Duke phenom Zion Williamson likely played his final college game Sunday, in a 68-67 loss to Michigan State in the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament. So what’s next?

We’ve never seen a prospect quite like Williamson, whose combination of productivity, athleticism, competitiveness, skill and feel for the game makes him the runaway favorite for the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA draft. Combine that with his sheer star power and it’s easy to see why no other prospect is currently under consideration at the top — regardless of which team wins the Zion lottery May 14.

Williamson can sit tight until draft night after his freshman season, as he’ll be under no obligation to prove anything before he hears his name called by NBA commissioner Adam Silver shortly after 7:30 p.m. ET on June 20. Picking an agent will be his camp’s first line of business, though there’s a chance someone close to the family gains certification and negotiates his sneaker deal.

It’s highly unlikely Williamson will do more than a photo shoot at the facility of whatever team ends up with the No. 1 pick, as it’s his call if he wants to submit to a medical examination for NBA teams. It’s also up in the air if we’ll see anything more than a token appearance from Williamson at the NBA combine in May, outside of perhaps some media obligations.

Basically, since Williamson is such a clear top pick, fans can forget about seeing him with a basketball in his hand until NBA summer league in Las Vegas in early July. — Jonathan Givony

More: Mock draft | Top 100 prospects | Traded picks


Who has the best chance to draft Williamson?

Short answer: The New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Longer answer: Plenty of teams can convince themselves they have some shot.

This is the first year with the new lottery rules, making it much less likely that a league-worst team such as the Knicks lands the No. 1 pick — and much more likely that a team in the middle jumps up.

Here are the new odds for the 14 lottery slots compared to the old ones:

And with a little more than five games to go for each team, here are the projected lottery odds, via ESPN’s Basketball Power Index.

  • The Chicago Bulls still have a small chance of jumping into that group of three sharing an equal 14 percent chance to land Williamson. But even if they don’t, under the new system they’ll hold a 12.5 percent chance to snag No. 1.

  • The Dallas Mavericks (top five) and Memphis Grizzlies (top eight) both owe protected picks, but if they jump up to No. 1, that won’t be a concern. The protected picks will roll over to next season.

  • The Boston Celtics should enter the lottery with one of the worst odds to select Williamson, as they own the Sacramento Kings‘ pick unprotected. What once looked like one of the best trade assets in the league, the Sacramento pick will have a less than 2.0 percent chance of moving up to No. 1 after the Kings’ surprising playoff push.

These new odds are a big reason why you don’t see teams freaking out about every win down the stretch costing them a chance at such a talented prospect. This is going to be a massive toss-up.


Is this an unprecedented sneaker recruitment?

The first step for Williamson’s emerging marketing profile will be landing a massive sneaker endorsement deal. His star power and explosive game are expected to place him among the highest annual earnings for rookies ever, right alongside the seven-year Nike deals that LeBron James signed for $87 million and Kevin Durant signed for $60 million.

As many as six brands will look to sign him, including Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, New Balance, Puma and Anta. The expectation is that Williamson will sign his deal before the May 14 draft lottery, when the draft order will be set.

“In my lifetime, I think it’s going to be the biggest bidding war ever done,” former sneaker executive Sonny Vaccaro said. “I would put them all on go.”

Vaccaro signed Michael Jordan at Nike in 1984 and later looked to offer James a $100 million contract at Adidas. Sources at multiple brands across the industry expect Williamson’s deal to potentially reach that astronomical tier. — Nick DePaula


Williamson is the best prospect since … ?

In February, I posed the question of who was the most recent college prospect we’d seen as promising statistically as Williamson. According to my consensus NBA draft projections, which utilized both the player’s statistics translated to their NBA equivalent and where the player ranks in Givony’s top 100, I found only Anthony Davis in 2012 ahead of Williamson in my database, which includes most top college prospects going back as far as 2003.

At that point, I speculated that Williamson might be able to pass Davis if he were able to play at the same level over all of Duke’s remaining games. His knee injury prevented that possibility, and because Williamson’s numbers were down a small amount — most notably on defense, where he averaged just 1.8 steals and 1.0 blocks after returning as compared to 2.2 and 1.8 before his injury — his projection slipped a small amount.

Nonetheless, Williamson will still enter the draft as the best collegiate prospect since Davis by my projections. — Kevin Pelton

Source Article from http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26387847/answering-zion-big-nba-draft-questions-now

Acting White House chief of staff Mick MulvaneyJohn (Mick) Michael MulvaneyHarris sends letter to Barr demanding answers over ObamaCare repeal efforts Overnight Health Care — Presented by the American Conservative Union — Trump says GOP senators writing ‘spectacular’ ObamaCare replacement | New ObamaCare fight puts spotlight on Mulvaney | NY attorney general sues Sackler family over opioid epidemic The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Pass USMCA Coalition – Trump to return to campaign stage MORE said Sunday that it would take “something dramatic” for President TrumpDonald John TrumpSaudi King ‘absolutely rejects’ Trump measure on Golan Heights Five things to watch as 2020 Dems release their tax returns Baldwin returns to SNL to summarize Mueller report: ‘Daddy won’ MORE to not shut down the U.S.-Mexico border. 

“Something dramatic,” Mulvaney said on ABC’s “This Week” when asked what it would take for Trump not to follow through on his threat of shutting down the southern border entirely.

“When Jeh Johnson said it’s a crisis, I hope people now believe us. A lot of folks in the media… Democrats didn’t believe us a month ago, two months ago, when we said what was happening at the border was a crisis: a humanitarian crisis, a security crisis,” he said.

“One hundred thousand people coming across the border this month… that is a crisis,” he added.

Trump tweeted twice last week that he could close parts of the border unless Mexico’s government immediately stopped illegal crossings.

He also continued blamed Democrats for “weak immigration laws.”

The comments came after Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said last Wednesday that immigration enforcement has reached a “breaking point.”

This is not the first time Trump has threatened to close the border. He threatened in November and in December of last year to do the same. 

 

Source Article from https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/436619-mulvaney-it-would-take-something-dramatic-for-trump-not-to-close-the

Democrats just lost their lifeline.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, who was expected to rescue the party from the clutches of the progressive left, has emerged as Creepy Uncle Joe once again. This time, in our #MeToo era, serious damage has been done.

Lucy Flores, one-time member of the Nevada Legislature, wrote in a piece published Friday in New York Magazine’s The Cut about a disturbing 2014 encounter with Biden. Her article is headlined: “An Awkward Kiss Changed How I Saw Joe Biden.”

Biden had come Nevada to boost Flores’ run for lieutenant governor at a campaign rally, but as they waited to go on stage, she says he put his hands on her shoulders, breathed in the scent of her hair, and then planted a “big, slow kiss” on her head.

JOE BIDEN ACCUSED OF INAPPROPRIATE CONDUCT BY FORMER NEVADA DEM CANDIDATE

Yes, that was creepy.

“Why is the vice-president of the United States touching me?” Flores writes she wondered at the time.

For whatever reason, Flores’ story has made waves, creating a serious problem for those centrist Democrats who consider Biden their ace in the hole, their bulwark against the crazies like Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Sanders.

Flores, then 35 and struggling in a competitive race that she later lost, was mortified. She writes: “Biden was the second-most powerful man in the country and, arguably, one of the most powerful men in the world. He was there to promote me as the right person for the lieutenant governor job. Instead, he made me feel uneasy, gross, and confused.”

Like so many women, Flores was in equal parts embarrassed and angry; like so many others, she kept the encounter secret, until now.

