Trump Discussed Pulling U.S. From NATO, Aides Say Amid New Concerns Over Russia – The New York Times
Trump Discussed Pulling U.S. From NATO, Aides Say Amid New Concerns Over Russia – The New York Times

At the time, Mr. Trump’s national security team, including Jim Mattis, then the defense secretary, and John R. Bolton, the national security adviser, scrambled to keep American strategy on track without mention of a withdrawal that would drastically reduce Washington’s influence in Europe and could embolden Russia for decades.

Now, the president’s repeatedly stated desire to withdraw from NATO is raising new worries among national security officials amid growing concern about Mr. Trump’s efforts to keep his meetings with Mr. Putin secret from even his own aides, and an F.B.I. investigation into the administration’s Russia ties.

A move to withdraw from the alliance, in place since 1949, “would be one of the most damaging things that any president could do to U.S. interests,” said Michèle A. Flournoy, an under secretary of defense under President Barack Obama.

“It would destroy 70-plus years of painstaking work across multiple administrations, Republican and Democratic, to create perhaps the most powerful and advantageous alliance in history,” Ms. Flournoy said in an interview. “And it would be the wildest success that Vladimir Putin could dream of.”

Retired Adm. James G. Stavridis, the former supreme allied commander of NATO, said an American withdrawal from the alliance would be “a geopolitical mistake of epic proportion.”

Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/14/us/politics/nato-president-trump.html

74 views no comments
Steve King Removed From Committee Assignments Over White Supremacy Remark – The New York Times
Steve King Removed From Committee Assignments Over White Supremacy Remark – The New York Times

“The N.R.C.C. does not get involved in primaries and isn’t going to comment on a hypothetical general election two years away,” said Chris Pack, a spokesman for the House campaign arm.

Democrats are moving to censure or reprimand the Iowa congressman, a stinging penalty. Among them were Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina, the highest ranking African-American in Congress, who introduced a measure Monday night in the form of a resolution of disapproval of Mr. King’s comments and white nationalism.

Democratic leaders in the House have yet to say what they will do with the competing censure resolutions, but are inclined to allow a vote of some sort related to Mr. King’s remarks, according to one senior Democratic aide.

In the interview with The Times, Mr. King also reflected on the record number of minorities and women in the new Democratic-controlled House. “You could look over there and think the Democratic Party is no country for white men,” he said.

Mr. King’s hard-line immigration policies and demeaning comments about Hispanics foreshadowed Mr. Trump’s nativist rhetoric in his 2016 campaign, in his two years in the White House and during the government shutdown over a border wall. The president once boasted to Mr. King that he raised more money for him than anyone else, Mr. King recalled in the Times article, which traced how the Iowa congressman helped write the playbook for white identity politics that dominate the Republican Party under Mr. Trump.

He has already drawn one serious primary opponent, state senator Randy Feenstra, for the 2020 campaign and some high-profile Republicans have indicated they will not embrace his re-election.

“It does open the door for other individuals to take a look,” Gov. Kim Reynolds of Iowa said in a television interview last week of Mr. King’s closer-than-expected victory last year.

Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/14/us/politics/steve-king-white-supremacy.html

129 views no comments
Latest: Complaint: Suspect chose Jayme when saw her on bus – News8000.com – WKBT
Latest: Complaint: Suspect chose Jayme when saw her on bus – News8000.com – WKBT

BARRON, Wis. (AP) – The Latest on the case of a kidnapped Wisconsin girl whose parents were fatally shot and the man accused of committing the crimes (all times local):

1:05 p.m.
A criminal complaint says a Wisconsin man accused of kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs spotted her getting on a school bus one day and made up his mind to take her.

Jake Thomas Patterson was charged Monday with kidnapping and with killing Jayme’s parents. The criminal complaint says Patterson told investigators he was driving to his job at a cheese factory one day near Almena, Wisconsin, when he stopped behind a school bus and watched Jayme get on.

The complaint quotes Patterson as saying when he saw Jayme, “He knew that was the girl he was going to take.”

The complaint says Patterson went to the Closs home twice with the intent of taking Jayme but was unable to do so because too many people were around before he was able to kidnap her.
___
12:45 p.m.
A Wisconsin man has been charged with kidnapping, two counts of first-degree intentional homicide and armed burglary in the abduction of 13-year-old Jayme Closs and the slaying of her parents.

Jake Thomas Patterson was arrested Thursday after Jayme apparently escaped from a remote northwestern Wisconsin cabin where she says she was held.

Patterson was charged on Monday.

Investigators say the 21-year-old man broke into James and Denise Closs’ home near Barron, Wisconsin on Oct. 15 by blowing the front door open with a shotgun. Jayme’s parents were shot to death and the teenager vanished the same day.

Investigators believe Patterson planned to abduct Jayme but say they don’t know what led him to target her.
___
11:15 a.m.
A Wisconsin sheriff says 13-year-old Jayme Closs had a smile on her face when he saw her Sunday, just days after she fled the remote cabin where she says she was held for three months.

Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said it was the first time he had met Jayme since she apparently escaped from her captor on Thursday.

Fitzgerald called it “awesome” and a moment he’ll never forget. He says Jayme showed him the room where she is staying with an aunt in Barron, Wisconsin.

Jake Thomas Patterson, the man suspected of abducting Jayme and killing her parents, James and Denise Closs, was expected to be charged later Monday with kidnapping and homicide.
___
10:30 a.m.
Photos of the Wisconsin cabin where a man suspected of kidnapping Jayme Closs allegedly held the teenager show an unfinished ceiling, a three-car garage and an empty box of adult female diapers in the trash.

Investigators believe Jake Thomas Patterson broke into Jayme’s home in October, killed her parents and abducted her. She was missing for almost three months before a woman walking her dog near Gordon, Wisconsin, found her on the road. Jayme said she had escaped from Patterson’s cabin nearby.

Photos published by the New York Post show the cabin’s living area, complete with a refrigerator, white kitchen cabinets and an old television. The ceiling is not finished.

