Obama Backs More Than 200 Democrats Ahead of Midterms

WASHINGTON — 

Former President Barack Obama is expanding his influence ahead of November's midterm elections. On Monday, he released a second slate of endorsements for Democrats running for offices ranging from local to national, bringing the total to more than 300.

Among the most prominent candidates to win Obama's support are Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic congressional candidate who won an upset primary victory this summer in New York; Andrew Gillum, the Tallahassee mayor who is running for governor in Florida; and Kyrsten Sinema, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Arizona.

While the candidates that Obama endorsed stretch up and down the ballot -- from gubernatorial hopefuls to aspiring state lawmakers -- he notably declined to wade into several races that have captivated national attention. Obama did not endorse Rep. Beto O'Rourke, the Democrat challenging Sen. Ted Cruz in Texas, or Phil Bredesen, a former Democratic governor of Tennessee who is now running for Senate against Republican Rep. Marcia Blackburn.

Obama's endorsement might not be helpful to Democrats competing in southern states, where the former president isn't popular. Bredesen said last month he wouldn't welcome Obama or other party leaders campaigning for him in Tennessee.

Obama favored Democrats in close races across the country, veterans of his administration and past campaigns, and he also prioritized diversity. In a statement, Obama described the candidates as "Americans who aren't just running against something, but for something."

"The Democratic Party has always made the biggest difference in the lives of the American people when we lead with conviction, principle and bold, new ideas. Our incredible array of candidates up and down the ticket, all across the country, make up a movement of citizens who are younger, more diverse, more female than ever before," Obama said.

The former president's engagement in the political fray since leaving office has been limited and carefully crafted. He returned to the political stage last month with a speech in Illinois, in which he made a sharp break from the deference that past presidents typically show their successors, offering a scathing rebuke of President Donald Trump's tenure.

Since then, as he has campaigned on behalf of Democrats in states like California, Ohio and Pennsylvania, he has largely shied away from as explicit indictments of the Trump presidency, instead imploring voters -- particularly young Americans -- to vote.

Hillary Clinton, the former Democratic presidential nominee, also tweeted words of encouragement for a slew of Democrats backed by Run For Something, a group launched in the aftermath of the 2016 elections to encourage young Democrats to enter politics.

"Pitch into their campaigns if you can, reach out to friends in their districts to encourage their support, or start with a like or a follow," Clinton tweeted. "November 6th is only 36 days away, so there's no time to waste."

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What to Know About FBI Probe of Brett Kavanaugh

WASHINGTON — 

Why is the FBI conducting the probe?

All presidential appointees undergo a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) background check -- called a Special Inquiry (SPIN) -- before their names are sent to the Senate for confirmation.

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh had undergone six such checks as part of previous government appointments. But after three women came forward last month with accusations of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh, Democrats demanded a new FBI inquiry.

President Donald Trump initially balked at the idea, but on Friday he ordered a one-week probe of the allegations. The about-face came after moderate Republican and frequent Trump critic Sen. Jeff Flake threw his support behind the Democratic call for an investigation.

What is the FBI doing?

The FBI is conducting a supplemental background check on Kavanaugh, rather than a criminal investigation, in light of the sexual assault allegations.

Pete Yachmetz, a former FBI special agent and security consultant, said an FBI background check is a “complete, detailed, exhaustive inquiry” into a nominee’s suitability to appointment and probes into his or her birth, marital status, employment, bar membership and military service.

Because Kavanaugh has already been investigated several times, he and other witnesses would likely be reinterviewed. In addition, agents will likely conduct face-to-face interviews with two of Kavanaugh’s accusers – Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez.

FBI background investigations typically take 10 days. Yachmetz said the bureau should be able to complete its new background check by Friday and send its findings to the White House. All 56 field offices of the bureau are likely to be involved in the investigation.

Does the Trump administration have control over the investigation?

The White House has denied charges of "micromanaging" the Kavanaugh investigation.

The White House had initially asked the FBI to limit its investigation to the Ford and Ramirez allegations and reportedly provided the bureau with a list of four witnesses to question. But on Monday Trump said he wanted a "comprehensive" probe and that he would not object if the FBI interviewed the third accuser, Julie Swetnick.

