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NHL notebook: Wings legend Yzerman takes GM job

April 19, 2019

FILE PHOTO - Yzerman, general manager of Tampa Bay Lightning, speaks to media before Commissioner Bettman announces end of labor negotiations between the NHL and NHLPA in New York
FILE PHOTO – Steve Yzerman, general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning, speaks to media before Commissioner Gary Bettman announces the end of labor negotiations between the NHL and the NHL Players Association (NHLPA) in New York, January 9, 2013. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

April 20, 2019

Steve Yzerman is coming home to become general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, the franchise announced on Friday.

The hiring of the former Detroit star also marked the end of Ken Holland’s 22-year stint as general manager. Holland signed a multiyear deal to become the club’s senior vice president.

Yzerman, 53, spent his entire 22-year Hall of Fame playing career with the Red Wings. He served 20 years as team captain and scored 692 goals and 1,063 assists (1,755 points) during a 1,514-game career that ended in 2006. He played on three Stanley Cup-winning teams in Detroit. Now he is taking over a team that has missed the playoffs in three straight seasons.

“I’m extremely excited to be back in Detroit with the Red Wings,” Yzerman said during a press conference. “This city, Red Wing fans, the state of Michigan were incredibly supportive of me throughout the ups and downs of my playing career. I am very excited to return to the organization and join the Red Wings again and with our goal of getting the team back in contention for Stanley Cups and the championship that has come to be expected in Detroit.”

–T.J. Oshie will be out indefinitely after suffering an upper-body injury in Thursday’s playoff game, Washington Capitals coach Todd Reirden announced.

A hit from Carolina Hurricanes forward Warren Foegele sent Oshie headfirst into the boards, and he left the ice holding his arm and shoulder.

Reirden said Oshie won’t play in Game 5 on Saturday and that the team would know more about a timetable for his return after Oshie saw the doctor on Friday. To take his place on the roster, the Capitals recalled right winger Devante Smith-Pelly from the AHL’s Hershey Bears.

–The New York Islanders will continue their quest for the Stanley Cup without defenseman Johnny Boychuk, who is expected to miss 3-4 weeks with a lower-body injury, the team announced.

Boychuk was injured Tuesday when he blocked a shot by Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson in the second period of the Islanders’ Game 4 win to sweep the series.

Boychuk, 35, had 19 points (three goals, 16 assists) in 74 regular-season games during his fifth season with the Islanders.

–The Philadelphia Flyers joined the New York Yankees in choosing to no longer play the 1939 Kate Smith recording of “God Bless America” during home games, the team announced.

The team is also covering up a statue of the singer outside the arena.

“We have recently become aware that several songs performed by Kate Smith contain offensive lyrics that do not reflect our values as an organization,” the Flyers said in a statement, according to CNN. “As we continue to look into this serious matter, we are removing Kate Smith’s recording of ‘God Bless America’ from our library and covering up the statue that stands outside of our arena.”

–Field Level Media

Source: OANN

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NBA notebook: Technicals on Durant, Green rescinded

April 19, 2019

NBA: Playoffs-Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Clippers
Apr 18, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) and Los Angeles Clippers forward JaMychal Green (4) both react after they both receive a technical foul during the second half in game three of the first round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

April 20, 2019

The NBA rescinded technical fouls assessed to Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant and Los Angeles Clippers forward JaMychal Green on Friday after reviewing a call made during Thursday night’s game.

Durant and Green were exchanging words during the third quarter when the double-technical was called, stunning both players.

The decision to rescind was announced from the league’s @NBAOfficial account on Twitter.

The change was good for Durant, as he already received two technicals earlier in the series. An accumulation of seven technicals during the postseason carries an automatic one-game suspension. He had lobbied for the technicals to be rescinded after Thursday’s 132-105 victory.

–Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, who missed Game 3 of his team’s first-round playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night because of left knee soreness, is listed as doubtful for Game 4 on Saturday. The NBA announced his status in its injury report.

Embiid’s status has digressed from the first three games when he was listed as questionable. He continues to deal with left knee tendinitis, a problem throughout the regular season, when he missed 14 of the Sixers’ 24 games after the All-Star break.

Despite Embiid’s absence in Game 3, the visiting 76ers rolled to a 131-115 victory over the host Nets to take a 2-1 lead. Greg Monroe started in Embiid’s place and collected nine points on 4-for-13 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds. Game 4 of the best-of-seven will also be played in Brooklyn before the series shifts to Philadelphia on Tuesday.

