buzzfeed--2020-01-22--Senate Republicans Won't Call Witnesses In Trump's Impeachment Trial — For Now

WASHINGTON — The Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump began Tuesday afternoon with a fight over the rules .
The House impeached Trump in December , charging him with abuse of power for withholding aid from Ukraine in a campaign to pressure the country to investigate former vice president Joe Biden and his family .
Trump was also charged with obstruction of Congress for preventing members of his administration from testifying about the Ukraine saga .
The first step in the trial was to pass a set of rules Tuesday that will dictate the next steps .
Democrats wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but Republicans , whose majority carried a party-line vote , ensured that is a decision to be made later .
As promised , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell passed the rules without Democratic support just before 2am Wednesday , after 13 hours of debating amendments — all of which failed .
Starting Wednesday afternoon , House Democrats and the White House will begin to lay out their respective cases while senators , acting as the jury , sit silently without even access to their phones .
The new rules will compact the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ side 24 hours to make its opening arguments over the course of three days that the Senate is in session .
Those opening arguments are expected to begin Wednesday with Democrats making their case through Friday .
The White House will likely make its arguments Saturday , Monday , and Tuesday .
( The Senate will take Sunday off . )
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts is presiding over the trial .
After opening arguments , senators will be able to ask questions of both legal teams — but they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the senators must stay silent as jurors during the trial .
McConnell 's rules would allow senators 16 hours to question the two sides .
After that , there would be debate for a maximum of four hours again taking up the issue of whether to subpoena witnesses or documents , followed by a vote .
It takes 51 senators for that vote to be successful .
All 47 Democrats are likely to be in favor , meaning they ’ ll likely need four Republicans to join them .
It will be an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to subpoena witnesses or documents during the impeachment with 53 Republicans holding the majority in the Senate .
The first attempt by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to be able to call witnesses and subpoena documents from the White House before opening arguments was shut down along party lines Tuesday afternoon , with all 53 Republicans tabling the motion .
In all , 11 amendments from Schumer were voted down — 10 on party-line votes , including motions to request documents from the White House , the Office of Management and Budget , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as motions to subpoena testimony from former national security adviser John Bolton , acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney , his aide Robert Blair , and OMB 's Michael Duffey .
Significantly , Democrats also proposed having Chief Justice Roberts authorize subpoenas for witnesses and documents , but that too failed on a party-line vote .
Republicans also voted down a Schumer amendment that stated that if Trump 's defense team introduced any evidence in the trial that Democrats had already subpoenaed , they would have to release all the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And they rejected a measure that would have removed a hurdle toward calling witnesses later in the trial .
Just one amendment received any bipartisan support — Republican Sen. Susan Collins joined Democrats in voting for another Schumer motion to give the legal teams more time to respond to each others ' motions .
But , with just 48 votes , it still did n't pass .
Schumer said McConnell `` is hell-bent on making it much more difficult to get witnesses and documents and intent on rushing the trial through .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had all 53 Republican senators on board for his rules package .
Still , Democrats proposed a series of amendments Tuesday to try to force vulnerable Republicans into politically awkward votes .
What 's less clear is whether Democrats can eventually muster 51 votes to call witnesses .
Though Sens .
Susan Collins and Mitt Romney voted Tuesday to table the motion on calling witnesses , they may vote for it later .
It remains unclear how long the trial will last , but it will begin every day — Monday through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must be in attendance during the trial , meaning that the Senate Democrats running for president will be away from the campaign trail as the Feb. 3 Iowa caucuses near .
Trump ’ s top advisers refused to answer subpoenas during the House investigation into whether Trump withheld military aid from Ukraine unless the country announced an investigation into Biden and his family .
But in recent weeks Bolton announced he would testify before the Senate if subpoenaed .
Whether that happens will not be decided anytime soon .
Pushing back against McConnell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Adam Schiff argued in his opening remarks that the Senate should be able to hear from new witnesses and evidence , pointing out that many witnesses have not already testified because the White House instructed them not to .
`` It would be wrong to assert that the Senate is unable to obtain and review new evidence during a Senate trial regardless fo why evidence was not presented in the House , '' Rep. Schiff said .
`` The president can not complain that we did not call these witnesses before the House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president himself . ''
Pat Cipollone , who is representing Trump in the impeachment trial , argued that the rules are based on the rules that were set during the impeachment trial of former president Bill Clinton ( though McConnell did make changes ) .
`` It is a fair way to proceed with this trial , '' he said in his brief opening statement .
`` It is modeled on the Clinton resolution , which had 100 senators supporting it the last time this body considered an impeachment . ''
But Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the rules .
`` If we 're really serious about modeling this proceeding after the Clinton trial , the Clinton precedent is one where all the documents had been provided upfront , where all the witnesses had testified prior to the trial , '' Schiff said .
McConnell had originally said that both sides would have up to 24 hours to make their arguments over the course of just two session days ; since the proceedings start every day at 1 p.m. , House managers would have to talk past midnight to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that time .
Democrats accused McConnell of pushing testimony to the dead of night .
But on Tuesday , the Republican leader introduced rules that would give both sides three session days to make their cases , so the trial is still likely to go late each day of arguments , but not until 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. , as originally thought .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi selected seven members to serve as impeachment managers who will make the case to impeach Trump : Schiff , Judiciary Committee chair Jerry Nadler , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Val Demings , Jason Crow , and Sylvia Garcia .
The White House ’ s impeachment defense team will include Ken Starr , the prosecutor who headed the investigation that led to Clinton ’ s impeachment ; White House counsel Pat Cipollone ; Trump ’ s personal lawyers Jay Sekulow and Jane Raskin ; constitutional lawyer Alan Dershowitz ; former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi ; and Robert Ray , who took over for Starr as independent counsel during Clinton ’ s presidency .
Trump has also named several House Republicans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reportedly not speak during the trial .
Instead , they ’ ll work on messaging for the president , so expect to see these faces on cable news : Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio , Mark Meadows of North Carolina , Doug Collins of Georgia , Mike Johnson of Louisiana , Debbie Lesko of Wisconsin , John Ratcliffe of Illinois , and Elise Stefanik and Lee Zeldin of New York .


buzzfeed--2020-01-23--Clearview AI Says Its Facial Recognition Software Identified A Terrorism Suspect. The Cops Say That'

Clearview AI Says Its Facial Recognition Software Identified A Terrorism Suspect. The Cops Say That's Not True.

