McCabe: Trump May Have Committed Crime 02/19 06:49

   Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe said in an interview that aired 
Sunday that a "crime may have been committed" when President Donald Trump fired 
the head of the FBI and tried to publicly undermine an investigation into his 
campaign's ties to Russia. 

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe said in an 
interview that aired Sunday that a "crime may have been committed" when 
President Donald Trump fired the head of the FBI and tried to publicly 
undermine an investigation into his campaign's ties to Russia.

   McCabe also said in the interview with "60 Minutes" that the FBI had good 
reason to open a counterintelligence investigation into whether Trump was in 
league with Russia, and therefore a possible national security threat, 
following the May 2017 firing of then-FBI Director James Comey.

   "And the idea is, if the president committed obstruction of justice, fired 
the director of the of the FBI to negatively impact or to shut down our 
investigation of Russia's malign activity and possibly in support of his 
campaign, as a counterintelligence investigator you have to ask yourself, "Why 
would a president of the United States do that?" McCabe said.

   He added: "So all those same sorts of facts cause us to wonder is there an 
inappropriate relationship, a connection between this president and our most 
fearsome enemy, the government of Russia?"

   Asked whether Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was onboard with the 
obstruction and counterintelligence investigations, McCabe replied, 
"Absolutely."

   A Justice Department spokeswoman declined to comment Sunday night.

   McCabe also revealed that when Trump told Rosenstein to put in writing his 
concerns with Comey --- a document the White House initially held up as 
justification for his firing --- the president explicitly asked the Justice 
Department official to reference Russia in the memo. Rosenstein did not want 
to, McCabe said, and the memo that was made public upon Comey's dismissal did 
not mention Russia and focused instead on Comey's handling of the Hillary 
Clinton email server investigation.

   "He explained to the president that he did not need Russia in his memo," 
McCabe said. "And the president responded, "I understand that, I am asking you 
to put Russia in the memo anyway."

   Trump said in a TV interview days after Comey's firing that he was thinking 
of "this Russia thing" when he fired Comey.

   Those actions, including a separate request by Trump that the FBI end an 
investigation into his first national adviser, Michael Flynn, made the FBI 
concerned that the president was illegally trying to obstruct the Russia probe.

   "Put together, these circumstances were articulable facts that indicated 
that a crime may have been committed," McCabe said. "The president may have 
been engaged in obstruction of justice in the firing of Jim Comey."

   McCabe was fired from the Justice Department last year after being accused 
of misleading investigators during an internal probe into a news media 
disclosure. The allegation was referred to the U.S. Attorney's office in 
Washington for possible prosecution, but no charges have been brought. McCabe 
has denied having intentionally lied and said Sunday that he believes his 
firing was politically motivated.

   "I believe I was fired because I opened a case against the president of the 
United States," he said.

   In the interview Sunday, McCabe also said Rosenstein in the days after 
Comey's firing had proposed wearing a wire to secretly record the president. 
McCabe said he took the remark seriously, though the Justice Department last 
September --- responding last September to a New York Times report that first 
revealed the conversation --- issued a statement from an unnamed official who 
was in the room and interpreted the remark as sarcastic.

   McCabe said the remark was made during a conversation about why Trump had 
fired Comey.

   "And in the context of that conversation, the deputy attorney general 
offered to wear a wire into the White House. He said, "'I never get searched 
when I go into the White House.  I could easily wear a recording device. They 
wouldn't know it was there,'" McCabe said.

   In excerpts released last week by CBS News, McCabe also described a 
conversation in which Rosenstein had broached the idea of invoking the 
Constitution's 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office. The Justice 
Department said in a statement that Rosenstein, based on his dealings with 
Trump, does not see cause to seek the removal of the president.

   Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat who is seeking her party's 
nomination for president, told reporters after a campaign event Sunday in Las 
Vegas that if the people around Trump believe he cannot fulfill the obligations 
of his office, then they have a duty to invoke the 25th Amendment.