She says that as she contemplated the possibility of Biden becoming president, she had to speak out. She knew that others had told of similar encounters with the former vice president; knowing he might ascend to the Oval Office, she could not stay silent.

New York Magazine approached Biden’s office about the story; the office declined to comment.

In a statement to Fox News, Biden spokesman Bill Russo said the former vice president “was pleased to support” Flores’s 2014 campaign “and to speak on her behalf” at the rally.

“Neither then, nor in the years since, did he or the staff with him at the time have an inkling that Ms. Flores had been at any time uncomfortable, nor do they recall what she describes,” the statement said. “But Vice President Biden believes that Ms. Flores has every right to share her own recollection and reflections, and that it is a change for better in our society that she has the opportunity to do so. He respects Ms. Flores as a strong and independent voice in our politics and wishes her only the best.”

What a nice pat on the head.

Flores’ story is a serious blow to Democrats. She is one of their own, not a Republican. True, she was a supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016. Some are already describing her claim about Biden as politically motivated.

But Flores’ credibility is enhanced (as she noted on Twitter) by the sheer volume of similar stories that have surfaced over the years. Biden has often been photographed getting overly cozy with women as he shares confidences and caresses their shoulders.

An especially awkward 2015 moment was caught on camera when Biden, holding her arm, leaned in to whisper in the ear of 13-year old Margaret Coons at her father Chris Coons’ swearing-in ceremony as a U.S. senator from Delaware; she visibly recoils when he plants a kiss on the side of her forehead.

Over the years, Biden has been given a pass on these uncomfortable moments; the press has cheerily portrayed them as “Joe being Joe,” in much the same vein as someone being excused for wearing loud plaids. Joe is folksy, cute, the guy you want to have a beer with. He is, after all, just being friendly.

No more. It’s highly likely that the Lucy Flores piece will invite other women to come forward with similar reminiscences. It’s also highly likely that this time, the inappropriate sexual gestures will not be tolerated or ignored.

Why will the liberal media take these stories seriously now? Some may speculate that progressive Democrats have decided that this is their moment, and they’ll be damned if they’ll let “moderate” Joe Biden interfere.

Or it may be simply timing. This year, as liberals pine for a female candidate who can finally break that final glass ceiling, nominating an overly affectionate white guy just seems so very, very wrong.

For whatever reason, Flores’ story has made waves, creating a serious problem for those centrist Democrats who consider Biden their ace in the hole, their bulwark against the crazies like Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Sanders.

As their party is pushed hard left by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and others, many Democrats fear they are leaving mainstream voters behind. They know the country is not ready for the Green New Deal, full-term abortions and open borders.

Though Biden recently described himself as the “most progressive candidate in the race” – before remembering that he had not yet entered the race – he is viewed as more moderate than most of those officially running.

To many, that makes Uncle Joe the candidate best able to beat President Trump. Polling shows that electability is a top consideration for Democratic primary voters.

Biden’s appeal stems from his popularity in the Rust Belt. The 2016 election outcome can be traced to blue-collar workers in states like Michigan and Wisconsin who traditionally voted Democratic but who defected to Trump.

Conventional wisdom has it that to regain the Oval Office, Democrats need to win back those workers and that Biden is the best candidate to reel them in.

Polling has Biden leading the field. A Quinnipiac Poll of Democrats and voters leaning Democratic Thursday shows Biden at 29 percent, with Sanders in second place at 19 percent support.

Democrats face an awkward choice. If they continue to back Biden, they forego the appealing prospect of hounding Donald Trump about past charges of sexual misconduct. A Biden candidacy would weaken their grip on women voters, who were critical to Democrats’ midterm victories.

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On the other hand, ditching Biden could leave them with a more progressive and polarizing candidate like Sanders.

Biden faces a choice as well. He could, in the wake of this embarrassment, choose not to run.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE BY LIZ PEEK

Source Article from https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/liz-peek-biden-accused-of-unwanted-kiss-may-have-kissed-his-chance-for-dem-nomination-goodbye

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Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/31/politics/mick-mulvaney-ethics-mueller-cnntv/index.html

WASHINGTON — Even as the White House claims vindication from the summary of special counsel Robert Mueller’s findings in the Russia probe, the American public does not see a clear verdict about whether President Donald Trump has been cleared of wrongdoing.

According to a new NBC News/ Wall Street Journal poll, 29 percent of Americans say they believe Trump has been cleared of wrongdoing, based on what they have heard about Mueller’s findings, while 40 percent say they do not believe he has been cleared.

But a third of Americans — 31 percent — say they’re not sure if Trump has been cleared. That includes nearly half of independents (45 percent) and about a quarter of both Democrats (27 percent) and Republicans (25 percent.)

Respondents were asked about their views of the special counsel’s work on March 25-27, beginning the day after Attorney General William Barr released his summary of Mueller’s report that stated the probe “did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election.”

Barr also reported that Mueller declined to make a determination on whether Trump obstructed justice. The attorney general informed Congress Friday that more of Mueller’s report will be released by mid-April.

“The public is still in a wait-and-see view of this investigation and what it means for Trump,” said Jeff Horwitt of the Democratic firm Hart Research, which conducted the poll along with Republican pollster Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies.

Much of that ambiguity may be because less than half of the public says they have been deeply engaged with reporting about Barr’s summary of Mueller’s findings.

While a large majority of Americans — 78 percent — say they have heard about Mueller submitting his final report, only 39 percent say they have heard “a lot” about the story. That’s a smaller share of the population than those who said they had heard a lot about other significant stories in Trump’s political history, including his decision to fire James Comey (56 percent) or the release of the Access Hollywood videotape (66 percent).

“However substantial this event was in the Washington, D.C., community and maybe our political culture, it was not an event that captured the American public,” said McInturff.

The narrative about the Mueller probe has also not significantly affected the president’s approval rating, which stands at 43 percent. Fifty-three percent of Americans disapprove of his job performance.

In February, Trump’s approval rating stood at 46 percent, but this month’s shift is within the poll’s margin of error.

Since last month, fewer Americans now say that the Mueller probe has given them more doubts about Trump’s presidency. In the NBC/WSJ February poll, 48 percent of Americans said the investigation gave them more doubts, while 47 percent disagreed. Now, 36 percent said they have more doubts about Trump as a result of the probe, compared with 57 percent who disagree.

But nearly all of that shift came among Democrats. In February, 82 percent of Democrats expressed more doubts as a result of the investigation, compared with just 61 percent now. But the same period of time saw no increase in Trump’s overall approval rating among Democrats.

Warning signs for Trump for 2020 — and some Democratic presidential candidates, too

While the poll did not find a significant shift in the president’s approval rating, it showed some continued weak spots as he prepares to run for re-election.

Overall, half of registered voters say they are “very uncomfortable” with his candidacy while an additional 9 percent say they have “some reservations.”

Among those saying they’re “very uncomfortable” are at least half of several traditional swing voter groups, such as independents (50 percent saying they are “very uncomfortable”), suburban women (56 percent) and moderates (57 percent).

In contrast, just 26 percent of voters overall say they’re “enthusiastic” about Trump’s 2020 bid, with another 14 percent saying they are “comfortable.”

But some Democratic candidates also face significant discomfort from the voting public, too.

A combined 58 percent of voters are either uncomfortable (37 percent) or have reservations about (21 percent) Bernie Sanders’ 2020 bid. For Elizabeth Warren, it’s a combined 53 percent. And for Kamala Harris and Beto O’Rourke, it’s 41 percent of voters expressing either reservations or discomfort.

