rawstory--2020-06-20--Unredacted Mueller report reveals Trump may have lied to the special counsel

On Friday night , the Justice Department released a new version of former Special Counsel Mueller ’ s report with newly unredacted sections about Roger Stone and WikiLeaks .
In one section of the newly released information , Mueller weighed the possibility President Donald Trump had lied to him in his written answers to a series of questions .
Any such lies would be potential criminal acts .
Trump appears to have lied when he said : I have no recollection of being told that WikiLeaks possessed or might possess emails related to John Podesta before the release of Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the media .
Likewise , I have no recollection of being told that Roger Stone , anyone acting as an intermediary for Roger Stone , or anyone associated with my campaign had communicated with WikiLeaks on October 7 , 2016 .
He also said : However , as the report now reveals , these denials not seem accurate .
“ [ Michael ] Cohen recalled a conversation in which Roger Stone told Trump that WikiLeaks planned to release information soon , and Manafort recalled that Trump had asked him to stay in touch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newly unredacted section explained .
It continues : “ It is possible that , by the time the President submitted his written answers two years after the relevant events had occurred , he no longer had clear recollections of his discussions with Stone or his knowledge of Stone ’ s asserted communications with WikiLeaks .
But the President ’ s conduct could also be viewed as reflecting his awareness that Stone could provide evidence that would run counter to the President ’ s denials and would link the President to Stone ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to [ Rick ] Gates , by the late summer of 2016 , the Trump Campaign was planning a press strategy , a communications campaign , and messaging based on the possible release of Clinton emails by WikiLeaks.Gates also stated that Stone called candidate Trump multiple times during the campaign .
Gates recalled one lengthy telephone conversation between Stone and candidate Trump that took place while Trump and Gates were driving to LaGuardia Airport .
Although Gates could not hear what Stone was saying on the telephone , shortly after the call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of damaging information would be coming .
During his testimony to the House of Representatives , Mueller said that he did not believe all of Trump ’ s answers to him were truthful .
The report now shows that Mueller believed the evidence supported the notion that Trump ’ s conduct toward Stone during the investigation could constitute obstruction of justice .
Analyzing the president ’ s behavior , the report explains : On November 28 , 2018 , eight days after the President submitted his written answers to the Special Counsel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that Stone was “ very brave ” for not cooperating with prosecutors .
Five days later , on December 3 , 2018 , the President applauded Stone for having the “ guts ” not to testify against him .
These statements , as well as those complimenting Stone and Manafort while disparaging Michael Cohen once Cohen chose to cooperate , support the inference that the President intended to communicate a message that witnesses could be rewarded for refusing to provide testimony adverse to the President and disparaged if they chose to cooperate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Stone , who is due to soon report to prison for the charges he faced as a result of Mueller ’ s investigation , will likely be getting a pardon .
If Stone does get the pardon , it could easily be seen as follow through on the message Mueller believe Trump was likely communicating , finally “ rewarding ” Stone .
The new information was released after BuzzFeed News brought a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the administration seeking the redacted material .


rawstory--2020-06-20--Tulsa rallygoer says Trump would have to commit adultery to lose her vote — then immediately dismiss

Tulsa rallygoer says Trump would have to commit adultery to lose her vote — then immediately dismisses Stormy Daniels

On Friday , with hours to go before President Donald Trump ’ s rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , AuraNexus @ @ @ @ @ Rosie , ” one of the many Trump supporters waiting for the opportunity to see @ @ @ @ @ Rosie what the president would theoretically have to do to lose her support , to @ @ @ @ @ Commit adultery on his beautiful , classy wife.
” When Kimmel pointed out that Trump @ @ @ @ @ cheated on Melania with adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2006 , a year after @ @ @ @ @ , “ That was years ago before he became president .
Nobody is accountable for @ @ @ @ @ was a lot younger.
” ( Trump was 60 at the time he reportedly slept @ @ @ @

On Tuesday, Trump claimed he will hold a “major” news conference on Monday, during which he will present a “Large, Complex, Detailed but Irrefutable REPORT on the Presidential Election Fraud which took place in Georgia.”
“Based on the results of this CONCLUSIVE Report, all charges should be dropped against me & others,” Trump added on his Truth Social website. “There will be a complete EXONERATION! They never went after those that Rigged the Election. They only went after those that fought to find the RIGGERS!”
Cobb Tuesday night told CNN that report might become evidence against the ex-president.
"This is all Trump PR," Cobb told CNN's Erin Burnett. "This is generating chaos. I mean frankly there's a good chance that whatever document he produces ends up as evidence against him."
"It could even could even end up, you know, as the basis for an obstruction count solely for the purpose of contaminating the jury pool."
Calling it a "very effective indictment," Cobb noted that "the absence of evidence of fraud" in the 2020 election "is patently obvious."
But he also warned that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' case against Trump may take longer to get to trial.
"Fani Willis made it clear she wants to move fast once you get going within six months," Burnett said, asking: "Is there any chance first of all that Fani Willis goes before Jack Smith?"
"No," Cobb answered. "There's no chance in my view that Fani Willis goes within two years."
"And if it takes her, you know, two years, I mean, heaven forbid the Trump wins the presidency, then there will be a fight to the Supreme Court over whether she can proceed against the sitting president during his term. That's an issue that's never been resolved. The federal prosecutors are not allowed to indict or prosecute the president during his term. But as to state court prosecutors, that issue has never been resolved and could could delay things quite some time."
Watch a portion of Cobb's remarks below or at this link.


rawstory--2020-06-25--Secret Service forced to quarantine after Tulsa rally staff outbreak

After eight members of President Donald Trump ’ s advance staff were diagnosed with COVID-19 , the U.S. Secret Service has decided to quarantine dozens of officers who are now at risk of coming down with the coronavirus .
The Washington Post reported Wednesday that since two Secret Service agents were diagnosed with the virus others the agents came in contact with could be at risk .
There is a Secret Service field office in Tulsa , where some agents were waiting to be tested .
“ Among those who got tested was U.S. Attorney R. Trent Shores of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attended both pre-planning meetings with advance staff and the rally in case any legal issues arose , according to spokeswoman Lennea Montandon .
Shores tested negative , ” the Post reported .
Oklahoma has experienced a massive spike in COVID-19 cases over the past week , both before and after Trump ’ s rally .
Tulsa County , in particular , had their highest day of coronavirus cases Wednesday , with 259 new confirmed cases Tulsa Health Department director Bruce Dart called it part of the “ steep upward trends ” seen across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The U.S. Secret Service remains prepared and staffed to fulfill all of the various duties as required , ” said spokesperson Catherine Milhoan .
“ To protect the privacy of our employees ’ health information and for operational security , the Secret Service is not releasing how many of its employees have tested positive for COVID-19 , nor how many of its employees were , or currently are , quarantined .
”

