vox--2020-01-24--A secret recording of a Trump dinner confirms one of Lev Parnas’s allegations

When Rudy Giuliani ’ s fixer Lev Parnas publicly claimed last week that President Donald Trump knew everything he was doing with regards to Ukraine , he was greeted with some skepticism .
And Trump has repeatedly denied even knowing who Parnas is .
But ABC News has posted a recording that seems to back up one of Parnas ’ s claims — that , at a 2018 donor dinner , Parnas urged Trump to fire Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch , and Trump agreed .
After initially reporting on the recording earlier Friday , ABC News obtained the audio and posted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be heard disparaging Yovanovitch on it .
Then President Trump ’ s voice can be heard on the recording saying : “ Get rid of her !
... Get her out tomorrow .
Take her out .
Okay ?
Do it.
” This is just what Parnas claimed happened in his interview with MSNBC ’ s Rachel Maddow last week .
“ He fired her actually at the dinner , which was the most surprising thing ever.
” Parnas continued : As Parnas went on to explain , Trump ’ s order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It took another year for the firing to stick .
The Daily Beast ’ s Betsy Swan reports that the recording was taken by Parnas ’ s associate Igor Fruman .
Fruman worked closely with Parnas and Giuliani in the effort to obtain Biden dirt from Ukrainians .
A copy of the recording was in the custody of prosecutors from the US Attorney ’ s Office for the Southern District of New York ( who indicted Parnas and Fruman on charges of campaign finance violations in October ) .
Parnas ’ s attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the recording broke , Parnas discovered he had a copy in his iCloud account , and provided it to congressional impeachment investigators .
News of the recording seems to bolster Parnas ’ s credibility , and raises further doubts about Trump ’ s denials of involvement .
It ’ s also a reminder that there ’ s still a whole lot of relevant impeachment inquiry evidence out there — some of which is in the hands of federal prosecutors .
How the recording fits into the timeline of the Ukraine caper The date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Fruman — April 30 , 2018 — is particularly interesting because of how early it is .
For instance , Rudy Giuliani does not appear to have been involved in the scheme yet at that point .
Rather , at the time of the dinner , Parnas and Fruman were buying access to Trump donor events with large campaign donations .
And it was Parnas who seemed urgently interested in getting Trump to fire Ambassador Yovanovitch .
It is unclear why — or for whom — he was pushing for Yovanovitch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was happy to order Yovanovitch ’ s firing there and then — but , Parnas told Maddow , an aide told Trump it couldn ’ t be done yet , because Mike Pompeo hadn ’ t been sworn in as secretary of state .
( Pompeo in fact had been sworn in but was just taking the reins of the State Department then . )
After this , in May , Parnas and Fruman met with Rep. Pete Sessions ( R-TX ) , promised him campaign donations , and got him to write @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s firing .
And finally , in fall 2018 , they paid Giuliani $ 500,000 , gained access to his inner circle , and started pitching him on having Yovanovitch fired — in exchange , potentially , for dirt on the Bidens or other politicized investigations from Ukrainian officials .
Giuliani then became the face of the effort .
Parnas and Fruman arranged meetings for him with current and former Ukrainian prosecutors Yuri Lutsenko and Viktor Shokin .
They had useful information , Lutsenko said — but his demand was that Yovanovitch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just that if you don ’ t make a decision about Madam — you are bringing into question all my allegations .
Including about B , ” Lutsenko texted Parnas on March 22 .
“ Madam , ” in context , refers to Yovanovitch , while “ B ” refers to either Biden or Burisma ( the company Hunter Biden sat on the board of ) .
So Giuliani tried to make it happen .
He urged Trump to fire the ambassador .
He worked with conservative journalist John Solomon to plant stories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 23 , Trump agreed to do it .
“ He fired her again , ” Giuliani texted Parnas .
“ I pray it happens this time , ” Parnas answered .
It did ; the next day , the State Department told Yovanovitch to return from Kyiv on the next plane .
After that , Trump and Giuliani ’ s effort to pressure the Ukrainian government — by withholding a White House meeting for the new president , and hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid — really got started .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is deciding whether to seek witness testimony and documents The recording , and the larger trove of Parnas-related evidence , puts Republican senators on the spot as they attempt to wind down Trump ’ s impeachment trial quickly .
Senate Republicans have so far agreed that the trial will include opening arguments from each side and a period of questions from senators .
But they punted on the controversial question of whether to seek more witness testimony or documentary evidence .
They ’ ll have to decide that after the first phase of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But as more information from Parnas comes out , hastily ending the trial without further investigations may be tougher for Republicans to defend politically .
Though they of course may still do it — if Majority Leader Mitch McConnell can find the votes , that is .
This piece has been updated with news that ABC posted part of .
the audio .
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When Rudy Giuliani’s fixer Lev Parnas publicly claimed last week that President Donald Trump knew everything he was doing with regards to Ukraine, he was greeted with some skepticism. And Trump has repeatedly denied even knowing who Parnas is.
But ABC News has posted a recording that seems to back up one of Parnas’s claims — that, at a 2018 donor dinner, Parnas urged Trump to fire Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, and Trump agreed.
After initially reporting on the recording earlier Friday, ABC News obtained the audio and posted some of it Friday night. Parnas can be heard disparaging Yovanovitch on it.
Then President Trump’s voice can be heard on the recording saying: “Get rid of her! ... Get her out tomorrow. Take her out. Okay? Do it.”
This is just what Parnas claimed happened in his interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow last week. “He fired her actually at the dinner, which was the most surprising thing ever.” Parnas continued:
I do remember me telling the president the ambassador was badmouthing him and saying he was going to get impeached, something to that effect. And at that time, he turned around to John DeStefano, who was his aide at the time, and said, “Fire her.” And we all — there was a silence in the room.
As Parnas went on to explain, Trump’s order was not actually carried out then. It took another year for the firing to stick.
The Daily Beast’s Betsy Swan reports that the recording was taken by Parnas’s associate Igor Fruman. Fruman worked closely with Parnas and Giuliani in the effort to obtain Biden dirt from Ukrainians.
A copy of the recording was in the custody of prosecutors from the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (who indicted Parnas and Fruman on charges of campaign finance violations in October). Parnas’s attorney claims that, after initial news of the recording broke, Parnas discovered he had a copy in his iCloud account, and provided it to congressional impeachment investigators.
News of the recording seems to bolster Parnas’s credibility, and raises further doubts about Trump’s denials of involvement. It’s also a reminder that there’s still a whole lot of relevant impeachment inquiry evidence out there — some of which is in the hands of federal prosecutors.
How the recording fits into the timeline of the Ukraine caper
The date of this dinner with Trump, Parnas, and Fruman — April 30, 2018 — is particularly interesting because of how early it is. For instance, Rudy Giuliani does not appear to have been involved in the scheme yet at that point.
Rather, at the time of the dinner, Parnas and Fruman were buying access to Trump donor events with large campaign donations. And it was Parnas who seemed urgently interested in getting Trump to fire Ambassador Yovanovitch. It is unclear why — or for whom — he was pushing for Yovanovitch’s ouster.
Evidently, Trump was happy to order Yovanovitch’s firing there and then — but, Parnas told Maddow, an aide told Trump it couldn’t be done yet, because Mike Pompeo hadn’t been sworn in as secretary of state. (Pompeo in fact had been sworn in but was just taking the reins of the State Department then.)
After this, in May, Parnas and Fruman met with Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), promised him campaign donations, and got him to write a letter to Pompeo calling for Yovanovitch’s firing.
And finally, in fall 2018, they paid Giuliani $500,000, gained access to his inner circle, and started pitching him on having Yovanovitch fired — in exchange, potentially, for dirt on the Bidens or other politicized investigations from Ukrainian officials.
Giuliani then became the face of the effort. Parnas and Fruman arranged meetings for him with current and former Ukrainian prosecutors Yuri Lutsenko and Viktor Shokin. They had useful information, Lutsenko said — but his demand was that Yovanovitch be fired.
“It’s just that if you don’t make a decision about Madam — you are bringing into question all my allegations. Including about B,” Lutsenko texted Parnas on March 22. “Madam,” in context, refers to Yovanovitch, while “B” refers to either Biden or Burisma (the company Hunter Biden sat on the board of).
So Giuliani tried to make it happen. He urged Trump to fire the ambassador. He worked with conservative journalist John Solomon to plant stories smearing Yovanovitch.
And finally, on April 23, Trump agreed to do it. “He fired her again,” Giuliani texted Parnas. “I pray it happens this time,” Parnas answered. It did; the next day, the State Department told Yovanovitch to return from Kyiv on the next plane.
After that, Trump and Giuliani’s effort to pressure the Ukrainian government — by withholding a White House meeting for the new president, and hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid — really got started.
This new evidence comes as the Senate is deciding whether to seek witness testimony and documents
The recording, and the larger trove of Parnas-related evidence, puts Republican senators on the spot as they attempt to wind down Trump’s impeachment trial quickly.
Senate Republicans have so far agreed that the trial will include opening arguments from each side and a period of questions from senators. But they punted on the controversial question of whether to seek more witness testimony or documentary evidence. They’ll have to decide that after the first phase of the trial wraps up next week.
But as more information from Parnas comes out, hastily ending the trial without further investigations may be tougher for Republicans to defend politically. Though they of course may still do it — if Majority Leader Mitch McConnell can find the votes, that is.
This piece has been updated with news that ABC posted part of . the audio.
Sign up for the Sentences newsletter. No shouting. No alerts. No BS. Get the news that matters, in one email at the end of the day.


