rawstory--2020-01-17--White House adviser warned colleagues Nancy Pelosi would eventually bring Trump down: ‘She’s an assa

White House adviser warned colleagues Nancy Pelosi would eventually bring Trump down: ‘She’s an assassin’

In an excerpt from the new book “ A Very Stable Genius , ” former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon predicted that now-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would eventually attempt to bring the president down one way or the other .
According to Axios , the book states , “ The night of January 23 [ 2017 ] , the first Monday of his presidency , Trump came face‑to‑face with House and Senate leaders from both parties at a White House reception … At a long table in the State Dining Room , Steve Bannon … could not stop looking at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would open the conversation on a unifying note , such as by quoting the Founding Fathers or the Bible .
Instead , the new president began with a lie : ‘ You know , I won the popular vote.
’ He claimed that there had been widespread fraud , with three to five million illegal votes for Clinton .
Pelosi interjected .
‘ Well , Mr. President , that ’ s not true , ’ she said .
‘ There ’ s no evidence to support what you just said , and if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we have to stipulate to a certain set of facts . '
” “ Watching Pelosi challenge Trump , Bannon whispered to colleagues , ‘ She ’ s going to get us .
Total assassin .
She ’ s an assassin , ' ” the book asserts .

“John Eastman, who is the academic mind behind this idea to have Vice President Pence negate the votes, and the Assistant Attorney General Jeff Clark, who President Trump put in as acting Attorney General, knew that riots would result if Vice President Pence did what they suggested, and they anticipated that the Insurrection Act would be invoked by the President and that violence would result if basically federal armed forces or federalized National Guardsmen would have to put down protests in American cities with force,” Carroll said.
Collins replied that, “It basically sounds like you're worried that the outcome could have been a lot worse than it even was in that period.”
“The outcome would have been terrible however the matter was resolved,” Carroll said.
“Senior military officials would have been put in position of having to decide do we disobey a facially lawful order from the president of the United States because the Insurrection Act does give the president quite a bit of latitude to use force to keep the federal law in operation out in the states, or would they for bad purpose, to try to keep someone in the White House who had lost the election, use force on American citizens."
Carroll said “it's inevitable in this day and age when there's a really large protest there's going to be some vandals, there's going to be some looters, there's going to be some arsonists. So, it's certain that there would have been a confrontation between young American troops who probably wouldn't have had much training in civil unrest, and American citizens, and tragedy would have resulted in a way that would have changed our country. Again, either through the military disobeying a presidential order, or through shedding innocent blood."
Carroll added that, should Trump be convicted in the Jan. 6 election conspiracy case, the potential for violence should be considered at sentencing.
READ MORE: ‘They blew up my life’: Fox News, a hidden camera and threats to an Indiana school administrator.
“It's a fraud and a conspiracy case and part of the conspiracy here was to misuse the United States military against American citizens to try to keep someone in office who had lost the election, and when the government takes its position on sentencing, and when the judge – if there's conviction – decides what the sentence should be, I think they have to look at the fact that if this plan had gone forward, you would have had terrible harm to the United States military as an institution, to our republic as a democracy in which the military is supposed to be and has been subservient to civilian control, and to the young servicemembers and the protesters would have tragically been at the sharp end of this,” Carroll said.
Watch the video below or at the link here.


rawstory--2020-01-17--‘Dopes and babies!’ Trump unleashed expletive-filled rant at military leaders after growing bored in

‘Dopes and babies!’ Trump unleashed expletive-filled rant at military leaders after growing bored in Pentagon meeting: report

President Donald Trump erupted during a briefing intended to teach him the basic fundamentals of U.S. foreign policy — and essentially ended any hope that he would ever learn them .
Six months into his presidency , Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis , Director of the National Economic Council Gary Cohn and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson were frustrated and alarmed by the gaps in Trump ’ s knowledge of world affairs , and they scheduled a Pentagon briefing to catch him up , reported the Washington Post .
The July 20 , 2017 , meeting has been reported before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Very Stable Genius , ” by the Post ‘ s Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker , offers new details about the meeting and Trump ’ s reaction to the presentation .
“ Oh , baby , this is going to be f*cking wild , ” Steve Bannon , then White House chief strategist , thought as Mattis explained the NATO alliance .
“ If you stood up and threatened to shoot [ Trump ] , he couldn ’ t say ‘ postwar rules-based international order.
’ It ’ s just not the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the presentation — which featured charts and graphics , punctuated with dollar signs — and repeatedly interrupted to alleviate his apparent boredom , said others who took part in the meeting .
“ We are owed money you haven ’ t been collecting !
” Trump complained as top officials explained foreign alliances .
“ You would totally go bankrupt if you had to run your own business.
” Trump seemed preoccupied with voiding President Barack Obama ’ s nuclear deal with Iran , which he called “ the worst deal in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tillerson started to explain why it was effective .
“ I don ’ t want to hear it , ” Trump said .
“ They ’ re cheating , they ’ re building .
We ’ re getting out of it .
I keep telling you , I keep giving you time , and you keep delaying me .
I want out of it.
” Trump then moved on to Afghanistan , which he called a “ loser war ” to the shock and horror of military officials who ’ d fought there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Trump said .
“ You don ’ t know how to win anymore.
” The president then asked why the U.S. didn ’ t get oil in exchange for stationing troops in the Persian Gulf .
“ We spent $ 7 trillion ; they ’ re ripping us off , ” Trump yelled .
“ Where is the f*cking oil ?
” “ The American people are saying we can ’ t spend a trillion dollars a year on this , ” he complained .
“ We just can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us.
” By that point , according to the book , Trump had worked himself into a lather , insulting individual military leaders and breathlessly ranting .
“ I wouldn ’ t go to war with you people , ” Trump brayed .
“ You ’ re a bunch of dopes and babies.
” Others in the room felt sick to their stomach by the president ’ s tirade and one woman was seen crying , and only Tillerson spoke up to defend the military — and he famously wrote off Trump after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the room emptied .
“ He ’ s a f*cking moron , ” the secretary of state said .

President Donald Trump erupted during a briefing intended to teach him the basic fundamentals of U.S. foreign policy -- and essentially ended any hope that he would ever learn them.
Six months into his presidency, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, Director of the National Economic Council Gary Cohn and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson were frustrated and alarmed by the gaps in Trump's knowledge of world affairs, and they scheduled a Pentagon briefing to catch him up, reported the Washington Post.
The July 20, 2017, meeting has been reported before, but the new book “A Very Stable Genius," by the Post's Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker, offers new details about the meeting and Trump's reaction to the presentation.
“Oh, baby, this is going to be f*cking wild,” Steve Bannon, then White House chief strategist, thought as Mattis explained the NATO alliance. “If you stood up and threatened to shoot [Trump], he couldn’t say ‘postwar rules-based international order.’ It’s just not the way he thinks.”
Trump was quickly aggravated by the presentation -- which featured charts and graphics, punctuated with dollar signs -- and repeatedly interrupted to alleviate his apparent boredom, said others who took part in the meeting.
“We are owed money you haven’t been collecting!” Trump complained as top officials explained foreign alliances. “You would totally go bankrupt if you had to run your own business.”
Trump seemed preoccupied with voiding President Barack Obama's nuclear deal with Iran, which he called "the worst deal in history," and blew up when Tillerson started to explain why it was effective.
“I don’t want to hear it,” Trump said. “They’re cheating, they’re building. We’re getting out of it. I keep telling you, I keep giving you time, and you keep delaying me. I want out of it.”
Trump then moved on to Afghanistan, which he called a "loser war" to the shock and horror of military officials who'd fought there.
“You’re all losers,” Trump said. “You don’t know how to win anymore.”
The president then asked why the U.S. didn't get oil in exchange for stationing troops in the Persian Gulf.
“We spent $7 trillion; they’re ripping us off,” Trump yelled. “Where is the f*cking oil?”
“The American people are saying we can’t spend a trillion dollars a year on this," he complained. "We just can’t. It’s going to bankrupt us.”
By that point, according to the book, Trump had worked himself into a lather, insulting individual military leaders and breathlessly ranting.
“I wouldn’t go to war with you people,” Trump brayed. “You’re a bunch of dopes and babies.”
Others in the room felt sick to their stomach by the president's tirade and one woman was seen crying, and only Tillerson spoke up to defend the military -- and he famously wrote off Trump after the meeting, speaking to others as the room emptied.
“He’s a f*cking moron,” the secretary of state said.


