| Virus death toll surges as China changes way it counts cases Posted: 12 Feb 2020 05:31 PM PST  The number of deaths and new cases from China's coronavirus outbreak spiked dramatically on Thursday after authorities changed the way they count infections in a move that will likely fuel speculation that the severity of the outbreak has been under-reported. The hard-hit central province of Hubei reported 242 deaths in just one day and 14,840 new patients -- by far its biggest one-day tally since the crisis erupted last month. The jump raised the death toll to 1,355 and the total number of nationwide infections to nearly 60,000 -- just hours after President Xi Jinping touted "positive results" from the government's drastic measures to contain the virus and a top Chinese expert predicted the epidemic would peak this month.
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| Bipartisan group of senators to meet Ukrainian president this week Posted: 12 Feb 2020 05:11 PM PST  Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) announced on Wednesday they are heading to Kyiv for a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky."The U.S.-Ukraine relationship is as important now as ever," the senators said in a statement. "The future of Ukraine matters to the United States and we must make sure Ukraine knows that we view them as a strategic ally." The meeting is scheduled for Friday.Zelensky became a household name in the United States last year during President Trump's impeachment inquiry. During a July 25 phone call, Trump asked Zelensky to launch investigations into a political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden. This conversation triggered the impeachment probe, which also focused on Trump's decision to freeze nearly $400 million in approved military aid to Ukraine. Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives in December, and acquitted by the Senate last week.This won't be Johnson and Murphy's first time interacting with Zelensky. On Sept. 5, the senators met with Zelensky in Kyiv, when the military aid was still frozen. On Sept. 10, Murphy said Ukrainian officials brought up the aid during every meeting, and they did not know why it was being held up.More stories from theweek.com How the Army could end Vindman's career without an investigation 8 Republicans join Democrats in vote to limit Trump's military powers in Iran Trump reportedly spent important policy meetings grilling Reince Priebus about badgers
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| Iowa Democratic Party chairman resigns after caucus chaos Posted: 12 Feb 2020 04:06 PM PST  The chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party announced his resignation Wednesday after a disastrous caucus process beset by technical glitches led to a dayslong delay in reporting the results, inconsistencies in the numbers and no clear winner. The embarrassing episode also threatened Iowa's cherished status as the first voting contest of the presidential primary season and led both front-runners to request a partial recanvass of the results. Price said his departure would occur as soon as the state party elects a replacement, and he called an emergency Saturday meeting to do so.
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| With impeachment over, critics see Trump 'retribution tour' Posted: 12 Feb 2020 04:00 PM PST  In the week since his acquittal on impeachment charges, a fully emboldened President Donald Trump is demonstrating his determination to assert an iron grip on government, pushing his Justice Department to ease up on a longtime friend while using the levers of presidential powers to exact payback on real and perceived foes. Trump has told confidants in recent days that he felt both vindicated and strengthened by his acquittal in the Senate, believing Republicans have rallied around him in unprecedented fashion while voters were turned off by the political process, according to four White House officials and Republicans close to the West Wing who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about private conversations. Since then, Trump and his aides have moved with haste to clear his administration of those he sees as insufficiently loyal, reaching all the way back to the time of former special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
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| Iowa Democratic Party chairman resigns following caucus debacle Posted: 12 Feb 2020 03:51 PM PST  Iowa Democratic Party Chair Troy Price announced his resignation on Wednesday, more than a week after the disastrous Iowa caucuses.In a letter to the Iowa Democratic Party State Central Committee, Price said serving as chair "has been one of the greatest honors of my life," but he believes "it's time for the Iowa Democratic Party to begin looking forward, and my presence in my current role makes that more difficult."The caucuses were held on Feb. 3, but the state party didn't release the results until Feb. 6, blaming the delay on a smartphone app used to submit numbers. Price said there is "no doubt that the process of reporting results did not work," and that was "simply unacceptable." Price apologized, adding that he is "deeply sorry for what happened and bear the responsibility for any failures on behalf of the Iowa Democratic Party."However, "the IDP is not the only party to blame for what happened last week," Price said. "We worked collaboratively with our partners, our vendors, and the [Democratic National Committee] in this process, and I am confident the review will be able to determine exactly what went wrong, what went right, and how we can avoid this from ever happening again."More stories from theweek.com How the Army could end Vindman's career without an investigation 8 Republicans join Democrats in vote to limit Trump's military powers in Iran Trump reportedly spent important policy meetings grilling Reince Priebus about badgers
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| Some Democrats fear fallout from Sanders atop the ticket Posted: 12 Feb 2020 03:51 PM PST  The resurgence of Sen. Bernie Sanders in the presidential nominating process is triggering alarm in the Democratic Party, with many warning that a ticket headed by the self-declared socialist could be devastating to the party's chances of winning the Senate and holding the House in November. In anxious huddles, apprehensive Democrats are sharing their worries that Sanders' socialist label and unyielding embrace of controversial proposals like "Medicare for All" and the Green New Deal will repel voters in the affluent, moderate districts that flipped control of the House in 2018 and in closely divided states where Republican senators are vulnerable. McAdams, who is supporting former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and whose Salt Lake City district will be among the toughest for Democrats to defend, said having a liberal like Sanders atop his party's ticket "would probably give me more opportunities to show my independence" from the party.
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| UN council endorses 55-point road map to end war in Libya Posted: 12 Feb 2020 03:14 PM PST |
| The Education Department says universities haven't disclosed more than $6.5 billion in foreign funding — and they're reportedly going after Harvard and Yale Posted: 12 Feb 2020 03:06 PM PST  Officials are seeking information about funding from Saudi Arabia, China, Russia, Qatar, and Iran, claiming national security concerns.
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| After Iowa, NH, Democrats seek path through diverse states Posted: 12 Feb 2020 02:53 PM PST  Democratic presidential candidates plotted their paths Wednesday into state primaries now expanding to include voters of color, while the party's establishment braced for a long and increasingly uncertain nomination fight ahead. Sen. Bernie Sanders' win in the New Hampshire primary set off a new round of strategizing among moderate party stalwarts searching for a way to knock the Vermont independent off course. Former Vice President Joe Biden made a personal appeal to donors nervous about his dismal showing in the first two contests, while Sen. Amy Klobuchar hustled to take advantage of a burst of momentum and money.
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| How the Army could end Vindman's career without an investigation Posted: 12 Feb 2020 02:27 PM PST  The Army is not investigating Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman for testifying during the House impeachment inquiry despite President Trump's wishes. But an anonymous retired senior Army officer told The Daily Beast that doesn't necessarily meant the coast is clear for the Purple Heart recipient.For starters, the Army could always change its mind and wind up launching an investigation into whether his testimony was appropriate. But there's also a chance his career may hit a wall. If Vindman is denied a promotion to colonel by the next Army promotions board, that means his service is up, per The Daily Beast. The retired officer said bias can easily "creep into" those discussions, and it could just take one person who has "an issue with his testimony to tank his promotion possibility."And even though his position is safe at the moment, no one in a position of leadership in the Army has spoken up on Vindman's behalf, either, which the officer finds troubling. "It smacks of craven careerism that has permeated the ranks of our senior corps officers," he told The Daily Beast. "It's definitely dishonorable when public accountability and public ethics are so in question that those people whose careers are built on alleged public ethics and accountability are not present." Read more at The Daily Beast.More stories from theweek.com 8 Republicans join Democrats in vote to limit Trump's military powers in Iran Trump reportedly spent important policy meetings grilling Reince Priebus about badgers Brokered convention gets close 2nd place in FiveThirtyEight's Democratic nomination forecast
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| Smollett case reopens arguments about race, class in Chicago Posted: 12 Feb 2020 02:23 PM PST  When a grand jury revived the criminal case against Jussie Smollett, the indictment for many people called to mind two nights on two different streets in the same big city. On one Chicago street was a wealthy, famous black man who claimed he was a victim of a racist, anti-gay attack. A day after Smollett was charged for a second time with staging the attack, the two cases reopened divisive arguments about the role of race and class in the justice system and what fairness looks like.