vox--2020-01-24--Why a question about Ukraine sent Mike Pompeo into a rage

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo allegedly verbally harassed an NPR reporter for having the audacity to ask him about his leadership ... of the State Department .
During a Friday interview with Pompeo on US policy toward Iran , All Things Considered host Mary Louise Kelly asked the secretary of state whether he owed an apology to Marie Yovanovitch .
Yovanovitch is the former US ambassador to Ukraine who was subjected to a smear campaign led by Rudy Giuliani and was unceremoniously removed from her post in April , bringing an abrupt end to her 33-year career as a foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the change in topic or the question .
“ You know , I agreed to come on your show today to talk about Iran , ” Pompeo replied .
“ That ’ s what I intend to do.
” Kelly , noting that she ’ d confirmed with Pompeo ’ s staff that Ukraine would be part of the interview , didn ’ t give up — and Pompeo abruptly ended the interview .
But that ’ s not where the story ends .
Shortly after the interview aired , Kelly revealed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recorder : The State Department did not immediately respond to Vox ’ s request for comment .
This isn ’ t the first time Pompeo has lashed out at reporters for asking tough questions .
But Pompeo ’ s fury this time seems directly related to the growing controversy around the treatment of Yovanovitch .
Why the question about Marie Yovanovitch matters Yovanovitch was removed from her post as ambassador in April 2019 ; later , it surfaced that in a July phone call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky , President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ bad news.
” On the same call , he intimated to Zelensky that “ she ’ s going to go through some things.
” In November , Yovanovitch testified under oath in the House impeachment inquiry that his comments “ sounded like a threat.
” Since then , new evidence has emerged suggesting that associates of Rudy Giuliani , the president ’ s personal lawyer , had Yovanovitch under surveillance in Ukraine .
In WhatsApp messages to indicted Giuliani associate Lev Parnas , Republican congressional candidate Robert F. Hyde not only provided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but told Parnas , “ If you want her out they need to make contact with security forces.
” Additionally , on Friday , ABC News reported on the existence of a tape of the president ordering Yovanovitch ’ s firing .
A voice that sounds like the president ’ s can be heard demanding that an aide “ Get rid of her !
Get her out tomorrow ... Take her out.
” Following the release of Parnas ’ s WhatsApp messages by the House Intelligence Committee as part of a larger documents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it had opened a criminal investigation into the purported surveillance of Yovanovitch .
Pompeo , meanwhile , cast doubt on the allegations in an interview with right-wing radio host Tony Katz , saying , “ I suspect that much of what ’ s been reported will ultimately prove wrong.
” In the same interview , Pompeo conceded that it was his “ obligation as secretary of state ” to open an investigation into claims that Yovanovitch had been surveilled .
However , he failed to offer any defense of Yovanovitch , a veteran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under both Republican and Democratic administrations .

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo allegedly verbally harassed an NPR reporter for having the audacity to ask him about his leadership ... of the State Department.
During a Friday interview with Pompeo on US policy toward Iran, All Things Considered host Mary Louise Kelly asked the secretary of state whether he owed an apology to Marie Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador to Ukraine who was subjected to a smear campaign led by Rudy Giuliani and unceremoniously removed from her post in April, bringing an abrupt end to her 33-year career as a foreign service officer.
Pompeo was not pleased with the change in topic or the question. “You know, I agreed to come on your show today to talk about Iran,” Pompeo replied. “That’s what I intend to do.”
Kelly, noting that she’d confirmed with Pompeo’s staff that Ukraine would be part of their discussion, didn’t give up — and Pompeo abruptly ended the interview.
But that’s not where the story ends. Shortly after the interview aired, Kelly revealed what happened after she turned off her recorder:
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly says the following happened after the interview in which she asked some tough questions to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. pic.twitter.com/cRTb71fZvX — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) January 24, 2020
On Saturday, Pompeo issued a statement in which he wrote, “NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly lied to me, twice. ... It is shameful that this reporter chose to violate the basic rules of journalism and decency.”
Pompeo also claimed that the outburst Kelly reported was off-the-record and that the NPR reporter could not find Ukraine on a map, writing, “It is worth noting that Bangladesh is NOT Ukraine.”
Official response from Pompeo about his NPR interview. Haven’t seen anything like this before with a State Department seal on it: pic.twitter.com/Hi1P18ZS0A — Robbie Gramer (@RobbieGramer) January 25, 2020
Follow the statement’s release, many of Kelly’s colleagues were quick to come to her defense. NPR’s Melissa Block wrote on Twitter, “The notion that [Kelly] would confuse Ukraine with Bangladesh on a map is so ludicrous it doesn’t even merit comment.” Block made this assertion because, as many journalists noted Saturday, Kelly is an expert on the region, having earned a master’s degree in European studies at the University of Cambridge.
Kelly and NPR itself have also rebutted Pompeo’s claims, with Kelly saying she never agreed to an off-the-record session with the secretary and NPR president and CEO John Lansing telling the network’s Michel Martin: “Let me just say this: We will not be intimidated. Mary Louise Kelly won’t be intimidated, and NPR won’t be intimidated.”
Five Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — Sens. Cory Booker, Tim Kaine, Ed Markey, Bob Menendez, and Jeff Merkley — wrote a letter to Pompeo rebuking him for his statement, impugning “the corrosive effects of your behavior on American values and standing in the world.”
“Your insulting and contemptuous comments are beneath the office of the Secretary of State,” the senators wrote. “Instead of calling journalists ‘liars’ and insulting their intelligence when they ask you hard questions you would rather not answer, your oath of office places on you a duty and obligation to engage respectfully and transparently.”
This isn’t the first time Pompeo has lashed out at those asking him questions he’d rather not answer. He has demeaned a reporter’s question about North Korea’s nuclear capabilities as “insulting,” taken Fox News’ Chris Wallace to task for asking questions he characterized as almost “ridiculous,” and even attacked members of Congress, like when he angrily lectured Sen. Tom Udall over a question about Trump’s foreign business interests.
But Pompeo’s fury this time seems directly related to the growing controversy around the treatment of Yovanovitch.
Why the question about Marie Yovanovitch matters
Yovanovitch was removed from her post as ambassador in April 2019; it later surfaced that President Donald Trump had smeared the ambassador during a July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, describing her as “bad news.” On the same call, he intimated to Zelensky that Yovanovitch was “going to go through some things.”
In November, the former ambassador testified under oath in the House impeachment inquiry, saying that Trump’s comments “sounded like a threat.”
Since then, new evidence has emerged suggesting that associates of Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, had Yovanovitch under surveillance in Ukraine.
In WhatsApp messages sent to indicted Giuliani associate Lev Parnas, Republican congressional candidate Robert F. Hyde not only provided details about Yovanovitch’s movements but also told Parnas, “If you want her out, they need to make contact with security forces.”
On Friday, ABC News reported the existence of a tape on which the president ordered Yovanovitch’s firing. A voice that sounds like the president’s can be heard saying: “Get rid of her! ... Get her out tomorrow. Take her out. Okay? Do it.”
Following the release of Parnas’s WhatsApp messages by the House Intelligence Committee as part of a larger documents trove last week, Ukraine announced it had opened a criminal investigation into the purported surveillance of Yovanovitch.
Pompeo, meanwhile, cast doubt on the allegations in an interview with right-wing radio host Tony Katz, saying, “I suspect that much of what’s been reported will ultimately prove wrong.”
In the same interview, Pompeo conceded it was his “obligation as secretary of state” to open an investigation into claims that Yovanovitch had been surveilled.
However, he failed to offer any defense of Yovanovitch, a veteran of the State Department who has served under both Republican and Democratic administrations.


vox--2020-01-25--Why a question about Ukraine sent Mike Pompeo into a rage

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo allegedly verbally harassed an NPR reporter for having the audacity to ask him about his leadership ... of the State Department .
During a Friday interview with Pompeo on US policy toward Iran , All Things Considered host Mary Louise Kelly asked the secretary of state whether he owed an apology to Marie Yovanovitch .
Yovanovitch is the former US ambassador to Ukraine who was subjected to a smear campaign led by Rudy Giuliani and was unceremoniously removed from her post in April , bringing an abrupt end to her 33-year career as a foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the change in topic or the question .
“ You know , I agreed to come on your show today to talk about Iran , ” Pompeo replied .
“ That ’ s what I intend to do.
” Kelly , noting that she ’ d confirmed with Pompeo ’ s staff that Ukraine would be part of the interview , didn ’ t give up — and Pompeo abruptly ended the interview .
But that ’ s not where the story ends .
Shortly after the interview aired , Kelly revealed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recorder : Saturday , Pompeo issued a statement in which he wrote , “ NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly lied to me , twice .
...
It is shameful that this reporter chose to violate the basic rules of journalism and decency.
” The secretary went on to claim the outburst Kelly reported was off-the-record , and that Kelly could not find Ukraine on a map , writing , “ It is worth noting that Bangladesh is NOT Ukraine.
” Follow the statement ’ s release , many of Kelly ’ s colleagues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , like NPR ’ s Melissa Block , who wrote on Twitter , “ The notion that [ Kelly ] would confuse Ukraine with Bangladesh on a map is so ludicrous it doesn ’ t even merit comment.
” Block made this assertion because , as many journalists noted Saturday , Kelly is an expert on the region , having earned a masters in European studies from Cambridge .
Kelly and NPR itself have also rebutted Pompeo ’ s Saturday claims , with Kelly saying she never agreed to an off-the-record session with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CEO John Lansing telling the network ’ s Michel Martin : “ Let me just say this : we will not be intimidated .
Mary Louise Kelly won ’ t be intimidated , and NPR won ’ t be intimidated.
” And five Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — Sens .
Cory Booker , Tim Kaine , Ed Markey , Bob Menendez , and Jeff Merkley — wrote a letter to Pompeo rebuking him for his Saturday statement , impugning “ the corrosive effects of your behavior on American values and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insulting and contemptuous comments are beneath the office of the Secretary of State , ” the senators wrote .
“ Instead of calling journalists ‘ liars ’ and insulting their intelligence when they ask you hard questions you would rather not answer , your oath of office places on you a duty and obligation to engage respectfully and transparently.
” This isn ’ t the first time Pompeo has lashed out at those asking him tough questions .
He ’ s demeaned a reporter ’ s question about North Korea ’ s nuclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken Fox News ’ Chris Wallace to task for asking questions that he characterized as almost “ ridiculous , ” and has even attacked members of Congress , like when he angrily lectured Sen. Tom Udall over a question about Trump ’ s foreign business interests .
But Pompeo ’ s fury this time seems directly related to the growing controversy around the treatment of Yovanovitch .
Why the question about Marie Yovanovitch matters Yovanovitch was removed from her post as ambassador in April 2019 ; later , it surfaced that in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zelensky , President Donald Trump smeared the ambassador , describing her as “ bad news.
” On the same call , he intimated to Zelensky that “ she ’ s going to go through some things.
” In November , Yovanovitch testified under oath in the House impeachment inquiry that his comments “ sounded like a threat.
” Since then , new evidence has emerged suggesting that associates of Rudy Giuliani , the president ’ s personal lawyer , had Yovanovitch under surveillance in Ukraine .
In WhatsApp messages to indicted Giuliani associate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ F. Hyde not only provided details about Yovanovitch ’ s movements , but told Parnas , “ If you want her out they need to make contact with security forces.
” Additionally , on Friday , ABC News reported on the existence of a tape of the president ordering Yovanovitch ’ s firing .
A voice that sounds like the president ’ s can be heard demanding that an aide “ Get rid of her !
Get her out tomorrow ... Take her out.
” Following the release of Parnas ’ s WhatsApp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of a larger documents trove last week , Ukraine announced that it had opened a criminal investigation into the purported surveillance of Yovanovitch .
Pompeo , meanwhile , cast doubt on the allegations in an interview with right-wing radio host Tony Katz , saying , “ I suspect that much of what ’ s been reported will ultimately prove wrong.
” In the same interview , Pompeo conceded that it was his “ obligation as secretary of state ” to open an investigation into claims that Yovanovitch had been surveilled .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Yovanovitch , a veteran of the State Department who has served under both Republican and Democratic administrations .