Clearview AI has built a database of billions of photos that it says can reveal just about anyone 's true identity .
But there are troubling questions about its past .
Clearview AI , a facial recognition company that says it ’ s amassed a database of billions of photos , has a fantastic selling point it offers up to police departments nationwide : It cracked a case of alleged terrorism in a New York City subway station last August in a matter of seconds .
“ How a Terrorism Suspect Was Instantly Identified With Clearview , ” read the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to law enforcement agencies across all 50 states through a crime alert service , suggesting its technology was integral to the arrest .
It ’ s a compelling pitch that has helped rocket Clearview to partnerships with police departments across the country .
But there ’ s just one problem : The New York Police Department said that Clearview played no role in the case .
As revealed to the world in a startling story in the New York Times this weekend , Clearview AI has crossed a boundary that no other tech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a database of what it claims to be more than 3 billion photos that can be used to identify a person in almost any situation .
It ’ s raised fears that a much-hyped moment , when universal facial recognition could be deployed at a mass scale , is finally at hand .
But the company , founded by CEO Hoan Ton-That , has drawn a veil over itself and its operations , misrepresenting its work to police departments across the nation , hiding several key facts about its origins , and downplaying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationalists and the far right .
As it emerges from the shadows , Clearview is attempting to convince law enforcement that its facial recognition tool , which has been trained on photos scraped from Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and other websites , is more accurate than any other on the market .
However , emails , presentations , and flyers obtained by BuzzFeed News reveal that its claims to law enforcement agencies are impossible to verify — or flat-out wrong .
For example , the pitch email about its role in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News obtained via a public records request last month , explained that when the suspect ’ s photo was “ searched in Clearview , ” its software linked the image to an online profile with the man ’ s name in less than five seconds .
Clearview AI ’ s website also takes credit in a flashy promotional video , using the incident , in which a man allegedly placed rice cookers made to look like bombs , as one example among thousands in which the company assisted law enforcement .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The NYPD did not use Clearview technology to identify the suspect in the August 16th rice cooker incident , ” a department spokesperson told BuzzFeed News .
“ The NYPD identified the suspect using the Department ’ s facial recognition practice where a still image from a surveillance video was compared to a pool of lawfully possessed arrest photos.
” While Clearview has claimed associations with the country ’ s largest police department in at least two other cases , the spokesperson said “ there is no institutional relationship ” with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the NYPD has been using Clearview on a demo basis for a number of months .
He declined to provide any further details .
In the Times report and in documents obtained by BuzzFeed News , Clearview AI said that its facial recognition software had been used by more than 600 police departments and government groups , including the FBI .
But in at least two cases , BuzzFeed News found that the company suggested it was working with a police department simply because it had submitted a lead to a tip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clearview was the result of an unlikely partnership between Ton-That , a small-time hacker turned serial app developer , and Richard Schwartz , a former adviser to then–New York mayor Rudy Giuliani .
Ton-That told the Times that they met at a 2016 event at the Manhattan Institute , a conservative think tank , after which they decided to build a facial recognition company .
While Ton-That has erased much of his online persona from that time period , old web accounts and posts uncovered by BuzzFeed News show that the 31-year-old developer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a partial archive of his Twitter account from early 2017 , Ton-That wondered why all big US cities were liberal , while retweeting a mix of Breitbart writers , venture capitalists , and right-wing personalities .
“ In today 's world , the ability to handle a public shaming / witch hunt is going to be a very important skill , ” he tweeted in January 2017 .
Make more work like this possible : Become a BuzzFeed News member today .
Those interactions didn ’ t just happen online .
In June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personality on Twitter who propagated the Pizzagate conspiracy , posted a photo of Ton-That at a meal with far-right provocateur Chuck Johnson with both of them making the OK sign with their hands , a gesture that has since become favored by right-wing trolls .
“ I was only making the Okay sign in the photo as in 'all okay , ' ” Ton-That said in an email .
`` It was completely innocuous and should not be construed as anything more than that .
`` I am of Asian decent [ sic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ views towards any group or individual , '' he added .
`` I am devoting my professional life to creating a tool to help law enforcement solve heinous crimes and protect victims .
It would be absurd and unfair for anyone to distort my views and values based on old photos of any sort.
” While there ’ s little left online about Smartcheckr , BuzzFeed News obtained and confirmed a document , first reported by the Times , in which the company claimed it could provide voter ad microtargeting and “ extreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a white nationalist who was running on an extremist platform to fill the Wisconsin congressional seat of the departing speaker of the House , Paul Ryan .
A Smartcheckr contractor , Douglass Mackey , pitched the services to Nehlen .
Mackey later became known for running the racist and highly influential Trump-boosting Twitter account Ricky Vaughn .
Described by HuffPost as “ Trump ’ s most influential white nationalist troll , ” Mackey built a following of tens of thousands of users with a mix of far-right propaganda , racist tropes , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lab ranked Vaughn , who used multiple accounts to dodge several bans , as one of the top 150 influencers of the 2016 presidential election — ahead of NBC News and the Drudge Report .
“ An unauthorized proposal was sent to Mr. Nehlen , ” Ton-That said .
“ We did not seek this work .
Moreover , the technology described in the proposal did not even exist.
” A disagreement between Mackey and other far-right figures led to his outing as the owner of the Vaughn persona , sweeping Smartcheckr up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a white nationalist blogger named Christopher Cantwell posted Smartcheckr ’ s pitch documents to Nehlen as well as information about Schwartz , inviting a torrent of abuse .
`` [ Mackey ] worked for 3 weeks as a consultant to Smartcheckr , which was the initial name of Clearview in its nascent days years ago , '' Ton-That said .
`` He was referred to me by a friend who is a liberal Democrat . ''
Mackey did not respond to multiple requests for comment .
When asked if the company knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responded , `` Absolutely not . ''
By summer 2018 , Ton-That and Schwartz were working on Clearview AI and their image-scraping software had begun to take off .
The company raised funding from billionaire venture capitalist and Facebook board member Peter Thiel and other investors , and Ton-That applied to XRC Labs , a New York–based startup accelerator focused on retail technology .
Pano Anthos , the head of XRC Labs , told BuzzFeed News that Ton-That interviewed for a spot in an XRC Labs cohort , but Clearview wasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program because the company was “ focused on security.
” Ton-That confirmed to BuzzFeed News that the company applied to XRC Labs but did not go through with the program .
Still , Clearview was briefly listed on some materials associated with XRC ’ s events and presentations .
At one event , the company boasted of its “ extremely accurate facial identification.
” “ In under a second it can find a match in our database of millions of photos , ” read a now-deleted blurb about the company for a retail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ integrated in security cameras , iPhone/iPad apps , and with an API .
Unlike other facial recognition companies , Clearview AI provides a curated database of millions ( and soon billion ) of faces from the open-web.
” By the following year , the company left behind whatever aspirations it had for the retail industry and focused on relationships with law enforcement .
Ton-That set up fake LinkedIn profiles to run ads about Clearview , boasting that police officers could search over 1 billion faces in less than a second .
`` It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few ads on LinkedIn , '' Ton-That said via email .
In January , Ton-That ’ s name was listed as a speaker for the law enforcement conference ISS World North America , where he was scheduled to speak in September on panels about facial and image recognition , though his name was later removed .
When contacted this summer , an event organizer declined to comment to BuzzFeed News about Clearview ’ s involvement and noted that the event was closed to reporters .
While Clearview operated quietly with a bare-bones website @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tried to raise more than $ 10 million from venture investors .
One potential person who met with the company said they were introduced by Naval Ravikant , a Clearview backer who previously employed Ton-That at AngelList , the angel investing network that Ravikant cofounded .
The investor who took the pitch told BuzzFeed News that Clearview ’ s demos were slick , with Ton-That taking photos of people in the room and using his tool to find images of them from around the web .
And while he compared the software to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faces , Clearview ’ s CEO shied away from explaining how those images had been collected , according to the investor .
Ultimately , they did not write a check .
“ We had clear ethical concerns , ” the person said .
As Clearview has grown , it ’ s relied on dubious marketing claims to some of the largest police departments in the nation .
Last summer , during a procurement process for facial recognition technology , a law firm representing Clearview AI sent the Atlanta Police Department a flyer touting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ database ” and the “ world ’ s best facial-recognition technology.
” Claiming that the company ’ s “ mountains ” of data were its “ secret sauce , ” the document , which was obtained through a BuzzFeed News public records request , claimed that Clearview played a crucial role in the capture of a suspect in an alleged assault .
Got a tip ?
Email one of the reporters of this story at Caroline.Haskins @ buzzfeed.com or Ryan.Mac @ buzzfeed.com , or contact us here .
“ On September 24 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a man who assaulted two individuals outside a bar in Brooklyn , NY , ” read the flyer .
“ Using Clearview , the assailant was instantly identified from a large-scale , curated image database and the tip was delivered to the police , who confirmed his identity.
” While the NYPD did distribute a photo of the suspect , who eventually turned himself in , a spokesperson for the department denied that Clearview played a role in its investigation .
Similarly , Clearview did not help in an alleged groping in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subway .
In that incident , a woman took a photo of the alleged assailant , which was published in the city ’ s newspapers .
Clearview claims that it ran the picture , discovered the identity of the suspect , and “ sent the tip to the NYPD , ” after which the suspect was “ soon apprehended.
” It also claimed that police were then able “ to solve 40 cold cases ” within a matter of weeks .
In both cases , Clearview responded that it submitted the photos via @ @ @ @ @ @ @ photo as a test of our early system and sent in an official tip program with no mention of Clearview , ” Ton-That said in an email .
“ Clearview no longer conduct such tests.
” The NYPD , however , said that it “ did not use Clearview to identify the suspects in these cases.
” Similarly , the New York Daily News reported the suspect was arrested after officials received a tip from a community anti-crime group , Guardian Angels , whose founder , Curtis Sliwa , “ hand-delivered the information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ station.
” In a call with BuzzFeed News , Sliwa said his group received the tip from an acquaintance of the suspect .
As it signed deals , Clearview continued to misrepresent its relationship with the NYPD .
It used images of the suspect from the Brooklyn bar beating in an October email sent through CrimeDex , a crime alert listserv used by police across the nation .
In that email , which BuzzFeed News obtained via a public records request to the Bradenton , Florida , police department , a random man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LinkedIn page is identified as a “ possible match.
” His name , however , does not match the name of the person who turned himself in to the NYPD .
“ Clearview AI is neither designed nor intended to be used as a single-source system for establishing the identity of an individual , ” Ton-That said .
Though the company claimed to the Times and in marketing emails that it ’ s used by more than 600 police departments , it ’ s not clear how many of those are paying customers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BuzzFeed News identified 12 police department deals with Clearview , including a $ 15,000 set of subscriptions to Clearview by the New York State Police ; $ 15,000 from Broward County , Florida ; and $ 10,000 from Gainesville , Florida .
BuzzFeed News also identified other proposed contracts with the cities of Antioch , California ; Green Bay , Wisconsin ; and Davie , Florida .
When asked about these contracts , Ton-That said in an email , “ We do not discuss our clients.
” Ton-That declined to say how many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paid contracts .
Given this , it ’ s possible that most cities are on free trials , like a 30-day test that police in Tampa , Florida , recently took .
The department told the Orlando Sentinel last month that it had no plans to purchase the software .
But the publicly available results from the University of Washington ’ s MegaFace test — a widely used but criticized facial recognition benchmark — do not show Clearview , though there are listings for Tencent and Google algorithms .
When asked , Ton-That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ submitted its results to a third party , only noting that the company had reached an even higher accuracy rate of 99.6 % while testing internally .
He did not provide evidence .
A MegaFace representative told BuzzFeed News that it ’ s possible for a company like Clearview to download its dataset to test its software without submitting its results for verification .
They added that Clearview AI ’ s accuracy metric has not been validated by MegaFace .
As of Monday , Clearview ’ s website had a new FAQ section @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of experts rated Clearview 100 % accurate across all demographic groups according to the ACLU 's facial recognition accuracy methodology.
” Ton-That declined to provide details to BuzzFeed News , only noting that it included “ a top AI expert ” and “ a former Democratic NY state judge.
” Clare Garvie , a senior associate at Georgetown Law 's Center on Privacy and Technology , told BuzzFeed News it was unclear whether Clearview could do what it says it could .
“ We have no idea how good it is , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all information , all people 's faces online are currently tagged with their own identity — it 's a bit laughable.
” Garvie told BuzzFeed News that there ’ s also no single way to measure the so-called accuracy of facial recognition technology .
Accuracy , in facial recognition , is generally measured as a combination of the correct-match rate , reject rate , non-match rate , false-match rate , and the ability to detect the face in the first instance .
“ Whenever a company just lists one accuracy metric , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accuracy of their system , ” Garvie said .
“ Depending on what the system is designed to do , that may have little or no bearing on the actual accuracy of the system and operation.
” Ironically for a company that seeks to erode privacy , many key figures at Clearview have attempted to lower their public profiles .
Some began to do so long before the attention from the press .
Since Ton-That and Schwartz started Clearview , their social media and internet presences have been scrubbed .
Ton-That deleted his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's LinkedIn profile vanished and his past with Smartcheckr has been obscured across the web .
When asked about this , Ton-That said in an email , `` Regarding myself and others at the company , some choose not to maintain social media accounts because they are time consuming . ''
A search for Schwartz ’ s name plus `` Smartcheckr '' leads to results for seemingly nonsensical webpages , which include embedded YouTube videos from an account named “ Seo Sgr ” — results indicative of the use of a reputation management @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News also found a now-deleted press release referencing Schwartz and Smartcheckr , which linked to a New York Times obituary for a different Richard Schwartz .
The company declined to comment on the fake webpages and whether Schwartz had hired someone to game search engine results .
On Monday , a BuzzFeed News reporter called a number associated with Schwartz after locating his contact information in an email to a New Jersey police department obtained in a public records request .
A man picked up , denied he was Richard Schwartz , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again and got a voicemail recording that stated the number belonged to Schwartz .
Clearview employee Marko Jukic , who signed off on various emails to police departments around the country , also appears to have deleted various social media accounts , while the Facebook profile of customer representative Jessica Medeiros Garrison disappeared from public view following the Times ’ story .
Ton-That , however , is leaning into his newfound notoriety .
Before the piece , his website remained largely blank , with a photo of him holding an umbrella .
Yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Times ’ story , he changed his website — putting up a full biography that notes his work with Clearview , along with a professional picture .
Clearview was also prepared for the Times ’ story , putting new information , claims , and promotional material up on its site to replace the sparse page that had existed for at least the last six months .
At the top of its new site , a video boasted that Clearview helped capture a terrorism suspect in the New York subway .
● Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Adams contributed reporting to this story .