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| After impeachment: Congress adrift, oversight uncertain Posted: 12 Feb 2020 02:23 PM PST  Inside the Capitol, it's as if the impeachment of President Donald Trump never happened. One week after the historic undertaking shuttered to a close, Congress is feverishly back at work emboldened but also arguably diminished by the outcome. Senate Republicans are flexing their new status as Trump's unshakable allies, hitching their election pursuits to his and looking the other away as the president seems to dole out favoritism for friends and payback for critics with apparent impunity.
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| Sanders in talks with DNC to headline big-dollar fundraiser Posted: 12 Feb 2020 02:20 PM PST  Bernie Sanders is in talks with the Democratic National Committee to headline the first of two party fundraisers, where he will likely appear before the same big-dollar donors that he has repeatedly railed against on the campaign trail. A DNC official confirmed the conversations on Wednesday. While establishment leaders have raised alarms about Sanders' far-left candidacy in recent weeks, the strong finishes in the two opening contests of the 2020 primary season all but ensure he will be a force in party politics at least through the national convention in July.
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| US Senate debates restricting Trump's Iran war powers Posted: 12 Feb 2020 02:19 PM PST  The US Senate opened debate Wednesday on a resolution to limit President Donald Trump's authority to go to war with Iran, with passage likely after eight Republicans sided with Democrats to advance the bill. A vote on the war powers resolution could take place as early as Thursday, amid concerns that Trump could embark on open military conflict with Tehran without consulting Congress. Passage could embarrass the president, who has been able to count on the Republicans' solid majority in the Senate to block legislation he disagrees with.
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| Trump reportedly spent important policy meetings grilling Reince Priebus about badgers Posted: 12 Feb 2020 02:02 PM PST  President Trump reportedly took badgering to a new — and very literal — level when working with Reince Priebus.Before his brief tenure as Trump's chief of staff, Priebus grew up in Wisconsin, went to college there, and eventually became the chair of its Republican party. Trump apparently found Priebus' badger background especially interesting, and he often spent meetings questioning Priebus about Wisconsin's official animal, The Daily Beast's Lachlan Markay and Asawin Suebsaeng report in their forthcoming book Sinking in the Swamp.Trump was apparently reminded early in Priebus' tenure that "the short-legged omnivore was practically synonymous with the Badger State," and then would "make a point of bringing it up at seemingly random occasions," Markay and Suebsaeng write in an excerpt of the book published by Business Insider. Trump also reportedly asked Priebus "Are they mean to people? Or are they friendly creatures?" on at least two occasions, inquired if Priebus had any pictures of badgers, and then asked if Priebus could explain just how badgers "work."This apparently happened during several policy meetings, and all the while Priebus could be seen "trying to gently veer the conversation back to whether we were going to do a troop surge in Afghanistan or strip millions of Americans of health-care coverage," Sinking in the Swamp continues. Read the whole excerpt at Business Insider.More stories from theweek.com How the Army could end Vindman's career without an investigation 8 Republicans join Democrats in vote to limit Trump's military powers in Iran Brokered convention gets close 2nd place in FiveThirtyEight's Democratic nomination forecast
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| Barr agrees to testify as Democrats question his leadership Posted: 12 Feb 2020 01:45 PM PST  Attorney General William Barr has agreed to testify before the House Judiciary Committee next month, appearing for the first time before the panel as questions swirl about whether he intervened in the case of a longtime ally of President Donald Trump. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., released a letter Wednesday to Barr "to confirm your agreement to testify" on March 31. In the letter, Nadler and committee Democrats write that they have concerns that Barr has misused the criminal justice system for political purposes.
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| Trump shrugged off the Philippines' decision to scrap a defense pact with U.S. Posted: 12 Feb 2020 01:39 PM PST  Defense Secretary Mark Esper is a little concerned about the Philippines' decision to scrap a defense pact with the United States, but his boss thinks it's no big deal.The Visiting Forces Agreement was signed in 1998, allowing U.S. troops, ships, and aircraft to visit the Philippines and train soldiers, conduct joint exercises, and assist with counterterrorism efforts. But Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte has been pivoting away from the U.S. and toward China since he took office, so it's no surprise Esper isn't thrilled. The Pentagon chief said he thinks the Philippines is moving "in the wrong direction."As for President Trump? He doesn't seem too bothered. When asked about the decision Wednesday, Trump said he really doesn't mind, not least of all because it will likely save the U.S. money down the road. The president acknowledged his view likely differs from other officials, but he affirmed he has a good relationship with Duterte (who has drawn international criticism for some authoritarian measures) and added that the U.S. already helped defeat the Islamic State's presence in the country.More stories from theweek.com How the Army could end Vindman's career without an investigation 8 Republicans join Democrats in vote to limit Trump's military powers in Iran Trump reportedly spent important policy meetings grilling Reince Priebus about badgers
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| Editorial Roundup: US Posted: 12 Feb 2020 01:38 PM PST |
| Palestinians protest Trump plan at UN, but has world moved on? Posted: 12 Feb 2020 01:33 PM PST |
| Barr sets March 31 congressional testimony amid Roger Stone controversy Posted: 12 Feb 2020 01:05 PM PST  Attorney General William Barr is headed back to Congress. Barr is set to testify before the House Judiciary Committee next month, the committee announced Wednesday. In a letter, Democratic members of the committee say they plan to discuss concerns about "the misuse of our criminal justice system for political purposes."This comes a day after all four prosecutors involved in the Roger Stone case quit when the Department of Justice backed off its sentencing recommendation of seven to nine years for the longtime Trump adviser. On Wednesday, Trump congratulated Barr on Twitter "for taking charge" of the case, which Trump wrote "was totally out of control and perhaps should not have even been brought."Democrats on the Judiciary Committee in their letter write to Barr that he has "engaged in a pattern of conduct in legal matters relating to the president that raises significant concerns," also saying the events of this week "raise grave questions about your leadership." Politico's Kyle Cheney notes this will be Barr's first time testifying before the Judiciary Committee since his confirmation hearing. It's been, to say the least, an eventful year since then, and the committee in its letter teases this week's events "are not the only issues that our committee intends to discuss with you when you appear." Given that this testimony is nearly seven weeks away, the events discussed will presumably include at least some that haven't actually occurred yet. Barr is set to appear before the House Judiciary Committee on March 31. More stories from theweek.com How the Army could end Vindman's career without an investigation 8 Republicans join Democrats in vote to limit Trump's military powers in Iran Trump reportedly spent important policy meetings grilling Reince Priebus about badgers