For Joe Biden, who has yet to formally announce a presidential bid, a combined 47 percent are either enthusiastic (17 percent) or comfortable (30 percent) with him as a candidate, compared with 48 percent who say they’re either uncomfortable or have reservations.

Democrats name Biden as most acceptable of well-known candidates

Among just Democratic primary voters, Biden appears to be the most palatable presidential candidate at the moment.

A combined 73 percent of Democrats say they’re either enthusiastic (33 percent) or comfortable (40 percent) with Biden as a candidate, while just 25 percent either have reservations (19 percent) or are uncomfortable (6 percent).

Democratic discomfort is higher for the two well-known candidates who have been most outspoken on progressive policy proposals: Sanders and Warren.

For Sanders, 27 percent of primary voters say they have reservations while 9 percent are very uncomfortable.

For Warren, 23 percent of Democratic primary have reservations, and 10 percent are very uncomfortable.

More than a quarter of Democrats also express some hesitation about Beto O’Rourke (22 percent with reservations, 7 percent uncomfortable) and Kamala Harris (21 percent with reservations, 6 percent uncomfortable). But a significant chunk of Democratic voters — about one in five — don’t know enough about those candidates to express an opinion.

Most Americans have heard of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Since her surprise win in her New York congressional district primary last year, progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has become one of the more recognizable political figures in the country, the poll finds.

More than seven-in-ten Americans (72 percent) say they know enough about Ocasio-Cortez to form an opinion of her — a swift rise in name ID for a relatively new figure on the national scene.

Among all Americans, 23 percent have a positive opinion of her, while 34 percent have a negative one.

The intensity of feelings toward the New York congresswoman is stronger on the political right than on the left. Forty-six percent of Democrats have a positive opinion of her, while 64 percent of Republicans have a negative one.

Among those who regularly watch Fox News, 55 percent say they have a negative opinion of Ocasio-Cortez. That’s more than twice the share of those who regularly watch broadcast news to stay informed.

The full NBC/WSJ live-caller survey was conducted March 23-27, 2019. Questions related to the release of a summary of the Mueller report were asked March 25-27. The margin of error for 1,000 adults surveyed is +/- 3.1 percent. The margin of error for registered voters is +/- 3.45 percent. The margin of error for Democratic primary voters is +/- 5.82 percent.

Source Article from https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/poll-after-mueller-summary-americans-are-still-wait-see-mode-n989061

What’s worse, the substandard detention centers and lack of proper supervision are getting innocent people, including children, killed. Just last week, an autopsy of Jakelin Caal Maquin, the 7-year-old Guatemalan girl who died last year in U.S. custody, offers powerful evidence she might be alive if authorities had realized the seriousness of her infection during the two days she and her father were detained. And looking at the current crisis in El Paso, it’s impossible not to wonder how many more Jakelins are out there.

Source Article from https://www.philly.com/opinion/commentary/trump-border-closing-aid-central-america-20190331.html

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Denver (CNN)Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams disagrees so much with a gun bill making its way through the Colorado legislature that he’s willing to go to jail rather than enforce it.

    Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/31/us/colorado-red-flag-gun-law/index.html

    Image copyright
    Reuters

    Image caption

    Volodymyr Zelenskiy cast his vote in Kiev

    A comedian with no political experience has won the most votes in the first round of Ukraine’s presidential elections, according to exit polls.

    They say Volodymyr Zelenskiy – who played the president on TV – received 30.4% of the vote, with current leader Petro Poroshenko second on 17.8%.

    The two – who have expressed largely pro-EU opinions – are set to take part in a run-off election next month.

    Ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko appears to have been eliminated on a projected 14.2%.

    “I’m very happy but this is not the final result,” Mr Zelenskiy told the BBC’s Jonah Fisher minutes after the exit polls were announced.

    Mr Poroshenko described his forecast second place as a “harsh lesson”.

    The interior ministry says hundreds of electoral violations have been reported, but foreign observers say the vote appeared to be mainly smooth.

    A total of 39 candidates were on the ballot paper, and with none receiving 50% the top two will go forward to the run-off on 21 April.

    The Ukrainian president has significant powers over security, defence and foreign policy and the ex-Soviet republic’s system is described as semi-presidential.

    Who is Volodymyr Zelenskiy?

    Media captionThe comedian who could be president

    Mr Zelenskiy is aiming to turn his satirical TV show Servant of the People – in which he portrays an ordinary citizen who becomes president after fighting corruption – into reality.

    He has torn up the rulebook for election campaigning, staging no rallies and few interviews, and appears to have no strong political views apart from a wish to be new and different.

    His extensive use of social media appealed to younger voters.

    Mr Zelenskiy’s readiness to speak both Russian and Ukrainian, at a time when language rights are a hugely sensitive topic, gained him support in Ukraine’s largely Russian-speaking east.

    How did we get here?

    Mr Poroshenko, a chocolate magnate and one of Ukraine’s wealthiest people, was elected in a snap vote after former pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was toppled in the February 2014 Maidan Revolution, which was followed by Russia’s annexation of Crimea and a Russian-backed insurgency in the east.

    Media captionUkraine’s presidential elections: five things to know

    The next president will inherit a deadlocked conflict between Ukrainian troops and the eastern separatists, while Ukraine strives to fulfil EU requirements for closer economic ties.

    The EU says that about 12% of Ukraine’s 44 million people are disenfranchised, largely those who live in Russia and in Crimea, which Russia annexed in March 2014.

    Mr Poroshenko aimed to appeal to conservative Ukrainians through his slogan “Army, Language, Faith”.

    Image copyright
    AFP

    Image caption

    Petro Poroshenko voted with his wife

    He says his backing for the military has helped keep the separatists in check. He also negotiated an Association Agreement with the EU, including visa-free travel for Ukrainians. During his tenure the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has become independent of Russian control.

    However his campaign has been dogged by corruption allegations, including a scandal over defence procurement, which erupted last month.

    Image copyright
    Reuters

    Image caption

    Yulia Tymoshenko stood for president twice before

    Yulia Tymoshenko served as prime minister and ran for president in 2010 and 2014. She played a leading role in the 2004 Orange Revolution, Ukraine’s first big push to ally itself with the EU.

    Source Article from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47767440

    Illinois State Police Trooper Brooke Jones-Story had her police family, her CrossFit family, the farm animals she rescued — roles in many communities that are already missing her, according to her relatives.

    Jones-Story, 34, was killed while conducting a traffic stop Thursday in Freeport, west of Rockford on U.S. Highway 20 near Illinois Route 75, state police said.

    She had pulled over a truck and was outside her car about 12:20 p.m., inspecting the truck on the shoulder of the road, when another semitractor-trailer hit her, along with her squad car and the truck she’d stopped, state police said. Both trucks erupted in flames. The driver of the truck that hit Jones-Story was ticketed and taken into custody, and no one else was injured, authorities said.

    Two days after her death, Jones-Story’s family released a statement through the state police agency where she worked for 12 years — and where met her husband, Master Sgt. Robert Story, whom she married in 2012 in Galena, Ill. The family described Jones-Story as a strong, service-driven woman who loved her family and friends and was passionate about her work as a trooper.

    Source Article from https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-isp-trooper-family-statement-20190330-story.html

    Just hours after a former Democratic candidate in Nevada accused former Vice President Joe Biden of inappropriate sexual conduct during a 2014 campaign event, the 76-year-old prospective 2020 presidential candidate issued a statement Sunday strongly denying wrongdoing — but promising to “listen respectfully” to any accusations of misconduct.

