Ben Domenech discusses the Andrew Cuomo scandal on ‘Fox News Primetime.’
Four Northeast Democratic governors are calling for the resignation of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, following a report from the state attorney general’s office that he sexually harassed multiple women and retaliated against a former employee who complained.
“We are appalled at the findings of the independent investigation by the New York Attorney General. Governor Cuomo should resign from office,” read the statement.
It was signed by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, and Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee – all Democrats.
Their names add to the growing list of people – including President Biden – calling for Cuomo’s resignation after the release of the investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The nearly five-month, non-criminal investigation, overseen by James and led by two outside lawyers, concluded that 11 women within and outside state government were telling the truth when they said Cuomo had touched them inappropriately, commented on their appearance or made suggestive comments about their sex lives.
Cuomo, meanwhile, has remained defiant, saying in a taped response to the findings that “the facts are much different than what has been portrayed” and that he “never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual comments.”
Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what’s clicking on Foxnews.com.
Residents in President Biden’s home state of Delaware – which he represented in the Senate for more than three decades – saw a $15 decrease in their utility bills in 2018, replacing the anticipated $65 increase.
The reason was the Tax Cut and Jobs Act, according to the Delaware Public Service Commission, in announcing the rate cut from Delmarva. The tax reform package that President Trump signed in late 2017, among other things, slashed the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%.
Delaware is one of at least 38 states to pass along the corporate tax rate cut to customers, according to data compiled by Americans for Tax Reform. That includes the current president’s birth state, where the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission announced in 2018 a monthly credit to customer bills for 17 electric, natural gas, and water and wastewater utilities, totaling more than $320 million.
Now the Biden administration is proposing to increase the corporate tax to 28%. That’s still lower than it was before Trump’s tax reform package – but some fear enough to force power bills to increase.
Investor-owned utility companies, such as electric, gas and water companies, are regulated entities and required by law to get their billing rates approved by state public utility commissions. The commissions must consider how tax liability and other expenses factor into the cost of operation. Utility companies have significantly less flexibility in how to absorb such costs.
“Those taxes are passed directly to the public utility customers,” Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist told Fox News. “With public utilities, all agreed to the rate of return. … Regulated businesses can’t move money around.”
The Trump corporate tax cut in 2017 reportedly led more than 100 public utilities across the country to return $90 billion to customers, according to annual SEC 10-K filings. After the tax cut, public service commissions had to enter settlements with public utility companies to determine what to do with the excess accumulated deferred income tax balances, or EADIT.
Biden has repeatedly promised that he would not increase taxes on anyone earning less than $400,000 annually. However, because of how utility rates are determined, these corporate tax hikes could turn into an indirect tax on utility rate payers.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki dismissed this concern when asked about it in April.
“Well, I would say that there’s no reason that that is what needs to happen. We have evidence of what happens,” Psaki said. “Back in 2017, when Republicans prioritized tax cuts for big corporations over investing in working people, there were many arguments made about what the impact would be: the benefits would be passed on to consumers, they would invest in R&D, there would be jobs created. None of that happened. … So I would say that’s not a concern we have at this moment in time.”
The utility rate cuts that accompanied the corporate tax cut spanned the country in red, blue and battleground states. This included some of the most populous states, such as Texas, where at least 10 companies cut rates; New Jersey, where 14 utility companies passed it on to customers; Virginia, where at least a dozen companies cut rates; and nine companies out of Ohio and six companies in Illinois passed along the savings. Residents in smaller states, such as Utah and Vermont, also benefited, as did ratepayers in both Carolinas, both Dakotas and the two early presidential contest states of Iowa and New Hampshire.
As with any legislation, Biden will have to rely on the support of Democratic Sens. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia.
In Arizona, at least 10 utility companies, including electric, water and waste water companies, cut rates or provided refunds in the hundreds of millions, attributed to the corporate tax cut. In West Virginia, at least three companies passed on savings from the corporate rate cut to customers. These were Appalachian Power Company, which reportedly saved $235 million; Potomac Edison that reportedly saved $85 million and West Virginia American Water Company reportedly saved $4.6 million.
“Any increase in the corporate tax rate increases the bills you pay, particularly with publicly regulated corporations,” Norquist said. “This is going to affect the public utilities in all 50 states.”
De chica creía que si se hacían bien las cosas, de acuerdo a un plan bien pensado y responsable, nada podía salir mal. Ya sea organizarme para las tareas, para los permisos o para administrar el dinero de acuerdo a mis necesidades. Sin embargo, de mayor descubrí que tener todo bajo control no era tan simple y conocí el rubro de los imprevistos: un diente roto, la terma se quemó, un choque, la casa se inundó, se bajó la llanta, dinero para regalos de cumpleaños, Día de la Madre, Padre y Navidad, una salida extra, entraron a la casa a robar, una enfermedad complicada, radiografías, el negocio no rindió durante dos meses, una emergencia médica familiar me obligó a perder la cita de trabajo que perseguí todo el año. Entendí que si en el presupuesto no contemplas un rubro importante para lo inesperado, estarás en aprietos.
