diplomats in his own department — for failing to more forcefully defend Yovanovitch in the face of political attacks .
During testimony before impeachment investigators , for example , Michael McKinley , a former senior adviser to Pompeo , said he resigned from the department in part over what he interpreted as a `` lack of public support for Department employees . ''
`` I 'm not going to comment on things that Mr. McKinley may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday .
But he dismissed the suggestion that a shadow foreign policy involving Ukraine was in place .
`` The Ukraine policy has been run from the Department of State for the entire time that I have been here , and our policy was very clear , '' Pompeo said .
Immediately after the questions on Ukraine , the interview concluded .
Pompeo stood , leaned in and silently glared at Kelly for a period of several seconds before leaving the room .
A few moments later , an aide asked Kelly to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ room at the State Department without a recorder .
The aide did not say the ensuing exchange would be off the record .
Inside the room , Pompeo shouted his displeasure at being questioned about Ukraine .
He used repeated expletives , according to Kelly , and asked , `` Do you think Americans care about Ukraine ? ''
He then said , `` People will hear about this . ''
The State Department did not immediately respond on the record to NPR 's request for comment .
The U.S. and Iran The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions about the Trump administration 's policy toward Iran .
Pompeo defended the president 's `` maximum pressure '' campaign against Tehran , saying it is `` absolutely working . ''
`` This is a regime that has been working to develop its nuclear program for years and years and years .
And the nuclear deal guaranteed them a pathway to having a nuclear program , '' Pompeo said in reference to the international agreement signed by Iran , the U.S. , Britain , China , France , Germany and Russia in 2015 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It might have been delayed for a month or a year or five or 10 years , but it guaranteed them that pathway .
This administration has pulled the Band-Aid off . ''
As the nation 's chief diplomat , Pompeo has played a central role in shaping the president 's more aggressive posture toward Iran .
It 's a policy Pompeo has described as `` re-establishing deterrence . ''
The policy has taken many forms .
Less than two weeks after Pompeo was sworn in as secretary of state in 2018 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran nuclear deal .
The announcement was followed by the reinstatement of steep economic sanctions against Tehran .
Under Pompeo , the State Department has also designated Iran 's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization , the first time the U.S. has given that label to the branch of another government .
Yet perhaps no action has been more controversial than the administration 's decision this month to launch the drone strike that killed Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani , the leader of Iran 's influential Quds Force , outside the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has declined to offer specifics about the intelligence that prompted the strike , Pompeo has defended the president 's order , saying it was carried out in response to an `` imminent threat '' of attack on U.S. embassies .
For days , the killing revived fears of an all-out war .
Iran retaliated with strikes against two bases housing American troops in Iraq .
No Americans died in the attack , though the U.S. military later revealed that 11 service members were injured .
Tensions have since eased , but the episode @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's `` maximum pressure '' campaign has emboldened Tehran .
Since President Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal , Iran has shot down a U.S. drone , targeted oil tankers in the strategic Strait of Hormuz and been blamed for a debilitating attack on Saudi oil facilities .
At the same time , Iran has stepped away from key provisions of the nuclear deal .
In an interview this month with NPR , the country 's foreign minister , Mohammad Javad Zarif , said `` all limits '' on centrifuges used to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' `` He 's blustering , '' Pompeo said in Friday 's interview .
`` This is a regime that has never been in the position that it 's in today . ''
The secretary declined , however , to detail specifics of the administration 's policy for preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon , saying only , `` We 'll stop them . ''
Pompeo would not say whether direct U.S. engagement is taking place with Iran , but did say the administration has built a coalition that 's working to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ missile program , its processing of uranium and the reprocessing of plutonium .
He said the U.S. has also `` raised the cost '' for Iran 's use of force through proxy groups in the Middle East .
`` This is beginning to place real choices in front of the Iranian regime , '' Pompeo said .
`` You can see in the protests inside of Iran .
You can see the Iranian people not happy with their own government when they have to raise the fuel cost .