    Nevada lieutenant governor candidate Lucy Flores alleged in an article Friday that Biden “plant[ed] a big slow kiss on the back of my head.” In a statement shortly afterward, a Biden spokesperson denied that the vice president or his staff had been aware that Flores was uncomfortable.

    “In my many years on the campaign trail and in public life, I have offered countless handshakes, hugs, expressions of affection, support and comfort,” Biden said in his own statement Sunday. “And not once — never — did I believe I acted inappropriately.  If it is suggested I did so, I will listen respectfully. But it was never my intention.”

    Biden added: “I may not recall these moments the same way, and I may be surprised at what I hear. But we have arrived at an important time when women feel they can and should relate their experiences, and men should pay attention. And I will.

    WHY ARE CNN, MSNBC IGNORING MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS AGAINST BIDEN?

    “I will also remain the strongest advocate I can be for the rights of women,” he continued. “I will fight to build on the work I’ve done in my career to end violence against women and ensure women are treated with the equality they deserve. I will continue to surround myself with trusted women advisers who challenge me to see different perspectives than my own. And I will continue to speak out on these vitally important issues where there is much more progress to be made and crucial fights that must be waged and won.”

    But the episode has led to a flood of pictures showing Biden with various women at campaign events and other administration functions surfacing on social media.

    A Vox.com piece published on Friday titled, “Lucy Flores isn’t alone. Joe Biden’s got a long history of touching women inappropriately” catalogued several alleged episodes of misconduct by the former vice president, and asserted that “the media gave Biden a pass for years. It won’t in 2020.”

    “Biden’s been caught on camera embracing a female reporter from behind and gripping her above her waist, just below her bust,” Laura McGann wrote in the article. “At a swearing-in ceremony for Defense Secretary Ash Carter, Biden put his hands on the shoulders of Stephanie Carter, Carter’s wife, and then leaned in and whispered into her ear. (He’s whispered into many women’s ears.) He’s also touched women’s faces and necks during other photo-ops. Once at a swearing-in ceremony for a US senator, he held the upper arm of the senator’s preteen daughter, leaned down and whispered into her ear, as she became visibly uncomfortable. Then he kissed the side of her forehead, a gesture that made the girl flinch.”

    CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    Speaking to “Fox News Sunday,” White House adviser Kellyanne Conway told host Chris Wallace: “First of all, this woman Lucy is very bold to come forward, and I would remind the audience that she shares Joe Biden’s political party. He was there to help to Democratic Party of Nevada, and her candidacy, so it’s quite bold for her to go up against the highest levels of her own political party.”

    Conway continued: If anybody just types in ‘Creepy Uncle Joe Videos,’ you come up with a treasure trove of far more evidentiary information and videos than we saw when Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination was trying to be derailed … and his family being destroyed by folks who had no evidence of what had allegedly happened 34 years earlier. I think Joe Biden has a big problem here, because he calls it affection and handshakes — his party calls it completely inappropriate.”

    Meanwhile, several other Democratic 2020 presidential hopefuls — including Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris and Kirsten Gillibrand — are also defending their self-professed commitment to the ideals of the #MeToo movement against a series of accusations they recently mismanaged sexual-misconduct claims against their subordinates.

    As the three prominent senators each have sought to draw a sharp contrast with President Trump, who has faced his own misconduct allegations, the claims highlighted vulnerabilities that could become major liabilities not only in a heated Democrat Party primary, but also in the general election.

    Fox News’ Elizabeth Zwirz and Mike Emanuel contributed to this report.

    Source Article from https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-denies-acting-inappropriately-with-women-but-vows-to-listen-respectfully

    WASHINGTON — Even as the White House claims vindication from the summary of special counsel Robert Mueller’s findings in the Russia probe, the American public does not see a clear verdict about whether President Donald Trump has been cleared of wrongdoing.

    According to a new NBC News/ Wall Street Journal poll, 29 percent of Americans say they believe Trump has been cleared of wrongdoing, based on what they have heard about Mueller’s findings, while 40 percent say they do not believe he has been cleared.

    But a third of Americans — 31 percent — say they’re not sure if Trump has been cleared. That includes nearly half of independents (45 percent) and about a quarter of both Democrats (27 percent) and Republicans (25 percent.)

    Respondents were asked about their views of the special counsel’s work on March 25-27, beginning the day after Attorney General William Barr released his summary of Mueller’s report that stated the probe “did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election.”

    Barr also reported that Mueller declined to make a determination on whether Trump obstructed justice. The attorney general informed Congress Friday that more of Mueller’s report will be released by mid-April.

    “The public is still in a wait-and-see view of this investigation and what it means for Trump,” said Jeff Horwitt of the Democratic firm Hart Research, which conducted the poll along with Republican pollster Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies.

    Much of that ambiguity may be because less than half of the public says they have been deeply engaged with reporting about Barr’s summary of Mueller’s findings.

    While a large majority of Americans — 78 percent — say they have heard about Mueller submitting his final report, only 39 percent say they have heard “a lot” about the story. That’s a smaller share of the population than those who said they had heard a lot about other significant stories in Trump’s political history, including his decision to fire James Comey (56 percent) or the release of the Access Hollywood videotape (66 percent).

    “However substantial this event was in the Washington, D.C., community and maybe our political culture, it was not an event that captured the American public,” said McInturff.

    The narrative about the Mueller probe has also not significantly affected the president’s approval rating, which stands at 43 percent. Fifty-three percent of Americans disapprove of his job performance.

    In February, Trump’s approval rating stood at 46 percent, but this month’s shift is within the poll’s margin of error.

    Since last month, fewer Americans now say that the Mueller probe has given them more doubts about Trump’s presidency. In the NBC/WSJ February poll, 48 percent of Americans said the investigation gave them more doubts, while 47 percent disagreed. Now, 36 percent said they have more doubts about Trump as a result of the probe, compared with 57 percent who disagree.

    But nearly all of that shift came among Democrats. In February, 82 percent of Democrats expressed more doubts as a result of the investigation, compared with just 61 percent now. But the same period of time saw no increase in Trump’s overall approval rating among Democrats.

    Warning signs for Trump for 2020 — and some Democratic presidential candidates, too

    While the poll did not find a significant shift in the president’s approval rating, it showed some continued weak spots as he prepares to run for re-election.

    Overall, half of registered voters say they are “very uncomfortable” with his candidacy while an additional 9 percent say they have “some reservations.”

    Among those saying they’re “very uncomfortable” are at least half of several traditional swing voter groups, such as independents (50 percent saying they are “very uncomfortable”), suburban women (56 percent) and moderates (57 percent).

    In contrast, just 26 percent of voters overall say they’re “enthusiastic” about Trump’s 2020 bid, with another 14 percent saying they are “comfortable.”

    But some Democratic candidates also face significant discomfort from the voting public, too.

    A combined 58 percent of voters are either uncomfortable (37 percent) or have reservations about (21 percent) Bernie Sanders’ 2020 bid. For Elizabeth Warren, it’s a combined 53 percent. And for Kamala Harris and Beto O’Rourke, it’s 41 percent of voters expressing either reservations or discomfort.

    For Joe Biden, who has yet to formally announce a presidential bid, a combined 47 percent are either enthusiastic (17 percent) or comfortable (30 percent) with him as a candidate, compared with 48 percent who say they’re either uncomfortable or have reservations.

    Democrats name Biden as most acceptable of well-known candidates

    Among just Democratic primary voters, Biden appears to be the most palatable presidential candidate at the moment.

    A combined 73 percent of Democrats say they’re either enthusiastic (33 percent) or comfortable (40 percent) with Biden as a candidate, while just 25 percent either have reservations (19 percent) or are uncomfortable (6 percent).