Siempre hay imprevistos. La idea de que las cosas van generalmente bien es más bien una fantasía. Todo el tiempo ocurre algo que atenta contra el orden ideal, que altera el plan, que afecta un poco o mucho la aparente tranquilidad que había. Desde lo más nimio a lo más trágico. Desde no tener la plata necesaria para pagar el taxi que acaba de llevar a Gabriel al trabajo, o perderse Maribel una fiesta porque su bebe se enfermó, hasta el accidente mortal de la mamá de Patricio dos días antes de la boda de él.
Si les pregunto por los problemas propios o de alguien cercano, rápidamente vendrá alguno a su mente. A Diana la despidieron la semana pasada; la abuela de Juan Francisco acaba de morir; Irma descubrió que su contador le estaba robando dinero; Alfonso recibió una multa imposible de la SUNAT; la nana que cuida al hijo de Luisa se fue de la noche a la mañana; al esposo de Laura le dio un infarto; el aumento prometido de César fue suspendido; atropellaron al hijo de Elsa; el ex–esposo de Silvia volvió a incumplir con el dinero de manutención; el hijo de Manuel no ingresó a la universidad; el cliente más importante de Amanda se fue a la competencia; a Humberto lo dejó su esposa. ¿Algún día las malas noticias se terminan?
No imaginé que la vida sería tan complicada. Suponía que llegar a la adultez era una gran responsabilidad, llena de obligaciones laborales, y a veces de algunos problemas. Pero la imaginaba principalmente construida de arduo trabajo y logros, familia y amor. Pasa el tiempo y veo que los problemas son frecuentes, que cuando un problema pasa, surge otro. Que la quietud es una ilusión. Que dar por sentado que los años que vienen serán como me los he imaginado es ingenuo y absurdo porque no hay cómo controlar y diseñar el futuro.
Estar llena de trabajo, responsabilidades y una familia bullera es la parte linda de la historia. Lo más difícil no es ese cansancio diario que puede abrumar, sino mantenerme en pie cuando llega otra mala noticia, y aceptar que las dificultades y problemas son parte de la vida que es mejor acostumbrarse a ellos. Una buena amiga me hizo llegar esta frase: “No se trata de esperar a que pase la tormenta, sino de aprender a bailar bajo la lluvia”. Otra amiga me dijo “Todo surge, y desaparece”. Ambas tienen razón. Mejor descartar la idea de que llegaremos un día a la total tranquilidad. No será así y seguirán surgiendo dificultades. El logro será no derrumbarnos –o derrumbarnos solo un ratito– para luego retomar este loco y desafiante baile, con sol y con lluvia, en marea baja o alta, con viento a favor o sin él. Pero siempre sacándole el jugo a la vida que nos tocó, todo lo que podamos.
Tropical Storm Barry is intensifying in the northern Gulf, and the threat of widespread flooding in Louisiana and Mississippi looms over the next 48 to 72 hours. Ryan Truchelut, WeatherTiger
Slow-moving Tropical Storm Barry, just shy of hurricane-strength, crawled toward a noon landfall Saturday west of New Orleans, bringing the threat of flooding along the Gulf Coast as far east as Alabama, with the heaviest rain pounding an area around New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette.
The National Hurricane Center said Barry is expected to dump from 10 to 20 inches of rain over south-central and southeast Louisiana and southwest Mississippi, with some areas — facing 2 to 3 inches an hour — getting as much as 20 to 25 inches.
Nearly 50,000 people were without power as the tropical storm approached Louisiana’s south-central coast Saturday morning. Nearly a fourth of those outages were in coastal Terrebonne Parish. A number of other southern parishes were affected, including Jefferson Parish outside of New Orleans.
The threat to New Orleans diminished late Friday. Officials said the levee system would crest Monday at only 17 feet at the critical Carrollton gauge. That is about three feet lower than a previous forecast and two feet below the levee’s height.
Gov. John Bel Edwards assured residents that the levees were “stronger than they’ve ever been” and that the state was better prepared than ever.
For the first time since Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city 14 years ago, the governor said all floodgates were sealed in Hurricane Risk Reduction System. The city did not offer any sandbags, although some businesses did make them available.
Residents of the Big Easy had been urged to “shelter in place” in lieu of evacuation orders, which are normally issued only for Category 3 hurricanes.
Barry is expected to make landfall around mid-day Saturday as the first hurricane of the season near Morgan City, 85 miles west of New Orleans, with wind speeds of at least 74 mph. A hurricane warning was in effect along the Louisiana coast, from Intracoastal City to Grand Isle.
Post to Facebook
Posted!
A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.