Exterior shots show a lean-to covering firewood, a three-car garage and an empty box of adult female diapers in a trash can. A sign over the front door reads “Pattersons Retreat.”
___
9 a.m.
Relatives of a 13-year-old Wisconsin girl who was kidnapped after her parents were fatally shot say they aren’t asking the girl to tell them what happened while she was held captive for three months.
Her aunts say they’re surrounding Jayme Closs with love and attention.

Lynn Closs and Sue Allard told “CBS This Morning” that they’re telling their niece they’re proud of her for surviving and escaping. Lynn Closs says her niece’s strength is incredible and that she took the power away from her captor.

The suspect, Jake Patterson, is scheduled to make his first court appearance Monday.

Investigators believe Patterson broke into James and Denise Closs’ home near Barron on Oct. 15, killed the couple and abducted their daughter.

Jayme was missing for nearly three months before she escaped from a cabin in Gordon late last week. She told investigators Patterson had been holding her against her will.
___
5:50 a.m.
Defense lawyers for the man suspected of fatally shooting a Wisconsin couple and kidnapping their daughter say they believe he can get a fair trial, but they’re not sure where.

Jake Patterson is scheduled to make his first court appearance Monday.

Investigators believe he broke into James and Denise Closs’ home near Barron on Oct. 15, killed the couple and abducted their 13-year-old daughter, Jayme Closs. Jayme was missing for nearly three months before she escaped from a cabin in Gordon late last week. She told investigators Patterson had been holding her against her will.

Public defenders Charles Glynn and Richard Jones say it’s been an emotional time for the community of Barron, and they understand the pain the case has generated.

It’s unclear how Patterson became aware of Jayme, and authorities have found no evidence of any interactions between them. Charging documents released Monday could shed more light on the case.
___
12 a.m.
A man suspected of kidnapping a Wisconsin teenager and killing her parents is due to make his first court appearance.

Twenty-one-year-old Jake Thomas Patterson is expected to appear in Barron County Circuit Court on Monday afternoon, after prosecutors formally charge him with intentional homicide and kidnapping.

Investigators believe Patterson broke into James and Denise Closs’ home near Barron on Oct. 15, gunned the couple down and abducted 13-year-old Jayme Closs. She was missing for nearly three months before she escaped from the cabin in Gordon where she said Patterson had been holding her.

Charging documents could shed more light on the case. It’s unclear how Patterson became aware of Jayme, and authorities have found no evidence of any interactions between them. Her family says they don’t know Patterson.
 

 

Get your weather forecast from people that actually live in your community. We update with short, easy-to-use video forecasts you can watch on your phone every day. Download the iOS or Android app here.

Source Article from https://www.news8000.com/news/crime/latest-complaint-suspect-chose-jayme-when-saw-her-on-bus/975364484

51 views no comments
Here’s why the shutdown won’t end anytime soon – Washington Examiner
Here’s why the shutdown won’t end anytime soon – Washington Examiner

Shutdown writing is tedious because it tends to follow a pattern: Nothing has happened for weeks and nothing is likely to happen for the next couple weeks. Updates to follow.

The wall isn’t even really the point anymore, as if $5 billion could ever do more than pay for a few hundred steel slats along the southern border anyway. Aside from the overflowing toilets at national parks and the army of inconvenienced furloughed federal employees then, the only question that actually matters is who the public will hold responsible when the government reopens.

Of course, President Trump blames Democrats for the shutdown he at first took credit for. (“I would be proud to shut down the government.”) For the last three weeks though, he has been inviting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to make a deal.

[Read: Federal employees file for unemployment as government shutdown becomes longest in history]

This strategy isn’t working, and this shutdown won’t stop anytime soon. Recent polling shows why.

The Washington Post and ABC News found that 53 percent of respondents blamed Trump and Republicans in Congress for the shutdown, 29 percent blamed Democrats, and 13 percent blamed both sides.

After first glancing at these numbers, one would assume the White House would realize they were losing the messaging war. But a closer look shows why the shutdown will continue: Trump is getting good scores on this shutdown with Republicans.

Trump promised his base a wall, and the GOP is increasingly getting on board even when construction seems impossible. As the Washington Post reports, support for the wall jumped 16 percent in the last year from 71 to 87 percent.

And this is why the shutdown won’t end anytime soon. Trump continues to get what he wants, namely giving the impression to his supporters that he still fights. He does this by not doing anything. Until something changes drastically, nothing will change at all.

Source Article from https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/heres-why-the-shutdown-wont-end-anytime-soon

22 views no comments
Trump’s AG pick to pledge protection for Mueller’s Russia probe – AOL
Trump’s AG pick to pledge protection for Mueller’s Russia probe – AOL

WASHINGTON, Jan 14 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s attorney general nominee William Barr will pledge at his confirmation hearing to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into whether Trump’s 2016 election campaign coordinated with Russia, according to prepared testimony released on Monday.

“On my watch, Bob will be allowed to complete his work,” Barr said in the prepared remarks ahead of two days of confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee starting on Tuesday morning.

Barr, a former attorney general under President George H.W. Bush, also will address his prior criticism of Mueller’s probe, telling members of the committee that a memo he sent last year that called the investigation “fatally misconceived” only outlined his concerns that Mueller might be misinterpreting one aspect of the law.

“The memo did not address – or in any way question – the Special Counsel’s core investigation,” Barr will tell the panel.

Mueller is investigating Russia’s interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, possible collusion between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign and potential obstruction of justice.

Related: Robert Mueller:




Russia has denied U.S. intelligence agencies’ findings that it meddled in the election, running an interference operation to spread disinformation and hacking political party emails. Trump has denied any collusion with Moscow and called Mueller’s probe a “witch hunt.”

Barr has broad support from Republicans who control the Senate, but some Democrats have questioned whether he is the best choice to serve as the top law enforcement officer in the United States at a time when Trump is battling multiple legal investigations.

Barr will emphasize his independence, telling lawmakers that he did not seek out the job and has not given Trump any assurances of loyalty.

