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Mueller submits long-awaited Russia probe report


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On the roster: Mueller submits long-awaited Russia probe report - Poll: Winning is focus for Dems, not ideology in 2020 - House Dems’ campaign arm seeks primary truce - Audible: Everybody’s gone gaga - He was just trying to get to Electric Avenue 

MUELLER SUBMITS LONG-AWAITED RUSSIA PROBE REPORT
Fox News: “Special Counsel Robert Mueller has submitted to Attorney General Bill Barr his long-awaited report on the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential race and possible collusion with Trump associates -- marking the end of the politically explosive probe and the beginning of a new battle over its contents and implications. The report was delivered earlier Friday afternoon to the Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s office and it was delivered to Barr’s office within minutes, a senior DOJ official told Fox News. The White House was notified that the DOJ had received the report around 4:45 p.m., before lawmakers on Capitol Hill were informed. Both Barr and Rosenstein have seen the report, according to a senior DOJ official. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted following the report's drop. ‘The next steps are up to Attorney General Barr, and we look forward to the process taking its course,’ she said. ‘The White House has not received or been briefed on the Special Counsel’s report.’ Several lawmakers, including Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., received a letter about the report's drop.”

THE RULEBOOK: PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING
“Could any further proof be required of the republican complexion of this system, the most decisive one might be found in its absolute prohibition of titles of nobility, both under the federal and the State governments; and in its express guaranty of the republican form to each of the latter.” – James Madison, Federalist No. 39

TIME OUT: A DIFFERENT PRESIDENTIAL RECORD  
AJC: “When Jimmy Carter left office in 1981 … a friend pointed out that Carter, at the tender age of 56, could expect to live at least until 80-years-old. … March 22, 2019, marks yet another milestone. While it is not his birthday, Carter becomes the oldest living former president in United States history. At the age of 94 years and 172 days, he passes George H.W. Bush, who was 94 years, 171 days when he died last November. ‘We at the Carter Center sure are rooting for him and are grateful for his long life of service that has benefited millions of the world’s poorest people,’ the center said in a statement. … Already, Carter had set for presidential record for living the longest number of years out of office, at 38 plus. But then again, he started the job young. When he was elected in 1976, Carter was only 52-years-old, making him the 17th youngest elected president in history.”

Flag on the play? - Email us at HALFTIMEREPORT@FOXNEWS.COM with your tips, comments or questions.

SCOREBOARD
Trump job performance 
Average approval: 
42.4 percent
Average disapproval: 52.8 percent
Net Score: -10.4 points
Change from one week ago: up 1.8 points 
[Average includes: USA Today/Suffolk: 48% approve - 49% disapprove; CNN: 43% approve - 51% disapprove; Gallup: 39% approve - 57% disapprove; Monmouth University: 44% approve - 52% disapprove; Quinnipiac University: 38% approve - 55% disapprove.]

POLL: WINNING IS FOCUS FOR DEMS, NOT IDEOLOGY IN 2020
USA Today: “As the 2020 presidential field takes shape, Democratic voters by double digits say they are more interested in nominating a candidate who can defeat President Trump than one they agree with most on the issues, a new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll finds. By 55-35 percent, the Democrats surveyed endorse electability over ideological purity even though they also embrace progressive priorities such as the Green New Deal. They are even inclined to be open to a nominee who espouses socialism. The debate over balancing policy positions with electoral appeal is always part of the calculation in campaigns. Almost a year before the Iowa caucuses open the nominating contests, it has taken on particular intensity as a sprawling field jockeys to challenge a Republican president who inflames the opposition. … Among Democratic and independent voters combined, sentiment was more closely divided: 48 percent say they want the Democratic Party to nominate ‘a candidate who can win, even if different from my priorities,’ while 38 percent prefer ‘a candidate in line with my priorities, even if it is harder to win.’”

Trump is ready, revealing his ‘dream’ 2020 rival - Fox News: “President Trump, in an extensive interview with Fox Business Network's Maria Bartiromo, accused Democrats embracing ideas like court-packing and the Green New Deal of becoming ‘radicalized’ -- while voicing confidence as he sized up the ever-expanding field of potential 2020 opponents. The president mocked the Democratic contenders for ‘saying a lot of weird things,’ calling the Green New Deal ‘the most preposterous thing’ and blasting Beto O’Rourke’s idea of taking down sections of border wall. But asked which candidate in the massive field he'd truly like to run against in 2020, Trump threw out a few names: ‘I mean, I’d love to have [Joe] Biden. I’d love to have Bernie [Sanders], I’d love to have Beto,’ he said, adding: ‘I mean, Beto seems to be the one the press has chosen. The press seems to have chosen Beto. ... When I watch Beto, I say we could dream about that.’”

Drucker: ‘Republicans resigned to Trump losing 2020 popular vote’ - WashEx: “Senior Republicans are resigned to President Trump losing the popular vote in 2020, conceding the limits of the flamboyant incumbent’s political appeal and revealing just how central the Electoral College has become to the party’s White House prospects. Some Republicans say the problem is Trump's populist brand of partisan grievance. It's an attitude tailor-made for the Electoral College in the current era of regionally Balkanized politics, but anathema to attracting a broad, national coalition that can win the most votes, as past presidents did when seeking re-election amid a booming economy. Others argue that neither Trump, nor possibly any Republican, could win the popular vote when most big states are overwhelmingly liberal. … If Trump wins a second term without the popular vote, it would mark the first time in American history that the candidate who finished second in overall votes won consecutive presidential elections.”

