cnbc--2020-01-14--Mitch McConnell says the Senate could pass the USMCA trade deal this week

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell expects his chamber to approve a new North American trade deal this week , he said Tuesday .
The Senate still needs to ratify the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement after the House passed it last month .
The Kentucky Republican thinks Congress can pass the trade pact before the expected start of President Donald Trump 's Senate impeachment trial next week .
`` We are , it looks like , going to be able to process the USMCA here in the Senate this week , '' McConnell told reporters after the GOP 's weekly policy lunch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Senate and for the country , and something I think we have broad bipartisan agreement on . ''
The timing of the trial on whether to convict Trump and remove him from office had raised questions about the Senate 's ability to pass the trade deal .
Impeachment takes precedence over other Senate business .
The House is expected to send the articles of impeachment it passed last month to the other side of the Capitol on Wednesday .
Congress is set to approve USMCA about 14 months after the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement .
Democrats worked with the Trump administration for more than a year to strengthen the deal 's mechanisms for enforcing labor and environmental standards .
Mexico has ratified the deal .
Canada has not yet passed it .
USMCA does not take effect until all three countries approve it .
The new trade accord makes a handful of key changes to the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement .
It aims to give U.S. farmers better access to Canadian dairy markets , boost wages for autoworkers , discourage companies from outsourcing jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement is expected to pass easily through the GOP-controlled Senate .
Even trade deal skeptics such as Sens .
Sherrod Brown , D-Ohio , and Ron Wyden , D-Ore. , have said they will back USMCA .
While major business groups support the deal , some labor unions have still withheld their support .
The agreement also divides Sens .
Elizabeth Warren , D-Mass.
, and Bernie Sanders , I-Vt. , two of the leading candidates for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination .
Warren has suggested she will back USMCA , while Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not strong enough .
It is unclear if the senators will vote on the trade pact as they campaign in the weeks before the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses .

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell expects his chamber to approve a new North American trade deal this week, he said Tuesday.
The Senate still needs to ratify the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement after the House passed it last month. The Kentucky Republican thinks Congress can pass the trade pact before the expected start of President Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial next week.
"We are, it looks like, going to be able to process the USMCA here in the Senate this week," McConnell told reporters after the GOP's weekly policy lunch. "That'll be good news for the Senate and for the country, and something I think we have broad bipartisan agreement on."
The timing of the trial on whether to convict Trump and remove him from office had raised questions about the Senate's ability to pass the trade deal. Impeachment takes precedence over other Senate business. The House is expected to send the articles of impeachment it passed last month to the other side of the Capitol on Wednesday.
Congress is set to approve USMCA about 14 months after the U.S., Mexico and Canada first announced an agreement. Democrats worked with the Trump administration for more than a year to strengthen the deal's mechanisms for enforcing labor and environmental standards.
Mexico has ratified the deal. Canada has not yet passed it. USMCA does not take effect until all three countries approve it.
The new trade accord makes a handful of key changes to the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement. It aims to give U.S. farmers better access to Canadian dairy markets, boost wages for autoworkers, discourage companies from outsourcing jobs and modernize digital trade rules.
The agreement is expected to pass easily through the GOP-controlled Senate. Even trade deal skeptics such as Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., have said they will back USMCA.
While major business groups support the deal, some labor unions have still withheld their support.
The agreement also divides Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., two of the leading candidates for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Warren has suggested she will back USMCA, while Sanders opposes it because its job protection mechanisms are not strong enough.
It is unclear if the senators will vote on the trade pact as they campaign in the weeks before the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses.
Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.


cnbc--2020-01-14--DOJ antitrust chief met with NCAA as it faces pressure to let college athletes make money

NCAA executives met with the Justice Department 's antitrust chief in November to discuss the association 's plan to change its rules that prevent student-athletes from profiting on their names , according to people familiar with the matter .
Several officials , including the NCAA 's chief lawyer , Donald Remy , met with Makan Delrahim to explain the organization 's views on the issue and its thinking on changes it is considering , said the people , who declined to be named because the conversation was deemed confidential .
Delrahim , assistant attorney general of the Justice Department 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NCAA that the antitrust division is following the issue , the people added .
The meeting highlights the mounting political pressure the NCAA is facing to change a system that critics have argued is unfair or even akin to price fixing , putting it in potential violation of federal antitrust laws .
State governments are threatening to force change upon the NCAA through legislation .
But the specter of the DOJ bringing suit against the organization – should it wish – puts a powerful set of eyes on the NCAA as it formulates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ student-athletes from making money off their name , likeness or image through opportunities like paid sponsorships .
That 's even as the NCAA makes money by promoting the games its athletes play , and those athletes risk injuries that put their future earning potential on the line .
The nonprofit institution represents more than 1,000 schools , and takes in $ 1 billion a year – more than three-quarters of which comes from the Division 1 men 's basketball championship television and marketing rights .
Top college coaches can make millions annually .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ modernize its policies .
But it has also said it is intent on protecting student-athletes from becoming money-driven employees , rather than education-focused students .
The organization does not want student-athletes to benefit from special treatment .
California in September became the first state to pass a law that overrode the NCAA , granting college athletes the right to paid endorsement deals and agents .
The law goes into effect in 2023 .
Representatives from states including Ohio , Colorado , Florida and Illinois have indicated they will go forward with legislation aimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump has not weighed in publicly on the matter , but he is paying attention to it , a top White House aide told CNBC .
Trump , a football fan , attended the College Football Playoff national championship game in New Orleans on Monday night to a standing ovation .
The executive director of the National College Players Association , Ramogi Huma , delivered a speech in September at a DOJ antitrust division workshop in which he urged the department to investigate NCAA antitrust violations .
`` This NCAA price-fixing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of free enterprise , '' he said .
`` In addition , there is a strong civil rights concern given African Americans comprise a disproportionate percentage of players in Division I revenue-generating teams , yet suffer the lowest graduation rates . ''

NCAA executives met with the Justice Department's antitrust chief in November to discuss the association's plan to change its rules that prevent student-athletes from profiting on their names, according to people familiar with the matter.
Several officials, including the NCAA's chief lawyer, Donald Remy, met with Makan Delrahim to explain the organization's views on the issue and its thinking on changes it is considering, said the people, who declined to be named because the conversation was deemed confidential. Delrahim, assistant attorney general of the Justice Department's antitrust division, meanwhile, told the NCAA that the antitrust division is following the issue, the people added.
The meeting highlights the mounting political pressure the NCAA is facing to change a system that critics have argued is unfair or even akin to price fixing, putting it in potential violation of federal antitrust laws. State governments are threatening to force change upon the NCAA through legislation. But the specter of the DOJ bringing suit against the organization – should it wish – puts a powerful set of eyes on the NCAA as it formulates its policies.
Existing NCAA policy forbids student-athletes from making money off their name, likeness or image through opportunities like paid sponsorships. That's even as the NCAA makes money by promoting the games its athletes play, and those athletes risk injuries that put their future earning potential on the line. The nonprofit institution represents more than 1,000 schools, and takes in $1 billion a year – more than three-quarters of which comes from the Division 1 men's basketball championship television and marketing rights. Top college coaches can make millions annually.
The NCAA has acknowledged a need to modernize its policies. But it has also said it is intent on protecting student-athletes from becoming money-driven employees, rather than education-focused students. The organization does not want student-athletes to benefit from special treatment.
California in September became the first state to pass a law that overrode the NCAA, granting college athletes the right to paid endorsement deals and agents. The law goes into effect in 2023. Representatives from states including Ohio, Colorado, Florida and Illinois have indicated they will go forward with legislation aimed at targeting the NCAA's policies.
President Donald Trump has not weighed in publicly on the matter, but he is paying attention to it, a top White House aide told CNBC. Trump, a football fan, attended the College Football Playoff national championship game in New Orleans on Monday night to a standing ovation.
The executive director of the National College Players Association, Ramogi Huma, delivered a speech in September at a DOJ antitrust division workshop in which he urged the department to investigate NCAA antitrust violations.
"This NCAA price-fixing is counter to America's economic principles of free enterprise," he said.
"In addition, there is a strong civil rights concern given African Americans comprise a disproportionate percentage of players in Division I revenue-generating teams, yet suffer the lowest graduation rates."


cnbc--2020-01-14--Here's what you need to know about Tuesday's 2020 Democratic primary debate

Democratic presidential hopefuls ( L-R ) Mayor of South Bend , Indiana , Pete Buttigieg , Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren , Former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders arrive for the fifth Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season co-hosted by MSNBC and The Washington Post at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta , Georgia on November 20 , 2019 .
The 2020 Democratic presidential contenders will take the stage together Tuesday for the final time before nominating contests start .
A largely cordial primary race has turned more adversarial in recent days with less than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 Iowa caucuses , the first time a state will award delegates in 2020 .
Tuesday 's Democratic debate , hosted by the Des Moines Register and CNN , will start at 9 p.m .
ET .
It will take place at Drake University in Des Moines , Iowa .
As debate qualifying standards get tougher and more candidates drop out of the race , the number of participants has dwindled .
Only six Democratic candidates will take the stage together Tuesday in a field that has skewed older and whiter as it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ escalated in the days before the debate .
Warren said Monday that Sanders told her during a 2018 meeting that a woman could not win the presidential election — a charge Sanders denied .
It followed reports that Sanders ' campaign volunteer talking points cast Warren as a candidate who draws support from more wealthy , educated Democrats .
Sanders has also taken aim at Biden over his vote to authorize military force against Iraq in 2002 , among other issues .
Both leading candidates have tried to leverage their foreign policy experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Iran 's top general raised tensions in the Middle East this month .
Recent Iowa polls have found four Democrats have a realistic shot at winning the most delegates in the first-in-the-nation caucuses .
Biden has 20.7 % of support , about even with Sanders at 20.3 % , according to a RealClearPolitics polling average .
Buttigieg and Warren follow at 18.7 % and 16 % , respectively .