Clearview AI, a facial recognition company that says it’s amassed a database of billions of photos, has a fantastic selling point it offers up to police departments nationwide: It cracked a case of alleged terrorism in a New York City subway station last August in a matter of seconds. “How a Terrorism Suspect Was Instantly Identified With Clearview,” read the subject line of a November email sent to law enforcement agencies across all 50 states through a crime alert service, suggesting its technology was integral to the arrest.
It’s a compelling pitch that has helped rocket Clearview to partnerships with police departments across the country. But there’s just one problem: The New York Police Department said that Clearview played no role in the case.
As revealed to the world in a startling story in the New York Times this weekend, Clearview AI has crossed a boundary that no other tech company seemed willing to breach: building a database of what it claims to be more than 3 billion photos that can be used to identify a person in almost any situation. It’s raised fears that a much-hyped moment, when universal facial recognition could be deployed at a mass scale, is finally at hand.
But the company, founded by CEO Hoan Ton-That, has drawn a veil over itself and its operations, misrepresenting its work to police departments across the nation, hiding several key facts about its origins, and downplaying its founders' previous connections to white nationalists and the far right.
As it emerges from the shadows, Clearview is attempting to convince law enforcement that its facial recognition tool, which has been trained on photos scraped from Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other websites, is more accurate than any other on the market. However, emails, presentations, and flyers obtained by BuzzFeed News reveal that its claims to law enforcement agencies are impossible to verify — or flat-out wrong.
For example, the pitch email about its role in catching an alleged terrorist, which BuzzFeed News obtained via a public records request last month, explained that when the suspect’s photo was “searched in Clearview,” its software linked the image to an online profile with the man’s name in less than five seconds. Clearview AI’s website also takes credit in a flashy promotional video, using the incident, in which a man allegedly placed rice cookers made to look like bombs, as one example among thousands in which the company assisted law enforcement. But the NYPD says this account is not true.


buzzfeed--2020-01-23--"It's Liberating!": Senators Love Being Freed From Their Phones For Trump’s Impeachment Trial

WASHINGTON — The Senate is just in the beginning stages of its trial of President Donald Trump .
It ’ s a rare moment that is part trial , part political theater , and , apparently , part wellness retreat .
Every day , all 100 members of the Senate are required to leave their phones behind and sit silently at their desks , only able to pass notes on paper and get messages delivered to them from the outside world via high school students serving as Senate pages .
They did it for 13 hours straight on Tuesday and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ managers make their case over several more hours Wednesday , many of them said they reveled in their newfound , phone-less freedom .
“ I do joke about ‘ my precious , ’ ” Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy told reporters of being reunited with his phone when he leaves the chamber , doing a brief impression of Gollum from The Lord of the Rings .
But he said it ’ s been a relief to get away from it all .
“ Everybody ’ s calling , they ’ ve got to talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says ] , ‘ I know he wants to talk to you , he just can ’ t , ’ ” he said with a smile .
“ I love it.
” Later , with his arms spread wide , Leahy simply declared , “ It ’ s liberating !
It ’ s liberating !
” Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana reported similar relief .
“ It ’ s kind of refreshing to be honest with you , ” he said .
Kennedy has looked to keep up a wellness routine in other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has gotten underway .
When a reporter noted he had walked over to the Democratic side of the chamber earlier in the day , Kennedy responded , “ Well , you got ta stretch.
” The senator also said he is , unlike some of his colleagues , avoiding the famous Senate candy desk , where Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey keeps treats for other members .
“ I don ’ t eat that stuff , ” Kennedy said .
“ It ’ ll kill you.
” Most members of the Senate were around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the start of the 116th Congress , the average age of the Senate was 62.9 years .
( Sens .
Leahy and Kennedy are 79 and 68 , respectively . )
But even some younger members said they enjoyed the time without their devices .
Delaware Sen. Chris Coons , 56 , said his staff were very concerned about how he ’ d get through the day without his iPhone by his side , but said he wasn ’ t worried .
“ I reminded them I made it through a four-year chemistry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ iPhones were invented , so it ’ s actually a refreshing digital cleanse , ” he said .
“ I think it makes some of the folks who work for me very nervous that they can ’ t reach me immediately .
It ’ s good .
It ’ s fine , it ’ s nice to focus.
” California Sen. Kamala Harris , 55 , admitted that it has been a “ long time ” since she ’ s been away from her phone for as long as she has been during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was because she was camping .
But she said she enjoys focusing on the event without distractions .
“ If we are being very candid and honest , this is the third time in history we are looking at this kind of serious matter , the impeachment of a president , ” she said .
“ So , you know , aside from family , there probably aren ’ t many more things that are as important or as deserving of full attention as these proceedings.
” Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'll tell you , you can get used to anything , '' she said of being away from her phone .
Others have bent the rules .
At least seven of them , according to Roll Call , brought in Apple Watches Tuesday , and at least one , Sen. Mike Lee of Utah , was spotted wearing his again Wednesday .
Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey took the opportunity to make a dad joke , of course , sticking an actual apple into the cubbies where senators are keeping their phones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Instagram .
“ Cory Booker decided to rib us iPhone folks with his own real-life Apple , ” King wrote .
“ But does it stream CNN ?
” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was more serious , telling reporters Wednesday that he hopes his Republican colleagues , who he said he ’ s sure would “ rather have been somewhere else ” , would take the opportunity to really listen without distractions .
“ The wisdom of the Founding Fathers , and the structure of impeachment , forces them to sit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ and the case is amazingly compelling .
”

WASHINGTON — The Senate is just in the beginning stages of its trial of President Donald Trump. It’s a rare moment that is part trial, part political theater, and, apparently, part wellness retreat.
Every day, all 100 members of the Senate are required to leave their phones behind and sit silently at their desks, only able to pass notes on paper and get messages delivered to them from the outside world via high school students serving as Senate pages. They did it for 13 hours straight on Tuesday and as they listened to the House impeachment managers make their case over several more hours Wednesday, many of them said they reveled in their newfound, phone-less freedom.
“I do joke about ‘my precious,’” Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy told reporters of being reunited with his phone when he leaves the chamber, doing a brief impression of Gollum from The Lord of the Rings. But he said it’s been a relief to get away from it all.
“Everybody’s calling, they’ve got to talk to me, and the office [says], ‘I know he wants to talk to you, he just can’t,’” he said with a smile. “I love it.”
Later, with his arms spread wide, Leahy simply declared, “It’s liberating! It’s liberating!”
Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana reported similar relief. “It’s kind of refreshing to be honest with you,” he said.
Kennedy has looked to keep up a wellness routine in other ways, too, as the trial has gotten underway. When a reporter noted he had walked over to the Democratic side of the chamber earlier in the day, Kennedy responded, “Well, you gotta stretch.”
The senator also said he is, unlike some of his colleagues, avoiding the famous Senate candy desk, where Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey keeps treats for other members. “I don’t eat that stuff,” Kennedy said. “It’ll kill you.”
Most members of the Senate were around for many years before smartphones. At the start of the 116th Congress, the average age of the Senate was 62.9 years. (Sens. Leahy and Kennedy are 79 and 68, respectively.)
But even some younger members said they enjoyed the time without their devices. Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, 56, said his staff were very concerned about how he’d get through the day without his iPhone by his side, but said he wasn’t worried.
“I reminded them I made it through a four-year chemistry degree and a three-year law degree before iPhones were invented, so it’s actually a refreshing digital cleanse,” he said. “I think it makes some of the folks who work for me very nervous that they can’t reach me immediately. It’s good. It’s fine, it’s nice to focus.”
California Sen. Kamala Harris, 55, admitted that it has been a “long time” since she’s been away from her phone for as long as she has been during the trial, and even then, it was because she was camping. But she said she enjoys focusing on the event without distractions.
“If we are being very candid and honest, this is the third time in history we are looking at this kind of serious matter, the impeachment of a president,” she said. “So, you know, aside from family, there probably aren’t many more things that are as important or as deserving of full attention as these proceedings.”
Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii was brief. “Well, I'll tell you, you can get used to anything," she said of being away from her phone.
Others have bent the rules. At least seven of them, according to Roll Call, brought in Apple Watches Tuesday, and at least one, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, was spotted wearing his again Wednesday.
Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey took the opportunity to make a dad joke, of course, sticking an actual apple into the cubbies where senators are keeping their phones, according to Sen. Angus King’s Instagram. “Cory Booker decided to rib us iPhone folks with his own real-life Apple,” King wrote. “But does it stream CNN?”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was more serious, telling reporters Wednesday that he hopes his Republican colleagues, who he said he’s sure would “rather have been somewhere else”, would take the opportunity to really listen without distractions.
“The wisdom of the Founding Fathers, and the structure of impeachment, forces them to sit and listen,” he said, “and the case is amazingly compelling.”


