Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg officially announced he’s running for president – Business Insider
Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg officially announced he’s running for president – Business Insider
  • Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg officially announced on Sunday that he was running for president as a Democrat.
  • In a statement and a video released Sunday, Bloomberg took aim at President Donald Trump, a fellow wealthy New York-made businessman.
  • Bloomberg has had a closely watched few weeks since it was reported he was contemplating a run, and raised eyebrows across the Democratic field when it was reported he was planning to launch a $100 million TV ad campaign. 
  • Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Former New York City Mayor and media mogul Michael Bloomberg officially announced on Sunday that he was running as a Democrat in the 2020 presidential election.

In a widely released statement, Bloomberg took aim at President Donald Trump and urged voters to embark on “rebuilding America.”

“I’m running for president to defeat Donald Trump and rebuild America,” the statement read. “We cannot afford four more years of President Trump’s reckless and unethical actions. He represents an existential threat to our country and our values. If he wins another term in office, we may never recover from the damage. The stakes could not be higher. We must win this election. And we must begin rebuilding America. I believe my unique set of experiences in business, government, and philanthropy will enable me to win and lead.

In his first ad for his campaign, Bloomberg is painted as a champion of working Americans and the middle class, and despite his $52 billion net worth, he emphasizes how different he is from Trump, a fellow New York-made business magnate.

The ad highlights 77-year-old Bloomberg’s middle-class upbringing in Medford, Massachusetts, before the narrator said he “had to work his way through college” and built Bloomberg LP from “a single room to a global entity” before going on to lead job creation and development across New York City in the wake of September 11 in three terms as mayor.

Unlike Trump, Bloomberg appears to be poised to release his tax returns, as he routinely did while serving as mayor after initially refusing. 

The billionaire has already had a turbulent few weeks since news broke that he was contemplating entering the race.

Last week, he appeared to take a campaign-trail style approach to publicly admitting fault and apologizing for the controversial “stop and frisk” policy practiced by his police force that a federal judge later ruled in 2013 violated the constitutional rights of racial minorities, though the former mayor had often defended the practice even after he left office.

Previous reports that Bloomberg was launching a $100 million TV ad campaign in several key primary states raised eyebrows as it marks the single biggest ad buy in American campaign history. Fellow 2020 contenders Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren publicly admonished the news.

Bloomberg’s statements that he will not accept donations and will self-fund his campaign stands in stark contrast to most of the crowded Democratic field’s donor-driven funding.

Read more:

Michael Bloomberg is expected to run for president in 2020. Here’s everything we know about the candidate and how he stacks up against the competition.

Michael Bloomberg is reportedly planning to run for president. Here’s how the 8th-richest person in the US and former NYC mayor makes and spends his $52 billion fortune.

Michael Bloomberg’s past comments about women and rape will likely haunt him on the 2020 campaign trail

Michael Bloomberg apologizes for stop-and-frisk policy amid a potential presidential run

Source Article from https://www.businessinsider.com/mike-bloomberg-running-for-president-billionaire-former-nyc-mayor-2019-11

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Schiff says Democrats will press forward despite lack of testimony from key impeachment witnesses – The Washington Post
Schiff says Democrats will press forward despite lack of testimony from key impeachment witnesses – The Washington Post

Several key figures, including acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, Vice President Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former national security adviser John Bolton and Trump attorney Rudolph W. Giuliani, have declined to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry.

Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/schiff-says-democrats-will-press-forward-despite-lack-of-testimony-from-key-impeachment-witnesses/2019/11/24/913ed910-0ec4-11ea-bf62-eadd5d11f559_story.html

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Hong Kong Voters Turn Out For Biggest Election In City’s History – NPR
Hong Kong Voters Turn Out For Biggest Election In City’s History – NPR

Long lines of voters waited to vote in Hong Kong’s district council elections on Sunday.

Emily Feng/NPR


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Long lines of voters waited to vote in Hong Kong’s district council elections on Sunday.

Emily Feng/NPR

Updated at 1:00 p.m. ET

Millions of people turned out to vote in Hong Kong’s district elections on Sunday — a peaceful action nonetheless seen by many as an act of protest.

Normally low-key affairs, elections this year for district councilors — akin to community representatives — have been widely seen as a referendum on popular support for anti-government protests that are now in their sixth month.

Long lines of voters snaked around voting booths in each of Hong Kong’s 18 districts on Sunday as voters rushed to cast their ballots in case booths were closed later on.

The city reported that more than 2.9 million people voted — a turnout rate of more than 71% — exceeding the 2.2 million votes cast in the 2016 legislative elections.

“Since the civil unrest and protest movement began in June, today is the only institution and method to express our discontent to Beijing,” pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong told NPR.

Wong was disqualified from running for a district seat himself after election regulators declared his candidacy in violation of the city’s Basic Law, or constitution, because Wong has previously advocated for Hong Kong’s “self-determination,” a stance Beijing has sought to cast as separatism.

Anti-government protests have roiled the city since June, after furor over an extradition bill that could have sent suspected criminals to mainland China drew millions into the streets in peaceful protest.

Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, later permanently withdrew the bill after three months of steadily more violent protest, an action that demonstrators said was too little, too late. They are now demanding direct elections for the city’s next chief executive and an independent inquiry into police tactics used to suppress demonstrations.

