cnbc--2020-01-14--Here's what's in the phase one China trade deal Trump is signing this week

U.S. and China trade representatives will end years of intense bilateral negotiations with a `` phase one '' deal on Wednesday that promises billions of dollars ' worth of agricultural purchases and the beginning of reforms to China 's longstanding practice of forced technology transfer .
For all the pomp and circumstance expected at the signing ceremony — and repeated assurances from American negotiators — many are still unsure of exactly what the two nations are agreeing to .
On paper , the deal includes a `` dramatic expansion of U.S. food , agriculture and seafood product exports '' as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end its long-standing practice of forcing or pressuring foreign companies to transfer their technologies to Chinese companies , according to a U.S. Trade Representative document .
The USTR has also said the deal reiterates U.S. opposition to currency manipulation and a commitment by China to buy at least $ 200 billion in U.S. exports over two years including manufactured goods , food , agricultural , energy products and services .
Politico , citing sources familiar with the deal , reported Monday evening estimates of the value of goods by industry the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported the administration expects about $ 75 billion in manufactured goods , $ 50 billion in energy , $ 40 billion in agriculture and $ 35 billion in services .
`` We have been going through a translation process that I think we said was really a technical issue , '' Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told Fox News on Sunday .
`` And people can see .
This is a very , very extensive agreement . ''
Top negotiators , including Mnuchin , U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer , and others are expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington .
P.J .
Quaid , a corn options broker at the CME Group in Chicago , said he 's eager to learn how the White House plans to enforce the tenets of the phase one deal if Beijing skirts its obligations .
`` This thing 's been a crazy roller coaster since it started .
A lot of people have become pessimistic because a lot of the purchases they said they 're going to make seem hard to attain , '' Quaid said .
`` If this thing comes in under expectations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he added .
`` It 's been a rough time for people trading Ags . ''
The Office of the United States Trade Representative did not return CNBC 's request for comment .
Others were cautious after a Chinese media report suggested that Beijing is n't as upbeat on the prospect for future trade talks .
Taoran Notes , a blog run by a state-owned newspaper called Economic Daily , published its first blog post in two months on Sunday .
`` We need to bear in mind that the trade war is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't removed all the tariffs on Chinese imports and China is still imposing its retaliatory duties , '' the blog wrote according to a CNBC translation .
`` There are still so many uncertainties ahead . ''
For Don Roose , president of Des Moines , Iowa-based brokerage U.S. Commodities , China 's commitments to farm purchases are key .
`` We 're anticipating $ 35 billion [ of farm purchases ] the first year and $ 40 billion in the second , '' he said .
`` It does n't look like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
But unresolved , Roose said , is whether the Chinese will — after years of haggling — actually end up buying more U.S. farm goods than before President Donald Trump opened the trade spat nearly two years ago .
Still , Roose said he was slightly more optimistic with a phase one deal nearly signed .
`` There 's always a question mark , but if they want to get to 'phase two , ' they 're going to have to show some solid follow-through , '' he said .
Still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the specifics of U.S. purchases instead of the broader , structural changes agreed to by China .
The fact that Beijing is willing to crack down on policies concerning forced technology transfer and lower some obstacles for U.S. companies in China should n't be ignored , according to attorney Clete Willems , who previously worked at USTR and the White House .
`` There 's a lot of talk about specific agricultural sales .
But China 's going through and addressing longtime , systemic barriers to U.S. products , '' including biotechnology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an underappreciated part to any hopes of boosting U.S. grain exports to China , which has long bristled at American genetically modified crops , he added .
Beijing approved genetically modified soybeans and papaya from the U.S. last month after the announcement of the phase one deal .
`` The structural elements of this deal are going to be more important in the longer term than the specific purchases , '' Willems said .
`` Remember : We started this whole thing because of Section 301 including the forced tech transfers . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact that USTR did in fact get commitments from China on the major elements of the Section 301 report , '' he added .
Trump based his use of U.S. tariffs against China on Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974 , which allows the president to levy sanctions against countries that break trade agreements or respond to unfair , unreasonable or discriminatory trade practices .

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He talk to reporters in the Oval Office at the White House April 04, 2019 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images
U.S. and China trade representatives will end years of intense bilateral negotiations with a "phase one" deal on Wednesday that promises billions of dollars' worth of agricultural purchases and the beginning of reforms to China's longstanding practice of forced technology transfer. For all the pomp and circumstance expected at the signing ceremony — and repeated assurances from American negotiators — many are still unsure of exactly what the two nations are agreeing to. On paper, the deal includes a "dramatic expansion of U.S. food, agriculture and seafood product exports" as well as an agreement by China to end its long-standing practice of forcing or pressuring foreign companies to transfer their technologies to Chinese companies, according to a U.S. Trade Representative document. The USTR has also said the deal reiterates U.S. opposition to currency manipulation and a commitment by China to buy at least $200 billion in U.S. exports over two years including manufactured goods, food, agricultural, energy products and services. Estimates of the value of goods by industry the White House believes Beijing will buy include about $80 billion in manufactured goods, $53 billion in energy, $32 billion in agriculture and $35 billion in services. "We have been going through a translation process that I think we said was really a technical issue," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told Fox News on Sunday. "And people can see. This is a very, very extensive agreement." Top negotiators, including Mnuchin, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, and others are expected to attend the signing on Wednesday in Washington.
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P.J. Quaid, a corn options broker at the CME Group in Chicago, said he's eager to learn how the White House plans to enforce the tenets of the phase one deal if Beijing skirts its obligations. "This thing's been a crazy roller coaster since it started. A lot of people have become pessimistic because a lot of the purchases they said they're going to make seem hard to attain," Quaid said. "If this thing comes in under expectations, you could see sell-off," he added. "It's been a rough time for people trading Ags." The Office of the United States Trade Representative did not return CNBC's request for comment. Others were cautious after a Chinese media report suggested that Beijing isn't as upbeat on the prospect for future trade talks. Taoran Notes, a blog run by a state-owned newspaper called Economic Daily, published its first blog post in two months on Sunday. "We need to bear in mind that the trade war is not over yet. The U.S. hasn't removed all the tariffs on Chinese imports and China is still imposing its retaliatory duties," the blog wrote according to a CNBC translation. "There are still so many uncertainties ahead." For Don Roose, president of Des Moines, Iowa-based brokerage U.S. Commodities, China's commitments to farm purchases are key. "We're anticipating $35 billion [of farm purchases] the first year and $40 billion in the second," he said. "It doesn't look like we're creating any new world demand." But unresolved, Roose said, is whether the Chinese will — after years of haggling — actually end up buying more U.S. farm goods than before President Donald Trump opened the trade spat nearly two years ago. Still, Roose said he was slightly more optimistic with a phase one deal nearly signed. "There's always a question mark, but if they want to get to 'phase two,' they're going to have to show some solid follow-through," he said.
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Still, others cautioned against reading too much into the specifics of U.S. purchases instead of the broader, structural changes agreed to by China. The fact that Beijing is willing to crack down on policies concerning forced technology transfer and lower some obstacles for U.S. companies in China shouldn't be ignored, according to attorney Clete Willems, who previously worked at USTR and the White House. "There's a lot of talk about specific agricultural sales. But China's going through and addressing longtime, systemic barriers to U.S. products," including biotechnology, Willems said. That's likely an underappreciated part to any hopes of boosting U.S. grain exports to China, which has long bristled at American genetically modified crops, he added. Beijing approved genetically modified soybeans and papaya from the U.S. last month after the announcement of the phase one deal. "The structural elements of this deal are going to be more important in the longer term than the specific purchases," Willems said. "Remember: We started this whole thing because of Section 301 including the forced tech transfers." "Of No. 1 importance is the fact that USTR did in fact get commitments from China on the major elements of the Section 301 report," he added. Trump based his use of U.S. tariffs against China on Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974, which allows the president to levy sanctions against countries that break trade agreements or respond to unfair, unreasonable or discriminatory trade practices.
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cnbc--2020-01-13--Ex-Treasury official pleads guilty to SARS leaks about former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort, Ri

Ex-Treasury official pleads guilty to SARS leaks about former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, Russians

A former U.S. Treasury official pleaded guilty Monday to illegally leaking highly confidential documents about suspicious financial transactions of ex-Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort and others to reporters at BuzzFeed News .
The official , Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards , leaked so-called suspicious activity reports , or SARS , starting in October 2017 about Manafort , his business associate and fellow Trump campaign official Rick Gates , Russian agent Maria Butina , the Russian Embassy in Washington and a suspected Russian money laundering entity .
Edwards , 41 , continued leaking the sensitive documents for the next year .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a single count of conspiracy to make unauthorized disclosures of SARS during an appearance in U.S. District Court in Manhattan , a week before she was scheduled to go on trial .
In the courtroom during her plea was her family , including her daughter , who is a high school student .
Edwards , who had held a senior position in Treasury 's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network , is due to be sentenced June 9 by Judge Gregory Woods , and faces a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard for '' a non-jail sentence , said her lawyer , Marc Agnifilo , who noted that federal sentencing guidelines suggest a jail term of zero to six months for Edwards .
Agnifilo , told reporters after the hearing that , `` I think that she was movitated by things she thought was important , '' and `` did n't trust that the government was doing the right thing . ''
The lawyer said that Edwards had been `` in contact with different subcommittees in Congress , with other people in the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaking to BuzzFeed .
A criminal complaint filed against Edwards in October 2018 says she had `` hundreds of electronic communications '' with a reporter , `` many via an encrypted application . ''
After Edwards began leaking the documents , the journalist wrote articles which mentioned the details of those reports , the complaint said .