“As Attorney General, my allegiance will be to the rule of law, the Constitution, and the American people,” he will say.

Barr said he has known Mueller professionally for 30 years and has confidence in his abilities.

“If confirmed, I will not permit partisan politics, personal interests, or any other improper consideration to interfere with this or any other investigation,” Barr said in his written remarks.

Democrats have worried that Trump may try to quash Mueller’s findings when he concludes his work. Barr will tell lawmakers that he believes it is important that Congress and the public are informed of his results. “My goal will be to provide as much transparency as I can consistent with the law,” he said.

Mueller’s investigation and other inquiries have clouded Trump’s two years in office. Mueller has secured more than 30 indictments and guilty pleas and has spawned at least four federal investigations.

Government ethics forms released publicly on Monday show that if confirmed, Barr will within 90 days divest his financial interests in multiple bonds, private funds and stocks including AT&T Inc, Bristol Myers Squib Co, Dominion Energy Inc, J.P. Morgan Co, Bank of America Corp, Altria Group Inc, Merck & Co Inc, and Pfizer Inc , among others.

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; editing by Grant McCool)

More from Aol.com:

Ocasio-Cortez fires back after Trump dismisses question about him being ‘racist’

‘Thought he worked for the Kremlin?’ Trump jokes about Russia ties after claims the FBI investigated him as a potential Russian agent

U.S. judge partially blocks Trump administration birth control rules

Source Article from https://www.aol.com/article/news/2019/01/14/trumps-ag-pick-to-pledge-protection-for-muellers-russia-probe/23642199/

17 views no comments
Hillary Clinton Tweets Flashback To Her Prediction That Trump Would Be Putin’s Puppet – HuffPost
Hillary Clinton Tweets Flashback To Her Prediction That Trump Would Be Putin’s Puppet – HuffPost

“And it’s pretty clear you won’t admit that the Russians have engaged in cyberattacks against the United States of America,” she continued. “That you encouraged espionage against our people, that you are willing to spout the Putin line, sign up for his wish list, break up NATO, do whatever he wants to do, and that you continue to get help from him because he has a very clear favorite in this race.”

Source Article from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hillary-clinton-trump-putin-puppet_us_5c3d39ace4b0e0baf5406121

26 views no comments
L.A. parents: If your kids went to school during the teachers’ strike, what did they do? – Los Angeles Times
L.A. parents: If your kids went to school during the teachers’ strike, what did they do? – Los Angeles Times

More than 30,000 L.A. Unified School District teachers went on strike Monday, but schools remained open and class was in session. Substitute teachers and volunteers were in campus buildings conducting lessons and showing movies.

Source Article from https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-edu-lausd-teachers-strike-attendance-call-out20190114-story.html

97 views no comments
Government Shutdown Leads To A Spike In Canceled Immigration Hearings – NPR
Government Shutdown Leads To A Spike In Canceled Immigration Hearings – NPR

Unauthorized immigrants leave a court in shackles in McAllen, Texas. More than 40,000 immigration court hearings have been canceled since the government shut down.

John Moore/Getty Images


hide caption

toggle caption

John Moore/Getty Images

Unauthorized immigrants leave a court in shackles in McAllen, Texas. More than 40,000 immigration court hearings have been canceled since the government shut down.

John Moore/Getty Images

Almost 43,000 immigration court hearings have been canceled as a result of the partial government shutdown, freezing an already heavily backlogged system, according to a report by researchers tracking immigration data. Another 20,000 hearings will be canceled for every additional week the government is not operating.

The report by the Transactional Records Access Clearing House at Syracuse University concludes that as many as 100,000 individuals will have had their hearings postponed if the shutdown continues through the end of January.

Between Dec. 24 and Jan. 11, 42,726 scheduled cases were not heard.

“Individuals impacted by these cancellations may have already being waiting two, three, or even four years for their day in court,” the report says.

As NPR’s John Burnett reports, immigrants who have had their hearings postponed or canceled may have to wait until 2022 for a rescheduled hearing.

“The White House has asked Congress to fund 75 new immigration judges to help clear overcrowded dockets that have ballooned in the past five years with more asylum claims,” Burnett added.

Even if Congress approved the hiring of new judges — and that is a big if, considering the current stalemate over immigration policy — the case backlog is massive.

“Since few cases are being resolved during the shutdown, each week the shutdown continues the practical effect is to add thousands of cases back onto the active case backlog which had already topped eight-hundred thousand (809,041) as of the end of last November,” the report adds. The case backlog has risen almost 50 percent since President Trump took office.

NPR’s Laura Benshoff reported earlier this month that the rescheduling of immigration hearings can be devastating for some, or a blessing in disguise for others.

“For example, pushing back a hearing could mean an immigrant who qualifies for status now may not in the future if immigration policies are restricted. Or, if an immigrant doesn’t have a strong claim for status, a delay means more time in the U.S. and maybe even qualifying for another form of immigration status in the interim.”

The 10 states experiencing the most immigration hearing cancellations are California, New York, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Virginia, Maryland, Illinois and Pennsylvania.

The Justice Department office that oversees the immigration courts, the Executive Office for Immigration Review, did not respond to requests for comment. A recorded message said that the press office is closed due to the government shutdown.

Source Article from https://www.npr.org/2019/01/14/685369719/government-shutdown-leads-to-a-spike-in-cancelled-immigration-hearings

32 views no comments
WATCH LIVE at 3:30 p.m.: Jake Patterson appears in Barron County Court – News8000.com – WKBT
WATCH LIVE at 3:30 p.m.: Jake Patterson appears in Barron County Court – News8000.com – WKBT

Top Videos

“);b.ajax({type:”GET”,url:c}).done(function(h){var i=b(h);d.empty();d.append(i)}).fail(function(){d.append(“

Oops. Something went wrong. Please wait a minute and refresh your browser.