What’s Beto all about? - WaPo: “In his first blitz as a candidate for president, O’Rourke has dealt with nagging questions — Is a failed Senate candidate ready for the presidency? Is he serious about policy? — with real-time prose. Other candidates talk in applause lines, while O’Rourke speaks in paragraphs, with lots of asides and emphasis and aphorisms. The result (so far) is the first Democratic campaign to really shake up this race since Kamala Harris’s enormous early crowds surprised her rivals and boosted her in public polls. It is not like any other campaign — by design. He’s still figuring this whole thing out. More than any other candidate for the presidency, O’Rourke admits that he does not have all the answers and will get things wrong. He thanks crowds for telling him what he did not know. He thanks reporters for being patient with him — after some complaints about access in Iowa, he began to hold 10- to 15-minute news conferences after nearly every event.”

Donors shy from Biden - CNBC: “Several top Democratic donors have told former Vice President Joe Biden that they won’t help him raise funds in the early stages of the party’s 2020 presidential primary, CNBC has learned. Their reason: skepticism that Biden actually can win the Democratic primary. Biden, who has yet to announce whether he will run, has reached out to leading financiers over the past week to see whether they will help him raise money for a presidential run. … However, during those calls, some high-profile donors told Biden that they will not commit to bundling for him, at least in the early stages of the primary, said the people, who declined to be named. The donors told Biden they’re not yet convinced he can overtake the younger, more diverse and progressive field, and that they are going to wait to see how he competes in the race, the people added.”

Many 2020 Dems will not attend AIPAC summit - AP: “Multiple Democratic presidential candidates said Thursday that they won’t attend the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s annual conference in Washington next week. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas, Sen. Kamala Harris of California and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, are among the 2020 contenders who have decided not to attend. Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, who is considering an independent bid for president, will also avoid the AIPAC conference. It comes as the liberal advocacy group MoveOn has called on Democratic presidential candidates to skip this year’s policy conference, saying AIPAC had tried to thwart the Iran nuclear deal and had employed ‘anti-Muslim and anti-Arab rhetoric.’ By not attending, the Democratic candidates can demonstrate their progressive bona fides in an increasingly crowded 2020 field.”

HOUSE DEMS’ CAMPAIGN ARM SEEKS PRIMARY TRUCE 
National Journal: “The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is making an early move to deter primary challenges against sitting incumbents in the caucus with a new policy aimed in part at protecting the new majority. The campaign arm on Friday sent out a list of hiring standards to more than 100 political firms, including one provision that made clear it will neither contract with nor recommend to House candidates any political vendors that work to oust sitting members of Congress. That offers key protection to the caucus’s moderate members in battleground seats, where House control will be won or lost. It is intended to help stymie attempts by insurgent progressive groups who plan to primary incumbents deemed insufficiently liberal on key issues, but also to shield members of the party's ascendant liberal wing who represent safe Democratic territory and could face intraparty challenges of their own.”

PLAY-BY-PLAY
Marine Corps commandant: Border deployments an ‘unacceptable risk’ - LAT

As Washington awaits Mueller, a look at how Trump has performed under pressure before - Politico

Cornyn, Joaquin Castro already locking horns ahead of potential 2020 Senate race Dallas Morning News

Meet the legislative linebackers from the NFL Roll Call

Charles Lane: ‘Red America and blue America depend on each other. That’s how it should be.’ - WaPo

Dems want Trump’s business tax filings as well as his personal tax returns - Politico

AUDIBLE: EVERYBODY’S GONE GAGA 
“It’s like waiting for a baby… If the report is good, I’ll give out cigars.” – Rudy Giuliani talking about the wait for the Mueller report to the WaPo in a phone interview on Friday. 

ANY GIVEN SUNDAY
This weekend Mr. Sunday will sit down with Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn. Watch “Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace.” Check local listings for broadcast times in your area.

#mediabuzz - Host Howard Kurtz has the latest take on the week’s media coverage. Watch #mediabuzz Sundays at 11 a.m. ET.

FROM THE BLEACHERS
“It would be very helpful, given all the talk about eliminating the Electoral College, if you could enlighten us regarding what would be required to change it. Most of the angst about this situation seems to stem from the perception of ‘the unfairness’ of it all, when I believe the original purpose was to ensure that all states got an appropriate voice. The ‘popular’ vote for Hillary came from a few very populous places and was not representative of the country as a whole. In addition, as a number of states have passed legislation to assign all their delegates to the popular vote as an ‘end run’, as it were, around the Constitution, I would guess that would be challengeable legally and ultimately end up going through the constitutional process I initially requested that you elucidate.” – Michael McEvoy, Houston

[Ed. note: The way to eliminate or alter the Electoral College is straight forward but hard: Amend the Constitution. A number of Democratic leaning states, however, have a plan to attack the Constitution and eliminate the Electoral College without putting the matter before all 50 states. Thirteen states have joined a compact in which they have agreed to award their electoral votes to whichever candidate wins the national popular vote, regardless of how their citizens cast their ballots. This deal would kick in once the states with the combined total of 270 electoral votes have joined the compact. Much that is lost in the discussion about the Electoral College is its actual purpose. We tend to see it as a practical, political matter: Something that is good for Republicans and bad for Democrats. The Electoral College, though, is more about the balance of power than it is about partisan control. Taking away the value of states as individual political units would further decrease their ability to counterbalance the national government. Remember Madison’s belief that ambition must be made to counteract ambition. There is very little left in the way of the federal government’s ambitions, regardless of who is in power.]

