Thursday, January 18, 2018
Monday, January 15, 2018
WikiLeaks whistleblower Chelsea Manning to run for US Senate from Maryland
Manning, 30, filed her statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday, listing an apartment in North Bethesda as her address.
She is running as a Democrat and will likely challenge two-term Sen. Ben Cardin in the primary. The state’s senior senator is an overwhelming favorite to win.
Known as Bradley Manning at the time of her 2010 arrest, the former Army intelligence analyst was convicted of leaking more than 700,000 military and State Department documents to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. She’s been hailed as a traitor as well as a courageous hero.
Manning came out as transgender after being sentenced to 35 years in prison. President Barack Obama granted Manning clemency before leaving office last year.
The conservative media organization Red Maryland first reported Manning’s intention to run.
The Associated Press was unsuccessful in reaching Manning for comment. She told The Washington Post on Saturday that she might release more information in the coming days.
Cardin spokeswoman Sue Walitsky did not directly address Manning’s candidacy or anyone else’s. But she told The AP that “Cardin is looking forward to a vigorous debate of the issues and a robust conversation with Maryland voters.”
Manning would not be the first transgender candidate to challenge a sitting member of Congress.
Kristin Beck, a retired Navy SEAL who is transgender, failed to unseat U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer in Maryland’s Democratic Primary in 2016. Beck got 12 percent of the vote.
“It was too much for me to run for Congress,” Beck said in a phone interview Saturday. “I should have run for something lower (state or local office). She might as well be running for president.”
Beck said Manning is pulling a “publicity stunt.”
“I totally, 100 percent disagree with everything she did,” Beck said. “She’s just grabbing headlines. I know what that feels like. I’ve been in the headlines. You get a sense that you’re worthy and doing something that counts. And when you lose that, you try to do something to grab a headline.”
Manning had said she wanted to expose what she considered to be the U.S. military’s disregard of the effects of war on civilians and she released information that she didn’t believe would harm the U.S.
Obama’s decision to commute Manning’s sentence to about seven years drew strong criticism from members of Congress and others, with Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan calling the move “just outrageous.”
When Manning was released from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in May, she told The AP in an email that she was eager to define her future — but made no mention of politics.
“I’m figuring things out right now — which is exciting, awkward, fun, and all new for me,” Manning wrote.
The Oklahoma native had planned to move to Maryland, where she has an aunt. She has been registered to vote at the apartment in North Bethesda since mid-August, according to the Maryland State Board of Elections.
Her recent move would not affect a Senate bid. To run for that office, a person must be at least 30 years old, a U.S. citizen for nine years and an inhabitant of the state at election time, according to the Maryland State Board of Elections. A felony conviction does not appear to preclude a run.
Manning is yet to file for the primary with the state elections board, which she must do in person by Feb. 27, according to the board’s website.
Cardin is also yet to file. But campaign finance reports show that his organization had nearly $2 million cash on hand in late September.
I am ready to quit if my successor were decided: PM Deuba
Inaugurating Makar Mela, a fair to mark Makar Sankranti, in Godavari of Kailali, PM Deuba pointed that no single party has won the majority in the parliament and argued that he cannot leave the government as the two parties in the left alliance have yet to unanimously decide who the next PM will be.
He claimed he has been remaining in the government as quitting it now will create constitutional vacuum. “The House of Representatives (HoR) has yet to be completed on one hand while who the next PM will be has also not been decided. Who should I leave it to?” he questioned.
He argued that to accuse him of not leaving the government is wrong.
He is scheduled to return to Kathmandu Sunday itself.
EC should be vested with authority to announce election date: CEC Yadav
Inaugurating the newly constructed building of Regional Election Office at Biratnagar Monday, Yadav expressed the view that such acts would make the EC powerful and it would help to hold the election in an easy and smooth manner.
He said that the EC would be compelled to forward its activities without hampering National Assembly election process scheduled for February 7 if provincial chiefs are not appointed until January 21.
Yadav urged the government to appoint provincial chiefs soon as legal complexities related to elections have been surfaced due to delay in appointment of provincial chiefs.
Urging not to doubt on EC’s activities as it has been carrying out activities as per the constitution, he said that the EC should be allowed to carry out works unhindered as it is an independent body.