Against this backdrop, the district elections have taken on an outsize significance, and voters have mobilized in unprecedented fashion. Government voter registration statistics show that more than 4.1 million people were registered to vote Sunday in a city of around 7.4 million, the highest level ever recorded. For the first time ever, all 452 elected district councilor seats are being contested as many first-time, pan-democratic, or pro-democracy, candidates run for office.

Hong Kong’s 452 elected councilors normally concern themselves with more mundane tasks, such as overseeing garbage disposal policies and street lighting. They have advisory functions and control over how some of the city’s finances are disbursed locally, but possess no lawmaking abilities.

“They do not listen to our opinions actually. They can do whatever they want, and we cannot monitor them,” said Philip Wong, 40, who was preparing to cast his ballot Sunday morning for first-time candidate Isaac Ho, a founding member of the pan-democratic group Community March.

But this year, Wong says, his vote mattered more: “Whether or not [this election] makes a change, it is a reflection of the Hong Kong people’s voice. We can use the vote to express our discontent and dissatisfaction with the current government and the police brutality.”

And district councilors are not entirely powerless. About a quarter of them, 117, also sit on the 1,200-member council that elects the city’s chief executive. District councilors also are allocated six seats on the city’s 70-person Legislative Council, which sets policy. Pan-democrats are hoping that by electing a majority in the district councils, they may be able to tip Hong Kong’s historically pro-Beijing lawmaking bodies in their favor.

Kelvin Lam, a pan-democratic candidate, is running in lieu of activist Joshua Wong, who was disqualified in October. “We want a more transparent structure for all the meetings,” he says.

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Kelvin Lam, a pan-democratic candidate, is running in lieu of activist Joshua Wong, who was disqualified in October. “We want a more transparent structure for all the meetings,” he says.

Emily Feng/NPR

But Kelvin Lam, a district candidate running in lieu of Joshua Wong, cautioned that the councilors’ first tasks would start with fairly modest goals, such as livestreaming council meetings to the public: “We will start the reform at the fairly low level first. … We want a more transparent structure for all the meetings.”

Only steps away from Lam, supporters of incumbent Judy Chan waved flyers and shook hands with voters. Chan, a protégée of prominent pro-Beijing lawmaker Regina Ip, promised to restore order to a city she said has been shaken by protests.

“For the past six months, a lot of violence has happened in Hong Kong, and many people are not happy,” said Chan, referring to the current anti-government protests. “We feel we even lost our freedom of saying how we think, and I am hoping this election the result will come out good and hopefully it will send a message to everyone as saying that the Hong Kong people will really want a peaceful community all around.”

Judy Chan, the pro-Beijing incumbent from the New People’s Party, is running against Kelvin Lam. She promises to restore order to a city she says has been shaken by protests.

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Judy Chan, the pro-Beijing incumbent from the New People’s Party, is running against Kelvin Lam. She promises to restore order to a city she says has been shaken by protests.

Emily Feng/NPR

The Hong Kong government had repeatedly warned that it might delay the district elections, held every four years, over concerns about violence. But the two days leading up to Sunday’s elections were quiet as protesters dialed back activities so as not to justify a delay.

However, acts of intimidation have overshadowed the elections. Three political parties that lean more pro-Beijing say more than 100 of their district councilors’ offices and facilities were graffitied or broken into in the runup to Sunday. At least four pan-democratic candidates have been physically attacked while campaigning.

Fears over potential meddling from Beijing were also running high Sunday. Residents shared photos on social media of men allegedly from outside Hong Kong who were clustered outside various voting stations, filming voters with mobile phones throughout the day. One such group of men, when approached by this NPR reporter, refused to answer questions, walking in circles before disappearing into a metro station.

But the alleged intimidation did not keep voters away. Voting booths closed at 10:30 p.m. Sunday, and election results are expected to be announced Monday morning.

“This is the first time that many people have been woke up to their responsibility to vote,” said Isabel Long, 23, a first-time voter herself. She vowed to vote in the next elections, regardless of how the protests end.

Source Article from https://www.npr.org/2019/11/24/782396650/hong-kong-voters-turn-out-for-biggest-election-in-citys-history

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The mystery of President Trump’s unannounced hospital visit – CNN
The mystery of President Trump’s unannounced hospital visit – CNN

(CNN)President Donald Trump’s unannounced visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center last weekend spurred speculation about his health from the public, and from doctors. In a statement late Monday night, the White House doctor said that the President underwent “a routine, planned” checkup and attributed “scheduling uncertainties” for keeping the trip off the record.

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        MUST WATCH

CNN’s Nadia Kounang contributed to this report.

Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/24/health/trump-hospital-gupta-analysis/index.html

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Kennedy on whether Ukraine interfered in 2016: ‘I don’t know, nor do you’ | TheHill – The Hill
Kennedy on whether Ukraine interfered in 2016: ‘I don’t know, nor do you’ | TheHill – The Hill

Sen. John KennedyJohn Neely KennedyMORE (R-La.) on Sunday demurred when asked whether he accepted that Russia, rather than Ukraine, hacked the Democratic National Committee’s server in 2016 in the wake of testimony by ex-National Security Council official Fiona Hill, who said blaming Ukraine was the result of a Russian disinformation campaign.