buzzfeed--2020-01-23--Republicans Blocked Witnesses At The Impeachment Trial, And Now They Say There’s Nothing New

WASHINGTON — House Democrats spent Wednesday laying out the evidence , point by point , that President Donald Trump abused his office by pressuring Ukraine to launch an investigation into his political rival .
But several Republican senators dismissed the narrative as old news .
For months , Republican senators have declined to answer reporters ' questions about details of the impeachment inquiry — including multiple witnesses testifying that Trump withheld hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid unless the country publicly announced an investigation into former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter — by saying they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the Senate .
Now it is before the Senate , and some Republicans are saying there ’ s nothing new to discuss .
“ So far what Schiff has said we ’ ve heard before , ” said Indiana Sen. Mike Braun .
Braun said Trump should not have held up Ukrainian aid , but he is “ absolutely convinced it ’ s not impeachable.
” Democratic House members will spend a total of 24 hours split between Wednesday and Friday to make the case against Trump .
But Braun said what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ not any more troubling or less troubling than before ” and “ you ’ re not going to win the game by time of possession.
” But Democrats had pushed to include new information — they spent Tuesday repeatedly asking the Senate to subpoena new witnesses and documents .
Republicans voted down each request in a party line vote .
During an afternoon break Wednesday , Texas Sen. John Cornyn emerged to speak with reporters , declaring he had heard “ nothing new ” as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer hovered behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cornyn complained that the House 's case largely relied on secondhand witnesses , something many of Trump ’ s allies have argued throughout the process .
But witnesses with firsthand knowledge have been hard to come by , as the Trump administration has refused to turn over documents and allow some officials to testify .
“ What we ought to be presented is evidence by witnesses that have personal knowledge , ” he said .
Soon after Schumer departed , Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso stood in front of the crowd of reporters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t hear anything new , ” he declared .
“ Two and a half hours and nothing new.
” But Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana said he and many of colleagues were learning from the trial .
`` I think most if not all senators are hearing the case by the prosecution and the case by the defense for the first time .
They 're hearing the case by the defense for the first time because the President was not allowed to present a defense in the House , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case for the first time , '' Kennedy said .
`` If you polled in the United States Senate , nine out of 10 senators will tell you if they have not read the transcript of the proceedings in the House and the tenth senator who says he has or she has is lying . ''
`` I ’ m telling you , if you read the briefs , you will learn a lot and you will be very impressed , '' he added .
But asked whether the Democratic case was swaying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the trial is ongoing .
Democratic senators responded that if Republicans want to learn something new , they should vote to bring in witnesses .
“ I think the people who are voting against witnesses and documents that are relevant are going to find that this is really a disservice to the Senate going forward , ” Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan said Wednesday afternoon .
California Sen. Kamala Harris had a similar message for her Republican colleagues .
“ We should be concerned with having all available evidence that is relevant to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are two , ” she said .
“ There are two articles of impeachment , and any witness that is relevant to determining what happened as it relates to those two articles should be brought before us .
Period.
” A small group of Republicans — including Sens .
Susan Collins and Mitt Romney — have said they are open to hearing from witnesses but not until later in the trial .
The Washington Post reported Tuesday that some Democrats were considering a witness swap : Republicans would get Hunter Biden , Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Republicans are at odds over the idea .
Republicans are saying that any witnesses called by Democrats would have to be paired with a witness for the other side .
Braun said he thinks Joe Biden , who is currently running for the Democratic nomination for president , should be subpoenaed .
But Schumer has ruled out witness swapping and said trading Hunter Biden for someone like Bolton is “ not on the table.
” “ Republicans have the right to bring any witness they want , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

WASHINGTON — House Democrats spent Wednesday laying out the evidence, point by point, that President Donald Trump abused his office by pressuring Ukraine to launch an investigation into his political rival. But several Republican senators dismissed the narrative as old news.
For months, Republican senators have declined to answer reporters' questions about details of the impeachment inquiry — including multiple witnesses testifying that Trump withheld hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid unless the country publicly announced an investigation into former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter — by saying they were waiting for the issue to come before the Senate.
Now it is before the Senate, and some Republicans are saying there’s nothing new to discuss.
“So far what Schiff has said we’ve heard before,” said Indiana Sen. Mike Braun.
Braun said Trump should not have held up Ukrainian aid, but he is “absolutely convinced it’s not impeachable.” Democratic House members will spend a total of 24 hours split between Wednesday and Friday to make the case against Trump. But Braun said what he’s heard so far is “not any more troubling or less troubling than before” and “you’re not going to win the game by time of possession.”
But Democrats had pushed to include new information — they spent Tuesday repeatedly asking the Senate to subpoena new witnesses and documents. Republicans voted down each request in a party line vote.
During an afternoon break Wednesday, Texas Sen. John Cornyn emerged to speak with reporters, declaring he had heard “nothing new” as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer hovered behind him waiting to address the group. Cornyn complained that the House's case largely relied on secondhand witnesses, something many of Trump’s allies have argued throughout the process. But witnesses with firsthand knowledge have been hard to come by, as the Trump administration has refused to turn over documents and allow some officials to testify.
“What we ought to be presented is evidence by witnesses that have personal knowledge,” he said.
“Hear, hear!” Schumer said with a smile.
Soon after Schumer departed, Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso stood in front of the crowd of reporters. “I stayed awake, but I didn’t hear anything new,” he declared. “Two and a half hours and nothing new.”
But Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana said he and many of colleagues were learning from the trial. "I think most if not all senators are hearing the case by the prosecution and the case by the defense for the first time. They're hearing the case by the defense for the first time because the President was not allowed to present a defense in the House, but they're also hearing the prosecution's case for the first time," Kennedy said. "If you polled in the United States Senate, nine out of 10 senators will tell you if they have not read the transcript of the proceedings in the House and the tenth senator who says he has or she has is lying."
"I’m telling you, if you read the briefs, you will learn a lot and you will be very impressed," he added.
But asked whether the Democratic case was swaying him, Kennedy declined to answer while the trial is ongoing.
Democratic senators responded that if Republicans want to learn something new, they should vote to bring in witnesses.
“I think the people who are voting against witnesses and documents that are relevant are going to find that this is really a disservice to the Senate going forward,” Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan said Wednesday afternoon.
California Sen. Kamala Harris had a similar message for her Republican colleagues.
“We should be concerned with having all available evidence that is relevant to the issue before us, and there are two,” she said. “There are two articles of impeachment, and any witness that is relevant to determining what happened as it relates to those two articles should be brought before us. Period.”
A small group of Republicans — including Sens. Susan Collins and Mitt Romney — have said they are open to hearing from witnesses but not until later in the trial. The Washington Post reported Tuesday that some Democrats were considering a witness swap: Republicans would get Hunter Biden, Democrats would get John Bolton.
But Democrats and Republicans are at odds over the idea. Republicans are saying that any witnesses called by Democrats would have to be paired with a witness for the other side. Braun said he thinks Joe Biden, who is currently running for the Democratic nomination for president, should be subpoenaed.
But Schumer has ruled out witness swapping and said trading Hunter Biden for someone like Bolton is “not on the table.”
“Republicans have the right to bring any witness they want,” he said. “They haven’t wanted to.”


buzzfeed--2020-01-23--Democrats Laid Out The Timeline Of Trump's Ukraine Scandal In The Senate Impeachment Trial