vox--2020-01-25--The biggest stories headed into the 2020 Grammys

Music ’ s big night is here : The 2020 Grammys , the 62nd annual celebration , will take place Sunday , January 26 , 2020 , with Alicia Keys hosting for the second year in a row .
The awards will air live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles , with the ceremony broadcast on CBS starting at 8 pm Eastern/5 pm Pacific .
When it comes to the music , the biggest story headed into the 2020 Grammys goes by one name only : Lizzo .
The singer and flutist behind hits like “ Truth Hurts ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with eight total , including nods for all four of the night ’ s top prizes : Album of the Year , Song of the Year , Record of the Year , and Best New Artist .
Lizzo ’ s domination has been seen as a triumph of the music streaming industry , particularly because of how her 2017 song “ Truth Hurts ” became a No .
1 hit in 2019 — thanks in part to its popularity in memes on social media platforms like TikTok and boosted by streaming .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bonus track on the deluxe version of Lizzo ’ s 2019 major-label debut album , Cuz I Love You , making it eligible for the 2020 Grammys .
Right on Lizzo ’ s heels are Lil Nas X and Billie Eilish , two young artists whose combination of age and talent will remind many Grammy viewers , from older millennials to their parents , of their looming mortality .
Lil Nas X , who is 20 , and Eilish , who is 18 , each have six nominations .
Ariana Grande ( another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and H.E.R .
are next in line with five nods each .
Largely absent from the Grammys ’ top categories in 2020 — and arguably one of the awards ’ biggest snubs this year — is Taylor Swift .
Swift did snag three nominations for her August 2019 album Lover , including a Song of the Year nod for “ Lover.
” But three nominations feels a bit meager for an artist like Swift , who ’ s won 10 Grammys in her lifetime , and who was the first woman to win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her 2008 album Fearless and her 2014 album 1989 ) .
But her success at the awards has waned in recent years .
She earned only one nomination for 2017 ’ s Reputation , and the limited recognition for Lover means she isn ’ t in the running for a third Album of the Year trophy .
Outside of who actually takes home a Grammy , everyone knows the real draw of the telecast is the performances — some of which may be remembered long after the winners are crowned .
In addition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ X , and Grande , this year ’ s performer slate includes Aerosmith , Camila Cabello , Brandi Carlile , BTS , the Jonas Brothers , Bonnie Raitt , Tanya Tucker , and Tyler the Creator .
Also scheduled to appear is Demi Lovato , in her first live performance since being hospitalized in 2018 .
The show will also honor the late rapper Nipsey Hussle .
Hussle was killed in his South Los Angeles neighborhood on March 31 , 2019 .
The Grammy-nominated rapper , who was 33 years old when he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community activist , and father of two .
Kirk Franklin , DJ Khaled , John Legend , Meek Mill , Roddy Ricch , and YG will perform in Hussle ’ s honor .
Meanwhile , behind the scenes of the Grammys , the Recording Academy ( which oversees the awards ) is in a state of chaos .
Earlier this month , CEO Deborah Dugan was abruptly placed on leave after the Academy said an assistant had accused her of bullying , according to the New York Times .
Dugan denied the charge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Los Angeles Equal Employment Opportunity Commission , alleging that the Academy ’ s general counsel had sexually harassed her and that the Academy had discriminated against her .
Dugan ’ s complaint also included a claim that her predecessor as Academy CEO , Neil Portnow , has committed rape ( an allegation he denies ) , as well as allegations of widespread corruption in the Grammy nomination process .
Dugan was the Academy ’ s first woman CEO , and was expected to usher in a new era for the organization after years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it comes to racial and gender diversity at the Grammys .
She had only held the position for five months before she was placed on leave , and maintains that she was suspended in retaliation for uncovering misconduct at the Academy .
In a statement sent to press , the Academy — which has strenuously denied Dugan ’ s assertions — said that the Grammy nomination process “ is led in a fair and ethical manner and that voting members make their choices based solely on the artistic excellence and technical merits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declared that “ spurious allegations claiming members or committees use our process to push forward nominations for artists they have relationships with are categorically false , misleading and wrong.
” It remains unclear how much the controversy will overtly impact Sunday ’ s ceremony , as opposed to just looming in the background of the night ’ s performances and awards .
Only a few artists and music industry executives have publicly commented on the matter or taken sides .
However , Taylor Swift has reportedly canceled a surprise performance at the ceremony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allegations .
How to watch the 2020 Grammy Awards online and on TV Where : The Grammys will air live on CBS and can be livestreamed on CBS All Access .
The livestream may also be available through live TV streaming services that carry CBS .
Host : Alicia Keys , a 15-time Grammy winner , will host the awards for the second year in a row .

Music’s big night is here: The 2020 Grammys, the 62nd annual celebration, will take place Sunday, January 26, 2020, with Alicia Keys hosting for the second year in a row. The awards will air live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, with the ceremony broadcast on CBS starting at 8 pm Eastern/5 pm Pacific.
When it comes to the music, the biggest story headed into the 2020 Grammys goes by one name only: Lizzo. The singer and flutist behind hits like “Truth Hurts” and “Juice” leads the nominations with eight total, including nods for all four of the night’s top prizes: Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best New Artist.
Lizzo’s domination has been seen as a triumph of the music streaming industry, particularly because of how her 2017 song “Truth Hurts” became a No. 1 hit in 2019 — thanks in part to its popularity in memes on social media platforms like TikTok and boosted by streaming. “Truth Hurts” was included as a bonus track on the deluxe version of Lizzo’s 2019 major-label debut album, Cuz I Love You, making it eligible for the 2020 Grammys.
Right on Lizzo’s heels are Lil Nas X and Billie Eilish, two young artists whose combination of age and talent will remind many Grammy viewers, from older millennials to their parents, of their looming mortality. Lil Nas X, who is 20, and Eilish, who is 18, each have six nominations. Ariana Grande (another young ’un at age 26) and H.E.R. are next in line with five nods each.
Largely absent from the Grammys’ top categories in 2020 — and arguably one of the awards’ biggest snubs this year — is Taylor Swift. Swift did snag three nominations for her August 2019 album Lover, including a Song of the Year nod for “Lover.” But three nominations feels a bit meager for an artist like Swift, who’s won 10 Grammys in her lifetime, and who was the first woman to win Album of the Year twice (for her 2008 album Fearless and her 2014 album 1989). But her success at the awards has waned in recent years. She earned only one nomination for 2017’s Reputation, and the limited recognition for Lover means she isn’t in the running for a third Album of the Year trophy.
Outside of who actually takes home a Grammy, everyone knows the real draw of the telecast is the performances — some of which may be remembered long after the winners are crowned. In addition to Lizzo, Eilish, Lil Nas X, and Grande, this year’s performer slate includes Aerosmith, Camila Cabello, Brandi Carlile, BTS, the Jonas Brothers, Bonnie Raitt, Tanya Tucker, and Tyler the Creator. Also scheduled to appear is Demi Lovato, in her first live performance since being hospitalized in 2018.
The show will also honor the late rapper Nipsey Hussle. Hussle was killed in his South Los Angeles neighborhood on March 31, 2019. The Grammy-nominated rapper, who was 33 years old when he died, was also an entrepreneur, community activist, and father of two. Kirk Franklin, DJ Khaled, John Legend, Meek Mill, Roddy Ricch, and YG will perform in Hussle’s honor.
Meanwhile, behind the scenes of the Grammys, the Recording Academy (which oversees the awards) is in a state of chaos. Earlier this month, CEO Deborah Dugan was abruptly placed on leave after the Academy said an assistant had accused her of bullying, according to the New York Times. Dugan denied the charge and filed a lengthy complaint to the Los Angeles Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging that the Academy’s general counsel had sexually harassed her and that the Academy had discriminated against her. Dugan’s complaint also included a claim that her predecessor as Academy CEO, Neil Portnow, has committed rape (an allegation he denies), as well as allegations of widespread corruption in the Grammy nomination process.
Dugan was the Academy’s first woman CEO, and was expected to usher in a new era for the organization after years of it having a dismal track record when it comes to racial and gender diversity at the Grammys. She had only held the position for five months before she was placed on leave, and maintains that she was suspended in retaliation for uncovering misconduct at the Academy.
FULL INTERVIEW: "I have evidence..."
Ousted #Grammys CEO Deborah Dugan speaks out on bombshell allegations of “vote rigging” in the Recording Academy. https://t.co/KIQ3IyMxRG pic.twitter.com/CUanT3XuMO — Good Morning America (@GMA) January 23, 2020
In a statement sent to press, the Academy — which has strenuously denied Dugan’s assertions — said that the Grammy nomination process “is led in a fair and ethical manner and that voting members make their choices based solely on the artistic excellence and technical merits of eligible recordings.” The Academy further declared that “spurious allegations claiming members or committees use our process to push forward nominations for artists they have relationships with are categorically false, misleading and wrong.”
It remains unclear how much the controversy will overtly impact Sunday’s ceremony, as opposed to just looming in the background of the night’s performances and awards. Only a few artists and music industry executives have publicly commented on the matter or taken sides. However, Taylor Swift has reportedly canceled a surprise performance at the ceremony as a result of Dugan’s allegations.
How to watch the 2020 Grammy Awards online and on TV
When: Sunday, January 26, 2020, at 8 pm Eastern/5 pm Pacific
Where: The Grammys will air live on CBS and can be livestreamed on CBS All Access. The livestream may also be available through live TV streaming services that carry CBS.
Host: Alicia Keys, a 15-time Grammy winner, will host the awards for the second year in a row.