CEC Yadav said that support of all was indispensable to hold National Assembly election as the EC has forwarded election-related process for the same, saying House of Representatives is incomplete until the National Assembly election.
The three-story building has 12 rooms along with a seminar hall and was constructed at a cost of Rs 14.5 million, said Chief of Regional Election Office, Biratnagar, Prem Prasad Sanjel.
Rizal, Nembang get estranged Deuba and Oli talking
Nepali Congress (NC) leader Minendra Rizal had made the call after reaching Prime Minister (PM) Sher Bahadur Deuba’s official residence in Baluwatar to make that call. UML Chairman Oli was on the sofa by Nembang’s side while CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal was sitting on the opposite side.
Nembang handed over his phone to Oli after exchanging pleasantries with Rizal while Rizal also handed his over to Deuba. Deuba asked about the health of Oli who was flying to Bangkok, Thailand for health checkup later that day.
Bitterness between Deuba and Oli has increased after the election. Oli has been accusing Deuba of sticking to the PM post despite the left alliance emerging victorious. Deuba, on the other hand, has been telling his close circle that Oli has grown arrogant after the election.
Nembang and Rizal have tried to normalize the icy relation between the PM and the PM in waiting. They had met in a party in the evening a day earlier. Nembang had confided with Rizal during the interaction that bitterness between the political leadership is not desirable.
“It is our country. The provinces are ours. There will be dispute later if we announce temporary provincial capitals now,” Rizal recalled telling Nembang that evening. Rizal complained that UML has refused to cooperate on the issue of appointment of provincial chiefs and selection of provincial capitals, and added “It would be better if we can make the two leaders talk.”
Nembang had pointed that the two parties can even reach agreement on appointment of provincial chiefs and selection of provincial capitals. The leaders agreed to get the two top leaders to talk due to that possibility.
Rizal proposed that respected persons should be appointed as provincial chiefs in political consensus to ensure that the next government does not immediately fire those appointed now and dignity of the post is maintained.
Deuba wanted to appoint provincial chiefs before Oli left for Bangkok that day. He proposed that NC and UML should get to appoint chiefs in two provinces each, and the other three national parties in one each.
UML has been saying that appointment of provincial chiefs is prerogative of the government and it should not ask UML about that clearly hinting the new government will not continue that. UML also seemingly has brought Maoist Center on its side on the issue.
“Do delegate the authority for provincial chiefs to someone even if you are going to Bangkok for treatment,” Deuba had told Oli over the phone, according to Rizal.
Oli told bluntly that the issue of appointment of provincial chiefs is not related to UML and asked Deuba to pave the way for forming the next government, according to Nembang who was near Oli during the conversation.
“The two talked over the phone but Oli did not try for consensus. PM said he will wait for Oli if Oli were to return on Monday (January 15),” Rizal, who was near Deuba during the phone conversation, said.
Deuba is seeking go ahead from UML on appointment of provincial chiefs, according to Rizal while Oli does not seem to be in mood for that. “PM asked for go-ahead from UML. Chairman Oli asked Deuba why he needs consensus now when he did not need it at the time of preparing the ordinance for National Assembly election,” Nembang stated.
Maoist Center Chairman Dahal could also overhear the conversation between Oli and Deuba. “Dahal nodded his head in support of Oli’s remarks,” Nembang said.
Rizal said Deuba will now take decision on provincial chiefs only after Oli returns on January 16. Deuba is wary whether Maoist Center will come to agreement after quitting the government.
Finance Minister Gyanendra Karki said Deuba during the Cabinet meeting on Friday also stated that provincial chiefs will be appointed only after talking with other political parties.
Deuba said provincial chiefs will be appointed only after January 17 even while addressing the public in a program in Dhangadi on Sunday.
SC stops former lawmakers from spending budget worth almost Rs 10b
A joint bench of justices Ishwar Khatiwada and Sahrada Prasad Ghimire hearing the petition filed by newly elected lawmaker from Kailali-2 Jhapat Bahadur Rawal have has issued an interim order on Sunday to that regard.
The Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development on December 31 had authorized the former lawmakers to select projects and spend budget. Lawmaker Rawal had moved the Apex Court against the minister-level decision.
“They have become common citizens after the fresh mandate. All 28 million Nepalis should get budget if these common citizens were allowed to spend the budget,” Rawal said after the interim order. “The number of constituencies has also been reduced now to 165 from 240,” he added. I moved the court to stop such extravagance.