“I don’t know, nor do you, nor do any of us,” Kennedy told Fox News’ Chris WallaceChristopher (Chris) WallaceChris Wallace: Republicans, Democrats were both ‘fed up’ with Gordon Sondland Trump attacks Fox News for interviewing Swalwell Chris Wallace: Sondland testimony ‘took out the bus and ran over’ Trump, top aides MORE when asked whether he accepted that Russia was responsible for the hack.

Reminded by Wallace that the entire intelligence community has attributed the hack to Russia, Kennedy replied, “Right, but it could also be Ukraine. Ms. Hill is entitled to her opinion but no rebuttal evidence was allowed to be offered.”

Kennedy, like numerous Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee, noted that the panel had not invited a former U.S. embassy contractor they believe attempted to coordinate with Ukraine’s government to testify.

In her testimony Friday Hill, an expert on Russia, chided Republicans on the committee for spreading the “fictional narrative” that Ukraine, not Russia, was responsible for interference in the 2016 election.

Asked about testimony that there was an explicit quid pro quo with Ukraine, Kennedy said a quid pro quo was a “red herring” and repeated his claims that such an arrangement would only be corrupt in intent if it was specifically in service of hurting a political rival rather than “someone who happens to be a political rival.”  

Source Article from https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/471825-kennedy-on-whether-ukraine-interfered-in-2016-i-dont-know-nor-do

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New Leak Reveals Orders for China’s Internment Camps – The New York Times
New Leak Reveals Orders for China’s Internment Camps – The New York Times

Officials were told to assign inmates to fixed positions in dormitories, classes, lineups and workshops, and to control every detail of life inside the camps, at every moment of the day, including wake-up, meals, studies and showers.

Detainees must meet “disciplinary demands” or face punishment, the directive added.

“Strengthen the management of the students’ hygiene,” it said. “Ensure that they get timely haircuts and shave, change and wash their clothes. Arrange for them to have baths once or twice a week, so that they develop good habits.”

The demands listed in the directive echoed the accounts of former detainees like Orynbek Koksebek, an ethnic Kazakh man who spent four months in an indoctrination camp in Xinjiang after being detained by the Chinese authorities in December 2017.

“There was military discipline in everything we did, how you walk, stand up straight. If you didn’t, they would slap you,” he said in an interview in the Kazakh city of Almaty earlier this year.

A key disclosure in the leaked directive is an official description of the conditions that detainees must meet to be released from the camps. Aside from achieving a good score in the point system, the document said, inmates must be categorized at the lowest threat level and have served a minimum term of one year — though interviews with former detainees indicate that camps sometimes release people sooner.

The directive also emphasized the importance of showing remorse. Discussions with detainees should “promote the repentance and confession of the students for them to understand deeply the illegal, criminal and dangerous nature of their past behavior,” it said.

A different document, among the set shared with The Times earlier this year, described how family members outside the camps are told that their behavior can also affect when a detainee is released — a implied threat aimed at silencing complaints.

Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/24/world/asia/leak-chinas-internment-camps.html

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Eddie Gallagher accuses Navy officials of trying to revoke SEAL status as retaliation against Trump – Daily Mail
Eddie Gallagher accuses Navy officials of trying to revoke SEAL status as retaliation against Trump – Daily Mail

President Donald Trump will not intervene to stop the Navy review that could see SEAL Eddie Gallagher’s removal from the elite unit after publicly ordering officials to shut down the disciplinary proceeding. 

A senior official said Sunday that the White House had given the green light to proceed with the review as planned on Friday, the day after Trump tweeted that the Navy ‘will NOT be taking away Warfighter and Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher’s Trident Pin’. 

The Navy responded to the president’s tweet by saying that it would be awaiting further guidance, and Navy Secretary Richard Spencer remarked that he did not consider the tweet to be a formal order. 

Spencer and SEAL commander Rear Admiral Collin Green both reportedly threatened to resign if Trump halted the review.  

Trump’s apparent about-face came just as Gallagher, who was demoted in rank after he was convicted in July of a war crime for posing with a corpse, appeared on Fox & Friends Sunday morning and praised the president for his continued support.

‘I don’t know how many times I thank the president. He keeps stepping in and doing the right thing,’ he said.

‘I just want to let him know that the rest of the SEAL community is not about this right now. They all respect the president.’

President Donald Trump will not intervene to stop the Navy review that could result in SEAL Eddie Gallagher’s removal from the elite unit, a White House official said Sunday. Trump (left) had posted a tweet last week ordering officials to shut down the disciplinary proceeding. Navy Secretary Richard Spencer (right) reportedly threatened to resign if Trump halted the review

Trump’s apparent about-face came just as Gallagher, who was demoted in rank after he was convicted in July of a war crime for posing with a corpse, appeared on Fox & Friends Sunday morning and praised the president for his continued support 

Gallagher claimed the move to revoke his SEAL status was ‘retaliation’ for Trump’s public bid to restore his rank the week prior and accused Navy top brass of ‘insubordination’.

‘This is all about ego and retaliation. This has nothing to do with good order and discipline,’ Gallagher told Fox & Friends. 

‘They could have taken my Trident at any time they wanted now trying to take it after president restored my rank.’

The SEAL charged that Navy officers engaged in ‘corruption’ during his case – and revealed that he is armed with additional evidence against top officials. 

‘Just recently we come up more evidence that will be exposing next week that the secretary of the Navy [Spencer] was actually meddling in my case and trying to get organizations not to support me while I was incarcerated,’ Gallagher said. 