(L-R) Democratic presidential hopefuls billionaire-philanthropist Tom Steyer, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, Former Vice President Joe Biden, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar stand on stage ahead of the seventh Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season co-hosted by CNN and the Des Moines Register at the Drake University campus in Des Moines, Iowa on January 14, 2020.
The 2020 Democratic presidential contenders took the stage together Tuesday for the final time before nominating contests start.
A largely cordial primary race has turned more adversarial in recent days with less than three weeks to go until the Feb. 3 Iowa caucuses, the first time a state will award delegates in 2020.
Tuesday's Democratic debate, hosted by the Des Moines Register and CNN, took place at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
As debate qualifying standards get tougher and more candidates drop out of the race, the number of participants has dwindled. Only six Democratic candidates took the stage together Tuesday in a field that has skewed older and whiter as it narrows.
Former Vice President Joe Biden
Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
Billionaire activist Tom Steyer
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
The contenders first faced nearly 30 minutes of questions about their credentials to handle the rising specter of war in the Middle East following the U.S. killing of Iran's top general, Qasem Soleimani, earlier this month. Candidates have tried to leverage their foreign policy records to garner support amid the sharpened focus on Iran.
Sanders highlighted his opposition to the 2003 invasion of Iraq and push last year to stop U.S. support for a Saudi-led intervention in Yemen. Biden, meanwhile, said he worked during the Obama administration to end the Iraq War — while admitting it was a "mistake" to authorize the use of military force in the country when he was in the Senate.
Sanders defended his decision as a House member to vote for a military force authorization in Afghanistan, and again attempted to distance his record on Iraq from Biden's.
"I took to the floor, I did everything I could to prevent that war. Joe saw it differently," he said.
Klobuchar, asked whether she would remove forces from the Middle East, said she would "leave some troops there." Warren, meanwhile, contended that "we need to get our combat troops out." Buttigieg, an Afghanistan veteran, criticized the president for sending more troops to the region.
The candidates were asked about whether they would meet with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, as President Donald Trump did. In Iowa, a state walloped by the president's trade war with China, the rivals also sparred over their records on trade.
Sanders and Warren debated the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a revised North American trade deal that the U.S. expects to ratify this week. Sanders argued it did not go far enough to address climate change, and said "we can do much better than a Trump-led trade deal."
Warren said farmers in Iowa "are hurting" and highlighted improvements on the North American Free Trade Agreement. Sanders also contrasted his opposition to NAFTA and the Obama-era Trans-Pacific Partnership from Biden's support for both trade pacts, saying the two candidates have a "fundamental disagreement."
Tensions among the top candidates escalated in the days before the debate. Warren said Monday that Sanders told her during a 2018 meeting that a woman could not win the presidential election.
Asked about the remark during the debate, Sanders responded, "I didn't say it."
Warren appeared to acknowledge that her rival did say it, but added that "Bernie is my friend and I am not here to try to fight with Bernie." She then highlighted that she and Klobuchar have won all of their elections — while the men on the stage have lost 10 elections combined.
Recent Iowa polls have found four Democrats have a realistic shot at winning the most delegates in the first-in-the-nation caucuses. Biden has 20.7% of support, about even with Sanders at 20.3%, according to a RealClearPolitics polling average.
Buttigieg and Warren follow at 18.7% and 16%, respectively.
Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.


cnbc--2020-01-14--Trump impeachment trial could start next Tuesday, McConnell says

Pelosi decided to hand the two articles against Trump — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — over to the Senate after withholding them for weeks in a gambit to get assurances about how his Republican-led chamber will conduct the trial .
McConnell also reasserted that there was no desire in the Senate to vote to drop the impeachment charges against the president without hearing the arguments against him .
`` We hope to be able to achieve that by consent , which would set us up to begin the actual trial next Tuesday , '' McConnell said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a press event on Capitol Hill , then his chamber will be able to move the process forward this week by having Chief Justice John Roberts swear in , along with `` some other kind of housekeeping measures . ''
McConnell , R-Ky. , announced the tentative schedule just a few hours after Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi revealed she will send the articles of impeachment against Trump to the Senate on Wednesday .
President Donald Trump 's impeachment trial could begin as soon as next week , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats , including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , have loudly voiced concerns about whether Trump 's Senate trial will be legitimate .
McConnell has been heavily criticized for saying last month that he is `` not impartial '' and is coordinating directly with Trump 's counsel ahead of the trial .
Schumer appealed to McConnell directly to include four witnesses in the trial , including former national security advisor John Bolton and current acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney .
But McConnell rejected Schumer 's demand , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's efforts to influence the rules of the trial .
The White House had pressured those and other witnesses not to cooperate with the House impeachment inquiry , claiming the proceedings were `` baseless , unconstitutional efforts to overturn the democratic process . ''
Bolton said last week that he is willing to testify in the impeachment trial if the Senate subpoenas him to appear .
But it 's unclear if the Senate , in which Republicans hold a 53-47 majority , has any appetite to do so .
McConnell said last month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resemble former President Bill Clinton 's impeachment in 1998 .
The Senate during Clinton 's impeachment debated during the trial itself whether to allow witnesses to appear .
Senate Republicans slammed the Democrat-led House impeachment inquiry at the press conference Tuesday .
The House process `` was rushed , it was partisan and it was sloppy , '' Sen. John Barrasso , R-Wyo.
, said .
`` Justice is going to be done , and it 's going to occur in the Senate . ''
Democrats launched an impeachment inquiry in late 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announce probes involving former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter , as well as a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine and not Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election .
Trump asked Zelenskiy to announce the probes while hundreds of millions of dollars in congressionally allocated military aid to Ukraine were being withheld without clear explanation .
Some Republicans have considered calling Hunter Biden , as well as the whistleblower whose complaint about Trump 's July 25 call with Zelenskiy helped spark the impeachment inquiry , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schumer 's requested witnesses , Hunter Biden and the whistleblower would not be able to offer firsthand testimony related to the articles of impeachment against Trump .
`` I think we 'll be able to dip into the witness issue at the appropriate time , '' McConnell said Tuesday when asked about the possibility of Republicans calling Hunter Biden to testify .
`` I think it 's certainly appropriate to point out that both sides would want to call witnesses that they want to hear from ...
I ca n't imagine that only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to call would be called , '' he said .
On Wednesday , Pelosi is expected to hold a vote on a resolution that will transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate , as well as appropriate funds for the trial .
The vote will also name the so-called impeachment managers , who are typically House members who serve as the prosecutors in the Senate trial .
White House counsel Pat Cipollone is expected to lead the team in the Senate trial , with support from Trump 's personal lawyer Jay Sekulow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deputies , NBC News reported , citing sources and public comments from administration officials .

