rawstory--2020-01-14--Fashionistas grit their teeth and take the bus in strike-hit Paris

Paris men ’ s fashion week began Tuesday with the French capital in a grip of a 41-day transport strike that has already led to the cancellation of one show .
The men ’ s collections dovetail into the elite haute couture shows next week , with the French label Christophe Josse so hit by the chaos that it was forced to bow out .
“ We found ourselves unable to present our collection , ” the label said , because of the delays which strikes caused with their suppliers .
As the elaborate haute couture creations are all made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and around Paris , the brand said it had no choice but to pull its show .
The US label RR 331 had earlier given up its highly-coveted haute couture slot , although they denied that the French strikes had anything to do with their decision , saying “ we will be back in Paris in July ” .
With many models and fashionistas criss-crossing Paris several times a day by taxi or metro in normal circumstances , the French fashion federation has doubled the number of buses it is laying on between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 12 shows a day in the official line-up and many more outside it , the gridlock on the city ’ s streets is likely to be highly disruptive .
A top stylist , who declined to be named , told AFP that the strikes were causing havoc in a industry where last-minute changes mean teams sometimes work around the clock to have clothes ready for the runway .
“ Getting around has become a nightmare .
It is taking people an hour or more extra to get to work and crossing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a trial of patience .
It all adds to what is even in the best of times an extremely stressful situation , ” she added .
Some of the temporary staff she hired for fashion weeks — often from Italy , Spain and Belgium — were reluctant to travel to the French capital to work given the rail disruption , she added .
There were signs , however , Tuesday that the record-breaking strike over pension reforms may finally be easing .
And despite the industrial action , Paris still dominates the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men ’ s runway shows dwarfing Brexit-hit London , Milan and New York .
Men ’ s fashion week kicks off Tuesday evening with the edgy Chinese label Sankuanz and punky New York newcomers Rhude .
But the frenzied merry-go-round of shows and presentations begins in earnest Wednesday with big-hitters like JW Anderson , Raf Simons , Valentino and the hyperactive American Virgil Abloh .
He will stage his own Off-White show 24 hours before he unveils his collection for Louis Vuitton , which he also designs .
With his millions of followers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s social media war by sharing images of a Louis Vuitton clock that ticks backward in a countdown to his show which he has sent out as an invitation to the event .
He described it as a “ literal piece of time ” and fashionistas are already calling it a collector ’ s item .
“ The clock is rewired to spin backwards , ” he said .
“ There ’ s a metaphor in that , but also , as they say , ‘ A broke clock is right twice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as his two fashion shows , the architect-turned-artist-turned-designer is also opening his latest art/furniture show at the Kreo gallery in the French capital .

Paris men's fashion week began Tuesday with the French capital in a grip of a 41-day transport strike that has already led to the cancellation of one show.
The men's collections dovetail into the elite haute couture shows next week, with the French label Christophe Josse so hit by the chaos that it was forced to bow out.
"We found ourselves unable to present our collection," the label said, because of the delays which strikes caused with their suppliers.
As the elaborate haute couture creations are all made laboriously by hand in small workshops in and around Paris, the brand said it had no choice but to pull its show.
The US label RR 331 had earlier given up its highly-coveted haute couture slot, although they denied that the French strikes had anything to do with their decision, saying "we will be back in Paris in July".
With many models and fashionistas criss-crossing Paris several times a day by taxi or metro in normal circumstances, the French fashion federation has doubled the number of buses it is laying on between shows.
Even so, with up to 12 shows a day in the official line-up and many more outside it, the gridlock on the city's streets is likely to be highly disruptive.
- 'It's a nightmare' -
A top stylist, who declined to be named, told AFP that the strikes were causing havoc in a industry where last-minute changes mean teams sometimes work around the clock to have clothes ready for the runway.
"Getting around has become a nightmare. It is taking people an hour or more extra to get to work and crossing the city at certain times of the day is a trial of patience. It all adds to what is even in the best of times an extremely stressful situation," she added.
Some of the temporary staff she hired for fashion weeks -- often from Italy, Spain and Belgium -- were reluctant to travel to the French capital to work given the rail disruption, she added.
There were signs, however, Tuesday that the record-breaking strike over pension reforms may finally be easing.
And despite the industrial action, Paris still dominates the fashion landscape, with the 53 official men's runway shows dwarfing Brexit-hit London, Milan and New York.
Men's fashion week kicks off Tuesday evening with the edgy Chinese label Sankuanz and punky New York newcomers Rhude.
- Vuitton backwards clock -
But the frenzied merry-go-round of shows and presentations begins in earnest Wednesday with big-hitters like JW Anderson, Raf Simons, Valentino and the hyperactive American Virgil Abloh.
He will stage his own Off-White show 24 hours before he unveils his collection for Louis Vuitton, which he also designs.
With his millions of followers, Abloh has already won the week's social media war by sharing images of a Louis Vuitton clock that ticks backward in a countdown to his show which he has sent out as an invitation to the event.
He described it as a "literal piece of time" and fashionistas are already calling it a collector's item.
"The clock is rewired to spin backwards," he said. "There's a metaphor in that, but also, as they say, 'A broke clock is right twice a day'."
As well as his two fashion shows, the architect-turned-artist-turned-designer is also opening his latest art/furniture show at the Kreo gallery in the French capital.
© 2020 AFP


rawstory--2020-01-14--Fox News hosts slam each other as impeachment goes to Senate: ‘Stop pretending it’s a good thing’

Hosts of the Fox News program Outnumbered disagreed on Tuesday about whether President Donald Trump ’ s upcoming Senate impeachment trial is a “ good thing.
” The dispute between hosts Jessica Tarlov and Brian Kilmeade occurred after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) announced that articles of impeachment would soon be transmitted to the Senate .
“ I think Nancy Pelosi was feeling a little bit of pressure here that we do get to the trial point , ” Tarlov explained .
“ Their caucus was split on whether or not to wait those couple of weeks.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Senate — including former National Security Adviser John Bolton — would be favorable to the president .
“ You talk about what ’ s good for Democrats , what ’ s good for Republicans , ” Kilmeade said , “ you know what ’ s good for the country ?
To turn the page .
You can say Bill Clinton is impeached for life , you can say Donald Trump is impeached for life .
When I think of Bill Clinton , I don ’ t think of impeachment.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the time he [ left office ] , ” Kilmeade argued .
“ He was re-elected twice.
” “ No !
” Kilmeade replied .
“ John Bolton could testify and I would say to Democrats , don ’ t wish for it too much because he has a super PAC and he ’ s got a book .
Do you think that he has any future in blowing up this president when Donald Trump is the most powerful Republican figure in the country ?
” Watch the video below from Fox @ @

Hosts of the Fox News program Outnumbered disagreed on Tuesday about whether President Donald Trump's upcoming Senate impeachment trial is a "good thing."
The dispute between hosts Jessica Tarlov and Brian Kilmeade occurred after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced that articles of impeachment would soon be transmitted to the Senate.
"I think Nancy Pelosi was feeling a little bit of pressure here that we do get to the trial point," Tarlov explained. "Their caucus was split on whether or not to wait those couple of weeks."
Co-host Brian Kilmeade suggested that witnesses called by the Senate -- including former National Security Adviser John Bolton -- would be favorable to the president.
"You talk about what's good for Democrats, what's good for Republicans," Kilmeade said, "you know what's good for the country? To turn the page. You can say Bill Clinton is impeached for life, you can say Donald Trump is impeached for life. When I think of Bill Clinton, I don't think of impeachment."
"I bet he does," co-host Harris Faulkner volunteered.
"He had a 65 percent approval rating by the time he [left office]," Kilmeade argued. "He was re-elected twice."
"Stop pretending it's a good thing that Donald Trump got impeached," Tarlov interrupted.
"No!" Kilmeade replied. "John Bolton could testify and I would say to Democrats, don't wish for it too much because he has a super PAC and he's got a book. Do you think that he has any future in blowing up this president when Donald Trump is the most powerful Republican figure in the country?"
Watch the video below from Fox News.


rawstory--2020-01-14--Bolsonaro calls Oscar-nominated Brazil political film ‘rubbish’

Brazil ’ s President Jair Bolsonaro on Tuesday dismissed an Oscar-nominated Netflix documentary about the 2016 impeachment of leftist ex-leader @ @ @ @ @ ” The film , which exposes the deep political divisions in Latin America ’ s @ @ @ @ @ shortlisted alongside “ American Factory , ” “ The Cave , ” “ For Sama @ @ @ @ @ for the best documentary prize .
“ Am I going to waste time on rubbish @ @ @ @ @ far-right leader told journalists in the capital Brasilia when asked if he had watched “ @ @ @ @ @ by director Petra Costa .
“ Fiction … for those who like what vultures eat @ @ @ @ @ good film.
” The film follows the rise and fall of left-wing icon Luiz Inacio @ @ @ @ @ impeachment of his successor Rousseff .
Their political ups and downs paved the way for @ @ @ @ @ victory , which ended decades of leftist rule in the country .
While various Brazilian-made @ @ @ @ @ for Oscars , none have won a golden statue .

