February 13, 2017

Ex-Navy SEAL congressman: Trump and intel community need to get on the same page 'very quickly'

Source: Politico

A GOP Congressman said Monday morning that President Donald Trump and the intelligence community that he leads “need to get on the same page very quickly” amid simmering concerns about national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Rep. Scott Taylor’s comments to CNN’s “New Day” come as Flynn is under fire for reportedly discussing a reprieve from American sanctions with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S. before Trump was sworn into office. Asked by The Washington Post if he had had such a discussion, Flynn repeatedly said no but then backed away from that denial via a spokesman, who said Flynn did not recall discussion sanctions but could not be sure that the topic was not raised.

Taylor (R-Va.), a former Navy SEAL, said he did not have any information on Fynn’s situation beyond what was being reported in the media and that the degree to which he is alleged to have acted inappropriately would depend greatly on what specifically he said.

The sanctions reportedly discussed by Flynn were imposed last December by former President Barack Obama, punishment for Russia’s interference into the U.S. presidential election last year. Despite the intelligence community’s assessment that Russia was to blame for the wave of election-year cyberattacks, Trump was for months reluctant to concede the point. The president was even more unwilling to accept the intelligence community’s assessment that the Kremlin had launched those attacks with the specific goal of aiding Trump’s candidacy.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/trump-michael-flynn-intelligence-community-scott-taylor-234954

February 13, 2017

Citing Trump and Brexit, EU sees euro zone economy risk, sharp drop in UK growth

Source: Reuters

The European Commission said on Monday that uncertainty about U.S. policies, Brexit and elections in Germany and France would take their toll on the euro zone economy this year.

It forecast euro zone economic growth to lose some speed this year before rebounding in 2018. It saw a sharp growth drop ahead in non-euro zone and EU-leaver Britain.

The British economy will nearly halve its expansion by 2018, the European Union executive said in a broad series of economic forecasts.

Growth in the 19 countries sharing the euro would slow to 1.6 percent this year from 1.7 percent in 2016, but would gain speed in 2018 when the bloc's gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to increase by 1.8 percent.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-forecasts-growth-idUSKBN15S162?utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_content=58a1af0104d301318c1ffab5&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

February 13, 2017

Theo 'rape' case fuels clashes with police in Paris area

Source: BBC News

Protesters have attacked a police station on the southern outskirts of Paris amid anger over the alleged rape of a young black man by French police.

The overnight violence in Les Ulis followed earlier clashes between police and protesters at the weekend, in which several dozen people were detained.

In Les Ulis three police cars were damaged, French media report.

Tension has gripped some Paris suburbs since 2 February, when a man called Theo was allegedly beaten up and raped.

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38957953?ocid=socialflow_twitter

February 13, 2017

Kremlin: Trump, Putin could meet before July

Source: The Hill

President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin could meet before the G20 summit in July, the Kremlin said Monday.

Officials said there is talk about a potential meeting between the two leaders prior to the summit, Reuters reported.

In January, Trump spoke with Putin over the phone. During that call, Trump condemned a 2010 nuclear arms-reduction treaty as a bad deal for the U.S. The treaty gives both countries until 2018 to cut their strategic nuclear missile launchers to 1,550, the lowest number in decades, and limits numbers of land- and submarine-launched missiles and heavy bombers.

While Trump has praised Putin in the past, the president tweeted earlier this month that he didn't know Putin and had "no deals in Russia."

Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/international/319177-trump-putin-could-have-meeting-before-july

February 10, 2017

Defiant Assad tells Yahoo News torture report is 'fake news'

Source: Yahoo News

DAMASCUS – Confronted with new evidence of torture and mass hangings in one of his military prisons, Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an exclusive interview with Yahoo News that the allegations were the product of a “fake news era” and charged that a human rights group, Amnesty International, had fabricated evidence to discredit his embattled government.

“You can forge anything these days,” Assad said when asked about a new Amnesty International report estimating that between 5,000 and 13,000 prisoners were killed in a “calculated campaign of extrajudicial execution” at a military prison outside of Damascus between 2011 and December 2015. “We are living in a fake news era.”

Assad, combative and unyielding, also insisted the United States had no grounds to condemn Syria for human rights abuses, pointing to the invasion of Iraq and to American support for Saudi Arabia, a country that beheads prisoners. “The United States is in no position to talk about human rights,” he said. Challenged over the issue, Assad grew contentious, saying at one point, “You own the questions. I own the answers.”