“I am a long time and very satisfied subscriber to ‘Halftime Report’ and was recently traveling in the New Zealand and Australia area and at times, WiFi was spotty or nonexistent and thus it was difficult to keep up with our news.  Consequently, I have an even greater appreciation for the daily content of your ‘note’ as I was able to stay current with our political news and thus, indirectly with other happenings… I looked forward to each opportunity to receive emails and sit back and catchup. One of our guides in Australia told us about their mandated voting laws which I found to be very interesting… the voting age is 18 and if a person neglects to vote, they are fined and possibly face a day in court.  The fine for a first offense is $20.00 which is not an exorbitant amount of money but reports have noted that it does seem to be enough of an incentive to achieve a very high percentage of voter turnout at election time. I also subscribe to the ‘Halftime Report’ on Fox Nation and never fail to pick up an ‘I didn’t know or realize that’ not to mention the comfortable and fun conversation between you while ‘Brainstorming with Stirewalt’!” – Patricia White, North Myrtle Beach, S.C.

[Ed. note: In the spirit of full disclosure, Ms. White, I think our readers should know that you are the grandmother of our own dear Brianna. But that’s a bias I can definitely allow here! Many Americans have observed approvingly of Australia’s compulsory voting regime. If you think what’s wrong with our politics is that not enough people are participating, then one can see why. I look at it a little differently. The voting franchise is an extraordinary privilege, one that history would rightly regard as unusual. In the United States, we have had universal suffrage since the 1920s by law and the 1960s in reality. It’s extraordinary compared to most of history and much of the world today. If you cannot be bothered to exercise so great a privilege, why on earth would I want you to vote? I think the problem that we have traces its roots to a lack of civics education in which too few Americans understand the value of their votes and an increasingly jumbled political calendar. I have long advocated for making Election Day a federal and national holiday while also curtailing the ever-extending early voting calendar and mail-in balloting. I would like to see a return to a communitarian ethic for American elections. Thank you for your thoughtful question, your high praise and for helping to make such a fine colleague as your granddaughter.]

Share your color commentary: Email us at HALFTIMEREPORT@FOXNEWS.COM and please make sure to include your name and hometown.

HE WAS JUST TRYING TO GET TO ELECTRIC AVENUE 
KABC: “A slow-speed chase through the San Fernando Valley ended with the suspect breakdancing as officers held him at gunpoint. The chase began in Calabasas when California Highway Patrol officers said a reckless driver failed to yield to commands to stop. The driver led officers on a chase over the 101 Freeway through the San Fernando Valley, north on the 405 Freeway and east onto the 118 Freeway. The suspect mostly drove at speeds under 60 mph, making no evasive maneuvers to escape the officers but also declining to pull over. He slowed to about 20 mph on the 118 and then exited on Laurel Canyon Boulevard. Officers followed closely behind and were finally able to spin out his vehicle with a PIT maneuver in the Pacoima area. He got out of the car and complied with officers' orders, but then at one point began breakdancing.” 

AND NOW, A WORD FROM CHARLES…
“The conventional perception, incessantly repeated by Democrats and the media, is that Washington dysfunction is the work of the Party of No.” – Charles Krauthammer (1950-2018) writing in the Washington Post on Nov. 6, 2014. 

Chris Stirewalt is the politics editor for Fox News. Brianna McClelland contributed to this report. Want FOX News Halftime Report in your inbox every day? Sign up here.

Source: Fox News Politics

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The aftermath of Syria’s chemical weapons attacks

One year ago, a chemical attack allegedly carried out by the Syrian government on the embattled nation’s Douma district left at least 43 people dead. Two years ago, more than 100 – mostly women and children – perished in another apparently government-helmed chemical onslaught in Idlib’s Khan Sheikhoun district.

On both occasions, President Trump ordered retaliatory missile attacks to take out the regime’s remaining stockpiles as haunting images filled the internet of babies foaming at the mouth, and tiny children choking as their moms and dads wailed as their eyes burned and burned.

MALE RAPE EMERGING AS ONE OF THE MOST UNDER-REPORTED WEAPONS OF WAR

That was just the tip of the mounting rubble pile as Syria’s eight-year war inches closer to its swansong. Nonetheless, President Bashar al-Assad looks set to take back Syria, undeterred or impacted by the rash of chemical violations of civilians.

The Damascus sky lights up missile fire as the U.S. launches an attack on Syria targeting different parts of the capital early Saturday, April 14, 2018.  (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

The Damascus sky lights up missile fire as the U.S. launches an attack on Syria targeting different parts of the capital early Saturday, April 14, 2018.  (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

“There will probably be no further accountability of Syria for its past chemical attacks beyond the damage done after the U.S. missile attacks,” Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Senior Science Fellow, John Gilbert, told Fox News. “Russia is a major sponsor of the Assad government and a Russian national provided nerve agent technology and possibly critical precursor chemicals to Syria.”

Gilbert added that “Russia and China vetoed UN Security Council resolutions against Syria for their chemical weapons attacks, "and prevented extension of the UN's investigative mechanism that could have provided evidence of who was behind the attacks.”