Pelosi decided to hand the two articles against Trump — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — over to the Senate after withholding them for weeks in a gambit to get assurances about how his Republican-led chamber will conduct the trial.
McConnell also reasserted that there was no desire in the Senate to vote to drop the impeachment charges against the president without hearing the arguments against him.
"We hope to be able to achieve that by consent, which would set us up to begin the actual trial next Tuesday," McConnell said.
If that happens, McConnell said at a press event on Capitol Hill, then his chamber will be able to move the process forward this week by having Chief Justice John Roberts swear in, along with "some other kind of housekeeping measures."
McConnell, R-Ky., announced the tentative schedule just a few hours after Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi revealed she will send the articles of impeachment against Trump to the Senate on Wednesday .
President Donald Trump's impeachment trial could begin as soon as next week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday.
She and other top Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have loudly voiced concerns about whether Trump's Senate trial will be legitimate. McConnell has been heavily criticized for saying last month that he is "not impartial" and is coordinating directly with Trump's counsel ahead of the trial.
Schumer appealed to McConnell directly to include four witnesses in the trial, including former national security advisor John Bolton and current acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney. But McConnell rejected Schumer's demand, and made no concessions to Democrats despite Pelosi's efforts to influence the rules of the trial.
The White House had pressured those and other witnesses not to cooperate with the House impeachment inquiry, claiming the proceedings were "baseless, unconstitutional efforts to overturn the democratic process."
Bolton said last week that he is willing to testify in the impeachment trial if the Senate subpoenas him to appear. But it's unclear if the Senate, in which Republicans hold a 53-47 majority, has any appetite to do so.
McConnell said last month that he wants the trial to closely resemble former President Bill Clinton's impeachment in 1998. The Senate during Clinton's impeachment debated during the trial itself whether to allow witnesses to appear.
Senate Republicans slammed the Democrat-led House impeachment inquiry at the press conference Tuesday.
The House process "was rushed, it was partisan and it was sloppy," Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said. "Justice is going to be done, and it's going to occur in the Senate."
Democrats launched an impeachment inquiry in late 2019 to investigate Trump's efforts to have Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announce probes involving former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, as well as a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine and not Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election. Trump asked Zelenskiy to announce the probes while hundreds of millions of dollars in congressionally allocated military aid to Ukraine were being withheld without clear explanation.
Some Republicans have considered calling Hunter Biden, as well as the whistleblower whose complaint about Trump's July 25 call with Zelenskiy helped spark the impeachment inquiry, as witnesses in the Senate trial. Unlike Schumer's requested witnesses, Hunter Biden and the whistleblower would not be able to offer firsthand testimony related to the articles of impeachment against Trump.
"I think we'll be able to dip into the witness issue at the appropriate time," McConnell said Tuesday when asked about the possibility of Republicans calling Hunter Biden to testify.
"I think it's certainly appropriate to point out that both sides would want to call witnesses that they want to hear from ... I can't imagine that only the witnesses that our Democratic colleagues want to call would be called," he said.
On Wednesday, Pelosi is expected to hold a vote on a resolution that will transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate, as well as appropriate funds for the trial. The vote will also name the so-called impeachment managers, who are typically House members who serve as the prosecutors in the Senate trial.
Trump's defense team is already taking shape.
White House counsel Pat Cipollone is expected to lead the team in the Senate trial, with support from Trump's personal lawyer Jay Sekulow and at least two of Cipollone's deputies, NBC News reported, citing sources and public comments from administration officials.


cnbc--2020-01-14--Elizabeth Warren calls for investigation into whether Trump Mar-a-Lago guests traded on advance know

Elizabeth Warren calls for investigation into whether Trump Mar-a-Lago guests traded on advance knowledge of Soleimani killing

2020 Democratic Presidential candidate Senator Elizabeth Warren speaks as she attends a rally at the Kings theatre on January 7 , 2020 in New York .
Presidential contender Elizabeth Warren is demanding a federal investigation into whether President Donald Trump provided advance notice of the deadly strike on Iran 's Gen. Qasem Soleimani to stock traders who may have profited illegally from the tip .
The Massachusetts Democratic senator made her demand in a letter dated Monday to the chairmen of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission .
It cited a Daily Beast report that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resort days before the Jan. 3 strike to expect a `` big '' response to Iran `` soon . ''
`` If this report is true , it raises a number of troubling national security questions regarding President Trump 's handling of classified and other sensitive national security information , '' Warren wrote in the letter , which was also signed by Sen. Chris Van Hollen , D-Md.
, the ranking member of the Senate subcommittee that oversees securities and investments .
The senators wrote that the president 's Florida resort guests may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had the opportunity to trade defense industry stocks or commodities or make other trades based on this information . ''
Read more : Defense stocks double the S & P 500′s return six months after Middle East turmoil , history shows

2020 Democratic Presidential candidate Senator Elizabeth Warren speaks as she attends a rally at the Kings theatre on January 7, 2020 in New York.
Presidential contender Elizabeth Warren is demanding a federal investigation into whether President Donald Trump provided advance notice of the deadly strike on Iran's Gen. Qasem Soleimani to stock traders who may have profited illegally from the tip.
The Massachusetts Democratic senator made her demand in a letter dated Monday to the chairmen of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. It cited a Daily Beast report that Trump had told guests at his Mar-a-Lago resort days before the Jan. 3 strike to expect a "big" response to Iran "soon."
"If this report is true, it raises a number of troubling national security questions regarding President Trump's handling of classified and other sensitive national security information," Warren wrote in the letter, which was also signed by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., the ranking member of the Senate subcommittee that oversees securities and investments.
The senators wrote that the president's Florida resort guests may have obtained "confidential market-moving information and had the opportunity to trade defense industry stocks or commodities or make other trades based on this information."
Read more: Defense stocks double the S&P 500′s return six months after Middle East turmoil, history shows


cnbc--2020-01-14--Democrats trust Biden most on foreign policy as Iran tensions simmer, poll says

Democratic candidate for president , former Vice President Joe Biden makes remarks about the DNI Whistleblower Report as well as President Trumps ongoing abuse of power at the Hotel DuPont on September 24 , 2019 in Wilmington , Delaware .
2020 Democratic White House hopefuls have drilled into foreign policy as U.S. tensions with Iran bubble , and a new poll suggests more primary voters put their faith in Joe Biden to navigate the crisis .
About a third , or 32 % , of Democratic primary voters most trust the former vice president to handle foreign relations , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night .
Another 20 % of respondents have the most confidence in Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt. , to address the topic .
Twelve percent say they do n't know whom they trust to tackle foreign policy , while 11 % put their faith most in Sen. Elizabeth Warren , D-Mass .
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg tied as the most trusted candidate , among 6 % of respondents .
Foreign policy , which generally got less attention than issues such as health care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first year of the Democratic primary , has jumped to the top of candidates ' minds following the U.S. killing of Iran 's top general , Qasem Soleimani , earlier this month .
Democrats who aim to challenge President Donald Trump have warned about a spiking risk of war in the Middle East following Iranian strikes on U.S. targets in Iraq and the White House 's new sanctions on Tehran .
The presidential hopefuls will likely stress their foreign policy credentials again at Tuesday night 's primary debate in Des Moines , Iowa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together for the final time before the state 's caucuses , the first nominating contest of the year , on Feb. 3 .
Polls still broadly show that voters consider health care and climate change the two most important issues in the race .
On health care , 29 % of respondents to the poll trust Sanders the most , followed by Biden at 21 % .
Meanwhile , 24 % of voters have the most confidence in Sanders to handle climate change , while 22 % say the same about Biden .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders in particular have tried to leverage their foreign policy credentials for support .
The former vice president has touted his eight years in the Obama administration and more than three decades in the Senate , casting himself as a steadier , more experienced hand than Trump on the world stage .
Sanders has highlighted his efforts to keep the U.S. out of war — including his 2002 House vote against authorizing military force in Iraq .
The senator has repeatedly criticized Biden for supporting the 2003 Iraq invasion , which Sanders recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blunder in the modern history of this country . ''
Polling also suggests Iowa voters have paid more attention to foreign policy in the weeks before the caucuses .
A Monmouth University poll released Wednesday found 16 % of likely caucus participants list foreign policy as one of their two most important issues in deciding which candidate to support — up from 6 % in an August poll .
The polling outfit suggested Iran tensions drove the increased focus — and that the issue could give Biden a bump in support .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have resulted in an uptick in foreign policy concerns among Democratic caucusgoers .
It 's still a small number , but it could be helping Biden on the margins , '' said Patrick Murray , director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute .
The Morning Consult poll , taken from Jan. 10-12 , surveyed 801 Democratic primary voters and has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3 percentage points .
The Monmouth University poll , taken from Jan. 9-12 , surveyed 405 Iowa voters likely to attend the Democratic caucuses , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4.9 percentage points .

Democratic candidate for president, former Vice President Joe Biden makes remarks about the DNI Whistleblower Report as well as President Trumps ongoing abuse of power at the Hotel DuPont on September 24, 2019 in Wilmington, Delaware.
2020 Democratic White House hopefuls have drilled into foreign policy as U.S. tensions with Iran bubble, and a new poll suggests more primary voters put their faith in Joe Biden to navigate the crisis.
About a third, or 32%, of Democratic primary voters most trust the former vice president to handle foreign relations, according to a Morning Consult survey released Monday night. Another 20% of respondents have the most confidence in Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., to address the topic.
Twelve percent say they don't know whom they trust to tackle foreign policy, while 11% put their faith most in Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg tied as the most trusted candidate, among 6% of respondents.
Foreign policy, which generally got less attention than issues such as health care, climate change and immigration during the first year of the Democratic primary, has jumped to the top of candidates' minds following the U.S. killing of Iran's top general, Qasem Soleimani, earlier this month. Democrats who aim to challenge President Donald Trump have warned about a spiking risk of war in the Middle East following Iranian strikes on U.S. targets in Iraq and the White House's new sanctions on Tehran.
The presidential hopefuls will likely stress their foreign policy credentials again at Tuesday night's primary debate in Des Moines, Iowa. The candidates will take the stage together for the final time before the state's caucuses, the first nominating contest of the year, on Feb. 3.
Polls still broadly show that voters consider health care and climate change the two most important issues in the race. On health care, 29% of respondents to the poll trust Sanders the most, followed by Biden at 21%. Meanwhile, 24% of voters have the most confidence in Sanders to handle climate change, while 22% say the same about Biden.
Since Soleimani's killing, Biden and Sanders in particular have tried to leverage their foreign policy credentials for support. The former vice president has touted his eight years in the Obama administration and more than three decades in the Senate, casting himself as a steadier, more experienced hand than Trump on the world stage.
Sanders has highlighted his efforts to keep the U.S. out of war — including his 2002 House vote against authorizing military force in Iraq. The senator has repeatedly criticized Biden for supporting the 2003 Iraq invasion, which Sanders recently called "the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in the modern history of this country."
Polling also suggests Iowa voters have paid more attention to foreign policy in the weeks before the caucuses. A Monmouth University poll released Wednesday found 16% of likely caucus participants list foreign policy as one of their two most important issues in deciding which candidate to support — up from 6% in an August poll.
The polling outfit suggested Iran tensions drove the increased focus — and that the issue could give Biden a bump in support.
"Recent events in the Middle East seem to have resulted in an uptick in foreign policy concerns among Democratic caucusgoers. It's still a small number, but it could be helping Biden on the margins," said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute.
The Morning Consult poll, taken from Jan. 10-12, surveyed 801 Democratic primary voters and has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3 percentage points.
The Monmouth University poll, taken from Jan. 9-12, surveyed 405 Iowa voters likely to attend the Democratic caucuses, and has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 4.9 percentage points.
Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.