Hundreds of these green “boxes” are attached to the riverbank walls along a three-kilometer stretch of the river that passes right through the heart of the French capital. They are as familiar and distinctive a Parisian sight as the tops of Notre Dame's towers rising above the rooftops behind them.
“We’ve been along the quays of the Seine for 450 years, and on the parapets since they were built by Napoleon III,” says one bouquiniste who has been an official delegate representing the booksellers along the central stretch of the right bank for 30 years.
Now the traditional shops are facing an unexpected threat. At the end of July, Paris city hall said that the kiosks would have to be removed when the city hosts the Summer Olympic Games in July and August 2024.
The opening ceremony is set to be a ground-breaking event, taking place – for the first time – not inside a stadium but along the river itself, with massive crowds expected to watch from the quays.
The unique open-air spectacle requires a colossal security operation and the kiosks must be taken down as a safety measure, the Paris prefecture said in July.
“They’re worried that people are going to climb on the boxes. But if the boxes are open, they can’t. And there’ll be railings [installed], which are dangerous too,” says Juliette, who has been selling books along the quays for a year. “All the booksellers here will tell you they don’t agree with the plans.”
Her sentiments are echoed by Lim, who is running his wife’s shop for the day. He has just sold a second-hand children’s book to an elderly French customer. “I don’t understand why they would remove them. The boxes are a part of Paris,” he says.
“The biggest problem for me is the symbolism,” says Camille, who has sold books on the Seine for 10 years and has owned her own kiosks for five.
“For a ceremony that will last four hours, they want to make us move for months. We are part of the Paris landscape. Removing us is like removing a building.”
The bouquinistes also have practical concerns. The summer months are typically the busiest time of year for the open-air shops, as good weather brings more foot traffic and tourists to the city centre.
“Summer is the time when we make money for the rest of the year. It’s what allows us to survive. If we miss a summer of work, it’s very difficult to bounce back,” Camille says, pausing to sell a collection of vintage Vogue magazine photos to two tourists in their 20s.
Tourist numbers in Paris are expected to rise to more than 10 million in summer 2024, thanks to the Games.
To make sure the booksellers don’t miss out completely, Paris city hall has suggested they could move to a dedicated book market near the Place de la Bastille in order to keep trading over the summer months.
The idea has not been well received. In their current location, the sellers are perfectly positioned to attract foot traffic from the busy Arcole bridge that connects tourist sites on the Île de la Cité to the vibrant Marais district on the right bank. By contrast, “there’s no one at Bastille”, says Juliette.
The idea of going from bouquiniste to market stall seller also doesn’t appeal. There is an evident sense of pride among the shopkeepers that their presence in the city centre contributes to the capital’s cultural heritage in a unique way. “People who come to us come for the boxes, for their character. They represent Paris,” Juliette adds.
Uncertainty
Paris city hall has said it will manage the removal, storage and reinstallation of an estimated 570 kiosks “located within the opening ceremony security perimeter” ahead of the games, but questions abound on how the feat will be achieved.
“Where will they put them? How will we get them back? And how long will it last for?” Lim asks. “[City hall] doesn’t have the answers. There’s a lot of uncertainty.”
Shoppers look at products on sale at Lim's kiosk along the quays of the Seine, August 15, 2023. © Joanna York, FRANCE 24
Shopkeepers are also worried about the impact the move will have on the kiosks themselves.
“They’re not made to be moved,” says Camille. “Each box is made differently because they’re all made by different people. It takes a lot of time to take them down and a good understanding of how they’re made.”
“Some boxes are very old. Mine are [30 years old], and every time I’ve moved them, they get a little damaged.”
Then there is the stock to think about. A seller with multiple kiosks can store thousands of books inside, some of which could be rare and fragile collectibles.
Camille has 2,000 books that will need to be stored elsewhere if her kiosks are dismantled. “I don’t have anywhere else to keep them. Unless I fill up my apartment for two months,” she says.
A few kiosks down, the 30-year booksellers’ delegate runs a stall that looks, at a glance, sparser than the others. There are no souvenirs or posters for sale; instead, his is dedicated entirely to rare, vintage books. In fact he is rarely at his own, instead walking from kiosk to kiosk speaking to different customers and shopkeepers, enjoying the atmosphere and opportunities for conversation that the rows of booksellers bring to what would otherwise be a busy riverside sidewalk.
His role as delegate puts him in regular contact with Paris city hall, and he was shocked at how officials broke the news of plans to remove the bouquinistes.
“There was no discussion,” he says. “I thought we were going to a meeting to prepare for the Games. But city hall had already made an administrative decision, validated it with the prefecture, and none of us bouquinistes were consulted during the process.”
He fears local officials do not value what the bouquinistes bring to the riverside, saying there have been previous attempts to convert the boxes into enclosed rental spaces or to move the shopkeepers outside of the city centre. His major concern is that, once removed, the kiosks may never return.
“All we have is a verbal promise, and we can’t just work with that. The sensible thing to do is to stay where we are, and we hope we have support to do that.”


rawstory--2020-06-24--House Judiciary chairman says Democrats are ‘looking into’ impeaching Bill Barr

On Wednesday , in conversation with reporters , House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler ( D-NY ) said House Democrats @ @ @ @ @ opening impeachment proceedings against Attorney General William Barr — a reversal from his previous assertion @ @ @ @ @ “ waste of time.
” Nadler ’ s apparent change of heart comes after a @ @ @ @ @ DOJ , in which officials testified Barr has engaged in a pattern of political interference @ @ @ @ @ Barr himself is scheduled to testify before the Judiciary Committee on July 28 .


rawstory--2020-06-25--Texas AG Paxton to face criminal trial for felony securities fraud

Years after it was sent to Harris County , the criminal case against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will move back to his native Collin County , a Harris County judge ruled Thursday .
Paxton , a Republican , was indicted in 2015 on felony securities fraud charges , but the case has yet to go to trial as side battles persist over the venue where he will be tried and the amount the special prosecutors will be paid .
A judge moved Paxton ’ s case to Harris County years ago , after prosecutors said they could not get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paxton ’ s home and former district from his time in the state Legislature .
His wife , state Sen. Angela Paxton , R-McKinney , now represents the region .
But Ken Paxton ’ s defense team argued last year that the judge who initially ordered the move to Harris County did not have the authority to do so , as his time overseeing the case had elapsed .
The two attorneys prosecuting Paxton , Brian Wice and Kent Schaffer , disputed that at a December hearing and said the case belongs in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a Democrat , agreed with Paxton ’ s defense team in an order this week .
Paxton has been fighting charges that he misled investors in a financial services company from before his time as attorney general .
Paxton has pleaded not guilty to all the allegations and was cleared in a similar civil case at the federal level .
But when the Texas State Securities Board reprimanded him for soliciting clients without being properly registered , he signed a disciplinary order without disputing its findings .
by Emma Platoff of the @ @

Years after it was sent to Harris County, the criminal case against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will move back to his native Collin County, a Harris County judge ruled Thursday.
Paxton, a Republican, was indicted in 2015 on felony securities fraud charges, but the case has yet to go to trial as side battles persist over the venue where he will be tried and the amount the special prosecutors will be paid.
[See a full timeline of Paxton’ legal drama.]
A judge moved Paxton’s case to Harris County years ago, after prosecutors said they could not get a fair trial in Collin County, Paxton’s home and former district from his time in the state Legislature. His wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, now represents the region.
But Ken Paxton’s defense team argued last year that the judge who initially ordered the move to Harris County did not have the authority to do so, as his time overseeing the case had elapsed. The two attorneys prosecuting Paxton, Brian Wice and Kent Schaffer, disputed that at a December hearing and said the case belongs in Harris County. But Judge Robert Johnson, a Democrat, agreed with Paxton’s defense team in an order this week.
Paxton has been fighting charges that he misled investors in a financial services company from before his time as attorney general. Paxton has pleaded not guilty to all the allegations and was cleared in a similar civil case at the federal level. But when the Texas State Securities Board reprimanded him for soliciting clients without being properly registered, he signed a disciplinary order without disputing its findings.
by Emma Platoff of the Texas Tribune


rawstory--2020-06-26--Trump administration has refused to respond after learning Russia offered bounties for killing US tr

Trump administration has refused to respond after learning Russia offered bounties for killing US troops: report

President Donald Trump has refused to authorize any response after being briefed that Russia was offering bounties for the killing of U.S. troops , according to a bombshell new report in The New York Times .
“ American intelligence officials have concluded that a Russian military intelligence unit secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing coalition forces in Afghanistan — including targeting American troops — amid the peace talks to end the long-running war there , ” the newspaper reported , citing “ officials briefed on the matter.
” “ The United States concluded months ago that the Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assassination attempts and other covert operations in Europe intended to destabilize the West or take revenge on turncoats , had covertly offered rewards for successful attacks last year , ” The Times explained .
“ Islamist militants , or armed criminal elements closely associated with them , are believed to have collected some bounty money , the officials said .
Twenty Americans were killed in combat in Afghanistan in 2019 , but it was not clear which killings were under suspicion.
” Trump was offered options to respond , but has taken no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefed to President Trump , and the White House ’ s National Security Council discussed the problem at an interagency meeting in late March , the officials said .
Officials developed a menu of potential options — starting with making a diplomatic complaint to Moscow and a demand that it stop , along with an escalating series of sanctions and other possible responses , but the White House has yet to authorize any step , the officials said , ” the newspaper explained .
“ Any involvement with the Taliban that resulted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a huge escalation of Russia ’ s so-called hybrid war against the United States , a strategy of destabilizing adversaries through a combination of such tactics as cyberattacks , the spread of fake news and covert and deniable military operations.
” Dmitry Peskov , Russian President Vladimir Putin ’ s press secretary , said the United States had not raised the issue .
“ If someone makes them , we ’ ll respond , ” Peskov said of the accusation .
American troops were reportedly not the only ones to be targeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligence did not explain the White House delay in deciding how to respond to the intelligence about Russia , ” the newspaper reported .
“ They said the intelligence has been treated as a closely held secret , but the administration expanded briefings about it this week — including sharing information about it with the British government , whose forces are among those said to have been targeted .
”

