First Dem Debates Wednesday Night 06/26 06:01
First Dem Debates Wednesday Night 06/26 06:01 Ten presidential candidates, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, will converge on the debate stage on Wednesday on the first night of Democratic debates to offer their pitches to voters and attempt a breakout moment for their campaigns. MIAMI (AP) -- Ten presidential candidates, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, will converge on the debate stage on Wednesday on the first night of Democratic debates to offer their pitches to voters and attempt a breakout moment for their campaigns. For many of the White House hopefuls, it will be the highest-profile opportunity yet to offer their vision for the country and, if for just two hours, chip into a political news cycle often dominated by President Donald Trump. Given the massive field , the debate will be split over two nights , with 10 other candidates --- including former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders --- appearing Thursday. But on opening night, Warren will take center stage. The Massachusetts senator's constant stream of policy proposals has helped her campaign gain ground. Strategists say that Warren, widely viewed as a talented debater, is well positioned to showcase her strengths. "I don't think anyone else on that night has her level of skill and her level of experience in this format," said Maria Cardona, a Democratic strategist. "I think she should look at this as an opportunity to really shine and come out of the first night as the one that is dominating the conversation." Yet Warren could still face challenges. The other candidates on stage Wednesday aren't as well known and could use the moment to take aggressive stances against Warren in an effort to find a breakout moment. "She's liable to have a target on her back and a lot of people potentially coming after her on that stage," said Charles Chamberlain, the chairman of the progressive political action committee Democracy for America. "But on the other hand, that will let people see how she handles attacks and can fend them off." Asked whether she felt the pressure of effectively being the front-runner during the first debate, Warren shrugged off her center-stage position. "This is just a chance to be able to talk to people all across this country about how this government works better and better and better for a thinner and thinner slice at the top, and it's just not working for the rest of America, she told reporters after her Tuesday rally in Miami. "2020's our chance to change that."" Beyond Warren, the candidates who will debate on Wednesday are Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Reps. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii and Tim Ryan of Ohio and former Reps. Beto O'Rourke of Texas and John Delaney of Maryland, along with Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and ex-Obama housing secretary Julin Castro. One split that could emerge Wednesday centers on "Medicare for All," the single-payer health plan introduced by Sanders and supported by Warren and others. But some candidates are not fully on board, preferring more incremental reforms. Delaney has been especially vocal in his criticism. With so many White House hopefuls on stage, it could be difficult to dive too deep on any given issue. NBC News, which is hosting the debate, said candidates will have 60 seconds to answer questions and 30 seconds for follow-ups. They will be allowed closing statements but no openers. All the candidates are competing ahead of a major fundraising deadline that will have lasting implications. The end of the second fundraising quarter on Sunday gives candidates a chance to make a splash with strong numbers ahead of the mid-July deadline to report that information to the Federal Election Commission. A strong debate performance could fuel more donations, which is critical to the candidates' ability to participate in future debates. The Democratic National Committee is enforcing more stringent requirements for participating in the presidential primary debates this fall, so candidates who are struggling to gain a foothold may not have another similar opportunity on a nationally televised stage unless they are able to significantly boost their standing in the polls and fundraising numbers. "For some of them, this might be their best opportunity to land a blow," said Joel Payne, a Democratic strategist. The debate will unfold as many Democratic voters are just beginning to tune in. Only 35% of registered Democrats say they're paying close attention to the campaign, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Two-thirds say they're paying some or no attention. "People may have heard (the candidates') names, but they couldn't pick them out and don't know much about them," said Jesse Ferguson, a veteran Democratic strategist. "None of them are going to seal the deal in the first debate, but they need to get people interested enough to want to learn more. The debate's second night on Thursday features more of the leading Democrats in the race. Biden will stand at center stage with Sanders at his left and Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, at his right. The former vice president has come under fire from fellow Democrats after recently recalling that the Senate was once a more civil place, pointing to his work with two segregationist former senators. Several of the candidates went to Florida early to raise money or court voters in the critical battleground state. Buttigieg held two Florida fundraisers on Monday night and stayed in Florida for debate prep. Warren, meanwhile, was in the state Tuesday to campaign for her new proposal to boost election security. Not to be outdone, Vice President Mike Pence was also in Miami on Tuesday to launch "Latinos for Trump" as part of an effort to engage Latino voters for 2020. The Trump campaign said it was running ads in Wednesday's Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald touting the president's achievements on behalf of Latinos. (CZ)
