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French cardinal meets pope after saying he would offer resignation

FILE PHOTO: Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, Archbishop of Lyon, arrives to attend his trial at the courthouse in Lyon
FILE PHOTO: Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, Archbishop of Lyon, arrives to attend his trial, charged with failing to act on historical allegations of sexual abuse of boy scouts by a priest in his diocese, at the courthouse in Lyon, France, January 7, 2019. REUTERS/Emmanuel Foudrot/File Photo

March 18, 2019

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, who was convicted by a French court of failing to report allegations of sexual abuse, met Pope Francis on Monday after saying before he left France that the purpose of his trip was to hand in his resignation as archbishop of Lyon.

The Vatican confirmed that the meeting took place but gave no details. The Vatican did not say if the pope had accepted any resignation.

(Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Alison Williams)

Source: OANN

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After bodysuit blow, Japan’s Zozo embarks on hiring spree to shore up online mall

Yuki Kanayama, Chief Innovation Officer of Zozo Technologies, poses with a Zozosuit after an interview with Reuters in Tokyo
Yuki Kanayama, Chief Innovation Officer of Zozo Technologies, poses with a Zozosuit after an interview with Reuters in Tokyo, Japan, March 20, 2019. Picture taken March 20, 2019. REUTERS/Sam Nussey

April 24, 2019

By Sam Nussey

TOKYO (Reuters) – For Japan’s Zozo Inc, a brash online fashion retailer, 2018 marked a turning point, but not in the way that anyone had hoped.

Its body-measuring Zozosuit, which was supposed to put the firm at the cutting edge of made-to-order fashion, failed to drive sales. Executives came under fire in the media for wildly optimistic targets and the company said in November it was phasing out the product.

Adding to its woes, fashion brands that helped make the reputation of Zozo’s billionaire founder and CEO Yusaku Maezawa became increasingly unhappy with what they saw as excessive discounting at its core Zozotown online mall. Japanese apparel firms like Onward Holdings Co Ltd and Right On Co Ltd left the site.

The turmoil forced Zozo to slash its profit outlook in January. Soon after, publicity-loving Maezawa, known for signing up to be the first private passenger on Elon Musk’s SpaceX voyage around the moon, said he was taking a hiatus from Twitter to concentrate on his “real job”.

According to Yuki Kanayama, chief innovation officer at unit Zozo Technologies, the Zozosuit was no failure – just the first iteration of the company’s made-to-measure business.

The next stage for made-to-order services “is still under debate internally” while Zozo concentrates on shoring up its online mall, he told Reuters in an interview.

The dropping of the suit, however, underscores the challenges in making mass-customization a fashion industry reality. Numerous retailers, from startups to giants like Amazon, are pushing forward with body measuring technology including in-store scanners and apps that capture data via the smartphone. None have had break-out success.

To bolster its mall business, Zozo is recruiting engineers to make shopping online more tailored to a user’s preferences as well as to work on areas such as advertising, said Kanayama, who started up fashion tech company Vasily before selling it to Maezawa in 2017.

Zozo Technologies, the firm’s research and development hub, hired just under 100 people in the past financial year, most of them engineers, lifting the unit’s headcount to 280. This year it plans to hire another 100 people or more, also mostly engineers.

“It’s about search. When you have more products, search becomes more difficult, so it’s about things like personalization and discovery – not only things you want but things that get recommended and that you discover.”

How Zozo, which secured a 15 billion yen ($135 million)commitment line from banks in late March, can rebuild its image and finances will be a key focus when it reports annual earnings and guidance for the current financial year on Thursday.

It has said it expects operating profit to have dropped to 26.5 billion yen, down by a third from an earlier estimate and 19 percent below the previous year’s results. Cash and deposits have also fallen sharply, to 8.2 billion yen as of end-December, down by two-thirds compared to nine months earlier.

Zozo’s problems have seen its stock slide almost 60 percent since its peak last July, valuing the company at 653 billion yen ($5.8 billion).

