House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Sunday that she has taken steps to ensure the safety of Rep. Ilhan Omar following President Donald Trump's retweet of a video that purports to show the Minnesota Democrat being dismissive of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The California Democrat also called on Trump to take down the video. Soon after her public request, the video was no longer pinned to the top of Trump's twitter feed.
Pelosi was among Democrats who had criticized Trump over the tweet, with some accusing him of trying to incite violence against the Muslim lawmaker who has already seen one upstate New York man face criminal charges for making death threats against her.
The White House defended Trump earlier Sunday, saying the president has a duty to highlight Omar's history of making comments that others find offensive and that he wished no "ill will" upon the first-term lawmaker.
Pelosi, who was traveling in London, issued a statement saying she had spoken with congressional authorities after Trump's tweet "to ensure that Capitol Police are conducting a security assessment to safeguard Congresswoman Omar, her family and her staff."
"They will continue to monitor and address the threats she faces," the speaker said. She called on Trump to discourage such behavior.
"The President's words weigh a ton, and his hateful and inflammatory rhetoric creates real danger," Pelosi said. "President Trump must take down his disrespectful and dangerous video."
The video in Trump's tweet included a snippet from a recent speech Omar gave to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, in which she described the 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center as "some people did something," along with news footage of the hijacked airplanes hitting the Twin Towers. Trump captioned his tweet with: "WE WILL NEVER FORGET!"
Critics accuse Omar of offering a flippant description of the assailants behind the attack that killed nearly 3,000 people. She later sought to defend herself by tweeting a quote from President George W. Bush. Days after 9/11, the Republican president referred to the attackers as "people."
Neither Trump's tweet nor the video included Omar's full quote or the context of her comments, which were about Muslims feeling that their civil liberties had eroded after the attacks. The tweet was posted atop Trump's Twitter feed for much of Sunday, with more than 9 million views. It remained lower in the feed after Pelosi made her request for the video to be pulled.
Sanders questioned why Democrats weren't following Trump's example and calling out Omar, too. Democrats who criticized the president over the tweet defended Omar. Some also noted their past disagreements with her.
"Certainly the president is wishing no ill will and certainly not violence towards anyone, but the president is absolutely and should be calling out the congresswoman for her not only one time but history of anti-Semitic comments," Sanders said. "The bigger question is why aren't Democrats doing the same thing? It's absolutely abhorrent the comments that she continues to make and has made and they look the other way."
Omar repeatedly has pushed fellow Democrats into uncomfortable territory with comments about Israel and the strength of the Jewish state's influence in Washington. She apologized for suggesting that lawmakers support Israel for pay and said she isn't criticizing Jews. But she refused to take back a tweet in which she suggested American supporters of Israel "pledge allegiance" to a foreign country.
Rep. Jerry Nadler, a New York Democrat whose constituents include Manhattan's financial district, which was targeted on Sept. 11, 2001, said he had no issues with Omar's characterization of the attack.
"I have had some problems with some of her other remarks, but not -- but not with that one," he said.
Sanders commented on "Fox News Sunday" and ABC's "This Week." Nadler appeared on CNN's "State of the Union.
Mar 11, 2019; Clearwater, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Blake Snell (4) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Spectrum Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
March 12, 2019
Left-hander Blake Snell, the best bargain in baseball, struck out Bryce Harper in a highly anticipated matchup as the Tampa Bay Rays cruised to an 8-2 victory over the host Philadelphia Phillies on Monday at Clearwater Fla.
Snell, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, had his contract renewed for $573,700, a raise of just $15,500. But Harper, who landed a $330 million contract over 13 seasons to join the Phillies, was overmatched and struck out looking on three pitches during their first-inning matchup.
“He’s good,” Harper told reporters afterward. “I was just happy to go out there and face a guy like him, see some (velocity), see some off-speed as well and just see one of the best in baseball. It’s always fun to be able to do that, whether it’s the third game in spring or the middle of the season. It’s good to see.”
Snell struck out two while tossing two perfect innings. Avisail Garcia homered and had three RBIs for Tampa Bay.
Cardinals 3, Nationals 2
Paul Goldschmidt lined a tiebreaking two-run double in the third inning as St. Louis edged visiting Washington at Jupiter, Fla. Juan Soto and Kurt Suzuki had run-scoring singles for the Nationals.
Braves 6, Pirates 2
Ronald Acuna Jr. clubbed a two-run homer and reached base three times to lead Atlanta past visiting Pittsburgh at Kissimmee, Fla. Colin Moran and Patrick Kivlehan had RBI singles for the Pirates.