    Democratic discomfort is higher for the two well-known candidates who have been most outspoken on progressive policy proposals: Sanders and Warren.

    For Sanders, 27 percent of primary voters say they have reservations while 9 percent are very uncomfortable.

    For Warren, 23 percent of Democratic primary have reservations, and 10 percent are very uncomfortable.

    More than a quarter of Democrats also express some hesitation about Beto O’Rourke (22 percent with reservations, 7 percent uncomfortable) and Kamala Harris (21 percent with reservations, 6 percent uncomfortable). But a significant chunk of Democratic voters — about one in five — don’t know enough about those candidates to express an opinion.

    Most Americans have heard of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

    Since her surprise win in her New York congressional district primary last year, progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has become one of the more recognizable political figures in the country, the poll finds.

    More than seven-in-ten Americans (72 percent) say they know enough about Ocasio-Cortez to form an opinion of her — a swift rise in name ID for a relatively new figure on the national scene.

    Among all Americans, 23 percent have a positive opinion of her, while 34 percent have a negative one.

    The intensity of feelings toward the New York congresswoman is stronger on the political right than on the left. Forty-six percent of Democrats have a positive opinion of her, while 64 percent of Republicans have a negative one.

    Among those who regularly watch Fox News, 55 percent say they have a negative opinion of Ocasio-Cortez. That’s more than twice the share of those who regularly watch broadcast news to stay informed.

    The full NBC/WSJ live-caller survey was conducted March 23-27, 2019. Questions related to the release of a summary of the Mueller report were asked March 25-27. The margin of error for 1,000 adults surveyed is +/- 3.1 percent. The margin of error for registered voters is +/- 3.45 percent. The margin of error for Democratic primary voters is +/- 5.82 percent.

    Source Article from https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/poll-after-mueller-summary-americans-are-still-wait-see-mode-n989061

    “I am voting for Poroshenko because he has already demonstrated his ability to do things, not just words,” said Nataliia Pavlik, 72, after she voted in Kiev on Sunday. She also named the ability to travel to Europe visa-free, church autonomy and the army as important considerations.

    “He raised it from the ashes. I want him to anchor all of this for the next five years,” she added.

    Ms. Tymoshenko, 58, has adopted populist positions like plans to cut gas prices in half and to raise wages without being specific about how to pay for them. Subsidized gas prices were raised at the insistence of the International Monetary Fund, whose support is critical to Ukraine’s recovery.

    She also sells herself as being able to bargain with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia because she had dealt with him as prime minister. But she earned her own fortune through gas deals with Russia, a common source of wealth for the Ukrainian elite, earning the nickname “the gas princess.”

    Ms. Tymoshenko was also prosecuted and imprisoned by the Russian-aligned former government. Paul Manafort, Mr. Trump’s onetime campaign manager who has been sentenced to prison in the United States over undeclared income from Ukraine, among other things, had orchestrated a long, expensive, smear campaign against her.

    Anatoly S. Hrytsenko, a former defense minister, is fourth in the polls and a possible dark-horse candidate given his military background.

    Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/31/world/europe/ukraine-election-comedian.html

    A federal judge in Alaska has reinstated a ban on oil-and-gas drilling in vast swaths of the Arctic Ocean, potentially undermining a central part of the Trump administration’s effort to expand offshore drilling.

    Mr. Trump will need congressional authority, according to the ruling, to reopen drilling in Arctic areas and smaller parts of the Atlantic Ocean that the Obama administration put off limits just weeks before President Obama left office. The late Friday ruling invalidates an executive order Mr. Trump issued during…

    Source Article from https://www.wsj.com/articles/court-blocks-trump-effort-to-open-arctic-waters-to-oil-drilling-11553984054

    <!– –>

    Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Saturday called for governments to play a greater role in regulating the Internet, citing four areas where he believes better rules are needed.

    Zuckerberg said new regulations are needed to protect society from harmful content, ensure election integrity, protect people’s privacy and to guarantee data portability.

    Facebook has faced a torrent of public criticism over its handling of Russian intervention in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and its policies on hate speech that many governments and users consider too lax. At the same time, conservative lawmakers in the U.S. have accused Facebook of political bias and censorship.

    Zuckerberg proposed regulating harmful content by setting up independent bodies to set standards for what is considered terrorist propaganda and hate speech and is therefore prohibited.

    “Internet companies should be accountable for enforcing standards on harmful content,” Zuckerberg said. “It’s impossible to remove all harmful content from the internet, but when people use dozens of different sharing services — all with their own policies and processes — we need a more standardized approach.”

    Facebook is also creating an independent body so people can appeal its decisions. Zuckerberg said Facebook is currently working with governments, including French officials, to make sure its systems to review content are effective.

    Zuckerberg also called for governments to pass legislation to regulate political ads on the Internet, saying despite Facebook’s efforts, it is difficult to determine when an ad should be considered political.

    “Our systems would be more effective if regulation created common standards for verifying political actors,” Zuckerberg said.

    The Facebook CEO also endorsed a global framework to protect people’s privacy along the lines of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation: “I believe it would be good for the internet if more countries adopted regulation such as GDPR as a common framework,” Zuckerberg said.

    He also called for regulation to guarantee data portability, ensuring that users can move data between services. Zuckerberg endorsed a standard data transfer format toward this end.

    “This is important for the internet — and for creating services people want,” he said. “But this requires clear rules about who’s responsible for protecting information when it moves between services.”

    Read the full statement from Mark Zuckerberg:

    Technology is a major part of our lives, and companies such as Facebook have immense responsibilities. Every day we make decisions about what speech is harmful, what constitutes political advertising, and how to prevent sophisticated cyberattacks. These are important for keeping our community safe. But if we were starting from scratch, we wouldn’t ask companies to make these judgments alone.

    I believe we need a more active role for governments and regulators. By updating the rules for the internet, we can preserve what’s best about it — the freedom for people to express themselves and for entrepreneurs to build new things — while also protecting society from broader harms.

    From what I’ve learned, I believe we need new regulation in four areas: harmful content, election integrity, privacy and data portability.

    First, harmful content. Facebook gives everyone a way to use their voice, and that creates real benefits — from sharing experiences to growing movements. As part of this, we have a responsibility to keep people safe on our services. That means deciding what counts as terrorist propaganda, hate speech and more. We continually review our policies with experts, but at our scale we’ll always make mistakes and decisions that people disagree with.

    Lawmakers often tell me we have too much power over speech, and frankly I agree. I’ve come to believe that we shouldn’t make so many important decisions about speech on our own. So we’re creating an independent body so people can appeal our decisions. We’re also working with governments, including French officials, on ensuring the effectiveness of content review systems.

    Internet companies should be accountable for enforcing standards on harmful content. It’s impossible to remove all harmful content from the internet, but when people use dozens of different sharing services — all with their own policies and processes — we need a more standardized approach.

    One idea is for third-party bodies to set standards governing the distribution of harmful content and measure companies against those standards. Regulation could set baselines for what’s prohibited and require companies to build systems for keeping harmful content to a bare minimum.

    Facebook already publishes transparency reports on how effectively we’re removing harmful content. I believe every major internet service should do this quarterly, because it’s just as important as financial reporting. Once we understand the prevalence of harmful content, we can see which companies are improving and where we should set the baselines.

    Second, legislation is important for protecting elections. Facebook has already made significant changes around political ads: Advertisers in many countries must verify their identities before purchasing political ads. We built a searchable archive that shows who pays for ads, what other ads they ran and what audiences saw the ads. However, deciding whether an ad is political isn’t always straightforward. Our systems would be more effective if regulation created common standards for verifying political actors.

