Donald John Trump stated the soldiers injured in Iraq only suffered a severe headache. He disrespected the USA military and views them as potential to earn money instead of pay taxes.

Donald John Trump is lawless, has no respect for the USA military and seeks to diminish the USA's esteem in the world.

January 25, 2020
By Victoria Bekiempis

Veterans of Foreign Wars, (click here) a prominent organization advocating for US military veterans, has called for Donald Trump to apologize for remarks downplaying brain injuries recently suffered by nearly three dozen American service members in Iraq.

The group was joined by several other US veterans’ organizations, criticizing Trump’s remarks and saying they showed a lack of understanding of injuries and what US troops face in overseas conflicts.

The VFW’s statement stems from Trump’s remarks on injuries resulting from a 8 January Iranian missile strike on a US base in Iraq. Thirty-four US soldiers suffered from concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI) after the strike, which was a reprisal for the US drone strike assassination of the Iranian general Qassem Suleimani. Donald Trump had previously said that the US “suffered no casualties” from the attack.

“Veterans of Foreign Wars cannot stand idle on this matter,” William “Doc” Schmitz, VFW’s National Commander, said in a statement. “TBI is a serious injury and one that cannot be taken lightly. TBI is known to cause depression, memory loss, severe headaches, dizziness and fatigue – all injuries that come with both short- and long-term effects.”...

January 14, 2020
By Aaron Rupar

During an interview (click here) on Laura Ingraham’s Fox News show Friday night, President Donald Trump made a stunning announcement: Saudi Arabia was paying the US $1 billion to send US troops to defend it from Iran.

“We’re sending more [troops] to Saudi Arabia, and Saudi Arabia is paying us for it,” Trump said. “I said, ‘Listen, you’re a very rich country. You want more troops? I’m going to send them to you, but you have to pay us.’ They’re paying us. They’ve already deposited $1 billion in the bank.”...

So, while Saudi Arabia is paying for the presence of the USA military, France is pleading for USA assistance.

January 25, 2020
By Dan DeLuce

Washington - France is appealing to President Donald Trump (click here) not to cut off U.S. military support to French forces fighting Islamist militants in Africa, warning that it could undermine efforts to counter a growing terrorist threat in the Sahel region.

Trump administration officials, however, are skeptical of the French counterterrorism mission's value and have refused so far to promise continued logistical and intelligence support that French forces rely on in their fight against al Qaeda and ISIS-linked groups, according to one current and one former U.S. official.

"We're spending hundreds of millions of dollars on a French force that has not been able to turn the tide," said a senior administration official, who was not authorized to speak on the record....

It would appear as though France and Iraq haven't paid enough to the bank as Saudi Arabia did in order to secure USA troops to assist in dire circumstances.

January 25, 2020

Beirut - Four Christian aid workers (click here) reportedly disappeared while driving to a meeting inside the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on Wednesday, the organization SOS Chretiens d’Orient announced on Friday.

“Monday, January 20, four of our collaborators disappeared in Baghdad. They had to drive to a meeting in the late afternoon. After several unsuccessful contact attempts throughout Tuesday, we noted their disappearance on Wednesday and therefore immediately alerted the French authorities. Today, the French and Iraqi authorities are coordinating to investigate and trace them,” the organization’s statement read.

According to SOS Chretiens d’Orient, three French and one Iraqi employee disappeared in Baghdad, but their identities were withheld for safety reasons.

SOS Chretiens d’Orient has been one of the most active aid organizations in the Middle East. The organization has provided aid to communities in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Egypt.

It would seem as thought Eric Prince is too busy circumventing sanctions on Venezuela to be the real mercenary force from the USA.

January 16, 2020
By Stephanie Baker and Ben Bartenstein

When Erik Prince, (click here) a major Trump donor and private security mogul, traveled to Caracas in November for secret talks with Venezuela’s vice president, he was not, it turns out, the central figure orchestrating the meetings.

That person was a controversial British deal-maker by the name of Ian Hannam, according to people familiar with the situation. Hannam, a former JPMorgan banker, arranged the trip as part of his yearlong scouting effort for possible gold investments in the crisis-battered nation, the people said. Prince’s meeting with Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has been reported; Hannam’s role hasn’t.