–The status of Detroit Pistons forward Blake Griffin remains uncertain entering Saturday’s Game 3 of the team’s Eastern Conference first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Griffin missed the first two games with a left knee injury, and coach Dwane Casey didn’t shed any light on whether the six-time All-Star will return on Saturday for the eighth-seeded Pistons, who lost the first two games of the series in Milwaukee by an average of 28 points.

“Day-to-day. I’m not talking about Blake,” Casey told reporters after Friday’s practice. “Day-to-day. Same old words. Just like I am on coaching — day-to-day.”

–Former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue was scheduled to interview with the Los Angeles Lakers for their head coaching vacancy, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported.

The Lakers fired coach Luke Walton last week after three seasons and a 98-148 record.

Lue, who previously served as an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics, L.A. Clippers and Cavaliers, became head coach in Cleveland during the 2015-16 season after David Blatt was fired.

–Field Level Media

Source: OANN

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EU’s Juncker: there is still a risk of no-deal Brexit despite delay

April 19, 2019

European Commission President Juncker addresses the European Parliament in Brussels
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker addresses the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium April 3, 2019. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

April 19, 2019

By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – There is a still a concern that Britain may leave the European Union without a deal to smooth the way, the bloc’s chief executive said on Saturday, urging Britain to take advantage of a six-month delay to work out the details of its departure.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker made the comments in an interview with German newspaper FUNKE Mediengruppe, a week after EU leaders gave Britain six months more to exit the EU.

“Nobody knows how Brexit will end. This is creating great uncertainty. There is still a fear that there will be a hard Brexit without any withdrawal treaty arrangements,” Juncker said, citing the long-term negative impact on Europe’s economy.

Even though the extension to Oct. 31 offers little clarity on when, how or even if Brexit will happen, Britain should use the time wisely, he said.

“I hope that the British will make use of this time and not waste it again. We cannot keep on putting off the withdrawal date indefinitely. The best solution would be for the British to adopt the Withdrawal Agreement during the extra time that has been agreed,” Juncker said.

The withdrawal deal negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May with the EU has been rejected three times by the British parliament.

Juncker, who is scheduled to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the G20 meeting in Osaka in June, predicted a “lively discussion” ahead.

“The last discussion lasted 6 hours and it is good that you were not there,” Juncker said, referring to raised voices at his last talks with Trump.

Trade relations between the United States and the EU have soured in recent months after Washington hit the bloc with tariffs and threatened more. Asked about possible new tariffs ahead of the G20 meeting, Juncker counseled patience.

He called on Germany and other countries to spend more to boost growth in the bloc, which is expected to see a slowing economy, a day after German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz ruled out taking on new debt to stimulate his country’s anemic growth.

“However, Germany should use its financial leeway to further reduce public debt and boost investment. This also includes eliminating bureaucratic hurdles,” Juncker said.

He also cautioned there was a risk of foreign manipulation around next month’s European Parliament elections where eurosceptic groups are expected to gain ground.

With Britain expected to take part, the proportion of the assembly’s seats held by eurosceptics is seen rising to 14.3 percent from around 10 percent currently, according to the compilation of national polls commissioned by the European Parliament.

“I can see an attempt to rig the European Parliament elections. This comes from several quarters, and not only from outside the EU. States within the EU are also seeking to direct the will of voters in a particular direction with fake news,” Juncker said, adding that the Commission was ready to deal with the issue.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Frances Kerry)

Source: OANN

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Thousands rally in Belgrade to support Serbia’s president Vucic

April 19, 2019

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's campaign rally
Supporters of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic burn flare as they wait for his arrival for his campaign rally “The Future of Serbia” in front of the Parliament Building in Belgrade, Serbia, April 19, 2019. REUTERS/Marko Djurica. The Banner reads: “The future of Serbia”.

April 19, 2019

By Aleksandar Vasovic and Ivana Sekularac

BELGRADE (Reuters) – Thousands of people from all over Serbia flocked to Belgrade’s city center on Friday in a show of support for President Aleksandar Vucic, who has faced five months of opposition protests.

In a lengthy speech to the rally, Vucic called for a dialogue with the opposition, adding, “But we are not going to take any ultimatums”.

The crowd, rallied by a band of drummers, waved with signal flares and Serbian flags, chanting “Aco (Aleksandar abbreviated) the Serb” as Vucic took the stage in front of the country’s parliament building.