cnbc--2020-01-14--Pelosi says House will send Trump impeachment articles to the Senate Wednesday

WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives will vote Wednesday to send two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Tuesday .
`` The House will now proceed with a vote on transmitting the articles of impeachment and naming impeachment managers on Wednesday , January 15 , '' Pelosi said in a statement , following a closed door Democratic caucus meeting Tuesday morning .
Wednesday 's House resolution is expected to have three functions : To transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate , name the House members who will serve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and fund the trial itself .
Pelosi has yet to announce who she has selected to serve as impeachment managers , the House members who will effectively act as prosecutors in the president 's trial .
On Tuesday , House Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. Hakeem Jeffries said Pelosi would release the names of the managers sometime before Wednesday 's vote .
But the list is likely to include House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff , D-Calif. , and Rep. Jerrold Nadler , Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee .
Schiff led the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
Nadler leads the committee which drafted and approved the two articles of impeachment against the president that were passed in December .

The list is likely to include House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Rep. Jerrold Nadler, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Schiff led the formal House impeachment inquiry against Trump last year. Nadler leads the committee that drafted and approved the two articles of impeachment against the president.
House Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. Hakeem Jeffries said Tuesday that Pelosi would release the names of the managers, who will effectively act as prosecutors in the president's trial, sometime before Wednesday's vote.
Wednesday's House resolution is expected to have three functions: To transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate, name the House members who will serve as managers of the impeachment trial, and fund the trial itself.
WASHINGTON — The House will vote Wednesday to send two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.
Wednesday's vote will trigger a series of carefully choreographed procedural steps between the House and Senate, culminating in a walk across the Capitol by the House impeachment managers, who will be carrying the actual articles of impeachment in their hands.
The managers will then physically deliver the articles to Secretary of the Senate Julie Adams, a career public servant and former member of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's staff.
The actual delivery of the articles is likely to occur Wednesday afternoon, although House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Wednesday that the ceremonial walk could potentially be pushed back to Thursday morning.
The handover will mark the end of a nearly month-long delay in transmitting the documents, which Pelosi orchestrated in an attempt to force concessions out of McConnell, R-Ky.
Chief among them has been the ability to call witnesses, which Democrats have long demanded as part of any trial they would consider to be a "fair" one.
But McConnell has said the question of witnesses should be shelved until partway into the trial itself, as was the case in the 1998 impeachment of President Bill Clinton.
Absent a last-minute change of heart by McConnell, Wednesday's vote will represent a political defeat for Pelosi.
The House voted on Dec.18 to impeach Trump on two articles stemming from his monthslong campaign to pressure Ukraine into launching investigations into Joe Biden and other domestic political opponents. The pressure tactics allegedly included withholding congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
Trump was impeached on charges that he abused the power of the presidency and obstructed Congress by prohibiting top administration officials from testifying about the Ukraine scheme.


cnbc--2020-01-15--Things get tense between Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders at Democratic debate

Democratic presidential hopefuls Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren ( L ) , former Vice President Joe Biden ( C ) and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders participate of the seventh Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season co-hosted by CNN and the Des Moines Register at the Drake University campus in Des Moines , Iowa on January 14 , 2020 .
Things got testy between Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday night .
First , Sanders denied during the Democratic debate that he told that a woman could not be president , pointing to his record and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warren , in turn , pointed out that the women on stage had done better in elections than their male rivals .
The exchange came after a day of controversy over Warren 's claim that Sanders had told her in a private meeting before she announced her White House bid that a woman could n't win the presidency .
Sanders denied that he said it .
That tension appear to spill past the end of the debate .
As the candidates shuffled off the stage to mingle with supporters , Warren approached Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She spoke a few words , causing Sanders to furrow his brow and appear to say `` what ? ''
before raising his hands and responding .
Sanders then raised both his hands higher and turned away from Warren to shake hands with Tom Steyer , another candidate who was standing close by .
The exchange between Warren and Sanders was inaudible and lasted just a few seconds , but it was captured on video .
According to NBC News , Steyer said he did n't know what the two said and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of the way as fast as possible . ''
Spokesmen for Warren , Sanders and Steyer 's campaigns did not immediately respond to CNBC 's inquiries about the exchange .
`` Anybody who knows me knows that it 's incomprehensible that I would think that a woman could not be the president of the United States , '' Sanders said .
The Vermont senator , who identifies as a democratic socialist , added that in 2015 he chose to hold off on announcing his candidacy for president , until Warren told him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election .
`` Warren decided not to run and I did .
I ran afterwards , '' he said .
Sanders said that if any of the men or women on Tuesday 's debate stage – Warren and Sen. Amy Klobuchar were the only women there , as Rep. Tulsi Gabbard did n't qualify – win the nomination , `` I will do everything in my power to make sure they are elected in order to defeat the most dangerous president in the history of our country . ''
Warren , in her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her private conversation with Sanders , instead choosing to focus on the records of the women on stage .
`` Look at the men on this stage , '' Warren said .
`` Collectively they have lost 10 elections .
The only people on this stage who have won every single election that they 've been in are the women .
Amy and me . ''
The Massachusetts senator also said that she 's `` the only person on this stage who has beaten an incumbent Republican anytime in the past 30 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who will excite all parts of the Democratic party , bring everyone in , and give everyone a democrat to believe in , '' she said .
Sanders disputed her claim by saying he had indeed defeated an incumbent Republican in a congressional race – 30 years ago .

Democratic presidential hopeful Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders speak after the seventh Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season co-hosted by CNN and the Des Moines Register at the Drake University campus in Des Moines, Iowa on January 14, 2020.
Things got testy between Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday night.
First, Sanders denied during the Democratic debate that he told that a woman could not be president, pointing to his record and a video on YouTube as evidence.
Warren, in turn, pointed out that the women on stage had done better in elections than their male rivals.
The exchange came after a day of controversy over Warren's claim that Sanders had told her in a private meeting before she announced her White House bid that a woman couldn't win the presidency. Sanders denied that he said it.
That tension appear to spill past the end of the debate.
As the candidates shuffled off the stage to mingle with supporters, Warren approached Sanders but declined to shake his outstretched hand. She spoke a few words, causing Sanders to furrow his brow and appear to say "what?" before raising his hands and responding.
Sanders then raised both his hands higher and turned away from Warren to shake hands with Tom Steyer, another candidate who was standing close by.
The exchange between Warren and Sanders was inaudible and lasted just a few seconds, but it was captured on video.
TWEET
According to NBC News, Steyer said he didn't know what the two said and that he "was trying to get out of the way as fast as possible."
NBC TWEET
Spokesmen for Warren, Sanders and Steyer's campaigns did not immediately respond to CNBC's inquiries about the exchange.
On Wednesday, Sanders gave his first reaction to questions about his brief post-debate conversation with Warren.
When asked about what they talked about, Sanders told reporters their conversation was "about the weather."
Tweet
At the debate, Sanders denied having told Warren that a woman couldn't run for president.
"Anybody who knows me knows that it's incomprehensible that I would think that a woman could not be the president of the United States," Sanders said.
The Vermont senator, who identifies as a democratic socialist, added that in 2015 he chose to hold off on announcing his candidacy for president, until Warren told him she would not run in the 2016 election.
"Warren decided not to run and I did. I ran afterwards," he said.
Sanders said that if any of the men or women on Tuesday's debate stage – Warren and Sen. Amy Klobuchar were the only women there, as Rep. Tulsi Gabbard didn't qualify – win the nomination, "I will do everything in my power to make sure they are elected in order to defeat the most dangerous president in the history of our country."
Warren, in her response to Sanders, pivoted away from her private conversation with Sanders, instead choosing to focus on the records of the women on stage.
"Look at the men on this stage," Warren said. "Collectively they have lost 10 elections. The only people on this stage who have won every single election that they've been in are the women. Amy and me."
The Massachusetts senator also said that she's "the only person on this stage who has beaten an incumbent Republican anytime in the past 30 years."
"We need a candidate who will excite all parts of the Democratic party, bring everyone in, and give everyone a democrat to believe in," she said.
Sanders disputed her claim by saying he had indeed defeated an incumbent Republican in a congressional race – 30 years ago.
Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.