vox--2020-01-25--Sanders tops another poll just before the Iowa caucus

With the 2020 Iowa caucus just over one week away , Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-VT ) has another favorable Iowa poll under his belt — one in which he ’ s leading the field by 7 percentage points .
A new New York Times/Siena College poll , taken between January 20-23 and released Saturday , shows Sanders winning 25 percent of the vote in Iowa — a 6 percentage point rise since Siena ’ s last survey in October .
The poll found the Vermont senator followed by the race ’ s two moderate frontrunners : former South Bend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support , and former Vice President Joe Biden at 17 percent .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-MA ) , who Siena pollsters found leading the field in October with 22 percent support , saw her polling fall to 15 percent .
Sen. Amy Klobuchar ( D-MN ) , who has seen some increase in her level of support nationally and in early states in recent weeks , was found to be fifth in the state , with 8 percent support .
The poll ’ s margin of error is 4.8 percentage points .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders has topped a recent Iowa poll : a Des Moines Register poll released two weeks ago showed Sanders with 20 percent support , 5 percentage points higher than the previous Register poll .
He was followed by Warren at 17 percent , Buttigieg at 16 percent , and Biden at 15 percent .
And as Vox ’ s Ella Nilsen has reported , Sanders seems to be having a moment : He led a national poll for the first time last week , coming in 3 percentage points above habitual national frontrunner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll conducted by WBUR released Thursday found him first in that state as well , leading the field by 12 percentage points .
That being said , it ’ s important to note that Iowa caucusgoers — and New Hampshire voters — are notorious for waiting until the last minute to make up their minds , which means that the results of the primary are far from set in stone .
Saturday ’ s Siena poll , for instance , found 39 percent of likely caucusgoers said they haven ’ t yet made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the electorate so large it would be wrong to say there is a definite frontrunner — for now .
Biden and Buttigieg ’ s levels of support among Iowans remained completely stagnant between October and January , according to the Siena pollsters — what changed were Sanders and Warren ’ s numbers , with Warren ’ s loss appearing to be Sanders ’ s gain .
This reversal of fortune follows a public feud between the two progressives about whether Sanders told Warren he believed a woman couldn ’ t win the presidency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim the senator from Vermont said no such thing ; Warren and her allies say he did .
While tensions over that disagreement seem to have receded some , Siena pollsters found the issue is still weighing on the minds of Iowans — 38 percent of likely caucusgoers said a woman would have a harder time beating President Donald Trump than a man .
Working in Warren ’ s favor , however , is that she is still the top second choice for likely caucusgoers — an important metric because caucusgoers whose first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent of the caucus in a given district are asked to caucus for their second choice .
And the survey found Sanders has some challenges to surmount as well , particularly the fact he labels himself a Democratic socialist .
In an election cycle in which voters routinely tell pollsters the criteria they consider most when selecting a candidate is that person ’ s ability to defeat Trump , 56 percent of those surveyed said they felt it would be harder for a Democratic socialist to defeat the president than other types of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders is clearly doing well in the state , his victory isn ’ t assured .
The race still has four frontrunners in Sanders , Biden , Buttigieg and Warren .
But Sanders ’ s recent surge — coupled with his robust outreach to long-neglected communities — sets him up well for February as the first caucuses and primaries begin , as Vox ’ s Ella Nilsen has reported : If his campaign can turn out Iowa ’ s sizable Latino population and working-class voters , Sanders is bullish about winning the February @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground here in New Hampshire favorably for him — and with a robust operation in key Western states like Nevada and California , two decisive wins in the earliest states could put Sanders well on his way to the Democratic nomination .
Even more importantly , they could prove Sanders ’ s theory of winning elections : expanding the electorate and getting traditionally neglected groups to turn out .
Some might call it a political revolution .

With the 2020 Iowa caucuses just one week away, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has another favorable Iowa poll under his belt — one in which he’s leading the field by 7 percentage points.
A new New York Times/Siena College poll, taken between January 20-23 and released Saturday, shows Sanders winning 25 percent of the vote in Iowa — a 6 percentage point rise since Siena’s last survey in October.
The poll found the Vermont senator followed by the race’s two moderate frontrunners: former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, with 18 percent support, and former Vice President Joe Biden at 17 percent.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), who Siena pollsters found leading the field in October with 22 percent support, saw her polling fall to 15 percent. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), who has seen some increase in her level of support nationally and in early states in recent weeks, was fifth in the state with 8 percent support. The poll’s margin of error is 4.8 percentage points.
This isn’t the first time Sanders has topped a recent Iowa poll: A Des Moines Register poll released two weeks ago showed Sanders with 20 percent support, 5 percentage points higher than the previous Register poll. He was followed by Warren at 17 percent, Buttigieg at 16 percent, and Biden at 15 percent.
As Vox’s Ella Nilsen has reported, Sanders seems to be having a moment: He led a national poll for the first time last week, coming in 3 percentage points above habitual national frontrunner Biden; and a January New Hampshire poll conducted by WBUR released Thursday found him first in that state as well, leading the field by 12 percentage points.
That being said, it’s important to note that Iowa caucusgoers — and New Hampshire voters — are notorious for waiting until the last minute to make up their minds, which means that the results of the primary are far from set in stone. Saturday’s Siena poll, for instance, found 39 percent of likely caucusgoers said they haven’t yet made up their minds, a portion of the electorate so large it would be wrong to say there is a definite frontrunner — for now.
Warren’s loss appears to be Sanders’s gain
Biden and Buttigieg’s levels of support among Iowans remained completely stagnant between October and January, according to the Siena pollsters — what changed were Sanders and Warren’s numbers, with Warren’s loss appearing to be Sanders’s gain.
This reversal of fortune follows a public feud between the two progressives about whether Sanders told Warren he believed a woman couldn’t win the presidency in 2020. Sanders and his allies claim the senator from Vermont said no such thing; Warren and her allies say he did.
While tensions over that disagreement seem to have receded some, Siena pollsters found the issue is still weighing on the minds of Iowans — 38 percent of likely caucusgoers said a woman would have a harder time beating President Trump than a man.
Working in Warren’s favor, however, is that she remains the top second choice for likely caucusgoers — an important metric because caucusgoers whose first choice does not win at least 15 percent of the caucus in a given district are asked to caucus for their second choice.
The survey found Sanders has some challenges to surmount as well, particularly the fact that he labels himself a Democratic socialist. In an election cycle in which voters routinely tell pollsters the criteria they consider most when selecting a candidate is that person’s ability to defeat Trump, 56 percent of those surveyed said they felt it would be harder for a Democratic socialist to defeat the president than other types of Democrats.
All this suggests that while Sanders is clearly doing well in the state, his victory isn’t assured. The race still has four frontrunners in Sanders, Biden, Buttigieg, and Warren. But Sanders’s recent surge — coupled with his robust outreach to long-neglected communities — sets him up well for February as the first caucuses and primaries begin, as Vox’s Ella Nilsen has reported:


vox--2020-01-25--Trump’s defense counsel attempt to cast doubt on facts of impeachment case