‘I just want to retire peacefully with all the honors that I have earned. Get back to my family,’ he added, noting that he hopes to retire by November 30.   

Gallagher, who was demoted to chief after being convicted of a war crime charge in July, said Sunday: ‘I just want to retire peacefully with all the honors that I have earned’

Gallagher was convicted by a military jury in July of illegally posing for pictures with the corpse of an Islamic State fighter while Gallagher was deployed to Iraq in 2017.

The jury acquitted him of murder in the detainee’s death, and he was sentenced to a demotion in rank and pay grade, but not prison time. 

Trump intervened in the case last week, ordering the Navy to restore Gallagher’s rank and pay and clearing the way for him to retire on a full pension.

But Navy brass notified Gallagher this week that a five-member panel of fellow Navy commandos would convene next month to review his case and recommend whether he is fit to remain in the SEALs. 

Gallagher filed a complaint with the inspector general accusing Rear Adm Green – the Naval Special Warfare commander – of insubordination for defying Trump’s actions.

Trump lashed out at the review on Twitter, insisting that the Navy would not be taking away Gallagher’s Trident pin, which designates him a member of the elite force. 

The Navy responded with a statement saying it would follow ‘lawful orders’ from the president to halt the review but was awaiting further guidance, suggesting his Twitter post was not considered a formal directive.

Gallagher was convicted by a military jury in July of illegally posing for pictures with the corpse of an Islamic State fighter while Gallagher was deployed to Iraq in 2017. The jury acquitted him of murder in the detainee’s death, and he was sentenced to a demotion in rank and pay grade, but not prison time. The SEAL is pictured outside court after his acquittal

After the Navy informed Gallagher that his SEAL status would come under review next month, President Trump lashed out at the proceedings, declaring on Twitter Thursday: ‘The Navy will NOT be taking away Warfighter and Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher’s Trident Pin. This case was handled very badly from the beginning. Get back to business!’

Navy Secretary Spencer on Saturday said he believes the proceedings against Gallagher should continue so a board of his peers can weigh whether to oust him from the elite force.  

‘I believe the process matters for good order and discipline,’ Spencer told reporters on the sidelines of the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada. 

He also indicated that Trump’s Twitter statements were not enough to halt the review. 

‘I need a formal order to act,’ Spencer said. ‘I don’t interpret [tweets] as a formal order.’

However, he said if the president requests the process to stop, the process stops.

‘Good order and discipline is also obeying the orders of the President of the United States,’ he said.

‘The president the United States is the commander in chief. He’s involved in every aspect of government and he can make decisions and give orders as appropriate.’ 

Defense Secretary Mark T Esper and General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have reportedly been lobbying Trump to stay out of the case in the hope of keeping Spencer and Green also in their positions.

Despite the differing views with the president over the appropriate handling of the case, Spencer said he has not threatened to resign over the issue, contradicting what administration officials had previously told the New York Times. 

Navy Secretary Richard Spencer (left) and SEAL commander Rear Admiral Collin Green (right) threatened to resign if Trump halts Gallagher’s removal from the elite unit

While Gallagher was awaiting trial this past March, Trump phoned Spencer at 4am and demanded that the Navy release Gallagher from the brig, which is the military term for a prison that is usually on board a vessel.

‘Get him out!’ the president ordered Spencer – who was stunned by Trump’s intervention in the case, according to The Washington Post.

‘Do you want me to give you a direct order? Get him out!’ Trump told Spencer.

Having little choice but to comply with an order from the commander-in-chief, Spencer ordered his charges to place Gallagher into a more convenient detention facility.

Spencer, a former Marine who went on to a successful career as a Wall Street banker, was appointed by Trump to be Navy secretary in 2017.

An hour after Trump hung up the phone, he tweeted: ‘In honor of his past service to our Country, Navy Seal #EddieGallagher will soon be moved to less restrictive confinement while he awaits his day in court.’  

The Post reported that Trump was planning to offer Gallagher a pretrial pardon, but Spencer talked him out of it.  

In July, after the military jury returned its verdict acquitting Gallagher of the more serious crime of killing a wounded ISIS fighter, Trump tweeted: ‘Congratulations to Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher, his wonderful wife Andrea, and his entire family.

‘You have been through much together. Glad I could help!’

After Gallagher was demoted to chief, Trump told Spencer to restore the old rank.

Spencer asked Trump to send a formal order. After the order was sent, Spencer complied, and Gallagher’s rank was restored to E-7.

Gallagher filed a complaint with the inspector general accusing Rear Adm Green – the Naval Special Warfare commander – of insubordination for defying Trump’s actions 

That ranking is now up for debate as a five-person board prepares to convene on December 2 behind closed doors. The board will include one SEAL officer and four senior enlisted SEALs, according to the two US officials. 

Gallagher can appear once before the board on December 4 but without his lawyers. He can dispute the evidence given to the board that will include his conviction and call witnesses.

The officer can appeal any final decision that will be made by the Naval Personnel Board, which will take into account Green’s input and the board’s recommendations.

Trump’s initial order in the Gallagher case only referred to restoring his rank, but it did not explicitly pardon the SEAL for any wrongdoing.

Green also notified three SEAL officers who oversaw Gallagher during the deployment – Lt Cmdr Robert Breisch, Lt Jacob Portier and Lt Thomas MacNeil – that they are also being reviewed, according to the officials.