“We have no man better suited to lead us than Vucic, he is the savior of Serbia,” said Nevenka, 28, a waitress from the southern city of Nis who gave only her first name.

Vucic, an ultranationalist during the Balkan wars in the 1990s, embraced European values before coming to power in 2012. In coalition with the Socialists of Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic he controls 160 deputies in the 250-seat parliament.

The opposition, which started weekly protests in December, accuses him of stifling media freedoms and turning a blind eye to corruption and what they call the “criminal activities” of his close associates including his brother. Vucic strongly denies the allegations.

“Today is the day for our Serbia,” Vucic told the crowd.

SEEKING SUPPORT FOR KOSOVO DEAL?

Some analysts said Friday’s rally, a grand finale of Vucic’s “The Future of Serbia” campaign, was an attempt to cement popular support ahead of a long-awaited landmark deal with Kosovo, Serbia’s former southern province.

Predominantly ethnic Albanian Kosovo declared independence in 2008, almost a decade after a bloody war there. It won recognition from the United States and most EU countries, but not from Serbia or its big power patron Russia, and relations between Belgrade and Kosovo remain tense.

A binding agreement on normalisation of ties is a precondition for both countries to join the European Union.

“To sign any deal with Kosovo, he needs to show that he has strong popular support because nationalists will not like it,” said Djordje Pavicevic, professor at the Political Sciences Faculty. “On the other hand if there is no deal, pro-EU forces in the country will complain.”

Vucic said in an interview last month that failure to revive talks between Serbia and Kosovo on normalising relations could destabilize the Western Balkan region, which is still recovering from the wars of the 1990s.

Vucic is due to meet the presidents of China and Russia, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin in Beijing next week and a week later he is expected to meet the leaders of Germany and France, Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron. Local media have reported that Kosovo will be the main topic of the talks.

Vucic is maintaining a delicate balancing act between Serbia’s EU aspirations and close ties with Russia and China.

Many Serbs remain opposed to his rule. Dragana, a nurse from central Serbia, said she did not come to Friday’s rally voluntarily.

“I had a choice, to decline and lose my job in the (state) hospital, or to be here,” said Dragana, who declined to give her last name.

“They cannot win my mind, I must be here, but tomorrow I will join our real (opposition) protest against injustice and … this ridiculousness.”

(Editing by Frances Kerry)

Source: OANN

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Pompeo Rebuffs NKorea’s Demand to Freeze Him Out of Talks

April 19, 2019

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rejected calls by North Korea that he be removed from the Trump administration’s negotiations with Kim Jong Un’s regime, saying “nothing’s changed” on the U.S. diplomatic team handling talks.

“I’m still in charge of the team,” Pompeo said Friday in his first response to the demand by a senior North Korean official who accused the top American diplomat of “fabricating stories like a fiction writer” that undermined talks between Kim and President Donald Trump.

The regime often has criticized Pompeo — sometimes fulminating that he was making “gangster-like demands” — but before Thursday it hadn’t called for him to be banned from talks.

“President Trump’s obviously in charge of the overall effort” in trying to persuade Korea to denuclearize, Pompeo said. “I’m convinced we still have a real opportunity to achieve that outcome.”

Pompeo and Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan spoke at the State Department alongside their Japanese counterparts. The two sides met ahead of a meeting between Trump and Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that’s scheduled to take place at the White House between April 26 and 27 and a planned state visit by Trump to Japan on May 25 to 28.

Even as the U.S. and Japan met to strengthen their commitment to “the final, fully verified denuclearization” of North Korea, the Kremlin confirmed that Kim would meet President Vladimir Putin in Russia later this month.

The meeting suggested that Kim, frustrated with the U.S., was trying to show he had alternative sources of support.

North Korea’s statement, along with the announcement of a test of a “new-type tactical guided weapon,” appeared to be part of a push by Kim to regain leverage after Trump walked away from their second summit in Hanoi without a disarmament deal. Talks broke down over disagreements over the value of Kim’s offer to close some nuclear facilities and U.S. efforts to protect the sanctions regime against North Korea.

North Korea has repeatedly directed its ire at Trump’s top foreign policy aides, Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton, while lavishing praise on the president and expressing an eagerness to deal with him one-on-one.

Trump has reciprocated, tweeting on April 13 that “I agree with Kim Jong Un of North Korea that our personal relationship remains very good, perhaps the term excellent would be even more accurate, and that a third Summit would be good in that we fully understand where we each stand.”

