rawstory--2020-01-18--Lev Parnas is the smoking gun in Trump’s Ukraine scandal — and why you’re not going to see any witne

Lev Parnas is the smoking gun in Trump’s Ukraine scandal — and why you’re not going to see any witnesses in the Senate trial

Revelations this week by Rudy Giuliani ’ s henchman Lev Parnas in interviews with MSNBC , CNN and the New York Times blew Iran out of the headlines and landed on Capitol Hill like a bomb .
Here was an insider in the Ukraine conspiracy not only willing to talk , but to provide documents to back up allegations he has made about Trump ’ s shakedown of Volodymyr Zelensky to get dirt on his potential Democratic opponent , Joe Biden .
This article was first published on Salon .
Parnas is the reason Republicans are so scared of opening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testimony .
According to Parnas , everyone was in on the Ukraine scheme .
Trump himself , of course , but also Vice President Mike Pence was in on it .
So was Attorney General William Barr , so was Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and so were Secretary of Energy Rick Perry and national security adviser John Bolton .
At the very center of the scheme , according to Parnas , was the man he worked for , Trump ’ s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani .
Parnas has letters , text messages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more to back up his recollections of what happened as Trump tried to muscle Ukraine into aiding his re-election campaign by announcing an investigation of Biden .
Trump was obviously getting ready to pound Biden with Ukraine conspiracy allegations the same way he pounded Hillary Clinton about her emails in 2016 .
Hey , it worked once !
Why not ?
After testimony by 10 witnesses before the House Intelligence Committee last fall , new information has continued to roll in .
We have recently learned that the order to withhold the $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukraine came the day after Trump ’ s “ perfect ” phone call with the Ukrainian president last July 25 .
More recently , a series of emails and other contacts at the top of the Trump administration questioning the legality of the sequestering of the funds has come to light .
And now we ’ ve got Parnas and his trove of texts , notes , letters and other documents that back up his stories about working for Giuliani to get former Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch fired , and all the machinations surrounding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other officials to get them to investigate Biden .
But too little attention has been paid to the oldest question of all : Cui bono ?
Who benefits ?
Trump , of course .
But how ?
Was it all about Biden , or was there something else Trump was trying to accomplish ?
Scratch the surface of the Ukraine scandal , and what you see is Russia , and Trump ’ s old pal , Vladimir Putin .
Parnas was born in Odessa , Ukraine , in 1972 when it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brought to the United States three years later by his parents .
He has retained at least some fluency in the Ukrainian language as well as Russian , and last summer served for a time as a translator on the defense team of Dmytro Firtash , working for Washington lawyers Victoria Toensing and Joseph diGenova , a Washington D.C. power couple who appear frequently on Fox News .
Parnas did more than hint at the Russia connection in his interview on MSNBC with Rachel Maddow .
He told Maddow that Giuliani ordered him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would not travel to Ukraine for Zelensky ’ s inauguration on May 12 unless he announced the Biden investigation .
When Zelensky refused , Pence cancelled his trip the next day .
Parnas explained that a show of support by Trump and the United States was just as important to Zelensky as the military aid the Congress had appropriated , which was why the cancellation of Pence ’ s visit was such a blow .
When the transcript of the July call between Trump and Zelensky was released , all the coverage was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the “ favor ” he asked for regarding a Biden investigation immediately after Zelensky ’ s mention of military aid , and Trump ’ s references to Giuliani and Barr .
But if you go back and read Zelensky ’ s portion of the call , it was all about Russia .
Zelensky complained that the European Union wasn ’ t doing enough with sanctions against Russia .
“ They are not enforcing the sanctions .
They are not working as much as they should work for Ukraine , ” Zelensky said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turns out that even though logically , the European Union should be our biggest partner but technically the United States is a much bigger partner than the European Union and I ’ m very grateful to you for that because the United States is doing quite a lot for Ukraine.
” He talked more about looking forward to visiting Trump in Washington and Poland and the “ friendship ” between Ukraine and the U.S. than he did about military assistance .
Ukraine had lost Crimea to Russian aggression in 2014 and since then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eastern border against separatists backed by Putin ’ s military .
To date , that war has resulted in nearly twice as many Ukrainian casualties than the U.S. has lost in Iraq and Afghanistan combined over the last 18 years .
Putin ’ s ambition for a “ greater Russia , ” if not a new Soviet Union-style Russian empire , began with Ukraine , and he wants it badly enough to fight a war for it .
If Ukraine has reportedly lost as many as 14,000 in its war against Russian separatists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many .
Reports this week about Putin ’ s maneuvers toward keeping himself in power indefinitely have to make Zelensky ’ s blood run cold .
Russia is far bigger , richer and more powerful than Ukraine , and it ’ s right on its eastern border .
Putin has the power , if he wants to use it , to make Ukraine simply cease to exist .
Lev Parnas inserted himself into the maelstrom of TrumpWorld with a $ 50,000 donation during the 2016 campaign , and a $ 325,000 donation to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Action , in 2018 .
He was invited to functions at Mar-a-Lago and the White House , and photographs of Parnas with Trump , members of his family and high officials in the Trump administration have been all over TV screens this week .
Parnas was in Ukraine working for Giuliani and texting Rick Perry , Giuliani , various Trump aides and Trump friends like Tom Hicks Jr. , who was chairman of America First Action until he left to become co-chairman of the Republican National Committee .
Parnas remained a loyal member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9 last year .
That night he finished up a dinner with his partner Igor Fruman and Rudy Giuliani at the Trump International Hotel and traveled out to Dulles Airport for a flight to Vienna .
Before boarding the plane , he was arrested by the FBI and charged with campaign finance violations .
Parnas found himself in jail and was soon set up by Trump attorney Jay Sekulow with some heavy D.C. legal talent : Kevin Downey , who was also the lawyer for former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former lawyer .
Parnas met with the two legal eagles in the federal lock-up and within moments concluded that “ they were trying to keep me quiet , ” as he explained to Rachel Maddow .
He described pressing “ the buzzer to call the guard ” and throwing them out of the jail meeting room .
He hired a new attorney who arranged to turn over to the House Intelligence Committee all the documents he had accumulated in the months he worked for Giuliani on the deal to get Zelensky to investigate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parnas knows why he is facing federal charges for the political donation nobody complained about until the whistleblower exposed Trump ’ s corrupt call to Zelensky .
“ [ Attorney General ] Barr is a tool of the president , ” he said the other night .
This week we also learned that Barr has former FBI Director James Comey under investigation , in addition to the investigations he has ordered against former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and the entire investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election .
Trump has finally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the kind of corrupt attorney general that Yuri Lutsenko and Viktor Shokin were in Ukraine .
It ’ s worth remembering that everything Trump does is for two reasons : to keep himself in office , and to please Vladimir Putin .
It ’ s also worth remembering that the House of Representatives , which voted articles of impeachment , didn ’ t pick Lev Parnas .
The Senate , which will hold the impeachment trial , didn ’ t pick Lev Parnas .
Donald Trump picked him to help with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet another attempt to get a foreign country to help his election campaign .
Lev Parnas is Trump ’ s guy .
That ’ s why he ’ s under indictment by Barr ’ s Justice Department and facing serious time in federal prison .
That ’ s why he ’ s a smoking gun .
He knows too much .

