Sunday, September 30, 2018
Democrats Campaign for Tougher Guns Laws in Midterm Elections
From Florida to California, Democratic candidates for Congress are campaigning on gun control in the midterm elections. They’re betting that growing public support for tighter gun laws in the wake of recent mass shootings will help them win votes. Masood Farivar reports on changing voter attitudes in the current election cycle.
Read More Democrats Campaign for Tougher Guns Laws in Midterm Elections : https://ift.tt/2NfLDEBWhite House: No Date Set for Trump-Rosentein Talks
The White House says a date hasn't yet been set for a highly anticipated meeting between President Donald Trump and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, the man overseeing the special investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election.
A recent New York Times report said that Rosenstein had suggested secretly recording Trump to obtain evidence to have him removed from office for being unfit to govern. Rosenstein has issued two statements flatly denying the allegations.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told Fox News Sunday that the meeting between the two men could happen this week but it also could get pushed back another week given all that has happened in relation to Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
Rosenstein has overseen the independent Russia investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller, making him a frequent target of Trump's attacks on the probe.
Trump has complained about the Justice Department's handling of the Russia probe for months but tensions between Trump and Rosenstein appeared to increase recently after recent The New York Times report.
The president's Republican allies have called on Rosenstein to testify before Congress about his alleged suggestion to secretly record Trump.
News reports say Rosentein has agreed to meet privately with lawmakers.
VOA's White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara contributed to this story.
Saturday, September 29, 2018
Friday, September 28, 2018
Manafort Trial Puts Spotlight on Lobbyists
The trial of Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, is sending shockwaves across the multibillion dollar lobbying industry in Washington. Many lobbyists in Washington fear his guilty verdict on bank and fraud charges and his guilty plea on obstruction charges will make lobbying a much more risky business. Daria Dieguts has the story.
Read More Manafort Trial Puts Spotlight on Lobbyists : https://ift.tt/2ItaMe8Personal and Political Debates Collide in Emotional US Supreme Court Fight
The nation was riveted but divided by dramatic testimony from Christine Blasey Ford, the university professor accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault when they were teenagers living in the DC area. The emotional debate could be a turning point in America's cultural and political discussions, galvanizing the MeToo movement and mobilizing voters on both sides in midterm elections this November. VOA's congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson has more from Capitol Hill.
Read More Personal and Political Debates Collide in Emotional US Supreme Court Fight : https://ift.tt/2xSXqDZKavanaugh Moves Step Closer to Confirmation, But With a Hitch
President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, moved a step closer to confirmation Friday when he won a party-line endorsement from the Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee. But uncertainty was introduced when a Republican senator insisted on a delay in the final Senate vote on Kavanaugh until the FBI can investigate an allegation of sexual assault brought by California professor Christine Blasey Ford. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has the latest from Washington.
Read More Kavanaugh Moves Step Closer to Confirmation, But With a Hitch : https://ift.tt/2N8JlXBCourt: Congress Can Sue Trump Over Foreign Payments
A federal court Friday refused to immediately dismiss a lawsuit accusing President Donald Trump of violating a constitutional anti-corruption provision by accepting foreign payments through his hotels and businesses without the permission of the U.S. Congress.
U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan in Washington said in a 58-page ruling that lawmakers who brought the suit had legal standing to sue the president for allegedly flouting the U.S. Constitution’s “emoluments” clause, which prevents federal officeholders from accepting presents and other benefits from foreign governments without the “consent” of Congress.
The lawsuit, filed in June 2017, is the third constitutional challenge to Trump’s business interests while in office, but it is notable because the plaintiffs are themselves members of Congress.
U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte in Greenbelt, Maryland, has allowed a similar lawsuit to move forward, but in December 2017 a judge in Manhattan threw out yet another case, which is now on appeal.
The members of Congress involved in the suit are all Democrats but also include Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016. They are represented by the Constitutional Accountability Center, a Washington-based liberal legal organization.
Trump Dossier Research Chief Declines U.S. Congress Interview Request
The Republican chairman of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee on Friday subpoenaed a U.S. research firm founder to give a deposition on his hiring of a former British spy to compile a dossier on alleged links between U.S. President Donald Trump's associates and Russia.
Representative Bob Goodlatte, a Republican from Virginia, announced the move on Twitter a day after receiving a letter in which lawyers for Glenn Simpson, the founder of Fusion GPS, said that their client "will not agree to an interview" requested earlier this week.
"As part of our joint investigation into decisions made by DOJ in 2016, today I subpoenaed Glenn Simpson to appear for a deposition," Goodlatte posted on Twitter.
Goodlatte said in a separate Twitter post that former FBI Director James Comey, former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and other former Justice Department officials have been invited "as witnesses. Will subpoena them if necessary."
Simpson's lawyers also sent their letter to House Oversight Chairman Trey Gowdy, who is conducting with Goodlatte a probe into the Justice Department's decision to investigate possible collusion between Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia.
The top Democrats on the committees, Elijah Cummings and Jerrold Nadler, in a statement accused the Republicans, who control Congress, of continuing "to abet the president as the walls close in around him."
Fusion GPS was hired by lawyers for the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign to conduct research on Trump, her opponent.
The firm in turn hired Christopher Steele, a former officer of MI6, the British foreign intelligence agency, to produce a dossier that outlined alleged Russian financial dealings with Trump, a longtime real estate developer, and included salacious personal details that remain unconfirmed.
The dossier was sent to the FBI, which already had launched an investigation into whether Russia interfered with the election and whether Trump campaign officials worked with Moscow to try to sway the outcome.
The Kremlin denies meddling in the election. Trump, who denies his campaign colluded with Russia, has called Steele's work an "unverified and Fake Dirty Dossier" and has repeatedly denied any collusion with Russia.
In their letter, seen by Reuters, Simpson's lawyers said Simpson already had been interviewed by the House Intelligence Committee, of which Gowdy is a member, and the Senate Judiciary Committee, which like all committees are led by Trump's fellow Republicans.
"Part and parcel of this concerted effort by the president's congressional allies has been a campaign of retaliation against the government's whistleblowers, including our client Mr. Simpson, for their willingness to cooperate with U.S. law enforcement and for their exercise of their constitutional rights to free speech and political activity as American citizens," the lawyers wrote.
Judge: Harvard Affirmative Action Case Can Go to Trial
A federal judge Friday cleared the way for a lawsuit to go to trial. It accuses Harvard University of discriminating against Asian-American applicants, a closely watched case that could influence the use of race in college admissions decisions.
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston rejected dueling motions by Harvard and a nonprofit group suing the Ivy League university to rule in their favor ahead of a nonjury trial set to begin Oct. 15.
The ruling came after the U.S. Justice Department, which has been investigating Harvard for potential civil rights violations over its affirmative action policy, threw its support behind the 2014 lawsuit by Students for Fair Admissions Inc.
Burroughs said that rather than presenting her with undisputed facts and evidence that would allow her to rule without overseeing a trial, Harvard and SFFA had filed motions that were “essentially mirror images of one another.”
“There are disputed material facts based on Harvard’s fact witnesses, the statistical evidence, and the expert opinions presented by each side that cannot be resolved before trial,” Burroughs wrote.
Representatives for the group and Harvard did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Affirmative action
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that universities may use affirmative action to help minority applicants get into college.
Conservatives have said such programs can hurt white people and Asian Americans.
SFFA, which is headed by a prominent anti-affirmative action activist, alleged that evidence showed that Harvard’s admissions process, which factored in race, significantly disadvantaged Asian Americans compared with other groups.
Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Harvard has denied the allegations and has criticized the lawsuit as an effort to attack the right of colleges to consider race as an admissions factor.
Trump administration
After President Donald Trump, a Republican, took office last year, the Justice Department began investigating whether Harvard’s policies are discriminatory because they limit Asian-Americans’ acceptance.