“)})})})(jQuery,AUI());

Source Article from https://www.news8000.com/news/watch-live-at-3-30-pm-jake-patterson-appears-in-barron-county-court/975356195

51 views no comments
Rep. Steve King removed from committee assignments amid ‘white supremacist’ controversy – Fox News
Rep. Steve King removed from committee assignments amid ‘white supremacist’ controversy – Fox News
Video

Rep. Steve King faces bipartisan backlash as Republicans and Democrats condemn his comments on white supremacy

Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, was stripped of his committee assignments by his fellow House Republicans Monday evening following bipartisan condemnation of King’s recent remarks on white supremacy and white nationalism.

“We will not tolerate this type of language in the Republican Party … or in the Democratic Party as well,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., told reporters. “I watched what Steve King said and we took action.”

In a formal statement, McCarthy said King’s comments were “beneath the dignity of the Party of Lincoln and the United States of America. His comments call into question whether he will treat all Americans equally, without regard for race and ethnicity. House Republicans are clear: We are all in this together, as fellow citizens equal before God and the law. As Congressman King’s fellow citizens, let us hope and pray earnestly that this action will lead to greater reflection and ultimately change on his part.”

In a statement of his own, King insisted that his comments had been “completely mischaracterized” and blasted McCarthy for what King called “a political decision that ignores the truth.” According to his website, King was previously a member of House committees on the judiciary, agriculture and small business.

King, 69, was already under fire from both parties over a series of racially charged remarks when he made the head-turning comments in a New York Times interview published last week.

FLASHBACK: AUTHOR STEPHEN KING ASKS IOWANS TO VOTE AGAINST ‘RACIST DUMBBELL’ STEVE KING

“White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” King asked the paper. “Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?”

In his statement Monday, King insisted his use of “that language” was referring “ONLY to Western Civilization and NOT to any previously stated evil ideology ALL of which I have denounced.

“My record as a vocal advocate for Western Civilization is nearly as full as my record in defense of Freedom of Speech,” King concluded. ” … I will continue to point out the truth and work with all the vigor that I have to represent 4th District Iowans for at least the next two years.”

The loss of King’s committee assignments may not be the end of his trouble. Earlier Monday, Reps. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., and Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, introduced separate censure resolutions against the Republican. Censure is one of three formal modes of punishment in the House. It is more severe than a reprimand, but not as severe as expulsion. The House has only censured 23 members in history, most recently, former Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., in December 2010.

“Anything less [than censure] would be a slap on the wrist,” Rush told reporters. “Steve King’s continual, serial, expression of hard, rabid racism must come to a screeching halt. This Congress must rise up and express its sentiment.”

Senate Republicans also expressed their disgust with King, with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., saying that if King “doesn’t understand why ‘white supremacy’ is offensive, he should find another line of work.”

“There is no place in the Republican Party, the Congress or the country for an ideology of racial supremacy of any kind,” McConnell said. “I have no tolerance for such positions and those who espouse these views are not supporters of American ideals and freedoms. Rep. King’s statements are unwelcome and unworthy of his elected position.”

Sen. Mitt Romey, R-Utah, said King’s remarks “are his own and his exclusively and what he said was reprehensible and ought to lead to his resignation from Congress.”

“I think it’s very clear that the party leadership is unified that Steve King is out of bounds and that he should no longer be serving in Congress,” Romney said.

GOP CAMPAIGN BOSS CONDEMNS REP. STEVE KING: ‘MUST STAND UP AGAINST WHITE SUPREMACY’

Last year, King tweeted “culture and demographics are our destiny” and said we “can’t restore our civilization with somebody else’s babies.”

In 2013, he commented that while he has some sympathy for some illegal immigrants, “they aren’t all valedictorians, they weren’t all brought in by their parents — for everyone who’s a valedictorian, there’s another 100 out there who weigh 130 pounds and they’ve got calves the size of cantaloupes because they’re hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Shortly before the 2018 midterm elections, in which King was running, Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Ohio, then the head of the GOP campaign committee, issued an extraordinary public denunciation of him.

King has already drawn a primary challenger for the 2020 election: Randy Feenstra, a GOP state senator.

Fox News’ Gregg Re, Jason Donner and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source Article from https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rep-steve-king-removed-from-committee-assignments-amid-white-supremacist-controversy

61 views no comments
Here’s why the shutdown won’t end anytime soon – Washington Examiner
Here’s why the shutdown won’t end anytime soon – Washington Examiner

Shutdown writing is tedious because it tends to follow a pattern: Nothing has happened for weeks and nothing is likely to happen for the next couple weeks. Updates to follow.

The wall isn’t even really the point anymore, as if $5 billion could ever do more than pay for a few hundred steel slats along the southern border anyway. Aside from the overflowing toilets at national parks and the army of inconvenienced furloughed federal employees then, the only question that actually matters is who the public will hold responsible when the government reopens.

Of course, President Trump blames Democrats for the shutdown he at first took credit for. (“I would be proud to shut down the government.”) For the last three weeks though, he has been inviting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to make a deal.

[Read: Federal employees file for unemployment as government shutdown becomes longest in history]

This strategy isn’t working, and this shutdown won’t stop anytime soon. Recent polling shows why.

The Washington Post and ABC News found that 53 percent of respondents blamed Trump and Republicans in Congress for the shutdown, 29 percent blamed Democrats, and 13 percent blamed both sides.

After first glancing at these numbers, one would assume the White House would realize they were losing the messaging war. But a closer look shows why the shutdown will continue: Trump is getting good scores on this shutdown with Republicans.

Trump promised his base a wall, and the GOP is increasingly getting on board even when construction seems impossible. As the Washington Post reports, support for the wall jumped 16 percent in the last year from 71 to 87 percent.

And this is why the shutdown won’t end anytime soon. Trump continues to get what he wants, namely giving the impression to his supporters that he still fights. He does this by not doing anything. Until something changes drastically, nothing will change at all.