The question of whether the Senate will call any witnesses in the trial will remain unanswered for the next week .
Wednesday was focused largely on the timeline of the Trump-Ukraine saga , with House Democrats presenting evidence from their own investigations that the president and his allies pressured Ukraine to benefit Trump politically .
Under the trial rules , House Democrats have 24 hours split over three days to lay out their evidence that Trump abused his power by withholding foreign aid from Ukraine in exchange for the country announcing an investigation into former vice president Joe Biden and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress in its investigation .
After that , White House lawyers will have the same amount of time to make their rebuttal .
WASHINGTON — The impeachment trial of President Donald Trump entered its second day , with House Democrats beginning three straight days of laying out their case for removing the president from office .
The Impeachment Today podcast gets you up to date with the day ’ s most important impeachment news .
Catch up on all the episodes , or subscribe on the iHeartRadio app , Apple Podcasts , Spotify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favorite shows .
Rep. Adam Schiff , the chair of the House Intelligence Committee , began the arguments Wednesday afternoon , running through the two charges against Trump and playing clips from officials who testified in the House 's investigation .
Over more than two hours of argument , Schiff emphasized a point he 's made before : If the Senate acquits Trump , it will set a bad precedent for future presidents .
`` What are we going to say to the next president ? ''
Schiff asked .
`` What are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who 's from a different party who refuses the same kind of subpoenas and the president says to you or his chief of staff says to you or her chief of staff says to you , 'Just get over it ?
I 'm not doing anything different than Donald Trump did .
Just get over it .
He asked for help in the next election , I 'm asking for help in the next election .
Just get over it .
We do this kind of thing all the time . ''
Next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a campaign by Rudy Giuliani , a lawyer working for Trump , to discredit and ( successfully ) oust Marie Yovanovitch as the US ambassador to Ukraine .
`` It is worth remembering that smearing ambassador Yovanovitch was a means to an end : removing her would allow the president 's allies the freedom to pressure Ukraine to announce their sham investigations , '' Nadler said .
House Democrats introduced new evidence last week that fills in key details of the campaign against Yovanovitch .
House Democrats wrapped for the day just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through an expedited timeline of the Ukraine saga .
He said that Democrats will focus their arguments Thursday on the law and why they believe Trump committed impeachable acts .
As senators left for the evening , Sen. Lindsey Graham , a staunch ally of Trump 's , walked by Schiff , patted him on the shoulder , and said `` good job today .
Very well spoken . ''
At the end of arguments , Democrats introduced a one-page document as evidence in the trial , but it is classified , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , it will not be made public .
The document is reportedly a letter to the House Intelligence Committee from Jennifer Williams , an assistant to Vice President Mike Pence , which Pence 's office has kept classified .
Williams previously testified in the House impeachment inquiry and was one of the aides on Trump 's July 25 call in which he asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a `` favor . ''
Williams described the call in her testimony at the time as `` unusual '' because of its focus on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of arguments came after the Senate spent 13 hours Tuesday ( and into Wednesday morning ) arguing about the rules for the trial .
Ultimately , Senate Republicans passed a rules package laying out the schedule for the trial .
They also voted down 11 Democratic amendments that would have subpoenaed witnesses and documents from the Trump administration , though that question will come up again later in the trial .
“ Anyone who watched the proceedings today , or reads about them , will see that Democrats are for a fair trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not , '' Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said as the Senate recessed just after 2 a.m. Wednesday .
He added , `` If there are no documents and witnesses , I do n't think anybody thinks an acquittal is going to have that much value . ''
Though Tuesday was supposed to be a day to debate the process , Democrats , led by Schiff came out swinging with hours of arguments laying out their case that Trump committed high crimes and misdemeanors .
White House lawyers responded by attacking the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to exert pressure on vulnerable Republicans up for reelection in 2020 by forcing them to take repeated votes against subpoenaing the Trump administration .
Trump has directed his administration not to hand over documents or testify before Congress .
“ The innocent do not act this way , ” said Schiff .
But Republicans didn ’ t budge .
All but one of the amendments was voted down along a strict 53–47 party line vote .
Sen. Susan Collins was the only Republican to vote with Democrats on any of the amendments : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more time to respond to the other 's motions .
After both sides have concluded opening arguments , which could happen as late as Tuesday , senators will have 16 hours to question the House and White House teams .
Because senators must be silent during the trial , they ’ ll have to submit their questions in writing .
Then the Senate will debate and vote on whether to call witnesses .
It will take four Republicans to side with Democrats for that vote to succeed .

Rep. Adam Schiff, the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, began the arguments Wednesday afternoon, running through the two charges against Trump and playing clips from officials who testified in the House's investigation. Over more than two hours of argument, Schiff emphasized a point he's made before: If the Senate acquits Trump, it will set a bad precedent for future presidents.
"What are we going to say to the next president?" Schiff asked. "What are we going to say to the president who's from a different party who refuses the same kind of subpoenas and the president says to you or his chief of staff says to you or her chief of staff says to you, 'Just get over it? I'm not doing anything different than Donald Trump did. Just get over it. He asked for help in the next election, I'm asking for help in the next election. Just get over it. We do this kind of thing all the time."
Next, Judiciary Committee chair Jerry Nadler focused on a campaign by Rudy Giuliani, a lawyer working for Trump, to discredit and (successfully) oust Marie Yovanovitch as the US ambassador to Ukraine. "It is worth remembering that smearing ambassador Yovanovitch was a means to an end: removing her would allow the president's allies the freedom to pressure Ukraine to announce their sham investigations," Nadler said.
House Democrats introduced new evidence last week that fills in key details of the campaign against Yovanovitch.
House Democrats wrapped for the day just before 10 p.m., with Schiff going through an expedited timeline of the Ukraine saga. He said that Democrats will focus their arguments Thursday on the law and why they believe Trump committed impeachable acts.
As senators left for the evening, Sen. Lindsey Graham, a staunch ally of Trump's, walked by Schiff, patted him on the shoulder, and said "good job today. Very well spoken."
At the end of arguments, Democrats introduced a one-page document as evidence in the trial, but it is classified, so while senators will be allowed to view it, it will not be made public. The document is reportedly a letter to the House Intelligence Committee from Jennifer Williams, an assistant to Vice President Mike Pence, which Pence's office has kept classified. Williams previously testified in the House impeachment inquiry and was one of the aides on Trump's July 25 call in which he asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a "favor." Williams described the call in her testimony at the time as "unusual" because of its focus on US domestic politics.
The first day of arguments came after the Senate spent 13 hours Tuesday (and into Wednesday morning) arguing about the rules for the trial. Ultimately, Senate Republicans passed a rules package laying out the schedule for the trial. They also voted down 11 Democratic amendments that would have subpoenaed witnesses and documents from the Trump administration, though that question will come up again later in the trial.
“Anyone who watched the proceedings today, or reads about them, will see that Democrats are for a fair trial — documents and witnesses — and Republicans are not," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said as the Senate recessed just after 2 a.m. Wednesday.
He added, "If there are no documents and witnesses, I don't think anybody thinks an acquittal is going to have that much value."
Though Tuesday was supposed to be a day to debate the process, Democrats, led by Schiff came out swinging with hours of arguments laying out their case that Trump committed high crimes and misdemeanors. White House lawyers responded by attacking the Democratic case as baseless.
Democrats tried to exert pressure on vulnerable Republicans up for reelection in 2020 by forcing them to take repeated votes against subpoenaing the Trump administration. Trump has directed his administration not to hand over documents or testify before Congress. “The innocent do not act this way,” said Schiff.
But Republicans didn’t budge. All but one of the amendments was voted down along a strict 53–47 party line vote. Sen. Susan Collins was the only Republican to vote with Democrats on any of the amendments: a measure to give the legal teams more time to respond to the other's motions.
After both sides have concluded opening arguments, which could happen as late as Tuesday, senators will have 16 hours to question the House and White House teams. Because senators must be silent during the trial, they’ll have to submit their questions in writing.
Then the Senate will debate and vote on whether to call witnesses. It will take four Republicans to side with Democrats for that vote to succeed.
Kadia Goba contributed reporting to this story.


buzzfeed--2020-01-22--Mike Pompeo Is Going To Ukraine

Mike Pompeo Is Going To Ukraine

KYIV — US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Ukraine next week , just as the Senate 's impeachment trial of Donald Trump on charges he sought to pressure Ukraine 's government into investigating Joe Biden heats up .
Three diplomatic sources with knowledge of Pompeo ’ s schedule told BuzzFeed News he will visit Kyiv next Friday , Jan. 31 .
His visit will include a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky , whose phone call with Trump is at the heart of the impeachment trial .
Pompeo 's trip will mark the first time a member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the impeachment saga began last September , when news broke that Trump had withheld military aid and a White House visit in order to pressure Zelensky to publicly announce investigations into former vice president Biden , and his son , Hunter .
Ukraine ’ s leaders will be pleased with the visit , which is meant to show that the US still stands by the country ’ s side as it continues to fight a war against an aggressive Russia in its east and against corrupt oligarchs in its capital .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upcoming visit as substantive and not simply a drop-in .
Pompeo , the sources said , is expected to also meet with top government officials , and to pay his respects to Ukraine ’ s fallen soldiers and revolutionaries at memorials in the capital .
However , some observers say the visit shows where Ukraine stands among the Trump administration ’ s priorities .
“ The timing of Pompeo ’ s visit is in keeping with the White House ’ s past behavior towards Kyiv , which has made it clear that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ priorities , ” said Katharine Quinn-Judge , a Ukraine analyst for Crisis Group .
Ivan Yakovina , a foreign policy columnist for Ukraine 's Novoye Vremya newsmagazine , said one reason for Pompeo ’ s trip could be to make sure that “ no bad surprises would come from Kyiv during the Trump Senate trial.
” “ I mean no word-to-word transcripts of the relevant phone calls or other documents will leak , ” he said .
“ If I were him I would assure the Ukrainians that they will be rewarded if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And punished if comrade Trump ’ s enemies will get some sort of help or comfort from Kyiv.
” The trip could also shine a critical light on Pompeo ’ s decision to recall former US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch , and the slow response to the possible surveillance of her by allies of President Trump .
It could also expose tensions between Pompeo and career US foreign service officers stationed in Kyiv , who ’ ve expressed their frustration with the secretary of state privately to BuzzFeed News in recent weeks @

KYIV — US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Ukraine next week, just as the Senate's impeachment trial of Donald Trump on charges he sought to pressure Ukraine's government into investigating Joe Biden heats up.
Three diplomatic sources with knowledge of Pompeo’s schedule told BuzzFeed News he will visit Kyiv next Friday, Jan. 31.
His visit will include a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose phone call with Trump is at the heart of the impeachment trial. Pompeo's trip will mark the first time a member of Trump's cabinet has met Zelensky since the impeachment saga began last September, when news broke that Trump had withheld military aid and a White House visit in order to pressure Zelensky to publicly announce investigations into former vice president Biden, and his son, Hunter.
Ukraine’s leaders will be pleased with the visit, which is meant to show that the US still stands by the country’s side as it continues to fight a war against an aggressive Russia in its east and against corrupt oligarchs in its capital.
The three diplomatic sources described Pompeo’s upcoming visit as substantive and not simply a drop-in. Pompeo, the sources said, is expected to also meet with top government officials, and to pay his respects to Ukraine’s fallen soldiers and revolutionaries at memorials in the capital.
However, some observers say the visit shows where Ukraine stands among the Trump administration’s priorities. “The timing of Pompeo’s visit is in keeping with the White House’s past behavior towards Kyiv, which has made it clear that it’s far down its list of priorities,” said Katharine Quinn-Judge, a Ukraine analyst for Crisis Group.
Ivan Yakovina, a foreign policy columnist for Ukraine's Novoye Vremya newsmagazine, said one reason for Pompeo’s trip could be to make sure that “no bad surprises would come from Kyiv during the Trump Senate trial.”
“I mean no word-to-word transcripts of the relevant phone calls or other documents will leak,” he said. “If I were him I would assure the Ukrainians that they will be rewarded if nothing unexpected happens during the trial. And punished if comrade Trump’s enemies will get some sort of help or comfort from Kyiv.”
The trip could also shine a critical light on Pompeo’s decision to recall former US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, and the slow response to the possible surveillance of her by allies of President Trump. It could also expose tensions between Pompeo and career US foreign service officers stationed in Kyiv, who’ve expressed their frustration with the secretary of state privately to BuzzFeed News in recent weeks.