rawstory--2020-01-17--Rick Santorum flattened by CNN’s Berman after calling Parnas bombshell revelations ‘extraneous’ to i

Rick Santorum flattened by CNN’s Berman after calling Parnas bombshell revelations ‘extraneous’ to impeachment

Rick Santorum and CNN ’ s John Berman got into a frantic back-and-forth on Friday morning after the former Republican senator attempted to dismiss the revelations by former Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas as something that should not be submitted as evidence in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump .
Discussing the Senate trial expected to start next week , Santorum said the only testimony and witnesses that should be allowed are ones that came up in the earlier House hearings .
“ The House ’ s responsibility to bring to us a case , ” Santorum stated .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said these are offenses that are worthy of the president being removed from office ; here is the record , here are the charges .
The Senate didn ’ t impeach , the House did , so we are going to look at the record the House presented us .
We ’ re going to look at the witnesses and say are there are questions that we have for the people that brought this case forward and relied on these witnesses and look at their testimony.
” “ But to bring in extraneous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members feel it ’ s their obligation or duty to do so , ” he added .
“ The extraneous testimony , Lev Parnas says he personally told the Ukrainians that they would not get aid , ” Berman lectured .
“ Listen , I understand he has credibility issues , but listen to my full question here .
It ’ s new evidence which does get to the central issue here .
It seems to me that you ’ re saying even if President Trump came up today and said , ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I withheld the aid .
I ’ m guilty of this .
I admit to all of it , ’ you would say ‘ you know what ?
It ’ s inadmissible because it didn ’ t come up at the House impeachment investigation .
You can ’ t include his investigation because it didn ’ t come up in the impeachment investigation . '
” “ First of all , I ’ m not saying it ’ s inadmissible , ” Santorum shot back .
“ I ’ m telling you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And if something ground-breaking would come forth , there might be a reason to bring that information in .
All I ’ m suggesting is that most members believe that even if you accept everything the Democrats say is true , it doesn ’ t rise to the level of removing a president .
”

Rick Santorum and CNN's John Berman got into a frantic back-and-forth on Friday morning after the former Republican senator attempted to dismiss the revelations by former Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas as something that should not be submitted as evidence in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump.
Discussing the Senate trial expected to start next week, Santorum said the only testimony and witnesses that should be allowed are ones that came up in the earlier House hearings.
"The House's responsibility to bring to us a case," Santorum stated. "They're the one who is said these are offenses that are worthy of the president being removed from office; here is the record, here are the charges. The Senate didn't impeach, the House did, so we are going to look at the record the House presented us. We're going to look at the witnesses and say are there are questions that we have for the people that brought this case forward and relied on these witnesses and look at their testimony."
"But to bring in extraneous testimony? I don't think members feel it's their obligation or duty to do so," he added.
"The extraneous testimony, Lev Parnas says he personally told the Ukrainians that they would not get aid," Berman lectured. "Listen, I understand he has credibility issues, but listen to my full question here. It's new evidence which does get to the central issue here. It seems to me that you're saying even if President Trump came up today and said, 'you know what? I did this. I withheld the aid. I'm guilty of this. I admit to all of it,' you would say 'you know what? It's inadmissible because it didn't come up at the House impeachment investigation. You can't include his investigation because it didn't come up in the impeachment investigation.'"
"First of all, I'm not saying it's inadmissible," Santorum shot back. "I'm telling you how they're receiving this. And if something ground-breaking would come forth, there might be a reason to bring that information in. All I'm suggesting is that most members believe that even if you accept everything the Democrats say is true, it doesn't rise to the level of removing a president."
Watch below:


rawstory--2020-01-17--Fox & Friends floats impeachment conspiracy theory about GAO findings of Trump crimes against Ukrain

Fox & Friends floats impeachment conspiracy theory about GAO findings of Trump crimes against Ukraine

“ Fox & Friends ” assured viewers they could ignore a federal watchdog agency ’ s findings that President Donald Trump broke the law by withholding Ukraine aid .
The nonpartisan the Government Accountability Office found the White House Office of Management and Budget violated the law by freezing $ 400 million in congressionally approved military aid , but the Fox News hosts suggested the agency was only trying to hurt the president .
“ Do you think it ’ s just a coincidence that that news would drop exactly the same day the ( impeachment ) trial started ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pete Hegseth and Ainsley Earhardt agreed , and accepted administration denials at face value .
“ A senior administration official said they are doing this so they can insert themselves into the impeachment when there is so much media attention , ” Earhardt said .
“ If you look at all the networks , and we ’ re going to go through it in a moment , and their coverage of the impeachment trial , they love to hear this .
They love to hear that this watchdog agency , they love to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president violated the law when it withheld that aid to Ukraine.
” “ However the Office of Management and Budget disagrees with it , ” she added .
“ They say the president has a right to do this.
” Hegseth complained about the unfairness of it all , and urged viewers to vote Republican to save the president .
“ It ’ s the impeachment that never ends and never will end , ” he said .
“ I would argue , even all the way through November , should the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either , unless the House , the majority of the House changes hands , which becomes important .
”

"Fox and Friends" assured viewers they could ignore a federal watchdog agency's findings that President Donald Trump broke the law by withholding Ukraine aid.
The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office found the White House Office of Management and Budget violated the law by freezing $400 million in congressionally approved military aid, but the Fox News hosts suggested the agency was only trying to hurt the president.
"Do you think it's just a coincidence that that news would drop exactly the same day the (impeachment) trial started?" said co-host Steve Doocy.
Co-hosts Pete Hegseth and Ainsley Earhardt agreed, and accepted administration denials at face value.
"A senior administration official said they are doing this so they can insert themselves into the impeachment when there is so much media attention," Earhardt said. "If you look at all the networks, and we're going to go through it in a moment, and their coverage of the impeachment trial, they love to hear this. They love to hear that this watchdog agency, they love to hear that they have determined that the president violated the law when it withheld that aid to Ukraine."
"However the Office of Management and Budget disagrees with it," she added. "They say the president has a right to do this."
Hegseth complained about the unfairness of it all, and urged viewers to vote Republican to save the president.
"It's the impeachment that never ends and never will end," he said. "I would argue, even all the way through November, should the president win re-election, may never end, either, unless the House, the majority of the House changes hands, which becomes important."


rawstory--2020-01-17--GOP senators are questioning allegiance to Trump as impeachment becomes a reality: Morning Joe panel

According to members of MSNBC ’ s “ Morning Joe ” panel , Donald Trump may see more defections by previously supportive Republican senators now that the impeachment of the president has become a reality and their conduct will be scrutinized by voters back home .
Speaking with columnist David Ignatius , host Joe Scarborough noted that multiple Republican senators — including several who are retiring — are going soft on defending the president and may be inclined to allowing multiple witnesses who could damage the president .
“ David Ignatius , you know , we ’ ve known Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lamar Alexander ( R-TN ) both of us , for a long time .
and as they coming to the end of their careers , ” Scarborough began .
“ I would think [ Senate Majority Leader ] Mitch McConnell would be concerned that these gentlemen would vote their conscience and not just blindly follow Donald Trump and would vote to have a fair , open hearing and trial and get this new evidence that ’ s coming in , that ’ s come in since the House impeached.
” “ I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either Pat Roberts or Lamar Alexander would be to have at the end of their senate career a line about them blindly following an impeached president , and basically sacrificing their dignity and their integrity to suppress evidence , suppress the truth , when seven out of ten Americans want an open and fair trial , and want to hear from these new witnesses , ” he added .
“ As we ’ ve discussed often , Joe , Trump ’ s insurgency in the Republican party is burning the house down , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fear of Republicans who didn ’ t defend their party , didn ’ t defend its values essentially it fled , that as you say , someone who ’ s retiring from the Senate , who ’ s thinking about his legacy , her legacy , is in a different place .
The fear factor doesn ’ t work in the same way.
” “ What I felt yesterday , as many viewers did , watching what we could of these proceedings is , this is real , ” he continued .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ For weeks and weeks , Trump ’ s strategy was to pretend it wasn ’ t happening , dismiss it , smear it , it ’ s a hoax over and over again .
But in the swearing in of the Chief Justice , in the traditional solemn words and accesses , you knew something real and lasting was happening , and I ’ m sure that got through to the Senator Roberts , and Lamar Alexanders , but more to the country , that we ’ re really going to watch this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do itself harm if it doesn ’ t take this seriously because it just entered a new phase .
”