cnbc--2020-01-15--IRS agents arrest indicted lawyer Michael Avenatti for bail violation in California, latest woe for

IRS agents arrest indicted lawyer Michael Avenatti for bail violation in California, latest woe for Trump foe

Celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti speaks to the media outside of a New York court house after a hearing in a case where he is accused of stealing $ 300,000 from a former client , adult-film actress Stormy Daniels on July 23 , 2019 in New York City .
Michael Avenatti , the controversial lawyer facing criminal charges in three separate serious federal cases , was dramatically arrested by federal agents in California on Tuesday for allegedly violating the terms of his bail release in one of those cases .
Avenatti , who is accused of swindling clients including porn star @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was taken into custody during in a disciplinary hearing of the State Bar Court of California in Los Angeles , where he had been testifying .
The California Bar at that proceeding was seeking to place Avenatti on `` involuntary active status '' in response to a claim of scamming a client out of more than $ 800,000 .
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney 's Office in Los Angeles , Ciaran McEvoy , told CNBC that Avenatti was arrested by IRS agents from that agency 's criminal investigation division .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the prosecution in California of Avenatti .
McEvoy was unable to detail how Avenatti allegedly violated his bail conditions .
The spokesman noted that the arrest warrant for Avenatti , which would lay out those allegations , was sealed by the judge who signed it earlier Tuesday .
Under the terms of Avenatti 's bail , his travel normally had been restricted to and from certain areas of California , New York state and Florida .
Domestic travel to other locations was allowed with at least two business days ' notice to federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prior court approval , according to a ruling by a judge last June .
Avenatti had been free on a personal recognizance bond of $ 300,000 , which did not require him to post any money or assets to secure .
Avenatti 's attorney Dean Steward , in an email to CNBC , said that his client `` is being held without bail , pending '' a hearing Wednesday morning , at 2 p.m. Eastern Time , before Judge James Selna in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana , California .
The bombastic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next week in federal court in New York City in another case in which he is accused of trying to extort more than $ 20 million from athletic apparel giant Nike by threatening to expose alleged evidence of bribing amateur basketball players and their families unless the company paid up .
Prosecutors in the New York case informed the trial judge of Avenatti 's arrest in a letter Tuesday night .
`` Completely innocent , '' Avenatti said outside the Bar Court after his arrest , according to The Daily Beast , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Avenatti has pleaded not guilty to all criminal charges against him , which were lodged last spring , more than a year after he became a leading critic of President Donald Trump in connection with his representation of Daniels , who claims to have had sexual tryst with Trump more than a decade ago .
Hours before his arrest Tuesday , Avenatti was on a telephone conference call with his lawyers , prosecutors and reporters as a judge in Manhattan federal court heard arguments to postpone that trial for the alleged Nike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his defense team more time to digest thousands of pages of documents recently turned over by prosecutors .
The judge declined to delay the trial .
He separately is charged in the same Manhattan courthouse with scamming Daniels out of $ 300,000 in proceeds from of a book deal .
A trial in that case is set to begin April 21 .

Michael Avenatti, the controversial lawyer facing criminal charges in three separate serious federal cases, was dramatically arrested by federal agents in California on Tuesday for allegedly violating the terms of his bail release in one of those cases.
Avenatti, who is accused of swindling clients including porn star Stormy Daniels out of millions of dollars, was taken into custody during in a disciplinary hearing of the State Bar Court of California in Los Angeles, where he had been testifying.
The California Bar at that proceeding was seeking to place Avenatti on "involuntary active status" in response to a claim of scamming a client out of more than $800,000.
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles, Ciaran McEvoy, told CNBC that Avenatti was arrested by IRS agents from that agency's criminal investigation division. The IRS is the lead investigative agency in the prosecution in California of Avenatti.
McEvoy was unable to detail how Avenatti allegedly violated his bail conditions. The spokesman noted that the arrest warrant for Avenatti, which would lay out those allegations, was sealed by the judge who signed it earlier Tuesday.
Under the terms of Avenatti's bail, his travel normally had been restricted to and from certain areas of California, New York state and Florida. Domestic travel to other locations was allowed with at least two business days' notice to federal Pretrial Services, with international travel needing prior court approval, according to a ruling by a judge last June.
Avenatti had been free on a personal recognizance bond of $300,000, which did not require him to post any money or assets to secure.
Avenatti's attorney Dean Steward, in an email to CNBC, said that his client "is being held without bail, pending" a hearing Wednesday morning, at 2 p.m. Eastern Time, before Judge James Selna in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, California.
The bombastic litigator is due to go on trial next week in federal court in New York City in another case in which he is accused of trying to extort more than $20 million from athletic apparel giant Nike by threatening to expose alleged evidence of bribing amateur basketball players and their families unless the company paid up.
Prosecutors in the New York case informed the trial judge of Avenatti's arrest in a letter Tuesday night.
"Completely innocent," Avenatti said outside the Bar Court after his arrest, according to The Daily Beast, which had a reporter at the bar hearing.
Tweet
Avenatti has pleaded not guilty to all criminal charges against him, which were lodged last spring, more than a year after he became a leading critic of President Donald Trump in connection with his representation of Daniels, who claims to have had sexual tryst with Trump more than a decade ago.
Hours before his arrest Tuesday, Avenatti was on a telephone conference call with his lawyers, prosecutors and reporters as a judge in Manhattan federal court heard arguments to postpone that trial for the alleged Nike extortion bid by a month to give his defense team more time to digest thousands of pages of documents recently turned over by prosecutors. The judge declined to delay the trial.
He separately is charged in the same Manhattan courthouse with scamming Daniels out of $300,000 in proceeds from of a book deal. A trial in that case is set to begin April 21.


cnbc--2020-01-15--Here are the top moments from the seventh Democratic debate

Six Democratic presidential contenders took the stage Tuesday for the final time before nominating contests start , and tensions cracked through a field that has resisted attacks for much of the primary race .
The rivals in the debate – former Vice President Joe Biden , Sens .
Bernie Sanders of Vermont , Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota , former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg , and billionaire Tom Steyer – spent two hours at Drake University in the last debate before the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses .
Biden maintains a lead in national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State have found four candidates have a real chance to win the most delegates there on Feb. 3 , and contenders used their last chance to distance themselves from their competitors .
The debate came amid tension between the two chambers of Congress as a Senate trial for President Donald Trump 's impeachment looms next week .
At the same time , pressure has climbed in the Middle East , following Iranian retaliation for the U.S. killing of the country 's top general , Qasem Soleimani .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week on Iran 's metal exports and eight senior Iranian officials .
Here are the night 's top moments .
The contenders first faced questions about their credentials to handle the rising specter of war in the Middle East following the U.S. killing of Iran 's top general , Qasem Soleimani , earlier this month .
Candidates have tried to leverage their foreign policy records to garner support amid the sharpened focus on Iran .
Sanders defended his decision as a House member to vote for a military force authorization in Afghanistan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record on Iraq from Biden 's .
`` I took to the floor , I did everything I could to prevent that war .
Joe saw it differently , '' he said .
Klobuchar , asked whether she would remove forces from the Middle East , said she would `` leave some troops there . ''
Warren , meanwhile , contended that `` we need to get our combat troops out . ''
Buttigieg , an Afghanistan veteran , criticized the president for sending more troops to the region .
Biden , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would leave troops in the Middle East if he became president , adding that `` we 're in a position where we 're going to have to pull our forces out '' because of the U.S. decision to kill Soleimani .
`` Frankly I think [ Trump ] flat-out lied '' about the reason the president authorized the strike , Biden said .
'Other than that , you like him ? '
One of the night 's biggest laughs came from Sanders as Biden aimed to contrast his foreign policy vision from Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un , the former vice president said he would not without `` preconditions . ''
Trump has held two summits with Kim as he pushes Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear and missile programs — which Biden said gave North Korea the `` legitimacy '' wanted .
`` I would not meet with the , quote , Supreme Leader who said , 'Joe Biden is a rabid dog , he should be beaten to death with a stick , ' '' Biden said , citing a comment last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency .
`` Other than that , you like him ? ''
Sanders interjected , about the ruler whose regime stifles free expression and opposition and carries out executions .
Laughter broke out in response .
`` Other than that , I like him , and he got a love letter from Trump after that , '' Biden responded .
Sanders and Warren square off over USMCA Progressive rivals Warren and Sanders sparred over their trade policy .
While most Democrats vying to defeat President Donald Trump in 2020 have criticized his protectionist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Warren and Sanders have both said they are open to using tariffs in some ways .
And while Democrats and Republicans alike have championed the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement , or USMCA , as a beneficial update to the North American Free Trade Agreement , Warren and Sanders have been more critical of it .
Still both carved out distinctions between their policies on the debate stage Tuesday night .
Warren has said she would vote to approve the USMCA .
Sanders , asked about the Trump-brokered deal , said he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , noting the lack of support for the deal from environmental organizations .
`` Every major environmental organization has said no to this new trade agreement because it does not even have the phrase 'climate change ' in it , '' he said .
Warren , however , said the USMCA `` will give some relief '' to U.S. farmers and workers .
`` I believe we accept that relief , we try to help the people who need help , and we get up the next day and fight for a better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retooling existing trade deals is no easy task .
`` I believe if this deal is passed , it will set us back a number of years , '' he said .
The strength of female candidates became a topic of discussion after a day of controversy over Warren 's claim that Sanders had told her in a private meeting before she announced her White House bid that a woman could n't win the presidency .
Sanders denied that he said it , pointing to his record and a video on YouTube as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pointed out that the women on stage had done better in elections than their male rivals .
`` Anybody who knows me knows that it 's incomprehensible that I would think that a woman could not be the president of the United States , '' Sanders said .
The Vermont senator , who identifies as a democratic socialist , added that in 2015 he chose to hold off on announcing his candidacy for president , until Warren told him she would not run in the 2016 election .
Warren , in her response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private conversation with Sanders , instead choosing to focus on the records of the women on stage .
`` Look at the men on this stage , '' Warren said .
`` Collectively they have lost 10 elections .
The only people on this stage who have won every single election that they 've been in are the women .
Amy and me . ''
Warren and Sanders do n't shake hands at the end Sanders and Warren 's reputed friendship has been tested as the campaign as heated up , particularly after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a woman could n't win the White House .
Sanders denied he said it .
Things appeared to reach a head immediately after the debate as Sanders sought to shake Warren 's hand .
While Steyer looked on , she did not reciprocate .
Instead , Warren and Sanders appeared to exchange some terse words , although it was n't clear what they said to each other .
Sanders turned away in a huff .