Border Official Resigns Amid Uproar 06/26 06:04
Border Official Resigns Amid Uproar 06/26 06:04 HOUSTON (AP) -- The acting head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection resigned Tuesday amid an uproar over the discovery of migrant children being held in pitiful conditions at one of the agency's stations in Texas. Acting Commissioner John Sanders' departure deepened the sense of crisis and added to the rapid turnover inside the agencies responsible for enforcing President Donald Trump's hardline immigration priorities as the U.S. deals with record numbers of migrant families coming across the border. In a message to employees, Sanders said he would step down on July 5. He did not give a reason for leaving. "Although I will leave it to you to determine whether I was successful, I can unequivocally say that helping support the amazing men and women of CBP has been the most fulfilling and satisfying opportunity of my career," he said. Hours after Sanders' departure became public, two officials told The Associated Press that he was being replaced by Mark Morgan, who was named acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement just last month. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly about the move and declined to be identified. In an interview last week, Sanders blamed the problems in detention on a lack of money and called on Congress to pass a $4.5 billion emergency funding bill to address the crisis. The House approved the legislation on Tuesday night, setting up a showdown with the Senate where Republican leaders plan approval of a different, bipartisan bill this week that does not offer as many protections and services for migrants. At the White House, Trump said that he did not ask for Sanders' resignation --- adding that he doesn't think he has ever spoken to the man --- but that he is "moving some people around into different locations" amid the crisis. While activists welcomed Sanders' departure, Trump defended U.S. border authorities, saying, "The laws are so bad and the asylum rules and laws are so bad that our Border Patrol people, who are so incredible, aren't allowed to do their jobs." The unprecedented surge of migrant families has left U.S. immigration detention centers severely overcrowded and taxed the government's ability to provide medical care and other attention. Six children have died since September after being detained by border agents. After he was picked to lead ICE, Morgan, the new acting director, showed a willingness to deport families during enforcement sweeps. However, past Trump immigration officials hesitated over concerns about logistics and the public's reaction. The Trump administration has faced a barrage of criticism in recent days over conditions inside the Border Patrol facility in Clint, Texas, first reported by The Associated Press: inadequate food, lack of medical care, no soap, and older children trying to care for toddlers. In one case reported in Clint, attorneys said a 2-year-old boy without a diaper was being watched by older children. Several youngsters had the flu. Many were separated from extended family members like aunts and uncles who brought them to the border; others were teenage mothers with babies. As word of the children's plight got out, people moved by their stories started showing up the station's doors to donate boxes of diapers and even a Cookie Monster stuffed toy. They were not allowed in the building. Customs and Border Protection says it has enough supplies, but was checking with lawyers to see if it could accept donated items. "On just a gut level I see myself, I see my family, I see my neighbors, I see my students in these migrants," said Diego Carlos, who teaches social studies at an El Paso high school and joined a small protest outside the station. "Literally, I have students who come over from the border almost every day to go to school at the school I teach," Carlos added. An official from Customs and Border Protection said Tuesday that the majority of the roughly 300 children detained at Clint last week had been moved to facilities operated by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The official, who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity, wouldn't say exactly how many. But around the same time Sanders announced his resignation, his agency said officials had moved more than 100 children back to the station. The human costs of the migrant surge were driven home this week by a searing photo of the bodies of a Salvadoran man and his nearly 2-year-old daughter, face down in shallow water along the Mexican side of the Rio Grande. On Sunday, two babies, a toddler and a woman were found dead on the Texas side, overcome by the sweltering heat. Trump said he is "very concerned" about conditions at the border but claimed without evidence that things are "much better than they were under President Obama, by far" and in "much better shape than it ever was" --- an assertion immigration