motherjones--2020-02-20--Biden Previews The Road Ahead, Blasts Bernie Again Over Gun Vote

Thursday is a light day on the Nevada campaign trail , with no events scheduled in the afternoon for any of the major candidates .
( Everyone ’ s presumably getting some R & R ahead of Tom Steyer ’ s big concert with TLC . )
But this morning , Joe Biden issued a last-minute advisory : he ’ d be speaking at a community in Las Vegas to “ lay out his vision , ” as campaigns say , about defeating the National Rifle Association .
But it may have said more about his plan to defeat Bernie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paris casino was mostly about ganging up on Michael Bloomberg , Biden ’ s event was more of a re-set—if he is going to win the nomination , he is also going to have to overtake the Vermont senator , if not here in Nevada , than definitely next week in South Carolina .
On Thursday , he briefly tried to demonstrate how .
If it sounds familiar , it ’ s because it ’ s the same argument Hillary Clinton used against Sanders ahead of the first-in-the-south primary four years ago : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After being introduced by Rep. Steven Horsford , who lost his own father to gun violence , the former vice president ripped into “ everybody out there who says ‘ my thoughts and prayers are with you ' ” and touted his past work in enacting an assault rifle ban and the Brady Bill .
“ It just takes a little bit of backbone to stand up to the thugs , ” he said .
But he wasn ’ t just there to talk about what he ’ d done and would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to talk about what his opponent had done .
“ It ’ s long past time that we correct one of the most egregious special interest giveaways the United States Congress has ever engaged in , ” Biden said .
He was referring to liability immunity for gun manufacturers against lawsuits from victims of gun violence , which Sanders voted against as a congressman in 2005 .
“ We don ’ t grant that kind of immunity to anybody else , ” he continued .
“ Imagine if I stood up here today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immunity to the tobacco companies.
’ ‘ I voted to give immunity…to drug manufacturers who poured nine billion opioids out on the market.
’ Imagine—imagine if I stood here and said to y ’ all that ‘ I…voted for giving immunity to oil companies for pollution and the damage they do to the groundwater supply , to the air , etc.
’ Folks , it ’ s just flat-out immoral.
” In case that wasn ’ t clear enough , Biden singled out his opponent by name .
“ Too many Republicans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” opposed the gun-control measures Biden supported .
Sanders , he noted , “ voted five times against the Brady Bill that I was passing .
Five times !
” Biden , as he often does , recounted the tragedies that have shaped his life—the loss of loved ones to a car accident and cancer .
But government responded to automobile fatalities with safety regulations , and combatted cancer with research .
“ Why are guns different ?
, ” he asked .
“ Because of cowardice .
Because of cowards .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ these special interests because they ’ re too powerful.
” As he turned to leave , reporters asked Biden several versions of the same basic question—was he saying that Sanders was immoral ?
Biden didn ’ t answer , but as he paused to let the activists who had stood behind him to exit through the side door , he half-turned toward the cameras and spoke up .
“ I do think his views have changed , ” he said .
“ And I ’ m happy for that .
”

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Thursday is a light day on the Nevada campaign trail, with no events scheduled in the afternoon for any of the major candidates. (Everyone’s presumably getting some R&R ahead of Tom Steyer’s big concert with TLC.) But this morning, Joe Biden issued a last-minute advisory: he’d be speaking at a community in Las Vegas to “lay out his vision,” as campaigns say, about defeating the National Rifle Association.
But it may have said more about his plan to defeat Bernie Sanders. If the debate at the Paris casino was mostly about ganging up on Michael Bloomberg, Biden’s event was more of a re-set—if he is going to win the nomination, he is also going to have to overtake the Vermont senator, if not here in Nevada, than definitely next week in South Carolina. On Thursday, he briefly tried to demonstrate how. If it sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the same argument Hillary Clinton used against Sanders ahead of the first-in-the-south primary four years ago: hammer loudly and persistently on gun control.
After being introduced by Rep. Steven Horsford, who lost his own father to gun violence, the former vice president ripped into “everybody out there who says ‘my thoughts and prayers are with you'” and touted his past work in enacting an assault rifle ban and the Brady Bill.
“It just takes a little bit of backbone to stand up to the thugs,” he said. But he wasn’t just there to talk about what he’d done and would like to do; he also wanted to talk about what his opponent had done.
“It’s long past time that we correct one of the most egregious special interest giveaways the United States Congress has ever engaged in,” Biden said. He was referring to liability immunity for gun manufacturers against lawsuits from victims of gun violence, which Sanders voted against as a congressman in 2005.
“We don’t grant that kind of immunity to anybody else,” he continued. “Imagine if I stood up here today and said ‘I voted to give immunity to the tobacco companies.’ ‘I voted to give immunity…to drug manufacturers who poured nine billion opioids out on the market.’ Imagine—imagine if I stood here and said to y’all that ‘I…voted for giving immunity to oil companies for pollution and the damage they do to the groundwater supply, to the air, etc.’ Folks, it’s just flat-out immoral.”
In case that wasn’t clear enough, Biden singled out his opponent by name. “Too many Republicans, and some Democrats, like Bernie Sanders,” opposed the gun-control measures Biden supported. Sanders, he noted, “voted five times against the Brady Bill that I was passing. Five times!”
Biden, as he often does, recounted the tragedies that have shaped his life—the loss of loved ones to a car accident and cancer. But government responded to automobile fatalities with safety regulations, and combatted cancer with research. “Why are guns different?,” he asked. “Because of cowardice. Because of cowards. Cowards who are afraid to take on these special interests because they’re too powerful.”
As he turned to leave, reporters asked Biden several versions of the same basic question—was he saying that Sanders was immoral? Biden didn’t answer, but as he paused to let the activists who had stood behind him to exit through the side door, he half-turned toward the cameras and spoke up.
“I do think his views have changed,” he said. “And I’m happy for that.”


motherjones--2020-02-20--How Trump’s Ratfucker Finally Screwed Himself

Roger Stone , convicted of lying to Congress and obstructing House and FBI investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 election , was sentenced Thursday to 40 months in federal prison .
The piece below was originally published May 2018 , and it wound up figuring into the prosecution of Donald Trump ’ s favorite dirty trickster .
Click the highlighted text throughout for the story behind the story .
Special Counsel Robert Mueller appears to be increasingly interested in the actions of Roger Stone .
Investigators have questioned former associates of Stone , the self-proclaimed political dirty trickster who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adviser to Donald Trump .
On Meet the Press on Sunday , Stone—who during the 2016 campaign boasted he was in direct contact with Julian Assange of Wikileaks and then later denied that he had been—said that he is “ prepared ” for the possibility that he will be indicted for “ some extraneous crime pertaining to my business ” that Mueller ’ s team “ may seek to conjure up.
” And perhaps the pressure is getting to Stone .
Randy Credico , a New York radio host and comedian , provided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emails he says Stone sent him in recent weeks .
Reached via text message , Stone acknowledged communicating with Credico but told Mother Jones that “ most ” of the emails were “ probably fabricated.
” Stone declined to share the complete correspondence between him and Credico .
Credico and Stone were once pals .
When Stone started denying after the election that he had communicated directly with Assange , Stone claimed that Credico had served as something of a go-between for him with Assange during the campaign .
For his part , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has said that he played no such role .
Not surprisingly , the former friends have experienced a falling out .
“ I am so ready .
Let ’ s get it on .
Prepare to die cock sucker , ” Stone messaged Credico on April 9 .
Stone was responding to a message from Credico that indicated Credico would release information contradicting Stone ’ s claims about the 2016 election and that “ all will come out.
” Credico tells Mother Jones that he considered this email from Stone a threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jones , Stone did not dispute sending this particular message to Credico .
But he maintains he was not making a threat and contends that Credico is citing his words out of context .
“ He told me he had terminal prostate cancer , ” Stone writes .
“ It was sent in response to that .
We talked about it too .
He was depressed about it .
Or he was lying ?
” ( In other messages provided by Credico , Stone appears to have said he was not threatening him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have prostate cancer and did not have such a discussion with Stone .
Referring to the “ prepare to die ” message from Stone , Credico insists , “ That was a threat.
” Credico sent Mother Jones screenshots of messages he said were from Stone , many of which appear to have been prompted by media appearances and news reports in which Credico disputed Stone ’ s claim that Credico acted as an intermediary between Stone and WikiLeaks in 2016 .
During the presidential campaign , Stone appeared to possess advance knowledge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stolen by Russian hackers .
( Stone also privately communicated with Guccifer 2.0 , an account suspected of having served as a front for Russian intelligence , and defended Guccifer 2.0 in public . )
Following the election , Stone changed his story to say he only had a general knowledge of WikiLeaks ’ plans based on news reports and what he had learned about Assange from Credico .
Yet Credico says that he had no information about Wikileaks or the stolen emails to share with Stone .
Credico also claims that around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House Intelligence Committee in September , Stone told him to “ just go along with ” his story .
Last November , the committee subpoenaed Credico , but he asserted his Fifth Amendment rights and was excused from testifying .
This year , though , Credico began speaking out .
In interviews with the Daily Beast , Mother Jones , and Yahoo News and for David Corn and Michael Isikoff ’ s Russian Roulette , Credico openly contradicted Stone ’ s claims that he was a source of information on Assange for Stone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ire .
“ You are a rat , ” reads one undated missive that Credico says Stone sent him .
“ A stoolie .
You backstab your friends-run your mouth my lawyers are dying to Rip you to shreds [ . ]
” In other messages over the past few months , Stone called Credico a liar and threatened to sue him .
An early April email to Credico—attributed to Stone—reads , “ Everything I have said publicly about You has been complimentary – yet you continue to act like Nunberg , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Trump aide and Stone protégé with whom Stone has had a falling out .
Another email to Credico says , “ Give Mueller my regards.
” Another declares : “ Everyone says u are wearing a wire for Mueller.
” Credico tells Mother Jones he has not been contacted by Mueller .
On April 28 , Credico attended the White House House Correspondents Dinner as a guest of Yahoo News ’ Isikoff .
At the event—from which he was ejected—Credico met Rep. Adam Schiff ( D-Calif. ) , the top Democrat on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chatted and , according to Credico , Schiff invited him to meet informally as part of the Russia investigation Democrats on the committee are continuing .
The Republican majority ended the committee ’ s official Russia inquiry earlier this year .
Credico met on Wednesday with four Democratic committee staffers .
Credico says he went to the meeting to convey an invitation from Assange , who remains confined in the Ecuadorian embassy in London .
According to Credico , he told the staffers that he had communicated with Assange through a Wikileaks associate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Mother Jones , and that Assange was willing to meet with Schiff .
WikiLeaks did not respond to questions from Mother Jones about this alleged offer .
Schiff spokesman Patrick Boland confirmed the staffers met with Credico .
He declined to comment on what was discussed .
“ Randy Credico offered to meet with the Congressman ’ s staff to share information as part of our ongoing investigation , ” Boland said in an email .
“ We look forward to his continued cooperation.
” Boland suggested that Schiff is unlikely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committee would be willing to interview Julian Assange when he is in United States custody , not before , he said .