According to members of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" panel, Donald Trump may see more defections by previously supportive Republican senators now that the impeachment of the president has become a reality and their conduct will be scrutinized by voters back home.
Speaking with columnist David Ignatius, host Joe Scarborough noted that multiple Republican senators -- including several who are retiring -- are going soft on defending the president and may be inclined to allowing multiple witnesses who could damage the president.
"David Ignatius, you know, we've known Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) both of us, for a long time. and as they coming to the end of their careers," Scarborough began. "I would think [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell would be concerned that these gentlemen would vote their conscience and not just blindly follow Donald Trump and would vote to have a fair, open hearing and trial and get this new evidence that's coming in, that's come in since the House impeached."
"I don't know what the motivation for either Pat Roberts or Lamar Alexander would be to have at the end of their senate career a line about them blindly following an impeached president, and basically sacrificing their dignity and their integrity to suppress evidence, suppress the truth, when seven out of ten Americans want an open and fair trial, and want to hear from these new witnesses," he added.
"As we've discussed often, Joe, Trump's insurgency in the Republican party is burning the house down," Ignatius replied. "Dependent on the fear of Republicans who didn't defend their party, didn't defend its values essentially it fled, that as you say, someone who's retiring from the Senate, who's thinking about his legacy, her legacy, is in a different place. The fear factor doesn't work in the same way."
"What I felt yesterday, as many viewers did, watching what we could of these proceedings is, this is real," he continued. "It's really happening. For weeks and weeks, Trump's strategy was to pretend it wasn't happening, dismiss it, smear it, it's a hoax over and over again. But in the swearing in of the Chief Justice, in the traditional solemn words and accesses, you knew something real and lasting was happening, and I'm sure that got through to the Senator Roberts, and Lamar Alexanders, but more to the country, that we're really going to watch this carefully now, and the Senate will do itself harm if it doesn't take this seriously because it just entered a new phase."
Watch below:


rawstory--2020-01-17--Iran’s supreme leader says Trump is a ‘clown’ who will betray Iranians

Iran ’ s supreme leader said President Donald Trump is a “ clown ” who only pretends to support the Iranian people but will “ push a poisonous dagger ” into their backs , as he struck a defiant tone in his first Friday sermon in Tehran in eight years .
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the mass funerals for Iran ’ s top general , who was killed in a US airstrike earlier this month , show that the Iranian people support the Islamic Republic despite its recent trials .
He said the “ cowardly ” killing of Soleimani had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the battle against the Islamic State group .
In response , Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles targeting US troops in Iraq , without causing serious injuries .
Khamenei said the strike had dealt a “ blow to America ’ s image ” as a superpower .
In part of the sermon delivered in Arabic , he said the “ real punishment ” would be in forcing the U.S. to withdraw from the Middle East .
As Iran ’ s Revolutionary Guard braced for an American counterattack that never came , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after it took off from Tehran ’ s international airport , killing all 176 passengers on board , mostly Iranians .
Authorities concealed their role in the tragedy for three days , initially blaming the crash on a technical problem .
Their admission of responsibility triggered days of street protests , which security forces dispersed with live ammunition and tear gas .
Khamenei called the shootdown of the plane a “ bitter accident ” that saddened Iran as much as it made its enemies happy .
He said Iran ’ s enemies had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Islamic Republic , the Revolutionary Guard and the armed forces .
He also lashed out at Western countries , saying they are too weak to “ bring Iranians to their knees.
” He said Britain , France and Germany , which this week triggered a dispute mechanism to try and bring Iran back into compliance with the unraveling 2015 nuclear agreement , were “ contemptible ” governments and “ servants ” of the United States .
He said Iran was willing to negotiate , but not with the United States .
Khamenei has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since 1989 and has the final say on all major decisions .
The 80-year-old leader openly wept at the funeral of Soleimani and vowed “ harsh retaliation ” against the United States .
Thousands of people attended the Friday prayers , occasionally interrupting his speech by chanting “ God is greatest !
” and “ Death to America !
” Tensions between Iran and the United States have steadily escalated since President Donald Trump withdrew the US from Iran ’ s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers , which had imposed restrictions on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifting of international sanctions .
The U.S. has since imposed crippling sanctions on Iran , including its vital oil and gas industry , pushing the country into an economic crisis that has ignited several waves of sporadic , leaderless protests .
Trump has openly encouraged the protesters – even tweeting in Farsi – hoping that the protests and the sanctions will bring about fundamental change in a longtime adversary .
After Soleimani was killed , Iran announced it would no longer be bound by the limitations in the nuclear agreement .
European countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal responded earlier this week by invoking a dispute mechanism that could result in even more sanctions .
Khamenei was always skeptical of the nuclear agreement , arguing that the United States could not be trusted .
But he allowed President Hassan Rouhani , a relative moderate , to conclude the agreement with President Barack Obama .
Since Trump ’ s withdrawal , he has repeatedly said there can be no negotiations with the United States .
Khamenei last delivered a Friday sermon in February 2012 , when he called Israel a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyone confronting it .
He also warned against any US strikes on Iran over its nuclear program , saying the US would be damaged “ 10 times over .
”

Iran’s supreme leader said President Donald Trump is a “clown” who only pretends to support the Iranian people but will “push a poisonous dagger” into their backs, as he struck a defiant tone in his first Friday sermon in Tehran in eight years.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the mass funerals for Iran’s top general, who was killed in a US airstrike earlier this month, show that the Iranian people support the Islamic Republic despite its recent trials. He said the “cowardly” killing of Soleimani had taken out the most effective commander in the battle against the Islamic State group.
In response, Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles targeting US troops in Iraq, without causing serious injuries. Khamenei said the strike had dealt a “blow to America’s image” as a superpower. In part of the sermon delivered in Arabic, he said the “real punishment” would be in forcing the U.S. to withdraw from the Middle East.
As Iran’s Revolutionary Guard braced for an American counterattack that never came, it mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian jetliner shortly after it took off from Tehran’s international airport, killing all 176 passengers on board, mostly Iranians.
Authorities concealed their role in the tragedy for three days, initially blaming the crash on a technical problem. Their admission of responsibility triggered days of street protests, which security forces dispersed with live ammunition and tear gas.
Khamenei called the shootdown of the plane a “bitter accident” that saddened Iran as much as it made its enemies happy. He said Iran’s enemies had seized on the crash to question the Islamic Republic, the Revolutionary Guard and the armed forces.
He also lashed out at Western countries, saying they are too weak to “bring Iranians to their knees.” He said Britain, France and Germany, which this week triggered a dispute mechanism to try and bring Iran back into compliance with the unraveling 2015 nuclear agreement, were “contemptible” governments and “servants” of the United States.
He said Iran was willing to negotiate, but not with the United States.
'Harsh retaliation'
Khamenei has held the country’s top office since 1989 and has the final say on all major decisions. The 80-year-old leader openly wept at the funeral of Soleimani and vowed “harsh retaliation” against the United States.
Thousands of people attended the Friday prayers, occasionally interrupting his speech by chanting “God is greatest!” and “Death to America!”
Tensions between Iran and the United States have steadily escalated since President Donald Trump withdrew the US from Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, which had imposed restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions.
The U.S. has since imposed crippling sanctions on Iran, including its vital oil and gas industry, pushing the country into an economic crisis that has ignited several waves of sporadic, leaderless protests. Trump has openly encouraged the protesters - even tweeting in Farsi - hoping that the protests and the sanctions will bring about fundamental change in a longtime adversary.
After Soleimani was killed, Iran announced it would no longer be bound by the limitations in the nuclear agreement. European countries who have been trying to salvage the deal responded earlier this week by invoking a dispute mechanism that could result in even more sanctions.
Khamenei was always skeptical of the nuclear agreement, arguing that the United States could not be trusted. But he allowed President Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate, to conclude the agreement with President Barack Obama. Since Trump’s withdrawal, he has repeatedly said there can be no negotiations with the United States.
Khamenei last delivered a Friday sermon in February 2012, when he called Israel a “cancerous tumor” and vowed to support anyone confronting it. He also warned against any US strikes on Iran over its nuclear program, saying the US would be damaged “10 times over.”
(AP)


rawstory--2020-01-17--With David Bernhardt running Trump’s Interior Dept, former corporate clients are lavishing tens of m