After announcing the names of those who are being indicted, she also listed off the premise of her indictment of the 19 individuals and 41 counts.
"Specifically, the participants in association took various actions in Georgia and elsewhere to block the counting of the votes of the presidential electors who were certified as the winners of Georgia's 2020 general election. As you examine the indictment, you will see acts that are identified as overacts and those are that are identified as predicate acts, sometimes called acts of racketeering activity," she explained. "Over acts are not necessarily crimes under Georgia law in isolation but are alleged to be acts taken in furtherance of the conspiracy."
She went on to say that many occurred in Georgia, while some happened in other places, but are included because they are part of the effort to overthrow the 2020 election results in Georgia.
"The acts identified as predicate acts or acts of racketeering activity are crimes that are alleged to have been committed in furtherance of the criminal enterprise," Willis explained. "Acts of racketeering activity are also charged as separate counts in the indictment against those who are alleged to have committed them. All elections in our nations are administered by the states which are given the responsibility of ensuring a fair process and an accurate counting of the votes. That includes elections for presidential electors, congress, state officials and local offices. The state's role in this process is essential to the functioning of our democracy. Georgia, like every state, has laws that will allow those who believe the results of an election are wrong, whether because of intentional wrongdoing or unintentional error, to challenge those results in our state courts. The indictment alleges that rather than abide by Georgia's legal process for election challenges, the defendants engaged in a criminal racketeering enterprise to overturn Georgia's presidential election result."
Willis went on to say that she intends to try all 19 defendants together.
See her full statement and answer questions in the video below or at the link here.


rawstory--2020-01-15--Ex-White House official drops hammer on Mike Pompeo after ‘two-bit criminals’ stalked Ukraine ambass

Ex-White House official drops hammer on Mike Pompeo after ‘two-bit criminals’ stalked Ukraine ambassador

Addressing a House document dump that provided more evidence in Donald Trump ’ s still-growing Ukraine scandal , a former White House official claimed on CNN that to all appearances White House foreign policy has been being conducted by “ two-bit mobsters.
” “ New Day ” hosts John Berman and Alisyn Camerota skipped over Tuesday night ’ s Democratic debate to point to notes and texts from Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas that indicated that former US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch was being stalked with hints of personal threats .
“ These new text messages were provided to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lev Parnas , ” host Camerota explained .
” To dig up dirt on the Didens and to take down Marie Yovanovitch .
The materials include this letter to Ukraine ’ s president , and in it Giuliani requested a meeting indicating he is working with the U.S. president ’ s knowledge and consent .
That this is the first where Giuliani links efforts to President Trump .
There is also this note in Vienna that mentions to get Zelensky to announce an investigation of the Bidens.
” “ Joe , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lockhart .
“ It just gets worse .
Every week there is more evidence that comes out about this shadow diplomacy or whatever operation Rudy Giuliani was doing over in Ukraine and this is particularly disturbing .
No wonder Yovanovitch didn ’ t feel safe .
when she testified that she — people were making threats .
she started to feel unsafe .
When somebody told her to get on the plane now , she didn ’ t really ask questions , she got on a plane right then because she was so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s several layers to this , ” Lockhart replied .
“ One is we now see that Giuliani on the record is telling Zelensky that he ’ s doing this on the behest of the president .
and you see through a variety of ways that the president is directing this from the Oval Office .
The second is — I was struck this morning given my experience in government — the people that we had doing special diplomacy were people like George Mitchell , you know , Tom Foley went out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaker of the House .
Richard Holbrook.
” “ Not two-bit criminals who are either mob figures or trying to act like mob figures , ” Lockhart replied .
“ It ’ s unconscionable that [ Secretary of State ] Mike Pompeo allowed this to go on .
You have to believe at some point he read into all of the stuff and he allowed it .
”

Addressing a House document dump that provided more evidence in Donald Trump's still-growing Ukraine scandal, a former White House official claimed on CNN that to all appearances White House foreign policy has been being conducted by "two-bit mobsters."
"New Day" hosts John Berman and Alisyn Camerota skipped over Tuesday night's Democratic debate to point to notes and texts from Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas that indicated that former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch was being stalked with hints of personal threats.
"These new text messages were provided to Congress by Giuliani's foreign associate Lev Parnas," host Camerota explained. "To dig up dirt on the Bidens and to take down Marie Yovanovitch. The materials include this letter to Ukraine's president, and in it Giuliani requested a meeting indicating he is working with the U.S. president's knowledge and consent. That this is the first where Giuliani links efforts to President Trump. There is also this note in Vienna that mentions to get Zelensky to announce an investigation of the Bidens."
"Joe," she said addressing former White House spokesperson Joe Lockhart. "It just gets worse. Every week there is more evidence that comes out about this shadow diplomacy or whatever operation Rudy Giuliani was doing over in Ukraine and this is particularly disturbing. No wonder Yovanovitch didn't feel safe when she testified that she -- people were making threats. She started to feel unsafe. When somebody told her to get on the plane now, she didn't really ask questions, she got on a plane right then because she was so concerned about her safety."
"There's several layers to this," Lockhart replied. "One is we now see that Giuliani on the record is telling Zelensky that he's doing this on the behest of the president and you see through a variety of ways that the president is directing this from the Oval Office. The second is -- I was struck this morning given my experience in government -- the people that we had doing special diplomacy were people like George Mitchell, you know, Tom Foley went out and did some things -- the former speaker of the House. Richard Holbrook."
"Not Lev Parnas?" Camerota prompted.
"Not two-bit criminals who are either mob figures or trying to act like mob figures," Lockhart replied. "It's unconscionable that [Secretary of State] Mike Pompeo allowed this to go on. You have to believe at some point he read into all of the stuff and he allowed it."
Watch below:


rawstory--2020-01-15--US, China set to sign vital trade truce

US, China set to sign vital trade truce

The world ’ s two dominant economic powers , the United States and China , are poised to sign a trade truce Wednesday that will allow businesses around the globe to breathe a sigh of relief .
Although tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of two-way trade will remain in place , likely at least until after President Donald Trump faces reelection in November , some of the uncertainty will go away .
And just as he is about to face an impeachment trial in the US Senate , Trump will be able to crow about a victory with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ includes pledges from China to beef up purchases of American crops and products , at least in the short term .
That has boosted stock markets worldwide in recent days , as it takes the threat of new tariffs off the table for now .
“ He ’ s delivering on all his promises , and he is building a great economy for American companies and American workers , ” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said late Tuesday on the eve of the signing .
“ I think phase one is an enormous step @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in an interview on the Fox Business network .
However , the most difficult issues remain to be dealt with in “ phase two ” negotiations , including massive subsidies for state industry and forced technology transfer .
And even the achievements in the deal take the relationship back to where it was before Trump took office , restoring elements he scrapped .
“ The US-China phase-one deal is essentially a trade truce , with large state-directed purchases attached , ” economist Mary Lovely said in an analysis .
“ The truce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world economy.
” After announcing the deal December 13 , the US canceled a damaging round of new tariffs that were due to kick in December 15 , and promised to slash in half the 15 percent tariffs on $ 120 billion imposed September 1 , on consumer goods like clothing .
Mnuchin dismissed a Bloomberg report that the initial agreement could include provisions to roll back more tariffs on China after the election .
“ The tariffs will stay in place until there is a phase two .
If the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consider releasing tariffs .
If not , there won ’ t be any tariff relief , ” Mnuchin said on Bloomberg TV .
“ It has nothing to do with the election or anything else.
” Washington said Beijing agreed to import , over two years , $ 200 billion of US products above the levels in 2017 , before Trump launched his offensive .
Trump has repeatedly touted the trade pact as a boon for American farmers , saying China will buy $ 40 to $ 50 billion in agricultural goods .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tariff war — notably on soybeans which saw exports to China plunge to just $ 3 billion from more than $ 12 billion in 2017 .
The Trump administration paid out $ 28 billion in aid to farmers in the last two years .
But many economists question whether they have the capacity to meet that demand .
And Lovely raised a question about the wisdom on relying so heavily on the Chinese market .
“ It also means Chinese retaliation could be reinstated , dampening farmers ’ willingness to invest to meet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal.
” US and Chinese officials say the agreement includes protections for intellectual property , and addresses financial services and foreign exchange while including a provision for dispute resolution , which Mnuchin said will be binding for the first time .
Trump in August formally accused China of manipulating its currency to gain an advantage in trade and offset the impact of the tariffs .
The label was removed earlier this week .
The deal also restores a twice-yearly dialogue process that previous administrations conducted regularly but that Trump scrapped .

