sunnykerr

While this is the Lighter side of the news, it should be noted that some topics within this thread could contain stories, images and discussions that may cause a triggering event. To be respectful of everyone on the El&I board we have divided the News & Politics thread into two separate categories. "Lite" & "Sensitive"

This is the Lite thread. Topics discussed here should be the ones that fall on the lighter side of the news such as political cartoons, presidential campaigns, advances in science & technology....etc. The darker side of the news should be posted here News & Politics | Sensitive Topics this thread is clearly labeled so those who may be upset by certain topics can avoid them.

Thanks.

sunnykerr

Since the last three topics I proposed (Brexit, nuclear talks with North Korea and Prince Harry's lawsuit over phone hacking) were not found inspirational for discussion, I will propose a further four topics:

1. Protests choke communities in Haiti as aid, supplies dwindle So, on the last thread, I did complain about how nothing ever changes in U.S. politics, but obviously the same could be said about Haiti. The only difference is in the level of poverty, I suppose. Funny how the whole world seems to think it's on Haiti, too.
   
   
2. Mitch McConnell vows to stop impeachment in fundraising video It's a little gross how the guy who changed the Constitution-dictated functioning of the Senate brandish the Constitution as a basis for why he plans to obstruct the law. One wonders if he made that video before or after he found out about the second whistleblower.
   
   
3. France IVF bill: Protests gather thousands in Paris Speaking of gross, you'd think the French would have bigger things to worry about then preventing single women (and lesbians) from becoming mothers.
   
   
4. Spanish police rescued from ocean by alleged smugglers they were chasing Hard to know if they were really connected with the hashish, but either way it's pretty ironic, right?

canflam

Well, it was towards the end of the thread, so probably would have had to continue whatever new discussion in this new one anyway, but I am interested in Brexit & curious what happens at the end of this month over in the U.K. I didn't know about the upcoming Haiti elections. Apparently people want the current Haitian president to resign. Sen. Marco Rubio said that the U.S. has no role in who resigns or stays there.

Yesterday Senator Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson went on ''Meet The Press'' & instead of answering a legitimate question by Chuck Todd I think about why Ron Johnson ''winced'' about a possible Ukraine-Trump quid-pro-quo he attacked Chuck Todd & started going on about Peter Stryok, Lisa Paige & conspiracies. He mentioned how he doesn't trust the F.B.I. after what Peter Stryok & Lisa Paige did which was have a consenting affair & send text messages to each other about their disdain for Trump. Now I bring this up because many people unlike myself don't watch the news pretty much every day or perhaps have time to read the paper, but perhaps do take time on Sundays to watch political shows on T.V., so it should not be too much to ask politicians when they go on someone's talk show to show some respect & answer the host's questions instead of going off topic & discussing conspiracy theories. Anyway more nonsense this week as Trump wants Romney impeached for comments that Mitt has said about recently. Just so everyone knows the law here, Mitt Romney can't be impeached. He's also not surprisingly quite popular in Utah. Here's a link to some info on subpoena to the Pentagon. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hou...chment-inquiry

sunnykerr

I just don't understand what Boris is playing at. I get that he was lying since Day 1 about everything that would be "gained" from Brexit or having a plan at all. But you would think the roosters would have come home by now. It's time to be a grown-up and he's still acting like some put-upon high school stoner who can't even half-**** an assignment.

Like, what does he think trying to "shift" blame unto Angela Merkel will accomplish? The rest of us have been here these past three years. We all know the failure to come up with any kind of plan isn't on her, or on anyone at the EU.

Meliana

This was his plan all along, Sunny. There is the chance that Brexit voters will accept the severe consequences of a no deal Brexit if they can be convinced that the EU is to blame rather than the Government. He knew the EU would never go for his plans, that's why he never put any effort into the negotiations.

sunnykerr

Are there really people who think this is on the EU? Seriously? Wow.

Mind you, the negotiations dragged on for so long, I can see why some people stopped following what's been happening a long time ago.

I can't help but feel bad for Theresa May. She was truly hung out to pasture, wasn't she, if this was the plan all along?

Meliana

This is Johnson's plan. Theresa did her best, and wasn't prepared to screw over the country. She failed in that she couldn't get her own Party on her side. Johnson stands to gain from the disaster capitalists, and doesn't care if the country suffers.

Yes Brexit supporters are very much like that. Some have changed their mind though, and more will too once the reality kicks in, but it will be too late by then. Parliament is trying to stop Johnson, but I'm not sure whether they can at this point.

