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Trey Gowdy calls Nadler subpoena vote part of a ‘communications war’

Former congressman Trey Gowdy appeared on “The Story with Martha MacCallum” on Wednesday and said he’d be “surprised” if Attorney General William Barr produces everything involved in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe. And he challenged House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., to begin investigating “malfeasance by the president.”

“I think he's right in this limited regard, it is Congress' responsibility to investigate malfeasance by the president,” Gowdy said.

REP. MEADOWS: NADLER'S REPORT SUBPOENA ABOUT HURTING TRUMP IN 2020

“Go right ahead. Mueller interviewed 500 witnesses, right? Go ahead and start. But the executive branch does not have to produce its work product so Congress can then use it against the executive branch. This subpoena deadline, I'll be surprised if Barr ever produces everything and they can go to court but they will lose in court.”

The House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines Wednesday to authorize subpoenas for Mueller’s full report after the Justice Department missed a Democrat-imposed deadline Tuesday. So far, Barr has produced only a four-page summary.

Gowdy accused Nadler of voting to authorize subpoenas and pressuring Barr to release a full, unredacted report as part of a “communications war.”

“What you saw today is for public consumption. … It’s a communications war. It's not a constitutional war. That's clear. The executive branch does not have to comply with arbitrary deadlines set by a coequal branch,” Gowdy told MacCallum.

Gowdy also commented on a New York Times report that alleges some Mueller investigators believe their findings were more troubling for the president than Barr let on.

“You have 40 agents and almost 20 lawyers. I'd be shocked if they all were of unanimous opinion,” Gowdy said.

HOUSE DEMS PREPARE FOR SUBPOENA BATTLE OVER MUELLER REPORT

Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

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On President’s Day let’s reflect on the role faith played in our founders' vision for America

Each year, on the third Monday of February, we celebrate Presidents Day to honor U.S. presidents, past and present. Instead of kings who wield absolute power for entire lifetimes, America was established as a nation ruled by the people. The government’s ability to wrest power from the people was reined in by an ingenious system of checks and balances. But what is often missed by pundits today was the expectation of our Founding Fathers, all of whom held great reverence for God and Scripture, that leaders possess a moral compass, and that virtue, justice and righteousness were essential for government not to trample on the God-given rights of the people.

George Washington warned America in his first inaugural address never to depart from its founding principles, which he clearly believed flowed from God. He declared, “the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained.”

VIRGINIA CHURCH RAISES $100G TO PAY OFF COLLEGE DEBT FOR 34 STUDENTS

Christians share the same spiritual obligation our Founding Fathers felt to express our faith in the political and public sphere. Here are three reasons why:

1.         Political involvement demonstrates love for our neighbors.

Jesus told us in Matthew 22 that the greatest commandment is to love God with all that we are and he went on to say that the second greatest commandment is to “love your neighbor as yourself.”

As Americans, we are allowed the unique opportunity to influence our laws.

Using our voice and our vote as Christians to influence the political landscape of our country is one way we can show love to our neighbor. Good laws and a well-run government are essential to produce a flourishing society. Obeying these two commandments includes seeking legislation that protects the sanctity of life, religious freedom, marriage and family, and that compassionately cares for those in need. Engaging in politics allows us to effect change and is essential for believers who love their neighbor.

2.         Political involvement demonstrates reverence for God.

Paul writes in Romans 13 that Christians should respect and be subject to their governing authorities because “there is no authority except that which God has established.”

The Bible explicitly expresses an obligation to our government that is derived from God’s authority. As Americans, we are allowed the unique opportunity to influence our laws. For Christians, this means we must bring our biblical worldview to the public square. If we begin to remove ourselves from politics, this opens the door for moral decay and culture shift, inevitably changing the direction of a government that honors God.

3.         Political involvement shows respect for the Bible.

2 Timothy tells us that, “all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

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“Every good work” definitely includes leveraging our faith to influence politics in a way that seeks to build God’s kingdom on Earth. Believers must understand a biblical worldview speaks into every aspect of our lives, including some of today’s most controversial issues.