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Roger Stone, convicted of lying to Congress and obstructing House and FBI investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, was sentenced Thursday to 40 months in federal prison. The piece below was originally published May 2018, and it wound up figuring into the prosecution of Donald Trump’s favorite dirty trickster. Click the highlighted text throughout for the story behind the story.
Special counsel Robert Mueller appears to be increasingly interested in the actions of Roger Stone. Investigators have questioned former associates of Stone, the self-proclaimed political dirty trickster who has been a longtime official and unofficial adviser to Donald Trump. On Meet the Press on Sunday, Stone—who during the 2016 campaign boasted he was in direct contact with Julian Assange of Wikileaks and then later denied that he had been—said that he is “prepared” for the possibility that he will be indicted for “some extraneous crime pertaining to my business” that Mueller’s team “may seek to conjure up.”
And perhaps the pressure is getting to Stone. Randy Credico, a New York radio host and comedian, provided Mother Jones with a series of vitriolic emails he says Stone sent him in recent weeks. Reached via text message, Stone acknowledged communicating with Credico but told Mother Jones that “most” of the emails were “probably fabricated.” Stone declined to share the complete correspondence between him and Credico.
Credico and Stone were once pals. When Stone started denying after the election that he had communicated directly with Assange, Stone claimed that Credico had served as something of a go-between for him with Assange during the campaign. For his part, Credico, who has publicly championed Assange, has said that he played no such role. Not surprisingly, the former friends have experienced a falling out.
“I am so ready. Let’s get it on. Prepare to die cock sucker,” Stone messaged Credico on April 9. Stone was responding to a message from Credico that indicated Credico would release information contradicting Stone’s claims about the 2016 election and that “all will come out.” Credico tells Mother Jones that he considered this email from Stone a threat.
In a text message to Mother Jones, Stone did not dispute sending this particular message to Credico. But he maintains he was not making a threat and contends that Credico is citing his words out of context. “He told me he had terminal prostate cancer,” Stone writes. “It was sent in response to that. We talked about it too. He was depressed about it. Or he was lying?” (In other messages provided by Credico, Stone appears to have said he was not threatening him.)
Credico says he does not have prostate cancer and did not have such a discussion with Stone. Referring to the “prepare to die” message from Stone, Credico insists, “That was a threat.”
Credico sent Mother Jones screenshots of messages he said were from Stone, many of which appear to have been prompted by media appearances and news reports in which Credico disputed Stone’s claim that Credico acted as an intermediary between Stone and WikiLeaks in 2016. During the presidential campaign, Stone appeared to possess advance knowledge of WikiLeaks’ release of Democratic emails stolen by Russian hackers. (Stone also privately communicated with Guccifer 2.0, an account suspected of having served as a front for Russian intelligence, and defended Guccifer 2.0 in public.)
Following the election, Stone changed his story to say he only had a general knowledge of WikiLeaks’ plans based on news reports and what he had learned about Assange from Credico. Yet Credico says that he had no information about Wikileaks or the stolen emails to share with Stone. Credico also claims that around the time Stone was interviewed by the House Intelligence Committee in September, Stone told him to “just go along with” his story.
Last November, the committee subpoenaed Credico, but he asserted his Fifth Amendment rights and was excused from testifying. This year, though, Credico began speaking out. In interviews with the Daily Beast, Mother Jones, and Yahoo News and for David Corn and Michael Isikoff’s Russian Roulette, Credico openly contradicted Stone’s claims that he was a source of information on Assange for Stone. These reports drew Stone’s ire.
“You are a rat,” reads one undated missive that Credico says Stone sent him. “A stoolie. You backstab your friends-run your mouth my lawyers are dying to Rip you to shreds[.]” In other messages over the past few months, Stone called Credico a liar and threatened to sue him.
An early April email to Credico—attributed to Stone—reads, “Everything I have said publicly about You has been complimentary – yet you continue to act like Nunberg,” a reference to Sam Nunberg, the former Trump aide and Stone protégé with whom Stone has had a falling out. Another email to Credico says, “Give Mueller my regards.” Another declares: “Everyone says u are wearing a wire for Mueller.” Credico tells Mother Jones he has not been contacted by Mueller.
On April 28, Credico attended the White House House Correspondents Dinner as a guest of Yahoo News’ Isikoff. At the event—from which he was ejected—Credico met Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. The men chatted and, according to Credico, Schiff invited him to meet informally as part of the Russia investigation Democrats on the committee are continuing. The Republican majority ended the committee’s official Russia inquiry earlier this year.
Credico met on Wednesday with four Democratic committee staffers. Credico says he went to the meeting to convey an invitation from Assange, who remains confined in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. According to Credico, he told the staffers that he had communicated with Assange through a Wikileaks associate, whose name he would not share with Mother Jones, and that Assange was willing to meet with Schiff.
WikiLeaks did not respond to questions from Mother Jones about this alleged offer. Schiff spokesman Patrick Boland confirmed the staffers met with Credico. He declined to comment on what was discussed. “Randy Credico offered to meet with the Congressman’s staff to share information as part of our ongoing investigation,” Boland said in an email. “We look forward to his continued cooperation.”
Boland suggested that Schiff is unlikely to meet with Assange soon. “Our committee would be willing to interview Julian Assange when he is in United States custody, not before, he said.


motherjones--2020-02-20--Roger Stone Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison

Federal Judge Amy Berman Jackson on Thursday sentenced Roger Stone to 40 months in prison for lying to Congress , obstruction of justice , and witness tampering .
At the same time , Jackson criticized President Donald Trump ’ s unprecedented meddling in a case that involved his own conduct .
“ The truth still exists ; the truth still matters , ” Jackson said , in a rebuke of Stone ’ s lawyers ’ argument that his lies to Congress were insignificant .
“ Roger Stone ’ s insistence that it doesn ’ t , his belligerence , his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat to our most fundamental institutions , to the foundations of our democracy .
If it goes unpunished , it will not be a victory for one party or another .
Everyone loses.
” “ The dismay and disgust at the defendant ’ s belligerence should transcend party , ” she said .
A jury in November found Stone guilty on all seven counts with which he was charged .
During the 2016 presidential contest , Stone , a longtime political adviser to Trump , established himself as an apparent intermediary between Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to testimony at Stone ’ s trial .
In public , Stone bragged that he had inside information on WikiLeaks ’ plans to release emails stolen from Democrats , including from Clinton campaign chair John Podesta .
In private , Stone gave Trump and other campaign officials updates on what hacked emails WikiLeaks planned to release , his trial revealed .
But in testimony to the House Intelligence Committee in 2017 , Stone lied by claiming that he had not communicated with the Trump campaign about what he claimed to have learned regarding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and by denying that he had exchanged emails or texts related to WikiLeaks or its founder , Julian Assange , among other topics .
Stone also lied by telling the committee that his intermediary to WikiLeaks was Randy Credico , a comedian and radio host who had interviewed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in August 2016 .
It remains unclear whether Stone really did have insider info about Wikileaks ’ intentions .
Jackson addressed that issue Thursday .
“ Whether or not Stone was ever actually in communication with Assange , he understood full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a supposed go-between for Trump campaign with WikiLeaks “ could reflect badly on the president , ” she said .
The judge cited emails that suggest Stone was eager to hide actions in order to protect Trump .
Jackson emphasized Thursday that Stone ’ s prosecution was not a result of his political activity , saying it came about because “ he inserted himself smack in the middle of one of the most incendiary issues of the day ” and lied to Congress when questioned about it .
“ He was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for standing up for the president , ” she said .
“ He was prosecuted for covering up for the president.
” Prosecutors argued during Stone ’ s trial that when Credico threatened to reveal that Stone had misled lawmakers , Stone tried to silence him with threats—including an April 2018 email in which he told Credico : “ Prepare to die , cocksucker.
” In a sentencing recommendation earlier this month , the prosecutors who tried the case , all career government employees , said that email constituted a threat to cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal sentencing guidelines , that meant a longer recommended prison sentence : seven to nine years .
News of that sentence recommendation drew Trump ’ s ire .
In a 1:48 am tweet the next morning , he decried “ a horrible and very unfair situation.
” That was just one in an ongoing series of tweets in which Trump has attacked the prosecutors , jurors , and judge in the case .
The next day , the Justice Department said it would issue a new , more lenient , sentence recommendation for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four prosecutors on the case to withdraw in protest .
Attorney General William Barr later admitted he had intervened in the case , but he claimed he had decided to do so prior to Trump ’ s tweet .
Barr ’ s action nevertheless drew calls for his resignation , and the fallout left the attorney general scrambling to distance himself from Trump ’ s efforts to influence the department .
Trump went so far as to tweet again about Stone ’ s case during Thursday ’ s sentencing hearing .
His comments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stone , perhaps before Stone is sent to prison , which will not occur for at least a few weeks as his lawyers pursue a long-shot request for a new trial .
Trump suggested to reporters later Thursday that he wouldn ’ t make a decision on a pardon while a motion by Stone ’ s for a new trial is still pending .
“ I ’ m not going to do anything in terms of the great powers bestowed upon a president of the United States , ” Trump said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I think that ’ s the best thing to do because I would love to see Roger exonerated.
” John Crabb—one of the prosecutors in the DC US attorney ’ s office who took over the case after the prior prosecutors withdrew—said in court Thursday that the government continued to support a longer sentence for Stone .
“ This enhancement applies , ” Crabb said .
“ And we ask the court to apply it.
” In taking that position , the new prosecutors seemed to distance themselves from the Justice Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sentence .
Crabb also defended the “ good faith ” of the earlier prosecutors and said the Stone ’ s prosecution was “ righteous.
” Jackson said she agreed with Crabb ’ s reasoning , but the sentence she ultimately settled on was less than half of what prosecutors had originally asked for .
Jackson also called Barr ’ s involvement in case “ unprecedented ” and pressed Crabb to explain the Justice Department ’ s shifting sentencing recommendations .
Crabb declined , however , saying was not permitted to discussion “ internal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stone ’ s case has been widely denounced as improper , with many critics faulting him for intervening to help a friend .
But Trump has a personal stake in Stone ’ s sentence .
Stone likely has information on Trump ’ s interest in and knowledge of WikiLeaks ’ plans to release hacked Democratic emails , but Stone has said he will not cooperate against Trump .
The trial also revealed that Trump likely lied to special counsel Robert Mueller when Trump claimed in writing that he did not recall communicating with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WikiLeaks .
Jackson on Thursday took aim at Trump ’ s recent statements , which have included attacks on her , and on a juror in the case .
“ The court can not be influenced by those comments , ” the judge said .
“ They were entirely inappropriate.
” She also said that the case highlights the importance of having neutral judge make legal rulings .
“ Not someone who has a longstanding friendship with the defendant , ” she said .
“ Not someone whose political career was aided by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose personal involvement underlined the case.
” This story has been updated .

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Federal Judge Amy Berman Jackson on Thursday sentenced Roger Stone to 40 months in prison for lying to Congress, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering. At the same time, Jackson criticized President Donald Trump’s unprecedented meddling in a case that involved his own conduct.
“The dismay and disgust at the defendant’s belligerence should transcend party.”
“The truth still exists; the truth still matters,” Jackson said, in a rebuke of Stone’s lawyers’ argument that his lies to Congress were insignificant. “Roger Stone’s insistence that it doesn’t, his belligerence, his pride in his own lies are a threat to our most fundamental institutions, to the foundations of our democracy. If it goes unpunished, it will not be a victory for one party or another. Everyone loses.”
“The dismay and disgust at the defendant’s belligerence should transcend party,” she said.
A jury in November found Stone guilty on all seven counts with which he was charged. During the 2016 presidential contest, Stone, a longtime political adviser to Trump, established himself as an apparent intermediary between Trump’s campaign and WikiLeaks, according to testimony at Stone’s trial. In public, Stone bragged that he had inside information on WikiLeaks’ plans to release emails stolen from Democrats, including from Clinton campaign chair John Podesta. In private, Stone gave Trump and other campaign officials updates on what hacked emails WikiLeaks planned to release, his trial revealed.
But in testimony to the House Intelligence Committee in 2017, Stone lied by claiming that he had not communicated with the Trump campaign about what he claimed to have learned regarding WikiLeaks’ plans to release emails, and by denying that he had exchanged emails or texts related to WikiLeaks or its founder, Julian Assange, among other topics. Stone also lied by telling the committee that his intermediary to WikiLeaks was Randy Credico, a comedian and radio host who had interviewed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in August 2016.
It remains unclear whether Stone really did have insider info about Wikileaks’ intentions. Jackson addressed that issue Thursday. “Whether or not Stone was ever actually in communication with Assange, he understood full well” that news of his role as a supposed go-between for Trump campaign with WikiLeaks “could reflect badly on the president,” she said. The judge cited emails that suggest Stone was eager to hide actions in order to protect Trump.
Jackson emphasized Thursday that Stone’s prosecution was not a result of his political activity, saying it came about because “he inserted himself smack in the middle of one of the most incendiary issues of the day” and lied to Congress when questioned about it. “He was not prosecuted, as some have complained, for standing up for the president,” she said. “He was prosecuted for covering up for the president.”
Prosecutors argued during Stone’s trial that when Credico threatened to reveal that Stone had misled lawmakers, Stone tried to silence him with threats—including an April 2018 email in which he told Credico: “Prepare to die, cocksucker.” In a sentencing recommendation earlier this month, the prosecutors who tried the case, all career government employees, said that email constituted a threat to cause physical harm to a witness. Under federal sentencing guidelines, that meant a longer recommended prison sentence: seven to nine years.
News of that sentence recommendation drew Trump’s ire. In a 1:48 am tweet the next morning, he decried “a horrible and very unfair situation.” That was just one in an ongoing series of tweets in which Trump has attacked the prosecutors, jurors, and judge in the case. The next day, the Justice Department said it would issue a new, more lenient, sentence recommendation for Stone, a move that caused all four prosecutors on the case to withdraw in protest.
Attorney General William Barr later admitted he had intervened in the case, but he claimed he had decided to do so prior to Trump’s tweet. Barr’s action nevertheless drew calls for his resignation, and the fallout left the attorney general scrambling to distance himself from Trump’s efforts to influence the department. Trump went so far as to tweet again about Stone’s case during Thursday’s sentencing hearing. His comments have drawn speculation that he might pardon Stone, perhaps before Stone is sent to prison, which will not occur for at least a few weeks as his lawyers pursue a long-shot request for a new trial.
Trump suggested to reporters later Thursday that he wouldn’t make a decision on a pardon while a motion by Stone’s for a new trial is still pending. “I’m not going to do anything in terms of the great powers bestowed upon a president of the United States,” Trump said. “I want the process to play out. I think that’s the best thing to do because I would love to see Roger exonerated.”
John Crabb—one of the prosecutors in the DC US attorney’s office who took over the case after the prior prosecutors withdrew—said in court Thursday that the government continued to support a longer sentence for Stone. “This enhancement applies,” Crabb said. “And we ask the court to apply it.” In taking that position, the new prosecutors seemed to distance themselves from the Justice Department’s efforts to reduce the recommended sentence. Crabb also defended the “good faith” of the earlier prosecutors and said the Stone’s prosecution was “righteous.”
Jackson said she agreed with Crabb’s reasoning, but the sentence she ultimately settled on was less than half of what prosecutors had originally asked for.
Jackson also called Barr’s involvement in case “unprecedented” and pressed Crabb to explain the Justice Department’s shifting sentencing recommendations. Crabb declined, however, saying was not permitted to discussion “internal deliberations.”
Trump’s intervention in Stone’s case has been widely denounced as improper, with many critics faulting him for intervening to help a friend. But Trump has a personal stake in Stone’s sentence. Stone likely has information on Trump’s interest in and knowledge of WikiLeaks’ plans to release hacked Democratic emails, but Stone has said he will not cooperate against Trump. The trial also revealed that Trump likely lied to special counsel Robert Mueller when Trump claimed in writing that he did not recall communicating with Stone in the summer of 2016 about WikiLeaks.
Jackson on Thursday took aim at Trump’s recent statements, which have included attacks on her, and on a juror in the case. “The court cannot be influenced by those comments,” the judge said. “They were entirely inappropriate.” She also said that the case highlights the importance of having neutral judge make legal rulings. “Not someone who has a longstanding friendship with the defendant,” she said. “Not someone whose political career was aided by the defendant, and surely not someone whose personal involvement underlined the case.”
This story has been updated.


motherjones--2020-02-21--California Cops Are Collecting Info on Millions of Drivers Who Have Done Nothing Wrong