President Donald Trump has refused to authorize any response after being briefed that Russia was offering bounties for the killing of U.S. troops, according to a bombshell new report in The New York Times.
"American intelligence officials have concluded that a Russian military intelligence unit secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing coalition forces in Afghanistan — including targeting American troops — amid the peace talks to end the long-running war there," the newspaper reported, citing "officials briefed on the matter."
"The United States concluded months ago that the Russian unit, which has been linked to assassination attempts and other covert operations in Europe intended to destabilize the West or take revenge on turncoats, had covertly offered rewards for successful attacks last year," The Times explained. "Islamist militants, or armed criminal elements closely associated with them, are believed to have collected some bounty money, the officials said. Twenty Americans were killed in combat in Afghanistan in 2019, but it was not clear which killings were under suspicion."
Trump was offered options to respond, but has taken no action.
"The intelligence finding was briefed to President Trump, and the White House’s National Security Council discussed the problem at an interagency meeting in late March, the officials said. Officials developed a menu of potential options — starting with making a diplomatic complaint to Moscow and a demand that it stop, along with an escalating series of sanctions and other possible responses, but the White House has yet to authorize any step, the officials said," the newspaper explained. "Any involvement with the Taliban that resulted in the deaths of American troops would also be a huge escalation of Russia’s so-called hybrid war against the United States, a strategy of destabilizing adversaries through a combination of such tactics as cyberattacks, the spread of fake news and covert and deniable military operations."
Dmitry Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putin's press secretary, said the United States had not raised the issue.
“If someone makes them, we’ll respond,” Peskov said of the accusation.
American troops were reportedly not the only ones to be targeted.
"The officials familiar with the intelligence did not explain the White House delay in deciding how to respond to the intelligence about Russia," the newspaper reported. "They said the intelligence has been treated as a closely held secret, but the administration expanded briefings about it this week — including sharing information about it with the British government, whose forces are among those said to have been targeted."


rawstory--2020-06-28--The US intelligence community knew in January about Russian bounty on American soldiers

President Donald Trump has claimed that he knew nothing about the Russian Federation , placing a bounty on American soldiers ’ heads .
Still , political experts are wondering how it could be possible for the commander-in-chief not to be aware of threats the troops face .
The New York Times reported Sunday that while the president is denying knowledge , the intelligence community has revealed that they knew about the information as early as January 2020 .
Trump , who is supposed to get a daily intelligence briefing called “ The President ’ s Daily Brief , ” rarely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it a few days a week .
There have also been reports that the president has a difficult time paying attention and that some briefers must find ways of keeping his attention .
It ’ s unknown if the president was briefed and simply doesn ’ t remember it or wasn ’ t paying close enough attention .
“ The crucial information that led the spies and commandos to focus on the bounties included the recovery of a large amount of American cash from a raid on a Taliban outpost that prompted suspicions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ played a central role in making the intelligence community confident in its assessment that the Russians had offered and paid bounties in 2019 , ” the Times cited an official .
The military and intelligence officials have been looking into American combat casualties since early last year to discern whether any American soldiers were victims of the plot .
Democrats have long been critical of the president ’ s handling of Russian aggression , complaining that he hasn ’ t done enough to deliver consequences to actions against the United States .
House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vladimir Putin hasn ’ t gotten over losing the Soviet-Afghan War .
“ Russia has never gotten over the humiliation they suffered in Afghanistan , and now they are taking it out on us , our troops , ” she said on ABC Sunday .
“ This is totally outrageous .
You would think that the minute the president heard of it , he would want to know more instead of denying that he knew anything.
” Read the full report from the New York Times .

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--2020-07-03--Mike Pence calls his wife ‘mother’ — and just referred to Trump as ‘my father’

Mike Pence raised eyebrows on Friday when he sent a campaign message referring to President Donald Trump as “ my @ @ @ @ @ you right now , ” Pence wrote in a campaign ad .
“ It ’ @ @ @ @ @ Patriot stepping up if we want to CRUSH Sleepy Joe ’ s dreams of turning @ @ @ @ @ SOCIALIST Nation.
” “ I convinced my father to give you another chance , which @ @ @ @ @ decided to EXTEND your PERSONAL 500 % -MATCH OFFER FOR 1 MORE HOUR , ” @ @ @ @ @ offered a theory that language could ’ ve have resulted from a copy and paste @ @ @ @ @ ad that was meant to come from one of Trump ’ s children .
The @ @ @ @ @ lady Karen Pence as “ mother .
”

Mike Pence raised eyebrows on Friday when he sent a campaign message referring to President Donald Trump as "my father."
"We need you right now," Pence wrote in a campaign ad. "It's going to take EVERY Patriot stepping up if we want to CRUSH Sleepy Joe's dreams of turning America into a BIG GOVERNMENT SOCIALIST Nation."
"I convinced my father to give you another chance, which is why he's decided to EXTEND your PERSONAL 500%-MATCH OFFER FOR 1 MORE HOUR," Pence wrote.
NBC News reporter Brandy Zadrozny posted a screengrab of the advertisement.
Zadrozny also offered a theory that language could've have resulted from a copy and paste error with language from an ad that was meant to come from one of Trump's children.
The vice president refers to second lady Karen Pence as "mother."


rawstory--2020-07-09--New attack featuring Trump’s sexual comments about his daughters spurs #CreepyTrump hashtag trend

President Donald Trump ’ s comments about women have been bad enough , but when it comes to his comments about his own daughters , it gets even worse .
As a baby , Trump was already thinking about whether his second daughter , Tiffany , would have breasts like her mother .
In appearances on “ The View ” and “ The Wendy Williams Show , ” Trump talked about how he wishes he could date his first daughter Ivanka and that “ sex ” is something they have in common .
The bizarre statements add to the strange @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with his friend Jeffrey Epstein .
Ultimately , Epstein was arrested after years of sex with underage children .
In niece Mary Trump ’ s new book , she describes a moment at Mar-a-Lago when her uncle ogled her .
“ I was at Mar-a-Lago .
It was an informal dinner .
I was in my bathing suit .
Uncle Donald came over to me and said , ‘ Mary is that you ?
Wow , you ’ re stacked , ' ” Mary Trump recalled .
The ad , which was done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president ’ s “ creep factor ” with the hashtag # CreepyTrump becoming No 1 in the United States on Twitter .
You can see the comments from Twitter below :