Revelations this week by Rudy Giuliani's henchman Lev Parnas in interviews with MSNBC, CNN and the New York Times blew Iran out of the headlines and landed on Capitol Hill like a bomb. Here was an insider in the Ukraine conspiracy not only willing to talk, but to provide documents to back up allegations he has made about Trump's shakedown of Volodymyr Zelensky to get dirt on his potential Democratic opponent, Joe Biden.
This article was first published on Salon.
Parnas is the reason Republicans are so scared of opening the Senate trial of Trump to witness testimony. According to Parnas, everyone was in on the Ukraine scheme. Trump himself, of course, but also Vice President Mike Pence was in on it. So was Attorney General William Barr, so was Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and so were Secretary of Energy Rick Perry and national security adviser John Bolton. At the very center of the scheme, according to Parnas, was the man he worked for, Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani.
Parnas has letters, text messages, contemporaneous notes, travel documents and more to back up his recollections of what happened as Trump tried to muscle Ukraine into aiding his re-election campaign by announcing an investigation of Biden. Trump was obviously getting ready to pound Biden with Ukraine conspiracy allegations the same way he pounded Hillary Clinton about her emails in 2016. Hey, it worked once! Why not?
After testimony by 10 witnesses before the House Intelligence Committee last fall, new information has continued to roll in. We have recently learned that the order to withhold the $400 million in congressionally appropriated aid to Ukraine came the day after Trump's "perfect" phone call with the Ukrainian president last July 25. More recently, a series of emails and other contacts at the top of the Trump administration questioning the legality of the sequestering of the funds has come to light. And now we've got Parnas and his trove of texts, notes, letters and other documents that back up his stories about working for Giuliani to get former Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch fired, and all the machinations surrounding the shakedown of Ukraine's president and other officials to get them to investigate Biden.
But too little attention has been paid to the oldest question of all: Cui bono? Who benefits? Trump, of course. But how? Was it all about Biden, or was there something else Trump was trying to accomplish? Scratch the surface of the Ukraine scandal, and what you see is Russia, and Trump's old pal, Vladimir Putin.
Parnas was born in Odessa, Ukraine, in 1972 when it was part of the Soviet Union and was brought to the United States three years later by his parents. He has retained at least some fluency in the Ukrainian language as well as Russian, and last summer served for a time as a translator on the defense team of Dmytro Firtash, working for Washington lawyers Victoria Toensing and Joseph diGenova, a Washington D.C. power couple who appear frequently on Fox News.
Parnas did more than hint at the Russia connection in his interview on MSNBC with Rachel Maddow. He told Maddow that Giuliani ordered him to tell Zelensky that Vice President Pence would not travel to Ukraine for Zelensky's inauguration on May 12 unless he announced the Biden investigation. When Zelensky refused, Pence cancelled his trip the next day. Parnas explained that a show of support by Trump and the United States was just as important to Zelensky as the military aid the Congress had appropriated, which was why the cancellation of Pence's visit was such a blow.
When the transcript of the July call between Trump and Zelensky was released, all the coverage was on Trump's quid pro quo, the "favor" he asked for regarding a Biden investigation immediately after Zelensky's mention of military aid, and Trump's references to Giuliani and Barr.
But if you go back and read Zelensky's portion of the call, it was all about Russia. Zelensky complained that the European Union wasn't doing enough with sanctions against Russia. "They are not enforcing the sanctions. They are not working as much as they should work for Ukraine," Zelensky said, buttering up Trump. "It turns out that even though logically, the European Union should be our biggest partner but technically the United States is a much bigger partner than the European Union and I'm very grateful to you for that because the United States is doing quite a lot for Ukraine." He talked more about looking forward to visiting Trump in Washington and Poland and the "friendship" between Ukraine and the U.S. than he did about military assistance.
Ukraine had lost Crimea to Russian aggression in 2014 and since then had been fighting a war on its eastern border against separatists backed by Putin's military. To date, that war has resulted in nearly twice as many Ukrainian casualties than the U.S. has lost in Iraq and Afghanistan combined over the last 18 years.
Putin's ambition for a "greater Russia," if not a new Soviet Union-style Russian empire, began with Ukraine, and he wants it badly enough to fight a war for it. If Ukraine has reportedly lost as many as 14,000 in its war against Russian separatists, Russia must have lost just as many. Reports this week about Putin's maneuvers toward keeping himself in power indefinitely have to make Zelensky's blood run cold. Russia is far bigger, richer and more powerful than Ukraine, and it's right on its eastern border. Putin has the power, if he wants to use it, to make Ukraine simply cease to exist.
Lev Parnas inserted himself into the maelstrom of TrumpWorld with a $50,000 donation during the 2016 campaign, and a $325,000 donation to the Trump super PAC, America First Action, in 2018. He was invited to functions at Mar-a-Lago and the White House, and photographs of Parnas with Trump, members of his family and high officials in the Trump administration have been all over TV screens this week. Parnas was in Ukraine working for Giuliani and texting Rick Perry, Giuliani, various Trump aides and Trump friends like Tom Hicks Jr., who was chairman of America First Action until he left to become co-chairman of the Republican National Committee.
Parnas remained a loyal member of TrumpWorld until the evening of Oct. 9 last year. That night he finished up a dinner with his partner Igor Fruman and Rudy Giuliani at the Trump International Hotel and traveled out to Dulles Airport for a flight to Vienna. Before boarding the plane, he was arrested by the FBI and charged with campaign finance violations.
Parnas found himself in jail and was soon set up by Trump attorney Jay Sekulow with some heavy D.C. legal talent: Kevin Downey, who was also the lawyer for former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, and John Dowd, Trump's own former lawyer. Parnas met with the two legal eagles in the federal lock-up and within moments concluded that "they were trying to keep me quiet," as he explained to Rachel Maddow. He described pressing "the buzzer to call the guard" and throwing them out of the jail meeting room. He hired a new attorney who arranged to turn over to the House Intelligence Committee all the documents he had accumulated in the months he worked for Giuliani on the deal to get Zelensky to investigate Biden. So here we are.
Parnas knows why he is facing federal charges for the political donation nobody complained about until the whistleblower exposed Trump's corrupt call to Zelensky. "[Attorney General] Barr is a tool of the president," he said the other night. This week we also learned that Barr has former FBI Director James Comey under investigation, in addition to the investigations he has ordered against former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and the entire investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump has finally found his Roy Cohn. We now have the kind of corrupt attorney general that Yuri Lutsenko and Viktor Shokin were in Ukraine.
It's worth remembering that everything Trump does is for two reasons: to keep himself in office, and to please Vladimir Putin. It's also worth remembering that the House of Representatives, which voted articles of impeachment, didn't pick Lev Parnas. The Senate, which will hold the impeachment trial, didn't pick Lev Parnas. Donald Trump picked him to help with his shakedown of the president of Ukraine, yet another attempt to get a foreign country to help his election campaign. Lev Parnas is Trump's guy. That's why he's under indictment by Barr's Justice Department and facing serious time in federal prison. That's why he's a smoking gun. He knows too much.


rawstory--2020-01-18--Experts worried over scale of China SARS-like virus as US airports start screening

The true scale of the outbreak of a mysterious SARS-like virus in China is likely far bigger than officially reported , scientists have warned , as countries ramp up measures to prevent the disease from spreading .
Fears that the virus will spread are growing ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday , when hundreds of millions of Chinese move around the country and many others host or visit extended family members living overseas .
Authorities in China say two people have died and at least 45 have been infected , with the outbreak centred around a seafood market in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city of 11 million inhabitants that serves as a major transport hub .
But a paper published Friday by scientists with the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College in London said the number of cases in the city was likely closer to 1,700 .
The researchers said their estimate was largely based on the fact that cases had been reported overseas –- two in Thailand and one in Japan .
The virus — a new strain of coronavirus that humans can contract — has caused alarm because of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Syndrome ) , which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003 .
China has not announced any travel restrictions , but authorities in Hong Kong have already stepped up detection measures , including rigorous temperature checkpoints for inbound travellers from the Chinese mainland .
The US said from Friday it would begin screening flights arriving from Wuhan at San Francisco airport and New York ’ s JFK — which both receive direct flights — as well as Los Angeles , where many flights connect .
And Thailand said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bangkok , Chiang Mai and Phuket and would soon introduce similar controls in the beach resort of Krabi .
No human-to-human transmission has been confirmed so far , but Wuhan ’ s health commission has said the possibility “ can not be excluded ” .
A World Health Organization doctor said it would not be surprising if there was “ some limited human-to-human transmission , especially among families who have close contact with one another ” .
Scientists with the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis — which advises bodies including the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ total of 1,723 ” people in Wuhan would have been infected as of January 12 .
“ For Wuhan to have exported three cases to other countries would imply there would have to be many more cases than have been reported , ” Professor Neil Ferguson , one of the authors of the report , told the BBC .
“ I am substantially more concerned than I was a week ago , ” he said , while adding that it was “ too early to be alarmist ” .
“ People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human-to-human transmission more seriously than they have so far , ” he continued , saying it was “ unlikely ” that animal exposure was the sole source of infection .
Local authorities in Wuhan said a 69-year-old man died on Wednesday , becoming the second fatal case , with the disease causing pulmonary tuberculosis and damage to multiple organ functions .
After the death was reported , online discussion spread in China over the severity of the Wuhan coronavirus — and how much information the government may be hiding from the public .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while others made comparisons to 2003 , when Beijing drew criticism from the WHO for underreporting the number of SARS cases .
“ It ’ s so strange , ” wrote a web user on the social media platform Weibo , citing the overseas cases in Japan and Thailand .
“ They all have Wuhan pneumonia cases but ( in China ) we don ’ t have any infections outside of Wuhan — is that scientific ?
”