A former U.S. Treasury official pleaded guilty Monday to illegally leaking highly confidential documents about suspicious financial transactions of ex-Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort and others to reporters at BuzzFeed News.
The official, Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards, leaked so-called suspicious activity reports, or SARS, starting in October 2017 about Manafort, his business associate and fellow Trump campaign official Rick Gates, Russian agent Maria Butina, the Russian Embassy in Washington and a suspected Russian money laundering entity.
Edwards, 41, continued leaking the sensitive documents for the next year.
The Quinton, Virginia, resident pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to make unauthorized disclosures of SARS during an appearance in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, a week before she was scheduled to go on trial.
In the courtroom during her plea was her family, including her daughter, who is a high school student.
Edwards, who had held a senior position in Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, is due to be sentenced June 9 by Judge Gregory Woods, and faces a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison.
"We're going to push hard for" a non-jail sentence, said her lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, who noted that federal sentencing guidelines suggest a jail term of zero to six months for Edwards.
Agnifilo, told reporters after the hearing that, "I think that she was movitated by things she thought was important," and "didn't trust that the government was doing the right thing."
The lawyer said that Edwards had been "in contact with different subcommittees in Congress, with other people in the government" about the information she ended up leaking to BuzzFeed.
A criminal complaint filed against Edwards in October 2018 says she had "hundreds of electronic communications" with a reporter, "many via an encrypted application."
After Edwards began leaking the documents, the journalist wrote articles which mentioned the details of those reports, the complaint said.


cnbc--2020-01-13--Iran is closer 'than ever before' to regime collapse, says former Obama security advisor

ABU DHABI , United Arab Emirates — Iran has had a turbulent past week , marked by more than a hundred Iranian deaths and dramatically increased tensions with the U.S. As it enters into the third day of protests fueled by popular anger over the government 's handling of a downed passenger jet , some observers argue this is the most vulnerable the Islamic Republic 's regime has been since its founding in 1979 .
Asked about the possibility of regime collapse , General James Jones , who was Obama 's national security advisor in 2009 and 2010 , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignored .
`` I think the needle is moved more in that direction in the last year towards that possibility than ever before with a combination of the sanctions , relative isolation of the regime , and then some catastrophic decisions have been made — assuming that we were n't going to respond , which turned out to be a very , very bad decision , '' Jones told CNBC 's Hadley Gamble at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum in Abu Dhabi on Sunday .
The response Jones referred to was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general Qasem Soleimani on Jan. 3 , a move that shocked the region and prompted a response from Iran in the form of missiles strikes on two military bases in Iraq that housed U.S. forces .
No one was killed in the strikes .
Washington says the strike was in response to the storming by Iranian-backed Iraqi militias of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad and purported threats cited by the White House of impending attacks on Americans .
`` I think it 's clear that the regime in Iran has had a very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` And one of the things that people do n't talk about too much is the degree of unrest that there is in the country , which I think is significant . ''
`` So you take the removal of Soleimani , you take the accidental downing of the civilian aircraft coupled with the amount of popular unrest — the needle towards possible collapse of a regime has to be something that people think about .
It 's probably not politically correct to talk about it , but you have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration denies its goal with `` maximum pressure '' through sanctions is regime change , but its officials have admitted they do n't expect Tehran to change its `` malign behavior '' anytime soon and some current and former administration officials have espoused regime change in past years .
More than a million people are estimated to have marched in the streets in Iran for three days of mourning over Soleimani , who was the architect behind Iran 's expansion of influence in countries like Syria , Lebanon , Iraq and Yemen through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a time of unity for many Iranians in support of their government and against the U.S. That appears to have been reversed after Iran had to admit its military accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet that killed 176 people , most of whom were Iranian , after several days of official denials .
Iran 's military said the `` human error '' happened amid `` high tensions '' as Iran was anticipating U.S. retaliation over its missile volley toward American targets in Iraq .
Thousands of Iranians are estimated to have protested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and are now being met with live ammunition and tear gas from Iranian security forces , videos circulating online and verified by the Associated Press show .
The protesters chants include `` They are lying that our enemy is America , our enemy is right here '' and `` death , death to the dictator , '' in an apparent reference to Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei .
Jones says that this , in addition to years of worsening economic conditions , exposes major weaknesses for the regime .
November saw street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government dramatically raising fuel prices , which ultimately saw a brutal crackdown with hundreds of protesters killed by security forces .
Iran 's economy has been buckling under increasingly heavy U.S. sanctions imposed after the Trump administration withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal .
Inflation has surpassed 40 % , according to the Statistical Center of Iran , unemployment is high and the economy is expected to contract more than 8 % in the financial year 2019/20 .
But the control the state holds over the country remains high .
Iran 's Islamic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its paramilitary force , Basij , numbers around 250,000 and law enforcement personnel constitute an additional half million across the country , bolstering coercive power .
These bodies were instrumental in putting down Iran 's 2009 Green Movement , a student-led political revolt that saw scores killed by government forces .
While the Trump administration is encouraging the protesters , regional watchers warn that rather than the government backing down , yet more violence toward civilians could ensue .
Anger toward the government among many in Iran far pre-dates the Trump administration .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ further handicapped by its own authorities , who have allowed gaping infrastructure deficiencies , a weak banking sector and widespread corruption .
But some former security officials doubt the Trump narrative that maximum pressure will neuter the regime through internal discontent and unrest .
Two former Middle East advisors under the Obama administration wrote in in Foreign Policy last month : `` The biggest immediate risk is to the Iranian people themselves .
Iran 's history and its actions during the current crisis leave little doubt that the regime will stop at virtually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jones concluded with his belief that Trump 's decision to take out Soleimani was ultimately the right one , and that a continued forceful approach would bear positive results for the U.S. `` I would not let up .
And I would not listen to the appeasers of the world who kind of want to calm the waves and let 's get back to normal business , '' Jones said .
`` You have Iran using its proxies to spread terror around the world and interdict shipping , you know , shoot down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days , I think , are over .
And I hope Iran understands that . ''
`` This was a powerful step , we 'll see where it goes , '' Jones added , referring to the killing of Soleimani .
`` It 's a complicated region , but I think history will say that this was the right thing to do . ''

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ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Iran has had a turbulent past week, marked by more than a hundred Iranian deaths and dramatically increased tensions with the U.S. As it enters into the third day of protests fueled by popular anger over the government's handling of a downed passenger jet, some observers argue this is the most vulnerable the Islamic Republic's regime has been since its founding in 1979. Asked about the possibility of regime collapse, General James Jones, who was Obama's national security advisor in 2009 and 2010, said the risk for Tehran cannot be ignored. "I think the needle is moved more in that direction in the last year towards that possibility than ever before with a combination of the sanctions, relative isolation of the regime, and then some catastrophic decisions have been made — assuming that we weren't going to respond, which turned out to be a very, very bad decision," Jones told CNBC's Hadley Gamble at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. The response Jones referred to was the U.S. drone strike that killed top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani on Jan. 3, a move that shocked the region and prompted a response from Iran in the form of missiles strikes on two military bases in Iraq that housed U.S. forces. No one was killed in the strikes. Washington says the strike was in response to the storming by Iranian-backed Iraqi militias of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad and purported threats cited by the White House of impending attacks on Americans.
watch now
"I think it's clear that the regime in Iran has had a very bad couple of weeks," Jones said. "And one of the things that people don't talk about too much is the degree of unrest that there is in the country, which I think is significant." "So you take the removal of Soleimani, you take the accidental downing of the civilian aircraft coupled with the amount of popular unrest — the needle towards possible collapse of a regime has to be something that people think about. It's probably not politically correct to talk about it, but you have to think about it." The Trump administration denies its goal with "maximum pressure" through sanctions is regime change, but its officials have admitted they don't expect Tehran to change its "malign behavior" anytime soon and some current and former administration officials have espoused regime change in past years.
'Death, death to the dictator'
More than a million people are estimated to have marched in the streets in Iran for three days of mourning over Soleimani, who was the architect behind Iran's expansion of influence in countries like Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen through proxy forces. It appeared to be a time of unity for many Iranians in support of their government and against the U.S. That appears to have been reversed after Iran had to admit its military accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet that killed 176 people, most of whom were Iranian, after several days of official denials. Iran's military said the "human error" happened amid "high tensions" as Iran was anticipating U.S. retaliation over its missile volley toward American targets in Iraq.
An Iranian man holds-up a placard as he attends in front of a University to mark the memory of the victims of the Ukraine Boeing 737 passenger plane in Tehrans business district on January 11, 2020. Morteza Nikoubazl | NurPhoto | Getty Images)
Thousands of Iranians are estimated to have protested the regime for the past three days and are now being met with live ammunition and tear gas from Iranian security forces, videos circulating online and verified by the Associated Press show. The protesters chants include "They are lying that our enemy is America, our enemy is right here" and "death, death to the dictator," in an apparent reference to Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Jones says that this, in addition to years of worsening economic conditions, exposes major weaknesses for the regime. November saw street protests in Iran in response to the government dramatically raising fuel prices, which ultimately saw a brutal crackdown with hundreds of protesters killed by security forces.
Crumbling economy
Iran's economy has been buckling under increasingly heavy U.S. sanctions imposed after the Trump administration withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal. Inflation has surpassed 40%, according to the Statistical Center of Iran, unemployment is high and the economy is expected to contract more than 8% in the financial year 2019/20. But the control the state holds over the country remains high. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its paramilitary force, Basij, numbers around 250,000 and law enforcement personnel constitute an additional half million across the country, bolstering coercive power. These bodies were instrumental in putting down Iran's 2009 Green Movement, a student-led political revolt that saw scores killed by government forces. While the Trump administration is encouraging the protesters, regional watchers warn that rather than the government backing down, yet more violence toward civilians could ensue.
watch now
Anger toward the government among many in Iran far pre-dates the Trump administration. Beyond sanctions, Iran's economy is further handicapped by its own authorities, who have allowed gaping infrastructure deficiencies, a weak banking sector and widespread corruption. But some former security officials doubt the Trump narrative that maximum pressure will neuter the regime through internal discontent and unrest. Two former Middle East advisors under the Obama administration wrote in in Foreign Policy last month: "The biggest immediate risk is to the Iranian people themselves. Iran's history and its actions during the current crisis leave little doubt that the regime will stop at virtually nothing to remain in power."
Killing Soleimani 'a powerful step'


