inquisitr--2020-03-01--Donald Trump Illegally Installed Immigration Chief With Alleged White Nationalist Beliefs, Judge Rul

Donald Trump Illegally Installed Immigration Chief With Alleged White Nationalist Beliefs, Judge Rules

On Sunday , U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss ruled that Donald Trump illegally appointed Ken Cuccinelli as the Director of the U.S .
Citizenship and Immigration Services ( USCIS ) , Raw Story reported .
In particular , Axios reported that Moss ruled that Cuccinelli ’ s placement as the acting Director of the USCIS violated the Federal Vacancies Reform Act .
According to the 55-page ruling , Cuccinelli was “ not lawfully appointed ” to his position at USCIS .
As a result of the verdict , specific directives Cuccinelli implemented during his time in the post will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one such instruction cut down the time asylum seekers received to seek legal guidance before their “ credible fear ” interview with a USCIS officer .
Cuccinelli ’ s appointment was controversial due to his reported history of promoting anti-LGBTQ , white nationalist , and misogynistic policies .
As reported by NBC News , Cuccinelli was accused by Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of pursuing “ heinous white supremacist ideology ” in his attempt to cut public benefits for legal U.S. immigrants .
Wasserman Schultz made the comment while questioning Cuccinelli during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Notably , she pointed to Cuccinelli ’ s claim that he was not aware of how many children would stop receiving public benefits if his proposed immigration rule would go into effect .
Although Cuccinelli denied being a white supremacist , Wasserman Schultz continued to blast his reported attempts to implement policies that would harm immigrant children .
“ When you ’ re talking about affecting children , one would think that someone in your position was going to establish such a heinous policy with such far and significant reach , potentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would know how many children it would affect.
” The former Virginia Attorney General also allegedly has ties to the Center for Immigration Studies , which Southern Poverty Law Center ( SPLC ) claims is a hate group .
The Trump administration ’ s approach to immigration has been controversial .
Despite many describing it as a hardline approach , not everyone in the administration appears to hold the same beliefs .
As The Inquisitr previously reported , White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney was recently caught on tape claiming that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigrants .
Although Mulvaney noted that such immigrants should be entering the U.S. legally , the audio nevertheless highlighted Mulvaney ’ s belief that immigrants are essential for a strong U.S. economy .

On Sunday, U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss ruled that Donald Trump illegally appointed Ken Cuccinelli as the Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Raw Story reported.
In particular, Axios reported that Moss ruled that Cuccinelli’s placement as the acting Director of the USCIS violated the Federal Vacancies Reform Act.
According to the 55-page ruling, Cuccinelli was “not lawfully appointed” to his position at USCIS. As a result of the verdict, specific directives Cuccinelli implemented during his time in the post will be “set aside.” Per Axios, one such instruction cut down the time asylum seekers received to seek legal guidance before their “credible fear” interview with a USCIS officer.
Cuccinelli’s appointment was controversial due to his reported history of promoting anti-LGBTQ, white nationalist, and misogynistic policies. As reported by NBC News, Cuccinelli was accused by Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of pursuing “heinous white supremacist ideology” in his attempt to cut public benefits for legal U.S. immigrants.
Wasserman Schultz made the comment while questioning Cuccinelli during a congressional hearing in October of last year. Notably, she pointed to Cuccinelli’s claim that he was not aware of how many children would stop receiving public benefits if his proposed immigration rule would go into effect.
“You have demonstrated that you will pursue this heinous white supremacist ideology at all costs, even if it means making critically ill children your collateral damage in the process.”
In a nutshell, Judge Moss holds that Cuccinelli was not legally the “first assistant” to the Director of USCIS, and so could not lawfully be named Acting Director of USCIS under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act: pic.twitter.com/uxH4rqzqYg — Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) March 1, 2020
Although Cuccinelli denied being a white supremacist, Wasserman Schultz continued to blast his reported attempts to implement policies that would harm immigrant children.
“When you’re talking about affecting children, one would think that someone in your position was going to establish such a heinous policy with such far and significant reach, potentially harming thousands of children, then you would know how many children it would affect.”
The former Virginia Attorney General also allegedly has ties to the Center for Immigration Studies, which Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) claims is a hate group.
The Trump administration’s approach to immigration has been controversial. Despite many describing it as a hardline approach, not everyone in the administration appears to hold the same beliefs. As The Inquisitr previously reported, White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney was recently caught on tape claiming that the U.S. is “desperate” for more immigrants.
Although Mulvaney noted that such immigrants should be entering the U.S. legally, the audio nevertheless highlighted Mulvaney’s belief that immigrants are essential for a strong U.S. economy.


inquisitr--2020-03-01--Steve Bannon Says Coronavirus Will Help Donald Trump Win In 2020, Even Against Michelle Obama

Although Donald Trump has come under fire from some for his response to the coronavirus , former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday that the epidemic will ultimately help him win re-election .
Per Raw Story , Bannon began his appearance on Sunday Morning Futures by discussing his view of the current state of the Democratic primary and his belief that black voters — a crucial Democratic voting bloc — aren ’ t interested in Bernie Sanders ‘ candidacy .
According to Bannon , the Democratic Party is going to “ steal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ echoing Trump ’ s comments in recent weeks .
If this comes to be , Bannon believes it will push many of the Vermont Senator ’ s disaffected supporters to Trump in 2020 .
Bannon suggested that Hillary Clinton might make a last-minute presidential bid , while Bartiromo theorized that the Democratic elites would pick former first lady Michelle Obama at a contested convention .
“ I think if they go to the convention and they ’ re desperate and Bernie is way behind Donald Trump , the Obamas and the Clintons will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defeat president Trump , ” Bannon said .
Nevertheless , the 66-year-old political strategist claimed that the coronavirus would ultimately be positive for Trump as it will push him to bring the country together in the face of the adversity it creates .
“ This is Trump ’ s Churchill moment , ” Bannon said .
“ He ’ s got to bring the country together , which he ’ s doing .
He ’ s got to confront not just the virus , but the economic contagion that ’ s coming out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t need to worry about 2020.
” As reported by Newsmax , Bannon praised Trump for his decision to ban travel to and from China , which is where the coronavirus originated .
He also claimed Trump is right to apply pressure to China ’ s President Xi Jinping for transparency and praised his decision to use Vice President Mike Pence ’ s “ steady hand ” to guide the coronavirus task force .
Despite Bannon ’ s claims , other reports paint a different picture of the White House ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Inquisitr , The Washington Post spoke to almost two dozen officials , lawmakers , former aides , and public health experts about the Trump administration ’ s approach to the virus , and it didn ’ t bode well .
According to a report on the conversations , the administration is struggling with a lack of leadership , with one senior official calling the administration ’ s response “ complete chaos .
”

Although Donald Trump has come under fire from some for his response to the coronavirus, former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on Sunday that the epidemic will ultimately help him win re-election.
Per Raw Story, Bannon began his appearance on Sunday Morning Futures by discussing his view of the current state of the Democratic primary and his belief that black voters — a crucial Democratic voting bloc — aren’t interested in Bernie Sanders‘ candidacy.
“They’re not buying the socialism. They’re not buying the radicalism, they’re not buying the revolution. These are very practical, pragmatic people.”
According to Bannon, the Democratic Party is going to “steal the nomination” from Sanders again, echoing Trump’s comments in recent weeks. If this comes to be, Bannon believes it will push many of the Vermont senator’s disaffected supporters to Trump in 2020. Bannon suggested that Hillary Clinton might make a last-minute presidential bid, while Bartiromo theorized that the Democratic elites would pick former first lady Michelle Obama at a contested convention.
“I think if they go to the convention and they’re desperate and Bernie is way behind Donald Trump, the Obamas and the Clintons will look for any alternative to try to defeat president Trump,” Bannon said.
Nevertheless, the 66-year-old political strategist claimed that the coronavirus would ultimately be positive for Trump as it will push him to bring the country together in the face of the adversity it creates.
“This is Trump’s Churchill moment,” Bannon said. “He’s got to bring the country together, which he’s doing. He’s got to confront not just the virus, but the economic contagion that’s coming out of China… He does that, you don’t need to worry about 2020.”
As reported by Newsmax, Bannon praised Trump for his decision to ban travel to and from China, which is where the coronavirus originated. He also claimed Trump is right to apply pressure to China’s President Xi Jinping for transparency and praised his decision to use Vice President Mike Pence’s “steady hand” to guide the coronavirus task force.
Despite Bannon’s claims, other reports paint a different picture of the White House’s coronavirus response. As reported by The Inquisitr, The Washington Post spoke to almost two dozen officials, lawmakers, former aides, and public health experts about the Trump administration’s approach to the virus, and it didn’t bode well.
According to a report on the conversations, the administration is struggling with a lack of leadership, with one senior official calling the administration’s response “complete chaos.”


inquisitr--2020-03-01--Joe Biden Calls Chris Wallace ‘Chuck’ After Being Questioned About His Mental Capacity

During an interview with Fox News ’ Chris Wallace , former Vice President Joe Biden incorrectly called the host “ Chuck ” after the 72-year-old television anchor questioned him about his mental capacity .
As reported by Raw Story , Wallace began by noting the gaffes and flubs that have become standard for Biden ’ s campaign .
Wallace noted examples of such misstatements in recent days , as well as President Donald Trump ‘ s criticism of Biden ’ s mental capacity at this weekend ’ s Conservative Political Action Conference ( CPAC ) .
In response , Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying anything negative about Trump .
“ Mr .
Vice President , thanks for your time , ” Wallace said to conclude the interview .
“ Alright , Chuck , thank you very much , ” Biden replied .
After being corrected by Wallace , Biden noted that he just spoke with Chuck , appearing to refer to NBC ’ s Chuck Todd .
As reported by The Hill , Biden spoke with Todd on NBC ’ s Meet the Press on Sunday , which appears to support Biden ’ s claim that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filming with Wallace .
On the eve of the South Carolina primary on Saturday , which Biden went on to decisively win , Trump renewed his attacks on the 77-year-old politician .
As reported by The Daily Telegraph , the president highlighted Biden ’ s performance at last week ’ s Democratic presidential debate , when he claimed that 150 million people had been killed by guns in the United States .
“ I said that is a horrible thing , that is the end of his evening , that is the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ Then , after the debate , they are saying Joe Biden had a great night last night .
I don ’ t get it.
” Trump went as far as to make an impression of a confused Biden that forgets where he is , capitalizing on the continued criticism of the former Vice President ’ s mental state .
According to Trump , Biden ’ s continued verbal missteps should have ended his presidential campaign .
As previously reported by The Inquisitr , Biden closed his performance at a prior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ go to Joe 30330.
” Biden reportedly wanted his supporters to text “ JOE ” to 30330 but misspoke after many of the other candidates on stage told viewers to visit their website .
In the same debate , Biden referred to former presidential candidate Cory Booker as “ president.
” The gaffe drew criticism from radio host Charlamagne tha God , who suggested the mistake was rooted in racism .