activists said is simply not true. "We did not have the kind of overcrowded conditions for unaccompanied kids in Border Patrol holding cells like we saw in Clint," said Michael Bochenek, a lawyer from Human Rights Watch. Previously CBP's chief operating officer, Sanders was named acting commissioner in April after the agency's previous leader, Kevin McAleenan, became acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Other key DHS agencies also have interim or acting directors, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Morgan, who also served as chief of the Border Patrol, a subsidiary of CBP, under President Barack Obama, is now expected to be replaced as ICE's acting leader by Matthew Albence. Albence served as acting director earlier this year after the departure of another former leader, Ronald Vitiello. ICE on Saturday delayed an operation to sweep U.S. cities and arrest hundreds of people accused of flouting orders to leave the country, days after Trump tweeted about the upcoming crackdown. Former ICE acting director Thomas Homan, a Trump administration ally, then went on television to accuse McAleenan of leaking information about the operation because he opposed it. CBP is the agency that apprehends and first detains migrant parents and children crossing the Mexican border. CBP's facilities at the border were almost all built when most people crossing into the U.S. illegally were single adults. Now, the agency is apprehending tens of thousands of parents and children weekly. It recorded 84,500 apprehensions of adults and children traveling together in May. In the wake of Sanders' resignation, Democratic Rep. Bennie G. Thompson of Mississippi, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, lashed out at the administration's immigration policies and "bad actors in the White House." "There is simply no excuse for the horrific conditions children and families are being held in at the border," he said. Jennifer Quigley, director of refugee advocacy for Human Rights First, called on Congress to hold hearings on the youngsters' treatment. "Trump administration officials need to be held accountable for the disgraceful response to the situation at the border," she said in a statement. "This is only the tip of the iceberg. We need a full accounting of how children came to be caged in filthy and unsafe conditions." (KA)
Showdown Looms Over Border Aid 06/26 06:05
Showdown Looms Over Border Aid 06/26 06:05 It took last-minute changes and a full-court press by top Democratic leaders, but the House passed with relative ease a $4.5 billion emergency border aid package to care for thousands of migrant families and unaccompanied children detained after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. WASHINGTON (AP) -- It took last-minute changes and a full-court press by top Democratic leaders, but the House passed with relative ease a $4.5 billion emergency border aid package to care for thousands of migrant families and unaccompanied children detained after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. The bill passed along party lines Tuesday night after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi quelled a mini-revolt by progressives and Hispanic lawmakers who sought significant changes to the legislation. New provisions added to the bill were more modest than what those lawmakers had sought, but the urgent need for the funding --- to prevent the humanitarian emergency on the border from turning into a debacle --- appeared to outweigh any lingering concerns. The 230-195 vote sets up a showdown with the Republican-led Senate, which may try instead to force Democrats to send President Donald Trump a different, and broadly bipartisan, companion measure in coming days as the chambers race to wrap up the must-do legislation by the end of the week. "The Senate has a good bill. Our bill is much better," Pelosi, D-Calif., told her Democratic colleagues in a meeting Tuesday morning, according to a senior Democratic aide who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private session. "We are ensuring that children have food, clothing, sanitary items, shelter and medical care. We are providing access to legal assistance. And we are protecting families because families belong together," Pelosi said in a subsequent floor speech. The bill contains more than $1 billion to shelter and feed migrants detained by the border patrol and almost $3 billion to care for unaccompanied migrant children who are turned over the Department of Health and Human Services. It seeks to mandate improved standards of care at HHS "influx shelters" that house children waiting to be placed with sponsors such as family members in the U.S. Both House and Senate bills ensure funding could not be shifted to Trump's border wall and would block information on sponsors of immigrant children from being used to deport them. Trump would be denied additional funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention beds. "The President's cruel immigration policies that tear apart families and terrorize communities demand the stringent safeguards in this bill to ensure these funds are used for humanitarian needs only --- not for immigration raids, not detention beds, not a border wall," said House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey, D-N.Y. Three moderates were the only House Republicans to back the measure. The only four Democratic "no" votes came from some of the party's best-known