Law enforcement in four of California ’ s most populous counties is storing , searching , and sharing detailed records on millions of random drivers , according to a new report from the California State Auditor , a nonpartisan government agency .
The audit , released last week , found major deficiencies—and possible lawbreaking—in police use of automated license plate readers ( ALPRs ) in the California counties of Los Angeles , Fresno , Marin , and Sacramento .
The technology is frighteningly simple : cameras on police cars or roadsides can scan up to 2,000 license plates per minute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ location , and the time the car was spotted .
From there , an officer can easily pull other identifying information , like the driver ’ s name , address , and criminal history , all without a warrant—or even a supervisor ’ s sign-off .
The result is that drivers are being tracked and recorded by the police , whether or not they ’ ve done anything wrong .
In San Diego , the state audit found that 0.04 percent of scanned plates were actually under suspicion when scanned .
A 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Marin County .
In Los Angeles , the figure was 0.01 percent of 320 million images , all including timestamps and the driver ’ s exact location .
In 2013 , Mother Jones reported that , per the American Civil Liberties Union , just 47 of the million license plates scanned in Maryland “ were even tentatively associated with actual serious crimes.
” Once a marginal technology , license plate scanners are now widespread , minimally regulated , and employed by everyone from mall cops to landlords , with reams of plate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cop-tech hawkers convincing police that license-plate monitoring has gone “ from a nice-to-have luxury to a can ’ t-operate-without system.
” And big corporations have gotten into the game : Vigilant Solutions , a private , for-profit law enforcement contractor that sells both license plate readers and the data they collect , is a wholly owned subsidiary of Motorola Solutions .
Less than a third of states have laws regulating ALPRs , according to the National Conference of State Legislatures .
In 2019 , California lawmakers set a few restrictions on license @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state highway patrol .
Well over half of California ’ s law enforcement agencies use the technology , and auditors found that in Fresno , Marin , and Sacramento , police shared their records with thousands of other public agencies in 44 of 50 states .
( All three were sending driver data to cops in Honolulu , one of the toughest cities for a California fugitive to drive to . )
California does require that ALPR users set “ a usage and privacy policy ” that ’ s “ consistent with respect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” meaning that police who freely share driver data may be violating the law .
Privacy advocates have long raised issues with license plate readers , especially given the long , sketchy history of law enforcement data abuse .
A 2016 investigation by the Associated Press found that officers “ stalked , harassed , and tampered with criminal cases using details obtained ” through motor vehicle databases .
It can look innocuous at first : the spread of home DNA tests like 23andMe led to “ a law enforcement free-for-all , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ databases with little law or policy to guide them , ” according to a 2019 investigation by Mother Jones ‘ s Madison Pauly .
That year , a Slate article on ALPRs found more malfeasance : California law enforcement agencies have said they don ’ t share data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement , a longstanding concern of organizations like ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation ( EFF ) .
But ICE appears to have access to Vigilant ’ s database of over 2 billion photos , part of what the Verge calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many as 100 million sightings per month.
” Vigilant is the industry-standard ALPR provider , and the most popular in California .
A 2019 EFF investigation , written up in Techdirt , found discrepancies between Vigilant ’ s public statements and internal communications on sharing plate data .
None of the audited law enforcement agencies required police to get any kind of approval before searching license plate records .
The Los Angeles Police Department had no policy regulating ALPRs at all .
( It now says it ’ s working on one .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ commissioned the audit , called the lack of regulation “ totally unacceptable , ” saying in a public statement that his office was drafting legislation “ to put an end to these privacy violations.
” Per the Electronic Frontier Foundation , which has long opposed ALPRs , legislation like Weiner ’ s could ban license plate data collection by private companies , which would keep firms like Vigilant from gathering and selling massive driver data files .
Lawmakers could limit data retention , like they ’ ve already done for the California Highway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or audits for departments that use plate scanners , or even place a state-wide moratorium on their use .
California has long been a bellwether for rules on everything from auto emissions to police face recognition .
With the nationwide spread of cheap , unregulated license plate scanners , any California restrictions on what cops do with your information could become a model for the rest of the country .

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Law enforcement in four of California’s most populous counties is storing, searching, and sharing detailed records on millions of random drivers, according to a new report from the California State Auditor, a nonpartisan government agency. The audit, released last week, found major deficiencies—and possible lawbreaking—in police use of automated license plate readers (ALPRs) in the California counties of Los Angeles, Fresno, Marin, and Sacramento.
The technology is frighteningly simple: cameras on police cars or roadsides can scan up to 2,000 license plates per minute, storing the plate number, the location, and the time the car was spotted. From there, an officer can easily pull other identifying information, like the driver’s name, address, and criminal history, all without a warrant—or even a supervisor’s sign-off. The result is that drivers are being tracked and recorded by the police, whether or not they’ve done anything wrong. In San Diego, the state audit found that 0.04 percent of scanned plates were actually under suspicion when scanned. A 2016 CityLab report pegged that at 0.02 percent in Marin County. In Los Angeles, the figure was 0.01 percent of 320 million images, all including timestamps and the driver’s exact location. In 2013, Mother Jones reported that, per the American Civil Liberties Union, just 47 of the million license plates scanned in Maryland “were even tentatively associated with actual serious crimes.”
Once a marginal technology, license plate scanners are now widespread, minimally regulated, and employed by everyone from mall cops to landlords, with reams of plate data floating around the web—thanks in part to cop-tech hawkers convincing police that license-plate monitoring has gone “from a nice-to-have luxury to a can’t-operate-without system.” And big corporations have gotten into the game: Vigilant Solutions, a private, for-profit law enforcement contractor that sells both license plate readers and the data they collect, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Motorola Solutions.
Less than a third of states have laws regulating ALPRs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In 2019, California lawmakers set a few restrictions on license plate scanners—but they only apply to the state highway patrol. Well over half of California’s law enforcement agencies use the technology, and auditors found that in Fresno, Marin, and Sacramento, police shared their records with thousands of other public agencies in 44 of 50 states. (All three were sending driver data to cops in Honolulu, one of the toughest cities for a California fugitive to drive to.)
California does require that ALPR users set “a usage and privacy policy” that’s “consistent with respect for individuals’ privacy and civil liberties,” meaning that police who freely share driver data may be violating the law.
Privacy advocates have long raised issues with license plate readers, especially given the long, sketchy history of law enforcement data abuse. A 2016 investigation by the Associated Press found that officers “stalked, harassed, and tampered with criminal cases using details obtained” through motor vehicle databases. It can look innocuous at first: the spread of home DNA tests like 23andMe led to “a law enforcement free-for-all, with police and allies digging into consumer DNA databases with little law or policy to guide them,” according to a 2019 investigation by Mother Jones‘s Madison Pauly. That year, a Slate article on ALPRs found more malfeasance:
A few years ago, the Associated Press reported that NYPD used ALPRs to scan the plates of worshippers at a mosque. Police in Edmonton, Alberta, admitted to using a confidential police database in 2004 to get the plate number of a local columnist who was sharply critical of police conduct and ordering officers to look out for his car, hoping to catch him at a bar and then arrest him for drunk driving.
California law enforcement agencies have said they don’t share data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a longstanding concern of organizations like ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). But ICE appears to have access to Vigilant’s database of over 2 billion photos, part of what the Verge calls “a massive vehicle-tracking network generating as many as 100 million sightings per month.” Vigilant is the industry-standard ALPR provider, and the most popular in California. A 2019 EFF investigation, written up in Techdirt, found discrepancies between Vigilant’s public statements and internal communications on sharing plate data.
None of the audited law enforcement agencies required police to get any kind of approval before searching license plate records. The Los Angeles Police Department had no policy regulating ALPRs at all. (It now says it’s working on one.)
State Senator Scott Weiner, who commissioned the audit, called the lack of regulation “totally unacceptable,” saying in a public statement that his office was drafting legislation “to put an end to these privacy violations.”
Per the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which has long opposed ALPRs, legislation like Weiner’s could ban license plate data collection by private companies, which would keep firms like Vigilant from gathering and selling massive driver data files. Lawmakers could limit data retention, like they’ve already done for the California Highway Patrol, demand more training, oversight, or audits for departments that use plate scanners, or even place a state-wide moratorium on their use.
California has long been a bellwether for rules on everything from auto emissions to police face recognition. With the nationwide spread of cheap, unregulated license plate scanners, any California restrictions on what cops do with your information could become a model for the rest of the country.


motherjones--2020-02-21--In the UC Santa Cruz Wildcat Strike, Class War Meets the California Housing Crisis