Trump has also said he wants the FBI to interview anyone it deems necessary to complete its investigation.

Democrats have called for a much longer list of witnesses to be interviewed and slammed the White House limits on the investigation as a "farce."

Who determined the scope of the probe?

The White House initially set the terms of the investigation. It instructed the FBI to limit its investigation to the Ford and Ramirez allegations, interview four witnesses and complete its findings within a week. Democrats called the timeline arbitrary and pushed for a more expansive investigation, leading to reverse course.

What will the investigation deliver?

The investigation seeks to determine the veracity of the accusations of sexual misconduct when Kavanaugh was in high school and college.

The FBI has already interviewed several witnesses. Next in line are others with knowledge of the events that allegedly took place over three decades ago.

The FBI's executive summary of the investigation to the White House will lay out the facts without reaching any conclusion or making any recommendations, Yachmetz said.

“They’re not going to solve the matter,” he said. “They’re not going to vindicate Judge Kavanaugh, they’re not going to prove any crimes or disprove any allegations.”

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North Dakota Officials Tell Tribes of Election Requirements

BISMARCK, N.D. — 

North Dakota is going ahead with requiring residents to provide a street address in order to vote on Election Day, even though some American Indian tribes have argued in federal court that they sometimes aren't assigned on reservations.

Secretary of State Al Jaeger's office notified the state's five tribes by email late Friday of North Dakota voter ID requirements. The email said obtaining a residential street address is a quick and no-cost process that can be done by notifying 911 coordinators in any of North Dakota's 53 counties.

A file containing a downloadable poster was attached to the email.

"The effort is to educate people who vote and how to comply with the law," Deputy Secretary of State Jim Silrum said Monday.

Elections officials sent the email Friday hours after lawyers representing a group of Native Americans appealed their lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme Court, saying new voter ID requirements in place in North Dakota will lead to confusion during the upcoming election.

The emergency appeal from the tribal members came days after a federal appeals court ended an injunction in the case. The injunction would have required the state to accept forms of identification and supporting documents that included a current mailing address, such as a post office box, instead of requiring a current street address.

Street addresses aren't always assigned on Native American reservations, so members of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa sued the state, alleging its ID requirements discriminated against Native Americans. A district court judge agreed in April.

American Indians tend to vote for Democrats and their vote is especially important this year, as Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp is in a close race with Republican Kevin Cramer that could help determine control of the Senate.

Census data show American Indians make up only about 5 percent of North Dakota's population but tribal members' strong support for Heitkamp played a big role in her election to the U.S. Senate in 2012 by fewer than 3,000 votes.

North Dakota has required voters to provide ID since 2004. Voters without an ID were allowed to sign an affidavit attesting to their eligibility to vote, but the Legislature removed that provision in 2013 shortly after Heitkamp's win. The GOP-controlled Legislature has said Heitkamp's victory had no bearing on the legislation.

The Turtle Mountain reservation is located in Rolette County in north-central North Dakota. County emergency coordinator Mike Stewart said Monday that residential street addresses have been assigned in "99 percent" of the county — including on the reservation — in the past several years.

He agreed with state elections officials that obtaining a residential street address is a no-cost and quick process that may take no more than a few hours.

"It's very possible some homes have been overlooked," Stewart said.

One problem, he said, is that many people don't realize their homes have been assigned a street address, a process that has been ongoing over the past several years.

Stewart said many people still rely on post offices boxes to get their mail.

Sioux County Sheriff Frank Landeis said that also is the case in his county, which contains the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, North Dakota's largest.

Landeis said residential street addresses have been assigned to every known dwelling in the county, which covers more than 1,100 square miles in south-central North Dakota.

"As far as I know, everybody has an address down here," he said. "If they don't, it's very simple to get one."

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Flake Stokes Presidential Speculation as Court Debate Rages

BOSTON — 

The Republican senator who suddenly sits at the center of the explosive Supreme Court debate vowed Monday to ensure the FBI does "a real investigation" into President Donald Trump's nominee as he trekked across New England while exploring a possible run for president.