The company has, however, seen the number of shops on Zozotown climb by roughly a 100 to 1,200 over the past year, as it attracts more inexpensive brands like Shimamura Co Ltd. Zozo also has moved to make discounts less visible to users.

UNSUITED

Michael Causton, an analyst at JapanConsuming, describes the Zozosuit as a nice idea but “very badly executed.”

The first version, launched in late 2017, used embedded sensors to upload data via a smartphone but was afflicted with high costs and production problems. Zozo quickly abandoned that approach in favor of an easier-to-manufacture polka-dot version that used a smartphone camera to capture data.

But a bigger problem soon became apparent: customers who received one of the one million bodysuits distributed for free did not order many clothes and some did not even upload their data in the first place.

“It was a hassle for them,” said Kanayama, adding that positive results from test customers ahead of the bodysuit’s launch fed into Zozo’s overly optimistic sales targets.

“That’s a big point of reflection for us,” he said.

Zozo compounded the problems by extending its made-to-order offerings beyond basics like t-shirts to far more ambitious items like business suits, leading to delivery delays and complaints about poor sizing.

Zozo is, however, not going to abandon its bold approach to business, said Kanayama, who like Maezawa, used to be in a rock band and helps cultivate the firm’s unconventional image with his penchant for cowboy boots.

“Zozo will not mature,” he said, dismissing the idea that 2018 represented a rambunctious teenage period for a firm that needed to grow up. “We are still punk.”

(Reporting by Sam Nussey; Editing by Jonathan Weber and Edwina Gibbs)

Source: OANN

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CONCACAF Champions League: Monterrey build big lead on SKC

MLS: Montreal Impact at Sporting Kansas City
Mar 30, 2019; Kansas City, KS, USA; Sporting Kansas City players pose for a photo before the match against the Montreal Impact at Children's Mercy Park. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

April 5, 2019

The lone remaining Major League Soccer team in the CONCACAF Champions League would need a major comeback to reach the finals.

Monterrey routed Sporting Kansas City 5-0 on Thursday in Guadalupe, Mexico, in the first leg of a total-goals semifinal series. The return leg will be played April 11 at Kansas City, Kan.

Dorlan Pabon and Aviles Hurtado scored in the seventh and 14th minutes respectively to give Monterrey a fast start. The game was secured when Jesus Gallardo scored in the 55th minute, Nicolas Sanchez converted a penalty kick in the 70th minute, and Pabon found the net again in the 76th minute.

In the first semifinal matchup Wednesday, host Tigres routed Santos Laguna 3-0 in an all-Liga MX matchup at San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico. The second leg of that series will be played next Wednesday at Torreon, Mexico.

The two-legged final will be held in late April and early May.

No MLS team has won the competition since the Los Angeles Galaxy were champions in 2000. Mexican clubs have won every title since 2006.

–Field Level Media

Source: OANN

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Backstory: Three cameras, two ladders – snapping Tesla’s Elon Musk at court

FILE PHOTO: Tesla CEO Elon Musk arrives at Manhattan federal court
FILE PHOTO: Tesla CEO Elon Musk arrives at Manhattan federal court for a hearing on his fraud settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in New York City, U.S., April 4, 2019. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo

April 12, 2019

NEW YORK (Reuters) – (Backstory is a series of reports showing how Reuters journalists work and the standards under which they operate)

Hundreds of reporters and photographers pressed up against steel barriers last week to get a glimpse of Tesla Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk at Manhattan’s downtown federal courthouse.

Three Reuters photographers used two ladders and years of experience to get some of the clearest, unobstructed shots of him entering and leaving the building, which were used by media outlets around the world.

Two hours before, Brendan McDermid, Shannon Stapleton and freelancer Eduardo Munoz staked out both entrances to the courthouse, which was ringed by barricades to control the expected crowd.

About 30 minutes before the hearing, concerning Musk’s legal spat with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, two brand-new Teslas pulled up in front of the courthouse. As soon as Musk stepped out, a crowd of photographers and reporters swarmed him.