“ This is a marathon , not a sprint , ” Sarah Mason , a graduate student in sociology at the University of California Santa Cruz , tells a crowd of several hundred students , wrapping up the fourth day of an unprecedented wildcat strike that has drawn threats of mass dismissal and captured the attention of UC campuses across the state .
Using a megaphone , Mason reminds them that LA teachers went on strike for six days last year and Oakland teachers for seven before getting their pay raises .
She asks for a show of hands to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picket the following day .
Arms shoot up all around her .
Graduate student employees have been on a work stoppage since February 10 , refusing to teach , hold office hours , or do other work until the university meets their demands for a cost-of-living adjustment ( COLA ) of $ 1,412 a month to help alleviate the rent burden in Santa Cruz , one of the least affordable housing markets in the country .
This was an escalation from a grade strike that over 200 graduate students launched on December 9 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patchy grass at the main entrance to campus every day to picket with chants like “ Pay us more , ” “ No COLA , no grades , ” and “ Spread the strike.
” Students have been handing out water , sunscreen , and food .
There are medical and legal teams on hand .
There ’ s music—students banging on percussion instruments in the morning and Latin hip hop blasting out of speakers in the afternoon .
There ’ s a guy printing wildcat symbols on people ’ s T-shirts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ down at the picket line .
The vibe has oscillated between palpable activist rage and the buoyancy of a music festival .
Grad students , joined by undergraduates in solidarity , have significantly disrupted daily class operations , at times blocking the main entrance to campus by sitting in the middle of the road and linking arms in a well-organized mass direct action that has forced the university to respond .
On February 12 , after an hours-long standoff , 17 students were forcibly arrested by over a hundred police officers in full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from outside the county .
The crackdown ended in several injuries .
Those arrested were suspended for two weeks .
The police brutality at a university that prides itself on progressive values has made headlines and only emboldened the strikers , whose chants now include “ Cops off campus , COLA in my bank account !
” Last Friday night , UC President Janet Napolitano published a letter threatening to fire students if they don ’ t call off the strike , and reiterated the university ’ s position that it refuses to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accede to the demands of a group of employees engaged in an unauthorized wildcat strike would undercut the very foundation of an agreement negotiated in good faith by the UAW and ratified by thousands of members across the system.
” The university has given them until 11:59 p.m. tonight to submit grades for the previous fall quarter or face dismissal .
For international students on a student visa—about 30 people , in all—this is de facto deportation .
For teaching assistants who are parents , this could endanger a child care subsidy of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the union contract .
The high stakes have challenged the unity of the strikers , as each student faces distinct and personal consequences should they lose their jobs .
They will be taking a vote on Friday on how to proceed , and some appear ready to submit grades .
The strike “ has been a longtime coming , ” says Yulia Gilichinskaya , a student in the Film and Digital Media Department and co-president of the Graduate Student Association .
She is part of a group of students that for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizing around the cost-of-living crisis .
A majority of student union members in Santa Cruz voted down the statewide contract signed by the UAW in summer 2018 because the annual three-percent wage increase can not keep up with their housing costs .
After Measure M on rent control failed to pass in the 2018 midterm election , Gilichinskaya says , the students started to call for a campus-specific solution out of a feeling they had no other recourse .
“ Everyone is so damn desperate .
Some of us have been homeless and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away from homelessness .
Housing in the Bay Area is pushing boundaries in terms of what is possible in organizing.
” In Santa Cruz , downzoning is one of the main culprits , according to Steven McKay , associate professor of sociology and director of the UCSC Center for Labor Studies .
Since the 1990s , county residents have voted for leadership that prioritizes single-family homes on large lots .
Attempts to build more affordable , multi-family homes have been met with resistance by NIMBY organizations that push for zoning regulations and land-use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Santa Cruz , many are averse to even four-story buildings .
“ There ’ s a skyrocketing demand for housing , but no new housing , especially affordable housing , ” McKay says .
This has only intensified in recent years , as Santa Cruz became a commuter town for Silicon Valley .
And with a student body of over 18,000 , some of whom are squeezed into converted common dorm areas the university has been under pressure for a while to build more housing .
A plan to build 3,000 new beds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over a year due to legal challenges from environmental groups .
McKay says the problem is much bigger than just Santa Cruz , and that if the university concedes , it would push the state to more fully fund the entire UC system , one of the largest employers in California .
“ California is as flush as ever .
It has a $ 20 billion surplus in its budget , ” he says .
“ The strike is a real opportunity for UC to lead on a much bigger national issue : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The strike ’ s caught fire because it speaks to the real need for living wages and for truly affordable college for everyone.
” Graduate student instructors , readers and graders across the UC system earn $ 2,400 a month , for nine months—around $ 21,000 a year—as part of their union contract with the United Auto Workers Local 2865 , which represents more than 18,000 academic workers in the state .
With average rents in Santa Cruz at $ 2,611 per month , many students live under extreme rent burden , paying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rent and utilities .
According to a report released in October 2019 , over half of renter households ( nearly 21,300 of all 35,734 households ) in Santa Cruz County were considered rent burdened .
( Rent burden is defined as spending more than 30 percent of one ’ s income on rent . )
“ We don ’ t know what our paycheck will look like this month .
People are afraid they won ’ t get paid , ” says Kelsey James , a fourth-year psychology student on strike and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we also know this situation is untenable .
If we didn ’ t do it now , people would soon be doing the same thing .
It ’ s just unlivable .
People are living in their cars .
Everyone has a story about what they can ’ t afford.
” James says she pays $ 1,000 for a room in a house with two other roommates , spending nearly 60 percent of her income on housing .
In January , the university responded to the grade strike by proposing two measures for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2,500 need-based housing fellowship ; and for doctoral students , a five-year funding program that guarantees part-time teaching assistant work .
Students rejected the proposal , which they say would only decrease their rent burden by 5 percent .
While students face a tough decision on whether and how to continue their strike , their efforts have already gotten widespread attention and galvanized a sense of solidarity .
The union has called on the university to come to the bargaining table and reach a resolution .
Members have raised over $ 85,000 dollars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UC Davis , UC San Diego , UC Berkeley and others have been emboldened to make their own calls for a COLA and held various sit-ins and marches this week .
Both UCLA students and UC Santa Barbara students indicated a willingness to go on full strike if UCSC students are fired .
UCSC faculty members have urged the university to halt disciplinary measures and instead open a direct line of communication .
Some have joined students at the picket line .
The Santa Cruz City Council voted unanimously to endorse the students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Council of UC Faculty Associations , representing faculty on all 10 UC campuses , issued an open letter of support urging a resolution .
Over 2,000 non-UCSC faculty across the country have signed a noncooperation pledge to boycott UCSC until it “ provides a more equitable standard of living.
” The West Virginia teachers who went on strike and successfully increased their wages in 2018 , sent a letter of support .
City bus drivers in Santa Cruz have refused to cross the picket and drive into campus .
And on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support for the strikers .
This strike comes just weeks after Moms 4 Housing activists in Oakland secured a victory against a home-flipping business simply by occupying a vacant home .
The acute burden of living in California has necessitated an acute response from Californians .
“ Housing politics , ” McKay says , “ is the new class politics.
” Mairav Zonszein is an Israeli-American journalist who covers resistance movements and all things dissent .
She has written for the Washington Post , the New York Review of Books , the Columbia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She tweets at @ Mairavz .