In court papers, SFFA claimed an Asian-American male applicant with a 25 percent chance of admission would have a 35 percent chance if he were white, 75 percent chance if he were Hispanic and 95 percent chance if he were black.
A Harvard research division found in 2013 that over a decade, Asian-American admission rates were lower than those for whites annually even though whites outperformed Asian-American applicants only on a subjective “personal” rating, SFFA said.
Google CEO to Testify Before US House on Bias Accusations
Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai has agreed to testify before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee later this year over Republican concerns that the company is biased against conservatives, a senior Republican said Friday.
Republicans want to question Google, the search engine of Alphabet Inc, about whether its search algorithms are influenced by human bias. They also want to probe it on issues such as privacy, classification of news and opinion, and dealing with countries with human rights violations.
Pichai met with senior Republicans on Friday to discuss their concerns, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said.
McCarthy told reporters after the meeting that it was "very productive" and "frank."
"I think we've really shown that there is bias, which is human nature, but you have to have transparency and fairness," McCarthy said. "As big tech's business grows, we have not had enough transparency and that has led to an erosion of trust and, perhaps worse, harm to consumers."
Alphabet Inc's Google unit has repeatedly denied accusations of bias against conservatives. Pichai left the meeting without comment.
Pichai wrote in an internal email last week that suggestions that Google would interfere in search results for political reasons were "absolutely false. We do not bias our products to favor any political agenda."
The CEO had been scheduled to be in Asia this week but canceled the trip to be in Washington.
The hearing will take place after the midterm congressional elections in November, McCarthy said.
Google came under fire from members of both parties earlier this month for refusing to send a top executive to a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing that included Facebook Inc and Twitter Inc executives.
Republicans have also raised concerns about Google's dominance. Earlier this week, the Justice Department met with state attorneys general to focus on the need to protect consumer privacy when big technology companies amass vast troves of data, but came to no immediate conclusions.
Asked if Republicans will push to break up Google, McCarthy said: "I don't see that." He said the hearing will look at privacy, bias issues, China and other matters.
Pichai is also meeting with Democratic lawmakers and is due to meet with White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow on Friday, a White House official said Thursday.
AP Source: Trump Signs Spending Plan, Avoiding Shutdown
President Donald Trump has signed an $854 billion spending bill to keep the federal government open through December 7, averting a government shutdown in the weeks leading up to the November midterm elections.
That's according to a White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the action.
Trump signed the legislation to fund the military and several civilian agencies without journalists present at the White House. The president is acting after the House and Senate approved the spending plan earlier this week.
Trump's signature avoids a shutdown before the November 6 elections that will determine control of Congress. But he has expressed frustration that the bill doesn't pay for his long-stalled wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Supreme Court Justice Kagan Won't Discuss Kavanaugh
Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan declined to talk about the confirmation process that could seat Brett Kavanaugh and tip the nation's highest court to a conservative majority.
“I think given the events of today that's the one question I'm not going to answer,” Kagan told law students Thursday during an appearance at the University of California, Los Angeles. “We're right in the middle of events that are swirling around and I just want to leave it at that and make no news with respect to anything I say.”
Kagan spoke as the Senate Judiciary Committee grilled Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, the California psychology professor who contends that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her decades ago.
The committee was scheduled to vote Friday on whether to recommend that the full Senate confirm Kavanaugh, who has repeatedly denied the allegations.
For the moment, the Supreme Court is one member short. Justice Anthony Kennedy retired earlier this year.
Kagan told the students that the justices worked “super hard” to find consensus after the death of Antonin Scalia in 2016 temporarily left the panel with only eight judges.
“None of us wanted to look as if the court couldn't do its job,” she said. “I think we all felt as though the country needed to feel that the court was a functioning institution no matter what was happening outside.”
The court did have a handful of 4-4 decisions, including a deadlock in 2016 in United States v Texas where an equally divided court allowed a lower court injunction to stand that blocked President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Parents of Americans immigration program.
Even with a full court, Kagan said consensus-building, “especially perhaps in a time of acrimony and partisanship in the country at large, makes a lot of sense.”
“The court's strength as an institution in American governance depends on people believe it having a certain legitimacy ... that it's not simply an extension of politics,” she said.
Rosenstein Agrees to Private Meeting With House Lawmakers
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has agreed to speak privately with lawmakers following reports he'd discussed secretly recording President Donald Trump.
A person familiar with the situation says Rosenstein agreed to the meeting during a call Thursday evening with the House Judiciary Committee chairman, Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Virginia)
Republican Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, who leads the conservative House Freedom Caucus, tweeted Friday that Republican leaders agreed to ask Rosenstein for a private meeting and said lawmakers would subpoena Rosenstein if he refused to answer questions.
But the person familiar with the situation, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations, says Rosenstein had agreed to the meeting before that tweet.
Trump is to meet next week with Rosenstein, who's overseeing the special counsel investigation into Russian election-meddling.
Over Democratic Objections, Senate Panel Sets Vote on Trump's Court Pick
Angry Democrats walked out as the Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee set a vote over their objections for later on Friday on the nomination of President Trump's U.S. Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh after
a key senator, Jeff Flake, threw his support behind the judge.
* Watch Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing LIVE
Republicans appeared to have the votes to approve Kavanaugh in the panel after Flake's announcement. The committee's meeting came the morning after a jarring and emotional hearing into sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh that gripped the country and reflected the larger U.S. political divide, with a university professor accusing the judge of sexual misconduct and
the nominee angrily denying it.
The committee, with 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats, set the vote for 1:30 p.m. (1730 GMT) over strenuous objections from Democrats, some of whom left the room in protest. "What a railroad job," Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono said.
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, the chairman of the committee, praised Kavanaugh as he pressed forward with the vote.
"The alleged behavior is inconsistent with everything else we know about him," Grassley said of Kavanaugh. "It was only fair that his accuser had the burden of proof. In my opinion, this wasn't met," Grassley added.
The timing of the panel's session gave committee members little time to review Thursday's extraordinary testimony from Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, who accused him of sexually assaulting her when they were high school students in 1982.
Kavanaugh forcefully denied the accusations and accused Democrats of a "calculated and orchestrated political hit."
Senator Dianne Feinstein, the senior Democrat on the committee, criticized Kavanaugh's remarks, saying they were unseemly for a judicial nominee.
"This was someone who was aggressive and belligerent. I have never seen someone who wants to be elevated to the highest court in the country behave in that manner. In stark contrast, the person who testified yesterday and demonstrated a balanced temperament was Dr. Ford. She gave powerful testimony about her experience of being physically and sexually assaulted by Brett Kavanaugh," Feinstein.
A committee vote to approve Kavanaugh which pave the way for a final debate and vote on the Senate floor in the coming days. Flake, who had raised concerns about the allegations, said on Friday morning he would vote in favor of the nomination. No other Republicans have indicated they are likely to vote against Kavanaugh.
Flake said in a statement that while Ford's testimony was compelling, Kavanaugh gave a "persuasive response."
Soon after Flake made his announcement, he was angrily confronted by protesters in an elevator while on his way to the committee meeting.
If the nomination reaches the full Senate, where Trump's fellow Republicans hold a slim 51-49 majority, the votes of two other so-far undecided Republican moderates could be crucial: Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins.
Democrats have urged a delay to allow for an FBI investigation, a move backed late Thursday by the American Bar Association, which had earlier endorsed his nomination.
"Why are they shutting it down? I believe it's because they are trying to hide something," Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat on the committee, told NBC's "Today" program on Friday.
Kavanaugh could be the deciding vote on several contentious cases if he is confirmed, with disputes involving abortion, immigration, gay rights, voting rights and transgender troops possibly heading to the court soon.
Confirmation of Kavanaugh, a federal appeals court judge, would cement conservative control of the nation's highest court. After a procedural vote that could come over the weekend, the full 100-member Senate could take action next week.