McDermid and Stapleton, perched on small ladders, snapped pictures of Musk as he scaled the court’s pale granite steps.

About 90 minutes later, as Musk exited the building, Munoz took over at street level.

Anticipating where the car would whisk Musk away, Munoz snapped one shot of him square on, unobstructed by the throng of handlers and reporters, and then scooted around the barriers to the other side of the car to capture Musk again, with his face and the imposing pillars of the court building reflected in the shiny roof of the Tesla Model S.

His camera, as those of his colleagues, automatically sent photos wirelessly to Reuters picture editors who were primed to publish them in a matter of seconds to media clients hungry for images of the erratic billionaire entrepreneur.

“The best you can do is to get the exposure and focus correct and worry about your composition secondary,” said McDermid. “More importantly, try not to trip and fall on your colleagues. Or fall to the ground and get trampled by them.”

(Reporting by Lisa Shumaker; Editing by Bill Rigby and Howard Goller)

Source: OANN

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U.S. Soccer Federation defends support for women’s team after lawsuit

Soccer: She Believes Cup Women's Soccer-Brazil at USA
FILE PHOTO: Mar 5, 2019; Tampa, FL, USA; United States forward Tobin Heath (17) and forward Alex Morgan (13) and forward Mallory Pugh (11) celebrate after a goal during the first half against Brazil during a She Believes Cup women's soccer match at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

March 15, 2019

(Reuters) – The U.S. Soccer Federation defended on Friday its treatment of the World Cup-winning national women’s team and said it was surprised at a recent lawsuit (USWNT) alleging gender discrimination.

All 28 members of the U.S. women’s squad were named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit that was filed in federal court in Los Angeles on International Women’s Day last week.

It includes complaints about wages and nearly every other aspect of the team’s working conditions.

Federation president Carlos Cordeiro said in an open letter that the body had made a sincere effort to provide the very best resources possible to the women’s team.

“U.S. Soccer believes that all female athletes deserve fair and equitable pay, and we strive to meet this core value at all times,” he added.

The lawsuit comes just three months before the U.S. women open their World Cup title defense in France.

The players said they have been consistently paid less money than their male counterparts even though their performance has been superior to the men’s team.

According to the lawsuit, filed three years after several players made a similar complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, U.S. soccer has “utterly failed to promote gender equality.”

Cordeiro, however, said the soccer federation continues to be a champion for the women’s game in the United States and on the global stage.

“From our proactive efforts to grow and invest in women’s soccer at every level in the U.S., to advocating for the improvement and increased support of the women’s game worldwide, U.S. Soccer is active, committed and passionate in its support today and will be into the long-term future.”

Cordeiro added that the federation had in recent years increased its investment in the USWNT program and worked in close partnership with the players to ensure they have everything they need.

“We have added additional technical and high-performance staff focused only on the USWNT, provided additional charter flights to improve travel, and created two elite women’s international tournaments to provide high-level competition in the United States, among other efforts to support the team,” he said.

“We also continue to expand our investment in female player development programs, including our eight Youth National Team programs and the Girl’s Development Academy.”

Cordeiro also pointed to a 2017 agreement with the women’s team.

“In April of 2017, we agreed to a fair and equitable collective bargaining agreement with the Women’s National Team, which included a contract structure that the players specifically requested to provide them with a guaranteed salary and benefits.

“At no point since that time have players raised concerns about the CBA itself, and we continue to work with them in good faith.”

Cordeiro said he had spoken on Wednesday with some of the veteran players to better understand their thoughts and concerns.

“Our initial conversation was open, cordial and professional, and we will continue to work to resolve this matter,” he said.

(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina; Editing by Toby Davis)

Source: OANN

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Tourist mecca Notre Dame also revered as place of worship

The soaring beauty of Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral as it echoed with Gregorian chants so moved French poet Paul Claudel on Christmas Day 1886 that the avowed atheist converted to Catholicism on the spot.

"In an instant, my heart was touched and I believed," Claudel, who remained a committed Catholic until his death nearly seven decades later, wrote of the religious transformation that is commemorated with a plaque on the floor.