Dissolving carbon dioxide
Carbonation involves dissolving the colorless and odorless carbon dioxide – CO₂ – gas into a liquid. When carbon dioxide is added to a sealed bottle or can containing water, the pressure in the bottle or can increases, and the carbon dioxide dissolves into the liquid.
The CO₂ above the liquid and the CO₂ dissolved in the liquid reach chemical equilibrium. Chemical equilibrium essentially means the rate that CO₂ dissolves into the liquid is equal to the rate that CO₂ is released from the liquid. It’s based on the amounts of CO₂ both in the air and in the liquid.
Some of the dissolved CO₂ reacts with the water to form carbonic acid, which has a chemical formula of H₂CO₃. So once some of the dissolved CO₂ converts to H₂CO₃, more CO₂ from the air above can dissolve into the liquid and reestablish chemical equilibrium.
Carbonation happens when CO₂ is forced into a can or bottle, where it dissolves into the liquid.
When you open a bottle or can, the pressure above the carbonated liquid drops to match the pressure outside of the bottle or can. The pressure release results in a hissing sound, and you see bubbles rising in the liquid as the H₂CO₃ converts back to CO₂ and that gas escapes to the surface. The carbonic acid in the beverage is what makes it taste a little sour.
A colder drink is a bubblier one
The bubbles in carbonated beverages are filled with CO₂ gas moving from an area of high CO₂ concentration to an area of low CO₂ concentration. Jonathan Knowles/DigitalVision via Getty Images
Another important factor influencing carbonation is temperature. Most gases, including carbon dioxide, do not dissolve well in liquids as the temperature of the liquid rises. That’s why carbonated drinks go flat if you leave them out at room temperature.
Conversely, if you place your favorite carbonated beverage in the refrigerator and allow it to get cold, more dissolved carbon dioxide will stay in the beverage while it’s still sealed. When you open the chilled bottle or can, the liquid is more bubbly because there was more dissolved carbon dioxide in the cold beverage.
The temperature of the liquid affects how the CO₂ molecules dissolved in the beverage behave once the beverage is opened.
Surface tension and fizziness
One final important factor for carbonation is the surface tension of the liquid. A liquid’s surface tension is determined by how strongly the liquid’s molecules interact with each other. For most beverages, those molecules are water molecules, but diet soft drinks have artificial sweeteners dissolved in them. These sweeteners can weaken the interactions between the water molecules, creating a lower surface tension. A lower surface tension means the carbon dioxide bubbles form faster and last longer.
This is why it takes slightly longer to be served a Diet Coke on ice, a problem you might notice on a plane. The lower surface tension from the artificial sweetener means there’s more fizz, and for longer, compared with other soft drinks. The flight attendants then have to wait for the bubbles in the cup to break before they can fill the cup with more Diet Coke.
CO₂ bubbles form on the surface of the candy, which falls to the bottom of the bottle and pushes the fizzing liquid out the top. The lower surface tension of diet soda means more bubbles that last longer.
Surface tension is also why Diet Coke works so well in the famous Mentos experiment, during which you drop Mentos candies into 2-liter Diet Coke bottles. The candy helps to weaken the interactions between the water molecules and the CO₂ molecules, lowering the surface tension and allowing for an easier release of CO₂ molecules. A bubbling “geyser” of Diet Coke rises fast above the 2-liter bottle as the CO₂ molecules quickly form on the candy’s surfaces and force the Diet Coke out of the bottle.
Getting the bubbles into a beverage
In an effort to make water similar to that from mineral springs, the carbonation process was invented by Joseph Priestley in England in the 1760s and commercialized by Jacob Schweppe – recognize the name? – in Switzerland in the 1780s. Priestley reacted chalk with sulfuric acid, producing CO₂, and he hung a water-filled container over the reaction to infuse the water with CO₂.
Today, most commercial beers, soft drinks, seltzers and sparkling waters are created by “forced” carbonation. This is when manufacturers directly inject carbon dioxide into the beverage under high carbon dioxide pressures.
A second common way to introduce carbon dioxide into a liquid is by fermentation. Champagne manufacturers and some small home beer brewers follow this method by sealing a sugar source and live yeast into their bottles. The yeast produce alcohol and carbon dioxide, and this carbon dioxide increases the pressure in the bottle, resulting in carbonated champagne and beer. But this process is not as controlled and can result in exploding bottles.
Larger brewers often capture CO₂ produced during a fermentation process and pump that gas into the tanks that contain beer to carbonate the beer. This is normally a controlled process that allows for known amounts of carbon dioxide to be introduced into the beverages for outstanding consistency.
Carbonation is a marriage between physics and chemistry – one that transforms ordinary liquids into effervescent treats. The next time you drink a carbonated beverage, take a moment to appreciate the science behind those dancing bubbles.
Michael W. Crowder, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University


rawstory--2020-07-09--56 Florida hospitals hit 100% ICU capacity as GOP’s DeSantis defends refusal to release coronavirus

56 Florida hospitals hit 100% ICU capacity as GOP’s DeSantis defends refusal to release coronavirus data

At least 56 Florida hospitals in 25 different counties have hit 100 % ICU capacity , according to overall hospital data released by the state .
Another 35 only have 10 % or less capacity remaining .
In all , the state has just 962 out of a total of 5,023 ICU beds available as infections continue to rise .
One expert said contact tracing has become impossible , because here are so many infections now in South Florida .
The Agency for Health Care Administration ( AHCA ) released data on overall hospitalizations in the state , but not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promised by DeSantis .
DeSantis , a Republican , defended the refusal to release the data as he was grilled by reporters during a Tuesday news conference .
“ All the data that goes into this is all available , ” DeSantis claimed .
“ I have the spreadsheet from that data , governor , ” a reporter shot back .
“ It is not available.
” “ Obviously , not everything is presented in this report but just an unbelievable amount of data is available , ” the governor insisted , refusing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claimed that the state had already released plenty of data even as Florida remains an outlier in refusing to release data on coronavirus hospitalizations .
“ They have so much raw data on there , ” he said .
“ It ’ s really incredible .
.
.
People do the charts , and the graphs and everything .
That ’ s all available for folks , and they are able to do it.
” State Sen. José Javier Rodríguez , a Democrat , alleged that the data was not released , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported by the state .
“ It ’ s these games with public records .
They won ’ t release it unless there ’ s public pressure or a lawsuit filed .
It ’ s infuriating , ” he told The Miami Herald .
“ I suspect that one of the concerns is that we are going to see a divergence in numbers .
That ’ s what I think.
” The data reported by Florida is unreliable and raises many questions , argued Rebekah Jones , who built Florida ’ s coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for refusing to manipulate data .
DeSantis has denied her accusations .
“ Much of the [ health department ’ s ] case data doesn ’ t match the AHCA data , and the AHCA data .
.
.
third parties are publishing doesn ’ t match the data AHCA publishes themselves , ” Jones wrote in an op-ed at Florida Today .
She added that the state has also refused to publish any data on testing and cases in prisons and jails , demographic data on who is being tested , local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
DeSantis bizarrely claimed on Monday that the outbreak in the state had “ stabilized.
” One day later , the state reported a “ record of 16.27 % of all coronavirus tests coming back positive .
.
.
more than double the national seven-day moving average , ” CNN reported .
“ Certainly , all indications are things are not getting better .
They are not getting steady , ” Palm Beach County Fire Chief Reginald Duren told county commissioners Tuesday .
“ They are getting worse.
” “ This is spreading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus is going to be around for a very long time , ” Palm Beach County health chief Dr. Alina Alonso added .
Florida is far from alone in seeing its hospitals fill up after the U.S. on Tuesday hit a record 60,000 new confirmed cases .
Arizona hospitals reported that they had just 10 % ICU capacity remaining , or roughly 167 beds .
Hospitals in Texas , where the number of coronavirus hospitalizations has doubled over just the last two weeks , are approaching maximum capacity in Austin , Houston and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying not to be an alarmist .
I ’ m an emergency physician .
We ’ re prepped for this .
.
.
But we can ’ t just build beds overnight .
We can ’ t just hire staff overnight , ” Dr. Murtaza Akhter , an emergency physician at the University of Arizona , told CNN .
“ Our numbers are only increasing .
It ’ s only going to get worse and that ’ s the scary part .
”

At least 56 Florida hospitals in 25 different counties have hit 100% ICU capacity, according to overall hospital data released by the state. Another 35 only have 10% or less capacity remaining. In all, the state has just 962 out of a total of 5,023 ICU beds available as infections continue to rise. One expert said contact tracing has become impossible, because here are so many infections now in South Florida.
The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) released data on overall hospitalizations in the state, but not data related specifically to coronavirus hospitalizations as promised by DeSantis.
DeSantis, a Republican, defended the refusal to release the data as he was grilled by reporters during a Tuesday news conference.
"All the data that goes into this is all available," DeSantis claimed.
"I have the spreadsheet from that data, governor," a reporter shot back. "It is not available."
"Obviously, not everything is presented in this report but just an unbelievable amount of data is available," the governor insisted, refusing to respond to follow-up questions.
He claimed that the state had already released plenty of data even as Florida remains an outlier in refusing to release data on coronavirus hospitalizations.
"They have so much raw data on there," he said. "It's really incredible . . . People do the charts, and the graphs and everything. That's all available for folks, and they are able to do it."
State Sen. José Javier Rodríguez, a Democrat, alleged that the data was not released, because it may not match the data already reported by the state.
"It's these games with public records. They won't release it unless there's public pressure or a lawsuit filed. It's infuriating," he told The Miami Herald. "I suspect that one of the concerns is that we are going to see a divergence in numbers. That's what I think."
The data reported by Florida is unreliable and raises many questions, argued Rebekah Jones, who built Florida's coronavirus data dashboard before she alleges being fired for refusing to manipulate data. DeSantis has denied her accusations.
"Much of the [health department's] case data doesn't match the AHCA data, and the AHCA data . . . third parties are publishing doesn't match the data AHCA publishes themselves," Jones wrote in an op-ed at Florida Today. She added that the state has also refused to publish any data on testing and cases in prisons and jails, demographic data on who is being tested, local death data and any contact tracing data.
DeSantis bizarrely claimed on Monday that the outbreak in the state had "stabilized." One day later, the state reported a "record of 16.27% of all coronavirus tests coming back positive . . . more than double the national seven-day moving average," CNN reported.
"Certainly, all indications are things are not getting better. They are not getting steady," Palm Beach County Fire Chief Reginald Duren told county commissioners Tuesday. "They are getting worse."
"This is spreading quite rapidly throughout Florida, and this virus is going to be around for a very long time," Palm Beach County health chief Dr. Alina Alonso added.
Florida is far from alone in seeing its hospitals fill up after the U.S. on Tuesday hit a record 60,000 new confirmed cases.
Arizona hospitals reported that they had just 10% ICU capacity remaining, or roughly 167 beds. Hospitals in Texas, where the number of coronavirus hospitalizations has doubled over just the last two weeks, are approaching maximum capacity in Austin, Houston and San Antonio.
"I'm trying not to be an alarmist. I'm an emergency physician. We're prepped for this . . . But we can't just build beds overnight. We can't just hire staff overnight," Dr. Murtaza Akhter, an emergency physician at the University of Arizona, told CNN. "Our numbers are only increasing. It's only going to get worse and that's the scary part."