So, hopefully, this Presidents Day gives you an extra moment of rest but also time to reflect on — and be grateful for — how our nation’s leaders have exercised their faith while serving in government. Let their example encourage everyday citizens like you and me to let our faith impact our nation, too.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM JASON YATES 

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Sen. Warren Proposes Abolishing Electoral College

The Electoral College should be abolished and instead the president chosen by a national vote, Sen. Elizabeth Warren said at a CNN town hall in Jackson, Mississippi on Monday evening.

Warren, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for president in 2020, said the Electoral College disenfranchises voters who live in a state dominated by one of the parties.

"Come a general election, presidential candidates don't come to places like Mississippi, she said. “They also don't come to places like California or Massachusetts, because we're not the battleground states."

The senator stressed that "My view is that every vote matters and the way we can make that happen is that we can have national voting and that means get rid of the Electoral College."

Two times in the past 20 years a Republican won the presidential election while receiving less national votes than his Democratic challenger - in 2000, George W. Bush defeated Al Gore and in 2016 Donald Trump bested Hillary Clinton, The Washington Times reported.

Trump’s victory has spurred momentum for a national popular vote, but the fact that the Electoral College is part of the Constitution makes such a radical change more problematic, according to Politico.

Instead, other alternatives are being pushed attempting to have the same change while officially keeping the Electoral College, such as the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.

That idea has member states pledge their Electoral College votes to the winner of the national popular vote. However, according to Politico, the deal only go into effect only if enough states sign on to pledge the 270 electoral votes necessary to win a presidential election. A combined total of 181 Electoral Votes have committed to the pact with the addition of Colorado last week.

Related Stories:

Source: NewsMax Politics

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Biden to take the plunge on Wednesday

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On the roster: Biden to take the plunge on Wednesday - Voter intensity through the roof - Mueller report spares Trump, but leaves a mark - Committed to life

BIDEN TO TAKE THE PLUNGE ON WEDNESDAY
AP: “Former Vice President Joe Biden is expected to announce he’s running for president next week. That's according to three people with knowledge of Biden's plans. Biden, a native of Scranton, will enter the race as a Democratic front-runner, although the 76-year-old faces questions about his age and whether his more moderate record fits with a party that has become more liberal. The announcement is expected as early as Wednesday and would cap months of deliberation over his political future.”

Biden supporters prep for his announcement - WHYY: “Some of Philadelphia’s most prominent Democrats, including former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, former Mayor Michael Nutter, and Comcast Senior Executive Vice President David L. Cohen are planning a fundraiser for former Vice President Joe Biden’s presidential bid ‘within a day or two of his formal announcement.’ Cohen sent an email to potential contributors Wednesday soliciting donations of $2,800, the maximum federal primary contribution for the event. … Cohen said a group wants to ‘make a big Philadelphia statement’ if Biden does announce, and says he’s pulled together a ‘Philadelphia finance leadership team’ including Rendell, Nutter, former U.S. Rep. and Philadelphia Democratic City Committee Chairman Bob Brady, former state Sen. Connie Williams, developer Ron Rubin, Independence Blue Cross CEO Dan Hilferty, and attorneys Steve Cozen, Charisse Lillie, and Ken Jarin, ‘with others to follow.’”

Cultivates his union roots - Politico: “Joe Biden said on Thursday that it was time to ‘take back’ the country and treat the middle class with respect, as the former vice president warms up for a likely 2020 presidential run. ‘I’m getting so sick and tired of the way everybody’s being treated,’ Biden told a crowd of striking union workers here. ‘We will take back this country. … I mean it. Don’t give up. Keep it going.’ Biden made the remarks at a union rally in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood, where some of the 31,000 union workers for the New England-based Stop & Shop supermarket chain walked off the job last week after contract negotiations fell apart. He laid out a vision for ‘decent health care,’ a ‘fair wage’ and retirement during his 10-minute speech in the rain. The appearance was Biden’s latest trip to fire up pro-union Democrats.”