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| Trump Scraps New Job for DOJ Lawyer Who Oversaw Stone Case Posted: 12 Feb 2020 12:54 PM PST |
| Trump says the lesson he learned from impeachment is that 'Democrats are crooked' Posted: 12 Feb 2020 12:50 PM PST  It turns out Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) was right — President Trump said he did, in fact, learn some lessons from his impeachment.Trump was asked Wednesday if he had any takeaways from the experience now that he's been acquitted and he certainly did, though his answer was probably not quite what Collins had in mind when she said she believed the process would prove to be a teachable moment for the commander-in-chief. The president said, first and foremost, he learned congressional Democrats are "crooked" and "vicious," and that they should not have "brought impeachment." So, not much in the way of self-reflection.> Trump said the only lessons he learned from being impeached is that "the Democrats are crooked" and "vicious," adding "they shouldn't have brought impeachment." He goes on to whine about NBC and MSNBC. pic.twitter.com/pG652ebLIX> > — Oliver Willis (@owillis) February 12, 2020Additionally, he said he learned his poll numbers jumped up, which he attributed to what he baselessly called the "dishonest" reporting of news outlets like NBC.Trump has repeated these claims many times throughout and even before his tenure in the Oval Office, though, so it's worth wondering whether he really gained this perspective because of impeachment.More stories from theweek.com How the Army could end Vindman's career without an investigation 8 Republicans join Democrats in vote to limit Trump's military powers in Iran Trump reportedly spent important policy meetings grilling Reince Priebus about badgers
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| Dan David Prize announces 2020 laureates Posted: 12 Feb 2020 12:43 PM PST |
| 8 Republicans join Democrats in vote to limit Trump's military powers in Iran Posted: 12 Feb 2020 12:34 PM PST  The Senate voted 51-45 on Wednesday to limit President Trump from pursuing military action in Iran without congressional approval.Eight Republicans sided with all Democrats to approve Sen. Tim Kaine's (D-Va.) resolution. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) didn't vote as they were likely on the presidential campaign trail, and recent 2020 dropout Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) didn't vote either.President Trump tweeted earlier Wednesday to encourage senators to vote against the resolution, saying "this is not the time to show weakness" to Iran. He'll very likely veto the bill, and the Senate won't have the votes to overturn it.> ....If my hands were tied, Iran would have a field day. Sends a very bad signal. The Democrats are only doing this as an attempt to embarrass the Republican Party. Don't let it happen!> > — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 12, 2020The act came in response to escalating tensions with Iran, especially after Trump authorized a strike that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.More stories from theweek.com How the Army could end Vindman's career without an investigation Trump reportedly spent important policy meetings grilling Reince Priebus about badgers Brokered convention gets close 2nd place in FiveThirtyEight's Democratic nomination forecast
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| Sanders and Rival Senators Pulled Off Trail for War Powers Vote Posted: 12 Feb 2020 12:04 PM PST |
| Merkel rival Merz in bid to succeed her as German Chancellor Posted: 12 Feb 2020 11:54 AM PST  Friedrich Merz, a longtime rival of Angela Merkel within the ruling CDU party, is hoping to replace her as German chancellor, local media reported Wednesday. Merz, who wants to shift the centre-right party further to the right, is throwing his hat into the ring after Merkel's chosen successor, CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, gave up her leadership ambitions on Monday in a deepening party crisis over ties between the centre and far right. The next CDU leader will also be the party's candidate to become Chancellor at elections due by the end of 2021.
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| Man charged in Walmart shooting appears in federal court Posted: 12 Feb 2020 11:52 AM PST  Lawyers for the suspect in a shooting at a Walmart in Texas that killed 22 people waived a federal bond hearing and the reading of the indictment Wednesday, as survivors of the attack teared up and consoled one another. Patrick Crusius, of Allen, Texas, is already being held without bond on state charges.
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| 'This is not the time to show weakness': Trump fights back against senators attempting to limit his powers on war with Iran Posted: 12 Feb 2020 11:43 AM PST  Eager to avoid losing an ounce of power, Donald Trump used two tweets to pressure additional Senate Republicans from supporting a measure that would limit his authority to launch military operations against Iran.A final vote is expected on Thursday on a measure pushed by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia that would require the president push through both chambers a formal declaration of war or other "specific" measure giving Congress' blessing for military operations against Tehran.
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| Scientists discover 'baby giant' exoplanet already 10 times the mass of Jupiter Posted: 12 Feb 2020 11:39 AM PST  Scientists just discovered a "baby giant" planet closer to Earth than any other — a mere 330 light years away.The exoplanet — a planet beyond our solar system — was discovered by scientists at the Rochester Institute of Technology, and the findings were published in Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society.Named 2MASS 1155-7919 b, the planet has an uncommonly wide orbit around its "parent" star — 600 times farther than the distance between Earth and the sun. The origin of systems so far from their parent star are the "subject of vigorous debate," according to the findings. Scientists are hoping to further study 2Mass 1155-7919 b to understand how giant planets can have such wide orbits, per a press release from RIT.The planet's parent star is just 5 million years old, making it 1,000 times younger than the sun, per the release.2Mass 1155-7919 b is an infant, so it's likely still in the process of forming, said Annie Dickson-Vandervelde, lead author of the paper. But it's already roughly 10 times the mass of Jupiter, one of the gas giants in our solar system. The new planet was discovered using data from the Gaia space observatory, which was launched in 2013 by the European Space Agency.More stories from theweek.com How the Army could end Vindman's career without an investigation 8 Republicans join Democrats in vote to limit Trump's military powers in Iran Trump reportedly spent important policy meetings grilling Reince Priebus about badgers
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| NATO eyes boosting Iraq army training, still needs Iraq's OK Posted: 12 Feb 2020 11:38 AM PST  NATO is ready to expand its military training effort in Iraq, the alliance's top civilian official said Wednesday, but the Iraqi government is not yet ready to approve the move. The Canada-led operation was launched in 2018 but suspended last month after a U.S. missile strike at Baghdad Airport killed Iran's top general and Iraq's government and lawmakers demanded that foreign troops leave. U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has demanded that U.S. allies do more in the Mideast.