rawstory--2020-07-11--Robert Mueller blasts commutation of Roger Stone’s sentence: ‘He remains a convicted felon’

Former special counsel Robert Mueller spoke out about President Donald Trump ’ s commutation of Roger Stone ’ s criminal conviction in an op-ed published online on Saturday by The Washington Post .
“ The work of the special counsel ’ s office — its report , indictments , guilty pleas and convictions — should speak for itself .
But I feel compelled to respond both to broad claims that our investigation was illegitimate and our motives were improper , and to specific claims that Roger Stone was a victim of our office .
The Russia investigation was of paramount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because he committed federal crimes .
He remains a convicted felon , and rightly so , ” Mueller wrote .
“ Russia ’ s actions were a threat to America ’ s democracy .
It was critical that they be investigated and understood .
By late 2016 , the FBI had evidence that the Russians had signaled to a Trump campaign adviser that they could assist the campaign through the anonymous release of information damaging to the Democratic candidate .
And the FBI knew that the Russians had done just that : Beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stolen by Russian military intelligence officers from the Clinton campaign , ” Mueller explained .
“ Congress also investigated and sought information from Stone .
A jury later determined he lied repeatedly to members of Congress .
He lied about the identity of his intermediary to WikiLeaks .
He lied about the existence of written communications with his intermediary .
He lied by denying he had communicated with the Trump campaign about the timing of WikiLeaks ’ releases .
He in fact updated senior campaign officials repeatedly about WikiLeaks .
And he tampered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stonewall Congress , ” he wrote .
“ The jury ultimately convicted Stone of obstruction of a congressional investigation , five counts of making false statements to Congress and tampering with a witness .
Because his sentence has been commuted , he will not go to prison .
But his conviction stands , ” the former FBI director declared .

Former special counsel Robert Mueller spoke out about President Donald Trump's commutation of Roger Stone's criminal conviction in an op-ed published online on Saturday by The Washington Post.
"The work of the special counsel’s office — its report, indictments, guilty pleas and convictions — should speak for itself. But I feel compelled to respond both to broad claims that our investigation was illegitimate and our motives were improper, and to specific claims that Roger Stone was a victim of our office. The Russia investigation was of paramount importance. Stone was prosecuted and convicted because he committed federal crimes. He remains a convicted felon, and rightly so," Mueller wrote.
"Russia’s actions were a threat to America’s democracy. It was critical that they be investigated and understood. By late 2016, the FBI had evidence that the Russians had signaled to a Trump campaign adviser that they could assist the campaign through the anonymous release of information damaging to the Democratic candidate. And the FBI knew that the Russians had done just that: Beginning in July 2016, WikiLeaks released emails stolen by Russian military intelligence officers from the Clinton campaign," Mueller explained.
Mueller reminded why Stone was convicted.
"Congress also investigated and sought information from Stone. A jury later determined he lied repeatedly to members of Congress. He lied about the identity of his intermediary to WikiLeaks. He lied about the existence of written communications with his intermediary. He lied by denying he had communicated with the Trump campaign about the timing of WikiLeaks’ releases. He in fact updated senior campaign officials repeatedly about WikiLeaks. And he tampered with a witness, imploring him to stonewall Congress," he wrote.
"The jury ultimately convicted Stone of obstruction of a congressional investigation, five counts of making false statements to Congress and tampering with a witness. Because his sentence has been commuted, he will not go to prison. But his conviction stands," the former FBI director declared.
Read the full report.


rawstory--2020-07-11--Don Trump Jr’s voter fraud tweet blows up in his face in spectacular fashion

President Donald Trump ’ s namesake son attempted to stoke fears about voting by mail on Saturday — by highlighting @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump , Jr. posted a link to an Associated Press story syndicated by WSAZ-TV @ @ @ @ @ postal carrier has pleaded guilty to altering mail-in requests for absentee voter ballots .
Thomas @ @ @ @ @ in federal court in Elkins .
Cooper was charged in May after eight mail-in requests @ @ @ @ @ their party affiliations altered , ” the AP reported .
Cooper was apparently trying to @ @ @ @ @ investigation found five of the ballot requests were changed from Democrat to Republican with a @ @ @ @ @ the other three requests , the voters ’ party was not changed but the word @ @ @ @ @ black ink , ” the AP explained .
Here ’ s some of what people @ @ @ @ @