VOTER INTENSITY THROUGH THE ROOF
Fox News: “More than three-quarters of voters are already interested in the 2020 presidential election, including over half, 52 percent, who are ‘extremely’ interested, according to the latest Fox News Poll. That matches interest levels typically seen only in the last weeks before Election Day. The enthusiasm is on both sides. Fifty-seven percent of voters who supported Hillary Clinton in 2016 are ‘extremely’ interested in the upcoming election, as are 57 percent of Donald Trump voters, and two-thirds of self-identified ‘very conservatives’ (67 percent) and ‘very liberals’ (65 percent). Democratic primary voters are upbeat about many of their options. Nearly 8 in 10 would be satisfied with Joe Biden (78 percent) or Bernie Sanders (75 percent) winning the nomination, while 6 in 10 would be happy with Kamala Harris or Elizabeth Warren (each 61 percent). … Still, there is room for opinions to change for these candidates, as at least 3 in 10 primary voters don’t know enough about each to have an opinion.”

Reparations for descendants of slaves emerges as litmus test - Elle: “With the 2020 presidential election entering full swing, one topic is emerging as a new litmus test for candidates: whether they support reparations, or the concept of providing restitution to descendants of American slaves, partially as a way to account for the current wealth gaps that exist as a direct result of slavery and systemic discrimination. … While the subject has not been popular among candidates in the past (both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton refrained from endorsing reparations), it's become a common question asked of the 2020 prospects. And many (including Kamala Harris, John Hickenlooper, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Kirsten Gillibrand, Tulsi Gabbard, and Beto O'Rourke) have voiced their support for a recent House bill from Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee that would form a commission to ‘study the impact of slavery and continuing discrimination against African-Americans, resulting directly and indirectly from slavery to segregation to the desegregation process and the present day…’”

Dems divided over ethics of fundraising - The Atlantic: “The 2020 race for the White House will undoubtedly be a battle both of ideology and personality. But it is also shaping up as a clash of two opposing forces: the ever-expanding, $1 billion industry that is a modern presidential campaign, and the Democratic Party’s move away from the top-down approach to fundraising that has fueled American politics for decades. So far, the progressive push toward campaign-finance purity is winning, and that’s worrying Democrats who believe the party literally can’t afford to leave money on the table if it wants to defeat President Donald Trump next year. The three most prolific fundraisers in the sprawling Democratic presidential primary field—Senators Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris and former Representative Beto O’Rourke—hauled in just under $40 million total in the first quarter of 2019. That was enough to easily surpass the $30 million that the Trump campaign added to its coffers.”

Warren builds big staff - WGBH: “Elizabeth Warren has been on a hiring spree. In the three months since launching her presidential campaign fresh with the new year, the Massachusetts senator has put 160 people onto her payroll — nearly two a day through the end of March. That puts her well ahead of her rivals in staffing. It's an advantage that also brings challenges. Some personnel came over from her Senate and political operations, including campaign manager Roger Lau, chief of staff Dan Geldon, senior advisor for planning Kaaren Hinck, communications director Kristen Orthman, and digital director Lauren Miller. Warren has added plenty of new faces as wel[l]. … But that’s just the top levels. What separates her from other presidential candidates in the crowded 2020 Democratic field are the dozens of organizers, researchers, designers, media professionals, and operations aides she’s already put on staff.”

THE RULEBOOK: GOOD FRUITS
“I believe it may be laid down as a general rule that their confidence in and obedience to a government will commonly be proportioned to the goodness or badness of its administration.” –  Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 27

TIME OUT: SOME BEEF WITH FAKE BEEF
Eater: “It happened slowly, and then all at once. First came White Castle’s Impossible slider, which Eater NY’s Ryan Sutton hailed as ‘one of America’s best fast-food burgers’ in 2018. That slider just happened to be meatless, containing an Impossible Foods-branded patty made from soy protein, potato protein, coconut oil, sunflower oil, and heme, the ingredient that gives the burger the taste, aroma, and ‘bleed’ of a juicy beef patty. Then, the floodgates opened: In January, Carl’s Jr. became the largest American fast-food chain to offer plant-based patties made by Beyond Meat in 1,100 locations nationwide; just a few months later, Burger King, Del Taco, and the fast-casual chain Qdoba have followed suit with fake-meat offerings of their own, from Whoppers to tacos to burrito bowls. But conspicuously missing from the growing list of fast-food chains offering plant-based ‘meats’ produced by brands like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat is McDonald’s, the biggest quick-service chain in the U.S.”