The Syrian president was also confronted for the first time with chilling photographs taken by a former regime photographer, code named Caesar, depicting rows of emaciated, brutally beaten bodies of detainees — many of them believed to be political protesters — at his military prisons. The photographs — which U.S. officials have likened to images from Nazi concentration camps — were the basis for a landmark lawsuit filed in Spain’s National Court last week accusing nine senior Syrian intelligence and security officials of international human rights crimes.

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/exclusive-defiant-assad-tells-yahoo-news-torture-report-is-fake-news-100042667.html

February 10, 2017

Fil-Ams urge Duterte to 'lift a finger,' help immigrants facing deportation

Source: GMA News

Gnawing fear over Donald Trumps threat of massive deportations has thrown the immigrant community into panic as Filipinos criticize President Rodrigo Dutertes apparent insensitivity toward those in danger of being removed from the US.

Duterte has urged undocumented Filipino immigrants to better be on the right track or get out because if you are caught and deported, I will not lift a finger I will not interfere.

The Philippine Embassy and consulates estimate more than 300,000 undocumented Filipinos calculated based on 10 percent of the total Fil-Am population of 3.4 million. Immigration lawyers and advocates believe the number is much bigger and could reach a million people.

Ang yabang, akala ko ba para sa Pilipino ka, cried a family man from Queens denouncing Dutertes statement. A retired teacher from the NYC Department of Education said, she is not surprised. We all know his ability for refined speech is not there.


Read more: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/599071/news/pinoyabroad/fil-ams-urge-duterte-to-lift-a-finger-help-immigrants-facing-deportation

February 10, 2017

Teachers union president condemns protests blocking DeVos from school

Source: The Hill

The president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) on Friday condemned protests barring Education Secretary Betsy DeVos from entering a Washington, D.C., middle school.

“Just heard a protester blocked & almost knocked Secy @BetsyDeVos down at Jefferson.We don't condone such acts.We want her to go to pub schls,” Randi Weingarten tweeted.

@rweingarten
Just heard a protester blocked & almost knocked Secy @BetsyDeVos down at Jefferson.We don't condone such acts.We want her to go to pub schls
11:02 AM - 10 Feb 2017

The AFT has fiercely opposed DeVos since the GOP mega-donor was tapped to head the Education Department.



Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/318963-teachers-union-president-condemns-protests-blocking-devos-from

February 10, 2017

Obama Education secretary condemns protest against DeVos at DC school

Source: The Hill

Arne Duncan, Education secretary under President Obama, condemned protesters who briefly blocked Betsy DeVos from entering a Washington, D.C., public school on Friday morning.

“Agree or disagree w @BetsyDeVos on any issue, but let’s all agree she really needs to be in public schools,” wrote Duncan, who served as Education secretary for seven years under Obama. “Please let her in.”

@arneduncan Agree or disagree w @BetsyDeVos on any issue, but let's all agree she really needs to be in public schools. Please let her in.
12:30 PM - 10 Feb 2017

DeVos was met with protestors as she tried to enter Jefferson Academy middle school Friday. She was eventually able to enter the school for an event, her first visit to a public K–12 school since she was sworn in as secretary of Education on Tuesday.



Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/318951-obama-education-secretary-condemns-protests-against-devos-at-dc

February 10, 2017

Trump compliments Japanese leader for his 'strong hands'

Source: The Hill

President Trump complimented Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his "strong hands" on Friday before making a golfing gesture.

The remark came after an extended handshake between the two men in front of cameras at the White House, where they met.

Trump has made similar remarks before, including following an infamous GOP presidential debate moment in March 2016, when he defended the size of his hands after then-rival Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said he had “small hands.”


The president revived the talk about his hands later that month during an interview with The Washington Post’s editorial board, describing them as “normal,” "strong," "good size," "great," "fine" and "slightly large, actually."

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/318959-trump-compliments-japanese-leader-for-his-strong-hands

February 10, 2017

Joint resolution filed to make Miami-Dade sheriff an elected office

Voters in Miami-Dade County may vote for a sheriff soon, if a joint resolution filed in the House by Jason Fischer and the Senate by Frank Artiles becomes law.

HJR 721/SJR 134 would make the Sheriff of Miami-Dade a Constitutional officer.

Currently, the position is appointed by the executive branch, foreclosing the voters’ right to decide their chief law enforcement officer.

The joint resolution proposes an amendment to Section 1 of Article VIII and the creation of a new section in Article XII of the State Constitution to remove authority for a county charter to appoint sheriffs and other such officials.

more: http://floridapolitics.com/archives/231837-joint-resolution-filed-to-make-miami-dade-sheriff-an-elected-office