During an interview with Fox News’ Chris Wallace, former Vice President Joe Biden incorrectly called the host “Chuck” after the 72-year-old television anchor questioned him about his mental capacity.
As reported by Raw Story, Wallace began by noting the gaffes and flubs that have become standard for Biden’s campaign.
“Mr. Vice President, I don’t especially like asking you about this but it is an issue in the campaign, and that has been your sometimes shaky performance on the campaign trail.”
Wallace noted examples of such misstatements in recent days, as well as President Donald Trump‘s criticism of Biden’s mental capacity at this weekend’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). In response, Biden laughed off the criticism and refrained from saying anything negative about Trump.
“Mr. Vice President, thanks for your time,” Wallace said to conclude the interview.
“Alright, Chuck, thank you very much,” Biden replied.
After being corrected by Wallace, Biden noted that he just spoke with Chuck, appearing to refer to NBC’s Chuck Todd.
As reported by The Hill, Biden spoke with Todd on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, which appears to support Biden’s claim that he talked to the anchor just before filming with Wallace.
On the eve of the South Carolina primary on Saturday, which Biden went on to decisively win, Trump renewed his attacks on the 77-year-old politician. As reported by The Daily Telegraph, the president highlighted Biden’s performance at last week’s Democratic presidential debate, when he claimed that 150 million people had been killed by guns in the U.S.
“I said that is a horrible thing, that is the end of his evening, that is the end of his political career,” Trump said. “Then, after the debate, they are saying Joe Biden had a great night last night. I don’t get it.”
Trump went as far as to make an impression of a confused Biden that forgets where he is, capitalizing on the continued criticism of the former vice president’s mental state. According to Trump, Biden’s continued verbal missteps should have ended his presidential campaign.
As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Biden closed his performance at a prior Democratic presidential debate by telling viewers to “go to Joe 30330.” Biden reportedly wanted his supporters to text “JOE” to 30330 but misspoke after many of the other candidates on stage told viewers to visit their website.
In the same debate, Biden referred to former presidential candidate Cory Booker as “president.” The gaffe drew criticism from radio host Charlamagne tha God, who suggested the mistake was rooted in racism.


inquisitr--2020-03-01--Alec Baldwin Says Donald Trump Is The ‘Pandemic That Threatens The World’

As the coronavirus continues to spread across the world , actor Alec Baldwin took to Twitter to take aim at President Donald Trump , who he famously impersonates on Saturday Night Live , Breitbart reported .
“ The pandemic that threatens the world is Trump , ” he tweeted from his Hilaria and Alec Baldwin Foundation ( HABF ) account .
Along with Baldwin , many other celebrities and media figures have chimed in with their thoughts on the coronavirus and Trump ’ s handling of the situation .
Per Daily Hive , Pod Save America co-host Tommy Vietor echoed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a threat to the world .
“ Nothing reassures you about the risk from a global pandemic like a president who at times seems to be illiterate , ” Vietor tweeted .
Journalist Thor Benson focused on Trump ’ s purported fear of the harm coronavirus could do to him politically .
According to Benson , Trump wants to hide information about the virus not for the safety of the public but for political advantage .
Conversely , comedian Tommy Campbell appeared more scared by Trump ’ s decision to appoint Vice President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ task force .
In an appearance on MSNBC ’ s 11th Hour , documentary filmmaker Michael Moore spoke to host Brian Williams and suggested that the president poses a more significant threat to the world than the coronavirus .
However , Breitbart noted that Williams earlier claimed that Trump called the coronavirus a hoax , which the publication notes is not correct .
Instead , Trump reportedly called the Democrats ’ politicization of the virus a hoax , not the virus itself .
As for Baldwin , he has been vocal about his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit .
As reported by Fox News , Baldwin took to Twitter earlier this month to accuse the Republican Party of giving Trump powers that are comparable to those of Adolf Hitler .
His tweets came following the Republican-led Senate ’ s acquittal of Trump , which marked the end of the impeachment trial .
“ It ’ s official .
The United States government is as lawless as the malignant dictatorships we ’ ve hated in our foreign policy since WWII , ” Baldwin tweeted .
Hours later , Baldwin again took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the purported rise of fascism he is a part of .
“ Remember that fascistic thinking takes hold when a standard of living is threatened consistently , ” Baldwin tweeted .
He continued to claim that people in these situations are pressured by money and believe that their standard of living is changing for the worse and will “ become the new normal .
”

As the coronavirus continues to spread across the world, actor Alec Baldwin took to Twitter to take aim at President Donald Trump, who he famously impersonates on Saturday Night Live, Breitbart reported.
“The pandemic that threatens the world is Trump,” he tweeted from his Hilaria and Alec Baldwin Foundation (HABF) account.
Along with Baldwin, many other celebrities and media figures have chimed in with their thoughts on the coronavirus and Trump’s handling of the situation. Per Daily Hive, Pod Save America co-host Tommy Vietor echoed Baldwin and suggested the president himself is a threat to the world.
“Nothing reassures you about the risk from a global pandemic like a president who at times seems to be illiterate,” Vietor tweeted.
Journalist Thor Benson focused on Trump’s purported fear of the harm coronavirus could do to him politically. According to Benson, Trump wants to hide information about the virus not for the safety of the public but for political advantage.
Conversely, comedian Tommy Campbell appeared more scared by Trump’s decision to appoint Vice President Mike Pence as head of the coronavirus task force.
“This is a science-denying man who relies on prayer to heal and cannot attend a one-on-one meeting with a woman without a chaperone.”
In an appearance on MSNBC’s 11th Hour, documentary filmmaker Michael Moore spoke to host Brian Williams and suggested that the president poses a more significant threat to the world than the coronavirus.
“If you have the president telling people it’s a hoax, that there’s nothing to worry about, that it will disappear as he said yesterday, and it’ll be a miracle. I sat there just now thinking before I came in here: ‘which is more dangerous? A virus or a president who says that?”
However, Breitbart noted that Williams earlier claimed that Trump called the coronavirus a hoax, which the publication notes is not correct. Instead, Trump reportedly called the Democrats’ politicization of the virus a hoax, not the virus itself.
That MBS-Putin high five happened just yesterday and #SNL already spoofed it with Fred Armisen playing the Crown Prince. Alec Baldwin’s Trump is so mad when he finds out they are BFFs. pic.twitter.com/wfQAa5pNpb — Adam Best (@adamcbest) December 2, 2018
As for Baldwin, he has been vocal about his displeasure with Trump since before the coronavirus hit. As reported by Fox News, Baldwin took to Twitter earlier this month to accuse the Republican Party of giving Trump powers that are comparable to those of Adolf Hitler. His tweets came following the Republican-led Senate’s acquittal of Trump, which marked the end of the impeachment trial.
“It’s official. The United States government is as lawless as the malignant dictatorships we’ve hated in our foreign policy since WWII,” Baldwin tweeted.
Hours later, Baldwin again took to Twitter to warn about Trump and the purported rise of fascism he is a part of.
“Remember that fascistic thinking takes hold when a standard of living is threatened consistently,” Baldwin tweeted.
He continued to claim that people in these situations are pressured by money and believe that their standard of living is changing for the worse and will “become the new normal.”


inquisitr--2020-03-01--Joe Biden Sees Surge In Fundraising Power After Strong Win In South Carolina

Joe Biden did more than win a haul of delegates in South Carolina on Saturday , he may have breathed financial life into a campaign that was struggling under the weight of three poor performances .
After Biden failed to win any of the first three contests in the 2020 Democratic primary , he surged back with a decisive win in South Carolina on Saturday that brought him to within striking distance of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in pledged delegates .
As CNBC reported , the win also caught the attention of some of the party ’ s key donors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ donors have been lured away from the campaigns of candidates who have fallen off , including Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg .
They have also attracted some donors who had remained uncommitted .
These wealthy donors are now committing the maximum amount of $ 2,800 to Biden ’ s campaign , which the report noted is now helping cover the fundraising difficulties he was going through after the poor start to the Democratic primary .
“ Money has been pouring in .
And now it will really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote for anyone other than Biden is a vote for Bernie Sanders , ” businessman John Morgan , a Biden supporter and campaign contribution bundler , told CNBC .
“ I have been inundated with emails today.
” It is not yet clear how much impact the donations could have on the upcoming Super Tuesday contests .
Biden had been investing the majority of resources into South Carolina and had not yet campaigned in the states that will be voting on Tuesday .
As The Inquisitr reported , Biden ’ s competitors had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg investing $ 161 million in Super Tuesday states , and Sanders spending $ 15 million .
Biden has only spent close to $ 450,000 before Saturday ’ s win in South Carolina .
Biden also saw a surge of smaller donations after his win .
Elana Firsht , his campaign ’ s director of online fundraising , said in a tweet that they had the best period ever after the South Carolina primary .
“ 48 mins in and this is the best hour of fundraising the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweeted .
Biden ’ s campaign later announced that they had raised a total of $ 5 million in a day , also setting a record for the campaign .
Biden had been trailing Sanders in polling for some key Super Tuesday states , especially delegate-rich California .
The two were also neck and neck in Texas .