The discussion of mining ventures with Rodriguez raises fresh questions about whether Prince, a Michigan native and brother of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, violated U.S. law against doing business with sanctioned officials. Hannam is British and not subject to the same restrictions.

The trip is part of an intense behind-the-scenes scrimmage for Venezuela’s wealth and resources as it grapples with political gridlock, international sanctions and a humanitarian crisis. Juan Guaido, the opposition leader who’s recognized as interim head of state by the U.S. and more than 50 countries, is wrestling for control of the legislature with a lawmaker backed by President Nicolas Maduro and Russia....

The defense in the impeachment of Donald John Trump is a cover-up.

Department of Justice is not the White House Council. The defense is desperate to find a reason why obstruction by the TRUMP ADMINISTRATION existed. Even an opinion by the DOJ is not necessarily a good opinion so much as an obstruction in and of itself.

The US House has yet to be wrong in their filings with the courts in regard to the obstruction of the Trump Administration.

There is very poor character within the Trump Administration and in that exists obstruction. To date, the US House's challenge to the obstruction has been successful. It is OBVIOUS that the Trump Administration in their POOR CHARACTER is attempting to obstruct to protect the guilty.

Philbin is holding to the only attempt to end the impeachment of Donald John Trump and that is to disenfranchise the US House from it's process and rules. The rules as determined by the US Senate and/or the Executive Branch is not required in the US House where the US Constitution demands the US House make it's own rules.

The speaker is responsible for ensuring that the House passes legislation supported by the majority party. In pursuing this goal, the speaker may use their power to determine when each bill reaches the floor. They also chair the majority party's steering committee in the House

The Speaker has the responsibility of introducing bills to the US House floor. That means any impeachment of Donald John Trump needed information to the US House to proceed. Her demand for an inquiry was right and necessary. Her judgement is the only real authority that matters in preparing bills to the US House floor.

Philbin is lying/

November 29, 2019
By Michael D. Shear

Washington — The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee (click here) asked President Trump on Friday whether he intends to mount a defense during the committee’s consideration of impeachment articles, setting a deadline of next Friday for Mr. Trump and his lawyers to decide if they will present evidence or call witnesses.

In a letter to the president, Representative Jerrold Nadler, Democrat of New York and the committee chairman, said Mr. Trump has the right to review the evidence against him, ask questions of his accusers during public hearings that begin next week and present evidence and request witness testimony.

“Please provide the committee with notice of whether your counsel intends to participate, specifying which of the privileges your counsel seeks to exercise,” Mr. Nadler wrote. He said the deadline for responding is 5 p.m. on Dec. 6.

Mr. Nadler’s panel will begin examining next week whether Mr. Trump abused the power of his office by pressuring Ukraine for politically beneficial investigations of his political rivals, and whether the president obstructed the congressional inquiry by refusing to provide documents and by blocking witnesses from testifying.

Due process is not demanded in an impeachment by the US Constitution. Actually, Speaker Pelosi offered more opportunity for due process to Donald John Trump than any other Speaker in history.

November 2, 2019
by Erwin Chemerinsky

President Trump and his supporters continue to complain that the House of Representatives is denying him due process. But in fact, every part of the inquiry to date has been in line with constitutional mandates, and the impeachment procedures adopted by the House of Representatives on Thursday go well beyond what the Constitution requires.

The Constitution says very little about how impeachment proceedings are to be conducted. The document specifies that the president, as well as federal judges and other officers of the United States, can be impeached for “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors” and gives the House of Representatives sole power to impeach. If a majority of the House votes for impeachment, there is then a trial in the Senate, which is presided over by the Chief Justice of the United States. It takes a two-thirds vote of the Senate to remove the president from office.

That’s it; that’s all the Constitution tells us about the procedures that must be followed. So long as these few rules are followed, it cannot be said that Congress is violating the Constitution. Trump and White House Counsel Pat Cipollone have said that the Constitution required a House resolution to authorize an impeachment inquiry, but they’re wrong....

It doesn't matter if the Whistleblower understand the law or the way to proceed. A Whistleblower can receive guidance either anonymously or not. The "truth" as stated in any complaint is investigated and is not simply taken as face value. The complaint is a REASON FOR ACTION, not a reason to prosecute.

The Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA) (click here) protects Federal employees and applicants for employment who lawfully disclose information they reasonably believe evidences:

•  a violation of law, rule, or regulation;
•  gross mismanagement;
•  a gross waste of funds;
•  an abuse of authority;
•  or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety.  

Under the WPA, certain federal employees may not take or fail to take, or threaten to take or fail to take; any personnel action against an employee or applicant for employment because of the employee or applicant’s protected whistleblowing. See 5 U.S.C. § 2302(b)(8)....

Law can be quoted ad nauseum in this impeachment but it doesn't matter because the Trump defense lawyers and Trump himself consider themselves lawless in their accusations and actions. When a president is impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of justice it is because he has violated the public trust affiliated with the office. There is no defense when the evidence is obvious and hence the imagineering by the administration.

Donald John Trump FIRST formulated his OWN USE of the language of the law, ie: "I can do what I want," therefore breaking the law as he proceeded in his zealotry.

The Starr impeachment is not at all under the same law as that of Trump's. There is no parallel or precedent that can be drawn from the Starr investigation and impeachment because the law applied then is a completely different understanding than the current law.

President Zelenskyy's words is not valid because he was COMPROMISED by Trump as per the date of the conversation. Zelenskky in offering many opportunities to meet with Trump was desperation to receive the military aid for Ukraine, hence, acting when he was already COMPROMISED. Trump's only goal with Zelenskyy was to postpone the military aid to the point of no return when the expiration date of the legislation would prevent any sale of Javelins.

We know for a fact that Trump's agenda was to compromise Ukraine to favor Russia because he placed a permanent hold on the sale of Javalins BEFORE the conversation took place.

...The Trump administration (click here) initially told Congress it was releasing the aid to Ukraine on February 28. It repeated that assertion to Congress again on May 23, but failed to explain to lawmakers but struggled to explain — both publicly and to the lawmakers who approved the aid — exactly why the funds were withheld.

Even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell couldn’t get a straight answer from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper over the summer on why the aid hadn’t been dispersed yet....

Ukraine's President Zelenskyy was COMPROMISED since March 1, 2019 when Trump hadn't released the military aid. Any conversation between Zelenskyy and Trump after March 1, 2019 is COMPROMISED CONTENT. 

Why?

Because Zelenskyy never asked (after April 1, 2019, the day of his election) why the military aid was delayed or not released on February 28, 2019 as promised by the legislation of Congress. INSTEAD, President Zelensky was always trying to over come any objection by Trump to gain the release of the military aid. Even during the conversation of July 25th (click here) was COMPROMISED and that is when the Whistleblower came to the decision the aid was never going to Ukraine and the deadline to receive the aid was approaching.

Whether the place for a meeting was Ukraine or Poland or otherwise, it was never going to happen.

...U.S. President Donald Trump cancelled his planned visit, (click here) citing the threat of Hurricane Dorian, and sent Pence instead.

Trump’s absence delivered a blow to Ukraine’s plans, as the U.S. president was scheduled to have a one-on-one meeting with Zelensky....

S.2537 - Ukraine Foreign Assistance Integrity and Accountability Act of 2019 (click here)ECTION 

1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Ukraine Foreign Assistance Integrity and Accountability Act of 2019”.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress makes the following findings:

(1) Since 2014, the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, with broad bipartisan support, have provided millions of dollars in security and development assistance to Ukraine as it defends against Kremlin aggression in Crimea and eastern Ukraine.

(2) Security assistance for Ukraine has enhanced the army, national guard, and navy of Ukraine and helped the country defend against Russian aggression.

(3) Since 2014, the United States has imposed a series of sanctions on the Russian Federation in response to its illegal occupation of Crimea and continued military operations in eastern Ukraine.

(4) Security and development assistance programing have been designed, implemented, and supported by personnel at the Department of State, the Department of Defense, and the United States Agency for International Development.

(5) Before submitting notifications to obligate funds to Congress, the Department of State has traditionally shared obligation notifications with the Office of Management and Budget, to be reviewed for approximately 5 days.

(6) On June 21, 2019, the Department of State sent a notification to the Office of Management and Budget to obligate security assistance funding for Ukraine.