Virginia, whose full name is being withheld to protect her safety, wondered how she would care for her children. She was their sole caregiver, and most child care options had shuttered in the pandemic. Her shift at work as an ultrasound tech ran until 10 p.m. every weeknight, an hour past the shelter’s curfew.
The only thing that made sense was asking for an earlier shift. The day after fleeing her husband, Virginia arrived to work at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx, where she’d been a tech for more than six years, with her 4- and 5-year-old and a letter from the shelter explaining to the head of the radiology department that she’d need a new schedule. Under New York City law, employers are required to accommodate workplace requests from domestic violence survivors unless it would create an “undue hardship” for the business. They’re also required to engage in a discussion with the worker to try to accommodate their needs.
Instead, Virginia said she was told to take time off to handle her situation. When she returned a week later, she was told that no one in the ultrasound department had been consulted about her request, and she was asked to take two more weeks of leave because the department remained “concerned for her well-being.” They would have to be unpaid weeks, however, because she’d used all her paid time off.
“That’s when I start realizing they are not doing anything,” Virginia told The 19th.
By the end of October, she was told the department could not accommodate her shift change or her extended leave — the one she said she’d been told to go on. And after she didn’t show up to work on her original return date because she fell ill with COVID-19, she got an email from the HR department: She had been fired for what they claimed was “job abandonment.” The termination letter made no mention of her request for accommodations three weeks earlier, or the fact that she’d communicated that she had COVID and couldn’t return per the hospital’s own guidelines.
“I went to the head of the department, spoke to him. I spoke to the supervisor. I spoke to everyone. And now they’re all denying me and they’re firing me and saying job abandonment?” Virginia remembered. “I was devastated.”
St. Barnabas Hospital declined to comment for this story.
Virginia’s case is now in the hands of the New York City Commission on Human Rights, where it has been since she filed a complaint nearly a year and a half ago. It represents the many ways that domestic violence survivors are struggling to get workplace accommodations more than two decades since laws designed to protect survivors at work started to go into effect. Even in the places with the strongest protections — New York City’s law is considered model legislation — enforcement is difficult because domestic violence survivor employment laws don’t come with additional funding for enforcement agencies. Often, they are stacked on top of other civil rights cases at agencies that were already struggling to keep up with their caseload.
And in the workplace, employers are still largely uninformed about their legal responsibilities to domestic violence survivors — a population that has limited resources and time to pursue a case if their employer does not comply with state laws. At the federal level, there is no legislation that addresses workplace accommodations for domestic violence survivors.
Forty-one percent of all women and a quarter of men experience sexual or physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime, according to 2022 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which does not collect data on nonbinary people.
But data on domestic violence survivors and the workplace is extremely limited, making it difficult to drum up support for legislation, advocates said. One national study in 2005 found that 64 percent of domestic violence victims said their ability to work was impacted by the violence. About a fifth of the U.S. workforce identified as survivors in 2005, according to a nationally representative survey conducted at the time by the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence, a now-shuttered nonprofit that worked with businesses on the impacts of domestic violence in workplaces. About 20 percent of employers were offering training on domestic violence by 2013, according to a study by the national HR association, the Society for Human Resource Management.
Only nine states and Washington, D.C., require workplace accommodations for survivors, according to Legal Momentum, a nonprofit legal advocacy organization for women that is representing Virginia pro bono. Some 13 states and D.C. prohibit firing someone based on their status as a survivor, and 37 states and D.C. have amended their unemployment insurance provisions to cover survivors. Currently, 15 states and D.C., as well as a number of cities and counties, have paid sick time laws that specifically include time off for domestic violence survivors to take time to get a restraining order or to relocate for safety.
But just because those protections are there doesn’t mean they are being utilized.
“The problems we're dealing with right now are employers are woefully unaware of existing legal requirements, and even those who are aware don't necessarily take them that seriously, because I don't think they are seeing that type of enforcement,” said Seher Khawaja, Virginia’s attorney at Legal Momentum. “It's very difficult for survivors to find legal representation in these contexts. There are not many attorneys who are as well-versed in these cases.”
The longer the enforcement takes, the “harder it is for survivors to get back on their feet,” Khawaja said. Since Virginia put in her complaint, the agency has interviewed her twice. She hasn’t heard anything since the last interview in March.
The commission declined the 19th’s request for comment on the case “to preserve the integrity of our investigations,” but it did add that it has resolved 38 cases regarding domestic violence workplace discrimination since 2016, when New York City first launched a task force on domestic violence. The department received 110 inquiries in that time, though not all of them ended up becoming cases.
That represents a sliver of the roughly 10,500 other inquiries the commission receives each year. In its 2024 fiscal year funding, it was given funding to hire 17 more attorneys and support staff. It also invests in training and online resources to inform people about their rights as survivors, the commission said in a statement.
Still, for survivors like Virginia, the wait is a barrier to her reaching the economic autonomy that would help move her and her children forward.
“I don’t think we think nearly enough about how profound the impact of domestic violence is on workplace sustainability for a survivor,” Khawaja said. “It comes into play when a survivor needs that financial independence most in their lives.”
Virginia was in the domestic violence shelter for 10 months trying to find other jobs with no luck. Her employer wouldn’t provide a recommendation letter, she said, and the termination made it hard for other employers to consider her application. A serious car accident in May 2021 was followed by a lengthy recovery that has made it even more difficult to find work. She’s since moved away from New York City.
“When I think back about it, they took away my passion — I loved being an ultrasound tech and I loved my job. I just wish they could have just worked with me at the time, but I can't go back,” she said.
Protections for domestic violence survivors at work have come in waves since the mid-1990s, when the first laws were passed to give survivors access to unemployment insurance.
Robin Runge, the attorney who has worked on most domestic violence workplace protection bills at the state and federal level from the start, said she came into the work because women were being left behind by the legal system.
“I became aware of the epidemic nature of domestic violence and the struggles survivors face, and when I mean the struggles, I mean the abject racism, classism, sexism,” Runge said. “Most of my clients were Black and almost all of the judges were White men. The justice system was failing these people miserably, and it was a real wake-up call.”
Workers constantly had questions about how they could support themselves and keep their jobs if they had to constantly go to court to get protection orders or for other legal needs to ensure their safety.
The first couple pieces of state-level legislation Runge helped write allowed domestic violence survivors to still qualify for unemployment insurance if they lost a job for a reason relating to that abuse. Generally, people who leave jobs are not entitled to those benefits, but for domestic violence survivors, the reasons for leaving a job may be more complicated — they are often doing it to ensure their own safety or that of their coworkers.
The next wave of bills focused on securing unpaid leave for victims who needed time off but did not qualify for it. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act only offers workers unpaid time off if they’ve been at a job for at least a year.
Wendy Pollack, the founder and director of the Women’s Law and Policy Initiative at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law, worked on a lot of those early cases around leave. As a family law attorney, she remembers frequently hearing: “If I have to go to court one more time, I’m going to lose my job.”
Pollack worked to draft a bill in Illinois called the Victims' Economic Security and Safety Act that passed in 2004, which granted up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to victims of domestic violence to access anything from medical help to legal assistance. Barack Obama, a state senator at the time, was the sponsor of that legislation.
In the 20 years since, Pollack, Runge and others have worked to improve on the foundations those laws set, including making the leave paid instead of unpaid. Most recently, Minnesota passed paid sick leave that includes “safe time” for domestic violence survivors, which survivors can use to find safe housing, get a protection order or go to court, for example. They accrue time throughout the year with access to up to 48 hours of safe time available a year (up to six days if a worker follows an eight-hour work day). It will go into effect in 2024.
Including safe time in the state laws has been standard since those laws started to pass in 2008 with D.C. — and earlier in San Francisco in 2006 — said Molly Weston Williamson, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a progressive think tank. All include full-time workers and at least some part-time workers, depending on whether the law includes a minimum hours worked per week requirement in order to qualify. Most do not.
“As things were newer, there was more discussion and it required more work. I think we’ve hit a point in time in which it’s become more standard and more universal,” Weston Williamson said.
The next step for advocates now is getting protections for domestic violence survivors included in paid family and medical leave laws, which are separate from sick time and typically give workers up to 12 weeks of time off, time they could use to relocate, for example, or find child care for their kids if they’re in a shelter, like in Virginia’s case. Currently only six of the 13 states and D.C. that have paid family and medical leave laws include provisions for domestic violence survivors.
But despite how widespread it is becoming, many survivors still don’t know they have access to these protections. Advocacy groups are working to get more broad awareness on what’s in paid leave policies by working with shelters and other direct-service agencies to ensure they are informing survivors on their rights and by leading workplace trainings with employers.
“What we have seen over and over again across the board is when you pass a law that gives people important new protections, the value of that law is really only in if people know about them and can use them,” Weston Williamson said.
Raising awareness has also been a challenge with the most recent wave of domestic violence survivor protections regarding workplace accommodations. The majority of states that have enacted workplace accommodation statutes have tied them to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Workers would have to prove they have a disability brought on by their status as a domestic violence survivor, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, in order to get an accommodation. In New York City, they simply need to be a survivor to ask for an accommodation, which could range from a new shift, to not working at a front desk or getting a lock on their door. The law in New York is rare and has only been in effect since 2019.
At the federal level, there’s been no success: Laws have been introduced to help domestic violence survivors since as early as 1996, and they’ve all stalled. It’s not dissimilar from the challenges with passing paid family and medical leave — all of those bills have passed at the state level but “we don’t have a prayer of doing it at a federal level,” said Sherry Leiwant, the co-founder and co-president of A Better Balance, a national nonprofit legal advocacy organization for women in the workplace.
“With respect to employment rights it’s particularly hard because so many of our representatives, particularly at the federal level, are influenced by business interests. They just don't want to interfere with business,” Leiwant said. “I think that's one of the reasons we’ve been so successful at the state and local level. The balance is a little different.”
Even in the states, though, education for employees on their rights and training for employers on their responsibilities has fallen behind, quelling the impact of those laws that have passed.
“As someone who worked on all of these things, what makes me sad is that very few people know these laws exist, including survivors. Very few people who work with survivors know these laws exist,” Runge said. “We are in an education breakdown.”
A couple years ago, she worked on a project talking to state enforcement agencies in five states. Most knew very little about the laws and had nothing on their websites with information for survivors, Runge said.
The other reason survivors are struggling to get restitution is that additional funding for the resources needed to ensure that training and education is not there. The laws that relate to domestic violence survivors don’t include any additional funding other than what is already budgeted for enforcement agencies.
“When we tried to get this legislation passed, we gave up on anything that would create a fiscal note, to be honest,” Runge said. “Maybe we should have said then we’re not going to pass it. What we ended up with is an unfunded mandate, and this is a recipe for disaster.”
One thing that could make a big difference is ensuring survivors know their rights, avoiding the legal challenges Virginia is currently facing.
“Callers will call us and we’ll say this law protects you and, more often than not, armed with that going to an employer — and [the] employer will not know about it either — the employer will say, ‘Oh I didn’t realize that,” Leiwant said.
Khawaja and the team at Legal Momentum are currently working with the state of New York to strengthen its laws to require employer training on domestic violence survivors laws, a lesson taken from the success of sexual harassment training in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
That’s the path forward, advocates said. So much attention has been paid to sexual harassment at work, when it’s not dissimilar from harassment that happens outside the workplace. Connecting those dots could be the key to unlocking more protections for survivors, Runge said.
“This is happening everywhere, and this demarcation of it happens at home — you get these; and at work — you get these,” doesn’t make sense anymore, Runge said. “We as women experience this everywhere.”
The 19th is an independent, nonprofit newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy.