buzzfeed--2020-01-23--Top Cory Booker Supporters Are Accusing Pete Buttigieg Of "Chasing Ambulances"

DES MOINES — The phone calls to Amy Nielsen came around two hours apart .
It was last Monday around 12 p.m. , not long after the news broke , when her phone lit up with his name .
By then , Nielsen considered Cory Booker “ part of [ her ] family.
” He knew her husband .
He knew her kids .
He knew her kids ’ friends .
She was the first state representative in Iowa to endorse Booker .
So the end of his campaign felt — “ and I ’ m not exaggerating , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a death.
” On the phone , Booker assured her they would stay in touch .
“ I ’ m in your life forever , ” he told her .
“ We ’ re family now.
” The next call came around 2:30 p.m. , this time from an unknown number .
Nielsen was at the capitol in Des Moines and let the call go to voicemail .
What she heard in the one-minute recording , she said in an interview this week , came as a “ gut punch.
” It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s support now that her candidate had made the decision to “ step aside.
” “ What he said was not appropriate , and calling me four hours after [ Booker dropped out ] was not appropriate , ” said Nielsen , who provided a copy of Buttigieg ’ s voicemail .
“ It was a gut punch — like , really ?
He did not ‘ step aside ’ for you , ” she said .
“ Like , wow , that ’ s some nerve right there.
” Later that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from one of Booker ’ s field organizers who said she had already been contacted by the Buttigieg campaign to go door-knock .
Nielsen , a 42-year-old Iowa Democrat who has served in the legislature since 2016 , was one of at least six top Booker endorsers who had received calls from Buttigieg the day the campaign ended .
It is not uncommon for candidates to try to win over a fallen rival ’ s supporters — Booker did the same after Sen. Kamala Harris left the race late last year — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bothered to hear from him .
But for Nielsen and at least three of Booker ’ s top backers in a state where Democrats expect a personal touch , the timing and content of the calls struck them as tactless and insensitive .
At the end of his voicemail , Buttigieg left a phone number for one of his staffers and asked Nielsen to schedule a time to talk .
“ I hope we ’ ll connect down the line , ” he told her .
“ Thanks again.
” With 11 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February , countless Iowa Democrats are facing a raw and intractable reality : the end .
In many cases , this year ’ s historically large field has lent an atypically large role to endorsers and supporters , with more space and time to grow close to the candidates .
Four years ago , Hillary Clinton had dozens of endorsers in Iowa alone .
For younger leaders in Iowa Democratic politics like Nielsen , this is their first time playing in a competitive primary as elected officials .
In Iowa , the nominating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal .
Feelings get hurt .
There is , Democrats here say , a real “ grieving period.
” When Beto O ’ Rourke dropped out of the race hours before the Liberty and Justice dinner , the premier event in presidential politics here , staffers and volunteers gathered near the event site , sobbing and hugging .
After she left the race , Harris flew to Iowa to personally thank her team .
And last weekend , five days after Booker ended the campaign , his young staff gathered at a dive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their candidate ’ s signature blue , red , and black .
A spokesperson for Buttigieg , Matt Corridoni , said the former mayor has “ a great deal of respect for Sen. Booker , the campaign he ran , and the voters who supported him and continue to support his vision.
” Sue Dvorsky , a former Iowa Democratic Party chair whose endorsement lent Harris a significant early boost in the state , warned other campaigns to back off after the California senator left the race .
Right away , Harris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dvorsky to express her outrage on Twitter .

DES MOINES — The phone calls to Amy Nielsen came around two hours apart.
It was last Monday around 12 p.m., not long after the news broke, when her phone lit up with his name. By then, Nielsen considered Cory Booker “part of [her] family.” He knew her husband. He knew her kids. He knew her kids’ friends. She was the first state representative in Iowa to endorse Booker. So the end of his campaign felt — “and I’m not exaggerating,” she said this week — like “a death.” On the phone, Booker assured her they would stay in touch. “I’m in your life forever,” he told her. “We’re family now.”
The next call came around 2:30 p.m., this time from an unknown number. Nielsen was at the capitol in Des Moines and let the call go to voicemail. What she heard in the one-minute recording, she said in an interview this week, came as a “gut punch.”
It was Pete Buttigieg, calling to seek Nielsen’s support now that her candidate had made the decision to “step aside.”
“What he said was not appropriate, and calling me four hours after [Booker dropped out] was not appropriate,” said Nielsen, who provided a copy of Buttigieg’s voicemail.
“It was a gut punch — like, really? He did not ‘step aside’ for you,” she said. “Like, wow, that’s some nerve right there.”
Later that night, she said, Nielsen heard from one of Booker’s field organizers who said she had already been contacted by the Buttigieg campaign to go door-knock.
Nielsen, a 42-year-old Iowa Democrat who has served in the legislature since 2016, was one of at least six top Booker endorsers who had received calls from Buttigieg the day the campaign ended. It is not uncommon for candidates to try to win over a fallen rival’s supporters — Booker did the same after Sen. Kamala Harris left the race late last year — and some endorsers said they weren’t bothered to hear from him. But for Nielsen and at least three of Booker’s top backers in a state where Democrats expect a personal touch, the timing and content of the calls struck them as tactless and insensitive.
At the end of his voicemail, Buttigieg left a phone number for one of his staffers and asked Nielsen to schedule a time to talk. “I hope we’ll connect down the line,” he told her. “Thanks again.”
With 11 days until the nominating process begins here in February, countless Iowa Democrats are facing a raw and intractable reality: the end. In many cases, this year’s historically large field has lent an atypically large role to endorsers and supporters, with more space and time to grow close to the candidates. Four years ago, Hillary Clinton had dozens of endorsers in Iowa alone. For younger leaders in Iowa Democratic politics like Nielsen, this is their first time playing in a competitive primary as elected officials.
In Iowa, the nominating process is as close as it is personal. Feelings get hurt. There is, Democrats here say, a real “grieving period.”
When Beto O’Rourke dropped out of the race hours before the Liberty and Justice dinner, the premier event in presidential politics here, staffers and volunteers gathered near the event site, sobbing and hugging. After she left the race, Harris flew to Iowa to personally thank her team. And last weekend, five days after Booker ended the campaign, his young staff gathered at a dive bar in Des Moines, still dressed in their candidate’s signature blue, red, and black.
A spokesperson for Buttigieg, Matt Corridoni, said the former mayor has “a great deal of respect for Sen. Booker, the campaign he ran, and the voters who supported him and continue to support his vision.”
Sue Dvorsky, a former Iowa Democratic Party chair whose endorsement lent Harris a significant early boost in the state, warned other campaigns to back off after the California senator left the race. Right away, Harris organizers heard from rival staffers, driving Dvorsky to express her outrage on Twitter.


buzzfeed--2020-01-23--A Law Required The US’s Top Intelligence Official To Turn Over A Report On Jamal Khashoggi’s Killing

A Law Required The US’s Top Intelligence Official To Turn Over A Report On Jamal Khashoggi’s Killing. He Blew The Deadline.

WASHINGTON — The country ’ s top intelligence official has failed to turn over to Congress a report on the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi , sources said , flouting a law passed last month .
In December , lawmakers passed a sweeping defense bill that included a provision ordering the director of national intelligence to send Congress an unclassified report identifying those responsible for Khashoggi ’ s death at a Saudi Arabian consulate in 2018 .
The legislation set the deadline for the report at 30 days , which passed earlier this week .
Though the CIA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mohammed bin Salman ordered Khashoggi ’ s killing at the consulate in Istanbul , Turkey , Saudi officials have denied his involvement — something President Donald Trump seemed willing to believe .
The unclassified report , if Congress receives and releases it , could provide the administration ’ s first public acknowledgment of the crown prince ’ s role , or that of other Saudi officials , in Khashoggi ’ s brutal death .
The provision requiring the report was contained in the larger National Defence Authorization Act that Trump signed into law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill required Joseph Maguire , the acting director of national intelligence , to provide the report to four congressional committees : the House Foreign Affairs and Intelligence committees , and the Senate Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees .
The delay has already resulted in an inquiry from the office of Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden , an Intelligence Committee member who pushed for the provision to be included in the legislation .
“ Our office has asked ODNI about the status of that information and has not received a response , ” Keith Chu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BuzzFeed News .
“ Every case is different , ” Chu said when asked whether it ’ s normal for the executive branch to miss a deadline like this .
“ However if the [ Intelligence Community ] isn ’ t going to comply with the law , Congress needs an explanation.
” A second source close to the committee confirmed that it has yet to receive an explanation as to why the report is late .
The source , speaking on background , added that it ’ s not uncommon for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s too soon to say whether the Office of the Director of National Intelligence simply needs more time or is withholding the report for nefarious reasons .
The House Intelligence Committee hasn ’ t received the report yet either “ and is following up with the IC to ensure its delivery soon , ” a committee official said .
A spokesperson for the ODNI declined to answer questions about the report on Wednesday , saying only : “ As with all requests that come from Congress , we continue to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to respond .
”