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

SCOREBOARD
Trump job performance 
Average approval: 42.8 percent
Average disapproval: 52 percent
Net Score: -9.2 points
Change from one week ago: down 0.4 points 
[Average includes: Fox News: 45% approve - 51% disapprove; Monmouth University: 40% approve - 54% disapprove; Gallup: 45% approve - 51% disapprove; GU Politics/Battleground: 43% approve - 52% disapprove; IBD: 41% approve - 52% disapprove.]

MUELLER REPORT SPARES TRUMP, BUT LEAVES A MARK
NYT: “Although the resulting two-year investigation ended without charges against Mr. Trump, [Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s] report painted a damning portrait of a White House dominated by a president desperate to thwart the inquiry only to be restrained by aides equally desperate to thwart his orders. The White House that emerges from more than 400 pages of Mr. Mueller’s report is a hotbed of conflict infused by a culture of dishonesty — defined by a president who lies to the public and his own staff, then tries to get his aides to lie for him. Mr. Trump repeatedly threatened to fire lieutenants who did not carry out his wishes while they repeatedly threatened to resign rather than cross lines of propriety or law.”

Sanders takes heat for White House ‘culture of lying’ - Fox News: "‘Good Morning America’ host George Stephanopoulos grilled press secretary Sarah Sanders Friday on the allegations that Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia report exposed a culture of lying at the White House. Stephanopoulos showed a clip from a press conference when Sanders told reporters that ‘countless members of the FBI’ had lost confidence in FBI Director James Comey, which led to his firing.”

Dems vow to ‘hold Trump accountable’ - ABC News: “Within minutes of the release of special counsel Robert Mueller's redacted report, House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler announced he would subpoena the Justice Department for a full, unredacted version even as Republicans celebrated the findings of the special counsel and urged Democrats to ‘move on’ from the Russia investigation. ‘We clearly can't believe what Attorney General Barr tells us,’ Nadler, D-N.Y., told reporters at a news conference in New York City Thursday afternoon. ‘The special counsel made clear that he did not exonerate the president and the responsibility now falls to Congress to hold the president accountable for his actions.’ When asked if Congress holding President Donald Trump ‘accountable’ means impeachment, Nadler said ‘that is one possibility’ as he believes the report ‘was probably written with the intent of providing Congress a road map,’ but he added ‘it’s too early to reach those conclusions.’”

But Republicans say ‘game over’ - Politico: “Republicans have one message following the conclusion of Robert Mueller’s probe: Move on. With no criminal charges against the president, many GOP lawmakers on Thursday gleefully watched Attorney General William Barr repeat their oft-repeated lines of ‘no collusion’ to a national audience. Even before the formal release of Mueller’s 400-page report — which contained damaging information about President Donald Trump — congressional Republicans celebrated the end to a nearly two-year investigation that has hung like a dark cloud over Trump’s presidency. And they’re ready to turn it into the first day of their 2020 election. A picture tweeted out by Trump, set to a ‘Game of Thrones’ style backdrop, summed it up: ‘Game over.’”

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Chad Pergram: We’ve only just begun - Fox News

Kathryn Cramer Brownell: ‘The key to President Trump’s fate isn’t the Mueller report. It’s the hearings to come’ - WaPo

David French: ‘The Mueller report should shock our conscience’ - National Review

Jonathan Swan: ‘The other Don: McGahn is one of the Mueller report's biggest stars’ - Axios

Chicago Tribune: ‘What you thought of Trump before is likely your opinion now’ - ChiTrib

David Brooks: ‘What the Mueller report says about our world’ - NYT

AUDIBLE: REPLACE CARTRIDGE
“Today is a good day to sell toner for printers” – Dana Perino tweeted Thursday morning before the release of the redacted Mueller report.