The true scale of the outbreak of a mysterious SARS-like virus in China is likely far bigger than officially reported, scientists have warned, as countries ramp up measures to prevent the disease from spreading.
Fears that the virus will spread are growing ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, when hundreds of millions of Chinese move around the country and many others host or visit extended family members living overseas.
Authorities in China say two people have died and at least 45 have been infected, with the outbreak centred around a seafood market in the central city of Wuhan, a city of 11 million inhabitants that serves as a major transport hub.
But a paper published Friday by scientists with the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College in London said the number of cases in the city was likely closer to 1,700.
The researchers said their estimate was largely based on the fact that cases had been reported overseas –- two in Thailand and one in Japan.
The virus -- a new strain of coronavirus that humans can contract -- has caused alarm because of its connection to SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003.
China has not announced any travel restrictions, but authorities in Hong Kong have already stepped up detection measures, including rigorous temperature checkpoints for inbound travellers from the Chinese mainland.
The US said from Friday it would begin screening flights arriving from Wuhan at San Francisco airport and New York's JFK -- which both receive direct flights -- as well as Los Angeles, where many flights connect.
And Thailand said it was already screening passengers arriving in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket and would soon introduce similar controls in the beach resort of Krabi.
- Two deaths -
No human-to-human transmission has been confirmed so far, but Wuhan's health commission has said the possibility "cannot be excluded".
A World Health Organization doctor said it would not be surprising if there was "some limited human-to-human transmission, especially among families who have close contact with one another".
Scientists with the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis -- which advises bodies including the World Health Organization -- said they estimated a "total of 1,723" people in Wuhan would have been infected as of January 12.
"For Wuhan to have exported three cases to other countries would imply there would have to be many more cases than have been reported," Professor Neil Ferguson, one of the authors of the report, told the BBC.
"I am substantially more concerned than I was a week ago," he said, while adding that it was "too early to be alarmist".
"People should be considering the possibility of substantial human-to-human transmission more seriously than they have so far," he continued, saying it was "unlikely" that animal exposure was the sole source of infection.
Local authorities in Wuhan said a 69-year-old man died on Wednesday, becoming the second fatal case, with the disease causing pulmonary tuberculosis and damage to multiple organ functions.
After the death was reported, online discussion spread in China over the severity of the Wuhan coronavirus -- and how much information the government may be hiding from the public.
Several complained about censorship of online posts, while others made comparisons to 2003, when Beijing drew criticism from the WHO for underreporting the number of SARS cases.
"It's so strange," wrote a web user on the social media platform Weibo, citing the overseas cases in Japan and Thailand. "They all have Wuhan pneumonia cases but (in China) we don't have any infections outside of Wuhan -- is that scientific?"


rawstory--2020-01-18--Amazon indigenous leaders accuse Brazil of ‘genocide’ policy

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro ’ s pledge to open up the Amazon to mining companies was tantamount to “ genocide ” , indigenous leaders said Friday at a meeting to oppose the government ’ s environmental policies .
Hundreds of elders gathered this week at Pairacu , deep in the rainforest , to form a united front against Bolsonaro ’ s environmental policies , which have seen deforestation in the jungle nearly double since the Brazilian leader came to power a year ago .
“ Our aim was to join forces and denounce the fact that the Brazilian government ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ecocide is under way , ” the group said in a draft manifesto drawn up at the end of the summit .
“ We do not accept mining on our lands , loggers , illegal fishermen or hydroelectricity .
We are opposed to anything that destroys the forest , ” the text said .
They also said that “ government threats and hate speech ” had encouraged violence against Amazon communities and demanded punishment for the murder of indigenous leaders .
At least eight indigenous leaders were killed last year .
Brazil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Metuktire , said Thursday he would personally travel to the capital Brasilia to present the meeting ’ s demands to Congress .
“ Over there , I ’ m going to ask Bolsonaro why he speaks so badly about the indigenous peoples , ” said the 89-year-old leader of the Kayapo tribe .
Preliminary data collected by the National Institute for Space Research showed an 85 percent increase in Amazon deforestation last year when compared to 2018 .

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's pledge to open up the Amazon to mining companies was tantamount to "genocide", indigenous leaders said Friday at a meeting to oppose the government's environmental policies.
Hundreds of elders gathered this week at Pairacu, deep in the rainforest, to form a united front against Bolsonaro's environmental policies, which have seen deforestation in the jungle nearly double since the Brazilian leader came to power a year ago.
"Our aim was to join forces and denounce the fact that the Brazilian government's political policy of genocide, ethnocide and ecocide is under way," the group said in a draft manifesto drawn up at the end of the summit.
"We do not accept mining on our lands, loggers, illegal fishermen or hydroelectricity. We are opposed to anything that destroys the forest," the text said.
They also said that "government threats and hate speech" had encouraged violence against Amazon communities and demanded punishment for the murder of indigenous leaders.
At least eight indigenous leaders were killed last year.
Brazil's leading indigenous chief, Raoni Metuktire, said Thursday he would personally travel to the capital Brasilia to present the meeting's demands to Congress.
"Over there, I'm going to ask Bolsonaro why he speaks so badly about the indigenous peoples," said the 89-year-old leader of the Kayapo tribe.
Preliminary data collected by the National Institute for Space Research showed an 85 percent increase in Amazon deforestation last year when compared to 2018.


rawstory--2020-01-18--Mexico ramps up border security to block migrant caravan

Mexico deployed around 200 National Guard officers to the Guatemalan border on Friday in an effort to block a huge migrant caravan traversing Central America toward the United States .
A group of more than 3,000 people , mainly from Honduras and El Salvador , crossed into Guatemala on Wednesday .
According to Guatemala ’ s new President Alejandro Giammattei , Mexico has vowed to use “ everything at its disposal ” to stop the convoy from entering its territory .
The Mexican troops were stationed at the town of Ciudad Hidalgo , one of the main crossing points into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earlier on Friday , Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador offered 4,000 jobs to members of the caravan in an attempt to dissuade them from traveling on to the United States .
Mexico has come under pressure from President Donald Trump to slow a surge of undocumented migrants who arrived at the US-Mexican border last year .
Trump threatened in May to impose tariffs on Mexico if the government did not do more to stop them .
He has also allowed the United States to send more than 40,000 asylum-seekers back to Mexico @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the so-called “ Remain in Mexico ” policy .
Human Rights Watch accused Mexico Tuesday of violating migrants ’ rights by failing to guarantee the security of those returned by the United States and detaining others in “ inhumane conditions.
” Tens of thousands of Central American migrants crossed Mexico toward the US last year in large caravans , fleeing chronic poverty and brutal gang violence and seeking safety in numbers from the dangers of the journey .
That prompted Trump to warn of an “ invasion ” and deploy nearly 6,000 US @ @ @ @ @

Mexico deployed around 200 National Guard officers to the Guatemalan border on Friday in an effort to block a huge migrant caravan traversing Central America toward the United States.
A group of more than 3,000 people, mainly from Honduras and El Salvador, crossed into Guatemala on Wednesday.
According to Guatemala's new President Alejandro Giammattei, Mexico has vowed to use "everything at its disposal" to stop the convoy from entering its territory.
The Mexican troops were stationed at the town of Ciudad Hidalgo, one of the main crossing points into the country from its southern neighbor.
Earlier on Friday, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador offered 4,000 jobs to members of the caravan in an attempt to dissuade them from traveling on to the United States.
Mexico has come under pressure from President Donald Trump to slow a surge of undocumented migrants who arrived at the US-Mexican border last year.
Trump threatened in May to impose tariffs on Mexico if the government did not do more to stop them.
Cornered, Lopez Obrador's administration deployed 27,000 National Guardsmen to tighten its borders.
He has also allowed the United States to send more than 40,000 asylum-seekers back to Mexico while their cases are processed, under the so-called "Remain in Mexico" policy.
Human Rights Watch accused Mexico Tuesday of violating migrants' rights by failing to guarantee the security of those returned by the United States and detaining others in "inhumane conditions."
Tens of thousands of Central American migrants crossed Mexico toward the US last year in large caravans, fleeing chronic poverty and brutal gang violence and seeking safety in numbers from the dangers of the journey.
That prompted Trump to warn of an "invasion" and deploy nearly 6,000 US troops to the border.


rawstory--2020-01-18--‘Simpsons’ actor says he’ll no longer voice Apu after controversy

“ Simpsons ” actor Hank Azaria will no longer voice the Indian character Apu , US media reported , more than two years after accusations of racism marred the long-running animated series .
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is the manager of the show ’ s Kwik-E-Mart convenience store and a mainstay of the TV comedy , which recently celebrated its 30th year on air .
He is voiced by white actor Azaria , whose marked accent for the role has been criticized by viewers , who have also accused writers of using Indian stereotypes in their treatment of the character .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the character is their call , ” Azaria told US film news website SlashFilm on Friday .
“ It ’ s up to them and they haven ’ t sorted it out yet .
All we ’ ve agreed on is I won ’ t do the voice anymore.
” Creators of “ The Simpsons ” found themselves under fire in late 2017 with the release of a documentary by comedian Hari Kondabolu , who interviewed fellow entertainers of Indian and South Asian origin to document their feelings about the character .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matt Groening refused to appear in the documentary to answer questions .
But Azaria later told a reporter from the TMZ celebrity website that Kondabolu “ made some really interesting points ” and “ gave us a lot at ‘ The Simpsons ’ to think about.
” “ The Simpsons ” stars Homer , the family patriarch working for a nuclear power station , his wife and voice of reason Marge , and children Bart , Lisa and Maggie .
Since it first aired in 1989 , the show has won more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the animated comedy regularly pulled in more than 15 million viewers and had double that — 33 million — for its most-watched episode in 1990 .
It became so popular that references to the show have formed part of pop culture .
Declining audience figures had led to fears that it would not be renewed , but Fox committed to continue “ The Simpsons ” until at least a 32nd season in 2021 .

