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babylonsister
babylonsister's Journal
babylonsister's Journal
January 30, 2020
Leading Iowa Newspaper Demands Iowa’s 2 GOP Senators Call Witnesses
JakeThomas
The Des Moines Register editorial board on Wednesday called upon Iowa Senators Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley to support additional witnesses in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial — even going so far as to say it would be reasonable for people to question Ernst’s loyalty to the U.S. Constitution.
“It is hard to imagine anyone questioning Sen. Joni Ernst’s allegiance to President Donald Trump,” the editorial began. “She has been among his most unwavering supporters.”
But as Trump’s impeachment trial continues, the newspaper wrote, some Iowans “may question her allegiance to the U.S. Constitution and the integrity of the U.S. Senate.”
All of the senators “would benefit from hearing from witnesses to have as much information as possible before” deciding whether Trump should be removed from office, but Republicans appear to have no interest in uncovering new information.
Ernst and Grassley “should step up and publicly support hearing from witnesses,” “vote ‘yes’ if the Senate takes up the question of whether to issue subpoenas — and insist that any issued subpoenas are enforced,” the editorial advised.
more...
https://mavenroundtable.io/theintellectualist/news/leading-iowa-newspaper-demands-iowa-s-2-gop-senators-call-witnesses-qjrjGSK6gkipceqnh2Di4w?fbclid=IwAR0dZleORqj4bmld3dZuBcpfx2T-gt_mYPHetbU8_Qw_u_2I9ZCcC9kSJxw
Leading Iowa Newspaper Demands Iowa's 2 GOP Senators Call Witnesses
Leading Iowa Newspaper Demands Iowa’s 2 GOP Senators Call Witnesses
JakeThomas
The Des Moines Register editorial board on Wednesday called upon Iowa Senators Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley to support additional witnesses in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial — even going so far as to say it would be reasonable for people to question Ernst’s loyalty to the U.S. Constitution.
“It is hard to imagine anyone questioning Sen. Joni Ernst’s allegiance to President Donald Trump,” the editorial began. “She has been among his most unwavering supporters.”
But as Trump’s impeachment trial continues, the newspaper wrote, some Iowans “may question her allegiance to the U.S. Constitution and the integrity of the U.S. Senate.”
All of the senators “would benefit from hearing from witnesses to have as much information as possible before” deciding whether Trump should be removed from office, but Republicans appear to have no interest in uncovering new information.
Ernst and Grassley “should step up and publicly support hearing from witnesses,” “vote ‘yes’ if the Senate takes up the question of whether to issue subpoenas — and insist that any issued subpoenas are enforced,” the editorial advised.
more...
https://mavenroundtable.io/theintellectualist/news/leading-iowa-newspaper-demands-iowa-s-2-gop-senators-call-witnesses-qjrjGSK6gkipceqnh2Di4w?fbclid=IwAR0dZleORqj4bmld3dZuBcpfx2T-gt_mYPHetbU8_Qw_u_2I9ZCcC9kSJxw
January 30, 2020
2 hours ago
CDC confirms first U.S. person-to-person coronavirus transmission
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
CDC confirms first U.S. person-to-person coronavirus transmission
https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-person-to-person-transmission-united-states-8229c7f1-0b11-405a-80e6-e9451411cca3.html2 hours ago
CDC confirms first U.S. person-to-person coronavirus transmission
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Thursday the first person-to-person transmission of the coronavirus in the U.S., CNBC reports.
The state of play: The disease has already killed at least 171 people in China and infected over 8,000. However, CDC Director Robert Redfield told reporters that the agency's "assessment remains that the immediate risk to the American public is low."
Officials said that a Chicago woman who traveled to Wuhan, China, the center of the outbreak, spread it to her husband. He is in good condition.
They are monitoring 21 other individuals in Illinois for possible infection.
The state of play: The disease has already killed at least 171 people in China and infected over 8,000. However, CDC Director Robert Redfield told reporters that the agency's "assessment remains that the immediate risk to the American public is low."