In new allegations revealed Wednesday, Texas House investigators accused suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton of engaging in a complex cover-up to hide his relationship with real estate investor Nate Paul as senior aides grew increasingly concerned about Paxton’s willingness to use his office to benefit Paul.
The subterfuge allegedly included Paxton and Paul creating an Uber account under an alias so they could meet each other and so the attorney general could visit the woman with whom he was having an extramarital affair.
And once Paxton learned several high-ranking officials in his office reported his behavior to the FBI, the House impeachment managers alleged, he took immediate steps to cover up his relationship with Paul, including wiring a $122,000 payment to a Paul-affiliated company in an effort to hide home renovations that Paul had provided for free.
POLL: Should Trump be allowed to run for office?
The allegations, outlined in a series of filings with the Texas Senate’s court of impeachment, shed new light on the relationship between Paul and Paxton that is at the core of his impeachment proceedings.
Among the new claims: Top deputies in the attorney general’s office persistently warned Paxton that Paul was a “crook” and that there was no merit to his claims that he had been unfairly treated by law enforcement, and that the two met at least 20 times in spring and summer 2020, sometimes discussing the FBI investigation into Paul’s faltering real estate empire.
Paxton “blindly accepted Paul’s conspiracy,” impeachment managers alleged. “Senior Staff urged Paxton to stay away. But when it came to Paul, Paxton was immune to reason.”
Paul was arrested in June on federal felony charges of lying to financial institutions to secure business loans.
Responding to Paxton’s pretrial motions that seek to dismiss all 20 articles of impeachment, including four that will not be included in the Sept. 5 impeachment trial, House managers also detailed multiple actions in which Paxton allegedly sought to use his office to benefit Paul.
They alleged that Paxton conducted a “sham criminal investigation” into Paul’s “adversaries,” routinely overriding concerns from agency staff who told him that Paul was a “criminal” and that Paxton needed to “get away.”
Instead, House managers alleged, Paxton became increasingly “entangled in Paul’s web of deceit” and “went to great lengths” to hide his relationship with Paul — using a burner phone and secret email accounts, ditching his security detail and using the fake Uber name to be “ferried to his lover’s or Paul’s properties more than a dozen times.”
In response to Paul’s favors — including allegedly employing the woman and paying to remodel Paxton’s home — Paxton “continually abused the power of his office to advance Paul’s aims,” House managers alleged.
In one instance, Paxton allegedly told agency staff that he did not want the office to assist law enforcement “in any way” with an investigation into Paul, who Paxton claimed was being “railroaded” and needed “unprecedented” access to sensitive information about his case.
After meeting with “alarmed” senior staff, Paxton allegedly demanded files about Paul’s criminal case that included an unredacted FBI letter that identified individuals involved in a 2019 raid on Paul’s home and businesses.
“Paxton held onto the file for more than a week,” House managers wrote. “Ultimately, OAG did not disclose the information to Paul. But Paxton did.”
In another instance, Paxton was accused of issuing a legal opinion that staved off a pending foreclosure sale of Paul’s businesses at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. House investigators cited two agency employees who said they were forced to work through the night to produce the opinion while Paxton frequently called them.
Paxton “sounded like someone was holding him hostage,” one of the staffers told investigators.
The opinion, which Paxton allegedly edited himself, was published at 1 a.m. Aug. 2, 2020, and said foreclosure proceedings posed a public health threat — despite the state’s “open for business” mantra throughout the pandemic, managers said.
The next day, managers alleged, Paul cited the opinion to successfully delay the foreclosures.
“It is hard to imagine a more blatant abuse of Paxton’s office,” House managers wrote.
Paxton’s legal team had filed more than a dozen motions to dismiss all articles of impeachment, often arguing that the underlying allegations were baseless or fell under the legitimate duties of the attorney general’s office.
His attorneys also accused the Texas House of trying to “overturn the will of voters” who reelected Paxton to a third term last year despite various public scandals dating to 2015. One argument stressed that Paxton cannot be impeached for alleged misconduct that predated his most recent election under the so-called “prior-term doctrine.” And they downplayed some of the allegations he faces, saying that, even if true, they are not severe enough to warrant his removal from office.
Paxton’s lawyers also attacked two bribery-related impeachment articles, saying there was no evidence of a “quid pro quo” and that Paxton’s ties to Paul were nothing more than “a personal relationship with a constituent and that the constituent found something the Attorney General did to be agreeable in some way.”
Under rules adopted by the Senate, any pretrial motion to dismiss or quash an article of impeachment must be voted on by senators. A majority — 16 senators — can approve dismissal of an article, placing an early test on the determination of the chamber’s 19 Republicans to allow a trial on the allegations. Those votes are set to be taken shortly after the trial begins in September.
In a written response, filed with the Senate on Tuesday and made public Wednesday, the impeachment team challenged other pretrial assertions from Paxton’s lawyers, who claimed the articles of impeachment were deficient because they failed to list specific laws that Paxton allegedly broke.
“Impeachable offenses need not be indictable crimes,” the House team argued. “Impeachment in Texas seeks to protect against conduct that undermines the integrity of the office, disregards constitutional duties and oaths of office, abuses government process and power, and adversely impacts the system of government.”
What’s more, the team argued, many of the articles listed particular crimes, and several detailed “how Paxton abused his office for his own personal benefit or that of Nate Paul and business entities controlled by Paul.”
More broadly, the managers emphasized that the impeachment trial is not a criminal or civil proceeding, as Paxton’s side has implied. In one new filing, the managers wrote that an impeachment trial is “a unique, if not mostly Political, with a capital ‘P’, proceeding — i.e., an action by the representatives of the people challenging official actions that are contrary to the public interest.”
That view aligns with the view that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who leads the Senate and is acting as judge in the impeachment trial, offered in a TV interview Tuesday.
“It’s not a criminal trial. It’s not a civil trial. It’s a political trial,” Patrick told the Fox affiliate in Houston.
The House managers also asked the Senate to dismiss Paxton’s motion to quash the articles or return them to the House to add more detail to the allegations. The managers said the demand shows a “fundamental misunderstanding” of how impeachment works, arguing that the Texas Constitution does not require the level of detail common in a civil or criminal proceeding.
“A person can be impeached without an indictment, therefore Paxton does not have any right to demand more details,” the managers said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.


rawstory--2020-07-12--Trump’s DHS ripped by senator for ‘acting like an occupying army’ after shooting peaceful protester

Trump’s DHS ripped by senator for ‘acting like an occupying army’ after shooting peaceful protester in the head

President Donald Trump and the Department of Homeland Security were called out by a U.S. senator after federal officials allegedly shot a peaceful protester in the hed .
“ Federal law enforcement shot and severely injured a protester Saturday night during demonstrations in front of the federal courthouse in downtown Portland , according to friends and family of the protester .
Donavan LaBella , 26 , was shot in the head by what friends and witnesses said was an impact munition , ” Oregon Public Broadcasting reports .
The video starts out peacefully , with a protester holding a boom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much like the famous John Cusack scene in the movie “ Say Anything.
” But then it gets ugly .
“ In a video of the incident sent to OPB , LaBella is seen pushing a canister of smoke or tear gas away from his feet across the street from the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse .
Moments later , LaBella returns to holding a speaker over his head with both hands .
Shots of impact munitions can be heard , and LaBella collapses to the ground , dropping the speaker , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donavan ’ s mother , said he suffered facial and skull fractures .
He came out of surgery early Sunday morning and was responding to doctors.
” Sen. Ron Wyden ( D-OR ) blasted the administration for the shooting , Willamette Week reports .
“ The consequences of Donald Trump unilaterally dispatching federal law enforcement into U.S. cities played out in Portland with a peaceful protester shot in the head , ” Wyden said .
“ Trump and Homeland Security must now answer why federal officers are acting like an occupying army , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of last night at the federal courthouse were the tragic and avoidable result of President Donald Trump , for weeks , continuing to push for force and violence in response to protests , ” she said in a statement .
“ The cycle of violence must end .
President Trump deploying armed federal officers to Portland only serves to escalate tensions and , as we saw yesterday , will inevitably lead to unnecessary violence and confrontation .
”