With David Bernhardt running Trump’s Interior Dept, former corporate clients are lavishing tens of millions in new lobby spending

More than a dozen former lobbying clients of Interior Secretary David Bernhardt have spent nearly $ 30 million convincing the Trump administration to do the bidding of the fossil fuel industry , according to a new report by Public Citizen .
The government watchdog released its study , entitled “ Bernhardt Buddies , ” on Thursday after examining lobbying records and Bernhardt ’ s recusals due to conflicts of interest .
The former oil and gas lobbyist infamously had such a long list of companies he officially had to avoid working with when he was serving as a deputy at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the list around on index cards .
Since Bernhardt replaced Ryan Zinke—who resigned in 2018 amid his own ethics scandals—17 of Bernhardt ’ s former clients have lobbied the federal government .
Fifteen of those have lobbied the Interior Department , including eight which spent more than $ 1 million each .
“ The corruption is absolutely shameless , ” tweeted Public Citizen Thursday as it released the analysis .
“ Millions in spending on lobbying have proven devastating for public lands but a gusher for oil and gas interests , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president .
“ Industry groups ’ belief in their ability to exert influence at the highest levels coincides with evidence that Bernhardt has consistently favored industry over conservation interests and public health .
There appears to be no end , and no shame , in sight.
” Organizations including the Independent Petroleum Association of America and fossil fuel companies such as Sempra Energy and Noble Energy have lobbied the administration on issues including federal protections for the sage grouse—which the government slashed last year—and water preservation .
Since Bernhardt took the helm of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge , made it more difficult to designate a species as endangered , moved the Bureau of Land Management ’ s headquarters to Colorado , where fossil fuel interests have easy access to the agency , and opened one million acres in California to fracking .
According to Public Citizen ’ s report , prior to Bernhardt ’ s confirmation , one oil and gas lobbyist told a room full of his colleagues that “ We know [ Bernhardt ] very well , and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conversations with him about issues ranging from federal land access to endangered species , to a lot of issues.
” Mother Jones reporter Rebecca Leber tweeted that the long-term effects of many of the issues Bernhardt ’ s associates have lobbied for will be difficult to reverse by a future administration .
“ Regulations can always change but it will be nearly impossible to reverse all this leasing and the permanent damage to endangered species , ” Leber wrote .

"The corruption is absolutely shameless."
More than a dozen former lobbying clients of Interior Secretary David Bernhardt have spent nearly $30 million convincing the Trump administration to do the bidding of the fossil fuel industry, according to a new report by Public Citizen.
The government watchdog released its study, entitled "Bernhardt Buddies," on Thursday after examining lobbying records and Bernhardt's recusals due to conflicts of interest. The former oil and gas lobbyist infamously had such a long list of companies he officially had to avoid working with when he was serving as a deputy at the Interior Department, that he carried the list around on index cards.
Since Bernhardt replaced Ryan Zinke—who resigned in 2018 amid his own ethics scandals—17 of Bernhardt's former clients have lobbied the federal government. Fifteen of those have lobbied the Interior Department, including eight which spent more than $1 million each.
"The corruption is absolutely shameless," tweeted Public Citizen Thursday as it released the analysis.
"Millions in spending on lobbying have proven devastating for public lands but a gusher for oil and gas interests," said Robert Weissman, the group's president. "Industry groups' belief in their ability to exert influence at the highest levels coincides with evidence that Bernhardt has consistently favored industry over conservation interests and public health. There appears to be no end, and no shame, in sight."
Organizations including the Independent Petroleum Association of America and fossil fuel companies such as Sempra Energy and Noble Energy have lobbied the administration on issues including federal protections for the sage grouse—which the government slashed last year—and water preservation.
Since Bernhardt took the helm of Interior, the department has pushed to allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, made it more difficult to designate a species as endangered, moved the Bureau of Land Management’s headquarters to Colorado, where fossil fuel interests have easy access to the agency, and opened one million acres in California to fracking.
According to Public Citizen's report, prior to Bernhardt's confirmation, one oil and gas lobbyist told a room full of his colleagues that "We know [Bernhardt] very well, and we have direct access to him, have conversations with him about issues ranging from federal land access to endangered species, to a lot of issues."
Mother Jones reporter Rebecca Leber tweeted that the long-term effects of many of the issues Bernhardt's associates have lobbied for will be difficult to reverse by a future administration.
"Regulations can always change but it will be nearly impossible to reverse all this leasing and the permanent damage to endangered species," Leber wrote.


rawstory--2020-01-17--French far-right leader Marine Le Pen announces 2022 presidential bid

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen isn ’ t wasting time .
She announced her intention to stand in France ’ s 2022 presidential elections .
“ My decision is made , ” Le Pen said Thursday as she presented her New Year ’ s wishes .
Le Pen said she is proposing a “ grand alternative to put the country back on its feet ” and create “ national unity.
” Le Pen reached the runoff in the 2017 election but lost badly to Emmanuel Macron , who is now in the midst of one of the most difficult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the grassroots yellow vest movement that ’ s seeking social and economic justice , Macron is facing a strike over reforms to the country ’ s pension system that has run for 43 days .
She noted that her candidacy must be approved at her National Rally party ’ s congress in 2021 , something that Jordan Bardella , a rising star in the party and European parliamentary deputy , said on BFMTV should pose no problem .
Ahead of municipal elections in March , Le Pen is seeking to lure disenchanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the far-left .

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


rawstory--2020-01-17--Dutch art sleuth finds rare stolen copy of ‘Prince of Persian poets’