watch now
Six Democratic presidential contenders took the stage for the final time before nominating contests start, and tensions cracked through a field that has resisted attacks for much of the primary race. The rivals in the debate — former Vice President Joe Biden, Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and billionaire Tom Steyer — spent two hours at Drake University in the last debate before the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses. Biden maintains a lead in national polls, but surveys in the Hawkeye State have found four candidates have a real chance to win the most delegates there on Feb. 3, and contenders used their last chance to distance themselves from their competitors. The debate came amid tension between the two chambers of Congress as a Senate trial for President Donald Trump's impeachment looms next week. At the same time, pressure has climbed in the Middle East, following Iranian retaliation for the U.S. killing of the country's top general, Qasem Soleimani. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced new sanctions last week on Iran's metal exports and eight senior Iranian officials. Here are the night's top moments from Tuesday night's debate.
Iran takes center stage in debate opening
Democratic presidential hopefuls Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren (L), former Vice President Joe Biden (C) and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders participate of the seventh Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season co-hosted by CNN and the Des Moines Register at the Drake University campus in Des Moines, Iowa on January 14, 2020. Robyn Beck | AFP | Getty Images
The contenders first faced questions about their credentials to handle the rising specter of war in the Middle East following the U.S. killing of Iran's top general, Qasem Soleimani, earlier this month. Candidates have tried to leverage their foreign policy records to garner support amid the sharpened focus on Iran. Sanders defended his decision as a House member to vote for a military force authorization in Afghanistan, and again attempted to distance his record on Iraq from Biden's.
watch now
"I took to the floor, I did everything I could to prevent that war. Joe saw it differently," he said. Klobuchar, asked whether she would remove forces from the Middle East, said she would "leave some troops there." Warren, meanwhile, contended that "we need to get our combat troops out." Buttigieg, an Afghanistan War veteran, criticized the president for sending more troops to the region. Biden, when asked the same question, said he would leave troops in the Middle East if he became president, adding that "we're in a position where we're going to have to pull our forces out" because of the U.S. decision to kill Soleimani. "Frankly I think [Trump] flat-out lied" about the reason the president authorized the strike, Biden said.
'Other than that, you like him?'
Former Vice President Joe Biden (L) reacts as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) makes a point during the Democratic presidential primary debate at Drake University on January 14, 2020 in Des Moines, Iowa. Six candidates out of the field qualified for the first Democratic presidential primary debate of 2020, hosted by CNN and the Des Moines Register. Scott Olson | Getty Images
One of the night's biggest laughs came from Sanders as Biden aimed to contrast his foreign policy vision from Trump's. Asked whether he would meet with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, the former vice president said he would not without preconditions. Trump has held two summits with Kim as he pushes Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear and missile programs — which Biden said gave North Korea the legitimacy it wants. "I would not meet with the, quote, supreme leader who said, 'Joe Biden is a rabid dog, he should be beaten to death with a stick,'" Biden said, citing a comment last year from North Korea's state news agency. "Other than that, you like him?" Sanders interjected, about the ruler whose regime stifles free expression and opposition and carries out executions. Laughter broke out in response. "Other than that, I like him, and he got a love letter from Trump after that," Biden responded.
Sanders and Warren square off over USMCA
Democratic presidential hopeful Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders speaks during the seventh Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season co-hosted by CNN and the Des Moines Register at the Drake University campus in Des Moines, Iowa on January 14, 2020. Robyn Beck | AFP | Getty Images
Progressive rivals Warren and Sanders sparred over their trade policy. While most Democrats vying to defeat Trump have criticized his protectionist trade policies and trade war with China, Warren and Sanders have said they are open to using tariffs in some ways. And while Democrats and Republicans alike have championed the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement as a beneficial update to the North American Free Trade Agreement, Warren and Sanders have been more critical of it. Still, both carved out distinctions between their policies on the debate stage Tuesday night. Warren has said she would vote for the USMCA. Sanders said he would refuse, noting the lack of support for the deal from environmental organizations. "Every major environmental organization has said no to this new trade agreement because it does not even have the phrase 'climate change' in it," he said. Warren, however, said the USMCA "will give some relief" to U.S. farmers and workers. "I believe we accept that relief, we try to help the people who need help, and we get up the next day and fight for a better trade deal." Sanders responded that retooling existing trade deals is no easy task. "I believe if this deal is passed, it will set us back a number of years," he said.
Warren zings her male rivals
Democratic presidential hopefuls Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren (L), former Vice President Joe Biden (C) and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders participate of the seventh Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season co-hosted by CNN and the Des Moines Register at the Drake University campus in Des Moines, Iowa on January 14, 2020. Robyn Beck | AFP | Getty Images
The strength of female candidates became a topic of discussion after a day of controversy over Warren's claim that Sanders had told her in a private meeting before she announced her White House bid that a woman couldn't win the presidency. Sanders denied that he said it, pointing to his record and a video on YouTube as evidence. "Anybody who knows me knows that it's incomprehensible that I would think that a woman could not be the president of the United States," Sanders said. The Vermont senator, who identifies as a democratic socialist, added that in 2015 he chose to hold off on announcing his candidacy for president, until Warren told him she would not run in the 2016 election. Warren pointed out that the women on stage had done better in elections than their male rivals. She also pivoted away from her private conversation with Sanders, instead choosing to focus on the records of the women on stage. "Look at the men on this stage," Warren said. "Collectively they have lost 10 elections. The only people on this stage who have won every single election that they've been in are the women. Amy and me."
Warren and Sanders don't shake hands at the end


cnbc--2020-01-15--Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren square off over Trump's USMCA trade deal

Democratic presidential hopeful Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders speaks during the seventh Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season co-hosted by CNN and the Des Moines Register at the Drake University campus in Des Moines , Iowa on January 14 , 2020 .
Progressive Democratic candidates Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders sparred over their trade policy disagreements at the seventh presidential primary debate Tuesday .
While most Democrats vying to defeat President Donald Trump in 2020 have criticized his protectionist trade policies and trade war with China , Warren and Sanders have both said they are open to using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats and Republicans alike have championed the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement , or USMCA , as a beneficial update to the North American Free Trade Agreement , Warren and Sanders have been more critical of it .
Still both carved out distinctions between their policies on the debate stage Tuesday night .
Warren has said she would vote to approve the USMCA .
Sanders , asked about the Trump-brokered deal , said he would refuse to back the trilateral trade deal , despite previously saying it made some `` modest improvements . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Trump-led trade deal , '' Sanders said , claiming that USMCA will exacerbate job loss through outsourcing .
Sanders also noted the lack of support for the deal from environmental organizations .
`` Every major environmental organization has said no to this new trade agreement because it does not even have the phrase 'climate change ' in it . ''
`` I will not vote for a trade agreement that does not incorporate very very strong principles to significantly lower fossil fuel emissions in the world , '' he said .
Warren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying she had opposed prior trade deals .
`` But we have farmers here in Iowa who are hurting , '' she said , `` and they are hurting because of Donald Trump '' and his trade wars .
The USMCA , she said , `` will give some relief '' to U.S. farmers and workers : `` I believe we accept that relief , we try to help the people who need help , and we get up the next day and fight for a better trade deal . ''
Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no easy task .
`` I believe if this deal is passed , it will set us back a number of years , '' he said .