cnbc--2020-01-13--Prosecutors want ex-Rep. Chris Collins to serve nearly 5 years in prison for insider trading case

Former U.S. Rep. Chris Collins ( R-NY ) exits federal court on October 1 , 2019 in New York City .
Collins announced his resignation from Congress on Monday .
Federal prosecutors on Monday urged a judge to sentence former Rep. Chris Collins , a New York Republican , later this week to nearly five years in prison in an insider trading case , citing his lies to FBI agents and his apparent efforts to get others to cover up his crime .
`` There plainly is a need for the sentence imposed in this case to be substantial enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law , in light of the lack of respect that Collins has shown for it and the importance of making clear that conduct of this kind , by anyone , is not tolerated , '' prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan .
Collins , who represented a Buffalo-area district , pleaded guilty in October to tipping off his son Cameron about a failed drug test by an Australian pharmaceuticals company , Innate Immunotherapeutics , whose board Collins sat on , before the test results were made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frantically called Cameron Collins on June 22 , 2017 , from an event he was attending on the White House lawn minutes after getting an email from Innate 's CEO informing him and other select company insiders that the drug designed to combat multiple sclerosis had failed its tests .
Collins was a major shareholder in Innate .
The tip allowed Cameron Collins , his fiancee , Lauren Zarsky , his fiancee 's parents and others who learned about Chris Collins ' tip to avoid significant losses in their stock holdings by beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the following day .
Innate 's stock fell 92 % once the company issued a press release about the failed drug test on June 26 , 2013 .
By that time , Cameron Collins had sold more than 1 million shares of the company 's stock , avoiding about $ 571,000 in losses , while his fiancee 's father , Stephen Zarsky , avoided losses totaling almost $ 144,000 after trading on the illicit tip .
`` Congressman Collins was unable to avoid losses by selling his own shares because they were not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could not be traded on the OTC [ over-the-counter ] markets , '' prosecutors wrote in their filing .
Both Cameron Collins and Stephen Zarsky pleaded guilty in the case and are due to be sentenced next week .
Chris Collins , who was the first member of Congress to endorse Donald Trump 's 2016 presidential campaign , is due to be sentenced Friday for one count of conspiring to commit securities fraud , and for one count of making false statements to the FBI .
He had resigned his seat in Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vowing for more than a year that he would fight the charges , and after winning re-election in 2018 while under criminal indictment .
Federal sentencing guidelines in the case recommend a prison term in the range of 47 to 57 months , according to a report by the U.S .
Probation Office .
Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney 's Office for the Southern District of New York want the judge in the case to give Collins a sentence on the high end of that range .
Prosecutors in their court filing Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sentence at the top end of the Guidelines range is necessary in order to satisfy the objectives of [ the federal criminal code ] and in particular to promote respect for the law , to provide just punishment for the offense , and to achieve general deterrence . ''
The filing notes that in April 2018 , FBI agents visited Collins at his home and asked him questions about trading activity in Innate around the time the drug results became public .
`` Collins elected to speak with the agents , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divert law enforcement from the trail of evidence showing that he and Cameron had committed insider trading , '' prosecutors wrote .
Collins originally claimed he had not told anyone about the results of the drug tests after receiving them .
`` Then , he amended his account to say he had told his wife about the trial results , but not Cameron , '' the filing said .
`` That was also a lie .
Then he invented an additional wrinkle : that Cameron had told him that he ( Cameron ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to concerns about the trading halt '' that occurred after the company said it would be announcing the results , the filing said .
After lying to the FBI , Collins `` almost immediately '' called Dorothy Zarsky , the mother of Cameron 's fiancee , `` and left a lengthy voicemail for her , '' prosecutors wrote .

Former U.S. Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY) exits federal court on October 1, 2019 in New York City. Collins announced his resignation from Congress on Monday.
Federal prosecutors on Monday urged a judge to sentence former Rep. Chris Collins, a New York Republican, later this week to nearly five years in prison in an insider trading case, citing his lies to FBI agents and his apparent efforts to get others to cover up his crime.
"There plainly is a need for the sentence imposed in this case to be substantial enough that it will promote respect for the law, in light of the lack of respect that Collins has shown for it and the importance of making clear that conduct of this kind, by anyone, is not tolerated," prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
Collins, who represented a Buffalo-area district, pleaded guilty in October to tipping off his son Cameron about a failed drug test by an Australian pharmaceuticals company, Innate Immunotherapeutics, whose board Collins sat on, before the test results were made public.
Collins, 69, had frantically called Cameron Collins on June 22, 2017, from an event he was attending on the White House lawn minutes after getting an email from Innate's CEO informing him and other select company insiders that the drug designed to combat multiple sclerosis had failed its tests. Collins was a major shareholder in Innate.
The tip allowed Cameron Collins, his fiancee, Lauren Zarsky, his fiancee's parents and others who learned about Chris Collins' tip to avoid significant losses in their stock holdings by beginning to sell their shares of Innate Immunotherapeutics the following day.
Innate's stock fell 92% once the company issued a press release about the failed drug test on June 26, 2013. By that time, Cameron Collins had sold more than 1 million shares of the company's stock, avoiding about $571,000 in losses, while his fiancee's father, Stephen Zarsky, avoided losses totaling almost $144,000 after trading on the illicit tip.
"Congressman Collins was unable to avoid losses by selling his own shares because they were not held at a United States broker and could not be traded on the OTC [over-the-counter] markets," prosecutors wrote in their filing.
Both Cameron Collins and Stephen Zarsky pleaded guilty in the case and are due to be sentenced next week.
Chris Collins, who was the first member of Congress to endorse Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, is due to be sentenced Friday for one count of conspiring to commit securities fraud, and for one count of making false statements to the FBI.
He had resigned his seat in Congress a day before pleading guilty, after vowing for more than a year that he would fight the charges, and after winning re-election in 2018 while under criminal indictment.
Federal sentencing guidelines in the case recommend a prison term in the range of 47 to 57 months, according to a report by the U.S. Probation Office.
Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York want the judge in the case to give Collins a sentence on the high end of that range.
Prosecutors in their court filing Monday said, "The Government believes that a sentence at the top end of the Guidelines range is necessary in order to satisfy the objectives of [the federal criminal code] and in particular to promote respect for the law, to provide just punishment for the offense, and to achieve general deterrence."
The filing notes that in April 2018, FBI agents visited Collins at his home and asked him questions about trading activity in Innate around the time the drug results became public.
"Collins elected to speak with the agents, and to lie to them in order to divert law enforcement from the trail of evidence showing that he and Cameron had committed insider trading," prosecutors wrote.
Collins originally claimed he had not told anyone about the results of the drug tests after receiving them.
"That was a lie," prosecutors wrote.
"Then, he amended his account to say he had told his wife about the trial results, but not Cameron," the filing said. "That was also a lie. Then he invented an additional wrinkle: that Cameron had told him that he (Cameron) intended to sell shares in Innate due to concerns about the trading halt" that occurred after the company said it would be announcing the results, the filing said.
After lying to the FBI, Collins "almost immediately" called Dorothy Zarsky, the mother of Cameron's fiancee, "and left a lengthy voicemail for her," prosecutors wrote.


cnbc--2020-01-13--Supreme Court tosses ruling against Iran's central bank in case over compensation for 1983 Beirut bo

Supreme Court tosses ruling against Iran's central bank in case over compensation for 1983 Beirut bombing