Ford testified she was "100 percent certain" that Kavanaugh assaulted her in 1982. Kavanaugh said he was innocent and the victim of "grotesque and obvious character assassination."
Questions were raised about Kavanaugh's temperament at the hearing as well as his fiery political accusations and how that could impact his role on the court.
"I believe once he gets to the Supreme Court, he will call the balls and strikes fairly," White House adviser Kellyanne Conway told "CBS This Morning," using a baseball analogy.
Attention to the hearings moved far beyond the world of Washington politics. Ford has emerged in the eyes of many American women as a compelling figure in the #MeToo movement usually associated less with the names of victims and more with a list of high-profile men accused of misconduct.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is hoping the full Senate will quickly approve Kavanaugh, possibly as soon as Tuesday. The Supreme Court will start its next session on Monday.
Trump called for senators to act quickly after the hearing, a message echoed by top White House aides early on Friday.
"It's now time for the Senate to step up and have the vote," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told ABC's "Good Morning America" program. Asked if Trump had enough votes to confirm Kavanaugh, she said: "I certainly hope so, and I certainly think so."
Her voice often filled with emotion, Ford for the first time on Thursday detailed her accusations against Kavanaugh. She told the committee she feared Kavanaugh would rape and accidentally kill her during the alleged assault.
"Brett groped me and tried to take off my clothes ... I believed he was going
to rape me. I tried to yell for help," Ford said.
For his part, Kavanaugh testified he was "100 percent certain" the incident did not occur.
He said: "I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process."
Read More Over Democratic Objections, Senate Panel Sets Vote on Trump's Court Pick : https://ift.tt/2xXrOfxAP Fact Check: Kavanaugh’s Claim That Witnesses Refuted Ford
Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh misrepresented the record when he stated that three witnesses have refuted Christine Blasey Ford’s allegation that he sexually assaulted her at a party more than 30 years ago.
The three swore they had no recollection of the party, providing no support for Ford’s accusations laid out to the Senate Judiciary Committee. But their statements do not disprove the allegations, either.
KAVANAUGH: “Dr. Ford’s allegations are not merely uncorroborated, it’s refuted by the very people she says were there.” — testimony Thursday.
THE FACTS: The statements in question do not corroborate Ford’s allegations, but they also do not exonerate Kavanaugh. They leave open the possibility that people at the small gathering forgot about it or were not in position to witness the assault.
Even Mark Judge, who Ford says was in the bedroom when Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her, has not denied that such an episode took place. His sworn statement to the committee says, “I have no memory of this alleged incident,” “do not recall the party” and “never saw Brett act in the manner Dr. Ford describes.”
In another statement, Patrick J. Smyth, identified by Ford as being among those downstairs at the party, says “I have no knowledge of the party in question; nor do I have any knowledge of the allegations of improper conduct she has leveled against Brett Kavanaugh.”
And the lawyer for Ford’s friend, Leland Ingham Keyser, said in a statement: “Ms. Keyser does not know Mr. Kavanaugh and she has no recollection of ever being at a party or gathering where he was present, with, without, Dr. Ford.”
Kavanaugh accurately summarized those statements when he told senators: “All of the people identified by Dr. Ford as being present at the party have said they do not remember any such party ever happening. Importantly her friend Ms. Keyser has not only denied knowledge of the party. Ms. Keyser said under penalty of felony she does not know me, does not ever recall being at a party with me ever.”
Despite saying she hadn’t met Kavanaugh and doesn’t remember the party, Keyser told The Washington Post that she believes Ford.
Kavanaugh Has Supporters, Opponents Among Women
Women demonstrated on Capitol Hill Thursday while the Senate Judiciary Committee listened to testimonies by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the woman who accused him of a sexual assault 36 years ago. Many women came out in support of professor Christine Blasey Ford. But Kavanaugh has supporters among women, as well. The case reminds many of one in 1991, when attorney Anita Hill accused then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment. VOA's Zlatica Hoke reports.
Read More Kavanaugh Has Supporters, Opponents Among Women : https://ift.tt/2IoachsThursday, September 27, 2018
World Digests Stormy UN General Assembly, Trump Tough Talk on Iran, China
As global leaders digest the fallout from a stormy United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, China has strongly denied accusations from U.S. President Donald Trump that Beijing is trying to interfere in the U.S. midterm elections in November. Meanwhile, the diplomatic tussle has intensified between the United States and other signatories over the future of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, as the U.S. prepares to hit Tehran with fresh sanctions. Henry Ridgwell reports.
Read More World Digests Stormy UN General Assembly, Trump Tough Talk on Iran, China : https://ift.tt/2ImUXp8Ex-State Senator Found Dead While Awaiting Trial
Former Massachusetts state Sen. Brian Joyce, who was awaiting trial on federal corruption charges, was found dead in his home Thursday, authorities said.
Joyce, 56, was found dead by his wife, according to a statement from Gregg Miliote, a spokesman for the Bristol District Attorney's office.
“Foul play is not suspected in the death at this time,” Miliote said.
The state's chief medical examiner planned to conduct an autopsy and the investigation remained “active and ongoing,” the spokesman said.
A Democrat who served as assistant majority leader, Joyce was first elected in 1998 and left the Senate after not seeking re-election in 2016 amid the federal probe. He moved to Westport, Massachusetts, from Milton after his political career ended.
In December 2017, Joyce was named in a 113-count indictment charging him with racketeering, extortion, wire fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors said he accepted up to $1 million in bribes and kickbacks in exchange for helping companies and then laundering the money through his law office, disguising it as legal fees.
Then-acting U.S. Attorney William Weinreb said at the time that Joyce violated his duty to his constituents “by accepting bribes and kickbacks in exchange for his official action.”
Joyce pleaded not guilty at his arraignment and was free on $250,000 bond. A trial date had not been set.
Joyce's attorney, Howard Cooper, had maintained that his client was innocent of all the charges against him.
WCVB-TV reported Thursday that Joyce had been involved in a car crash Wednesday, but it was unclear if that incident was connected in any way to his death.
Kavanaugh and Accuser Face Off in Dramatic Hearing
A high-stakes political drama played out in Washington Thursday with emotional testimony from both Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and from university professor Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault that allegedly took place in 1982. Kavanaugh has denied the allegation, but complaints brought by Ford and other women have put his appointment to the high court in jeopardy. More on Thursday's dramatic hearing now from VOA National correspondent Jim Malone.
Read More Kavanaugh and Accuser Face Off in Dramatic Hearing : https://ift.tt/2zC2CNFWhat Would a Reopened FBI Probe of Kavanaugh Do?
It was a steady demand of Democrats at Thursday's Senate hearing on sexual assault claims against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh: that an FBI background investigation into Kavanaugh should be reopened.
Democrats say that's critical to finding the truth in the accounts of Kavanaugh and his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford. Republicans say it's unnecessary and a delaying tactic aimed at sinking Kavanaugh's nomination.
In fact, a reopened FBI investigation could help clarify the contradictory accounts. But it isn't the silver bullet Democrats seem to suggest it would be.
A look at what a reopened FBI investigation would and wouldn't do:
What is the FBI's role?
The FBI conducts background checks for federal nominees but the agency does not make judgments on the credibility or significance of allegations. Instead, the department compiles information about the nominee's past and provides its findings to the agency that requested the background check. In this case, that would be the White House.
Typically, it does not go back decades, as it would need to do if it examined Kavanaugh's actions in his teenage years, when Ford said he sexually assaulted her.
Greg Rinckey, a lawyer specializing in employment law and the security clearance process, said FBI background checks aren't meant to dig up decades-old claims that never resulted in a police report or criminal charges.
"That's not really what the FBI is looking for," Rinckey said. "The FBI is looking for any kind of current problem. What do I mean by current? Seven to 10 years."
Could an FBI probe bring clarity to what happened?
Republicans say reopening the FBI investigation is unnecessary because committee members have had the opportunity to question both Kavanaugh and Ford and other potential witnesses have submitted sworn statements.