WASHINGTON — The country’s top intelligence official has failed to turn over to Congress a report on the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, sources said, flouting a law passed last month.
In December, lawmakers passed a sweeping defense bill that included a provision ordering the director of national intelligence to send Congress an unclassified report identifying those responsible for Khashoggi’s death at a Saudi Arabian consulate in 2018. The legislation set the deadline for the report at 30 days, which passed earlier this week.
Though the CIA has reportedly concluded that Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered Khashoggi’s killing at the consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, Saudi officials have denied his involvement — something President Donald Trump seemed willing to believe. The unclassified report, if Congress receives and releases it, could provide the administration’s first public acknowledgment of the crown prince’s role, or that of other Saudi officials, in Khashoggi’s brutal death.
The provision requiring the report was contained in the larger National Defence Authorization Act that Trump signed into law on Dec. 20, 2019. The bill required Joseph Maguire, the acting director of national intelligence, to provide the report to four congressional committees: the House Foreign Affairs and Intelligence committees, and the Senate Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees.
The delay has already resulted in an inquiry from the office of Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, an Intelligence Committee member who pushed for the provision to be included in the legislation. “Our office has asked ODNI about the status of that information and has not received a response,” Keith Chu, a spokesperson for Wyden, told BuzzFeed News.
“Every case is different,” Chu said when asked whether it’s normal for the executive branch to miss a deadline like this. “However if the [Intelligence Community] isn’t going to comply with the law, Congress needs an explanation.”
A second source close to the committee confirmed that it has yet to receive an explanation as to why the report is late. The source, speaking on background, added that it’s not uncommon for the executive branch to miss deadlines and that it’s too soon to say whether the Office of the Director of National Intelligence simply needs more time or is withholding the report for nefarious reasons.
The House Intelligence Committee hasn’t received the report yet either “and is following up with the IC to ensure its delivery soon,” a committee official said.
A spokesperson for the ODNI declined to answer questions about the report on Wednesday, saying only: “As with all requests that come from Congress, we continue to work with them, with our oversight committees to respond.”


buzzfeed--2020-01-23--Watch Live: Democrats Are Accusing Trump Of Violating The Constitution In Day Three Of The Impeachme

Watch Live: Democrats Are Accusing Trump Of Violating The Constitution In Day Three Of The Impeachment Trial

On Thursday , House Democrats plan to focus on how they think Trump ’ s conduct violated the law .
WASHINGTON — Senators will hear more opening arguments from House Democrats on Thursday as the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump enters its third day .
On Wednesday , House Democrats laid out a timeline events to support the two articles of impeachment against Trump : abuse of power and obstruction of Congress .
Each of the seven impeachment managers covered a detail from their investigation into Trump ’ s decision to withhold military aid to Ukraine in exchange for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden and his family .
Rep. Adam Schiff , chair of the House Intelligence Committee , said that Thursday ’ s arguments will focus on applying the Constitution to the president ’ s actions , focusing on the abuse of power charge , further bolstering Democrats ’ impeachment case .
The Impeachment Today podcast gets you up to date with the day ’ s most important impeachment news .
Catch up on all the episodes , or subscribe on the iHeartRadio app , Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or wherever you listen to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will go through the law , the Constitution , and the facts as they apply to article one , ” Schiff said Wednesday night .
“ We ’ ve introduced the case , we ’ ve gone through the chronology , and tomorrow we will apply the facts to the law as it pertains to the president ’ s abuse of power , ” Schiff said .
House Judiciary Committee chair Jerry Nadler kicked off the arguments on Thursday , making the case that Trump has committed `` high crimes and misdemeanors '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Constitution .
Republicans have argued that because Democrats did n't charge Trump with a crime — a violation of the criminal code — he should not have been impeached and should not be removed from office .
But Nadler countered that the founders specified `` high crimes '' as opposed to just `` crimes '' in writing the impeachment section of the Constitution , calling it `` a deliberate choice . ''
He then quoted Alexander Hamilton , saying that `` impeachable offenses are defined fundamentally by 'the abuse or violation of some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ played a clip of Sen. Lindsey Graham , one of the president 's top allies in the Senate , who served as an impeachment manager in former president Bill Clinton 's trial .
“ What 's a high crime ?
How about if an important person hurt somebody of low means ? ''
Graham said at the time .
`` It 's not very scholarly , but I think it 's the truth .
I think that 's what they meant by high crimes — does n't even have to be a crime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using your office and you 're acting in a way that hurts people , you 've committed a high crime . ''
Graham was reportedly not in the Senate chamber when the clip was played .
According to Senate impeachment rules , the prosecutors and defense attorneys have 24 hours to make their case over the span of three days , leaving Thursday and Friday open to House managers to summarize their case .
The president ’ s defense team will begin its opening arguments Saturday .
On Wednesday , Schiff led the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went as far back as 2016 when Trump , then a presidential candidate , called on Russia to hack his political rival , Hillary Clinton .
Republicans are saying there ’ s nothing new , but that ’ s because they voted against subpoenaing documents and witnesses .
Senators , per the rules of the trial , sat quietly while listening to the testimony .
During Rep. Hakeem Jeffries ’ testimony , a protester burst into the public gallery but was swiftly constrained and removed by Capitol Police .
No other protesters have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will vote on whether to hear witnesses and admit new documents after both sides have finished opening statements .
Chief Justice John Roberts adjourned Wednesday a little after 9:30 p.m. to applause from senators listening to testimony for nearly nine hours .
Thursday is likely to go just as late .
“ I ’ ll listen to what they ’ ve got to say tomorrow , ” Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski told reporters when she was leaving the building .
“ It ’ s like sitting in front of the class or sitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You ’ ve got to pay attention.
” This is a developing story .
Check back for updates and follow BuzzFeed News on Twitter.

Throughout the day, Democrats showed news clips of Trump and his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, as well as witnesses in the House investigation testifying that Trump withheld the aid from Ukraine in exchange for the investigations he requested to help him in the 2020 election. Schiff also read portions of the White House's record of Trump's July 25 call in which he asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a "favor" and to help "look into" Biden.
Toward the end of arguments Thursday night, Schiff addressed a question he said that senators may have, "OK, he is guilty. Does he really need to be removed?" Schiff said that while there's little dispute about the facts of the case, some Republicans may feel that the next election is coming up and that voters should get to decide.
"This is why he needs to be removed," Schiff said. "Donald Trump chose Rudy Giuliani over his own intelligence agencies. He chose Rudy Giuliani over his own FBI director, Rudy Giuliani over his own national security advisers. When all of them are telling him the Ukraine 2016 stuff is crazy Russia propaganda, he chose not to believe them he chose to believe Rudy Giuliani. That makes him dangerous to us, to our country."
According to Senate impeachment rules, the prosecutors and defense attorneys have 24 hours to make their case over the span of three days, leaving Friday for House managers to finish summarizing their case. The president’s defense team will begin its opening arguments Saturday. (The Senate will take Sunday off and return to the trial on Monday.)
On Wednesday, Schiff led the opening arguments. The Democrat from California went as far back as 2016 when Trump, then a presidential candidate, called on Russia to hack his political rival, Hillary Clinton. Republicans are saying there’s nothing new, but that’s because they voted against subpoenaing documents and witnesses.
Senators, per the rules of the trial, sat quietly while listening to the testimony. During Rep. Hakeem Jeffries’ testimony, a protester burst into the public gallery but was swiftly constrained and removed by Capitol Police. No other protesters have interrupted the proceedings so far.
Senators will vote on whether to hear witnesses and admit new documents after both sides have finished opening statements.
Chief Justice John Roberts adjourned Wednesday a little after 9:30 p.m. to applause from senators listening to testimony for nearly nine hours. Thursday is likely to go just as late.
“I’ll listen to what they’ve got to say tomorrow,” Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski told reporters when she was leaving the building. “It’s like sitting in front of the class or sitting in the front pew at church. You’ve got to pay attention.”


buzzfeed--2020-01-23--Iowa Moderates Think Amy Klobuchar Can Survive Being Away For Trump’s Impeachment Trial