While the imposing Gothic cathedral has become a tourist mecca, Notre Dame remains at its heart a place of worship, a powerful expression of religious reverence crafted from stone. A regular evening Mass was in progress when a fire broke near the top of the landmark church, and worshippers were evacuated quickly.

The global reaction to images of flames chewing through the roof, up the spire that pointed to heaven before the blaze brought it down, and threatening the entire cathedral made clear Notre Dame was bigger than any one faith still touched the faithless.

Pope Francis and other religious leaders commented on this quality of transcendent universality while offering prayers and technical expertise to help rebuild.

That a cathedral Francis called the "artistic and spiritual patrimony of humanity" went up in flames during Holy Week, the solemn days before Easter when Christians commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, intensified the sense of loss and devastation.

Some commentators, particularly figures from the religious right, saw the fire-ravaged structure that represented the height of French Catholicism as a metaphor for the demise of the Catholic Church in Europe, where secular trends long ago emptied pews and drained the priesthood of fresh vocations.

But the outpouring of grief and determined vows to bring Notre Dame back to life seemed to signal that for all the talk of a Catholic crisis in Europe, the French, at least, still see in Notre Dame the essence of themselves.

In a condolence note to Paris Archbishop Michel Aupetit, Francis called the church the "architectural gem of a collective memory." He said he prayed it would retake its place as an emblem of the French nation and its diversity.

Notre Dame draws 13 million people across its portals each year, a significant share of them tourists coming to admire the building's vaulted ceilings, flying buttresses and stained-glass windows. Many visitors also come to worship.

There are four Masses every day except Sunday, when there are five. The Sunday evening service is usually celebrated by the Paris archbishop and broadcast on Catholic television and Radio Notre Dame, reaching the faithful beyond the stone walls.

"Even though it belongs to the French state, it remains a living creature where they celebrate the liturgy, where they have meetings of faith and where even non-believers enter to have an experience of beauty," the Vatican's culture minister, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, said.

But Ravasi also stressed that many of Christianity's holiest sites are in constant evolution. While Notre Dame "has a secret spiritual dimension" that makes it a place "where even a non-believer senses the transcendent," the spire that collapsed during the fire only dated from the 1800s, he said.

Representatives of religions outside Catholicism made clear the cathedral burning in the center of Paris carried significance for them, too.

An official of the Russian Orthodox Church quoted by state news agency RIA Novosti called the blaze "a tragedy for the entire Christian world, and for all who appreciate the cultural significance of this temple."

The church's secretary for inter-Christian relations, Hieromonk Stefan, also had concern for the safety of Notre Dame's most precious relic, venerated as the Crown of Thorns worn by Jesus Christ. Stefan called it "a sacred object for all Christians."

The Church of England's director of cathedrals and church buildings, Becky Clark, stressed that "no matter the destruction, the spirit of what it means to be a cathedral can and does survive such catastrophes."

She cited historic precedence in England: The spire of Lincoln Cathedral that collapsed in the 1500s. St. Paul's Cathedral was destroyed by the Great Fire of London in 1666. Coventry Cathedral was destroyed by German bombs in 1940.

"All have been rebuilt, sometimes taking on new forms, to stand as reminders of eternity and resurrection which are the foundation of the Christian faith," she said.

___

Barry reported from Milan.

___

Full AP coverage at https://apnews.com/NotreDameCathedral

Source: Fox News World

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Trump says opposed to aides testifying to Congress on Mueller report: Washington Post

U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. first lady Melania Trump arrive aboard Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he greets supporters on the tarmac at Palm Beach International Airport, as he arrives to spend Easter weekend at his Mar-a-Lago club, Florida, U.S., April 18, 2019. REUTERS/Al Drago

April 24, 2019

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he is opposed to current and former White House aides testifying to congressional committees on Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia report, according to the Washington Post.