Officials said that a Chicago woman who traveled to Wuhan, China, the center of the outbreak, spread it to her husband. He is in good condition.
They are monitoring 21 other individuals in Illinois for possible infection.
January 30, 2020
The World Health Organization said the fast-spreading coronavirus that’s infected more than 8,200 across the world is a global health emergency — a rare designation that helps the international agency mobilize financial and political support to contain the outbreak.
The announcement comes just hours after the U.S. confirmed its first human-to-human transmission of the virus, which has killed at least 171 people in China and has now spread to at least 18 other countries.
Since emerging less than a month ago in Wuhan, China, the coronavirus has infected more people than the 2003 SARS epidemic, which sickened roughly 8,100 people across the globe over nine months. As of Thursday, there are at least eight cases in four countries, outside of China, of human-to-human transmission of the new coronavirus.
WHO defines a global health emergency, also known as a “public health emergency of international concern,” as an “extraordinary event” that is “serious, unusual or unexpected.”
more...
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/30/who-declares-china-coronavirus-a-global-health-emergency.html
WHO declares China coronavirus that's killed 171 a global health emergency
Health and Science
WHO declares China coronavirus that’s killed 171 a global health emergency
Published Thu, Jan 30 20202:43 PM ESTUpdated Moments Ago
Berkeley Lovelace Jr.
@BerkeleyJr
William Feuer
@WillFOIA
Key Points
The World Health Organization said the fast-spreading coronavirus that’s infected more than 8,200 across the world is a global health emergency.
The rare designation will help the international agency mobilize financial and political support to contain the outbreak.
The rare designation will help the international agency mobilize financial and political support to contain the outbreak.
The World Health Organization said the fast-spreading coronavirus that’s infected more than 8,200 across the world is a global health emergency — a rare designation that helps the international agency mobilize financial and political support to contain the outbreak.
The announcement comes just hours after the U.S. confirmed its first human-to-human transmission of the virus, which has killed at least 171 people in China and has now spread to at least 18 other countries.
Since emerging less than a month ago in Wuhan, China, the coronavirus has infected more people than the 2003 SARS epidemic, which sickened roughly 8,100 people across the globe over nine months. As of Thursday, there are at least eight cases in four countries, outside of China, of human-to-human transmission of the new coronavirus.
“Over the past few weeks we have witnessed the emergence of a previously unknown pathogen that has escalated into an unprecedented outbreak,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press conference at the organization’s Geneva headquarters on Thursday. “We must act together now to limit the spread.”
WHO defines a global health emergency, also known as a “public health emergency of international concern,” as an “extraordinary event” that is “serious, unusual or unexpected.”
more...
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/30/who-declares-china-coronavirus-a-global-health-emergency.html
January 30, 2020
Posted on Thu, Jan 30th, 2020 by Jason Easley
Trump’s Lawyers Are Threatening Republican Senators On Witnesses
Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said that Trump’s lawyers are threatening Republican Senators on the witness vote.
Leader Schumer said:
https://twitter.com/i/status/1222924026139594753
The Threat To Delay The Trial Is A Bluff
Sekulow’s threat was a sign of a legal team with no defense strategy. Trump’s lawyers have been threatening Senators with the prospect of a long impeachment trial, but the threat is a bluff because it is Trump who is being harmed by this trial. Trump’s reelection has been derailed by impeachment. It’s Trump who is worried about a long trial.
The vulnerable Republican Senators who buy into this threat can kiss their seats goodbye in the fall. The best chance that endangered Republican incumbents have is to allow witnesses, and then vote for acquittal.
Republicans in tight reelection races who vote to block witnesses are potentially voting themselves out of the Senate in November.