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| Venezuelan opposition claims government is behind disappearance of Juan Guiadó's uncle Posted: 12 Feb 2020 11:33 AM PST  Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó returned to his home country Tuesday after defying a travel ban and embarking on a tour to seek international support for his movement. His arrival caused his supporters and government loyalists to clash at the Caracas airport. During the chaotic scene, Guaidó's uncle Juan José Márquez, who was traveling with him, went missing.The opposition has blamed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro for the disappearance and is holding him accountable "for his physical integrity." Márquez's wife, Romina Botaro, said she heard from her husband while he was going through customs but not since, adding that no one knows his whereabouts.Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who has been a vocal supporter of Guaidó, called out Maduro's government over Márquez, who does not hold an official position in the opposition leadership.> .@NicolasMaduro and his thugs arbitrarily detained @jguaido's uncle upon their arrival to Venezuela. His whereabouts or the reasons for his detention are unknown. > > Maduro knows his time is coming to an end. This is the act of a desperate tyrant. https://t.co/PA3UQByRRJ> > — Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) February 12, 2020Guaidó said Maduro was targeting his family, but added the "threats have not stopped us or will not stop us." Read more at The Washington Post.More stories from theweek.com How the Army could end Vindman's career without an investigation 8 Republicans join Democrats in vote to limit Trump's military powers in Iran Trump reportedly spent important policy meetings grilling Reince Priebus about badgers
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| Trump Turns to Tucker Carlson to Help Decide Roger Stone’s Fate Posted: 12 Feb 2020 11:32 AM PST  If President Donald Trump ends up pardoning his former political operative Roger Stone, it could very well be—at least in part—thanks to the sustained efforts of a Fox News star and part-time Trump adviser: Tucker Carlson.For roughly a year, the primetime host has done a series of segments devoted to calling on the president to pardon the so-called "dirty trickster" Stone, a Republican consultant, Nixon enthusiast, and lobbyist who had long advised Trump. The show's position as a platform for pro-Stone messaging is potent enough that Trump allies who seek leniency for Stone have specifically sought to appear on the Fox News show in order to get the message to the president.Stone's situation has, of course, been of personal interest to the president for a while now. On multiple occasions over the past year, Trump, during casual conversation with White House aides and close associates, has brought up—unprompted—recent episodes of Tucker Carlson Tonight. Trump would then quickly note that Carlson did a segment or monologue on Stone's predicament, and then ask his aide or friend if they'd seen the episode and "What do you think?" according to two sources with direct knowledge of the president's private comments on the matter."That's how he [often] talks, not showing his hand. He'll say, 'What do you think about' this or that, which will be often code for 'I'm interested or looking into doing' this," one of these people said.On Tuesday, all four prosecutors handling Stone's court case withdrew, mere hours after the Justice Department headquarters intervened to supercede their recommendation to a federal judge that Stone be sentenced to seven-to-nine years behind bars. And on Wednesday morning, Trump tweeted, "Congratulations to Attorney General Bill Barr for taking charge of a case that was totally out of control and perhaps should not have even been brought." The president also posted a tweet railing against the "rogue" prosecutors, branding them part of "the swamp," and tagging Carlson and Fox & Friends at the end.And it's a topic Carlson has fervently taken up as a cause célèbre.Off-camera, Carlson has at times moonlighted as an informal adviser to Trump. Last year, he privately lobbied Trump against military action on Iran and also used their private chat as an opportunity to trash the president's more hawkish senior officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and now-former National Security Adviser John Bolton. On-camera, Carlson helms a program that this president regularly tunes into, with Trump identifying with the host's immigration-restrictionist, culture-warrior themes.Since early last year, Carlson has been offering up a steady stream of segments framing Stone as a victim of anti-Trump law-enforcement run amok and explicitly advocating for the president's intervention.One of Carlson's recurring on-air guests to discuss a potential Stone pardon has been Michael Caputo, another former Trump adviser and a close friend of the Stone family. Asked if he's appeared on Carlson's show specifically because he safely assumed Trump would see it, Caputo told The Daily Beast on Tuesday night, "Yes, that was my intention. Tucker has longer segments where he makes convincing arguments about issues the president's base cares about. Nobody knows that better than the president. It's a no-brainer."Fox News Host Pete Hegseth Privately Lobbied Trump to Pardon Accused War CriminalsDuring Carlson's broadcast Tuesday night, the Fox News primetime star directly appealed to the president and called for clemency for Stone. Expressing concern that the notorious political trickster could "die in prison," Carlson described Stone as a "67-year-old man with no criminal record" who was caught up in the "Russia hoax."Claiming violent criminals get far more lenient prison sentences than Stone's recommended sentence of seven-to-nine years, Carlson grumbled that the left and CNN want the ex-operative to rot in jail, adding, "This man needs a pardon."Carlson's demand for clemency as Stone stares down prison time is the culmination of the Fox host's prolonged effort to clear his buddy. Prior to his indictment as a result of the Mueller investigation, Stone repeatedly appeared on Carlson's show in 2018, calling the special counsel's probe "Orwellian" at one point while claiming Robert Mueller was persecuting him for supporting Trump.After Stone was eventually charged with obstruction, witness tampering, and lying to Congress in early 2019, Carlson's on-air campaign to help secure a pardon for the longtime Trump confidant began in earnest, hosting the Trump ally the day of his Jan. 25 arrest to rail against the indictment.Days after the Stone raid, meanwhile, Carlson fumed, "Mueller himself is a threat to our democracy," grousing that "nobody controls" him and the "all-powerful unelected prosecutor" was able to "send armed men to your home to roust you from bed at gunpoint just because he feels like it." The Fox host also began peddling a discredited conspiracy that Mueller tipped off CNN on Stone's raid in order to capture the whole thing on camera.Weeks later, after Stone was placed under a full gag order, following inflammatory social media posts that the judge in the case deemed threatening, Carlson and his guests began openly calling for his pardon. "Roger Stone is facing life in prison," Carlson declared on his March 22 broadcast. "He was indicted by an investigation designed to find collusion, indicted on minor charges. He was dragged from his own home in a morning FBI raid. They put an amphibious vehicle outside his house and pointed an automatic weapon in his face, all to find collusion. But there was no collusion. Stone is still looking at life in prison. Where is Roger Stone's pardon? His pardon from the president? Let's hope it comes very soon."A few days later, Caputo advised Trump through the TV set to issue clemency for Stone via Twitter."Pardon General Flynn. Pardon George Papadopoulos. And pardon Roger Stone right now, Mr. Trump," Caputo exclaimed on Tucker's March 27 show. "Don't wait until after the election, they deserve it now. Do it right now," he added. "Do it right now on Twitter."Caputo and Carlson circled back to this topic in May, with Carlson telling the former Trump aide that "it would be nice to see some pardons, a pardon of Roger Stone, to begin" with. Following Stone's guilty verdict in November, Carlson once again called for Trump to give the conservative operative a pardon, reminding the president that he had called the decision against Stone a "travesty" while criticizing reports that Trump's inner circle was advising him against getting involved.While hosting Stone's daughter Adria Stone, who pleaded with the president to "save" her family, Carlson noted that Trump had recently pardoned two others and "signed a law not that long ago that, in effect, pardoned a lot of crack dealers and also some rapists.""I honestly do think that after watching a series of people, some of whom are not deserving at all, get pardons from this White House, in effect or literally, you know I think people are going to be watching really carefully to see if your dad is pardoned," Carlson concluded. "I'm going to be, that's for sure."In the meantime, figures like Carlson are likely going to be the public voice and face of Stone's case far more than Stone himself will be. Reached for comment on this story Wednesday afternoon, Stone simply messaged back, "I am under a gag order and therefore have no comment."—With additional reporting by Max Tani.Tucker Carlson Tells Trump in Private: No War With IranRead more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| Israel blasts UN list of settlement-linked firms Posted: 12 Feb 2020 11:25 AM PST  Israel on Wednesday rejected as "shameful" the UN's publication of a list of 112 companies that do business in its settlements, while the Palestinians cheered its long-delayed release as a "victory for international law". The list published by the United Nations' human rights office includes a range of large international firms including Airbnb, TripAdvisor, Booking.com and Motorola Solutions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at retaliation.
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| UN says rival force is blocking OK for UN flights to Libya Posted: 12 Feb 2020 11:24 AM PST  The United Nations said Wednesday its regular flights have not been granted permission to land in Libya by the self-styled Libyan Arab Armed Forces led by Gen. Khalifa Hifter. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the U.N. mission in Libya was concerned that its regular flights into Tripoli, which transport U.N. staff to and from the war-torn country, have been prevented from landing on several occasions in the past weeks.
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| Rights group: Leader says Sudan to cooperate fully with ICC Posted: 12 Feb 2020 11:05 AM PST  Sudan's leader said Wednesday the government will "fully" cooperate with the International Criminal Court's efforts to prosecute those wanted for war crimes and genocide in connection with the Darfur conflict, according to an international rights group. Transitional authorities announced Tuesday they agreed to hand over former autocrat president Omar al-Bashir to The Hague-based court along with other former officials wanted by the ICC. "We agreed no one is above the law, and that people will be brought to justice, be it in Sudan or outside Sudan with the help of the ICC," Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, head of the country's transitional Sovereign Council, was quoted as saying by Human Rights Watch.