All the things that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inflict risk on the American people are coming to fruition as a direct result of President Trump 's strategy . ''
He would not comment on whether a new deal is being developed in order to prevent Tehran from acquiring a weapon , but instead said `` the economic , military and diplomatic deterrence that we have put in place will deliver that outcome . ''
`` The Iranian leadership will have to make the decision about what its behavior is going to be , '' he said .

Pompeo Won't Say Whether He Owes Yovanovitch An Apology. 'I've Done What's Right'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Wong/Getty Images Alex Wong/Getty Images
Updated on Saturday at 3:01 p.m.
With the State Department facing continued questions over the treatment of Marie Yovanovitch before she was recalled as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would not say on Friday whether he owed the career diplomat an apology.
"I've defended every single person on this team," Pompeo said in an interview with NPR. "I've done what's right for every single person on this team."
Pressed on whether he could point to specific remarks in which he defended Yovanovitch, Pompeo responded, "I've said all I'm going to say today. Thank you. Thanks for the repeated opportunity to do so. I appreciate that."
The exchange with Mary Louise Kelly, co-host of All Things Considered, follows the release by House Democrats last week of messages suggesting that Yovanovitch may have been under surveillance in the days before she was told to return to Washington from her posting in Kyiv last year.
The messages were sent between Robert Hyde, a Republican congressional candidate and fervent Trump supporter, and Lev Parnas, an associate of President Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani. He was indicted in October on campaign finance charges.
Parnas has emerged as a central figure in efforts by Giuliani to pressure the government of Ukraine to investigate political rivals of Trump. That campaign is now the focus of the ongoing impeachment trial against Trump in the Senate.
Possible surveillance of a U.S. ambassador
The State Department itself is now investigating the possible surveillance of Yovanovitch, who during testimony before House impeachment investigators in November said she had felt threatened by Trump. Before her recall, Yovanovitch had been accused of disloyalty by allies of the White House, and during his now-infamous July 25 call with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Trump said of Yovanovitch, "She's going to go through some things."
In an interview last week with the conservative radio show host Hugh Hewitt, Pompeo said he "never heard" that Yovanovitch may have been under surveillance. In her testimony before the House, Yovanovitch said she was told by the State Department that she was being recalled because of concerns about her "security."
Pompeo has come under criticism — including, at times, from career diplomats in his own department — for failing to more forcefully defend Yovanovitch in the face of political attacks. During testimony before impeachment investigators, for example, Michael McKinley, a former senior adviser to Pompeo, said he resigned from the department in part over what he interpreted to be a "lack of public support for Department employees."
"I'm not going to comment on things that Mr. McKinley may have said," Pompeo said on Friday. But he dismissed the suggestion that a shadow foreign policy involving Ukraine was in place.
"The Ukraine policy has been run from the Department of State for the entire time that I have been here, and our policy was very clear," Pompeo said.
Immediately after the questions on Ukraine, the interview concluded. Pompeo stood, leaned in and silently glared at Kelly for several seconds before leaving the room.
A few moments later, an aide asked Kelly to follow her into Pompeo's private living room at the State Department without a recorder. The aide did not say the ensuing exchange would be off the record.
Inside the room, Pompeo shouted his displeasure at being questioned about Ukraine and asked Kelly to identify the country on a map, which she did. He used repeated expletives, according to Kelly, and asked, "Do you think Americans care about Ukraine?" He then said, "People will hear about this."
In a statement Saturday, Pompeo disputed NPR's account of the interaction.
"NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly lied to me, twice. First, last month, in setting up our interview and, then again yesterday, in agreeing to have our post-interview conversation off the record," he said. "It is shameful that this reporter chose to violate the basic rules of journalism and decency. This is another example of how unhinged the media has become in its quest to hurt President Trump and this Administration. It is no wonder that the American people distrust many in the media when they so consistently demonstrate their agenda and their absence of integrity."
"It is worth noting that Bangladesh is NOT Ukraine."
