France moves to ban mass live-shredding of male chicks - France has said it will ban the controversial but widespread practices of live-shredding male chicks and castrating piglets without anaesthesia, in a move cautiously welcomed by animal welfare activists.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/29/france-moves-to-ban-mass-live-shredding-of-male-chicks
US dropped record 7,423 bombs on Afghanistan last year
https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/us-dropped-record-7-423-bombs-on-afghanistan-last-year-120012900267_1.html
The Trump administration — and the full law-enforcement resources of the DoJ, FBI, CIA, NSA, NSC, NCTC, ODNI, etc. — has had three years to investigate claims against the Bidens. If the Republicans had any evidence whatsoever that Trump illegally withholding Congressionally approved aid was legally justified, they would have presented it by now. Gaslight, Obstruct, Project. Trump is guilty.
Bolton: "I'm getting my regime change fix... one way or another."
https://lawandcrime.com/awkward/john-bolton-likes-tweet-saying-trump-should-fire-the-moron-who-hired-john-bolton
In retrospect, imagine if Obama followed through on something he talked about in 2008: To renegotiate NAFTA. Doing that in 2015 (new Canadian government, lame duck Mexican government) would have really mattered in MI/WI/PA.
Trump is incoherently gibberishly trashing Bolten on twitter. He's seriously going scorched earth against Bolton. Isn't it amazing for a guy who claims to have the best judgement to hire all the wrong people, half of whom, including himself, are either indicted or convicted criminals? Bolten was his THIRD National Security Adviser.
Trump claims Bolton's book is "All Classified National Security" and also "untrue"
Why doesn't he want Bolton to testify if it's untrue?
Ideally, you want the President of the United States, the Mayor of Crazytown, and the village idiot to be three different people
HFAC Chair Rep EliotE ngel discloses a call he had with Bolton after Bolton’s WH departure that included Bolton, unprompted, bringing up Yovanovitch: “He strongly implied that something improper had occurred around her removal as our top diplomat in Kyiv.”
https://twitter.com/Phil_Mattingly/status/1222580614571925505
https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/2020/1/engel-statement-on-september-23-2019-call-with-john-bolton
WH Republicans have issued an illegal formal threat to Bolton to keep him from publishing book. The illegal threat was issued three days before the NYT article
https://twitter.com/jaketapper/status/1222581995374555136
https://twitter.com/maggieNYT/status/1222580630615199745
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EPd6mjpXsAIm1hp.jpg
Information shall not be classified in order to conceal inefficiency, violations of law, or administrative error; to prevent embarrassment to a person, organization, or agency; to restrain competition; or to prevent or delay release of information that does not require protection in the interest of national security. Information that has been declassified and released to the public under proper authority may not be reclassified.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/28/17.22
Not for the first time, I don't understand this WH threat. WH has no legal leverage except to review manuscript for classified information w/in 30-biz-day window, which ends in a few weeks. It cannot get prior restraint. And it is only building up significance of Bolton book.
https://twitter.com/jacklgoldsmith/status/1222586597595545601
Trump reminded he appointed John Bolton after tweet blasting former national security adviser as unqualified
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-bolton-tweet-unqualified-twitter-reminded-he-appointed-1484672
John Bolton Likes Tweet Saying Trump Should ‘Fire the Moron Who Hired John Bolton’
https://lawandcrime.com/awkward/john-bolton-likes-tweet-saying-trump-should-fire-the-moron-who-hired-john-bolton/
It's worth remembering that John Kelly (who said he believes Bolton) and John Bolton didn't always get along. Their relationship was once so tense they got into an argument on immigration where they were screaming expletives at one another. Yet Kelly says he believes Bolton.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/18/politics/john-kelly-john-bolton-immigration/index.html
Earth's Most Biodiverse Regions Are Collapsing
https://earther.gizmodo.com/earths-most-biodiverse-regions-are-collapsing-1841277948
- The coronavirus outbreak is spreading: Nearly 6,000 cases and over 130 dead
- Confirmed cases in Taiwan, Germany, Vietnam and Japan involved patients who had not been to China - Researchers on three continents are trying to develop a vaccine
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/29/world/asia/coronavirus-china.html
Pentagon now says 50 service members suffered brain injuries from Iran attack — Initially Trump and Republicans and the Pentagon said there were no injuries following the Jan. 8 attack.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/pentagon-now-50-service-members-suffered-brain-injuries/story?id=68598126
Roy Moore Sues Conservative Media Outlet for Reporting on Sexual Misconduct Allegations
https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/roy-moore-sues-conservative-media-outlet-for-reporting-on-sexual-misconduct-allegations/
Court Rules That Arizona Republicans Utilized Discriminatory Voting Laws
https://www.theroot.com/court-rules-that-arizona-republicans-utilized-discrimin-1841312840
“Trump views the truth as treason and truth-tellers as traitors. As Edward Gibbon put it in The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, "Treason against such a prince might easily be considered as patriotism to the state."
https://theweek.com/articles/889882/all-presidents-turncoats
Trump allies illegally target African American voters with new tactic: Illegal cash giveaways | At the first event, organizers lavished praise on the president — as they illegally handed out thousands of dollars to pro-Trump African-Americans
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/29/trump-black-voters-cash-giveaways-108072
18 U.S. Code § 597.Expenditures to influence voting | Whoever makes or offers to make an expenditure to any person, either to vote or withhold his vote, or to vote for or against any candidate; and Whoever solicits, accepts, or receives any such expenditure in consideration of his vote or the withholding of his vote—Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if the violation was willful, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 721; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(H), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 601(a)(12), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3498.)
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/597
Alan Dershowitz In 2016: Trump Is Corrupt, Will Likely Be Corrupt As President
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/alan-dershowitz-2016-trump-corrupt_n_5e30e92fc5b6cd99e7856ba6
It's Amazing How Fast Republicans Turned John Bolton
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/m7qb9a/its-kind-of-amazing-how-fast-the-gop-turned-on-its-former-hero-john-bolton
Agency Officials Are Increasingly Retaliating Against Whistleblowers With Impunity, IG Says | Lawmakers and advocates say Trump's attacks on the whistleblower that kicked off his impeachment will have long-lasting negative effects.
https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2020/01/agency-officials-are-increasingly-retaliating-against-whistleblowers-impunity-ig-says/162716/
To understand the scope of the Astros cheating & the players involved, I logged every trashcan bang from every Astros 2017 home game w/ video available. Over 8,200 pitches watched and over 1,100 trashcan bangs found. The results are at http://signstealingscandal.com/
https://twitter.com/adams_at/status/1222506644761911296
Astros trashcan bangs by player: bangs vs their number of pitches.
https://twitter.com/adams_at/status/1222506656828985344
Marwin Gonzalez’s trashcan bangs vs the team total. He had 147 bangs on 776 pitches (18.9%).
George Springer’s trashcan bangs vs the team total. He had 139 bangs on 933 pitches (14.9%).
Alex Bregman’s trashcan bangs vs the team total. He had 133 bangs on 800 pitches (16.6%).
Yuli Gurriel’s trashcan bangs vs the team total. He had 120 bangs on 670 pitches (17.9%).
Carlos Correa’s trashcan bangs vs the team total. He had 97 bangs on 594 pitches (16.3%).