And the Monsanto trade was just one of 136 stock and other financial transactions — totaling between $3.05 million and $8.56 million — that Allen failed to properly report, according to an exclusive Raw Story analysis of federal financial disclosures.
"The omissions are so extensive that I'm just in suspense for what the possible explanation could be,” said Kedric Payne, vice president, general counsel and senior director of ethics for the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan government watchdog group. “I haven't seen anything like this before with it going back this far."
ALSO READ: Revealed: Marjorie Taylor Greene's post-divorce finances — from Trump to Disney
The Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act requires key government officials, including members of Congress, to publicly report within 45 days most purchases, sales and exchanges of stocks, bonds, commodity futures, securities and cryptocurrencies.
Passed by Congress in 2012, the STOCK Act is designed to stop insider trading, curb conflicts-of-interest and enhance transparency.
But many of the financial trades Allen reported earlier this month were at least three years past the STOCK Act’s reporting deadline. In response to a series of questions from Raw Story, Allen’s congressional office acknowledged in an emailed statement that the congressman experienced “reporting issues” and blamed them on a financial adviser who no longer works for the Georgia lawmaker.
“Congressman Allen’s investment decisions are handled by a financial adviser, who uses investment managers to implement trades at their own discretion, without consulting with or getting input from the Congressman,” said Carlton Norwood Jr., a spokesperson for Allen. “In May of this year, Congressman Allen became aware of some reporting issues and omissions that were caused by a compliance firm he had engaged. At that point, he hired counsel and a new compliance firm to start working with the House Ethics Committee to ensure all trades have been properly reported.”
Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA). Source: U.S. House of Representatives
Members of Congress are required to file what are known as “periodic transaction reports,” or PTRs, each time they make certain financial transactions worth more than $1,000.
The periodic transaction reports are due within 45 days of a trade being executed, whether by a member of Congress personally, or a financial adviser working on the member’s behalf. Lawmakers are only required by law to disclose the value of the trades in broad ranges.
“The [Aug. 10] PTR was filed as part of that process in consultation with House Ethics Committee counsel – who understands that it was the compliance firm, and not Congressman Allen, who was responsible for these errors and that additional action and amendments to his financial disclosure statements may be necessary,” Norwood said in a statement.
However, Payne says it’s ultimately up to the legislator to ensure that such reports are filed in a timely manner.
“It's always been clear that the member has the ultimate responsibility of filing the PTRs, and it cannot be simply blamed on any outside adviser,” Payne said.
The standard fine for violating the STOCK Act is $200. But the House Committee on Ethics and Senate Select Committee on Ethics have historically waived the fees for many violators.
"It's a black hole when it goes to the Ethics Committee, and we don't know if they will assess penalties, or they just don't do anything about it.” Payne said.
Tom Rust, staff director and chief counsel for the House Committee on Ethics, which is tasked with investigating alleged STOCK Act violations, said “no comment” when reached by Raw Story.
Asked by Raw Story whether Allen has paid a fine, Norwood did not respond.
ALSO READ: Sold! Wealthy N.Y. congressman dumps up to $37 million in stocks and bonds amid pressure to divest
Demian Brady, vice president of research for the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, said there should be more transparency from the congressional ethics committees “to see how they're enforcing the laws that they're responsible for administering.”
“It shouldn’t be so difficult to figure out whether a member’s getting fined or not for late compliance with these basic, it seems to me, fairly straightforward and simple reporting requirements,” Brady said.
Allen is appointed to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and its Subcommittees on Communications and Technology; Innovation, Data, and Commerce; and Environment, Manufacturing and Critical Materials. He is also appointed to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and its Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions.
Allen’s stock transactions span dozens of companies including energy companies like Dominion Energy, General Electric, ExxonMobil, NextEra Energy and Phillips 66, technology companies such as Microsoft and Verizon and mining company Freeport-McMo-Ran.
This is at least the third separate time Allen has violated the STOCK Act.
Raw Story reported in June that Allen was late in disclosing his spouse’s March 27 sale — valued between $100,001 to $250,000 — of stock in SouthState Corporation, a financial services company.
In 2021, Insider reported that Allen has several financial filing flubs related to his stock trade activity from 2019 and 2020.
Epidemic of violations
Dozens of members of Congress have failed to comply with the STOCK Act. During the 117th Congress from 2021 to 2022, at least 78 members of Congress — Democrats and Republicans alike — were found to have violated the STOCK Act's disclosure provisions, according to a tally maintained by Insider.
Raw Story has this year identified 19 members of the 118th Congress who have broken the federal conflicts of interest law.
In recent weeks, repeat violators like Allen have broken the federal disclosure law again — Rep. Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) violated the STOCK Act for the third time in 14 months, Rep. Kathy Manning (D-N.C.) became a two-time offender and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) was several months late disclosing a family stock sale — again.
The ongoing violations come at a time when a bipartisan group of lawmakers have introduced several similar bills aimed at banning congressional stock trading.
"We see that the STOCK Act is not complied with the way it's intended to be, and if there are no consequences for the late filings, you continue to see that there probably will be less compliance with the law,” Payne said.
Campaign Legal Center supports legislation that would require members of Congress to divest of any stocks in individual companies, he said.
The most recent legislation introduced is the Ban Stock Trading for Government Officials Act, which would prohibit members of Congress, the president, the vice president, senior executive branch officials, their spouses and children from trading stocks and would require greater transparency with financial disclosures, The Hill reported.
Another two-party bill, the Bipartisan Restoring Faith in Government Act was introduced in May and is co-sponsored in part by political rivals in Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Matt Gaetz (R-FL).
Other materially similar bills include the Ending Trading and Holdings in Congressional Stocks (ETHICS) Act, the TRUST in Congress Act and the Preventing Elected Leaders from Owning Securities and Investments (PELOSI) Act. In the decade since the STOCK Act’s passage, the push for a total ban on lawmakers trading stocks while in office gained but then lost momentum last year when the Democratic-led House, then led by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, decided not to conduct a hearing on any of the stock-ban bills and never brought it to the House floor for a vote.
News organizations including the New York Times, Insider, NPR and Sludge have documented rampant financial conflicts of interests among dozens of members of Congress, such as those who bought and sold defense contractor stock while occupying positions on congressional armed services committees or otherwise voting on measures to send such companies billions of federal dollars. The executive and judicial branches are riddled with similar financial conflict issues, too, as the Wall Street Journal hasreported.
The Wall Street Journal won a 2023 Pulitzer Prize for its investigation into financial conflicts among officials who work in federal agencies while Insider won the Society of Professional Journalists’ Sunshine Award for its reporting on congressional financial conflicts.


rawstory--2020-07-12--‘DeSantis should step down’: Florida’s GOP governor blasted as coronavirus surges across the state

Republican Gov .
Ron DeSantis was blasted on Sunday after Florida recorded the largest single-day coronavirus infection number of any @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Florida hit an alarming one-day high on Sunday with 15,300 new coronavirus cases @ @ @ @ @ and national record for new cases reported since the start of the pandemic , ” @ @ @ @ @ .
“ With Sunday ’ s staggering surge in new cases , Florida eclipsed New @ @ @ @ @ of 12,274 cases on April 4.
” The newspaper noted at least 4,346 people have @ @ @ @ @ .
DeSantis was harshly criticized for the grim milestone , here ’ s some of @ @ @ @ @

The caller began rattling off questions about "the guy who's from New York," asking vague questions about something that Signorile suggested was likely a conspiracy theory with no supporting facts.
POLL: Should Trump be allowed to run for office?
There was a debate about whether Trump was being charged with "insurrection" – in fact, his many charges include "defrauding the United States," but not insurrection.
John then began rattling off comments about conspiracies in Philadelphia during the 2020 election.
Signorile explained that Donald Trump was unsuccessful in each case where he went to court over the election. In most cases, the courts ruled he was relying on unsubstantiated facts and hearsay.
"Let's make believe, in John from Staten Island World, that he was someone who was somehow facing an injustice. Does that give him a right to engage in illegal means to overturn the government?" Signorile asked.
John from Staten Island accused Signorile of using "innuendo," and went on to cite what Donald Trump told people.
Signorile went on to say that the way the American system works is that those who have disagreements use the law to fight their case, they don't side-step the law and do whatever they want. That, he said, is why Trump is being accused of the crimes he is at the federal and state level.
"He is every stereotype of place, the only borough of New York City that voted for Trump — and where there was a rally over the weekend to stop migrant asylum-seekers from being sheltered there, even though just about everyone living there, a place dominated by Italian-Americans, descended from immigrants," Signorile, who said he was from the borough, wrote after the call.
"(And let me tell you that not everyone there is like this!)"
Listen to the exchanges in the audio here.


rawstory--2020-07-12--Trump has ‘destroyed’ the GOP and the nation needs to ‘grind him into the ground’: George Conway

The Republican Party may not ever be able to restore the party — even after Donald Trump leaves office .
George Conway , the longtime GOP lawyer who is married to White House counselor Kellyanne Conway , explained his thoughts on the future of the party to New York Times columnist Frank Bruni .
“ I personally think that the Republican brand is probably destroyed , ” Conway said .
“ It ’ s destroyed by it having become essentially a personality cult , ” he explained .
Bruni asked if Conway will be “ a man without a party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ Probably , ” he said .
“ It makes me tremendously sad.
” Charlie Sykes , a founder and editor-at-large of The Bulwark , a conservative publication that does not hesitate to criticize Trump , agreed .
“ It ’ s naïve to think that the Republican Party is going to snap back to sanity anytime soon .
The fact that people are talking about Tucker Carlson in 2024 shows you how far they ’ ve gone , ” Sykes explained .
Even though there may not be a party for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Conway is not slowing down his criticism of the president .
Here ’ s some of his recent thoughts on the topic :

The Republican Party may not ever be able to restore the party -- even after Donald Trump leaves office.
George Conway, the longtime GOP lawyer who is married to White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, explained his thoughts on the future of the party to New York Times columnist Frank Bruni.
“I personally think that the Republican brand is probably destroyed,” Conway said.
“It’s destroyed by it having become essentially a personality cult," he explained.
Bruni asked if Conway will be "a man without a party for the rest of your days?"
“Probably,” he said. “It makes me tremendously sad.”
Charlie Sykes, a founder and editor-at-large of The Bulwark, a conservative publication that does not hesitate to criticize Trump, agreed.
“It’s naïve to think that the Republican Party is going to snap back to sanity anytime soon. The fact that people are talking about Tucker Carlson in 2024 shows you how far they’ve gone," Sykes explained.
Even though there may not be a party for them to return to after Trump, Conway is not slowing down his criticism of the president. Here's some of his recent thoughts on the topic:


rawstory--2020-07-13--Trump Organization planning ‘high-end’ retirement community — with 225 properties — on foreign soil:

Trump Organization planning ‘high-end’ retirement community — with 225 properties — on foreign soil: report

The Trump Organization is planning a massive real estate development , according to a new report by Martyn McLaughlin in The Scotsman .
“ In what would be one of the most ambitious and expensive foreign projects undertaken by Donald Trump ’ s family business since he assumed the presidency , his company has commissioned a detailed masterplan to develop as many as 225 properties , as well as leisure facilities and shops , on an expanse of rolling farmland adjacent to Turnberry ’ s lauded Ailsa course , a four-time host of golf ’ s Open Championship , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump Organisation has yet to formally submit a planning application , it has not announced the project or publicised its intentions .
But Scotland on Sunday has obtained a series of documents prepared on its behalf by an architectural practice and one of the nation ’ s leading planning lawyers .
Together , they spell out the company ’ s grand ambitions for the 114 year old resort , arguably the most prestigious of all Trump ’ s properties , ” The Scotsman reported .
“ A key selling point put forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the creation of ‘ high-end private residential homes for retirement living , ’ which it says would offer ‘ permanent tranquility and respite ’ and help address a ‘ social need ’ amongst an ageing population.
” McLaughlin laid out a thread on Twitter laying out his reporting :