rawstory--2020-01-15--Sex delays menopause, study finds

Sex delays menopause, study finds

“ If a woman is having little or infrequent sex when approaching midlife , then the body will not be receiving the physical cues of a possible pregnancy , ” Megan Arnot and Ruth Mace , scientists at University College London , wrote .
Rather than continuing to ovulate , according to this theory , “ it would be better — from a fitness-maximising perspective — for the woman to cease fertility and invest energy into any existing kin she has.
” Post-menopausal killer whales — the only animals besides humans and pilot whales to go through menopause — are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behaviour sometimes called the “ grandmother effect ” that is thought to serve an evolutionary purpose .
Earlier research seeking to explain why married women reach menopause later than never-married or divorced women points to the influence of male pheromones , natural chemicals in the animal kingdom that attract the opposite sex .
To find out whether either theory held water , Arnot and Mace examined data on nearly 3,000 women in the United States recruited in 1996 and 1997 to take part in a multi-decade health study .
Known as SWAN , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and track changes — both biological and psychological — that occur alongside menopause .
The average age of the women going into the study was 46 .
None had entered menopause , but just under half were “ peri-menopausal ” , with minor symptoms beginning to appear .
During the following decade , 45 percent of the women experienced a natural menopause , at an average age of 52 .
Going into the study , nearly 78 percent of the women were married or in a relationship with a man , and 68 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ correlation between frequency of sex and onset of menopause was unmistakable , the researchers found .
All the relationships reported were heterosexual , so it is not known whether same-sex activity would have a similar effect .
No link , however , was seen between the live-in presence of men and the subliminal chemical signals males might be emitting .
“ We found no evidence for the pheromone hypothesis , ” they concluded .
There is considerable variation in the age of natural menopause across cultures , but genetic factors only account for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research has shown .

"If a woman is having little or infrequent sex when approaching midlife, then the body will not be receiving the physical cues of a possible pregnancy," Megan Arnot and Ruth Mace, scientists at University College London, wrote.
Rather than continuing to ovulate, according to this theory, "it would be better -- from a fitness-maximising perspective -- for the woman to cease fertility and invest energy into any existing kin she has."
Post-menopausal killer whales -- the only animals besides humans and pilot whales to go through menopause -- are known to care for grandchildren, a behaviour sometimes called the "grandmother effect" that is thought to serve an evolutionary purpose.
Earlier research seeking to explain why married women reach menopause later than never-married or divorced women points to the influence of male pheromones, natural chemicals in the animal kingdom that attract the opposite sex.
To find out whether either theory held water, Arnot and Mace examined data on nearly 3,000 women in the United States recruited in 1996 and 1997 to take part in a multi-decade health study.
Known as SWAN, the project was designed to collect data and track changes -- both biological and psychological -- that occur alongside menopause.
The average age of the women going into the study was 46. None had entered menopause, but just under half were "peri-menopausal", with minor symptoms beginning to appear.
During the following decade, 45 percent of the women experienced a natural menopause, at an average age of 52.
Going into the study, nearly 78 percent of the women were married or in a relationship with a man, and 68 percent lived with their partner.
The correlation between frequency of sex and onset of menopause was unmistakable, the researchers found.
All the relationships reported were heterosexual, so it is not known whether same-sex activity would have a similar effect.
No link, however, was seen between the live-in presence of men and the subliminal chemical signals males might be emitting.
"We found no evidence for the pheromone hypothesis," they concluded.
There is considerable variation in the age of natural menopause across cultures, but genetic factors only account for about half of those differences, earlier research has shown.
© 2020 AFP


rawstory--2020-01-15--US Democrats lock horns over war, gender in last debate before Iowa

Leftist Bernie Sanders attacked frontrunner Joe Biden on foreign policy Tuesday but found himself fighting accusations of sexism in the final presidential debate before Democrats begin choosing who challenges incumbent Donald Trump in November ’ s election .
With no candidate yet to carve out a clear lead less than three weeks to go before the first votes in the nominations battle , the stakes were high for the six presidential hopefuls on stage in Iowa .
The largely civilized showdown defied earlier expectations of fireworks , with tensions largely held in check during the two-hour debate .
But a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warren appeared to widen afterwards when Warren declined to shake hands with her long-time friend and fellow progressive .
The candidates tangled over everything from troop deployments and foreign policy to health care , international trade , climate change and a woman ’ s chance of winning the White House .
Sanders , 78 , assailed former vice president Biden , 77 , over his vote in support of the 2003 Iraq war as the modern-day tensions in the Middle East dominated the opening exchanges .
With Washington ’ s conflict with Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sharp contrast , saying that while he opposed an Iraq war that was “ based on lies , ” former vice president Biden trumpeted the effort .
“ I thought they were lying , ” Sanders said of the Bush administration ’ s justifications for war in 2002 .
“ I didn ’ t believe them for a moment .
Joe saw it differently.
” Biden said he had long acknowledged the war was “ a mistake ” but refrained from sparring with Sanders over Iraq .
Instead , Biden appealed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second term .
“ The American character is on the ballot , ” Biden said .
“ Not what Donald Trump is spewing out — the hate , the xenophobia , the racism .
That ’ s not what we are as a nation.
” Each candidate is desperate for a breakout moment that could give them the vital momentum heading into the Iowa caucases on February 3 which begins the presidential primary season .
The four candidates in the top tier — Biden , Sanders , Warren and former South Bend , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together in polling .
Senator Amy Klobuchar and billionaire activist Tom Steyer rounded out the debate participants in Iowa ’ s capital Des Moines .
For months , Sanders and Warren have battled peacefully for the right to wave the campaign ’ s progressive flag .
But their non-aggression pact unravelled in recent days , with Warren endorsing a report that Sanders privately told her he believed a woman could not defeat Trump .
“ I didn ’ t say it , ” Sanders insisted at the debate , stressing it was absurd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not win the White House .
Warren said he did , before insisting that she was “ not here to try to fight with Bernie.
” AFP / Robyn Beck Former South Bend , Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg is seeking to remain in the top tier of US Democratic presidential candidates , while Senator Amy Klobucher is struggling to climb into it While lacking the effervescence of earlier debates , the candidates dutifully debated trade ( Sanders said he opposes the new US Mexico Canada trade pact ) , climate change ( Steyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state of emergency ” ) and taxing the rich ( Warren pushed her wealth tax ) .
Sanders , who suffered a heart attack in November but has enjoyed a mini surge in the polls in recent weeks , made Biden his number one target .
AFP / Kerem Yucel Supporters of US President Donald Trump make a show of political force in Des Moines , Iowa hours before the Democratic Party ’ s seventh presidential debate on January 14 , 2020 “ I just don ’ t think that Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energy that we need to defeat Trump , ” Sanders tweeted as he released a damning three-minute anti-Biden video just before the debate .
The president meanwhile sought to thrust himself into the spotlight , accusing Sanders of being “ nasty ” and mocking Biden for occasional memory issues as he addressed supporters in Wisconsin .
“ They haven ’ t been doing great on the debates , I have to tell you , ” Trump said .
The debate risks being overshadowed by a historic political drama : Trump ’ s looming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is likely to force four presidential candidates to stay in Washington serving as jurors in the proceedings instead of winning over undecided Iowa voters .
Klobuchar , credited with a crisp performance in the previous debate , was well behind , at seven percent .
Steyer is at 2.7 percent .
But the race remains fluid , with a recent Des Moines Register poll saying six in 10 voters could still be persuaded .