ANY GIVEN SUNDAY
This weekend Mr. Sunday will sit down with Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and President Trump’s attorney, Rudy Giuliani. 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.

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

COMMITTED TO LIFE
KATU: “A World War II veteran and former pastor celebrated his 98th birthday on Wednesday with a community of friends he found while working out regularly at a gym in Gladstone. Even at 98 years old, Fred Lawrence hits the gym three days a week. ‘It makes me feel good, like I’m strengthening what’s here,’ the retired Marine said. Fred is a WWII veteran, who survived three tours of duty and went on to be a pastor. ‘I’m so grateful to be alive, in this day, that I was committed to live. The good Lord is good, I just feel like he was with me. I’m so grateful,’ Fred tells KATU.”

AND NOW, A WORD FROM CHARLES…
“History is tragic, not redemptive. Our holiday from history ended in fire, giving birth to a post-9/11 decade of turbulence and disorientation as we were faced with the unexpected resurgence of radical eschatological evil.” – Charles Krauthammer (1950-2018) writing in the Washington Post on Dec. 18, 2009.

Chris Stirewalt is the politics editor for Fox News. Liz Friden 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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Exclusive: J. Crew turns again to debt restructuring lawyers – sources

A J.Crew store is seen in Manhattan, New York
FILE PHOTO: A J.Crew store is seen in Manhattan, New York March 3, 2014. REUTERS/Mike Segar

March 28, 2019

By Mike Spector and Jessica DiNapoli

(Reuters) – J. Crew Group Inc has tapped restructuring lawyers for the second time in as many years to explore options for reworking its debt, as the U.S. clothing chain struggles with falling sales and a dwindling cash pile, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

The company’s decision to seek help with its debt once again underscores the persistent business challenges J. Crew faces despite recent turnaround and financial restructuring efforts. A shift to pricier apparel turned off some shoppers, and J. Crew faces competition from e-commerce firms such as Amazon.com Inc that have squeezed an array of traditional retailers.

The preppy fashion retailer in recent weeks enlisted restructuring attorneys at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, the law firm that helped negotiate a previous debt workout for the company and most recently steered department store operator Sears Holdings Corp through bankruptcy proceedings, the sources said.

Weil lawyers with capital markets and mergers and acquisitions expertise are also involved in the discussions with J. Crew, one of the sources said.

J. Crew, which was taken private in 2011 by TPG Capital and Leonard Green & Partners in a roughly $3 billion leveraged buyout, is also interviewing restructuring specialists at investment banks, the sources said.

In a statement to Reuters on Thursday, the company did not directly address whether it has approached restructuring lawyers, but said it has “been evaluating and executing on opportunities to strengthen J. Crew’s balance sheet” and that its top priority this year is to return its flagship brand to profitability and sustain momentum for its quickly growing Madewell apparel business.

A TPG spokesman declined to comment. Representatives for Leonard Green and Weil did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A bankruptcy filing is not currently on the horizon for J. Crew, which carries a debt load exceeding $1.7 billion, according to the sources, who spoke on the condition they will not be identified because the deliberations are confidential.

The New York-based retailer is in the early stages of exploring options for its debt that could include a refinancing, the sources said. The discussions are aimed at addressing looming debt maturities in 2021, one of the sources added.

The company has not yet approached creditors about a restructuring, though it could eventually do so, one of the sources said. J. Crew has previously mulled hiving off Madewell through a sale or public offering, Reuters has reported.

J. Crew in 2017 reached a deal with creditors, including Blackstone Group LP’s GSO Capital Partners and Anchorage Capital Group, on a debt exchange that roughly cut in half nearly $567 million in bond obligations, and extended their due date by two years.

J. Crew, which has sold clothes once donned by former first lady Michelle Obama, had about $25.7 million in cash as of the beginning of February, down from roughly $107 million a year earlier, and the company has booked financial losses in seven of the last eight quarters, according to securities filings.