But if the FBI reopened the background investigation, agents could interview the accusers and witnesses and gather additional evidence or details. That could possibly corroborate or disprove the allegations, though the FBI would not reach a conclusion about Kavanaugh's guilt or innocence. It would provide its findings to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Could a reopened investigation result in criminal charges?
There has been no suggestion that Kavanaugh may have committed a federal crime, so the FBI would not conduct a criminal investigation.
If a crime had taken place, it would almost certainly fall under local jurisdiction, not federal. That means it would fall under the laws of Montgomery County, Maryland, where there is no statute of limitations for felony sexual offenses. The statute of limitations for misdemeanors is typically one or three years, depending on the offense.
What about Anita Hill?
Democrats cite a precedent in reopening the FBI investigation of a Supreme Court nominee accused of sexual misconduct.
In 1991, Anita Hill accused Clarence Thomas of sexually harassing her, saying he made unwanted advances and inappropriate comments. Thomas denied the allegations.
Under Republican President George H.W. Bush, the White House asked the FBI to add to Thomas' background check.
Thomas was eventually confirmed.
What Goes into a Political Poll?
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Want to predict an election's outcome? That's impossible. But a scientific opinion survey can give a pretty good indication of candidate support. Read More What Goes into a Political Poll? : https://ift.tt/2xIC4ZyUS House Committee to Vote on Release of Trump Russia Transcripts
A U.S. House of Representatives committee will vote on Friday on whether to release dozens of transcripts of interviews from its investigation of Russia and the 2016 U.S. election, including conversations with senior associates of President Donald Trump.
The House Intelligence Committee is expected to agree to send transcripts of the 53 interviews to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for review before they are made public, congressional aides said on Thursday.
That would pave the way for the public to see thousands of pages of conversations with people including the president's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and son-in-law and close adviser Jared Kushner, as well as Attorney General Jeff Sessions and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon.
Interviews with officials from former President Barack Obama's administration, including former National Security Adviser Susan Rice and U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power are also among the transcripts.
The transcripts are likely to provide the first public look at how some key witnesses described events such as a June 9, 2016, meeting at Trump Tower in New York at which a group of Russians offered to provide damaging information about Trump's Democratic rival at the election, Hillary Clinton.
Trump Jr. and Kushner were among attendees at the meeting with Nataliya Veselnitskaya, a Russian lawyer with Kremlin ties.
Trump's fellow Republicans, who hold majorities in Congress and control the committee, announced in March that the panel's investigation was over and they had found no evidence of collusion between Trump's campaign and Moscow's efforts to influence U.S. politics.
Trump has repeatedly denied collusion with Russia. Moscow denies meddling in the 2016 U.S. campaign, but U.S. intelligence agencies found that it did so in order to boost Trump.
Committee Democrats disagreed with the Republicans' conclusion and vowed to continue the probe.
Woman Representing Republicans at Kavanaugh Hearing Is Seasoned Prosecutor
The woman questioning Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and sexual assault accuser Christine Blasey Ford separately at Thursday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing is a seasoned prosecutor with decades of experience handling such cases.
Rachel Mitchell has served as a prosecutor in the southwestern state of Arizona for about 25 years. She is currently the deputy county attorney in the Maricopa County Attorney's office in Phoenix.
Mitchell will represent the all-male Republican majority on the committee by handling much of their questioning. Her role helps the 11 Republicans avoid the appearance of heavily scrutinizing Ford's allegations. Although the Republican members are expected to yield their time to Mitchell, each of them will also have five minutes to ask one round of questions.
Democratic senators on the 21-member committee are set to ask their own questions.
Ford, a college professor in California, said that when she and Kavanaugh were high school students in 1982, he forced her onto a bed, groped her and tried to remove her clothes at a house party. Kavanaugh has denied Ford's accusation.
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
Trump Press Conference: From George Washington to Elton John
U.S. President Donald Trump strode up to the lectern and took stock of the world’s press in a five-star New York hotel.
“This is quite a gathering. Wow!” he crowed.
And so began 1 hour and 22 minutes with the world’s most powerful man, pumped by days of U.N. diplomacy and seething over Democratic opposition to his Supreme Court nominee, now fighting multiple allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior while a student.
Standing before a large row of American flags, the 45th president of the United States dealt with everything from China, Iran and the Kurds, to socialism, Justin Trudeau, women, the Supreme Court and Middle East peace.
Without notes and clearly relishing the occasion, he dished out compliments and made digs where he saw fit.
WATCH: Trump Accuses China of Meddling in US Elections at Press Conference
“You do a very good job,” he told a Fox reporter who asked about NAFTA.
“Say ‘thank you, Mr. Trump,’” he mocked when a New York Times journalist said the newspaper was thriving rather than failing, with circulation figures up under the Trump presidency.
From the Lotte New York Palace on Madison Avenue, a brisk seven-minute walk from his old penthouse home and real-estate company headquarters at Trump Tower, the 72-year-old president appeared ready to go on all night.
Here is a sampling:
On Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh:
“If we brought George Washington here,” said an exasperated Trump of America’s first president and founding father, “the Democrats would vote against him, just so you understand, and he may have had a bad past, who knows.”
On sexual assault:
“I’ve had a lot of false charges made against me. Really false charges!” he said as journalists pointed out that he had been the accused of inappropriate sexual behavior in the past. “So when you say ‘does it affect me in terms of my thinking with respect to Judge Kavanaugh?’ Absolutely. Because I’ve had it many times.”
On women:
“I’ve always said, women are smarter than men.”
On the Kurds:
“They’re great people, they’re great fighters, I like them a lot,” he said, later calling on a journalist as “Yes please, Mr. Kurd.”
On U.N. laughter:
“They weren’t laughing at me, they were laughing with me,” he insisted of the laughter that broke out in the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday after Trump boasted that his administration had done more than any other in U.S. history.
On Xi Jinping:
“I will, tomorrow, make a call to him and say ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ Trump said with a smile after admitting that Xi “may not be a friend of mine anymore.
“They are doing studies on Donald Trump, they are trying to figure it all out,” he said in reference to apparent Chinese interest in an American president so different to his predecessors.
Ending on a high:
“Elton John said when you hit that last tune and it’s good, don’t go back,” he said, taking the last question and pondering on what happens when a performer doesn’t deliver a good encore after a rousing concert.
“They don’t hit it and ... everyone leaves and they say ‘that wasn’t a very good concert, was it?’”
US Congressional Panel Considers Ways to Respond to Rohingya Crisis
VOA's Greta Van Susteren told a congressional panel Tuesday that Rohingya refugees are vulnerable to human trafficking, exploitation and violent extremism. Van Susteren and Stephen Pomper, U.S. program director for the International Crisis Group, gave their testimonies on Myanmar's persecuted Muslim group to the House Foreign Affairs Committee in a hearing on "Genocide Against the Burmese Rohingya." VOA'S Zlatica Hoke has more.
Read More US Congressional Panel Considers Ways to Respond to Rohingya Crisis : https://ift.tt/2zyZnGLTrump Accuses China of Meddling in US Elections
In a wide-ranging news conference, President Donald Trump railed against the Iran nuclear deal and accused China of meddling in U.S. elections. Mike O'Sullivan reports, Trump spoke Wednesday in New York after three days of meetings at the United Nations.
Read More Trump Accuses China of Meddling in US Elections : https://ift.tt/2QdsOUlTrump Defends Kavanaugh in Wake of Additional Allegations
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump claimed a concerted effort by Democrats to drum up sexual-misconduct charges against Judge Brett Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court nominee who has been accused by five women of sexual misconduct.
“They are actually con artists because they know how quality this man is and they have destroyed a man’s reputation and they want to destroy it even more and I think people are going to see that in the midterms, what they have done to this family, what they have done to these children, these beautiful children of his and what they have done to his wife. They know it is a big fat con job,” Trump said.