"Simpsons" actor Hank Azaria will no longer voice the Indian character Apu, US media reported, more than two years after accusations of racism marred the long-running animated series.
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is the manager of the show's Kwik-E-Mart convenience store and a mainstay of the TV comedy, which recently celebrated its 30th year on air.
He is voiced by white actor Azaria, whose marked accent for the role has been criticized by viewers, who have also accused writers of using Indian stereotypes in their treatment of the character.
"What they're going to do with the character is their call," Azaria told US film news website SlashFilm on Friday. "It's up to them and they haven't sorted it out yet. All we've agreed on is I won't do the voice anymore."
Creators of "The Simpsons" found themselves under fire in late 2017 with the release of a documentary by comedian Hari Kondabolu, who interviewed fellow entertainers of Indian and South Asian origin to document their feelings about the character.
Both Azaria and "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening refused to appear in the documentary to answer questions.
But Azaria later told a reporter from the TMZ celebrity website that Kondabolu "made some really interesting points" and "gave us a lot at 'The Simpsons' to think about."
"The Simpsons" stars Homer, the family patriarch working for a nuclear power station, his wife and voice of reason Marge, and children Bart, Lisa and Maggie.
Since it first aired in 1989, the show has won more than 30 Emmys.
In its early years, the animated comedy regularly pulled in more than 15 million viewers and had double that -- 33 million -- for its most-watched episode in 1990.
It became so popular that references to the show have formed part of pop culture.
Declining audience figures had led to fears that it would not be renewed, but Fox committed to continue "The Simpsons" until at least a 32nd season in 2021.


rawstory--2020-01-18--Europe will face terror threat if Tripoli govt falls, warns Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned Europe it could face new threats from terrorist organisations if Libya ’ s UN-recognised government in Tripoli were to fall .
In the article , published on Saturday on the eve of a Libya peace conference in Berlin , Erdogan said the EU ’ s failure to adequately support the Government of National Accord ( GNA ) would be “ a betrayal of its own core values , including democracy and human rights ” .
The GNA led by Fayez al-Sarraj has been under attack since April from strongman Khalifa Haftar ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , with fighting killing over 280 civilians and 2,000 fighters .
“ Europe will encounter a fresh set of problems and threats if Libya ’ s legitimate government were to fall , ” Erdogan wrote .
“ Terrorist organisations such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda , which suffered a military defeat in Syria and Iraq , will find a fertile ground to get back on their feet.
” In a joint initiative , Turkey and Russia have brokered a ceasefire but Haftar walked away from talks in Moscow this week aimed at finalising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has accused Haftar of fleeing Moscow and said he would “ teach ( him ) a lesson ” if he resumed fighting .
Erdogan ’ s government backs Sarraj and the Turkish parliament earlier this month approved the deployment of troops to Libya after the signing of controversial security and maritime deals between Tripoli and Ankara .
“ To leave Libya at the mercy of a warlord would be a mistake of historic proportions , ” he said , in a veiled reference to Haftar .
World powers are trying to mediate a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Berlin on Sunday which the warring parties are expected to attend .
“ We hope what comes out of Berlin is renewed demonstration of international unity in supporting the intra ?
Libyan political process , ending foreign interference , leading to full respect of the UN arms embargo , ” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a press briefing on Friday .
The conference will aim to agree six points — including a permanent ceasefire , implementation of a much-violated UN arms embargo and a return to political efforts for peace .
Erdogan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Berlin talks , wrote in Politico that the Libyan civil war served as a “ litmus test ” for the EU to show whether its leaders would abdicate their responsibilities and watch the crisis uphold from the sidelines .
“ The EU needs to show the world that it is a relevant actor in the international arena , ” he said .
“ The upcoming peace conference in Berlin is a very significant step toward that goal .
European leaders , however , ought to talk a little less and focus on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that came into force in Libya last Sunday has mostly held , despite accusations of violations from Haftar ’ s forces and the rival GNA .
The fighting has spurred a growing exodus of migrants and refugees , many embarking on rickety boats from Libya towards Europe .

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned Europe it could face new threats from terrorist organisations if Libya's UN-recognised government in Tripoli were to fall.
In the article, published on Saturday on the eve of a Libya peace conference in Berlin, Erdogan said the EU's failure to adequately support the Government of National Accord (GNA) would be "a betrayal of its own core values, including democracy and human rights".
The GNA led by Fayez al-Sarraj has been under attack since April from strongman Khalifa Haftar's forces based in the east of the country, with fighting killing over 280 civilians and 2,000 fighters.
"Europe will encounter a fresh set of problems and threats if Libya's legitimate government were to fall," Erdogan wrote.
"Terrorist organisations such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda, which suffered a military defeat in Syria and Iraq, will find a fertile ground to get back on their feet."
In a joint initiative, Turkey and Russia have brokered a ceasefire but Haftar walked away from talks in Moscow this week aimed at finalising the truce agreement.
A furious Erdogan has accused Haftar of fleeing Moscow and said he would "teach (him) a lesson" if he resumed fighting.
Erdogan's government backs Sarraj and the Turkish parliament earlier this month approved the deployment of troops to Libya after the signing of controversial security and maritime deals between Tripoli and Ankara.
"To leave Libya at the mercy of a warlord would be a mistake of historic proportions," he said, in a veiled reference to Haftar.
'Litmus test'
World powers are trying to mediate a lasting ceasefire at the international conference in Berlin on Sunday which the warring parties are expected to attend.
"We hope what comes out of Berlin is renewed demonstration of international unity in supporting the intra?Libyan political process, ending foreign interference, leading to full respect of the UN arms embargo," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a press briefing on Friday.
The conference will aim to agree six points -- including a permanent ceasefire, implementation of a much-violated UN arms embargo and a return to political efforts for peace.
Erdogan, who is also due to attend the Berlin talks, wrote in Politico that the Libyan civil war served as a "litmus test" for the EU to show whether its leaders would abdicate their responsibilities and watch the crisis uphold from the sidelines.
"The EU needs to show the world that it is a relevant actor in the international arena," he said.
"The upcoming peace conference in Berlin is a very significant step toward that goal. European leaders, however, ought to talk a little less and focus on taking concrete steps."
An interim truce that came into force in Libya last Sunday has mostly held, despite accusations of violations from Haftar's forces and the rival GNA.
The fighting has spurred a growing exodus of migrants and refugees, many embarking on rickety boats from Libya towards Europe.


rawstory--2020-01-19--‘Boom’: Trump recounts Qassem Suleimani’s final moments at GOP Mar-a-Lago fundraiser

Cameras “ miles in the sky ” , a countdown and then “ boom ” : US President Donald Trump has recounted the final moments of Iran ’ s powerful General Qasem Soleimani in an American drone strike .
Trump delivered the account Friday night to Republican Party donors gathered at his Florida residence Mar-a-Lago for a fundraising dinner , US media said .
CNN on Saturday broadcast an audio recording in which the president gave new details about the January 3 strike at the airport in Baghdad .
It killed the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force commander and members of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paramilitary force with close ties to Iran .
“ He was supposed to be invincible , ” Trump said .
Democrats and other critics have questioned the timing of the strike , the month before Trump ’ s Senate impeachment trial , and the administration ’ s shifting reasons for launching it .
In the audio released by CNN , Trump did not refer to an “ imminent ” attack which Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said Soleimani was planning .
Nor was there a reference to “ four embassies ” which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ He was saying bad things about our country .
He was saying like , ‘ We ’ re going to attack your country .
We ’ re going to kill your people.
’ I said ‘ Look , how much of this shit do we have to listen to ?
’ , ” Trump told his guests .
He then described the scene , relaying the words of the military officers giving live updates to him in Washington .
“ They said , ‘ Sir , and this is from , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sky .
They are together sir .
Sir , they have two minutes and 11 seconds .
No bullshit .
They have two minutes and 11 seconds to live , sir .
They ’ re in the car .
They ’ re in an armored vehicle going .
Sir , they have approximately one minute to live , sir… 30 seconds , 10 , nine , eight… then all of sudden boom .
They ’ re gone , sir . '
” Trump acknowledged that the US strike “ shook up the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be hit hard ” because he was responsible for killing “ thousands of Americans ” — a figure which contrasted with one he gave on January 8 .
At that time , Trump said the Iranian “ wounded and murdered thousands of US troops.
” Iran vowed revenge for the US strike , raising fears of war , and later launched missiles at bases in Iraq housing US troops .
None were killed .