Jose Altuve’s trashcan bangs vs the team total. He had 24 bangs on 866 pitches (2.8%). (he cheated once or twice then stopped)
Rudy Giuliani calls John Bolton a “backstabber” for spilling the beans on Ukraine in wild interview - Giuliani also complained Democrats won't call him to testify: “Why do they want Bolton and not me?”
https://www.salon.com/2020/01/29/rudy-giuliani-calls-john-bolton-a-backstabber-for-spilling-the-beans-on-ukraine-in-wild-interview/amp
Reports of pending layoffs in recent days now include:
* 3M
* Nissan
* JPMorgan
* Netflix
* Xilinx
* TripAdvisor
* UBS
* Pier 1
* now Lyft ...
https://twitter.com/carlquintanilla/status/1222584503476150273
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/29/technology/lyft-layoffs-restructuring.html
The Wuhan coronavirus has hit Xinjiang, where China has imprisoned at least 1 million Uighur Muslims.
https://www.businessinsider.com/wuhan-coronavirus-xinjiang-uighur-squalid-detention-camps-2020-1
Wuhan coronavirus cases inside China have already overtaken 2003 SARS outbreak inside of mainland China, as the virus was confirmed to have spread to every province in the country.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/28/asia/wuhan-coronavirus-update-jan-29-intl-hnk/index.html
Bloomberg’s fourth-annual ranking of the largest environmental, social and governance funds with five-year track records, shows sustainable investing isn’t just for do-gooders. It’s a money-making opportunity that’s gaining popularity. Assets managed by the 75 retail funds in the survey climbed more than 34% to $101 billion last year as socially conscious money managers bet sustainable investing will help them find new growth opportunities. | Nine of the biggest ESG mutual funds in the U.S. outperformed the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index last year, and seven of them beat their market benchmarks over the past five years
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020-ten-funds-with-a-conscience/
Mike Flynn's lawyers filed motions today to withdraw his guilty plea, citing what they say were conflicts with his prior counsel; and to dismiss the case altogether for "outrageous government misconduct." These are both high hills to climb.
https://twitter.com/bradheath/status/1222588688653266952
Flynn was supposed to be sentenced yesterday
Schiff: "There’s no question about the President's motivation. And if you have any question about the president’s motivation, it makes all the more essential to call the man who spoke directly with the president."
"Don't wait for the book, don't wait until March 17th when it is in black and white to find out the answer to your question": Adam Schiff makes the case to senators that they should call John Bolton as a witness.
Elizabeth Warren proposes criminal penalties for spreading disinformation online
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/29/warren-proposes-criminal-penalties-for-spreading-disinformation-online.html
Lev will reportedly be holding a press conference later to discuss Lindsay Graham and how he was “in the loop”
https://twitter.com/AdamParkhomenko/status/1222564900972744704
https://www.thedailybeast.com/parnas-lawyer-giuliani-delivered-graham-letter-calling-for-sanctions-on-ukrainian-officials
The Trump administration suffered twin setbacks in persuading foreign allies to keep Huawei out of 5G networks, but don't expect retaliation against UK or EU any time soon
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-29/rejected-on-huawei-ban-trump-now-faces-european-defiance
ALL THE WITNESSES: Ok we all agree. This is what happened.
REPUBLICANS: None of you were in the room!
BOLTON: *raises hand* Well I was in the...
REPUBLICANS: Who asked you?! Shut up! You’re a liberal pawn!
BOLTON: Um... I’m actually I’m a lifelong Republican and I was literally Trump’s national security advi...
REPUBLICANS: Shut your mustache! Somebody bring back the first national security advisor.
FLYNN: *in orange jumpsuit* Hey sorry guys I’m in jail lol.
REPUBLICANS: What? Why?
FLYNN: For lying to the FBI about the Russia investigation.
REPUBLICANS: Well what idiot told you to do that?!
FLYNN: The Pres...
REPUBLICANS: Shut up! No one believes either of you!
KELLY: *raises hand* I believe them. And I was Trump’s Chief of sta...
REPUBLICANS: Shut up! Let’s talk to the real chief of staff. Who is he?
MULVANEY: *raises hand* It’s me.
REPUBLICANS: Shit. Never mind.
PARNAS: *raises hand* I was also in the room. In fact, here’s a cell phone video of the President saying that...
REPUBLICANS: Wait what?! How in hell did you sneak a cell phone into a meeting with the President?
PARNAS: It was easy I just walked right in and...
REPUBLICANS: Shut up! You’re a criminal!
PARNAS: Correct. And I just walked right into...
TRUMP: I don’t know him.
PARNAS: And here’s 500 pictures of me with the President because we’re besties.
REPUBLICANS: Wait... What idiot introduced you to the President??
PARNAS: His personal lawyer.
REPUBLICANS: Cohen??
COHEN: *also in orange jumpsuit* Hey no sorry guys I’m in jail too.
REPUBLICANS: Why?
COHEN: For campaign finance violations.
REPUBLICANS: Who’s campaign?
COHEN: The Pres...
REPUBLICANS: Shut up!
PARNAS: It was Giuliani.
YOVANOVITCH: Giuliani! That’s the guy who had me fired from my job!
REPUBLICANS: Who are you??
YOVANOVITCH: I was the ambassador to Ukraine.
REPUBLICANS: Wait, you had her fired? Do you work for the government??
GIULIANI: Nope.
REPUBLICANS: Well who is the ambassador to the European Union??
SONDLAND: *raises hand* Me. I was also in the roo...
REPUBLICANS: F@$&!!!
PUTIN: *rubs his bare chest*
Val Demings, responding to Leahy question about the aid eventually being released and there was no impact to Ukraine, says aid delay sent a signal that “the relationship between the US and Ukraine was on shaky ground” and “undercut ability” to stand up to Russia.
Uhhhh the aid also undercut the Ukrainian military......
John Kennedy becomes the first senator to ask a question to both sides. Why did the House not challenge Trump’s claims of executive privilege/immunity during inquiry. Jeffries says Trump “never” invoked executive privilege, saying the WH engaged in “blanket defiance”
5 replies 28 retweets 72 likes
Hakeem Jeffries: "We did not challenge any claims related to executive privilege because, as the president's own counsel admitted during this trial, the president never raised the question of executive privilege. What the president did raise was this notion of blanket defiance."
LOL making Roberts read the details of Bolton's bombshell........
Is this 911? Great, hi, I would like to report a murder of the GOP by Adam Schiff.....
Using their defense against them. I love Schiff.
House manager Crow, paraphrased
Q: Is there evidence?
A: Yes, Mulvaney stated that there was a direct connection.
A: Pence/ Trump's aide acknowledged that the aid was tied to the investigation.
A: Ambassador Taylor's text that "it's crazy to link the investigation to military aid"
A: We know that there is no other reason.
Then:
If you have any lingering doubts, or thought, just subpoena Bolton and ask him directly.
UN report warns ISIS is reasserting under new leader believed to be behind Yazidi genocide
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/29/politics/un-terror-report-isis/index.html
So today, I’m making a pledge: I will not knowingly use or spread disinformation to benefit my own candidacy or damage others. And I will fight disinformation aimed at my campaign, my opponents, and voters.
https://twitter.com/ewarren/status/1222550230094286848
I’m sending a clear message to anyone associated with the Warren campaign: I will not tolerate the use of false information or false accounts to attack my opponents, promote my campaign, or undermine our elections. And I urge my fellow candidates to do the same.
https://twitter.com/ewarren/status/1222550231549726721
The stakes of this election are too high. We need to fight the spread of false information that disempowers voters and undermines democracy. I’ll do my part—and I’m calling on my fellow candidates and big tech companies to do their part, too.
https://twitter.com/ewarren/status/1222550235861463040
"We are calling some witnesses for the first time so we shouldn't call any witnesses"
Reminder that Kris Bryant played in 151 games in the season in which he didn't get a full year of service time. He had 650 plate appearances.
https://twitter.com/matthewpouliot/status/1222540068725936129
He ended up with 171 days and you need 172 to be considered it your rookie year, which it was (he won rookie of the year)
Philbin confused Nixon v. United States with United States v. Nixon. Nixon v. United States was against Walter L. Nixon and was a unanimous decision that the court had no power of judicial review over impeachments as it is the sole power of Congress. United States v. Nixon was against Richard Nixon and was a decision on executive privilege for a criminal investigation. He also lost.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixon_v._United_States
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Nixon
Trump impeachment attorney Pat Philbin says at Senate impeachment trial that Mick Mulvaney's initial remarks in October 2019 to @jonkarl on withholding of Ukraine aid were "garbled and/or misunderstood."
https://twitter.com/ABCPolitics/status/1222597247654907904
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/democratic-lawyers-lay-case-trump-2nd-judiciary-committee/story?id=67581755&cid=clicksource_4380645_null_card_hed
Pelosi’s office says she did NOT know of the Sept. 23 Engel-Bolton phone call before she made her Sept. 24 announcement launching impeachment inquiry
https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1222610442813657090
Hakeem Jeffries: "The Senate, in its history, has had 15 different impeachment trials. In every single trial, there were witnesses. Every single trial. Why should this president be treated differently? Held to a lower standard? At this moment of presidential accountability."
https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1222610440120913920
A likely muddled result in Iowa will be completely eclipsed by "the near-planetary mass" of Trump coverage, making it not end up mattering much. By the way, the "youth straw poll" was won by TRUMP, not Yang.