According to the most recent “credibly substantiated” data gleaned by the Berlin-based Global Public Policy Institute (GPPI), chemical weapons have been used at least 336 times since the war started in early 2011. The Syrian regime – led by Bashar al-Assad – stands accused of using the banned substances 98 percent of the time, while ISIS is documented as having carried out two percent of the country’s chemical bombardments on civilians.

In August 2013, more than 1400 civilians were slaughtered in the first known mass chemical attack amid the protracted war, and after the Obama administration’s failure to act on the crossing of a “red line,” the issue was handed over to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

They demanded the Syrian leadership eradicate all chemical inventory, and by August 2014 they announced the process complete.

Only it was not. The GPPI study surmised that more than 90 percent of chemical offensives on Syrian soil took place after the hollow red line declaration.

“The Assad regime did not merely ‘get away’ with its use of these banned weapons,” the report stated. “It succeeded in using them for strategic ends.”

Trump has blamed Syrian President Bashar Assad for alleged chemical attacks on his people, calling him "Animal Assad" and a "Gas Killing Animal."

Trump has blamed Syrian President Bashar Assad for alleged chemical attacks on his people, calling him "Animal Assad" and a "Gas Killing Animal." (Reuters/Handout)

Last month, OPCW concluded that it had “reasonable grounds” to assume that “the use of a toxic chemical as a weapon took place” in the beleaguered Douma last April. Although their “fact-finding mission” in the immediate aftermath was delayed until almost a week after arrival due to security concerns, OPCW finally pinpointed chlorine last month as the likely culprit, rather than a more lethal substance such as sarin or other nerve agents. It declined to assign responsibility.

“The symptoms were confusing, and doctors at the beginning thought it was a phosphorus compound but within hours they knew they were dealing with chlorine,” recalled Dr. Mohamad Katoub, media and advocacy leader at the Syrian American Medical Society's (SAMS) Turkey office. “Respiratory distress, oral foaming, corneal burns.”

The GPPI report found that roughly 91.5 percent of the chemical attacks in Syria have been chlorine bombs.

But according to the Arms Control Association, everything from nerve agents and choking agents, to “weaponized chlorine and blister agents have been used in Syria over the course of the civil war.”

All chemical weapons, irrespective of their severity, are internationally outlawed.

Fox News interviewed several survivors of the various attacks. One victim from the initial 2013 Ghouta attack who was exposed to the ailments said she gave birth several months later to a baby “with a distorted hand,” but doctors could not say conclusively whether it was due to the chemicals. Others claimed lingering shortness of breath and perpetual exhaustion, but almost all said the most searing scars were psychological.

“Some still aren’t breathing well, their tears flow in a rush,” said Hisham al-Skeif, a potent Syrian activist whose baby son was asphyxiated in an attack. “Some have an inability to move. And the numbers are large.”

Investigators for the Syrian Network for Human Rights told Fox News that in terms of long-term symptoms, they have recorded “shortness of breath, blurred vision and disorientation leading to inability to distinguish time and space among some of those injured in the attacks in Ghouta in August 2013, with these symptoms continuing for several weeks after the attack.”

Moreover, in the large-scale chemical attacks such as the attack on those in Ghouta, the attack on Khan Sheikhoun, and in the last Douma attack, the Syrian Network for Human Rights documented effects on the soil in the area around the missiles’ impact sites with plants being destroyed, as well as recording the deaths of a large number of animals.

DESPITE CRUMBLED CALIPHATE, HUNT FOR BAGHDADI CONTINUES IN SYRIA

The activist group estimates that almost 10,000 people have been injured in the chemical attacks – some 9,753 in attacks ignited by the Syrian regime and a further 132 launched by ISIS.

Yet the Syrian government has staunchly and repeatedly denied ever having used chemical weapons, and its top supporter, Russia, has instead blamed rescue workers such as the White Helmets for staging the chemical incursions and proliferating fake news.

In turn, the U.S. has pointed the finger at Russia for contriving its own narrative about the Syrian rebels.

FILE -- In this Tuesday April 4, 2017 file photo, Abdel Hameed Alyousef, 29, holds his twin babies, who were killed during a suspected chemical weapons attack, in Khan Sheikhoun in the northern province of Idlib, Syria. (Alaa Alyousef via AP, File)

FILE -- In this Tuesday April 4, 2017 file photo, Abdel Hameed Alyousef, 29, holds his twin babies, who were killed during a suspected chemical weapons attack, in Khan Sheikhoun in the northern province of Idlib, Syria. (Alaa Alyousef via AP, File) (The Associated Press)

Yet activists and rescue workers like The Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, haven’t given up the quest for accountability.

“As eyewitnesses, we are still calling out the international community to take immediate action against those responsible,” a spokesperson said. “What needs to happen is crystal clear; the permanent members of the security council need to stand up against Russia, who is holding justice hostage for its own political gain.”

Many still accuse of the Syrian government of stockpiling and manufacturing even more weapons in its array of “undeclared sites.”

“This is also to disrupt the work of inspectors of the OPCW,” the Syrian Civil Defense representative asserted.

