2/12/2021

White House News (白宮消息) | Feb. 12, 2021

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FEBRUARY 11, 2021
White House Daily Briefing
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki held her daily briefing with reporters and answered a range of questions , inclucing the president’s response to the impeachment trial against former President Trump, the coup in Myanmar, border control and U.S. relations with Russia, China and Iran. Press Secretary Psaki also announced that the president would address the Munich Security Conference on U.S.-transatlantic relations. 



House impeachment manager Rep. Eric Swalwell delivers part of the impeachment managers opening argument in the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, on charges of inciting the deadly attack on the Capitol, Feb. 10., 2021.
Day 3 key takeaways from Trump's 2nd impeachment trial
Democrats still appear to be short of the GOP support needed to convict Trump.


Feb. 12 - House Democrats wrapped up their opening arguments in Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial Thursday by honing on Trump’s slow response to the Jan. 6 riot and his lack of remorse about the attack – and the weaknesses the riot revealed in America’s system of government at home, and to the rest of the world.

Democrats, who also warned the Senate about the lasting danger Trump would pose if not convicted, were again praised by Republicans for their performance. But they still appear to be short of the Republican support needed to convict Trump, as the former president’s lawyers prepare to mount their defense on Friday.

Here are five key takeaways from Thursday’s proceedings.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS: DEMS SAY RIOTERS FELT ENCOURAGED BY TRUMP

After a day of emotional and searing moments on the House floor Wednesday as Democrats played never-before-seen footage of the Capitol riot, managers argued before the Senate that many participants pointed to Trump’s own words to defend their actions, and claimed he had invited their attack.     continue to read

FEBRUARY 11, 2021 | PART OF U.S. SENATE: IMPEACHMENT TRIAL
U.S. Senate
Impeachment Trial, Day 3 (Closing Arguments)
House Managers continued their presentation, focusing on First Amendment concerns among other issues. Later, Managers Neguse (D-CO) and Raskin (D-MD) gave a summation of their case.


Rep. Ted Lieu, an impeachment manager.
Impeachment manager says he's not afraid of Trump running in 2024. He's afraid of him running, losing, and inciting another insurrection.

Feb. 11 - Rep. Ted Lieu of California, an impeachment manager, on Thursday said he was not frightened of former President Donald Trump running for president again in 2024 — but scared of the consequences of another Trump loss. 


In short, Lieu is worried that if Trump ran again and lost, it could result in another violent insurrection similar to Capitol attack on January 6.

"You know, I'm not afraid of Donald Trump running again in four years. I'm afraid he's going to run again and lose. Because he can do this again," Lieu said during the third day of Trump's Senate impeachment trial.     continue to read

2/11/2021

White House News (白宮消息) | Feb. 11, 2021

 2 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)



Stacey Elizabeth Plaskett[1][2] /ˈplæskɪt/ (born May 13, 1966) is an American politician, attorney, and commentator who is currently the 5th Delegate to the United States House of Representatives from the United States Virgin Islandsat-large congressional district. She is a member of the Democratic Party.
Plaskett has practiced law in New York CityWashington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.    
from Wikipedia


Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett represents the United States Virgin Islands’ at-large Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. She is currently serving her fourth term in Congress.

For the 117th Congress, the members of the House Steering and Policy Committee unanimously appointed Congresswoman Plaskett to serve on the House Committee on Ways and Means, the oldest and one of the most exclusive committees in Congress. In true historic fashion, Ms. Plaskett is the first Member from a U.S. territory and the fourth African-American woman to serve on this committee. Currently serving her fourth term on the House Committee on Agriculture Congresswoman Plaskett previously served as the Chair of the Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture and Research. Ms. Plaskett is also a new member of the House Committee on Budget.     continue to read


FEBRUARY 10, 2021
U.S. Senate
Impeachment Trial
The Senate Impeachment Trial of Former President Donald Trump continues with arguments from the House managers.
Trump impeachment trial day two: Republicans shaken by footage of Capitol police officer crushed during riot

Feb. 11 - Previously unreleased videos have shown how close a pro-Trump mob came to members of Congress and congressional staff during the Capitol riot.


Some Republican senators appeared shaken as they were shown footage of a Capitol police officer being crushed during the riot.