Q: "Isn't it true that depositions of the Clinton trial were completed in only one day each and isn't true that the Chief Justice ...has the authority to resolve any claims of privilege or other witness issues without any delay?"
Jeffries: "Mr. Chief Justice, the answer is yes."
It's absurd that their argument is Trump blocked witnesses in the House & he will take forever in court blocking witnesses in the Senate so we should just acquit him despite all evidence that Trump abused his power for personal benefit to win 2020.
The House team is slaughtering WH Counsel...bloodbath level.
Did you hear Roberts stumble over the part of the question regarding his capacity to resolve disputes? He clearly does not want to be involved.
Can you imagine the military refusing to defend our country against a hostile attack because it would take too long?
I’ll keep banging this drum until it bursts: Cruz and Graham WERE IN THE SENATE AT THE TIME and never raised the Burisma issue. Not once as far as we can tell.
https://twitter.com/chrislhayes/status/1222612520109854721
On Oct. 10, 2015, Ellis turned himself into the county jail on an outstanding warrant for an old DUI. On Oct. 22, he was rolled out on a stretcher — cold and unresponsive from septic shock brought on by pneumonia.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/01/29/terrall-ellis-jail-death-video/
Schiff: "The president didn't even need the investigation done. He just wanted it announced. And there's no legitimate explanation for that, except he wanted their help in cheating the next election."
Reporters: Asking whether Wuhan evacuees are under quarantine or not.
CDC official: "They can leave, however they are sitting in the middle of a military base. Any discussion around departure would be just that—a discussion."
Nadler: "The moment President Trump said that John Bolton was not telling the truth ... he waived any executive privilege that might have existed. He cannot characterize a conversation, put it into the public domain, and then claim executive privilege against it."
Alan Dershowitz: "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.
https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1222600255369359362
Rep. Adam Schiff responds to Alan Dershowitz's "odd argument." "In every courtroom in America...the question of the defendant's intent and state of mind is always an issue. This is nothing novel here. You don't require a mindreader."
https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1222612594772660227
Philbin says it would be unfair to the president to drag out the trial for months, which he says would happen if witnesses were called because the president would drag out the trial for months by fighting to block them. So unfair to make the president do that to the president!
https://twitter.com/waltshaub/status/1222609684764463105
Philbin says it would be unfair to the president to let the House call witnesses who didn't testify in the House because the president blocked them from testifying in the House, and the House should have sued even though the president says the courts have no role in the dispute.
https://twitter.com/waltshaub/status/1222611114766295041
Again: the US/EU issue with Shokin was that he would not probe elite corruption, since he was allegedly corrupt himself. Former deputy said the probe of Burisma's owner was dormant. US ambassador publicly accused Shokin's office of protecting the owner.
https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/1222628158261878789
I object to witnesses. If we go down that road... make no mistake... it will be devastating to my case
If we allow witnesses, it's just so messy! Who wants that?!!
No witnesses allowed! We want witnesses too!
Schiff: "The president says that you can't believe John Bolton and Mick Mulvaney says you can't believe John Bolton, well, let the president call Mick Mulvaney ... If he's willing to say publicly, not under oath, that Bolton is wrong, let him come and say that under oath."
Jay Sekulow’s argument is basically, my client is so guilty that if we start talking to witnesses we will literally be here forever.
What true conservative can tolerate this: “The refusal to join in making these lies true — the insistence that contrary information outside this disinformation bubble is relevant, or indeed that it exists at all — is the ultimate act of Trump “hatred.” - @washingtonpost
https://twitter.com/ChrisCuomo/status/1222629621260341253
"Obama didn't support Ukraine, Trump did!" - is a fallacious argument that's been repeatedly made.
https://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2019/oct/25/matt-gaetz/matt-gaetz-says-obama-permanently-stopped-military/
Trump admin insisted that the Javlins be stored in western Ukraine, on the opposite side of Ukraine where the conflict is taking place.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/10/03/far-from-the-front-lines-javelin-missiles-go-unused-in-ukraine/
There’s a good (Republican) impeachment question thats not being properly answered: why didn’t Obama supply Javelin missiles to Ukraine? A: diplomacy. Germany’s Merkel was against it & Obama needed her to isolate Putin internationally, according to “Putin’s World,” pg 103
https://twitter.com/MarcACaputo/status/1222635556968050689
American Airlines cancels flights from LA to Shanghai & to Beijing from Feb. 9 through March 27. It will still operate its China service from Dallas-Fort Worth and from Los Angeles to Hong Kong in that period.
https://twitter.com/CNBCnow/status/1222532581968830465
Dusty Baker agrees to two-year deal to manage Astros
I look forward to the next Democratic president telling Republicans in Congress to fuck right off when they try to pursue any oversight whatsoever of the administration. So long as you can keep 34 Democratic Senators on board, you can apparently do absolutely anything now.
https://twitter.com/jonfavs/status/1222622434622345221
If the president drops nuclear bombs on New York and California to neutralize their electoral votes because he believes it is in the national interest, it is not impeachable, according to Alan Dershowitz.
Guardian to ban advertising from fossil fuel firms | “Our decision is based on the decades-long efforts by many in that industry to prevent meaningful climate action by governments around the world,” the company said in a statement
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/jan/29/guardian-to-ban-advertising-from-fossil-fuel-firms-climate-crisis
Hunting of polar bears must be banned if species has any chance of survival, expert warns
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/polar-bears-extinct-trophy-hunting-21355000
Russia's emergency services rescued 536 ice fishermen after they got stranded on a giant ice floe that broke off the island of Sakhalin in eastern Siberia, officials said.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article239749263.html
The hottest known exoplanet has a perpetual dayside that's so scorching hot (7,800°F or 4,300°C, hotter than some stars) that it tears molecules apart, which then reform on the planet's nightside. Scientists also found a mysterious, offset hotspot that should be at high noon, but inexplicably isn't.
http://www.astronomy.com/news/2020/01/the-hottest-known-exoplanet-is-melting-molecules-in-its-atmosphere
Investigation begins into alleged abuse of more than 500 boys in Afghanistan - Government says schools to face more scrutiny after report that thousands may have been victims of paedophile ring
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/jan/29/investigation-begins-into-alleged-abuse-of-more-than-500-boys-in-afghanistan
British carbon tax leads to 93% drop in coal-fired electricity
https://phys.org/news/2020-01-british-carbon-tax-coal-fired-electricity.html
Does anybody remember the name of the security guard who called the police when he discovered the Watergate burglary? No, because it doesn't matter.