The president made the comments in a nearly 90-minute, often rambling press conference following his meetings with world leaders at the United Nations in New York.
Five women
Kavanaugh will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday along with Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault.
Four other women have come forward in the past few days with detailed complaints about Kavanaugh. He has denied all the allegations.
On Wednesday evening, NBC News reported that an anonymous complaint was sent to Republican Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado. According to the complaint, the sender said in 1998, she and her daughter were out with Kavanaugh and several friends, when an inebriated Kavanaugh “shoved her friend up against the wall very aggressively and sexually.”
According to media reports, Kavanaugh was also questioned Tuesday during a phone call with Judiciary Committee staff about an allegation that he sexually assaulted a woman in Rhode Island in the mid-1980s.
The office of Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island received a phone call Tuesday morning “making allegations concerning a rape on a boat in August of 1985,” according to transcripts of a call between committee staff and Kavanaugh released Wednesday to the media. Kavanaugh denies the allegations.
Trump said he would watch Thursday’s potentially explosive Senate hearing and that he could still change his mind about his nominee once he hears what Ford has to say.
“It’s possible I’ll hear that and I’ll say, ‘Hey, I’ll change my mind,’” Trump said. “I can’t tell you. I have to watch tomorrow.”
Asked whether his own history, with numerous women accusing him of sexual assault, has shaped how he views accusations against Kavanaugh, the president said he knows what it’s like to be falsely accused and suggested Kavanaugh was being presumed “guilty until proven innocent.”
“This is beyond Supreme Court. This has everything to do with our country,” Trump said. “When you are guilty until proven innocent, it is just not supposed to be that way. ... In this case, you are guilty until proven innocent. I think that is a very, very dangerous standard for our country.”
In a CNN Poll conducted in August, most women across the country said they don’t want Kavanaugh to become the next Supreme Court justice. Only 28 percent of women polled were in favor of his appointment. Trump’s pick also had the lowest approval rating overall of any Supreme Court nomination in the past 30 years.
Kavanaugh prepares
In prepared testimony for Thursday, Kavanaugh again denied Ford’s allegation, describing it as part of what he called “last minute smears” and “obvious character assassination.”
Democrats, including Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, continue to press for a full investigation of all the allegations.
“They should all be heard in a timely fashion and this notion that we are going to rush through simply Dr. Ford and then immediately have the committee move to a vote that is not a fair process,” Warner said.
Republicans, such as South Dakota Sen. John Thune, have accused Democrats of waging a smear campaign against Kavanaugh.
“I think the Democrats in the Senate have had one goal since the beginning of this process and that is to sink Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination, and we are finding that they will go to any lengths to do that,” Thune said.
Moving forward
A committee vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination is set for Friday, Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell said.
“We are going to be moving forward. I’m confident we are going to win. I’m confident that he will be confirmed in the very near future,” he added.
Democrats, including Washington state Sen. Patty Murray, are warning of a political backlash if Republicans ram Kavanaugh’s nomination through the Senate.
“This is not just a box to check. Women and their experiences are not just things to be plowed through. Women and all survivors should be heard and they should be respected,” she said.
Anti-Kavanaugh protesters have taken to the halls of Congress to pressure undecided Republicans, chanting, “Vote no or we will fund your opponent and defeat you.”
Among the undecided on Capitol Hill is Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine.
“Do I feel pressure? Sure. But I don’t feel pressured to make a decision until I’m ready,” she said.
If confirmed, Kavanaugh could solidify a conservative majority on the court for a generation. A final Senate vote on his nomination could come next week.
Read More Trump Defends Kavanaugh in Wake of Additional Allegations : https://ift.tt/2OicCUcCongress Approves, Sends to Trump Bill to Avert Shutdown
Congress has approved a bill keeping the government open through Dec. 7, as lawmakers move to avert a government shutdown looming next week.
The $854 billion bill also funds the military and a host of civilian agencies for the next year.
The House approved the bill, 361-61, on Wednesday, a week after the Senate approved it, 93-7.
The measure now goes to President Donald Trump, who said he will sign it. Trump’s signature would avert a partial government shutdown set to begin Monday, weeks ahead of the Nov. 6 elections that will determine control of Congress.
$675 billion for military
The spending bill includes $675 billion for the Defense Department and boosts military pay by 2.6 percent, the largest pay raise in nine years. It also increases spending for Health and Human Services, Education, Labor and other agencies, including a 5 percent boost for the National Institutes of Health.
Trump said Wednesday he will sign the bill, telling reporters at the United Nations, “We’re going to keep the government open.”
Trump made the pledge despite his frustration that the bill does not pay for his long-promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border — a fact Trump called “ridiculous.”
The wall was a centerpiece of Trump’s 2016 Republican presidential campaign, when he repeatedly promised that Mexico would pay for it.
Now, as president, Trump says it is “ridiculous” that Congress has yet to fully fund the project.
“Where is the money for border security and the wall in this ridiculous spending bill?” Trump tweeted last week, adding that Republicans “must finally get tough” against Democrats he said are obstructing law enforcement and border security.
No money for the wall
Many conservatives shared Trump’s frustration that money was included for Planned Parenthood but not the wall, but the spending bill still won easy approval in the House. Leaders from both parties supported it.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., hailed the bill.
“This funds our military, this funds opioids, this does a lot of the things that we all want to accomplish together,” Ryan said before the vote.
Rep. Nita Lowey of New York, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations panel, also praised the bill, saying it “provides ample resources for our armed services and strengthens military readiness,” while upholding commitments to service members and their families.
Lawmakers also “resoundingly rejected” Trump’s proposed budget, Lowey said. The bill restores $10 billion in proposed cuts that she said would have hurt working families.
“Instead, we have secured increased funding for biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health, expanded opioid abuse treatment and prevention programs and (funded) new initiatives for maternal and child health,” Lowey said.
Most of spending approved
Together with a spending bill signed by Trump last week, Congress has approved bills accounting for more than 70 percent of discretionary spending for the next budget year. Lawmakers had hoped to approve a third bill that would pay for the Interior, Agriculture, Transportation and other departments, but they could not reach agreement. Those agencies will be funded at current levels under the stopgap bill approved Wednesday.
Texas Rep. Kay Granger, who chairs a defense appropriations subcommittee, said before Wednesday’s vote that she had “a great big smile on my face” anticipating the bill’s approval.
“There’s really nothing more important than securing our nation and making sure our people in the military have the equipment and the training they need,” Granger, a Republican, told reporters.
The bill “shows really major investments in our air superiority, our shipbuilding, our ground forces: the things that (military leaders and troops) need and the things they deserve,” she said.
The bill includes the largest pay raise for the military in nine years, a fact Granger said was about more than money. “It’s to say that we’re with you and we support you,” she said, referring to U.S. troops at home and abroad.
Bills being considered in the House and Senate would provide funding for the border wall. GOP leaders have said they prefer to resolve the issue after the midterm elections.
Read More Congress Approves, Sends to Trump Bill to Avert Shutdown : https://ift.tt/2OXraWMUS, Japan Working Toward Free-trade Agreement
The United States and Japan have agreed to begin negotiations on a bilateral free-trade agreement, reducing the prospect that Washington might impose tariffs against another trading partner.
“We’ve agreed today to start trade negotiations between the United States and Japan,” U.S. President Donald Trump said at a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.
“This was something that for various reasons over the years Japan was unwilling to do and now they are willing to do. So we’re very happy about that, and I’m sure that we will come to a satisfactory conclusion, and if we don’t, ohhhhhh,” Trump added.
Fast-track authority
The White House released a statement after the meeting, stating the two countries would enter into talks after completing necessary domestic procedures for a bilateral trade agreement on goods and other key areas, including services.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer called it a “very important step” in expanding U.S.-Japan relations. He told reporters that the U.S. and Japan were aiming to approve a full free-trade agreement soon. Lighthizer said he would talk to Congress on Thursday about seeking authority for the president to negotiate the agreement, under the “fast track” trade authority law.