freshmen: Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ihan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. The White House has threatened to veto the House bill, saying it would hamstring the administration's border security efforts, and the Senate's top Republican suggested Tuesday that the House should simply accept the Senate measure --- which received only a single "nay" vote during a committee vote last week. "The idea here is to get a (presidential) signature, so I think once we can get that out of the Senate, hopefully on a vote similar to the one in the Appropriations Committee, I'm hoping that the House will conclude that's the best way to get the problem solved, which can only happen with a signature," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. A handful of GOP conservatives went to the White House to try to persuade Trump to reject the Senate bill and demand additional funding for immigration enforcement such as overtime for border agents and detention facilities run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to a top GOP lawmaker who demanded anonymity to discuss a private meeting. Trump was expected to reject the advice. House Democrats seeking the changes met late Monday with Pelosi, and lawmakers emerging from the Tuesday morning caucus meeting were generally supportive of the legislation. Congress plans to leave Washington in a few days for a weeklong July 4 recess, and pressure is intense to wrap up the legislation before then. Agencies are about to run out of money and failure to act could bring a swift political rebuke and accusations of ignoring the plight of innocent immigrant children. Longtime GOP Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma said Democrats were simply "pushing partisan bills to score political points and avoiding doing the hard work of actually making law," warning them that "passing a partisan bill through this chamber won't solve the problem." Lawmakers' sense of urgency to provide humanitarian aid was amplified by recent reports of gruesome conditions in a windowless Border Patrol station in Clint, Texas, where more than 300 infants and children were being housed. Many were kept there for weeks and were caring for each other in conditions that included inadequate food, water and sanitation. By Tuesday, most had been sent elsewhere. The incident was only an extreme example of the dire conditions reported at numerous locations where detainees have been held, and several children have died in U.S. custody. The Border Patrol reported apprehending nearly 133,000 people last month --- including many Central American families --- as monthly totals have begun topping 100,000 for the first time since 2007. Federal agencies involved in immigration have reported being overwhelmed, depleting their budgets and housing large numbers of detainees in structures meant for handfuls of people. Changes unveiled Tuesday would require the Department of Homeland Security to establish new standards for care of unaccompanied immigrant children and a plan for ensuring adequate translators to assist migrants in their dealings with law enforcement. The government would have to replace contractors who provide inadequate care. Many children detained entering the U.S. from Mexico have been held under harsh conditions, and Customs and Border Protection Chief Operating Officer John Sanders told The Associated Press last week that children have died after being in the agency's care. He said Border Patrol stations are holding 15,000 people --- more than triple their maximum capacity of 4,000. Sanders announced Tuesday that he's stepping down next month amid outrage over his agency's treatment of detained migrant children. In a letter Monday threatening the veto, White House officials told lawmakers they objected that the House package lacked money for beds the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency needs to let it detain more migrants. Officials also complained in the letter that the bill had no money to toughen border security, including funds for building Trump's proposed border wall. (KA)
Abe Wants G-20 to Unite on Trade 06/26 06:07
Abe Wants G-20 to Unite on Trade 06/26 06:07 TOKYO (AP) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pledged to seek a consensus on free trade and other contentious issues at this week's summit of the Group of 20 countries in Osaka. Abe expressed hope that the U.S. and China will resolve their trade dispute when their leaders meet during the summit on Friday and Saturday. Planned talks between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the meeting are attracting wide attention. Abe also called for international effort to restore peace in the Middle East, where tensions have escalated amid a dispute between the U.S. and Iran over its unraveling nuclear deal. Abe was speaking at a news conference on Wednesday marking the end of the parliamentary session. (KA)
Seoul:US,NKorea in Talks for 3rd Summit06/26 06:08