Source Article from https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/heres-why-the-shutdown-wont-end-anytime-soon

65 views no comments
Teachers in Los Angeles want more than a raise—here’s why over 30,000 went on strike today – CNBC
Teachers in Los Angeles want more than a raise—here’s why over 30,000 went on strike today – CNBC

<!– –>


VISIT CNBC.COM

Work

Work

6 Hours Ago

Over 30,000 teachers went on strike in Los Angeles County today. The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) serves 640,000 students and is the second biggest school district in the country. The last time Los Angeles teachers went on strike was 1989.

The protest follows a string of successful teacher strikes across the country. Teachers in states like West Virginia and Oklahoma — who are among the lowest paid educators in the country — have organized and participated in strikes in order to advocate for higher wages and improved conditions for students.

Prior to negotiations, the average annual mean wage for a teacher was $45,240 in West Virginia and $42,460 in Oklahoma. After going on strike, teachers in both of these states received pay increases.

“What you’re seeing with unions is real enthusiasm and a belief that you can actually be successful,” Robert Bruno, professor of labor and employment relations at the University of Illinois tells the Associated Press. “The educational sector is rife with deep grievance and frustration, but there’s now a sense that you can actually win.”

The annual mean wage for teachers in California is $74,940 and $75,000 in the LAUSD, and while teacher pay is a significant issue for protesting educators, the current teachers strike in Los Angeles is also about class size.

The strike has gained attention and support from progressive politicians.

“Very proud of L.A. public school teachers today for taking a stand. Teachers are the unsung heroes of American democracy. Today they’re putting everything on the line so our nation’s children can have a better shot,” tweeted New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

“Los Angeles teachers work day in and day out to inspire and educate the next generation of leaders. I’m standing in solidarity with them as they strike for improved student conditions, such as smaller class sizes and more counselors and librarians,” tweeted California Senator Kamala Harris.

“The eyes of the nation are watching, and educators … all over the country have the backs of the educators in L.A.,” Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said at the protest on Monday, according to the Los Angeles Times. “We need the conditions to ensure that every child … gets the opportunity he or she or they deserve.”

Like this story? Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube!

Don’t miss:


a:after {content: “\203A”;font-size:1.25em;margin-left:1px;}
.wildcard .prime_promo_module h3.content-title{font-size:20px;line-height:26px;}
@media screen and (max-width: 600px){
.video-wrapper {display: inline-block;width: 47%;}
}
@media screen and (max-width: 530px){
.wildcard .prime_promo_module {margin: 20px 10px!important;}
.wildcard .prime_promo_module .sourceName.top a {font-size: 14px; color:white;}
.video-wrapper { display: inline-block;width: 100%;}
.poster-wrapper {max-width: 100%;}
.video-info {margin-left: 0px;width: 100%;max-width: 530px;}
.prime_promo_module i.fa.fa-video {font-size: 3.5em;margin: 55px 105px;}
.prime_promo_module .top{margin:0px;}
body[id*=makeit] .show-name.top a {font-size: 14px;}
h3.content-title {font-size: 22px;line-height: 26px;}
.immersive article .tuneIn p {font-size: 15px;}
}
]]>

Playing

Share this video…

Watch Next…

Source Article from https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/14/teachers-in-los-angeles-want-more-than-just-a-raise–heres-why-over-30000-are-on-strike-today-.html

125 views no comments
Ask the Trump White House for comment and you might get a non-denial denial – The Washington Post
Ask the Trump White House for comment and you might get a non-denial denial – The Washington Post

Paul Farhi

January 14 at 2:18 PM

Twice in just a few hours Saturday, President Trump and his representatives offered textbook examples of the fog-making rhetorical response known as the non-denial denial.

Asked during a Fox News interview whether he was a Russian agent (as the FBI suspected, according to a blockbuster New York Times story), Trump harrumphed, “I think it’s the most insulting thing I’ve ever been asked. I think it’s the most insulting article I’ve ever had written, and if you read the article you’ll see that they found absolutely nothing.” (Trump gave a more direct denial on Monday.)

A few hours earlier, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders had this reply to a Washington Post article that found that Trump had concealed notes of his meetings with Russian president Vladi­mir Putin from even his closest advisers: “The Washington Post story is so outrageously inaccurate it doesn’t even warrant a response. The liberal media has wasted two years trying to manufacture a fake collusion scandal instead of reporting the fact that unlike President Obama, who let Russia and other foreign adversaries push America around, President Trump has actually been tough on Russia.”

Like all non-denial denials, both responses were forceful, even emotional in tone. But neither really answered the question.

That’s exactly how a non-denial denial (or NDD, if you will) is supposed to work. It suggests the speaker is responding forthrightly, without really confirming or rejecting the claim.

NDDs aren’t technically lies, but they are evasive and obfuscating. By seeming to dispute a statement without actually doing so, an NDD can raise doubts about the veracity of a damning statement. They have the added benefit of letting the non-denial denier off the hook if and when more facts emerge that confirm the original report. The denier, after all, never actually said the initial report was wrong, so he or she can’t be called on a blatant lie later.


Sarah Sanders, above, in December, issued a “non-denial denial” in response to a Washington Post inquiry over the weekend. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

In addition to their many inaccurate, misleading and baseless statements, Trump and his representatives have been frequent practitioners of the NDD:

●When The Post reported that Trump had told lawmakers in a private meeting last January that he opposed admitting more immigrants from “shithole countries,” White House spokesman Raj Shah issued a statement that neither denied nor confirmed the comment. “Like other nations that have merit-based immigration, President Trump is fighting for permanent solutions that make our country stronger by welcoming those who can contribute to our society, grow our economy and assimilate into our great nation,” Shah said.

●Following news reports that Trump intended to replace national security adviser H.R. McMaster with John Bolton in March, Sanders tweeted, “Just spoke to Potus and Gen. H.R. McMaster. Contrary to reports, they have a good working relationship. There are no changes at the NSC.” There weren’t then; Bolton replaced McMaster four days later.