"It does us no good to have an investigation that just gives us more cover," Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake told hundreds of young people at the Forbes Under 30 Summit.

Flake's comments come as the White House insisted it's not "micromanaging" the new one-week review of decades-old allegations of sexual misconduct against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Some Democratic lawmakers claimed the White House was keeping investigators from interviewing certain witnesses.

Flake delivered the message at a Boston conference hours before he faced New Hampshire voters for the second time this year. The 55-year-old Republican, who is retiring from the Senate at the end of the year, has already declared his interest in a possible 2020 presidential bid — as a Republican or an independent — in part to stop Trump from winning a second term.

Three days ago, Flake single-handedly delayed Kavanaugh's confirmation proceedings by insisting on an FBI investigation as a condition for his support.

He told CBS' "60 Minutes" on Sunday that the conservative judge's nomination would be "over" if federal investigators determine he lied to the committee.

Flake, a lifelong conservative has quickly emerged as the centerpiece of a passionate lobbying effort from the right and left.

Organizers of the Boston event said they moved the location to City Hall after security concerns emerged about the original location.

Hundreds of liberal protesters, victims of sexual assault among them, pleaded with Flake to block Kavanaugh's nomination outside the venue. A similar demonstration was planned for New Hampshire.

New York congressional candidate Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez warned Flake and other elected leaders that voters would end their careers should they support Trump's Supreme Court nominee.

"We are going to keep pushing because justice in America is not just about protecting the powerful," Ocasio-Cortez charged. "It is about uplifting the voices that have been victimized."

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh offered a direct message to the Republican senator from Arizona.

"I guess I want to say, 'Thank you,'" Walsh said. "But that's your job. That's your job to vet the nominee."

The true test for Flake would come once the full Senate votes on the Kavanaugh nomination in the coming days, Walsh said.

"He has an opportunity to do something very special at some point next week," the mayor said.

Flake was set to address New Hampshire voters later in the day.

In March, Flake told New Hampshire Republicans that someone needs to stop Trump in the 2020 presidential contest. Flake said he may run — either as a Republican or an independent — if no one else does.

"It has not been in my plans to run for president, but I have not ruled it out," Flake said at the time.

"I hope that someone does run in the Republican primary, somebody to challenge the president," Flake said. "I think that the Republicans want to be reminded what it means to be a traditional, decent Republican."

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Trump: FBI Should 'Interview Anyone They Want' in Kavanaugh Investigation

Trump Administration Misses Refugee Admissions Deadline

The Trump administration has missed the end-of-fiscal-year deadline to set the maximum number of refugees that will be allowed to come to the United States in the next 12 months.

"Consultations and the subsequent Presidential Determination (PD) normally take place by October 1; however, on some occasions the consultations and subsequent PD have been completed later," a U.S. State Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement to VOA. "We do not expect this will have any operational impact on the Refugee Admissions Program."

The agency did not respond immediately to a request for an updated timeline.

In recent weeks, the administration proposed a record-low refugee ceiling for the 2019 Fiscal Year of 30,000 refugees. Congress must be consulted about the cap before a final number can be issued.

President Donald Trump has dramatically cut refugee arrivals to the United States since taking office.

From Oct. 1, 2017, to Sept. 30, 2018, State Department data show 22,491 refugees came to the country, well below the ceiling of 45,000 that Trump established last year.

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Donald Trump Jr. to Rally for Maine Republicans

AUGUSTA, MAINE — 

President Donald Trump's son is set to help raise money for Republican candidates in Maine.

Donald Trump Jr. will speak Monday night at a fundraising event at the Holiday Inn By The Bay in Portland. A spokeswoman for the Maine GOP said the event will be closed to the press.

A public portion of the event will cost $100 per attendee. Tickets for a private reception start at $1,500 per person.

Republican guests include Governor Paul LePage, U.S. Senate candidate Eric Brakey, Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason and House Republican Leader Ken Fredette.

Trump Jr. is a vocal proponent of his father's policies. He's recently headlined rallies in Pennsylvania and Montana.

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