Cameras "miles in the sky", a countdown and then "boom": US President Donald Trump has recounted the final moments of Iran's powerful General Qasem Soleimani in an American drone strike.
Trump delivered the account Friday night to Republican Party donors gathered at his Florida residence Mar-a-Lago for a fundraising dinner, US media said.
CNN on Saturday broadcast an audio recording in which the president gave new details about the January 3 strike at the airport in Baghdad. It killed the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force commander and members of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi, a paramilitary force with close ties to Iran.
"He was supposed to be invincible," Trump said.
Democrats and other critics have questioned the timing of the strike, the month before Trump's Senate impeachment trial, and the administration's shifting reasons for launching it.
In the audio released by CNN, Trump did not refer to an "imminent" attack which Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said Soleimani was planning. Nor was there a reference to "four embassies" which Trump later alleged were being targeted.
"He was saying bad things about our country. He was saying like, 'We're going to attack your country. We're going to kill your people.' I said 'Look, how much of this shit do we have to listen to?'," Trump told his guests.
He then described the scene, relaying the words of the military officers giving live updates to him in Washington.
"They said, 'Sir, and this is from, you know, cameras that are miles in the sky. They are together sir. Sir, they have two minutes and 11 seconds. No bullshit. They have two minutes and 11 seconds to live, sir. They're in the car. They're in an armored vehicle going. Sir, they have approximately one minute to live, sir... 30 seconds, 10, nine, eight... then all of sudden boom. They're gone, sir.'"
Trump acknowledged that the US strike "shook up the world" but said Soleimani "deserved to be hit hard" because he was responsible for killing "thousands of Americans" -- a figure which contrasted with one he gave on January 8. At that time, Trump said the Iranian "wounded and murdered thousands of US troops."
Iran vowed revenge for the US strike, raising fears of war, and later launched missiles at bases in Iraq housing US troops. None were killed.


rawstory--2020-01-19--Putin says Russia ‘transition’ crucial after political shake-up

President Vladimir Putin has said he does not want Russia to return to the Soviet-era practice of rulers dying in office without a succession plan , as speculation swirls over his future after he unleashed a political upheaval this week .
The 67-year-old Russian leader said a transition plan for the country was crucial , in comments several days after his shock proposal of sweeping changes to the constitution saw the government resign and a new prime minister appointed .
Putin , who has been in power for two decades , was asked if he could consider removing presidential term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with World War II veterans in his hometown of Saint Petersburg on Saturday .
But he appeared to reject the idea .
“ In my view , it would be very worrying to return to the situation of the mid-1980s when heads of state one by one remained in power until the end of their days , ( and ) left office without having secured necessary conditions for a transition of power , ” Putin said .
“ So , thank you very much , but I think it ’ s better not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mid-1980s.
” Soviet rulers Leonid Brezhnev , Yury Andropov and Konstantin Chernenko all died in office .
Chernenko ’ s successor Mikhail Gorbachev introduced perestroika and glasnost reforms to transform the Soviet system and presided over the eventual collapse of the USSR .
Putin , who is due to step down in 2024 after his fourth Kremlin term ends , said he understood what he called people ’ s concerns about the continuity of power .
“ For many of our people this is linked to worries about stability in society , stability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ internal stability — I perfectly understand this , ” he said .
Many observers have said Putin ’ s proposals are designed to ensure his grip on power after he leaves the Kremlin and his critics have accused him of orchestrating a “ constitutional coup ” .
On Wednesday , Putin stunned Russians with his constitutional proposals , including transferring more authority to parliament and enshrining the role of the State Council , an advisory body , in the constitution .
They would be the first significant changes to the country ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boris Yeltsin in 1993 .
The announcement triggered the resignation of the government , led by Putin ’ s loyal lieutenant Dmitry Medvedev .
A previously little known tax official , Mikhail Mishustin , was tapped by Putin to take over as premier and he was officially appointed on Thursday .

President Vladimir Putin has said he does not want Russia to return to the Soviet-era practice of rulers dying in office without a succession plan, as speculation swirls over his future after he unleashed a political upheaval this week.
The 67-year-old Russian leader said a transition plan for the country was crucial, in comments several days after his shock proposal of sweeping changes to the constitution saw the government resign and a new prime minister appointed.
Putin, who has been in power for two decades, was asked if he could consider removing presidential term limits from the constitution during a meeting with World War II veterans in his hometown of Saint Petersburg on Saturday.
But he appeared to reject the idea.
"In my view, it would be very worrying to return to the situation of the mid-1980s when heads of state one by one remained in power until the end of their days, (and) left office without having secured necessary conditions for a transition of power," Putin said.
"So, thank you very much, but I think it's better not to return to the situation of the mid-1980s."
Soviet rulers Leonid Brezhnev, Yury Andropov and Konstantin Chernenko all died in office.
Chernenko's successor Mikhail Gorbachev introduced perestroika and glasnost reforms to transform the Soviet system and presided over the eventual collapse of the USSR.
Putin, who is due to step down in 2024 after his fourth Kremlin term ends, said he understood what he called people's concerns about the continuity of power.
"For many of our people this is linked to worries about stability in society, stability in the state -- both foreign and internal stability -- I perfectly understand this," he said.
Many observers have said Putin's proposals are designed to ensure his grip on power after he leaves the Kremlin and his critics have accused him of orchestrating a "constitutional coup".
On Wednesday, Putin stunned Russians with his constitutional proposals, including transferring more authority to parliament and enshrining the role of the State Council, an advisory body, in the constitution.
They would be the first significant changes to the country's basic law since it was adopted under Boris Yeltsin in 1993.
The announcement triggered the resignation of the government, led by Putin's loyal lieutenant Dmitry Medvedev.
A previously little known tax official, Mikhail Mishustin, was tapped by Putin to take over as premier and he was officially appointed on Thursday.


rawstory--2020-01-19--Police officers beaten after police disband Hong Kong democracy rally

Several police officers were beaten bloody by pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong Sunday as violence erupted at a rally calling for greater democratic freedoms in the heart of the city .
Trouble flared when police ordered the gathering to disperse from the city ’ s commercial district , with protesters gathering behind shields of umbrellas .
A group of plainclothes officers negotiating with the rally organisers was set upon by masked protesters , who beat them with umbrellas , an AFP reporter on the scene said .
At least two officers were seen with bloody head wounds .
Riot police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gas to disperse the crowds .
Brief cat and mouse clashes ensued with police making multiple arrests , including one protester who had blood streaming from the back of his head .
Hong Kong ’ s protests have raged for seven months after being sparked by a now-abandoned proposal to allow extraditions to the authoritarian mainland , where the opaque legal system answers to the Communist Party .
It soon morphed into a wider movement calling for greater freedoms in what is the most concerted challenge to Beijing ’ s rule since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The frequency and ferocity of the protests have died down over the last month , but signs of the political unrest are everywhere , from graffiti daubed on walls to huge fences surrounding government buildings .
Among key protester demands are an independent inquiry into the police , an amnesty for the thousands arrested and fully free elections .
Beijing and local leader Carrie Lam have refused further concessions .