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The Syrian conflict has displaced more than ten million Syrians and claimed the lives of more than half a million. What’s worse, it may not be the end of large-scale attacks – including those chemical in nature. In a joint statement last week, the foreign ministers of the United States, Britain and France cautioned that they will “act strongly and swiftly” in the circumstance of another attack, especially as Syrian troops – backed by Iran and Russia – edge closer in their plans to take back the final opposition bastion of Idlib.

“We have prepared 20 facilities with protection gears and treatment equipment. Our staff received some training,” noted Katoub. “In Syria, there are no red lines. Again, this might happen.”

Source: Fox News World

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Algerians set to continue protest for Bouteflika to quit

Organizers in Algeria are predicting huge demonstrations across the country's major cities as protesters step up their demand for the resignation of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

It's the fifth straight Friday since nationwide anti-Bouteflika protests began Feb. 22 that Algerians have taken to the streets.

Workers of Sonatrach, the national oil company whose executives are close to Bouteflika, held a symbolic sit-in Thursday in solidarity with the protests that span all sections of society including the country's youth and doctors.

New Prime Minister Nourredine Bedoui is still struggling to form a government with many potential candidates sought to keep their distance from the unpopular president.

Source: Fox News World

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AP PHOTOS: The most senior Catholic convicted of child abuse

The conviction and sentencing of Cardinal George Pell represent a remarkable downfall for the man who was Pope Francis' former finance minister and third-highest ranking Catholic in the Vatican.

Pell, the most senior Catholic to be convicted of child sex abuse, was sentenced Wednesday to six years in prison for molesting two choirboys in a Melbourne cathedral more than 20 years ago.

He was convicted by a unanimous jury verdict of orally raping a 13-year-old choirboy and indecently dealing with the boy and the boy's 13-year-old friend in the late 1990s, months after becoming archbishop of Melbourne.

Pell was appointed Archbishop of Sydney in 2001, and Pope John Paul II made him a cardinal in 2003. Francis appointed Pell to the powerful position of Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy in 2014.

Francis removed Pell as a member of his informal Cabinet in October, shortly before he was convicted of the abuse. He remained prefect of the Vatican's economy ministry, but his five-year term expired this month.

Pell also is being investigated by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, which has the power to remove him from the priesthood.

Source: Fox News World

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Italy Deputy PM Di Maio says there are partners ready for Alitalia

FILE PHOTO: Alitalia planes at Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome
FILE PHOTO: Alitalia airplanes pictured at Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy, March 30, 2019. REUTERS/Alberto Lingria/File Photo

April 5, 2019

MILAN (Reuters) – Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Friday there were investors ready to get involved in a rescue plan for troubled flagship carrier Alitalia.

“Partners are there”, Di Maio said on the sideline of an event in Milan.

A deadline for Ferrovie dello Stato to present a rescue plan for Alitalia has been extended by one month to end-April after the Italian railway group, which is in talks with Delta Air Lines over Alitalia, failed to present a business plan for the carrier in time.

(Reporting by Francesca Landini, writing by Elvira Pollina, editing by Valentina Za)

Source: OANN

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Rep. Al Green after Mueller findings released: 'Impeachment is not dead'

Rep. Al Green, the Texas Democrat who has pushed to impeach President Trump every year that the commander-in-chief has been in office, said Sunday that "impeachment is not dead," despite findings from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe showing the Trump campaign did not collude with Russia.

The congressman tweeted that Mueller's report, which was submitted on Friday and the key findings of which were released Sunday, "did NOT investigate bigotry emanating from the Presidency harming our country."

He continued: "The findings do NOT negate the President’s bigotry. As long as bigotry influences the President’s policies, I will continue to seek his impeachment. #ImpeachmentIsNotDead."

READ THE MUELLER REPORT FINDINGS

Green's sentiment echoed what he told Fox News' Neil Cavuto on  “Your World with Neil Cavuto” earlier this month — that "bigotry is impeachable."

The Democrat said during his interview that he planned to force an impeachment vote against Trump, despite a lack of support from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

“It’s not about any one person, it’s really about the concept of ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people’ and the notion that we have a democracy. And, within this democracy, our Constitution accords this right to bring impeachment to the floor for every member of our caucus," Green said.

On the first day of the new Congress this year, Green and Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., introduced articles of impeachment against the president. The pair also pushed for impeachment in 2017 and 2018, to no avail.

SCHIFF SAYS THERE IS STILL 'SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE OF COLLUSION,' PLANS TO SUBPOENA TO SEE MUELLER REPORT

Key findings of Mueller's report were released on Sunday by Attorney General William Barr, who wrote a four-page summary of the report's "principal conclusions."

According to Barr, the special counsel's office "did not find that the Trump campaign, or anyone associated with it, conspired or coordinated" with Russians who worked on hacking efforts hoping to sway the 2016 presidential election "despite multiple offers from Russian-affiliated individuals to assist the Trump campaign."

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The nearly two-year-long investigation "did not draw a conclusion" on whether Trump obstructed justice, but did hand over the responsibility of determining "whether the conduct described in the report constitutes a crime" to the attorney general's office.

Barr stated that "while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him."

Fox News' Victor Garcia contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

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Rep. Cicilline: Congress has a responsibility to conduct oversight, even if it makes Trump supporters uncomfortable

As the legal battle over President Trump's tax returns rages on, Rep. David Cicilline, D- R.I., Monday argued that Congress should be able to gather all the information possible to conduct oversight, including accessing Trump's financial information.