Source: NewsMax America

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Will the Benettons use Alitalia to fly in from the cold?

April 19, 2019

FILE PHOTO: An Alitalia Airbus A320 airplane approaches to land at Fiumicino airport in Rome
FILE PHOTO: An Alitalia Airbus A320-200 airplane comes in to land at Fiumicino airport in Rome, Italy October 24, 2018. REUTERS/Max Rossi/File Photo

April 19, 2019

By Giselda Vagnoni, Francesca Landini and Stefano Bernabei

MILAN/ROME (Reuters) – Italian transport group Atlantia could join a rescue of loss-making flag carrier Alitalia to try to win favor with the government and secure the future of its own domestic business following a deadly bridge collapse last year, sources said.

Atlantia, controlled by the Benetton family, faces the loss of its entire national motorway concession in a bitter dispute with the government, which erupted after last year’s disaster on its toll network killed 43 people.

The government blamed Atlantia for the tragedy, saying it had failed to adequately maintain the aging bridge, and vowed to revoke the concession, worth 58 percent of group revenue.

However, sources familiar with the matter said Atlantia could mend relations with the government by joining a rescue of Alitalia, which Rome is desperate to save, and possibly be rewarded with a reprieve on its motorway concession.

Atlantia has publicly scoffed at the idea, but sources say it stands ready if Rome signals a quid pro quo is possible. The government has not given such a signal but a political source says it may do if it sees Atlantia as key to saving Alitalia.

Atlantia, which also runs Alitalia’s main airport hub in Rome, has denied it is in talks to join a rescue consortium, saying its hands are already full with complex business challenges, including the fate of its motorway concession.

However, a source familiar with the flag-carrier’s thinking said Alitalia expected Atlantia to sign up to a rescue as early as this month. The source did not elaborate.

Atlantia declined to comment for this article.

Another potential investor in the rescue bid, state-owned rail group Ferrovie dello Stato, which has had initial talks with Atlantia, also believes the Benetton-controlled group could yet be tempted to join, said a source familiar with those talks.

“Atlantia’s door is not closed … it is now up to the government to take the lead in the talks,” said a second source familiar with Alitalia’s thinking.

Alitalia, put into special administration in 2017 after workers rejected a previous rescue plan, needs to find investors ready to inject fresh funds by the end of April, in advance of an end-June repayment deadline for a state bridging loan of 900 million euros. That loan, however, may be rolled over, daily Il Sole 24 Ore said.

The government, formed by the right-wing League party and the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, is keen to save the airline because it wants to avoid mass layoffs at Alitalia, which has around 11,600 employees.

However, political sources said it was still unclear whether the ruling coalition, especially the 5-Star party, would be ready to make such a peace with Atlantia. The party was the most critical of Atlantia after the bridge collapse.

“For 5-Star even the hypothesis of freezing the procedure for revoking the concession is not politically sustainable,” said a senior 5-Star source.

The prime minister’s office did not reply to a request for comment.

CLOCK TICKING

Ferrovie and Delta Air Lines are looking to invest in Alitalia but they still need to find other investors to stump up another 400 million euros for a rescue worth a total of around 1 billion euros, sources close to the talks said.

Ferrovie and its adviser, investment bank Mediobanca, have discreetly sounded out Atlantia after being turned down by a string of other companies.

Reuters was unable to immediately reach a Delta spokeswoman.

Atlantia has been burned by Alitalia once before, having lost 190 million euros when it participated in a rescue in 2008.

“We have many open fronts, we can’t afford to open a further, particularly complex one,” Atlantia CEO Giovanni Castellucci said on Thursday, speaking to shareholders.

In addition to the bridge disaster, Castellucci said he was also dealing with the government over its lengthy approvals process which was blocking 4.9 billion euros in group projects.

Some financial analysts say a quid pro quo would make sense.

“We reckon a possible agreement over Alitalia would be positive for Atlantia, because it would lead to a rapprochement with the government,” broker Equita said in a note this week.

For now, Ferrovie is ready to take a 30 percent stake in Alitalia, Delta Air Lines would invest 100 million euros for a stake of 10-15 percent and another 15 percent would probably go to the Italian treasury, sources familiar with the matter say.

But there is still a question mark over who would take the remaining 40-45 percent of the carrier.

British budget airline easyJet walked away from talks with Ferrovie last month, state-controlled defense group Leonardo and postal operator Poste Italiane said they were not interested in the deal.