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“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” Sarah Mason, a graduate student in sociology at the University of California Santa Cruz, tells a crowd of several hundred students, wrapping up the fourth day of an unprecedented wildcat strike that has drawn threats of mass dismissal and captured the attention of UC campuses across the state. Using a megaphone, Mason reminds them that LA teachers went on strike for six days last year and Oakland teachers for seven before getting their pay raises. She asks for a show of hands to see how many wanted to continue to picket the following day. Arms shoot up all around her.
Graduate student employees have been on a work stoppage since February 10, refusing to teach, hold office hours, or do other work until the university meets their demands for a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) of $1,412 a month to help alleviate the rent burden in Santa Cruz, one of the least affordable housing markets in the country. This was an escalation from a grade strike that over 200 graduate students launched on December 9.
Strikers have filled the field of patchy grass at the main entrance to campus every day to picket with chants like “Pay us more,” “No COLA, no grades,” and “Spread the strike.” Students have been handing out water, sunscreen, and food. There are medical and legal teams on hand. There’s music—students banging on percussion instruments in the morning and Latin hip hop blasting out of speakers in the afternoon. There’s a guy printing wildcat symbols on people’s T-shirts. Some professors have even held their classes down at the picket line. The vibe has oscillated between palpable activist rage and the buoyancy of a music festival. Grad students, joined by undergraduates in solidarity, have significantly disrupted daily class operations, at times blocking the main entrance to campus by sitting in the middle of the road and linking arms in a well-organized mass direct action that has forced the university to respond.
On February 12, after an hours-long standoff, 17 students were forcibly arrested by over a hundred police officers in full riot gear brought in by the administration from outside the county. The crackdown ended in several injuries. Those arrested were suspended for two weeks. The police brutality at a university that prides itself on progressive values has made headlines and only emboldened the strikers, whose chants now include “Cops off campus, COLA in my bank account!”
Last Friday night, UC President Janet Napolitano published a letter threatening to fire students if they don’t call off the strike, and reiterated the university’s position that it refuses to negotiate with the students. “To accede to the demands of a group of employees engaged in an unauthorized wildcat strike would undercut the very foundation of an agreement negotiated in good faith by the UAW and ratified by thousands of members across the system.”
The university has given them until 11:59 p.m. tonight to submit grades for the previous fall quarter or face dismissal. For international students on a student visa—about 30 people, in all—this is de facto deportation. For teaching assistants who are parents, this could endanger a child care subsidy of $3,300 they receive per year as part of the union contract. The high stakes have challenged the unity of the strikers, as each student faces distinct and personal consequences should they lose their jobs. They will be taking a vote on Friday on how to proceed, and some appear ready to submit grades.
The strike “has been a longtime coming,” says Yulia Gilichinskaya, a student in the Film and Digital Media Department and co-president of the Graduate Student Association. She is part of a group of students that for the past year or so has been organizing around the cost-of-living crisis. A majority of student union members in Santa Cruz voted down the statewide contract signed by the UAW in summer 2018 because the annual three-percent wage increase cannot keep up with their housing costs. After Measure M on rent control failed to pass in the 2018 midterm election, Gilichinskaya says, the students started to call for a campus-specific solution out of a feeling they had no other recourse. “Everyone is so damn desperate. Some of us have been homeless and a lot of us are one paycheck away from homelessness. Housing in the Bay Area is pushing boundaries in terms of what is possible in organizing.”
In Santa Cruz, downzoning is one of the main culprits, according to Steven McKay, associate professor of sociology and director of the UCSC Center for Labor Studies. Since the 1990s, county residents have voted for leadership that prioritizes single-family homes on large lots. Attempts to build more affordable, multi-family homes have been met with resistance by NIMBY organizations that push for zoning regulations and land-use policies to block new development. In Santa Cruz, many are averse to even four-story buildings. “There’s a skyrocketing demand for housing, but no new housing, especially affordable housing,” McKay says. This has only intensified in recent years, as Santa Cruz became a commuter town for Silicon Valley. And with a student body of over 18,000, some of whom are squeezed into converted common dorm areas the university has been under pressure for a while to build more housing. A plan to build 3,000 new beds for graduate students has been frozen for over a year due to legal challenges from environmental groups.
McKay says the problem is much bigger than just Santa Cruz, and that if the university concedes, it would push the state to more fully fund the entire UC system, one of the largest employers in California. “California is as flush as ever. It has a $20 billion surplus in its budget,” he says. “The strike is a real opportunity for UC to lead on a much bigger national issue: the funding of public higher education. The strike’s caught fire because it speaks to the real need for living wages and for truly affordable college for everyone.”
Graduate student instructors, readers and graders across the UC system earn $2,400 a month, for nine months—around $21,000 a year—as part of their union contract with the United Auto Workers Local 2865, which represents more than 18,000 academic workers in the state. With average rents in Santa Cruz at $2,611 per month, many students live under extreme rent burden, paying 50–70 percent of their gross income on rent and utilities. According to a report released in October 2019, over half of renter households (nearly 21,300 of all 35,734 households) in Santa Cruz County were considered rent burdened. (Rent burden is defined as spending more than 30 percent of one’s income on rent.)
“We don’t know what our paycheck will look like this month. People are afraid they won’t get paid,” says Kelsey James, a fourth-year psychology student on strike and a member of the union. “But we also know this situation is untenable. If we didn’t do it now, people would soon be doing the same thing. It’s just unlivable. People are living in their cars. Everyone has a story about what they can’t afford.” James says she pays $1,000 for a room in a house with two other roommates, spending nearly 60 percent of her income on housing.
In January, the university responded to the grade strike by proposing two measures for the next academic year: a $2,500 need-based housing fellowship; and for doctoral students, a five-year funding program that guarantees part-time teaching assistant work. Students rejected the proposal, which they say would only decrease their rent burden by 5 percent.
While students face a tough decision on whether and how to continue their strike, their efforts have already gotten widespread attention and galvanized a sense of solidarity. The union has called on the university to come to the bargaining table and reach a resolution. Members have raised over $85,000 dollars for a support fund. Students at UC Davis, UC San Diego, UC Berkeley and others have been emboldened to make their own calls for a COLA and held various sit-ins and marches this week. Both UCLA students and UC Santa Barbara students indicated a willingness to go on full strike if UCSC students are fired.
UCSC faculty members have urged the university to halt disciplinary measures and instead open a direct line of communication. Some have joined students at the picket line. The Santa Cruz City Council voted unanimously to endorse the students’ demands. The executive board of the Council of UC Faculty Associations, representing faculty on all 10 UC campuses, issued an open letter of support urging a resolution. Over 2,000 non-UCSC faculty across the country have signed a noncooperation pledge to boycott UCSC until it “provides a more equitable standard of living.” The West Virginia teachers who went on strike and successfully increased their wages in 2018, sent a letter of support. City bus drivers in Santa Cruz have refused to cross the picket and drive into campus. And on Wednesday, Democratic frontrunner Bernie Sanders tweeted his support for the strikers.
This strike comes just weeks after Moms 4 Housing activists in Oakland secured a victory against a home-flipping business simply by occupying a vacant home. The acute burden of living in California has necessitated an acute response from Californians. “Housing politics,” McKay says, “is the new class politics.”
Mairav Zonszein is an Israeli-American journalist who covers resistance movements and all things dissent. She has written for the Washington Post, the New York Review of Books, the Columbia Journalism Review, and many more. She tweets at @Mairavz.


motherjones--2020-02-22--Sonia Sotomayor Calls Out the Supreme Court Majority for Its Trump Bias

Following a 5-4 Supreme Court ruling issued Friday night , the Trump administration can move ahead with enforcing a rule designed to make it harder for poor and working-class immigrants to get green cards .
Last month , the court split along the same lines to remove a nationwide injunction from a district judge in New York .
Now , SCOTUS removes the remaining obstacle in Illinois from another lower court .
The rule is likely to disproportionately affect people from Africa , the Caribbean , and Latin America .
After court injunctions , the Trump administration appealed to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy .
Because it acted under an emergency application , the majority did not have to explain its reasoning .
Of the four liberal justices who dissented , only Justice Sonia Sotomayor offered an explanation .
It is scathing .
As Slate writer Mark Joseph Stern noted , Sotomayor unusually calls out the Republican appointees on the court for a “ familiar pattern : ” bias toward the Trump administration .
“ It is hard to say what is more troubling : that the Government would seek this extraordinary relief seemingly as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court would grant it , ” she wrote .
Claiming one emergency after another , the Government has recently sought stays in an unprecedented number of cases , demanding immediate attention and consuming limited Court resources in each .
And with each successive application , of course , its cries of urgency ring increasingly hollow .
Read it in full here .

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Following a 5-4 Supreme Court ruling issued Friday night, the Trump administration can move ahead with enforcing a rule designed to make it harder for poor and working-class immigrants to get green cards. Last month, the court split along the same lines to remove a nationwide injunction from a district judge in New York. Now, SCOTUS removes the remaining obstacle in Illinois from another lower court.
The rule is likely to disproportionately affect people from Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America. After court injunctions, the Trump administration appealed to the Supreme Court to move ahead with the policy. Because it acted under an emergency application, the majority did not have to explain its reasoning.
Of the four liberal justices who dissented, only Justice Sonia Sotomayor offered an explanation. It is scathing. As Slate writer Mark Joseph Stern noted, Sotomayor unusually calls out the Republican appointees on the court for a “familiar pattern:” bias toward the Trump administration.
“It is hard to say what is more troubling: that the Government would seek this extraordinary relief seemingly as a matter of course, or that the Court would grant it,” she wrote.
Her dissent continues:
Claiming one emergency after another, the Government has recently sought stays in an unprecedented number of cases, demanding immediate attention and consuming limited Court resources in each. And with each successive application, of course, its cries of urgency ring increasingly hollow.
Read it in full here.


motherjones--2020-02-22--Experts Are Losing Hope That the Coronavirus Can Be Contained

The novel coronavirus is not an official pandemic yet , but experts warn that it ’ s becoming more and more difficult to contain .
“ The window of opportunity is still there , but our window of opportunity is narrowing , ” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , director-general of the World Health Organization , said at a news conference on Friday in Geneva .
“ We need to act quickly before it closes completely.
” According to the WHO , on Friday there were more than 76,000 confirmed cases and 2,300 deaths in China .
Outside of China , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases in 26 countries .
South Korea saw its cases double in one day to 200 new infections confirmed on Saturday .
The United States so far has 34 cases , all linked to travel abroad .
That number , the New York Times says , is expected to rise with the Diamond Princess Cruise ship passengers yet to be counted .
“ This outbreak could still go in any direction , ” Tedros said .
Countries with poor health-care infrastructure are the biggest concern for public health researchers like Yanzhong Huang of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m not concerned about Japan or South Korea , ” Huang told CNBC .
“ I ’ m more concerned about Iran , ” Meanwhile , in the United States , experts worry that the public health infrastructure is unprepared for a pandemic .
The Trump administration has left a leadership vacuum at the Centers for Disease Control and stalled a biodefense strategy that would prepare the United States for epidemics .
This week , the Washington Post reported that the State Department overrode the CDC to fly 14 infected passengers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ship back to the United States on a chartered flight without telling fellow uninfected passengers .
Only three states—California , Nebraska , and Illinois—have the ability to test for new infections , according to the Association of Public Health Laboratories .
Even though the Food and Drug Administration approved a test two weeks ago , initial problems have delayed the roll-out for 100 public health labs nationwide .
Globally , the coronavirus has also taken a major toll on the economy , especially because of stalled factory operations in China .
The research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will cost the world $ 280 billion in the first quarter this year .
If that happens , it will be the first quarter in which the GDP will not grow since the economic recession in 2009 .
The battle against the coronavirus is not just about preventing the spread of the virus itself .
The reaction to the outbreak has also been mixed up with racist , xenophobic responses .
Officials are working to counter the viral spread of false information , which WHO calls an “ infodemic.
” The group has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theories that claim the coronavirus is a man-made bioweapon—and to promote practices that really do stop its spread , like frequent , thorough hand-washing .