The weird thing is that support for Brexit has decreased to the point that more people are remain now, but we're on this train going full speed towards disaster, and no one can stop it.

canflam

Two Giuliani associates linked to Ukraine investigations indicted on campaign finance charges

Two associates of Rudy Giuliani who have been linked to his investigations in Ukraine have been indicted for campaign finance violations, according to court documents released Thursday.

Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman are accused of using a limited liability company to make political contributions related to American elections, in violation of FEC prohibitions against contributions from foreign nationals. Both men have been linked to Giuliani’s efforts to conduct investigations in Ukraine.

“Parnas and Fruman, who had no significant prior history of political donations, sought to advance their personal financial interests and the political interests of at least one Ukrainian government official with whom they were working,” the indictment, filed in the Southern District of New York, says.

A federal law enforcement source told Fox News that Parnas and Fruman were arrested Wednesday at Dulles International Airport in Virginia. Attorney General Bill Barr has been "aware and supportive" of SDNY officials and knew that both men would be arrested and charged Wednesday, a senior Justice Department official told Fox News.

Giuliani told Fox News that he represents Parnas and Fruman on a separate matter and called their arrest and indictment "timing suspect." He stated that he "will reveal relevant facts very very shortly."

Giuliani, an attorney for President Trump, said he finds it "extremely suspicious" that the arrest was made in connection with an FEC matter that has yet to be resolved, and which Giuliani said is a civil matter. Giuliani acknowledged that both men "logistically helped" in his collection of evidence against Hunter Biden, and that they helped connect him with former Ukrainian top prosecutors Viktor Shokin and Yuriy Lutsenko.

Parnas and Fruman created Global Energy Producers (GEP), and allegedly funneled money through the company. This included contributions of $325,000 and $15,000 to committees in May 2018, “to obtain access to exclusive policital events and gain influence with politicians,” the indictment says. They allegedly incorporated GEP around the time the contributions were made.

According to FEC records, GEP contributed $325,000 in May 2018 to pro-Trump super PAC America First Action. In a statement, a spokesperson for America First Action noted that a complaint was filed with the FEC in July 2018 over this contribution, as well as separate litigation in Florida. The statement said that the money was placed "in a segregated bank account," was not used, and "will remain in this segregated account until these matters are resolved.

"We take our legal obligations seriously and scrupulously comply with the law and any suggestion otherwise is false," the statement said.

Both men are accused of making false statements in response to the FEC complaint, related to the nature of GEP and the contribution.

Additionally, contributions from Fruman were allegedly made in Parnas’ name to get around federal contribution limits, and several contributions were made under the name "Igor Furman" instead of "Fruman," allegedly "to conceal the source of the funds and to evade federal reporting requirements."

The indictment also claims that Parnas and Fruman “committed to raise $20,000 or more for a then-sitting U.S. Congressman” whom they had met at a political event. At approximately the same time that they made that commitment, Parnas and the Congressman discussed the Congressman's assistance in securing the removal of the then-U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, and this was done "at least in part, at the request of one or more Ukrainian government officials," the indictment alleges.

The indictment also lays out allegations of a separate "foreign national donor scheme" involving the two men and two other defendants, American David Correia, and Ukrainian national Andrey Kukushkin, where they allegedly engaged in a conspiracy to make political contributions funded by an unnamed Russian national to obtain influence with political candidates regarding policies to benefit a recreational marijuana business venture, and to help obtain retail marijuana licenses.

Following the indictment, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam B. Schiff, D-Calif., House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, D-Md., and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Eliot L. Engel, D-N.Y., sent a letter accompanying subpoenas for Parnas and Fruman for documents pertaining to the impeachment investigation of President Trump.

"In addition to providing the subpoenaed documents, the Committees also expect your clients to appear to testify about these matters at a later date," the letter said.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/giu...inance-charges

This is irony I suppose.

sunnykerr

Giuliani has always been shifty, so I'm unsurprised to learn that he associates with shifty people.

Claire, that's where I am now. Did Teresa May fail to convince her party or was she just put in place to waste time until the clock ran out? Because that's a whole new level of bad faith for me. We all knew that they sold Brexit on lies about money and control of emigration, but it never occured to me that they were willing to sacrifice their country for no good reason.