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| Police still searching for missing South Carolina girl, 6 Posted: 12 Feb 2020 10:46 AM PST  Hundreds of police officers continued to look Wednesday for a 6-year-old girl who hasn't been seen since shortly after getting off her school bus near her South Carolina home Monday. Investigators have no evidence that Faye Marie Swetlik was kidnapped, but also have not ruled an abduction or that she walked away from her home or was harmed by someone she knew in the central city of Cayce, authorities said. "We're still exploring every possibility to bring Faye home," Cayce Public Safety Officer Sgt. Evan Antley said.
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| NATO Clears Way for Bigger Iraqi Operation to Meet Trump’s Demand Posted: 12 Feb 2020 10:42 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization pledged to expand its training mission in Iraq as a quick initial response to U.S. President Donald Trump's call for the alliance to play a bigger role in the Middle East.NATO defense ministers decided to increase its 500-strong Iraqi operation by shifting personnel deployed for the much bigger U.S.-led international coalition to fight terrorism in the country."This will consist of taking on some of the global coalition's current training activities," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels on Wednesday after chairing the first part of a meeting of the alliance's defense chiefs. "Ministers also agreed to explore what more we can do beyond this first step."Trump stoked speculation about a bigger NATO footprint in the Middle East a month ago after Iran carried out attacks in Iraq on two bases used by American troops as retaliation for a U.S. airstrike that killed top Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad.Trump said "the scope of NATO should be increased" in the region to tackle terrorist threats.When campaigning for office in 2016, Trump vowed to get the U.S. out of what he called "endless wars." Yet heading into the 2020 election, he has sent more than 15,000 American troops to the Mideast since May to pressure Iran.NATO has run a training mission in Iraq since late 2018 aimed at supporting Iraqi forces and preventing the re-emergence of Islamic State. The alliance suspended the mission on Jan. 6 as a result of the heightened U.S.-Iran tensions and security risks in the region.Stoltenberg declined to comment Wednesday on how much bigger the operation may become, saying the defense ministers took a decision "in principle" and "then we will continue to work on the details and the numbers and exactly what kinds of activities."The plan to enlarge the mission will require the support of the Iraqi government, a tricky domestic political task after the country's parliament last month urged the expulsion of foreign troops. Stoltenberg has been in touch with senior Iraqi authorities to pave the way for the bigger NATO operation."Everything we do in Iraq will be in close coordination and with the consent of the Iraqi government," he said. "We have a very good and constructive dialog."NATO officials aim to weigh over the coming weeks and months what additional activities could be undertaken in the Middle East and in North Africa.To contact the reporters on this story: Jonathan Stearns in Brussels at jstearns2@bloomberg.net;Glen Carey in Brussels at gcarey8@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Ben Sills at bsills@bloomberg.net, ;Bill Faries at wfaries@bloomberg.net, Caroline Alexander, Larry LiebertFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Baltimore shooting leaves 2 officers wounded; suspect dead Posted: 12 Feb 2020 10:41 AM PST  A shooting at a Baltimore apartment complex Wednesday ended with the death of a former state corrections official who had been under investigation and the wounding of two fugitive task force officers, authorities said. The officers, one a Baltimore county detective and the other a detective in the city of Baltimore, were both assigned to the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force and were trying to serve a warrant out of Pennsylvania for attempted murder, said U.S. Marshals Service spokesman David Lutz. "Our worst fears became a reality when shots were fired and the two officers were hit," Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said of the male officers, without specifying who fired.
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| Why moderates should think twice about Klobuchar Posted: 12 Feb 2020 10:34 AM PST  "Hello, America. I'm Amy Klobuchar and I will beat Donald Trump."With those words, the newly surging contender for the Democratic presidential nomination greeted supporters in New Hampshire after a surprise third place finish. The senator from Minnesota not only managed to beat heir presumptive Joe Biden in the Granite State, Klobuchar more than doubled his vote count — and did the same to Elizabeth Warren, who needed to show she could compete in her home region. Thanks to a strong debate performance last week — and despite a fifth-place finish in Iowa, a state in her own home region — Klobuchar's fortunes are on the rise as a potential new option in the moderate lane of the Democratic primaries.Part of this perception comes from two other dynamics in the race. First, Bernie Sanders has become the improbable frontrunner in a party he only occasionally joins as a member. Second, Biden's sudden fade as the establishment choice over the past two weeks has turned the primary campaign into a contest to become the next Not Bernie rather than the next Not Biden. Democratic anxiety over Sanders' momentum and potential to become the first outright socialist to top a major-party ticket has sharpened the competition in the "moderate" lane.No other candidate embodies the moderation label as much as Klobuchar does, and perhaps none other was as direct in rebuking Sanders with it. Klobuchar was the only candidate to raise her hand in Friday's debate to say she was troubled by the prospect of a socialist takeover of the ticket, which set her apart from the rest of her "moderate" competitors. She embraced that position all the way through the weekend into the election, telling CBS reporter Ed O'Keefe that "I believe in leading.""As I've said so many times," Klobuchar added, "people are tired of the extremes in our politics and the noise and the nonsense." That, she explained, was why she raised her hand despite her personal affection for Bernie and occasional policy cooperation. "I am troubled by having a socialist lead our ticket."That perfectly positions Klobuchar in the moderate lane, perhaps a bit more than her actual legislative track record would suggest. Over the weekend, Klobuchar also tried to push Pete Buttigieg farther to the left by telling pro-life Democrats they have a place in the party, a message Buttigieg fumbled in a Fox News town hall last month. With Sanders as her foil, Klobuchar wants to build a big tent to consolidate the Not Bernie sentiment within her party. Her New Hampshire finish in the money suggests that she's starting to succeed.But does this mean we're seeing a Klobosurge? And does it mean that Amy Klobuchar can beat Donald Trump? For the moment, both seem possible, but the odds are stacked against them — mainly because of Klobuchar herself.Within the Democratic primary, Klobuchar still has multiple challengers for the Not Bernie position. Buttigieg finished ahead of her in both Iowa and New Hampshire, which seems even more improbable for a South Bend mayor than it does for a senator from Minnesota. Joe Biden still has strength in South Carolina, where Klobuchar has barely registered in polling. She's far behind in Super Tuesday states like California, Texas, and Massachusetts, where Warren will likely do well even if she's all but faded out of the national picture. Her finish in New Hampshire will likely produce improvements in some of those races, but the number of people ahead of her limits her dynamic potential, especially since most of those states will be rewarding progressives rather than moderates. One third-place finish in an independent-heavy state does not a consolidation make.Speaking of dynamic potential, Klobuchar has a problem with her general election argument as well. Like most politicians in Minnesota and the upper Midwest in general, Klobuchar succeeds by projecting an image of calm affability. Based on a couple of personal interactions with her, I'd argue that it's a fairly genuine image rather than an affectation. That would create a strong contrast on the stump between her version of Moderate Minnesota Nice and Trump's Outer Borough Tough Guy, which might have provided Democrats an advantage if Trump was running for his first term in office.That, however, is not the case. Trump will likely run mainly on two themes in arguing for a second term. First, he needs more time to "drain the swamp," i.e., reduce the influence of longtime Beltway figures like Klobuchar, Biden, or Sanders. Second, the economy is so strong that changing horses in midstream makes no sense, especially when the alternative is the socialist or socialist-lite agenda being pushed by whomever Democrats nominate.That second argument will be especially tough to rebut as long as the economy keeps performing at its current level. Gallup published two polls this month, both showing record optimism among Americans about the economy. In the first, 59 percent of