Schiff is pummeling the defense
Schiff speaking to Republican politicians about integrity and propriety. He might as well be speaking in Swahili semaphore
Email from senior DHS official regarding complaints from advocates that ICE wasn't providing effective language assistance:
https://twitter.com/weareoversight/status/1222648867046543361
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6206216-Records-relating-to-family-separation-at-ports.html#document/p724/a522554
This is just the first document to come out from Perry’s dealings with Ukraine, and more documents are coming next week and next month. Even in these pages, there are clear lines of inquiry that the Senate should follow and names of witnesses to call.
https://twitter.com/weareoversight/status/1222647885424201735
The long awaited season debut of “even if he did but it’s not impeachable” is finally here.
https://twitter.com/KFILE/status/1222646887737675777
Question for Pam Bondi: Did the President give you $25,000 as a bribe? What did you do for the hundreds of thousands of dollars she was paid a month by Qatar?
It's a shame the cameras aren't zoomed out enough to see the defense downing a costco bottle of tums
Just a reminder that y'all should follow @bylenasun @LennyMBernstein @yabutaleb7 @siobhan_ogrady @hannahknowl3s @KnowlesHannah @JoelAchenbach @laurahelmuth @PostHealthSci and others doing heroic work to cover the coranovirus outbreak. Live updates here:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/coronavirus-china-live-updates/2020/01/29/d49b9194-423b-11ea-b503-2b077c436617_story.html
CNN asked Buttigieg today if suggesting people may want to turn off impeachment and turn on cartoons was making light of a serious event. "No," he said, "my point is that by design, it is set up to demoralize and exhaust us, and we cannot allow that to happen."
https://twitter.com/merica/status/1222652091677626368
Take this question posted by Romney: "Given that Rudy Giuliani's May 10, 2019 letter to President Zelensky asserted he was acting with the 'knowledge and consent' of President Trump specifically task Giuliani to do in Ukraine?" Mitt's been reading the Lev Parnas trove.
Ukraine Knew of Aid Freeze in July
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/03/world/europe/ukraine-impeachment-military-aid.html
If Parnas and Fruman can record a 90 minute private conversation with Trump completely undetected, can you imagine how much information the Russians and Chinese have intercepted?
I feel I like I have rage fatigue.
Philbin is spreading the Ukraine-2016/Crowdstrike conspiracy theory as an actual part of the White House defense. For those unaware, that conspiracy theory has been definitively shown to have been a Russian lead misinformation campaign.
Love that Schiff finally brought this up: the President's legal team, while arguing that the Democrats should have gone to the courts to enforce the subpoenas, are literally simultaneously arguing in the court of appeals that impeachment is non-judicial and the courts can't enforce a subpoena.
Question by Whitehouse, Blumenthal, Klobuchar, ... to house managers: There is an adverse inference if one party has control over information and prevents the other party (prosecution) to obtain the material information. Do the house managers believe that we should apply the missing witness rule here and what inference should we draw from the missing documents?
DAMN, Schiff putting ALL the talking points about the whistleblower in the grave. Awesome! Conspiracy Theory, dead. (Except the GOP are great at necromancy. They will keep digging up dead arguments time and time again.)
Schiff: "Yeah, you could apply adverse inference. But why do that when you can just call the witness and find out?"
We've spent nine days arguing over whether to have evidence in a trial. Reminder that the White House refused to provide any people or documents requested by lawful subpoena from the House. That is why the second article of impeachment was filed.
Philbin (paraphrased): "There's no evidence that the White House ordered a 'blanket refusal' of all subpoenas."
Trump: "We're fighting all the subpoenas"
Gaslight, Obstruct, Project
"Even if a communication .. is covered by executive privilege, that can be overwritten. Last week, the president said "We have all the material, they don't have that material." Can you comment whether executive privilege allows a president to conceal evidence?"
💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥
Jeffries : "Trump can invoke executive privilege. He hasn't, as acknowledged by his counsel. The president has ordered the entire executive Branch to defy the legislative Branch. Every court said "The president cannot do that "
Former CIA Director: We worried arming Ukraine would hand technology to Russian spies | Under Obama the military opposed giving Javelin missiles to Ukraine because of fear Russia would get access to sensitive tech, said ex-CIA chief Brennan.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1089926
Schiff: "Don't take my word for it, we can invite John Bolton in and ask him just what he meant by 'a drug deal'."
Sanders in 1987: 'Astronomical' Cost of Single-Payer 'Would Bankrupt the Nation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyIWpYDP-PQ
Nothing to see here. Just Jane praising a bigot who was fired by the Sanders campaign for being bigoted.
https://twitter.com/janeosanders/status/1221982357500153856
Trevor, dying from liver damage and opposed Obamacare, perfectly demos the power of whiteness: "I would rather die. We don’t need any more government in our lives. And in any case, no way I want my tax dollars paying for Mexicans or welfare queens.”
https://twitter.com/CapehartJ/status/1222474971286528002
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/01/28/how-white-identity-permeates-policymaking-outside-washington/
A high-ranking member of Zelensky's administration in Kyiv told the Times that she'd heard about the hold on aid by July 30
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/12/04/we-now-have-fuller-understanding-how-effort-pressure-ukraine-unfolded/
Sen. Paul’s question deals with the whistleblower and names the alleged whistleblower, per sources Chief Justice Roberts has, to this point, rejected the question - which he’d have to read.
https://twitter.com/Phil_Mattingly/status/1222671556276518913
Wells Fargo says it's joining Fifth Third Bank in pulling millions of dollars in donations to Florida's school voucher program because many of the schools have anti-LGBTQ policies.
https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/wells-fargo-pulls-florida-voucher-donations-over-anti-gay-school-n1126136
Yes Rep. Demings the answer you are looking for is yes it's a conflict of interest that Ivanka gets trademarks from China while her father is fighting a trade war with them.
So we don’t want to hear any references to crimes Trump has committed that weren’t explicitly in the articles, BUT let’s include all sorts of accusations about your former VP’s son. Got it.
The GOP want to nullify the 2018 midterms.
So Biden was corrupt with Poroshenko, so in response Trump gave Poroshenko the aid twice then withheld the aid from the new guy who ran on an anti-corruption platform. Makes sense.
While we are on what people are being paid in Ukraine, wasn't Victoria Toensing, wife of the President's impeachment defense attorney sitting in that room, being paid $100K a month to help lift an Ukrainian oligarch avoid extradition?
I think I found the Venezuela connection....
- Giuliani was on a September 2018 call with then-Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Tex.) and embattled Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro in which they discussed a negotiated exit for Maduro — in the hope of opening up the resource-rich country to business.
- That is counter to official U.S. foreign policy, which was focused on taking a hard line against Maduro, eschewing any concessions and ratcheting up sanctions. (A few months later, the United States would recognize Maduro rival Juan Guaidó as president.)
- Around the time of the call, Giuliani presented the idea of a negotiated exit to then-White House national security adviser John Bolton, who rejected it.
- A Sessions spokesman said the effort was “coordinated with the highest levels of the U.S. State Department,” but U.S. officials deny the Trump administration backed it.
- The call came four months before Giuliani picked up as a client a wealthy Venezuelan energy executive who is fighting a potential money-laundering indictment in Florida, Alejandro Betancourt López.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/12/30/rudy-giuliani-venezuela-logan-act/
Bernie Sanders: "With over 16,200 lies while in office, how can we trust the word of Donald Trump?"
Newly installed panels from the US border wall fell over in high winds Wednesday, landing on trees on the Mexican side of the border.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/29/politics/us-border-wall-falls-over-high-winds/index.html
LOL......Hillary Clinton's Secret Service agents turned down a process server's attempts to deliver Tulsi Gabbard's defamation lawsuit to her in Chappaqua (not clear that HRC was there then). Lawyer David Kendall also turned server away.
https://nypost.com/2020/01/29/hillary-clinton-refuses-to-be-served-tulsi-gabbards-defamation-lawsuit/
It’s a ridiculous lawsuit. Hillary never named Tulsi. She outed herself.
Schiff: "You shouldn't presume that when a House impeaches, the Senate trials ... will be witness free, will be evidence free. That's not what the Founders intended. If it was, they would have made you the court of appeals. But they didn't. They made you the triers of fact."