In an interview with the newspaper, Trump said the White House cooperated with Mueller’s investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and did not need to comply with congressional committees, which are probing possible obstruction of justice by Trump.

“There is no reason to go any further, and especially in Congress where it’s very partisan — obviously very partisan,” Trump said, according to the Post.

(Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

Source: OANN

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An employee looks up at goods at the Miniclipper Logistics warehouse in Leighton Buzzard
FILE PHOTO: An employee looks up at goods at the Miniclipper Logistics warehouse in Leighton Buzzard, Britain December 3, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson

April 26, 2019

LONDON, April 26 – British factories stockpiled raw materials and goods ahead of Brexit at the fastest pace since records began in the 1950s, and they were increasingly downbeat about their prospects, a survey showed on Friday.

The Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI) quarterly survey of the manufacturing industry showed expectations for export orders in the next three months fell to their lowest level since mid-2009, when Britain was reeling from the global financial crisis.

The record pace of stockpiling recorded by the CBI was mirrored by the closely-watched IHS Markit/CIPS purchasing managers’ index published earlier this month.

(Reporting by Andy Bruce, editing by David Milliken)

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Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad speaks at the opening ceremony for the second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad speaks at the opening ceremony for the second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China April 26, 2019. REUTERS/Florence Lo

April 26, 2019

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Fewer than half of Malaysians approve of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, an opinion poll showed on Friday, as concerns over rising costs and racial matters plague his administration nearly a year after taking office.

The survey, conducted in March by independent pollster Merdeka Center, showed that only 46 percent of voters surveyed were satisfied with Mahathir, a sharp drop from the 71 percent approval rating he received in August 2018.

Mahathir’s Pakatan Harapan coalition won a stunning election victory in May 2018, ending the previous government’s more than 60-year rule.

But his administration has since been criticized for failing to deliver on promised reforms and protecting the rights of majority ethnic Malay Muslims.

Of 1,204 survey respondents, 46 percent felt that the “country was headed in the wrong direction”, up from 24 percent in August 2018, the Merdeka Center said in a statement. Just 39 percent said they approved of the ruling government.

High living costs remained the top most concern among Malaysians, with just 40 percent satisfied with the government’s management of the economy, the survey showed.

It also showed mixed responses to Pakatan Harapan’s proposed reforms.

Some 69 percent opposed plans to abolish the death penalty, while respondents were sharply divided over proposals to lower the minimum voting age to 18, or to implement a sugar tax.

“In our opinion, the results appear to indicate a public that favors the status quo, and thus requires a robust and coordinated advocacy efforts in order to garner their acceptance of new measures,” Merdeka Center said.

The survey also found 23 percent of Malaysians were concerned over ethnic and religious matters.

Some groups representing Malays have expressed fear that affirmative-action policies favoring them in business, education and housing could be taken away and criticized the appointments of non-Muslims to key government posts.

Last November, the government reversed its pledge to ratify a UN convention against racial discrimination, after a backlash from Malay groups.

Earlier this month, Pakatan Harapan suffered its third successive loss in local elections since taking power, which has been seen as a further sign of waning public support.

Despite the decline, most Malaysians – 67 percent – agreed that Mahathir’s government should be given more time to fulfill its election promises, Merdeka Center said.

This included a majority of Malay voters who were largely more critical of the new administration, it added.

(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Source: OANN

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The German share price index DAX graph at the stock exchange in Frankfurt
The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Staff

April 26, 2019

By Medha Singh and Agamoni Ghosh

(Reuters) – European shares slipped on Friday after losses in heavyweight banks and Glencore outweighed gains in healthcare and auto stocks, while investors remained on the sidelines ahead of U.S. economic data for the first quarter.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index was down 0.1 percent by 0935 GMT, eyeing a modest loss at the end of a holiday-shortened week. Banks-heavy Italian and Spanish indices were laggards.

The banking index fell for a fourth day, at the end of a heavy earnings week for lenders.

Britain’s Royal Bank of Scotland tumbled after posting lower first quarter profit, hurt by intensifying competition and Brexit uncertainty, while its investment bank also registered poor returns.