Leftist Bernie Sanders attacked frontrunner Joe Biden on foreign policy Tuesday but found himself fighting accusations of sexism in the final presidential debate before Democrats begin choosing who challenges incumbent Donald Trump in November's election. With no candidate yet to carve out a clear lead less than three weeks to go before the first votes in the nominations battle, the stakes were high for the six presidential hopefuls on stage in Iowa.
The largely civilized showdown defied earlier expectations of fireworks, with tensions largely held in check during the two-hour debate.
But a rift between Sanders and fellow Senator Elizabeth Warren appeared to widen afterwards when Warren declined to shake hands with her long-time friend and fellow progressive.
The candidates tangled over everything from troop deployments and foreign policy to health care, international trade, climate change and a woman's chance of winning the White House.
Sanders, 78, assailed former vice president Biden, 77, over his vote in support of the 2003 Iraq war as the modern-day tensions in the Middle East dominated the opening exchanges.
With Washington's conflict with Iran as the backdrop, non-interventionist Sanders drew a sharp contrast, saying that while he opposed an Iraq war that was "based on lies," former vice president Biden trumpeted the effort.
"I thought they were lying," Sanders said of the Bush administration's justifications for war in 2002. "I didn't believe them for a moment. Joe saw it differently."
Biden said he had long acknowledged the war was "a mistake" but refrained from sparring with Sanders over Iraq.
Instead, Biden appealed for unity in preventing Trump from winning a second term.
"The American character is on the ballot," Biden said. "Not what Donald Trump is spewing out -- the hate, the xenophobia, the racism. That's not what we are as a nation."
Each candidate is desperate for a breakout moment that could give them the vital momentum heading into the Iowa caucases on February 3 which begins the presidential primary season.
The four candidates in the top tier -- Biden, Sanders, Warren and former South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg -- are bunched together in polling. Senator Amy Klobuchar and billionaire activist Tom Steyer rounded out the debate participants in Iowa's capital Des Moines.
For months, Sanders and Warren have battled peacefully for the right to wave the campaign's progressive flag. But their non-aggression pact unravelled in recent days, with Warren endorsing a report that Sanders privately told her he believed a woman could not defeat Trump.
"I didn't say it," Sanders insisted at the debate, stressing it was absurd for anyone to think a woman could not win the White House.
Warren said he did, before insisting that she was "not here to try to fight with Bernie."
AFP / Robyn Beck White House Senator Elizabeth Warren declined to shake hands with rival candidate Senator Bernie Sanders (R) after the Democratic Party's final presidential primary debate before Iowa launches the nomination voting on February 3, 2020 AFP / Robyn Beck She then proceeded to highlight the electability of women, noting that the men on stage collectively lost 10 elections, prompting laughter from the audience. But when the debate concluded, signs of lingering animosity remained: viral video shows Warren refusing to shake Sanders's outstretched hand and instead speaking briefly to the senator.
- Progressive feud -
AFP / Robyn Beck Former South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg is seeking to remain in the top tier of US Democratic presidential candidates, while Senator Amy Klobucher is struggling to climb into it AFP / Robyn Beck While lacking the effervescence of earlier debates, the candidates dutifully debated trade (Sanders said he opposes the new US Mexico Canada trade pact), climate change (Steyer if elected would declare a climate "state of emergency") and taxing the rich (Warren pushed her wealth tax). Sanders, who suffered a heart attack in November but has enjoyed a mini surge in the polls in recent weeks, made Biden his number one target.
AFP / Kerem Yucel Supporters of US President Donald Trump make a show of political force in Des Moines, Iowa hours before the Democratic Party's seventh presidential debate on January 14, 2020 AFP / Kerem Yucel "I just don't think that Biden's record is going to bring forth the energy that we need to defeat Trump," Sanders tweeted as he released a damning three-minute anti-Biden video just before the debate. The president meanwhile sought to thrust himself into the spotlight, accusing Sanders of being "nasty" and mocking Biden for occasional memory issues as he addressed supporters in Wisconsin.
"They haven't been doing great on the debates, I have to tell you," Trump said.
The debate risks being overshadowed by a historic political drama: Trump's looming impeachment trial in the Senate next week which is likely to force four presidential candidates to stay in Washington serving as jurors in the proceedings instead of winning over undecided Iowa voters.
AFP / Gal ROMA US 2020 vote: Democratic presidential nomination AFP / Gal ROMA There was no disagreements among Democrats that a Senate impeachment trial ought to proceed, with Warren saying "it is my responsibility" to sit as a juror. Polling is tight in Iowa, with Biden at 20.7 percent support and Sanders, Buttigieg and Warren all less than five percentage points back, according to a RealClearPolitics average of polls.
Klobuchar, credited with a crisp performance in the previous debate, was well behind, at seven percent. Steyer is at 2.7 percent.
But the race remains fluid, with a recent Des Moines Register poll saying six in 10 voters could still be persuaded.


rawstory--2020-01-15--Iran’s Rouhani calls for ‘national unity’ after jet downing

President Hassan Rouhani appealed Wednesday for “ unity ” and flagged the need for radical changes to the way Iran is run , after a wave of angry protests over the accidental downing of a Ukrainian airliner .
The Kiev-bound Boeing 737 was shot down last week in a catastrophic error shortly after takeoff from Tehran , killing all 176 passengers and crew on board .
Iran had for days denied claims based on US intelligence that the plane had been downed by a missile , triggering four days of demonstrations as well as international calls for a full and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disaster , Rouhani called for “ national unity ” in an address broadcast live on state television .
“ If there was a delay ” by the armed forces to release information about the air disaster , “ let them apologise , ” he said .
Rouhani also called for a full explanation of what happened in the air disaster , which came hours after Iran ’ s military fired a wave of missiles at US troops stationed in Iraq .
That would mark a major shift in a country where all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , The Guardian Council , for their loyalty to the state .
“ The people are our masters and we are its servants .
The servant must address the master with modesty , precision and honesty , ” Rouhani said in his remarks after a cabinet meeting .
“ The people want to make sure that the authorities treat them with sincerity , integrity and trust .
“ Allow all parties and groups to run for office , ” he said .
“ Surely you have nothing to lose .
“ The country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wing alone .
The country belongs to everyone.
” Iran has been rocked by crisis after crisis since 2018 .
In May that year , US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from a landmark 2015 agreement that gave Iran relief from sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear programme .
Since then , the US has relentlessly slapped waves of sanctions on Iran as part of a stated campaign of “ maximum pressure ” .
On Tuesday , as tensions mounted with the West over the downed airliner , European parties to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran with failing to observe its commitments to the accord .
In response Iran warned Britain , France and Germany they must “ be prepared to accept the consequences ” of their move .
The past year has seen arch-enemies Iran and the United States come to the brink of war on at least two separate occasions .
On June 21 , 2019 , Trump approved a strike on Iran in retaliation for its downing of a US drone , before cancelling it at the last minute .
Most recently , Iran had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launched a volley of missiles at US troops in Iraq to avenge Soleimani ’ s killing .
But Trump refrained after the missiles caused no casualties .
In his address on Wednesday , Rouhani blamed the United States and its allies for causing “ insecurity ” across the Middle East .
Their “ mistakes ” , he said , included the Soleimani killing , interventions in Iraq , Yemen and Libya , as well as the US decision to pull out of the nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions on Iranian oil .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will come at the expense of the entire world , ” said Rouhani .
“ Today the American soldier is not safe , tomorrow it could be the turn of the European soldier , ” he added , warning the US and its allies to leave the region .
The downing of the Ukrainian airliner came after a spate of disasters for Iran .
On January 7 , at least 59 mourners were trampled to death at a funeral procession for Soleimani in his hometown of Kerman , in the southeast of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been wracked by heavy flooding since Friday that has claimed the lives of at least three people and left hundreds of villages cut off .
Referring to the series of disasters which he described as “ unimaginable ” and “ unacceptable ” , Rouhani said they should lead to a “ big decision ” about Iran ’ s political system .
“ And that major decision , ” he said , “ is national reconciliation.
” “ These ( parliamentary ) elections must be the first step .
”