Seoul:US,NKorea in Talks for 3rd Summit06/26 06:08 SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North Korean and U.S. officials are holding "behind-the-scenes talks" to arrange a third summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on the fate of the North's expanding nuclear arsenal, South Korea's president said, four months after a second meeting between the leaders in Hanoi collapsed without any agreement. There have been no public meetings between Washington and Pyongyang since the breakdown of the Hanoi summit. But the prospects for a resumption of U.S.-North Korea diplomacy have brightened since Trump and Kim recently exchanged personal letters. Trump called Kim's letter "beautiful" while Kim described Trump's as "excellent," though the contents of their letters have not been disclosed. In a response Tuesday to questions by The Associated Press and six other news agencies, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said that Trump's and Kim's "willingness to engage in dialogue has never faded" and that their recent letter exchanges prove that. Moon, a liberal who met Kim three times last year, has made dialogue with the North as a route to forging peace on the Korean Peninsula a centerpiece of his presidency. He has played a central role in facilitating U.S.-North Korean negotiations, even if those efforts have at times been overshadowed by the Trump-Kim talks that he helped broker. Moon said he doesn't see the Hanoi summit as a failure. He said he thinks the meeting served as a chance for both Washington and Pyongyang to better understand each other's positions and "put everything they want on the negotiating table." "The success of denuclearization and the peace process on the Korean Peninsula cannot be determined by a summit or two," Moon said, adding that discussions in Hanoi will form the basis for future talks. "Both sides clearly understand the necessity for dialogue," he added. Despite the deadlocked nuclear negotiations, both Trump and Kim have described their personal relationship as good. When asked whether Kim's recent letter included a mention about another summit, Trump said, "May be there was." "But we, you know, at some point, we'll do that," Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday. "Getting along very well. He's not doing nuclear testing," he said. In yet another reminder of North Korea's continued mistrust of the United States, its foreign ministry said earlier Wednesday it won't surrender to U.S.-led sanctions and accused Washington of trying to "bring us to our knees." Kim has said the North would seek a "new way" if the United States persists with sanctions and pressure. Following his setback in Hanoi, Kim traveled to the Russian Far East in April for his first summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kim also hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping in Pyongyang last week for their fifth summit since March last year, and experts say the North's outreach to its traditional allies is aimed at strengthening its leverage with the Trump administration. Moon said he views the North's expanding diplomacy with Beijing and Moscow as a positive development in efforts to resolve the nuclear standoff. "China and Russia have continued to play constructive roles so far to peacefully resolve the Korean Peninsula issue," he said. "I hope that China and Russia will play specific parts in helping the North resume dialogue at an early stage." Moon didn't elaborate whether U.S and North Korean officials had face-to-face meetings and if so where they took place. He also didn't clarify who were interlocutors or how close they were in setting up a third Kim-Trump summit. Trump's top envoy on North Korea, Stephen Biegun, is to visit South Korea on Thursday, and some experts said he may use his trip as a chance to meet North Korean officials at a Korean border village. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday the U.S. was prepared to resume talks with North Korea "at a moment's notice" if the North signaled it wanted discussions about denuclearization. Despite a possible restart of negotiations, it's still unclear whether Washington and Pyongyang can eventually achieve agreements that can satisfy both sides. The Hanoi summit fell apart after Trump rejected Kim's calls for major sanctions relief in return for dismantling his main nuclear complex, something that U.S. officials see as a partial denuclearization step. Kim has since fired missiles and other weapons into the sea and asked Trump to work out mutually acceptable agreements by the end of this December. U.S. officials maintain sanctions on North Korea would remain in place until North Korea takes significant steps toward nuclear disarmament. North Korea has long bristled at the significant U.S. military presence in South Korea, and wants assurances it will not be targeted by the U.S. and South Korea. It sees its pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles as an insurance policy against military action. In his written replies, Moon said he has found Kim to be a "flexible yet resolute person" during their talks. He said he believes that Kim's "unequivocal resolve is to move from the past to the future" by pursuing economic growth over building up a nuclear arsenal. The South Korean leader repeated that Kim has never linked denuclearization with South Korea's military alliance with the U.S. or a pullout of American troops when they met. Separately from the unofficial Washington-Pyongyang talks, Moon said the two Koreas have also been holding dialogue via unspecified "diverse channels" and repeated that he's ready to meet Kim again at any place and time. "It depends on Chairman Kim Jong Un," Moon wrote. "I am prepared to meet with Chairman Kim in person at any given moment without being restrained by time, place or formalities." Last year saw a flurry of inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation programs between the Koreas, which have been split along the world's most heavily fortified border since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. But North