●McMaster himself provided non-denial cover for the White House after The Post reported last year that Trump had leaked details of a classified operation against the Islamic State during an Oval Office meeting with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak and foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. “The story that came out tonight, as reported, is false,” he said, adding, “At no time were intelligence sources or methods discussed. And the president did not disclose any military operations that were not already publicly known.” But the story never said Trump disclosed nonpublic military operations or discussed “intelligence sources or methods.” McMaster’s statement never cited anything specific in the story that was false.

The “non-denial denial” phrase itself appears to have entered the lexicon during the Watergate era of the mid-1970s.

Several sources credit the late Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee with coining it in reaction to statements made by President Nixon and his spokesman about The Post’s reporting.

“As best as I can recall, Bradlee was the first to use the ‘non-denial denial’ language,” said Bob Woodward, who along with Carl Bernstein reported those stories.

At one point, Woodward said, the White House said The Post’s sources were a “fountain of misinformation,” but did not specifically challenge the reported facts. “I recall when I first heard [the phrase], I thought, ‘Ah, Bradlee was giving language to precisely what was happening.’ ”

Woodward said the most artful NDDs are issued with “such force, language and outrage that it sounds like a real denial.” What’s more, as with Trump, the Nixon White House mixed non-denials with outright denials, creating the impression that his administration was actually denying everything.

The Trump White House pushed back on Woodward’s most recent book, “Fear,” with its own nonspecific NDD regarding the book’s many anecdotes about infighting and chaos among Trump’s top officials. In a statement upon the book’s release in September, Sanders said, “This book is nothing more than fabricated stories, many by former disgruntled employees, told to make the President look bad.” (Trump and former White House chief of staff John F. Kelly did, however, issue more specific denials).

As a rhetorical device, NDDs are an updated version of the “red herring” fallacy, the notion that an irrelevant topic is introduced in an argument to divert attention from the original issue, said Edward Schiappa, a professor of comparative media studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In other words, he said, “it’s just another in a long line of strategies of evasion.”

Trump isn’t unique in this, said Dana L. Cloud, a communication and rhetorical studies professor at Syracuse University. “One need only think of Bill Clinton’s reductionist use of a definitional argument when claiming that he did not have sex with Monica Lewinsky,” she said. “It is not a set of tactics unique to Trump or any particular political party.”

But Trump’s NDD’s tend to fit a pattern, said Jennifer Mercieca, a professor at Texas A&M who specializes in American political discourse. His strategy typically involves a combination of denying knowledge of an accusation; denying associating with the people allegedly involved; asking what the victim did to deserve his or her fate; and accusing his accusers, “which is an appeal to hypocrisy.”

As such, Trump’s non-denial denials are different in kind and manner than earlier presidents, according to Rosa A. Eberly, a rhetoric professor at Penn State, because they assert “de facto negative evaluations” of most democratic institutions. “I don’t see [rhetoric of this kind] as an effective strategy for the long game of democracy,” she said.

Trump, Woodward said, “has taken the old Nixon strategy of making the issue the conduct of the press, not the conduct of the president, to new strategic heights. And some of it is working.”

Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/ask-the-trump-white-house-for-comment-and-you-might-get-a-nondenial-denial/2019/01/14/e607120a-1780-11e9-8813-cb9dec761e73_story.html

81 views no comments
‘Like I said: A puppet,’ Hillary Clinton tweets after recent reports about Trump, Russia – USA TODAY
‘Like I said: A puppet,’ Hillary Clinton tweets after recent reports about Trump, Russia – USA TODAY
CLOSE

Hillary Clinton is poking fun at the latest news surrounding President Trump and Russia. Veuer’s Nick Cardona has that story.
Buzz60

President Donald Trump’s vanquished 2016 Democratic opponent appears to be relishing his recent difficulties with news reports about his relationship with Russia. 

“Like I said: A puppet,” Hillary Clinton tweeted Monday, referencing a famous exchange between her and Trump during their third and final presidential debate.

On Oct. 19, 2016, Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin did not respect the former secretary of state. 

“Well, that’s because he’d rather have a puppet as president of the United States,” Clinton replied.

“No puppet,” Trump said, talking over her. “You’re the puppet. No, you’re the puppet.” 

Flashback: Trump, Clinton disagree over who’s Putin’s ‘puppet’

“It’s pretty clear you won’t admit the Russians have engaged in cyber attacks against the United States of America, that you encouraged espionage against our people, that you are willing to spout the Putin line, sign up for his wish list, break up NATO, do whatever he wants to do and that you continue to get help from him because he has a very clear favorite in this race,” Clinton continued. 

More: Senate reports find millions of social media posts by Russians aimed at helping Trump, GOP

Clinton’s tweet reiterating her claim that Trump is a Russian puppet comes after news reports over the weekend that added fuel to the debate over Trump’s Russia ties.

The New York Times reported Friday that the FBI investigated whether Trump was working on Putin’s behalf after he fired director James Comey. And on Sunday, The Washington Post reported that Trump went to “extraordinary lengths” to conceal details from his conversations with Putin. 

“I never worked for Russia,” Trump told reporters Monday. He said the very question was a “disgrace” and repeated his belief that the investigation into his potential ties Russian election meddling was  “a whole big fat hoax.”

Trump: NYT report on FBI fear that he worked for Russia is ‘most insulting article’ ever

Washington Post: President Trump went to ‘extraordinary lengths’ to hide details of Putin meetings

Post to Facebook

Posted!

A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

 

Source Article from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2019/01/14/hillary-clinton-tweet-donald-trump-russia-puppet/2570599002/

171 views no comments
Trump’s AG pick to pledge protection for Mueller’s Russia probe – AOL
Trump’s AG pick to pledge protection for Mueller’s Russia probe – AOL

WASHINGTON, Jan 14 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s attorney general nominee William Barr will pledge at his confirmation hearing to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into whether Trump’s 2016 election campaign coordinated with Russia, according to prepared testimony released on Monday.

“On my watch, Bob will be allowed to complete his work,” Barr said in the prepared remarks ahead of two days of confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee starting on Tuesday morning.