Democratic presidential hopeful Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders speaks during the seventh Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season co-hosted by CNN and the Des Moines Register at the Drake University campus in Des Moines, Iowa on January 14, 2020.
Progressive Democratic candidates Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders sparred over their trade policy disagreements at the seventh presidential primary debate Tuesday.
While most Democrats vying to defeat President Donald Trump in 2020 have criticized his protectionist trade policies and trade war with China, Warren and Sanders have both said they are open to using tariffs in some ways.
And while Democrats and Republicans alike have championed the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement, or USMCA, as a beneficial update to the North American Free Trade Agreement, Warren and Sanders have been more critical of it.
Still both carved out distinctions between their policies on the debate stage Tuesday night. Warren has said she would vote to approve the USMCA.
Sanders, asked about the Trump-brokered deal, said he would refuse to back the trilateral trade deal, despite previously saying it made some "modest improvements."
"We can do much better than a Trump-led trade deal," Sanders said, claiming that USMCA will exacerbate job loss through outsourcing.
Sanders also noted the lack of support for the deal from environmental organizations. "Every major environmental organization has said no to this new trade agreement because it does not even have the phrase 'climate change' in it."
"I will not vote for a trade agreement that does not incorporate very very strong principles to significantly lower fossil fuel emissions in the world," he said.
Warren began by touting her populist bona fides, saying she had opposed prior trade deals.
"But we have farmers here in Iowa who are hurting," she said, "and they are hurting because of Donald Trump" and his trade wars.
The USMCA, she said, "will give some relief" to U.S. farmers and workers: "I believe we accept that relief, we try to help the people who need help, and we get up the next day and fight for a better trade deal."
Sanders responded that retooling existing trade deals is no easy task. "I believe if this deal is passed, it will set us back a number of years," he said.


cnbc--2020-01-15--Former Trump national security advisor Michael Flynn files to withdraw guilty plea in Mueller case

Former national security advisor Michael Flynn officially moved to withdraw his guilty plea Tuesday , more than two years after he initially said he had lied to federal agents about his contacts with a Russian diplomat before the inauguration of President Donald Trump .
`` Michael T. Flynn is innocent , '' his attorney , Sidney Powell , wrote in a 22-page filing in U.S. District Court in Washington , D.C. Powell wrote that Flynn is withdrawing his plea `` because of the government 's bad faith , vindictiveness , and breach of the plea agreement . ''
She also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delay of Flynn 's sentencing date , which is currently scheduled for Jan. 28 .
Sullivan has yet to sign off on Flynn 's plea withdrawal .
The judge could possibly reject Flynn 's motion , letting the guilty plea stand .
Former prosecutors who spoke with CNBC said it is `` nearly impossible '' to win approval for withdrawing a federal guilty plea .
Less than a week earlier , federal prosecutors had urged Sullivan to jail Flynn for up to six months , citing the `` serious nature of '' Flynn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his apparent failure to accept responsibility '' for his crime .
Prosecutors had been outraged by what they called Flynn 's `` extraordinary '' shift toward a claim of innocence in late 2019 .
Their new recommendation of half-a-year locked up marked a stark reversal : Prosecutors had previously recommended that Flynn receive no jail time in recognition of his extensive help with several investigations following his guilty plea in late 2017 .
Flynn was charged as part of then-special counsel Robert Mueller 's investigation of Russian election interference during the 2016 presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in December 2018 , but opted to postpone that proceeding after Sullivan harshly urged him to first complete his cooperation with Mueller 's probe .
`` Arguably , you sold your country out , '' Sullivan said at that hearing .
After Sullivan granted that sentencing delay , Flynn hired Powell , who has claimed in court filings that federal prosecutors suppressed evidence that could help prove Flynn was innocent .
Sullivan last month rejected her request to compel prosecutors to hand over that voluminous evidence , saying Flynn 's lawyers `` failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information that had not already been turned over to them is relevant to the crime he admitted .
Joseph Tacopina , a top criminal defense attorney in New York City , said that Flynn faces very long odds in undoing his guilty plea .
`` Flynn waived his right to a trial when he pled guilty and pursuant to the cooperation agreement he understood and agreed that it is the prosecutor who determines what is truthful testimony , '' said Tacopina , who early in his career was a state prosecutor in Brooklyn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But he is trying to flip it on its head and say that he is the one who determines what is truthful or not truthful .
It does n't work that way once you sign a plea agreement , '' Tacopina said .

Former national security advisor Michael Flynn officially moved to withdraw his guilty plea Tuesday, more than two years after he initially said he had lied to federal agents about his contacts with a Russian diplomat before the inauguration of President Donald Trump.
"Michael T. Flynn is innocent," his attorney, Sidney Powell, wrote in a 22-page filing in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.
Powell wrote that Flynn is withdrawing his plea "because of the government's bad faith, vindictiveness, and breach of the plea agreement." She also asked Judge Emmet Sullivan for a 30-day delay of Flynn's sentencing date, which is currently scheduled for Jan. 28.
Sullivan has yet to sign off on Flynn's plea withdrawal. The judge could possibly reject Flynn's motion, letting the guilty plea stand.
Former prosecutors who spoke with CNBC said it is ''nearly impossible'' to win approval for withdrawing a federal guilty plea.
Less than a week earlier, federal prosecutors had urged Sullivan to jail Flynn for up to six months, citing the "serious nature of" Flynn's "offense," and "his apparent failure to accept responsibility" for his crime.
Prosecutors had been outraged by what they called Flynn's "extraordinary" shift toward a claim of innocence in late 2019.
Their new recommendation of half-a-year locked up marked a stark reversal: Prosecutors had previously recommended that Flynn receive no jail time in recognition of his extensive help with several investigations following his guilty plea in late 2017.
Flynn was charged as part of then-special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian election interference during the 2016 presidential election. He had nearly been sentenced in December 2018, but opted to postpone that proceeding after Sullivan harshly urged him to first complete his cooperation with Mueller's probe.
"Arguably, you sold your country out," Sullivan said at that hearing.
After Sullivan granted that sentencing delay, Flynn hired Powell, who has claimed in court filings that federal prosecutors suppressed evidence that could help prove Flynn was innocent.
Sullivan last month rejected her request to compel prosecutors to hand over that voluminous evidence, saying Flynn's lawyers "failed to explain" how most of the information that had not already been turned over to them is relevant to the crime he admitted.
Joseph Tacopina, a top criminal defense attorney in New York City, said that Flynn faces very long odds in undoing his guilty plea.
"Flynn waived his right to a trial when he pled guilty and pursuant to the cooperation agreement he understood and agreed that it is the prosecutor who determines what is truthful testimony," said Tacopina, who early in his career was a state prosecutor in Brooklyn.
"He is bound by that. But he is trying to flip it on its head and say that he is the one who determines what is truthful or not truthful. It doesn't work that way once you sign a plea agreement," Tacopina said.


cnbc--2020-01-15--Judge says Trump tax return dispute must wait for Don McGahn subpoena ruling

President Donald Trump faces reporters as he departs for travel to Tupelo , Mississippi from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington , November 1 , 2019 .
A federal judge Tuesday halted the House Ways and Means Committee 's bid to obtain years of President Donald Trump 's personal and business tax returns , staying progress in that case until a ruling is made in a separate lawsuit involving former White House counsel Don McGahn .
Judge Trevor McFadden 's decision in U.S. District Court in Washington , D.C. , gave new weight to McGahn 's case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the congressional impeachment proceedings against Trump .
McFadden said in a court order that he gave his reasons for staying the case during a phone conference earlier Tuesday with lawyers for Trump and the Democrat-led House panel .
At the White House 's direction , McGahn had defied a subpoena issued by House Democrats as part of former special counsel Robert Mueller 's probe of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election .
A federal judge in Washington ruled in November that McGahn must testify in compliance with the subpoena , and rejected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absolute immunity '' for certain advisors .
The Department of Justice appealed the case ; a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C .
Circuit heard arguments on Jan. 3 .
The case is expected to be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court .
Lawyers for the House Judiciary Committee wrote in December that McGahn 's testimony is `` central '' to the impeachment investigation into Trump , which remains active even as the House prepares to vote to send articles of impeachment to the Senate on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potentially yield `` new articles of impeachment '' against Trump , those lawyers wrote .
A spokeswoman for Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal , D-Mass , as well as spokesmen for House general counsel and the Department of Justice , did not immediately respond to CNBC 's requests for comment on McFadden 's stay .
Trump has refused to publicly disclose his tax returns either before or after winning the 2016 election , despite a longstanding tradition of presidential candidates and presidents doing so .