Several police officers were beaten bloody by pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong Sunday as violence erupted at a rally calling for greater democratic freedoms in the heart of the city.
Trouble flared when police ordered the gathering to disperse from the city's commercial district, with protesters gathering behind shields of umbrellas.
A group of plainclothes officers negotiating with the rally organisers was set upon by masked protesters, who beat them with umbrellas, an AFP reporter on the scene said.
At least two officers were seen with bloody head wounds.
Riot police swept into the area and fired tear gas to disperse the crowds.
Brief cat and mouse clashes ensued with police making multiple arrests, including one protester who had blood streaming from the back of his head.
Hong Kong's protests have raged for seven months after being sparked by a now-abandoned proposal to allow extraditions to the authoritarian mainland, where the opaque legal system answers to the Communist Party.
It soon morphed into a wider movement calling for greater freedoms in what is the most concerted challenge to Beijing's rule since the former colony's 1997 handover.
The frequency and ferocity of the protests have died down over the last month, but signs of the political unrest are everywhere, from graffiti daubed on walls to huge fences surrounding government buildings.
Among key protester demands are an independent inquiry into the police, an amnesty for the thousands arrested and fully free elections.
Beijing and local leader Carrie Lam have refused further concessions.


rawstory--2020-01-19--Hundreds hurt as Lebanon protests turn violent

Almost 400 people were wounded during running battles between Lebanese anti-government protesters and security forces in Beirut Saturday , rescuers said , the heaviest toll since the demonstrations erupted three months ago .
More street rallies were expected later Sunday as part of the wave of popular protests that has demanded the wholesale ouster of the Lebanese political class , which the activists condemn as inept and corrupt .
At least 377 people were injured — both protesters and members of the security forces — according to a toll compiled by AFP from figures provided by the Red Cross and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a week of “ anger ” as an economic crisis deepened while efforts remained deadlocked to form a new government to replace a leadership that stepped down under street pressure late last year .
Saturday ’ s clashes began after dozens of protesters , some concealing their faces with scarves , threw rocks , plant pots and other objects at anti-riot police guarding the road leading to parliament in downtown Beirut .
Others tried to breach barbed wire barricades to reach the legislature building or charged police lines using traffic signs as weapons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cannon and tear gas to disperse the crowds .
An AFP photographer said security forces fired rubber bullets at the stone-throwing protesters as thick clouds of tear gas covered central Beirut .
Human Rights Watch denounced what it called “ the brutal use of force unleashed by Lebanon ’ s riot police against largely peaceful demonstrators ” .
“ Riot police showed a blatant disregard for their human rights obligations , instead launching tear gas canisters at protesters ’ heads , firing rubber bullets in their eyes and attacking people at hospitals and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group ’ s deputy Middle East director Michael Page .
He urged authorities to act quickly “ to end this culture of impunity for police abuse ” Outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri , who stepped down on October 29 under pressure from the protesters , on Saturday condemned what he called a “ suspicious and crazy scene ” blaming “ infiltrators ” for the violence .
The Civil Defence said late Saturday 43 people were taken to hospital and that it had treated at the scene 114 others who were “ slightly injured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Red Cross said it had rushed 80 people to city hospitals while 140 , including both protesters and members of the security forces , were given first aid at the scene of the clashes .
The state-run National News Agency said around 30 people were detained following the violence but later released .
Meanwhile security forces said they had opened an investigation after a video shared online showed police beating up people believed to be protesters as they were brought to a Beirut police station .
The protest movement that has rocked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new government be comprised of independent experts and exclude all established political parties .
The demonstrators have been denouncing rampant corruption in Lebanon and accuse authorities of being inefficient and motivated by personal and partisan gains .
Political factions agreed on December 19 to appoint former education minister Hassan Diab as the new premier but have since squabbled over proposed ministers .

Almost 400 people were wounded during running battles between Lebanese anti-government protesters and security forces in Beirut Saturday, rescuers said, the heaviest toll since the demonstrations erupted three months ago.
More street rallies were expected later Sunday as part of the wave of popular protests that has demanded the wholesale ouster of the Lebanese political class, which the activists condemn as inept and corrupt.
At least 377 people were injured -- both protesters and members of the security forces -- according to a toll compiled by AFP from figures provided by the Red Cross and Civil Defence.
Protesters had called for a week of "anger" as an economic crisis deepened while efforts remained deadlocked to form a new government to replace a leadership that stepped down under street pressure late last year.
Saturday's clashes began after dozens of protesters, some concealing their faces with scarves, threw rocks, plant pots and other objects at anti-riot police guarding the road leading to parliament in downtown Beirut.
Others tried to breach barbed wire barricades to reach the legislature building or charged police lines using traffic signs as weapons.
The security forces responded with water cannon and tear gas to disperse the crowds.
An AFP photographer said security forces fired rubber bullets at the stone-throwing protesters as thick clouds of tear gas covered central Beirut.
Human Rights Watch denounced what it called "the brutal use of force unleashed by Lebanon's riot police against largely peaceful demonstrators".
"Riot police showed a blatant disregard for their human rights obligations, instead launching tear gas canisters at protesters' heads, firing rubber bullets in their eyes and attacking people at hospitals and a mosques," said the rights group's deputy Middle East director Michael Page.
He urged authorities to act quickly "to end this culture of impunity for police abuse"
- 'Infiltrators' -
Outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who stepped down on October 29 under pressure from the protesters, on Saturday condemned what he called a "suspicious and crazy scene" blaming "infiltrators" for the violence.
The Civil Defence said late Saturday 43 people were taken to hospital and that it had treated at the scene 114 others who were "slightly injured or suffered from breathing problems".
The Red Cross said it had rushed 80 people to city hospitals while 140, including both protesters and members of the security forces, were given first aid at the scene of the clashes.
The state-run National News Agency said around 30 people were detained following the violence but later released.
Meanwhile security forces said they had opened an investigation after a video shared online showed police beating up people believed to be protesters as they were brought to a Beirut police station.
The protest movement that has rocked Lebanon since October 17 is demanding that a new government be comprised of independent experts and exclude all established political parties.
The demonstrators have been denouncing rampant corruption in Lebanon and accuse authorities of being inefficient and motivated by personal and partisan gains.
Political factions agreed on December 19 to appoint former education minister Hassan Diab as the new premier but have since squabbled over proposed ministers.


rawstory--2020-01-26--CNN’s Don Lemon collapses on his desk in laughter as guests Rick Wilson and Wajahat Ali dunk on Trum

CNN’s Don Lemon collapses on his desk in laughter as guests Rick Wilson and Wajahat Ali dunk on Trump

CNN anchor Don Lemon was infected with a case of the giggles Saturday night while discussing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo .
Lemon was joined by two hilarious guests , New York Times contributing op-ed writer Wajahat Ali and Rick Wilson , the author of the bestselling 2018 book Everything Trump Touches Dies : A Republican Strategist Gets Real About the Worst President Ever and the new book Running Against the Devil : A Plot to Save America from Trump — and Democrats from Themselves .
The three were discussing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ’ s interview with “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kelly , where he reportedly demanded she point to Ukraine on a blank map .
Pompeo “ also knows , deep in his heart , that Donald Trump couldn ’ t find Ukraine on a map if you had the letter u and a picture of an actual , physical crane next to it , ” Wilson said .
After six seconds of laughing , Lemon ’ s head collapsed into he hands on his desk .
But Wilson kept ridiculing the president — and then Ali joined in as Lemon continued laughing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handkerchief .

CNN anchor Don Lemon was infected with a case of the giggles Saturday night while discussing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Lemon was joined by two hilarious guests, New York Times contributing op-ed writer Wajahat Ali and Rick Wilson, the author of the bestselling 2018 book Everything Trump Touches Dies: A Republican Strategist Gets Real About the Worst President Ever and the new book Running Against the Devil: A Plot to Save America from Trump -- and Democrats from Themselves.
The three were discussing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s interview with “All Things Considered” host Mary Louise Kelly, where he reportedly demanded she point to Ukraine on a blank map.
Pompeo "also knows, deep in his heart, that Donald Trump couldn't find Ukraine on a map if you had the letter u and a picture of an actual, physical crane next to it," Wilson said.
After six seconds of laughing, Lemon's head collapsed into he hands on his desk.
But Wilson kept ridiculing the president -- and then Ali joined in as Lemon continued laughing, eventually wiping his eyes with a handkerchief.
Watch:


rawstory--2020-02-15--Investigation of Rudy Giuliani is ‘moving forward’ in the SDNY office he once led: Washington Post

The legal jeopardy facing Donald Trump ’ s defense attorney did not go away with the Senate vote to acquit the president .
“ As the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump drew to a close in Washington earlier this month , federal prosecutors in New York contacted witnesses and sought to collect additional documents in an investigation related to Trump ’ s personal attorney Rudolph W. Giuliani , ” The Washington Post reported Friday , citing “ people familiar with their activities.
” “ The recent steps — including an interview with a witness last week — indicate that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his former associates is moving forward , even as the Justice Department has set up a process to evaluate claims Giuliani is making about alleged wrongdoing in Ukraine related to former vice president Joe Biden , ” the newspaper noted .
“ At the same time , the U.S. attorney ’ s office in the Southern District of New York — which Giuliani led in the 1980s — appears to be continuing its wide-ranging investigation of his activities and those of his former associates Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman , including their efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The parallel developments mean that one part of the Justice Department is scrutinizing Giuliani while another is accepting information from him allegedly concerning a political rival of the president.
” Trump criticized the investigation into Giuliani in October .