   A favorite target of Trump's ire, Warren said she has no special knowledge 
on whether there are grounds to remove Trump from office but said that  "there 
are a whole lot of people who do see him every day who evidently were talking 
about invoking the 25th Amendment."


(KA)

NC Election Board Weighs Election Re-Do02/19 06:52

   RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- The country's last undecided congressional election 
was marred by falsified signatures, disappearing documents and blank ballots 
that were filled in by people hired by the Republican candidate, North Carolina 
elections officials said.

   The state elections board could decide as early as Tuesday whether possibly 
criminal ballot fraud was unfortunate but tolerable, or whether to order a new 
election in the 9th congressional district.

   A political operative hired by Republican Mark Harris led "a coordinated, 
unlawful and substantially resourced absentee ballot scheme" in last year's 
general election in rural Bladen and Robeson counties, which are part of the 
congressional district, state elections director Kim Strach said Monday.

   The operative, Leslie McCrae Dowless Jr., was called to testify Monday, but 
his attorney refused to put him on the stand without legal protection against 
prosecution for events he described. The board refused.

   The first of what could be a days-long hearing produced Dowless' workers 
testifying that they sometimes filled in votes on unfinished, unsealed mail-in 
ballots. But there was scant evidence that Harris knew about it or even 
benefited.

   Harris narrowly leads Democrat Dan McCready in unofficial results. But the 
race wasn't certified in November after rumors of Dowless' operation focusing 
on mail-in ballots. The elections board is expected to either declare a winner 
or order a new election after the hearing.

   Dowless was hired to produce votes for Harris and Bladen County Sheriff Jim 
McVickers, but his methods last year included paying people to visit potential 
voters who had received absentee ballots and getting them to hand over those 
ballots, whether completed or not, Dowless worker Lisa Britt testified.

   It's illegal in North Carolina for anyone other than a guardian or close 
family member to handle a voter's ballot because of the risk that it could be 
altered before being counted.

   While Dowless and Harris' main campaign consultant were in constant contact, 
she didn't have any indication Harris knew about the operation, Britt said.

   "I think Mr. Harris was completely clueless as to what was going on," Britt 
said.

   Britt testified she collected about three dozen sometimes unfinished ballots 
and handed them to Dowless, who kept them at his home and office for days or 
longer before they were turned in, said Britt, whose mother was formerly 
married to Dowless. While the congressional and sheriff's races were almost 
always marked by voters who turned in unsealed ballots, Britt said she would 
fill in down-ballot local races --- favoring Republicans --- to prevent local 
elections board workers from suspecting Dowless' activities.

   In one case, Britt said she picked up the completed ballot of an elderly 
black woman. A week later, she was told to return the woman's ballot after a 
local black empowerment group complained to Dowless that she was a voter they'd 
recruited. Britt said she could not explain why Dowless would still have the 
ballot in his possession rather than turning it in to the local elections board.

   Dowless paid local people like Britt $125 for every 50 mail-in ballots they 
collected in Bladen and Robeson counties and turned in to him, Strach said.

   The operation's scope allowed Dowless to collect nearly $84,000 in 
consulting fees over five months leading into last year's general election, 
said Strach, adding that in addition to reviewing financial and phone records, 
investigators questioned 142 voters in the south-central North Carolina 
counties.

   Four of the five members on the elections board --- composed of three 
Democrats and two Republicans --- would need to agree a new election is 
necessary.

   If that doesn't happen, McCready's lawyers said state officials should send 
their findings to the Democrat-dominated U.S. House and let it decide whether 
Harris should be seated --- arguing that the U.S. Constitution gives the House 
authority over the elections and qualifications of its members.


(KA)

16 States Sue Over Trump Declaration   02/19 06:53

   California and 15 other states filed a lawsuit Monday against President 
Donald Trump's emergency declaration to fund a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

   SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- California and 15 other states filed a lawsuit 
Monday against President Donald Trump's emergency declaration to fund a wall on 
the U.S.-Mexico border.