Meliana

I don't think so, Sunny. She made a lot of mistakes for sure, but I don't think this path was set until she was ousted. No they never intended to go this route, and sold Brexit on the premise we would get everything we wanted. Now they have no other option to get want they want: either a hard damaging Brexit or no Brexit. Which ever way it goes the political repercussions will be huge.

canflam

Remind me who's idea Brexit was?

FOX is losing Shepard Smith. If you don't know of him, he's 1 of the people with a show on their network that doesn't kiss up to Trump & 1 of the things that Smith is known for is debunking the Uranium One conspiracies. I think that he will be missed, though I didn't watch his show a ton.

Also, a senior aid to Mike Pompeo has resigned. Here's a link to more on that story: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...quiry-n1064866

good for this aid resigning, but I'd be more impressed if he'd have gotten Pompeo to resign with him.

sunnykerr

Brexit was the Conservatives' idea, Matt. It's a rare moment in history where the government of a democratic country has stabbed its own country in the back.

And we're all gonna feel the hit, because the UK's economy is too big to fail.

There You'll Be

Boris Johnson may as well be Trump's brother. The reputation of the US is ruined, and probably for a long time to come. They won't say it was just Trump, because the rest of our government failed to stop injustice, and unfairness against other countries-mainly our allies. They must feel our government cannot be trusted to keep any deals, and to not work against them, in the most basic ways.

It feels like, to me, that Boris Johnson is fighting a losing battle, when he can't get his own party, or any of the government. Something was done that seems intended to have destroyed, and betrayed the people, and the stability of their economy. I don't know if I'm phrasing that right. At any rate, I do not see any benefit to Brexit, and they must have known all along. Of course Theresa May made mistakes somewhere. All leaders do.

As for Rudy, no surprise that Trump threw him under the bus. The fact that he didn't know that's where he would end up is ridiculous. The two Ukranian men who were tied up with Trump and Rudy, they are in pictures that include Mike Pence. There is nowhere for the 2 of them to hide now.

Fox news-William Barr, the Attorney General of the US, whose job it is to protect us, and enforce the law at the highest levels. Yes, he failed, by lying to everyone, for Trump, more than once. He went to Rupert Murdoch (owner of Fox news) the night before Shep Smith resigned (was told to leave). So, why is the AG there? No reason to be, except for being Trump's lapdog, and running errands, pressuring people, for Trump. So, Barr won't be far behind Rudy. The US is being run by a mob.

It all makes my head spin, and Claire, I have to think you are just now starting down a self-destructive path that we're 3 years into. I also have to hope that it's not too late to right things there, and start to create some order. I still don't understand the details of all of it, but I know Theresa May was screwed, by a bunch of men who are mindless, that then bailed. I'm not sure what you all need to happen? Also, when to happen?

France disgust me for that. I always thought the priority with families was togetherness, and love. Homes for children to be loved and protected. Couples whose love has been attacked showing their devotion to each other, and wanting a family. I don't get it, in this time in the world, with a supposed forward country like France.

sunnykerr

There's a definite relationship between Johnson and Trump in how they'll say everything and its opposite in the span of a few hours. Johnson is now saying that there is a way forward for a Brexit deal that would secure everyone's rights and protect the economy. Of course, he's not sharing the details.

The thing about France that you have to remember, Kim, is that there wouldn't be anything to manifest against if the law hadn't passed. There are more reasonable people than there are old conservative farts clutching their pearls about lesbian IVF.

Meanwhile, things aren't going well in Central and Latin America:

Venezuela denies entry of Guatemala's president-elect

Ecuador's indigenous leaders willing to talk; curfew imposed

Second wave of demonstrations rock Bolivia as thousands protest Morales

Trump is kidding himself if he thinks we don't see the U.S.'s involvement in all of this. And he's doubly kidding himself if he doesn't see these events as a cause for people to seek refuge in North America.

canflam

Not familiar with Morales. What's his deal? Last week Trump said "We'll see what happens with respect to a lot of different things." He was talking about ISIS & bringing back soldiers home. He says that a lot & it's strange. Unless other presidents have said that about important such things. It doesn't make our president appear like he knows what's going on. Though I guess that could be a given. I don't have the link to this story as I'm on phone & our libraries are closed today, but here in Oregon Republicans have been trying to recall Gov. Kate Brown over a greenhouse gas emissions cap-and-trade bill that she backed, but failed to emerge from the legislature, among other things. I like her & remember our previous governor resigned in part because he had an affair.