Nyla Trepagnier, center, fills a sandbag held by her grandparents Heloise and Ronald Nelson, left, at a sandbag station provided by local bar the Mid-City Yacht Club in New Orleans, La. Friday, July 12, 2019. The city did not provide sandbag stations on the lead up to Tropical Storm Barry this weekend. The system in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to make landfall, possibly as a hurricane, near Morgan City on Saturday morning. Max Becherer, The Advocate via AP
As of 7 a.m. CDT Saturday, Barry was 50 miles southwest of Morgan City, moving at 5 mph with maximum sustained winds near 70 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
“The slow movement of Barry will result in a long duration heavy rainfall and flood threat along the central Gulf Coast, across portions of the Lower Mississippi Valley and north into the Tennessee Valley through the weekend into early next week,” John Cangialosi, a senior hurricane specialist at the NHC. “Flash flooding and river flooding will become increasingly likely, some of which may be life-threatening, especially across portions of southeast Louisiana into Mississippi.”
Some 14 trillion gallons of rainwater is forecast to fall on Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas during Barry, according to an estimate from BAM Weather meteorologist Ryan Maue.
Governors declared emergencies in Louisiana and Mississippi.
Water levels have already begun to rise along the coast of southern and southeastern Louisiana, portions of Lake Pontchartrain, and portions of coastal Mississippi, where a storm surge warning is in effect.
In the past three years, inland flooding has accounted for 83% of the deaths during tropical cyclones, half of those in vehicles, according to the agency.
Rescue crews and about 3,000 National Guard troops were posted around Louisiana with boats, high-water vehicles and helicopters. President Donald Trump declared a federal emergency for Louisiana, authorizing federal agencies to coordinate relief efforts.
Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY; Leigh Guidry, Nick Siano, Lafayette Daily Advertiser; Associated Press
Sign up for the Guardian’s Fight to Vote newsletter
America was on edge on Saturday as Donald Trump and Joe Biden launched a final campaign blitz amid a surging pandemic, record early voting and gnawing uncertainty over when the outcome of the presidential election will be known.
Trailing in the polls, Trump began a frenzied schedule of 14 rallies in three days, even as the coronavirus scythed through the country. The US recorded more than 99,000 cases on Friday, its biggest ever single-day total. Many of the worst outbreaks are in the battleground states where the president is travelling.
Biden campaigned with Barack Obama at drive-in rallies in Flint and Detroit, predominantly Black cities where strong turnout will be essential in the fight for Michigan. Stevie Wonder was to perform in Detroit.
In Flint, Obama decried Trump as a president “who goes out of his way to insult people just because they don’t support them”.
“With Joe and Kamala at the helm,” he said, “you’re not going to have to think about them every day. You’re not going to have to argue with your family about him every day. It won’t be so exhausting. You’ll be able to get on with your lives.”
Obama also went after Trump’s idea of masculinity, saying that being a man once meant “taking care of other people”, rather than “strutting and showing off, acting important, bullying people”.
Following the former president on stage, Biden briefly slipped back into much-criticised attack lines against Trump, who he has previously said he would like to fight. “When you were in high school wouldn’t you have liked to take a shot?” he asked, before apparently remembering to keep to the high road.
“That’s a different story … but anyway. [Trump is] macho man.”
Both men repeated Biden’s vow to get the coronavirus pandemic under control. But with record numbers of infections, and record numbers of voters casting ballots early, the dominant narratives of 2020 were still hurtling towards a potentially destabilising climax. There was intense anxiety over whether Tuesday will deliver a clear verdict or a prolonged, agonising vote count, over days or even weeks.
More than eight in 10 Americans (86%) are somewhat or very worried there will be violent protests following the election, the Public Religion Research Institute found. Businesses in New York, Washington and other cities were boarding up in case of trouble.
Trump has spent months claiming, without evidence, that he can only lose if it the vote is rigged. He has threatened to challenge the outcome and refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. In rural Pennsylvania on Saturday, the president told supporters they should scrutinise polls in Philadelphia, a Democratic city, on election day.
Democrats have called for massive turnout, to put the result beyond doubt.
The election comes after a year that has seen an impeachment trial, an economic crisis and a reckoning over racial injustice. But Covid-19 remains the defining issue and the candidates’ closing arguments could not be more different.
Biden has been driving home the message that Trump mismanaged a pandemic that has infected 9 million and killed 229,000. “He’s doing nothing,” the former vice-president said this week. “We’re learning to die with it. Donald Trump has waved the white flag, abandoned our families and surrendered to the virus.”
In Florida on Thursday, the president, who spent three nights in hospital after becoming infected, said: “You know the bottom line, though? You’re gonna get better. You’re gonna get better. If I can get better, anybody can get better. And I got better fast.”
On Friday, he baselessly claimed: “Our doctors get more money if someone dies from Covid. You know that, right? I mean, our doctors are very smart people. So what they do is they say, ‘I’m sorry but everybody dies of Covid.’”
The president was to hold four rallies in Pennsylvania on Saturday, then five on Sunday and five on Monday across Iowa, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Observing mostly maskless supporters crammed together, critics have branded such rallies “super-spreader events”.