OSAGE , Iowa — Amy Klobuchar ’ s presidential prospects evaporated into the Midwest fog once President Donald Trump 's impeachment trial forced the Minnesota senator off the campaign trail and back to Washington .
Or so the conventional wisdom goes .
Her mandatory obligations as a juror came at the worst possible time — in the closing weeks before the Iowa caucuses .
Klobuchar allies had been preparing for a big final push that could catapult her past at least one of the four frontrunners and reset the Democratic race .
They had the makings : more curious and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events .
A couple of polls showing her rising to double digits ( but others showing less movement ) .
Another strong debate performance .
Endorsements from the Quad-City Times in eastern Iowa and the New York Times , the latter split with Elizabeth Warren in a super-hyped decision that was televised nationally .
And then she had to go back to her full-time day job .
But conversations this week with a dozen Iowa voters — many of them moderates who have ranked Klobuchar somewhere among their top three as they decide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unavoidable absence might not kill her chances after all .
“ I ’ m not sure she ’ ll win , ” Tim Ott , a restaurant worker leaning toward the more liberal Bernie Sanders but still considering Klobuchar , said Wednesday as he waited for former vice president Joe Biden to speak at a veterans hall in Osage .
“ But she ’ ll outperform people ’ s expectations.
” Ott and others told BuzzFeed News that Klobuchar made a big enough impression in the time she spent here — including the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s 99 counties — to remain in the mix as the caucus nears .
Reality nevertheless undercuts such observations : All these likely caucusgoers rendered their opinions at events for Biden and Pete Buttigieg , the two moderates who have consistently outpolled Klobuchar in Iowa and will have more opportunities to sway last-minute deciders in person .
But the interest in Klobuchar remains undeniably high .
“ You ’ ve always been at the top of my list , ” one woman told Biden during his town hall forum Wednesday in Mason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whittling my list down and still undecided .
You could clinch the deal with a Biden–Klobuchar nomination .
Or at least a female vice president on the ticket.
” The audience of about 100 people , including Robert Overby , an unemployed shuttle van driver , clapped enthusiastically .
“ I liked the question about him maybe picking Amy for vice president because I ’ ve been thinking that way for the past couple months , ” Overby , who has been volunteering for Biden ’ s campaign in Mason City and plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an interview .
“ Another moderate from this part of the country .
She ’ s been around enough for people to get to know her.
” Several voters made a similar point about Sanders and Warren , her Senate colleagues , describing their departures from day-to-day campaigning as excusable absences .
“ Anybody who has followed any of this and has something other than a fourth-grade brain knows exactly what 's going on , and they know the job of the senators is extraordinarily important , ” Ann Fisher , a retired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ narrowed to Biden , Buttigieg , and Klobuchar , said as she waited to hear Biden in Mason City .
“ It ’ s OK , ” Fisher added of the senators .
“ They ’ ll be fine.
” Tuesday night at a Buttigieg event in Cedar Rapids , several voters insisted they already know enough about the candidates , even if they are just now deciding who to support .
“ I think it ’ s great that they ’ re attending to their duties , ” said Deann Zenor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Biden .
“ I think we ’ ve seen so much from them , and we know where we can go and get more information if we need it.
” “ They ’ ve been here so long , ” concurred Dan Wilson , who turned in Buttigieg ’ s favor after hearing him in Cedar Rapids .
( Wilson , who works for a networking communications company , then blanked on John Delaney , a low-polling former member of Congress .
“ What ’ s-his-name has been here for two years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name.
” ) Biden and Buttigieg , the former mayor of South Bend , Indiana , are the only upper-tier candidates able to keep a consistent Iowa schedule during the impeachment trial .
Both packed in events between Monday afternoon and Wednesday before leaving the state : Biden had meetings with advisers before going to New Hampshire , while Buttigieg had a fundraiser and a US Conference of Mayors speech , both in DC , followed by campaign events in South Carolina .
And both candidates framed their closing arguments to Iowa voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in different ways .
As he ’ s done for months , Biden is emphasizing how the charges against Trump stem from the president ’ s request that the Ukrainian government seek information on him and his son Hunter .
It ’ s Biden , the former vice president and his allies argue , who most frightens Trump as a general election opponent .
His daytime crowds on Wednesday were on the smaller side ; in Osage , they included a man who had driven from Arizona to see candidates campaign in Iowa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked Biden during the town hall Q & A if he would consider a deal for him and his son to testify in the impeachment trial in exchange for testimony from Trump administration officials .
“ We ’ re not going to turn it into a farce or to some kind of political theater , ” Biden replied , rejecting the suggestion .
“ They ’ re trying to do that .
I want no part of that.
” Buttigieg , meanwhile , is positioning himself as the candidate least tied to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to this process as somebody who has experienced politics not as a show — not as an arena to see who got the best zinger off in a debate , or who won the argument on cable — but [ by ] knowing how politics affects our everyday lives , how the decisions that are made in those big white buildings in Washington find their way into our workplaces , into our homes , into our marriages , ” Buttigieg told the crowd of about 1,200 people in Cedar Rapids .
Klobuchar is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and allies from neighboring Minnesota , to carry her closing message on the days she can be in Iowa herself .
And her campaign held a telephone town hall that Iowans dialed into after Wednesday ’ s impeachment business ended .
More than 12,000 people participated , a spokesperson said .
Even so , not everyone is confident the impeachment absences won ’ t hurt .
“ I think it ’ s going to be a challenge for her , ” Kurt Meyer , the Democratic chair in Mitchell County , which includes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News .
Meyer , who has not endorsed a candidate but plans to soon , added that Klobuchar is familiar to voters in the northern part of the state who are part of the Rochester , Minnesota , media market .
“ That ’ s going to probably help her locally , ” Meyer said .
“ She ’ s got great people , great surrogates .
But a surrogate can probably only leave the seat warm .
”

OSAGE, Iowa — Amy Klobuchar’s presidential prospects evaporated into the Midwest fog once President Donald Trump's impeachment trial forced the Minnesota senator off the campaign trail and back to Washington. Or so the conventional wisdom goes.
Her mandatory obligations as a juror came at the worst possible time — in the closing weeks before the Iowa caucuses. Klobuchar allies had been preparing for a big final push that could catapult her past at least one of the four frontrunners and reset the Democratic race.
They had the makings: more curious and undecided moderate voters showing up at her events. A couple of polls showing her rising to double digits (but others showing less movement). Another strong debate performance. Endorsements from the Quad-City Times in eastern Iowa and the New York Times, the latter split with Elizabeth Warren in a super-hyped decision that was televised nationally.
And then she had to go back to her full-time day job.
But conversations this week with a dozen Iowa voters — many of them moderates who have ranked Klobuchar somewhere among their top three as they decide among the many candidates — suggest her unavoidable absence might not kill her chances after all.
“I’m not sure she’ll win,” Tim Ott, a restaurant worker leaning toward the more liberal Bernie Sanders but still considering Klobuchar, said Wednesday as he waited for former vice president Joe Biden to speak at a veterans hall in Osage. “But she’ll outperform people’s expectations.”
Ott and others told BuzzFeed News that Klobuchar made a big enough impression in the time she spent here — including the endearing feat of visiting all of Iowa’s 99 counties — to remain in the mix as the caucus nears. Reality nevertheless undercuts such observations: All these likely caucusgoers rendered their opinions at events for Biden and Pete Buttigieg, the two moderates who have consistently outpolled Klobuchar in Iowa and will have more opportunities to sway last-minute deciders in person. But the interest in Klobuchar remains undeniably high.
“You’ve always been at the top of my list,” one woman told Biden during his town hall forum Wednesday in Mason City. “But I’m whittling my list down and still undecided. You could clinch the deal with a Biden–Klobuchar nomination. Or at least a female vice president on the ticket.”
The audience of about 100 people, including Robert Overby, an unemployed shuttle van driver, clapped enthusiastically.
“I liked the question about him maybe picking Amy for vice president because I’ve been thinking that way for the past couple months,” Overby, who has been volunteering for Biden’s campaign in Mason City and plans to support him, said afterward in an interview. “Another moderate from this part of the country. She’s been around enough for people to get to know her.”
Several voters made a similar point about Sanders and Warren, her Senate colleagues, describing their departures from day-to-day campaigning as excusable absences.
“Anybody who has followed any of this and has something other than a fourth-grade brain knows exactly what's going on, and they know the job of the senators is extraordinarily important,” Ann Fisher, a retired community college worker who has her choices narrowed to Biden, Buttigieg, and Klobuchar, said as she waited to hear Biden in Mason City.
“It’s OK,” Fisher added of the senators. “They’ll be fine.”
Tuesday night at a Buttigieg event in Cedar Rapids, several voters insisted they already know enough about the candidates, even if they are just now deciding who to support.
“I think it’s great that they’re attending to their duties,” said Deann Zenor, a retired accountant who plans to caucus for Biden. “I think we’ve seen so much from them, and we know where we can go and get more information if we need it.”
“They’ve been here so long,” concurred Dan Wilson, who turned in Buttigieg’s favor after hearing him in Cedar Rapids. (Wilson, who works for a networking communications company, then blanked on John Delaney, a low-polling former member of Congress. “What’s-his-name has been here for two years. I can’t remember his name.”)
Biden and Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, are the only upper-tier candidates able to keep a consistent Iowa schedule during the impeachment trial. Both packed in events between Monday afternoon and Wednesday before leaving the state: Biden had meetings with advisers before going to New Hampshire, while Buttigieg had a fundraiser and a US Conference of Mayors speech, both in DC, followed by campaign events in South Carolina. And both candidates framed their closing arguments to Iowa voters around Trump’s impeachment, but in different ways.
As he’s done for months, Biden is emphasizing how the charges against Trump stem from the president’s request that the Ukrainian government seek information on him and his son Hunter. It’s Biden, the former vice president and his allies argue, who most frightens Trump as a general election opponent.
His daytime crowds on Wednesday were on the smaller side; in Osage, they included a man who had driven from Arizona to see candidates campaign in Iowa. The man, Stephen Delgado, asked Biden during the town hall Q&A if he would consider a deal for him and his son to testify in the impeachment trial in exchange for testimony from Trump administration officials.
“We’re not going to turn it into a farce or to some kind of political theater,” Biden replied, rejecting the suggestion. “They’re trying to do that. I want no part of that.”
Buttigieg, meanwhile, is positioning himself as the candidate least tied to the Washington drama.
“I have come to this process as somebody who has experienced politics not as a show — not as an arena to see who got the best zinger off in a debate, or who won the argument on cable — but [by] knowing how politics affects our everyday lives, how the decisions that are made in those big white buildings in Washington find their way into our workplaces, into our homes, into our marriages,” Buttigieg told the crowd of about 1,200 people in Cedar Rapids.
Klobuchar is relying on surrogates, including her daughter and allies from neighboring Minnesota, to carry her closing message on the days she can be in Iowa herself. And her campaign held a telephone town hall that Iowans dialed into after Wednesday’s impeachment business ended. More than 12,000 people participated, a spokesperson said.
Even so, not everyone is confident the impeachment absences won’t hurt.
“I think it’s going to be a challenge for her,” Kurt Meyer, the Democratic chair in Mitchell County, which includes Osage and borders Minnesota, told BuzzFeed News.
Meyer, who has not endorsed a candidate but plans to soon, added that Klobuchar is familiar to voters in the northern part of the state who are part of the Rochester, Minnesota, media market.
“That’s going to probably help her locally,” Meyer said. “She’s got great people, great surrogates. But a surrogate can probably only leave the seat warm.”