Lighthizer said he expected the negotiations to include the goal of reaching an “early harvest” on reducing tariffs and other trade barriers.
Tokyo’s reticence
Tokyo had been reluctant to commit to a bilateral free-trade pact and had hoped that Washington would consider returning to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a broader regional trade agreement championed by the Obama administration that Trump pulled out of in January 2017.
Trump has complained about Japan’s $69 billion trade surplus with the U.S. and has been pressuring Abe to agree to a two-way agreement to address it, including during Abe’s visit to Trump’s Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, in April.
Japanese officials have expressed concern Trump might pressure Tokyo to open up its politically sensitive farm market. They also are wary Trump might demand a reduction in Japanese auto imports or impose high tariffs on autos and auto parts, which would be detrimental to Japan’s export-reliant economy.
Trump is expressing confidence the two sides will reach an agreement.
“We’re going to have a really great relationship, better than ever before on trade,” he said. “It can only be better for the United States because it couldn’t get any worse because of what’s happened over the years.”
Ginsburg Voices Support for #MeToo on Eve of Kavanaugh Hearing
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg voiced support for the #MeToo movement Wednesday in a striking statement on the eve of a high-stakes U.S. Senate hearing into allegations of sexual misconduct by President Donald Trump’s nominee to the court, Brett Kavanaugh.
During a question-and-answer period after an address to first-year law students at Georgetown University in Washington, Ginsburg was asked if there was anything she was excited or disappointed about regarding the current women’s movement.
After discussing the problem of “unconscious bias” that leads to gender discrimination, she said she was “cheered on” by the #MeToo movement, a national reckoning with sexual assault and harassment that has brought down dozens of rich and powerful men.
“Every woman of my vintage has not just one story but many stories, but we thought there was nothing you could do about it — boys will be boys — so just find a way to get out of it,” said Ginsburg, 85.
Ginsburg said that the #MeToo movement showed women coming together in numbers.
“So it was one complaint and then one after another the complaints mounted. So women nowadays are not silent about bad behavior,” she said.
Ginsburg did not mention Kavanaugh or the women who have accused him of sexual misconduct.
During a Senate hearing Thursday, one accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, will testify about an alleged 1982 incident in which she said Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when both of them were in high school.
Two other women have come forward with allegations.
Kavanaugh, who was named by Trump to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy, who retired in July, has denied the allegations. The Supreme Court’s 2018 term officially begins on Oct. 1.
Melania Trump to Visit 4 African Countries
U.S. first lady Melania Trump will visit four countries in Africa next month, on her first major solo international trip.
Mrs. Trump, the wife of U.S. President Donald Trump, will make stops in Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt during the first week in October, according to a White House statement released Wednesday.
"October 1 will mark the first day of my solo visit to four beautiful and very different countries in Africa," she told a reception in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.
Mrs. Trump said she looks forward to promoting the message of her "Be Best" child-welfare initiative during the trip.
The White House says the U.S. Agency for International Development is helping to coordinate the trip, and notes Mrs. Trump's stops will focus on maternal and newborn care in hospitals, education for children, and the role the United States plays in helping each country to become self-sufficient.
Trump: Details on 2nd Summit with N. Korean Leader Coming Soon
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday his administration is planning a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and will announce details soon.
"I'll be meeting with Chairman Kim," Trump told reporters at the United Nation's General Assembly in New York. Trump said a date and location of the summit would be announced soon.
Earlier Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he is planning the summit and that it may take place after October.
"We're working diligently to make sure we get the conditions right so that we can accomplish as much as possible during the summit. But we hope it will be soon," Pompeo told CBS This Morning. "It may happen in October, but more likely sometime after that."
Pompeo's remarks came one day after Trump touted his relationship with North Korea, telling the United Nation's General Assembly it has helped ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
"The missiles and rockets are no longer flying in every direction, nuclear testing has stopped, some military facilities are already being dismantled," Trump said.
Trump added that "much work remains to be done" with North Korea and said, "The sanctions will stay in place until denuclearization occurs."
His comments about North Korea were in sharp contrast from those he delivered at the assembly last year, when he threatened to "totally destroy" the country and ridiculed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as "Rocket Man" who was on a "suicide mission."
The two leaders' meeting in Singapore in June produced a broad commitment from Kim to "work toward" denuclearization of the peninsula. Despite Trump's praise of Pyongyang, the Trump administration has said Pyongyang is stalling in meeting the goals set in Singapore. Washington has demanded that North Korea produce an inventory of its weapons programs and that it take irreversible steps to relinquish a nuclear arsenal that poses a potential threat to the U.S.
Pompeo said Kim had agreed to allow international inspectors to review North Korea's nuclear facilities but did not comment on whether they have been allowed to do so.
South Korea's president personally relayed a message to Trump on Monday, telling him that North Korea's leader wants to meet him again soon to make progress on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
"You are indeed the only person who can solve this problem," Moon Jae-in, who met Kim Jong Un last week in Pyongyang, told Trump.
Texas Candidates Fight it Out for Millennial Vote
Forty-five-year-old Democratic Congressman Beto O’Rourke is challenging 47-year-old Republican incumbent Ted Cruz for a Senate seat in the historically Republican state of Texas. VOA's Esha Sarai spoke with the candidates and young voters and volunteers energized by their campaigns.
Read More Texas Candidates Fight it Out for Millennial Vote : https://ift.tt/2zwkh9tTuesday, September 25, 2018
Memo Shows Separating Families Was US Government Policy
A newly released memo obtained by Open The Government (OTG) and Project on Government Oversight (POGO) through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) shows that the secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) signed off on the policy of separating parents and children at the U.S.-Mexico border.
According to the document dated April 23, DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was presented with three options to step up immigration enforcement at the border.
U.S. officials recommended "Option 3," which entailed to prosecute every adult who crossed the border illegally, including those in family units with children, because it would be the "most effective method to achieve operation objectives and the administration's goal to end catch and release."
Online news organization The Intercept reported on the memo and wrote that even though the signature on the document is redacted, a DHS spokesperson confirmed it was signed by Nielsen.
The memo is notable because Nielsen posted on Twitter in June, "We do not have a policy of separating families at the border. Period."
182 still separated
Besides the memo, other communications on family separation were released through the FOIA to both watchdog groups and also shared with The Intercept. Both organizations also obtained an "unredacted copy of the memo, which at the request of their sources, is not being published."
Separating families was part of the Trump administration's Zero Tolerance policy under which those detained upon illegally entering the United States were being criminally charged, a policy that led to children being separated from their parents. Under U.S. law, children cannot stay with a parent facing criminal charges.
After an international outcry, Trump halted the breakup of families, most of them from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. But the order left government officials unprepared to deal with the reunification of families where children had their parents had already been separated.
According to the same documents, at least 182 children still remain separated from their parents.
The Washington Post had reported on the memo before Nielsen added her signature.
US Military Official: No Plans for Venezuela Military Intervention
U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to lead U.S. military operations in Latin America said on Tuesday there is no planning under way for any kind of military option to address the economic and political crisis in Venezuela.
Navy Vice Admiral Craig Faller, the nominee to lead the U.S. Southern Command, was asked at his Senate confirmation hearing whether there had been suggestions from Trump or other top U.S. officials that preparations should be made for "surgical or other" military action.
"We are not doing anything other than normal prudent planning that a combatant command would do to prepare for a range of contingencies," Faller said in a response to a question from Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill.
Venezuela accused the United States this month of seeking an intervention and supporting military conspiracies following a New York Times report that the Trump administration held secret meetings with rebellious military officers over the last year to discuss a plan to overthrow Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Faller also spoke during the hearing of the military's plans to support Venezuela's neighbors Colombia, Ecuador and Peru as they deal with migrants fleeing Venezuela due to the country's economic crisis, including plans to send a U.S. Navy hospital ship, the Comfort.