Removing their Trident pins means they will no longer be SEALs but could remain in the Navy.

The Navy has revoked 154 Trident pins since 2011. 

 

Source Article from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7720027/Eddie-Gallagher-accuses-Navy-officials-trying-revoke-SEAL-status-retaliation-against-Trump.html

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Navy chief says he would follow Trump’s instructions on Navy SEAL – The Washington Post
Navy chief says he would follow Trump’s instructions on Navy SEAL – The Washington Post

In May, one of the SEALs implicated in the Mali case, Chief Petty Officer Adam Matthews, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit assault, unlawful entry, obstruction of justice and violating a general order by committing hazing and was sentenced to a year in prison.

Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/navy-chief-says-he-would-follow-trumps-instructions-on-navy-seal/2019/11/23/0c18c66c-0e31-11ea-97ac-a7ccc8dd1ebc_story.html

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School District Doctor Fired for Barring Girl From Wrestling Team – The Daily Beast
School District Doctor Fired for Barring Girl From Wrestling Team – The Daily Beast
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Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospitalized for "chills and fever" – CBS News
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospitalized for "chills and fever" – CBS News

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was hospitalized on Friday after experiencing “chills and fever” earlier in the day. The 86-year-old justice received treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

Ginsburg was initially brought to Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C., on Friday, but was then transferred to Johns Hopkins for further evaluation and treatment for a possible infection, the Supreme Court of the United States’ public information office said in a statement on Saturday. 

“With intravenous antibiotics and fluids, her symptoms abated and she expects to be released from the hospital as early as Sunday morning,” the statement continued.

Recently, Ginsburg missed arguments on November 13 with what the court called a stomach bug. She returned on November 18 for the court’s next public meeting.

Ginsburg has been treated for cancer twice in the past year. In August, she underwent a three-week course of radiation for a tumor on her pancreas. The tumor was treated “definitively,” according to the public information office, and there was no sign the disease had spread.

Last December, she underwent surgery for lung cancer. 

“Post-surgery evaluation indicates no evidence of remaining disease, and no further treatment is required,” a spokesperson for the supreme court said a few weeks later.

Source Article from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ruth-bader-ginsburg-supreme-court-justice-hospitalized-for-chills-and-fever-2019-11-23/

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We ‘shouldn’t have to give our lives:’ Hong Kong protester shot by police speaks out – CNN
We ‘shouldn’t have to give our lives:’ Hong Kong protester shot by police speaks out – CNN

(CNN)The 21-year-old unarmed protester who was shot and critically injured by a police officer in Hong Kong has spoken out for the first time since the incident, describing democracy as a basic human right — and not something people should have to die for.

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    CNN’s James Griffiths, Isaac Yee and Kenneth Leung contributed to this report.

    Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/23/asia/hong-kong-protester-shot-intv-intl-hnk/index.html

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    US wants China trade deal but won’t turn blind eye to Hong Kong, Trump national security advisor says – CNBC
    US wants China trade deal but won’t turn blind eye to Hong Kong, Trump national security advisor says – CNBC

    U.S. national security adviser Robert O’Brien said Saturday that the so-called phase one trade deal with China could happen by the end of the year, and emphasized that President Trump would not ignore protests underway in Hong Kong. 

    “We were hoping to have (a phase 1) deal done by the end of the year. I still think that’s possible,” O’Brien told reporters at a security conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia. 

    “At the same time, we’re not going to turn a blind eye to what’s happening in Hong Kong or what’s happening in the South China Sea, or other areas of the world where we’re concerned about China’s activity,” he said.

    Hong Kong has been crippled by widespread anti-government demonstrations since June. The city is now preparing for local elections on Sunday following several weeks of the most violent clashes between protesters and police yet. 

    Both chambers of Congress recently passed a pro-Hong Kong rights bill amid crackdowns on the protests. China’s foreign ministry strongly condemned the passage of the bill, which comes as Trump pushes for a China trade victory to promote during his 2020 re-election bid.

    Trump said on Friday that the long-negotiated trade deal is potentially very close, despite reports that an agreement may not be reached until next year. 

    The president has refused to commit to signing the legislation in support of the pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, saying that he supported demonstrators but that China President Xi Jinping was his friend. 

    “I stand with Hong Kong,” he said during an interview on “Fox & Friends.” “I stand with freedom. I stand with all of the things we want to do. But we’re also in the process of making the largest trade deal in history.”

    Even if Trump doesn’t sign the human rights bill, it will still likely pass into law. 

    Trump also said that he isn’t “anxious” to complete the deal and claimed that the U.S. is benefiting from the tariffs placed on Chinese imports. The next round of U.S. tariffs on Chinese products is set for Dec. 15. 

    Source Article from https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/23/us-wants-china-trade-deal-but-wont-turn-blind-eye-to-hong-kong-trump-national-security-advisor-says.html

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    Bloomberg vows not to take campaign donations, presidential salary | TheHill – The Hill
    Bloomberg vows not to take campaign donations, presidential salary | TheHill – The Hill

    An adviser to Michael BloombergMichael Rubens BloombergBloomberg vows not to take campaign donations, presidential salary Biden on Bloomberg entering 2020 race: ‘I welcome the competition’ Sanders says he’s ‘disgusted’ by Bloomberg’s million ad buy MORE said the former New York City mayor won’t accept political donations or a presidential salary.  