(7) On September 22, 2019, President Donald Trump acknowledged that he raised a 2020 United States presidential candidate in a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

(8) On September 11, 2019, the Department of State sent a notification to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate to obligate security assistance funding for Ukraine.

SEC. 3. INVESTIGATION INTO WITHHOLDING OF UKRAINE FOREIGN ASSISTANCE.

(a) Sense Of The Senate.—It is the sense of the Senate that security assistance provided to the country of Ukraine is in the vital national security interests of the United States and is a critical component of United States efforts to counter aggression and malign influence on the part of the Government of the Russian Federation.

(b) Inspector General Investigation.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Inspector General of the Department of State shall immediately investigate and, not later than October 25, 2019, provide to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on inappropriate interference into foreign assistance designated for Ukraine....

October 3, 2019
By Deirdre Shesgreen, Nicholas Wu and William Cummings

...Giuliani's admission (click here) that he was the source of the dossier, during a late-night interview with CNN, marked an anti-climatic end to another drama-filled day in Washington.

The State Department's inspector general billed Wednesday's briefing as an “urgent” matter related to Ukraine; arrangements were quickly made for him to speak with congressional staff in a closed-door room reserved for classified briefings.

After the hour-long briefing, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., emerged and seemed befuddled by what he'd learned. The Maryland lawmaker said he'd expected to hear about possible threats of retaliation against State Department employees who agreed to cooperate with the Democrats' impeachment inquiry. 

But that subject did not come up, Raskin said. Instead, he came out with about 40 pages of nonsense that he said seemed like an irrelevant distraction....

From “Ukraine Foreign Assistance Integrity and Accountability Act of 2019” - The Senate set this down as a requirement of knowledge to be reported.

Got that? The Senators themselves asked for these reports.

(2) ELEMENTS.—The investigation and report under this subsection shall include the following elements:

(A) An examination of when and how the Department of State first learned $141,500,000 in foreign military assistance for Ukraine would be delayed, and the extent of the involvement of the Secretary of State and other political appointees of the President in deciding to suspend that assistance and implement that decision.

(B) An assessment of the reasons the Office of Management and Budget provided for blocking the obligation of the foreign assistance funds in question to Ukraine....

January 16, 2020
By Ayesha Rascoe

The Office of Management and Budget blocked (click here) the Defense Department from spending money designated by Congress on July 25, "pending a policy decision," according to OMB General Counsel Mark Paoletta. That hold was lifted on Sept. 12.

But a 1974 law that governs budget procedure within the government "does not permit OMB to withhold funds for policy reasons," said Thomas Armstrong, general counsel for the watchdog Government Accountability Office....

...The law further designates the ways in which Congress has the power of the purse. Under the Impoundment Control Act, it is illegal for OMB to withhold money that has been appropriated by Congress and signed into law.

If the White House wants to delay or deny funds, it must first alert Congress.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, asked the GAO to assess Trump's decisions to freeze the Ukraine aid.

Van Hollen said he thought the report vindicated Congress' decision to impeach Trump.

"We now have a GAO decision stating conclusively that the Trump administration violated the law. We know the president ordered that violation of law. And it's just all the more important that Republican senators support a fair trial," Van Hollen told NPR. "That means getting to the truth. And that means getting all the documents that are relevant to this case and all the relevant witnesses."

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., opposes the introduction of fresh witnesses or evidence into a Senate trial, arguing the Senate's role is to assess the House's fact-finding, not to do new investigations on its own....

The US Senate ORDERED the reports by the Inspector General of the State Department and Giuliani attempted to corrupt the findings of that Inspector General.

Additionally, the US Senate ORDERED a review by the Office of Budget and Management. That office is within the Government Accounting Office (GAO).

Office of Management and Budget (click here) —Regulatory Review Activities during the Fiscal Year 2019 Lapse in Appropriations

B-331132: Dec 19, 2019

The Senate is in the possession of the review of the Office of Management and Budget as published by the GAO and they have NO RIGHT TO IGNORE THE VERY REVIEW THEY ORDERED.

TRUMP BROKE THE LAW and the US SENATE KNOWS IT!

IT IS A COVER - UP BY THE US SENATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The US Senate should vote for removal of office according to the oath because they know the findings of the very orders they demanded in relation to the withholding of aid to Ukraine.