Look back on the events of day two of Donald Trump's second impeachment trial as they unfolded.     source

Key events
FEBRUARY 10, 2021
President Biden Remarks on Myanmar
President Biden announced sanctions on Myanmar military officials over their involvement in the recent coup. The president again called on the military to immediately release the Democratic political leaders and activists that are being detained.



The coup has sparked widespread protests across Myanmar
Biden orders sanctions on Myanmar generals as key Aung San Suu Kyi aide detained

US prevents generals from accessing $1bn in government funds as Kyaw Tint Swe held amid new wave of arrests

Feb. 11 - US President Joe Biden has approved an executive order for new sanctions on those responsible for the military coup in Myanmar, as the army detained another key aide to civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.


Fresh protests took place on Thursday following days of demonstrations in major cities and towns inside Myanmar calling for the military to cede power following its 1 February coup.     continue to read

2/10/2021

White House News (白宮消息) | Feb. 10, 2021

 White House News in Chinese - About (weebly.com)

Rep. Jamie Raskin links impeachment with personal tragedy

Feb. 10 - WASHINGTON (AP) — The congressman’s voice cracked and he paused to drink from a bottle of water as he told of apologizing to his daughter for bringing her to the U.S. Capitol on the day a deadly mob overran it.

But it was recalling what she said to him next, after he assured her nothing like that would happen again, that made Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin break down.


“She said, ’Dad, I don’t want to come back to the Capitol,'” Raskin said softly, squeezing his nose and shaking his head to clear away tears. “Of all the terrible, brutal things I saw and I heard on that day and since then, that one hit me the hardest"...


...Raskin said his daughter and son-in-law were locked in a nearby office, hiding under a desk “placing what they thought were their final texts and whispered phone calls.”

“They thought they were going to die,” he said.

When it was over and the family reunited, Raskin said he promised his daughter that “it would not be like this again the next time she went to the Capitol” only to have her say she had no interest in coming back. The congressman said that exchange, as well as “watching someone use an American flagpole, with the flag still on it, to spear and pummel" a Capitol Police officer "ruthlessly,” were his worst memories of the insurrection.

“This cannot be the future of America,” Raskin said through more tears. “We cannot have presidents inciting and mobilizing mob violence against our government and our institutions because they refused to accept the will of the people under the Constitution of the United States.”     source


FEBRUARY 9, 2021
White House Daily Briefing
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki held a briefing on issues including Covid relief and the Senate impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump.
President Joe Biden will meet with business leaders and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen Tuesday just as the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump begins in earnest

Feb. 10 - President Joe Biden will continue his strategy Tuesday of making a public display of his focus on the coronavirus – rather than the historic impeachment trial set to consume political Washington.

The second impeachment of President Donald Trump on a charge of 'incitement of insurrection' begins in earnest Tuesday, as Democratic managers clash with the president's team over whether it is constitutional to try a former president.
Biden, though, will be publicly showing his determination to boost the economy despite the pandemic that continues to ravage the nation. He will be joined by business leaders and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, at an event that kicks off less than an hour before the trial starts. 

'In the afternoon, the President, the Vice President, and the Secretary of the Treasury will meet with business leaders about the critical need for the American Rescue Plan to save our economy in the Oval Office,' according to the White House schedule for Biden.

Joining will be Vice President Kamala Harris, whose vote could be needed to break ties on procedural votes during the trial. They will discuss the 'critical need for the American Rescue Plan to save our economy' – the president's $1.9 trillion coronavirus package.     more details


FEBRUARY 9, 2021
President Biden Meeting with Business Leaders on COVID-19 Relief

President Biden spoke to reporters prior to his meeting with business leaders concerning his pandemic economic rescue plan. When asked if he’d be watching the impeachment trial of former President Trump, he said no. He stressed that his job and focus would be on the pandemic response and the people impacted by it.

Picture

President Joe Biden participates in an economic briefing with Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen at the White House on January 29. Biden and Yellen are hosting business leaders from around the country on Tuesday.
Biden, Yellen discuss COVID-19 relief with national business leaders


Feb. 9 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen met Tuesday with some of the country's leading chief executives to talk about his coronavirus stimulus plan currently being considered by Congress.