   California Attorney General Xavier Becerra released a statement Monday 
saying the suit alleges the Trump administration's action violates the 
Constitution.

   "President Trump treats the rule of law with utter contempt," Becerra said. 
"He knows there is no border crisis, he knows his emergency declaration is 
unwarranted, and he admits that he will likely lose this case in court."

   Joining California in filing the lawsuit are the attorneys general of 
Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, 
Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Virginia. All 
the states involved in the lawsuit have Democratic attorneys general.

   Trump declared a national emergency to fulfill his promise of completing the 
wall.

   The move allows the president to bypass Congress to use money from the 
Pentagon and other budgets.

   The states say diversion of military funding to wall-building will hurt 
their economies and deprive their military bases of needed upgrades. They say 
taking away funds from counter-drug efforts for the wall will also cause 
damage. California and New Mexico, the two Mexican border states in the 
lawsuit, say the wall will harm wildlife.

   California has repeatedly challenged Trump in court.

   "President Trump is manufacturing a crisis and declaring a made-up 'national 
emergency' in order to seize power and undermine the Constitution," said 
California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a statement. "This 'emergency' is a national 
disgrace."


(KA)

Knight Foundation to Aid Journalism    02/19 06:55

   NEW YORK (AP) -- The Knight Foundation says it will invest $300 million in 
local journalism over the next five years, seeding several programs designed to 
kick-start an industry decimated by layoffs and newspaper closures over the 
last 15 years.

   The plans, announced Tuesday, will double the amount of spending the 
foundation started by newspaper publisher brothers John S. and James L. Knight 
has been making in this area over the past few years.

   Among the beneficiaries are the American Journalism Project, which provides 
grants to local nonprofit news organizations; the investigative site 
ProPublica; Report for America, a service organization that pays for the hiring 
of local journalists; and PBS' "Frontline," the documentary program that's 
making its first foray into local news.

   "What this initiative aims to do is really help build a future for local 
news," said Jennifer Preston, vice president for journalism at the Knight 
Foundation.

   A spate of philanthropic efforts, including a $300 million initiative 
announced by Facebook last month, has drawn attention to how declining profits 
and readership has bled local journalism. Nearly 1,800 weekly and daily 
newspapers have closed since 2004, and the number of working journalists has 
been cut in half during that period, according to a University of North 
Carolina study.

   Until 2005, Knight had focused much of its journalism philanthropy on 
education. But it began focusing on helping news organizations weather the 
technological changes to the industry and, since 2015, has funded more local 
projects. They include supporting an effort by 17 news organizations in the 
Philadelphia area for a report on the impact of mass incarceration.

   Preston said Knight hoped its commitment would spur other funding sources to 
join in support of local news.

   While PBS' "Frontline" primarily reports on national and international 
topics, it frequently works with local journalists to bolster its understanding 
of issues, said Raney Aronson-Rath, the show's executive producer. She cited 
the work of New Orleans-based reporters for a story about the aftermath of 
Hurricane Katrina.

   With what is happening in the industry, it's getting harder to find those 
knowledgeable journalists, she said.

   With a $3 million grant from Knight, "Frontline" will hire an editor and 
reporters in up to five communities to work specifically on agreed-upon topics 
like housing, education, law enforcement and access to voting. Some of the work 
may result in a "Frontline" story, but the primary purpose is local reporting 
on those issues that will appear within the affected communities, she said.

   Many believe that a breakdown in trust about journalism, for all the time 
that it is fanned by national politicians, begins at the local level when 
people realize what they are missing by not having reporters seeking out news 
and holding officials accountable.

   "This is a democracy problem," Aronson-Rath said.

   The American Journalism Project, which is getting $20 million from Knight, 
is a venture philanthropy firm started by the founders of two successful news 
sites, the Texas Tribune and Chalkbeat. Their idea is to raise money to start 
as many similar local journalism projects as they can.