Barr, a former attorney general under President George H.W. Bush, also will address his prior criticism of Mueller’s probe, telling members of the committee that a memo he sent last year that called the investigation “fatally misconceived” only outlined his concerns that Mueller might be misinterpreting one aspect of the law.

“The memo did not address – or in any way question – the Special Counsel’s core investigation,” Barr will tell the panel.

Mueller is investigating Russia’s interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, possible collusion between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign and potential obstruction of justice.

Related: Robert Mueller:




Russia has denied U.S. intelligence agencies’ findings that it meddled in the election, running an interference operation to spread disinformation and hacking political party emails. Trump has denied any collusion with Moscow and called Mueller’s probe a “witch hunt.”

Barr has broad support from Republicans who control the Senate, but some Democrats have questioned whether he is the best choice to serve as the top law enforcement officer in the United States at a time when Trump is battling multiple legal investigations.

Barr will emphasize his independence, telling lawmakers that he did not seek out the job and has not given Trump any assurances of loyalty.

“As Attorney General, my allegiance will be to the rule of law, the Constitution, and the American people,” he will say.

Barr said he has known Mueller professionally for 30 years and has confidence in his abilities.

“If confirmed, I will not permit partisan politics, personal interests, or any other improper consideration to interfere with this or any other investigation,” Barr said in his written remarks.

Democrats have worried that Trump may try to quash Mueller’s findings when he concludes his work. Barr will tell lawmakers that he believes it is important that Congress and the public are informed of his results. “My goal will be to provide as much transparency as I can consistent with the law,” he said.

Mueller’s investigation and other inquiries have clouded Trump’s two years in office. Mueller has secured more than 30 indictments and guilty pleas and has spawned at least four federal investigations.

Government ethics forms released publicly on Monday show that if confirmed, Barr will within 90 days divest his financial interests in multiple bonds, private funds and stocks including AT&T Inc, Bristol Myers Squib Co, Dominion Energy Inc, J.P. Morgan Co, Bank of America Corp, Altria Group Inc, Merck & Co Inc, and Pfizer Inc , among others.

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; editing by Grant McCool)

More from Aol.com:

Ocasio-Cortez fires back after Trump dismisses question about him being ‘racist’

‘Thought he worked for the Kremlin?’ Trump jokes about Russia ties after claims the FBI investigated him as a potential Russian agent

U.S. judge partially blocks Trump administration birth control rules

Source Article from https://www.aol.com/article/news/2019/01/14/trumps-ag-pick-to-pledge-protection-for-muellers-russia-probe/23642199/

15 views no comments
Jayme’s grandfather on her homecoming: “You can tell she’s not quite the same” – WAOW
Jayme’s grandfather on her homecoming: “You can tell she’s not quite the same” – WAOW

(WKOW) — Jayme Closs has officially spent her first full weekend back at home and her family is overjoyed to have her there.

“I was the first one she gave a hug to,” Robert Naiberg, Jayme’s grandfather said.

He describes an emotional reunion between the two after Jayme was finally reunited with her family after 88 days.

“I was standing in my daughter Jennifer’s hallway, she came up to me and gave me a big hug and I gave her a big hug,” he said.

His daughter and Jayme’s aunt, Jennifer Smith, did what she could to make sure Jayme felt comfortable when she got back home.

“Her room was empty, but when she came home, it was all done,” he said.

Jayme went missing October 15th. Her parents were found shot to death in their home in Barron. About three months later, Jayme was found alive near that town of Gordon home, which is about an hour away from her family’s home.

The suspect, 21-year-old Jake Patterson, was taken into custody the same day.

“You can tell she’s not quite the same,” Naiberg said.

Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said Patterson may have chosen Jayme Closs at random, adding motive has not been determined at this point.

Prosecutors plan to charge him with kidnapping and two counts of intentional homicide.

Patterson’s first court appearance is Monday. Following that appearance, more information about Patterson’s charges is expected to be released in a criminal complaint.

Watch the interview HERE. 

Source Article from https://waow.com/top-stories/2019/01/14/jaymes-grandfather-on-her-homecoming-you-can-tell-shes-not-quite-the-same/

53 views no comments
Trump Vows He’ll ‘Never Ever Back Down’ On Border Security – HuffPost
Trump Vows He’ll ‘Never Ever Back Down’ On Border Security – HuffPost

As Congress returned to Washington for a second week of legislative business since House control reverted to Democrats, the shutdown hit Day 24, affecting federal workers and services. Trump has demanded $5.7 billion for his long-promised wall, while Democrats, who oppose the wall as both immoral and ineffective, insist Trump re-open the government before they negotiate further border security.

Source Article from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-vows-hell-never-ever-back-down-on-border-security_us_5c3cff4ae4b0922a21d7bc58

23 views no comments
Mueller report to be ‘almost certain to be anti-climactic,’ sources tell ABC’s Karl – Fox News
Mueller report to be ‘almost certain to be anti-climactic,’ sources tell ABC’s Karl – Fox News
Video

Reports: Mueller could complete Russia investigation by mid-February

Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s long-awaited report may not be as shocking as it has been built up to be – at least according to ABC News White House correspondent Jonathan Karl.

Speaking to host George Stephanopoulos Sunday on “This Week,” Karl said that he’s been told by sources close to the investigation that the report into Russian interference in the 2016 election and any possible collusion between President Trump’s campaign and Moscow is “almost certain to be anti-climactic.”

“There have been expectations that have been building, of course, for over a year,” Karl told Stephanopoulos. “But people who are closest to what Mueller has been doing, interacting with the special counsel, caution me that this report is almost certain to be anti-climactic.”

TRUMP’S AG PICK WILLIAM BARR SAYS IT IS ‘VITALLY IMPORTANT’ THAT MUELLER’S RUSSIA INVESTIGATION CONTINUE

“If you look at what the FBI was investigating in that New York Times report, you look at what they were investigating, Mueller did not go anywhere with that investigation,” Karl continued. “He has been writing his report in real time through these indictments and we have seen nothing from Mueller on the central question of, was there any coordination, collusion, with the Russians in the effort to meddle in the elections? Or was there even any knowledge on the part of the president or anybody in his campaign with what the Russians were doing, there’s been no indication of that.”

