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brooklynite's JournalCNN post-debate poll: Bloomberg jumps ahead of Harris, Booker, Klobuchar, Yang, Gabbard...
https://twitter.com/politics_polls/status/1199711254253690881Bloomberg: US would benefit from more, not fewer, immigrants
AP NewsOn his second day campaigning for the Democratic nomination, the former New York City mayor contrasted his views on immigration with President Donald Trump’s restrictive policies and laid out a vision of a multicultural society enriched by immigrants.
“We need immigrants to take all the different kinds of jobs that the country needs — improve our culture, our cuisine, our religion, our dialogue and certainly improve our economy,” the billionaire told reporters at a Mexican restaurant in Phoenix.
He blasted Trump’s policies that resulted in the separation of families arriving on the border.
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RedditI wrote this book to alert the American people about the dangers posed by President Trump as I have seen firsthand. I’ll be answering your questions on Reddit from 7 – 8 PM EST.
Ask me anything. https://www.amazon.com/Warning/dp/1538718464
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New Jersey takes step toward banning 'gay panic' murder defense
Source: Politico
TRENTON — New Jersey could soon bar a legal defense tactic in murder cases known as “gay panic,“ under a bill the state Assembly approved on Monday without opposition or debate.
The defense has been used to attempt to downgrade charges against defendants who argued that they killed because they were provoked by the disclosure of the victim’s gender identity or sexual orientation.
According to the American Bar Association, eight states had barred the “gay panic” defense as of July 2019. New York was the most recent to do so, in June, when Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill on the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising.
The tactic seeks to exploit a state law that allows for the reduction of a murder charge to manslaughter if the crime is "is committed in the heat of passion resulting from a reasonable provocation."
Read more: https://www.politico.com/states/new-jersey/story/2019/11/25/new-jersey-takes-step-toward-banning-gay-panic-murder-defense-1229407
Pelosi: Compromise on trade deal 'within range'
Source: Politico
Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday that House Democrats and the Trump administration have worked out their issues on the USMCA, but she wants to see it in writing before declaring victory.
“We are within range of a substantially improved agreement for America’s workers. Now, we need to see our progress in writing from the Trade Representative for final review,” Pelosi said in a statement.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer had a sit-down with Pelosi and House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) late last week to discuss the last sticking points with the NAFTA update. They did not strike a deal then but committed to continuing talks this week in an effort to finish negotiations.
Pelosi and Democrats have repeatedly said they need to be sure the new pact includes stronger enforcement mechanisms before a House vote could be held.
Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/25/pelosi-usmca-compromise-within-range-073790
Berlin and Paris outline plan for EU makeover
Source: Politico
Germany and France have drawn up a blueprint for a two-year "Conference on the Future of Europe" aimed at overhauling nearly all aspects of how the EU functions, including possible treaty changes if need be, with a goal of making the bloc "more united and sovereign," according to a document seen by POLITICO.
The blueprint proposes that EU leaders hold a first discussion on the conference at their summit in Brussels next month. It calls for a two-phase initiative, with the first starting early next year and focused on "EU democratic functioning," especially "regarding elections and designations in key positions."
That's unencrypted code for fixing an election and leadership selection process widely perceived as badly broken after EU leaders this year cast aside the Spitzenkandidaten or "lead candidates" from the major political families and instead made the surprise choice of naming Ursula von der Leyen as Commission president — the top executive post.
Supporters of the lead candidate process, particularly in the European Parliament, were infuriated that the top job went to someone who had not campaigned for it — even though the heads of state and government on the European Council had issued clear warnings they would not be bound to the system, which is not written into the EU treaties.
Read more: https://www.politico.eu/article/berlin-and-paris-outline-plan-for-eu-makeover/
Bloomberg, Patrick make Florida primary ballot
PoliticoFlorida Democrats on Monday gave state election officials a list of 18 candidates for the March 17 primary that includes the two late entrants into the race.
Democrats had turned in a list in early November that didn't include Bloomberg or Patrick, but the party was allowed to update the primary ballot ahead of the state-mandated Nov. 30 deadline.
Florida law allows political parties to decide which candidates can appear on the primary ballot. State Democrats essentially put anyone on the ballot deemed a major candidate with national attention and national reach.
Anglican Church of Canada Fears "There Will Be No Members" by 2040
The Friendly AtheistA report commissioned by the Anglican Church of Canada has predicted the rapidly-approaching demise of the Anglican Church of Canada.
The report, described as “dire” by at least one bishop, was authored by the Rev. Neil Elliot, an Anglican priest from British Columbia. It was delivered during the church’s General Synod in Mississauga, Ontario earlier in November.
Elliot gathered information based on multiple data streams: church membership and attendance statistics, parish roll surveys, donor information, and subscription numbers for the church’s official publication, the Anglican Journal. The available data sample covered a time period dating back as far as 1961.
At that time, when membership was at its peak, the Anglican Church of Canada boasted 1.3 million members. The most recent numbers show a reduction to less than 400,000. Elliot says the trend is crystal-clear:
Profile Information
Name: Chris BastianGender: Male
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Home country: USA
Member since: 2002
Number of posts: 94,553