If Ferrovie and Delta cannot find co-investors, Rome would face its least favored option: a takeover by German carrier Lufthansa which has said it would only rescue Alitalia if the government were first to carry out major job cuts.

(Additional reporting by Giuseppe Fonte; editing by Mark Bendeich and David Evans)

Source: OANN

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Pompeo: nothing has changed on U.S. diplomatic efforts with North Korea

April 19, 2019

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo meets with senior North Korean envoy Kim Yong Chol in Washington
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo escorts Vice Chairman of the North Korean Workers’ Party Committee Kim Yong Chol, North Korea’s lead negotiator in nuclear diplomacy with the United States, into talks aimed at clearing the way for a second U.S.-North Korea summit as they meet at a hotel in Washington, U.S., January 18, 2019. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo

April 19, 2019

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said U.S. diplomatic efforts will continue toward the goal of denuclearization of North Korea, a day after a North Korean official said it no longer wanted to deal with him in talks.

“Nothing has changed. We’ll continue to work to negotiate, still in charge of the team. President Trump’s obviously in charge of the overall effort but it’ll be my team,” Pompeo told reporters in Washington. He said U.S. diplomats will continue efforts to achieve North Korea’s denuclearization, which he said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un committed to last June.

(Reporting by David Brunnstrum and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Source: OANN

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The release of the #MuellerReport is not the end of the Russia controversy – it’s a new chapter #MAGAFirstNews with @PeterBoykin

April 19, 2019

The release of the #MuellerReport is not the end of the Russia controversy – it’s a new chapter #MAGAFirstNews with @PeterBoykin MUELLER REPORT’S RELEASE MAY NOT BE THE END OF RUSSIA HYSTERIA: The public release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Thursday marked the dramatic final note of a lengthy and contentious investigation, but also sparked new calls for subpoenas, congressional testimony, resignations, and even impeachment proceedings — all despite … See More the probe’s central finding that no evidence showed that President Trump’s team “coordinated or conspired” with Russia … The whirlwind moments kept coming, even hours after the report’s release, as more and more revelations from the 448-page document trickled out. The White House, for its part, claimed total victory and vindication for the president who, according to the report, once fretted that the special counsel’s appointment meant he was “f—ed” beyond the possibility of redemption and that his agenda would be derailed by partisan distractions. But Democrats and media outlets that long advanced the idea that the Trump campaign had treasonously worked with Russia — and anticipated that the Trump administration would collapse — quickly pivoted to whether the president had, instead, interfered with the now-completed investigation. Within minutes of the report’s publication, House Judiciary Committee Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., charged that the special counsel had provided “disturbing evidence that President Trump engaged in obstruction of justice” and, referencing the report’s limited redactions, wondered: “Imagine what remains hidden from our view.” Nadler immediately called on Mueller himself to testify, and top Republicans, including Trump personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and Attorney General William Barr, said they would have no objections to him doing so. He also announced he would subpoena the full, unredacted version of the Mueller report and any underlying grand jury evidence, setting up a likely legal confrontation with the Justice Department. TRUMP, SUPPORTERS REPEAT CALL TO INVESTIGATE THE INVESTIGATORS: President Trump and his legal team declared victory after Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia report was released, with the president repeating his “no collusion” mantra and saying “this should never happen to another president again” … “I’m having a good day, too, it’s called ‘no collusion, no obstruction,’” he said in remarks for the Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride, at the White House. “There never was by the way, and there never will be.” Trump also added, “This should never happen to another president again, this hoax, it should never happen to another president again.” He also promised “to get to the bottom of these things,” hinting at calls for the origins of the two-year investigation to be reviewed. Joe diGenova: Time to go after the real conspirators NATIONAL ENQUIRER TO BE SOLD TO NEWSSTAND MOGUL: The National Enquirer tabloid is being sold to James Cohen, the owner and CEO of airport newsstand company Hudson News, its parent company announced Thursday … The deal announced by American Media Inc. also includes two other supermarket tabloids, Globe and the National Examiner. Financial terms were not disclosed. The sale comes after the Enquirer was caught up in a federal investigation of illegal campaign contributions to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016. AMBASSADOR ACCUSES ‘MAYOR PETE’ OF PULLING A JUSSIE SMOLLETT ON PENCE: The U.S. ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, defended Vice President Mike Pence against accusations of homophobia alleged by Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg and compared the claims to a “hate hoax along the lines of Jussie Smollett” …Grenell, who is openly gay, said Thursday on “The Story with Martha MacCallum.” Buttigieg, who is openly gay and was once cordial with Pence, has fueled criticism of the vice president, repeatedly calling him anti-gay in recent weeks as his campaign has gained momentum. Grenell, who called Pence a friend, accused the mayor of South Bend of drumming up accusations to boost fundraising and asked why he didn’t speak up while Pence was the governor of Indiana. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WEIGHS FED PICK OPTIONS: Trump administration officials are weighing options as the prospective nomination of Stephen Moore and Herman Cain to the Federal Reserve Board face continued opposition from Republican members of the Senate Banking Committee, Fox Business has learned … Neither Cain nor Moore have been officially nominated by President Trump to serve on the Fed’s board, though the president has stated his preference for their nomination. Officials have been told by GOP senators on the committee that at least for now, there appears to be almost no support for Cain, a former GOP presidential candidate and pizza industry executive, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. The appointment of Moore, a former opinion columnist and fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, has some support, but probably not enough to ensure Senate confirmation, this person added. The continued resistance to both potential nominations among Republicans involves several issues that GOP officials believe are problematic, from Cain’s alleged sexual misconduct, to Moore’s unpaid child support and taxes.