Trump's Lawyers Are Threatening Republican Senators On Witnesses
https://www.politicususa.com/2020/01/30/trump-lawyers-gop-senators.htmlPosted on Thu, Jan 30th, 2020 by Jason Easley
Trump’s Lawyers Are Threatening Republican Senators On Witnesses
Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said that Trump’s lawyers are threatening Republican Senators on the witness vote.
Leader Schumer said:
I believe Senate Republicans and the president’s team are worried about the vote. Yesterday Mr. Sekulow said that if the senate elects to subpoena witnesses and documents, the president’s team will force all sorts of manner of delay, to take the managers to court, assert privilege, drag it on forever. It was a shocking admission from Mr. Sekulow, revealing how concerned the president’s team are, how afraid they are. Of course, his argument isn’t true.
There’s no reason for endless delays. The documents are compiled. One key witness has already said he’d testify. We’d expect the others to comply if subpoenaed and questions of privilege can be sorted out right here in the senate. Mr. Sekulow’s argument was nothing more than a threat, a shakedown. He told Senators to their faces that the president’s team will do whatever it possibly can to prevent them from seeing the truth. It reminds you of something the president would do or say, and it should offend my Republican colleagues just as much as it offends us Democrats.
There’s no reason for endless delays. The documents are compiled. One key witness has already said he’d testify. We’d expect the others to comply if subpoenaed and questions of privilege can be sorted out right here in the senate. Mr. Sekulow’s argument was nothing more than a threat, a shakedown. He told Senators to their faces that the president’s team will do whatever it possibly can to prevent them from seeing the truth. It reminds you of something the president would do or say, and it should offend my Republican colleagues just as much as it offends us Democrats.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1222924026139594753
The Threat To Delay The Trial Is A Bluff
Sekulow’s threat was a sign of a legal team with no defense strategy. Trump’s lawyers have been threatening Senators with the prospect of a long impeachment trial, but the threat is a bluff because it is Trump who is being harmed by this trial. Trump’s reelection has been derailed by impeachment. It’s Trump who is worried about a long trial.
The vulnerable Republican Senators who buy into this threat can kiss their seats goodbye in the fall. The best chance that endangered Republican incumbents have is to allow witnesses, and then vote for acquittal.
Republicans in tight reelection races who vote to block witnesses are potentially voting themselves out of the Senate in November.
January 30, 2020
https://www.axios.com/wilbur-ross-coronavirus-jobs-us-china-384f6752-38fe-4a16-aa35-77edd0fa274c.html
Lisa Fernandez
3 hours ago
Wilbur Ross: Coronavirus will "help" bring jobs back to the U.S. from China
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Thursday on Fox Business' "Mornings with Maria" that the spread of coronavirus in China will "help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America."
Why it matters: The virus has killed 170 people in China and infected more than 7,700 people. Worries about the virus rattled U.S. markets this week as the Federal Reserve and other financial entities debated if they should weigh in on its potential impact.
The exchange:
Wilbur Ross: Coronavirus will "help" bring jobs back to the U.S. from China
https://www.axios.com/wilbur-ross-coronavirus-jobs-us-china-384f6752-38fe-4a16-aa35-77edd0fa274c.html
Lisa Fernandez
3 hours ago
Wilbur Ross: Coronavirus will "help" bring jobs back to the U.S. from China
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Thursday on Fox Business' "Mornings with Maria" that the spread of coronavirus in China will "help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America."
Why it matters: The virus has killed 170 people in China and infected more than 7,700 people. Worries about the virus rattled U.S. markets this week as the Federal Reserve and other financial entities debated if they should weigh in on its potential impact.
The exchange:
WILBUR ROSS: "Well, first of all, every American's heart has to go out to the victims of the coronavirus. So I don't want to talk about a victory lap over a very unfortunate, very malignant disease. But the fact is, it does give businesses yet another thing to consider when they go through their review of their supply chain. And top of all the other things, because you had SARS, you have the African swine virus there, now you have this. It's another risk factor that people need to take into account. So I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America, some to U.S., probably some to Mexico as well."