Americans say their economic condition improved year-on-year as opposed to only 20 percent who claimed it got worse, the best numbers in Gallup's 41-year series on this question. The same poll shows a record 74 percent of respondents expect to do even better in the coming year. A week later, Gallup reported that 61 percent of Americans see themselves as better off than the previous election, also a record in a 28-year series — by 11 points over the previous high of 50 percent. It's the first incumbent-re-elect cycle in which that response has significant bipartisan and independent support.Klobuchar's appeal in a campaign against Trump would be a return to status quo ante normalcy. If voters become anxiety-ridden about the present state of affairs, they won't want a revolution in the Bernie Sanders sense, but a nostalgic turn toward a pre-Trump technocracy to rescue the country from chaos. Under those circumstances, Trump's chaos-agent qualities would play against him, and Democrats would be well advised to nominate an establishment figure who can soothe panic.That only works if the status quo ante is far more appealing than the status quo, however. And frankly, that kind of crisis suits Joe Biden better than Amy Klobuchar too, as Biden has the eight years of the Obama administration on his resumé while Klobuchar has no real executive experience to tout, in either the private or public sector. Absent an economic crisis, though, voters are much less likely to care about Trump's comportment or his Twitter habits. If the good times are rolling and they expect them to keep going, then voters will not want a return to technocratic/bureaucratic governance. In these populist times, they will be reluctant to trust the institutions while an entertaining iconoclast is delivering for them, and especially while an earnest but uninspiring establishmentarian proposes a sea change in policy.Klobuchar still has time to make a stronger argument, in both the primaries and for a general election. The rush to declare a Klobosurge is premature at best, however, as is the impulse to anoint Klobuchar as the true counter to Trump in 2020.Want more essential commentary and analysis like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for The Week's "Today's best articles" newsletter here.More stories from theweek.com How the Army could end Vindman's career without an investigation 8 Republicans join Democrats in vote to limit Trump's military powers in Iran Trump reportedly spent important policy meetings grilling Reince Priebus about badgers
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| Tom Steyer spent about $1,900 for every vote he got in New Hampshire Posted: 12 Feb 2020 10:33 AM PST  There are a lot of ways to spend $19 million. Buying TV ads in a presidential race you have close to zero chance of winning probably shouldn't be one of them.Billionaire philanthropist Tom Steyer has dumped tons of his own money into the 2020 Democratic presidential race, coming in second to only former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in terms of spending on TV and Facebook ads. But unlike Bloomberg, Steyer has failed to gain more than an ounce of momentum after all was spent and done — a fact that was glaringly obvious after his sixth place finish in Tuesday's New Hampshire primaries.Steyer spent $19.2 million on TV and radio ads leading up the New Hampshire's vote, NBC News reports, and earned just over 10,000 votes. That's about $1,850 spent on each vote.> Tom Steyer spent $19.2 million in New Hampshire on TV and radio, per @amandawgolden, and received about 10,272 votes, per WaPo. That's close to $1,900 spent per vote https://t.co/68tItqcrFB> > — Jeff Stein (@JStein_WaPo) February 12, 2020Reason to Believe, a PAC supporting former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, meanwhile spent about $1,430 for every one of Patrick's 1,258 votes — and unlike Steyer, Patrick dropped out of the race immediately after that count was in.More stories from theweek.com How the Army could end Vindman's career without an investigation 8 Republicans join Democrats in vote to limit Trump's military powers in Iran Trump reportedly spent important policy meetings grilling Reince Priebus about badgers
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| Sanders Tightens His Grip on Race as Klobuchar Rises Posted: 12 Feb 2020 10:26 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Bernie Sanders's narrow win in New Hampshire makes him the undisputed leader of the Democratic Party's left flank, with a second powerful showing that puts him in position to stake a claim to the Democratic presidential nomination as the race turns west and south.A surprisingly strong third-place showing from Amy Klobuchar in New Hampshire further scrambles the race and the efforts by moderate Democrats to unite behind a candidate to stop Sanders, only strengthening the hand of the 78-year-old democratic socialist.Klobuchar's rise shows that moderate Democratic voters weren't completely sold on their other choice, Pete Buttigieg, who had hoped that his Iowa win would crown him the candidate to beat Sanders. Buttigieg lost New Hampshire by about 4,000 votes.With 97% of precincts reporting, Sanders had won 25.7% of the vote, to Buttigieg's 24.4%. Klobuchar was third with 19.8% and Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden trailed in single digits.Centrist voters could further splinter as yet a third moderate formally joins the race: former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who didn't compete in New Hampshire but will be on the ballot for the March 3 Super Tuesday contests.The clarity on the left contrasts with confusion among moderates and seems sure to reinvigorate efforts by the Democratic Party establishment to find a way to derail Sanders before it's too late. Sanders replicated his 2016 win in New Hampshire over Hillary Clinton by tapping into younger voters and expanding the pool of Democrats – which he says would allow him to beat President Donald Trump."It's on to Nevada, it's on to South Carolina, it's on to win the Democratic nomination, and together I have no doubt that we will defeat Donald Trump," Sanders told cheering supporters in Manchester, New Hampshire, as he claimed victory late Tuesday.But his rise worries Democratic Party establishment leaders, who think Sanders' positions are too extreme in a general election against Trump. In the final days of the New Hampshire campaign, Buttigieg and Biden each took shots at Sanders' electability.Ideological PuritySanders' insistence on ideological purity will turn off moderates and independents, Buttigieg argued. And Trump will use Sanders' democratic socialist label to paint Democrats up and down the ballot as extremists, Biden said.Both attacks missed their mark.The biggest loser of the night was Biden, who had an embarrassing fifth-place showing in single-digits. He and fourth-place finisher Warren -- a senator from neighboring Massachusetts – failed to reach the 15% vote threshold that would allow them to earn delegates.Biden's campaign is in freefall, as he abandoned New Hampshire on Primary Night to go on to South Carolina -- where he leads the polls. A defeat there on Feb. 29 would effectively knock him from the race, a shocking turnaround in a campaign where he led national polls for much of 2019.The Biden fade has been a boon to Bloomberg, who's coming in third in some national polls and has seen his support among African-American voters increase -- at the expense of Biden, who was Barack Obama's vice president.Bloomberg got into the race in November because no clear front-runner was emerging. He's been the biggest beneficiary of Biden's continued slide, but Biden and Sanders still beat him in the national polls despite Bloomberg's $345 million in ad buys.Debate QualificationBloomberg also needs just one more national poll ranking of at least 10% to qualify for a Las Vegas debate Feb. 19, which would be his national introduction to many voters.Bloomberg has felt the sting of being a surging candidate as a variety of anti-Bloomberg opposition research emerged on Primary Day, including an audiotape where he praised his stop-and-frisk program and other information that suggested he likened Russian President Vladimir Putin's attack on Ukraine to the U.S. annexing California.(Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.)Iowa and New Hampshire amount to just 1.6% of all Democratic delegates. The primary now turns to two more racially diverse states, Nevada on Feb. 22 and South Carolina on Feb. 29 before 14 Super Tuesday contests on March 3. The biggest Super Tuesday prize is California, and Sanders is leading there.Buttigieg still leads in the delegate race, with 22 from Iowa and New Hampshire combined. Sanders has 21, Warren has eight, Klobuchar has seven and Biden have six.The field is likely to remain muddled at least through Super Tuesday. There's little incentive for any top-tier candidate to drop out, though at least two second-tier candidates did exit the race Tuesday -- Andrew Yang and Michael Bennet.Buttigieg and Sanders are close in the delegate race, but the primary calendar is no friend to Buttigieg, who has yet to compete in more diverse states where he has failed to earn crucial black and Latino support.On Wednesday, Buttigieg acknowledged that broadening his appeal could be a challenge. "We have more work to do to demonstrate the breadth of our support," he said on CNN.Bandwagon EffectMany New Hampshire voters, an independent-minded lot who often disregard Iowa's preferences, shifted from Buttigieg to Klobuchar, who turned in her strongest debate performance of the cycle in New Hampshire last week. She'll face questions of whether she has the money and organization to take her campaign to the next big states, but she raised $3 million in the days after Friday's debate and plans to expand her staff.Primary campaigns tend to have a bandwagon effect. Success breeds success, and a win in one state can have a domino effect down the calendar -- a big benefit for Sanders, as voters like to support a winner.After winning the popular vote — if not the majority of delegates — in the first two states, Sanders seems to be winning the electability argument. A Quinnipiac University Poll this week shows he's doing about as well as any other Democrat in a head-to-head matchup with Trump, leading the incumbent 51% to 43%.Sanders is a long way from uniting the party, however. He won New Hampshire by 22 percentage points in 2016 against Clinton. On Tuesday, faced with a much larger field, Sanders won with a much narrower margin but will still take away the lion's share of delegates.In New Hampshire, the top issues for Democrats were health care, 37%, and climate change, 28%, according to CNN.On health care, New Hampshire Democrats leaned more toward the Medicare-for-All health care plan favored by Sanders and Warren, in which private health insurance would be eliminated and replaced with a government-run plan. Almost 6 in 10 primary voters support that plan, while 4 in 10 were opposed, CNN said.'Comeback Kid'New Hampshire voters are known for deciding late, and the CNN exit polls bear that out: 48% decided within the last few days, and the same number said Friday night's debate was an important factor. That could have helped Buttigieg, who won the Iowa caucuses, and Klobuchar, who had a breakout debate performance.Democrats also prioritized electability over issues in their votes: 62% said it was more important to find a candidate who can defeat Trump while 34% said it was more important to find someone who they agreed with, according to CNN.For Democrats, New Hampshire in February is a particularly poor predictor of national victory in November. The last Democrat to win a contested New Hampshire primary and go on to win the presidency was Jimmy Carter in 1976.Like Iowa, losing candidates can win New Hampshire by exceeding expectations — even self-created ones. Bill Clinton dubbed himself the "Comeback Kid" in 1992 after finishing second -- a parallel that surely won't be lost on Klobuchar's campaign.But the contentious 2016 campaign between Sanders and Clinton showed that primary campaign grudges can spill over into the general election.Sanders is counting on unity to come through victory. "It's both," he told NBC News before the polls closed Tuesday. "Virtually all Democrats and a heck of a lot of independents understand that it is absolutely imperative we defeat the most dangerous president in the modern history of this country."(Adds Buttigieg comment before 'Bandwagon Effect' subhead)To contact the reporters on this story: Gregory Korte in Manchester, New Hampshire at gkorte@bloomberg.net;Craig Gordon in Manchester, New Hampshire at cgordon39@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Michael ShepardFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| 4 theories for why Warren supporters didn't break for Sanders in New Hampshire Posted: 12 Feb 2020 10:13 AM PST  Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) had a bad night in New Hampshire. She came in fourth after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), securing zero delegates in the process. But polling averages over the last three months consistently indicated Warren's New Hampshire base was bigger than it proved: In November, she briefly led the field with 22 percent, and as recently as mid-January she was a strong third with nearly double the backing she got at the ballot box.If those voters decided not to turn out for Warren — perhaps buying the narrative that her star is fading — why didn't they show up for Sanders, whom conventional wisdom had said would be their natural back-up plan? Sanders got around 26 percent in Iowa, where Warren pulled 18 percent, and again 26 percent in New Hampshire, where Warren had just 9 percent. Even allowing for differences in the two electorates, why didn't he benefit more from her slump?The question becomes especially pressing as FiveThirtyEight's second-most-likely outcome of the Democratic race (after Sanders winning it outright) is now a brokered convention in which Warren supporters could be too few to grab the nomination for themselves but enough to play kingmaker. Here are a few possible explanations.Legitimate policy differencesSanders and Warren are often paired as the "progressive" or "radical" wing of the Democratic frontrunners in contrast with the moderate lane of Klobuchar, Buttigieg, former Vice President Joe Biden, and former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg. That grouping isn't unreasonable, but it is an oversimplification. There's daylight between the two.On economics, Sanders has argued that though they agree on many points of practical policy, Warren is "a capitalist through her bones," and he is not. The "bones" line comes from Warren herself, and while the distinction may seem like semantics from a certain political distance, up close (as in this analysis from Jacobin), it's real.On foreign policy too, the similarities are obvious — but there are differences which will matter to the voters for whom this is a priority. Likewise, some social conservatives like The New York Times' Ross Douthat and The American Conservative's Rod Dreher have drawn a class war vs. culture war distinction between Sanders and Warren, respectively. They prefer the former; Warren voters probably wouldn't.Candidate demographicsThe "most optimistic story" of Sanders not picking up more erstwhile Warren votes in New Hampshire, posited The Washington Post's Megan McArdle, "is that all the 'I'm voting for a woman come hell or high water' voters went to Klobuchar, and the rest will go to Sanders if she withdraws." McArdle added that she isn't convinced by her own suggestion, but she isn't the only one to raise the possibility.There aren't a lot of pollsters asking voters whether candidate demographics matter more to them than policy positions, but we do know that among Democratic primary voters who think gender makes a difference for electability, a majority believe being a woman is an advantage. It's plausible that those voters would move to Klobuchar if they thought Warren was done.However, even if this explanation is correct, Warren obviously also has ideological supporters. If she dropped out, we could still expect many of those voters to choose Sanders if the remaining alternatives are all substantially more centrist — and, indeed, Morning Consult's latest national survey of Democratic primary voters shows Sanders is the second choice of a plurality of Warren voters.Electability assessmentsFor all their commonalities, Sanders and Warren have taken very different approaches to the electability question, which is omnipresent in a race to challenge President Trump.Sanders has leaned into the "revolution" rhetoric and openly claimed the socialist label, betting that America wants a big change. Warren has sought to cast herself as a progressive technocrat, trying to combine big ideas with deliverability. Warren voters drawn to her practical wonk side may believe Sanders is too extreme to win the general election and thus that their second-choice vote should go to a safer, if less idealistic, option.Following Warren's leadIn her speech in New Hampshire Tuesday night, Warren gave her heartiest congratulations to Klobuchar while implying Sanders and Buttigieg are dividing the Democratic Party and encouraging their supporters to engage in harmful factionalism. "Sen. Sanders and Mayor Buttigieg are both great people and either of them would be a far better president than Donald Trump," she said. "I respect them both. But the fight between factions in our party has taken a sharp turn in recent weeks," she continued, accusing her two rivals of being willing to leave "our party and our politics worse off than how you found it."Many Warren supporters would likely follow their candidate's lead were she to drop out now and back Sanders. They could be following her in this combative stance, too, deciding to stay home rather than give him their votes.Want more essential commentary and analysis like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for The Week's "Today's best articles" newsletter here.More stories from theweek.com How the Army could end Vindman's career without an investigation 8 Republicans join Democrats in vote to limit Trump's military powers in Iran Trump reportedly spent important policy meetings grilling Reince Priebus about badgers