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--2020-02-17--Federal Judges Association calls emergency meeting to discuss AG Barr as crisis ‘could not wait’: re

Federal Judges Association calls emergency meeting to discuss AG Barr as crisis ‘could not wait’: report

The independent Federal Judges Association will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss Attorney General Bill Barr ’ s @ @ @ @ @ to help President Donald Trump .
Philadelphia U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe , who heads @ @ @ @ @ Today the meeting “ could not wait .
” She said the group called for @ @ @ @ @ of Justice interference in the prosecution of longtime Trump accomplice Roger Stone .
“ There @ @ @ @ @ we are concerned about , ” Rufe said .
“ We ’ ll talk all @ @ @ @ @ Amy Berman Jackson is presiding over the trial .
“ The unusual concern voiced by @ @ @ @ @ in the wake of an equally unusual protest .
More than 2,000 former Justice Department @ @ @ @ @ resign Sunday , claiming his handling of the Stone case ‘ openly and repeatedly flouted @ @ @ @ @ justice , ” USA Today noted .


rawstory--2020-02-23--Death of Prince heir complicates estate settlement even more

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Trump, along with 18 of his political allies, was indicted Monday in Fulton County, Georgia, on allegations they were involved in a conspiracy to overturn the state’s 2020 presidential election. The case is being charged under the state’s racketeering, or RICO, law.
POLL: Should Trump be allowed to run for office?
Goodman wrote on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, that “Yes, #GeorgiaIndictment is pardon proof.
“BUT, But, but... Supreme Court may well hold a sitting president is immune from trial/conviction.”
And in that scenario, Goodman writes “18 co-defendants left holding the bag. Trump, if elected, immune (for 4 years).”
“The issue here is whether the Supreme Court would ratify the long-standing position of the Department Justice Office of Legal Counsel that, as a matter of law, an incumbent president is immune from criminal trial and conviction,” Goodman said, noting a “few caveats.”
“The constitutional analysis may turn on whether a trial is already complete, and in the stages of post-conviction appellate litigation, which imposes less of a burden on a sitting president," Goodman said.
Goodman noted that the prospect of the Supreme Court bailing out the former president could compel his co-defendants to flip on him.


rawstory--2020-03-06--Here’s how Mitt Romney might be about to throw a monkey wrench in the GOP’s anti-Biden crusade

Sen. Mitt Romney ( R-UT ) , a longtime critic of President Donald Trump from the right , drew GOP fury after becoming the sole Republican to vote to convict the president of abuse of power in the impeachment trial .
But according to Aaron Blake of the Washington Post ‘ s “ The Fix , ” that could just be the beginning .
Romney may be planning to defect from his party again on the Ukraine matter .
As the impeachment trial wound down , Republicans on the Senate Homeland Security Committee , chaired by Sen. Ron Johnson ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using the power of their committee to help Trump carry out the corrupt scheme for which he was impeached in the first place : Digging up dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s son and his work for the Ukrainian energy company Burisma .
They are set to move forward with a vote to subpoena more information about the matter .
But Romney has voiced concerns about the subpoena — and hinted that he might vote against it .
“ I would prefer that investigations are done by an independent , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Post .
He has said , regarding Hunter Biden ’ s work in Ukraine , “ There ’ s no question the appearance is not good , ” but the subpoena “ appears political ” and “ I think people are tired of these kind of political investigations.
” If Romney sided with Democrats against the subpoena , the committee would be deadlocked 7-7 , and unable to move forward with the GOP ’ s investigation .
Romney ’ s vote to remove the president was little more than a formality , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans would join him to produce the necessary 67 votes to do so .
But a vote against this subpoena would do something concrete : it would block Republican efforts to finish what Trump was impeached for .

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), a longtime critic of President Donald Trump from the right, drew GOP fury after becoming the sole Republican to vote to convict the president of abuse of power in the impeachment trial.
But according to Aaron Blake of the Washington Post's "The Fix," that could just be the beginning. Romney may be planning to defect from his party again on the Ukraine matter.
As the impeachment trial wound down, Republicans on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, chaired by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) began to talk openly about using the power of their committee to help Trump carry out the corrupt scheme for which he was impeached in the first place: Digging up dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden's son and his work for the Ukrainian energy company Burisma. They are set to move forward with a vote to subpoena more information about the matter.
But Romney has voiced concerns about the subpoena — and hinted that he might vote against it.
"I would prefer that investigations are done by an independent, nonpolitical body," said Romney to the Post. He has said, regarding Hunter Biden's work in Ukraine, "There’s no question the appearance is not good," but the subpoena "appears political" and "I think people are tired of these kind of political investigations."
If Romney sided with Democrats against the subpoena, the committee would be deadlocked 7-7, and unable to move forward with the GOP's investigation.
Romney's vote to remove the president was little more than a formality, as there was no real chance enough Republicans would join him to produce the necessary 67 votes to do so. But a vote against this subpoena would do something concrete: it would block Republican efforts to finish what Trump was impeached for.


rawstory--2020-03-07--Trump Org charged taxpayers eight times more for Secret Service stays than it claimed: documents

President Donald Trump ’ s properties have charged taxpayers nearly eight times more than previously claimed for Secret Service stays , according to new documents obtained by the watchdog group Public Citizen .
Eric Trump has claimed that Secret Service agents “ stay at our properties for free — meaning , like , cost for housekeeping.
” He insisted last year that “ we charge them , like , 50 bucks.
” But receipts obtained by Public Citizen and first reported by The Washington Post show that Trump ’ s properties have charged the Secret Service $ 396 per night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mar-a-Lago resort since he took office .
The Post previously reported that some Trump properties charge taxpayers as much as $ 650 per room .
The president ’ s Bedminster , N.J. golf club also charged $ 17,000 per month for Secret Service agents to rent a cottage on the property .
The Secret Service continued to pay for the cottage even after he left .
The report found that taxpayers spent more than $ 471,000 on Trump properties , but the new receipts show that the Trump Organization charged Secret Service an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the total to more than $ 628,000 .
Eric Trump insisted to The Post that the company charges Secret Service agents “ at cost , ” but the rates reveal that Mar-a-Lago charged Secret Service double what it charged officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs .
Unlike other government officials , Secret Service agents who are on duty are exempt from federal limits on hotel spending for federal employees .
Past presidents and vice presidents allowed the Secret Service to use space on their properties for free , according to The Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or nearly a full third of his presidency , at his own properties .
After reviewing hundreds of Trump property stays , The Post was unable to find any instance in which the Trump Organization charged agents for $ 50 , as Eric Trump claimed , or even below $ 100 .
The bills from Mar-a-Lago do claim that the $ 396 room rate is the property ’ s “ at-cost ” rate , but hotel experts told The Post that the average housekeeping bill at a luxury hotel is typically between $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a professor at the University of Central Florida ’ s Rosen College of Hospitality Management , told The Post it was “ not possible ” that at-cost rates would balloon to nearly $ 400 .
“ Let ’ s say that you use the best shampoos , the best soaps , the best conditioners , the best coffee , ” he explained .
“ At the end of the day , you may have something approaching $ 100 if you have the top products in the world in your guest room .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ variable costs per room sold at $ 400.
” The report noted that the starting salary for housekeepers at Mar-a-Lago is just $ 11.17 per hour .
Eric Trump recently complained to Fox News about The Post ’ s reporting on his company bilking taxpayers for Secret Service stays , calling the reports “ disgusting.
” “ I joke all the time that I would like nothing more than to never have another person from the government stay at one of our properties , because it displaces a true paying guest , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charged some government officials even more than it charged Secret Service agents .
On the other hand , some government officials were charged only $ 195 , which is the federal maximum , on the same nights that the company charged Secret Service agents $ 396 per room .
All of this information was obtained through public records requests , yet the documents only detail a fraction of taxpayer spending at Trump ’ s properties .
Rep. Carolyn Maloney , D-N.Y. , the chairwoman of the House Oversight Committee , told The Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to her requests about Secret Service spending records at Trump ’ s resorts .
“ The Secret Service has a statutory duty to report its expenditures at Trump properties , ” she said .
“ And the incomplete record further underscores the need for transparency .
Jordan Libowitz of the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington , agreed that the delayed release of records may be more concerning than what is in the records produced so far .
“ It is more than a little disconcerting , knowing this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the actual numbers are , ” he said .
“ That ’ s kind of crazy that we know the president is benefiting from the presidency , and we do not know how .
We do not know how many taxpayer dollars are in his pocket .
”