In their first arguments of the impeachment trial , counsel for President Donald Trump accused House Democrats of obscuring facts while distorting the impeachment process .
Inadvertently , too , they presented an argument about past testimony that actually made Democrats ’ rationale for calling more witnesses even stronger .
Over the course of roughly two and a half hours on Saturday , Trump ’ s defense team laid out their case , focusing primarily on two threads .
For one , they argued Democrats ’ impeachment inquiry had nothing to do with concerns of the president ’ s wrongdoing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results of the 2016 election — or , failing that , impeding Trump ’ s 2020 campaign .
Additionally , they claimed the House impeachment managers who argued for Trump ’ s removal maliciously left out facts that prove the president did not condition military aid to Ukraine on the the announcement of investigations into his political rivals .
Instead , they said that his decision to withhold aid was driven by worries about burden sharing with other nations and corruption .
“ They ’ ve basically said let ’ s cancel an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” White House counsel Pat Cipollone said .
To provide support for the two prongs of their defense , Trump ’ s counsel addressed a wide range of topics , many of which have become familiar refrains : They attacked Rep. Adam Schiff as he predicted on Friday , questioned the role of the whistleblower , and began confronting the facts of the case directly — something Senate Republicans were eager for them to do .
“ We believe when you hear the facts , and that ’ s what we intend to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will find the president did absolutely nothing wrong , ” Cipollone said .
“ We intend to show you some of the evidence that they did in the House that they ... made a decision not to show you.
” Utilizing video clips and excerpts from some of the same witness testimony and documents that impeachment managers showcased during their arguments , Trump ’ s counsel offered evidence aimed at undercutting the charges included in Trump ’ s articles of impeachment — particularly the charge that he abused his power .
Among the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Purpura argued that EU ambassador Gordon Sondland ’ s knowledge of any quid pro quo was based on his own “ presumptions , ” an assertion that was highlighted by a supercut of Sondland ’ s remarks on this subject .
Democratic impeachment managers have pointed , however , to testimony from other officials including acting ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor , who ’ s said that Sondland spoke with Ukrainian official Andriy Yermak and told him there would no aid without the investigations .
They noted also that Sondland told State Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about “ big stuff ” when it came to Ukraine , like the investigations .
And the managers emphasized that acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney has explicitly referenced the conditioning of the release of military aid on an investigation into an alleged Democratic server in Ukraine , in a public press conference .
Trump ’ s counsel did not mention any of this , and did not explain how the fact Sondland said he made some “ presumptions ” negates the facts Democrats presented .
Trump ’ s attorneys did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t aware of the hold until late in the summer , a timing detail intended to rebut the idea there was a pressure campaign tied to the political investigations .
Like their arguments involving Sondland , this claim does not quite align with available testimony : deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia , Ukraine , and Eurasia Laura Cooper previously testified that Ukrainian officials were inquiring about the aid in late July , on the same day as Trump and Zelensky ’ s noted call .
The defense did make one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both Trump and Ukrainian officials , including President Volodymyr Zelensky , have denied that there was a quid pro quo for the military aid .
But both had incentives to do so , Democrats argued this past week : Trump to evade accountability for this trade , and Zelensky to maintain a positive relationship with the president .
And the argument also ignores that in recent weeks , Zelensky has signaled he ’ s begun to abandon this cautious approach , telling reporters he was upset with Trump because the delay in aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” adding that “ if you ’ re our strategic partner , then you can ’ t go blocking anything for us.
” Notably , Trump ’ s counsel further strengthened the case for more witnesses .
As part of their opening arguments , the defense team said that many witnesses Democrats brought in to testify in the House impeachment inquiry were unable to provide firsthand information about the hold on Ukraine aid and the political investigations demanded by Trump .
“ Most of the Democrats ’ witnesses have never spoken to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ukraine security assistance , ” Purpura said .
One key reason for this is that several witnesses with more direct knowledge about these developments , including acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney , did not respond to House subpoenas .
These witnesses could still testify in front of the Senate if lawmakers vote in favor of it .
By drawing attention to the role that these witnesses could play , Trump ’ s counsel suggested that there are unheard from officials who could , in fact , offer more information about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats emphasized this point after trial proceedings concluded for the day .
“ They made a really compelling case for why the Senate should call witnesses and documents , ” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters .
“ They kept saying there are no eyewitness accounts , but there are people who have eyewitness accounts.
” Trump ’ s counsel , including celebrity lawyers Ken Starr and Alan Dershowitz — who like the president , has been accused of sexual misconduct , allegations he denies — are slated to return to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Monday and Tuesday .
That means the question about additional witness testimony won ’ t be resolved for at least a few more days .
In the meantime , expect to hear a lot more about the failings of the impeachment inquiry and arguments about the role of Congress in checking the president ’ s authority .

In their first arguments of the impeachment trial, counsel for President Donald Trump accused House Democrats of obscuring facts while distorting the impeachment process. Inadvertently, they also presented an argument about past testimony that actually made Democrats’ rationale for calling more witnesses even stronger.
Over the course of roughly two and a half hours on Saturday, Trump’s defense team laid out their case, focusing primarily on two threads.
For one, they argued Democrats’ impeachment inquiry had nothing to do with concerns of the president’s wrongdoing but was actually aimed at overturning the results of the 2016 election — or, failing that, impeding Trump’s 2020 campaign.
Additionally, they claimed the House impeachment managers who argued for Trump’s removal maliciously left out facts that prove the president did not condition military aid to Ukraine on the the announcement of investigations into his political rivals. Instead, they said his decision to withhold aid was driven by worries over corruption and burden-sharing with other nations.
“They’ve basically said, ‘Let’s cancel an election over a meeting with Ukraine,’” White House counsel Pat Cipollone said.
To provide support for the two prongs of their defense, Trump’s counsel addressed a wide range of topics, many of which have become familiar refrains: They attacked impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff (as he predicted on Friday), questioned the role of the whistleblower, and began confronting the facts of the case directly — something Senate Republicans were eager for them to do.
“We believe when you hear the facts, and that’s what we intend to cover today, the facts, you will find the president did absolutely nothing wrong,” Cipollone said. “We intend to show you some of the evidence that they did in the House that they ... made a decision not to show you.”
Trump’s counsel provided an alternative set of facts
Utilizing video clips and excerpts from some of the same witness testimony and documents that impeachment managers showcased during their arguments, Trump’s counsel offered evidence aimed at undercutting the charges included in Trump’s articles of impeachment — particularly the charge that he abused his power.
Among the points they made: Trump counsel Mike Purpura argued that EU ambassador Gordon Sondland’s knowledge of any quid pro quo was based on his own “presumptions,” an assertion highlighted by a supercut of Sondland’s remarks on the subject.
However, Democratic impeachment managers have pointed to testimony from other officials, including acting ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor, who previously said Sondland spoke with Ukrainian official Andriy Yermak and told him there would be no aid without the investigations.
The managers also noted Sondland told State Department aide David Holmes that Trump only cared about “big stuff,” like the investigations, when it came to Ukraine. They further emphasized how acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, during a public press conference, explicitly referenced the conditioning of the release of military aid on an investigation into an alleged Democratic server in Ukraine.
Trump’s counsel did not mention any of this, nor did they explain how Sondland saying he made some “presumptions” apparently negates the facts Democrats presented.
Trump’s attorneys did, however, mention that Ukraine wasn’t aware of the hold until late in the summer, a detail intended to rebut the idea there was a pressure campaign tied to the political investigations. Like their arguments involving Sondland, this claim does not quite align with available testimony: Laura Cooper, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia, previously testified that Ukrainian officials inquired about the aid in late July, on the same day as Trump’s infamous call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The defense did make one claim that is less disputed: that both Trump and Ukrainian officials, including Zelensky, have denied there was a quid pro quo with regard to the military aid.
Both sides have incentives to do so, Democrats argued this past week: Trump to evade accountability, and Zelensky to maintain a positive relationship with the US president. The defense’s argument also ignored Zelensky’s recent comments to the press, which seem to indicate a willingness to abandon that cautious approach.
In an interview with Time magazine and other news outlets published in early December, the president of Ukraine told reporters he was concerned the delay in military aid would make Ukrainians “look like beggars.”
“We’re at war. If you’re our strategic partner, then you can’t go blocking anything for us,” Zelensky added.
Trump’s counsel bolstered the case for witnesses
Notably, Trump’s counsel further strengthened the case for calling more witnesses.
As part of their opening arguments, the defense team said many witnesses Democrats brought in to testify in the House impeachment inquiry were unable to provide firsthand information about the hold on Ukraine aid and the political investigations Trump demanded.
“Most of the Democrats’ witnesses have never spoken to the president at all, let alone about Ukraine security assistance,” Purpura said.
One key reason for this is that several witnesses with more direct knowledge about these developments, including acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, did not respond to House subpoenas. These witnesses could still testify in front of the Senate if lawmakers vote in favor of it. By drawing attention to the role that these witnesses could play, Trump’s counsel suggested there are unheard-from officials who could, in fact, offer more direct information about the charges levied against the president.
Democrats emphasized this point after trial proceedings concluded for the day.
“They made a really compelling case for why the Senate should call witnesses and documents,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters. “They kept saying there are no eyewitness accounts, but there are people who have eyewitness accounts.”
Trump’s counsel, including celebrity lawyers Ken Starr and Alan Dershowitz — who, like the president, has been accused of sexual misconduct, though he has denied the allegations — are slated to return to the Senate to continue their arguments on Monday and Tuesday. That means the question about additional witness testimony won’t be resolved for at least a few more days.
In the meantime, expect to hear a lot more about the failings of the impeachment inquiry and arguments about the role of Congress in checking the president’s authority.


vox--2020-01-25--Hong Kong declares a state of emergency in response to five confirmed coronavirus cases