Bob Shrum, a Democratic strategist who advised Al Gore and John Kerry, said: “Trump is frantically flying around the country in Air Force One giving these rally speeches, which I think motivate his base but also alienate a lot of other voters because they look at the pictures where people are cheek by jowl and there’s no masking.”
Noting an outbreak among Vice-President Mike Pence’s staff, Shrum added: “You have just had Covid invade the White House for a second time, so I think it adds to the sense that that he can’t handle Covid.”
Polls show Biden with a consistent lead nationally and up by smaller margins in the states that will decide the electoral college. Democrats could also win a majority in the Senate, potentially ending years of gridlock.
But few are complacent. The final Fox News poll in 2016 showed Hillary Clinton leading Trump 48% to 44%; the final Fox News poll this year has Biden up 52%-44%. Analysts say that if polls are off by the same margin, Biden will still win.
Bob Woodward, author of two bestselling books about Trump, said: “It looks like Biden’s going to win but I would not bet more than a dollar on it. I think it’s quite possible that Trump will win.”
Trump at an event in Reading on Saturday. Photograph: Carlos Barría/Reuters
Polling, he warned, “is a measure of, when they call around, a thousand or two thousand people who are crazy enough to pick up the phone and answer the question. So they have polled 2,000 people who don’t have the sense to hang up the phone, which is what most people do. So what are you measuring? What is the polling tell us?”
Woodward added: “I’m convinced that the supporters of President Trump to the core will crawl through snow and rain and fire to vote and support him. I don’t think Biden has that kind of intellectual and emotional support, or at least at the level that Trump has.”
Trump aides and loyalists insist he can pull off another Houdini act. Newt Gingrich, a former House speaker, said: “I think it’s 70% Trump gets elected and 30% Biden wins.”
Asked why he was saying the opposite of what polls show, Gingrich replied: “Because I think they’re all wrong. These were the same polls that were totally wrong in ’16. Why would you guys believe them? They’ve learned nothing.”
For some, long queues of voters offer hope of that America will pull back from the brink of disaster. Drexel Heard, a Black LGBTQ activist and Democratic official in Los Angeles, said: “As soon as we get results or as soon as we hear that Joe Biden’s been elected, I think the temperature might just come down in the country, people might breathe a sigh of relief just for a little while because they’ll feel comfortable knowing that the next four years are not going to be chaos, that their families are not going to have to decide between their healthcare and their house.
“That’s a big thing for us because we’ve never been this chaotic in American history outside of wartime.”
El altercado entre el subsecretario del Senado, Saúl Cruz, y un camarógrafo de Noticias Uno escaló hasta la Fundación Para la Libertad de Prensa (FLIP), que condenó las agresiones del funcionario y de los senadores de la República en contra del noticiero.
El jueves de la semana pasada, el periodista Eduardo Hooker y su camarógrafo cubrían la elección en el Senado del nuevo magistrado para la Corte Constitucional. La misión del hombre de la cámara era seguir paso a paso al subsecretario Cruz para comprobar que estaba haciendo cabildeo a favor de uno de los candidatos.
“Durante la sesión, el subsecretario simuló ser golpeado en la cara por el camarógrafo. Luego denunció la inexistente golpiza ante policías que custodiaban el recinto”, señaló la FLIP.
Después, Cruz dijo ante la plenaria del Senado que el camarógrafo lo había golpeado y mostró, como prueba, un cachete hinchado y colorado.
“Iba al baño y me he encontrado con una cámara de Noticias Uno, y -podrán ver- me han pegado en la cara. Yo no entiendo; yo cumplo mi función. Esto me tiene muy consternado”, dijo el funcionario a los congresistas.
En ese momento, el presidente del Senado, Mauricio Lizcano, abrió un espacio en el debate para que los senadores discutieran los hechos. No fueron pocos los que pidieron la palabra.
José Obdulio Gaviria, del Centro Democrático, dijo que “tiene que haber algún tipo de sanción penal, ojalá cárcel, para el agresor”. Rosmary Martínez, de Cambio Radical, pidió demandar a Noticias Uno, “o sino va a venir el Eln disfrazado de doctor y nos va a masacrar en este Congreso”. Otros pidieron como medida cautelar sacar al periodista del recinto y prohibir para siempre su entrada al claustro de la democracia.
En una crónica emitida en el noticiero del domingo, Noticias Uno demostró, gracias a la cámaras de seguridad del Congreso, que fue Saúl Cruz quien se lanzó contra el camarógrafo y no al contrario.
“La simulación de la agresión por parte de Saúl Cruz, la posterior falsa denuncia presentada ante la policía y el Congreso y la andanada de llamados a encarcelar, censurar, demandar y obstruir el trabajo de Noticias Uno por parte de senadores de la República son una violación de las obligaciones internacionales adquiridas por el Estado colombiano en materia de la libertad de expresión”, condenó la FLIP.