Video

Karl’s comments come two days after the New York Times reported that the FBI opened an investigation into whether Trump was working on behalf of Russia in 2017 following the president’s dismissal of former FBI director James Comey.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump called Fox News’ Jeanine Pirro and told her that the newspaper’s report was “insulting.”

“I think it’s the most insulting thing I’ve ever been asked,” Trump told her when asked if he had ever worked on behalf of Russia. “I think it’s the most insulting article I’ve ever had written.”

Source Article from https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mueller-report-to-be-almost-certain-to-be-anti-climactic-sources-tell-abcs-karl

69 views no comments
President Trump Tells Farmers ‘Greatest Harvest’ Is Yet to Come as They Suffer From Trade War – TIME
President Trump Tells Farmers ‘Greatest Harvest’ Is Yet to Come as They Suffer From Trade War – TIME

(NEW ORLEANS) — President Donald Trump urged farmers Monday to stick with him even as many grapple with the impact of his trade war with China and the partial government shutdown.

“No one understands better than our great farmers that the tough choices we make today reap rewards for centuries to come,” Trump said, adding that their “greatest harvest” is yet to come.

“We’re doing trade deals that are going to get you so much business, you’re not even going to believe it,” he said.

Trump, in an address to the 100th annual convention of the American Farm Bureau Federation, said the American heartland largely supported him in 2016 and pledged that his policies would ultimately help the agriculture industry despite short-term pain.

The president devoted much of his hourlong address to defending his decision to hold out for billions of dollars to build his long-promised wall at the southern border, which has resulted in an impasse with Congress and the longest government shutdown in history.

Trump said the wall was needed to cut down on illegal immigration, even though border crossings have fallen in recent years, and he said that it would lead to immigration reform that would help farmers get the workers they need for their fields.

“You need people to help you with the farms,” Trump said. “It’s going to be easier for them to get in.”

Despite Trump’s assurances, many farmers are feeling the pinch from his policies.

The Agriculture Department is scrambling to blunt the impact of the now 24-day government shutdown on America’s farmers.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue last week extended the deadline for growers hurt by Trump’s trade war with China to apply for federal aid meant to offset their losses. But some farmers will still have to wait until after the government reopens to see their checks.

In addition, the Farm Service Agency, which distributes loans to farmers, has been shuttered since the first week of the shutdown.

About 500 demonstrators marched outside the convention center to protest the president, some holding signs that said “Open the Government Now” and “Deport Trump.” But some farmers attending the convention said they continue to support Trump despite any difficulty they’re feeling.

Richard Musel, of Bennington, Nebraska, a corn and soybean farmer, described business as “marginal” but said he doesn’t blame Trump. Musel said Trump has been good to farmers and had no choice but to get tough with China. He criticized Democrats for refusing to fund the wall.

“He’s asking for such a small amount.” Musel said of the president.

Lemuel and Shelby Ricks grow cotton, soybeans, wheat and peanuts on their farm in Conway, North Carolina. They said they’ve been hurt by low commodity prices and the shutdown. They can’t apply for financial aid the federal government is giving farmers hurt by Trump’s trade policies because of the shutdown.

The Rickses said they voted for Trump and will again in 2020, contending the country will benefit from his policies in the long run.

“We’re not giving up on him now,” Shelby Ricks said.

Despite Trump’s lofty promises, there has been great unease in the agricultural community over the ongoing trade dispute with China.

Retaliatory tariffs put in place by Beijing have slammed American farmers, many of whom were Trump supporters, and a federal government bailout to the industry has had limited impact. Moreover, despite a pledge to put “farmers first,” his new trade deal with Canada and Mexico, which is meant to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement, has yet to be approved by Congress and now potentially faces longer odds to win passage in the Democrat-controlled House.

Contact us at editors@time.com.

Source Article from http://time.com/5502697/trump-farmers-speech-greatest-harvest/

128 views no comments
Trump keeps mum on King’s comments while separately stoking racism – CNN
Trump keeps mum on King’s comments while separately stoking racism – CNN

“);var a = g[r.size_id].split(“x”).map((function(e) {return Number(e)})), s = u(a, 2);o.width = s[0],o.height = s[1]}o.rubiconTargeting = (Array.isArray(r.targeting) ? r.targeting : []).reduce((function(e, r) {return e[r.key] = r.values[0],e}), {rpfl_elemid: n.adUnitCode}),e.push(o)} else l.logError(“Rubicon bid adapter Error: bidRequest undefined at index position:” + t, c, d);return e}), []).sort((function(e, r) {return (r.cpm || 0) – (e.cpm || 0)}))},getUserSyncs: function(e, r, t) {if (!A && e.iframeEnabled) {var i = “”;return t && “string” == typeof t.consentString && (“boolean” == typeof t.gdprApplies ? i += “?gdpr=” + Number(t.gdprApplies) + “&gdpr_consent=” + t.consentString : i += “?gdpr_consent=” + t.consentString),A = !0,{type: “iframe”,url: n + i}}},transformBidParams: function(e, r) {return l.convertTypes({accountId: “number”,siteId: “number”,zoneId: “number”}, e)}};function m() {return [window.screen.width, window.screen.height].join(“x”)}function b(e, r) {var t = f.config.getConfig(“pageUrl”);return e.params.referrer ? t = e.params.referrer : t || (t = r.refererInfo.referer),e.params.secure ? t.replace(/^http:/i, “https:”) : t}function _(e, r) {var t = e.params;if (“video” === r) {var i = [];return t.video && t.video.playerWidth && t.video.playerHeight ? i = [t.video.playerWidth, t.video.playerHeight] : Array.isArray(l.deepAccess(e, “mediaTypes.video.playerSize”)) && 1 === e.mediaTypes.video.playerSize.length ? i = e.mediaTypes.video.playerSize[0] : Array.isArray(e.sizes) && 0