Former Fox News contributor endorses Tulsi Gabbard

Pelosi invites Trump to deliver State of the Union on Feb. 4

Source: Politico

Speaker Nancy Pelosi has invited President Donald Trump to deliver the State of the Union address on Tuesday, Feb. 4.

Pelosi extended the invitation in a letter to the president on Friday.

The invitation comes just days after the House impeached Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The timing means Trump could deliver the annual address as the Senate presides over his impeachment trial.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/amp/news/2019/12/20/pelosi-invites-trump-to-deliver-state-of-the-union-on-feb-4-088744?__twitter_impression=true

Brexit: MPs back Boris Johnson's bill

Source: BBC News

MPs have backed Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plan for the UK to leave the EU on 31 January.

They voted 358 to 234 in favour of the EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill, which now goes on to further scrutiny in the House of Commons and House of Lords.

The bill would also ban an extension of the transition period - during which the UK is out of the EU but follows many of its rules - past 2020.

Earlier, Boris Johnson argued that it would allow the UK to "move forward".

Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-politics-50870939?__twitter_impression=true

J.K. Rowling facing backlash after supporting researcher who lost her job over transphobic tweets

Source: CBS News

"Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling is facing backlash after tweeting support for a researcher who has a history of making transphobic comments online. Rowling on Thursday tweeted her support for Maya Forstater, who lost a court case against her former employer this week.

The Centre for Global Development, an inequality think tank, decided not to renew Forstater's contract earlier this year after she used discriminatory language against transgender people on social media, specifically transgender women.

"Dress however you please. Call yourself whatever you like. Sleep with any consenting adult who'll have you. Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real? #IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill," Rowling tweeted Thursday morning. 

https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1207646162813100033?s=19

In March, Forstater publicly opposed a potential update to the U.K. Gender Recognition Act that would allow people to self-identify their gender without having to undergo medical procedures.

Read more: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/jk-rowling-maya-forstater-backlash-support-researcher-fired-over-transphobic-tweets-2019-12-19/

House narrowly passes bill that would restore SALT tax benefits to higher-income Americans

Source: Washington Post

House Democrats approved legislation on Thursday to repeal part of the 2017 Republican tax law — but the effort may show just how difficult it will be to undo President Trump’s landmark legislation.

Democrats only narrowly approved the bill, which would restore a tax break that had been sharply restricted by the 2017 Republican tax law. The bill, which passed 218-206, would allow Americans to offset more state and local payments from their income taxes.

The bill is expected to amount to little more than a messaging exercise, however. Senate Republicans have signaled they won’t bring it to a vote, and the White House has also expressed opposition.

The 2017 tax law has continued to vex Democrats, who have said it primarily helps wealthy Americans and corporations. But analysts and tax experts say the bill House Democrats advanced on Thursday would primarily benefit affluent Americans. That’s because it would repeal a cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions, a change that would benefit people with large tax bills.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/12/19/house-narrowly-passes-bill-that-would-restore-salt-tax-benefits-higher-income-americans/?outputType=amp

Canada loses 71,200 jobs in biggest employment drop in decade

Source: Financial Post

Canada’s job market unexpectedly weakened for a second-straight month, registering the biggest drop in employment since 2009 and casting doubt on the resiliency of the domestic outlook.

The economy lost 71,200 jobs in November, Statistics Canada said Friday in Ottawa, following a decline of 1,800 in the prior month. That pares the total number of jobs added this year to around 285,100.

The report missed the median economist forecast for a gain of 10,000 jobs. The unemployment rate increased to 5.9 per cent in the month, from 5.5 per cent in October, the biggest one-month jump since 2009. The decrease in employment was broad-based among both the goods-producing and service-producing sectors.

“Canada’s jobs report is disappointing, showing job losses for the second month in a row,” said Julia Pollak, labor economist at ZipRecruiter, an online employment marketplace. “But observers should remember that the numbers are highly volatile and that this is still the strongest year for job growth in Canada in 17 years.”