Schiff: "I’m no fan of John Bolton, although I like him a little more than I used to. "
The re-ghettoizing of the Jews
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/the-re-ghettoizing-of-the-jews
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/29/france-moves-to-ban-mass-live-shredding-of-male-chicks
US dropped record 7,423 bombs on Afghanistan last year
https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/us-dropped-record-7-423-bombs-on-afghanistan-last-year-120012900267_1.html
The Trump administration — and the full law-enforcement resources of the DoJ, FBI, CIA, NSA, NSC, NCTC, ODNI, etc. — has had three years to investigate claims against the Bidens. If the Republicans had any evidence whatsoever that Trump illegally withholding Congressionally approved aid was legally justified, they would have presented it by now. Gaslight, Obstruct, Project. Trump is guilty.
Bolton: "I'm getting my regime change fix... one way or another."
https://lawandcrime.com/awkward/john-bolton-likes-tweet-saying-trump-should-fire-the-moron-who-hired-john-bolton
In retrospect, imagine if Obama followed through on something he talked about in 2008: To renegotiate NAFTA. Doing that in 2015 (new Canadian government, lame duck Mexican government) would have really mattered in MI/WI/PA.
Trump is incoherently gibberishly trashing Bolten on twitter. He's seriously going scorched earth against Bolton. Isn't it amazing for a guy who claims to have the best judgement to hire all the wrong people, half of whom, including himself, are either indicted or convicted criminals? Bolten was his THIRD National Security Adviser.
Trump claims Bolton's book is "All Classified National Security" and also "untrue"
Why doesn't he want Bolton to testify if it's untrue?
Ideally, you want the President of the United States, the Mayor of Crazytown, and the village idiot to be three different people
HFAC Chair Rep EliotE ngel discloses a call he had with Bolton after Bolton’s WH departure that included Bolton, unprompted, bringing up Yovanovitch: “He strongly implied that something improper had occurred around her removal as our top diplomat in Kyiv.”
https://twitter.com/Phil_Mattingly/status/1222580614571925505
https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/2020/1/engel-statement-on-september-23-2019-call-with-john-bolton
WH Republicans have issued an illegal formal threat to Bolton to keep him from publishing book. The illegal threat was issued three days before the NYT article
https://twitter.com/jaketapper/status/1222581995374555136
https://twitter.com/maggieNYT/status/1222580630615199745
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EPd6mjpXsAIm1hp.jpg
Information shall not be classified in order to conceal inefficiency, violations of law, or administrative error; to prevent embarrassment to a person, organization, or agency; to restrain competition; or to prevent or delay release of information that does not require protection in the interest of national security. Information that has been declassified and released to the public under proper authority may not be reclassified.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/28/17.22
Not for the first time, I don't understand this WH threat. WH has no legal leverage except to review manuscript for classified information w/in 30-biz-day window, which ends in a few weeks. It cannot get prior restraint. And it is only building up significance of Bolton book.
https://twitter.com/jacklgoldsmith/status/1222586597595545601
Trump reminded he appointed John Bolton after tweet blasting former national security adviser as unqualified
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-bolton-tweet-unqualified-twitter-reminded-he-appointed-1484672
John Bolton Likes Tweet Saying Trump Should ‘Fire the Moron Who Hired John Bolton’
https://lawandcrime.com/awkward/john-bolton-likes-tweet-saying-trump-should-fire-the-moron-who-hired-john-bolton/
It's worth remembering that John Kelly (who said he believes Bolton) and John Bolton didn't always get along. Their relationship was once so tense they got into an argument on immigration where they were screaming expletives at one another. Yet Kelly says he believes Bolton.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/18/politics/john-kelly-john-bolton-immigration/index.html
Earth's Most Biodiverse Regions Are Collapsing
https://earther.gizmodo.com/earths-most-biodiverse-regions-are-collapsing-1841277948
- The coronavirus outbreak is spreading: Nearly 6,000 cases and over 130 dead
- Confirmed cases in Taiwan, Germany, Vietnam and Japan involved patients who had not been to China - Researchers on three continents are trying to develop a vaccine
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/29/world/asia/coronavirus-china.html
Pentagon now says 50 service members suffered brain injuries from Iran attack — Initially Trump and Republicans and the Pentagon said there were no injuries following the Jan. 8 attack.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/pentagon-now-50-service-members-suffered-brain-injuries/story?id=68598126
Roy Moore Sues Conservative Media Outlet for Reporting on Sexual Misconduct Allegations
https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/roy-moore-sues-conservative-media-outlet-for-reporting-on-sexual-misconduct-allegations/
Court Rules That Arizona Republicans Utilized Discriminatory Voting Laws
https://www.theroot.com/court-rules-that-arizona-republicans-utilized-discrimin-1841312840
“Trump views the truth as treason and truth-tellers as traitors. As Edward Gibbon put it in The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, "Treason against such a prince might easily be considered as patriotism to the state."
https://theweek.com/articles/889882/all-presidents-turncoats
Trump allies illegally target African American voters with new tactic: Illegal cash giveaways | At the first event, organizers lavished praise on the president — as they illegally handed out thousands of dollars to pro-Trump African-Americans
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/29/trump-black-voters-cash-giveaways-108072
18 U.S. Code § 597.Expenditures to influence voting | Whoever makes or offers to make an expenditure to any person, either to vote or withhold his vote, or to vote for or against any candidate; and Whoever solicits, accepts, or receives any such expenditure in consideration of his vote or the withholding of his vote—Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if the violation was willful, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 721; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(H), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 601(a)(12), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3498.)
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/597
Alan Dershowitz In 2016: Trump Is Corrupt, Will Likely Be Corrupt As President
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/alan-dershowitz-2016-trump-corrupt_n_5e30e92fc5b6cd99e7856ba6
It's Amazing How Fast Republicans Turned John Bolton
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/m7qb9a/its-kind-of-amazing-how-fast-the-gop-turned-on-its-former-hero-john-bolton
Agency Officials Are Increasingly Retaliating Against Whistleblowers With Impunity, IG Says | Lawmakers and advocates say Trump's attacks on the whistleblower that kicked off his impeachment will have long-lasting negative effects.
https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2020/01/agency-officials-are-increasingly-retaliating-against-whistleblowers-impunity-ig-says/162716/
To understand the scope of the Astros cheating & the players involved, I logged every trashcan bang from every Astros 2017 home game w/ video available. Over 8,200 pitches watched and over 1,100 trashcan bangs found. The results are at http://signstealingscandal.com/
https://twitter.com/adams_at/status/1222506644761911296
Astros trashcan bangs by player: bangs vs their number of pitches.
https://twitter.com/adams_at/status/1222506656828985344
Marwin Gonzalez’s trashcan bangs vs the team total. He had 147 bangs on 776 pitches (18.9%).
George Springer’s trashcan bangs vs the team total. He had 139 bangs on 933 pitches (14.9%).
Alex Bregman’s trashcan bangs vs the team total. He had 133 bangs on 800 pitches (16.6%).
Yuli Gurriel’s trashcan bangs vs the team total. He had 120 bangs on 670 pitches (17.9%).
Carlos Correa’s trashcan bangs vs the team total. He had 97 bangs on 594 pitches (16.3%).