President Trump made a major move Monday by suing in an attempt to halt a subpoena, issued by the Democratic-led House Oversight Committee, that would compel his accounting firm, Mazars, to reveal his tax returns for the last 10 years.

In the lawsuit, President Trump's lawyer argued that Congress should only be able to view the financial information if there is a legislative purpose. During an appearance on "Outnumbered," Rep. Cicilline, who is also the co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, said that he believes Congress has a right to collect the evidence it sees fit to fulfill its responsibility to conduct oversight.

"I understand that there are some people who think that Congress should not do oversight, and it's kind of rich when the president tries to make himself a victim, as the most powerful man on the planet," Cicilline told host Melissa Francis.

"We are doing our work addressing the economic issues that face the American people, but at the same time, we have to do oversight. I know that that is uncomfortable, but Congress has a responsibility, whatever party, the legislative branch has a responsibility. I know that there are some Trump supporters that think any oversight is unfair, but we have a long tradition of doing oversight, it is part of the responsibility," he added.

COLUMNIST MICHAEL GOODWIN: TRUMP SHOULD VIEW MUELLER REPORT AS A RENEWED LEASE ON OVAL OFFICE

EX-TRUMP ATTORNEY DOWD DISPUTES MUELLER REPORT, SAYS PRESIDENT NEVER TRIED TO OUST SPECIAL COUNSEL

Cicilline went on to discuss the Democrats' new talk of trying to impeach President Trump amid the results of Robert Mueller's investigation. The Democratic representative said he has read the report in its entirety, and that "there was real evidence of the president attempting to interfere with the investigation."

"I think that report is disturbing," Cicilline continued. "It is very damning about the president's conduct. He encouraged people to lie, he encouraged people to not be forthright about events, he himself lied, he attempted to fire the special counsel, he attempted to get Don McGahn to lie about his effort to fire him.

"There is ample evidence of obstruction of justice. It is very clear that the only reason that the president was not charged is that the special counsel concluded that the [Department of Justice] precluded it," he said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

President Trump maintains that there was no obstruction or collusion on his part, something with which House Democrats vehemently disagree.

Ultimately, Cicilline said, Democrats have more work to do before any further conclusions can be made on the discussion of impeachment.

"There is a process, we will have a series of hearings, which we will take this very seriously, and I think Democrats will continue to be very judicious about it," he said.

Source: Fox News Politics

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FILE PHOTO: The logo of the OPEC is seen at OPEC's headquarters in Vienna
FILE PHOTO: The logo of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries at OPEC’s headquarters in Vienna, Austria December 5, 2018. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo

April 26, 2019

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he called the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and told the cartel to lower oil prices.

“Gasoline prices are coming down. I called up OPEC, I said you’ve got to bring them down. You’ve got to bring them down,” Trump told reporters.

(Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Writing by Makini Brice; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Source: OANN

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Sonia Bompastor, director of the Olympique Lyonnais womenÕs Youth Academy, leads a training at the OL Academy near Lyon
Sonia Bompastor, director of the Olympique Lyonnais womenÕs Youth Academy, leads a training at the OL Academy in Meyzieu near Lyon, France, April 16, 2019. REUTERS/Emmanuel Foudrot

April 26, 2019

By Julien Pretot

MEYZIEU, France (Reuters) – Olympique Lyonnais president Jean-Michel Aulas was wringing out his women’s team shirts in the locker room on a rainy London day eight years ago when he decided it was time to take gender equality more seriously.

It was halftime in their Champions League semi-final second leg against Arsenal at Meadow Park with 507 fans watching and Aulas realized that his players did not have a another kit for the second half.

“Next time, there will be a second set just like for the men, that’s how it’s going to work from now on,” he said.

Lyon have since won five Champions League titles to become the most successful women’s team in Europe and recently claimed a 13th consecutive domestic crown.

They visit Chelsea on Sunday in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final, with a fourth straight title in their sights.

At the heart of their achievements is a pervasive ethos that promotes gender equality throughout the club, starting in the youth academy.

In 2013, Aulas appointed former Lyon and France player Sonia Bompastor as head of the Women’s Academy — the female equivalent of one of France’s top youth set-ups that has produced players such as Karim Benzema, Alexandre Lacazette and Hatem Ben Arfa.

At the Youth Academy, girls and boys share the same facilities.

“Pitches, physiotherapy rooms are the same for all,” the 38-year-old Bompastor told Reuters.

As the girls train under the watch of former Lyon and France international Camille Abily, the screams of the boys practicing can be heard nearby.

The boys and girls also benefit from the same psychological support that includes hypnosis sessions and yoga.

“We have a ‘mental ability’ cell and the hypnotist acts on the girls’ subconscious, on their deeply held beliefs after observing them on and off the pitch,” Bompastor added.

SAME TREATMENT

One message the Academy staff are trying to convey is that girls are as good as boys.

“Women’s nature is such that we have low self-esteem. So self-esteem is a big topic for our girls,” said Bompastor.

This is not the case with the boys, she added.

“Some 14, 15-year-old boys still think they would beat our professional players, we tell them this would not be happening. We still need to work on those beliefs,” she said.

Female players also have to face questions that their male counterparts do not, Bompastor explained.

“In France there is a problem with the way women are considered, there are high aesthetic expectations. So we get heavy questions on femininity, intimate questions that men don’t get,” she said.

OL’s Academy has been held up as a shining example for others to follow, even in the U.S., where women’s soccer has a wider audience than in Europe.