O'Rourke Condemns Activists for Forcing Cruz From Restaurant
Democratic Rep. Beto O'Rourke is condemning a protest that forced his opponent in Texas' closer-than-expected Senate race to leave a Washington restaurant.
Online videos posted by an activist group show Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and his wife, Heidi, being confronted by protesters about the allegations of sexual misconduct by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh while entering a restaurant Monday night.
The protesters chant, "We believe survivors." Cruz responds, "God bless you." But the couple eventually leaves.
O'Rourke tweeted Tuesday: "Not right that Senator Cruz and his wife Heidi were surrounded and forced to leave a restaurant" because of protests. O'Rourke said the "Cruz family should be treated with respect."
Some Trump officials have previously been hounded out of restaurants by protesters, with videos of the incidents attracting attention.
Panel Urges Funding for New Voting Machines in Pennsylvania
A group examining election security in Pennsylvania is urging Congress and state lawmakers to speed up replacement of voting machines, noting most lack a paper record needed to check for fraud and errors.
The Blue Ribbon Commission on Pennsylvania's Election Security released interim recommendations Tuesday, saying the integrity of the state's elections is at risk.
Gov. Tom Wolf's administration said earlier this year that counties buying new electronic voting systems must insure they leave a paper trail.
The Pennsylvania Department of State says it's strongly considering banning the use of machines without a paper trial by the 2020 spring primary.
About four in five voters in the state use machines that lack an auditable paper trial.
It would take an estimated $125 million to replace all machines statewide.
Supreme Court Nominee in TV Interview Rejects Sexual Misconduct Accusations
Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump’s embattled Supreme Court nominee, tells the Fox News Channel that he is not withdrawing his name from consideration despite the sexual abuse accusations against him. He is calling for a fair process. Meanwhile, Democrat and Republican lawmakers are at odds as to how the allegations should be handled. VOA's Jesusemen Oni has more.
Read More Supreme Court Nominee in TV Interview Rejects Sexual Misconduct Accusations : https://ift.tt/2QTtwXUMonday, September 24, 2018
Scientists Voice Opposition to Changes in US Endangered Species Act
Thousands of scientists joined on Monday to accuse the Trump administration of trying to erode the Endangered Species Act in favor of commercial interests with a plan to revamp regulations that have formed a bedrock of U.S. wildlife protection for over 40 years.
The extraordinary critique of the administration's proposal, which was unveiled in July, came in an open letter addressed to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross from three associations representing 9,000 professional biologists.
A separate letter similarly condemning revisions proposed to endangered species policies was signed by 273 leading university scientists from around the country.
Both came as the 60-day public comment period drew to a close for what would be the most sweeping overhaul in decades of the rules implementing the landmark environmental law.
The 1973 Endangered Species Act (ESA) currently protects more than 1,600 species of U.S. animals and plants listed as either endangered — on the brink of extinction — or threatened — deemed likely to become extinct in the foreseeable future.
The ESA is credited with a number of high-profile success stories, including the comeback of the American bald eagle, the California condor and the grizzly bear.
But the act has long been controversial for requiring the government to designate "critical habitat" deemed essential to a listed species' survival and limiting commercial activities there, such as construction, mining, energy development or logging.
Developers and other critics argue that such restrictions pose an unfair and overly burdensome intrusion on property rights and economic activity.
Under the administration's proposal, the government would end the practice of automatically treating endangered species and threatened species essentially the same.
The plan also calls for initially evaluating a species' critical habitat on the basis of its current range, rather than according to the larger area it could be expected to occupy once recovered.
The administration has argued its proposal would enhance wildlife protection by building greater support for a statute that has become outdated and by streamlining the regulatory process.
Scientists, however, said the planned revisions would undermine the ESA and drive some wildlife closer to extinction.
One proposed change, they said, to allow consideration of economic factors when assessing a species' status, would violate the law's requirement that safeguards hinge solely on science.
"This is completely disastrous for efforts to save species from extinction," said Stuart Pimm, a conservation ecology professor at Duke University.
A spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Brian Hires, said the agency encourages "input on our proposed ESA regulatory changes from all stakeholders as part of a robust and transparent public process."
Who Would Oversee Mueller Investigation After Rosenstein?
U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversees the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russia's role in the 2016 presidential election, is set to meet President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday to discuss his future.
The following explains what happens to oversight of the Mueller probe if Rosenstein is no longer in charge.
What is Rosenstein's involvement with the Mueller probe?
The deputy attorney general took charge of the investigation into Russian interference in the election because U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who had some contact with Russian officials while working on the Trump campaign, recused himself.
After Trump fired Federal Bureau of Investigation director James Comey in May 2017, Rosenstein appointed former FBI director Mueller to the role of special counsel and tasked him with investigating Russian interference in the election.
Rosenstein supervises Mueller and has signed off on his decisions to bring criminal charges against individuals associated with Trump's presidential campaign. The probe has so far resulted in more than 30 indictments and six guilty pleas.
Who would succeed Rosenstein in overseeing the Mueller probe?
If Rosenstein left his job, the task of overseeing Mueller's investigation would typically fall to the associate attorney general, the No. 3 official at the Department of Justice behind Sessions and Rosenstein.
The current holder of that position, Jesse Panuccio, does so in an acting capacity and has not been confirmed by the Senate.
That means under Justice Department rules he would not be able to succeed Rosenstein in taking charge of the special counsel probe.
Instead, it would fall to U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco, according to an internal Justice Department memo on succession from November 2016 that is still in effect.
Some legal experts have said Francisco would have to recuse himself because his former law firm, Jones Day, represented the Trump campaign. If that were to happen, the next in line to oversee the special counsel would be Steven Engel, the assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel.
Could Trump pick a replacement for Rosenstein?
President Trump could potentially bypass the Justice Department's succession order by invoking the Vacancies Reform Act of 1998 (VRA), which lays out general rules for temporarily filling vacant executive branch positions when the prior holder "dies, resigns, or is otherwise unable to perform" their duties.
If Rosenstein resigned, the VRA would allow the president to replace him on an interim basis with another official who has already been confirmed by the Senate. That person could be from any part of the executive branch, not necessarily the Justice Department.
Some legal experts argue that such a replacement would not be able to oversee the Mueller probe because Rosenstein is doing so as acting attorney general. A Justice Department guideline holds that an official cannot be both acting attorney general and acting deputy attorney general, but experts differ on whether that rule would have to be followed.
It is also not clear whether the law, intended to address vacancies created by deaths or resignations, would apply if such a vacancy were created by an official being fired by the president. Such an appointment could be challenged in court on that ground.
Yale Law Students Protest Kavanaugh Nomination
Yale Law School students are protesting the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court and demanding an investigation of sexual misconduct allegations against him.
Dozens of students wearing black staged a sit-in at the law school Monday. Yale officials cancelled classes to accommodate the demonstration. Some Yale students traveled to Washington to protest the nomination.
The protest came the morning after The New Yorker published the account of a woman who says Kavanaugh exposed himself to her when they were students at Yale in the 1983-84 academic year. Another woman has accused Kavanaugh of assaulting her in high school.
Kavanaugh denies the allegations.
Fifty Yale faculty members have signed a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee urging the Senate to conduct "a fair and deliberate confirmation process."
Rosenstein to Meet with Trump Thursday
The White House says Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will meet with President Donald Trump on Thursday, following news reports that the senior Justice Department official was expecting to be fired.
The announcement comes days after The New York Times reported that Rosenstein last year suggested secretly recording President Donald Trump and that he raised the idea of using the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office for being unfit to govern.
Rosenstein had denied the newspaper report last week.
“At the request of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, he and President Trump had an extended conversation to discuss the recent news stories. Because the President is at the United Nations General Assembly and has a full schedule with leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the President returns to Washington, D.C.,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Monday.