    “He has never taken a political contribution in his life. He is not about to start,” Bloomberg chief adviser Howard Wolfson told The Associated Press. “He cannot be bought.”

    Wolfson’s comment comes as Bloomberg, a billionaire, appears poised to join the crowded 2020 Democratic presidential field. 

    While current candidates have expressed that the primary race does not need one of the world’s richest people, Wolfson stressed that Bloomberg’s money makes him independent. 

    He told the AP that Bloomberg “is wholly independent of special interests, will not take a dime in any contribution, and never has in any of his three races.”

    Wolfson added that Bloomberg is willing to spend “whatever it takes to defeat Donald TrumpDonald John TrumpJane Fonda says she feels ‘sad’ for Trump Bloomberg vows not to take campaign donations, presidential salary Biden reveals four women he could pick as his running mate MORE.” 

    Bloomberg would face an uphill battle if he runs for the Democratic nomination, since other candidates have been campaigning for months. Even though he has not officially announced his candidacy, he has purchased a $31.5 million ad blitz across several states. 

    The former mayor is worth more than $54 billion according to Forbes.

    News of Bloomberg’s possible 2020 bid sparked strong criticism from other candidates, especially those who are on the progressive end of the democratic spectrum. Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersBloomberg vows not to take campaign donations, presidential salary Harris: ‘I am not a socialist’ Nurses across the US just endorsed Bernie Sanders — here’s why MORE‘s campaign manager said in a statement at the time that, “More billionaires seeking more political power surely isn’t the change America needs.” 

    Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth Ann WarrenBloomberg vows not to take campaign donations, presidential salary Georgia congresswoman shares letter to son on the anniversary of his death Harris: ‘I am not a socialist’ MORE (D-Mass.) welcomed Bloomberg to the race by referring him to her “Calculator for Billionaires” to show how much he’d pay under her tax plan. 

     

    Source Article from https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/471813-bloomberg-vows-not-to-take-campaign-donations-presidential-salary

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    Military leaders raised concerns with White House after Trump tweet on SEAL case, administration official says – CNN
    Military leaders raised concerns with White House after Trump tweet on SEAL case, administration official says – CNN

    Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what’s happening in the world as it unfolds.

    Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/23/politics/edward-gallagher-navy-trump-disciplinary-action/index.html

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    Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospitalized – The New York Times
    Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospitalized – The New York Times

    Justice Ginsburg was born in Brooklyn in 1933, graduated from Cornell in 1954 and began law school at Harvard. After moving to New York with her husband, she transferred to Columbia, where she earned her law degree.

    She taught at Columbia and Rutgers and was a leading courtroom advocate of women’s rights before joining the court. As director of the Women’s Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union in the 1970s, she brought a series of cases before the court that helped establish constitutional protections against sex discrimination.

    Her litigation strategy invited comparison to that of Justice Marshall, who was the architect of the civil rights movement’s incremental legal attack on racial discrimination before he joined the court.

    During the Obama administration, some liberals urged Justice Ginsburg to step down so that President Barack Obama could name her successor. She rejected the advice.

    “I think it’s going to be another Democratic president,” Justice Ginsburg told The Washington Post in 2013. “The Democrats do fine in presidential elections; their problem is they can’t get out the vote in the midterm elections.”

    President Trump, whose election proved her wrong, has been critical of Justice Ginsburg, saying in 2016 that “her mind is shot” and suggesting that she resign. His sharp words came after Justice Ginsburg criticized Mr. Trump in a series of interviews. She later said she had made a mistake in publicly commenting on a candidate and promised to be more “circumspect” in the future.

    Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/23/us/justice-ruth-bader-ginsburg-hospitalized.html

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    Records Show Giuliani Aide Emailed White House To Help Set Up Call With Pompeo – NPR
    Records Show Giuliani Aide Emailed White House To Help Set Up Call With Pompeo – NPR

    New documents show Secretary of State State Mike Pompeo had contact with President Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani weeks before the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine was recalled.

    Markus Schreiber/AP


    hide caption

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    Markus Schreiber/AP

    New documents show Secretary of State State Mike Pompeo had contact with President Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani weeks before the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine was recalled.

    Markus Schreiber/AP

    About 100 pages of newly released State Department documents show Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and President Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani had at least two phone conversations in the weeks before a U.S. ambassador in Ukraine was removed from her post.

    Additionally, the files show a White House aide played a role in connecting Giuliani’s team with officials at the State Department so that Giuliani could get on Pompeo’s official call schedule in late March.

    The conversations between Pompeo and Giuliani took place around the time Giuliani and two of his associates were working to push U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch from office. She was recalled from her post in Kyiv in May.

    These events are central to the impeachment inquiry being led by House Democrats against President Trump. It also pulls Pompeo, who has sought to distance himself from the Ukraine affair, closer to the center of the crusade to oust Yovanovitch.

    The documents were released late Friday by the group American Oversight, which bills itself as a nonpartisan ethics watchdog group. The documents were obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by the organization.

    Austin Evers, the executive director of American Oversight, promises more documents will be released in the future, adding the documents are evidence of “a clear paper trail.”

    “It reveals a clear paper trail from Rudy Giuliani to the Oval Office to Secretary Pompeo to facilitate Giuliani’s smear campaign against a U.S. ambassador,” Evers said in a statement.