Joe Biden did more than win a haul of delegates in South Carolina on Saturday, he may have breathed financial life into a campaign that was struggling under the weight of three poor performances.
After Biden failed to win any of the first three contests in the 2020 Democratic primary, he surged back with a decisive win in South Carolina on Saturday that brought him to within striking distance of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in pledged delegates. As CNBC reported, the win also caught the attention of some of the party’s key donors.
The report noted that some wealthy donors have been lured away from the campaigns of candidates who have fallen off, including Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg. They have also attracted some donors who had remained uncommitted. These wealthy donors are now committing the maximum amount of $2,800 to Biden’s campaign, which the report noted is now helping cover the fundraising difficulties he was going through after the poor start to the Democratic primary.
“Money has been pouring in. And now it will really pour. Voters now understand that a vote for anyone other than Biden is a vote for Bernie Sanders,” businessman John Morgan, a Biden supporter and campaign contribution bundler, told CNBC. “I have been inundated with emails today.”
It is not yet clear how much impact the donations could have on the upcoming Super Tuesday contests. Biden had been investing the majority of resources into South Carolina and had not yet campaigned in the states that will be voting on Tuesday.
As The Inquisitr reported, Biden’s competitors had outspent him on these races, with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg investing $161 million in Super Tuesday states, and Sanders spending $15 million. Biden has only spent close to $450,000 before Saturday’s win in South Carolina.
Biden also saw a surge of smaller donations after his win. Elana Firsht, his campaign’s director of online fundraising, said in a tweet that they had the best period ever after the South Carolina primary.
“48 mins in and this is the best hour of fundraising the campaign has EVER had,” Firsht tweeted.
Biden’s campaign later announced that they had raised a total of $5 million in a day, also setting a record for the campaign.
COMING UP on #MTP: @JoeBiden tells me he's raised $5M in the past 24 hours. That's the biggest ever 24-hour online haul for his campaign.#IfItsSunday tune in! — Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) March 1, 2020
Biden had been trailing Sanders in polling for some key Super Tuesday states, especially delegate-rich California. The two were also neck and neck in Texas.


inquisitr--2020-03-02--Joe Biden’s Campaign Reportedly In Contact With Pete Buttigieg’s Team About Consolidating Support

Pete Buttigieg is dropping out of the race for president , but could still be making his mark by moving his support over to Joe Biden .
Buttigieg announced on Sunday night that he would be suspending his campaign , an especially abrupt exit from the race .
Reports noted that the former South Bend mayor was on a plane en route to Texas for a town hall but changed course mid-flight and traveled back to South Bend to make the announcement that he was dropping out .
There was early speculation that Buttigieg may be endorsing Biden in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s announcement to thank supporters and pledge that the movement he started would continue .
There may have been more happening behind the scenes , however .
MSNBC anchor Craig Melvin reported on Twitter that Buttigieg ’ s camp had already reached out to Biden ’ s campaign about the possibility of consolidating support , and that the two sides exchanged voicemails but did not yet connect .
It was not yet clear what kind of support they might be consolidating , but a report from earlier on Sunday noted that Biden had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the campaigns of both Buttigieg and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar .
After entering the race last April with no national stature , the South Bend mayor was able to climb quickly in a historically crowded field for the Democratic nomination .
Buttigieg had invested considerable resources into the first state to vote , ultimately earning a narrow victory in the Iowa caucus , but was unable to capture momentum from that victory and performed poorly in the three contests that followed .
As the Reuters report noted , Buttigieg ’ s exit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden , who occupies the same moderate lane .
As Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight noted on Twitter , Buttigieg ’ s departure could deal a double-blow to Sanders , not only shifting votes over to Biden but also Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren .
While Warren is not currently a threat to the pledged delegate lead that Sanders holds , she could cut into his expected victories on Tuesday .
Buttigieg ’ s exit could also help cover some of the shortcomings of Biden ’ s campaign , which has spent little money and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states before Saturday ’ s win in South Carolina .
As Tiana Lowe of the Washington Examiner noted , Biden was at risk of leaving some of Tuesday ’ s contests with no delegates , but Buttigieg ’ s departure may allow him to stay more competitive with Sanders or at least tamp down the margin of victory for the Vermont senator .
“ But between Bernie Sanders ’ recent national surge and Michael Bloomberg spending half a billion to cut into Biden ’ s moderate lane , Biden seemed non-viable in too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Super Tuesday delegates .
Buttigieg , however , may have just given him the opening he needs , ” Lowe wrote .

Pete Buttigieg is dropping out of the race for president, but could still be making his mark by moving his support over to Joe Biden.
Buttigieg announced on Sunday night that he would be suspending his campaign — an especially abrupt exit from the race. Reports noted that the former South Bend mayor was on a plane en route to Texas for a town hall but changed course mid-flight and traveled back to Indiana to make the announcement that he was dropping out.
There was early speculation that Buttigieg may be confirming his endorsement of Biden, but he instead used Sunday’s announcement to thank supporters and pledge that the movement he started would continue. There may have been more happening behind the scenes, however. MSNBC anchor Craig Melvin reported on Twitter that Buttigieg’s camp had already reached out to Biden’s campaign about the possibility of consolidating support and that the two sides exchanged voicemails but did not yet connect.
It was not yet clear what kind of support they might be consolidating, but a report from earlier on Sunday pointed out that Biden had begun to attract some key donors away from the campaigns of both Buttigieg and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
After entering the race last April with no national stature, the former mayor was able to climb quickly in a historically crowded field for the Democratic nomination. Buttigieg had invested considerable resources into the first state to vote, ultimately earning a narrow victory in the Iowa caucus, but was unable to capture momentum from that victory and performed poorly in the three contests that followed.
According to Reuters, Buttigieg’s exit was already expected to give a boost to Biden, who occupies the same moderate lane.
As Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight noted on Twitter, Buttigieg’s departure could deal a double blow to Sanders, not only shifting votes over to Biden but also to Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. While Warren is not currently a threat to the pledged delegate lead that Sanders holds, she could cut into his expected victories on Tuesday.
Buttigieg’s exit could also help cover some of the perceived shortcomings of Biden’s campaign, which has spent little money and no time campaigning in the Super Tuesday states before Saturday’s win in South Carolina. As Tiana Lowe of the Washington Examiner noted, the former vice president was at risk of leaving some of Tuesday’s contests with no delegates, but Buttigieg’s departure may allow him to stay more competitive with Sanders or at least tamp down the margin of victory for the Vermont senator.
“But between Bernie Sanders’ recent national surge and Michael Bloomberg spending half a billion to cut into Biden’s moderate lane, Biden seemed non-viable in too many states to win a significant portion of Super Tuesday delegates. Buttigieg, however, may have just given him the opening he needs,” Lowe wrote.


inquisitr--2020-03-02--Pete Buttigieg And Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg Had A Friendship That Predated The Election

Former Democratic presidential candidate and South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook fame used to be fairly good friends , according to Politico .
Their relationship predated the election , and many political experts have wondered how much of a relationship has endured between the pair .
Zuckerberg and Buttigieg were two years apart at Harvard , and though their paths did not cross at university , their shared history built a foundation for their relationship .
Buttigieg was one of the first 300 people to sign up to Facebook , and the url Facebook.com/287 still redirects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mayor .
However , it was the linked social circles that brought the tech scion and politician together .
The two first met — albeit briefly — at the wedding of Facebook co-founder and fellow Harvard alum Chris Hughes in 2012 .
Later , it was one of Zuckerberg ’ s old dorm mates that properly introduced the pair .
Zuckerberg has just started his tour of the United States — which many had thought at the time suggested his own political ambitions — and wanted to meet Buttigieg once he reached Indiana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explained Joe Green , who had lived with Zuckerberg at school but participated in more politically minded circles than tech-focused ones .
“ And he said , ‘ Hey , do you know Pete Buttigieg ?
’ And I was like , yeah , of course , super well , ' ” claimed Green , who currently works in the co-living industry in Los Angeles .
“ I told Peter , ‘ Hey , I ’ m going to introduce you to Mark Zuckerberg , ’ and he had to change his Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
Just weeks later , Zuckerberg and Buttigieg filmed a Facebook live video together in the mayor ’ s Jeep in South Bend .
The meeting seemed to have sparked a relationship , and a source close to Zuckerberg described how the two were “ friends.
” Zuckerberg and Buttigieg then reportedly stayed in touch over text , though allegedly stopped communication once Buttigieg made clear his presidential ambitions .
However , they remained in contact in other ways , and Zuckerberg and his wife , Priscilla Chan , recommended two staffers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chan later said that it was not an endorsement , but that the two employees had expressed interest in joining the South Bend mayor and Zuckerberg and Chan wanted to facilitate the move .
The closeness between the candidates had many politicos worried that the 38-year-old would receive some sort of advantage during the race .
The fear seems to be moot now , as Buttigieg just announced that he was ending his campaign for president .
That said , his political career may not be over yet , as some believe that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign in some capacity .
As a result , some experts have called on Buttigieg to explain his relationship with Zuckerberg , and ask if his friendship would affect his views on potentially breaking up Facebook — a policy of both Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren .

Former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg used to be fairly good friends, according to Politico. Their relationship predated the election, and many political experts have wondered how much of it has endured between the pair.
Zuckerberg and Buttigieg were two years apart at Harvard, and though their paths did not cross at the university, their shared history built a foundation for their relationship. Buttigieg was one of the first 300 people to sign up to Facebook, and the URL Facebook.com/287 still redirects to a profile of the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor.
However, it was the linked social circles that brought the tech scion and politician together. The two first met — albeit briefly — at the wedding of Facebook co-founder and fellow Harvard alum Chris Hughes in 2012.
Later, it was one of Zuckerberg’s old dorm mates that properly introduced the pair. Zuckerberg has just started his tour of the United States — which many had thought at the time suggested his own political ambitions — and wanted to meet Buttigieg once he reached Indiana.
“We were talking,” explained Joe Green, who had lived with Zuckerberg at school but participated in more politically-minded circles than tech-focused ones.
“And he said, ‘Hey, do you know Pete Buttigieg?’ And I was like, yeah, of course, super well,'” claimed Green, who currently works in the co-living industry in Los Angeles.
Green then made the introductions.
“I told Peter, ‘Hey, I’m going to introduce you to Mark Zuckerberg,’ and he had to change his Facebook settings.”
Just weeks later, Zuckerberg and Buttigieg filmed a Facebook Live video together in the ex-mayor’s Jeep in South Bend.
The meeting seemed to have sparked a relationship, and a source close to the Facebook boss described how the two were “friends.” Zuckerberg and Buttigieg then reportedly stayed in touch over text, though allegedly stopped communication once the latter made his presidential ambitions clear.
However, they remained in contact in other ways, and Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, recommended two staffers to the Buttigieg campaign. The couple later said that it was not an endorsement, but that the two employees had expressed interest in joining the former mayor and Zuckerberg and Chan wanted to facilitate the move.
The closeness between the candidates had many politicos worried that the 38-year-old would receive some sort of advantage during the race. The fear seems to be moot now, as Buttigieg just announced that he was ending his campaign for president.
That said, his political career may not be over yet, as some believe that he might be joining Joe Biden’s campaign in some capacity. As a result, some experts have called on Buttigieg to explain his relationship with Zuckerberg and ask if their friendship would affect his views on potentially breaking up Facebook — a policy of both Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.


inquisitr--2020-03-02--Pete Buttigieg Dropping Out Of Presidential Race After Devastating Loss In South Carolina

After securing no delegates in South Carolina , a sign of his campaign ’ s continued struggle with black voters , CNBC reports that Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is dropping out of the race .
The news reportedly comes from a senior campaign aide who told the publication that Buttigieg is flying to South Bend , Indiana , where he served as mayor for two terms , to make the announcement .
As reported by CNN , aides claimed that Buttigieg made his decision on Sunday .
“ He believes this is the right thing to do right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heal this divided nation and defeat President Trump , ” one aide said .
Earlier on Sunday , the former South Bend , Indiana , mayor appeared on MSNBC ’ s Meet the Press and was prodded by host Chuck Todd over his decision to stay in the race .
“ Every day we are in this campaign is a day that we have reached the conclusion that pushing forward is the best thing we can do for the country and for the party , ” Buttigieg said .
Despite beginning the race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for All bill , Buttigieg ended as a fierce opponent of the Vermont senator .
At the Las Vegas debate in January , Buttigieg warned of Sanders ’ rise and claimed that the Democratic Party needs to “ wake up.
” As noted by many , Buttigieg penned an award-winning essay praising Sanders back in 2000 , as reported by The Intercept .
Regardless , Buttigieg ’ s campaign appears to be coming to an end following a poor performance not just in South Carolina , but in the Nevada caucuses , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent of the black vote .
Although Buttigieg predicted that his success in Iowa and New Hampshire would provide enough momentum to carry his campaign to Super Tuesday , CNBC reports that these performances were ultimately not enough .
Buttigieg ’ s campaign was historic as he was the first gay candidate to earn presidential primary delegates for the nomination of a major party .
The campaign also struggled with black and other minority voters , with many pointing to his checkered past as mayor of South Bend as a primary reason .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tapes suggested that Buttigieg fired South Bend ’ s first black police chief , Darryl Boykins , due to a plan hatched by white officers .
Reports also claimed that he ignored complaints and evidence of racism in the force , which harmed his reputation among the black voting bloc .

After securing no delegates in South Carolina, a sign of his campaign’s continued struggle with black voters, CNBC reports that Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is dropping out of the race.
The news reportedly comes from a senior campaign aide who told the publication that Buttigieg is flying to South Bend, Indiana, where he served as mayor for two terms, to make the announcement.
As reported by CNN, aides claimed that Buttigieg made his decision on Sunday.
“He believes this is the right thing to do right now for our country and the country to heal this divided nation and defeat President Trump,” one aide said.
“He decided that now was the time and, I think that is exactly why he is getting out. He believes this is the right thing to do.”
Earlier on Sunday, the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor appeared on MSNBC’s Meet the Press and was prodded by host Chuck Todd over his decision to stay in the race.
“Every day we are in this campaign is a day that we have reached the conclusion that pushing forward is the best thing we can do for the country and for the party,” Buttigieg said.
Despite beginning the race in support of Bernie Sanders‘ Medicare for All bill, Buttigieg ended as a fierce opponent of the Vermont senator. At the Las Vegas debate in January, Buttigieg warned of Sanders’ rise and claimed that the Democratic Party needs to “wake up.”
As noted by many, Buttigieg penned an award-winning essay praising Sanders back in 2000, as reported by The Intercept.
.@PeteButtigieg is my friend. He’s one of the finest men I’ve ever met. I thank God he ran for president. This race wouldn’t have been the same without him. His future is bright. Our party needs his heart, his mind, and his energy going forward. Thank you, Pete. We love you. pic.twitter.com/B4LXvYBSXK — Christopher Hale (@chrisjollyhale) March 1, 2020
Regardless, Buttigieg’s campaign appears to be coming to an end following a poor performance not just in South Carolina, but in the Nevada caucuses, where he placed third and gained only 2 percent of the black vote. Although Buttigieg predicted that his success in Iowa and New Hampshire would provide enough momentum to carry his campaign to Super Tuesday, CNBC reports that these performances were ultimately not enough.
Buttigieg’s campaign was historic as he was the first gay candidate to earn presidential primary delegates for the nomination of a major party. The campaign also struggled with black and other minority voters, with many pointing to his checkered past as mayor of South Bend as a primary reason.
As The Inquisitr previously reported, secret tapes suggested that Buttigieg fired South Bend’s first black police chief, Darryl Boykins, due to a plan hatched by white officers. Reports also claimed that he ignored complaints and evidence of racism in the force, which harmed his reputation among the black voting bloc.


inquisitr--2020-03-02--Tulsi Gabbard Is The Only Remaining Primary Candidate Who Is Lifelong Democrat & Backed Bernie Sande

Tulsi Gabbard Is The Only Remaining Primary Candidate Who Is Lifelong Democrat & Backed Bernie Sanders In 2016

With Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg out of the Democratic presidential primary , only Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders , former Vice President Joe Biden , Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren , businessman Michael Bloomberg , and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard remain .
Although Gabbard does not appear to have any path to the nomination , she interestingly remains the only candidate left in the race who is a lifelong Democrat .
Not only that , of the 2016 Democratic Party superdelegates in the race — Biden , Gabbard , and Warren — she is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton in last election ’ s primary .
While Sanders has been an Independent for most of his political career and Biden was briefly a registered Independent , Warren and Bloomberg were formerly Republicans .
Despite Politico noting the bad blood between Gabbard and the Democratic establishment , she is the only remaining candidate in the primary who has been a Democrat for the entirety of her political career .
As The Guardian previously reported , Gabbard stepped down as vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee ( DNC ) in 2016 to support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the 78-year-old politician in favor of Clinton .
According to the 38-year-old congresswoman , she threw her support behind Sanders due to his cautious foreign policy goals .
As for the 2020 primary , Biden was endorsed by Klobuchar and appears poised to gain support from Buttigieg .
Warren has made it clear that she will remain in the race to win as many delegates as possible , which has commentators suggesting she is looking to stop Sanders from earning the nomination .
On the other hand , Gabbard has remained firmly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton and much of the Democratic establishment , which aligns with Sanders ’ foreign policy agenda .
“ These are terrible dictators , but you ’ ve got to be thinking about the day after , ” Sanders said of Clinton ’ s support of U.S. military intervention in Libya .
“ I would ’ ve done it differently if I were president of the United States.
” Gabbard previously slammed Clinton as the “ queen of warmongers , ” embodiment of corruption , ” and “ personification of the rot ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for years .
She also said that there has been a concerted effort to destroy her 2020 candidacy and believes that Clinton is responsible and pulling strings via her “ proxies ” and “ powerful allies in the corporate media .
”

With Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg out of the Democratic presidential primary, only Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, former Vice President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, businessman Michael Bloomberg, and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard remain. Although Gabbard does not appear to have any path to the nomination, she interestingly remains the only candidate left in the race who is a lifelong Democrat. Not only that, of the 2016 Democratic Party superdelegates in the race — Biden, Gabbard, and Warren — she is the only one who supported Sanders against Hillary Clinton in the last election’s primary.
While Sanders has been an Independent for most of his political career and Biden was briefly a registered Independent, Warren and Bloomberg were formerly Republicans. Despite Politico noting the bad blood between Gabbard and the Democratic establishment, she is the only remaining candidate in the primary who has been a Democrat for the entirety of her political career.
As The Guardian previously reported, Gabbard stepped down as vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in 2016 to support Sanders after what she perceived as bias against the 78-year-old politician in favor of Clinton. According to the 38-year-old congresswoman, she threw her support behind Sanders due to his cautious foreign policy goals.
“I served in a medical unit during my first deployment, where every single day I saw first hand the very high human cost of that war. I see it in my friends who now, a decade after we’ve come home, are still struggling to get out of a black hole.”
New from @edokeefe—@PeteButtigieg is also expected to endorse Joe Biden at the former vice president's Dallas rally tonight. He will appear alongside Amy Klobuchar who earlier today suspended her campaign and said she will throw her support behind Biden. pic.twitter.com/mGruKEKUzF — Natalie Brand (@NatalieABrand) March 2, 2020
As for the 2020 primary, Biden was endorsed by Klobuchar and appears poised to gain support from Buttigieg. Warren has made it clear that she will remain in the race to win as many delegates as possible, which has commentators suggesting she is looking to stop Sanders from earning the nomination.
NEW: In memo, Elizabeth Warren campaign manager @RogerLau basically admits the Warren candidacy is now a convention effort. “no candidate will likely have a path to the majority of delegates” “Milwaukee is the final play.” “ultimately prevail at the national convention” pic.twitter.com/UDscXO7VYF — Shane Goldmacher (@ShaneGoldmacher) March 1, 2020
On the other hand, Gabbard has remained firmly against the regime change wars promoted by Clinton and much of the Democratic establishment, which aligns with Sanders’ foreign policy agenda.
“These are terrible dictators, but you’ve got to be thinking about the day after,” Sanders said of Clinton’s support of U.S. military intervention in Libya. “I would’ve done it differently if I were president of the United States,” he added.
Gabbard previously slammed Clinton as the “queen of warmongers,” embodiment of corruption,” and “personification of the rot” she believes has dragged down the Democratic Party for years. She also said that there has been a concerted effort to destroy her 2020 candidacy and believes that Clinton is responsible and pulling strings via her “proxies” and “powerful allies in the corporate media.”


inquisitr--2020-03-02--Critics Question Ron Johnson’s Timing Of Burisma Subpoena Request

Just one day after Joe Biden won the South Carolina primary , an investigation over his son ’ s ties to a Ukrainian energy company has been opened by Republicans in congress .
US Senator Ron Johnson issued a letter to the Senate Homeland Security Committee – of which he is the chair – asking to schedule a meeting to discuss issuing subpoenas as part of that investigation .
Catherine Herridge of CBS News tweeted out the announcement of the meeting , as well as photos of the letter Johnson sent to the committee on Monday morning .
Herridge explained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is tied to both Burisma and a United States-based firm .
At issue , according to the Senator is that there are some government records his committee has obtained that raise new questions about whether or not Biden ’ s son , Hunter , or the presidential candidate himself might have done something untoward in order to get the younger Biden onto the Burisma board .
Not long after Herridge issued her tweet , critics on the social media site took issue with the way she was reporting the story , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Susan Hennessey , who is a political analyst with CNN summed up quite a few of the objections from others on Twitter with her own post .
Kurt Eichenwald , a published author , and well-known Donald Trump adversary had similar comments on Twitter , but went after Herridge more than he did Johnson , calling her “ easily manipulated.
” He then pointed out Ron Johnson brought this issue back the very day after Biden won the South Carolina primary but that wasn ’ t the biggest issue .
Eichenwald pointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real interest in investigating Burisma when Joe Biden lost the Iowa primary and his campaign seemed dead in the water .
He then took issue with Herridge ’ s lack of looking into whether a letter like the one Johnson wrote is usually issued on a Sunday .
He also wanted the reported to dig a bit deeper into why now was the right time to start looking at subpoenas , right before Super Tuesday could decide Democratic nomination .
For now , Ron Johnson ’ s intent to issue subpoenas is just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the committee has had a meeting to determine the next course of action .
What happens if they go through with it will be interesting to watch .

Just one day after Joe Biden won the South Carolina primary, an investigation over his son Hunter’s ties to Ukrainian energy company Burisma has been opened by Republican lawmakers. Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson issued a letter to the Senate Homeland Security Committee — of which he is the chair — asking to schedule a meeting to discuss issuing subpoenas as part of that investigation.
Catherine Herridge of CBS News tweeted the announcement of the meeting, as well as photos of the letter Johnson sent to the committee on Monday morning. She explained that the senator specifically wants to subpoena a witness that is tied to both Burisma and a United States-based firm. The concern, according to Johnson, is related to the government records his committee has obtained. The literature supposedly raises new questions about whether or not Hunter Biden or his father might have done something untoward in order to get him onto the Burisma board.
Not long after Herridge posted her tweet, critics on the social media site took umbrage with the way she was reporting the story, as well as the timing of the letter. Susan Hennessey, who is a political analyst with CNN, summed up quite a few of the objections from others on Twitter.
“What a massive coincidence that the very moment Joe Biden’s campaign regains momentum, the Burisma story we’ve hear nothing about for weeks comes roaring back to life. Just embarrassing for media to be covering this as a serious story at this point.”
Kurt Eichenwald — a published author and well-known Donald Trump adversary — had similar comments on Twitter, but went after Herridge more than he did Johnson, calling her “easily manipulated.” He then pointed out that the Wisconsin senator brought this issue back the very day after Biden won the South Carolina primary but that wasn’t the biggest concern.
Eichenwald explained that the GOP has effectively dropped any real interest in investigating Burisma when Biden lost the Iowa primary and his campaign seemed dead in the water. He then noted how Herridge apparently didn’t investigate whether a letter like the one Johnson wrote is usually issued on a Sunday. He also wanted the reporter to dig a bit deeper into why now was the right time to start looking at subpoenas, right before Super Tuesday could decide Democratic nomination.
SCOOP: Chairman Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee @RonJohnsonWI wants to subpoena witness tied to US firm and Burisma where the former Vice President’s son sat on the board. Letter obtained @CBSNews says government records indicate concerns warranted pic.twitter.com/BBoTB0lGh0 — Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) March 2, 2020
For now, Johnson’s intent to issue subpoenas appears to be just that — as it doesn’t appear the committee has had a meeting to determine the next course of action.


inquisitr--2020-03-02--Donald Trump Administration Approved Toxic Chemical Linked To Fetal Heart Defects, Report Says

A report from Reveal News claims that the administration of Donald Trump pushed the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) to approve the toxic chemical trichloroethylene ( TCE ) , which is reportedly in tap water systems in 41 states , despite research linking it to fetal heart defects .
According to the report , John DeSesso was at the center of the approval .
DeSesso is reportedly paid to cast doubt on the growing research that TCE is toxic to humans , with many studies showing immune disorders , cancer clusters , and fetal abnormalities in communities victim to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who has been on a mission to encourage the EPA to loosen its standards for years , allegedly attempted to convince the agency that TCE is not dangerous .
In September of 2019 , DeSesso conducted a presentation to undermine the findings that TCE causes heart defects in rats .
However , EPA scientists in attendance had reportedly heard DeSesso ’ s criticism before and didn ’ t buy it .
Despite their rejection of the findings , Reveal News reports that the EPA under Trump ultimately decided to stop the regulatory process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new restrictions until new research was conducted .
Last week , the fruits of this research were released and dismissed decades of scientific research that suggested that fetal heart defects are linked to unsafe levels of TCE exposure .
According to Reveal News , the Trump White House directed the radical alteration of findings linked to TCE ’ s dangers .
In a 700-age draft evaluation that was sent to the White House and pre-approved by EPA scientists , DeSesso ’ s study was scrutinized for numerous alleged methodological limitations .
Despite these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the EPA to override such data , which was compiled by its own scientists .
“ According to two government scientists , who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect their jobs , EPA scientists were directed to substantially rewrite their evaluation by discarding the science on TCE ’ s role in fetal heart defects , ” the Reveal report reads .
Jennifer McPartland , a senior scientist with the Environmental Defense Fund , claims the decision to green light TCE does not bode well for public health .
The Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to science and environmental protections .
As The Inquisitr previously reported , the current White House under the Trump administration rolled back endangered species protections back in August by gutting the Endangered Species Act .