A stolen 15th-century book by the famed Persian poet Hafez has been recovered by a Dutch art detective after an international “ race against time ” that drew the alleged interest of Iran ’ s secret service .
The gold-leafed volume worth around one million euros ( $ 1.1 million ) was found to be missing from the collection of an Iranian antiques dealer after his death in Germany in 2007 .
It sparked a decade-long search for one of the oldest surviving copies of the “ Divan of Hafez ” — the collected works of the poet who remains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ artists worldwide .
But Arthur Brand , dubbed the “ Indiana Jones of the Art World ” for tracing a series of lost works , finally tracked down the tome via the murky stolen arts underworld .
“ This is a hugely important find for me , because this is such an important book , ” Brand said as he showed AFP the recovered book at an Amsterdam apartment .
Along with Rumi , Hafez — full name Shams al-Din Muhammad Hafiz Shirazi — is one of the best known mystical bards .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ Prince of Persian poets ” .
Hafez ’ s Divan can still be found in most Iranian homes where it is traditionally read out during family celebrations for the Persian New Year .
The theft of the manuscript , which dates from 1462 to 1463 , was discovered by the family of book dealer Djafar Ghazy after he died in an old people ’ s home in Munich in 2007 .
While going through Ghazy ’ s computer , they realized the reclusive pensioner had in fact collected hundreds of ancient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gone .
In 2011 German police recovered 174 of them raiding the home of another Iranian pensioner who had befriended Ghazy .
“ But the most important piece , one of the earliest and most accurate copies of the famous ‘ Divan of Hafez ’ , was still missing , ” said Brand .
German police announced a 50,000-euro reward and issued a flyer describing the book in 2016 but there was still no trace of it , until late 2018 .
Brand then received a phone call from an Iranian dealer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meet him in Germany .
“ The man told me he was visited by two officials who said they were ‘ linked to the Iranian embassy ’ .
” The men — alleged by the dealer to be Iranian secret agents — told him to “ report any news of the missing Divan ” , Brand said .
“ My informant was clearly scared , felt threatened and decided to call me into the case , ” Brand told AFP .
Iran had already shown an interest in the case , saying it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get back the manuscripts that were found in 2011 , after Germany gave two back but decided most of the rest were legally owned by the collector , German news reports said .
“ After my informant was contacted , I knew that the Iran was also looking for the missing Divan and I started a race against time to see if I could find it first , as the book belonged to Ghazy ’ s family , ” Brand said .
The Dutchman then flew to London to meet an unnamed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when shown the flyer of the missing book , and confessed he had seen it as a friend of his had sold it to a major buyer .
By then Iranian agents were also in London asking questions about the manuscript , Brand said .
“ The buyer was shocked and furious .
After all , he was sold a stolen book and now everybody including the Iranian government was looking for it , ” Brand said .
By now afraid , the buyer flew to Paris to demand his money back from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him to go back to London and finally the collector handed over the book via an intermediary in late 2019 .
Brand said he will travel to Munich next Wednesday to return the Divan to German police .
“ The next steps are currently being discussed together with the heirs ” of Ghazy , police spokesman Ludwig Waldinger told AFP .
Experts said this edition could be of great historical and literary value for scholars and admirers of Hafez , whose works were published after his death .
The recovered book is “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Dominic Parviz Brookshaw , assistant professor of Persian literature at Oxford University .
“ It ’ s an extremely early edition — although not the earliest — which would make it very rare and valuable , ” Brookshaw told AFP .

A stolen 15th-century book by the famed Persian poet Hafez has been recovered by a Dutch art detective after an international "race against time" that drew the alleged interest of Iran's secret service.
The gold-leafed volume worth around one million euros ($1.1 million) was found to be missing from the collection of an Iranian antiques dealer after his death in Germany in 2007.
It sparked a decade-long search for one of the oldest surviving copies of the "Divan of Hafez" -- the collected works of the poet who remains extremely popular in Iran and has inspired artists worldwide.
But Arthur Brand, dubbed the "Indiana Jones of the Art World" for tracing a series of lost works, finally tracked down the tome via the murky stolen arts underworld.
"This is a hugely important find for me, because this is such an important book," Brand said as he showed AFP the recovered book at an Amsterdam apartment.
Along with Rumi, Hafez -- full name Shams al-Din Muhammad Hafiz Shirazi -- is one of the best known mystical bards. American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson called him the "Prince of Persian poets".
Hafez's Divan can still be found in most Iranian homes where it is traditionally read out during family celebrations for the Persian New Year.
- 'Scared and threatened' -
The theft of the manuscript, which dates from 1462 to 1463, was discovered by the family of book dealer Djafar Ghazy after he died in an old people's home in Munich in 2007.
While going through Ghazy's computer, they realized the reclusive pensioner had in fact collected hundreds of ancient manuscripts -- but that they were all gone.
In 2011 German police recovered 174 of them raiding the home of another Iranian pensioner who had befriended Ghazy.
"But the most important piece, one of the earliest and most accurate copies of the famous 'Divan of Hafez', was still missing," said Brand.
German police announced a 50,000-euro reward and issued a flyer describing the book in 2016 but there was still no trace of it, until late 2018.
Brand then received a phone call from an Iranian dealer, asking the Dutchman to "urgently" meet him in Germany.
"The man told me he was visited by two officials who said they were 'linked to the Iranian embassy'." The men -- alleged by the dealer to be Iranian secret agents -- told him to "report any news of the missing Divan", Brand said.
"My informant was clearly scared, felt threatened and decided to call me into the case," Brand told AFP.
Iran had already shown an interest in the case, saying it would take "all legal means" to get back the manuscripts that were found in 2011, after Germany gave two back but decided most of the rest were legally owned by the collector, German news reports said.
"After my informant was contacted, I knew that the Iran was also looking for the missing Divan and I started a race against time to see if I could find it first, as the book belonged to Ghazy's family," Brand said.
- 'Rare and valuable' -
The Dutchman then flew to London to meet an unnamed man "who became extremely nervous" when shown the flyer of the missing book, and confessed he had seen it as a friend of his had sold it to a major buyer.
By then Iranian agents were also in London asking questions about the manuscript, Brand said.
"The buyer was shocked and furious. After all, he was sold a stolen book and now everybody including the Iranian government was looking for it," Brand said.
By now afraid, the buyer flew to Paris to demand his money back from the original seller.
But Brand persuaded him to go back to London and finally the collector handed over the book via an intermediary in late 2019.
Brand said he will travel to Munich next Wednesday to return the Divan to German police.
"The next steps are currently being discussed together with the heirs" of Ghazy, police spokesman Ludwig Waldinger told AFP.
Experts said this edition could be of great historical and literary value for scholars and admirers of Hafez, whose works were published after his death.
The recovered book is "one of a handful still in existence," said Dominic Parviz Brookshaw, assistant professor of Persian literature at Oxford University.
"It's an extremely early edition -- although not the earliest -- which would make it very rare and valuable," Brookshaw told AFP.
© 2020 AFP


rawstory--2020-01-17--MSNBC’s Morning Joe: Trump doesn’t realize how much trouble he’s in — and GOP unsure how to defend h

MSNBC’s Morning Joe: Trump doesn’t realize how much trouble he’s in — and GOP unsure how to defend him

MSNBC ’ s Joe Scarborough said President Donald Trump is fooling himself on impeachment .
Trump insists he did nothing wrong in his actions toward Ukraine and complains that he ’ s the victim of an impeachment “ hoax , ” but the “ Morning Joe ” host said that most Americans disagree .
“ He ’ s talking to himself when he talks about a perfect phone call , yeah , ” Scarborough said .
“ He says it ’ s a hoax , because what he ’ s facing now isn ’ t even what he was facing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s more of a split when it came to what the American public believed , but he said it ’ s a hoax and nobody can believe this is happening , and etc.
, etc.
, etc.
, and yet over 70 percent of Americans want a full and fair trial.
” “ They don ’ t want ‘ Moscow Mitch ’ McConnell and ( Sen. ) Lindsey Graham to shut things down , ” he added .
“ Over 70 percent want to hear from witnesses .
That ’ s seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know the truth , that ’ s all they want to know .
They want to know the truth.
” A slim majority of Americans also agree that Trump should be impeached , Scarborough said .
“ He says it ’ s a hoax , nobody can believe this , ” Scarborough said .
“ He ’ s talking to himself .
A majority believes he should be impeached .
We remember that Fox ( News ) poll and other polls that show majority believe he should be removed if office for that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he did around that , as well.
” “ So this is a problem with the Republicans not being able to put together a defense of Donald Trump , ” Scarborough added .
“ He lives in a separate universe from the rest of them , factually , and he ’ s disconnected from the reality of this political crisis .
”

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough said President Donald Trump is fooling himself on impeachment.
Trump insists he did nothing wrong in his actions toward Ukraine and complains that he's the victim of an impeachment "hoax," but the "Morning Joe" host said that most Americans disagree.
"He's talking to himself when he talks about a perfect phone call, yeah," Scarborough said. "He says it's a hoax, because what he's facing now isn't even what he was facing with (Robert) Mueller. There's more of a split when it came to what the American public believed, but he said it's a hoax and nobody can believe this is happening, and etc., etc., etc., and yet over 70 percent of Americans want a full and fair trial."
"They don't want 'Moscow Mitch' McConnell and (Sen.) Lindsey Graham to shut things down," he added. "Over 70 percent want to hear from witnesses. That's seven in 10 Americans. They want to know the truth, that's all they want to know. They want to know the truth."
A slim majority of Americans also agree that Trump should be impeached, Scarborough said.
"He says it's a hoax, nobody can believe this," Scarborough said. "He's talking to himself. A majority believes he should be impeached. We remember that Fox (News) poll and other polls that show majority believe he should be removed if office for that phone call, and the things that he did around that, as well."
"So this is a problem with the Republicans not being able to put together a defense of Donald Trump," Scarborough added. "He lives in a separate universe from the rest of them, factually, and he's disconnected from the reality of this political crisis."