Edwin Marian Johnston hold up a photo of her son US Marine CPL Edward Johnston who died in the bombing of his Lebanon barracks in 1983 outside Federal Court September 7 , 2007 in Washington , DC .
The case was brought by victims of Iran-sponsored terror attacks , including the 1983 Beirut bombing , who have already won judgments against the country entitling them to billions of dollars in compensation .
The Iran-linked truck bombing on international forces that year left 241 Americans dead .
The move comes amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran .
Iran last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Iraq in retaliation for the killing of the country 's top general , Qasem Soleimani , on Jan. 3 .
The top court sent the case back to the 2nd U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals , directing the lower court to consider a defense spending bill President Donald Trump signed late last year that could make it easier for American courts to collect foreign assets .
The Supreme Court on Monday tossed out a decision by a federal appeals court in New York that would have allowed families of those killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barracks in Beirut , Lebanon , to move forward in collecting claims against Iran 's central bank worth $ 1.68 billion .
To date , the individuals have had trouble collecting the nearly $ 4 billion owed to them .
But in 2017 , they won a partial victory when the 2nd Circuit held that $ 1.68 billion owned by the Iranian central bank , Bank Markazi , and held by a Luxembourg financial institution , Clearstream Banking , could be transferred to New York under state law , citing a 2014 Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The court , in an opinion authored by the late Justice Antonin Scalia , reasoned in that case that `` any sort of immunity defense made by a foreign sovereign in an American court must stand on '' the text of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act , a bill which immunizes foreign-state-owned property that is located `` in the United States . ''
The terror victims leaned on the 2014 decision in their request that the top court let the 2nd Circuit decision stand .
`` The Second Circuit 's decision here was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Any claim for immunity must be based on the text of the FSIA , and the FSIA does not afford any immunity to foreign assets held outside of the United States , '' wrote attorneys for Deborah Peterson , whose brother James Knipple was among the Marines killed in Beirut , in court papers .
But Bank Markazi told the Supreme Court that the 2nd Circuit ruling would put the United States in violation of international law and threatened `` disastrous consequences '' for American foreign relations .
The Trump administration , through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justices to scrap the 2nd Circuit precedent in light of the new defense spending bill .
Read more : Trump signs $ 738 billion defense bill .
Here 's what the Pentagon is poised to get

Edwin Marian Johnston hold up a photo of her son US Marine CPL Edward Johnston who died in the bombing of his Lebanon barracks in 1983 outside Federal Court September 7, 2007 in Washington, DC.
The Supreme Court on Monday tossed out a decision by a federal appeals court in New York that would have allowed families of those killed in the 1983 attack on U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, to move forward in collecting claims against Iran's central bank worth $1.68 billion.
The top court sent the case back to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, directing the lower court to consider a defense spending bill President Donald Trump signed late last year that could make it easier for American courts to collect foreign assets.
The move comes amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Iran last week carried out strikes against American forces in Iraq in retaliation for the killing of the country's top general, Qasem Soleimani, on Jan. 3.
The case was brought by victims of Iran-sponsored terror attacks, including the 1983 Beirut bombing, who have already won judgments against the country entitling them to billions of dollars in compensation. The Iran-linked truck bombing on international forces that year left 241 Americans dead.


cnbc--2020-01-13--Op-Ed: The Iranian general I never knew

Op-Ed: The Iranian general I never knew

There is another story about the killing of an Iranian general .
And unlike Qasem Soleimani , he was n't an enemy of the U.S .
In fact , as one of the top ranking military officials in Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi 's regime , he was an important ally .
Major Gen. Parviz Aminiafshar was commander of the Imperial Guards and head of G2 Military Intelligence .
He was among the most senior officials in a military force which was a close ally of the U.S. , protecting the country and the Shah .
That all changed on Feb. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monarchy was overthrown by an Islamic Revolution led by Shi ' a cleric Ayatollah Khomeini , who forever changed the face of the Middle East and world politics .
Prior to '79 , Khomeini had failed at overthrowing Iran 's monarchy ; he was exiled to Najaf , Iraq .
Once the first anti-Shah demonstrations began , Khomeini 's supporters quickly grew to millions across the country .
The Shah safely left the country , but my grandfather and most military commanders chose to stay behind .
On the second day of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charge of his units and having been given public assurance of protection by the Ayatollah , he called my grandmother from his post .
`` He said , 'Do n't worry , I 'll would be home soon ' '' my grandmother recalls .
`` He did n't know something bad was going to happen . ''
That night , the Ayatollah 's revolutionary guards stormed my grandfather 's office and detained him .
`` He went with them and never returned , '' my grandmother said .
Four days later , my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I was n't even born when he was executed , but my memory is vivid thanks to my grandmother .
This was n't the end of her nightmare .
They broke into her house , took her possessions and terrorized the family .
They were forced to flee Iran , leaving everything behind – to start a new life in the U.S. As a child , I saw pictures of my grandfather and grew up with his legacy .
He devoted his life to the military , quickly rising in the ranks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the world .
He met with world leaders including three U.S. presidents and was invited on Air Force One to visit President Gerald Ford with the Shah .
Since then , Iranians have experienced 40 years of fanaticism , repression and foreign wars .
Of course I understand the Shah 's regime was accused of being harshly repressive and corrupt too .
But few could have foreseen then how the new rulers would only magnify Iran 's ills while becoming a constant thorn in the side of the West .
Some see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ towards democracy for Iran .
Others are afraid it could start another 40 years of the regime oppressing its people .
Some may think his death represents the height of tensions between Iran and the U.S. after the hostage crisis .
They 'd be mistaken in that belief .
Tensions were even higher in 1983 when Hezbollah - Iran 's proxy - blew up the U.S. Marine base in Beirut , killing over 200 marines .
The general consensus then was that the attack would provoke a huge response from the U.S. and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries , just as many assumed that the killing of Soleimani would result in direct confrontation .
But history showed us that within a year or so of that attack the Reagan administration was making secret gestures to the Iranian regime in what was ultimately exposed as Iran-Contra .
Following Iran-Contra , there was a period of no contact between the two countries .
This continued until President Obama put harsh sanctions on Iran .
Negotiations then began , ending in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signed by several nations , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deal , despite Republican opposition .
In Iran , the deal bolstered the moderate factions but angered the hardliners .
When the foreign minister of Iran , Javad Zarif , traveled back after signing the deal he was greeted by young Iranians who were hopeful about potentially joining the international community .
He also faced harsh criticism and allegations of treason by hardliners and fundamentalists .
President Trump , by pulling out of the Iran deal essentially pulled the rug from under Zarif and the moderate faction of Iran .
It had one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iranian people have again taken to the streets , angry at the government , taking direct aim at its supreme leader , Ali Khamenei – which until now had been very rare in Iran .
No one anticipated the killing of Soleimani , no one anticipated the attack on the U.S. Marine base nor the shooting down of a passenger jet that took off from Iran 's own airport last week – just after Iran conducted missile strikes against U.S. targets in Iraq .
Many are now saying the government 's admission that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is more horrific than the Trump administration 's killing of the general .
In his memoir , Col. Nasrollah Tavakoli , who had been appointed chief of staff for the Ayatollah 's new regime in 1979 , describes meeting my grandfather after he 'd been taken into custody .
Tavakoli says my grandfather , while waiting to meet his destiny , looked stoic and confident .
That same day an Iranian newspaper published an interview with my grandfather in which he did n't plead for mercy , he did n't ask for anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had taken him into custody to maintain the great army which had been built to protect Iran .
I 'm certain that 40 years ago sitting in that room my grandfather would not have dreamed the military he left behind would be in such a weak position militarily , strategically and politically .
No one knows what tomorrow holds for relations between Iran and the U.S .
There 's plenty of pundits speculating about the next move , but the history of Iran tells us nothing is certain .
Which brings to mind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who wrote : `` Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it . ''
Yasmin Khorram is a San Francisco-based field producer for CNBC .
Prior to CNBC she was a producer at CNN .