Korea has significantly reduced its dialogue and engagement with South Korea since the end of the Hanoi summit. South Korea is now solely proceeding with a search of Korean War dead at the border, which it was supposed to jointly conduct with North Korea. North Korea has also ignored South Korean proposals for joint efforts to stem the spread of highly contagious African swine fever following an outbreak in the North. Moon, who has stressed that South Korea should be in the "driver's seat" in international efforts to deal with North Korea, reiterated his view that the resumption of inter-Korean economic projects currently held back by the U.N. sanctions would help induce further denuclearization steps from the North. Following the Hanoi summit, Moon had said Seoul would "consult" with Washington on resuming operations at an inter-Korean factory park in the North Korean border city of Kaesong and restarting South Korean tours to the North's scenic Diamond Mountain resort. While acknowledging that the resumption of such joint inter-Korean projects would depend on a substantive progress in U.S.-North Korea talks, Moon said improved economic relations between the Koreas would be "conductive" to the larger nuclear negotiations. "History has shown that North Korean nuclear threats diminish when inter-Korean relations are good," Moon wrote. He said that the dismantling of the Yongbyon nuclear complex, which Kim offered in Hanoi, could mean that the North's denuclearization process has entered "an irreversible stage" if it's completely demolished and verified. He said "substantive process" in U.S.-North Korea diplomacy could also help the international community seek a partial or gradual easing of the U.N. sanctions. Yongbyon has facilities to produce both plutonium and highly enriched uranium, two key nuclear ingredients. North Korea has called the complex "the heart" of its nuclear program, while many outside experts say it's an aging facility and that North Korea is believed to have additional multiple secret uranium enrichment facilities. Moon repeated earlier claims that Kim has genuine willingness to trade his nuclear weapons for economic and security benefits, but that it would be important to create an environment where the North could focus on taking relevant steps toward disarmament. "Chairman Kim should be helped along the path toward that goal in a way that sustains his commitment to nuclear dismantlement," Moon wrote. "I think creating a security environment where Chairman Kim can decisively act on nuclear dismantlement without worries is the fastest way to achieve denuclearization diplomatically," Moon added, without specifying the security concessions Washington and Seoul could make. (KA)
Snowball Effect Feared in Nuke Deal 06/26 06:11
Snowball Effect Feared in Nuke Deal 06/26 06:11 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- As Iran prepares to surpass limits set by its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, each step it takes narrows the time the country's leaders would need to have enough highly enriched uranium for an atomic bomb --- if they chose to build one. The United Nations says Iran has so far respected the deal's terms. But by Thursday, Iran says it will have over 300 kilograms (660 pounds) of low-enriched uranium in its possession, which would mean it had broken out of the atomic accord. European countries that are still a part of the nuclear accord face a July 7 deadline imposed by Tehran to offer a better deal and long-promised relief from U.S. sanctions, or Iran will also begin enriching its uranium closer to weapons-grade levels. Breaking the stockpile limit by itself doesn't radically change the one year experts say Iran would need to have enough material for a bomb. Coupled with increasing enrichment, however, it begins to close that window and hamper any diplomatic efforts at saving the accord. "I worry about the snowball effect," said Corey Hinderstein, a vice president at the Washington-based Nuclear Threat Initiative who once led the U.S. Energy Department's Iran task force. "Iran now takes a step which puts Europe and the other members of the deal in an even-tougher position." Under terms of the nuclear deal, Iran agreed to have less than 300 kilograms (661 pounds) of uranium enriched to a maximum of 3.67%. Previously, Iran enriched as high as 20%, which is a short technical step away from reaching weapons-grade levels. It also held up to 10,000 kilograms (22,046 pounds) of the higher-enriched uranium. Experts who spoke to The Associated Press described the enrichment and stockpile limits in the deal as a sort of sliding scale. Balancing both elements keeps Iran a year away from having enough material for a nuclear weapon, something Iran denies it seeks despite Western concerns about its program. At the time of the deal, which was signed by Iran, the United States, China, Russia, Germany, France and Britain, experts believed Iran needed anywhere from several weeks to three months to have enough material for a bomb. However, the stockpile limit isn't an immediate worry from a nonproliferation standpoint, experts say. "Going over the limit doesn't immediately signify that Iran has enough material that could --- if further enriched and processed --- be used in a nuclear weapon," said Tom Plant, the director of proliferation and nuclear policy at London's Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies. "It does mean that it builds up reserves of material that could in the future support a more