En declaraciones a “La W Radio”, el presidente del Senado, Mauricio Lizcano, aseguró que la plenaria actuó de buena fe y dijo que los senadores fueron “asaltados”. “Creímos lo que dijo el subsecretario. No actuamos de mala fe y si se cometió un error se reconocerá y se le pedirá disculpas al medio decomunicación”, señaló Lizcano.
El presidente del Senado precisó que él no puede pedir la renuncia de Saúl Cruz, porque fue elegido en plenaria por un período de cuatro años, y recordó que lo único que puede hacer es poner las pruebas en conocimiento de Control Interno y Procuraduría para que ellos tomen la decisión.
El secretario general del Senado, Gregorio Eljach, le dijo a EL COLOMBIANO que se acoge a las declaraciones de Lizcano y afirmó que solo una investigación podrá determinar la culpabilidad de Cruz o de Noticias Uno.
Sobre el cabildeo que supuestamente estaba haciendo el subsecretario Cruz, Eljach dijo:
“Si uno se pone a mirar las funciones del subsecretario, eso de buscar votos no aparece como una función. Lo que pasa es que como los secretarios son elegidos por razones políticas, postulados por los partidos, por las bancadas, no se sabe hasta dónde va el alcance de las funciones”.
Esta es la nota que Noticias Uno publicó aclarando lo sucedido, con base en las imágenes de su camarógrafo y las de la cámara de seguridad del Congreso:
DeVos is named in the lawsuit in her official capacity as secretary of Education. She will not be personally responsible for paying the $100,000 in monetary sanctions, which will be paid by the government.
The judge ordered that the fine go to a fund held by the former Corinthian students’ attorneys. It’s meant to help defray the damages and expenses associated with the improper collection of the loans, she said. The judge ordered the government and the attorneys to come up with a plan for administering the fund.
“We’re disappointed in the court’s ruling,” the Education Department said in a tweet on Thursday evening. “We acknowledged that servicers made unacceptable mistakes.”
Mark Brown, the head of the departments Office of Federal Student Aid, said in a video posted online that there was no “ill-intent” by the department and that officials “have taken swift action to correct the mistake.”
An Education Department spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on whether the department planned to appeal the decision.
The Trump administration had asked the judge to avoid holding DeVos and the Education Department in contempt or imposing fines, arguing that the department had “been working diligently and in good faith to correct the errors.” The department said in a court filing that it appreciated the “gravity” of the situation.
Toby Merrill, the director of Harvard Law School’s Project on Predatory Student Lending, which represents the former Corinthian students in the lawsuit, praised the judge’s decision.
“It’s a rare and powerful action by the court to hold the secretary in contempt,” she said. “And it reflects the extreme harm that Betsy DeVos and the Department of Education have caused students who were already defrauded by a for-profit college.”
It’s highly unusual, but not unprecedented, for a federal judge to hold an agency head in contempt or issue fines.
In 2011, during the Obama administration, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar was held in contempt by a judge over a moratorium on oil drilling. In 2002, during the George W. Bush administration, Interior Secretary Gale Norton was held in contempt in a Native American land trust case. Both contempt findings were ultimately reversed by an appeals court.
DeVos earlier this month sparred about the possible contempt finding with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who called for the Education secretary’s resignation over the issue.
“Loan servicers made an error on a small # of loans,” DeVos tweeted at the time. “We know & we’re fixing it.” She also accused Warren of lying about the issue.
After the judge’s rebuke, the Education Department moved to reprimand several employees and also admonished the companies it hires to collect federal student loans, POLITICO reported earlier this month. The department has blamed much of the errors on those student loan servicing companies, though it admitted in a court filing last month that officials had been “negligent” in overseeing the companies.
The Education Department has said it is in the process of providing refunds to at least 3,200 of those borrowers who ended up making unnecessary payments. Some of the borrowers paid voluntarily after being incorrectly told they owed money. In other cases, the government erroneously seized borrowers’ federal tax refunds or wages.
On Thursday, Judge Kim also ordered the Education Department to provide a monthly status report on its attempts to comply with the order and send a notice to borrowers about the situation.
Kim said she was leaving open the possibility that if DeVos and the Education Department continue to violate her order she would “impose additional sanctions, including the appointment of a Special Master to ensure compliance with the preliminary injunction.”
The contempt finding and sanctions arose out of an ongoing lawuit against DeVos over her policy that provides only partial loan forgiveness to some borrowers whom the Education Department determines were defrauded.
Kim has blocked DeVos from carrying out the partial loan forgiveness policy, ruling that the Education Department ran afoul of federal privacy laws in calculating the amount of relief. The Trump administration has appealed that ruling to the 9th Circuit, where it remains pending.
La vicepresidenta Lucía Topolansky se comprometió ayer en la tarde con senadores de todos los partidos con representación parlamentaria para conversar acerca de las negociaciones que el Poder Ejecutivo está llevando adelante con la empresa finlandesa UPM.