A report from Reveal News claims that the administration of Donald Trump pushed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to approve the toxic chemical trichloroethylene (TCE), which is reportedly in tap water systems in 41 states, despite research linking it to fetal heart defects.
According to the report, John DeSesso was at the center of the approval. DeSesso is reportedly paid to cast doubt on the growing research that TCE is toxic to humans, with many studies showing immune disorders, cancer clusters, and fetal abnormalities in communities victim to TCE contamination.
The contract scientist, who has been on a mission to encourage the EPA to loosen its standards for years, allegedly attempted to convince the agency that TCE is not dangerous. In September of 2019, DeSesso conducted a presentation to undermine the findings that TCE causes heart defects in rats. However, EPA scientists in attendance had reportedly heard DeSesso’s criticism before and didn’t buy it.
Despite their rejection of the findings, Reveal News reports that the EPA under Trump ultimately decided to stop the regulatory process of TCE and hold off on any new restrictions until new research was conducted. Last week, the fruits of this research were released and dismissed decades of scientific research that suggested that fetal heart defects are linked to unsafe levels of TCE exposure.
NEXT? How about Trichloroethylene, or TCE, is used remove grease from metal parts. Associated with cancer, birth defects, water contaminant. pic.twitter.com/9FafNaOWxK — Eric Lipton (@EricLiptonNYT) October 22, 2017
According to Reveal News, the Trump White House directed the radical alteration of findings linked to TCE’s dangers. In a 700-page draft evaluation that was sent to the White House and pre-approved by EPA scientists, DeSesso’s study was scrutinized for numerous alleged methodological limitations. Despite these findings, the White House reportedly directed the EPA to override such data, which was compiled by its own scientists.
“According to two government scientists, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect their jobs, EPA scientists were directed to substantially rewrite their evaluation by discarding the science on TCE’s role in fetal heart defects,” the Reveal report reads.
Jennifer McPartland, a senior scientist with the Environmental Defense Fund, claims the decision to green-light TCE does not bode well for public health.
“This decision is grave. It not only underestimates the lifelong risks of the chemical, especially to the developing fetus, it also presents yet another example of this administration bowing to polluters’ interests over public health.”
The Trump administration has not become known for its friendliness to science and environmental protections. As The Inquisitr previously reported, the current White House under the Trump administration rolled back endangered species protections back in August by gutting the Endangered Species Act.


inquisitr--2020-03-02--Mike Pence Wants A Coronavirus Cure ‘That Will Only Help White People,’ Actor Suggests

Actor-comedian Rob Delaney took to Twitter Monday to take aim at Vice President Mike Pence , who President Donald Trump appointed head of the coronavirus task force .
As reported by Breitbart , the Catastrophe star believes that Pence has an agenda when it comes to a cure for the virus , which continues to cause panic across the globe .
“ Mike Pence is informed it ’ s impossible to develop a coronavirus strategy that will only help white people , ” he tweeted along with a series of pictures of Pence .
Pence is in charge of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
While no reports suggest Pence wants a vaccine solely for white people , his lack of belief in science has made him a target amid the coronavirus panic .
As reported by Salon , Pence previously expressed his belief that condoms are not effective protection against sexually transmitted diseases , pushed back against the theory of evolution , and said that global warming is a myth .
Despite his alleged anti-science beliefs , Breitbart reports that Pence was successful in helping contain Middle East Respiratory Syndrome ( MERS ) and Severe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his time as governor of Indiana .
However , he received criticism for his handling of the HIV outbreak in the state ’ s rural areas .
As reported by The Daily Mail , Trump said Monday that the White House is in talks with pharmaceutical executives about creating a vaccine or cure for the coronavirus .
“ We ’ re talking about a vaccine , maybe even a cure , ” he said .
During an Oval Office meeting with the president of Colombia , the president claimed that the administration had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any processes related to vaccine creation .
The president , Pence , and other members of the coronavirus task force are scheduled to meet with pharmaceutical executives at the White House for a closed-press briefing Monday afternoon .
According to Trump , progress is being made toward a vaccine and a cure for coronavirus .
“ I am meeting with the major pharmaceutical companies today at the White House about progress on a vaccine and cure .
Progress being made !
” he tweeted .
Regardless , the Trump administration ’ s response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which has caused the stock market to plummet .
Reports suggested a chaotic White House response to the virus , and Yale psychiatrist Bandy X. Lee claimed that Trump ’ s purported mental impairment would lead to a loss of lives .
“ And now , rather than confront the crisis , the White House is focused on tightening control over coronavirus messaging by government health officials and scientists , requiring them to pass their communications through Vice President Mike Pence , a known science denier , ” she wrote in her @ @ @ @ @ @

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inquisitr--2020-03-02--Amy Klobuchar Drops Out Of Presidential Race, Will Endorse Joe Biden

Amy Klobuchar announced on Monday that she is ending her presidential bid and would support formal rival Joe Biden in his run for the White House .
The announcement comes just hours before Super Tuesday , the day on which voters in numerous states get together to cast their votes for the 2020 presidential election Democratic nominee .
As The New York Times reports , the move narrows the range of candidates whom voters can choose to Elizabeth Warren , Joe Biden , Bernie Sanders , Michael Bloomberg , and Tulsi Gabbard after South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg announced that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Klobuchar will show her support for Biden by appearing with the former Vice President at his rally in Dallas ahead of Super Tuesday .
The Minnesota senator had a surprisingly strong run , nabbing third place in New Hampshire , placing her above party favorites like Warren and Biden .
She received an infusion of cash after the win , but she was largely outspent and out-earned by her rivals .
“ Ms .
Klobuchar , despite a strong third-place finish in New Hampshire , lagged her moderate rivals in every other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate siphoning support .
Though she had varying levels of support across the Super Tuesday map , polling within reach of leading candidates in some predominantly Republican states with open primaries , but it is unclear how much of a boost any of her rivals will see in the wake of Ms. Klobuchar ’ s exit , or where she may direct her 7 delegates , ” the Times notes .
Democrats have expressed concern about the large field of candidates running for president in 2020 , arguing that the number of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult for a front-runner to emerge from the field .
Despite her New Hampshire triumph , Klobuchar ’ s campaign had poor showings in Nevada , South Carolina , Nevada , and Iowa .
Her campaign was further marred by frequent schedule changes and poor voter turnout at her rallies .
On Sunday , Klobuchar was forced to cancel a rally in Minnesota after protesters stormed the stage .
Klobuchar positioned herself as a moderate and targeted her message at center-left voters as well as moderate Republicans .
She was one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medicare for All and advocated for keeping the health care system as it is .
She also frequently pointed to her moderate voting record and willingness to work with her colleagues across the aisle .
“ On the campaign trail , she would refer frequently to her snowy beginnings as she continually pitched her Midwestern roots as a presidential credential , ” the Times writes .

Amy Klobuchar announced on Monday that she is ending her presidential bid and would support former rival Joe Biden in his run for the White House. The announcement comes just hours before Super Tuesday, the day where voters in numerous states get together to cast their votes for the Democratic nominee in the presidential election. As The New York Times reports, the move narrows the list of candidates down to five — Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Michael Bloomberg, and Tulsi Gabbard — after former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg also announced that he was also dropping out on Sunday.
Klobuchar will show her support for Biden by appearing with the former vice president at his rally in Dallas ahead of Super Tuesday. The Minnesota senator had a surprisingly strong run, nabbing third place in New Hampshire, placing her above party favorites like Warren and Biden. She received an infusion of cash after the win, but she was largely outspent and out-earned by her rivals.
“Ms. Klobuchar, despite a strong third-place finish in New Hampshire, lagged her moderate rivals in every other state and was often seen as a candidate siphoning support. Though she had varying levels of support across the Super Tuesday map, polling within reach of leading candidates in some predominantly Republican states with open primaries, but it is unclear how much of a boost any of her rivals will see in the wake of Ms. Klobuchar’s exit, or where she may direct her 7 delegates,” The New York Times notes.
Democrats have expressed concern about the large field of hopefuls running for president in 2020, arguing that the number of people running dilutes the votes, making it difficult for a front-runner to emerge from the field.
Despite her New Hampshire triumph, Klobuchar’s campaign had poor showings in Nevada, South Carolina, Nevada, and Iowa. Her campaign was further marred by frequent schedule changes and poor voter turnout at her rallies. On Sunday, she was forced to cancel a rally in Minnesota after protesters stormed the stage.
Klobuchar positioned herself as a moderate and targeted her message at center-left voters, as well as moderate Republicans. She was one of the few candidates to express vocal disapproval of Medicare for All and advocated for keeping the health care system as it is.
She also frequently pointed to her moderate voting record and willingness to work with her colleagues across the aisle.
“On the campaign trail, she would refer frequently to her snowy beginnings as she continually pitched her Midwestern roots as a presidential credential,” The New York Times wrote.


inquisitr--2020-03-02--Coronavirus Will Destroy Donald Trump’s Campaign, Tank Stock Markets, Says Economist Who Predicted 2

Coronavirus Will Destroy Donald Trump’s Campaign, Tank Stock Markets, Says Economist Who Predicted 2008 Crash

The coronavirus outbreak will cause a massive stock market crash that will cause Donald Trump to lose the 2020 election , according to the economist known as 'Dr .
Doom . '
As new coronavirus cases continue to appear in the United States , the economist who gained international recognition for his accurate predictions forecasting the 2008 economic collapse has weighed in with a new prediction .
According to Nouriel Roubini , fears over the viral outbreak will cause global stock markets to tank this year and the ultimate loser will be Donald Trump .
Roubini made his prediction in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spiegel last week , but his remarks were picked up on Monday by the site Business Insider .
The economist made his remarks last Thursday , during the worst week for the United States stock market since 2008 .
Yet , as The Washington Post reported , on Monday , stock markets are bouncing back , gaining 750 points by the middle of the trading day .
Investors gained confidence by anticipating that the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank would slash interest rates , and that other central banks around the world would do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up the markets , according to the Post report .
But according to Roubini ’ s prediction , the bounce will be only a passing phase .
In fact , he said , stock markets around the globe will plunge up to 40 percent in 2020 and advised investors to switch from the markets to cash or government bonds .
“ You have to hedge your money against a crash , ” Roubini said , as quoted by BI .
“ That ’ s my motto : ‘ Better safe than sorry !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the brakes on Trump ’ s reelection bid , Roubini predicted , according to the BI report .
The state of New Hampshire reported its first case of the coronavirus on Monday , according to a CNN report .
The case was the 92nd reported throughout the U.S .
Fears of contracting coronavirus were also beginning to show effects on business .
British Airways announced on Monday that it would cancel more than 200 flights due to lack of demand as passengers seemingly fear contracting coronavirus on an airplane , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ round-trip flights between London and New York City .
In the U.S. , confidence in the government response to the virus has been damaged by reports that the early testing procedures for coronavirus were “ bungled ” by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , as The Inquisitr has reported .
As of Sunday , fewer than 4,000 tests had been conducted in the U.S. , compared to more than 60,000 in South Korea , a country with less than 20 percent of the U.S. population .
In his Der Spiegel interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it had detected its first case of coronavirus , Roubini said that New Yorkers were already “ hardly going to restaurants , cinemas , or theaters , ” adding that once the virus inevitably strikes the country ’ s most populous city , “ we are totally f*cked .
”


inquisitr--2020-03-02--Michael Bloomberg Reportedly Refused To Promote An Employee Because She Was Too ‘Fat’