MARIA BARTIROMO: "Oh, that's a good point, actually. Yeah, because these companies have to do something. They're going to have to have an alternative once they shut down things in China is what you're saying."
ROSS: "Absolutely. And you've already heard Apple talking about figuring out how to replace some of the Chinese production. You had others also doing the same thing. And so I think there's a confluence of factors that will make it very, very likely more re-shoring to the U.S., and some re-shoring to Mexico."
MARIA BARTIROMO: "Oh, that's a good point, actually. Yeah, because these companies have to do something. They're going to have to have an alternative once they shut down things in China is what you're saying."
ROSS: "Absolutely. And you've already heard Apple talking about figuring out how to replace some of the Chinese production. You had others also doing the same thing. And so I think there's a confluence of factors that will make it very, very likely more re-shoring to the U.S., and some re-shoring to Mexico."
January 30, 2020
Evil.
New York Times: Trump administration to 'weaken' protections for migratory birds
By Devan Cole, CNN
Updated 10:40 AM ET, Thu January 30, 2020
Washington (CNN)A more than 100-year-old law protecting migratory birds from unintentional deaths by oil and gas companies and construction crews could be weakened by the Trump administration "as early as Thursday," The New York Times reported Thursday.
The Times said the administration is planning to eliminate the "threat of punishment" provided by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 to companies and organizations that unintentionally kill birds while performing their work. The new rule would solidify a legal opinion the Interior Department released in 2017, the paper said, which argued "only actions explicitly intended to kill birds should be forbidden under the federal law."
The new rule would mean that deaths of birds from an oil slick or by the distribution of illegal pesticides would not lead to financial penalties, according to the Times.
The paper said it will be "difficult" for the administration to complete the new rule by the November presidential election, but that the department "has indicated it will push aggressively to do so."
more...
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/30/politics/migratory-birds-protections-trump-administration/index.html
New York Times: Trump administration to 'weaken' protections for migratory birds
Evil.
New York Times: Trump administration to 'weaken' protections for migratory birds
By Devan Cole, CNN
Updated 10:40 AM ET, Thu January 30, 2020
Washington (CNN)A more than 100-year-old law protecting migratory birds from unintentional deaths by oil and gas companies and construction crews could be weakened by the Trump administration "as early as Thursday," The New York Times reported Thursday.
The Times said the administration is planning to eliminate the "threat of punishment" provided by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 to companies and organizations that unintentionally kill birds while performing their work. The new rule would solidify a legal opinion the Interior Department released in 2017, the paper said, which argued "only actions explicitly intended to kill birds should be forbidden under the federal law."
The new rule would mean that deaths of birds from an oil slick or by the distribution of illegal pesticides would not lead to financial penalties, according to the Times.
The paper said it will be "difficult" for the administration to complete the new rule by the November presidential election, but that the department "has indicated it will push aggressively to do so."
more...
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/30/politics/migratory-birds-protections-trump-administration/index.html
January 30, 2020
https://americanindependent.com/kellyanne-conway-life-expectancy-donald-trump-melania-white-house/?fbclid=IwAR1wJykIfWHUtgL9jHhan4TLf0V7Wudcy3uvMMnOcAOI9CbJr35yDX12h-A
Washington, D.C.
Thursday, January 30, 2020
Kellyanne Conway: Trump and Melania deserve credit for people living longer
By Oliver Willis -
January 30, 2020 11:14 AM
Kellyanne Conway claimed an increase in life expectancy in the U.S. 'happened through causation,' owing to Trump and his wife.
From a White House press briefing on Thursday:
Kellyanne Conway: Trump and Melania deserve credit for people living longer
https://americanindependent.com/kellyanne-conway-life-expectancy-donald-trump-melania-white-house/?fbclid=IwAR1wJykIfWHUtgL9jHhan4TLf0V7Wudcy3uvMMnOcAOI9CbJr35yDX12h-A
Washington, D.C.