La presidenta de la Asamblea general se comprometió a ser el nexo entre el Poder Legislativo y el gobierno nacional con el fin de que la oposición política reciba un informe sobre la situación de las negociaciones para confirmar la instalación de la tercera planta de celulosa en el país.
El encuentro surgió a raíz de los planteos de blancos, colorados e independientes la semana pasada, preocupados por cómo marcha el acuerdo con la multinacional. Las dudas en la oposición sobre qué es lo que está negociando el gobierno, surgieron a raíz de la renuncia de Andrés Masoller —número tres del Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas— quien dejó su cargo en el equipo económico molesto por cómo el Poder Ejecutivo estaba llevando adelante los acuerdos con los finlandeses.
Topolansky recibió a los coordinadores de las bancadas de la oposición, los que transmitieron nuevamente el pedido para recibir información.
Incluso, se le ofreció a la presidenta de la Asamblea General que si se desea, las comisiones parlamentarias a donde concurran las autoridades del Ejecutivo sean en el marco de “sesiones secretas sin versión taquigráfica” con el fin de preservar la confidencialidad del tema.
En la reunión participaron Rafael Michelini, Mónica Xavier, y Leonardo De león, por el Frente Amplio; Luis Alberto Heber, Álvaro Delgado, por el Partido Nacional; José Amorín Batlle, por el Partido Colorado, y Pablo Mieres por el Partido Independiente.
“Es totalmente necesario que el gobierno incorpore en la conversación a todo el sistema político. Para ello, el gobierno debe superar ciertos reflejos que nacen del distanciamiento que ha aumentado en la relación entre gobierno y oposición en estos últimos tiempos”, escribió Mieres en una columna en Montevideo Portal
Las áreas del gobierno involucradas en la inversión de UPM son Economía, Industria, Transporte y Obras Públicas y Medio Ambiente. De hecho los ministros de Economía, Danilo Astori; de Transporte, Víctor Rossi, ya fueron citados por legisladores de la oposición al Parlamento. Aún no hay confirmación de fechas sobre sus comparecencias.
El mandatario anunció la semana pasada a la prensa que espera poder firmar en el mes de octubre un acuerdo marco sobre los puntos centrales de la inversión. Incluso desde el Ministerio de Transporte pretenden lanzar este mes los pliegos para la licitación del nuevo ferrocarril; inversión imprescindible solicitada por UPM para poder confirmar su inversión de la segunda planta.
A pesar de esto los líderes de la oposición consideran que el Ejecutivo no puede mantener el silencio sobre qué es lo que se está acordando ya que se trata de una política de Estado que trasciende el actual gobierno.
Topolansky ingresó a la presidencia de la Asamblea General tras la renuncia del exvicepresidente de la República, Raúl Sendic, quien se vio envuelto en cuestionamientos éticos y de manejo de fondos público cuando estuvo al frente de Ancap en el gobierno anterior. El presidente Vázquez le solicitó a la senadora del Movimiento de Participación Popular (MPP) que asuma un rol “más activo” y “negociador” con los partidos políticos de oposición para tener un mayor dialogo.
En ese sentido Topolansky ya solicitó a la bancada del Frente Amplio un análisis sobre los proyectos legislativos en carpeta para armar una lista de prioridades y lograr aprobar la mayoría de ellos antes de fin de año. Las reformas a la Caja Militar y el proyecto de ley para los cincuentones son las prioridades del oficialismo.
Trump officials described the measures in a call with reporters on Monday, but the White House would not allow the officials to be quoted by name. The new restrictions, which Trump is expected to sign Monday afternoon, will prevent foreign workers from filling 525,000 jobs, according to White House estimates.
President Donald Trump says in a welcoming ceremony for Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison that “today we celebrate the long-cherished and unwavering friendship between the United States and Australia.” (Sept. 20) AP, AP
WASHINGTON – What a difference a couple of years – and a couple of elections – can make.
President Donald Trump, who famously hung up on Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during a protocol-shattering phone call just a week after taking office, is giving the red-carpet treatment to Turnbull’s successor, Scott Morrison, at the White House on Friday.
Morrison and his wife will be feted with a formal state dinner – only the second of Trump’s presidency.
Dinner will be served al fresco-style on the South Lawn and will include ravioli drizzled with a lemony Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese emulsion and topped by shavings of carrots, baby kale and sunchoke chips. The main course will be roasted Dover sole accented with fennel mousseline. Dessert will be a Lady Apple tart with ice cream.
Here are five things you should know about Morrison’s visit:
Who is Scott Morrison?
Morrison, 51, is Australia’s 30th prime minister. He took office in 2018, succeeding Turnbull, and held onto power after his center-right government scored an astounding win in an election that pundits and pollsters had predicted it was certain to lose.