Hong Kong declared a state of emergency on Saturday in response to growing concern over the spread of a coronavirus that first surfaced in the Chinese city of Wuhan , announcing it will close schools for three weeks and impose a limited transportation ban .
Chief Executive Carrie Lam held an urgent meeting with health officials Saturday morning to discuss the mysterious virus , which has — in limited numbers — begun to affect people across the globe .
According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University , there are currently over 1,400 confirmed cases worldwide : while most have occurred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been confirmed in 13 places abroad as well — including five cases in Hong Kong .
According to Reuters , an additional 122 people are suspected of having the virus and are undergoing precautionary treatment .
The first case in Hong Kong was confirmed on Wednesday ; four new cases surfaced by Friday night — all involving people who had visited Wuhan .
In response , Hong Kong is taking precautionary measures , according to the Hong Kong Free Press : schools and universities , which are already closed for the Lunar New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 17 .
Transportation from Wuhan will be cancelled until further notice .
And major public events , including annual Lunar New Year celebrations and a marathon next month , have been scrapped .
Lam also promised to deploy all the resources needed to prevent the disease , including increasing the supply of surgical masks for people to wear while in public .
The government will support medical staffers ’ and overtime pay as well , she added .
The public health concern comes amid an ongoing period of political tension — antigovernment protests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s resignation ) have stirred the city since last summer .
Now , Lam is calling for a truce : “ We must stand united so that we can prevent and control the disease .
We hope we can safeguard public health and public safety , ” she said .
Hong Kong isn ’ t the only place scrambling to protect its citizens from the virus .
The United States , France , and Russia are all working to evacuate their citizens in Wuhan despite travel bans declared by the Chinese government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The US plans to fly its citizens and diplomats out via a charter flight on Sunday .
France is negotiating a deal with China that would see its nationals transported to Changsha , a city 100 miles away from Wuhan , by bus .
Russian officials are also working with the government to ensure the quick repatriation of its citizens , with Russian officials estimating up to 7,000 Russians are currently in China as tourists .
Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) have said those outside of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the moment , but have also stressed that governments are correct in erring on the side of caution given scientists are still learning about the virus and its transmission rate , as Vox ’ s Julia Belluz has reported : Despite assurances that any threat posed by the virus is largely concentrated in mainland China — and the precautions being taken by the government — some Hongkongers are concerned officials have reacted too slowly , noting rail passengers weren ’ t required to fill out health declaration forms until confirmed cases surfaced in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the severe acute respiratory syndrome ( SARS ) coronavirus of 2003 that killed 299 Hongkongers — a death toll many blame on the government ’ s lack of proactiveness at the time .
Now , Hong Kong ’ s streets are reportedly filled with people wearing masks , a reminder that Hong Kong is no stranger to a deadly disease .
As of now , the government of Hong Kong has no plans to completely limit travel to mainland China — only planes and trains to and from Wuhan will be suspended .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , will have to sign a health declaration form .
It ’ s a smart move because travel bans aren ’ t actually that effective .
Global health officials have become slow to recommend them in recent years given travel bans didn ’ t stop the spread of AIDS/HIV in the 1980s , the H1N1 swine flu in 2009 , or the SARS outbreak in 2003 , as Vox ’ s Julia Belluz and Steven Hoffman noted in their report on China ’ s newly imposed travel ban : At best , travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delay the spread of disease but don ’ t impact the number of people who eventually get sick .
Instead , they make it harder for international aid and experts to reach communities affected by disease .
They are also expensive , resource-intensive , and potentially harmful to the economies of cities and countries involved .
China ’ s quarantine “ could inadvertently make people have less confidence in the government response , ” [ Tom Inglesby , director of the Center for Health Security of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could increase fear about the outbreak in the public .
If this outbreak were happening in the US , I would advise strongly against any attempt to quarantine a city.
” The Beijing-imposed ban currently affects three cities — Wuhan , Huanggang , and Ezhou .
Together , they have a population of about 20 million people .
Chinese President Xi Jinping has defended his government ’ s response — which includes the construction of new hospitals specifically to deal with the virus — and has warned of an “ accelerating ” crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the virus have occurred on the mainland .
The effectiveness of these measures remains to be seen , but as Belluz and Hoffman report , governments with limited options often take every opportunity they can to show a concerned public they are acting decisively to stem outbreaks .
However , Belluz and Hoffman write , one of the best courses of action is actually to provide education on ways to reduce the spread of illness .
And that seems to be Hong Kong ’ s strategy .
The Hong Kong Centre for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illnesses with symptoms that are closely resemble the symptoms of the new coronavirus .
Tips include wearing a surgical mask while in crowded places and maintaining drainage pipes properly to ensure environmental hygiene .
The goal is to prevent a repeat of the deadly SARS outbreak of 2003 — and the deaths and panic that came with it .

Hong Kong declared a state of emergency on Saturday in response to growing concern over the spread of a coronavirus that first surfaced in the Chinese city of Wuhan, announcing it will close schools for three weeks and impose a limited transportation ban.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam held an urgent meeting with health officials Saturday morning to discuss the mysterious virus, which has — in limited numbers — begun to affect people across the globe.
According to data compiled by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, there are currently over 1,400 confirmed cases worldwide: While most have occurred in mainland China, 38 cases have also been confirmed in 13 locations abroad — including five cases in Hong Kong. According to Reuters, an additional 122 people are suspected of having the virus and are undergoing precautionary treatment.
The first case in Hong Kong was confirmed on Wednesday; four new cases surfaced by Friday night — all involving people who had visited Wuhan.
In response, Hong Kong is taking precautionary measures, according to the Hong Kong Free Press: schools and universities, which are already closed for the Lunar New Year, will not open until February 17. Transportation from Wuhan will be cancelled until further notice. And major public events, including annual Lunar New Year celebrations and a marathon next month, have been scrapped.
Lam also promised to deploy all the resources needed to prevent the disease, including increasing the supply of surgical masks for people to wear in public. The government will support medical staffers’ and overtime pay as well, she added.
The public health concern comes amid an ongoing period of political tension — antigovernment protests calling for democratic reforms (and Lam’s resignation) have stirred the city since last summer. Now, Lam is calling for a truce: “We must stand united so that we can prevent and control the disease. We hope we can safeguard public health and public safety,” she said.
Hong Kong isn’t the only place scrambling to protect its citizens from the virus. The United States, France, and Russia are all working to evacuate their citizens in Wuhan despite travel bans declared by the Chinese government, according to the Washington Post.
The US plans to fly its citizens and diplomats out via a charter flight on Sunday. France is negotiating a deal with China that would see its nationals transported to Changsha, a city 100 miles away from Wuhan, by bus. Russian officials are also working with the government to ensure the quick repatriation of its citizens, with Russian officials estimating up to 7,000 Russians are currently in China as tourists.
Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have said those outside of China have little to worry about at the moment, but have also stressed that governments are correct in erring on the side of caution given scientists are still learning about the virus and its transmission rate, as Vox’s Julia Belluz has reported:
Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said Friday that although the outbreak is a “very serious public health threat, the immediate risk to the US public is low at this time.” Yet Tom Frieden, the former director of the CDC, told Vox he’s concerned by how infectious the virus is. “If the sustained human transmission and a high rate of severe illness are confirmed, then it clearly is an event of international concern.”
Despite assurances that any threat posed by the virus is largely concentrated in mainland China — and the precautions being taken by the government — some Hongkongers are concerned officials have reacted too slowly, noting rail passengers weren’t required to fill out health declaration forms until confirmed cases surfaced in Hong Kong.
The public still remembers the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus of 2003 that killed 299 Hongkongers — a death toll many blame on the government’s lack of proactiveness at the time. Now, Hong Kong’s streets are reportedly filled with people wearing masks, a reminder that Hong Kong is no stranger to a deadly disease.
Global health experts argue travel bans don’t work
As of now, the government of Hong Kong has no plans to completely limit travel to mainland China — only planes and trains to and from Wuhan will be suspended. All visitors from the mainland, however, will have to sign a health declaration form.
It’s a smart move because travel bans aren’t actually that effective. Global health officials have become slow to recommend them in recent years given travel bans didn’t stop the spread of AIDS/HIV in the 1980s, the H1N1 swine flu in 2009, or the SARS outbreak in 2003, as Vox’s Julia Belluz and Steven Hoffman noted in their report on China’s newly imposed travel ban:
At best, travel restrictions, and even airport screenings, delay the spread of disease but don’t impact the number of people who eventually get sick. Instead, they make it harder for international aid and experts to reach communities affected by disease. They are also expensive, resource-intensive, and potentially harmful to the economies of cities and countries involved. China’s quarantine “could inadvertently make people have less confidence in the government response,” [Tom Inglesby, director of the Center for Health Security of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health,] added. “It could increase fear about the outbreak in the public. If this outbreak were happening in the US, I would advise strongly against any attempt to quarantine a city.”
The Beijing-imposed ban currently affects three cities — Wuhan, Huanggang, and Ezhou. Together, they have a population of about 20 million people. Chinese President Xi Jinping has defended his government’s response — which includes the construction of new hospitals specifically to deal with the virus — and has warned of an “accelerating” crisis. Currently, all 41 deaths due to the virus have occurred on the mainland.
The effectiveness of these measures remains to be seen, but as Belluz and Hoffman report, governments with limited options often take every opportunity they can to show a concerned public they are acting decisively to stem outbreaks. However, Belluz and Hoffman write, one of the best courses of action is actually to provide education on ways to reduce the spread of illness.
And that seems to be Hong Kong’s strategy. The Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection recently shared advice on preventing illnesses with symptoms that closely resemble the symptoms of the new coronavirus. Tips include wearing a surgical mask while in crowded places and maintaining drainage pipes properly to ensure environmental hygiene. The goal is to prevent a repeat of the deadly SARS outbreak of 2003 — and the deaths and panic that came with it.


vox--2020-01-25--Bernie Sanders’s path to the 2020 Democratic nomination, explained