In a statement, NPR Senior Vice President for News Nancy Barnes said, "Mary Louise Kelly has always conducted herself with the utmost integrity, and we stand behind this report."
The U.S. and Iran
The interview began with a series of questions about the Trump administration's policy toward Iran. Pompeo defended the president's "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran, saying it is "absolutely working."
"This is a regime that has been working to develop its nuclear program for years and years and years. And the nuclear deal guaranteed them a pathway to having a nuclear program," Pompeo said in reference to the international agreement signed by Iran, the U.S., the United Kingdom, China, France, Germany, Russia and the European Union in 2015. "It was a certainty. It might have been delayed for a month or a year or five or 10 years, but it guaranteed them that pathway. This administration has pulled the Band-Aid off."
As the nation's chief diplomat, Pompeo has played a central role in shaping the president's more aggressive posture toward Iran. It's a policy Pompeo has described as "reestablishing deterrence."
The policy has taken many forms. Less than two weeks after Pompeo was sworn in as secretary of state in 2018, Trump announced the withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. The announcement was followed by the reinstatement of steep economic sanctions against Tehran.
Under Pompeo, the State Department has also designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization, the first time the U.S. has given that label to the branch of another government.
Yet perhaps no action has been more controversial than the administration's decision this month to launch the drone strike that killed Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the leader of Iran's influential Quds Force, outside the airport in Baghdad. While the administration has declined to offer specifics about the intelligence that prompted the strike, Pompeo has defended the president's order, saying it was carried out in response to an "imminent threat" of attack on U.S. embassies.
For days, the killing revived fears of an all-out war. Iran retaliated with strikes against two bases housing American troops in Iraq. No Americans died in the attack, though the U.S. military later revealed that 34 service members were diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries.
Tensions have since eased, but the episode has renewed questions about whether the president's "maximum pressure" campaign has emboldened Tehran. Since Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal, Iran has shot down a U.S. drone, targeted oil tankers in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, and been blamed for a debilitating attack on Saudi oil facilities.
At the same time, Iran has stepped away from key provisions of the nuclear deal. In an interview this month with NPR, the country's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said "all limits" on centrifuges used to enrich uranium "are now suspended."
"He's blustering," Pompeo said in Friday's interview. "This is a regime that has never been in the position that it's in today."
The secretary declined, however, to detail specifics of the administration's policy for preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, saying only, "We'll stop them."
Pompeo would not say whether direct U.S. engagement is taking place with Iran but did say the administration has built a coalition that's working to put pressure on Iran to end its missile program, its processing of uranium and the reprocessing of plutonium.
He said the U.S. has also "raised the cost" for Iran's use of force through proxy groups in the Middle East.
"This is beginning to place real choices in front of the Iranian regime," Pompeo said. "You can see in the protests inside of Iran. You can see the Iranian people not happy with their own government when they have to raise the fuel cost. All the things that are undermining this regime's ability to inflict risk on the American people are coming to fruition as a direct result of President Trump's strategy."
He would not comment on whether a new deal is being developed in order to prevent Tehran from acquiring a weapon, but instead said, "The economic, military and diplomatic deterrence that we have put in place will deliver that outcome."
"The Iranian leadership will have to make the decision about what its behavior is going to be," he said.


npr--2020-01-24--Pentagon Says 34 U.S. Troops Suffered Brain Injuries From Iranian Missile Strike

Pentagon Says 34 U.S .
Troops Suffered Brain Injuries From Iranian Missile Strike Eight U.S. troops diagnosed with traumatic brain injury ( TBI ) arrived in the U.S. on Friday , according to Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman .
Hoffman said those troops are among a total of 34 American servicemembers diagnosed with TBI after the al Asad airbase where they were stationed in Iraq was hit by missiles fired by Iran on Jan. 8 .
The attack was in reprisal for a U.S. drone strike Jan. 3 that killed top Iranian general Qassed Soleimani .
It was at least the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revise President Trump 's Jan. 8 claim that no Americans were injured by the Iranian missile barrage .