Sound familiar? Morrison’s upset victory has drawn comparisons to Trump’s unexpected win against Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
Morrison and his wife, Jennifer, arrived on the White House South Lawn to a 19-gun salute and were greeted by Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. After the traditional inspection of the troops, the two leaders spoke of what Trump called “the unbreakable bond” between the two countries.
“Australians and Americans understand each other like few other people,” Morrison said.
Before he became prime minister, Morrison served in the Australian parliament, where he once carried a chunk of coal onto the Parliament floor and proclaimed: “This is coal! Don’t be afraid!” Morrison was using the prop – against Parliament rules – to attack the Labor Party, which wanted to phase out coal power and press for more renewable energy.
He also previously served as Australia’s immigration minister, where he helped develop a hardline policy to keep asylum-seekers from entering the country through its seaports.
Is Morrison Australia’s Trump?
Hardly.
Though Morrison’s political views are in line with Trump’s on issues like immigration and energy, they are very different people, said Michael Fullilove, executive director of the Lowy Institute, an independent think tank based in Sydney.
Morrison is a lifelong politician, a devout Christian (he’s Australia’s first Pentecostal prime minister) and an “everyman figure,” Fullilove said.
“Australian political values – including a belief in alliances and free trade – deviate from (President Trump’s) brand,” Fullilove said. “But they are both conservative figures. Prime Minister Morrison made his name as a tough immigration minister, which would appeal to the president.”
While they aren’t from the same mold, the American press tends to cast them that way, “which probably flattered and pleased the president,” Fullilove said.
“So President Trump was primed to like Prime Minister Morrison, and the (prime minister) has used that to his advantage,” he said.
Morrison said in a statement released by his office that he will be visiting the U.S. from Sept. 19-27. Besides Washington, he also will travel to Chicago, Ohio and New York.
“There is no deeper friendship than that which exists between Australia and the United States,” he said. “We see the world through the same eyes, with shared values and a deep commitment to promoting peace, liberty and prosperity.”
Morrison described his visit as “a valuable opportunity to further strengthen our security and economic partnership.”
At the White House, he will hold a bilateral meeting with Trump. The White House meeting will be followed by a news conference with the two leaders and, Friday night, the formal state dinner.
On Sunday, Trump and Morrison will tour a new Pratt Industries paper-recycling mill in Wapakoneta, Ohio. The plant is owned by Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt, who has been a prominent Trump supporter.
No details have been released, but it’s a good bet they’ll talk about issues such as trade, China and ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
China is Australia’s leading trade partner and the U.S. is one of its closest allies, so the Aussies are uncomfortably caught in the middle of Trump’s trade war with Beijing.
The trade war “hasn’t had a big impact yet in Australia, except maybe to dampen some business confidence,” said Alan Tidwell, director of Georgetown University’s Center for Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Studies. “The Australian economy was beginning to show a little fatigue even before the trade war got under way.”
Australia has agreed to join U.S.-led operations patrolling the Strait of Hormuz following Iran’s seizure of tankers passing through the critical waterway earlier this summer, so that will likely come up, along with last weekend’s crippling drone and missile strikes on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities, Tidwell said.
The White House has not released the guest list for the state dinner, the first for an Australian prime minister since George W. Bush hosted one for then-Prime Minister John Howard in 2006.
Australian media reports say several prominent Aussies have received – and accepted – dinner invitations, including Pratt, golfer Greg Norman, Fox News founder Rupert Murdoch and his son, Lachlan Murdoch, who is the Fox Corp.’s executive chairman and chief executive officer.
“Cuestionada”, así se empezaron a marcar desde esta semana algunas noticias en Facebook en Estados Unidos, las que mediante datos engañosos desinforman a los usuarios de la red social.
De ese modo empieza el despliegue de la estrategia que Mark Zuckerberg, creador de Facebook, anunció desde diciembre con el fin de combatir las noticias falsas. Esos contenidos, según algunas acusaciones que se han hecho contra la red social en internet, se aprovecharon para engañar a los votantes en los meses previos a las elecciones en las que Donald Trump fue elegido presidente. Facebook señala que esto ha perjudicado a los usuarios y por eso las medidas tomadas.
Según el portal de tecnología Mashable, la herramienta está llegando a los usuarios de forma paulatina. En las publicaciones de noticias de la red social que sean falsas o desinformen se está poniendo el aviso de “cuestionada”, de esa manera Facebook le informa a sus usuarios que esa información no es verdadera.
Además de ser cuestionada, cuenta Facebook en su blog, se añadirá un link a un artículo donde le explican al usuario por qué la noticia tiene ese estado. “Las historias que hayan sido cuestionadas podrán además aparecer con menos prominencia en el News Feed”.