Jose Altuve’s trashcan bangs vs the team total. He had 24 bangs on 866 pitches (2.8%). (he cheated once or twice then stopped)
Rudy Giuliani calls John Bolton a “backstabber” for spilling the beans on Ukraine in wild interview - Giuliani also complained Democrats won't call him to testify: “Why do they want Bolton and not me?”
https://www.salon.com/2020/01/29/rudy-giuliani-calls-john-bolton-a-backstabber-for-spilling-the-beans-on-ukraine-in-wild-interview/amp
Reports of pending layoffs in recent days now include:
* 3M
* Nissan
* JPMorgan
* Netflix
* Xilinx
* TripAdvisor
* UBS
* Pier 1
* now Lyft ...
https://twitter.com/carlquintanilla/status/1222584503476150273
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/29/technology/lyft-layoffs-restructuring.html
The Wuhan coronavirus has hit Xinjiang, where China has imprisoned at least 1 million Uighur Muslims.
https://www.businessinsider.com/wuhan-coronavirus-xinjiang-uighur-squalid-detention-camps-2020-1
Wuhan coronavirus cases inside China have already overtaken 2003 SARS outbreak inside of mainland China, as the virus was confirmed to have spread to every province in the country.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/28/asia/wuhan-coronavirus-update-jan-29-intl-hnk/index.html
Bloomberg’s fourth-annual ranking of the largest environmental, social and governance funds with five-year track records, shows sustainable investing isn’t just for do-gooders. It’s a money-making opportunity that’s gaining popularity. Assets managed by the 75 retail funds in the survey climbed more than 34% to $101 billion last year as socially conscious money managers bet sustainable investing will help them find new growth opportunities. | Nine of the biggest ESG mutual funds in the U.S. outperformed the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index last year, and seven of them beat their market benchmarks over the past five years
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020-ten-funds-with-a-conscience/
Mike Flynn's lawyers filed motions today to withdraw his guilty plea, citing what they say were conflicts with his prior counsel; and to dismiss the case altogether for "outrageous government misconduct." These are both high hills to climb.
https://twitter.com/bradheath/status/1222588688653266952
Flynn was supposed to be sentenced yesterday
Schiff: "There’s no question about the President's motivation. And if you have any question about the president’s motivation, it makes all the more essential to call the man who spoke directly with the president."
"Don't wait for the book, don't wait until March 17th when it is in black and white to find out the answer to your question": Adam Schiff makes the case to senators that they should call John Bolton as a witness.
Elizabeth Warren proposes criminal penalties for spreading disinformation online
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/29/warren-proposes-criminal-penalties-for-spreading-disinformation-online.html
Lev will reportedly be holding a press conference later to discuss Lindsay Graham and how he was “in the loop”
https://twitter.com/AdamParkhomenko/status/1222564900972744704
https://www.thedailybeast.com/parnas-lawyer-giuliani-delivered-graham-letter-calling-for-sanctions-on-ukrainian-officials
The Trump administration suffered twin setbacks in persuading foreign allies to keep Huawei out of 5G networks, but don't expect retaliation against UK or EU any time soon
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-29/rejected-on-huawei-ban-trump-now-faces-european-defiance
ALL THE WITNESSES: Ok we all agree. This is what happened.
REPUBLICANS: None of you were in the room!
BOLTON: *raises hand* Well I was in the...
REPUBLICANS: Who asked you?! Shut up! You’re a liberal pawn!
BOLTON: Um... I’m actually I’m a lifelong Republican and I was literally Trump’s national security advi...
REPUBLICANS: Shut your mustache! Somebody bring back the first national security advisor.
FLYNN: *in orange jumpsuit* Hey sorry guys I’m in jail lol.
REPUBLICANS: What? Why?
FLYNN: For lying to the FBI about the Russia investigation.
REPUBLICANS: Well what idiot told you to do that?!
FLYNN: The Pres...
REPUBLICANS: Shut up! No one believes either of you!
KELLY: *raises hand* I believe them. And I was Trump’s Chief of sta...
REPUBLICANS: Shut up! Let’s talk to the real chief of staff. Who is he?
MULVANEY: *raises hand* It’s me.
REPUBLICANS: Shit. Never mind.
PARNAS: *raises hand* I was also in the room. In fact, here’s a cell phone video of the President saying that...
REPUBLICANS: Wait what?! How in hell did you sneak a cell phone into a meeting with the President?
PARNAS: It was easy I just walked right in and...
REPUBLICANS: Shut up! You’re a criminal!
PARNAS: Correct. And I just walked right into...
TRUMP: I don’t know him.
PARNAS: And here’s 500 pictures of me with the President because we’re besties.
REPUBLICANS: Wait... What idiot introduced you to the President??
PARNAS: His personal lawyer.
REPUBLICANS: Cohen??
COHEN: *also in orange jumpsuit* Hey no sorry guys I’m in jail too.
REPUBLICANS: Why?
COHEN: For campaign finance violations.
REPUBLICANS: Who’s campaign?
COHEN: The Pres...
REPUBLICANS: Shut up!
PARNAS: It was Giuliani.
YOVANOVITCH: Giuliani! That’s the guy who had me fired from my job!
REPUBLICANS: Who are you??
YOVANOVITCH: I was the ambassador to Ukraine.
REPUBLICANS: Wait, you had her fired? Do you work for the government??
GIULIANI: Nope.
REPUBLICANS: Well who is the ambassador to the European Union??
SONDLAND: *raises hand* Me. I was also in the roo...
REPUBLICANS: F@$&!!!
PUTIN: *rubs his bare chest*
Val Demings, responding to Leahy question about the aid eventually being released and there was no impact to Ukraine, says aid delay sent a signal that “the relationship between the US and Ukraine was on shaky ground” and “undercut ability” to stand up to Russia.
Uhhhh the aid also undercut the Ukrainian military......
John Kennedy becomes the first senator to ask a question to both sides. Why did the House not challenge Trump’s claims of executive privilege/immunity during inquiry. Jeffries says Trump “never” invoked executive privilege, saying the WH engaged in “blanket defiance”
5 replies 28 retweets 72 likes
Hakeem Jeffries: "We did not challenge any claims related to executive privilege because, as the president's own counsel admitted during this trial, the president never raised the question of executive privilege. What the president did raise was this notion of blanket defiance."
LOL making Roberts read the details of Bolton's bombshell........
Is this 911? Great, hi, I would like to report a murder of the GOP by Adam Schiff.....
Using their defense against them. I love Schiff.
House manager Crow, paraphrased
Q: Is there evidence?
A: Yes, Mulvaney stated that there was a direct connection.
A: Pence/ Trump's aide acknowledged that the aid was tied to the investigation.
A: Ambassador Taylor's text that "it's crazy to link the investigation to military aid"
A: We know that there is no other reason.
Then:
If you have any lingering doubts, or thought, just subpoena Bolton and ask him directly.
UN report warns ISIS is reasserting under new leader believed to be behind Yazidi genocide
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/29/politics/un-terror-report-isis/index.html
So today, I’m making a pledge: I will not knowingly use or spread disinformation to benefit my own candidacy or damage others. And I will fight disinformation aimed at my campaign, my opponents, and voters.
https://twitter.com/ewarren/status/1222550230094286848
I’m sending a clear message to anyone associated with the Warren campaign: I will not tolerate the use of false information or false accounts to attack my opponents, promote my campaign, or undermine our elections. And I urge my fellow candidates to do the same.
https://twitter.com/ewarren/status/1222550231549726721
The stakes of this election are too high. We need to fight the spread of false information that disempowers voters and undermines democracy. I’ll do my part—and I’m calling on my fellow candidates and big tech companies to do their part, too.
https://twitter.com/ewarren/status/1222550235861463040
"We are calling some witnesses for the first time so we shouldn't call any witnesses"
Reminder that Kris Bryant played in 151 games in the season in which he didn't get a full year of service time. He had 650 plate appearances.
https://twitter.com/matthewpouliot/status/1222540068725936129
He ended up with 171 days and you need 172 to be considered it your rookie year, which it was (he won rookie of the year)
Philbin confused Nixon v. United States with United States v. Nixon. Nixon v. United States was against Walter L. Nixon and was a unanimous decision that the court had no power of judicial review over impeachments as it is the sole power of Congress. United States v. Nixon was against Richard Nixon and was a decision on executive privilege for a criminal investigation. He also lost.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixon_v._United_States
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Nixon
Trump impeachment attorney Pat Philbin says at Senate impeachment trial that Mick Mulvaney's initial remarks in October 2019 to @jonkarl on withholding of Ukraine aid were "garbled and/or misunderstood."
https://twitter.com/ABCPolitics/status/1222597247654907904
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/democratic-lawyers-lay-case-trump-2nd-judiciary-committee/story?id=67581755&cid=clicksource_4380645_null_card_hed
Pelosi’s office says she did NOT know of the Sept. 23 Engel-Bolton phone call before she made her Sept. 24 announcement launching impeachment inquiry
https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1222610442813657090
Hakeem Jeffries: "The Senate, in its history, has had 15 different impeachment trials. In every single trial, there were witnesses. Every single trial. Why should this president be treated differently? Held to a lower standard? At this moment of presidential accountability."
https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1222610440120913920
A likely muddled result in Iowa will be completely eclipsed by "the near-planetary mass" of Trump coverage, making it not end up mattering much. By the way, the "youth straw poll" was won by TRUMP, not Yang.