US Senators that vote down the Impeachment of Donald J. Trump are consenting to corruption and abuse of government.

Trump's lawyers are making a big deal of "Burden Sharing."

August 16, 2018

NATO’s July 2018 summit meeting (click here) has been one of the most divisive meetings in the Alliance’s history. Regardless of whether NATO can now cover its internal divisions up with some kind of public façade, President Trump’s confrontational bargaining style has divided the U.S. from its allies over other issues like trade and tariffs, how to deal with Russia, the JCPOA agreement with Iran, refugees, the search for an Israeli-Palestinian peace settlement, the environment, and even German gas imports from Russia. Transatlantic unity is at something approaching a record low.

The immediate issue for NATO, however, is burdensharing as measured in percentages of defense spending. President Trump has put growing pressure on America’s European allies to meet NATO’s two major goals: spending 2% of each country’s GDP on defense, and 20% of defense spending on equipment purchases. Goals that NATO set in 2014, with the further goal that they should be met by 2024, but that have since been treated as the key political metrics of what current national burdensharing performance should be....

Trump is increasing the danger to the USA's national defense by causing enormous divides with allies while building favorable relationships with Russia and other strong man governments.

Donald John Trump needs to be impeached and the US Senate knows it!

September 30, 2019
By Bryan Bender and Wesley Morgan

The military aid scandal that spawned the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump has a very different significance for Ukraine, where years of U.S. assistance have just begun to turn a ragtag army into a better-armed and professional force to counter Russian aggression.

The U.S. has provided about $1.5 billion in military support to Kiev between 2014 and this past June, according to an updated analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. And Trump’s temporary cut off of the aid represented a significant setback for the country....

CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH OFFICE (click here)

The US Senate has the report stated above. The US Senate KNOWS what Trump antics have brought to Ukraine and the USA National Security. 

THE US SENATE KNOWS THE TRUTH.

The US Senate needs to remove Trump from office. The FACTS are in and the danger to the USA and it's allies are concrete. The US Senate needs to end it's charade in regard to finding no fault of Trump. They are abandoning the country for their own political ideas of national security.

Trump’s temporary cut off of the aid represented a significant setback for the country

Damage has already been done. It is not FAKE. Trump caused real damage to Ukraine. 

Trump needs to be removed from office!

The US Senate needs to do their job with the KNOWLEDGE THEY ALREADY HAVE INCLUDING THAT PRESENTED BY THE US HOUSE MANAGERS.

US Senators that do not vote to remove Trump from office is acting outside their oath of office in acting in true faith and allegiance to the US Constitution.

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.

The Republicans have more names for "IMMUNITY" than any MD ever could.

There is no such thing as "qualified immunity." Immunity of any kind, regardless of the office, is obstruction of justice.

January 21, 2020
By Vanessa Romo

Drinking fountains are marked "Do Not Drink Until Further Notice" at Flint Northwestern High School in Flint, Mich., in May 2016. After 18 months of insisting that water drawn from the Flint River was safe to drink, officials admitted it was not.

The Supreme Court (click here) on Tuesday cleared the way for water crisis victims to sue state and local government officials in Flint, Mich.

For years, Flint city officials and state regulators have argued that they are protected by "qualified immunity" from being sued for their role in the water contamination crisis. But lower courts have ruled to the contrary.

In refusing to take up a pair of cases involving the lead-tainted water, the Supreme Court has upheld those lower court rulings.

Attorney Michael Pitt, co-lead counsel on the class action lawsuit, which includes thousands of Flint residents suing for damages from the 2014 incident, welcomed the decision as a major victory.

He said, "It's time for the people of Flint to start feeling like they are going to get their day in court," Michigan Radio reporter Steve Carmody reported. "This just moves the entire process closer to that day."

Pitt added that his clients have thus far "been denied justice."...
.....................................................................................................

Geography (click here)

Q: How many lakes are there in Michigan?

A: There are more than 11,000 inland lakes, 5 acres in size or larger, in Michigan. According to the Michigan Historical Society, one is never more than 6 miles from an inland lake or more than 85 miles from one of the Great Lakes.

The formation of the advisory council in Michigan is long overdue. The states has a great deal of water issues in every county in the state. In order to maintain quality of life and economic strength Michigan demands a comprehensive council to provide oversight to serious issues of water quality and sustainability.