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James Clapper: Mueller Report ‘Devastating,’ ‘Road Map’ for Impeachment

April 19, 2019

Appearing Thursday on CNN’s Cuomo Prime Time, former Director of National Intelligence (DNI) James Clapper said special counsel Robert Mueller’s report is “devastating” and provides a “road map” for impeachment of President Donald Trump despite exonerating him of criminal conspiracy with Russia.

CHRIS CUOMO: First of all, your take on how the AG has handled this process culminating today?

JAMES CLAPPER: Well, to be honest Chris, I’m a bit disappointed. I think the Attorney General is clearly trying to paint as favorable a light on the Mueller report as possible and when you read it, it’s pretty devastating. I’ll tell you though, the big deal for me in this is laying out in very rich detail the magnitude and pervasiveness of the Russia interference in our election in 2016. And it’s personally gratifying because the intelligence community’s assessment that we rendered on January 6th of 2017, briefed President-elect Trump on about the Russia interference. But this report, we only scratched the surface and I hope Americans will take the time to read that, the collusion, obstruction aside. The big deal to me is the magnitude of the Russian interference. No one can say they didn’t interfere and, in fact, taint the election.

CUOMO: And like the president did on the world stage with Putin right by his side, where he said, “I don’t know why it would be Russia,” and then they tried to say after that he said “wouldn’t.” That was about as clumsy as all the other cover-ups that we see in this report. They knew there was interference, they tried to benefit from it. They did things that were wrong. They lied about the same. But those don’t equate with crimes. So, Mr. Clapper, where does that leave us in terms of what to do with that information? What would be a righteous move by Congress?

CLAPPER: It really is a conundrum as others have commented earlier, particularly for the Democrats, the Democrats in the House, whether to pursue this in terms of impeachment. Clearly, at least my read of the Mueller report is that there is a road map laid out there if the Congress chooses to follow it.

Source: InfoWars

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AOC: Conclusion of 3 Year Mueller Investigation Demands A New Investigation

April 19, 2019

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responded to news of Robert Mueller’s nearly three year investigation being wrapped up by calling for a new investigation into President Trump and saying she’ll be supporting Rashida Tlaib’s impeachment resolution.

Incidentally, Mueller is a filthy coward and a traitor.

While Sandy was just echoing Democratic talking points in the above tweets, Mueller himself left this avenue open for Democrats to go after Trump for the made-up crime of “obstruction”:

He spent around three years investigating these fake collusion/obstruction charges, found nothing, but still used it to effectively sabotage Trump’s presidency (as Tucker Carlson correctly noted in his monologue on Thursday night).

In his final report, Mueller could have easily just said, “there was no evidence of obstruction of justice because he wasn’t charged with a crime,” but he chose not to so the Dems could keep this whole witch hunt going.

Trump was right when he said he’s “f**ked” because this witch hunt would cripple his presidency.

I still stand by my belief, from day one, that Mueller would have manufactured fake charges against Trump if he felt he needed to — just as he did with many of his campaign associates.

I think he backed off because Trump’s presidency was effectively nullified by Republicans losing the house in the midterms and Javanka and Charles Kushner taking over the White House and derailing his presidency.

Source: InfoWars

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