rawstory--2020-01-17--Furious Trump grilling aides on how impeachment is playing with voters: report

According to a report in the New York Times , a furious Donald Trump spent Thursday afternoon huddled with close White House aides worrying how voters are reacting to his impeachment as it heads to a Senate trial .
Following an afternoon where he tweeted about how unfair the impeachment process has been ( “ I JUST GOT IMPEACHED FOR MAKING A PERFECT PHONE CALL !
” he wrote ) — and snapping at reporters — the Times reports the president later bunkered down with staffers to discuss what to do next .
“ The president capped his day with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where he grilled them on how voters were receiving impeachment , ” the Times reports .
“ In his conversations with advisers on Thursday , Mr. Trump repeated once again that he could not believe he was facing such a predicament as impeachment .
He said he wanted people to be prepared for a motion to dismiss and has hoped for one , even though Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky , the majority leader , has said the Senate will have to take up the matter.
” “ Mr .
Trump , always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has also expressed reservations about whether his lawyers will be aggressive enough during the televised Senate trial , ” the report continues , adding , “ Mr .
Trump ’ s re-election campaign , meanwhile , used the events of the day as a fund-raising opportunity , directing voters through targeted digital ads to an ‘ official impeachment defense fund , ’ which acted as a portal to the campaign ’ s website .
The message delivered from Mr. Trump online was simple : ‘ FIGHT BACK . '
” You can @ @ @ @

According to a report in the New York Times, a furious Donald Trump spent Thursday afternoon huddled with close White House aides worrying how voters are reacting to his impeachment as it heads to a Senate trial.
Following an afternoon where he tweeted about how unfair the impeachment process has been ( “I JUST GOT IMPEACHED FOR MAKING A PERFECT PHONE CALL!” he wrote) -- and snapping at reporters -- the Times reports the president later bunkered down with staffers to discuss what to do next.
"The president capped his day with a meeting with several campaign aides, where he grilled them on how voters were receiving impeachment," the Times reports. "In his conversations with advisers on Thursday, Mr. Trump repeated once again that he could not believe he was facing such a predicament as impeachment. He said he wanted people to be prepared for a motion to dismiss and has hoped for one, even though Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, has said the Senate will have to take up the matter."
"Mr. Trump, always concerned about optics and how things play, has also expressed reservations about whether his lawyers will be aggressive enough during the televised Senate trial," the report continues, adding, "Mr. Trump’s re-election campaign, meanwhile, used the events of the day as a fund-raising opportunity, directing voters through targeted digital ads to an 'official impeachment defense fund,' which acted as a portal to the campaign’s website. The message delivered from Mr. Trump online was simple: 'FIGHT BACK.'"
You can read more here.


rawstory--2020-01-17--Ukraine PM offers resignation after leaked recording

Ukraine ’ s prime minister offered his resignation on Friday after audio was leaked of him reportedly criticizing President Volodomyr Zelensky ’ s understanding of the economy .
“ To remove any doubts about our respect for and trust in the president , I have written a resignation letter and handed it over to the president , ” Oleksiy Goncharuk wrote on his official Facebook page .
He said the audio “ artificially created an impression that my team and I do not respect the president ” .
“ This is not true , ” he said .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president ’ s program.
” Zelensky ’ s office said it had received the letter of resignation and would consider it .
The alleged recordings , which emerged this week , came from an informal December meeting between ministers and senior officials from the National Bank .
According to local media reports , the participants discussed how to explain recent economic developments to Zelensky , a 41-year-old comedian and political neophyte who won a surprise election victory last year .
Goncharuk , 35 , is reportedly heard saying that explanations need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primitive understanding ” of the economy .
He also called himself an economic “ ignoramus ” .
After the recordings emerged on Wednesday , media reported that Goncharuk resigned but his office denied this .
Goncharuk became Ukraine ’ s youngest-ever prime minister after Zelensky nominated him for the post in August amid a stalling economy and war with separatists in the east .
Goncharuk ’ s candidacy was quickly approved by MPs as Zelensky ’ s “ Servant of the People ” party holds a majority in parliament .
His appointment was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bring in fresh faces and shake up Ukraine ’ s stagnant politics .
He replaced Volodymyr Groysman , 41 , who offered his resignation after Zelensky was inaugurated in May .
A young lawyer with virtually no experience in government , Goncharuk was little known to the public .
Goncharuk , who studied law and public administration before co-founding a law firm at the age of 24 , is considered a supporter of liberal economic reforms .
Before becoming deputy head of the president ’ s office when Zelensky came to power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EU-funded NGO that works to improve the business environment in Ukraine .
Timothy Ash , a senior emerging markets strategist at Bluebay Asset Management , said this week that while Zelensky was not a trained economist , he has hired “ a decent economic team.
” .
Ukraine ’ s economy has been hit hard by the conflict in the east and is reliant on foreign aid .

Ukraine's prime minister offered his resignation on Friday after audio was leaked of him reportedly criticizing President Volodomyr Zelensky's understanding of the economy.
"To remove any doubts about our respect for and trust in the president, I have written a resignation letter and handed it over to the president," Oleksiy Goncharuk wrote on his official Facebook page.
He said the audio "artificially created an impression that my team and I do not respect the president".
"This is not true," he said. "I came to this post to carry out the president's program."
Zelensky's office said it had received the letter of resignation and would consider it.
The alleged recordings, which emerged this week, came from an informal December meeting between ministers and senior officials from the National Bank.
According to local media reports, the participants discussed how to explain recent economic developments to Zelensky, a 41-year-old comedian and political neophyte who won a surprise election victory last year.
Goncharuk, 35, is reportedly heard saying that explanations need to be simple because Zelensky has a "primitive understanding" of the economy.
He also called himself an economic "ignoramus".
After the recordings emerged on Wednesday, media reported that Goncharuk resigned but his office denied this.
- Stagnant politics -
Goncharuk became Ukraine's youngest-ever prime minister after Zelensky nominated him for the post in August amid a stalling economy and war with separatists in the east.
Goncharuk's candidacy was quickly approved by MPs as Zelensky's "Servant of the People" party holds a majority in parliament.
His appointment was in line with Zelensky's vow to bring in fresh faces and shake up Ukraine's stagnant politics.
He replaced Volodymyr Groysman, 41, who offered his resignation after Zelensky was inaugurated in May.
A young lawyer with virtually no experience in government, Goncharuk was little known to the public.
Goncharuk, who studied law and public administration before co-founding a law firm at the age of 24, is considered a supporter of liberal economic reforms.
Before becoming deputy head of the president's office when Zelensky came to power, he managed for several years an EU-funded NGO that works to improve the business environment in Ukraine.
Timothy Ash, a senior emerging markets strategist at Bluebay Asset Management, said this week that while Zelensky was not a trained economist, he has hired "a decent economic team.".
Ukraine's economy has been hit hard by the conflict in the east and is reliant on foreign aid.
© 2020 AFP


rawstory--2020-01-17--Hong Kong airline forced Japanese woman to take pregnancy test