Tigers 3, Twins 0
JaCoby Jones drilled a two-run homer to help Detroit blank host Minnesota at Fort Myers, Fla. The Twins had just three hits against four Tigers’ hurlers.
Astros 6, Mets 3
Kyle Tucker delivered the tiebreaking two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning to help Houston knock off New York at West Palm Beach, Fla. Brandon Nimmo went 3-for-4 with a RBI for the Mets.
Brewers 8, White Sox 5
Ryan Braun belted a two-run blast for his first homer of the spring and Cory Spangenberg added a three-run blast as host Milwaukee knocked off Chicago at Phoenix, Ariz. Adam Engel homered for the White Sox.
Giants 4, Dodgers 1
Joey Bart delivered a tiebreaking three-run double in the top of the ninth inning as San Francisco defeated host Los Angeles at Phoenix, Ariz. Justin Turner’s first-inning sacrifice fly plated the Dodgers’ lone run.
Rockies 6, Athletics 3
Noel Cuevas hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the eighth inning and Ian Desmond and Elliot Soto also went deep as Colorado beat visiting Oakland at Scottsdale, Ariz. Mark Canha had a two-run single and Marcus Semien went 3-for-3 for the Athletics.
Angels 12, Rangers 11
Jack Kruger homered and drove in six runs as Los Angeles outlasted host Texas at Surprise, Ariz. Hunter Pence and Preston Beck went deep for the Rangers.
Indians 5, Reds 5
Eric Haase hit a tying two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to allow Cleveland to play Cincinnati to a draw at Goodyear, Ariz. Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp homered for the Reds.
Following the slaughter of nearly 300 people, many of them Christians, by Islamic terrorists in Sri Lanka, the mainstream media is worried about ‘right-wing anger’ and “violence against Muslims”.
Yes, really.
The Washington Post published a story entitled Christianity under attack? Sri Lanka church bombings stoke far-right anger in the West.
The article downplays the notion of Christianity being under attack as merely a “theme” for right-wing activists.
Analysis: Sri Lanka church bombings stoke far-right anger in the West https://t.co/seWuJwgzwG
In reality, there are 105 churches and/or Christian buildings burned or attacked every month. An average of 345 Christians are also killed for faith-related reasons every single month.
Another article published by UK outlet LBC cites an analyst who worries that the Sri Lanka massacre “may lead to further violence against Muslims”.
This has become par for the course. After every single Islamic terror attack, the media either victim blames or runs defense for Islam.
The alternative, that Islam has an implicit problem with violence because of what is written in the Koran and needs to be reformed, is too difficult to stomach.
Next time a right-wing lunatic shoots up a mosque, is the media going to publish stories hand-wringing with concern about the threat to white people or conservatives?
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Thursday that he was opening an investigation into San Antonio's decision to exclude Chick-fil-A from a contract with the city’s airport over the company’s religious beliefs.
Paxton sent a letter to San Antonio City Council members and Mayor Ron Nirenberg, saying that he believed the first amendment was “under assault” over the city’s decision last week to exclude Chick-fil-A from a concessions contract with San Antonio International Airport because of what one council member called its “legacy of anti-LGBT behavior.”
“The Constitution’s protection of religious liberty is somehow even better than Chick-fil-A’s chicken. Unfortunately, I have serious concerns that both are under assault at the San Antonio Airport,” the letter read.
Paxton directed the AG’s office to open an investigation into whether the city’s action violated state law.
He also sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao asking for the department to investigate whether the motion also violated federal laws.
“The city’s decision to specifically exclude Chick-fil-A from a government program based on the sincerely held religious beliefs of its leadership raises serious constitutional questions,” Paxton’s letter to the DOT stated.
“There is no evidence indicating that Chick-fil-A has ever maintained any policy or practice of discriminating against any group of people, and the city offered no such evidence as the basis of its action.”
The Atlanta-based fast-food chain has faced opposition elsewhere over donating millions over the years to groups that oppose same-sex marriage. Paxton has made religious freedom battles a focus of his office since being elected in 2014.
Former ABC news anchor Ted Koppel says the establishment media is out to get President Donald Trump.
"I'm terribly concerned that when you talk about The New York Times these days, when you talk about The Washington Post these days, we're not talking about The New York Times of 50 years ago," Koppel said during a discussion on "The War on the Press" with former CBS correspondent Marvin Kalb at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on March 7.
"We are not talking about The Washington Post of 50 years ago. We're talking about organizations that I believe have, in fact, decided as organizations that Donald J. Trump is bad for the United States."
Koppel, who anchored ABC News' "Nightline" for 25 years, added that analysis and commentary published now on the front page of Times and Post outlets did not appear on the front page in the past.
He also said Trump's perception that "the establishment press is out to get him" is accurate.