Trained in political science and the law, he has no formal education in disaster preparedness or response. And prior to his current role, he never held a full-time job dedicated to emergency management.
Instead, his main qualification was being chief of staff to then-mayor Alan Arakawa. But in that role, he told Civil Beat Tuesday, he assisted during emergency operations. And he said he participated in online FEMA trainings and workshops throughout the years.
In 2017, Andaya beat out 40 other applicants for the job, Maui Now reported at the time.
As the mayor’s administration was coming to a close, a panel of government officials – which said it was independent of the mayor – chose Andaya for the civil service role.
Civil Beat reviewed Andaya’s experience after historic Lahaina was swallowed by an inferno last week, killing scores of residents and visitors who never saw it coming.
The Maui Emergency Management Agency had the authority to issue siren warnings that might have alerted people. After Andaya’s agency decided not to sound them, many survivors reported they only became aware of the fire when they saw and smelled smoke.
Andaya said sounding the sirens wasn’t an option officials considered because they’re “mainly used for tsunamis.” That’s why they’re mostly located on the coast, he said.
But the state’s own website says the sirens are useful for many kinds of emergencies.
“The all-hazard siren system can be used for a variety of both natural and human-caused events; including tsunamis, hurricanes, dam breaches, flooding, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, terrorist threats, hazardous material incidents, and more,” the site states.
Andaya wasn’t on the island when the fires started, and he hasn’t made any appearances at press conferences since the disaster occurred.
Asked about Andaya’s resume, David Hafner, a retired telecommunications planner for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, questioned whether his relative inexperience affected his agency’s performance in a crisis.
“It’s a good ol’ boy network,” Hafner said. “This time it cost lives.”
Hafner said it’s “absolutely essential” for emergency management leaders to have experience in the field so they make the right decisions both before and after disasters strike.
Not having it, he said, “can lead to grave mistakes in judgment.”
Andaya’s hiring came at a time when Hawaii’s counties had just taken on increased responsibility for disaster response, according to Hafner. State emergency management officials used to be the designated authority to respond to emergencies, he said, but an update to the law in 2014 put the counties in the driver’s seat.
Asked about Andaya’s LinkedIn resume, Colin Moore, a political scientist at the University of Hawaii, said he was shocked by the emergency administrator’s lack of relevant experience. He said the public is owed an explanation.
“It’s a legitimate question to ask why the person leading the county emergency services agency has no clear background in fire, police, public health, the usual emergency services backgrounds,” he said.
“Having that on-the-ground experience, you develop the instincts and the connections to be able to perform a job like this. And if you just have general government experience, there is just no opportunity to have that kind of on-the-ground knowledge that often is really useful in a crisis.”
Andaya said as a former member of the mayor’s cabinet, he was qualified for the job.
“Whenever there was an activation in the emergency operations center, we were involved,” he said. “To say that I have no experience or no background in emergency management is not correct.”
‘Political Influence’ A Concern
Andaya, 52, is from Maui and graduated from HP Baldwin High School.
He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from the University of Hawaii Manoa. He also has a law degree from the UH Richardson School of Law, although he never became a licensed attorney, according to the Hawaii State Bar Association’s online database.
He began his career clerking for Maui Judge Artemio Baxa. He then worked for the law office of Lynn Araki-Regan, an attorney who is the wife of Arakawa’s managing director, Keith Regan.
When Andaya vacated his position as chief of staff, it was filled by Araki-Regan, who was by then the county budget director. Regan said he had no involvement in Andaya’s hiring.
From the early 2000s onward, Andaya has held leadership positions in Maui’s Department of Housing and Human Concerns and worked as the assistant to the chancellor of UH’s Maui College, according to his LinkedIn resume. He is married to Rowena Dagdag-Andaya, a former elementary school teacher who served as Maui’s public works director and now works in Maui’s Office on Aging.
Andaya was Arakawa’s chief of staff from 2011 through 2017. That year, the mayor appointed him acting administrator of MEMA, and he became permanent by the end of that year.
In contrast, Honolulu’s emergency management director, Hiro Toiya, has technical training in emergency response, worked for years as a preparedness planner for the Hawaii health department and rose up the ranks of Honolulu’s Department of Emergency Management. He worked there for more than seven years before becoming the director.
Asked how he stood out among a pool of 40 job candidates, Andaya said Maui doesn’t have a lot of emergency management professionals to begin with. He noted that he had to take an exam and based on his score was determined to be a finalist.
“You would have to question the civil service process if you can believe that politics was involved,” he said. “This is something that my predecessors have to go through as well.”
Before Andaya was hired, there were concerns in Maui’s political scene that the county was considering someone who wasn’t qualified.
“In the past, this position has sometimes been filled by individuals without the proper emergency response background.”
Former Maui County Council Chairman Mike White
In July 2017, the chair of the Maui County Council at the time, Mike White, took the unusual step of writing a Maui News column warning that the job of emergency management was too important to be “subject to political influence.”
“In the past, this position has sometimes been filled by individuals without the proper emergency response background,” White wrote.
“The administration must search for well-qualified candidates who can make a seamless transition in leading our Emergency Management Agency. The stakes are too high and our community has grown to a point where emergency coordination has become quite sophisticated in its implementation.”
In his column, White praised the outgoing emergency management chief, Anna Foust, who had previously worked for years leading the Maui branch of the Red Cross. White emphasized her expertise.
“During her tenure, she used her emergency response experience and training to help guide the county to keep citizens safe during hurricane warnings and watches, flooding events and tsunami warnings,” White wrote.
Civil Beat wasn’t able to reach White for comment.
Panel Of Specialists Chose Andaya
On Tuesday, Arakawa’s former managing director, Keith Regan, said that politics was not a factor in Andaya’s hiring. Asked why Andaya was the best candidate, Regan said he didn’t know because he wasn’t on the hiring committee. But he was adamant there was “zero” political influence in the process.
“This was a straightforward civil service process,” said Regan, who is now the state comptroller.
When Regan ran for Maui County Council in 2015, Andaya was his campaign manager. This year, Andaya wrote a letter of support of Regan’s nomination to state comptroller.
Regan noted that the hiring panel included numerous experts in the field. Maui Now identified them at the time as then-Maui Police Chief Tivoli Faaumu; then-Maui Fire Chief Jeff Murray; Elton Ushio, administrator of the Kauai Emergency Management Agency; and Vern Miyagi, then-administrator of the Hawaii State Emergency Management Agency.
At the time, Ushio was quoted by Maui Now as saying Andaya’s “proven leadership abilities, executive level experience, and impressive knowledge of emergency management” made him a great fit for the job. Murray cited Andaya’s familiarity with government processes, his “institutional knowledge of the various emergency incidents” in recent years, and his then-recent work as acting leader of the department.
“These are not people that, you know, are just political people,” Regan said. “They’re people who understand emergency management and are going to make the right choice for the community.”
In a statement, former HI-EMA director Miyagi said the public’s focus should be on working together on response and recovery.
“Herman Andaya and his staff at MEMA are really good people,” he said. “They carried Maui successfully through numerous hurricanes, floods, and other disasters.”
He said the public should wait for the attorney general’s investigation before drawing conclusions.
Civil Beat left messages with the other hiring committee members on Tuesday, but they were not returned. Former mayor Arakawa also did not respond to a request for comment.
“Herman is a very skilled, experienced, knowledgeable, professional individual,” Regan said. “I trust that is making the right decisions … There is no question in my mind that he cares about that community, and he’s going to do everything he can to keep that community safe.”


rawstory--2020-01-15--The View’s Abby Huntsman refused to walk back complaints about Meghan McCain drama: report

Abby Huntsman refused to shoot down rumors of a “ toxic culture ” on her way out of “ The View.
” The 33-year-old Huntsman announced Monday she was leaving the daytime talk show to help run her father Jon Huntsman ’ s campaign for Utah governor , and ABC executives begged her to contradict recent reports indicating she ’ s leaving over a poisonous work environment and conflict with former friend Meghan McCain , reported The Daily Beast .
“ They threw Abby under the bus , ” a “ View ” insider told the website .
Multiple sources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Barbara Fedida — the network ’ s senior vice president for talent , editorial strategy and business affairs — approached Huntsman after Tuesday ’ s show and asked her to go on camera and contradict reports .
The executives asked Huntmsan to put a positive spin on workplace conditions at the show , but instead took the advice of “ View ” moderator Whoopi Goldberg — who urged her not to go beyond the warm goodbyes and praise she shared with co-hosts after making her announcement public , the sources said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ past about tabloid leaks about backstage intrigue on the show , the Beast reported , and she ’ s apparently furious about a Daily Mail “ exclusive ” claiming that she left the show because her future was “ hanging by a thread ” and that network executives wanted to push her out in favor of Republican guest host Ana Navarro .
Reports have also indicated that her relationship with fellow conservative and off-air friend McCain has suffered from backstage drama , including a Dec. 12 blowup over an on-air discussion about breastfeeding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her heartbreak over a miscarriage , was reportedly hurt and annoyed that Huntsman , who gave birth last year to twins and has a toddler daughter , frequently discussed her children on the show .
“ I ’ ve never breast-fed anything , I ’ m sorry , ” McCain said on the air .
“ I always feel like there ’ s this moment on the show where I have so much to say about politics , I have so much to say about the election , so much to say about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing for you guys.
” Off the air , McCain attacked Huntsman , and complained her friend never defended her — which Huntsman emotionally denied , according to a source familiar with the discussion .
The two stopped speaking for a time , sources told the Beast , but have recently repaired their relationship , but Huntsman was eager to escape the drama .

Abby Huntsman refused to shoot down rumors of a "toxic culture" on her way out of "The View."
The 33-year-old Huntsman announced Monday she was leaving the daytime talk show to help run her father Jon Huntsman's campaign for Utah governor, and ABC executives begged her to contradict recent reports indicating she's leaving over a poisonous work environment and conflict with former friend Meghan McCain, reported The Daily Beast.
“They threw Abby under the bus,” a "View" insider told the website.
Multiple sources said senior executive producer Hilary Estey McLoughlin and Barbara Fedida -- the network's senior vice president for talent, editorial strategy and business affairs -- approached Huntsman after Tuesday's show and asked her to go on camera and contradict reports.
The executives asked Huntmsan to put a positive spin on workplace conditions at the show, but instead took the advice of "View" moderator Whoopi Goldberg -- who urged her not to go beyond the warm goodbyes and praise she shared with co-hosts after making her announcement public, the sources said.
Huntsman has complained to Fedida in the past about tabloid leaks about backstage intrigue on the show, the Beast reported, and she's apparently furious about a Daily Mail "exclusive" claiming that she left the show because her future was "hanging by a thread" and that network executives wanted to push her out in favor of Republican guest host Ana Navarro.
Reports have also indicated that her relationship with fellow conservative and off-air friend McCain has suffered from backstage drama, including a Dec. 12 blowup over an on-air discussion about breastfeeding.
McCain, who revealed in July her heartbreak over a miscarriage, was reportedly hurt and annoyed that Huntsman, who gave birth last year to twins and has a toddler daughter, frequently discussed her children on the show.
“I’ve never breast-fed anything, I’m sorry," McCain said on the air. "I always feel like there’s this moment on the show where I have so much to say about politics, I have so much to say about the election, so much to say about the candidates! Breast-feeding? I got nothing for you guys.”
Off the air, McCain attacked Huntsman, and complained her friend never defended her -- which Huntsman emotionally denied, according to a source familiar with the discussion.
The two stopped speaking for a time, sources told the Beast, but have recently repaired their relationship, but Huntsman was eager to escape the drama.
“It’s unsustainable,” said a View insider.


rawstory--2020-01-15--Trump was just undercut by the Pentagon on his shocking claim of a Saudi Arabia quid pro quo

Donald Trump is the most explicitly transactional of modern presidents , and it ’ s gotten him into trouble .
His offering of support from the U.S. government to Ukraine in exchange for a personal favor — an announcement of investigations into his political rivals — wound up making him the third American president to be impeached .
And in an interview with Fox News ’ Laura Ingraham last Friday , Trump revealed he was engaging in another explicit quid pro quo — not , apparently , for a personal favor , but corrupting nonetheless — with Saudi Arabia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ troops ] to Saudi Arabia , and Saudi Arabia is paying us for it , ” Trump said .
“ I said ‘ Listen , you ’ re a very rich country .
You want more troops ?
I ’ m going to send them to you .
But you ’ ve got to pay us.
’ ” This is pretty much as direct a quid pro quo as you can get — an offer to do something on the condition of getting paid .
And since what is supposedly being paid for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Trump was turning American forces into a de facto mercenary army .
Trump even went further with his claim , saying the payment was already sent to “ the bank , ” though he didn ’ t specify which bank , and Ingraham didn ’ t press him .
“ They ’ re paying us , ” Trump said .
“ They ’ ve already deposited $ 1 billion in the bank.
” According to a statement from the Pentagon to Vox , however , none of this is right .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saudi Arabia on contributing to US activities that support regional security and dissuade hostility and aggression , ” and that the country had agreed .
However , it doesn ’ t look like any money has actually changed hands , as the Pentagon said that “ discussions are ongoing to formalize these contributions.
” The Pentagon also pushed back on the quid pro quo Trump laid out , without calling him out directly .
“ Contributions of this nature do not lead to the deployment of additional US forces , and they do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ missions or responsibilities , ” it said .
What ’ s left unknown is who is really telling the truth .
Trump lies all the time , of course , but sometimes he has accidental bouts of candor .
And administration officials often shade the truth , or contradict the known facts entirely , in an effort to avoid the horrifying implications of Trump ’ s claims .
Regardless , Trump seems to want people to think the U.S. military is up for sale , which is terrifying enough on its own .