`` No Americans were harmed in last night 's attack by the Iranian regime , '' Trump declared at the White House hours after the Iranian attack .
`` We suffered no casualties . ''
The 8 wounded American soldiers who arrived in the U.S. are part of a larger contingent of 18 troops diagnosed with TBI who were initially medically evacuated to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany .
Those now in the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda , Md .
or at their home bases , according to Hoffman .
The 9 U.S. troops who remain in Landstuhl will continue to undergo evaluation and treatment there .
One American soldier who was diagnosed with TBI after the Iranian attack and transported to Kuwait has now returned to duty in Iraq ; 16 others who stayed in Iraq after being diagnosed with TBI have also returned to duty .
Asked whether those soldiers will be given Purple Hearts , since TBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those wounded in enemy attacks , Hoffman was non-commital .
`` That is a decision the services will have to make in due time , '' he said .
`` I 'm not going to get ahead of the service secretaries on that . ''
Trump , for his part , downplayed reports of the U.S. troops sustaining concussion-type injuries when asked about them last week in Davos , Switzerland .
`` I heard that they had headaches , and a couple of other things , '' Trump said .
`` But I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is not very serious .
Not very serious . ''
Regulations for receiving a Purple Heart award require that an injury caused by an enemy action that is diagnosed and treated by a medical professional be of such gravity that it removes the victim from duty for at least 48 hours .
Hoffman acknowledged that the numbers of troops diagnosed with TBI released by the Pentagon over the past two weeks have shifted , which he attributed to some of the symptoms of TBI taking time to develop .
`` What we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were initially screened for concussion-like symptoms that showed up at one of the medical providers on the base saw their conditions improve rapidly , '' he said .
`` Others we saw their conditions did n't improve — some got worse and had severe enough symptoms that they were transported on for further treatment . ''
But the Pentagon spokesman also announced that on Friday Defense Sec .
Mark Esper directed Matt Donovan , who is currently performing the duties of the Defense Department 's under secretary for personnel and readiness , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chiefs of Staff to review the Pentagon 's processes for tracking and reporting injuries of all kinds .
`` The secretary 's direction is focused on the fact that if you look at the different types of reporting systems that we have , sometimes the administrative reporting of an injury is different than the medical reporting .
We need to get that clarified , we need to get a little better handle on it , '' Hoffman noted .
`` We need to be as transparent as possible on this . ''

Pentagon Says 34 U.S. Troops Suffered Brain Injuries From Iranian Missile Strike
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ayman Henna/AFP via Getty Images Ayman Henna/AFP via Getty Images
Eight U.S. troops diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI) arrived in the U.S. on Friday, according to Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman.
Hoffman said those troops are among a total of 34 American servicemembers diagnosed with TBI after the al Asad airbase where they were stationed in Iraq was hit by missiles fired by Iran on Jan. 8. The attack was in reprisal for a U.S. drone strike Jan. 3 that killed top Iranian general Qassed Soleimani.
It was at least the third time U.S. officials have had to revise President Trump's Jan. 8 claim that no Americans were injured by the Iranian missile barrage.
"No Americans were harmed in last night's attack by the Iranian regime," Trump declared at the White House hours after the Iranian attack. "We suffered no casualties."
The 8 wounded American soldiers who arrived in the U.S. are part of a larger contingent of 18 troops diagnosed with TBI who were initially medically evacuated to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Those now in the U.S. will be treated on at out-patient basis either at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. or at their home bases, according to Hoffman.
The 9 U.S. troops who remain in Landstuhl will continue to undergo evaluation and treatment there. One American soldier who was diagnosed with TBI after the Iranian attack and transported to Kuwait has now returned to duty in Iraq; 16 others who stayed in Iraq after being diagnosed with TBI have also returned to duty.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alexander Tahaov for NPR Alexander Tahaov for NPR
Asked whether those soldiers will be given Purple Hearts, since TBI now qualifies for this award bestowed on those wounded in enemy attacks, Hoffman was non-commital. "That is a decision the services will have to make in due time," he said. "I'm not going to get ahead of the service secretaries on that."