Some media reports Monday suggested that Rosenstein had discussed resigning while others said he is refusing to leave unless he is fired.
After last week's Times story, Rosenstein said, "The New York Times's story is inaccurate and factually incorrect. I will not further comment on a story based on anonymous sources who are obviously biased against the department and are advancing their own personal agenda. But let me be clear about this: based on my personal dealing with the President, there is no basis to invoke the 25th Amendment," he said in a statement.
The 25th amendment outlines a process for the vice president and a majority of the cabinet to remove the president from office if he or she is unable to perform their official duties.
Rosenstein later issued a second statement denying the allegations in even stronger terms: “I never pursued or authorized recording the President and any suggestion that I have ever advocated for the removal of the President is absolutely false.”
A source who was in the room when Rosenstein made the remark about recording the president said in a statement shared with VOA that the comment was made sarcastically. The source said it "was never discussed with any intention of recording a conversation with the president."
The deputy attorney general oversees the Special Counsel probe into Russia's interference in the 2016 election. Whether he is fired or resigns on his own could affect who will oversee the Russia investigation.
A Justice Department spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The allegation about Rosenstein detailed in last week's New York Times story was included in contemporaneous memos kept by ousted Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe. The memos, which detailed McCabe’s interactions with President Trump and other high-level officials, were later turned over to the special counsel.
In a statement released on Monday, McCabe expressed concern that Rosenstein’s departure could jeopardize the Russia probe,.
“If the rumors of Deputy AG Rosenstein’s departure are true, I am deeply concerned that it puts that investigation at risk,” McCabe said.
Reports: Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein Expects to be Fired
U.S. media reports say Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is expecting to be fired. While some reports suggest that he has discussed resigning, others say he is refusing to leave unless he is fired.
The news come days after The New York Times reported that Rosenstein last year suggested secretly recording President Donald Trump and that he raised the idea of using the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office for being unfit to govern.
Rosenstien had denied the newspaper report last week.
"The New York Times's story is inaccurate and factually incorrect. I will not further comment on a story based on anonymous sources who are obviously biased against the Department and are advancing their own personal agenda. But let me be clear about this: based on my personal dealing with the President, there is no basis to invoke the 25th Amendment," he said in a statement.
A source who was in the room during a meeting when Rosenstein made the remark about recording the president told VOA that the remark was made sarcastically. He said it "was never discussed with any intention of recording a conversation with the president."
The deputy attorney general oversees the Special Counsel probe into Russia's interference in the 2016 election. Whether he is fired or resigns on his own could affect who will succeed him as a deputy attorney general.
Trump Promises 2nd Summit with Kim 'Quite Soon'
U.S. President Donald Trump says he will hold a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "quite soon."
Trump, who made the comment Monday at the United Nations, also cited his administration' "tremendous progress" on North Korea.
"The relationship is very good with North Korea. We have many things in store. Looks like we'll have a second summit quite soon," Trump said.
Trump cited a recent "beautiful letter," sent from Kim to Trump, in which the North Korean leader asked for a second meeting.
"And we'll be doing that," Trump said. "Secretary (of State Mike) Pompeo will work that out in the immediate future. Looks like it's moving very very well."
The comments come a year after Trump used a U.N. speech to threaten to "totally destroy" North Korea and call Kim "rocket man."
Since then Trump has changed his tone. After meeting with Kim in June, Trump insisted a deal had been reached under which North Korea would abandon its nuclear weapons.
But despite the improved ties with the U.S., North Korea is not believed to have actually taken any steps toward giving up its nuclear arsenal.
Eyeing White House, Cory Booker Introduces Himself to Iowa
Cory Booker isn't being subtle.
With the Iowa caucuses still well over a year away, the New Jersey senator is working overtime to make an impression in Iowa and in other states crucial to the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
Booker has secured the keynote speaker role at the marquee fall Democratic Party fundraising banquet in Des Moines on Oct. 6. He'll also headline a Democratic fundraiser later in October in South Carolina, which holds the first primary in the South and is a key test of support among black voters.
The moves are a notable break from other well-known Democrats considering 2020 campaigns. While other top-tier prospects have fostered relationships in Iowa, only Booker has plans for now to be in the state ahead of the November midterm elections.
Muslim-American Women Seek to Represent Changing Face of US in Congress
Depending on the outcome of the November midterm elections, the U.S. House of Representatives is likely to welcome the first two Muslim-American women into the chamber as lawmakers. They join Indiana Congressman Andre Carson as members of the national government representing an often misunderstood and marginalized faith. As VOA's Kane Farabaugh reports the candidates represent the changing face of the U.S. Congress in a country with a changing religious and ethnic makeup.
Read More Muslim-American Women Seek to Represent Changing Face of US in Congress : https://ift.tt/2NC8Dm8Sunday, September 23, 2018
Pompeo: US Would Win Trade War with China
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo vows the United States will be victorious in any trade war with China, a day before the Trump administration's latest tariffs on Chinese imports go into effect.
Pompeo told Fox News on Sunday. "We are going to get an outcome which forces China to behave in a way that if you want to be a power, a global power... you do not steal intellectual property."
The Trump administration has argued tariffs on Chinese goods would force China to trade on more favorable terms with the United States.
It has demanded that China better protect American intellectual property, including ending the practice of cyber theft. The Trump administration has also called on China to allow U.S. companies greater access to Chinese markets and to cut its U.S. trade surplus.
Last week, the United States ordered duties on another $200 billion of Chinese goods to go into effect on September 24 (Monday). China responded by adding $60 billion of U.S. products to its import tariff list.
The Untied States already has imposed tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods, and China has retaliated on an equal amount of U.S. goods.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump threatened more tariffs on Chinese goods — another $267 billion worth of duties that would cover virtually all the goods China imports to the United States.
Saturday, September 22, 2018
Arizona Congressman Blasts Siblings Who Endorsed Opponent
Six siblings of U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar have urged voters to cast their ballots against the Arizona Republican in November in an unusual political ad sponsored by the rival candidate.
The television ad from Democrat David Brill combines video interviews with Gosar-family siblings who ask voters to usher Paul Gosar out of office because he has broken with the family’s values. They do not elaborate.
They previously condemned the congressman’s false accusation in 2017 that wealthy Democratic donor George Soros was a Nazi collaborator in World War II.
“It’s intervention time,” Tim Gosar says in the ad, endorsing Brill. “And intervention time means that you go to vote, and you go to vote Paul out.”
Gosar is a fourth-term congressman for a sprawling district in northwestern and central Arizona.
Congressman: 'Stalin would be proud'
He fired back at his brothers and sisters in a series of twitter posts, calling them disgruntled supporters of Hillary Clinton from out of state who put ideology before family.
“My siblings who chose to film ads against me are all liberal Democrats who hate President Trump,” Gosar said. “Stalin would be proud.”
In a separate video segment, the siblings urge voters to hold the congressman accountable on health care, employment and environmental issues.
Paul Gosar’s comments about Soros came in a television interview with Vice News in which he also suggested a 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, might have been a liberal conspiracy.
Why siblings are speaking out
In the new ad, the congressman’s siblings describe their decision to speak out as saddening, horrible and ultimately a matter of pride for the family from Wyoming.
“I think my brother has traded a lot of the values we had at our kitchen table,” says Joan Gosar, an engineer.
Pete Gosar, another sibling who ran unsuccessfully as a candidate for governor of Wyoming in 2014, doesn’t appear in the ad, though he has publicly criticized his brother’s views in the past.
Wisconsin feud
The rift in the Gosar clan is not the only sibling feud to wend its way into campaigning this year for Congress, as Democrats seek to retake majority control of the House and Senate from Republicans.
In the race to replace House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, Democratic congressional candidate Randy Bryce is confronting an ad in which his brother endorses the Republican candidate.
That upset Nancy Bryce, their mother, who has denounced the campaign ad in a letter recently made public.
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