Donald Trump is the most explicitly transactional of modern presidents, and it’s gotten him into trouble. His offering of support from the U.S. government to Ukraine in exchange for a personal favor — an announcement of investigations into his political rivals — wound up making him the third American president to be impeached.
And in an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham last Friday, Trump revealed he was engaging in another explicit quid pro quo — not, apparently, for a personal favor, but corrupting nonetheless — with Saudi Arabia.
“We’re sending more [troops] to Saudi Arabia, and Saudi Arabia is paying us for it,” Trump said. “I said ‘Listen, you’re a very rich country. You want more troops? I’m going to send them to you. But you’ve got to pay us.'”
This is pretty much as direct a quid pro quo as you can get — an offer to do something on the condition of getting paid. And since what is supposedly being paid for is U.S. military personnel, critics argued that Trump was turning American forces into a de facto mercenary army.
“He sells troops,” said Rep. Justin Amash (I-MI) on Twitter.
Trump even went further with his claim, saying the payment was already sent to “the bank,” though he didn’t specify which bank, and Ingraham didn’t press him.
“They’re paying us,” Trump said. “They’ve already deposited $1 billion in the bank.”
According to a statement from the Pentagon to Vox, however, none of this is right.
It said the Defense Department “has engaged Saudi Arabia on contributing to US activities that support regional security and dissuade hostility and aggression,” and that the country had agreed. However, it doesn’t look like any money has actually changed hands, as the Pentagon said that “discussions are ongoing to formalize these contributions.”
The Pentagon also pushed back on the quid pro quo Trump laid out, without calling him out directly.
“Contributions of this nature do not lead to the deployment of additional US forces, and they do not drive DoD to take on new missions or responsibilities,” it said.
What’s left unknown is who is really telling the truth. Trump lies all the time, of course, but sometimes he has accidental bouts of candor. And administration officials often shade the truth, or contradict the known facts entirely, in an effort to avoid the horrifying implications of Trump’s claims. Regardless, Trump seems to want people to think the U.S. military is up for sale, which is terrifying enough on its own.


rawstory--2020-01-15--Colbert hilariously mocks ‘old man’ Trump for not having any idea what day it was at his Wisconsin r

Colbert hilariously mocks ‘old man’ Trump for not having any idea what day it was at his Wisconsin rally

“ Late Show ” host Stephen Colbert cracked up at President Donald Trump for the bizarre topics he discussed at his Milwaukee , Wisconsin rally Tuesday night .
Aside from his old favorites like ranting about old light bulbs and the fact that he thinks you have to wash dishes ten times before they finally get clean .
Trump also gave props to the military , saying that they were better at flying jets than Tom Cruise .
Presumably , Trump meant the character Tom Cruise played in “ Top Gun , ” not the actual Tom Cruise , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did his own version of the Trump speech in his hilariously bad impression .
“ Better at flying jets than Tom Cruise in ‘ Top Gun.
’ Better at making cocktails than Tom Cruise in ‘ Cocktail.
’ Better at raining men than Tom Cruise in ‘ Rain Men.
’ Better at interviewing vampires , ” Colbert joked .
“ Then Trump dug into specifics , like , when is now ?
” Colbert asked .
He played a clip of Trump telling the audience they likely didn ’ t have anything better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ And is there ever , ever , a better place to be than a Trump rally on some night during some week ?
” Trump asked the audience .
“ He really has no idea what day it is , ” Colbert laughed .
The CBS host then slipped into his Trump impression : “ I ’ ll never forget the wonderful night and/or day we ’ re having here , in unnamed , screaming place , USA !
”

"Late Show" host Stephen Colbert cracked up at President Donald Trump for the bizarre topics he discussed at his Milwaukee, Wisconsin rally Tuesday night.
Aside from his old favorites like ranting about old light bulbs and the fact that he thinks you have to wash dishes ten times before they finally get clean.
Trump also gave props to the military, saying that they were better at flying jets than Tom Cruise. Presumably, Trump meant the character Tom Cruise played in "Top Gun," not the actual Tom Cruise, who doesn't fly jets. Colbert did his own version of the Trump speech in his hilariously bad impression.
"Better at flying jets than Tom Cruise in 'Top Gun.' Better at making cocktails than Tom Cruise in 'Cocktail.' Better at raining men than Tom Cruise in 'Rain Men.' Better at interviewing vampires," Colbert joked.
"Then Trump dug into specifics, like, when is now?" Colbert asked. He played a clip of Trump telling the audience they likely didn't have anything better to do on whatever night it was.
"And is there ever, ever, a better place to be than a Trump rally on some night during some week?" Trump asked the audience.
"He really has no idea what day it is," Colbert laughed. The CBS host then slipped into his Trump impression: "I'll never forget the wonderful night and/or day we're having here, in unnamed, screaming place, USA!"
Watch Colbert's hilarity below:


rawstory--2020-01-15--Here are 3 winners and 4 losers from the Democratic debate

On Tuesday night , six of the leading Democratic candidates for president took the stage in a CNN primary debate — the last debate before the Iowa caucuses .
The stakes were particularly high as the top four candidates — Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-MA ) , Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-VT ) , former Vice President Joe Biden , and Mayor Pete Buttigieg — remain in a tight race for first place in Iowa .
The Iowa results may have a significant role in shaping the course of the entire primary process .
Debates are meant to discuss issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broadly , but elections themselves are fundamentally about winners and losers .
So here ’ s my — necessarily subjective — assessment of who came out of the debate looking stronger and who came out looking weaker : Bernie Sanders — Some recent polling in Iowa has given Sanders ’ supporters hope that he will come in first in the primary .
And on Tuesday night , Sanders put his best foot forward .
He continued his strong push against Biden and effectively parried away criticisms .
CNN had clearly hoped for some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent dispute between their campaigns about her allegation that he once told her a woman couldn ’ t win in 2020 .
He denied the story , and he made a passionate argument that we should believe the opposite .
But more importantly , he didn ’ t get bogged down in the fight and spent much of the night speaking clearly about the issues that matter to him .
Elizabeth Warren — Warren struggled at first in the debate to hit her stride , but once she got it , she gave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her story about Sanders , but she didn ’ t dwell on it .
Instead , she made a powerful case that a woman , and she , in particular , would be a strong opponent of the president in 2020 .
It was the standout moment in the debate , and if convincing , it turned a potential weakness of hers into a strength .
And at the end of the debate , she wrapped up by listing off several issues that were neglected during the night — including mental health , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , disability rights , and climate change ’ s impact on communities of color — showing her breadth of interests and passions .
Pete Buttigieg — Buttigieg ’ s best chance for making waves in the primary — a chance which overall remains small — rests on an impressive showing in Iowa .
And with that on the line Tuesday night , he delivered what he needed : cogent , passionate responses to answers that showed off his skills as a politician and communicator .
He still has many weaknesses his opponents or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a recent devastating report in The Root about his failure to address racism in the South Bend Police Department .
But largely , his opponents left him untouched .
At one point , CNN ’ s Abby Phillip pressed him on his lack of support from black voters .
While he didn ’ t answer the question directly , he successfully deflected it and was never really caught flat-footed .
The moderators — The moderation of the debate was a disaster .
Many of the questions that were asked were framed merely for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than generating clarity on the issues or inspiring informed debate .
The moderators obsessed over the costs of proposed programs like Medicare for All and free college , rather than discussing the benefits they might bring .
And they continually interrupted the candidates in the middle of their answers instead of waiting for a natural pause .
Joe Biden — Biden remains the frontrunner in the polls , and his previously lackluster debate performances don ’ t appear to have hurt him much .
Nevertheless , it was hard to watch Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything other than a loser of the night .
His answers were slow , stilted , and frankly , he often looked bored and just waiting for the debate to be over .
His best moment was his closing statement , which he delivered with gusto .
But it just left me wondering : Where was that energy and passion the rest of the debate ?
Tom Steyer — What is there to say about Tom Steyer ?
The fact that he has bought his way on to the debate stage with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impeach Trump hangs over his whole candidacy .
His passion about climate change is always welcome , but the case that he — a billionaire with no experience in government — is best positioned to address the issue is highly dubious .
He also insists on talking directly to the camera during the debates , which is off-putting .
And he continues to claim that his success in business makes him best positioned to run against Trump on the economy , though there ’ s little reason to believe this is true .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a decent case to make for her own electability as a popular elected official from the Midwest .
But unfortunately , she keeps sliding into the same habit in each debate of casting herself as the person who throws cold water on the bold ideas of others .
There may be a role for that in debates , but her relentless use of the tactic is hardly inspiring .
While she can dish out criticism , it ’ s much harder for her to paint a vision of why someone should want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supposed ability to win .