A federal judge Tuesday halted the House Ways and Means Committee's bid to obtain years of President Donald Trump's personal and business tax returns, staying progress in that case until a ruling is made in a separate lawsuit involving former White House counsel Don McGahn.
Judge Trevor McFadden's decision in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., gave new weight to McGahn's case, which has become tied up in the congressional impeachment proceedings against Trump.
McFadden said in a court order that he gave his reasons for staying the case during a phone conference earlier Tuesday with lawyers for Trump and the Democrat-led House panel.
At the White House's direction, McGahn had defied a subpoena issued by House Democrats as part of former special counsel Robert Mueller's probe of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. A federal judge in Washington ruled in November that McGahn must testify in compliance with the subpoena, and rejected the Trump administration's claim of "absolute immunity" for certain advisors.
The Department of Justice appealed the case; a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit heard arguments on Jan. 3. The case is expected to be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court.
Lawyers for the House Judiciary Committee wrote in December that McGahn's testimony is "central" to the impeachment investigation into Trump, which remains active even as the House prepares to vote to send articles of impeachment to the Senate on Wednesday.
McGahn's testimony could even potentially yield "new articles of impeachment" against Trump, those lawyers wrote.
A spokeswoman for Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass, as well as spokesmen for House general counsel and the Department of Justice, did not immediately respond to CNBC's requests for comment on McFadden's stay.
Trump has refused to publicly disclose his tax returns either before or after winning the 2016 election, despite a longstanding tradition of presidential candidates and presidents doing so.


cnbc--2020-01-15--How Congress made it easier to avoid the IRS

Every budget cycle , members of Congress solemnly promise to better fund the Internal Revenue Service so it can do its job of collecting taxes and serving the taxpayer .
And once again , Congress has done the opposite .
According to an analysis by Robert Weinberger of the Tax Policy Center , the fiscal 2020 budget Congress passed last month continues the inflation-adjusted decline in IRS funding over the past 20 years .
Overall funding to the IRS was $ 11.5 billion , up 1.8 % from the previous year .
But when inflation is factored in , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of the added funding will go to a mandated pay increase for existing staffers .
In total , IRS funding has declined by more than 20 % since 2010 , factoring for inflation .
`` This year 's IRS appropriation is just more of what we 've seen over a decade of decline , '' Weinberger said in the report .
All of which means the IRS has less money for auditors and enforcement , and therefore less ability to collect the taxes owed to the federal government .
According to ProPublica @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down by more than 25 % , with the number of IRS employees down by 30,000 over the past decade .
And a new IRS report , as cited by The Wall Street Journal , shows that taxpayers are now half as likely to get audited as they were in 2010 — with only 0.45 % of returns audited .
The wealthy are even more likely to escape the scrutiny of the IRS : Audit rates for those making $ 10 million or more have fallen from 14.52 % in 2017 to 6.66 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 IRS budget , Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin promised to `` deliver a customer experience comparable to the best financial institutions in the world , '' emphasizing taxpayer services .
But compliance offers the best return for American taxpayers .
Estimates show that every dollar invested in the IRS generates at least $ 4 in added revenue , by chasing down uncollected taxes .
The current `` tax gap '' — the difference between taxes theoretically owed and taxes collected — is now estimated at about $ 380 billion , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lack of funding and poor technology means the IRS is increasingly prone to cybersecurity threats and identity fraud .
`` The IRS remains a deeply challenged agency with reduced resources , '' Weinberger said .
`` It 's playing catch up in halting tax shelters and income shifting to tax havens , at a high risk of filing season glitches affecting over 155 million individual taxpayers . ''

The Internal Revenue Service headquarters in Washington, D.C. Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Every budget cycle, members of Congress solemnly promise to better fund the Internal Revenue Service so it can do its job of collecting taxes and serving the taxpayer. And once again, Congress has done the opposite. According to an analysis by Robert Weinberger of the Tax Policy Center, the fiscal 2020 budget Congress passed last month continues the inflation-adjusted decline in IRS funding over the past 20 years.
watch now
Overall funding to the IRS was $11.5 billion, up 1.8% from the previous year. But when inflation is factored in, the budget represents a reduction — and almost all of the added funding will go to a mandated pay increase for existing staffers. In total, IRS funding has declined by more than 20% since 2010, factoring for inflation.
"This year's IRS appropriation is just more of what we've seen over a decade of decline," Weinberger said in the report. All of which means the IRS has less money for auditors and enforcement, and therefore less ability to collect the taxes owed to the federal government. According to ProPublica, the IRS enforcement budget is now down by more than 25%, with the number of IRS employees down by 30,000 over the past decade. And a new IRS report, as cited by The Wall Street Journal, shows that taxpayers are now half as likely to get audited as they were in 2010 — with only 0.45% of returns audited. The wealthy are even more likely to escape the scrutiny of the IRS: Audit rates for those making $10 million or more have fallen from 14.52% in 2017 to 6.66% in 2018.
watch now
In preparing the 2020 IRS budget, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin promised to "deliver a customer experience comparable to the best financial institutions in the world," emphasizing taxpayer services. But compliance offers the best return for American taxpayers. Estimates show that every dollar invested in the IRS generates at least $4 in added revenue, by chasing down uncollected taxes. The current "tax gap" — the difference between taxes theoretically owed and taxes collected — is now estimated at about $380 billion, according to the IRS itself. What's more, a lack of funding and poor technology means the IRS is increasingly prone to cybersecurity threats and identity fraud. "The IRS remains a deeply challenged agency with reduced resources," Weinberger said. "It's playing catch up in halting tax shelters and income shifting to tax havens, at a high risk of filing season glitches affecting over 155 million individual taxpayers."


cnbc--2020-01-15--Iran tensions, trade take center stage as six Democratic candidates clash in Iowa

( L-R ) Democratic presidential hopefuls billionaire-philanthropist Tom Steyer , Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren , Former Vice President Joe Biden , Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders , Mayor of South Bend , Indiana , Pete Buttigieg and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar stand on stage ahead of the seventh Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season co-hosted by CNN and the Des Moines Register at the Drake University campus in Des Moines , Iowa on January 14 , 2020 .
The 2020 Democratic presidential contenders took the stage together Tuesday for the final time before nominating contests start .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adversarial in recent days with less than three weeks to go until the Feb. 3 Iowa caucuses , the first time a state will award delegates in 2020 .
Tuesday 's Democratic debate , hosted by the Des Moines Register and CNN , took place at Drake University in Des Moines , Iowa .
As debate qualifying standards get tougher and more candidates drop out of the race , the number of participants has dwindled .
Only six Democratic candidates took the stage together Tuesday in a field that has skewed older and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first faced nearly 30 minutes of questions about their credentials to handle the rising specter of war in the Middle East following the U.S. killing of Iran 's top general , Qasem Soleimani , earlier this month .
Candidates have tried to leverage their foreign policy records to garner support amid the sharpened focus on Iran .
Sanders highlighted his opposition to the 2003 invasion of Iraq and push last year to stop U.S. support for a Saudi-led intervention in Yemen .
Biden , meanwhile , said he worked during the Obama administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admitting it was a `` mistake '' to authorize the use of military force in the country when he was in the Senate .
Sanders defended his decision as a House member to vote for a military force authorization in Afghanistan , and again attempted to distance his record on Iraq from Biden 's .
`` I took to the floor , I did everything I could to prevent that war .
Joe saw it differently , '' he said .
Klobuchar , asked whether she would remove forces from the Middle East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ troops there . ''
Warren , meanwhile , contended that `` we need to get our combat troops out . ''
Buttigieg , an Afghanistan veteran , criticized the president for sending more troops to the region .
The candidates were asked about whether they would meet with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un , as President Donald Trump did .
In Iowa , a state walloped by the president 's trade war with China , the rivals also sparred over their records on trade .
Sanders and Warren debated the United States-Mexico-Canada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal that the U.S. expects to ratify this week .
Sanders argued it did not go far enough to address climate change , and said `` we can do much better than a Trump-led trade deal . ''
Warren said farmers in Iowa `` are hurting '' and highlighted improvements on the North American Free Trade Agreement .
Sanders also contrasted his opposition to NAFTA and the Obama-era Trans-Pacific Partnership from Biden 's support for both trade pacts , saying the two candidates have a `` fundamental disagreement . ''
Tensions among the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the debate .
Warren said Monday that Sanders told her during a 2018 meeting that a woman could not win the presidential election .
Asked about the remark during the debate , Sanders responded , `` I did n't say it . ''
Warren appeared to acknowledge that her rival did say it , but added that `` Bernie is my friend and I am not here to try to fight with Bernie . ''
She then highlighted that she and Klobuchar have won all of their elections — while the men on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Recent Iowa polls have found four Democrats have a realistic shot at winning the most delegates in the first-in-the-nation caucuses .
Biden has 20.7 % of support , about even with Sanders at 20.3 % , according to a RealClearPolitics polling average .
Buttigieg and Warren follow at 18.7 % and 16 % , respectively .


cnbc--2020-01-15--Elizabeth Warren calls for investigation into whether Trump Mar-a-Lago guests traded on advance know

2020 Democratic Presidential candidate Senator Elizabeth Warren speaks as she attends a rally at the Kings theatre on January 7 , 2020 in New York .
Presidential contender Elizabeth Warren is demanding a federal investigation into whether President Donald Trump provided advance notice of the deadly strike on Iran 's Gen. Qasem Soleimani to stock traders who may have profited illegally from the tip .
The Massachusetts Democratic senator made her demand in a letter dated Monday to the chairmen of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission .
It cited a Daily Beast report that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resort days before the Jan. 3 strike to expect a `` big '' response to Iran `` soon . ''
`` If this report is true , it raises a number of troubling national security questions regarding President Trump 's handling of classified and other sensitive national security information , '' Warren wrote in the letter , which was also signed by Sen. Chris Van Hollen , D-Md.
, the ranking member of the Senate subcommittee that oversees securities and investments .
The senators wrote that the president 's Florida resort guests may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had the opportunity to trade defense industry stocks or commodities or make other trades based on this information . ''
Read more : Defense stocks double the S & P 500′s return six months after Middle East turmoil , history shows