   Knight has also supported the Documenters Program, started by the City 
Bureau in Chicago, where citizens are trained by journalists and dispatched to 
cover local government meetings. The project is expanding to other cities.

   That effort, however, illustrates the challenges faced by philanthropists. 
Funding specific investigative projects has its worth, but the impact of 
cutbacks is seen --- or, more accurately, not seen --- in the thousands of 
state, city and town government organizations whose meetings are no longer 
attended by reporters on a regular basis.

   Recovering what has been lost by the thousands of journalists no longer on 
the beat requires fundamental changes in the business of local journalism. 
Preston said Knight recognizes this and is funding efforts designed to develop 
more sustainable business models.

   "We are at a critical juncture at this moment in time to make these 
investments at a local level to help rebuild trust in journalism, one community 
at a time," she said.


(KA)

China, Iran Meet to Preserve Nuke Deal 02/19 06:56

   BEIJING (AP) -- The Iranian foreign minister's passionate defense of his 
country's interests at the Munich Security Conference has made him "a famous 
person" in China, his Chinese counterpart told him Tuesday, as the sides met 
amid efforts to preserve the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran.

   Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is leading an Iranian delegation to 
Beijing that includes parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani and the ministers of 
finance and petroleum, as well as the CEO of the country's central bank.

   Germany, Britain, France, China, Russia and the European Union have been 
trying to preserve the 2015 deal meant to keep Iran from obtaining nuclear 
weapons in exchange for sanctions relief after the unilateral withdrawal of the 
United States last year.

   "Yesterday evening I saw on TV how you defended the rights of Iran loud and 
clear at the Munich Security Conference," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told 
Zarif. "I think an audience of hundreds of millions of Chinese also watched 
what you said and you are a famous person now."

   A perception held by many Chinese that the U.S. seeks to contain their 
nation's global rise generates sympathy among the public for Iran and other 
countries, such as Venezuela, identified by Washington as hostile powers.

   Zarif told the Munich conference on Sunday that a barter-type system known 
as INSTEX set up last month by France, Germany and Britain to allow businesses 
to skirt direct financial transactions with Iran, and thereby evade possible 
U.S. sanctions, fell short of commitments to save the nuclear deal.

   He addressed the conference a day after U.S. Vice President Mike Pence 
prodded Germany, France and Britain to follow Washington in withdrawing from 
the deal and to "stop undermining U.S. sanctions."

   Wang made no direct comments on China's position on the deal in opening 
remarks before reporters on Tuesday, but said he was "really delighted" to meet 
with Zarif "given the major changes in the Middle East and the international 
landscape."

   "I would like to take this opportunity to have this in-depth strategic 
communication with my old friend to deepen the strategic trust between our two 
countries and to ensure fresh progress of the bilateral comprehensive and 
strategic partnership," Wang said.

   Zarif responded by saying Iran's relationship with China "is very valuable 
to us."

   "We consider the comprehensive strategic partnership between Iran and China 
as one of our most important relations," he said.

   Prior to parliamentary speaker Larijani's departure from Tehran, China's 
official Xinhua News Agency quoted him as saying that Iran and China have 
"close and amicable" relations in diverse areas, and that both sides have 
enjoyed the support of each other in the international arena.

   Asked about China's position on the Iran deal and Washington's re-imposition 
of sanctions, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China had made clear 
its disapproval.

   "We have always opposed unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction," 
Geng said, referring to U.S. efforts to compel other countries to adhere to 
measures it imposes outside the United Nations.

   China has long sought to balance its relations in the Middle East between 
rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia --- one of its chief suppliers of crude oil --- 
whose de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is due to visit 
Beijing on Thursday and Friday for meetings with President Xi Jinping and other 
Chinese officials.

   Iran is also an important source of crude imports to China, which has also 
invested in manufacturing and other industries in Iran.

   At the same time, China has sought to remain a friend to Israel --- which 
Iran regards with hostility --- partly to avail itself of the country's 
cutting-edge technologies.