Q: "Isn't it true that depositions of the Clinton trial were completed in only one day each and isn't true that the Chief Justice ...has the authority to resolve any claims of privilege or other witness issues without any delay?"
Jeffries: "Mr. Chief Justice, the answer is yes."
It's absurd that their argument is Trump blocked witnesses in the House & he will take forever in court blocking witnesses in the Senate so we should just acquit him despite all evidence that Trump abused his power for personal benefit to win 2020.
The House team is slaughtering WH Counsel...bloodbath level.
Did you hear Roberts stumble over the part of the question regarding his capacity to resolve disputes? He clearly does not want to be involved.
Can you imagine the military refusing to defend our country against a hostile attack because it would take too long?
I’ll keep banging this drum until it bursts: Cruz and Graham WERE IN THE SENATE AT THE TIME and never raised the Burisma issue. Not once as far as we can tell.
https://twitter.com/chrislhayes/status/1222612520109854721
On Oct. 10, 2015, Ellis turned himself into the county jail on an outstanding warrant for an old DUI. On Oct. 22, he was rolled out on a stretcher — cold and unresponsive from septic shock brought on by pneumonia.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/01/29/terrall-ellis-jail-death-video/
Schiff: "The president didn't even need the investigation done. He just wanted it announced. And there's no legitimate explanation for that, except he wanted their help in cheating the next election."
Reporters: Asking whether Wuhan evacuees are under quarantine or not.
CDC official: "They can leave, however they are sitting in the middle of a military base. Any discussion around departure would be just that—a discussion."
Nadler: "The moment President Trump said that John Bolton was not telling the truth ... he waived any executive privilege that might have existed. He cannot characterize a conversation, put it into the public domain, and then claim executive privilege against it."
Alan Dershowitz: "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.
https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1222600255369359362
Rep. Adam Schiff responds to Alan Dershowitz's "odd argument." "In every courtroom in America...the question of the defendant's intent and state of mind is always an issue. This is nothing novel here. You don't require a mindreader."
https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1222612594772660227
Philbin says it would be unfair to the president to drag out the trial for months, which he says would happen if witnesses were called because the president would drag out the trial for months by fighting to block them. So unfair to make the president do that to the president!
https://twitter.com/waltshaub/status/1222609684764463105
Philbin says it would be unfair to the president to let the House call witnesses who didn't testify in the House because the president blocked them from testifying in the House, and the House should have sued even though the president says the courts have no role in the dispute.
https://twitter.com/waltshaub/status/1222611114766295041
Again: the US/EU issue with Shokin was that he would not probe elite corruption, since he was allegedly corrupt himself. Former deputy said the probe of Burisma's owner was dormant. US ambassador publicly accused Shokin's office of protecting the owner.
https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/1222628158261878789
I object to witnesses. If we go down that road... make no mistake... it will be devastating to my case
If we allow witnesses, it's just so messy! Who wants that?!!
No witnesses allowed! We want witnesses too!
Schiff: "The president says that you can't believe John Bolton and Mick Mulvaney says you can't believe John Bolton, well, let the president call Mick Mulvaney ... If he's willing to say publicly, not under oath, that Bolton is wrong, let him come and say that under oath."
Jay Sekulow’s argument is basically, my client is so guilty that if we start talking to witnesses we will literally be here forever.
What true conservative can tolerate this: “The refusal to join in making these lies true — the insistence that contrary information outside this disinformation bubble is relevant, or indeed that it exists at all — is the ultimate act of Trump “hatred.” - @washingtonpost
https://twitter.com/ChrisCuomo/status/1222629621260341253
"Obama didn't support Ukraine, Trump did!" - is a fallacious argument that's been repeatedly made.
https://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2019/oct/25/matt-gaetz/matt-gaetz-says-obama-permanently-stopped-military/
Trump admin insisted that the Javlins be stored in western Ukraine, on the opposite side of Ukraine where the conflict is taking place.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/10/03/far-from-the-front-lines-javelin-missiles-go-unused-in-ukraine/
There’s a good (Republican) impeachment question thats not being properly answered: why didn’t Obama supply Javelin missiles to Ukraine? A: diplomacy. Germany’s Merkel was against it & Obama needed her to isolate Putin internationally, according to “Putin’s World,” pg 103
https://twitter.com/MarcACaputo/status/1222635556968050689
American Airlines cancels flights from LA to Shanghai & to Beijing from Feb. 9 through March 27. It will still operate its China service from Dallas-Fort Worth and from Los Angeles to Hong Kong in that period.
https://twitter.com/CNBCnow/status/1222532581968830465
Dusty Baker agrees to two-year deal to manage Astros
I look forward to the next Democratic president telling Republicans in Congress to fuck right off when they try to pursue any oversight whatsoever of the administration. So long as you can keep 34 Democratic Senators on board, you can apparently do absolutely anything now.
https://twitter.com/jonfavs/status/1222622434622345221
If the president drops nuclear bombs on New York and California to neutralize their electoral votes because he believes it is in the national interest, it is not impeachable, according to Alan Dershowitz.
Guardian to ban advertising from fossil fuel firms | “Our decision is based on the decades-long efforts by many in that industry to prevent meaningful climate action by governments around the world,” the company said in a statement
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/jan/29/guardian-to-ban-advertising-from-fossil-fuel-firms-climate-crisis
Hunting of polar bears must be banned if species has any chance of survival, expert warns
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/polar-bears-extinct-trophy-hunting-21355000
Russia's emergency services rescued 536 ice fishermen after they got stranded on a giant ice floe that broke off the island of Sakhalin in eastern Siberia, officials said.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article239749263.html
The hottest known exoplanet has a perpetual dayside that's so scorching hot (7,800°F or 4,300°C, hotter than some stars) that it tears molecules apart, which then reform on the planet's nightside. Scientists also found a mysterious, offset hotspot that should be at high noon, but inexplicably isn't.
http://www.astronomy.com/news/2020/01/the-hottest-known-exoplanet-is-melting-molecules-in-its-atmosphere
Investigation begins into alleged abuse of more than 500 boys in Afghanistan - Government says schools to face more scrutiny after report that thousands may have been victims of paedophile ring
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/jan/29/investigation-begins-into-alleged-abuse-of-more-than-500-boys-in-afghanistan
British carbon tax leads to 93% drop in coal-fired electricity
https://phys.org/news/2020-01-british-carbon-tax-coal-fired-electricity.html
Does anybody remember the name of the security guard who called the police when he discovered the Watergate burglary? No, because it doesn't matter.
Schiff is pummeling the defense
Schiff speaking to Republican politicians about integrity and propriety. He might as well be speaking in Swahili semaphore
Email from senior DHS official regarding complaints from advocates that ICE wasn't providing effective language assistance:
https://twitter.com/weareoversight/status/1222648867046543361
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6206216-Records-relating-to-family-separation-at-ports.html#document/p724/a522554
This is just the first document to come out from Perry’s dealings with Ukraine, and more documents are coming next week and next month. Even in these pages, there are clear lines of inquiry that the Senate should follow and names of witnesses to call.
https://twitter.com/weareoversight/status/1222647885424201735
The long awaited season debut of “even if he did but it’s not impeachable” is finally here.
https://twitter.com/KFILE/status/1222646887737675777
Question for Pam Bondi: Did the President give you $25,000 as a bribe? What did you do for the hundreds of thousands of dollars she was paid a month by Qatar?