    Online political advertising laws primarily focus on candidates and elections, rather than divisive political issues where we’ve seen more attempted interference. Some laws only apply during elections, although information campaigns are nonstop. And there are also important questions about how political campaigns use data and targeting. We believe legislation should be updated to reflect the reality of the threats and set standards for the whole industry.

    Third, effective privacy and data protection needs a globally harmonized framework. People around the world have called for comprehensive privacy regulation in line with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, and I agree. I believe it would be good for the internet if more countries adopted regulation such as GDPR as a common framework.

    New privacy regulation in the United States and around the world should build on the protections GDPR provides. It should protect your right to choose how your information is used — while enabling companies to use information for safety purposes and to provide services. It shouldn’t require data to be stored locally, which would make it more vulnerable to unwarranted access. And it should establish a way to hold companies such as Facebook accountable by imposing sanctions when we make mistakes.

    I also believe a common global framework — rather than regulation that varies significantly by country and state — will ensure that the internet does not get fractured, entrepreneurs can build products that serve everyone, and everyone gets the same protections.

    As lawmakers adopt new privacy regulations, I hope they can help answer some of the questions GDPR leaves open. We need clear rules on when information can be used to serve the public interest and how it should apply to new technologies such as artificial intelligence.

    Finally, regulation should guarantee the principle of data portability. If you share data with one service, you should be able to move it to another. This gives people choice and enables developers to innovate and compete.

    This is important for the internet — and for creating services people want. It’s why we built our development platform. True data portability should look more like the way people use our platform to sign into an app than the existing ways you can download an archive of your information. But this requires clear rules about who’s responsible for protecting information when it moves between services.

    This also needs common standards, which is why we support a standard data transfer format and the open source Data Transfer Project.

    I believe Facebook has a responsibility to help address these issues, and I’m looking forward to discussing them with lawmakers around the world. We’ve built advanced systems for finding harmful content, stopping election interference and making ads more transparent. But people shouldn’t have to rely on individual companies addressing these issues by themselves. We should have a broader debate about what we want as a society and how regulation can help. These four areas are important, but, of course, there’s more to discuss.

    The rules governing the internet allowed a generation of entrepreneurs to build services that changed the world and created a lot of value in people’s lives. It’s time to update these rules to define clear responsibilities for people, companies and governments going forward.

    Source Article from https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/30/mark-zuckerberg-calls-for-tighter-internet-regulations-we-need-a-more-active-role-for-governments.html

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    Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump has been adamant about one point this week: “The Republican Party will soon be known as the party of health care.”

      Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/31/politics/trump-health-care-political-fight/index.html

      Image copyright
      PA

      Image caption

      The justice secretary argued Theresa May’s deal remained the best outcome

      It would not be “sustainable” to ignore MPs if they vote for a softer Brexit, Justice Secretary David Gauke has said.

      On Monday, Parliament will hold an indicative vote on Brexit alternatives. A customs union with the EU is thought to be the most likely preference.

      Meanwhile, the prime minister is considering her next move after her withdrawal plan was defeated by MPs for a third time.

      Mr Gauke said there are “no ideal choices” over the Brexit deadlock.

      Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, he argued the prime minister’s deal was “the best outcome”.

      But he added: “Sometimes you do have to accept your second or third choice to avoid an outcome you consider to be even worse.”

      Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson said it would be “inconceivable” if there was a general election and his party did not include a new referendum in its manifesto.

      Image copyright
      EPA

      Image caption

      Theresa May arrives at church with her husband Philip

      Following the UK’s vote to leave the EU in 2016, Theresa May negotiated a withdrawal deal with the EU.

      Although European leaders agreed to the plan, Mrs May has yet to get the deal approved by Parliament.

      The prime minister has until 12 April to seek a longer extension to the Article 50 process if the UK is to avoid leaving without a deal.

      The prime minister’s deal is currently opposed by parties including Northern Ireland’s DUP – which the government relies upon for support – as well as a group of her own MPs.

      Tory Brexiteer Steve Baker, who resigned as a Brexit minister over the PM’s handling of negotiations, wrote in the Sunday Telegraph that Mrs May’s deal “cannot be allowed to go through at any cost”.

      However he admitted deciding to vote for it on Thursday before being talked out of it by friends.


      What next?

      • Monday, 1 April: MPs hold another set of votes on Brexit options to see if they can agree on a way forward
      • Wednesday, 3 April: Potentially another round of so-called “indicative votes”
      • Wednesday, 10 April: Emergency summit of EU leaders to consider any UK request for further extension
      • Friday, 12 April: Brexit day, if UK does not seek/EU does not grant further delay
      • 23-26 May: European Parliamentary elections

      On Monday, MPs have a non-binding vote on a series of options designed to test the will of Parliament. The intention is to see what outcome, if any, commands a majority.

      None of MPs’ eight proposed options secured a majority in the first set of indicative votes on 27 March, but those which received the most were a customs union with the EU and a referendum on any deal.

      A customs union would allow businesses to move goods around the EU without checks or charges – but membership would bar the UK from striking independent trade deals after Brexit.

      Mr Gauke said he was in favour of leaving the customs union, arguing that it would “better reflect the way the country voted in 2016”.

      Membership of a customs union would breach the Conservative’s 2017 manifesto.

      But he acknowledged that his party “does not have the votes to get its manifesto position through the House of Commons at the moment”.

      “We are in an environment where it is not just about going for your first choice,” he added.

      Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood told Radio 4’s The World This Weekend he would support something along the lines of customs union membership – if the prime minister’s deal could not get through Parliament.

      “I fear that is the only option we have if we want to honour the referendum” he said.

      Image copyright
      Reuters

      Image caption

      Brexit demonstrators gather outside the Houses of Parliament

      Mr Gauke reiterated his opposition to a no-deal Brexit, warning he would leave government if such a policy was pursued.

      A no-deal Brexit would mean cutting ties with the European Union immediately and defaulting to World Trade Organisation rules for trade.

      Tom Watson said there was an “emerging consensus” among Labour MPs.

      He said: “Whatever the deal looks like – and we understand there has to be compromises – if it’s underpinned by a People’s Vote that is the way we can bring the country back together.”

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      Your guide to Brexit jargon

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      Speaking on Sky News, shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry said under a Labour government it was “likely” that the UK would leave the European Union.

      When asked if Labour was a Remain party, Ms Thornberry replied: “In our hearts we want to remain but we have to square that with democracy.

      “If the people want us to leave we have to leave.”

      ‘Last thing we need’

      Ms Thornberry also said “it looks like the time may come” for another attempted no confidence vote in the government.

      If passed, this would pave the way for a general election.

      The deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, James Cleverly, told Sky News that his party is doing “sensible pragmatic planning” in case there is a snap general election, but not seeking to call one.

      And Mr Gauke warned he did not see how a general election would solve the current deadlock.

      Former Conservative prime minister John Major said: “When feelings are running high… a general election is pretty much the very last thing we need.”

      But he added: “We might be driven to it later.”

      Image copyright
      Reuters

      Image caption

      John Major signed the Maastricht Treaty, which furthered European integration

      If an election failed to produce a majority in the Commons, Sir John suggested a “time limited” national unity government should be formed.

      He said: “I think it would be in the national interest to have a cross-party government so we can take decisions without the chaos that we’re seeing in Parliament at the moment where every possible alternative is rejected.”

      “I don’t think it is ideal, I would prefer a Conservative government with a clear majority.”