(Reporting by Mike Spector and Jessica DiNapoli in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

Source: OANN

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Ukraine president holds 1-man ‘debate’ before runoff vote

With one week remaining until Ukraine's presidential election runoff, President Petro Poroshenko has come to the country's largest sports stadium for a proposed debate where his opponent didn't show up.

There also weren't any spectators in Kiev's Olimpiskiy Stadium, though a large crowd stood outside to listen to a broadcast of Poroshenko making a statement and answering journalists' questions. He stood next to an empty lectern bearing challenger Volodymyr Zelenskiy's name.

The event Sunday was the latest unusual scene in the race between Poroshenko and Zelenskiy, a comic actor whom polls show holding a commanding lead.

Zelenskiy, who's never held office, had challenged Poroshenko to a debate in the stadium two days before April 21 election, but Poroshenko wanted it to be held Sunday. Zelenskiy never agreed to the Sunday debate.

Source: Fox News World

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Global regulators sharpen focus on looser lending, Brexit risk

FILE PHOTO: Federal Reserve Vice Chairman for Supervision Randal Quarles addresses the Economic Club of New York in New York
FILE PHOTO: Federal Reserve Vice Chairman for Supervision Randal Quarles addresses the Economic Club of New York in New York City, U.S., October 18, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

April 9, 2019

By Huw Jones

LONDON (Reuters) – Global financial regulators are developing a coordinated surveillance system to spot new threats from looser lending standards and high asset values, the chair of the Financial Stability Board (FSB) said on Tuesday.

The FSB groups central bankers, regulators and finance ministry officials from the Group of 20 economies (G20), and has largely completed work on reinforcing financial rules since the global banking crisis a decade ago.

In his first letter to G20 economic policymakers, its recently appointed head Randal Quarles said vulnerabilities were building up in the financial system and downside risks to global growth – including the prospect of a no-deal Brexit – were increasing.

“The FSB will continue to scan the horizon to identify and assess emerging risks… and will develop an explicit surveillance framework,” said Quarles, who became chair of the FSB in December and is also Federal Reserve Vice Chair for banking supervision.

“Loosening lending standards, elevated asset values, and high corporate and public debt call for particular vigilance.”

The FSB will evaluate the “global pattern of exposures” to collateralized loan obligations and leveraged loans to improve its understanding of the sector.

Quarles’ predecessor, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney, has likened the $2 trillion leveraged loan market to highly indebted companies to the subprime mortgages that defaulted 10 years ago and triggered the global financial crisis.

Quarles also said a disruptive Brexit could turn into a shock for the economy and create market volatility.

Britain is on course to leave the European Union on Friday, but Prime Minister Theresa May is asking the bloc for a delay until at least the end of June to avoid a no-deal departure.

“The FSB is monitoring developments and if necessary will advise G20 ministers and governors on risks, should they crystallize,” Quarles said.

The FSB will also identify possible gaps in regulating crypto-assets, analyze the implications of big tech companies expanding in financial services, and develop effective ways for financial firms to recover from cyber attacks.

(Reporting by Huw Jones; editing by John Stonestreet)

Source: OANN

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Sri Lanka's former defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa greets his supporters after his return from the United States, in Katunayake
Sri Lanka’s former defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa greets his supporters after his return from the United States, in Katunayake, Sri Lanka April 12, 2019. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

April 26, 2019

By Sanjeev Miglani and Shihar Aneez

COLOMBO (Reuters) – Sri Lanka’s former wartime defense chief, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, said on Friday he would run for president in elections this year and would stop the spread of Islamist extremism by rebuilding the intelligence service and surveilling citizens.

Gotabaya, as he is popularly known, is the younger brother of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the two led the country to a crushing defeat of separatist Tamil rebels a decade ago after a 26-year civil war.

More than 250 people were killed in bomb attacks on hotels and churches on Easter Sunday that the government has blamed on Islamist militants and that Islamic State has claimed responsibility for.