On Tuesday night, six of the leading Democratic candidates for president took the stage in a CNN primary debate — the last debate before the Iowa caucuses.
The stakes were particularly high as the top four candidates — Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), former Vice President Joe Biden, and Mayor Pete Buttigieg — remain in a tight race for first place in Iowa. The Iowa results may have a significant role in shaping the course of the entire primary process.
Debates are meant to discuss issues important to political parties and their voters broadly, but elections themselves are fundamentally about winners and losers. So here’s my — necessarily subjective — assessment of who came out of the debate looking stronger and who came out looking weaker:
Winners
Bernie Sanders — Some recent polling in Iowa has given Sanders’ supporters hope that he will come in first in the primary. And on Tuesday night, Sanders put his best foot forward. He continued his strong push against Biden and effectively parried away criticisms. CNN had clearly hoped for some fireworks between him and Warren over a recent dispute between their campaigns about her allegation that he once told her a woman couldn’t win in 2020. He denied the story, and he made a passionate argument that we should believe the opposite. But more importantly, he didn’t get bogged down in the fight and spent much of the night speaking clearly about the issues that matter to him.
Elizabeth Warren — Warren struggled at first in the debate to hit her stride, but once she got it, she gave a strong performance. She stuck by her story about Sanders, but she didn’t dwell on it. Instead, she made a powerful case that a woman, and she, in particular, would be a strong opponent of the president in 2020. It was the standout moment in the debate, and if convincing, it turned a potential weakness of hers into a strength. And at the end of the debate, she wrapped up by listing off several issues that were neglected during the night — including mental health, violence against trans people, gun safety, disability rights, and climate change’s impact on communities of color — showing her breadth of interests and passions.
Pete Buttigieg — Buttigieg’s best chance for making waves in the primary — a chance which overall remains small — rests on an impressive showing in Iowa. And with that on the line Tuesday night, he delivered what he needed: cogent, passionate responses to answers that showed off his skills as a politician and communicator. He still has many weaknesses his opponents or his could have exploited, most notably a recent devastating report in The Root about his failure to address racism in the South Bend Police Department. But largely, his opponents left him untouched. At one point, CNN’s Abby Phillip pressed him on his lack of support from black voters. While he didn’t answer the question directly, he successfully deflected it and was never really caught flat-footed.
Losers
The moderators — The moderation of the debate was a disaster. Many of the questions that were asked were framed merely for the purpose of being confrontational, rather than generating clarity on the issues or inspiring informed debate. The moderators obsessed over the costs of proposed programs like Medicare for All and free college, rather than discussing the benefits they might bring. And they continually interrupted the candidates in the middle of their answers instead of waiting for a natural pause.
Joe Biden — Biden remains the frontrunner in the polls, and his previously lackluster debate performances don’t appear to have hurt him much. Nevertheless, it was hard to watch Biden’s performance and conclude he’s anything other than a loser of the night. His answers were slow, stilted, and frankly, he often looked bored and just waiting for the debate to be over. His best moment was his closing statement, which he delivered with gusto. But it just left me wondering: Where was that energy and passion the rest of the debate?
Tom Steyer — What is there to say about Tom Steyer? The fact that he has bought his way on to the debate stage with his massive wealth and a disingenuous campaign to impeach Trump hangs over his whole candidacy. His passion about climate change is always welcome, but the case that he — a billionaire with no experience in government — is best positioned to address the issue is highly dubious. He also insists on talking directly to the camera during the debates, which is off-putting. And he continues to claim that his success in business makes him best positioned to run against Trump on the economy, though there’s little reason to believe this is true.
Amy Klobuchar — The Minnesota senator has a decent case to make for her own electability as a popular elected official from the Midwest. But unfortunately, she keeps sliding into the same habit in each debate of casting herself as the person who throws cold water on the bold ideas of others. There may be a role for that in debates, but her relentless use of the tactic is hardly inspiring. While she can dish out criticism, it’s much harder for her to paint a vision of why someone should want to vote for her above and beyond her supposed ability to win.


rawstory--2020-01-15--Trump says actual billionaire Tom Steyer is running low on money

President Donald Trump had a bizarre take on the Democratic race following Tuesday night ’ s CNN debate .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ is “ running low on cash ” and “ made his money from coal.
” @ @ @ @ @ claimed to be a billionaire without any evidence , Steyer is a real billionaire and @ @ @ @ @ is running low on cash .
In July , Forbes ran a story titled , @ @ @ @ @ His $ 1.6 Billion Fortune.
” The story did not mention the word “ coal @ @

"If you look at the sheer number of people charged in the Georgia case, you're talking about 18 Trump allies, including Trump himself," said anchor Abby Phillip. "They're accused of racketeering, at least one, and at least one related crime. There's a lot of conduct alleged here, including trying to tamper with voting machines, and actual voting information. What is your take on the actual information contained in this document?"
POLL: Should Trump be allowed to run for office?
"So, a couple things," said Sununu. "I'm not a lawyer. I will say, this is incredibly similar to the federal indictment that Jack Smith is doing out of DOJ. Other than, as you brought up, now 18 people involved. That's a much bigger swath of individuals. Something that I think republicans need to take note of, this is a grand jury in a very conservative state. That said, this guy needs to be indicted. This isn't just the Department of Justice and the idea that it's all politicized. This is a grand jury in Georgia of all states."
All of this, said Sununu, underscores the fact that "this guy can't win in November."
"You might give him the nomination — I hope we don't — but this guy cannot win a state like New Hampshire, or Arizona, where these two states they absolutely have to have," said Sununu. "Last time I checked, you can't govern if you don't win. It's just gonna be another sob story for Donald Trump. And he's gonna crush the Republican ticket going down. I still am very hopeful the Republicans as a whole make a smart choice and find that one or two candidates to go against him by the time Iowa in New Hampshire hit."
Watch the video below or at the link.


rawstory--2020-01-15--WATCH: Bernie Sanders tried to shake Elizabeth Warren’s hand after the debate — and was rejected

Tensions appeared to remain high between Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-VT ) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-MA ) following @ @ @ @ @ debate .
The two have been engaged in a back-and-forth , with both sides claiming @ @ @ @ @ about disputed comments Sanders made about the electability of female candidates running against President Donald @ @ @ @ @ BuzzFeed News posted a short clip of the two candidates following the end of the @ @ @ @ @ be seen holding out his right arm in a bid to shake hands with Warren @ @ @ @ @ But Warren clenched her hand instead , rejecting Sanders ’ offer .
What was said @ @ @ @ @ not be heard on CNN ’ s feed of the video .

Tensions appeared to remain high between Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) following Tuesday night's presidential debate.
The two have been engaged in a back-and-forth, with both sides claiming dishonesty from the other, about disputed comments Sanders made about the electability of female candidates running against President Donald Trump.
Tom Namako of BuzzFeed News posted a short clip of the two candidates following the end of the CNN debate.
Sanders can be seen holding out his right arm in a bid to shake hands with Warren, as is customary.
But Warren clenched her hand instead, rejecting Sanders' offer.
What was said between the two senators could not be heard on CNN's feed of the video.
Watch:


rawstory--2020-01-15--CNN debate moderators ripped as voters change the channel: ‘I’ll read the transcript after a slug of

CNN debate moderators ripped as voters change the channel: ‘I’ll read the transcript after a slug of bourbon’

CNN hosted what they hyped as “ the last debate before the first votes ” on Tuesday — and there @ @ @ @ @ The debate was moderated by CNN ’ s Wolf Blitzer and Abby Phillip , along @ @ @ @ @ Des Moines Register .
The trio was criticized for the spectacle , here ’ s @ @ @ @ @ saying :

Although Democrats control majorities in the state legislature, Oregon has special rules that require a supermajority of lawmakers be present for a quorum to conduct business. As a consequence, the Republican minority has power to block consideration of bills on everything from abortion to climate action by simply walking out of the Capitol and not attending the voting sessions, and they have done so repeatedly.
Tensions have flared up over this practice; in 2019, then-Gov. Kate Brown threatened to have state police round up and retrieve absent Republican lawmakers, prompting state Sen. Brian Boquist to threaten to shoot troopers who tried to do so.
After years of these stalemates, voters approved Measure 113 in 2022, which states that any lawmaker who has 10 or more unexcused absences will be prohibited from running for re-election. Even after the law was approved, Republicans continued to boycott meetings.
READ MORE: ‘They blew up my life’: Fox News, a hidden camera and threats to an Indiana school administrator.
The absent lawmakers have threatened to sue over Measure 113 if it is enforced, and recruited an attorney who has argued that the exact wording of the measure, saying it bars a re-election campaign "following the election after the member’s current term is completed," technically means they can still run, because re-election takes place during a member's "current" term, not after. Griffin-Valade, however, rejected this argument, saying that it runs contrary to the clear intent of the law.
According to the report, nine total Republican lawmakers would be barred from running under Measure 113, including state Senate Minority Leader Tim Knopp, as well as Boquist, who changed his party affiliation to independent in 2021. Six of those lawmakers, including Knopp and Boquist, have only one year left in their term.