    The State Department has not responded to requests for comment.

    What is in the documents?

    The documents show Pompeo and Giuliani spoke twice in late March but do not reveal what was discussed.

    The timing of the calls — and how they were arranged — appears to underscore testimony during this week’s impeachment inquiry from U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, who testified that everyone “was in the loop” when it came to the Trump administration and the Ukraine affair.

    The documents show that on March 27, Jo Ann Zafonte, an assistant to Giuliani, reached out to a White House aide for help arranging a call between Pompeo and Giuliani.

    “Hate to bother you but might you be able to send me a good number,” Zafonte writes, looking for the way to connect the two men. “I’ve been trying and getting nowhere through regular channels.”

    Zafonte’s email was sent to Madeleine Westerhout, a former personal assistant to the president, who at the time was a key gatekeeper to the Oval Office.

    Westerhout forwarded Zafonte’s email to the State Department asking “What number can I give her for S?” S is a shorthand for the Secretary of State.

    By the next day, Giuliani was on Pompeo’s schedule, slated for a call on March 29.

    Another document, dated March 28,has a subject line “S requested to speak with Mr. Giuliani.” The unnamed emailer writes: “please advise if there will be any monitors.”

    Documents dated March 29 show the call between Pompeo lasted approximately four minutes. Another document shows that Pompeo and Giuliani had a call three days earlier on March 26.

    Rudy Giuliani, a personal attorney for President Trump, spoke to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo twice in March, according to documents obtained by the watchdog ethics group American Oversight.

    Andrew Harnik/AP


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    Andrew Harnik/AP

    Rudy Giuliani, a personal attorney for President Trump, spoke to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo twice in March, according to documents obtained by the watchdog ethics group American Oversight.

    Andrew Harnik/AP

    Giuliani responds to document release

    Giuliani defended the calls with Pompeo, telling The Wall Street Journal on Saturday he reached out so that he could voice his reservations about Yovanovitch. Giuliani has claimed that Yovanovitch was openly critical of the president and was not doing enough to root out corruption in Ukraine.

    The paper also notes that according to Giuliani, Pompeo asked him if he had written documents. The Journal writes:

    ” ‘God almighty I have a lot of stuff in writing,’ Mr. Giuliani said he responded. When Mr. Pompeo urged him not to ‘flood’ him with information, Mr. Giuliani said he decided to send over a nine-page document, dated March 28, that included allegations of impropriety against Ms. Yovanovitch, including that she was ‘very close’ to Joe Biden, the former vice president.”

    Yovanovitch told lawmakers leading the House impeachment inquiry that she did not “understand Giuliani’s motives for attacking” her. In her testimony earlier this month, Yovanovitch said she felt “kneecapped” for political reasons.

    “Shady interests the world over have learned how little it takes to remove an American ambassador who does not give them what they want,” Yovanovitch said.

    She added that in late April, she was told to be “on the next plane” from Ukraine back to Washington by a top State Department official. She told lawmakers she was informed “the President no longer wished me to serve as Ambassador to Ukraine.”

    Yovanovitch said she was never given a reason but was told she “had done nothing wrong.”

    President Trump sought to have Ukraine launch an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. Hunter served on the board of a Ukrainian energy company Burisma while his father worked on Ukraine policy during the Obama administration.

    Trump and his allies have raised questions about Hunter Biden’s payments from Burisma, alleging corruption may have taken place, though no wrongdoing has ever been proven.

    Source Article from https://www.npr.org/2019/11/23/782311262/state-department-files-show-giuliani-pompeo-contact-before-ukraine-ambassadors-e

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    Giuliani Once Again Says He Has “Insurance” if Trump Throws Him “Under the Bus” – Slate
    Giuliani Once Again Says He Has “Insurance” if Trump Throws Him “Under the Bus” – Slate

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    Source Article from https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/11/giuliani-says-has-insurance-trump-throws-under-bus.html

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    Bloomberg vows to refuse donations and presidential salary – CNBC
    Bloomberg vows to refuse donations and presidential salary – CNBC

    Michael Bloomberg will not accept political donations if he runs for president and he will not take a salary if he wins, according to senior aides who offered new details on Saturday about the New York billionaire’s plans to navigate his wealth as he marches toward a formal 2020 announcement.

    “He has never taken a political contribution in his life. He is not about to start,” Bloomberg chief adviser Howard Wolfson said in an interview. “He cannot be bought.”

    One of the richest men in the world, Bloomberg is sending every indication he has decided to enter the crowded Democratic presidential primary election. In recent days, he has created a presidential campaign committee with the Federal Election Commission and qualified for the primary ballot in at least three states. Bloomberg’s team has reserved more than $30 million in television ads set to begin running Sunday in several primary states.

    The moves, just 10 weeks before primary voting begins in Iowa, reflects his concern that the current Democratic field is not well-positioned to defeat President Donald Trump next fall.

    Bloomberg’s wealth has already emerged as a central issue as the political world awaits his formal announcement. He is estimated to be one of the 10 richest people in the world.

    His Democratic rivals pounced on news of Bloomberg’s massive television ad buy, in addition to his decision to bypass the first four states on the presidential primary calendar — Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina — in favor of focusing on the many states that hold primary contests in March.