A Hong Kong airline forced a Japanese woman to take a pregnancy test before allowing her on a flight to a Pacific island popular with mothers seeking US citizenship for their babies .
Midori Nishida , 25 , was escorted to a public toilet at Hong Kong airport and told to urinate on a strip in November before being granted permission to board her Hong Kong Express flight to the US territory of Saipan .
She had declared in a questionnaire at check-in that she was not pregnant but airline staff nevertheless requested she undergo a “ fit-to-fly ” assessment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or shape resembling a pregnant woman .
“ It was very humiliating and frustrating , ” Nishida told the Wall Street Journal .
She grew up on Saipan and her family have lived on the island for more than 20 years .
The airline apologized to Nishida and said the practice had been discontinued when contacted by AFP .
“ We have immediately suspended the practice while we review it .
We ’ d like to apologize for the distress caused , ” the airline said in a statement .
Hong Kong Express @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flights to Saipan from February 2019 to help ensure US immigration laws were not being undermined ” , in response to concerns raised by the island ’ s authorities .
“ We recognize the significant concerns this practice has caused , ” it said .
Saipan is a popular destination for women wanting to give birth on US soil to secure American citizenship for their child .
In 2018 nearly 600 babies were born to tourists in the Northern Mariana Islands , which sit just north of Guam , also a US territory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of babies born to locals .
Of those some 575 were born to Chinese mothers , according to data from local health authorities .
The influx followed the introduction in 2009 of a visa-waiver program to attract Chinese holidaymakers , a scheme that made the islands the only US territory where Chinese citizens enjoy visa-free entry .
But in recent years Saipan has stepped up measures to curb birth tourism by requiring airlines to carry out screenings .

A Hong Kong airline forced a Japanese woman to take a pregnancy test before allowing her on a flight to a Pacific island popular with mothers seeking US citizenship for their babies.
Midori Nishida, 25, was escorted to a public toilet at Hong Kong airport and told to urinate on a strip in November before being granted permission to board her Hong Kong Express flight to the US territory of Saipan.
She had declared in a questionnaire at check-in that she was not pregnant but airline staff nevertheless requested she undergo a "fit-to-fly" assessment designed for women with a body size or shape resembling a pregnant woman.
The test result came up negative.
"It was very humiliating and frustrating," Nishida told the Wall Street Journal.
She grew up on Saipan and her family have lived on the island for more than 20 years.
The airline apologized to Nishida and said the practice had been discontinued when contacted by AFP.
"We have immediately suspended the practice while we review it. We'd like to apologize for the distress caused," the airline said in a statement.
Hong Kong Express said it had taken "action on flights to Saipan from February 2019 to help ensure US immigration laws were not being undermined", in response to concerns raised by the island's authorities.
"We recognize the significant concerns this practice has caused," it said.
Saipan is a popular destination for women wanting to give birth on US soil to secure American citizenship for their child.
In 2018 nearly 600 babies were born to tourists in the Northern Mariana Islands, which sit just north of Guam, also a US territory -- a figure greater than the number of babies born to locals.
Of those some 575 were born to Chinese mothers, according to data from local health authorities.
The influx followed the introduction in 2009 of a visa-waiver program to attract Chinese holidaymakers, a scheme that made the islands the only US territory where Chinese citizens enjoy visa-free entry.
But in recent years Saipan has stepped up measures to curb birth tourism by requiring airlines to carry out screenings.
© 2020 AFP


rawstory--2020-01-17--11 US troops wounded in last week’s Iran attack on Iraq base

At least 11 American troops were injured in an Iranian attack on an Iraqi base where American soldiers were deployed , US Central Command said Thursday , although the US military had previously maintained there were no casualties .
“ While no US service members were killed in the Jan. 8 Iranian attack on al-Asad Air base , several were treated for concussion symptoms from the blast and are still being assessed , ” US Central Command spokesman Captain Bill Urban said in a statement .
At the time of the attack , most of the 1,500 US soldiers at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bunkers , after advance warning from superiors .
The strike caused significant material damage but no casualties , according to previous reports from the US military .
US President Donald Trump also said on the morning following the volley that “ no American were harmed in last night ’ s attack.
” However , Urban said that “ in the days following the attack , out of an abundance of caution , some service members were transported from al-Asad Air Base.
” “ At this time , eight individuals have been transported to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Camp Arifjan , ” he said , referring to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany and Camp Arifjan in Kuwait .
In addition to the sprawling Ain al-Asad airbase in western Iraq , Iran ’ s missiles also targeted a base in Arbil , housing both American and other foreign troops deployed in a US-led coalition fighting the remnants of the Islamic State jihadist group .
“ When deemed fit for duty , the service members are expected to return to Iraq following screening , ” Urban said .

"He's saying that he wants to fight this case in Georgia," said Polantz. "But Rudy Giuliani actually has a lot of other things on his plate right now: namely, he appears to be out of cash. He hasn't been able to share details in court. He's trying to not do that because it would embarrass him and draw attention to his misfortunes, but we were able to pick through some court filings that do outline in lawsuits that he's facing related to his work for Donald Trump after the 2020 election, just how much his bills have piled up right now."
POLL: Should Trump be allowed to run for office?
"Right now, he has $181,000 in current bills," said Polantz. "That includes a judgment from a court last week saying he had to pay a phone bill for his company from 2020, that he has to pay legal fees for two Georgia election workers who are suing him. That's what the sanction would be, an $89,000 sanction. That's not even what happens if he were to lose that case."
As if that weren't enough, Polantz made clear she was just getting started in listing the former New York mayor's financial woes.
"On top of that, he has a lot of bills for just keeping ahold of the records that he had in his various cell phones and other electronic equipment," she said. "He has that all in a company. It costs money to do searches for those records every time he's getting sued, and it costs money just to hold them with that company. So he has access to his electronic records. It's a lot of legal bills, but on top of that, he has debts. One of the debts that has become public in the court proceedings is he had a $320,000 debt to this company hosting his electronic records. Donald Trump's PAC has paid that off ... but this is not even capturing the scope of the money Rudy Giuliani is just being bogged down with in order to fend off just lawsuits related to the 2020 election and other court proceedings."
"If he's actually out of cash, does he just have two options, pro bono representation or public defender?" asked Harlow.
"Those would be some options. The other options would be to get some cash based on the assets he has. One of the things he has done recently is put a three-bedroom Manhattan apartment up for sale for $6.5 million. It's only been listed for a couple days. As far as I can tell, it doesn't have a bid or a sale on it yet, but he's listing that property of his in Manhattan. We're talking about bills he has right now for lawsuits going on that are not even at the end. If he gets judgments against him for things where he is already conceding he was making false statements about the 2020 election, those bills could skyrocket. That doesn't even factor into how much it costs to defend yourself in criminal court."
Watch the video below or at the link here.


rawstory--2020-01-17--Lev Parnas has Trump ‘unnerved’: ex-FBI official says the president doesn’t know what he ‘has up his

Lev Parnas has Trump ‘unnerved’: ex-FBI official says the president doesn’t know what he ‘has up his sleeve’

President Donald Trump is “ very nervous ” about what Lev Parnas may have on him , a former top FBI official suggested on MSNBC on Friday .
Former FBI Assistant Director for Counterintelligence was interviewed by MSNBC ’ s Peter Alexander .
The host played clips of Trump denying any relationship with Parnas .
“ Well , I don ’ t know him , I don ’ t know Lev Parnas , other than I guess I had pictures taken — which I do with thousands of people , ” Trump argued .
“ I don ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know what he ’ s about , don ’ t where he comes from .
I can tell you this — I don ’ t know him .
I don ’ t believe I ’ ve ever spoken to him .
I don ’ t believe I ’ ve ever spoken to him.
” “ Frank , what ’ s your take on that ?
” Alexander asked .
“ Well , I ’ m up to , I think , eight photographs of — seeing eight photographs of Parnas and the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the president , but what has my attention , Peter , is this is a variance from the president ’ s usual approach of ‘ I did it , so what ?
’ or doubling down , ” Figliuzzi said .
“ Now what we ’ re seeing the exact opposite , now it ’ s , ‘ I don ’ t know the guy.
’ When someone varies from their usual M.O.. , you should pay attention and I think Parnas has him very nervous , ” he continued .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guy who can actually say none of this Ukraine stuff was ever about corruption — and by the way , I ’ m one step away from the president because I ’ m working for Rudy Giuliani , ” he explained .
“ I think that ’ s got the president unnerved.
” “ And the problem is he really needs to be careful because he doesn ’ t know how much Parnas has , he doesn ’ t know what Parnas has up his sleeve , ” Figliuzzi noted .
“ does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recordings that he ’ s saving for later ?
Maybe for SDNY ?
”

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


rawstory--2020-01-17--Trump is now feuding with Iran’s Supreme Leader on Twitter: ‘Make Iran Great Again!’