“About one third of the (senior women’s) squad comes from the Academy, we have a good balance,” said Bompastor.

“I’m getting tons of requests from American universities and foreign clubs, who want to come and visit our facilities.”

‘ONE CLUB’

The salaries of the senior players is one area where there remains a large discrepancy between Lyon’s men’s and women’s teams.

While the three best-paid women players in the world are at Lyon with Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg earning 400,000 euros ($445,520) a year, this figure is dwarfed by the around 4 million euros earned annually by men’s player Memphis Depay.

There is, however, a level of interaction between the men’s and women’s players that is not present at many other clubs.

“When you talk about OL you talk about women and men, you talk about one club and you feel it when you are here or outside in the city,” Germany defender Carolin Simon told Reuters.

“We see it when we play in the big stadium. It’s not ‘normal’ for women’s football,” the 26-year-old, who joined the club last year, added.

Lyon’s female players also enjoy respect from their male counterparts, Simon said.

“It’s very cool, it’s a big honor to feel that it doesn’t matter if you are a professional man or woman. We talk with the men, there are handshakes, it’s a good atmosphere and it’s also why we are successful,” said Simon.

“The men respect us and it’s not just for the cameras.”

Her team mate, England’s Lucy Bronze, sees the men’s respect as key to improving women’s football.

“We might not be paid the same but they are just normal with us, they see us as footballers the same as they are,” Bronze told Reuters.

“Being at Lyon has really opened my eyes. To improve women’s football, it starts with having the respect of your male counterparts. It’s the biggest thing because they can influence so many people.”

(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Toby Davis)

Source: OANN

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FILE PHOTO: Ethiopian migrants, stranded in war-torn Yemen, sit on the ground of a detention site pending repatriation to their home country, in Aden, Yemen
FILE PHOTO: Ethiopian migrants, stranded in war-torn Yemen, sit on the ground of a detention site pending repatriation to their home country, in Aden, Yemen April 24, 2019. REUTERS/Fawaz Salman/File Photo

April 26, 2019

GENEVA (Reuters) – Yemeni authorities have rounded up about 3,000 irregular migrants, predominantly Ethiopians, in the south of the country, “creating an acute humanitarian situation,” the U.N. migration agency said on Friday.

“IOM is deeply concerned about the conditions in which the migrants are being held and is engaging with the authorities to ensure access to the detained migrants,” the International Organization for Migration said.

The migrants are held in open-air football stadiums and in a military camp, it said in a statement.

The detentions began on Sunday in the city of Aden and the neighboring province of Lahj, which are under the control of the internationally recognized government backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Iran-aligned Houthi rebels control Sanaa, the capital, and other major urban centers.

Both sides are under international diplomatic pressure to implement a United Nations-sponsored ceasefire deal agreed last year in Sweden and to prepare for a wider political dialogue that would end the four-year-old war.

Thousands of migrants arrive in Yemen every year, mostly from the Horn of Africa, driven by drought and unemployment at home and lured by the wages available in the Gulf.

(Writing by Maher Chmaytelli, Editing by William Maclean)

Source: OANN

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U.S. dollar notes are seen in this picture illustration
U.S. dollar notes are seen in this November 7, 2016 picture illustration. Picture taken November 7. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

April 26, 2019

(Reuters) – Following are five big themes likely to dominate thinking of investors and traders in the coming week and the Reuters stories related to them.

1/DOLLAR JUGGERNAUT

The dollar has zipped to near two-year highs, leaving many scratching their heads. To many, it’s down to signs the U.S. economy is chugging ahead while the rest of the world loses steam. After all, Wall Street is busily scaling new peaks day after day.

Never mind the cause, the effect is stark. The euro has tumbled to 22-month lows against the dollar and investors are preparing for more, buying options to shield against further downside. Emerging-market currencies are also in pain, with Turkish lira and Argentine peso both sharply weaker.

Now U.S. data need to keep surprising on the upside or even just meet expectations. The International Monetary Fund sees U.S. growth at 2.3 percent this year. For Germany, the forecast is 0.8 percent. The U.S. economy’s rude health has given rise to speculation the Fed might resume raising interest rates. Unlikely. But as other countries — Canada, Sweden and Australia are the latest — hint at more policy easing, there seems to be one way the dollar can go. Up.

(GRAPHIC: Dollar outperforms G10 FX – https://tmsnrt.rs/2Dz17S5)

2/FED: UP OR DOWN?

Wall Street is near record highs and recession worries are receding, so as we mentioned above, investors might wonder if the Federal Reserve will start raising rates again.

Such a pivot is unlikely after the Fed killed off rate-rise expectations at its March meeting. And the latest Reuters poll all but puts to bed any risk of rates will go up this economic cycle, given inflation remains below the Fed’s alarm threshold and unemployment is the lowest in generations.

Before the March rate-pause announcement, a preponderance of economists penciled in one or more increases this year. But that has flipped. A majority of those surveyed April 22-24 see no further tightening through December and more are leaning toward a cut by the end of next year.

Indeed, interest rate futures imply Fed Funds will be below the current 2.25-2.50 percent target range by this December.

Recent positive consumer spending and exports data have eased market concerns of a sharp economic slowdown. But inflation probably needs to run hot for a long period to panic policymakers off their wait-and-see course.     