    “I’m disgusted by the idea that Michael Bloomberg or any billionaire thinks they can circumvent the political process and spend tens of millions of dollars to buy elections,” Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders, a Vermont senator, wrote Friday on Twitter. “If you can’t build grassroots support for your candidacy, you have no business running for president.”

    Another Democratic candidate, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, swiped at Bloomberg as she campaigned over the weekend in New Hampshire.

    “He didn’t want to deal with all of this grassroots campaigning from the beginning, you know that’s on him. I think this is important,” Klobuchar said. She added, “I think that you want to have a candidate for president who’s willing to go out, day after day, and talk to regular people like this.”

    Bloomberg’s team insists that his wealth allows him to be more responsive to the concerns of everyday people because he isn’t beholden to special interests. Wolfson said Bloomberg would work for only $1 a year as president, just as he did when he was New York City mayor for more than a decade.

    Bloomberg’s message on money is much the same one employed by Trump in his 2016 campaign, although Trump ultimately accepted millions of dollars in donations. Trump donates his salary each quarter to different departments of the federal government.

    Bloomberg “is wholly independent of special interests, will not take a dime in any contribution, and never has in any of his three races,” Wolfson said.

    The decision to refuse contributions would make it impossible for Bloomberg to participate any sanctioned Democratic debates should he run. The rules of entry, as set by the Democratic National Committee, currently require participants to meet a polling threshold and raise donations from tens of thousands of voters.

    Any money Bloomberg raises and spends on his presidential ambitions will come from one place: His own pocket.

    How much is he willing to spend?

    “Whatever it takes to defeat Donald Trump,” Wolfson said.

    Source Article from https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/23/bloomberg-vows-to-refuse-donations-and-presidential-salary.html

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    Giuliani defends ‘insurance’ comment, saying he has a safe full of evidence on Bidens | TheHill – The Hill
    Giuliani defends ‘insurance’ comment, saying he has a safe full of evidence on Bidens | TheHill – The Hill

    Rudy GiulianiRudy GiulianiGiuliani associate willing to inform Congress of meeting between Nunes and former Ukrainian official: report Democrats set to open new chapter in impeachment Igor Fruman says he made 0,000 in political donations to ‘jump-start his business’ MORE, President TrumpDonald John TrumpApple CEO Tim Cook promises to fight for DACA, user privacy DOJ urges Supreme Court to side with Trump in ongoing legal battle over tax returns Giuliani associate willing to inform Congress of meeting between Nunes and former Ukrainian official: report MORE‘s personal lawyer, elaborated on his “insurance policy” Saturday, tweeting that he has files in his safe “about the Biden Family’s 4 decade monetizing of his office.”

    “TRUTH ALERT: The statement I’ve made several times of having an insurance policy, if thrown under bus, is sarcastic & relates to the files in my safe about the Biden Family’s 4 decade monetizing of his office,” Giuliani tweeted.

    “If I disappear, it will appear immediately along with my RICO chart,” he added.

    Earlier in the day, the former New York mayor appeared on Fox News, where he said that he has “insurance” in case Trump decides to throw him under the bus.

    “I’ve seen things written like he’s going to throw me under the bus. When they say that, I say he isn’t, but I have insurance,” Giuliani told Fox News’s Ed Henry.

    Source Article from https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/471801-giuliani-defends-insurance-comment-saying-he-has-a-safe-full-of

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    Andrew Yang Demands MSNBC “Apologize On-Air” For Treatment At Democratic Debate – Deadline
    Andrew Yang Demands MSNBC “Apologize On-Air” For Treatment At Democratic Debate – Deadline

    Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang said Saturday he refuses to appear on MSNBC, unless the cable news network issues an apology for leaving him off several on-air graphics, and only giving him a “fraction” of speaking time as other candidates at Wednesday’s debate.

    Yang took to Twitter Saturday to tell supporters he had declined an invitation for an interview on the network.

    “Was asked to appear on MSNBC this weekend – and told them that I’d be happy to after they apologize on-air, discuss and include our campaign consistent with our polling, and allow surrogates from our campaign as they do other candidates,” he tweeted. “They think we need them. We don’t.”

    In a subsequent tweet, the businessman cited examples as to why he’s unhappy with MSNBC.

    “They’ve omitted me from their graphics 12+ times, called me John Yang on air, and given me a fraction of the speaking time over 2 debates despite my polling higher than other candidates on stage. At some point you have to call it,” he tweeted.

    Yang and his followers criticized MSNBC after Wednesday night’s debate in Atlanta, saying he had been given less speaking time in comparison to other candidates.

    According to a New York Times analysis, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Mayor Pete Buttigieg, of South Bend, Ind., had the most speaking time. The report said Yang spoke for 6 minutes, 48 seconds — the least of the candidates on stage. In contrast, Warren spoke for 13 minutes, 29 seconds; and Buttigieg clocked in at 12 minutes, 56 seconds.

    MSNBC declined comment on Yang’s tweets.

    Source Article from https://deadline.com/2019/11/andrew-yang-refuses-to-appear-on-msnbc-1202793929/

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    Official says Defense chief and Joint Chiefs Chairman raised concerns with White House on Gallagher case – CNN
    Official says Defense chief and Joint Chiefs Chairman raised concerns with White House on Gallagher case – CNN

    Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what’s happening in the world as it unfolds.

    Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/23/politics/edward-gallagher-navy-trump-disciplinary-action/index.html

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