President Donald Trump is now replying directly to Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Twitter .
I Friday , @ @ @ @ @ a Trump tweet , with a message of his own .
“ The villainous US @ @ @ @ @ are standing by the Iranian ppl .
They lie .
If you are standing by @ @ @ @ @ is only to stab them in the heart with your venomous daggers , ” Khamenei @ @ @ @ @ , you have so far failed to do so , & you will certainly continue @ @ @ @ @ added .
Trump retweeted the message , adding his own argument .
“ The noble @ @ @ @ @ a government that ’ s more interested in helping them achieve their dreams than killing @ @ @ @ @ ” Trump tweeted .
“ Instead of leading Iran toward ruin , its leaders should @ @ @ @ @ Great Again !
” he added .
Trump also tweeted the message in Farsi .

Trump’s legal troubles have only helped to boost his chances to win the Republican nomination for president this campaign season, making it difficult for any of his challengers to gain ground. And analysts believe that will remain the case, at least for the short term.
“My expectation is that the latest indictments will not change the current political climate or move a great many people,” says Kevin Wagner, a professor of political science at Florida Atlantic University. “I suspect it will reinforce the current divisions.”
Michael Binder, professor of political science at North Florida University, says that while most Trump supporters are unhappy about the latest legal development, he doesn’t think it will necessarily boost his huge polling numbers.
“At some point, there’s diminishing returns when it comes to benefits, and I suspect that we’re at or near that point,” he says.
“I wouldn’t expect much poll movement until there’s a conviction, or something goes viral after one of the upcoming debates,” he adds.
Wagner says that public perceptions might change when the Georgia trial actually takes place, because unlike the federal cases Trump is facing, the case in Fulton County would be televised to the nation.
“So it could potentially be received but understood differently, but it’s too early to tell,” he told the Phoenix in an email. “In the short term, it will probably be the status quo and may even strengthen former President Trump with his supporters who are likely GOP primary voters.”
Speaking to New England reporters on Tuesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that while he hadn’t had the opportunity to read the new indictment, he called it “an example of this criminalization of politics,” adding that “I don’t think it’s good for the country.”
DeSantis has previously criticized the “weaponization” of the government when discussing Trump’s previous indictments, but appeared more critical last week in referring to both the missing documents case and the events of Jan. 6, 2021, two of the other cases where Trump has been indicted by federal authorities.
“If, on the other hand, the election is not about Jan. 20, 2025 (inauguration day for the next president) but Jan. 6, 2021, or what document was left by the toilet at Mar-a-Lago, if it’s a referendum on that, we are going to lose,” DeSantis told NBC News.
Suarez has not responded to a request for comment, but did tell Fox Business in June that if he were elected president he would pardon Trump.
Other GOP presidential candidates are weighing in on the latest Trump indictment, with some rallying to the former president’s defense.
“Here we go again: another disastrous Trump indictment,” Vivek Ramaswamy tweeted. He went on to say that “As someone who’s running for President against Trump, I’d volunteer to write the amicus brief to the court myself: prosecutors should not be deciding U.S. presidential elections, and if they’re so overzealous that they commit constitutional violations, then the cases should be thrown out & they should be held accountable.”
There have been a few Republicans who have been critical of Trump, such as former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, another GOP presidential candidate. In a press release issued Monday night, he called the Georgia indictment “another day of challenge for our democracy.”
“Over a year ago, I said that Donald Trump’s actions disqualified him from ever serving as President again,” he said. “Those words are more true today than even before.”
Meanwhile, DeSantis is fading in New Hampshire, the site of what will be the first Republican primary in the nation next year. (The Iowa caucus will be earlier in January.)
An Emerson College poll of 837 registered New Hampshire voters published Tuesday has DeSantis now in third place with 8%, one point behind former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Neither are remotely close to Trump, however, who leads with 49% support, to Christie’s 9%.
Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Diane Rado for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com. Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and Twitter.


rawstory--2020-01-17--‘Contempt of Congress is illegal’ declared one of Trump’s newest attorneys – just days before the Ho

‘Contempt of Congress is illegal’ declared one of Trump’s newest attorneys – just days before the House voted to impeach

One of the lesser-known names on the new list of lawyers President Donald Trump approved to defend him during the Senate impeachment trial delivered a damning remark last month – damning for President Trump , that is .
“ Contempt of Congress is illegal , ” said Robert Ray , who served as the final Whitewater independent counsel after Ken Starr .
The Washington Post ’ s Paul Waldman and Greg Sargent report Ray made the stunning remark – one of the Articles of Impeachment essentially is contempt of Congress , or technically , obstruction of Congress – to The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run by the conservative Heritage Foundation .
The Senate could force Hunter Biden and others to testify or face prosecution for contempt of Congress , said former independent counsel Robert Ray , who was involved in the investigation that led to Clinton ’ s impeachment .
“ The Senate has the power to compel witnesses .
So , subpoenas would be enforceable .
Contempt of Congress is illegal .
I don ’ t know that they have the votes , as a political question , ” Ray told The Daily Signal .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his attorney has said the actions for which he is being charged are illegal .
Also problematic are these words : “ No person is above the law , even the president of the United States.
” Ray made that damning statement , as The New York Times reports , 20 years ago when Bill Clinton was the impeached president being tried by the Senate .
But if all that weren ’ t enough , proving just how bad a defense Ray has been spinning for Trump , his appearance on Fox News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no ” when Trump considered him .
On September 26 , Ray told Maria Bartiromo there were not enough votes in the House , “ yet , ” to impeach Trump .
Less than three months later Trump was impeached .
He also said , “ impeachment to me is two things .
You have to show both the high crime and misdemeanor , and you have to show an abuse of power.
” Trump was literally impeached for an abuse of power and obstruction of Congress .
Remember , Ray said “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and “ you have to show an abuse of power.
” He seems to have been making the House ’ s arguments for them .

David Badash, The New Civil Rights Movement

One of the lesser-known names on the new list of lawyers President Donald Trump approved to defend him during the Senate impeachment trial delivered a damning remark last month – damning for President Trump, that is.
"Contempt of Congress is illegal," said Robert Ray, who served as the final Whitewater independent counsel after Ken Starr.
The Washington Post's Paul Waldman and Greg Sargent report Ray made the stunning remark – one of the Articles of Impeachment essentially is contempt of Congress, or technically, obstruction of Congress – to The Daily Signal, a right wing website run by the conservative Heritage Foundation.
The Senate could force Hunter Biden and others to testify or face prosecution for contempt of Congress, said former independent counsel Robert Ray, who was involved in the investigation that led to Clinton’s impeachment.
“The Senate has the power to compel witnesses. So, subpoenas would be enforceable. Contempt of Congress is illegal. I don’t know that they have the votes, as a political question,” Ray told The Daily Signal.
That's problematic for Trump, given his attorney has said the actions for which he is being charged are illegal.
Also problematic are these words: “No person is above the law, even the president of the United States.” Ray made that damning statement, as The New York Times reports, 20 years ago when Bill Clinton was the impeached president being tried by the Senate.
But if all that weren't enough, proving just how bad a defense Ray has been spinning for Trump, his appearance on Fox News Business should have been an automatic "no" when Trump considered him.
On September 26, Ray told Maria Bartiromo there were not enough votes in the House, "yet," to impeach Trump. Less than three months later Trump was impeached.
He also said, "impeachment to me is two things. You have to show both the high crime and misdemeanor, and you have to show an abuse of power."
Trump was literally impeached for an abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Remember, Ray said "contempt of Congress is illegal," and "you have to show an abuse of power."
He seems to have been making the House's arguments for them.