Trump, for his part, downplayed reports of the U.S. troops sustaining concussion-type injuries when asked about them last week in Davos, Switzerland.
"I heard that they had headaches, and a couple of other things," Trump said. "But I would say, and I can report it is not very serious. Not very serious."
Regulations for receiving a Purple Heart award require that an injury caused by an enemy action that is diagnosed and treated by a medical professional be of such gravity that it removes the victim from duty for at least 48 hours.
Hoffman acknowledged that the numbers of troops diagnosed with TBI released by the Pentagon over the past two weeks have shifted, which he attributed to some of the symptoms of TBI taking time to develop.
"What we saw was the number of people who were initially screened for concussion-like symptoms that showed up at one of the medical providers on the base saw their conditions improve rapidly," he said. "Others we saw their conditions didn't improve — some got worse and had severe enough symptoms that they were transported on for further treatment."
But the Pentagon spokesman also announced that on Friday Defense Sec. Mark Esper directed Matt Donovan, who is currently performing the duties of the Defense Department's under secretary for personnel and readiness, to work with the staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to review the Pentagon's processes for tracking and reporting injuries of all kinds.
"The secretary's direction is focused on the fact that if you look at the different types of reporting systems that we have, sometimes the administrative reporting of an injury is different than the medical reporting. We need to get that clarified, we need to get a little better handle on it," Hoffman noted. "We need to be as transparent as possible on this."


npr--2020-01-24--'Please Help Me.' What People In China Are Saying About The Outbreak On Social Media

'Please Help Me . '
What People In China Are Saying About The Outbreak On Social Media '' I do n't feel in the Chinese New Year mood at all this year , '' a netizen with username 朱一龙qwertyuiop416 posted this week on Weibo , China 's equivalent to Twitter .
`` I 'm panicking .
I 'm getting more scared every day . ''
That sentiment reflects a trend on Chinese social media as confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus surge .
Initially , there was some lightheartedness in posts .
One Weibo user commented it was `` the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play a mobile phone game called Plague Inc .
But as the situation has worsened , people in Wuhan , the city that 's the epicenter of the outbreak , and other affected areas in China are glued to their mobile phones .
They 're using apps like Weibo , Facebook and Twitter to express their fear and anger — and to cry for help .
Many people are posting about how tough it is to care for themselves and their families .
A Wuhan woman with Weibo username 半夏春秋 shared her experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ husband were running a fever .
They feared they were infected with the coronavirus and wanted to be isolated from their small children , ages 3 years and 4 months .
A relative was willing to come to Wuhan to pick up the children , but the city 's lockdown stood in the way .
`` I 've cried and cried , '' she said in her post .
`` I have nowhere to turn to now .
I ca n't stop crying when I see my two lovely children .
Please help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at state newspaper People 's Daily and a few local newspapers .
Her post received over 4,600 comments and has been shared over 26,000 times .
Some locals who said they were healthy offered to shelter the children .
Weibo user 星黛露是兔子达菲才是熊 is from a neighboring city east of Wuhan .
She posted that her 76-year-old grandfather developed a fever after taking care of her grandmother , who was confirmed as carrying the virus .
But no hospital , she wrote , would take him because of a lack of beds .
Scott @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , posted videos to Facebook of a hospital hallway jampacked with masked patients seeking care .
`` Wuhan 's hospitals are overflowing , '' he wrote in his post .
The city of Wuhan plans to build a hospital for coronavirus patients in six days to help alleviate the overcrowding , Chinese state media announced Thursday .
In an interview with NPR , Allis also talked about shortages of essential items .
`` We 're running out of hospital supplies ... the supermarkets are out of food , '' he says .
His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least five times the normal cost .
The pharmacy he went to this week is out of hand sanitizer and face masks .
Hospitals in Wuhan have asked the public to donate medical supplies including masks , surgical gowns and protective clothing .