The budget allows spending of Rs 30 million in each constituency on recommendation of the lawmaker from the constituency under the Electoral Constituency Special Infrastructure Program. The lawmakers from the previous parliament in this would have got to spend almost Rs 10 billion.
I’m not a racist: Trump claims following criticism of ‘shithole’ remark
“No, No. I’m not a racist,” Trump told reporters who asked for his response to those who think he is a racist. “I am the least racist person you have ever interviewed. That I can tell you.”
Trump also denied making the statements attributed to him, but avoided delving into the specifics of what he did or did not say.
“Did you see what various senators in the room said about my comments?” he asked, referring to lawmakers who were meeting with him in the Oval Office on Thursday when Trump is said to have made the comments. “They weren’t made.”
Trump stands accused of using “shithole” to describe African countries during an immigration meeting with a bipartisan group of six senators. The president, in the meeting, also questioned the need to admit more Haitians to the U.S., according to people who were briefed on the conversation but were not authorized to describe the meeting publicly.
Trump said in the meeting that he would prefer immigrants from countries like Norway instead.
The White House has not denied that Trump said “shithole” though Trump has already pushed back on some depictions of the meeting.
A confidant of Trump’s told The Associated Press that the president spent Thursday evening calling friends and outside advisers to judge their reaction to his remarks. Trump wasn’t apologetic and denied he was racist, instead blaming the media for distorting his meaning, said the confidant, who wasn’t authorized to disclose a private conversation and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the only Democrat at Thursday’s meeting, said Trump had indeed said what he was reported to have said. Durbin said the remarks were “vile, hate-filled and clearly racial in their content.” He said Trump used the most vulgar term “more than once.”
Trump commented as Durbin was presenting details of a compromise immigration plan that included providing $1.6 billion for a first installment of the president’s long-sought border wall.
Trump took particular issue with the idea that people who’d fled to the U.S. after disasters hit their homes in places such as El Salvador, Guatemala and Haiti would be allowed to stay as part of the deal, according to the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to publicly describe the discussion.
When it came to talk of extending protections for Haitians, Durbin said Trump replied, “We don’t need more Haitians.’”
“He said, ‘Put me down for wanting more Europeans to come to this country. Why don’t we get more people from Norway?’” Durbin said.
Republican Sens. David Perdue of Georgia and Tom Cotton of Arkansas, who also attended the meeting, initially said in a statement Friday that they “do not recall the president saying these comments specifically.“On Sunday, they backtracked and challenged other senators’ descriptions of the remarks.
Perdue described as a “gross misrepresentation” reports that Trump used the vulgarity. He said Durbin and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina were mistaken in indicating that was the case. Graham also attended the meeting.
“I am telling you that he did not use that word. And I’m telling you it’s a gross misrepresentation,” Perdue said on ABC’s “This Week.”
Cotton told CBS’ “Face the Nation” that he “didn’t hear” the word used — “and I was sitting no further away from Donald Trump than Dick Durbin was.”
Trump insisted in a tweet on Friday that he “never said anything derogatory about Haitians other than Haiti is, obviously, a very poor and troubled country. Never said ‘take them out.’ Made up by Dems.” Trump wrote, “I have a wonderful relationship with Haitians. Probably should record future meetings – unfortunately, no trust!”
Word of Trump’s comments threatened to upend delicate negotiations over resolving the status of hundreds of thousands of immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children. Trump announced last year that he will end the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, unless lawmakers come up with a solution by March. The program shielded these immigrants, often referred to as “Dreamers,” from deportation and granted them work permits.
Trump tweeted earlier Sunday that the program is “probably dead” and blamed Democrats. He elaborated on the way to dinner with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., saying Democrats “don’t want to help the DACA people.”
Some Democrats have threatened to vote against legislation to extend government funding, which expires on Friday, unless protections for the Dreamers are included.
“Honestly I don’t think the Democrats want to make a deal,” Trump said. “I think they talk about DACA, but they don’t want to help the DACA people.”
Trump said Democrats aren’t in favor of securing the border or stopping the flow of drugs, but are for taking money away from the military.
“We have a lot of sticking points but they’re all Democrat sticking points. We are ready, willing and able to make a deal, but they don’t want to.”
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