      But he argued such a government would at least enable decisions to be taken.

      Source Article from https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-47765706

      WASHINGTON/EL PASO, Texas (Reuters) – The U.S. government cut aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras on Saturday after President Donald Trump blasted the Central American countries for sending migrants to the United States and threatened to shutter the U.S.-Mexico border.

      A surge of asylum seekers from the three countries have sought to enter the United States across the southern border in recent days. On Friday, Trump accused the nations of having “set up” migrant caravans and sent them north.

      Trump said there was a “very good likelihood” he would close the border this week if Mexico did not stop immigrants from reaching the United States. Frequent crossers of the border, including workers and students, worried about the disruption to their lives the president’s threatened shutdown could cause.

      At a rally on the border in El Paso, Texas, Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke denounced Trump’s immigration policies as the politics of “fear and division.”

      A State Department spokesman said in a statement it was carrying out Trump’s directive by ending aid programs to the three Central American nations, known as the Northern Triangle.

      The department said it would “engage Congress in the process,” an apparent acknowledgement that it will need lawmakers’ approval to end funding that a Congressional aide estimated would total about $700 million.

      New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called Trump’s order a “reckless announcement” and urged Democrats and Republicans alike to reject it.

      Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Friday that the United States was paying the three countries “tremendous amounts of money,” but received nothing in return.

      Mario Garcia, a 45-year-old bricklayer in El Salvador, said he was setting off for the United States regardless of the president’s threat to close the frontier.

      “There is no work here and we want to improve (our lives), to get ahead for our families, for our children. I don’t give a damn (what Trump says), I’m determined,” Garcia said.

      Garcia was one of a group of at least 90 people who left the capital San Salvador over the weekend on buses heading north, in what locals said was the tenth so-called caravan to depart for the United States since October.

      The government of El Salvador has said it has tried to stem the flow of migrants.

      The Honduran Foreign Ministry on Saturday called the U.S. policies “contradictory” but stressed that its relationship with the United States was “solid, close and positive.”

      Trump, who launched his presidential campaign in 2015 with a promise to build a border wall and crack down on illegal immigration, has repeatedly threatened to close the frontier during his two years in office but has not followed through.

      This time, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and other U.S. officials say border patrol officers have been overwhelmed by a sharp increase asylum seekers, many of them children and families who arrive in groups, fleeing violence and economic hardship in the Northern Triangle.

      March is on track for 100,000 border apprehensions, Homeland Security officials said, which would be the highest monthly number in more than a decade. Most of those people can remain in the United States while their asylum claims are processed, which can take years because of ballooning immigration court backlogs.

      Nielsen warned Congress on Thursday that the government faces a “system-wide meltdown” as it tries to care for more than 1,200 unaccompanied children and 6,600 migrant families in its custody.

      Trump has so far been unable to convince Congress to tighten asylum laws or fund his border wall. He has declared a national emergency to justify redirecting money earmarked for the military to pay for the wall.

      Slideshow (4 Images)

      Mexico has played down the possibility of a border shutdown. Its foreign minister, Marcelo Ebrard, said the country is a good neighbor and does not act on the basis of threats.

      It was not clear how shutting down ports of entry would deter asylum seekers because they are legally able to request help as soon as they set foot on U.S. soil.

      But a border shutdown would disrupt tourism and U.S.-Mexico trade that totaled $612 billion last year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. A shutdown could lead to factory closures on both sides of the border, industry officials say, because the automobiles and medical sectors especially have woven international supply chains into their business models.

      Reporting by Julia Harte and Richard Cowan in Washington, and Tim Reid in El Paso; Additional reporting by Jose Luis Gonzalez in Ciudad Juarez, Julia Love in Mexico City, Omar Younis in San Diego, Nelson Renteria in San Salvador and Orfa Mejia in Tegucigalpa; Writing by Daniel Wallis; Editing by Rosalba O’Brien

      Source Article from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-trump/trump-cuts-aid-to-central-american-countries-as-migrant-crisis-deepens-idUSKCN1RC013

      Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., blamed an unnamed aide for the document that was sent out to the media and posted on her congressional website during the disastrous February rollout of her Green New Deal climate plan.

      The freshman congresswoman told MSNBC Friday she didn’t accept any responsibility for the widely-ridiculed six-page document.

      “I definitely had a staffer that had a really bad day at work,” she said.

      The nonbinding resolution outlining a Green New Deal — a wide-ranging proposal to combat climate change — was released by Democrats in the House and the Senate in a coordinated campaign in February. All 2020 Democrats in the U.S. Senate signed on.

      But the rollout hit an immediate snag: a confusing six-page Green New Deal FAQ document that had also been sent to the media by Ocasio-Cortez’s office and posted on her website.

      Among other things, it proposed providing “economic security for all who are unable or unwilling to work” and called for “a full transition off fossil fuels and zero greenhouse gases.”

      “We set a goal to get to net-zero, rather than zero emissions, in 10 years because we aren’t sure that we’ll be able to fully get rid of farting cows and airplanes that fast,” the Green New Deal FAQ document read.

      The plan called for the eventual elimination of fossil fuels, the retrofitting of every building in America, and the phasing out of personal transport like cars.

      Democrats immediately distanced themselves from the FAQ, with Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., the leading co-sponsor of the resolution in the Senate, saying: “I’m familiar with the fact sheet. But again, it’s separate from the resolution, all right? The resolution is really what the document is that I was speaking to today … That’s the key document. That’s what you should focus on. Focus on the resolution.”

      When asked by Hayes Friday about the negative fallout, Ocasio-Cortez said the working draft was meant to spark a serious conversation about technology.

      “We did release a working draft early, so I get that that is what they’re seizing on. But really, what we need to do is have a serious conversation. And even in those draft versions, what they were talking about is really about the fact that we need to innovate on our technology,” she said, acknowledging that the staffer released a document that mentioned cow flatulence.

      “Which is an issue,” she said, echoing Hayes.

      Criticism of the Green New Deal went beyond just the flawed FAQ document — one estimate from a center-right think tank said the proposal could cost anywhere between $51 trillion and $93 trillion over the first decade.

      Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky, brought the Green New Deal resolution up for a vote earlier this month.

      The resolution failed, with 57 voting against and 43 voting “present.”

      Source Article from https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/aoc-blames-staffer-for-controversial-green-new-deal-farting-cows-document

      President Trump is turning the corner from the 22-month investigation into his presidential campaign by focusing on Obamacare instead.

      “We’re going to be the party of great healthcare,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office this week. “And the Democrats have let you down. They really let you down. Obamacare doesn’t work. It’s too expensive. You take a look at everything with deductibles. It’s a disaster.”

      This is a gigantic political miscalculation, given Republicans’ failure to repeal the bill they have been campaigning against since 2010.

      This all began after a Texas federal court ruled that the Affordable Care Act was unconstitutional in December 2018. On appeal in late March 2019, the Department of Justice told a federal appeals court that it is in favor of entirely striking down Obamacare.

      Trump has since promised that any replacement to the Affordable Care Act will be far better than what currently exists, saying, “If the Supreme Court rules that Obamacare is out, we’ll have a plan that is far better than Obamacare.”

      Already candidates running in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary have latched onto this issue. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a leading candidate in the Democratic field, criticized Trump, saying to MSNBC’s Chris Hayes, “He talked in his campaign about healthcare for everybody. And then supported legislation that would throw over 30 million people off their healthcare that they have.”