A new investigation on Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg alleges a toxic work environment where he routinely verbally abused female staff members and made misogynistic business decisions .
Bloomberg has continued to deny claims of a hostile workplace .
According to Business Insider , former employees called Bloomberg LP a “ toxic and demoralizing system.
” The former New York mayor was said to have been particularly unpleasant in his dealings with women .
One of the most egregious allegations was the accusation that Bloomberg had refused to promote a woman deserving of the job because of her weight .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman representing my company , ” he reportedly told a colleague .
That said , the woman in question , Maggie Berry , responded to the reports from Business Insider by claiming that she always felt respected in the workplace and that Bloomberg had encouraged her to work with clients , despite the fact that she did not receive the promotion .
Meanwhile , other former employees claimed that Bloomberg and his other male executives would often use the term “ SFUs ” to refer to women .
The acronym stands for short @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also reportedly referred to a woman as “ Stopatruckski , ” which was apparently a pun on her last name .
But it was not just Bloomberg who had problems with his relationship with female colleagues .
Dozens of former employees at Bloomberg News alleged that Washington editor Al Hunt was even worse .
He reportedly touched multiple women inappropriately , in addition to bullying his staff .
Despite the fact that Hunt had to settle two legal cases and was the subject of multiple complaints over the years , he remained at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims against him .
However , a Bloomberg LP spokesman acknowledged that there were “ certainly instances where we wish we had handled some complaints differently ” in dealing with Hunt .
Employees also noted that Bloomberg ’ s behavior was not just a relic of the ’ 80s and ’ 90s , but persisted to at least 2014 , if not later .
“ It ’ s the way he talked , and everyone knows that , ” one woman explained .
She also expressed regret at not speaking out about Bloomberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a woman , I didn ’ t push back , and I didn ’ t say , ‘ Don ’ t do that.
’ Many of us just tolerated it .
And I ’ m really ashamed about that , ” the former employee added .
This latest investigation seems to echo previous reports about Bloomberg ’ s unsavory comments towards women .
The rumors had become so widespread that Elizabeth Warren used them against Bloomberg in a recent Democratic debate .
“ I ’ d like to talk about who we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women ‘ fat broads ’ and ‘ horse-faced lesbians — and no , I ’ m not talking about Donald Trump , I ’ m talking about Mayor Bloomberg , ” Warren said , to both gasps and applause .

A new investigation on Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg alleges a toxic work environment where he routinely verbally abused female staff members and made misogynistic business decisions. Bloomberg has continued to deny claims of a hostile workplace.
According to Business Insider, former employees called Bloomberg LP a “toxic and demoralizing system.” The former New York mayor was said to have been particularly unpleasant in his dealings with women.
One of the most egregious allegations was the accusation that Bloomberg had refused to promote a woman deserving of the job because of her weight.
“I will not have that fat woman representing my company,” he reportedly told a colleague.
That said, the woman in question, Maggie Berry, responded to the reports from Business Insider by claiming that she always felt respected in the workplace and that Bloomberg had encouraged her to work with clients, despite the fact that she did not receive the promotion.
Meanwhile, other former employees claimed that Bloomberg and his other male executives would often use the term “SFUs” to refer to women. The acronym stands for short, fat, and ugly.
Bloomberg also reportedly referred to a woman as “Stopatruckski,” which was apparently a pun on her last name.
But it was not just Bloomberg who had problems with his relationship with female colleagues. Dozens of former employees at Bloomberg News alleged that Washington editor Al Hunt was even worse. He reportedly touched multiple women inappropriately, in addition to bullying his staff. Despite the fact that Hunt had to settle two legal cases and was the subject of multiple complaints over the years, he remained at the company.
Hunt has denied all claims against him. However, a Bloomberg LP spokesman acknowledged that there were “certainly instances where we wish we had handled some complaints differently” in dealing with Hunt.
Employees also noted that Bloomberg’s behavior was not just a relic of the ’80s and ’90s, but persisted to at least 2014, if not later.
“It’s the way he talked, and everyone knows that,” one woman explained.
She also expressed regret at not speaking out about Bloomberg’s behavior earlier.
“As a woman, I didn’t push back, and I didn’t say, ‘Don’t do that.’ Many of us just tolerated it. And I’m really ashamed about that,” the former employee added.
This latest investigation seems to echo previous reports about Bloomberg’s unsavory comments towards women. The rumors had become so widespread that Elizabeth Warren used them against Bloomberg in a recent Democratic debate.
“I’d like to talk about who we are running against, a billionaire who calls women ‘fat broads’ and ‘horse-faced lesbians — and no, I’m not talking about Donald Trump, I’m talking about Mayor Bloomberg,” Warren said, to both gasps and applause.


inquisitr--2020-03-02--Donald Trump’s Mental Impairment Will Lead To A ‘Tangible Loss Of Lives,’ Yale Psychiatrist Says

In her latest piece for Raw Story , Yale psychiatrist Bandy X. Lee again calls attention to the mental health of Donald Trump , this time amid the coronavirus crisis .
“ The moment we feared has come : in a real emergency , the president ’ s inability to stay with reality and to resist the need to conform the world to what is in his head will now result in a tangible loss of lives , ” she begins .
Lee notes that the coronavirus has spread across 53 countries , with health officials warning that a similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States .
Despite the dangers of the coronavirus , Lee notes that Trump has remained preoccupied with tweeting , taking aim at everyone from the Democratic Party to his most-hated networks , MSNBC and CNN .
Lee accused Trump of gutting the global epidemic response capabilities from government organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) .
She continued to claim that the president ’ s focus is not on facing the coronavirus crisis but instead tightening his control over messaging related to the virus .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deepens , ” she wrote later , claiming that Trump ’ s “ war on reality ” will only grow in its intensity in order to keep external reality aligned with his worldview .
Per Raw Story , Vice President Mike Pence , who was appointed head of the coronavirus task force , defended the White House ’ s response to the coronavirus on Sunday .
He claimed that the risks posed by the virus remain low for most Americans , just one day after reports that two men died the northwestern state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the age of 50 , which continues to support reports of the virus ’ s danger to the elderly and immunocompromised .
As reported by CNN , Trump ’ s response to the coronavirus has come under increased scrutiny following the second U.S. death at the hands of the infection .
Despite top administration officials ramping up efforts to counter the threat , Democratic presidential candidates — most notably former Vice President Joe Biden — continue to blast Trump for his alleged politicization of the crisis .
As The Inquisitr reported , former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Konyndyk claimed Sunday that the coronavirus has likely been spreading in the United States for weeks due to the failed leadership in Trump ’ s White House .


inquisitr--2020-03-02--Donald Trump DOJ Was A Mix Of ‘The Apprentice’ And Nazi Germany According To Ex-Staffer

One individual who worked for the Department of Justice under Donald Trump says that the experience was something like a combination of The Apprentice television program and Germany under the Nazi regime .
According to a new piece published in The Atlantic , Erica Newland began working for the DOJ under the Obama administration .
When Trump was elected to office , she stuck around while many of her colleagues began leaving the department in protest over some of the policies the new administration wanted to enact .
She promised herself she would hold the law and facts above all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the department began to change and many people found themselves being silenced when questioning the president and his administration ’ s goals .
“ There was no sense that there was anything to be gained by standing up within the office , ” she said .
Eventually , after a series of shocking moves , including one memo that referred to members of the MS-13 gang as “ animals , ” Newland began to notice that colleagues often said they were just “ following orders ” when executive requests hit their desks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as though people were behaving as she imagined they did under Nazi leadership in Germany , and she could see herself in the same situation as many of those people who worked under Hitler without agreeing with his policies had been .
“ I guess I know what kind I would have been , ” Newland said .
At the same time , she says that she felt like her job caused her to use her legal skills to shape-up Trump ’ s legally dubious statements and arguments in order to adhere to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one point , she read that the producers for Trump ’ s hit television program , The Apprentice , were often forced to edit the show to make Trump ’ s decisions seem “ coherent ” when they were not .
She felt that she and her colleagues were currently doing the same thing for Trump , only his role was not that of a reality competition host .
He is the president of the United States .
She says that loyalty to Trump was valued above anything else .
“ There was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of government — not for the lower courts , not for Congress , and certainly not for the bureaucracy , for professionalism , for facts or the truth , ” she said .
“ Corruption is the right word for this .
It doesn ’ t have to be pay-to-play to be corrupt .
It ’ s a departure from the oath.
” In October of last year , after a shooter killed 11 people in a synagogue , she decided her work was only serving to bolster the kind of rhetoric that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nature .
Shortly after that , she resigned .
It ’ s not the first time that someone has been critical of Trump ’ s DOJ .
In February , the president ’ s relationship with William Barr and the department was under scrutiny after Barr intervened to lessen the sentence against Trump associate Roger Stone .