January 24, 2020
By Madeline Clark

Lansing -Two Flint residents (click here) are among 21 people who were just selected to serve on Michigan’s first advisory council for environmental justice.

The council will be under the direction of Governor Whitmer.
Lynn Williams and Mona Monroe-Younis are the representatives from Flint.

Williams is the community engagement officer for the Community Foundation of Greater Flint and a board member on the Richard Allen Battle Foundation.

Monroe-Younis is the executive director of Environmental Transformation Movement of Flint and a neighborhood planner for the Flint Planning and Development Department.

The other representatives are as follows:

Paul Mohai, Ph.D., Ann Arbor
Tony Reames, Ph.D., Farmington Hills
Carla Walker-Miller, Detroit
Fadi Mourad, Farmington Hills
Monica Lewis-Patrick, Detroit
Bryan Lewis, Detroit
Salah Ali, Dearborn
Theresa Landrum, Detroit
Justin Onwenu, Detroit
Nick Leonard, Detroit 
Sylvia Orduño, Detroit
Frank Houston, Royal Oak
Donavan McKinney, Detroit
Joel Howrani Heeres, Detroit
Alison Sutter, Grand Rapids
Nicole Britten, Saint Joseph
Bryan Newland, Brimley
John Petoskey, Northport
Keith Cooley, Detroit

I'd like to know more about the Republican sacred cows.

January 24, 2020
by Maurie Backman

...In 2020, (click here) for example, beneficiaries received just a 1.6% COLA. That raise, in turn, would've added about $24 a month to the average senior's paycheck if it weren't for the fact that Medicare premiums rose simultaneously, thereby knocking out more than one-third of that increase.

But that's not the only reason why seniors are unhappy with not just this year's COLA, but COLAs in general. On a whole, they do a poor job of serving their intended purpose: keeping up with inflation. The Senior Citizens League estimates that Social Security benefits have lost 33% of their buying power since 2000. And that's why the majority of seniors feel the way COLAs are determined needs to change -- immediately.

A new way to calculate COLAs

In a recent survey by the Senior Citizens League, 85% of retirees said Congress needs to make changes to deliver higher COLAs to seniors. This especially holds true in light of the fact that COLAs have been extremely low for more than a decade, averaging just 1.4% annually. By comparison, COLAs averaged 3% annually between 1999 and 2009.

Not only have COLAs dipped in recent years, but Medicare Part B premiums -- which eat into Social Security increases -- have grown nearly three times as fast. As such, seniors on both Social Security and Medicare have seen a measly income boost over the past 10 years.

What's the solution?

Many seniors insist that COLAs need to be calculated differently. Right now, the CPI-W is an imperfect tool for determining COLAs, because its data reflects expenses that aren't senior-specific. Seniors, for example, are likely to struggle with rising healthcare costs, and care less about fluctuating fuel prices, since they don't commute daily to work. That's just one example, but it explains why 38% of the seniors surveyed by the Senior Citizens League think there should be a distinct CPI for older Americans -- the CPI-E, or Consumer Price Index for the Elderly, whose data would then dictate what COLAs amount to.

Meanwhile, 47% of seniors feel there should be a minimum 3% COLA guarantee each year -- a raise that's more in line with the general rate of inflation.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

January 24, 2020
By Niv Elis

A spat (click here) between former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) over social security has brought an issue long considered a sacred cow for Democrats to the forefront of the 2020 race....

...The back-and-forth comes as both candidates have staked out somewhat different positions on social security.

Sanders has consistently called for expanding the entitlement programs such as social security as well as benefits, promising to raise money by increasing taxes on the wealthy and on corporations. 

Meanwhile, Biden has also argued for an expansion of social security, though he has also frequently called for “grand bargains” that would sacrifice Republican sacred cows by raising taxes and also Democratic ones by addressing, in some form, the unsustainable elements of Social Security.

That willingness to compromise and work with Republicans is often touted as an attractive asset by some of Biden supporters, but it has been less well received by progressives who support Sanders. 

I find the hubris leaking to the public, "Stick with Mitch," in violation of the oath taken by the members of the US Senate before the proceedings began.