Thursday, January 30, 2020
Kellyanne Conway: Trump and Melania deserve credit for people living longer
By Oliver Willis -
January 30, 2020 11:14 AM
Kellyanne Conway claimed an increase in life expectancy in the U.S. 'happened through causation,' owing to Trump and his wife.
From a White House press briefing on Thursday:
KELLYANNE CONWAY: We come before you bearing good news. For the first time in four years, life expectancy in the United States of America has increased. And for the first time in 29 years, the number of drug overdose deaths has decreased. This has not happened through coincidence, it's happened through causation. It's owing in large part to a whole-of-government approach to treat the whole person led by President Trump, first lady Melania Trump, and really the entire administration.
January 30, 2020
POLITICS 01/30/2020 04:08 am ET Updated 21 minutes ago
Ex-DOJ Official’s Chilling Warning: Donald Trump Will Do ‘Far Far Worse’ If Acquitted
Former acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal cautioned the Ukraine scandal could only be the start.
By Lee Moran
Former acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal on Wednesday warned that President Donald Trump will be emboldened to do “far far worse” if he is acquitted in his Senate impeachment trial.
Neal Katyal, who served in the Justice Department role under former President Barack Obama, made the prediction on Twitter after Trump’s defense lawyer Alan Dershowitz argued during impeachment proceedings that “if a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment.”
more...
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/neal-katyal-donald-trump-warning-impeachment_n_5e3292acc5b611ac94cfa71c?ncid=engmodushpmg00000003&fbclid=IwAR3Wt3EPrpapZIP2KVbvnHj_sm7YlgKIdjgi2QWptdwI_t-6gnNhMRVbets
Ex-DOJ Official's Chilling Warning: Donald Trump Will Do 'Far Far Worse' If Acquitted
POLITICS 01/30/2020 04:08 am ET Updated 21 minutes ago
Ex-DOJ Official’s Chilling Warning: Donald Trump Will Do ‘Far Far Worse’ If Acquitted
Former acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal cautioned the Ukraine scandal could only be the start.
By Lee Moran
Former acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal on Wednesday warned that President Donald Trump will be emboldened to do “far far worse” if he is acquitted in his Senate impeachment trial.
Neal Katyal, who served in the Justice Department role under former President Barack Obama, made the prediction on Twitter after Trump’s defense lawyer Alan Dershowitz argued during impeachment proceedings that “if a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment.”
“The fact a President would send his lawyer out to say such grossly unconstitutional things highlights the need for impeachment,” Katyal tweeted in response. “If he believes he can do anything, so long as 1 of his motives is to win reelection, he won’t just do Ukraine leverage again, he’ll do far far worse.”
more...
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/neal-katyal-donald-trump-warning-impeachment_n_5e3292acc5b611ac94cfa71c?ncid=engmodushpmg00000003&fbclid=IwAR3Wt3EPrpapZIP2KVbvnHj_sm7YlgKIdjgi2QWptdwI_t-6gnNhMRVbets
January 30, 2020
Robert Reich: Impeachment Trial: The Big Picture
So depressing.
https://prospect.org/impeachment/trump-senate-trial-the-big-picture/
Impeachment Trial: The Big Picture
The 10 things you need to understand about the Senate trial and the historic moment our country is in right now
by Robert Reich
January 30, 2020
Don’t get bogged down by the marathon minute-by-minute coverage of the Senate impeachment trial stretching late into the night. Don’t get overwhelmed by all the complex procedural maneuvers aimed at securing a fair and open trial with witness testimony and new documents that Republicans want to prevent at all costs.
We must stay focused on the big picture. Here are the 10 big things you need to understand about the Senate trial and the historic moment our country is in right now.
snip//
8. How has he kept his base so dedicated? By lying constantly, casting the mainstream press as biased and untrustworthy, relying on Trump’s propaganda machine (also known as Fox News) and right-wing radio to trumpet his lies, using Twitter and Facebook to deliver those lies directly to his followers, and fomenting the “culture war”—employing deep divisions over race, guns, religion, and immigrants—to continuously feed his base.