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| Deval Patrick ends his 3-month-long campaign, slams the media for describing him as a late entrant Posted: 12 Feb 2020 10:02 AM PST  Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is officially ending his short-lived 2020 campaign for president.Patrick, who came in ninth place in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary with about 0.4 percent of the vote, announced Wednesday he's dropping out of the race, citing the fact that "the vote in New Hampshire last night was not enough for us to create the practical wind at the campaign's back to go on to the next round of voting."Patrick didn't jump into the 2020 race until November, at which point the rest of the field had been campaigning for months and four presidential debates had been held; he says he postponed his announcement after his wife was diagnosed with uterine cancer. On Wednesday, he placed blame on the media for deeming him a "late" entrant, saying this narrative was "limiting," that he "entered the race months before anyone had cast a vote," and that "we cannot keep mistaking media narratives for political outcomes." > Deval Patrick is officially ending his campaign. Comes with a bit of a dig at the media and narratives around his very late-starting campaign, which he couldn't overtake. pic.twitter.com/8HP7WVaQI6> > — Matt Berman (@Mr_Berman) February 12, 2020With Patrick's campaign over, eight Democrats remain in the field, while 20 have dropped out. As The Associated Press notes, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) is now the only person of color left in the race. More stories from theweek.com How the Army could end Vindman's career without an investigation 8 Republicans join Democrats in vote to limit Trump's military powers in Iran Trump reportedly spent important policy meetings grilling Reince Priebus about badgers
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| Palestinian PM threatens legal action against firms in U.N. settlements report Posted: 12 Feb 2020 09:59 AM PST |
| Merkel’s Succession Battle Kicks Off Ahead of Contender Talks Posted: 12 Feb 2020 09:56 AM PST  (Bloomberg) -- Want the lowdown on European markets? In your inbox before the open, every day. Sign up here.The search to replace Angela Merkel as chancellor has started to get rolling as the first two contenders register their interest amid growing pressure to accelerate the process to choose a candidate for the next election. Friedrich Merz will run to be leader of Merkel's Christian Democratic Union and is open to a non-binding membership vote, where he's optimistic about getting a majority to support him, according to a person familiar with his plans. The former CDU heavyweight, a longtime Merkel antagonist, launched a failed bid for the post in 2018.Health Minister Jens Spahn, 39, said he's prepared to "take on responsibility" and signaled that potential Merkel successors were holding talks to discuss how to proceed."We'll be discussing in the coming days what form that takes," Spahn said in Berlin, according to Deutsche Presse Agentur. "We all need to make sure to give it a few days so that we can discuss things in quiet."Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the CDU leader who shook up the establishment this week by dropping her ambitions for the chancellorship and announcing she'd quit as party chairwoman, will begin talks with potential candidates next week, a CDU spokesman said on Wednesday.Meanwhile, the party's Bavarian allies demanded a say in choosing the conservative bloc's next chancellor candidate, throwing a twist into the process and foreshadowing months of potential acrimony over who gets to run for the job of leading Europe's biggest economy.At stake is Germany's future orientation as Merkel's succession evolves into an ideological battle over where the CDU, which has governed for Germany for most of its post-World War II history, is headed. The political fallout was triggered by an outcry over CDU lawmakers in the eastern state of Thuringia aligning with the far-right Alternative for Germany to install a regional leader last week.Kramp-Karrenbauer said Monday that she'll stay on until a new CDU leader is found, who would also be the chancellery candidate. The new setup would be approved by a party conference in December, but that time frame was quickly assailed by party grandees who said a new leader should be found sooner. Merkel has said she'll stand down after the next election, in autumn 2021 at the latest.For its part, the Christian Social Union, the Bavarian sister party of the CDU, said the decision on a candidate would be made by both parties. CSU leader Markus Soeder, also touted as a potential successor, will likely meet Kramp-Karrenbauer over the weekend at the Munich Security Conference, she said during a NATO meeting in Brussels.In addition to Spahn, Soeder and Merz, another likely candidate is Armin Laschet, a CDU moderate who leads Germany's largest state, North Rhine-Westphalia.Markus Blume, the CSU general secretary, was the latest official to rule out waiting until December to seal a decision at the CDU's conference.A party spokesman left open the possibility of an extraordinary meeting to install a new chair, but said no decision had been made.The CDU must first decide on a replacement for Kramp-Karrenbauer as party leader and then a joint decision will be made on the best candidate from the conservative bloc to contest the next election, Blume told Deutschlandfunk radio."This can of course in the end be the same person, but that doesn't have to be the case," he added.(Recasts to add Merz confirmation)\--With assistance from Iain Rogers.To contact the reporters on this story: Arne Delfs in Berlin at adelfs@bloomberg.net;Patrick Donahue in Berlin at pdonahue1@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Chad Thomas at cthomas16@bloomberg.net, Daniel Schaefer, Chris ReiterFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| US gives Iraq sanctions waiver for vital Iranian gas imports Posted: 12 Feb 2020 09:40 AM PST  The United States has granted Iraq a 45-day sanctions waiver enabling the country to continue importing vital Iranian gas and electricity supplies, two Iraqi officials said on Wednesday. The U.S. has applied stringent sanctions on Iran that punish any country trading with it. The issuance of the waiver comes amid fraught U.S.-Iraq ties following an American drone strike that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani near Baghdad airport on Jan. 3.
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| Macron to hold first meeting with German Greens amid CDU turmoil Posted: 12 Feb 2020 09:38 AM PST  French President Emmanuel Macron will this week meet the leaders of Germany's Greens for the first time, an official said Wednesday, as German Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling CDU party grapples with unprecedented turmoil. Macron will meet Friday with the leaders of the opposition Greens, Robert Habeck and Annalena Baerbock, on the sidelines of an annual security conference in Munich, a French presidential official told reporters. "There is no need to over-interpret it... It should not be seen as any kind of interference in the political situation of our main partner," the official added.
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| Sean Spicer will send your loved ones a custom Valentine's Day message for just $199 Posted: 12 Feb 2020 09:36 AM PST  Sean Spicer has the answer to your last-minute Valentine's Day scramble.The former White House press secretary is generously offering up custom video messages once priced at $400 for a mere $199 through the end of February. "If you forgot to get someone you love a thoughtful Valentine's Day gift, it's not too late," Spicer shared in an Instagram video posted Tuesday. Just find him on the Cameo app and you'll "get the best way to tell someone you love them (a video from me)" by Friday.> > > > View this post on Instagram> > If you forgot to get someone you love a thoughtful Valentine's Day gift, it's not too late. I've made my video shout outs on Cameo more than half off, only $199 through the end of Feb and all the proceeds are going directly to the Independence Fund. You get the best way to tell someone you love them (a video from me), and to do some good at the same time- a win-win! Head to the link in my bio or search me on the Cameo app. valentinesgift valentinesday valentines cameo seanspicer independencefund @independencefund @cameo> > A post shared by Sean Spicer (@seanmspicer) on Feb 11, 2020 at 6:47am PSTWhile it may seem like a high price from a man who once gave us somewhat daily video messages on the government's dime, Spicer isn't just pocketing your cash. Every dollar will go to The Independence Fund, specifically to help buy wheelchairs for wounded veterans, Spicer says on Cameo. So forget the flowers that will wilt in a week and get a custom message that will hold your loved one's interest for at least as long.More stories from theweek.com How the Army could end Vindman's career without an investigation 8 Republicans join Democrats in vote to limit Trump's military powers in Iran Trump reportedly spent important policy meetings grilling Reince Priebus about badgers
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| Belgian king makes rare speech by monarch to UN Security Council Posted: 12 Feb 2020 09:31 AM PST  United Nations (United States) (AFP) - Belgium's King Philippe addressed the UN Security Council in New York on Wednesday, making a rare appearance by a sovereign and calling for better protection of children in conflict zones.
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| Boris Johnson to Reshuffle Post-Brexit U.K. Cabinet on Thursday Posted: 12 Feb 2020 09:27 AM PST |
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