Gotabaya said the attacks could have been prevented if the island’s current government had not dismantled the intelligence network and extensive surveillance capabilities that he built up during the war and later on.

“Because the government was not prepared, that’s why you see a panic situation,” he said in an interview with Reuters.

Gotabaya said he would be a candidate “100 percent”, firming up months of speculation that he plans to run in the elections, which are due by December.

He was critical of the government’s response to the bombings. Since the attacks, the government has struggled to provide clear information about how they were staged, who was behind them and how serious the threat is from Islamic State to the country.

“Various people are blaming various people, not giving exactly the details as to what happened, even people expect the names, what organization did this, and how they came up to this level, that explanation was not given,” he said.

On Friday, President Maithripala Sirisena said the government led by premier Ranil Wickremesinghe should take responsibility for the attacks and that prior information warning of attacks was not shared with him.

Wickremesinghe said earlier he was not advised about warnings that came from India’s spy service either, presenting a picture of a government still in disarray since the two leaders fell out last October.

Gotabaya is facing lawsuits in the United States, where he is a dual citizen, over his role in the war and afterwards.

The South Africa-based International Truth and Justice Project, in partnership with U.S. law firm Hausfeld, filed a civil case in California this month against Gotabaya on behalf of a Tamil torture survivor.

In a separate case, Ahimsa Wickrematunga, the daughter of murdered investigative editor Lasantha Wickrematunga, filed a complaint for damages in the same U.S. District Court in California for allegedly instigating and authorizing the extrajudicial killing of her father.

Gotabaya said the cases were baseless and only a “little distraction” as he prepared for the election campaign. He said he had asked U.S. authorities to renounce his citizenship and that process was nearly done, clearing the way for his candidature.

‘DISMANTLE THE NETWORKS’

He said that if he won, his immediate focus would to be tackle the threat from radical Islam and to rebuild the security set-up.

“It’s a serious problem, you have to go deep into the groups, dismantle the networks,” he said, adding he would give the military a mandate to collect intelligence from the ground and to mount surveillance of groups turning to extremism.

Gotabaya said that a military intelligence cell he had set up in 2011 of 5,000 people, some of them with Arabic language skills and that was tracking the bent towards extremist ideology some of the Islamist groups were taking in eastern Sri Lanka was disbanded by the current government.

“They did not give priority to national security, there was a mix-up. They were talking about ethnic reconciliation, then they were talking about human rights issues, they were talking about individual freedoms,” he said.

President Sirisena’s government sought to forge reconciliation with minority Tamils and close the wounds of the war and launched investigations into allegations of rights abuse and torture against military officers.

Officials said many of these secret intelligence cells were disbanded because they faced allegations of abuse, including torture and extra judicial killings.

Muslims make up nearly 10 percent of Sri Lanka’s population of 22 million, which is predominantly Buddhist.

(Reporting by Sanjeev Miglani; Editing by Frances Kerry)

Source: OANN

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FILE PHOTO: The Federal Reserve Board building on Constitution Avenue is pictured in Washington
FILE PHOTO: The Federal Reserve Board building on Constitution Avenue is pictured in Washington, U.S., March 27, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

April 26, 2019

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The Federal Reserve may lower the interest it pays on excess reserves banks leave with it by 5 basis points at its April 30-May 1 policy meeting in a bid to prevent the federal funds rate from drifting higher, Morgan Stanley analysts said on Friday.

This would mark the third such “technical” adjustment on the interest on excess reserves (IOER) following cuts last June and December.

(Reporting by Richard Leong; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Source: OANN

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In response to the news that the U.S. economy rose 3.2 percent in the first quarter of 2019, White House National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow said that this “prosperity cycle” will continue if President Trump‘s policies stay in place.

Calling the advance in gross domestic product a “blow-out number,” Kudlow told “America’s Newsroom” Friday that it serves as concrete proof Trump’s measures to grow the economy have been successful.

“I’ll just say, Trump’s policies to rebuild the economy, lower taxes, regulations, opening energy, trade reform. Look, this stuff is working,” he said.