The reason that witnesses would turn the proceedings into a 2 to 5 month process rather than a 2 to 5 day process also in violation of the oath of the proceedings.

"I solemnly swear (or affirm, as the case may be) that in all things appertaining to the trial of the impeachment of [Donald John Trump], now pending, I will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws: so help me God."

If the US House Impeachment managers are stating there are witnesses the US Senate needs to hear from that is a matter of fact and not opinion.

Kindly remember, one of the most extremist elements in the Republican Party is the "Freedom Caucus." One of it's members became so disgusted with the current Executive Branch, including the president, he resigned from being a Republican.

June 11, 2019
By Haley Byrd and Kate Sullivan

Rep. Justin Amash on Monday stepped down (click here) from the conservative House Freedom Caucus less than a month after becoming the first Republican member of Congress to say President Donald Trump has committed impeachable offenses.

"I have the highest regard for them and they're my close friends," he told CNN. "I didn't want to be a further distraction for the group."

Amash's series of tweets in mid-May shook Capitol Hill, as the conservative Michigan lawmaker said special counsel Robert Mueller's report established "multiple examples" of Trump committing obstruction of justice. Amash was later insulted by Trump for his opinions -- the President said he's "been a loser for a long time" -- and faced blowback from top Republican officials. He's also now facing a primary challenger who is touting his support of Trump....

There has been compelling testimony by highly regarded members of the State Department in regard to lawlessness by the president and his associates. The truth is very evident and for the US Senate to play games at the cost of the US Constitution is illegal. The oath demands the US Senate to carry out it's constitutional responsibilities as the US House did.

China needs to develop public health officials that inspect food on a regular basis. The last time a coronavirus began in China it was due to the sale and consumption of wildlife. I find this highly suspicious for food demands in this area of China. China has been working hard to raise their people out of poverty and in this region alone there have been 40 or more cities/towns reaching a standard that brings them out of a classification of poverty.

When a country like China with a population of over 1.3 billion people finds itself losing shipments of food, GOOD QUALITY FOOD, from places like the agricultural lands of the USA, there is a desperation to obtain food. Wildlife in China are hunted if there are people starving.

I believe there is a strong suspicion to be investigated in that the issues of tariffs have caused a food depression in China. If that is the case then the coronavirus could be the result of draconian policies of the Trump administration. 

January 20, 2020
By Weizhen Tan

...The coronavirus, (click here) which causes a type of pneumonia, was thought to have originated at a wholesale seafood market in the Chinese city of Wuhan. It was first reported in late December....

January 20, 2020
By Gigi Choy and Alice Yan

The outbreak (click here) of a new coronavirus stemming from Wuhan, China, has killed nine people and afflicted more than 400 others ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday during which hundreds of millions of people are expected to travel.

Health authorities (click here) in the Chinese city of Wuhan said another person had died from the recently identified coronavirus infection, bringing the total to four.

It added that 15 medical staff in Wuhan had contracted the virus, confirming that it is spreading by human transmission and raising concerns that people at the most virulent stage of infection – so-called super-spreaders – could infect many others.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said it would call an emergency meeting on Wednesday to decide whether the outbreak should be declared an international public health emergency.

The new strain of coronavirus was identified this month after a mystery pneumonia started striking people in Wuhan mid-December. It is so far known to have spread to Thailand, South Korea and Japan in addition to the cases in China, in Beijing, Shanghai and the southern province of Guangdong....

WHO:

On 31 December 2019, (click here) WHO was alerted to several cases of pneumonia in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China. The virus did not match any other known virus. This raised concern because when a virus is new, we do not know how it affects people.

One week later, on 7 January, Chinese authorities confirmed that they had identified a new virus. The new virus is a coronavirus, which is a family of viruses that include the common cold, and viruses such as SARS and MERS. This new virus was temporarily named “2019-nCoV.”

WHO has been working with Chinese authorities and global experts from the day we were informed, to learn more about the virus, how it affects the people who are sick with it, how they can be treated, and what countries can do to respond.

Because this is a coronavirus, which usually causes respiratory illness, WHO has advice to people on how to protect themselves and those around them from getting the disease....

Moscow Mitch is keeping his word to his Russian Oligarch, “Trump stays in office,  until Putin can re-elect him.”