It's a shame the cameras aren't zoomed out enough to see the defense downing a costco bottle of tums
Just a reminder that y'all should follow @bylenasun @LennyMBernstein @yabutaleb7 @siobhan_ogrady @hannahknowl3s @KnowlesHannah @JoelAchenbach @laurahelmuth @PostHealthSci and others doing heroic work to cover the coranovirus outbreak. Live updates here:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/coronavirus-china-live-updates/2020/01/29/d49b9194-423b-11ea-b503-2b077c436617_story.html
CNN asked Buttigieg today if suggesting people may want to turn off impeachment and turn on cartoons was making light of a serious event. "No," he said, "my point is that by design, it is set up to demoralize and exhaust us, and we cannot allow that to happen."
https://twitter.com/merica/status/1222652091677626368
Take this question posted by Romney: "Given that Rudy Giuliani's May 10, 2019 letter to President Zelensky asserted he was acting with the 'knowledge and consent' of President Trump specifically task Giuliani to do in Ukraine?" Mitt's been reading the Lev Parnas trove.
Ukraine Knew of Aid Freeze in July
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/03/world/europe/ukraine-impeachment-military-aid.html
If Parnas and Fruman can record a 90 minute private conversation with Trump completely undetected, can you imagine how much information the Russians and Chinese have intercepted?
I feel I like I have rage fatigue.
Philbin is spreading the Ukraine-2016/Crowdstrike conspiracy theory as an actual part of the White House defense. For those unaware, that conspiracy theory has been definitively shown to have been a Russian lead misinformation campaign.
Love that Schiff finally brought this up: the President's legal team, while arguing that the Democrats should have gone to the courts to enforce the subpoenas, are literally simultaneously arguing in the court of appeals that impeachment is non-judicial and the courts can't enforce a subpoena.
Question by Whitehouse, Blumenthal, Klobuchar, ... to house managers: There is an adverse inference if one party has control over information and prevents the other party (prosecution) to obtain the material information. Do the house managers believe that we should apply the missing witness rule here and what inference should we draw from the missing documents?
DAMN, Schiff putting ALL the talking points about the whistleblower in the grave. Awesome! Conspiracy Theory, dead. (Except the GOP are great at necromancy. They will keep digging up dead arguments time and time again.)
Schiff: "Yeah, you could apply adverse inference. But why do that when you can just call the witness and find out?"
We've spent nine days arguing over whether to have evidence in a trial. Reminder that the White House refused to provide any people or documents requested by lawful subpoena from the House. That is why the second article of impeachment was filed.
Philbin (paraphrased): "There's no evidence that the White House ordered a 'blanket refusal' of all subpoenas."
Trump: "We're fighting all the subpoenas"
Gaslight, Obstruct, Project
"Even if a communication .. is covered by executive privilege, that can be overwritten. Last week, the president said "We have all the material, they don't have that material." Can you comment whether executive privilege allows a president to conceal evidence?"
💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥
Jeffries : "Trump can invoke executive privilege. He hasn't, as acknowledged by his counsel. The president has ordered the entire executive Branch to defy the legislative Branch. Every court said "The president cannot do that "
Former CIA Director: We worried arming Ukraine would hand technology to Russian spies | Under Obama the military opposed giving Javelin missiles to Ukraine because of fear Russia would get access to sensitive tech, said ex-CIA chief Brennan.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1089926
Schiff: "Don't take my word for it, we can invite John Bolton in and ask him just what he meant by 'a drug deal'."
Sanders in 1987: 'Astronomical' Cost of Single-Payer 'Would Bankrupt the Nation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyIWpYDP-PQ
Nothing to see here. Just Jane praising a bigot who was fired by the Sanders campaign for being bigoted.
https://twitter.com/janeosanders/status/1221982357500153856
Trevor, dying from liver damage and opposed Obamacare, perfectly demos the power of whiteness: "I would rather die. We don’t need any more government in our lives. And in any case, no way I want my tax dollars paying for Mexicans or welfare queens.”
https://twitter.com/CapehartJ/status/1222474971286528002
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/01/28/how-white-identity-permeates-policymaking-outside-washington/
A high-ranking member of Zelensky's administration in Kyiv told the Times that she'd heard about the hold on aid by July 30
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/12/04/we-now-have-fuller-understanding-how-effort-pressure-ukraine-unfolded/
Sen. Paul’s question deals with the whistleblower and names the alleged whistleblower, per sources Chief Justice Roberts has, to this point, rejected the question - which he’d have to read.
https://twitter.com/Phil_Mattingly/status/1222671556276518913
Wells Fargo says it's joining Fifth Third Bank in pulling millions of dollars in donations to Florida's school voucher program because many of the schools have anti-LGBTQ policies.
https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/wells-fargo-pulls-florida-voucher-donations-over-anti-gay-school-n1126136
Yes Rep. Demings the answer you are looking for is yes it's a conflict of interest that Ivanka gets trademarks from China while her father is fighting a trade war with them.
So we don’t want to hear any references to crimes Trump has committed that weren’t explicitly in the articles, BUT let’s include all sorts of accusations about your former VP’s son. Got it.
The GOP want to nullify the 2018 midterms.
So Biden was corrupt with Poroshenko, so in response Trump gave Poroshenko the aid twice then withheld the aid from the new guy who ran on an anti-corruption platform. Makes sense.
While we are on what people are being paid in Ukraine, wasn't Victoria Toensing, wife of the President's impeachment defense attorney sitting in that room, being paid $100K a month to help lift an Ukrainian oligarch avoid extradition?
I think I found the Venezuela connection....
- Giuliani was on a September 2018 call with then-Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Tex.) and embattled Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro in which they discussed a negotiated exit for Maduro — in the hope of opening up the resource-rich country to business.
- That is counter to official U.S. foreign policy, which was focused on taking a hard line against Maduro, eschewing any concessions and ratcheting up sanctions. (A few months later, the United States would recognize Maduro rival Juan Guaidó as president.)
- Around the time of the call, Giuliani presented the idea of a negotiated exit to then-White House national security adviser John Bolton, who rejected it.
- A Sessions spokesman said the effort was “coordinated with the highest levels of the U.S. State Department,” but U.S. officials deny the Trump administration backed it.
- The call came four months before Giuliani picked up as a client a wealthy Venezuelan energy executive who is fighting a potential money-laundering indictment in Florida, Alejandro Betancourt López.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/12/30/rudy-giuliani-venezuela-logan-act/
Bernie Sanders: "With over 16,200 lies while in office, how can we trust the word of Donald Trump?"
Newly installed panels from the US border wall fell over in high winds Wednesday, landing on trees on the Mexican side of the border.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/29/politics/us-border-wall-falls-over-high-winds/index.html
LOL......Hillary Clinton's Secret Service agents turned down a process server's attempts to deliver Tulsi Gabbard's defamation lawsuit to her in Chappaqua (not clear that HRC was there then). Lawyer David Kendall also turned server away.
https://nypost.com/2020/01/29/hillary-clinton-refuses-to-be-served-tulsi-gabbards-defamation-lawsuit/
It’s a ridiculous lawsuit. Hillary never named Tulsi. She outed herself.
Schiff: "You shouldn't presume that when a House impeaches, the Senate trials ... will be witness free, will be evidence free. That's not what the Founders intended. If it was, they would have made you the court of appeals. But they didn't. They made you the triers of fact."
Schiff: "I’m no fan of John Bolton, although I like him a little more than I used to. "
The re-ghettoizing of the Jews
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/the-re-ghettoizing-of-the-jews
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