“It tells me, among other things, that the prosperity cycle we have entered into is continuing, it is strong. It has legs and momentum and frankly it is going to go on for quite some time,” he continued. “This is the new Trump economy. Some people don’t like that or they don’t agree with that. I respect the differences but I’ll tell you it’s working.”

STUART VARNEY: THANKS TO TRUMP, AMERICANS ARE FEELING BETTER ABOUT THEIR FINANCES

39 MILLION ADULTS CANNOT AFFORD A SUMMER VACATION

Kudlow added that Trump has “ended the war” on business and success, and is rallying for the small business owners of America.

“The president is rebuilding incentives, he is rebuilding confidence, he the rebuilding optimism,” he said. “He is basically saying you should keep more of what you earn. He is basically saying to small businesses we’ll cut the paperwork back and make it easier for you to start a business and prosper.”

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Kudlow said the Trump administration is also working with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders to implement bipartisan deals to ensure the continuation of the GDP’s success.

“If the policies and the principles remain in place — and I believe they will — then I believe this new prosperity expansion cycle is going to go on for a whole bunch of more years,” he said.

Source: Fox News Politics

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Tennis - Australian Open - Women's Singles Final
FILE PHOTO: Tennis – Australian Open – Women’s Singles Final – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, January 26, 2019. Japan’s Naomi Osaka attends a news conference after winning her match against Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

April 26, 2019

(Reuters) – World number one Naomi Osaka came from behind in the final set to beat Croatian Donna Vekic 6-3 4-6 7-6(4) on Friday and move into the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix semi-finals.

Osaka comfortably won the opening set but was tested by the Croatian, who pushed her to the limit in the second and third. The Japanese made 45 unforced errors as she struggles to get to grips with swapping hard courts for clay.

Osaka was visibly frustrated and trailed 5-1 in the final set but she refused to give up and found her rhythm to break Vekic twice and prevent her from serving for the match.

In the tiebreaker, a confident Osaka upped her baseline game and had two early mini breaks before wrapping up the match in two hours and 18 minutes. An infuriated Vekic even smashed her racket after losing the match.

“I told myself I didn’t want to have any regrets here,” Osaka said. “I was stressed out when I went down 1-5… but this (comeback) was pretty good because I don’t play really well on clay.”

Earlier, world number three Petra Kvitova came back from a set down to beat Anastasija Sevastova 2-6 6-2 6-3 and move into the tournament’s semi-finals for the third time in her career.

Sevastova had a dream start, breaking Kvitova twice to take a 3-0 lead as the Czech struggled with her first serve. Kvitova also made a slew of unforced errors, with many of her returns going long.

Sevastova used the full width of the court to get the better of Kvitova, who played on the back foot for much of the first set as the Latvian gave her little time to catch her breath.

However, Kvitova recovered in the second set and she broke Sevastova’s serve when she was 3-2 up, winning 10 straight points to take a 5-2 lead. Sevastova looked shaken and was broken again to give Kvitova the second set.

Kvitova took command in the final set and broke a visibly upset Sevastova to take a 3-1 lead before easing into the semis.

“In the first set I missed almost everything. I was pretty slow and she just couldn’t miss,” Kvitova said. “In the second set it was very important for me to stay on my serve and the chance to break her came.”

Kiki Bertens plays Angelique Kerber later on Friday and Victoria Azarenka faces Anett Kontaveit in the last quarter-final.

(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)

Source: OANN

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President Donald Trump says he feels “young” and “vibrant” at age 72 and thinks he can beat 76-year-old Joe Biden “easily.”

A reporter asked Trump at the White House on Friday how old is too old to be president of the United States.

Trump said: “I just feel like a young man. I’m so young. I can’t believe it. … I’m a young vibrant man.”

Then he smiled and said he’s not sure about Democratic presidential contender Biden, the second-oldest contender in the race behind Bernie Sanders.

Trump said: “I look at Joe. I don’t know about him.”

Biden, in an interview on ABC’s “The View,” joked in response that if Trump “looks young and vibrant compared to me, I should probably go home.”

Source: NewsMax Politics

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