Read more: https://business.financialpost.com/news/economy/canadas-economy-loses-71200-jobs/amp?__twitter_impression=true

West Philadelphia State Lawmaker to Plead Guilty to Stealing $500,000 From Nonprofit

Source: WCAU-TV

A West Philadelphia woman recently elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly will plead guilty to criminal charges, including theft and tampering with public records, the state Attorney General said Wednesday.

State Rep. Movita Johnson-Harrell turned herself into the state Attorney General's office Wednesday morning.

Johnson-Harrell will plead guilty to charges including perjury, tampering with public records, theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception and contributions of corporations, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro said.

Johnson-Harrell also will resign from the state House. Her last day is expected to be Dec. 13.



Read more: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/politics/Charges-Philadelphia-Official-Announcement-Perjury-Tampering-Theft-Deception-565766162.html%3famp=y

Rep. Al Green blasts Judiciary Committee for lack of diversity in impeachment witnesses

Source: The Hill

Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) slammed the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday for a lack of diversity in a panel of witnesses during its first impeachment hearing.

Green — who has been one of the most vocal supporters of impeaching President Trump — argued it was a misstep to bring in four constitutional law experts: Noah Feldman, a professor at Harvard Law School and director of the Julis-Rabinowitz Program on Jewish and Israeli Law; Pamela Karlan, a professor of public interest law at Stanford Law School; Michael Gerhardt, a professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law; and Jonathan Turley, a professor of public interest law at George Washington University Law School who is also an opinion contributor for The Hill.

“It hurts my heart, Mr. Speaker, to see the Judiciary Committee hearing experts on the topic of impeachment, one of the seminal issues of this Congress. Hearing experts, Mr. Speaker, and not one person of color among the experts,” he said during a speech on the floor.

“What subliminal message are we sending to the world when we have experts but not one person of color? Are we saying that there are no people of color who are experts on this topic of impeachment? What is the message that we're sending? Mr. Speaker, if I am wrong, I will apologize, but if the committee is wrong, if the Congress is wrong, what will it do?”

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/472978-rep-al-green-blasts-judiciary-committee-for-lack-of-diversity-in-impeachment

Kamala Harris cancels big-money fundraiser at New York law firm amid reports of campaign turmoil

Sen. Kamala Harris has canceled a high-profile New York fundraiser as she drops in the polls and amid reports that her 2020 presidential campaign is in disarray.

The event, which was scheduled to take place on Tuesday at the Paul Weiss law firm, was suddenly dropped due to what was described by the campaign as a "personal matter," according to people familiar with the situation. No date was given for rescheduling. Donors were informed of the decision earlier Tuesday.

An invitation shows that the fundraiser was expected to draw some of Harris' top bundlers, including hedge fund executive Marc Lasry, financier Blair Effron and Paul Weiss chairman Brad Karp. All three are listed as members of Harris' finance committee. Also slated to attend was Citigroup executive Ray McGuire and music industry investor Matt Pincus.

Tickets started at $500 and went up to $2,800, which is the maximum a donor can give during a campaign cycle.

More: https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2019/12/03/kamala-harris-cancels-new-york-fundraiser-as-2020-campaign-in-turmoil.html?__twitter_impression=true

U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence no longer supports impeaching Trump in abrupt reversal

Source: Detroit Metro Times

U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence has changed her mind on impeaching President Trump.

Appearing on Charlie LeDuff’s No BS News Hour podcast on Sunday, the Southfield Democrat said she now favors censure over impeachment.

"We are so close to an election," Lawrence said. "I will tell you, sitting here knowing how divided this country is, I don't see the value of taking him out of office. I do see the value of putting down a marker saying his behavior is not acceptable."

Her comments are a significant departure from her pervious statements about impeachment.

Read more: https://m.metrotimes.com/news-hits/archives/2019/11/26/us-rep-brenda-lawrence-no-longer-supports-impeaching-trump-in-abrupt-reversal