Tom Donohue of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce along with Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase, Doug McMillon of Walmart; Sonia Syngal of Gap, and Marvin Ellison of Lowe's, all attended the meeting where Biden stressed the importance of his relief proposal.

"The American people are hurting, a lot of people are in real, real trouble," Biden said.

During the meeting, Syngal said that she has firsthand experience witnessing who is hurt most by the pandemic as retail workers are 60% to 70% women and 60% to 70% minority, while McMillon of Walmart highlighted the importance of wage growth, CNBC reported.     continue to read

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2/09/2021

White House News (白宮消息) | Feb. 9, 2021

 White House News in Chinese - About (weebly.com)

FEBRUARY 8, 2021
White House Daily Briefing

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki held a briefing where she discussed policy goals and news of the day. The press secretary said President Biden is focused getting COVID-19 aid to Americans and not on the impeachment trial of former President Trump that begins this week. She also said the administration wants to see the minimum wage raised to $15 an hour but will have to wait and see what Congress does with the legislation. 



Representative Jamie Raskin, Democrat of Maryland, is the lead impeachment manager in former President Donald J. Trump’s trial.
What to Watch for as Donald J. Trump’s Impeachment Trial Begins

Debate will begin at 1 p.m. on Tuesday. Though the trial is expected to be fast-paced, oral arguments could stretch into next week.

Feb. 9 - The second impeachment trial of former President Donald J. Trump begins on Tuesday, about a month after he was charged by the House with incitement of insurrection for his role in egging on a violent mob that stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Here’s what you need to know.

    • A trial is being held to decide whether former President Donald J. Trump is guilty of inciting a deadly mob of his supporters when they stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, violently breaching security measures and sending lawmakers into hiding as they met to certify President Biden’s victory.
    • The House voted 232 to 197 to approve a single article of impeachment, accusing Mr. Trump of “inciting violence against the government of the United States” in his quest to overturn the election results. Ten Republicans joined the Democrats in voting to impeach him.
    • To convict Mr. Trump, the Senate would need a two-thirds majority to be in agreement. This means at least 17 Republican senators would have to vote with Senate Democrats to convict.
    • A conviction seems unlikely. Last month, only five Republicans in the Senate sided with Democrats in beating back a Republican attempt to dismiss the charges because Mr. Trump is no longer in office. On the eve of the trial’s start, 28 senators say they are undecided about whether to convict Mr. Trump.
    • If the Senate convicts Mr. Trump, finding him guilty of “inciting violence against the government of the United States,” senators could then vote on whether to bar him from holding future office. That vote would only require a simple majority, and if it came down to party lines, Democrats would prevail with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tiebreaking vote.
    • If the Senate does not convict Mr. Trump, the former president could be eligible to run for public office once again. Public opinion surveys show that he remains by far the most popular national figure in the Republican Party.
more details




Trump’s Final Defense of His Presidency May Be His Most Deranged
He’s misreading the Constitution and claiming to be the real victim of the Capitol riots.


Feb. 8 - Just over a month ago, rioters and insurrectionists attacked the Capitol and killed five people. They traipsed through the House and Senate chambers, taking photographs of themselves and rifling through the effects of the lawmakers who fled their approach. They disrupted and delayed the counting of electoral votes to formally transfer power to President Joe Biden. They pillaged and looted the citadel of American democracy. Now the Senate, gathered in that same building, will decide the fate of the president who sent them there.

It’s hard to imagine Donald Trump sinking lower, but he found a way. Trump is now the first federal official in the two-and-a-half-century history of the republic to be impeached twice and tried twice. Last year, he stood accused of abuse of power and obstruction of justice for a convoluted scheme to sabotage Biden’s candidacy through the Ukrainian government. This time, he will defend himself against a single charge—incitement of insurrection—for encouraging his supporters to prevent Biden’s presidency by force.

There is no real, substantive defense to these charges. Americans watched Trump spread lies about the election for months before the riot. He warned in dark and ominous terms that the country was in danger and that his supporters needed to fight back. “You’ll never take back our country with weakness,” he told supporters at a rally outside the White House on January 6. “You have to show strength and you have to be strong. We have come to demand that Congress do the right thing and only count the electors who have been lawfully slated, lawfully slated.” Even after his supporters trampled themselves and beat police officers, Trump praised them as “very special.”     continue to read