"He's not mistaken in that perception and he's not mistaken when so many of the liberal media, for example, described themselves as belonging to the resistance. What does that mean?" he said.
FILE PHOTO: A Cargill logo is pictured on the Provimi Kliba and Protector animal nutrition factory in Lucens, Switzerland, September 22, 2016. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
April 4, 2019
CHICAGO (Reuters) – Food and agriculture group Cargill Inc has appointed Joe Stone as its new head of agricultural supply chain, effective June 1, the U.S.-based company said on Thursday.
David Webster will take over the head of Cargill’s feed making animal nutrition business, a role vacated by Stone, Cargill said in a statement.
Longtime Cargill executive GJ van den Akker will retire as enterprise lead for Cargill’s Agricultural Supply Chain in 2020, the company said. The supply chain business includes origination, trading, processing, and distribution of crops like corn, wheat and soybeans.
Cargill, the largest privately-held U.S. company, has cut spending to offset the U.S.-China trade war, swine fever in Asian hogs and slumping U.S. ethanol prices.
(Reporting by Caroline Stauffer and Karl Plume; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
FILE PHOTO: German Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann presents the annual 2018 report in Frankfurt, Germany, February 27, 2019. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File Photo
April 12, 2019
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Germany’s economy, the euro zone’s biggest, could grow by less than 1 percent this year as trade disputes and Brexit uncertainty are weighing on investment, Bundesbank president Jens Weidmann said on Friday.
The Bundesbank predicted growth of 1.6 percent as recently as December but Weidmann said the IMF’s new projection of 0.8 percent for 2019 was entirely plausible. That suggests the euro zone’s economic powerhouse will be a drag on the wider bloc for the second year running.
(Reporting by Michael Nienaber and Balazs Koranyi; Editing by Catherine Evans)
Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond looks on during an interview with Reuters at the British Ambassador’s residence in Beijing, China April 26, 2019. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Pool
April 26, 2019
BEIJING (Reuters) – British finance minister Philip Hammond said on Friday that he had a “very constructive meeting” with his counterpart in the opposition Labour Party before leaving for Beijing and that he was optimistic about finding common ground.
Hammond, speaking on the sidelines of a summit on China’s Belt and Road initiative in Beijing, said talks with Labour aimed at finding a way forward on Brexit had not stalled.
“I’m optimistic that we will find common ground,” he said. “Both sides have got clear positions and both sides will have to compromise in order to reach an agreement.”
Hammond added that he absolutely did not favor a no deal exit from the European Union.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; editing by Darren Schuettler)
Police secure the area where the body of a woman was discovered near the village of Orounta, Cyprus, April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Stefanos Kouratzis
April 26, 2019
NICOSIA (Reuters) – Cypriot police searched on Friday for more victims of a suspected serial killer, in a case which has shocked the Mediterranean island and exposed the authorities to charges of “criminal indifference” because the dead women were foreigners.
The main opposition party, the left-wing AKEL, called for the resignation of Cyprus’s justice minister and police chief.
Police were combing three different locations west of the capital Nicosia for victims of the suspected killer, a 35-year-old army officer who has been in detention for a week.
The bodies of three women, including two thought to be from the Philippines, have been recovered. Police sources said the suspect had indicated the location of the third body, found on Thursday, and had said the person was “either Indian or Nepali”.
Police said they were searching for a further four people, including two children, based on the suspect’s testimony.
“These women came here to earn a living, to help their families. They lived away from their families. And the earth swallowed them, nobody was interested,” AKEL lawmaker Irene Charalambides told Reuters.
“This killer will be judged by the court but the other big question is the criminal indifference shown by the others when the reports first surfaced. I believe, as does my party, that the justice minister and the police chief should resign. They are irrevocably exposed.”
Police have said they will investigate any perceived shortcomings in their handling of the case.
One person who did attempt to alert the authorities over the disappearances, a 70-year-old Cypriot citizen, said his motives were questioned by police.
The bodies of the two Filipino women reported missing in May and August 2018 were found in an abandoned mine shaft this month. Police discovered the body of the third woman at an army firing range about 14 km (9 miles) from the mine shaft.
Police are now searching for the six-year-old daughter of the first victim found, a Romanian mother who disappeared with her eight-year-old child in 2016, and a woman from the Phillipines who vanished in Dec. 2017.
The suspect has not been publicly named, in line with Cypriot legal practice.
A public vigil for the missing was planned later on Friday.
(Reporting By Michele Kambas; Editing by Gareth Jones)
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)
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)
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)
Click below to consent to the use of the cookie technology provided by vi (video intelligence AG) to personalize content and advertising. For more info please access vi's website.