   Yin Gang, a retired researcher formerly with the Chinese Academy of Social 
Sciences, said China was feeling a greater sense of urgency and may press Iran 
to take a "practical attitude" in light of U.S. concerns over its missile 
program, support for Syria's embattled leader and other U.S. concerns.

   The Saudi crown prince's visit imposes pressure from the opposite direction, 
however, Yin said.

   "For many years, Saudi Arabia has expressed its hopes that China not do 
anything to block sanctioning Iran," Yin said.


(KA)

Rosenstein Expected to Leave in March  02/19 07:00

   A Justice Department official says Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is 
expected to leave his position in the middle of next month.

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- A Justice Department official says Deputy Attorney 
General Rod Rosenstein is expected to leave his position in the middle of next 
month.

   The official was not authorized to discuss the move by name and spoke to The 
Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Monday night.

   The White House is expected to name a replacement for Rosenstein this week.

   Rosenstein's departure had been expected with the confirmation of William 
Barr as attorney general last week.

   Rosenstein has been on the job for nearly two years.

   He oversaw special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation after 
then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself. Barr now oversees the 
remaining work in Mueller's investigation into potential coordination between 
the Kremlin and the Trump campaign and decide how much Congress and the public 
know about its conclusion.


(CZ)

Bernie Sanders Announces 2020 Run      02/19 06:59

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, whose insurgent 2016 
presidential campaign reshaped Democratic politics, announced Tuesday that he 
is running for president in 2020.

   "Our campaign is not only about defeating Donald Trump," the 77-year-old 
self-described democratic socialist said in an email to supporters. "Our 
campaign is about transforming our country and creating a government based on 
the principles of economic, social, racial and environmental justice."

   An enthusiastic progressive who embraces proposals ranging from Medicare for 
All to free college tuition, Sanders stunned the Democratic establishment in 
2016 with his spirited challenge to Hillary Clinton. While she ultimately 
became the party's nominee, his campaign helped lay the groundwork for the 
leftward lurch that has dominated Democratic politics in the Trump era.

   The question now for Sanders is whether he can stand out in a crowded field 
of Democratic presidential candidates who also embrace many of his policy ideas 
and are newer to the national political stage. That's far different from 2016, 
when he was Clinton's lone progressive adversary.

   Still, there is no question that Sanders will be a formidable contender for 
the Democratic nomination. He won more than 13 million votes in 2016 and dozens 
of primaries and caucuses. He opens his campaign with a nationwide organization 
and a proven small-dollar fundraising effort.

   "We're gonna win," Sanders told CBS.

   He said he was going to launch "what I think is unprecedented in modern 
American history": a grassroots movement "to lay the groundwork for 
transforming the economic and political life of this country."

   And Sanders could be well positioned to compete in the nation's first 
primary in neighboring New Hampshire, which he won by 22 points in 2016. But he 
won't have the state to himself.

   Sen. Kamala Harris of California, another Democratic presidential contender, 
was in New Hampshire on Monday and said she'd compete for the state. She also 
appeared to take a dig at Sanders.

   "The people of New Hampshire will tell me what's required to compete in New 
Hampshire," she told shoppers at a bookstore in Concord. "But I will tell you 
I'm not a democratic socialist."

   Sen. Elizabeth Warren of nearby Massachusetts will be in New Hampshire on 
Friday.

   One of the biggest questions surrounding Sanders' candidacy is how he'll 
compete against someone like Warren, who shares many of his policy goals. 
Warren has already launched her campaign and has planned an aggressive swing 
through the early primary states.

   Shortly after announcing her exploratory committee, Warren hired Brendan 
Summers, who managed Sanders' 2016 Iowa campaign. Other staffers from Sanders' 
first bid also have said they would consider working for other candidates in 
2020.

   The crowded field includes a number of other candidates who will likely make 
strong appeals to the Democratic base including Harris and Sens. Cory Booker of 
New Jersey, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York. The 
field could also grow, with a number of high-profile Democrats still 
considering presidential bids, including former Vice President Joe Biden and 
former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke.