rapid push to the higher levels of enrichment that are suitable for weapons use," Plant said. The danger comes July 7, if Iran begins enriching uranium to higher levels. "If Iran begins stockpiling uranium enriched to higher levels, the breakout timeline would decrease more quickly," said Kelsey Davenport, the director of nonproliferation policy at the Washington-based Arms Control Association. Both Davenport and Ian Stewart, a professor at King's College London who runs its antiproliferation studies program called Project Alpha, worry about miscalculations from Iran, the U.S. or the West amid the brinksmanship. "This highlights the real tension at play in Iran: doing enough to satisfy Iranian hard-liners while also maintaining EU, Chinese and Russian support" for the deal, Stewart said. "There's a real risk of miscalculating, not least because it's not clear at which point the EU will have to back away from a noncompliant Iran." Davenport says Iran's moves probably are aimed at gaining leverage in negotiations. "Even if Iran decided to pursue a nuclear weapon, it would still take months to further enrich and weaponize the uranium," she said. "It is critical that the United States does not overreact to a stockpile breach and use it as an excuse to further ratchet up tensions in the region." A year after President Donald Trump's unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear deal, the U.S. and Iran are already locked in a volatile standoff. Last week, Iran shot down a U.S. military drone, saying it violated Iranian airspace, though Washington said it was above international waters. The U.S. has blamed Iran for mysterious explosions targeting oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran denied any involvement. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Israel has bombed nuclear facilities in Iraq and Syria in the past, and reportedly pushed for a similar strike in Iran prior to the 2015 deal. Iran, for now, allows U.N. inspectors to monitor its nuclear facilities via in-person checks and surveillance cameras. It also has yet to begin widespread use of advanced centrifuges that would speed its enrichment. Experts fear either of those happening. Once Iran starts going beyond the terms of the nuclear deal, one fact remains indisputable: the time it needs to have enough material for a possible atomic bomb starts dropping. "As soon as they go over 300 or above 3.67, that number is starting to count down from one year," Hinderstein warned. "So if they do both, then it's just going to steepen that line from one year to wherever they end up." (KA)
Mueller to Testify Before House Panels 06/26 06:12
Mueller to Testify Before House Panels 06/26 06:12 Special counsel Robert Mueller has agreed to testify publicly before Congress on July 17 after Democrats issued subpoenas to compel him to appear, the chairmen of two House committees announced. WASHINGTON (AP) -- Special counsel Robert Mueller has agreed to testify publicly before Congress on July 17 after Democrats issued subpoenas to compel him to appear, the chairmen of two House committees announced. Mueller's unusual back-to-back testimony in front of the House Judiciary and the Intelligence committees is likely to be the most highly anticipated congressional hearing in years, particularly given Mueller's resolute silence throughout his two-year investigation into Russian contacts with President Donald Trump's campaign . Mueller never responded to angry, public attacks from Trump, nor did he ever personally join his prosecutors in court or make announcements of criminal charges from the team. His sole public statement came from the Justice Department podium last month as he announced his departure, when he sought to explain his decision to not indict Trump or to accuse him of criminal conduct. He also put lawmakers on notice that he did not ever intend to say more than what he put in the 448-page report. "We chose those words carefully and the work speaks for itself," Mueller said May 29. "I would not provide information beyond what is already public in any appearance before Congress." Those remarks did little to settle the demands for his testimony. The two committees continued negotiations that had already been going on for weeks, saying they still wanted to hear from Mueller no matter how reluctant he was. "When you accept the role of special counsel in one of the most significant investigations in modern history you're going to have to expect that you're going to be asked to come and testify before Congress," House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., told reporters shortly after the announcement. Trump himself simply tweeted, "Presidential Harassment!" In the report issued in April, Mueller concluded there was not enough evidence to establish a conspiracy between Trump's presidential campaign and Russia, which was the original question that started the investigation. But he also said he could not exonerate Trump on obstruction of justice. The report examined several episodes in which Trump attempted to influence the investigation. Democrats say it is now the job of Congress to assess the report's findings. Lawmakers are likely to confront Mueller on why he did not come to a firm conclusion on obstruction of justice. They are also likely to seek his reaction to a drumbeat of incessant criticism from the president and ask for his personal opinion about whether Trump would have been charged were he not the commander-in-chief. Schiff and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said they issued the subpoenas Tuesday, and Mueller agreed to testify pursuant to those subpoenas. In a letter to Mueller accompanying the subpoenas, the committee chairmen said "the American public deserves to hear directly from you about your investigation and conclusions." Schiff said there will be two hearings "back to back," one for each committee, and they will also meet with Mueller's staff in closed session afterward. The Justice Department declined to comment. Republicans have criticized Democrats for their continuing investigations of the president. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., questioned why they would still want to hear from Mueller after the lengthy report was issued. "He said he didn't want to talk to us anymore, didn't he?" But Georgia Rep. Doug Collins, the top Republican on the Judiciary panel, has said he has no objections to Mueller's testimony. "May this testimony bring to House Democrats the closure that the rest of America has enjoyed for months, and may it enable them to return to the business of legislating," Collins said. (CZ)
Stocks Up Amid Trade Hopes 06/26 10:25
Stocks Up Amid Trade Hopes 06/26 10:25 Technology companies led stocks higher on Wall Street in early trading Wednesday amid fresh optimism among investors that the U.S. and China are making progress toward a deal to resolve their costly trade war. (AP) -- Technology companies led stocks higher on Wall Street in early trading Wednesday amid fresh optimism among investors that the U.S. and China are making progress toward a deal to resolve their costly trade war. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC that a trade deal between the two nations was "about 90%" done during recent negotiations. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet at the G-20 summit this weekend. Meanwhile, a Bloomberg report citing unnamed sources suggested the U.S. is willing to hold off on imposing tariffs on an additional $300 billion in Chinese imports ahead of the next round of trade talks. The Trump administration has already imposed 25% tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese imports and China has retaliated with tariffs on U.S. goods. The escalating trade dispute remains the biggest source of uncertainty looming over the market. Investors are worried the fallout from the tariffs could hurt global economic growth and corporate profits. Chipmakers led the rally in technology stocks early Wednesday after Micron Technology forecast improved demand for smartphone chips the rest of the year. Energy stocks also rose as the price of U.S. crude oil climbed 2.8%. Hess gained 3.5% and Marathon Petroleum rose 3%. Banks gained as bond prices fell, sending yields higher. When bond yields rise it helps banks' ability to charge higher interest on loans. JPMorgan Chase gained 1.2% and Bank of America rose 1%. Health care and consumer staples stocks were among the biggest laggards. Johnson & Johnson fell 1.8% and J.M. Smucker dropped 3.1%. General Mills slumped after the packaged foods maker's latest quarterly results topped Wall Street's expectations, but it also reported weak sales trends in North America. KEEPING SCORE: The S&P 500 index was up 0.2% as of 10:28 a.m. Eastern Time. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 51 points, or 0.2%, to 26,600. The Nasdaq composite, which is heavily weighted with technology stocks, gained 0.7% and the Russell 2000 index of smaller company stocks picked up 0.1%. The market is coming off a three-day losing streak, though it is on track to end June with solid gains. The benchmark S&P 500 index is about 1.1% below the record high it set on Thursday. Major stock indexes in Europe were mostly lower. ALL ABOUT TRADE: This week's G-20 meeting in Osaka, Japan, is the first opportunity Trump and Xi have had to thrash out the trade dispute face-to-face since Trump said he was preparing to target the $300 billion in Chinese imports that he hasn't already hit with tariffs, extending them to everything China ships to the United States. The two sides are in a stalemate after 11 rounds of talks that have failed to overcome U.S. concerns over China's acquisition of American technology and its massive trade surplus. China denies forcing U.S. companies to hand over trade secrets and says the surplus is much smaller than it appears once the trade in services and the value extracted by U.S. companies are taken into account. How the trade war develops could affect whether central banks move in to support the economy. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell this week noted that the economic outlook has become cloudier since early May amid uncertainty over trade and global growth. The Fed and the European Central Bank have indicated they are open to cutting interest rates if needed. FEELING CHIPPER: Chipmakers rose broadly after Micron Technology reported solid quarterly results. Micron said demand should pick up in the second half of the year, noting it has begun selling products to Huawei that Micron has determined are excluded from the Trump administrations' ban on the sale of technology by U.S. companies to the Chinese telecom giant. Micron shares vaulted 11.4%. Advanced Micro Devices climbed 4.9% and Nvidia gained 5.5%. NOT ENTIRELY APPETIZING: General Mills slid 8.2% after the maker of Cheerios cereal, Yoplait yogurt and other packaged foods reported quarterly results that exceeded Wall Street's expectations, but also reported weak sales trends in North America. (CZ)
