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Latino Support for Trump Is Real
And that’s a problem for Democrats.
President Donald Trump has done almost everything he can to anger Latino voters. And yet, his support among this crucial portion of the electorate remains surprisingly consistent. After the 2016 election, exit polls analyzed by the Pew Research Center showed that 28 percent of Latino voters supported Trump; today, 30 percent support him.
This percentage may not seem high. But consider what the number means for the Democrats: Displeasure with the president over the past three years has not led to an increase in support for the opposing party.
https://archive.ph/IFGdl
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/02/latino-support-trump-problem-democrats/606613/
https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/why-latino-support-for-trump-is-real-and-what-dems-can-do-78935109981
President Trump expected to commute ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich: reports
Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich’s sentence is expected to be commuted by President Donald Trump, according to multiple sources.
Trump originally tweeted back in August he was studying the possibility of commuting Blagojevich’s sentence. After several months, the president is believed to make his move Tuesday.
https://wgntv.com/2020/02/18/president-trump-expected-to-commute-ex-illinois-gov-rod-blagojevich-reports/
Accused CIA leaker Joshua Schulte files for a mistrial
Lawyers for accused CIA leaker Joshua Schulte asked for a mistrial in his case Tuesday morning, claiming prosecutors withheld evidence that could exonerate the former computer engineer, court filings show.
The 12-page classified filing asks Judge Paul Crotty for a mistrial “based on Brady and other violations” and provides no other information.
A 1963 court ruling in Brady v. Maryland requires prosecutors to disclose “materially exculpatory evidence in the government’s possession to the defense,” according to Cornell Law School.
That includes any evidence “favorable to the accused” and evidence that “goes towards negating a defendant’s guilt, that would reduce a defendant’s potential sentence, or evidence going to the credibility of a witness,” according to Cornell.
Crotty addressed the motion before the trial commenced Tuesday morning and asked the government how long it needed to respond.
It said it would respond by Wednesday.
Schulte is accused of being the mastermind behind the CIA’s largest loss of classified documents in its history in the dumps of “Vault 7” and “Vault 8” to WikiLeaks.
The people have accused Schulte of being a disgruntled employee who stole the confidential documents when he was upset about how the agency was handling internal complaints he filed against co-workers.
https://nypost.com/2020/02/18/accused-cia-leaker-joshua-schulte-files-for-a-mistrial/
White House Correspondents Dinner Gets the Joke Again
WASHINGTON - The White House Correspondents Association said Tuesday it will bring comedy back to this year's annual dinner, a once light-hearted staple of the Washington calendar that has become deeply politicized under U.S. President Donald Trump.
The WHCA said Saturday Night Live veteran Kenan Thompson will host the April 25 dinner, while Hasan Minhaj, the Peabody award-winning host of Netflix's "Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj," will be the entertainer.
https://www.voanews.com/usa/us-politics/white-house-correspondents-dinner-gets-joke-again
Tick, Tick, Tick. Why the Doomsday Clock Is Moving Closer to Midnight.
Jerry Brown, the former California governor, says the symbol serves as an important reminder of the existential threats to humanity.
https://archive.ph/FLCnq
Homeland Security waives contracting laws for border wall
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Trump administration said Tuesday that it will waive federal contracting laws to speed construction of a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Department of Homeland Security said waiving procurement regulations will allow 177 miles (283 kilometers) of wall to be built more quickly in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The 10 waived laws include requirements for having open competition, justifying selections and receiving all bonding from a contractor before any work can begin.
The acting Homeland Security secretary, Chad Wolf, is exercising authority under a 2005 law that gives him sweeping powers to waive laws for building border barriers.
https://bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/homeland-security-waives-contracting-laws-for-border-wall-02-18-2020-180920118
Pompeo arrives in Ethiopia for official visit
United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Monday night as he began the third leg of his Africa tour.
Pompeo is scheduled to meet with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and President Sahle-Work Zewde to discuss joint efforts to promote regional security, according to the U.S. Department of State.
Ethiopia is a key contributor of troops to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) which is battling Al-Shabaab, an Islamist insurgent group that has been fighting for more than a decade to topple Somalia's central government.
Pompeo is also in the country to lend U.S. support to Ethiopia's historic political and economic reform agenda.
Ethiopia, a vital security ally of the U.S. in the Horn of Africa region, has experienced substantial political reforms since Prime Minister Ahmed, a Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2019, came into office in 2018.
Despite the reforms, Ethiopia has also experienced bouts of unrest with the government foiling an attempted coup in June last year. Ethiopia is set to hold parliamentary elections in August in what is seen as a voter test of Ahmed's administration.
Additionally, Pompeo will meet with the African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat and address a press conference. Addis Ababa is the headquarters of the African Union.
Source(s): U.S. Department of State
https://newsaf.cgtn.com/news/2020-02-19/Pompeo-arrives-in-Ethiopia-for-official-visit-Oc6cvZrCGA/index.html
Pompeo Criticizes Democrats for Meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister
https://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/pompeo-criticizes-democrats-for-meeting-with-iranian-foreign-minister/2020/02/18/
Source: Democrat Senator Held Secret Meeting In Munich With Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif
https://thefederalist.com/2020/02/17/source-democrat-senator-held-secret-meeting-in-munich-with-iranian-foreign-minister-zarif/
Pompeo Slams Democrats for Secret Meeting With Top Iranian Official
'I don't know what they said. I hope they were reinforcing America's foreign policy, not their own'
https://freebeacon.com/national-security/pompeo-slams-democrats-for-secretive-meeting-with-top-iranian-official/