“MURIENDO POR CRUZAR,” AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE INCREASING NUMBER OF IMMIGRANT DEATHS ALONG THE BORDER, THIS SUNDAY, AUGUST 3 AT 6 P.M./5 C
Carmen Dominicci and Neida Sandoval present the Telemundo and The Weather Channel co-production
Miami – July 31, 2014 –Telemundo presents “Muriendo por Cruzar”, a documentary that investigates why increasing numbers of immigrants are dying while trying to cross the US-Mexican border near the city of Falfurrias, Texas, this Sunday, August 3 at 6PM/5 C. The Telemundo and The Weather Channel co-production, presented by Noticias Telemundo journalists Carmen Dominicci and Neida Sandoval, reveals the obstacles immigrants face once they cross into US territory, including extreme weather conditions, as they try to evade the border patrol. “Muriendo por Cruzar” is part of Noticias Telemundo’s special coverage of the crisis on the border and immigration reform.
“‘Muriendo por Cruzar’” dares to ask questions that reveal the actual conditions undocumented immigrants face as they try to start a new life in the United States,” said Alina Falcón, Telemundo’s Executive Vice President for News and Alternative Programming. “Our collaboration with The Weather Channel was very productive. They have a unique expertise in covering the impact of weather on people’s lives, as we do in covering immigration reform and the border crisis. The result is a compelling documentary that exposes a harrowing reality.”
“Muriendo por Cruzar” is the first co-production by Telemundo and The Weather Channel. Both networks are part of NBCUniversal.
“The fire was deemed an accidental start, caused by a tree branch that broke off and subsequently landed in nearby power lines during high wind conditions,” the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a statement. “This errant tree branch caused the sparking and arcing of the power lines, igniting nearby brush.”
Gusty winds were threatening to further spread wildfires that are already burning up and down California on Wednesday, putting thousands of residents on alert for another wave of evacuation orders.
The winds sweeping the parched state have been blamed for three deaths. The Madera County Sheriff’s Office said the bodies of Edward and Iva Poulson were found Monday in their Jeep after a tree toppled onto the vehicle in high winds. And And the Santa Cruz Sentinel reported that a homeless woman died Sunday after being crushed by a tree topped in high winds.
In Los Angeles, officials stationed crews at fire-prone locations in an effort to quickly extinguish any new blazes. “Extreme” red-flag warnings took effect at 11 p.m. Tuesday and were expected to persist into Thursday night, bringing the potential for “rapid fire spread” and “extreme fire behavior,” according to the National Weather Service.
“It takes one ember, just one ember downwind, to start another brush fire, so I encourage all people in the city of Los Angeles and the neighboring communities to register for alerts,” said Los Angeles Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas.
Low humidity, dry fuel and sustained winds up to 55 mph conspired to test firefighters, who had contained 15% of the 656-acre Getty Fire by Tuesday evening. The flames had injured one firefighter and destroyed or damaged 18 buildings.
Mandatory evacuation orders were still in place in some areas, and Terrazas warned nearby neighborhoods to be prepared to flee.
In Sonoma County, north of San Francisco, firefighters battling the Kincade Fire faced another round of the “Diablo” winds. Sustained gusts between 20 and 30 mph could fan the 118-square-mile blaze, but pose less of a threat than winds recorded over the weekend.
The wildfire had damaged or destroyed more than 200 buildings, including an 150-year-old winery, and was 15% contained Tuesday evening. Another 80,000 homes were threatened, prompting officials to keep 15 evacuation centers open.
About 200,000 people had been forced from the area since the fire ignited last week, although officials have reduced some evacuation orders to evacuation warnings as firefighting efforts progressed.
“Our hearts and prayers are with the firefighters out there doing a spectacular job, but with the situation so fluid, with the winds still blowing, we’re not through this yet,” said Sonoma County Supervisor David Rabbitt.
Preemptive power shutoffs also weren’t over for nearly 1.5 million Northern and Central California residents. Pacific Gas & Electric turned off power in 29 counties Tuesday, marking its fourth shutoff this month and third in the last week.
Southern California Edison warned that crews may cut off power for an additional 300,000 customers — mainly in Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Bernardino counties — if conditions worsen this week.
The shutoffs, designed to reduce the risk of utility equipment sparking wildfires during strong wind events, have drawn criticism from residents and public officials.
PG&E on Tuesday yielded to pressure from Gov. Gavin Newsom by announcing it will issue a bill credit for customers affected by the first shutoff this month. Residential customers will see a $100 credit in the next billing cycle and businesses will get $250, the utility said. Credits will not be issued for the subsequent shutoffs, PG&E said, because the company worked to improve how it notified customers.
“This is not an industry standard practice, nor approved as part of a tariff, but we believe it is the right thing to do for our customers in this case, given the challenges with our website and call center communications,” said the utility’s CEO and President Bill Johnson.
The utility is also facing scrutiny amid Cal Fire’s investigation into the Kincade Fire’s origin. PG&E acknowledged last week a live, 230,000-volt transmission line malfunctioned minutes before the fire erupted Wednesday night.
This is a widget area - If you go to "Appearance" in your WP-Admin you can change the content of this box in "Widgets", or you can remove this box completely under "Theme Options"