Major Gen. Parviz Aminiafshar was commander of the Imperial Guards and head of G2 Military Intelligence for Iran's Royal Army. Source: Yasmin Khorram
There is another story about the killing of an Iranian general. And unlike Qasem Soleimani, he wasn't an enemy of the U.S. In fact, as one of the top ranking military officials in Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's regime, he was an important ally. He was my grandfather. Major Gen. Parviz Aminiafshar was commander of the Imperial Guards and head of G2 Military Intelligence. He was among the most senior officials in a military force which was a close ally of the U.S., protecting the country and the Shah. That all changed on Feb. 21, 1979. Iran's 2,500-year-old monarchy was overthrown by an Islamic Revolution led by Shi'a cleric Ayatollah Khomeini, who forever changed the face of the Middle East and world politics. Prior to '79, Khomeini had failed at overthrowing Iran's monarchy; he was exiled to Najaf, Iraq. Once the first anti-Shah demonstrations began, Khomeini's supporters quickly grew to millions across the country. The Shah safely left the country, but my grandfather and most military commanders chose to stay behind. On the second day of the revolution, while still very much in charge of his units and having been given public assurance of protection by the Ayatollah, he called my grandmother from his post. "He said, 'Don't worry, I'll would be home soon'" my grandmother recalls. "He didn't know something bad was going to happen." That night, the Ayatollah's revolutionary guards stormed my grandfather's office and detained him. "He went with them and never returned," my grandmother said. Four days later, my grandmother learned about his execution watching television. I wasn't even born when he was executed, but my memory is vivid thanks to my grandmother. This wasn't the end of her nightmare. They broke into her house, took her possessions and terrorized the family.
General Aminiafshar (far right) meeting with President Richard Nixon in Iran. Source: Yasmin Khorram
They were forced to flee Iran, leaving everything behind – to start a new life in the U.S. As a child, I saw pictures of my grandfather and grew up with his legacy. He devoted his life to the military, quickly rising in the ranks with a career that took him all over the world. He met with world leaders including three U.S. presidents and was invited on Air Force One to visit President Gerald Ford with the Shah. Since then, Iranians have experienced 40 years of fanaticism, repression and foreign wars. Of course I understand the Shah's regime was accused of being harshly repressive and corrupt too. But few could have foreseen then how the new rulers would only magnify Iran's ills while becoming a constant thorn in the side of the West. Some see the killing of Soleimani as a step towards democracy for Iran. Others are afraid it could start another 40 years of the regime oppressing its people. Some may think his death represents the height of tensions between Iran and the U.S. after the hostage crisis. They'd be mistaken in that belief. Tensions were even higher in 1983 when Hezbollah - Iran's proxy - blew up the U.S. Marine base in Beirut, killing over 200 marines. The general consensus then was that the attack would provoke a huge response from the U.S. and potentially start a war between the two countries, just as many assumed that the killing of Soleimani would result in direct confrontation. But history showed us that within a year or so of that attack the Reagan administration was making secret gestures to the Iranian regime in what was ultimately exposed as Iran-Contra. Following Iran-Contra, there was a period of no contact between the two countries. This continued until President Obama put harsh sanctions on Iran. Negotiations then began, ending in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signed by several nations, or what we know as the Iran Nuclear Deal, despite Republican opposition. In Iran, the deal bolstered the moderate factions but angered the hardliners.
Major General Parviz Aminiafshar (right) greets the Shah at a ceremony for Iranian New Year, known as Nowruz, in 1978. Source: Yasmin Khorram


cnbc--2020-01-13--Democrat Cory Booker drops out of 2020 presidential race

Democratic presidential candidate Senator Cory Booker ( D-NJ ) responds to a question during a forum held by gun safety organizations the Giffords group and March For Our Lives in Las Vegas , Nevada , October 2 , 2019 .
Sen. Cory Booker , D-N.J. , dropped out of the 2020 presidential race Monday , after failing to gain traction in national polls and failing to qualify for two Democratic debates .
`` Today I 'm suspending my campaign for president in the same spirit with which it began , '' Booker said in a video posted Monday morning .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , my faith in us together as a nation that we share a common pain and common problems that can only be solved with a common purpose and a sense of common cause , '' he said in the video .
`` Campaigning over this last year has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life .
Meeting you , meeting people across this country who believe , who know that we may have challenges right now in our nation , but together , we will rise , '' Booker said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic nomination on Feb. 1 , the first day of Black History Month .
But the senator from New Jersey failed to gain traction in national polls , reaching under 2 % of support , according to RealClearPolitics .
He did not make the stage for the December Democratic debate , criticizing the DNC for upholding hard-to-reach standards to qualify .
His departure leaves only three people of color in the race : businessman Andrew Yang , former Massachusetts Gov .
Deval Patrick , and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard .
Booker vowed in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trail to support `` whoever '' becomes the eventual Democratic presidential nominee .
President Donald Trump tweeted about Booker 's departure , saying sarcastically that `` Booker , who was in zero polling territory , just dropped out of the Democrat Presidential Primary Race .
Now I can rest easy tonight .
I was sooo concerned that I would someday have to go head to head with him ! ''
During his campaign , the former mayor of Newark focused on criminal justice reform and reducing racial and economic inequality .
He often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ credibility with urban communities .
He supported progressive policies such as `` Medicare for All '' and the Green New Deal to address climate change , but he was considered a moderate .
Ultimately , Booker 's message of `` love and unity '' did n't resonate with voters .
Polls consistently put him far behind rivals including former Vice President Joe Biden , Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt. , and Sen. Elizabeth Warren , D-Mass .
Biden in a tweet said Booker `` campaigned with joy and heart , '' adding that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by running . ''
In an email immediately after his departure from the race , Booker 's campaign said he `` ran for president as a uniter and a healer and a uniter and still believes that 's what our country needs right now . ''
Booker 's connections with wealthy and influential donors initially appeared to give him a fundraising advantage over the crowded Democratic primary field .
But he struggled to gain traction there as well , raising a little more than $ 6 million in the fourth quarter , badly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've reached the point where we need more money to scale up and continue building a campaign that can win — money that is harder to raise having been blocked from the next debate stage and with urgent business of impeachment rightly keeping [ Booker ] in Washington , '' a Monday email from his campaign said .
But Booker had his moments .
When Biden touted his ability as a senator in the 1970s to reach across the aisle to work with segregationists , Booker pounced .
He said the comments showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and called on Biden to apologize .
On the debate stage , he criticized Biden 's involvement in passing the 1994 crime bill that led to the mass incarceration of African Americans .
`` There are people right now in prison for life for drug offenses because you stood up and used that 'tough on crime ' phony rhetoric that got a lot of people elected but destroyed communities like mine , '' Booker said .

Democratic presidential candidate Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) responds to a question during a forum held by gun safety organizations the Giffords group and March For Our Lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, October 2, 2019.
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., dropped out of the 2020 presidential race Monday, after failing to gain traction in national polls and failing to qualify for two Democratic debates.
"Today I'm suspending my campaign for president in the same spirit with which it began," Booker said in a video posted Monday morning.
Booker tweet
"It is my faith in us, my faith in us together as a nation that we share a common pain and common problems that can only be solved with a common purpose and a sense of common cause," he said in the video.
"Campaigning over this last year has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. Meeting you, meeting people across this country who believe, who know that we may have challenges right now in our nation, but together, we will rise," Booker said.
Booker launched his bid for the Democratic nomination on Feb. 1, the first day of Black History Month. But the senator from New Jersey failed to gain traction in national polls, reaching under 2% of support, according to RealClearPolitics.
He did not make the stage for the December Democratic debate, criticizing the DNC for upholding hard-to-reach standards to qualify. His departure leaves only three people of color in the race: businessman Andrew Yang, former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
Booker vowed in the video to return to the 2020 campaign trail to support "whoever" becomes the eventual Democratic presidential nominee.
President Donald Trump tweeted about Booker's departure, saying sarcastically that "Booker, who was in zero polling territory, just dropped out of the Democrat Presidential Primary Race. Now I can rest easy tonight. I was sooo concerned that I would someday have to go head to head with him!"
Trump tweet
During his campaign, the former mayor of Newark focused on criminal justice reform and reducing racial and economic inequality. He often referenced living in Newark to highlight his credibility with urban communities. He supported progressive policies such as "Medicare for All" and the Green New Deal to address climate change, but he was considered a moderate.
Ultimately, Booker's message of "love and unity" didn't resonate with voters. Polls consistently put him far behind rivals including former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
Biden in a tweet said Booker "campaigned with joy and heart," adding that he "made our politics better just by running."
Biden tweet
In an email immediately after his departure from the race, Booker's campaign said he "ran for president as a uniter and a healer and a uniter and still believes that's what our country needs right now."
Booker's connections with wealthy and influential donors initially appeared to give him a fundraising advantage over the crowded Democratic primary field. But he struggled to gain traction there as well, raising a little more than $6 million in the fourth quarter, badly lagging behind the front-runners.
"We've reached the point where we need more money to scale up and continue building a campaign that can win — money that is harder to raise having been blocked from the next debate stage and with urgent business of impeachment rightly keeping [Booker] in Washington," a Monday email from his campaign said.
But Booker had his moments. When Biden touted his ability as a senator in the 1970s to reach across the aisle to work with segregationists, Booker pounced. He said the comments showed a "terrible lack of understanding" and called on Biden to apologize.
On the debate stage, he criticized Biden's involvement in passing the 1994 crime bill that led to the mass incarceration of African Americans.
"There are people right now in prison for life for drug offenses because you stood up and used that 'tough on crime' phony rhetoric that got a lot of people elected but destroyed communities like mine," Booker said.
— CNBC's Kevin Breuninger contributed to this story.


cnbc--2020-01-13--Barack and Michelle Obama-produced Netflix documentary 'American Factory' clinches Oscar nod

President Barack Obama sits with first lady Michelle Obama to watch musical perfomances during the 94th Annual National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the Ellipse in PresidentÕs Park on December 1 , 2016 in Washington , DC .
( Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images ) A documentary created by former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama 's production company scored an Oscar nomination , marking the first time an ex-president has snagged a nod at the Academy Awards .
Higher Ground Productions , which aims to create projects that lift up `` new and diverse voices , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2018 to make content for online streaming giant Netflix .
`` American Factory , '' the first film from Higher Ground , was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 92nd Annual Academy Awards .
`` Glad to see American Factory 's Oscar nod for Best Documentary , '' Obama said Monday through his official Twitter account .
`` It 's the kind of story we do n't see often enough and it 's exactly what Michelle and I hope to achieve with Higher Ground .
Congrats to the incredible filmmakers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Factory , '' directors Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar look at an Ohio factory as a case study on globalization , automation and the rapidly shapeshifting world economy .
A Chinese billionaire reopens an abandoned General Motors plant , rehiring thousands of U.S. workers but introducing new struggles and setbacks .
Higher Ground is staffed by veterans of the entertainment industry , including former employees of MTV , ESPN and FX Networks .
`` American Factory '' joined `` The Cave , '' `` The Edge of Democracy , '' `` For Sama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nomination for Best Documentary Feature .
The 2020 Oscar nominees for all categories were announced Monday .
Todd Phillips ' `` Joker '' led the pack with 11 nominations .
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award ceremony will take place Feb. 9 at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles .

President Barack Obama sits with first lady Michelle Obama to watch musical perfomances during the 94th Annual National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the Ellipse in PresidentÕs Park on December 1, 2016 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images)
A documentary created by former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama's production company scored an Oscar nomination, marking the first time an ex-president has snagged a nod at the Academy Awards.
Higher Ground Productions, which aims to create projects that lift up "new and diverse voices," signed a multiyear partnership with the Obamas in 2018 to make content for online streaming giant Netflix . "American Factory," the first film from Higher Ground, was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 92nd Annual Academy Awards.
"Glad to see American Factory's Oscar nod for Best Documentary," Obama said Monday through his official Twitter account.
"It's the kind of story we don't see often enough and it's exactly what Michelle and I hope to achieve with Higher Ground. Congrats to the incredible filmmakers and entire team!"
Obama TWEET
In "American Factory," directors Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar look at an Ohio factory as a case study on globalization, automation and the rapidly shapeshifting world economy. A Chinese billionaire reopens an abandoned General Motors plant, rehiring thousands of U.S. workers but introducing new struggles and setbacks.
Higher Ground is staffed by veterans of the entertainment industry, including former employees of MTV, ESPN and FX Networks.
"American Factory" joined "The Cave," "The Edge of Democracy," "For Sama" and "Honeyland" in its nomination for Best Documentary Feature.
The 2020 Oscar nominees for all categories were announced Monday. Todd Phillips' "Joker" led the pack with 11 nominations.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences award ceremony will take place Feb. 9 at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.


cnbc--2020-01-13--Trump authorized Soleimani's killing 7 months ago, with conditions

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump authorized the killing of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani seven months ago if Iran 's increased aggression resulted in the death of an American , according to five current and former senior administration officials .
The presidential directive in June came with the condition that Trump would have final sign-off on any specific operation to kill Soleimani , officials said .
That decision explains why assassinating Soleimani was on the menu of options that the military presented to Trump two weeks ago for responding to an attack by Iranian proxies in Iraq , in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. service members were wounded , the officials said .
The timing , however , could undermine the Trump administration 's stated justification for ordering the U.S. drone strike that killed Soleimani in Baghdad on Jan. 3 .
Officials have said Soleimani , the leader of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ' elite Quds Force , was planning imminent attacks on Americans and had to be stopped .
`` There have been a number of options presented to the president over the course of time , '' a senior administration official said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago '' that the president 's aides put assassinating Soleimani on the list of potential responses to Iranian aggression .
More from NBC News : Esper : 'Did n't see ' intelligence Iran was preparing to attack 4 embassies Iran faces fresh protests after admitting it shot down plane , killing 176 Airport informants , overhead drones : How the US killed Soleimani After Iran shot down a U.S. drone in June , John Bolton , Trump 's national security adviser at the time , urged Trump to retaliate by signing off on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also wanted Trump to authorize the assassination , officials said .
But Trump rejected the idea , saying he 'd take that step only if Iran crossed his red line : killing an American .
The president 's message was `` that 's only on the table if they hit Americans , '' according to a person briefed on the discussion .
Neither the White House nor the National Security Council responded to requests for comment .
Bolton and the State Department also did not respond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials have closely tracked Soleimani 's movements for years .
When Trump came into office , Pompeo , who was Trump 's first CIA director , urged the president to consider taking a more aggressive approach to Soleimani after showing him new intelligence on what a second senior administration official described as `` very serious threats that did n't come to fruition . ''
The idea of killing Soleimani came up in discussions in 2017 that Trump 's national security adviser at the time , retired Army Lt. Gen. H.R .
McMaster , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president 's broader national security strategy , officials said .
But it was just one of a host of possible elements of Trump 's `` maximum pressure '' campaign against Iran and `` was not something that was thought of as a first move , '' said a former senior administration official involved in the discussions .
The idea did become more serious after McMaster was replaced in April 2018 by Bolton , a longtime Iran hawk and advocate for regime change in Tehran .
Bolton left the White House in September @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump said he fired him — following policy disagreements on Iran and other issues .
The administration of President George W. Bush designated the Quds Force a foreign terrorist organization in 2007 .
Four years later , the Obama administration announced new sanctions on Soleimani and three other senior Quds Force officials in connection with an alleged plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States .
But in April , Bolton helped prod Trump to designate the entire Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a foreign terrorist organization .
White House officials at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meant the United States would target Revolutionary Guard leaders as it does the leadership of other terrorist groups , such as the Islamic State militant group and al Qaeda .
Iran retaliated by designating the U.S. military a terrorist organization .
The actions underscored the rising tension between the United States and Iran in the three years since Trump took office .
Since Trump withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 — and his administration tightened its squeeze on Iran 's economy with punishing economic sanctions — Iran has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasing aggressiveness and frequency .
Iran has launched more than a dozen separate rocket attacks on bases housing Americans since October .
The U.S. military blamed Kataib Hezbollah , an Iraqi militia that is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces but is backed by Iran .
U.S. military and intelligence officials say the group takes direction from Iran , specifically the Quds Force .
A U.S. military official in Iraq said the rockets Iran has launched at U.S. forces have become more sophisticated over time .
Most attacks in October and November used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ range and less explosive power .
But an attack on Ain al Asad air base in Anbar Province on Dec. 3 included 122mm rockets , with more firepower and the ability to be fired from a greater distance .
They are generally launched from more sophisticated improvised rail systems , leading the U.S. military to believe the attackers were receiving new equipment and training from Iran .
The largest attack was on Dec. 27 , when Kataib Hezbollah launched more than 30 rockets at an Iraqi base in Kirkuk , killing a U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The base , known as K-1 Air Base , belongs to the Iraqi military but frequently hosts forces that are part of the U.S.-led coalition assigned to Operation Inherent Resolve , the fight against ISIS .
On Dec. 27 , the coalition was preparing for a counter-ISIS operation , so more Americans were on the base than usual .
After the attack , the United States launched airstrikes against five Kataib Hezbollah locations , three in Iraq and two in Syria , targeting ammunition and weapon supplies , as well as command @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the operation to kill Soleimani after Iranian-backed militia members responded to the U.S. strikes by storming the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad .
Defense Secretary Mark Esper presented a series of response options to the president two weeks ago , including killing Soleimani .
Esper presented the pros and cons of such an operation but made it clear that he was in favor of taking out Soleimani , officials said .
At a meeting later , military leaders laid out the estimated number of casualties associated with each option , showing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ International Airport late at night would involve fewer possible casualties than the other options .
The strike marked a break from past administrations , which have never publicly claimed responsibility for killing senior figures from the Iranian regime or its proxies .
During the height of the U.S. war in Iraq in 2006 , for example , when Iranian-armed and -trained militias were planting lethal roadside bombs targeting U.S. troops , Bush administration officials debated how to confront Soleimani and his operatives in Iraq , according to four former U.S. officials .
U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tried to kill Soleimani or launch attacks inside Iranian territory , former officials said .
At one point , the U.S. commander in Iraq , Army Gen. George Casey , raised the possibility of designating Soleimani and his Quds Force officers as enemy combatants in Iraq , according to Eric Edelman , a former diplomat who held senior posts at the Defense Department and the White House .
But in the end , the idea was ruled out as U.S. commanders and officials did not want to open up a new front in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fight against al Qaeda in Iraq , Edelman said .
`` There were a lot of us who thought he should be taken out .
But at the end of the day , they decided not to do that , '' Edelman said .
There was concern about `` the danger of escalation and the danger of having a conflict with Iran while we already had our hands full in Iraq , '' he said .
Iran responded to the assassination of Soleimani by striking bases housing U.S. forces in Iraq , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump appeared to back off further military conflict .
Instead , he announced new sanctions against Iran on Friday .

Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani in Tehran, Iran on September 18, 2016. Press Office of Iranian Supreme Leader | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump authorized the killing of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani seven months ago if Iran's increased aggression resulted in the death of an American, according to five current and former senior administration officials. The presidential directive in June came with the condition that Trump would have final sign-off on any specific operation to kill Soleimani, officials said. That decision explains why assassinating Soleimani was on the menu of options that the military presented to Trump two weeks ago for responding to an attack by Iranian proxies in Iraq, in which a U.S. contractor was killed and four U.S. service members were wounded, the officials said. The timing, however, could undermine the Trump administration's stated justification for ordering the U.S. drone strike that killed Soleimani in Baghdad on Jan. 3. Officials have said Soleimani, the leader of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' elite Quds Force, was planning imminent attacks on Americans and had to be stopped. "There have been a number of options presented to the president over the course of time," a senior administration official said, adding that it was "some time ago" that the president's aides put assassinating Soleimani on the list of potential responses to Iranian aggression. More from NBC News:
Esper: 'Didn't see' intelligence Iran was preparing to attack 4 embassies
Iran faces fresh protests after admitting it shot down plane, killing 176
Airport informants, overhead drones: How the US killed Soleimani After Iran shot down a U.S. drone in June, John Bolton, Trump's national security adviser at the time, urged Trump to retaliate by signing off on an operation to kill Soleimani, officials said. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also wanted Trump to authorize the assassination, officials said.
National Security Advisor John R. Bolton listens as President Donald J. Trump meets with Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte in the Oval Office at the White House on Thursday, July 18th, 2019 in Washington, DC. Jabin Botsford | The Washington Post | Getty Images
But Trump rejected the idea, saying he'd take that step only if Iran crossed his red line: killing an American. The president's message was "that's only on the table if they hit Americans," according to a person briefed on the discussion. Neither the White House nor the National Security Council responded to requests for comment. Bolton and the State Department also did not respond to requests for comment. U.S. intelligence officials have closely tracked Soleimani's movements for years. When Trump came into office, Pompeo, who was Trump's first CIA director, urged the president to consider taking a more aggressive approach to Soleimani after showing him new intelligence on what a second senior administration official described as "very serious threats that didn't come to fruition."
US President Donald Trump(L) speaks next to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a Cabinet Meeting at the White House on October 21, 2019 in Washington,DC. Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Getty Images
The idea of killing Soleimani came up in discussions in 2017 that Trump's national security adviser at the time, retired Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, was having with other administration officials about the president's broader national security strategy, officials said. But it was just one of a host of possible elements of Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran and "was not something that was thought of as a first move," said a former senior administration official involved in the discussions. The idea did become more serious after McMaster was replaced in April 2018 by Bolton, a longtime Iran hawk and advocate for regime change in Tehran. Bolton left the White House in September — he said he resigned, while Trump said he fired him — following policy disagreements on Iran and other issues. The administration of President George W. Bush designated the Quds Force a foreign terrorist organization in 2007. Four years later, the Obama administration announced new sanctions on Soleimani and three other senior Quds Force officials in connection with an alleged plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States. But in April, Bolton helped prod Trump to designate the entire Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a foreign terrorist organization. White House officials at the time refused to say whether that meant the United States would target Revolutionary Guard leaders as it does the leadership of other terrorist groups, such as the Islamic State militant group and al Qaeda. Iran retaliated by designating the U.S. military a terrorist organization. The actions underscored the rising tension between the United States and Iran in the three years since Trump took office. Since Trump withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 — and his administration tightened its squeeze on Iran's economy with punishing economic sanctions — Iran has attacked U.S. military assets in Iraq with increasing aggressiveness and frequency. Iran has launched more than a dozen separate rocket attacks on bases housing Americans since October. The U.S. military blamed Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi militia that is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces but is backed by Iran. U.S. military and intelligence officials say the group takes direction from Iran, specifically the Quds Force. A U.S. military official in Iraq said the rockets Iran has launched at U.S. forces have become more sophisticated over time. Most attacks in October and November used 107mm rockets, which have a shorter range and less explosive power. But an attack on Ain al Asad air base in Anbar Province on Dec. 3 included 122mm rockets, with more firepower and the ability to be fired from a greater distance. They are generally launched from more sophisticated improvised rail systems, leading the U.S. military to believe the attackers were receiving new equipment and training from Iran. The largest attack was on Dec. 27, when Kataib Hezbollah launched more than 30 rockets at an Iraqi base in Kirkuk, killing a U.S. contractor and wounding four U.S. service members. The base, known as K-1 Air Base, belongs to the Iraqi military but frequently hosts forces that are part of the U.S.-led coalition assigned to Operation Inherent Resolve, the fight against ISIS. On Dec. 27, the coalition was preparing for a counter-ISIS operation, so more Americans were on the base than usual. After the attack, the United States launched airstrikes against five Kataib Hezbollah locations, three in Iraq and two in Syria, targeting ammunition and weapon supplies, as well as command and control sites. Trump signed off on the operation to kill Soleimani after Iranian-backed militia members responded to the U.S. strikes by storming the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad. Defense Secretary Mark Esper presented a series of response options to the president two weeks ago, including killing Soleimani. Esper presented the pros and cons of such an operation but made it clear that he was in favor of taking out Soleimani, officials said.
Mark Esper, U.S. Secretary of Defense, speaks during his swearing-in ceremony as U.S. President Donald Trump listens in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, July 23, 2019. Chris Kleponis | Bloomberg | Getty Images


cnbc--2020-01-13--Queen agrees to let Harry and Meghan step back as full-time royals

Queen Elizabeth II departs in her Bentley car after attending Sunday service at the Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate on January 12 , 2020 in King 's Lynn , England .
LONDON — Queen Elizabeth , after crisis talks with top family members , agreed on Monday to let Harry and Meghan step down as senior royals and divide their time between the U.K. and Canada during a `` period of transition . ''
The queen chaired talks with Prince Charles , Prince William and Prince Harry at her country estate , Sandringham , in Norfolk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reportedly joined the talks by phone from Canada .
In a statement released at 5 p.m. London time ( noon ET ) , the queen said discussions on the future of Harry and his family had been `` very constructive '' and that she and other royals were `` entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan 's desire to create a new life as a young family . ''
The queen said that while she and her family would have preferred the couple to remain as `` full-time royals , '' their desire to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and respected .
`` These are complex matters for my family to resolve , and there is some more work to be done , but I have asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days , '' the statement ended .
The monarch 's statement said the couple made it clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives .

Queen Elizabeth II departs in her Bentley car after attending Sunday service at the Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate on January 12, 2020 in King's Lynn, England.
LONDON — Queen Elizabeth, after crisis talks with top family members, agreed on Monday to let Harry and Meghan step down as senior royals and divide their time between the U.K. and Canada during a "period of transition."
The queen chaired talks with Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry at her country estate, Sandringham, in Norfolk in the east of England. Meghan reportedly joined the talks by phone from Canada.
In a statement released at 5 p.m. London time (noon ET), the queen said discussions on the future of Harry and his family had been "very constructive" and that she and other royals were "entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan's desire to create a new life as a young family."
The queen said that while she and her family would have preferred the couple to remain as "full-time royals," their desire to live a more independent life was understood and respected.
"These are complex matters for my family to resolve, and there is some more work to be done, but I have asked for final decisions to be reached in the coming days," the statement ended.
The monarch's statement said the couple made it clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives.


cnbc--2020-01-15--Giuliani requested meeting with Ukraine president, new Trump impeachment evidence shows

Lev Parnas arrives at Federal Court on December 17 , 2019 in New York City .
Parnas , an associate of Rudy Giuliani , appears in court on Tuesday as federal prosecutors seek to have his bail revoked for allegedly concealing a $ 1 million payment they say he received from Russia before his arrest .
A trove of new evidence in the impeachment case against President Donald Trump will be delivered to the Senate by the House Judiciary Committee , according to several House committee chairs who announced the news Tuesday .
The evidence includes new text messages and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukrainian American business partner of Rudy Giuliani , Trump 's personal lawyer .
The trove also includes a letter Giuliani addressed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy .
`` In my capacity as personal counsel to President Trump and with his knowledge and consent , I request a meeting with you on this upcoming Monday , May 13th or Tuesday May 14th , '' Giuliani wrote in the May 10 letter .
`` I will need no more than a half-hour of your time and I will be accompanied by my colleague Victoria Toensing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very familiar with this matter , '' Giuliani wrote .
Parnas texted a copy of that draft letter to a Zelenskiy aide , according to House Democrats .
That meeting was apparently canceled , but Parnas continued to try to schedule a meeting with Zelenskiy .
The documents shed new light on the president 's level of involvement in Giuliani 's efforts last spring to pressure the Ukrainian government to open investigations into Trump 's political rivals .
They also reveal that Trump personally agreed to let his former attorney , John Dowd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Igor Fruman , as legal clients after the two were arrested in October on campaign finance charges .
The new information provided by Parnas , which includes copies of handwritten letters , phone records and other back-channel communications with foreign officials , was made public a day before the House votes to send the articles to the Senate for Trump 's impeachment trial .
The trial could begin as early as next Tuesday , according to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky .
The Democrat-led House Intelligence , Oversight and Foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of records made public Tuesday night represent only a tiny fraction of the total number of documents that Parnas turned over .
The rest of the trove , some of which they said contains sensitive information , will be made available to members of relevant committees in the House , to members of the Senate and to the White House .
Democrats launched impeachment proceedings in the House in late 2019 to investigate Trump 's efforts to have Zelenskiy announce probes involving former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
`` Despite the President 's unprecedented and sweeping obstruction of our impeachment inquiry , we have continued to collect additional evidence relevant to the President 's scheme to abuse his power by pressing Ukraine to interfere in the 2020 election for the President 's benefit , '' House Committee chairmen Jerrold Nadler , Adam Schiff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a joint statement .
`` All of this new evidence confirms what we already know : the President and his associates pressured Ukrainian officials to announce investigations that would benefit the President politically .
There can not be a full and fair trial in the Senate without the documents that President Trump is refusing to provide to Congress , '' the chairmen said .
Trump has insisted throughout the impeachment inquiry that he had little knowledge of Giuliani 's Ukraine dealings .
As recently as last November , Trump was asked by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Giuliani was doing in Ukraine on Trump 's behalf .
Trump replied that had no idea .
`` You have to ask that to Rudy , but Rudy , I do n't , I do n't even know .
I know he was going to go to Ukraine and I think he canceled a trip .
But , you know , Rudy has other clients other than me .
I 'm one person , '' Trump told O'Reilly .
Giuliani has done `` a lot of work in Ukraine over the years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 's what I heard , I might have even read that someplace , '' Trump said .
He also claimed not to know about Parnas and Fruman , who were working with Giuliani to press Ukraine officials into helping Trump by damaging Biden , Trump 's 2020 presidential rival .
`` I do n't know those gentlemen , '' Trump said of Parnas and Fruman last October , after they were arrested at an airport carrying one-way plane tickets out of the U.S. '' Now , it 's possible I have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picture with everybody , '' Trump told reporters at the White House .
`` Somebody said there may be a picture or something at a fundraiser or somewhere .
But I have pictures with everybody ...
I do n't know , maybe they were clients of Rudy .
You 'd have to ask Rudy . ''
But an email between Dowd and Trump 's personal attorney Jay Sekulow , released Tuesday as part of the cache of new evidence , suggests Trump knew the two Giuliani associates previously .
`` John , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the President , '' Sekulow wrote to Dowd on Oct. 2 — eight days before Trump denied knowing Parnas and Fruman .
`` The President consents to allowing your representation of Mr. Parnas and Mr. Fruman , '' Sekulow wrote .
This is breaking news .
Please check back for updates .