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The novel coronavirus is not an official pandemic yet, but experts warn that it’s becoming more and more difficult to contain.
“The window of opportunity is still there, but our window of opportunity is narrowing,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said at a news conference on Friday in Geneva. “We need to act quickly before it closes completely.”
According to the WHO, on Friday there were more than 76,000 confirmed cases and 2,300 deaths in China. Outside of China, the respiratory virus has spread, with 1,200 cases in 26 countries. South Korea saw its cases double in one day to 200 new infections confirmed on Saturday.
The United States so far has 34 cases, all linked to travel abroad. That number, the New York Times says, is expected to rise with the Diamond Princess Cruise ship passengers yet to be counted.
“This outbreak could still go in any direction,” Tedros said. Countries with poor health-care infrastructure are the biggest concern for public health researchers like Yanzhong Huang of the Council on Foreign Relations. “I’m not concerned about Japan or South Korea,” Huang told CNBC. “I’m more concerned about Iran.”
Meanwhile, in the United States, experts worry that the public health infrastructure is unprepared for a pandemic. The Trump administration has left a leadership vacuum at the Centers for Disease Control and stalled a biodefense strategy that would prepare the United States for epidemics. This week, the Washington Post reported that the State Department overrode the CDC to fly 14 infected passengers who were on the Diamond Princess cruise ship back to the United States on a chartered flight without telling fellow uninfected passengers.
Only three states—California, Nebraska, and Illinois—have the ability to test for new infections, according to the Association of Public Health Laboratories. Even though the Food and Drug Administration approved a test two weeks ago, initial problems have delayed the roll-out for 100 public health labs nationwide.
Only three U.S. states can test for #coronavirus. We have been arguing about the financing mechanism for health care for over ten years, even as our health system *itself* has fallen apart. https://t.co/xkwSbEFJRx — Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) February 21, 2020
Globally, the coronavirus has also taken a major toll on the economy, especially because of stalled factory operations in China. The research firm Capital Economics estimates that the disease will cost the world $280 billion in the first quarter this year. If that happens, it will be the first quarter in which the GDP will not grow since the economic recession in 2009.
The battle against the coronavirus is not just about preventing the spread of the virus itself. The reaction to the outbreak has also been mixed up with racist, xenophobic responses. Officials are working to counter the viral spread of false information, which WHO calls an “infodemic.” The group has launched a pilot program to combat conspiracy theories that claim the coronavirus is a man-made bioweapon—and to promote practices that really do stop its spread, like frequent, thorough hand-washing.


motherjones--2020-02-22--Trump Taunts Nevada Democratic Primary About Russian Meddling

The Nevada Democratic caucus is today , and President Donald Trump spent his morning on Twitter , suggesting that Democrats “ be careful of Russia , Russia , Russia.
” There is a bit to unpack here .
First , there ’ s Trump ’ s history of dismissing concerns about Russian interference .
Faced with evidence of Russian meddling in the 2016 election , Trump has claimed it was actually the work of a deep state conspiracy .
And when he was briefed recently about what Russia plans for the 2020 election—which includes disrupting the Democratic primaries and general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democratic process—he basically threw a tantrum .
In his tweet this morning , Trump seems to be referencing a 2019 report from special counsel Robert Mueller that indicated that Russia might want to boost Sanders in his primary against Hillary Clinton .
The New York Times reported Friday , “ The report quoted internal documents from the Internet Research Agency , a troll factory sponsored by Russian intelligence , in an order to its operatives : ‘ Use any opportunity to criticize Hillary and the rest except for Sanders and Trump — we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the name-calling of Rep. Adam Schiff , who led the impeachment proceedings .
Schiff attended the recent intelligence briefing with Trump , and Trump was reportedly angry that his critic was present .
At that briefing , officials confirmed that Russia has hoped to disrupt the 2020 Democratic primaries .
The final thing to note here : In his tweet , Trump urged citizens to “ Vote !
” —yet Nevada Republicans actually are missing out on the primary process .
In a bid last year to avoid a possible serious challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state GOP canceled its caucus .

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The Nevada Democratic caucus is today, and President Donald Trump spent his morning on Twitter, suggesting that Democrats “be careful of Russia, Russia, Russia.”
Democrats in the Great State of Nevada (Which, because of the Economy, Jobs, the Military & Vets, I will win in November), be careful of Russia, Russia, Russia. According to Corrupt politician Adam “Shifty” Schiff, they are pushing for Crazy Bernie Sanders to win. Vote! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2020
There is a bit to unpack here.
First, there’s Trump’s history of dismissing concerns about Russian interference. Faced with evidence of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, Trump has claimed it was actually the work of a deep state conspiracy. And when he was briefed recently about what Russia plans for the 2020 election—which includes disrupting the Democratic primaries and general election to undermine American confidence in the democratic process—he basically threw a tantrum.
In his tweet this morning, Trump seems to be referencing a 2019 report from special counsel Robert Mueller that indicated that Russia might want to boost Sanders in his primary against Hillary Clinton. The New York Times reported Friday, “The report quoted internal documents from the Internet Research Agency, a troll factory sponsored by Russian intelligence, in an order to its operatives: ‘Use any opportunity to criticize Hillary and the rest except for Sanders and Trump — we support them.'”
Then there is the name-calling of Rep. Adam Schiff, who led the impeachment proceedings. Schiff attended the recent intelligence briefing with Trump, and Trump was reportedly angry that his critic was present. At that briefing, officials confirmed that Russia has hoped to disrupt the 2020 Democratic primaries.
The final thing to note here: In his tweet, Trump urged citizens to “Vote!”—yet Nevada Republicans actually are missing out on the primary process. In a bid last year to avoid a possible serious challenge to Trump in the primary, the state GOP canceled its caucus.


motherjones--2020-02-22--Rejoice! It’s Finally Caucus Day in Nevada

Andrew Yang may have had more fun running for president than anyone else in the Democratic field , but if that really was what the presidential race was all about you ’ d have to figure that Tom Steyer would at least get delegates .
Nevada has not been a great state for the billionaire businessman , as far as “ getting elected president ” goes .
After poor showings in Iowa and New Hampshire , he failed to qualify for the Wednesday debate in Las Vegas , and despite showering the state in ads—on the Latin Mix radio station @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more—he ’ s not likely to wow anyone when the caucus results come in this afternoon .
But at least he ’ s losing with a lot of style .
When I showed up on Tuesday during the final hours of early voting , there he was outside the headquarters of the Culinary Union , next to a taco truck and mariachi band , both of which he paid for and was offering up to voters for their enjoyment .
And on Friday , as candidates all made one final pitch , Steyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of downtown , where…TLC… ?
…was performing… No Scrubs ?
Steyer best captured the decadent spirit of the city , but if you wanted a glimpse of how today ’ s caucuses might play out , you had to go to the suburbs a little bit further west , where Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden held dueling events about a mile apart .
An hour and a half before Sanders ’ rally was set to kick off , at an outdoor amphitheater on the grounds of the state museum , the line to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( The campaign put out an are-they-pulling-my-leg-here official crowd estimate of 2,020 . )
That ’ s in keeping with Sanders ’ key to victory here—an overwhelming show of force .
For the third consecutive contest , he ’ s argued that his campaign wants record-breaking turnout .
And with a massive field organization turning out the vote , there ’ s at least some indication that they ’ re on track ; almost as many Nevadans voted early this year as voted on caucus day in 2016 ( when there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ march to the polls last Saturday with a mass of supporters in heavily Latino East Las Vegas launched a frantic week of the dreaded “ expectations-setting ” from rival campaigns .
In other words : many of the votes he ’ s counting on are already in the bank .
As with his rock-concert kickoff in New Hampshire , the election-eve rally was a projection of confidence and inevitability .
As his opponents fight amongst themselves ( and increasingly , with him ) Sanders often acts as if , save for the useful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already running against Trump .
Meanwhile , about a mile down the road , Biden ’ s last event was a far more subdued affair .
A few hundred people , perhaps , fit in a small gymnasium at a middle school and efforts to start supportive chants fizzled out fast .
Biden , who led virtually every poll of the state into February , represents on paper the best chance to slow down the Sanders coronation here .
His opening speakers—two of the state ’ s three Democratic members of Congress , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers , in matching navy t-shirts ) spoke to the institutional support he enjoys .
Horsford , like another dignitary in the room , state Sen. Yvanna Cancela , was a former official at the powerful Culinary Union , which did not endorse a candidate but engaged in a weeks-long feud with Sanders over both his health-care plan and the behavior of his supporters .
Biden supporters have chalked up some of his shortcomings in the first two states to the relative homogeneity of Iowa and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ a state that reflects the diversity of our country and of our party finally gets our say tomorrow.
” Or as a precinct captain in the crowd put it to me : “ White Hampshire ” was behind them .
Titus , for her part , did her best to dispel speculation that Biden might settle for second : “ We ’ re gon na take him over the top tomorrow , ” she predicted .
But Biden still sounds like he ’ s playing catch-up , if not in Nevada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come .
He used his remarks to get in a few more digs at Sanders .
“ [ A ] ll those health care plans you gave up wages for and negotiated for ” would go away , if Sanders won , he said .
Oh , and by the way , single-payer health care “ got passed in Vermont , no one remembers this …and it lasted about 12 seconds !
” Sanders and Bloomberg were finally getting the kind of critical examination he faced for a year .
“ They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ They ’ re just not Democrats.
” Biden stuck around afterwards shaking hands and posing for photos until only a few supporters remained , and Cher started playing over the loudspeaker .
“ I Believe He Would Be Honest , Smart , ” CIVIL ” PRES.Who Doesn ’ t Have 2 Learn On The Job , ” she tweeted on Monday .
He may not have done enough , but he had , at least , won over one undecided voter this week .