'1000 Lb Sister' Tammy Slaton Defends Her 'Filtered' Pictures, Ask Critics to Talk to Her Hand
She said, "Listen, I am not trying to be rude, but it's my profile. And if I like using the filters, I will. Plain and simple," as she waved goodbye.
4h ago


inquisitr--2020-03-02--Iran Plans To Interfere In 2020 Election To Take Down Donald Trump, Says Economist

During a Friday interview with On the Move that was published by Yahoo Finance on Tuesday , Nouriel Roubini , a prominent economist who is also known as “ Dr .
Doom , ” predicted that Iran is planning to interference in the 2020 elections to take down Donald Trump .
According to Roubini , Iran ’ s primary goal is to remain in power .
He notes that the country ’ s grip on power is currently threatened by the increase in coronavirus infections in addition to the actions of Trump .
“ Four more years of Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re going to collapse , ” he said .
According to Roubini , one path forward for Iran is to “ escalate tensions ” both regionally and within the United States , which would ideally increase oil prices and fuel a worldwide recession .
Roubini notes that all of these scenarios would harm Trump ’ s chances of re-election .
As reported by BBC News , Facebook removed two separate networks of fake accounts last month that were determined to be the work of Iran and Russia .
According to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engage in “ foreign or government interference.
” In particular , the Iranian operation used Facebook and Instagram accounts to post about U.S. politics , including topics related to the 2020 election .
A blog post by FireEye , a U.S. cyber-security firm , revealed that the personas in the Iranian network posed as liberals for the United States and promoted content that aligned with “ Iranian political interests.
” One account reportedly went under the name “ Ryan Jensen ” and promoted a video of a protest of the controversial U.S. assassination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CyberScoop , a report from the Atlantic Council think tank urged Washington to focus more on Iran ’ s digital interference operations to both combat them and inform the public about their existence .
“ Iran has invested significant resources and accumulated vast experience in the conduct of digital influence efforts , ” the report reads .
The Washington-based think tank urged the Department of Homeland Security to create an intergovernmental agency devoted to alerting both the American public and government officials of foreign influence operations .
Both Trump and his enemies have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As The Inquisitr previously reported , the president ’ s son , Donald Trump Jr. , recently took aim at CNN and claimed the network has engaged in election interference more than Russia allegedly did in 2016 .
“ CNN is so stupid they don ’ t even understand the irony of how they ’ ve done more damage than any ‘ Russian operation ’ could ever have dreamed , ” he tweeted last month .

During a Friday interview with On the Move that was published by Yahoo Finance on Tuesday, Nouriel Roubini, a prominent economist who is also known as “Dr. Doom,” predicted that Iran is planning to interference in the 2020 elections to take down Donald Trump.
According to Roubini, Iran’s primary goal is to remain in power. He notes that the country’s grip on power is currently threatened by the increase in coronavirus infections in addition to the actions of Trump.
“Four more years of Donald Trump, and between sanctions and military pressure they’re going to collapse,” he said.
According to Roubini, one path forward for Iran is to “escalate tensions” both regionally and within the United States, which would ideally increase oil prices and fuel a worldwide recession. Roubini notes that all of these scenarios would harm Trump’s chances of re-election.
“It is in the interest of Iran to provoke the United States, Israel and the allies, to create chaos, spike oil prices… crush the market, create a recession and then you get rid of Donald Trump.”
As reported by BBC News, Facebook removed two separate networks of fake accounts last month that were determined to be the work of Iran and Russia. According to the report, the systems were designed to engage in “foreign or government interference.” In particular, the Iranian operation used Facebook and Instagram accounts to post about U.S. politics, including topics related to the 2020 election.
A blog post by FireEye, a U.S. cyber-security firm, revealed that the personas in the Iranian network posed as liberals for the United States and promoted content that aligned with “Iranian political interests.” One account reportedly went under the name “Ryan Jensen” and promoted a video of a protest of the controversial U.S. assassination of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani.
WATCH: Today’s panel discusses what the U.S. is doing to combat foreign election interference. #MTPDaily@dpletka: “We cannot downplay the threat to our electoral systems… from Russia, China, Iran, North Korea.” pic.twitter.com/PUAgYqnGyJ — Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) July 25, 2019
Per CyberScoop, a report from the Atlantic Council think tank urged Washington to focus more on Iran’s digital interference operations to both combat them and inform the public about their existence.
“Iran has invested significant resources and accumulated vast experience in the conduct of digital influence efforts,” the report reads.
The Washington-based think tank urged the Department of Homeland Security to create an intergovernmental agency devoted to alerting both the American public and government officials of foreign influence operations.
Both Trump and his enemies have weaponized the topic of election interference. As The Inquisitr previously reported, the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., recently took aim at CNN and claimed the network has engaged in election interference more than Russia allegedly did in 2016.
“CNN is so stupid they don’t even understand the irony of how they’ve done more damage than any ‘Russian operation’ could ever have dreamed,” he tweeted last month.


inquisitr--2020-03-02--Donald Trump Official Is Adding Climate Denial Into Scientific Reports, According to ‘The New York T

Donald Trump Official Is Adding Climate Denial Into Scientific Reports, According to ‘The New York Times’

An official within the Donald Trump administration is adding climate denial language into official scientific research by the Department of the Interior , according to a report from The New York Times .
In an effort reportedly led by Indur Goklany , deputy secretary at the Interior Department , research papers were altered to say that rising carbon dioxide levels are good for the planet and that scientists are overestimating the risk of warming .
No fewer than nine reports have been altered to include debunked or scientifically unproven information about climate change .
Those reports covered topics like environmental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to shuttle the limited water in the American West to agricultural uses rather than fisheries and wildlife conservation areas .
Goklany reportedly pushed to include information that sows doubt about the accuracy of climate change modeling and predictions in language that ultimately became known as “ Goks uncertainty language ” within the Interior Department .
“ In Interior Department emails to scientists , Mr. Goklany pushed misleading interpretations of climate science , saying it ‘ may be overestimating the rate of global warming , for whatever reason ; ’ climate modeling has largely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times writes .
Ultimately , the report reviewed by the news outlet featured language that inaccurately claims that some studies have found that the planet isn ’ t warming , while some have confirmed that it is .
The so-called “ Gok ’ s uncertainty language ” also included information that carbon dioxide — levels of which recently reached the highest rate in the atmosphere in human history — is beneficial to the planet .
Carbon dioxide is believed to be the main cause of climate change and it is generally agreed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to most life on the planet .
But a report was altered to say that carbon dioxide can increase plant water use efficiency and lengthen the growing season for farmers .
This statement presents research in a misleading way that is in direct opposition to the scientists ’ conclusion on the matter .
Jacquelyn Gill , a professor of paleoecology and plant ecology at the University of Maine , said that the campaign to alter scientific documents constitutes an attack on science .
“ Highlighting uncertainty is consistent with the biggest attacks on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gill .
“ They ’ re emphasizing discussions of uncertainty to the point where people feel as though we can ’ t actually make decisions.
” “ Scientists and policy experts say that , by embedding an inaccurate sense of uncertainty about scientific findings in its documents , the Trump administration is advancing its policy of weakening environmental rules and reallocating vast quantities of water to farming and irrigation , ” the Times notes , adding that the climate data so far indicates that such a move is not tenable .


inquisitr--2020-03-02--Donald Trump Tweets Old Poll Numbers To Show People Approve Of His Coronavirus Response

Donald Trump tweeted on Sunday that a vast majority of Americans believe in the government ’ s ability to handle the response to the coronavirus epidemic .
However , the numbers Trump cited don ’ t refer to what he claimed they do .
Instead , it appears he used the results of a poll taken prior to the stock market tanking as concerns of the virus intensified and before it began to spread rapidly within the United States .
As Raw Story reports , the president sought to reassure citizens that his administration was able to handle the COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of two people within the U.S. and thousands around the world .
“ A Poll in today ’ s New York Post says that 77 % of ‘ U.S .
adults have confidence in their government ’ s ability to handle the Coronavirus ( Number One ) , compared to other health threats.
’ 64 % for Zika , 58 % for Ebola , ” he wrote .
“ Others way down on list .
Our professionals are doing a great job !
” However , there was no article from the New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers Trump claims .
Raw Story was able to locate a poll that matches the question and numbers the president cited , but it was taken by Gallup between February 3-16 .
The market began its nosedive nearly a week after the poll was taken .
Additionally , Trump had not yet delivered his two press conferences about the virus , which both received criticism .
A whistleblower also hadn ’ t revealed yet that coronavirus responders were poorly trained and lacked basic protective gear .
Finally , the virus had not begun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time the poll was taken , the only instances of Americans with the disease had traveled to areas where an outbreak of the virus had already occurred .
The president followed up the reportedly misleading tweet with a second message attacking the media , saying that people were upset with news agencies rather than the government over the coronavirus .
“ People are disgusted and embarrassed by the Fake News Media , as headed by the @ nytimes , @ washingtonpost , @ comcast & MSDNC , @ ABC , @ CBSNews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what they see and read , and for good reason .
Fake News is , indeed , THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE !
” he wrote .
The Trump administration has faced intense criticism in recent days for what people say has been an inadequate response to the growing threat of the virus .
Within Trump ’ s own White House , aides have raised the alarm , saying that the administration ’ s response to the problem so far has been chaotic , as The Inquisitr previously reported .