(GRAPHIC: Federal funds and the economy – https://tmsnrt.rs/2DzjTZz)

3/HEISEI TO REIWA

Next week ends three decades of Japan’s Heisei era. Heisei, or Achieving Peace, began in 1989 near the peak of a massive stock market bubble and closes with the country trapped in low growth, no inflation, and negative interest rates.

The new era that dawns on May 1 is called Reiwa, meaning Beautiful Harmony. It begins when Crown Prince Naruhito ascends the Chrysanthemum Throne. But do investors really want harmony? What they want to see is a bit of economic growth and inflation to shake up the status quo.

The Bank of Japan’s stimulus toolkit to revive a long-suffering economy is anything but harmonious and yet it’s set to stay. The central bank confirmed recently rates will stay near zero for a long time. But the coming days may not be harmonious or peaceful for currency markets. A 10-day Golden Week holiday kicks off on April 29 and investors are fretting over the risk of a “flash crash” – a violent currency spasm that can occur in times of thin trading turnover.

The year has already seen two yen spikes and many, including Japan’s housewife-trader brigade – so-called Mrs Watanabes – appear to have bought yen as the holiday approaches. Their short dollar/long yen positions recently reached record highs, stock exchange data showed.

(GRAPHIC: Japan stocks: from Hensei to Reiwa – https://tmsnrt.rs/2W6a7Fe)

4/EARNING TURNING

Quarterly earnings were supposed to be the worst in Europe in almost three years, but with a third of results in, things are looking a little rosier.

Two-thirds of companies’ results have beat expectations, and they point to earnings growth of 4.5 percent year-on-year. Financials have delivered the biggest surprises, according to analysis by Barclays.

That might just show how low expectations were. In fact, analysts are still taking a red pen to their estimates.

The latest I/B/E/S data from Refinitiv shows analysts on average expect first-quarter earnings-per-share for STOXX 600-listed companies to fall 4.2 percent. That would be their worst quarter since 2016 and down sharply from an estimated 3.4 percent just a week earlier.

Those estimates may end up being a little too bearish as earnings season goes on, quelling worries that Europe is heading toward a corporate recession.

GSK and Reckitt Benckiser will give the market a glimpse of the health of the consumer products market and spending on everything from toothpaste, washing powder and paracetamol.

(GRAPHIC: Earnings forecasts – https://tmsnrt.rs/2DuO2ZF)

5/WAITING FOR THE OLD LADY

Sterling has gone into the doldrums amid the Brexit delay and unproductive talks between the UK government and the opposition Labour party on a EU withdrawal deal. The resurgent dollar, meanwhile, has taken 2 percent off the pound in April. It is unlikely the Bank of England will be able to rouse it at its May 2 meeting.

Despite robust retail and jobs data of late, the economic picture is gloomy – 2019 growth is likely to be around 1.2 percent, the weakest since 2009, investment is down and Governor Mark Carney says business uncertainty is “through the roof”.

Indeed, expectations for an interest rate increase have been whittled down; Reuters polls forecast rates will not move until early 2020, a calendar quarter later than was forecast a month ago. The hunt for a new governor to replace Carney in October adds more uncertainty to the mix.

The recent run of UK data has fueled hopes of economic rebound. That’s put net hedge fund positions in the pound into positive territory for the first time in nearly a year. The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street might temper some of that optimism.

(GRAPHIC: Sterling positions – https://tmsnrt.rs/2XJwUXX)

(Reporting by Alden Bentley in New York, Vidya Ranganathan in Singapore; Karin Strohecker, Josephine Mason and Saikat Chatterjee in London; compiled by Sujata Rao; edited by Larry King)

Source: OANN

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Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren suggested that doctors and nurses don’t treat African American women the same way they do white women.

Warren appeared on Wednesday together with a number of other 2020 Democratic candidates at the She The People Forum in Houston, discussing issues concerning women of color.

WARREN’S $1.25T EDUCATION PLAN ‘SWEEPING’ GIVEAWAY TO THE WEALTHY AT EXPENSE OF THE POOR, WAPO EDITORIAL BOARD SAYS

The Massachusetts senator announced on stage a plan to decrease the childbirth mortality rate among black women while identifying a systematic problem with how they are treated.

“And there is a specific problem, as you rightly identified, for women of color who are three, four times more likely to die in childbirth,” Warren said.

“And here’s the thing, even after we do the adjustments for income, for education, this is true across the board. This is true for well-educated African American women, for wealthy African American women, and the best studies that I’m seeing put it down to just one thing, prejudice,” she added.

“That doctors and nurses don’t hear African American women’s medical issues the same way that they hear the same things from white women.”

“That doctors and nurses don’t hear African American women’s medical issues the same way that they hear the same things from white women.”

— Elizabeth Warren

CHARLIE KIRK: WARREN AND OTHER DEMS OFFER FREE MONEY – BUT DON’T TELL YOU PRICE WILL BE YOUR FREEDOM

Warren went on to get into details of her plan, noting that hospitals will be given bonuses if they manage to reduce the childbirth mortality rate among black women in an effort to give financial incentives for those doctors and nurses to provide better care.

“And if they don’t, then they’re going to have money taken away from them,” Warren added.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“I want to see the hospitals see it as their responsibility to address this problem head-on and make it a first priority. The best way to do that is to use the money to make it happen because we gotta have change, and we gotta have change now.”

Source: Fox News Politics

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