   While Sanders had been working to lay the groundwork for a second campaign 
for months, it was unclear whether he will be able to expand his appeal beyond 
his largely white base of supporters. In 2016, Sanders notably struggled to 
garner support from black voters, an issue that could become particularly 
pervasive during a primary race that could include several non-white candidates.

   Last month, he joined Booker at an event in Columbia, South Carolina, 
marking the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. In 2016, Sanders lost the South 
Carolina primary, which features a heavily black electorate, by 47 points.

   Sanders also faces different pressures in the #MeToo era. Some of his male 
staffers and supporters in 2016 were described as "Bernie bros" for their 
treatment of women.

   In the run-up to Sanders' 2020 announcement, persistent allegations emerged 
of sexual harassment of women by male staffers during his 2016 campaign. 
Politico and The New York Times reported several allegations of unwanted sexual 
advances and pay inequity.

   In an interview with CNN after the initial allegations surfaced, Sanders 
apologized but also noted he was "a little busy running around the country 
trying to make the case."

   As additional allegations emerged, he offered a more unequivocal apology.

   "What they experienced was absolutely unacceptable and certainly not what a 
progressive campaign --- or any campaign --- should be about," Sanders said 
Jan. 10 on Capitol Hill. "Every woman in this country who goes to work today or 
tomorrow has the right to make sure that she is working in an environment which 
is free of harassment, which is safe and is comfortable, and I will do my best 
to make that happen."


(KA)

Stocks Mixed Ahead of More Trade Talks 02/19 09:23

   Stocks edged between small gains and losses in early trading on Wall Street 
Tuesday as U.S. markets reopened following the Presidents Day holiday and as 
investors sized up the latest company earnings reports.

   (AP) -- Stocks edged between small gains and losses in early trading on Wall 
Street Tuesday as U.S. markets reopened following the Presidents Day holiday 
and as investors sized up the latest company earnings reports.

   Losses in financial, industrial and technology stocks outweighed gains in 
consumer goods and communications companies.

   Investors are keeping a close eye on talks between U.S. and Chinese 
negotiators in Washington that are aimed at ending a trade war between the 
world's largest economies.

   After March 2, the U.S. is set to impose additional tariffs on Chinese 
goods, escalating a dispute that has already raised costs for companies and 
consumers. President Donald Trump has said there is a possibility he would 
extend that deadline if the two countries are close to a deal.

   Traders weighed the latest batch of earnings reports from companies, 
including Walmart, which climbed after its earnings topped Wall Street's 
expectations.

   KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 4 points, or less than 
0.1 percent, to 25,878 as of 10:07 a.m. Eastern Time. The S&P 500 index gained 
less than 0.1 percent, while the Nasdaq composite added 0.1 percent. Major 
European indexes were headed lower.

   TRADE TALKS: A truce between the U.S. and China on increased American 
tariffs on Chinese good expires at the end of next week, leaving the U.S. free 
to more than double its import duties on $200 billion in Chinese goods. Much is 
riding on the outcome after an inconclusive end to an earlier round of talks in 
Beijing last week.

   The U.S. is wrangling over trade with many nations. On Monday, the European 
Union warned that the bloc will hold back on a commitment to buy more American 
soybeans and liquefied gas if European cars are hit with punitive tariffs.

   Vice Premier Liu He, China's economy czar, was due to arrive in Washington 
on Thursday, China's state media reported, after two days of preliminary talks 
by lower-level officials.

   MISSED THE MARK: London-based HSBC fell 4.1 percent after the bank reported 
results that fell short of analysts' estimates.

   RETAIL THERAPY: Walmart climbed 3.7 percent after the retail giant reported 
quarterly earnings that beat forecasts. The company benefited from growth in 
online sales and the expansion of its grocery pickup and delivery business.

   OVERSEAS: European markets were mostly lower. Asian markets were mixed. 


(BE)