`` This is ... not good , '' tweeted Laurie Chen , a reporter for the South China Morning Post .
`` Gives some idea of how desperate the equipment shortage is and how under-resourced hospitals are in times of crisis . ''
As the lockdown continues in Wuhan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to show that some medical assistance is on the way .
Liu Xin , a television host with Chinese state media CGTN , shared images of army medical workers giving up their holiday breaks to respond to the situation in Wuhan .
`` Volunteer medical personnel from around China are parting with their families to leave for # Wuhan to combat # CoronavirusOutbreak just before the # LunarNewYear , '' she wrote .
`` A very special 'holiday ' indeed . ''

'Please Help Me.' What People In China Are Saying About The Outbreak On Social Media
toggle caption Stringer/Getty Images
"I don't feel in the Chinese New Year mood at all this year," a netizen with username 朱一龙qwertyuiop416 posted this week on Weibo, China's equivalent to Twitter. "I'm panicking. I'm getting more scared every day."
That sentiment reflects a trend on Chinese social media as confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus surge.
Initially, there was some lightheartedness in posts. One Weibo user commented it was "the perfect time" to stay home and play a mobile phone game called Plague Inc.
But as the situation has worsened, people in Wuhan, the city that's the epicenter of the outbreak, and other affected areas in China are glued to their mobile phones. They're using apps like Weibo, Facebook and Twitter to express their fear and anger — and to cry for help.
Many people are posting about how tough it is to care for themselves and their families.
A Wuhan woman with Weibo username 半夏春秋 shared her experience on Thursday evening. She and her husband were running a fever. They feared they were infected with the coronavirus and wanted to be isolated from their small children, ages 3 years and 4 months. A relative was willing to come to Wuhan to pick up the children, but the city's lockdown stood in the way.
"I've cried and cried," she said in her post. "I have nowhere to turn to now. I can't stop crying when I see my two lovely children. Please help me."
She directed her comments at state newspaper People's Daily and a few local newspapers. Her post received over 4,600 comments and has been shared over 26,000 times. Some locals who said they were healthy offered to shelter the children.
Weibo user 星黛露是兔子达菲才是熊 is from a neighboring city east of Wuhan. She posted that her 76-year-old grandfather developed a fever after taking care of her grandmother, who was confirmed as carrying the virus. But no hospital, she wrote, would take him because of a lack of beds.
Scott Allis, who teaches English in Wuhan, posted videos to Facebook of a hospital hallway jampacked with masked patients seeking care. "Wuhan's hospitals are overflowing," he wrote in his post. The city of Wuhan plans to build a hospital for coronavirus patients in six days to help alleviate the overcrowding, Chinese state media announced Thursday.
In an interview with NPR, Allis also talked about shortages of essential items. "We're running out of hospital supplies ... the supermarkets are out of food," he says. His friend bought a head of cabbage for at least five times the normal cost. The pharmacy he went to this week is out of hand sanitizer and face masks.
Hospitals in Wuhan have asked the public to donate medical supplies including masks, surgical gowns and protective clothing. "This is ... not good," tweeted Laurie Chen, a reporter for the South China Morning Post. "Gives some idea of how desperate the equipment shortage is and how under-resourced hospitals are in times of crisis."
This is... not good. Earlier today, several Wuhan hospitals put out a call for public donations of medical supplies e.g. surgical masks, scrubs, protective goggles. Gives some idea of how desperate the equipment shortage is and how under-resourced hospitals are in times of crisis pic.twitter.com/jhrVPyBTyH — Laurie Chen (@lauriechenwords) January 23, 2020
As the lockdown continues in Wuhan, social media is also being used to show that some medical assistance is on the way.
Liu Xin, a television host with Chinese state media CGTN, shared images of army medical workers giving up their holiday breaks to respond to the situation in Wuhan. "Volunteer medical personnel from around China are parting with their families to leave for #Wuhan to combat #CoronavirusOutbreak just before the #LunarNewYear," she wrote. "A very special 'holiday' indeed."