Weakness in investment banking also dented Deutsche Bank’s quarterly trading revenue and sent its shares lower a day after the German bank abandoned merger talks with smaller rival Commerzbank.

“The current interest rate environment makes it challenging for banks to make proper earnings because of their intermediary function,” said Teeuwe Mevissen, senior market economist eurozone, at Rabobank.

Since the start of April, all country indexes were on pace to rise between 1.8 percent and 3.4 percent, their fourth month of gains, while Germany was strongly outperforming with 6 percent growth.

“For now the current sentiment is very cautious as markets wait for the first estimates of the U.S. GDP growth which could see a surprise,” Mevissen said.

U.S. economic data for the first-quarter is due at 1230 GMT. Growth worries outside the United States resurfaced this week after South Korea’s economy unexpectedly contracted at the start of the year and weak German business sentiment data for April also disappointed.

Among the biggest drags on the benchmark index in Europe were the basic resources sector and the oil and gas sector, weighed down by Britain’s Glencore and France’s Total, respectively.

Glencore dropped after reports that U.S authorities were investigating whether the company and its subsidiaries violated certain provisions of the commodity exchange act.

Energy major Total said its net profit for the first three months of the year fell compared with a year ago due to volatile oil prices and debt costs.

Chip stocks in the region including Siltronic, Ams and STMicroelectronics lost more than 1 percent after Intel Corp reduced its full-year revenue forecast, adding to concerns that an industry-wide slowdown could persist until the end of 2019.

Meanwhile, healthcare, which is also seen as a defensive sector, was a bright spot. It was helped by French drugmaker Sanofi after it returned to growth with higher profits and revenues for the first-quarter.

Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES led media stocks higher after it maintained its full-year outlook on the back of the company’s Networks division.

Automakers in the region rose 0.4 percent, led by Valeo’s 6 percent jump as the French parts maker said its performance would improve in the second half of the year.

Continental AG advanced after it backed its outlook for the year despite reporting a fall in first-quarter earnings.

Renault rose more than 3 percent as it clung to full-year targets and pursues merger talks with its Japanese partner Nissan.

(Reporting by Medha Singh and Agamoni Ghosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Gareth Jones and Elaine Hardcastle)

Source: OANN

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U.S. President Donald Trump hosts Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day at the White House in Washington
U.S. President Donald Trump gives a thumbs up to his audience as he hosts Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

April 26, 2019

By Jan Wolfe and Richard Cowan

(Reuters) – The “i word” – impeachment – is swirling around the U.S. Congress since the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s redacted Russia report, which painted a picture of lies, threats and confusion in Donald Trump’s White House.

Some Democrats say trying to remove Trump from office would be a waste of time because his fellow Republicans still have majority control of the Senate. Other Democrats argue they have a moral obligation at least to try to impeach, even though Mueller did not charge Trump with conspiring with Russia in the 2016 U.S. election or with obstruction of justice.

Whether or not the Democrats decide to go down this risky path, here is how the impeachment process works.

WHAT ARE GROUNDS FOR IMPEACHMENT?

The U.S. Constitution says the president can be removed from office by Congress for “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” Exactly what that means is unclear.

Before he became president in 1974, replacing Republican Richard Nixon who resigned over the Watergate scandal, Gerald Ford said: “An impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history.”

Frank Bowman, a University of Missouri law professor and author of a forthcoming book on the history of impeachment, said Congress could look beyond criminal laws in defining “high crimes and misdemeanors.” Historically, it can encompass corruption and other abuses, including trying to obstruct judicial proceedings.

HOW DOES IMPEACHMENT PLAY OUT?

The term impeachment is often interpreted as simply removing a president from office, but that is not strictly accurate.

Impeachment technically refers to the 435-member House of Representatives approving formal charges against a president.

The House effectively acts as accuser – voting on whether to bring specific charges. An impeachment resolution, known as “articles of impeachment,” is like an indictment in a criminal case. A simple majority vote is needed in the House to impeach.