      Other Democratic candidates such as Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., said it was “irresponsible” for Trump to be playing politics with peoples’ healthcare, saying, “One of the issues that keeps most Americans up at night regardless of who they vote for is healthcare.” Meanwhile, South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg was “mystified,” saying, “I don’t know how you can become the party of healthcare when you’re now making it abundantly clear that your position on healthcare is to take it away from millions of Americans.”

      In contrast, Republicans aren’t very keen on moving on healthcare either.

      During an interview, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said, “I look forward to seeing what the president is proposing and what he can work out with the speaker. I am focusing on stopping the ‘Democrats’ Medicare for none’ scheme.”

      And why shouldn’t Democrats hit Trump for this? It’s a political gift. This gives them an out from endorsing “Medicare for All” and allows them to refocus their attacks on Republicans for wanting to strip healthcare from millions of Americans. If that’s the fight Trump wants, it’s a fight Democrats are almost eager to have, and it could backfire horribly on the GOP.

      Source Article from https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/trump-going-after-obamacare-again-is-a-political-gift-to-2020-democrats

      The U.K. may be forced to create a national unity government to end the impasse over Britain leaving the European Union, as Prime Minister Theresa May clings to the Brexit divorce agreement that Parliament has rejected three times, a senior Conservative suggested Saturday.

      Former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan’s comments came a day after the House of Commons rebuffed the prime minister’s call for lawmakers to “put aside self and party,” sending her Brexit deal to its latest defeat. The rejection leaves the U.K. facing the stark prospect of a chaotic departure from the EU in just two weeks — unless squabbling politicians can put aside their differences and engineer a long delay in the process of leaving the bloc.

      The British Parliament will vote Monday on a variety of Brexit alternatives in an attempt to find an idea that can command a majority. But May’s government is considering a fourth vote on her deal, bolstered by their success in narrowing her margin of defeat to 58 votes Friday from 230 votes in January.

      “If the government refused and Theresa May felt she could not implement what Parliament had identified as a way of leaving the EU, then I think we would have to think very hard about whether a cross-party coalition … could do that in order to make sure that the U.K. does leave the EU in an orderly fashion,” Morgan told the BBC.

      Britain has in the past had national unity governments in times of national crisis, such as World War II. But critics point out that such coalitions were forged when there was a single goal — such as defeating Nazi Germany. It is unclear now how Britain’s political parties would agree to cooperate on an issue like Brexit, which has split the country and its two major political parties, May’s ruling Conservatives and the opposition Labour Party.

      As a result of Friday’s vote, the U.K. is now scheduled to leave the EU on April 12, regardless of whether the two sides have reached an agreement to cushion the impact. That has led to concerns about crippling tariffs, border gridlock and shortages of food and medicines.

      EU officials have suggested, however, they may agree to a lengthy delay to Britain’s departure from the bloc if U.K. politicians agree on a plan.

      The House of Commons on Wednesday began the process of debating alternatives to the prime minister’s deal but rejected all eight proposals they considered. Two ideas, a customs union with the EU and a second referendum on any deal, achieved significant support. Lawmakers are expected to hold a second round of votes Monday on Brexit proposals.

      Hilary Benn, a Labour Party lawmaker who chairs Parliament’s Brexit committee, dismissed criticism that the parliamentary process was a failure because it didn’t deliver a majority in the first round of voting. Benn said he hopes the latest defeat for May’s deal will “concentrate minds” and help build a clear majority for one of the Brexit options.

      “Since it took 2 3/4 years for the government to get what it had negotiated defeated three times, it’s a little bit harsh on Parliament, when it started the process last Wednesday, for not having immediately solved the problem in 24 hours,” Benn said. “So I think a little bit more time is a perfectly reasonable thing to provide as we try and find a way forward.”

      While Benn and Morgan are pushing for compromise, others are demanding that the Conservative-led government not cave in.

      Some hard-line Conservative Party lawmakers have written to May insisting that she not agree to a Brexit extension beyond May 22, which would force the U.K. to take part in the May 23-26 European Parliament elections, The Sun newspaper reported. The letter, signed by 170 members of the prime minister’s party, called on May to bring her deal back to Parliament for a fourth vote, with the threat of a general election if it is rejected again, the newspaper said.

      Brandon Lewis, a Cabinet member and chairman of the Conservative Party, said he was aware of the letter, though he had not seen the final text or the signatures.

      “We should be doing everything we can to leave the European Union in good order as quickly as we can, as we said in our manifesto and as we’ve said to Parliament,” Lewis said. “I think the deal is the right way to do that.”

      ———

      Follow AP’s full coverage of Brexit at: https://www.apnews.com/Brexit

      Source Article from https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/britain-faces-calls-unity-govt-amid-brexit-impasse-62057802

      Media captionThe comedian who could be president

      Polls have opened in Ukraine as the country votes in the first round of presidential elections.

      Current leader Petro Poroshenko is seeking re-election but the surprise front-runner is comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

      Both candidates, along with former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, have expressed largely pro-European views during campaigning.

      None of the pro-Russian candidates are seen as serious contenders.

      If no candidate gets more than 50% on Sunday, the top two will fight it out in a second round on 21 April.

      A total of 39 candidates are on the ballot paper, but only the three front-runners are considered to have any chance of victory.

      The Ukrainian president has significant powers over security, defence and foreign policy and the ex-Soviet republic’s system is described as semi-presidential.

      How did we get here?

      Mr Poroshenko, one of Ukraine’s wealthiest oligarchs, was elected in a snap vote after former pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was toppled in the February 2014 Maidan Revolution, which was followed by Russia’s annexation of Crimea and a Russian-backed insurgency in the east.

      Media captionUkraine’s presidential elections: five things to know

      The next president will inherit a deadlocked conflict between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed separatists in the east, while Ukraine strives to fulfil EU requirements for closer economic ties.

      The EU says that about 12% of Ukraine’s 44 million people are disenfranchised, largely those who live in Russia and in Crimea, which Russia annexed in March 2014.

      Separatist-controlled areas are boycotting the election.

      Just who is the surprise front-runner?

      Mr Zelenskiy, 41, is aiming to turn his satirical TV show – in which he portrays an ordinary citizen who becomes president after fighting corruption – into reality.

      He has torn up the rule book for election campaigning, the BBC’s Jonah Fisher reports from Kiev. He has done no rallies and few interviews, and appears to have no strong political views apart from a wish to be new and different.

      His extensive use of social media appeals to younger voters.

      His readiness to speak both Russian and Ukrainian, at a time when language rights are a hugely sensitive topic, has gained him support in Ukraine’s largely Russian-speaking east.

      Opinion polls suggest he will have a clear lead over Mr Poroshenko and Ms Tymoshenko in the first round, and would retain it in a run-off against either of them.

      Who are the other candidates?

      Mr Poroshenko, 53, aims to appeal to conservative Ukrainians through his slogan “Army, Language, Faith”.

      Image copyright
      AFP

      Image caption

      Mr Poroshenko’s campaign has been dogged by corruption allegations

      He says his backing for the military has helped keep the separatists in eastern Ukraine in check. He also negotiated an Association Agreement with the EU, including visa-free travel for Ukrainians. During his tenure the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has become independent of Russian control.

      However his campaign has been dogged by corruption allegations, including a scandal over defence procurement, which erupted last month.

      The third main contender is Yulia Tymoshenko, 58, who has served as prime minister and ran for president in 2010 and 2014. She played a leading role in the 2004 Orange Revolution, Ukraine’s first big push to ally itself with the EU.

      The front-runner among the pro-Russian candidates, Yuriy Boyko, says he would “normalise” relations with Russia.

      Source Article from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47763176