The Trump Organization is planning a massive real estate development, according to a new report by Martyn McLaughlin in The Scotsman.
"In what would be one of the most ambitious and expensive foreign projects undertaken by Donald Trump’s family business since he assumed the presidency, his company has commissioned a detailed masterplan to develop as many as 225 properties, as well as leisure facilities and shops, on an expanse of rolling farmland adjacent to Turnberry’s lauded Ailsa course, a four-time host of golf’s Open Championship," the Scottish newspaper reported.
"Given the Trump Organisation has yet to formally submit a planning application, it has not announced the project or publicised its intentions. But Scotland on Sunday has obtained a series of documents prepared on its behalf by an architectural practice and one of the nation’s leading planning lawyers. Together, they spell out the company’s grand ambitions for the 114 year old resort, arguably the most prestigious of all Trump’s properties," The Scotsman reported. "A key selling point put forward by the Trump Organisation’s architects is the creation of 'high-end private residential homes for retirement living,' which it says would offer 'permanent tranquility and respite' and help address a 'social need' amongst an ageing population."
McLaughlin laid out a thread on Twitter laying out his reporting:


rawstory--2020-07-16--CDC cuts off public information about hospital capacity: report

On Thursday , ProPublica ’ s Charles Ornstein reported that the Centers for Disease Control web page displaying information about @ @ @ @ @ has been disabled , cutting off the public from this information .
The CDC has @ @ @ @ @ holding on to this data — but is no longer available to the public .
@ @ @ @ @ the country as hospital beds have been filled nearly to capacity by COVID-19 patients .
@ @ @ @ @ Texas , ICU beds are close to critical capacity , and some areas are facing @ @ @ @ @ Ryan Panchadsaram , who is involved in a data-tracking website called Covid Exit Strategy , @ @ @ @ @ to collect data from the CDC website on Tuesday , only to find that it @ @ @ @ @ were surprised because the modules that we normally go to were empty .
The data @ @ @ @ @ not there , ” he said .
“ There was no warning .
”

"I just want to go back to Giuliani for a second, since you know these characters all so well," said anchor Joy Reid. "I want to read you what The New York Times — there was an opinion piece by one of his biographers, Andrew Kirtzman and David Holly what they wrote about Rudy has become. They wrote this. 'Faced with the political irrelevance and collapsing client base that would accompany Mr. Trump's defeat, in 2020, he seemingly made a Faustian bargain, working to undermine democracy in order to save his career.' I feel like it was a few years before that. What do you make of the fact that the RICO guy is now the RICO defendant?"
POLL: Should Trump be allowed to run for office?
"Well, it's Shakespearean in its dimensions, because Rudy was an evangelist about the rule of law in a very draconian way," said O'Brien. "And he used RICO, I think, to great effect, as we all know to go after the mob. The argument being that you could never touch the people at the head of the mob families, because they were very good at insulating their own actions from their minions who went out there, soldiers out on the street, who did the crimes. Rudy said, it was very important to attach what lower-level people did to the people orchestrating the schemes. Shades of Donald Trump much later. Everybody who has been pulled up in the January 6th investigation has complained that they came there because Trump asked them to come here. They thought they were doing what they had been told to do, and yet Trump wasn't being held accountable."
"The argument against RICO being used by Fani Willis to go after Trump is then that it's overreach," continued O'Brien. "That it should only go after organized crime. But the statute is meant to go against organized criminal conspiracies, not necessarily just conspiracies that Italian mobsters were targeted for. And in that context, one of Giuliani's biggest cases in addition to the commission case targeting the mobsters was Wall Street. He brought down Drexel Burnham. He targeted Michael Milken, he cited the person in the financial web involving insider trading and financial fraud. He himself recognized that RICO wasn't a statute that should only be used against people we traditionally call organized criminals. Fani Willis, as you noted in your opening, has also adapted it to target other people, including drug dealers. And so, I think that the idea that this thing that he created has now come around and snapped him up is both ironic but overdue because he sold himself out and he sold himself out to Trump."
"It's a reminder how easily Trump corrupts people in his orbit, but he can only corrupt them if they're corruptible," O'Brien added. "And Rudy, for all of his finger-wagging over the years at people of color for being street criminals, mobsters and many others for not following the rule of law, has now shown he's just as base and just as craven as any number of the people he once prosecuted."
Watch the video below or at the link here.


rawstory--2020-07-17--Steve Schmidt goes on epic rant and demands Oregon’s governor arrest Trump’s ‘Secret Police’ in Port

Steve Schmidt goes on epic rant and demands Oregon’s governor arrest Trump’s ‘Secret Police’ in Portland

Prominent political activist Steve Schmidt on Friday demanded the National Guard be deployed to deal with the Department of Homeland @ @ @ @ @ Shocking videos have emerged of what are believed to be DHS agents .
The men @ @ @ @ @ fatigues .
They do not have badges nor patches identifying who they are , but @ @ @ @ @ patches on their body armor vests .
A protester was almost killed after being shot @ @ @ @ @ security forces .
The agents have also been snatching protesters off the streets in what @ @ @ @ @ .
Kate Brown ( D-OR ) accused Trump of doing it to boost his embattled @ @ @ @ @ Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf has been blasted for a “ blatant abuse @ @ @ @ @ this was too much for Lincoln Project strategist Steve Schmidt , who is calling on @ @ @ @ @ out the National Guard to arrest the DHS troops .
Here is the thread he @ @ @ @

"You mentioned the concept of accountability and how it is not something that Donald Trump is particularly familiar with," said anchor Alex Wagner. "I wonder what you think of the peril that he keeps putting himself in, legally speaking, by lashing out at prosecutors. Targeting judges. Speaking badly about the very people who will determine his fate. And being, effectively, not threatened, but potentially forced to pay a price for that in the form of a trial date that has moved, or a fine, or even the possibility of being incarcerated while he awaits trial. Do you think that there is anything at this point that could force Donald Trump to stop the vitriol and to stop the tweets and the rants? Or is he going to push it as far as he possibly can?"
POLL: Should Trump be allowed to run for office?
"The short answer is no, he is not going to be able to stop himself," said Mary Trump. "There has been a really interesting shift over the last few months or couple of years. the way in which he is presenting himself in social media, the kind of attacking nature, and the aggressiveness, that used to be a strategy for him."
"You know, he used to throw temper tantrums strategically to get his way," she continued. "It is not strategy anymore."
"He is literally doing what he has done in other contexts, which is pushing the envelope to see how much he could get away with, which obviously, until this time, has been everything," she added. "But, the unconscious fear, terror, and especially if you have a fear of humiliation is so strong, that he cannot course correct and realize that what he's always done is, this time, not going to get him what he wants. In fact, quite the opposite."
Watch the video below or at the link.


rawstory--2020-07-19--Unable to name Black war hero, Trump mockingly suggests renaming Confederate bases after Al Sharpton

President Donald Trump suggested that bases named after Confederate soldiers should not be renamed because he could think of no Black war heroes deserving of the honor .
Trump made the remarks during an interview in which Fox News host Chris Wallace noted that legislation funding the Department of Defense could also force some bases to be renamed .
‘ I did more for the military than any president !
” Trump exclaimed .
“ But you ’ re going to veto this bill ?
” Wallace pressed .
“ I think that Ft. Bragg , Ft. Robert E. Lee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been named that way for a long time — decades and decades , ” the president opined .
“ But the military says they are for this , ” Wallace pointed out .
“ Excuse me , ” Trump continued .
“ I don ’ t care what the military says .
I ’ m supposed to make the decision .
Ft. Bragg is a big deal .
We won two world wars .
Nobody even knows Gen. Bragg.
” “ What are we going to name it , ” he added , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Black war heroes .
“ You going to name it after the Rev .
Al Sharpton ?
What are you going to name it , Chris ?
Tell me what you ’ re going to name it.
” Trump reminded the Fox News host that the United States “ won two beautiful world wars that were vicious and horrible.
” “ And now , they want to throw those names away , ” he complained .
“ And I ’ m against that.
” Watch the video below from Fox News .