This week , for the first time , the progressive senator from Vermont emerged in first place in a national CNN poll , showing him 3 points ahead of former Vice President Joe Biden , though within the margin of error .
For months , Sanders has been hovering around 20 percent in the RealClearPolitics national polling average , but some good recent national and early-state polls are putting him on an upward trajectory .
If his campaign can turn out Iowa ’ s sizable Latino population and working-class voters , Sanders is bullish about winning the February 3 caucuses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in New Hampshire favorably for him — and with a robust operation in key Western states like Nevada and California , two decisive wins in the earliest states could put Sanders well on his way to the Democratic nomination .
Even more importantly , they could prove Sanders ’ s theory of winning elections : expanding the electorate and getting traditionally neglected groups to turn out .
Some might call it a political revolution .
“ To defeat Donald Trump , the simple truth is we are going to need to have the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American politics — that ’ s a fact , ” Sanders said at a recent rally in Exeter .
“ That means we are going to have to bring people into the political process who very often have not been involved in the political process.
” Iowa has roughly 80,000 voting-eligible Latinos , and the Sanders campaign estimates fewer than 1 percent caucused in 2016 .
The campaign has put a lot of work into increasing that number this year , organizing in Latino communities , airing Spanish-language ads , and sending high-profile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) to the state .
“ If you look at the caucus , it ’ s something that typically hasn ’ t been engaged with by working people ; you could see that with the low Latino turnout in the last caucuses .
What we wanted to do here is turn as many people out as possible , ” Sanders ’ s deputy state director for Iowa , Bill Neidhardt , told Vox .
Winning Iowa is critical for Sanders , but this strategy goes far beyond just one state .
Sanders is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters , which is helping boost his profile in the February 22 Nevada caucuses and delegate-rich California , which votes on Super Tuesday .
Joe Biden might have a big lead among black voters as a whole , but the senator from Vermont has made significant inroads with younger black voters .
Though Sanders ’ s 2016 campaign had a reputation for attracting a disproportionately white coalition , that has changed in a big way this time around .
Younger voters and people of color may be the key to Sanders ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Iowa , in less than two weeks .
If Sanders wins the early states , he has a clear path to the nomination Sanders ’ s surge in momentum couldn ’ t come at a better time for him , in the last weeks before Iowa and New Hampshire .
The CNN national poll conducted from January 16 to 19 showed Sanders at 27 percent , followed by Biden at 24 percent , Sen. Elizabeth Warren at 14 percent , and former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg at 11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just one poll .
If polling averages have shown anything about Sanders in the past few months , it ’ s that he hasn ’ t moved much below or above his roughly 20 percent of primary voter support — even though he had a heart attack in early October .
Polls show Sanders supporters are the most loyal and enthusiastic ; with a crowded and splintered field , that might be enough to win .
“ Sanders has been the one constant in New Hampshire this entire year , ” said University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scala .
“ He ’ s still very popular among young people , progressives , and he gets some support among white working-class voters in New Hampshire.
” Biden is still first and Sanders second in the RealClearPolitics national polling average and its Iowa average , but the gap between them is closing .
On Saturday , the New York Times and Siena College released a poll of likely Iowa caucusgoers showing Sanders in the lead at 25 percent .
Buttigieg and Biden trailed at 18 and 17 percent respectively , with Warren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the lead in New Hampshire , with Biden in second .
On Thursday , WBUR released a poll showing Sanders leading the field among Democratic likely voters at 29 percent , with Buttigieg also at 17 percent , Biden at 14 percent , and Warren at 13 percent .
Notably , Sanders was by far the most favorable candidate among likely voters making less than $ 50,000 per year .
With such a close and crowded primary , and many voters still undecided , the final weeks are the most critical .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ turnout can make a huge difference for candidates , especially in the Iowa caucuses .
“ If we win Iowa and New Hampshire , I think we stand a great chance to win Nevada , I think we ’ re strong there , ” Sanders told a crowd of supporters this weekend .
“ I think we ’ re going to do very well in South Carolina , I think we ’ re going to win California and many other states on Super Tuesday .
And if we do all that , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the modern history of America , and that is put together an unprecedented political revolution.
” Unlike 2016 , Sanders has the campaign infrastructure and planning to prepare for it ; he ’ s had big door-knocking operations in the early states for much of the past year and is well-staffed in multiple Super Tuesday states .
The campaign ’ s massive grassroots fundraising is more than enough to keep Sanders going well past the early states .
Sanders has put a huge emphasis on California , hiring more than 80 staffers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and organizing communities of color .
A December study by the LA Times and UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies found Sanders narrowly leading Warren in California , with Biden and Buttigieg in third and fourth .
And a November Latino Decisions poll found Sanders the top candidate among Latinos in California by close to 10 points .
“ He ran a real campaign here ” in 2016 , longtime California Democratic consultant Bill Carrick told Vox recently .
“ He believes strongly he can do well here .
He ’ s going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County districts.
” If Sanders pulls off strong performances in the first two states , the work his campaign has put in with working-class voters — whether they ’ re white , black , or Latino — could make him unstoppable .
After Sanders bowed out of the 2016 presidential race , he admitted his campaign had been too white and too male , and vowed to do better .
“ We were criticized for being too white ; that was a correct criticism , ” Sanders said on the Breakfast Club radio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticized for being too male ; that was a correct criticism .
That ’ s going to change.
” The left is also looking different than it did four years ago .
Progressive superstars Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-NY ) , Ilhan Omar ( D-MN ) , and Rashida Tlaib ( D-MI ) endorsed Sanders earlier in the year ; after the 2018 midterms , progressive politicians are reflecting more of their young , diverse , and liberal base .
A potential boost to Sanders ’ s campaign this time around is support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senator is leading nationwide , according to a January Morning Consult tracking poll .
Latino voters tend to be younger and more progressive , with ties to organized labor , a group friendly to Sanders .
In 2016 , he was just introducing himself to Latino voters ; now he ’ s a known entity .
“ Harry Reid unlocked this system in Nevada where you have a young population , you have a population that is integrated into labor unions , and Reid uses particularly labor unions to get Latinos out to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a senior analyst for the Latino polling firm Latino Decisions .
“ This is the playbook , and it ’ s a natural fit for Sanders ’ s style of how he envisions politics.
” With a Univision analysis showing Latino turnout doubling in the 2018 midterms in eight states — including Nevada , California , Texas , Florida , and New York — Latinos are a fast-growing portion of the American electorate .
But community leaders have also long complained about the Democratic Party and candidates failing to engage them .
Chuck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders campaign who oversees Latino outreach , says he ’ s making sure Sanders won ’ t make that mistake .
“ As a chief adviser , I ’ m going to do what we have demanded campaigns do through generations of being taken advantage of , ” Rocha told me .
Latino groups in key states have reported that Sanders ’ s campaign has been very active there , and the campaign has hired more than 100 Latino staffers across the country , including in top positions .
Nick Salazar , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Latin American Citizens ( LULAC ) , serves as an Iowa campaign co-chair .
And Sanders ’ s California state director is Rafael Návar , a former activist and union organizer originally from heavily Latino East Los Angeles .
It ’ s “ integrated to every department , everything we do , ” Rocha said .
“ We went to the community , listened to the community , hired the community , and we ... invested early in that community.
” Biden leads Sanders and all other candidates among black voters , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carolina and Southern Super Tuesday states .
But in a recent Washington Post/Ipsos poll of black Americans , Sanders is the favorite for voters under age 35 .
“ We ’ ve asked younger people across the spectrum , but particularly African American younger folks , to go and talk to their parents and grandparents about why they support Sen. Bernie Sanders , and we ’ re seeing a lot of traction pick up with that , ” Sanders national campaign co-chair Nina Turner told Vox .
Sanders still has some work to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facing Sanders in 2020 is whether the oldest candidate running in the Democratic primary can appeal to older voters .
In national polls , “ Biden ’ s in first place and Bernie ’ s in second , so we ’ ve got to overtake him in the most effective way , ” Sanders campaign pollster Ben Tulchin told me .
“ The middle-aged working-class person is really who we ’ re contesting with Biden.
” A recent Morning Consult national tracking poll found Sanders with commanding leads among both Gen Z ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ millennials ( ages 22 to 37 ) .
But among older generations , Sanders lost his edge .
Biden led among Gen X ( ages 38 to 53 ) by 30 percent to Sanders ’ s 22 percent .
Among baby boomers ( 54 to 72 ) , Biden was leading at 35 percent , compared to 14 percent from Warren and 13 percent from Sanders .
“ He ’ s maintained a strong connection and ties to millennials ; that ’ s given him a good base , ” Tulchin said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ do well with middle-aged and older voters .
Specifically , the Sanders campaign wants to capture non-college-educated men and women ages 40 to 64 , both white and black .
“ He needs those working-class voters who are not tied down to one ideology or another , ” said Monmouth University polling director Patrick Murray .
“ That ’ s the way he ’ s trying to expand his coalition.
” In other words , Murray said , Sanders needs to siphon off Biden supporters .
Even though the midterms showed a growth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be more moderate and to turn out more reliably .
Part of why the Sanders campaign has gone after Biden so hard on Social Security is to boost credibility among older voters .
Sanders ’ s no-nonsense , gruff resoluteness on progressive issues is refreshing to some voters who are sick of Washington ’ s political antics and corruption .
Go to any Sanders town hall or rally and you ’ ll find voters who say they think he ’ s honest and authentic — in large part because he hasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 years .
“ He ’ s so honest , decent , and has been forever , ” said Epping voter Elaine Gatchell , who voted for Sanders in 2016 and plans to do so again in 2020 .
“ I don ’ t think anyone could ever buy him off .
I just know he ’ s such a straight shooter.
” “ If he ’ s on the ballot , he has my vote , ” Langdon voter Jennifer Doyle told me recently .
“ He ’ s honest and straightforward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not playing to financial handlers ; he ’ s not beholden .
We need that.
” Earlier this summer , questions abounded about whether Elizabeth Warren ’ s presence in the race would shrink Sanders ’ s base .
While some 2016 Sanders supporters have switched over , polls show Warren has drawn support largely from higher-educated liberal voters , and Sanders has mostly hung on to his young , loyal base .
“ It took me a little while to get back on the Bernie train , ” Keene voter Jenna Spear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ I just came back to that gut feeling .
I find myself drawn to Bernie ; he ’ s super direct.
” It just might be his ticket to the nomination .