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Andrew Yang may have had more fun running for president than anyone else in the Democratic field, but if that really was what the presidential race was all about you’d have to figure that Tom Steyer would at least get delegates. Nevada has not been a great state for the billionaire businessman, as far as “getting elected president” goes. After poor showings in Iowa and New Hampshire, he failed to qualify for the Wednesday debate in Las Vegas, and despite showering the state in ads—on the Latin Mix radio station, you’ll only hear Bernie more—he’s not likely to wow anyone when the caucus results come in this afternoon.
But at least he’s losing with a lot of style. When I showed up on Tuesday during the final hours of early voting, there he was outside the headquarters of the Culinary Union, next to a taco truck and mariachi band, both of which he paid for and was offering up to voters for their enjoyment. And on Friday, as candidates all made one final pitch, Steyer was at an events space just south of downtown, where…TLC…? …was performing… No Scrubs?
Yes:
Happy birthday to me, here’s “No Scrubs” pic.twitter.com/mRWBLLu0Ds — Ben Pu (@BenPu_nbc) February 22, 2020
Steyer best captured the decadent spirit of the city, but if you wanted a glimpse of how today’s caucuses might play out, you had to go to the suburbs a little bit further west, where Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden held dueling events about a mile apart.
An hour and a half before Sanders’ rally was set to kick off, at an outdoor amphitheater on the grounds of the state museum, the line to get in snaked through two parking lots. (The campaign put out an are-they-pulling-my-leg-here official crowd estimate of 2,020.) That’s in keeping with Sanders’ key to victory here—an overwhelming show of force. For the third consecutive contest, he’s argued that his campaign wants record-breaking turnout. And with a massive field organization turning out the vote, there’s at least some indication that they’re on track; almost as many Nevadans voted early this year as voted on caucus day in 2016 (when there was no early voting) and Sanders’ march to the polls last Saturday with a mass of supporters in heavily Latino East Las Vegas launched a frantic week of the dreaded “expectations-setting” from rival campaigns. In other words: many of the votes he’s counting on are already in the bank.
As with his rock-concert kickoff in New Hampshire, the election-eve rally was a projection of confidence and inevitability. As his opponents fight amongst themselves (and increasingly, with him) Sanders often acts as if, save for the useful billionaire foil Michael Bloomberg, he is already running against Trump.
Meanwhile, about a mile down the road, Biden’s last event was a far more subdued affair. A few hundred people, perhaps, fit in a small gymnasium at a middle school and efforts to start supportive chants fizzled out fast. Biden, who led virtually every poll of the state into February, represents on paper the best chance to slow down the Sanders coronation here. His opening speakers—two of the state’s three Democratic members of Congress, Steven Horsford and Dina Titus—and backdrop (members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, in matching navy t-shirts) spoke to the institutional support he enjoys. Horsford, like another dignitary in the room, state Sen. Yvanna Cancela, was a former official at the powerful Culinary Union, which did not endorse a candidate but engaged in a weeks-long feud with Sanders over both his health-care plan and the behavior of his supporters.
Biden supporters have chalked up some of his shortcomings in the first two states to the relative homogeneity of Iowa and New Hampshire. Horsford expressed his relief that “a state that reflects the diversity of our country and of our party finally gets our say tomorrow.” Or as a precinct captain in the crowd put it to me: “White Hampshire” was behind them. Titus, for her part, did her best to dispel speculation that Biden might settle for second: “We’re gonna take him over the top tomorrow,” she predicted.
But Biden still sounds like he’s playing catch-up, if not in Nevada, then in many of the states to come. He used his remarks to get in a few more digs at Sanders. “[A]ll those health care plans you gave up wages for and negotiated for” would go away, if Sanders won, he said. Oh, and by the way, single-payer health care “got passed in Vermont, no one remembers this …and it lasted about 12 seconds!” Sanders and Bloomberg were finally getting the kind of critical examination he faced for a year. “They’re not bad folks,” he said. “They’re just not Democrats.”
Biden stuck around afterwards shaking hands and posing for photos until only a few supporters remained, and Cher started playing over the loudspeaker. “I Believe He Would Be Honest,Smart,”CIVIL”PRES.Who Doesn’t Have 2 Learn On The Job,” she tweeted on Monday. He may not have done enough, but he had, at least, won over one undecided voter this week.


motherjones--2020-02-24--5 Charts That Show Trump’s Anti-Immigration Policies Are Working

When President Donald Trump took office , he wasted no time in overhauling immigration system with high-profile moves such as separating asylum seekers from their children , rolling back the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ( DACA ) program , and diverting federal funds to build a border wall .
Yet along with these dramatic changes , the administration has been implementing smaller , less visible bureaucratic changes that have affected people who seek to work , study , or stay in the United States through visas , green cards , and family unification programs .
As Ur Jaddou , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Citizenship and Immigration Services ( USCIS ) , the federal agency that oversees visas , work permits , and green cards told Highline , “ the sheer number of both significant and less significant changes is overwhelming .
It will take an ambitious plan over a series of years to undo it all.
” Here are five charts that visualize the impact of the Trump administration ’ s policies across the immigration system .
In 2019 , the United States admitted the lowest number of refugees since 1980 .
Last fall , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of refugees it will admit in 2020 to 18,000 , 40 percent fewer than the 30,000 let last year .
More people are being denied visas and residency Trump is not just throwing up obstacles for refugees .
The denial rates for 13 categories of family-based and employment-based visas and residency permits have spiked since he took office .
For example , immigrants serving in the U.S. military are finding it harder to become citizens and the fiancées of American citizens in other countries are also being denied temporary visas at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have shot up Even though President Trump has said and that he wants to revamp the system to allow for more “ merit-based immigration , ” denials of employment-based visas have also gone up .
As detailed in an investigation by Mother Jones and Reveal , denial rates for H-1B “ tech visas ” denial rates jumped from 4 percent in 2015 to 16 percent in the 2019 fiscal year , and the number of lawsuits over wrongful visa denials have spiked .
Fewer people are applying for visas and residency The flip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduction in the number of people applying for visas .
For example , applications for U-visas from immigrants who have been victims of crime in the United States have gone down 10 percent since 2015 .
Reports say that fear of deportation within immigrant communities keep them from applying .
Since Trump announced the rollback of DACA , fewer people have been able to apply under the program , which is reflected in its shrinking application numbers .
Fewer people want to visit or study here With the implementation of Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran , Yemen , Libya , and Syria , the number of students and tourists from the Middle East has decreased significantly .
Though the travel ban—and its proposed expansion are keeping visitors away , fewer tourists and students are coming to the United States from the rest of the world in general .
Experts say that Trump ’ s anti-immigration rhetoric and crackdown on work visas may be discouraging foreign students from coming here .
In 2019 , the United States welcomed the lowest number of International students since 2010 .

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When President Donald Trump took office, he wasted no time in overhauling immigration system with high-profile moves such as separating asylum seekers from their children, rolling back the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and diverting federal funds to build a border wall. Yet along with these dramatic changes, the administration has been implementing smaller, less visible bureaucratic changes that have affected people who seek to work, study, or stay in the United States through visas, green cards, and family unification programs.
As Ur Jaddou, the former chief counsel of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the federal agency that oversees visas, work permits, and green cards told Highline, “the sheer number of both significant and less significant changes is overwhelming. It will take an ambitious plan over a series of years to undo it all.”
Here are five charts that visualize the impact of the Trump administration’s policies across the immigration system.
Refugee admissions have plummeted
In 2019, the United States admitted the lowest number of refugees since 1980. Last fall, the Trump administration announced it would reduce the number of refugees it will admit in 2020 to 18,000, 40 percent fewer than the 30,000 let last year.
More people are being denied visas and residency
Trump is not just throwing up obstacles for refugees. The denial rates for 13 categories of family-based and employment-based visas and residency permits have spiked since he took office. For example, immigrants serving in the U.S. military are finding it harder to become citizens and the fiancées of American citizens in other countries are also being denied temporary visas at a higher rate.
Denials for employment visas have shot up
Even though President Trump has said and that he wants to revamp the system to allow for more “merit-based immigration,” denials of employment-based visas have also gone up. As detailed in an investigation by Mother Jones and Reveal, denial rates for H-1B “tech visas” denial rates jumped from 4 percent in 2015 to 16 percent in the 2019 fiscal year, and the number of lawsuits over wrongful visa denials have spiked.
Fewer people are applying for visas and residency
The flip side of rising denial rates is a reduction in the number of people applying for visas. For example, applications for U-visas from immigrants who have been victims of crime in the United States have gone down 10 percent since 2015. Reports say that fear of deportation within immigrant communities keep them from applying. Since Trump announced the rollback of DACA, fewer people have been able to apply under the program, which is reflected in its shrinking application numbers.
Fewer people want to visit or study here
With the implementation of Trump’s travel ban on residents of countries including Iran, Yemen, Libya, and Syria, the number of students and tourists from the Middle East has decreased significantly. Though the travel ban—and its proposed expansion are keeping visitors away, fewer tourists and students are coming to the United States from the rest of the world in general. Experts say that Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric and crackdown on work visas may be discouraging foreign students from coming here. In 2019, the United States welcomed the lowest number of International students since 2010.