Lev Parnas arrives at Federal Court on December 17, 2019 in New York City. Parnas, an associate of Rudy Giuliani, appears in court on Tuesday as federal prosecutors seek to have his bail revoked for allegedly concealing a $1 million payment they say he received from Russia before his arrest.
A trove of new evidence in the impeachment case against President Donald Trump will be delivered to the Senate by the House Judiciary Committee, according to several House committee chairs who announced the news Tuesday.
The evidence includes new text messages and phone records from Lev Parnas, a Ukrainian American business partner of Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal lawyer. The trove also includes a letter Giuliani addressed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
"In my capacity as personal counsel to President Trump and with his knowledge and consent, I request a meeting with you on this upcoming Monday, May 13th or Tuesday May 14th," Giuliani wrote in the May 10 letter.
"I will need no more than a half-hour of your time and I will be accompanied by my colleague Victoria Toensing, a distinguished American attorney who is very familiar with this matter," Giuliani wrote.
Parnas texted a copy of that draft letter to a Zelenskiy aide, according to House Democrats. That meeting was apparently canceled, but Parnas continued to try to schedule a meeting with Zelenskiy.
The documents shed new light on the president's level of involvement in Giuliani's efforts last spring to pressure the Ukrainian government to open investigations into Trump's political rivals.
They also reveal that Trump personally agreed to let his former attorney, John Dowd, take on Parnas and his associate, Igor Fruman, as legal clients after the two were arrested in October on campaign finance charges.
The new information provided by Parnas, which includes copies of handwritten letters, phone records and other back-channel communications with foreign officials, was made public a day before the House votes to send the articles to the Senate for Trump's impeachment trial.
The trial could begin as early as next Tuesday, according to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
The Democrat-led House Intelligence, Oversight and Foreign Affairs committees say that the 59 pages of records made public Tuesday night represent only a tiny fraction of the total number of documents that Parnas turned over.
The rest of the trove, some of which they said contains sensitive information, will be made available to members of relevant committees in the House, to members of the Senate and to the White House.
Democrats launched impeachment proceedings in the House in late 2019 to investigate Trump's efforts to have 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.
"Despite the President's unprecedented and sweeping obstruction of our impeachment inquiry, we have continued to collect additional evidence relevant to the President's scheme to abuse his power by pressing Ukraine to interfere in the 2020 election for the President's benefit," House Committee chairmen Jerrold Nadler, Adam Schiff, Carolyn Maloney and Eliot Engel said in a joint statement.
Some of that evidence includes screenshots of Parnas' notes, written by hand on letterhead for the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Vienna, Austria.
As part of what appears to be a typo-ridden to-do list, Parnas wrote, "get Zalensky to Annouce that the Biden case will Be Investigated."
On another page, Parnas wrote, "Get rid of Lenny Davis (nicely)," referring to Lanny Davis, a former criminal defense attorney for indicted Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash.
Davis, who now represents Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen, told CNBC in a phone call: "I've never met, or knew about, Parnas until he surfaced after I stopped working for Mr. Firtash. I have no knowledge of the man."
Davis adds that he worked for Firtash "exclusively as a criminal defense lawyer, and also correcting the public record, but never approaching politics."
"That was a red line for me, and I am sad about Mr. Firtash's current situation," he said.
"All of this new evidence confirms what we already know: the President and his associates pressured Ukrainian officials to announce investigations that would benefit the President politically," the Democratic chairmen said in their statement. "There cannot be a full and fair trial in the Senate without the documents that President Trump is refusing to provide to Congress."
Trump has insisted throughout the impeachment inquiry that he had little knowledge of Giuliani's Ukraine dealings.
As recently as last November, Trump was asked by former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly what Giuliani was doing in Ukraine on Trump's behalf. Trump replied that had no idea.
"You have to ask that to Rudy, but Rudy, I don't, I don't even know. I know he was going to go to Ukraine and I think he canceled a trip. But, you know, Rudy has other clients other than me. I'm one person," Trump told O'Reilly.
Giuliani has done "a lot of work in Ukraine over the years, and I think, I mean, that's what I heard, I might have even read that someplace," Trump said.
He also claimed not to know about Parnas and Fruman, who were working with Giuliani to press Ukraine officials into helping Trump by damaging Biden, Trump's 2020 presidential rival.
"I don't know those gentlemen," Trump said of Parnas and Fruman last October, after they were arrested at an airport carrying one-way plane tickets out of the U.S.
"Now, it's possible I have a picture with them because I have a picture with everybody," Trump told reporters at the White House. "Somebody said there may be a picture or something at a fundraiser or somewhere. But I have pictures with everybody ... I don't know, maybe they were clients of Rudy. You'd have to ask Rudy."
But an email between Dowd and Trump's personal attorney Jay Sekulow, released Tuesday as part of the cache of new evidence, suggests Trump knew the two Giuliani associates previously.
"John, I have discussed the issue of representation with the President," Sekulow wrote to Dowd on Oct. 2 — eight days before Trump denied knowing Parnas and Fruman.
"The President consents to allowing your representation of Mr. Parnas and Mr. Fruman," Sekulow wrote.


cnbc--2020-01-15--Trump slams Apple for refusing to unlock iPhones of suspected criminals

US President Donald Trump ( r ) and Apple CEO Tim Cook speak to the press during a tour of the Flextronics computer manufacturing facility where Apple 's Mac Pros are assembled in Austin , Texas , on November 20 , 2019 .
In a tweet , President Donald Trump slammed Apple over whether it is providing law enforcement with enough support to unlock password-protected iPhones used by the shooting suspect at a Navy base in Pensacola , Florida in December .
`` We are helping Apple all of the time on TRADE and so many other issues , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by killers , drug dealers and other violent criminal elements .
They will have to step up to the plate and help our great Country , NOW !
MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN , '' Trump tweeted .
On Monday , Attorney General William Barr claimed that Apple had not provided `` substantive assistance '' in unlocking the alleged shooter 's two iPhones .
In a statement late Monday , Apple responded that that it had provided gigabytes of information to law enforcement related to the Pensacola case but that it would not build @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to give law enforcement elevated access .
The tweet also suggested that Apple should work with the FBI because Trump helps `` Apple all of the time on TRADE . ''

US President Donald Trump (r) and Apple CEO Tim Cook speak to the press during a tour of the Flextronics computer manufacturing facility where Apple's Mac Pros are assembled in Austin, Texas, on November 20, 2019.
In a tweet, President Donald Trump slammed Apple over whether it should unlock password-protected iPhones used by the shooting suspect at a Navy base in Pensacola, Florida in December.
"We are helping Apple all of the time on TRADE and so many other issues, and yet they refuse to unlock phones used by killers, drug dealers and other violent criminal elements. They will have to step up to the plate and help our great Country, NOW! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN," Trump tweeted.
On Monday, Attorney General William Barr claimed that Apple had not provided "substantive assistance" in unlocking the alleged shooter's two iPhones.
In a statement late Monday, Apple responded that that it had provided gigabytes of information to law enforcement related to the Pensacola case but that it would not build a "backdoor" or specialized software to give law enforcement elevated access.
"We reject the characterization that Apple has not provided substantive assistance in the Pensacola investigation. Our responses to their many requests since the attack have been timely, thorough and are ongoing," Apple said.
The tweet, sent from an iPhone, also suggested that Apple should work with the FBI because Trump helps "Apple all of the time on TRADE."