President Donald Trump's properties have charged taxpayers nearly eight times more than previously claimed for Secret Service stays, according to new documents obtained by the watchdog group Public Citizen.
Eric Trump has claimed that Secret Service agents "stay at our properties for free — meaning, like, cost for housekeeping." He insisted last year that "we charge them, like, 50 bucks."
But receipts obtained by Public Citizen and first reported by The Washington Post show that Trump's properties have charged the Secret Service $396 per night for 177 rentals at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort since he took office.
The Post previously reported that some Trump properties charge taxpayers as much as $650 per room. The president's Bedminster, N.J. golf club also charged $17,000 per month for Secret Service agents to rent a cottage on the property. The Secret Service continued to pay for the cottage even after he left.
The report found that taxpayers spent more than $471,000 on Trump properties, but the new receipts show that the Trump Organization charged Secret Service an additional $157,000 since 2017, bringing the total to more than $628,000.
Eric Trump insisted to The Post that the company charges Secret Service agents "at cost," but the rates reveal that Mar-a-Lago charged Secret Service double what it charged officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Unlike other government officials, Secret Service agents who are on duty are exempt from federal limits on hotel spending for federal employees. Past presidents and vice presidents allowed the Secret Service to use space on their properties for free, according to The Post.
Trump has spent 355 days, or nearly a full third of his presidency, at his own properties. After reviewing hundreds of Trump property stays, The Post was unable to find any instance in which the Trump Organization charged agents for $50, as Eric Trump claimed, or even below $100.
The bills from Mar-a-Lago do claim that the $396 room rate is the property's "at-cost" rate, but hotel experts told The Post that the average housekeeping bill at a luxury hotel is typically between $40 and $50.
Diego Bufquin, a professor at the University of Central Florida's Rosen College of Hospitality Management, told The Post it was "not possible" that at-cost rates would balloon to nearly $400.
"Let's say that you use the best shampoos, the best soaps, the best conditioners, the best coffee," he explained. "At the end of the day, you may have something approaching $100 if you have the top products in the world in your guest room . . . I've never seen variable costs per room sold at $400."
The report noted that the starting salary for housekeepers at Mar-a-Lago is just $11.17 per hour.
Eric Trump recently complained to Fox News about The Post's reporting on his company bilking taxpayers for Secret Service stays, calling the reports "disgusting."
"I joke all the time that I would like nothing more than to never have another person from the government stay at one of our properties, because it displaces a true paying guest," he claimed, even though the company charged some government officials even more than it charged Secret Service agents.
On the other hand, some government officials were charged only $195, which is the federal maximum, on the same nights that the company charged Secret Service agents $396 per room.
All of this information was obtained through public records requests, yet the documents only detail a fraction of taxpayer spending at Trump's properties.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., the chairwoman of the House Oversight Committee, told The Post that she has not gotten a response to her requests about Secret Service spending records at Trump's resorts.
"The Secret Service has a statutory duty to report its expenditures at Trump properties," she said. "And the incomplete record further underscores the need for transparency.
Jordan Libowitz of the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, agreed that the delayed release of records may be more concerning than what is in the records produced so far.
"It is more than a little disconcerting, knowing this is going on, and not knowing what the actual numbers are," he said. "That's kind of crazy that we know the president is benefiting from the presidency, and we do not know how. We do not know how many taxpayer dollars are in his pocket."


rawstory--2020-03-20--MSNBC’s Mika unloads on Trump’s lazy COVID-19 efforts: ‘6 o’clock — the lights are out completely at

MSNBC’s Mika unloads on Trump’s lazy COVID-19 efforts: ‘6 o’clock — the lights are out completely at the White House!’

MSNBC ’ s Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist blasted President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for badly mismanaging the coronavirus crisis .
The “ Morning Joe ” co-hosts joined in the chorus of critics Friday to beg the Trump administration to give hospitals and doctors the tools they needed to face the gathering flood of COVID-19 patients .
“ At this point , every American , whether you ’ re a journalist , a health care worker , American citizen , is hoping for leadership at this point , ” Brzezinski said .
“ Look at the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the White House .
Usually the lights are on , six o ’ clock in the morning.
” “ This could be symbolic , ” she added .
“ You ’ ve got American citizens doing social distancing , you ’ ve got health care workers doing what they can to confront this crisis would be the supplies .
You ’ ve got scientists desperately saying , desperately saying that we are directly on track with Italy .
Yet the lights seem to be out completely in this White House .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is putting out false information by the day .
The president also claimed yesterday an anti-malaria drug would be available almost immediately to help treat coronavirus .
That is not true.
” The White House still seems to be treating the public health crisis as a public relations crisis , the panelists agreed , and Geist said that ’ s leaving hospitals in a real bind .
“ It is a crisis in leadership and in hospitals right now , ” Geist said .
“ If those masks were available , as Vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be hearing from hospitals , we wouldn ’ t be hearing from doctors .
I wouldn ’ t be getting frantic texts from doctors saying , ‘ We ’ re down to our last mask , ’ or , ‘ We ’ re already out of masks.
’ It is not just for the places taking coronavirus patients , it is for other hospitals who are being asked to give some of their masks to these critical centers , places like cancer hospitals here in New York City that are out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left .
They have to get out and move quickly.
” A group of hospitals in Indiana has asked the public to sew masks , and released a video and PDF pattern explaining how to make personal protective equipment that meets protocols set by the Centers for Disease Control .
“ I can ’ t believe what I ’ m watching , ” Geist said .
“ It is a hospital in Evansville , Indiana , doing what it has to do to get through this , pleading with the general public — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks .
If you read through the instructions , they say , give us a call .
We ’ ll meet you in the parking lot of a facility .
Deliver the masks , and we ’ ll sterilize them.
” Geist said that exposed a failure of leadership by the administration .
“ In this country , that in 1940 and 1941 , turned automobile factories into airplane factories almost overnight , where are the masks ?
” he said .
“ Where are the supplies ?
Hospitals are dying out here @ @

MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist blasted President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for badly mismanaging the coronavirus crisis.
The "Morning Joe" co-hosts joined in the chorus of critics Friday to beg the Trump administration to give hospitals and doctors the tools they needed to face the gathering flood of COVID-19 patients.
"At this point, every American, whether you're a journalist, a health care worker, American citizen, is hoping for leadership at this point," Brzezinski said. "Look at the White House, you have a live look at the White House. Usually the lights are on, six o'clock in the morning."
"This could be symbolic," she added. "You've got American citizens doing social distancing, you've got health care workers doing what they can to confront this crisis would be the supplies. You've got scientists desperately saying, desperately saying that we are directly on track with Italy. Yet the lights seem to be out completely in this White House. The president seems to be unmatched. He is putting out false information by the day. The president also claimed yesterday an anti-malaria drug would be available almost immediately to help treat coronavirus. That is not true."
The White House still seems to be treating the public health crisis as a public relations crisis, the panelists agreed, and Geist said that's leaving hospitals in a real bind.
"It is a crisis in leadership and in hospitals right now," Geist said. "If those masks were available, as Vice President Pence claimed yesterday, we wouldn't be hearing from hospitals, we wouldn't be hearing from doctors. I wouldn't be getting frantic texts from doctors saying, 'We're down to our last mask,' or, 'We're already out of masks.' It is not just for the places taking coronavirus patients, it is for other hospitals who are being asked to give some of their masks to these critical centers, places like cancer hospitals here in New York City that are out of masks or have a week supply left. They have to get out and move quickly."
A group of hospitals in Indiana has asked the public to sew masks, and released a video and PDF pattern explaining how to make personal protective equipment that meets protocols set by the Centers for Disease Control.
"I can't believe what I'm watching," Geist said. "It is a hospital in Evansville, Indiana, doing what it has to do to get through this, pleading with the general public -- please, at home, sew us masks. If you read through the instructions, they say, give us a call. We'll meet you in the parking lot of a facility. Deliver the masks, and we'll sterilize them."
Geist said that exposed a failure of leadership by the administration.
"In this country, that in 1940 and 1941, turned automobile factories into airplane factories almost overnight, where are the masks?" he said. "Where are the supplies? Hospitals are dying out here."