EXETER, New Hampshire — Bernie Sanders is surging.
This week, for the first time, the progressive senator from Vermont emerged in first place in a national CNN poll, showing him 3 points ahead of former Vice President Joe Biden, though within the margin of error. For months, Sanders has been hovering around 20 percent in the RealClearPolitics national polling average, but some good recent national and early-state polls are putting him on an upward trajectory.
If his campaign can turn out Iowa’s sizable Latino population and working-class voters, Sanders is bullish about winning the February 3 caucuses. That could shift the ground here in New Hampshire favorably for him — and with a robust operation in key Western states like Nevada and California, two decisive wins in the earliest states could put Sanders well on his way to the Democratic nomination.
Even more importantly, they could prove Sanders’s theory of winning elections: expanding the electorate and getting traditionally neglected groups to turn out. Some might call it a political revolution.
“To defeat Donald Trump, the simple truth is we are going to need to have the largest voter turnout in the history of American politics — that’s a fact,” Sanders said at a recent rally in Exeter. “That means we are going to have to bring people into the political process who very often have not been involved in the political process.”
Iowa has roughly 80,000 voting-eligible Latinos, and the Sanders campaign estimates fewer than 1 percent caucused in 2016. The campaign has put a lot of work into increasing that number this year, organizing in Latino communities, airing Spanish-language ads, and sending high-profile surrogates like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) to the state.
“If you look at the caucus, it’s something that typically hasn’t been engaged with by working people; you could see that with the low Latino turnout in the last caucuses. What we wanted to do here is turn as many people out as possible,” Sanders’s deputy state director for Iowa, Bill Neidhardt, told Vox.
Winning Iowa is critical for Sanders, but this strategy goes far beyond just one state. Sanders is now the leading 2020 candidate among Latino voters, which is helping boost his profile in the February 22 Nevada caucuses and delegate-rich California, which votes on Super Tuesday. Joe Biden might have a big lead among black voters as a whole, but the senator from Vermont has made significant inroads with younger black voters.
Though Sanders’s 2016 campaign had a reputation for attracting a disproportionately white coalition, that has changed in a big way this time around. Younger voters and people of color may be the key to Sanders’s path to victory.
It all starts in Iowa, in less than two weeks.
If Sanders wins the early states, he has a clear path to the nomination
Sanders’s surge in momentum couldn’t come at a better time for him, in the last weeks before Iowa and New Hampshire. The CNN national poll conducted from January 16 to 19 showed Sanders at 27 percent, followed by Biden at 24 percent, Sen. Elizabeth Warren at 14 percent, and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg at 11 percent.
Of course, this is just one poll. If polling averages have shown anything about Sanders in the past few months, it’s that he hasn’t moved much below or above his roughly 20 percent of primary voter support — even though he had a heart attack in early October. Polls show Sanders supporters are the most loyal and enthusiastic; with a crowded and splintered field, that might be enough to win.
“Sanders has been the one constant in New Hampshire this entire year,” said University of New Hampshire political science professor Dante Scala. “He’s still very popular among young people, progressives, and he gets some support among white working-class voters in New Hampshire.”
Biden is still first and Sanders second in the RealClearPolitics national polling average and its Iowa average, but the gap between them is closing. On Saturday, the New York Times and Siena College released a poll of likely Iowa caucusgoers showing Sanders in the lead at 25 percent. Buttigieg and Biden trailed at 18 and 17 percent respectively, with Warren at 15 percent.
And Sanders is in the lead in New Hampshire, with Biden in second. On Thursday, WBUR released a poll showing Sanders leading the field among Democratic likely voters at 29 percent, with Buttigieg also at 17 percent, Biden at 14 percent, and Warren at 13 percent. Notably, Sanders was by far the most favorable candidate among likely voters making less than $50,000 per year.
With such a close and crowded primary, and many voters still undecided, the final weeks are the most critical. This also means relatively minor changes in turnout can make a huge difference for candidates, especially in the Iowa caucuses.
“If we win Iowa and New Hampshire, I think we stand a great chance to win Nevada, I think we’re strong there,” Sanders told a crowd of supporters this weekend. “I think we’re going to do very well in South Carolina, I think we’re going to win California and many other states on Super Tuesday. And if we do all that, we will have accomplished something never done in the modern history of America, and that is put together an unprecedented political revolution.”
Unlike 2016, Sanders has the campaign infrastructure and planning to prepare for it; he’s had big door-knocking operations in the early states for much of the past year and is well-staffed in multiple Super Tuesday states. The campaign’s massive grassroots fundraising is more than enough to keep Sanders going well past the early states.
Sanders has put a huge emphasis on California, hiring more than 80 staffers and opening five offices in the state, and organizing communities of color. A December study by the LA Times and UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies found Sanders narrowly leading Warren in California, with Biden and Buttigieg in third and fourth. And a November Latino Decisions poll found Sanders the top candidate among Latinos in California by close to 10 points.
“He ran a real campaign here” in 2016, longtime California Democratic consultant Bill Carrick told Vox recently. “He believes strongly he can do well here. He’s going to be a player in these Orange County districts.”
If Sanders pulls off strong performances in the first two states, the work his campaign has put in with working-class voters — whether they’re white, black, or Latino — could make him unstoppable.
Sanders’s changing base, explained
After Sanders bowed out of the 2016 presidential race, he admitted his campaign had been too white and too male, and vowed to do better.
“We were criticized for being too white; that was a correct criticism,” Sanders said on the Breakfast Club radio show last March. “We were criticized for being too male; that was a correct criticism. That’s going to change.”
The left is also looking different than it did four years ago. Progressive superstars Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) endorsed Sanders earlier in the year; after the 2018 midterms, progressive politicians are reflecting more of their young, diverse, and liberal base.
A potential boost to Sanders’s campaign this time around is support from Latino voters, with whom the senator is leading nationwide, according to a January Morning Consult tracking poll. Latino voters tend to be younger and more progressive, with ties to organized labor, a group friendly to Sanders. In 2016, he was just introducing himself to Latino voters; now he’s a known entity.
“Harry Reid unlocked this system in Nevada where you have a young population, you have a population that is integrated into labor unions, and Reid uses particularly labor unions to get Latinos out to vote,” said Stephen Nuño-Perez, a senior analyst for the Latino polling firm Latino Decisions. “This is the playbook, and it’s a natural fit for Sanders’s style of how he envisions politics.”
With a Univision analysis showing Latino turnout doubling in the 2018 midterms in eight states — including Nevada, California, Texas, Florida, and New York — Latinos are a fast-growing portion of the American electorate. But community leaders have also long complained about the Democratic Party and candidates failing to engage them. Chuck Rocha, a senior adviser for the Sanders campaign who oversees Latino outreach, says he’s making sure Sanders won’t make that mistake.
“As a chief adviser, I’m going to do what we have demanded campaigns do through generations of being taken advantage of,” Rocha told me.
Latino groups in key states have reported that Sanders’s campaign has been very active there, and the campaign has hired more than 100 Latino staffers across the country, including in top positions. Nick Salazar, the state president of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), serves as an Iowa campaign co-chair. And Sanders’s California state director is Rafael Návar, a former activist and union organizer originally from heavily Latino East Los Angeles.
It’s “integrated to every department, everything we do,” Rocha said. “We went to the community, listened to the community, hired the community, and we ... invested early in that community.”
Biden leads Sanders and all other candidates among black voters, which could give him a boost in South Carolina and Southern Super Tuesday states. But in a recent Washington Post/Ipsos poll of black Americans, Sanders is the favorite for voters under age 35.
“We’ve asked younger people across the spectrum, but particularly African American younger folks, to go and talk to their parents and grandparents about why they support Sen. Bernie Sanders, and we’re seeing a lot of traction pick up with that,” Sanders national campaign co-chair Nina Turner told Vox.
Sanders still has some work to do with older voters
The biggest question facing Sanders in 2020 is whether the oldest candidate running in the Democratic primary can appeal to older voters.
In national polls, “Biden’s in first place and Bernie’s in second, so we’ve got to overtake him in the most effective way,” Sanders campaign pollster Ben Tulchin told me. “The middle-aged working-class person is really who we’re contesting with Biden.”
A recent Morning Consult national tracking poll found Sanders with commanding leads among both Gen Z (voters ages 18 to 21) and millennials (ages 22 to 37). But among older generations, Sanders lost his edge. Biden led among Gen X (ages 38 to 53) by 30 percent to Sanders’s 22 percent. Among baby boomers (54 to 72), Biden was leading at 35 percent, compared to 14 percent from Warren and 13 percent from Sanders.
“He’s maintained a strong connection and ties to millennials; that’s given him a good base,” Tulchin said. But he added that Sanders needs to do well with middle-aged and older voters. Specifically, the Sanders campaign wants to capture non-college-educated men and women ages 40 to 64, both white and black.
“He needs those working-class voters who are not tied down to one ideology or another,” said Monmouth University polling director Patrick Murray. “That’s the way he’s trying to expand his coalition.” In other words, Murray said, Sanders needs to siphon off Biden supporters.
Even though the midterms showed a growth in youth turnout, older voters tend to be more moderate and to turn out more reliably. Part of why the Sanders campaign has gone after Biden so hard on Social Security is to boost credibility among older voters.
Sanders’s “authenticity” remains a draw for voters
Sanders’s no-nonsense, gruff resoluteness on progressive issues is refreshing to some voters who are sick of Washington’s political antics and corruption.
Go to any Sanders town hall or rally and you’ll find voters who say they think he’s honest and authentic — in large part because he hasn’t budged on his positions in over 30 years.
“He’s so honest, decent, and has been forever,” said Epping voter Elaine Gatchell, who voted for Sanders in 2016 and plans to do so again in 2020. “I don’t think anyone could ever buy him off. I just know he’s such a straight shooter.”
“If he’s on the ballot, he has my vote,” Langdon voter Jennifer Doyle told me recently. “He’s honest and straightforward, no frills. He’s not playing to financial handlers; he’s not beholden. We need that.”
Earlier this summer, questions abounded about whether Elizabeth Warren’s presence in the race would shrink Sanders’s base. While some 2016 Sanders supporters have switched over, polls show Warren has drawn support largely from higher-educated liberal voters, and Sanders has mostly hung on to his young, loyal base.
“It took me a little while to get back on the Bernie train,” Keene voter Jenna Spear O’Mara told me, adding, “I just came back to that gut feeling. I find myself drawn to Bernie; he’s super direct.”
It just might be his ticket to the nomination.