9. Where’s the money coming from? From the American oligarchy—billionaires, CEOs, corporate executives, and the denizens of Wall Street—who are funding the Republican Party and bankrolling Trump and his propaganda machine. They’re doing this because they’re raking in billions thanks to the Trump-Republican tax cuts and regulatory rollbacks. Trump is already promising them more if he gets a second term. “The attitude of the business community toward the Trump Administration appears quite positive,” said Stephen Schwarzman, who runs Blackstone, the world’s largest investment fund. “We are all adjusting to his abnormal behavior,” said former White House Communications Director and Trump ally-turned-enemy, Anthony Scaramucci. “The economic strength helps their cognitive dissonance.”
10. What can the rest of us do? Vote Trump out of office this November, and convince everyone you know to do so as well. It may seem daunting, but remember: We already beat the liar-in-chief by 2.8 million votes in 2016. And the 2018 elections had the highest turnout of any midterm election since 1914—handing House Republicans their most resounding defeat in decades. People are outraged, mobilized, and ready to keep fighting. If we come together, we will prevail.
January 30, 2020
Two more UK arenas cancel ‘repulsive’ hate preacher Franklin Graham’s events. Only four to go
Nick Duffy January 29, 2020
Two further venues have cancelled rallies by US hate preacher Franklin Graham, as a backlash grows to his planned UK tour.
The Trump-supporting preacher, who is known for praising Vladimir Putin’s anti-gay laws and blaming gay people for a “moral 9/11”, is set to visit the UK at the start of Pride Month in June as part of an evangelist tour.
Venues hosting the tour have faced complaints from LGBT+ activists – with a Liverpool conference venue dropping him on Monday.
Glasgow’s SEC Arena confirmed on Wednesday that his May 30 rally at the venue will not go ahead.
A spokesperson told PinkNews: “The booking for this event was processed in the same way we would for any religious concert of this nature and as a business we remain impartial to the individual beliefs of both our clients and visitors.
His planned June 6 rally at Sheffield Arena has also been scrapped, after a decision by Sheffield City Council.
more...
https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/01/29/uk-arena-tour-franklin-graham-hate-preacher/?fbclid=IwAR35j2Wduez5nxp6xbYfeYyJdgwh5fdBv2nfPEJkEI4035lK7lBC5v-oQKs
Two more UK arenas cancel 'repulsive' hate preacher Franklin Graham's events. Only four to go
Two more UK arenas cancel ‘repulsive’ hate preacher Franklin Graham’s events. Only four to go
Nick Duffy January 29, 2020
Two further venues have cancelled rallies by US hate preacher Franklin Graham, as a backlash grows to his planned UK tour.
The Trump-supporting preacher, who is known for praising Vladimir Putin’s anti-gay laws and blaming gay people for a “moral 9/11”, is set to visit the UK at the start of Pride Month in June as part of an evangelist tour.
Venues hosting the tour have faced complaints from LGBT+ activists – with a Liverpool conference venue dropping him on Monday.
Glasgow’s SEC Arena confirmed on Wednesday that his May 30 rally at the venue will not go ahead.
A spokesperson told PinkNews: “The booking for this event was processed in the same way we would for any religious concert of this nature and as a business we remain impartial to the individual beliefs of both our clients and visitors.
“However, we are aware of the recent adverse publicity surrounding this tour and have reviewed this with our partners and stakeholders. Following a request from our principal shareholder the matter has been considered and a decision made that we should not host this event.”
His planned June 6 rally at Sheffield Arena has also been scrapped, after a decision by Sheffield City Council.
more...
https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/01/29/uk-arena-tour-franklin-graham-hate-preacher/?fbclid=IwAR35j2Wduez5nxp6xbYfeYyJdgwh5fdBv2nfPEJkEI4035lK7lBC5v-oQKs
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