The Senate then conducts a trial. House members act as the prosecutors, with senators as the jurors. The chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court presides over the trial. A two-thirds majority vote is required in the 100-member Senate to convict and remove a president from office.

No president has ever been removed from office as a direct result of an impeachment and conviction by Congress.

Nixon quit in 1974 rather than face impeachment. Presidents Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998 were impeached by the House, but both stayed in office after the Senate acquitted them.

Obstruction of justice was one charge against Clinton, who faced allegations of lying under oath about his relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Obstruction was also included in the articles of impeachment against Nixon.

CAN THE SUPREME COURT OVERTURN?

No.

Trump said on Twitter on Wednesday that he would ask the Supreme Court to intervene if Democrats tried to impeach him. But America’s founders explicitly rejected making a Senate conviction appealable to the federal judiciary, Bowman said.

“They quite plainly decided this is a political process and it is ultimately a political judgment,” Bowman said.

“So when Trump suggests there is any judicial remedy for impeachment, he is just wrong.”

PROOF OF WRONGDOING?

In a typical criminal court case, jurors are told to convict only if there is “proof beyond a reasonable doubt,” a fairly stringent standard.

Impeachment proceedings are different. The House and Senate “can decide on whatever burden of proof they want,” Bowman said. “There is no agreement on what the burden should be.”

PARTY BREAKDOWN IN CONGRESS?

Right now, there are 235 Democrats, 197 Republicans and three vacancies in the House. As a result, the Democratic majority could vote to impeach Trump without any Republican votes.

In 1998, when Republicans had a House majority, the chamber voted largely along party lines to impeach Clinton, a Democrat.

The Senate now has 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats and two independents who usually vote with Democrats. Conviction and removal of a president would requires 67 votes. So that means for Trump to be impeached, at least 20 Republicans and all the Democrats and independents would have to vote against him.

WHO BECOMES PRESIDENT IF TRUMP IS REMOVED?

A Senate conviction removing Trump from office would elevate Vice President Mike Pence to the presidency to fill out Trump’s term, which ends on Jan. 20, 2021.

(Reporting by Jan Wolfe and Richard Cowan; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Peter Cooney)

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New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft attends a conference at the Cannes Lions Festival in Cannes
FILE PHOTO: New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft attends a conference at the Cannes Lions Festival in Cannes, France, June 23, 2017. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

April 26, 2019

(Reuters) – New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s lawyers on Friday are set to ask a Florida judge to toss out hidden-camera videos that prosecutors say show the 77-year-old billionaire receiving sexual favors for money inside a Florida massage parlor.

The owner of the reigning Super Bowl champions plans wants the video to not be used as evidence against him as he contests two misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution at the Orchids of Asia Spa in Jupiter, Florida, along with some two dozen other men.

His legal team is fresh off a win on Tuesday, when they successfully persuaded Palm Beach County Judge Leonard Hanser to block prosecutors from releasing the hidden-camera footage to media outlets, which had requested copies under the state’s robust open records law.

Kraft, who has owned the franchise since 1994, pleaded not guilty, but has issued a public apology for his actions.

His attorneys have argued in court papers that the surreptitious videotaping of customers, including Kraft, inside a massage parlor was governmental overreach and the result of an illegally obtained search warrant.

The warrant, Kraft’s lawyers claim, was secured under false pretenses because police officers cited human trafficking as a potential crime in their application. Prosecutors have since acknowledged that the investigation yielded no evidence of trafficking.

Palm Beach County prosecutors in a court filing on Wednesday said Kraft’s motion should be rejected because he could not have had any expectation of privacy while visiting a commercial establishment to engage in criminal activity.

That prompted an indignant response from Kraft’s attorneys, who said the prosecution’s position on privacy was “unhinged.”

“It should go without saying that Mr. Kraft and everyone else in the United States have a reasonable expectation that the government will not secretly spy on them while they undress behind closed doors,” they wrote.

(Reporting by Joseph Ax, editing by G Crosse)

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